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RE: F-250 vs F-350
FWIW, while I can't speak for any later model years than 2019, I've had F250, F350 , and F550. Anything is better unloaded than the F550, btw. :)
I've never noticed a huge difference in unloaded ride between the 250 and 350 series. Bit more squat on the 250 if the two were equally loaded. I tend to follow the #'s, so didn't have too many direct comparisons with either fully loaded.
My current F-truck is the 2019 F250. After circa 60,000 miles (40-50% towing, although not an RV), my only regrets are: a) that I didn't get the F350 (at the time it was an extra $1500); and b) that I didn't get the 8' bed. No reason for wanting the F350, but in hindsight, the slightly higher ratings would have been worth the $1,500 to me. The 8' bed was a wash price-wise...could have got that for the same price as the 6'- 9" bed since no one seemed to want the longer bed...but nothing was in stock and at the time is was an estimated month to six weeks out. ...hindsight provides lots of reasons for the 8' bed, I kick myself for not waiting the extra 6 weeks.
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PA12DRVR
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09/27/23 12:57pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: ? condition of highways from Montana thru Canada to Alaska?
Silver Eagle nailed it. No expansion joints, but one has to go appropriately slow for the road to Alaska. I always counted on 50 mph average if driving a single vehicle (passenger vehicle or light truck); 40 mph if driving a single big rig (2-1/2 ton, etc); and no better than 35 mph average if towing on a personal mission (whether small rig towing a trailer or bigger rig / bigger trailer). Work travel (the infrequent 18-wheeler and load) could be pushed a little bit harder because the equipment was stouter.
In any case, make time on the I-XX and US-XX roads in the L48; take time to enjoy the scenery on the AlCan / Alaska Highway.
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PA12DRVR
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09/14/23 11:42am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Air Travel From Seattle SEATAC
I'd concur with Crowe: if a limo is not feasible, look for an off airport park n fly. I've used this several times coming and going from Seattle and, among other things, the drop off at the departure point is very convenient. Avoid parking in the airport garage at all costs....which will be come a very apt metaphor if one must park in that garage for any significant amount of time. The in-laws that live in the Metro area have used Wally Park a few times with good results.
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PA12DRVR
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08/29/23 09:47am |
Around the Campfire
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RE: How to search for tires?
Did the OP ever respond after the 1st post? Couldn't entirely blame him if he didn't.
FWIW, having driven trailers of one sort or the other since '74....I don't balance the tires on the boat trailer (2 trips per year) or the sno-go trailer (dozens of trips but less than 50 miles each trip), but on the "utility" flatbed (w 16" rims), tires get checked for unusual wear at least once a year and are balanced if any issues show up...without unusual wear, they're balanced every 2 years or so.
FWIW, what the shop says does or doesn't need to be done is just one data point: if my experience or the experience of others whom I trust indicates otherwise, that indication often turns out to be an alternate data point to which I'll give more weight.
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PA12DRVR
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08/23/23 10:45am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Selling an RV/payment
Interesting thread.
If the OP is by chance still observing, one way to avoid 99.99% of the hassle / risk of banks / cashier's checks / cash reporting would be to have a title company (or the escrow department of banks that still offer the service) simply undertake an escrow service: will add a few days to the transaction time, but eliminates risk and (IMNSHO) lots of hassle.
Don’t think there are Escrow companies that pay out $45,000 in cash. They wire or use cashiers checks. For some reason the poster wants to instantly have a big stack of greenbacks, nothing else.
Actually, the OP (who hasn't been back near as I can tell) said: "I will ask buyer to give me cashier's check of a bank that has local, branch, I think. I want to be able to go to the branch in person and cash the check and also first verify that the check is good, before I sign the title over.
Had anyone done a sale like this? What are the steps with cashier's check handling to make sure one won't get defrauded?"
Escrow avoids fraud and the seller could take the Title Co's check to the local bank and cash that if they wanted cash...but that would of course trigger the scrutiny of the regulators
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PA12DRVR
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08/04/23 01:45pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Unsolicited want to buy your RV people
Quote them 2x maybe 3x what you paid and let it go if they really want it. I do this all the time with realtors. They never call back.
Or quote them the current price for a replacement and see what the response is. I have to admit that I'm puzzled by the angst about people asking if one's RV is for sale. "Yes" or most likely "No". If one doesn't engage further, what's the risk of the "scam"? If the risk is that an elderly person in a remote area will be attacked, that risk is always present and is neither unique to RV's nor a "scam".
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PA12DRVR
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08/02/23 10:30am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Selling an RV/payment
Interesting thread.
If the OP is by chance still observing, one way to avoid 99.99% of the hassle / risk of banks / cashier's checks / cash reporting would be to have a title company (or the escrow department of banks that still offer the service) simply undertake an escrow service: will add a few days to the transaction time, but eliminates risk and (IMNSHO) lots of hassle.
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PA12DRVR
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07/31/23 09:42am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Durango-Silverton RR...
