RE: How do you replace all the tires on a 5th wheel?
I'm looking to replace all the tires on my 5th wheel. While looking at the numerous posts here on trailer tires, one thing I didn't see and began to wonder is, where do you go to or how do you get the tires replaced? If I take my truck or car to a tire merchant, they put it up on the lift and pull off the wheels. I don't see that happening with my trailer for 1) I don't think it will fit in their shop due to height and/or length issues and 2) even if it did fit, I don't think I would trust them to lift it without damaging the frame or axles.
Do I need to take it to an RV shop? There are a few tire merchants within easy driving distance I guess I could take them off in the driveway one at a time and run them up and back individually.
Discount Tire have done 2 sets for me. Came out with 2 HD floor jacks, put them under the spring perch of each axle, jacked that side up, swapped the tires, balanced the new ones, put 'em back on the FW, torqued the nuts and went to the other side and repeated the process. Pretty simple.
Lyle
RE: Diesel generator for 5th wheels?
Thanks for more information on the LP generators, guys.
Looks like the LP gens are the best option for me. I especially like that fact that LP gens don't require much maintenance when used occasionally. I'm going for 900+w solar setup with 900+Ah 6-battery setup so hopefully, I won't be burning through propane at a crazy pace.
Don't forget that you're looking at straight generators. They either run at full RPM all the time, or idle. You should also consider the inverter-style generators. They only run as fast as the load demands, which is why they have such great fuel economy. As far as I know (and I haven't looked in a while), Onan only makes pure generators and no inverters. Hell, you can buy a 7500w generator at Costco for < $1,000, last I looked. Loud and fairly uneconomical, but they work and will charge your batteries and run your AC, when needed. The difference in price will buy you a =lot= of fuel =and= another generator if this one craps out, then still =more= fuel. :-)
Lyle
RE: Dealer requires suitable truck
Our first truck was a short bed and Lazy Days would only install a slider hitch... I was happy they led me there.
That sounds like another way to get the bucks out of a customers pocket. My short bed does not require a slider.
Yeah ........... said a very good friend of ours ....... just before he popped out his back window when making a tight turn..... :B
Some of us simply can't hit the cab going forward, so it's a moot point. ALL will hit in reverse...
Lyle
RE: Dealer requires suitable truck
There is no liability issues on the dealers part for selling us any size trailer.
I sure wouldn't want a saleseman that didn't know my states size and weight regulation telling me what size trailer for my truck I need.
A good attorney would eat a dealer alive if they also sold the hitch, installed it, then sold a trailer to be used on that truck that was way over-speck for the truck. =Especially= if they watched it being towed off the lot. Their lack of care could be construed as "implied suitability", especially if it were brought up, discussed and witnessed. Sounds like the Lazy Days guys are doing a proper job, though I'd argue about a sliding hitch requirement for a short bed.
Lyle
RE: B&W companion
I was wondering, for those of you who have a B&W companion hitch, do you retork all the bolts before each trip or do you need to?
Thanks
Mike
I do not and have never felt the need to do so, no matter how short or long a time my Companion's been mounted, or how much I've towed. The =only= issue I've had with it has been that the Nylock nuts do have a limited lifespan and will, eventually, bind up. If you swap a Companion in and out frequently, you =will= go through u-bolts every few years. B&W sends a new set out for free, however, so it's not a huge inconvenience. I keep a couple old u-bolts in a box, just in case, though.
Lyle
RE: ...Help, I Need Good EPDM Rubber Roof Advice...
Patch the bad spots and have a metal carport built over it. You did say it will be there the rest of its life.
X2! Might be even cheaper in the long run.
Lyle
RE: galley tank
Use paper, and use less water when washing dishes..don't let the water run continuously when rinsing. If you aren't on full hook-ups you can't wash dishes like you do at home.
If necessary...
I also use a RubberMaid dish pan that fits in the sink.....then carry this to the toilet and dump it in the black tank...Lots of soapy water is good for the black tank and saves room in the galley tank.
Or, if you're boondocking in the forest, simply dump the dishwater under a tree. I'm sure that it will appreciate a little extra water and nutrients! :-) I know our AZ forests do. They're so dry that you won't even see the wet spot in about an hour.
Lyle
RE: How much can the landing gears lift?
