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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: How old is too old for a hitch
I've had to replace a hitch head due to egged out load bar sockets but still use it for dead weight pulls without weight distribution. I've also replaced hitch balls due to wear and slop. I don't think you really age out this equipment but it does wear or corrode over time based on use.
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Bedlam
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07/19/19 01:36pm |
Towing
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RE: Truck with 5ver towing a boat
DOT had not put up reduced speed signs for a construction zone yet. He had passed me a couple miles back in a hurry. The pavers were still getting ready. A mile or so after the starting point of the construction area that had no reduced speed signs yet I was doing 70 on I-90 in Eastern WA.
On a turn ahead to my left out physically jumped a State Patrolman waving his arms to pull over. I did so and waited for him to pull in behind me.
Ha asked if I knew why he flagged me over. I said no. But in reality I did know. I told him I was not speeding and told him to contact DOT and verify no signs were up yet and the DOT guy flew past me a few miles back.
He was quite irritated by this! Of course he had to get the last word in.
“Make sure to stick to 55 thru the construction zone” he said. He was an overly aggressive jerk.
If you were towing during this time, your speed limit was not 70 mph...
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Bedlam
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07/19/19 11:36am |
Towing
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RE: HOW to GET RID of a LOT of GOOD STUFF I Might Use Someday
I tow an enclosed trailer. We carry more now with the trailer and truck camper combination than when we had a toy hauler. In my case that was the point of our change.
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Bedlam
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07/16/19 10:45pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: 4WD or 2WD
Now that my trucks carry 2-ton or 3-ton campers on the back, I find less use for 4wd but it has not eliminated its use. On the other hand, I've been carrying chains since 1989 that I have not had to use because I have 4wd. The chains have been put on ensure proper fit, but that was done on a clean dry driveway rather than sloppy mess along side a road.
As Grit dog pointed out, areas where temperature is right at the freezing point are the worst. Wet snow will pack most tire treads and turn to ice and ice will have a sheen of water on it when compressed by a warm tire. It is much easier to drive the Sierra Nevada ranges in winter than the Cascades and I drove through all of the Austrian and Swiss Alps with my 2wd Opel without having to chain up.
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Bedlam
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07/15/19 11:04am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Might be buying a Dually....
I stand corrected! it IS a 3" hitch, they just put a 2.5" adapter sleeve inside it -- which I then added a 2" adapter to so I could use my old stuff. I'll have to find a 3" x 24" extension which should give me more potential tongue weight than the 2 1/2" ones though I won't need it (just nice to have).
The 3” Torklift Cannon comes in three lengths from 36-48”: https://www.torklift.com/automotive/cannon-extension
At least you will get an idea of your receiver capacity with an extension.
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Bedlam
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07/12/19 03:44pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Freightliner M2
Many low mileage M2's are available for a reasonable price, but new prices seem excessive. I have a Class 5 truck for my heavy truck camper because I also tow a heavy trailer behind it resulting in a 3.5 ton payload. I considered the M2, but it sat too high to top it off with a truck camper.
The suspension on these is harsh unless loaded down or you have air-ride. I would not consider one without using an air cushioned hitch or suspension.
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Bedlam
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07/12/19 08:09am |
Toy Haulers
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RE: Tongue weight issue on new toy hauler
When toy haulers were first introduced, a lot of companies jumped in to the craze by just modifying a travel trailer with a rear door. I thought these models were gone and frame specific toy hauler models were now the norm. It appears your model is based off a travel trailer frame which is why you have so much carrying any amount of weight in the back. I don't have any simple solutions for you, but this observation.
Extending the tongue length and adding weight to it could solve the problem. if you load the tongue up with two 30# propane bottles and four 6VDC golf kart batteries, that may be enough. Like suggested in another post, having them upgrade the axles, suspension and wheels to the next higher rating would negate the extra weight being carried from taking away cargo capacity. With the suspension swap can also come a lift so the tail does not drag.
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Bedlam
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07/12/19 07:58am |
Toy Haulers
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RE: Which 19.5" tire to choose
I found the specifications for multiple components in my previous truck and also cross matched which parts were used on heavier class trucks. This gave me the confidence in upgrading the weakest components to get the capacity I wanted. You will have to spend considerable time doing the research and it is not for everyone. I've always been good at these types of tasks and enjoy tracking the parts chain down to the sources. In the process I found a number of inaccuracies in published documents, so cross checking multiple sources is a given.
In my case, case I went to a Class 5 from a Class 2b because I wanted to carry a heavy camper and tow a heavy trailer at the time. My 4-ton trailer behind and 2-ton truck camper on my Class 2b with 19.5's worked well, but I was not going to put my 3-ton truck camper on it (not on a Class 3 or 4 either).
I did have a steep learning curve on commercial 19.5" tires and my only regret was not choosing a steer front tire in hindsight. My plan was to continue 4-wheel tire rotations which drove my decision for identical tires on all four corners. With the amount of weight I carry on the rear axle of both trucks, traction tires are only need on the rear with my usage. I rarely drive a truck empty or over 65 mph, so hydroplaning is not really a worry for me. I chose a higher rated tire than I needed so I would not have use the maximum sidewall pressure plus it gave me a stiffer sidewall that aided in carrying a heavy load at the expense of unloaded ride.
Between selling my half used Michelin tires and 18" rims and buying 19.5" tires and rims, the upgrade cost me $1500 in 2012. I considered that a good value for my needs and the change never created problems for me so had little downside.