My nearly lifelong friend who lives in the Durango - Bayfield area and I have a running argument over whether Alaska or SW Colorado is more scenic and appealing to outdoorsy folks. I will never admit it to him, but the Durango-Silverton RR or the corresponding drive on the road, is a serious body blow to the "Alaska is better" arguments. Of course, a short flight over the Chugach, Alaska Range, or even the Talkeetnas resolves the question :) but the DGO area is spectacular.
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PA12DRVR
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07/24/23 01:42pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: What the heck?……..
I had visitors come to Alaska from Texas...just fly/drive, not RV'ng..never been to AK before, wanted to see bears, mountains, go fishing, etc. Planned an itinerary for them to include 90% of what they wanted...they get up here and "Oh, this won't work. On Sunday and (in this case) Thursday, we have to be where we can watch the Cowboys play." ....but it's Alaska, your "dream trip"....nope, got to be in town where we can watch the Cowboys. There went the bear viewing (Sunday) and the fishing (Thursday). Different priorities.
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PA12DRVR
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07/14/23 11:05am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: towing advise please
I'm a follow the #'s sort of guy, but as Marty and Grit have suggested, for the OP, I'd look into your setup first...based on nothing more than reading the posts, I'd want to make sure you had a decent % of weight on your hitch. Would also recommend the Hensley Hitch....an alternative that I had good experience with was the Reese Dual-Cam HP: it eliminated sway so that when a big rig went by, both truck and trailer felt an equivalent push.
If the magic wand was working as well as the crystal ball....and you felt you had to upgrade your rig, I'd suggest a SRW 350/3500...Nothing wrong with duallys and I drove a DRW F350 as a daily driver for a few years, but the SRW's are just a tad more nimble and probably (see the crystal ball issue) perfectly capable for the OP's needs.
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PA12DRVR
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07/13/23 10:18am |
Towing
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RE: First Trip through Canada & into Alaska - Many Questions!
1976-ish, getting ready to head (on that trip) up from Helena to Los Anchorage involved: full mechanics set of tools on the 1-ton, 40 gallons of gas (in 5-gallon cans) between the 1-ton and the deuce and a half, 1 spare for the 1-ton (on rim) 2 spares for the deuce and a half (not on rims), headnets, 10 gallons of water (for drinking), a couple of shovels, bottle jack(s), hand saw, ax, 2500 in cash that was converted into Cdn as soon as we crossed the border, 1000 in reserve USD, telex code, and both Visa and MasterCharge. Lost two tires on the deuce-and-a half, fortunately not both at once, so we could limp to the nearest place to get the replacements mounted. Lost a hub gasket on the deuce-and-a-half...fixed that by wrapping kitchen string around the bolts until we could get to (IIRC) FSJ. Spent most of the 2500, missed getting dragooned into fighting fires by 1 hour....it was actually a great trip.
Fast forward to 2018....leaving from Idaho this time: check that Visa and Mastercard are paid off, check that the spare in the Sequoia is full. Drive.
In the 20+ trips in-between, the only flat I had was when I picked up a load of airplane parts from a construction site...grabbed a nail. It makes sense to carry a spare for whatever rig you have, but the road doesn't chew tires like it used to.
The scenery is still spectacular and it's a nice drive; some of the character of the old Alcan is lost in the improvements though.
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PA12DRVR
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07/03/23 11:05am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: First Trip through Canada & into Alaska - Many Questions!
Thoughts:
- If your setup works in the Cascades, Rockies, or similar, you won't have problems coming to Alaska
- BC deserves 98.5% of the same time as Alaska (can't say any higher % or my Alaska card gets revoked).
- Carry as much extra gas as is convenient. I've taken 20+ trips since 1976 and have never needed gas but always had it...go figure. The road is so vastly improved that you can get further in a "day's drive" than in the old days, but in my anecdotal view, there are fewer places to stop and get fuel. Do run off the top 1/2 of the tank.
- Haven't RV'd for 10 years or more, so this is pure unadulterated opinion: Caravans add minimum value and significant restriction and are not, IMO, needed to drive to Alaska. I've taken everything from an 18-wheeler to a motorcycle to/ from Alaska to the L48 except a 5th wheel..never caravaned, so my view may not be worth much.
- There are quite a few places along the way that you'll be away from cell phone coverage, etc, but I honestly think you'll see more folks on the route (during the summer) than you would in many of the more remote places in the American SW or northern plains.
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PA12DRVR
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06/25/23 11:00pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Engine tune ups
"For the ole folks here. That’s one of the pluses of newer vehicles with the plastic fender wells. Almost universally, they remove easily and make life a lot easier working on the side of an engine."
First foray into changing _____ (multiple items to fill in the blank) on the old GM 2500 2009.5 vintage took several hours, chipped knuckles, and lots of blue air when going in from the top.
2nd foray into changing ___________ went through the wheel well, removing the liner. Same several hours, no chipped knuckles, considerably less blue air.
3rd foray, again, going through the wheel well...far less hours (since I'd learned how to remove the liner faster) dirty hands but no chipped knuckles, and no blue air.
