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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: HWY 50 - From Montrose to Pueblo - In 45 foot 5th Wheel?
Hwy 50 is a piece of cake. The construction between Montrose and Gunnison can cause you problems though.
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Bionic Man
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07/27/21 08:22pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Towing My Boat Behind My Fiver'
The forum really is slow when you have this few of comments on what is always a hot topic that causes many to get their panties in a bunch.
I've towed a boat tandem behind my 5er since about 1999. I have not towed through the states that you mention, but I'll share my experiences and you can take them for what they are worth.
(SNIPPED)
Trailer brakes on that 5000# boat rig?
Surge brakes, most likely.
Personally, I'd like to know what Bionic Man did to beef up the frame on his FW to handle that trailer load.
Lyle
5er frame was reinforced all the way forward of the axles.
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Bionic Man
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07/26/21 08:25pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Towing My Boat Behind My Fiver'
f course there are.
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Bionic Man
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07/22/21 11:01pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Colorado, I70 and 160 to 285 advice
Pretty much covered everything else, but keep your eye on I 70 road condition just east of Glenwood Springs. The recent fires up there have caused mud slides when it rains, and that stretch of the interstate has been closed when that happens. There are two detours around it when that happens that will add a couple hours and many miles to your trip if you hit it wrong.
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Bionic Man
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07/22/21 09:22am |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Towing My Boat Behind My Fiver'
The forum really is slow when you have this few of comments on what is always a hot topic that causes many to get their panties in a bunch.
I've towed a boat tandem behind my 5er since about 1999. I have not towed through the states that you mention, but I'll share my experiences and you can take them for what they are worth.
Probably goes without saying, but towing tandem isn't for everyone. You really need to think ahead (stopping for fuel can be challenging), backing up is very difficult, and it is very hard on your equipment. I had a hitch custom fabricated to the back of my 5er, and then had it re-enforced later. I am sure I have towed tandem for over 50,000 miles. During that time I had the shackles holding the axles of my first 5er fail, I had the first hitch on the back of my 2nd 5er crack, and the weld on my fold away tongue on my boat crack. Maybe some of that would have happened without towing tandem, maybe not. Moral of the story, keep a close eye on all your components.
Towing tandem also degrades the ride within your truck. When you add the boat tongue weight to the back of the trailer you lose some pin weight (which never really was a problem), but you also create a fulcrum, and every bump you hit is magnified. Truck hits a bump, it bounces, then the 5er hits and it bounces, which bounces the truck, then the boat hits which bounces the 5er which bounces the truck. A good bump will go through the train a couple of times. I can pretty comfortably tow the 5er solo 12 hours a day, but add the second trailer, and at the end of a 12 hour day I am really wiped out.
I have not towed through any states that prohibit the practice, but I have been over length in most states. What my personal experience is (at least regarding that) is that LEO do not enforce that regulation.
The boat that I towed the most was a 21' sterndrive that I kept for about 10 years. It was about 5500 pounds going down the road, and is the most that I personally will tow. To me, the limitation isn't what the truck is capable of towing, it is the limitation of the strength of the frame on the 5er. I sold that boat back in 2014, replaced with a 23' inboard that weighs 7000 pounds, which I towed tandem once, and won't do again. When we go camping at the lake with that boat now, we take two vehicles. I do have a 17' Ranger fishing boat that weighs somewhere around 3000 pounds that I still tow tandem (which really is a LOT easier and much less noticeable).
To me, at least with a 5000 pound or less boat, towing tandem is still worth the trade offs of either not taking the boat, or taking a 2nd car. But, like I said, it isn't for everyone.
And to those that will tell you that you are at risk in an accident, and your insurance will deny a claim, I simply say read your policy. Insurance is regulated, and if there is a peril that is not covered it needs to be listed as an exclusion. I have never seen a policy exclusion of either towing a trailer tandem, or something that would deny a claim for an accident while breaking a law. Quite simply, insurance covers accidents, and it doesn't matter if you are towing tandem in a state that doesn't allow it, or towing over the weight rating of your truck, or speeding, or drunk (or all the above), an accident will be covered up to your limits of liability.
https://i.imgur.com/vEBHEcul.jpg
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Bionic Man
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07/22/21 09:14am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: expedition or tahoe for 33' TT
I use an ExpeditionMAX to tow my 7000 pound boat. It does a much better job towing than the YukonXL Denali it replaced, but still not nearly as good as my RAM, but that really isn’t a fair comparison.
Stability with the Ex is fine. Power is really really good. The only issue I have is that it gets very hot (engine and tranny) towing I70 through the mountains in Colorado. If I were towing all the time in the mountains I’d be worried, but very few people do that.
Given those two choices, I’d go with the Expedition hands down. Huge advantage there is the engine - personally I’d never tow that much weight with a 5.3, and last I checked you can’t get the 6.2 except in the upper trim levels. That said, the 3.0 in a Tahoe would be intriguing.
