RE: Class E fifthwheel tires
....Once we switched to LT tires..... no more tire issues.
That's awfully tempting to me. As I mentioned earlier, I've never read where anyone was sorry they switched from ST to LT tires. I might just try it, since I am determined to either why (hopefully) good quality ST tires, or recommended LT tires....assuming my wheels can take the LT tires. I hate typing all this not knowing what size tires I have on the new Cougar, but it's out at the storage lot with its paperwork.
RE: Class E fifthwheel tires
That's what I have heard about LT vs ST tires also. Those Goodyear 614 tires are something higher than load range E I take it? So you needed special wheels....sounds very expensive. What about your axles, any changes required there?
$1000 or so for a set of four tires sounds pretty bad until you have a tire come apart on the highway and do $2500 damage to the rig, right? I've been lucky twice now....two FW tire blow outs (over maybe 12 years)that only did about $500 between the two.....but I have had close calls, and found tires slowly deflating or coming apart or with odd-ball wear patterns about a dozen times. The ony good thing is my wife doesn't like to RV all that much anymore.....at least not the travel part. So our routine now is to go about 400 miles away from home, twice a year, where we stay for several months. So my truck and FW don't get lots of miles.....maybe 3000 miles a year. Still, when a tire goes....it goes. And I never exceed about 63 mph when towing. I read somewhere, no idea where, that ST tires should not exceed 65 MPH....but guys pass me ALL the time!
RE: Class E fifthwheel tires
My first set of LT tires on my fiver lasted 6 years with zero issues. Changes last year due to age. Installed another set of LT tires and plan to run these for another 6 years.
What size and brand, etc? I've used Bridgeston Duelers on my Chevy 3/4 ton trucks and really like them. Never wore a set out! But then I just use my truck to pull the FW.
LT 235/85R16. Currently the fiver is wearing Michelins. Started with BFGoodrich Commercial TA but they were involved in the recall so got Michelins as a replacement.
I've hear good stuff about these also,Firestone Transforce HT. About $650 for four.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Firestone&tireModel=Transforce+HT&partnum=385R6THT&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes.
RE: Class E fifthwheel tires
I have not heard the bad on LT tires. ..
.
What I have heard is the usual....ST tires are made to be "twisted" like we do with our tires when doing a sharp turn, designed for UV protection,etc, etc. Those that use LTs seem to be happy....not sure I've hear an actual LT user say something negative about them. Heck, they probably cost less than the same load rating ST tire?
RE: Class E fifthwheel tires
My first set of LT tires on my fiver lasted 6 years with zero issues. Changes last year due to age. Installed another set of LT tires and plan to run these for another 6 years.
What size and brand, etc? I've used Bridgeston Duelers on my Chevy 3/4 ton trucks and really like them. Never wore a set out! But then I just use my truck to pull the FW.
RE: Class E fifthwheel tires
Have you even thought about changing to 16 inch LT tires?
Yeah....sort of... I have heard both good and bad about using truck tires on a FW. It is something I will consider soon.....I'd like to install "good quality" tires on the FW before the end of this year.....I do not like having unknowns on the FW now....even though these have all of about 500 miles on them. I do have to check that I've got 16 inch wheels on my FW.....I think they are but not sure......
RE: Class E fifthwheel tires
Doug,
My guess then is you have some ST tires under your trailer. They may be listed as max pressure of 85 PSI. As I said before generally speaking most load range E tires are 80 pound tires. But not all. I am guessing your tires will also be marked "made in china" . If that is the case all bets are off.
I was not trying to out you, but your reference had me confused, thus my question back to you.
Donn
No no, not a problem at all, Donn! I understood what you meant....it's my error using the incorrect terminology.
Yes, my tires are STs, OEMs that came on my FW (see my signature). I have never had great luck with tires in general as far as nails, etc. That's why I like TPMSs on all of them, and why I check their pressure before each day's journey. I think there is a Tire God somewhere that doesn't like me........