I can certainly tell when my landing gear starts to lift my truck, simply from the sound of the motor starting to strain. When I hear that, I reverse back for a couple seconds before I unhitch. To the OP, I agree that, unless your driveway has a =huge= slope, you've likely got something else wrong that's preventing the fridge from cooling than being out of level. Run your gear down a ways, drop the extensions, chock the wheels, unhook and get yourself level to be sure.
Lyle
RE: Over Weight?
Just curious as to how many of you regularly tow your 5’er over GCVWR? I have a 5’er that’s a bit over my rigs GCVWR but the truck still pulls and stops it easily. I’ve been pulling it all over for a couple of years now without a problem, but I just had a guy say that if I get stopped I could get in to some serious trouble and it’s freaked me out a bit. I’ve actually been stopped a couple of times before but the officers never mentioned the weight.
Should I be worried and get another truck or 5’er that is “legal”? What have you guys found? Do the cops usually bother about a few hundred pounds over and I've just been very lucky so far?
Thanks for your help,
LE
You are legally responsible for having an adequate tow vehicle. One RVer had a wreck in Asheville on I 40 a couple of years ago and killed his daughter and maimed his son and ended up with felony charges filed against him for not having an adequate tow vehicle and causing the death of his daughter. Probably having a great time in prison.
In a case where the =empty= weight of a trailer would put the TV over limit, that's pretty easy to figure out, which is the only real way I could see that they could charge this. That, or hard evidence (pictures, weigh tickets, etc.) that showed that just having the trailer hitched was dangerous. Again, after a wreck, it's pretty hard to figure out the weight of the trailer from the wreckage. Not saying this didn't happen, but it would be interesting to know the details.
Lyle
RE: Over Weight?
The difference between current 2500 and 3500 series trucks is in the rear springs, all else, tires, brakes, axles is the same. I have never heard of anyone being stopped because somebody thought their truck was too small for the trailer. How would they know? Same holds true for your insurance company. How do they know if you're a couple hundred pounds over or not? Have you weighed your rig so you know what they actual weights are?
B.O.
There are plenty of trucks around here that would be =way= overloaded...if anyone cared to check them. I see so many big-a** toyhaulers going down the road with the TV's headlights pointing to the moon that you =know= they're way, way overweight. No so many "regular" FW's as TH's, but still quite a number. If there were a CAT scale on NB I-17 N of PHX, I'd get weighed when we go camping. As it is, I'm not going to load up for a trip, then drive miles out of my way just to hit a scale.
Lyle
Lyle
RE: Towmax blown tires
To CapriRacer and FE:
What is not a joke is to compare sidewall strength of a ST tire and a LT tire side by side.
If after doing the comparison regardless of tread depth and the slight weight differences tread depth may produce the vast difference in sidewall strength and stiffness is not obvious to you both then we have no hope in changing your minds.......
Just so you know, I am a tire engineer and am very familiar with the strength of tire sidewalls.
But we aren't talking about sidewall failures. We are talking about failures in the belt (tread area). The strength of the sidewall has nothing to do with this type of failure. This type of failure has everything to do with the way the belt area is configured - and that is not at all related to weight.
Am I supposed to believe that sidewall heat buildup due to excessive flexing in ST tires does not contribute to heat buildup in the tread area and subsequent premature tread separation and belt failures? I'm sorry, engineer or not I can't accept in real life your theoretical analysis.
This is likely the result of third tier tire manufacturing materials and processes (which includes 1st and 2nd tier tire manufacturers using 3rd tier materials and processes.)
I fully understand your position here that subpar manufacturing or outright manufacturing defect from specific manufacturers. But that's not what were talking about. We are talking LT versus ST tires performance on heavy 5'vers and the way the ST manufacturers promote their products as the only game in town for tow behind rv's
That's why I find this whole discussion about tire weight so funny - the key to tire durability isn't measureable by weight.
Once more, I understand your position that theoretically tire durability isn't measurable by weight, however in a real life practical application the durability 2 tires, one a 37lb ST and one a 56Lb LT will be dramatically different on the same fifthwheel and I do not accept the position that weight has no bearing on this different performance. Yes the entire tire construction is different, leading to a higher weight but that is precisely why they perform better.
I hope this explains the positions I have taken on the subject - but more importantly, the strategy used to try to fix this problem is dependent on what the true nature of the problem is. I see my role as trying to educate people as to this nature - and in particular, where they are going off on the wrong tangent.