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Bedlam
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07/11/19 06:26pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Level trailer
Not the weights I experienced on my single axle flatbed: Based on your measurements, I would expect 4" low at 650 lbs, level at 600 lbs and 4" high at 525 lbs. I don't have a gauge for my dual axle enclosed (used bath scale on my smaller trailer).
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Bedlam
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07/11/19 01:54pm |
Towing
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RE: Help with finding 5th Wheel floor plan
It's pretty long, but the Voltage mid bunk toy hauler might be what you're after:
https://www.exploreusa.com/product-dutchmen-rv/voltage-toy-hauler-fifth-wheel/v4205
https://assets-cdn-interactrv.netdna-ssl.com/interactrv/unit_tech_drawing/imgh_800x600-m0510201912161025/unit_tech_drawing_201905101216102512458491.jpg width=640
Here are two more floor plans to check out which may work for you:
https://www.jayco.com/products/toy-haulers/2019-talon-platinum/392t/
https://www.jayco.com/images/pages/5496-392T.png width=640
https://www.keystonerv.com/fifth-wheels/montana-high-country/floorplans/381th-fifth-wheel/
https://www.keystonerv.com/media/9149525/381th.png width=640
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Bedlam
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07/11/19 09:22am |
Toy Haulers
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RE: Should I get a 2020 GM 3500 DRW or a 4500?
I would hold off on buying the first model year of any product, so if you are set on a GM 4500 can you wait one more year?
My Ram 5500 had a rough ride until I had over 3 tons of payload on the rear. 2 tons made it tolerable, but empty is a rough ride on anything but smooth roads.
I pay for desired GVWR in my state and have commercial insurance written for private use through Progressive. Any GVWR at 14k lbs or more is considered commercial plates in my state, but I pay about $200/year for an 18k lb registration. I went from a 2005 F250 to a 2015 5500 and State Farm wanted about 50 percent more for the same insurance coverage. Moving to Progressive, I pay about $1000/year.
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Bedlam
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07/11/19 08:52am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Which 19.5" tire to choose
My 19.5's have not needed more traction, but they do not provide flotation on surface material. They will cut through snow, sand and mud until they hit hard pan or the truck bottoms out. Siping the tread will help if you drive in icy conditions since the rubber is harder than an LT tire. I don't drive in wet clay areas, so I cannot attest to how the tread cleans out or packs up.
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Bedlam
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07/11/19 08:20am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Which 19.5" tire to choose
I used traction/drive tread on all four corners on my Ford. The open shoulder tread on the front is what caused my tire noise. On my Ram, I have highway/steer up front and traction/drive on the rear. Even though both are 4wd, I find the mixed combination tracts better and is quieter.
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Bedlam
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07/10/19 06:52pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Installing Rieco-Titan Swing Away on AF990?
I used the Atwood brackets on my Arctic Fox. They were cheaper but not as sturdy as the Reico Titan model. I was able to clear an 8’ wide flatbed with either bracket (I have the RT bracket on the Host which uses the same brand jacks).
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Bedlam
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07/10/19 04:18pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Which 19.5" tire to choose
I had the 245/70r19.5 LRH PR16 on my F250 and liked the combination. They were about 33” tall and matched the height of my 275/70r18 tires. Expect these tires to weigh about 125 lbs each when mounted on Vision rims. My brakes handled the extra rotating mass fine with no difference in wear after 30k miles than running my 18”. I added heavier damped shocks to handle the unsprung wheel weight.
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Bedlam
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07/10/19 04:11pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Newbie RV guy, maybe
Another option is to convert an enclosed trailer with some camping amenities but have enough room for your bike. Using an over deck model will give you greater frame clearance and mobility is not bad if you keep it short. You can now camp in the rough and still explore further on single track before returning to your campsite.
Look for something like a 12x6 or 14x7 single axle with oversized wheels.
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Bedlam
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07/10/19 06:50am |
Toy Haulers
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RE: Might be buying a Dually....
Torklift now sells the Cannon for the 3" Ford receiver, but nothing for the 2.5" receivers on the market. It depends mostly on the tongue weight of what you wnt to tow whether you spend money on Torklift products. A 24" length, 2.5" diameter single extension should be good for about 500 lbs tongue weight.
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Bedlam
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07/08/19 08:59am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Ram Sales Increasing
Priced equally, I would have chosen another Ford in 2015. With the lower pricing of the Ram, it made it more of a value purchase that could not be equaled. I’m not locked in to one brand - In 2025 or 2030, I will start looking again.
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Bedlam
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07/07/19 09:41am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Truck camper with trailer length
I have towed the same 20’ enclosed trailer behind both my truck campers. I suggest a width close to to the camper width so you do not create additional drag but can still see it with your mirrors (I do not use a rear facing camera). Length can be an issue in tight camping sites or if you catch a vehicle ferry that charges by the foot.
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Bedlam
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07/07/19 09:11am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Is the EV transformation of the market over hyped ?
My driving commute is 10 miles per day with an additional 40 miles daily via bus. However once a week I have a 125 mile driving commute. I could use a BEV, but purchase cost still does not compensate for usage. My wife drives a compact ICE vehicle about 7500 miles year and I still cannot get the economics of a BEV to work in her case either.
I see us buying a BEV once prices drop on them or increase too much for an ICE. I drive a 15 year old vehicle while my wife’s is five years old. Both will probably stay with us for 5-10 more years before we consider replacing them.
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Bedlam
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07/05/19 06:20pm |
Tow Vehicles
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