| |
Subject |
Author |
Date Posted |
Forum
|
 |
RE: new to direct TV
Do you have a SD or HD receiver?
Ditrct will setup home for you.
Then you will need to wire the RV to get the signal inside. Do not rely on any wiring you already have in the trailer. It is basically junk.
I disagree since I like at least one other so far in this thread have found the existing setup with respect to wiring to be fine for Satellite. I sure would not go "mucking" around with your existing wiring until you get things working and then see if any wiring upgrading would be necessary/desiredl
For the trailer, the easiest is to run one or two wires from a junction box outside to where you need the signal, using RG6 coax and direct approved connectors. As for locating the correct sat, you will want something like a Birdog sat meter to fine tune your signal. I use an Align-A-Site to get close and my Birdog to fine tune. Takes me about 5 minutes now to get a strong signal for HD programming.
Larry
|
LarryJM
|
05/19/13 03:00am |
Technology Corner
|
|
RE: Another Tire Question
I guess the manufacturer of the wheels on my last three trailers are also misinformed.
Current STEEL wheels on Keystone Outback rated for 2600#. Came with ST225/75R15 LR-D. Note LR-E specs 2830# for 80 psi in that size.
Steel(?) wheels on Thor Wanderer rated for 65 psi, 2150#. Came with ST205/75R15 LR-C.
Current STEEL wheels on Mirage rated for 50 psi, 1820#. Came with ST205/75R15 LR-C.
Everyone can do as they wish. I wish to not exceed published (or stamped) specs.
I agree and to blindly recommend otherwise is IMO foolish and dangerous.
|
LarryJM
|
05/13/13 06:25am |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: Any reason I'd need weight distribution?
Virtually every trailer is delived from the factory to the dealer without using WD.
Correct and that is more from the necessity and requirements along with a very limited window of increased risk of an accident.
Granted the trailers are at their lowest weight and most delivery folks use one ton duallys.
Correct and these are commercial activities hopefully performed by more experienced drivers that the normal person you see on the highway towing TT
I never really understood why with thousands of all kinds of trailers towed every day on the ball, why the RV folks seem to think that if we tow without WD and sway mitigation we will end up in the ditch.
Probably 95% of those are locally towed equipment trailers or smaller cargo trailers and not these 30ft plus "HUGE BILLBOARDS" towed with everything from a Volkswagon to a Pererbilt.
If you want the peace of mind towing then go with WD and sway mitigation but that is most likely all it is - peace of mind- because most that tow with a properly set up trailer, correct tongue weight, and a capable tow vehicle like the OP's Ram should never have a problem.
Yep hook up even that 30' BILLBOARD to your every day driver Peterbilt and go for it ... however those are a very small percentage of drivers of TT on the highways so WD and Sway "control/mitigation" as a general rule of thumb is prudent and in the cases where it might be overkill is one of the "no harm" - "no foul" situations.
If the OP does not need to transfer tongue weight to restore some weight to the front axle that was removed by the tongue then why mess with a WD setup?
I disagree and in general WDH with sway makes for a smoother and more comfortable towing experience.
Larry
|
LarryJM
|
05/13/13 04:19am |
Towing
|
|
RE: ProPride 3P On Trail Lite 8308s
Just curious, has anyone had experience installing a 3P on a Trail Lite 8308s? I am concerned about the unique style propane cover getting in the way.See pic of cover here
I have the twin to yours in the HR flavor and my Equal-i-zer is compatible with the molded cover. However, any system that will extend more than about 1/2" inside the A-frame would probably not be very compatible with that molded cover.
Larry
|
LarryJM
|
05/13/13 03:08am |
Towing
|
|
RE: Equalizer hitch size, how big is too big?
i'm very happy with my Equal-i-zer and it's a third of the cost of a Hensley or ProPride.
why not post what you think are better WDH's.
I am glad you are happy with your hitch. As to those that I view as a better hitch--virtually any other hitch on the market and you did list two of the three best. PullRite would be the other top hitch in my estimation. But there are many hitches in a mid price range that are better including the Reese Dual Cam. As an aside I have used the 1200/12000 Equalizer and purchased it after drinking the 'cool aid' glowing reports on this forum. I have not found the hitch to live up to the reports in several areas including constant loosening of the L brackets, the inability of the hitch head to share differing weight bars (a major design flaw) for those that might like to tow two or more trailers with differing spring bar needs, and the Airstream folks have cited potential issues with the Equalizer hitch for tongue and body to frame damage. Husky makes a model that works similar to the Equalizer that I think is an improvement.
