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RE: Is a dually a must have for towing large 5er?
Did you not notice I gave him all the information to determine how to select the proper truck?????????
Which you then followed up with a preposterous suggestion he may need a 4500 or 5500. You aren't helping anybody with a suggestion to buy way more truck than they need for the rig they've said they'll be pulling. I won't argue a 3500DRW will do a fine job pulling that 3400RL Montana although a 3500SRW will do the job also. Anything more, as in your 4500/5500 suggestion, is a waste of money and gas.
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rob143
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09/21/08 07:54pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Is a dually a must have for towing large 5er?
Don't be surprised if that size 5er puts you into a 450 or a 550 truck.
For a 3400 Montana? You've got to be kidding. A dually won't hurt anything although the 5er he's considering can be safely pulled by a 3500SRW. Suggesting a 4500, or even more ridiculously a 5500, is weight police talk. What is a 3500DRW fit to pull then, a popup?
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rob143
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09/20/08 11:36am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Dually width
I can say this- once you go off road with a crew cab long bed truck with a camper on it, it doesn't much matter whether it has 4 rear tires or 2, the thing is BIG and will only fit and manuever into so many places. The extra width of the duals isn't a big deal when you consider the overall size of the rig in respect to where you can and can't drive it off road.
The point isn't where you can drive with the 5er behind but rather where you can drive after the 5er has been dropped.
Not any wider than the mirrors you have hanging off the doors! If they go the rest will follow.
Jeeps are not made for towing 7 tons, and duallies are not made for 4 wheelin. Get the right tool for the job.
Dang! I been trying to get that point across for a long time. Well said, thank you.
That's not entirely accurate unless your mirrors hang down at road level. Mine are every bit of 4 feet off the ground.
Not any wider than the mirrors you have hanging off the doors! If they go the rest will follow.
Jeeps are not made for towing 7 tons, and duallies are not made for 4 wheelin. Get the right tool for the job.
Would you kindly point to where I referred to 4 wheeling?
Off the beaten path, as in off of the interstates and primary roads, leads one down many paved or dirt roads which none of your duallies will go. If you doubt this fact you need to get off the interstate and see the country you're traveling around.
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rob143
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09/20/08 11:21am |
Tow Vehicles
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Dually width
Why can't, or won't, the truck manufacturers make a dually with a shorter axle to allow it to be no wider than an SRW? Those who never venture off the beaten path continually argue that driving a dually simply takes getting used to but the reality is that there is no getting used to a truck wider than where you want to go. Any benefits of a dually are negated by that fact alone IMO. Any thoughts on the subject?
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rob143
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09/19/08 05:17pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: when its done and over with???
question for all u fulltimers, what do u plan on doing when the day comes that you can't full time anymore because of age or health? are u going back to sticks and bricks, old folks home, or are u just going to stay where you're at and fade away into that big campgound in the sky???? :)
I plan on my surviving loved ones holding my funeral roughly 3 days after that point in time comes. They will no doubt be happy that I'll have less stuff to divide/sell off than those living in S&B's. I finally sold the S&B. Settlement was August 25th and I don't have any plans on ever owning another. A piece of dirt to return to on a rare occasion is a possibility down the road although certainly not a short term necessity. I'm 41.
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rob143
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09/13/08 06:58pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: In your experience, how big will my truck need to be?
but haven't been on any roads yet that an HDT couldn't handle.
Of course you have. Think height after the 5er is dropped off. I've been on many a road where that HDT would be looking for a way to turn around. You'll miss a lot of the really cool places I've been because of that one handicap alone.
(rob143) - As useless in snow as a dually pickup!
Yep - I've often wondered where all those HDTs hauling 40ft trailers are
parked in winter . . . . as well as how the Midwest and East survive
without the loads in the trailers!
The point obviously was that those HDTs running bobtail as daily drivers are useless in snow. You might also look at all the OTR rigs jackknifed and off the sides of ramps in snow country in the winter.
As for where they're parked in the winter I'll invite you over the next time it snows in this part of PA and we can drive by in my P/U and look at all the OTR rigs waiting at Pilot, Petro, and Flying J for the roads to be cleared. Meanwhile if it's not a once a decade storm I'll be out in my P/U taking yet another back road to avoid the rig that jackknifed because he wasn't smart enough to wait it out. We survive just fine while those trucks set there for an extra half a day to a couple days. That's fine for them and their loads but it's not acceptable for my daily driver. You may have different needs. I stand by my comment that an HDT is useless in snow.
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rob143
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08/10/08 09:16pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: In your experience, how big will my truck need to be?
