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Forum
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RE: Shock Absorber Recommendation
My 2500 in sig has Rancho 9000 with approx 130k miles.
I'm looking to replace the Bilsteins on the wifes 1500 Z71 crew cab with the Rancho 9000. I like the adjustability for the load.
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JIMNLIN
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11/29/09 06:55pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: help what is my max hitch weight
Your '09 F250 4x4 is a heavy truck. Ford gives you a 6100 RAWR which carries a trailers hitch weight. Many F250 4x4 trucks rear axle unladin weight is around 3000 lbs which leaves you with a 3100 lbs for a payload. From that number the weight of the hitch and everything that the truck carries will towing will be subtracted from the 3100 payload number. That will be the trucks max hitch weight. Thats figuring paylods by the trucks axle/tire ratings.
The only way to find your particular trucks unladin axle weights is go to the scales and weigh each axle seperatly.
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JIMNLIN
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11/29/09 12:57pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: MAX TRAILER WEIGHT TO PULL WITH A DODGE 2500
I love this forum. You all have definitly helped me and I'm glad I didn't buy that 1976 Toyota PK which was going for a really good price and pull my 5ver. Seriously, I think we are right in the ball park with this trailer. Being weekend warriors and summer vacationers, we keep this trailer pretty empty. Tow with no fluids except propane and keep it way below its GVWR of 13K. After hearing what all of you are saying, looks like I'm looking at a International big rig to pull the next trailer...LOL
The '76 Toyoto long bed had a better payload number.:B
Dodge gives us GAWR/tire capacity to haul weight (payload) which is determined by its axle/tire caps. Our 2500 trucks have a 6000 RAWR/tire caps which leaves my truck with approx 3200 lbs for its payload. Your Mega Cab is a couple of hundred pounds heavier than my QC so your trucks payload may be closer to 3000-3100 lbs.
Dodge gives my truck a 13350 lb tow rating. Yours should be simular.
My 5er in sig is at 11200 gvwr so my truck is well under Dodge or any states legal weight numbers. The truck as expected handles fine in towing performance and braking.
I pull a joint owned 18k GN stock trailer. The stock trailer can be loaded to 6000 rear gross axle. I've only pulled it at 18k gross one time and even with 3 axle braking it pushed my 2500 truck around more than I liked. I have had several 3500 DRW trucks with GN implement/flatdeck/drop deck trailers at 26k to 32k combined so I understand what "push" is.
I found that below approx 14k-14.5k the truck doesn't exhibit push with this particular tripple axle trailer.
There may be 39'-40' trailers out there that are within a 2500 trucks axle rating. But their hard to find in the floor plan you want and still be under a 2500 trucks axle and tow numbers..
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JIMNLIN
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11/29/09 12:28pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Enclosed bottom -- effect on MPG
I enclosed the bottom of a '84 Aljo 26' 5th wheel with zero effects on mpg. Sure made cold weather camping a more enjoyable experience.
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JIMNLIN
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11/29/09 07:04am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Trailer rocking
Trailers need stabilized at the front and rear for side to side movement. Stabilizers do a great job of eliminating thaat movement. Fore and aft movement can be eliminated with adjustable wheel chocks.
I didn't mention scissor jacks for stabilizing as I have two pair in the trailer shed. They were as worthless as titz on a boar hog, for stopping side to side movement on any of my trailers.
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JIMNLIN
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11/29/09 07:00am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Anybody ever have a wheel bearing go out
Sure have.
Cars trucks and trailers. Our older vehicles had ball bearings instead of current roller bearings. They required more maintenance.
AS was mentioned roll the windows down and listen every once in a while when on a city/town street. The first thing I do each spring is jack each wheel one at a time and give it a spin. If the bearing are pitted you can hear them especially on a boat trailer.
Watch the back side of the tires and wheels for leaking oil from oil bath axles or grease from regular greasable axles.
I've had a front axle bearing seize on the '80 F350. It popped load and felt like someone had hit the wheel with a sledge hammer. The bearing seized but when it let go the race spun on the axle. Turned the axle blue/black and cut into the stub. Had to replace the whole spindle.
I've had the same happen to axles/hubs on equipment trailers a couple of times but luckily they were cought when the trailer was empty.
I've had trucks/trailers since the late '50s that ate bearing and then some that never had any issues.
