RE: Equal-i-zer question
Greasing the heavy friction surfaces--the ball and the hitch head, socket interfaces--will help, as others have suggested. I think most of the noise comes from the "L" bracket/spring bar area. I found greasing these was too messy, so now I just rub some ski wax on the brackets. Seems to help and doesn't make a mess.
TC
RE: Bumpy ride with a pop-up
Our Coleman Cheyenne (about 3,000lbs.) was miserable to tow with my truck because it bucked and kicked on anything but a smooth surface. In contrast, our 11,400 GVW Arctic Fox is much smoother. The Coleman behaved better behind our Honda Odyssey. I guess the Honda's soft suspension was more compatible with the buckboard springs on the popup. A WD hitch might help, but remember, they work both ways; you're also putting some of the truck's weight on the trailer.
TC
RE: Interstate 70 west of Denver
Your engine will be gasping like a fish out of water, especially at 11,000+ feet over the highest pass, but you have good equipment and will do fine. Don't ride your brakes going down. Gear down and make the engine do the work.
TC
RE: TT Tires
You probably find more Fifth Wheelers using LT tires because more of them come with 16" wheels. As someone mentioned, it is very hard to find LT tires in 15" sizes. Because my trailer is heavy, when I started having tire issues, I switched to 16" wheels and LT tires so I could get a higher load range and a greater variety (and availability) of tires. An unexpected added bonus is that my trailer tows even better than before.
TC
RE: Differential Lube for 03 Chevy 2500HD?
I've used both Mobil 1 75W-90 and Redline 75W-140, which I run now, in the rear. I have Redlin 75W-90 in the front. Both brands, among others are excellent.
TC
RE: Blown steer tire myth?
I believe Campinfan has it right. When a tire “explodes” it experiences a sudden RELEASE of pressure. That event can propel bits and pieces, including split rims, at high velocities in all directions with terrible force, but to lift the front of a TV there would have to be a sudden expansion of air volume, which would require a rapid infusion of energy that isn’t there.
TC
RE: And yet Another Tire Question
Discount Tire happily sold me LT tires for my trailer and the manager there said that he used them on his horse trailers and sold many of them to others for the same purpose. The sidewalls on the LT tires (I also went up in wheel size from 15” to 16” so I could run LTs) are visibly stiffer than the tires they replaced. They do not roll over excessively even in near jack knife turns and on those occasions when I’ve had to run over some hard edges, like low curbs, they don’t collapse the way the STs did. The trailer, always very stable, is now even more so, even in tricky mountain towing. ST tire may be theoretically superior because they were designed specifically for trailer use, but much depends on how well they are manufactured and I am not confident, based on my own experience that what we are getting is all that wholesome. They are also not easy to find, which is decidedly not the case with good quality LT tires.
TC
RE: Generator help
A friend has a generator on his Nash 22 something-or-other. Very neat, enclosed, installation. Runs on propane. Control panel is inside trailer.
TC
RE: Newer chevy 2500 - New Shocks make a diffrence?
When I first bought my truck (new) I was disappointed that the shocks already felt worn out. Nevertheless, I waited to replace them with Bilsteins for 12k miles. When I backed out of the driveway for the first time with the new shocks I realized I had waited 12,000 miles too long. Unless GM has upgraded their HD shocks considerably since '03 I'd recommend you replace them (all four, per Ken) now.
TC