My question is, an advantage of a 5ver over a large class A is having the truck to use once you set up camp. The HDT conversions don't seem particle for general running around, visiting the sites and grocery stores. I may be missing something here, but I just think one may as well go to a DP.
Amen!
Another poster proclaimed that his singled HDT is more maneuverable that a long bed 3500 pickup. That may be true in a parking lot but there are a million miles of roads in this great country his HDT can't get anywhere near. Unless he is going to tow a Jeep Wrangler behind his 5er, which isn't even legal in many eastern states, then he might as well just go to a class A where he tow a practical toad. If somebody wants to own an HDT that's their prerogative but I'm not missing out on all those back roads they just ruled out of their lives.
As for the OP he didn't say he was looking at towing a Teton or anything in that weight range. What he mentioned can be towed, and stopped, by a 3500DRW or 4500 just fine. I didn't say HDT's are overkill in all RV'ing applications as Tetons and toyhaulers may justify one but for the application the OP asked about they are overkill.
.......and as another poster also mentioned they are useless in snow.
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rob143
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08/10/08 06:21pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: In your experience, how big will my truck need to be?
I would definitely get a 6-speed manual to pairt up with the smaller diesels, though.
I'm not arguing the point as I love a manual tranny myself but my left knee no longer does and wonders why you are so adamant about going manual.
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rob143
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08/08/08 03:22pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: In your experience, how big will my truck need to be?
At a minimum a class 6 or better a class 8 tractor. A Volvo 610 or 770.
At a minimum? :h :S
You overkill guys crack me up. There is nothing DT makes that a 4500/450 won't handle beautifully and a 3500/350 DRW will do just fine with the vast majority of them as well. I personally don't like duallies so if I was going to bother going with the extra tires I'd probably step up to the 4500's but going to HDT's is ridiculous overkill.
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rob143
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08/08/08 01:33pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Airing down 5ver tires as a means of leveling
Airing down I can dial my level in exactly where I have it and airing back up takes less than 1 minute.
Even less than 1 minute if you forget to do it before leaving and destroy a tire or several. Before you say you'll NEVER forget remember it only takes one time and then reflect on all the short bed owners who have dented the cab, or those who would NEVER drop one onto the bed rails...until they did, or......... You get the point.
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rob143
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08/03/08 08:45am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Would like fuel alternatives on new generator.
Northern Tool has a trifuel generator that I"m going to purchase when the time comes. It runs on Gasoline, natural gas and Propane and can be switched on the fly. I looked at it in the store and it looked well built with a Honda engine.
The concept looks good on paper. The 74.5dB on the particular model you linked however doesn't look very good.
question for anyone that does diesel work,
could you install a aux fuel supply hose from a diesel gen in your 5th wheel to a hookup in your tow vehicle? That way you would have (in my case) a 40 gal diesel tank. Of course you would have to be able to unhook the fuel line while moving.
The concept of a large fuel tank such as you suggest looks good on paper too. My concern would be the potential to jump in the TV and drive off while forgetting to unhook the fuel supply from the generator in the 5er.
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rob143
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08/02/08 08:04am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Federal Controls on RVing Through Tolls
We had to pay one toll from NJ to PA, to cross ONE bridge, it cost us NINE DOLLARS. You can bet those in NJ and PA do not like it, but they collect it anyways.
If you noticed they only collect the toll one way when crossing all those bridges between NJ & PA. It is quite simple to understand and remember which way the toll is collected.
They don't charge you going into NJ because nobody would pay to get in.
They charge you to get out of NJ because after all who wouldn't pay to get out?
Just a little bit of levity. Please no flame posts from joysey folks.
I too grumble about that toll when I cross those bridges but in reality the money does go towards maintenance of those bridges. You can get out of NJ into PA across the Delaware River in a few places without paying a toll although all of the big bridges and drawbridges are tolled.
Billing somebody based on where the GPS in their vehicle has been is just as absurd as sending speeding fines to the owner of a vehicle despite the fact the municipality sending it has no idea who was actually driving the vehicle.
If you want to collect a toll set up a toll booth and collect it. If you want to issue a speeding fine have a LEO issue it in person when and where the offense occurred.
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rob143
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08/01/08 11:33am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Federal Controls on RVing Through Tolls
I would never get an EZ-Pass because I am afraid I will get SCREWED by the toll-taking mafia. Heck, I work with a guy who did. Adding insult to injury: not only did he have to pay a fine (over $100) for "running" the tool, he still got charged for the toll! He no longer has EZ-Pass.
