RE: Reiforced the Suburbans receiver today
But you know as well as I do that I increased the strength and weight bearing capacity......
I don't know that....it certainly looks stronger, but the weak link may not necessarily be the crumple zone, it could also be the pin box.
I hope it works out for you. Here's a real receiver:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y134/Burbman/IMG_1340.jpg width=640
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y134/Burbman/IMG_13391.jpg width=640
Did you pick up the new TT yet? We're actually headed down to your neck of the woods this weekend, staying at Christmas Pines CG in Pottsville, halfway between the Yuengling brewery and Cabela's.
RE: Reiforced the Suburbans receiver today
Nice welding job, but without knowing if that was the limiting factor in the rating, there is no way to tell if you safely increased the rating or not. Also no telling what effect a rear end collision will have on the frame as a whole since you eliminated the designed crumple zone.
RE: Introducing myself
Have lots of great photos from when the girls were little...always thought camping was a better environment for them than the hotel thing..welcome to the forum!
RE: 8.1 Liter Suburban Performance
A friend of mine has the same trailer and a 8.1L 'Burb and he is averging 8.5 MPG and it handles his trailer,with the same towing setup as me,really well. The big difference is that I am averging 17 mpg solo and 10+ towing and the towing on a 4K trip like ours this summer makes a world of difference.
Let's do the math:
Suburban gets 8 mpg towing, so for 4,000 miles uses 500 gals of unleaded at $3.49/gal for a total cost of $1,995.
Now the diesel X gets 11 mpg towing, a paltry 3 mpg improvement. So, in 4,000 miles uses on 1,452 gals, BUT good ol' #2 fuel oil is $3.99/gal for a total cost of $1,452, a SAVINGS of $543.
Can't argue with that!
RE: Towing of Longer TT vs Shorter TT
Well.....some qualification is in order....
Regarding the easier backing, you are correct it is easier to back a longer trailer because it is slower to react to steering input and easiert o guide smoothly. However, it also takes more room to back a longer trailer, so if you are in tight quarters, it will NOT be easier to back it in!
Regarding hiway driving, a properly balanced trailer will drive nicely regardless of size, BUT, the bigger the trailer, the more lateral surface area it has to catch wind gusts. Picture the difference between carrying a 4x4 piece of plywood on a windy day vs, a 4x8 piece of plywood.
RE: 8.1 Liter Suburban Performance
I have actually gotten 17mpg with the vehicle traveling on level ground and at 55mph, lightly loaded.
Well, in all fairness, I have never checked fuel mileage under just one condition like this. Do you have the trip computer on board that shows instant mpg?
The 38-gal tank on the burb means that you are likely to encounter a variety of driving conditions before you re-fuel and check previous consumption. Oldtymeflyer likely had a nice tailwind over that stretch of road to record 17 mpg. Aerodynamics does have a lot to do with it, the burb is not exactly a low profile vehicle.
And yes, I not only know how to read, I also know how to maintain my vehicles :)
RE: Suburban Weight and Hitch Weight?
I agree with Larry, the numbers aren't exactly apples-to-apples, since some of the loaded weight gets transferred to the front axle with a WD hitch, but in this case I think we can get close enough.
The Tow rating on the 8.1/3.73 combo is 10,500, and the GCWR is 17,000 lbs, GVWR on the burb is 8,600 lbs.
Looked at the brochure, and that's a nice trailer for sure, BUT it will likely be 12,000 lbs when loaded with gear, motorized toys and water, etc. I would say too heavy for your burb, you should be thinking dielel truck to pull this weight.
RE: What Hitch and sway control does everyone use?
Ok This what I have discovered the yellow sticker on the inside of the camper that list's the weight with all options is 6162 the factory tongue weight is 703 before hitch etc. I do not carry any fresh water so I don't know, I may be wrong but I wouldn't think that it would matter where it is located. When the trailer is hooked to the hitch bar on the truck the hitch bar is angle up slightly and the front of the trailer is to. I believe this is where my problem lies. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. The scale out weight on the trailer loaded is 6927. My TV has no problem whatsoever towing the trailer it's just when I get up to highway speed that I get the Push pull from bigger trucks, am I just over reacting?
So from the factory numbers, that 11.4% tongue weight (703/6162) is right in the ballpark. However, you say that the trailer sits "nose up" a little, and that's probably contributing to your instability.
Based on the scale weight you provided, you loaded 765 lbs of gear in the trailer (6927-6162), not bad and a little lighter than most with this size TT. However, what we don't know is how that loaded weight affected the balance of the trailer. For example, if there is some heavy stuff packed in that big storage area under the rear queen bed, that will really lighten your tongue weight due to the distance the bed is behind the trailer axles. What's important to determine is the actual loaded tongue weight, TT axles weight and total weight to see if there is still adequate tonge weight based on how you packed the trailer. Depnding on where the fresh water tank is, you may want to travel with it full to provide more weight ahead of the TT axles.
Also important is to adjust your WD hitch set up so the truck and trailer sit level when loaded. There is a sticky at the top of the TT forum that describes how to do this in detail.
RE: Anyone have exp towing with yukon xl?
Hey post back after you give it a try and share your experience, whether good or bad, so others can benefit from it.
Hamilton, there's another thread about the 8.1 burb here. Read the good, bad and (mostly) ugly story about gas mileage....
RE: 8.1 Liter Suburban Performance
Oldtymeflyer must have invested in one of those things that clamps on the fuel line and aligns the fuel molecules....DickB is more accurate. We get about 10 mpg around town, have gotten as much as 13 on the highway cruising about 65-70, and towing at 65-70 yields about 7-8 mpg with our 8800 lb TT.