As far as “tail wagging the dog” on a long trailer, I believe all modern tow vehicles use the trailer brakes to eliminate sway. I know I’ve never felt it with my boat.
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Bionic Man
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06/22/21 01:28pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Truck - family of 5 and 65lb dog
MegaCab by RAM will be the biggest cab option available. Plenty of room for the pup on the floor in the back row.
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Bionic Man
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06/21/21 09:26pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: 2022 Toyota Tundra Reveal
Looks very similar to the current 4RUNNER to me. Also kind of reminds me of the GMC HD. I’m personally not a fan of Toyota but I don’t think it is terrible. I’m sure they will sell pretty much everything they can build. Just like the do with the tired old current generation.
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Bionic Man
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06/21/21 09:11am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Looking for new tow vehicle
Be sure to research the 6.0 Power Stroke before you get too excited about it. There is tons of info on that.
And if you are a “by the numbers” guy, you need to look at the tow rating of the 2013 2500 Burb. It is way less than you think.
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Bionic Man
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06/20/21 03:34pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Looking for new tow vehicle
We use a 2019 Expedition MAX to tow our 7000 pound boat. It does a much better job than the 2011 Yukon Denali XL it replaced.
The ExMAX has over 9000 pounds of tow capacity, and if you can stay within payload, it will work well (ours has 1767 pounds).
Jeep has announced that it will FINALLY come to market with a Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer later this year. They will have "best in class" towing (over 10,000 pounds I believe), and should be on your list if you can wait a few months.
We've had the ExMAX for a couple years, over 20,000 miles, and it has yet to go back to the dealer other than oil changes. The transmission and EcoBoost do well, its fun to drive solo, and gets decent MPG solo. Non towing power is great, but the fuel economy towing isn't good (we've had several tanks in the 7 MPG range). Overall, my wife really likes the SUV (it is her DD), but I will look at the Jeeps when they finally reach a dealer lot.
As far as vans, as a tow vehicle I'm sure they are up to the task. But I personally (and my wife especially) have no desire to drive one daily. And if you live in an area with snow, make sure you take that into account. Around here, they really need snow tires (or studs) to make them safe in the winter.
What packages does your expedition have? I know they have the heavy duty tow package but ford's website said something about an fx4 off road package as well. Is that needed on yours?
We went fairly basic. XLT with the 202A package that got leather, adaptive cruise, and a few other niceties. Also the HD tow package. You can tell an Ex has that because it has that back up trailer assist knob on the right side.
As far as a 2500 Burb, they are ok, but I’d take the Expedition over it 10 times out of ten. We had a 2003 with the 8.1 to tow the boat back in around 2014/2015. It did a good job, but literally everything the Burb did, the Ex does better. But that comes at a financial cost as well. If you’re ok driving a 15 year old vehicle with almost certainly well over 100,000 miles on it (that someone else drove and who knows how they took care of it) try to search one out.
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Bionic Man
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06/18/21 09:29pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Looking for new tow vehicle
We use a 2019 Expedition MAX to tow our 7000 pound boat. It does a much better job than the 2011 Yukon Denali XL it replaced.
The ExMAX has over 9000 pounds of tow capacity, and if you can stay within payload, it will work well (ours has 1767 pounds).
Jeep has announced that it will FINALLY come to market with a Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer later this year. They will have "best in class" towing (over 10,000 pounds I believe), and should be on your list if you can wait a few months.
We've had the ExMAX for a couple years, over 20,000 miles, and it has yet to go back to the dealer other than oil changes. The transmission and EcoBoost do well, its fun to drive solo, and gets decent MPG solo. Non towing power is great, but the fuel economy towing isn't good (we've had several tanks in the 7 MPG range). Overall, my wife really likes the SUV (it is her DD), but I will look at the Jeeps when they finally reach a dealer lot.
As far as vans, as a tow vehicle I'm sure they are up to the task. But I personally (and my wife especially) have no desire to drive one daily. And if you live in an area with snow, make sure you take that into account. Around here, they really need snow tires (or studs) to make them safe in the winter.
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Bionic Man
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06/18/21 11:53am |
Travel Trailers
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Honda EU7000is
Is anyone using one of the. Honda EU7000is generators to power their rig? If so, can you tell me what adaptor you are using to plug your RV power cord into the generator? I have an adaptor to plug into the 30 amp side, but would love to be able to run a cord into the 240 outlet.
For reference, the generator is making its way to our 75' houseboat to be used as a backup to our 24k main generator. The more power I am able to use from this Honda, the more functions of the houseboat I can use in a much more fuel efficient fashion.
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Bionic Man
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06/17/21 09:11pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Takes guts to post video like this.
They have a follow up vid on their adventure now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35g5j6-u2a4
They are much more patient than I would be....
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Bionic Man
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06/16/21 11:01pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Takes guts to post video like this.