Boat trailer bearing are the worst and can be pitted quick from just sitting if water has got around the seals and in the bearings.
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JIMNLIN
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11/29/09 06:39am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Short Box 5th Wheel Towing?
Much depends on the shape of the 5ers front cap and the shape of the back of the pin box (square or angled). The back of the pin box should clear your trucks tailgate when the hitch is slide back. And have more turning angle between the front cap and trucks cab. Most sliders may slide aft 9 to 14 inches.
I measured my wifes '06 1500 crew cab with the 5' 8" bed from the back of the cab to the center of the trucks rear axle is only 30-31 inches. Use those numbers along with your current truck to see how your front cap and the back of your 5er pin box clears the tailgate and cab. I've measured hers using my 5er/sliding hitch in sig and my figures showed the pin box getting into her tailgate and not much turning angle. This 5er is a old square cornor with a flat storage shed profile.
Contact some of the sliding hitch manufacures for their input for the 5' 8" GM bed.
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JIMNLIN
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11/28/09 07:29pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: To pivot, or not to pivot
I've owned both and for me I would go with a 4 way pivot. Sure makes it simple to hook up/unhook on unlevel ground.
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JIMNLIN
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11/28/09 06:45pm |
Towing
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RE: What Jack Do You Carry?
I use the same set up as trailertrash only my channel was a 1/2" T. for lifting 20k + trailer axles.
Its not a good idea to jack a heavy trailer (14k-21k) from a single point under its frame. All thats necessary is lifting one end of a standard leaf spring axle with the flat tire or work on the brakes/bearings. Much safer.
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JIMNLIN
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11/28/09 06:33pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: 03 ford diesel,should i be nervous to buy?
You know the very short history of the 6.0 engine so what to think about.
Check out some of the PSD forume for many pages of reading.
If it was me I would be looking at the V10 for the Excursion.
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JIMNLIN
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11/28/09 06:37am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Single Axle or Dually
Its all about axle/tire payloads.
The DRW Dodge has a 9750 RAWR/tire capacities vs just a 6500 RAWR for the SRW for 2010. Thats 3250 lbs of payload capacity difference for carrying big 5ers or a large horse trailer or a GN for commercial hauler.
The Dodge 3500 SRW truck is more in competition with the 2500 truck as both have the same 6500 RAWR.
The 3500 DRW is more in competition with the 4500 truck with its 12000 RAWR.
I've found the DRW trucks ride rougher and require more room when parking.
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JIMNLIN
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11/28/09 06:21am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Hitch weld or not
If the vehicle has a high carbon speecial alloy frame then it would be advisable to get the vehicle manfactures advise on where and how or if welding is possible. Our LDT trucks do not have a high carbon specially alloy frames.
Dodge Body Builder Guide has a TSB 13-001-03 that gives guidlines on where to weld on their new hydroformed truck frames. Ford and GM also have guidelines for welding on their LDT frame. Naysayers should read it and other tech info from other truck manufactures guidelines.
The same with class 8 tractors.
As Paw Paw says you have to know what your doing which includes going to the manufacture for their input.
The only frames that I personelly have seen that had a do not weld on the main frame was at Unit Rig & Equipment where I spent 9 months. They made off road mining trucks up to 300 tons. Terex bought them out. Their frames were a special high carbon alloy frame. It was a weld assembly but after the final weld up it was stress relieved and then heat treated to a specific temp.
Welding on a LDT/MDT/HDT truck doesn't scare me nor should it scare anyone else if the shop/individual has the expertise. Pro shops and individules have been doing it safely for longer than RVs have been around.
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JIMNLIN
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11/26/09 09:16pm |
Towing
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RE: Can a 1/2 Ton Truck Pull a Fifth Wheel?
We own a 2006 Chevy Silverado and are looking at RVs. My DH says we cannot pull a Fifth Wheel with a 1/2 ton truck, and that we would need a 3/4 ton truck. Is this true? I prefer the layouts of fifth wheels over layouts of travel trailers.
If you have a 1/2 ton truck, it is probably a short bed which makes it a definite no. See link: Short Bed Tow Vehicle. Dont get into 5th wheel rving unless you do your homework and do it the right, safe way. You will see a lot of opinions because people wanted to keep their cute trucks for reasons that they had when they bought the truck which wasnt 5th wheeling and now they want to get a 5th wheel to pull with their cute truck that wasnt made to pull 5th wheels of any size.