The 8.1 will handle 12,000 lbs, but not in a Suburban. the max tow rating with the 8.1/4.10 combo is 12,000 lbs, and that's with only (1) 150-lb driver on board. As an example, 4 passengers and some light luggage, combined with the 1200 lb tongue weight on our TT puts us right at the 8600 GVWR of the burb. Subtract that from the 19,000 GCWR and that leaves you with an effective tow capacity of 10,400. Like the Excursion, you will will run out of GVWR with the tongue weight of a heavy TT before you ever reach the max tow rating. A boat is different because it doesn't have the same % of tongue weight, nor the block-style aerodynamic profile of a TT.
If the TT you are looking to buy is truly 12,000 lbs, I would be looking for a dually diesel. Only way your going to have the suspension, brakes, and weight rating to carry that kind of load. If you want a gas motor, you'll need the 4.10 rear with the 8.1 or 4.30 rear with the Ford V-10.
If you are concerned with MPG, a diesel is really the only choice to tow that much weight and also get decent mileage....although diesel costs $.50/gal more than unleaded right now, so the economics are not far apart....
If you really want an 8.1 burb, I would stay under 10,000 GVWR on a TT.
RE: Anyone have exp towing with yukon xl?
Since you have the experience, try a trip with the XL and see how it tows. You'll be back to using the CTD soon enough....
RE: Anyone have exp towing with yukon xl?
Why aren't people specific when asking a vehicle / towing question.
He said 1/2 ton, and that's you need to say when talking about Suburbans, year really doesn't make a difference.
RE: Needs empty weights of diff models of Silverado.
One reason I didn't buy a pickup last time around...almost impossible to get anywhere around here without being able to take the pkys.
Again, a dealer that's been selling trucks for a while should have that info.
RE: Anyone have exp towing with yukon xl?
Too heavy for a 1500, you'll really shorten the life of the trans and rear diff. Need a 2500 for that weight.
Our 32' is 8800 lbs at the scale, and it gives my 2500 with 8.1 and 4.10 axle a real workout on the hills. I went up that grade on I-40 going west out of Asheville and headed toward Franklin, and I would have had to get out and push with the 5.3 or even the 6.0L in there...
RE: Needs empty weights of diff models of Silverado.
Your local dealer should know from experience what has to be licensed as commercial. My burb weighs 6700 lbs empty and it's got good ol' pass plates...
RE: What Hitch and sway control does everyone use?
Hey all, Was wondering what type of hitch and sway control everyone uses. I have a Reese with friction bar sway control and it can get kind of nerve racking on the interstate. Any Suggestions?
Couple of things...Can you clarify what you mean by nerve-racking? Some movement caused by the airflow of passing semis is normal, excessive trailer wag is not. Are there certain conditions that set up a sway, or does it just feel squirrelly all the time?
We can talk numbers all day long, but the only ones that matter come from YOUR weigh slip, not the brochure, or the sticker inside the trailer.
Here's how you do it: look in the yellow pages under "Scales-Truck". They are typically located at moving companies and scrap yards. I have a local recycler that has a scale. Make the first trip with just the truck, weight it with a full tank of fuel and if possible, packed as closely as possible to camping its camping weight.
Go home and get the trailer and return to the scales. Pull partway on the scale and get the truck weighed again, this time with the trailer attached. Now pull forward and weight the whole rig, truck and trailer.
You should now have 3 weigh slips, time to get out the calculator and figure the real loaded weight and tongue weight of the trailer.
Commonly, instability is caused by light tongue weight, but too much tongue weight is no good either. You mention that it's a front kitchen layout, so you're going to be heavy up front right off the bat. If you load a lot of stuff in those cabinets, and if your fresh water tank is up front, you could be pushing some serious tongue weight. It's possible that you might need heavier spring bars for your hitch.
Does your rig sit level now when it's hooked up? That's also an important part of the equation. Need to look at the rating of your spring bars vs. the scaled tongue weight, you may also need to consider airbags or helper springs in the truck.
Other contributing factors could be low tire pressure on truck/trailer or both, etc.
Lot of details, I know, but unfortunately getting into the details is necessary to get your rig as solid as possible. Lots of experience here on the forum, if you can take the time to weigh your rig and work with us on the details, we will get your rig bulletproof!
RE: $1895 for the "Rambox" option? Holy Cow!
enough room for "240 12-ounce beverage cans, with enough ice to keep them ready for a party"
Sign me up
I'm right behind ya! Although $1,895 / 240 cans = $7.90/can, but if I fill it 10 times that's only $.79/can.
RE: PEX Fitting
No, the metal band is smooth, but the fitting has got barbs on it that the tubing grips.
The fitting for the HW heater in question probably looks like this:
http://www.houseneeds.com/shop/Images/vanguard_xrse33th.jpg
The ridges that go around where the PEX tubing slides on are called barbs. My experience has been that once the tubing takes a set from being clamped on there, it doesn't want to slide off easily. heating the tubing allows it to expand and pass easily over the barbs.
RE: PEX Fitting
A couple of options....you can cut the ring with a Dremel tool, then use a hair dryer or heat gun to heat the PEX so you can slide it off the fitting. That stuff is tough as nails and a real bear to slide over the barbs on the fitting....much easier if you heat the tubing. Be careful not to overheat if using a heat gun.
OR, if the fitting on the HW heater is standard 1/2" IPS (most are), you can cut the tubing back, install a like fitting and connect the two with a standard faucet connector hose.
I've found that Lowe's has the best selection of these PEX compatible fittings.