RE: Class E fifthwheel tires
What the heck is a class e tire?
Doesn't sound like you're a "resident know it all" to me.;)
Class E's are the largish, 10 ply (I think) tires found on 3/4 ton pickups and many 30+ feet fifthwheels.
UH NO! They are listed as LOAD RANGE not CLASS. And generally speaking the MAX air pressure of a LOAD RANGE E tire is 80 PSI not 85
Oh MY, well, I do stand corrected, Sir or Madam. :C I thought "class" E didn't sound right when I typed it, but I temporarily forgot the correct terminalogy. But my tires are stamped "85 psi"? Is there a load range F for trailer tires? Wish I could remember the brand, but the FW is over at the storage lot until spring.....I remember it's some weird brand......not to surprising.....:E
RE: Class E fifthwheel tires
my fifth wheel came with stems like old biscuit posted only the brass part looks like stainless steel. load range E. If my TPMS ever gets here that is where they will be mounted.
Which one you getting? I've got TireGards on my two motorcycles, and TST 501 on the FW....or I did on my prior FW. I plan to mount it on the new FW ASAP. Within 150 miles on my new FW last fall, I had a very, very low tire. Luckily I saw it when we stopped for fuel, or it would have surely overheated and blown in another 30 minutes or so. I am a firm believer in TPMS....my truck has one that is excellent also, but it's the "built in" one. My wives car has the built in style also ('08 BMW 328i) but I don't care for it at all.....doesn't say the tire is low until it's down around 22 lbs......specs for that tire at about 32 lbs.
RE: Class E fifthwheel tires
What the heck is a class e tire?
Doesn't sound like you're a "resident know it all" to me.;)
Class E's are the largish, 10 ply (I think) tires found on 3/4 ton pickups and many 30+ feet fifthwheels.
RE: Class E fifthwheel tires
Your valve stem probably looks like this one.......
http://tour.airstreamlife.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/high-pressure-valve-stem.jpg
Good up to 100 psi.
With the brass section a TMPS should work OK with your Load Range 'E' tires/rims.
You can always have new full metal valve stems installed.
That is EXACTLY how mine tire valves look! Great! I was hoping someone would know. Once you start using those TPMS you get spoiled! So convenient, and much more accurate than my ol' "pencil" tire gauge.
Class E fifthwheel tires
I had metal valve stems installed in my old FW so I could use those tire valve-mounted tire pressure monitoring sensors. My new FW has class E tires which take 85psi. Someone told me I already have a "suitable tire valve" because my tires are such high pressure.
Anyone know about that? The tire valves do not look like what my old valves had, which were stainless steel. These new 85 psi tires look like they use a brass stem....and there is still some hard rubber around where they pass through the wheel.
I sure liked having those sensors mounted on the old tires....gave me an easy way to check pressure and an indication if I was running low in PSI or high in temperature.
Thanks.
Have some S-video gear to unload - where to post?
I have some s-video cables and connectors I bought with a rear view camera kit. Didn't need the cables and connectors, and would like to give them away. But I cannot find a For Sale or Classified forum here....anyone got any ideas where to post something like that?
Thanks.
RE: Teach old cats to love the RV?
We started by bringing our cat out to the camper in the driveway and letting her get used to it for a couple of hours every day for a few weeks.................
..........She still isn't the best traveller, but she does alright, and when we get to where we are going, she settles down right away.
Thanks, it's reassuring to see someone has a similar problem to ours. I think having the camper right outside is a good way to do that. Unfortunately, we store ours 20 minutes away in a storage lot. And even bringing it to the house (we can for 72 hrs) has problems as we cannot get the 3 slide outs open. But we might give that a try anyway, open the one slide out that opens onto our yard. I really think the gals would be fine once we get them to the long-term camp ground, it's just picking them up and putting them in the crate, and the drive in our pickup would be an ordeal for BOTH of us!
