RE: Tow Straps Question - Update on Page 2
Wow, you guys are my heroes.;) Spent $150 on stuff you probably will never need again to save the $100 or so it would have cost to have the truck towed. Seriously, I'm glad the trip went safely, but I really don't follow the logic involved- you didn't save any money, time, or hassle, so what was the point? For about $50 your buddy could have enrolled in AAA+ and had the truck towed for no additional cost.
RE: Not evacuating from hurricane, questions
My stepdad who lives near the ocean says a lot of folks down his way install tiedown loops in the ground or concrete where they park their rigs and tie them down with chains and binders when a storm comes. They don't get hurricanes on the Washington coast, but a typical winter brings at least two or three storms with 70-80 mph winds. I'm really surprised that RVs are not routinely tied down in hurricane country.
RE: Is this the proper way to tow an old Beetle
Old Beetles make great toads, you can buy a tow bar for less than $100 that attaches with no baseplate required. A downside is that with the Beetle's manual brakes with the pedal coming up from the floor, I doubt there are any supplemental brake systems that will work. The upside to that is that the Beetle weighs less than 2000 lbs.
RE: Running from a hurricane in a fiver
Guys, something to keep in mind is that this thing is still six days out, and hurricane track forecasts that far out are extemely unreliable. The National Hurricane Center website forecast discussion says exactly that. According to their forecasters, Gustav has an equal chance of being a Cat. 1,2 or 3 storm, and the forecast track has an error of +/- 300 miles.
RE: AWD vs 2WD
It doesn't make any sense to me how the TV would be more stable in AWD, unless you were in a very low-traction situation (like snow or ice). On dry (or even wet) pavement I can't imagine how it would make any difference, except for the possible placebo effect.:)
RE: Gross combined vehicular weight of Ford 3500 Vans
Brian, I thought the V10 with the 4.10 gearing, gave you 20,000 lbs GCWR?
Funny you brought this up, when I was looking at Ford's towing guide I noticed that the vans are rated for a much lower GCWR for a comparable drivetrain than the pickups. This to me makes little sense, other than for marketing purposes. Since it is typically the powertrain that limits GCWR, why are the vans so much lower? Maybe engine cooling?
RE: RV terminology for dummies
And if you would like a Generic term that covers 'em all. Try "RIG"
That's the one I like. To me a coach is a guy who runs a football team.
RV terminology for dummies
I kind of hate to admit it, but word usage is one of my pet peeves. I constantly hear people referring to motorhomes as "trailers", trailers or fifth wheels as "campers", and so on. So for those who find the differences and terminology confusing, here ya go....
If it is moved down the road, has a bed, stove, fridge and potty, doesn't float and can't roll, it's a CAMPER.
If it's all of the above except the rolling part, it's a TRAILER. (or fifth wheel, since techically those are trailers too.)
If it's all of the above and has a steering wheel, it's a MOTORHOME.
RE: How not to launch a boat
Often when a driver reports that "the brakes failed", the actual cause turns out to be human error. In my fire service career I have been on at least two incidences of cars into buildings where the driver claimed to be applying the brakes as hard as they could. However, the burnout marks made by the tires indicated that they were standing on the throttle as hard as they could. By far the least reliable (yet the most important) safety system in any vehicle is the nut behind the wheel.
RE: 2wd vs 4wd
Tell me about it! Tons of 3/4 ton units, but 1 ton SRW, especially 2wd is fairly hard to find.
Something to keep in mind, the differences between a "3/4 ton" and "1 ton" SRW pickup are pretty minimal in terms of components and capacities. My "3/4 ton" truck has a higher payload than many "1 ton" SRW pickups. To find a truck that truly suits your needs, pay no attention to the model number on the truck, and only look at the empty weight, GVWR, payload and towing capacity. Those are the numbers that really matter.
RE: running fridge on inverter
He may only be able to run for a few hours though unless the batteries are kept charged from his TV while towing.
He's using the fridge in a motorhome, not a trailer.
RE: Tow Straps Question - Update on Page 2
I used to redneck a dead truck down the freeway- when I was 17 and didn't have any money. Now I'm grown up and have a real job, so for a 30 mile tow I can afford the $125 or so it would cost to have a tow truck do the job for me. Seriously, unless you have a buddy with a truck and trailer, why would you not want to just call a tow truck?