At the end of the day all the Equalizer hitch does for sway mitigation is based purely on friction; friction against sway and friction to straighten a sway episode back to straight. Even the Dual Cam Reese actually helps the trailer to return to straight; a feature lacking in the Equalizer. In my experience the Equalizer does little or nothing for sway mitigation and those like you that use it and like the hitch probably have a tow vehicle and trailer that is loaded correctly and most likely would not sway. All three premium hitches control sway not just mitigate it. They are not based on friction like the Equalizer. If the OP is going to purchase a hitch and the dealer not willing to throw it in to the deal for free (not that it would really be free) then I suggest the OP at least look at hitches beyond the Equalizer. The hitch is important and there is a lot of money tied up in the truck and trailer so why not get a quality hitch and not let money be such a limiting factor. So what if a hitch costs three times as much as an Equalizer, what does that have to do with safety? Especially when it controls sway and not just mitigates it. The OP can purchase an inexpensive hitch now and later spend more on a better hitch. That just adds to the overall cost of getting to the place where the OP has the final hitch. Been there done that! A premium hitch is really inexpensive when purchased initially and not as a progressive purchase of hitches to finally get to the hitch really wanted. My comments were directed to help the OP get to the hitch wanted initially and not 'enjoy' several hitch upgrade iterations with a few hitches now unused laying around in a corner of the garage all adding to the final cost of that best hitch for the OP's situation.
If you don't agree with my comments that is fine; I have said nothing about your satisfaction with your use of the Equalizer only my experience.
I understand your comments, but I like others thought your initial comment was more a statement of fact and not your opinion. I agree the HA, Pull-Rite, Pro-Pride are better and they should be for the premium price they command. I happen to own an Equal-i-zer and unlike you I have found it to be a fine system and believe it is on par with all the other offerings like the Reese DC, Blue-ox, Anderson, etc. and for me the simplicity gives it a thumbs up over these other hitches. All WDHs have their own unique limitations like the Reese being picky about how exact it's set up needs to be, the non universal fitment between vehicles for the Pull-rite, how heavy the HA is and all the parts to it, so the fact that the differing WDH bars require different socket size for the Equal-i-zer system is not IMO a "major design flaw" as you described it, but just how the hitch is designed. The one other "quirk" of the older styled Equal-i-zers was the torquing of the brackets to prevent moving. Over torquing would reduce the net "clamping force" and subject the bracket to movement over time.
In the end as you said you have now stated your opinion and what it's based on which is fine just as I have now done.
Larry
|
LarryJM
|
05/13/13 03:01am |
Towing
|
 |
RE: Counting propane as tongue weight.
Why wouldn't you consider it, two FULL 20 lb. tanks weigh 78 pounds total (38 each), two 30 pounders like I have on my Outback weigh 108 pounds together when full.
But how often are that both full. that is what I was getting at. Often one of mine is empty.
Both mine are full at the start of each and every road trip. Assuming that what you might do is common is from my experience generally wrong and some of the comments in this thread alone seem to bear out that observation.
Larry
|
LarryJM
|
05/12/13 04:46pm |
Towing
|
|
RE: Another Tire Question
I agree with the 2K per tire and here are the load limits for 225 sized 15" ST tires
"C" - 2150
"D" - 2540
"E" - 2830
Issue is if your TT came with "C" then the rims might only be rated for 50# so "D" (65psi) and "E" (80psi) would/should need new rims as well. Both the C and D would be O.K., but IMO the E is overkill. Also an ST205R75x15(D) at 2150 would also be good. My choice would be the "D" at 2540 if your rims will take the PSI.
Larry
|
LarryJM
|
05/12/13 06:06am |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: Counting propane as tongue weight.