Bad advise.
Nowhere does GM/Dodge/Ford say their shortbed trucks aren't designed for towing a 5th wheel trailer.
Posting one mans opinion and claiming it as some sourse of safe/right way to get into RVing is newby talk.
Looking at GMs '09 chevy truck brochure on page 40 under "FIFTH WHEEL TRAILERING" gives the recommended weight and tow capacities of a 1500 truck for the short and long beds.
In many cases the 1500 short bed truck has a higher tow capacity than a 1500 long bed truck. It weighs less but has the same axle/tire capacities.
Lots of "way out" and "odd theories on this thread.
Match the 1500 truck to a 1500 size 5th wheel trailer.
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JIMNLIN
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11/26/09 08:38pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: "rick" of firewood
A rick is a 4' X 8' but can be any length up to 24" long and goes for 30 to 35 bucks. Around here ifs its over 24" in length then it goes for as much as 40-45 bucks a rick.
A rick of split Red Oak up to 22"-24" can weigh as much as 2600-2800 lbs. I've hauled 28"-30" split Red Oak that weighed over 3000 lbs.
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JIMNLIN
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11/26/09 06:59am |
Around the Campfire
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RE: Pick Up Tailgate
Sorry but the answer to my question isn't very clear but I think what is being said is that removing the tailgate won't help even a little with MPG. Do I have that right?
Removing the tailgate never helped my trucks MPG. My trucks (1500s to 3500 DRWs) have been a good test mule as they had over a 600 mile a week commute for over 32 years. All hiway miles. never saw any mpg difference with the stock gate closed/my Custom Flow notched gate for a 5er or GN/the gate opened or the gate removed.
The biggest plus for removing the tailgate while towing the 5er with my trucks over the years has been much less wind turbulence in the bed.
Its possible a small V6 engine in a full size truck may benit from removed tailgate when not towing. If you have a 5er and a truck do your own testing.
Your truck carries a 5ers pin weight by its RAWR/tire capacities. Your truck front axle may chage little when hooked to the 5er. Your 2500 GM product has a 6084 RAWR for carrying your 5ers pin weight. I doubt your even close to being over the trucks rated rear axle/tire capacity.
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JIMNLIN
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11/26/09 06:18am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Can a 1/2 Ton Truck Pull a Fifth Wheel?
If a safe tow for a 3500 DRW is towing within the trucks rated tow/haul capacity then a 1500 truck that is towing within its rated tow/haul capacity is safe also. Thats the way the rest of the world hauls/tows their RV with any size truck and has many years before the RV.net crowd that refuses to believe a 1500 truck can indeed tow/haul within its rated capacitues.
Many replies have nothing to do with answering the OP question of can a 1500 truck pull a 5th wheel trailer. The OP has moved on.
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JIMNLIN
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11/26/09 05:53am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Reese Hitches compared to Pullrite
One is a manual sliding hitch and the other is a auto siding hitch. Your choice. Its like a manual transmission vs a auto tranny. Both get the job done so pick the one that you like best and go camping/RV'n.
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JIMNLIN
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11/25/09 12:07pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: skirting
Out here where the wind blows even mobilehome skirting can get blow away if not attached for high wind areas. I skirted the 5er when we lived in it one winter while the stick house was being built. I had most of the 5ers weight on concrete blocks and cut to length RR ties so there was no wiggle issues even in 45-55 mpg sustained winds. Closing in around the bottom is a must in the wind and zero temps.
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JIMNLIN
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11/25/09 06:03am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Recycling ?
Many rural areas around here have no recycling services. Its a shame that so much is wasted.
My county seat had a private owned recycle center in town but it folded due to the high cost of liability and health care insurance issues according to the county seat newspaper.
Now a county training center has opened and takes cardboard/#1 and #2 plastic containers/aluminum cans and news papers. Thats it.
I do save steel cans/etc and drop them by a buddies auto salvage. He has a junk steel container he loads on his big International roll back and makes a run to the steel recycler when its full.
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JIMNLIN
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11/24/09 06:49pm |
Around the Campfire
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RE: Towing Power Suggestions
What year and model ???
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JIMNLIN
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11/24/09 06:06am |
Tow Vehicles
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