RE: Explain the difference between a 4.88 and a 4.3 rear end
So the higher ratio 4.88 will provide more torque to the back wheels, but will also cause the engine to turn more to do that (typically lower mileage)Yes, and to figure out how much more, just divide the ratios:
4.88 / 4.30 = 1.13 = 13% more rear-wheel torque and 13% higher engine RPMs (with the 4.88).
-- Rob
RE: 3.43 gear to 4.10 gear
4.10 / 3.43 = 1.195 ~= 20% more rear-wheel torque and 20% higher engine RPMs.
But, as others have said, it's probably a 3.73. In that case:
4.10 / 3.73 = 1.099 ~= 10% more rear-wheel torque and 10% higher engine RPMs.
-- Rob
RE: A bit of a shock at the weigh scale/trip report...
Trailer axle - 9360#
The trailer was also overloaded. It's GVWR is 9580#, and there's usually 1000# to 1200# on the hitchI'm don't agree that your trailer is overloaded. Your trailer is rated to carry 9580# and it's only carrying 9360#. The fact that the truck is carrying part of the overall load is irrelevant to the trailer axles. For example, I can lift 1000# over my head as long as someone (or something) else lifts 990# of it -- and it won't hurt me a bit.
-- Rob
RE: Dodge 1500 Mega Cab 4x4
I have a 1500 Quad Cab 4x2 with the 5.7L. My trailer is listed at 5800# dry, but weighs in at 7400# ready-to-camp. I typically get 10 MPG city, 16 MPG highway, and 8 MPG towing. Last week, however, headwinds on the trip out pushed that down to 6.9 MPG (the return trip was 8.6).
The problem with most 1500s is that they reach their payload capacity well before their pulling capacity. But, the 1500 Mega Cab has a much higher GVWR than the Quad Cab, more like that of a 3/4-ton. You have about 1800# more GVWR than I do, but the truck weighs 1500# more. I'm just a hair under my limit, but it'll really depend on how much weight you actually put in the truck.
My truck has plenty of power to pull my trailer where I go, which is primarily around Michigan. In 2nd gear, for example, it can easily accelerate up the Zilwaukee bridge from a 55mph roll with trailer in tow. The key is to keep the RPMs up (4000+ if necessary) where the engine makes it power.
But, there are some key differences here. You're looking at 3.73 gears, whereas mine has 3.92s. This means yours would have about 5% less rear-wheel torque than mine. Not a big deal there, but you are dealing with a lot more weight. That 4x4 Mega Cab weighs about 1500 pounds more than my truck, and your trailer is close to 1000 pounds heavier. I seriously doubt I'd be happy pulling 2500 pounds more than I do now.
If it were me, I'd be looking at other alternatives.
-- Rob
RE: Camgrounds in Western Michigan along Lake Michigan
You're looking for an open campground on Lake Michigan during the summer with only a few days advance notice?!? All I can offer you is a wish for good luck -- many of the state parks along the shore book 6 months in advance, to the day. I have heard, however, than some have sites that cannot be reserved in advance (first-come first-served). Holland SP is the only one that has (a limited number of) full-hookup sites.
http://www.michigandnr.com/ParksandTrails/parkmap.aspx
-- Rob
RE: Things to do in Holland, MI area
I don't see a trip to Fricano's on your list.It is now! Thanks for the advice.
IMHO, Meijer Gardens and the Air Zoo are both regional attractions that are certainly worth a visit. Windmill Island is not in the same league.Thanks, Eric, this is the kind of info I was looking for. We don't mind spending a few extra minutes on the road if it's worth the trip.
-- Rob
RE: Over rating campgrounds
Numeric scales tend to be useless, because aside from differing opinions, people interpret the numbers differently. Strictly speaking, a 5 would be an average place (while a dump would be a 0 or a 1), but I'd bet most people tend to view a 5 as very bad instead of average. IMO, it's better to gauge the quality of a CG from a textual review, just because of the inherent ambiguity of a single number.
-- Rob
RE: Maumee Bay State Park
We are going to Maumee Bay State Park in Ohio for a weekend trip. We like to camp in the woods or at least in the shade. Can anyone recommend a site or area that fits our preferences?We were there about 3 years ago. It's a nice park overall, but if trees in the campground are what you seek, you'll probably be disappointed.
-- Rob
RE: Things to do in Holland, MI area
In my opinion, while Windmill Island is nice, a few hours there and you will pretty much have seen everything there is to see. Meijer Gardens is much larger and has a large children's area as well as a large sculpture garden with many larger than life sculptures.So is it worth doing both? Or is Windmill Island essentially just a subset of Meijer Gardens? Also, what would Veldheer's give us that neither of these would?
-- Rob
RE: Purchasing Firewood at Campgrounds
My camping buddy swears banning the import of out of state wood is just a way to get more cash in the CG. He sneaks it in.That's great. Your buddy can swear all he likes, but in Michigan, it is illegal to transport firewood across certain lines. It's not a campground rule, it's a state law (Moving Firewood Prohibited).
To everyone who thinks the Emerald Ash Borer is a joke, come up here to Michigan and see for yourself all the ash trees they're cutting down to stop this thing from spreading. Over the last couple years, every park, recreation area, and residential subdivision around here has had all its ash trees removed.