Dude the guy told you a tall tale. I moved EZ Pass to a new car back when EZ Pass didn't work so well. 30 days later I started getting nice photos of my car in the mail along with the $100 fines. All I did was write my EZ Pass number in the space provided and send it back. After the fourth one I started exclaiming how utterly stupid they were not to match my license plate to my account... OOPS - I forgot to list the new plate! :E
Long story short - all it cost me was the extra stamps and a few minutes online to update my account so that they COULD match my plate when the readers failed.
Dave
I did it for even less than the cost of your stamps. I got a violation notice for running the toll booth, along with several "orphan tolls" of $5 each for what should have been $1 tolls because they equipment didn't read my EZ PASS transponder when entering. A few phone calls resolved every last erroneous charge and my account was credited the amount overcharged.
If the guy you worked with truly paid $100 as a fine when he had an EZ PASS transponder in his vehicle he needs to accept some of the blame himself for not calling and resolving the issue.
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rob143
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08/01/08 11:21am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Federal Controls on RVing Through Tolls
How involved is removal and disposal of said black box?
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rob143
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07/28/08 09:09pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Bike Rack
How much can 2 bikes weigh? Or are we talking motorcycles? My Montana 3400's ladder has a weight rating of 300 lbs. :h
That 300 pound rating may or may not be very optimistic. What it definitely is though is for one person climbing the ladder, not standing in the same spot for hours and bouncing there body weight up and down on the same rung of the ladder. I feel quite confident if you ask a person of even 250 pounds to stand on one rung and bounce up and down vigorously you won't have that rung for long.
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rob143
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07/28/08 07:09am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Early 20s Considering Doing This
and it's not like we get a 'second go around'
Which is exactly why a person should do it the way they want to the first time around.
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rob143
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07/19/08 10:13am |
Full-time RVing
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RE: So you still want ot go fulltime? Are you nuts?
So the bottom line question here is do think you can still go fulltime?
Yes Chicken Little, I do.
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rob143
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07/16/08 10:02am |
Full-time RVing
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RE: New RV Court Advice
Most people's houses don't have a 200 amp panel.
Actually it would be a rare home built today that doesn't have a 200A service. I find in a stick built that 100A gets taxed very quickly in the summer with central air. That said a 200A service is overkill in 2008 for an RV site, but as was stated above the price difference is so little that it only makes sense to just go to 200A now and be done with it.
Actually the 50 amp RVs are wired so that theoretically they can pull up to 100 amps - 50 amps on each leg.
Barb
As such that would be a 50A 240V service Barbara. All single phase 240V services to homes are treated as amps per leg. The other thing not being taken into consideration is the fact that you never want to load any service, or any branch circuit breaker for that matter, up to 100% of rated load. Any electrical system should be designed to not exceed 80% of rated capacity.
I understand that larger RVs need 50 amps. But:
50 RV
15 washer
30 dryer
15 freezer
20 baseboard heater
15 building
30 water heater for laundry (possibly)
145 amps total
So - I know I don't need the full 200 amps, but my fear is that 100 amps will be on the fence. The next level is 200. The cost to install 200 amp over 100 amp service for 5 sites is not that significant.
Using 80% of rated capacity, which is industry standard design criteria, your 200A service should not carry more than 160A at one time. That said though you will never see 145 amps drawn by everything you list if it were all running at the same moment in time.
I suspect you could get away with 100A services to each, but a wise man plans for the future especially when the cost difference is negligible. I like your overall idea and also think going 200A covers you far into the future. I wish you the best on this endeavor. It sounds like something I would be interested in staying at some day and in an area I definitely plan to visit in the future.
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rob143
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07/10/08 06:42pm |
Full-time RVing
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RE: anyone else getting a scooter for local transport?
The subject matter is the discussion of scooters, mopeds, not whether any of them are street legal.
Actually I believe the subject matter was scooters in lieu of driving the truck to work/ on errands, which would necessitate them being street legal.
I notice in all of this that everybody seems fixated on actual scooters. I've considered similar but was looking more along the lines of a 250cc dual purpose motorcycle. At 280 pounds a Kawasaki KLX 250S wouldn't weigh any much more than a lot of these scoots, is street legal, still gets 60mpg, and can run at speeds making it much safer than some scoots which will be hard pressed to do over 50mph. Just something else to think about.
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rob143
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07/01/08 09:23am |
Full-time RVing
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RE: New Sneakers for the Truck
I'm not currently running LTX's but the last set I had went 77,000 miles and were great tires. They're not cheap but are worth every penny. I simply opted for something else when those tires finally needed replaced because the truck wearing them now only sees 5,000 miles a year or so and I couldn't see the money for tires that would die of old age and UV exposure long before reaching the mileage that warrants their cost.
You will no doubt get many miles out of yours and never regret your choice.
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rob143
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06/30/08 09:19am |
Tow Vehicles
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