Nearly 500,000 views. And it sounds like they have at least had some near misses before. I'm sure this wasn't done on purpose, but it will build their "influencer" presence.
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Bionic Man
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06/16/21 04:44pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Get these teenagers outta here!!! Plus magical buff/wax ;)
The key is laying down the law to your own kids, as they are better communicators with their friends than we as parents are. Just let them know -- if your friends don't take care of our things, they may no longer come along on our trips. I'd be willing to bet that would do the trick.
Good one...LOL.
LOL. I'm not disagreeing with that type of parenting, but I will say the foundation for that needs to be laid LONG before teenage years.......
I guess I'm old fashioned in many ways, but when I was growing up and mom and dad had a MH, the kids slept in tents. But regardless, tent or TT, it's better than having them in the camper with you. ;)
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Bionic Man
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06/16/21 12:43pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Ram 2500 CTD and GM 2500 Dmax up the Ike.
If the standard output Cummins was able to maintain speed, wouldn't it be reasonable to assume that the HO Cummins would use a similar amount of fuel, as it would not need to make more power to do the same speed?
Honestly I'm surprised these trucks are able to do those speeds up the hill. My 350/800 Cummins won't pull my 12,000 pound 5er eastbound to the tunnel at the speed limit. I'm somewhere between 35-40 MPH at the very top. My best friend's 2013 PSD pulling a very similar trailer is the exact same. Does the higher profile of the RV really make that much of a difference?
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Bionic Man
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06/15/21 01:13pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: 7.3 twin turbo Godzilla
My 2014 F150 SCREW 3.5 Ecoboost with Max Tow package has averaged 10-11mpg towing from Washington State to Arizona the entire 4 years I've owned it. I pull a 26ft 6500lb loaded TT.
I don’t get it. Towed the boat yesterday. Flat ground no wind, 70 MPH, hand calculated 10.99 MPG. Computer showed 11.8. My boat has way less drag than a TT.
Your Wakesetter tows more like a box trailer than you might think. And probably weighs about the same as the TT mentioned. +, TT guy didn't say ow fast he tows.
Idk why, as it would seem a bit more aero than a box trailer, but 11mpg is nothing to complain about.
FWIW, I get about the same, maybe 1mpg better, towing the boat as hauling a TC. And about the same mpg hauling TC with boat behind as just the TC.
I think the tower and all its accessories and the open interior has more wind resistance than it appears it would.
I agree that 11 MPG towing that boat isn't bad. But the 8.5 it returned coming home is, as is 11 MPG towing my 3000 pound Ranger.
Again, point is that adding turbos to the 7.3 will make it all but unusable due to MPG.
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Bionic Man
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06/09/21 08:02am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Disappointing article- GM updates!
I think the GMC HD is one of the better looking trucks available today. I really disliked the Chevy when it came out, and while I still don't like it, the looks have grown on me and I don't think it is as bad as when it came out.
Personally, I think many new designs are that way. To me, the new F150 is about as ugly as a Chevy HD. The last front end was much more appealing.
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Bionic Man
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06/08/21 09:06pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Ford F150 vs Ram 1500 Hybrids Ike Gauntlet Test
These clowns tested a mid-sized truck with a 6,000 boat. Same hill. 3rd gear, rpm's screaming at near redline. They thought, no problem because they were able to maintain speed limit. 3mpg sounded good to them, clowns.
Not reality.
Who does that to a truck they own? Nobody, you tow the thing 20-30 mph slower because it is a mid-sized truck and you already know you will have to take it easy.
Now, if the test were: lets tow where the truck seems to be comfortable and we are not putting extreme stress on an engine/trans that we hope to keep for 200,000 miles, then I would pay attention to the comparisons, because that is how people drive, normal.
X2
Actually, as someone who runs the pass many times a year, I would say the vast majority of drivers put their foot to the floor, and run either the speed limit, or as fast as their vehicle will tow.
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Bionic Man
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06/08/21 09:01pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Ford F150 vs Ram 1500 Hybrids Ike Gauntlet Test
$70K for those trucks... Ha, ha.. I paid $36k out the door for my 13 F150 Eco brand new and would not trade them straight across for either of those even with just over 100k miles on my 13... ha, ha...
I like to 'drive' my truck.. Not let technology 'drive' it for me.. ugh..
I've been using 'premium' fuel in my F150 since I got the new TT and it's made a difference for sure. Otherwise, I would not do it..
Found that out the first time I towed the new TT with regular and the next time with premium..
Whatever.. Do whatever and get whatever you want or need to make you happy. In the end, that's all that matters so who cares what the other guy is doing?
Mitch
https://i.imgur.com/XG8H0uzm.jpg?1
What differences did you notice using premium vs regular? I've played around a little, towing with both, and I don't think I can notice any difference in my EcoBoost.
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Bionic Man
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06/08/21 04:10pm |
Tow Vehicles
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