RE: why can't back up with a toad
I'm not sure what the debate is about, there is never any NEED to back up a toad. It's not like a trailer that just sits still when you unhook, you can get in the toad and DRIVE it anywhere you want. In seven years of pulling a toad I've got myself "deadended" twice, both times the unhooking, moving the car and reconnecting was a five minute evolution.
RE: Truck Rentals to tow Travel Trailer
First of all, are you camping with it, or just taking it from point A to B?
If you are just moving it, hiring a transporter is probably the cheapest and easiest way to go if you place any value on your time and effort.
If you are camping, like was said before most car rental companies prohibit towing with their SUVs and pickups. They typically place a locking pin in the receiver hitch.
For what it would cost you to rent a commercial-type (U-haul, etc.) truck to tow your trailer cross country you could probably almost buy a good used tow vehicle and sell it when you are finished. Virtually any 1/2 ton pickup or full size SUV should tow that little trailer with ease, and those vehicles are available cheap these days.
RE: new idea for a truck shootout?
I'm not a real old guy (42), but I've owned a few trucks in my day. My current truck (Chevy 6.0 gas) pulls much like my '94 fuel injected Ford 460, although that truck was a manual transmission and a lot more fun to drive! I also had a '78 with a lightly modified 460, and I beleive my new 6.0 would have whipped it hands down both in towing and fuel economy. Comparing my 6.0 to the truck my dad used to have ('86 F250 with the 5.8 "high output" V8), the new truck absolutely kicks the tar out of the old iron. It pulls trailers up hills faster than the old truck would run solo, and it gets the same or better mileage towing than the old truck did solo.
RE: Anyone tow an open car hauler?
I have a car hauler that I use for my tractor, but I've never towed it with my motorhome. I prefer four down, for two main reasons, first, the trailer must be moved with the motorhome, and many campsites are too small or tight to back the 21 foot long trailer into with a 30' motorhome. Second, being that I have a large E450 based C, towing an open car hauler would both overload my hitch and my rear axle. To tow a car trailer I would have to invest some big bucks into upgrading the hitch, getting the frame reinforced, and upgrading the rear springs and tires to handle the 400+ pounds of hitch weight. If you already have a 5000 lb. hitch and plenty of rear axle reserve capacity, it's a more viable option.
RE: What does YOUR tow vehicle ACTUALLY weigh?
Truck in sig- 2005 Silverado 2500HD regular cab, 2wd, with me behind the wheel, 1/2 tank of gas, installed dump insert (1000 lbs.).
Going into the gravel pit- 6480.
Coming out loaded. 9880 (oops, a little heavy there):o
RE: Max trailering pack vs. Dodge 3/4 ton
The tow ratings on the two trucks are pretty much the same, but the 2500 series truck can handle about 2000 lbs. more on the rear axle. Powerwise they will be comparable but with the hitch weight of that heavy Arctic Fox, plus passengers and any cargo you put in the bed the rear axle of the 1500 series truck will likely be overloaded, whereas the 2500 series truck gives you lots of breathing room in the payload department.
RE: Buiulding a pad for our MH..
Techniques, methods and costs will vary by region. Crushed rock (or stone as they call it on the East coast) is probably the most economical. If your soil is loamy or soft, a barrier of landscape fabric between the soil and gravel will be beneficial. In my area, at least, fabric does nothing to prevent weeds. Weeds grow really well in gravel, and around here the only way to control them is to use a good, strong pre-emergent herbicide over the fresh gravel and then periodically after. If you were me I'd look at other types of parking pads in your region to get a feel for local methods and techniques, as like I said before they vary regionally.
RE: USA Today: Chrysler hybrids near front of pack
IMHO Chrysler is totally missing the boat with their new hybrid. Big deal, it gets 20 mpg.:R A minivan will do almost the same thing (except tow heavy) and will get 20 mpg without hybrid technology. If Chrysler wanted to hit a home run, they would have built a Neon hybrid (instead of scrapping it). If they could have made it get 50 mpg and keep it under $20K they could sell a million a year. Which hybrid does Toyota sell more of, the Highlander or the Prius? Of course, it's the Prius by a wide margin. In July Toyota sold over ten times as many Priuses as it did Highlander hybrids (14,785 vs. 1,371). These numbers show that consumers don't want SUVs that get 20 mpg, they want something that gets 40-50 mpg. With gas at $4 a gallon, 20 mpg is nothing to brag about.