Fast forward to the new-ish F250; laziness stalks the land and I get most changes and "tune-ups" done by others.
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PA12DRVR
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06/19/23 04:39pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Anyone else going this year?
To PA12DRVR, we flew over Glacier in a restored Beaver. Highlight of the trip. DW had never flow in anything smaller than a twin turboprop.
That's great to hear that y'all enjoyed the flightseeing. :C There's a certain segment of us pilots (generally tending to be old and opinionated) that feel the ol' DHC-2 (Beaver) was the height of the plane designers' craft. Quite a few restored versions ended up with turbine engines, but, if not, there's nothing quite like the rumble of the old radial engine, the control yokes, and a plane capable of carrying a literal ton of pax / freight and get off in 1,000 feet or so.
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PA12DRVR
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06/11/23 06:44pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Quick question on tow ratings
You're venturing into dangerous territory asking about weight ratings on here !!!
If you're one to follow the GVWR limits, "Yes" for the truck, the as-weighed front axle plus as-weighed rear axle should be at or less than GVWR.
You didn't ask, but since I like to follow the ratings, I always added front / rear / trailer axle weights to see if I was under the GCVWR.
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PA12DRVR
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06/09/23 09:29am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Anyone else going this year?
Entirely unscientific anecdotal evidence (i.e. driving around) seems to show less RV travelers and more RV renters for this time of year in the general Los Anchorage - Mat-Su area.
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PA12DRVR
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06/08/23 10:15am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: F250 upgrades
Again, interesting to see the strongly held opinions on the GVWR issue. Wonder how many of the folks asserting those opinions have been involved in a fatality or serious injury case where there was a colorable argument that the vehicle at fault was over GVWR? Not asking about tickets, warnings, pulling off the road for being unsafe: asking about a fatal or serious crash where GVWR may have been in play.
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PA12DRVR
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05/30/23 08:33am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: F250 upgrades
To the OP...have had both an F250 and F350. The article is simply wrong on so many fronts that I wouldn't pay attention to it. Your issue, it seems like, is the squatting. That can be fixed with bags, springs, any number of aftermarket options.
You may have some slightly lower payload #'s than a comparable gasser, but your truck, even if you're a follow the numbers guy, is likely to have the GVWR, GCWR, as needed to carry / tow your trailer. If your truck doesn't have the GVWR to carry / tow the trailer, then you need to decide if you want to follow those numbers or not. Lots of folks don't and don't have any real problem. Others slavishly follow the #'s without any thought. Me? Even though I'm a follow the numbers guy, I'd probably just level your rig and carry on.
As far as the legal effect of GVWR, interesting to see so many strongly held opinions on this forum. In the case of suing a commercial carrier for causing an accident, GVWR or exceeding it would be near the top of the list of causes of action. In a passenger / RV case (i.e. suing another passenger car / RV for damages), exceeding GVWR would certainly be on the list, but not the primary claim. In any case, exceeding GVWR would in most cases be exceptionally difficult to prove as either a fact (i.e. 10,001#'s vs. 10,000#'s) or as the proximate cause of the event...but as a cause of action to be alleged? Absolutely going to figure into a civil complaint.
As far as "cite a case"....95%+++ get settled and settled cases don't get reported and are usually subject to confidentiality agreements.
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PA12DRVR
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05/29/23 08:21am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Bad Experience at Little Dealer Service Department
I suppose it might be different in larger cities / more populated areas, but now that I'm at the handshake stage with my '70's, if I were to cross off every service (i.e. provides a service, not "just" service departments) entity who had an employee that crossed the line, I'd be struggling to find anywhere to shop for darn near anything other than groceries...and that's uncertain as well.
I'd have a talk with, as suggested, the owner / manager / president and see what results...if it's not satisfactory, simply move on. It might prove to generate a good result, but if not, you've lost nothing but the time it takes for a short call.
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PA12DRVR
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05/26/23 07:16am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Dual tank fill-up to top
The fill necks are too low. The after market bed manufacture has them too low.
Assuming this is correct - what is the fix? Thanks!
Had a sort-of-kinda-like problem on my recently sold dump truck. First thing to look for is whether the fuel fill spot ("fuel cap") is higher than the tank(s). Second, if the "fuel cap" is indeed higher than the tank(s), does the fill pipe run between the cap and the tank in such a way as to allow fuel to gravity flow down or is there either an extended run of level fill pipe or does the fill pipe even run "uphill" from the fuel cap before dropping down into the tank.
On my truck, it was the latter situation: there was a slight, very slight, uphill run between the cap and the first bracket on the hose. For whatever reason, it would fill fine until the tank was 3/4 full, then I couldn't get any more fuel in the tank...it would just come back out. I lengthened the bracket, had a local shop shorten and straighten the fill pipe (so it ran entirely downhill between the cap and tank) and the problem was resolved.
Another option of course is to put the fuel cap at a higher location on the bed, but that's probably difficult with the aftermarket bed.
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PA12DRVR
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05/19/23 08:25am |
Tow Vehicles
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