RE: Teach old cats to love the RV?
Another suggestion is to get a larger carrier for the RV than what you would use to transport the cat to the vet. You can put the cat's favorite blanket or toy(s) in there and he/she will have a bit of room to move around and be more comfortable.
Good ideas. Our problem is we cannot even pickup these cats without a lot of prior planning. They are very friendly to us, terrified of stangers, and do not like being picked up and held. So even a short trip to the vet is a major undertaking, and something we rarely do, thank goodness. They stay pretty healthy as they are indoor only cats. But they are so very, very timid. I think they would adapt to the trailer, but getting them into it would be a major, drawn-out, and lengthy process. We may just give up and continue to hire a house/cat sitter while we're gone for 2-3 months. Expensive and we miss the cats, darn it.
RE: Teach old cats to love the RV?
Before you buy a collar to put your number on, remember cats slip out of there collars easily. you might want to get some type of harness. Mom puts a harness on her cat whenever they are going somewhere, because crazy cat can't get out it. We were camping on family property the first time the cat went, and cat slipped her collar and hid in the woods overnight. We were worried what she might meet up with, since we knew there were coyotes and other creatures in the woods. Luckily she came back the next day, as both Mom and Dad hardly slept for worrying about her. Now she only wears a harness if she is going anywhere away from home.
That's a good point. And when I was a child our cats (in/out door) did have collars, and they did slip off quite easily. I can't imagine how our current two will react to a collar or a harness! But we have to have some ID on them........too many horror stories like yours.
RE: Teach old cats to love the RV?
Thanks for all the great suggestions and anecdotes. You have all given my wife and me some great ideas for what we need to do. First off, we need to get some sort of collar on them with our cell phone numbers just in case. I don't think we could ever get these two on a lead, but it might be worth a try to at least join us outside for a little while.
I think I large open crate is a good place to start. With some sort of cover on part of it so they can "hide". We will begin working on that soon. We'll just it in the den (house) and get them used to seeing it, playing around it, etc. Then we'll start putting them in that, and taking short drives in the truck....eventually ending up at our FW. It's going to be a long process, but we really do want our gals with us...............
Teach old cats to love the RV?
We are not full timers, but live in our fifthwheel in one location on the Gulf coast twice a year for about 2 months each time; the other 8 months we live at our home with our two cats. These are two very nice, indoor only, "fixed" female cats. One is about 15 years old, the other about 10 years old. They get along fine with each other, but are very shy (they run and hide) when guests come over to the house. They stay indoors and only go out to the vet when absolutlely necessary, which is maybe once every 18 months.
We would like to start taking them with us. Besides the expense of having a house-sitter taking care of them while we're gone, we just plain miss our cats!
We are hoping to get some ideas of how to get them accustomed to going with us. I know this will be a hassle, as just taking them to the vets in a BIG, BIG deal....lots of unhappiness of being picked up and put into the cat box, howling the entire 30 minute drive to the vet, etc, etc. So what suggestions can folks here offer? I have already considered a general anethetic for the drive down to the Gulf!;)
Your thoughts?
RE: Screw to use in RV aluminum "stud"
I'll have to try PhotoBucket when I get a second. Right now I'm angry with Webshots! I've used them for years, and it was easy and worked very well, so I hate to see them "upgrade" their system. Getting old I know, I don't adapt well to arbitratry changes and "improvements". ;)
Edited to show pictures......
Here are the photos (sorry they are so large.....still getting used to my new Photobucket account and posting here....):
http://i1290.photobucket.com/albums/b539/DKRPhotoPlace/Cougar%20327ES/WalmartTVMount29-04.jpg
Bolts are not the ones I ended up using. These were 3 inch, I ended up swapping them for 2.5 inch to have less excess bolt inside the cabinet.
http://i1290.photobucket.com/albums/b539/DKRPhotoPlace/Cougar%20327ES/WalmartTVMount29-06.jpg