Of course I count whatever wt. is on the tongue whether it's propane, etc. and really don't understand your question since you sure can't just add this or that to get your tongue wt. since how you load your trailer will be a major factor in what your tongue actually weighs. As you said maybe you only have 30lbs vs. 60lb in propane .... what are you adding that to????? ... that "to" is going to have many times the variance of that 30lb variance in just propane wt. Therefore you have to weigh the tongue anyway and then all you have to do is to know approx. how much propane you have for that wt. and then add or subtract that as needed, but I don't see why you would need to be that accurate. In the overall scheme of things that 30lbs variance in the amt of propane will not be a major player in tongue wt. one way or another once you have a "real tongue wt" from actually weighing your tongue. I consider tongue wt. to be approx + or - around 100lbs of whatever number I get from my Sherline scale when I have my trailer fully loaded for camping.
Larry
|
LarryJM
|
05/12/13 03:23am |
Towing
|
|
RE: Enclosed, Secure Bumper mounted Bike Rack
BTW, I have checked with the manufacturer and they checked with their engineering and confirmed I should be able to load 300 lbs on my rear bumper no problem, so covered there.
Wellllll ....
1. I just can't believe that number;
2. There is a HUGE difference between a "STATIC" and "LIVE or DYNAMIC" load on a bumper and they didn't specify that difference.
3. Installing things that seem to look secure and hide something is more inviting to someone thinking and wanting to acquire whatever you are trying to protect and hide for their use.
4. I wouldn't do what you are contemplating and if you do I would HIGHLY recommend installing a rear view camera so you can watch all that HEAVY and EXPENSIVE stuff hanging off your bumper.
Larry
|
LarryJM
|
05/08/13 07:20am |
Do It Yourself Modifications and Upgrades (DIY)
|
|
RE: New battery box install almost complete
While these type of installs look great I often wonder how they will hold up to the corrosive "outgassing" that naturally occurs over the long haul.
Larry
|
LarryJM
|
05/08/13 06:59am |
Beginning RVing
|
|
RE: To leak or not to leak (Slide Out Stories)
No any camper with a electric slide out. I am in the market for a travel trailer and hear this is a issue on many brands and just trying to find out how common it may be among certain brands.
I think then you are misinformed since from my extensive reading here over the last 6 years I haven't seen where slides are any more prone to leak than other areas of the trailer. I HIGHLY DOUBT you will find any trends among particular slide manufacturers or even trailer manufacturers. IMO the most prone area to leak are the corners and again IMO that is because those are the areas where water can pool because of the raised front/rear end seams and the insert molding from the front/rear going up onto the roof for like a foot. A second fairly common area for leaks are skylights and to some extent antennas.
Larry
|
LarryJM
|
05/08/13 05:20am |
General RVing Issues
|
|
RE: Good and Bad about Blue Ox Sway Pro
Thanks John. I completely agree about what you're saying. The people I talked with at Blue Ox previously, swear that the new Sway Pro controls sway much better than the old with the friction control bolts. They are really proud of the system and proved that point to me, as I spoke to an engineer and the VP and there were several posts.
Unfortunately, my dealer wouldn't pony up for an entire new system and only replaced the obvious broken parts. Now that I'm seeing more damage that couldn't be seen until the system was pulled and dismantled a few times, I'm think I'm done with it. I just don't trust the Reese Dual Cam parts as there maybe other unforseen stresses that could cause failure.
Besides if it was all new, I wouldn't trust it not to bind up again. I wish I would had bought a new Equalizer or Blue Ox system with the new trailer. To many issues with the Dual Cam bars contacting the cam arm lobe brackets and mainly due to Reeses direction saying 5 links are needed which doesn't provide enough clearance.
Thanks again.
Mike,
IMO I think the Equal-i-zer might be the system you would like. While a fine system the Reese just has too many parts and quirks in setting it up like placement of the brackets on the frame and drilling holes, etc. for my liking. I went thru the same process to some extent when I changed from my old single "friction bar" system for our new trailer. Neither the Blue-Ox Pro or Anderson were available at that time, but I still would have chosen the Equal-i-zer since I understand it simplistic approach and just have a hard time putting my faith in things like tapered ball seats and "special" WDH bar tapers to substitute for the more traditional "friction/brute force" methods. Obviously the high end "premium" systems (HA, Pull-Rite, Pro-Pride) are in a category of their own an not a consideration here. The only "quirks" with the Equal-i-zer is/was the "L" brackets (moving, retaining nuts loosening, excessive slop) and improvements addressing some of these minor issues have been incorporated since I got my system back in 2007.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
Larry
|
LarryJM
|
05/07/13 04:32am |
Towing
|
|
RE: Trip Planner
Here is a great,free and easy trip planner tool.
