If within wt limit, will tongue on small toy hauler unload?
I'm sure this topic has been discussed before, but not sure how to find prior threads...
with a small toy hauler, if a kinda sorta heavy bike is loaded (HD 1200, in the 'sportster' line...weighs about 600)...could this/would this/does this 'unload' the tongue such that you might get a sway because the tongue weight as a percentage of trailer weight is brought too low by the deadweight at the back of the trailer? or is it more, 'as long as the trailer is rated for the load you'll carry, you're fine'????
thanks!
RE: Safe to double-tow a small utility trailer behind a TT?
Roy? thanks for the tip and pics...the idaho tote thing would work...but, man o man! that gizmo costs a bundle!
looks like we'll leave the bike at home on our RV weekends unless/until we can get a toy hauler
RE: ideas re. best way to transport motorcycle
ktmrfs? thanks for the advice...i was focused on the 'how would you fabricate and attach it so it won't break' issue...the 'tongue weight' concern hadn't crossed my mind....makes sense....scratch that option
Safe to double-tow a small utility trailer behind a TT?
Was thinking about ways to bring our motorcycle with us when using the travel trailer...
given up on 'ramp into pickup bed' idea--bike is too big to fit with the tailgate up, and can't tow with the gate down
given up on the 'platform on back of TT' idea because, as one post-er pointed out, setting aside the 'what if it breaks' thing, there's the problem of 600 pounds at the back of the trailer throwing the tongue weight way off and possibly causing serious sway
left with the 'small trailer' option...here's the question--could a small utility trailer be safely towed behind a TT? Concern is...that trailer would be so narrow and short that you would never see it back there...do little trailers tend to sway?
thanks for input!
ideas re. best way to transport motorcycle
We would appreciate advice re. best way to transport a motorcycle...it's fairly small, with a full-up weight of just under 600 pounds...
options we've considered...
1.) back of pickup...downside is the loading and unloading scares me to pieces--several hundred pounds, up and down a skinny, steep ramp...nightmares about the thing going over the side of the ramp, with possibly me underneath it...upside is minimal expense and nothing to buy or deal with other than a ramp
2.) get or have constructed a small utility trailer and double-tow behind the TT...upside is low ramp and basically no engineering concerns...downside is it would be a hassle because the motorcycle would have to come off the trailer and then the trailer would have to be unhooked and hand-pushed out of the way before backing the RV rig into a site..other downside would be need to have a hitch welded to the trailer frame and get the TT wiring jiggered such that it could run the lights on the double-tow
3.) have a small platform welded to the TT frame...would allow the motorcycle to be loaded from the side of the trailer...upside is compact, out of the way and pretty much hassle free....downside is, if not done right, the thing breaks loose, dumping the bike and endangering everyone following us
A small toy hauler would be ideal, but that's not in the cards for the time being...
Would appreciate input, especially from those who have faced and solved this issue...
thanks!
RE: Saw a Tundra commercial today.....
but, what about that truck (nissan, I think), that, at least in the commercial, saved a jetliner by landing the nose of the jet in the truck's bed when the front landing gear failed? which would be stronger--the one that can pull a space shuttle? or the one that can sustain the weight of the nose of a passenger jet dropping into it at 100 mph?
RE: any state park-like private/county campgrnds in San Antonio?
Dad? we're reserved in to Guadalupe River SP...was hoping against hope that there was something similar closer in....oh, well....worth the extra driving to have a little wiggle room (ex. we play 'football' with our six year old), some paths/woods to 'explore', the river to admire, etc...
any state park-like private/county campgrnds in San Antonio?
We prefer state parks over the RV resort type places...want to hit San Antonio TX over New Year weekend...closest state park is about 40 miles out of town
Are there any 'state park-like' camgrounds within San Antonio? By that I mean something with a tree here and there and a little bit of space rather than being jammed in within five feet of a neighbor on each side, in an oversized parking lot
thanks!
RE: Is there any sort of database showing site lengths in SP's?
thanks, down....we here in texas aren't so lucky, at least from what i've seen on the official state parks/wildlife department website...
it's just a hassle to get in and find that the site won't take both truck and trailer....and, then, to add insult to injury, to see when the sun comes up the next morning that the site next door would have been perfect!
is there such a thing as a bumper pull with w/d hookups?
We are not interested in a fifth-wheel because they're generally too tall and/or long for what we like to do....not interested in any sort of motorhome...happy with bumper-pulling....except...exCEPT...
we sometimes take trips of a week or more...and would get great utility out of a washer-dryer....
are there any bumper-pulls out there that have w/d hookups? if so, are they all gargantuan? or any in the 25-28' range?
Is there any sort of database showing site lengths in SP's?
Example...last year, in a particular state park, our site was so shallow we had to disconnect the truck and park it next to the TT so as not to block the road...arrived after dark, so didn't really look around before selecting a site to use
this year, on the same trip, stopped at the same park as an en-route overnight spot...called ahead to avoid last year's issue...the site RIGHT next to where we were last year is about twenty feet deeper...accomodated truck and trailer within the depth of the site
here's the question...i know at commercial campgrounds they generally provide information about their sites...(ex. 23 pull-through sites, 70' deep // 38 back-in sites, 55' deep or whatever)...is there any sort of website/database that shows the sizes of the various sites at state parks? in particular, keyed to site number? (in Texas, we've seen a deep site sandwiched between two shallower ones)...reason I ask is, as weekenders we frequently arrive in the dark and can't readily see from the road which sites will handle our rig properly
thanks!