While I do appreciate your theoretical engineering analysis and knowledge of the different variations and designs of various tire types real life experience can not be completely denied and ruled out when many people including myself have switched from ST to LT tires on the same RV making no maintenance process changes and all tire un-expained tire failures have ceased.
While we are at it I will state that as an engineering technologist it is my role in many instances to apply and make work in real life an engineers theoretical plans
I'll agree that heat build-up, even in properly inflated tires, can be a huge issue. A friend kept blowing tires on his boat trailer. After about the 4th or 5th tire he replaced, he was talking to a truly experienced tire guy who took one look at his trailer and said that the fenders were placed way to close to the tires and were not allowing any air to circulate around them for cooling. The fenders were raised 2" and our friend stopped having tire blowouts. I've wondered what adding some NACA ducts or scoops at the front of the wheel well would do to 1) tire life and 2) drag/mileage.
Lyle
RE: Towmax blown tires
To CapriRacer and FE:
What is not a joke is to compare sidewall strength of a ST tire and a LT tire side by side.
If after doing the comparison regardless of tread depth and the slight weight differences tread depth may produce the vast difference in sidewall strength and stiffness is not obvious to you both then we have no hope in changing your minds.......
Just so you know, I am a tire engineer and am very familiar with the strength of tire sidewalls.
But we aren't talking about sidewall failures. We are talking about failures in the belt (tread area). The strength of the sidewall has nothing to do with this type of failure. This type of failure has everything to do with the way the belt area is configured - and that is not at all related to weight.
Put a different way: The belt configuration used for LT tires can be used in ST tires. The fact that there are so many reports of failures in ST tires (in my opinion) has more to do with the level of technology applied to these tires (compared to LT tires) - and not because they are ST tires. This is likely the result of third tier tire manufacturing materials and processes (which includes 1st and 2nd tier tire manufacturers using 3rd tier materials and processes.)
The other part of the problem is that there are extremely few direct replacement sizes. This complicates matters as the way load carrying capacities are calculated is different for each type of tire. P's are different than LT's, which are different than ST's. (Please note: I disagree with FE about the load carrying capacity of LT tires when used in trailer applications.)
That's why I find this whole discussion about tire weight so funny - the key to tire durability isn't measureable by weight.
Let's take the infamous Firestone/Explorer situation some years back. The source of the problem was the material properties of the belt edge insert - AND - the thickness of the belt edge insert. The difference in weight between tires that performed adequately and tires that didn't was well within tire to tire variation. It was immeasureable. PLUS, tires produced in one plant didn't perform the same as tires produced in another plant.
I hope this explains the positions I have taken on the subject - but more importantly, the strategy used to try to fix this problem is dependent on what the true nature of the problem is. I see my role as trying to educate people as to this nature - and in particular, where they are going off on the wrong tangent.
Regarding the Firestone/Explorer situation, don't forget that Ford placarded 5k+ lb vehicles for an inflation of only 28-30 psi. Way, WAY underinflated for a vehicle that size =unloaded= let alone full of family and whatnot. No wonder they kept blowing tires and rolling. Just plain stupid on Ford's part, right along the lines of not using the proper length suspension bolts on Pintos back in the 70's.
Lyle
RE: Engineers strike again,water inlet
Mine fills from the curb side and hooks to water street side.
Mine, too. Personally, I can't think of a time where I've watered up at the same time as dumping, so it's a complete non-starter for me. Frankly,I would never have thought of leaving on my first trip =without= a hose, at least to use on the sewer flush.
Lyle
RE: How do you hook up your 5th by yourself?
This is what I do, I find it necessary to use a ladder.
I have to use a ladder. I just replaced a 3 step stepladder SIMILAR TO THIS ONE and replaced it with THIS 13 FOOT LADDER
I climb into the bed and place a 1 X 1 inch by 2 foot board into the jaws of the hitch which helps me line up the pin. I have to jump in and out of the truck a few times to see if things are lining up then when things are close I climb the ladder into the bed and remove the wood and open the jaws. With the lever of the B&W hitch pulled back I finish backing until the jaws surround the pin, then I have to climb on the ladder to get back in the bed to pin the lever and secure the breakaway, then climb back down on the ladder.
Is there a better easier way to do it?