It looks like it's just a re-packaged GOOGLE trip planner so I'm not sure I see any advantages over all the other free trip planners out there.
Larry
|
LarryJM
|
05/07/13 02:36am |
Technology Corner
|
|
RE: Scary Towing Sights This Week...
Note to OP and others
Never critisize somebody elses settup. Chance are a dozen readers have the same settup and will defend it to the death, right or wrong.
NOW THERE IS AN "INTERNET TRUISM":E
Larry
|
LarryJM
|
05/06/13 05:20am |
General RVing Issues
|
|
RE: Need recommendation for tire pressure for TT tires
Cold pressure temperature is somewhere around 80 degrees. You fill your tires to max 50 psi in this discussion and temperatures get over 100 degrees, tires will be well above max pressure. Bamb! No more tire.
I think that is just incorrect and have never heard of that re ST tires. In fact even on vehicles the only downside is a rougher ride, strange wear and potentially a slight less traction.
Larry
|
LarryJM
|
05/04/13 04:09pm |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: Can my TV handle this 5th Wheel?
You asked this question a couple days ago about basically the same spec FW with the same truck. The answer is still yes it will do fine. You can load the FW all the way to it's 10,800 limit with no issues wieght wise on that combination. No need to limit water on board or anything else if you stay within the 10,800 of the trailer.
The gasser 3.73 will fine also but need to run a higher rpm pulling steep hills and heavy headwinds
I also asked this in the 5th wheel forum and all i got was that i should not do it &
That i was over weight. I guess i just wanted a second opinion. Thanks
Hmmm you asked the same question in a forum where those answering are 5er owner's with tons of experience and didn't get the answer you seem to want so now you are asking the same question in a forum not specifically applicable to your trailer hoping for WHAT:h ... a different answer ... some from people maybe only towing a pop up:S
IMO this is the wrong forum to get a good "second opinion" as you imply you are looking for ... I would replace that "second opinion" with maybe "rationalization".
Sometimes the logic of folks make we wonder:h
Larry
|
LarryJM
|
05/04/13 04:54am |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: Using Clamp-On Multimeter to Check a/c Surge Current
It can be a lot of fun (and a bit nerdy) to go to those extremes, but the results still aren't necessarily all that valuable. The compressor initial start up is the deal breaker for a generator. There have been some great conversations on this forum over the years about hard start capacitors and even fan start-up delay circuits. I've installed both with great success. My generator (similar to the one you're talking about) has a MUCH easier job now.
I tend to agree and then couple the variance in load vs. ambient temp, etc. and the variables only increase and the bottom line does it work or not.
Here is a case where end user comments vs. hard scientific numbers could well be the most useful.
Larry
|
LarryJM
|
05/04/13 02:33am |
Tech Issues
|
|
RE: good eats in Washington DC?
Ben's Chilli Bowl is a must. Bill Cosby, President Obama and a host of other famous people have been there. Try one of their Half-Smokes
YEP a DC Classic ... just forget the calories and fat content since it's all fat and calorie free :W
Larry
|
LarryJM
|
05/02/13 01:35am |
Roads and Routes
|
|
RE: Fredricksburg VA to Harrisburg PA avoid Washington??
Is it a good idea to take route15 and 17 to bypass Washington?? On road now....thanks!
YES
Larry
|
LarryJM
|
05/01/13 01:35am |
Roads and Routes
|
|
RE: Question about Coach-Net Roadside Assistance
There have been increases, but not every year. Only the people at Coach-Net know for sure what the future holds.
I went with the three year as they are the only one that I would ever go with. IMHO, purchase the 3 year and be done with it.
Paul
That's also what I did, it only hurts once and not three times:W
Larry
|
LarryJM
|
04/30/13 04:00pm |
General RVing Issues
|