RE: Departure checklist
ours is:
1.) water heater and furnace/air conditioner off
2.) disconnect power
3.) lower antenna
4.) lower all roof vents
5.) disconnect water
6.) turn off gas
7.) steps up
8.) double-check truck/trailer connection...lock on hitch/chains/umbilical power cable/all cotter pins (anti-sway and torsion bar) in place
9.) one last look inside...doors, drawers and cabinets secure
10.) pull wheel chocks
11.) when truck started, engage tow/haul mode
12.) upon arrival at storage (or, for others, home or wherever else the unit is stored), disconnect battery
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when picking up the unit to get on the road, of course 'connect battery' should be on the list...the list above is the 'done camping/heading home' list
RE: Gray water tank smaller than advertised
bet the sales brochure had language something like the following, pulled straight off the 'palominorv.com' website (palomino is one of the scads of forest river brandings):
Floor plans and specifications are based on the latest product information. Forest River, Inc. reserves the right to make changes in drawings and specifications at any time without notice and assumes no responsibility for any errors in the site.
The model number does not necessarily reflect the overall length of a particular unit.
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that doesn't make it right...we all should be able to depend on the information on the brochure...just means the manufacturer and/or dealer are covered should anyone try to bring anything along the lines of a 'deceptive trade' suit
RE: DUHHHHH! it was the FUSE that made the barker jack inop!
mike? effort is about the same as with a manual jack...sounds horrendous, though--keep hearing the gears whirring while cranking....can't be good to do too much manual cranking on an electric jack, i'd think
DUHHHHH! it was the FUSE that made the barker jack inop!
Our six-month-old Barker electric tongue jack stopped working this weekend...checked the electrical connections, and that's about as far as my abilities in the 'electric stuff' department...
cranked it by hand and went on to the next state park destination...mentioned to my neighbor that the jack was belly up...
"did you check the fuse?" he asks
"DUHHHHH!" says I, vigorously slapping myself upside the head
and, after replacing a fried fuse, all was again well in trailernoviceville
(first time this has happened...not a pattern)
GPS was a godsend on this trip
Man o man, our gps saved us a bucketload of time this Thanksgiving trip...returning to Texas from Tulsa, caught the usual traffic at the point where I35 East (south) and I35 West (south) merge back together and become just plain old I-35 south...it looked to be backed up for miles...we were en route to a state park in the general area of Waco to stop for the night...when we got into the traffic stoppage, hit a couple buttons on the GPS to find an alternate route to our overnight destination...took us through a backroads route we probably would not even considered, let alone have found and traced through on the map...took us right around the logjam...
upon arrival, talked with the neighbor--he said he stayed on the interstate and spent well over an hour in the traffic jam
will always, always have gps on our journeys from now on!
RE: Toyota Tundra with the 4.6
See signature re. our TV...had a 2010 with same motor and tow package...crashed it :-(
anyway, would not have gone back to same make/model/engine/package if it wasn't doing exactly what we asked of it...
our TT a bit smaller than yours, but in the same ballpark...ours about 5K loaded and ready to go on the road
How much trouble results if TT inspection sticker expired?
Renewed the tags on the TT as required...
However....
I understand that our unit is subject to annual inspection because it weighs over a certain amount...inspection was due in August...haven't got it done, mostly because of inconvenience...to get it inspected means going to the storage lot, on a day when an inspection station is open (at my RV dealer, mechanics don't generally work on Saturday, and never on Sunday...sooooo, means I'd have to knock off work early during the week), hook it all up and pull it twenty miles or so, just to get the stamp of approval (unit is almost brand new) and then take it back to storage...
here's the question...if it should happen that i DO get pulled over...with current registration but expired inspection...will I be shot on sight? put on death row? fined? or best just to put on my innocent, 'didn't realize, officer, but now that I know I'll take care of it' look?
And, please...no 'inspection isn't for YOUR safety...it's for the safety of all who have to share the road WITH you' replies...This trailer is not yet even two years old...everything related to safety (lights, brakes, battery, breakway cable, propane system, etc.) is in good working order...wouldn't pull the thing ten feet on public roads if anything were broken or not operating properly....my issue is merely, what trouble might I be in if caught with inspection being out of date?
Any problems getting site--Keystone SP, OK--at Thanksgiving?
Oklahoma state parks, last I heard, do not accept reservations...strictly first come/first served
Stayed at Keystone SP in Sand Springs last Thanksgiving in visit to relatives, and planning this again for 2012...
Last year there were plenty of sites available
Any reason it shouldn't be the same this year? Anyone heard of rallies or family reunions or anything that will/could/might fill up the park? (sure don't want to get to the end of an 800-mile run only to find 'there's no room at the inn').
Thanks
Tip re choosing step rails/running boards-check bracket type
Current truck lacked factory/factory-authorized steps, so I went to an aftermarket truck-accessory place for a step rail...
Heading over a fairly tall curb to get to the truck/trailer parking area at a fast-food place, dropped into a pothole and heard an awful screeching...turned out that two of the brackets for the step rail, which are vertical braces about four inches from top to bottom and flatten out where they attach to the rail, got caught on the drop-off and bent rearward...
this wouldn't have happened with a step rail that attached with brackets that don't extend beneath the step rail and the truck so far...for example, would have been better to have the rails attached with a bracket made of 1" x 3" rectangular tubing or something...
just passing this on for what it's worth...