Can't really help you. I grew up on a farm and backing into a hitch is something I can probably do stone drunk. :-) I simply step up on the tire, "set" my B&W jaws, back in, step back up on the tire and pin the jaws in place, raise the legs a few inches and do my pull-test. Only time I really have to "adjust" is when I don't have a straight shot at the pin. =shrug=
Lyle
RE: Yard dolly or trailer mover?
OK... First you weld some heavy crossbeams in your engine compartment, then you drill thru the hood of the truck and put a second set of rails on the hood. Problem solved!! Just back it in as far as you can, unhitch, turn the truck around, switch your hitch from the bed to the hood, rehitch and push it the rest of the way.... Piece of cake.
Let me know if you need any other problems worked on, I'm full of..... ideas!
LMAO!
Lyle
RE: Yard dolly or trailer mover?
Hi Steve,
For the benefit of the others, let's talk about this for a minute. What type of tragic accident are you envisioning? I realize scary is in the eye of the beholder and I can see some people not wanting to tow a 5ver down the road because of the potential of a tragic accident but let me describe this set up further and try to minimize your fear.
Let's take the most obvious potential accident and that is the 5ver rolling out of control. With flat ground, this set up moves less than 1 MPH. If anything breaks or stops working (which would require two separate failures - the PowerCastor and the 5ver breaks would have to fail together - the 5ver would slowly move in the direction it started. Chalks can easily be placed under the tires to stop the movement. It is that slow on flat ground. On a slight hill, I'd recommend that two additional spotters walk along the 5ver, with chalks in hand, ready to place the chalks, if anything happened. I would not use this set up on any substantial grade. Again, common sense needs to prevail here, like most places in life.
The other potential accident is that somehow the PowerCastor fails to support the kingpin weight. I'm not quite sure how this could occur but let's pretend the large cup welds break and the kingpin support is no longer provided. For this, I keep the landing legs a few inches off the ground, similar to a pull test with your tow vehicle.
The other type of failure that is being alluded to above is that the two struts stress and break the landing gear legs. For this type of failure to occur and cause danger, both landing gear legs would have to break at the same time. Even if both landing gear did break, the unit moves so slowly that you simply stop pressing the "deadman" switch and everything stops moving.
Like I said above, I realize people have different risk and fear levels but I don't see this system as a tragic accident waiting to happen, any more than I see the risk of tragedy from towing the 5ver down the road.
Phil
Well Phil first of all what one person can do and feel safe may be outside the comfort zone for some one else. For me this kind of activity would be way outside my comfort zone. After a life time of working in an industry that has its share of safety risks I always let one thing guide me. That is..... If it doesn't FEEL safe, don't do it.
If you are comfortable moving your 5er with a motorized dolly more power to you.
Steve
I used to get a little bit of the willies when I helped crew our tractor club's near-100 year old Case traction engine, when I thought too much about walking around/working on a pressure vessel at 150 psi that's nearly a century old. I got over it. :-)
Lyle
RE: Hydraulic landing gear failure
Was wondering how safe it is to be under the hitch area on a 5th wheel with hydraulic landing gear.
If a line should burst would the gear retract suddenly?
Is there a way to lock the gear?
2007 Doubletree 37' all hydraulic
Thanks.
You'd have to literally snap off a fitting or hose for the hydro system to drop at more than a fairly slow pace. If you're really worried about this, there's a couple things you can do. 1) put some heavy jack stands or cribbing under the frame at each corner. 2) Make some sleeves that you put around the leg to catch the trailer if it leaks down. We used to do this for some of our implements where we had to carry weight around and might have issues with internal leaks.
Lyle
RE: Fresh water overflow during tow
The filler cap on my Komfort is probably 3' above the tank, with the vent right next to it. If I fill slowly, I get no siphoning back, especially if I rock the trailer just a hair to get all the air out that I can. I've never had a water-loss issue and would have complained to my dealer PDQ if I had. My b-i-l rented a Cruise America C class and it was delivered full, but the CA people forgot to put the cap on the filler, so he lost most of his fresh water on the way to our camp site. As there was an additional issue with the water system (like a broken fresh water line under the sink), he was forced to drive on to Flagstaff to get that fixed. CA did refill his water tank and reimbursed him for the gas for the near-100-mile round trip to Flag and back.
Lyle