-- Rob
RE: Things to do in Holland, MI area
Spend a day at the beach at Holland State Park. In Holland I would pick Windmill Island. There is also the Holland Museum. Meijer Gardens and the Air Zoo are great but not in Holland.We might do a day at the beach if it's hot enough, but that early in the season I suspect the water will be quite cold. As far as Windmill Island vs. Meijer Gardens, are they both basically the same thing? If so, which is better?
-- Rob
RE: Things to do in Holland, MI area
A Google search of `bike trail holland, MI' recommends www.hollandtrails.org but I had trouble connecting to it this morning.I haven't been able to connect to www.hollandtrails.org for a while now. I suspect it's defunct.
-- Rob
Things to do in Holland, MI area
We're (me, DW, and 10-year old DD) are headed to Holland, MI next week. I've listed a few things below we're considering doing while in the area, and I'm wondering what's worthwhile and what isn't.Day trip to Saugatuck / South Haven / Grand Haven
Biking
Air Zoo in Kalamazoo
Holland Farmer's Market
Holland Aquatic Center
Dutch Village
Windmill Island
Veldheer's
Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids
John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids
Sounds like Windmill Island and Veldheer's are primarily gardens. How do they compare to Meijer Gardens? If you were going to just one, which one would it be?
Anything else I'm missing?
-- Rob
RE: State Park Observation...Michigan
You may want to go back and re-read my posts, because either you didn't read them, or you're quoting the wrong person.I'm guessing he mistook your name for someone else's.
-- Rob
RE: State Park Observation...Michigan
Well, I don't know if you're going to find a lot of private campgrounds that are cheaper than the state parks, but I do feel that the gap is getting narrower.You make a lot of good points, but Scott's and my responses were aimed at the continual claim about all these awesome private parks that are so much cheaper than the state parks, yet I've only ever seen one specific example, and it was way up in the UP.
Besides, we really have to gauge the cost against what we're getting. I've seen very few private parks that offer the amenities of most state parks. Beautiful beaches, scenic trails, large, well-shaded sites, etc. With a private park, we give up all this in exchange for plumbing at our site. I just don't get it. Every trailer I've ever seen has holding tanks. Is it really worth $10-20 per day to not have to fill and dump those tanks?
-- Rob
RE: Best RPM for Towing on Hills
I need a little explanation between torque and horsepower. I thought torque was what gave the vehicle towing power.Most people do not understand the concept of power (which is often measured in HP). Power is NOT strength, rather it is strength combined with speed. Torque is strength. RPM is speed. Power is the combination of the two.
Torque and horsepower are different ways of measuring the same thing (engine power).Torque and horsepower definitely do not measure the same thing. Although they are related, they are two different things completely. Torque is applied to produce work, i.e. to cause something to move. Power is how fast that work is accomplished, just like speed is how fast a certain distance is travelled. Few people confuse distance travelled with speed, but for some reason the similar relationship between work and power is often misunderstood.
if I am running at my peak torque rpm’s (2800), my TV should be able to maintain it’s speed easier than if I were running 4,000 RPM’s which would give it its peak horsepower.It's not that simple. First of all, those torque/HP curves assume wide-open throttle. If you don't have the throttle pinned, you're not matching the curves. Second, it depends on how fast you want to go. The speed, coupled with the weight, angle of incline, and frontal area of your rig, will all determine the power (not torque) required to get the job done.
For climbing or accelerating, you want extra torque at the rear wheels, not necessarily at the crankshaft. Running a lower gear will always provide more torque at the wheels. In other words, you will get more rear-wheel torque by running a lower gear at max engine HP than you will by running a higher gear at max engine torque.
In short, run the RPMs and gear that allow you to climb the hill at the speed you want.
-- Rob
RE: State Park Observation...Michigan
Scott,
I still want someone to point out private parks that are cheaper then a state park in season.There's a reason nobody points out any specifics....
-- Rob
RE: State Park Observation...Michigan
I think you noticed the vacancies last year because that was just the beginning of what we saw MORE of THIS year.Although my reasoning probably doesn't apply to Memorial Day weekend, I think last year was due more to the time of year (3rd week in June). From Harrisville SP, we headed over to South Higgins Lake SP, typically a very busy park. The park was nearly empty for the first few days we were there. By the time we left, every site was full, and the rangers said it would stay that way for the rest of the summer.
-- Rob
RE: State Park Observation...Michigan
I think there are other reasons the more northern parks are not yet full: it's still cold up there. Last year we camped at Harrisville during the 3rd week of June. We counted 34 sites occupied (out of 195). It's a beautiful park, but that time of year, the water is not exactly balmy. I swim comfortably with water temps in the low- to mid-60s, but the water there was quite a bit colder than that.
-- Rob
RE: Will a 6.0 gas or V-10 gas tow 12k pounds?
JMO, but it seems crazy to trade in any truck today in order to get a slightly smaller one with the goal of getting better mileage. The MPG gains, if any, will likely be eaten up many times over by the loss you'll take on the trade-in.
-- Rob
