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Forum
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RE: Trying to figure out my tow rating and need help
I can tell you right now, you will more then likely be over your trucks GVWR with nothing more then a #5000 GVWR TT... How do I know... That's what I have and I'm over my trucks GVWR of #6250 by a couple hundred pounds.. And, that's only with me and the wife in the cab!
Your ol' 94 with the 5.8 has less HP/TQ then my ol' 5.4 has... The 3.55 gears are not that big of a deal in your case if you still have the OEM size wheel/tire combo (more then likely a 255/75/15 size) so your effective gear ratio with the shorter tire won't be that bad (I've got 3.55 gears and 265/75/16 tires and I do just fine with a #5000 GVWR TT..)
I see full timers, or at least State Park Camp Hosts using nothing more then a Class B size RV.. It's all about what YOU feel you'll be able to live in. Sure, it's a very, very small # of those that I've seen, but I've seen 'em!!
My last experience with the 5.8 engine was in a E250 van in 1989 when it was brand new and we towed a #6000, 16' "Wells Cargo" utility trailer loaded to the gills with construction equipment and that 5.8 was working it's guts out on the grades... I mean, I was in 1st gear, foot to the floor and going 25 mph... I could see the gas gauge moving! I was lucky to get 150 miles per tank too!
Anyway, can it be done in a 5-6,000 TT? Sure. Will your truck work hard? Yes. Will it be the adventure of a liftetime? You bet! I'd do it with my rig if I had the chance! My wife may not agree, but I think it would be a blast! I don't think I'd sell the house right away, however, just in case!!
Lots of decisions and lots of choices. Best of luck to whatever you decide and thanks for your service to the FD.. My brother in law retired from the FD after 20+ years of service and saved quite a few lives during that time!
Mitch
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MitchF150
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09/30/09 04:57pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: All these numbers in my head
Get some 3.73 gears or even 4.10's and that would 'pep' it up some... I'd still not go for anything more then a #6000 GVWR TT however...
I tow a #5000 GVWR TT with a 97 F150 with a 5.4, 3.55 gears and taller then stock tires and it does very well with it.
Your 4.6 is probably on par with the power of my old 5.4!
Even with your current gears, I'd bet you'd do okay with a #5000 GVWR TT... You'd just be in 2nd gear on the hills (as I am) and 3rd on the flats (as I am)... Nothing wrong with that IMO...
You will want to make sure you have an aux trans cooler (factory or otherwise) and don't get any taller tires! ;)
Good luck with all the decisions!
Mitch
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MitchF150
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09/30/09 04:32pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Peanut Butter Not Working
Traps placed along the wall or corners work best. They don't see too well, so I hear, and they tend to stay close to the walls as they move around. They don't even have to be attracted to the trap... They just walk right onto it.
I too have used those traps with the big yellow 'cheese' trigger and don't put anything on it.. Get 'em every time.. Well, in my house anyway... I haven't had any in the trailer yet... (knock on wood)..
Mitch
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MitchF150
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09/30/09 03:36pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Covering TT during winter storage outside
I'd either not cover it at all or go with a form fitting RV cover that is breathable over the 'tarp' option....
I have an ADCO cover and it's been used every Winter for the last 5 years with no problems what so ever...
My RV is parked on my side yard with trees overhanging it, so a cover is a must for me. Since the trees shelter it from direct wind, it's done very well on that aspect. You do still need to be mindful of sharp corners and pad them accordingly and make sure you secure the cover properly.
Since the whole cover is 'breathable', mold or mildew has never been an issue. After a rain, the cover is basically dry in about an hour.. Even if it's cold outside!
For me, it's been the best investment I have made so far! Wash it in the Fall and it's clean and ready to roll in the Spring! The cover is a mess, but that cleans up pretty easy on the driveway...
Good luck!
Mitch
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MitchF150
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09/30/09 01:26pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Tow weight for a 1975 Chevy 4 x 4
My Dad's 1971 F250 has the door jamb sticker with the GVWR and F/R GAWR listed..
I don't recall the axle ratings, but I was rather surprised at the GVWR being only #7200!
But, it is only a reg cab "CUSTOM" Camper Special.. No power steering, no AC, no carpet, a 390 with a C6 auto and he still owns it to this day!
It worked hard in it's life... We put on a full slide in camper (not a cab over) and towed a 1977 Taurus travel trailer that had to weigh some #6000 or so...
I know he never had the thing weighed or even cared what it did weigh! We just loaded up the family, hitched up and went! Worked fine and we always made it safely to our destination and back home again each time...
Mitch
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MitchF150
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09/25/09 05:23pm |
Towing
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RE: Newbie Towing with Ford Expedition
Yeah, I was being very 'general' in my scale procedure and didn't feel the OP needed the full explaination, nor did I feel like typing that much for something that probably isn't going to happen anyway!;)
I've only been to a scale with my rig one time and that was on it's first trip! I simply wanted to know the truck weight and the trailer weight with it all hitched up and ready to roll. Unfortunatly, I didn't get steer axle and drive axle weights, just the truck and the trailer.... (rookie!) But, it was enough to tell me where I was at and now some 7 years later, I know I'm heavier, but with the little bit of 'wiggle room' I had on that first weigh in, I know I'm over a bit on the GVWR of both the truck and the trailer, but since I didn't START maxed out 7 years ago, I'm still fine and comfortable with my setup.... With over 200,000 miles on the truck with no mechanical trouble or towing issues, I think I'm okay! ;)
The OP on the other hand... Well, IMO, he's going to be pretty much maxed out right from the get-go and the whole "I plan on packing light" is fine for the first trip or two, but it's amazing how much stuff finds it's way into a rig and stays there! I know this first hand!
Mitch
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MitchF150
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09/25/09 04:41pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Mod to use 20 amp power?
Thanks for the tip Lantley! That's not a bad idea. The 'project' for me would be adding the second access hatch to the outside of the trailer. Yours looks like a really 'clean' install!
Mitch
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MitchF150
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09/25/09 04:24pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Level gauges, un-stick or replace?
I simply use a cheapie round bubble level and place it on the tongue. This level gives me the front to back and side to side level in one place with one level and you don't have to move it or go in and out of the rig or walk from front to back of the rig, check, adjust, go back and check again...... AARRRGGG!
This levels my trailer more then accurately enough to maintain comfort and the dreaded 'fridge' operation and takes nothing to do and cost me less then $3...
Just leave the stick on levels where they are, as if you try to remove them, you'll still be able to see 'where' they were and over time, the sticky residue will just turn darker and darker....
Mitch
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MitchF150
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09/25/09 03:35pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Mod to use 20 amp power?
By the sound of it, the more 'convenient' you make it, the more install work you have to do, so determine how much work you are willing to deal with and go from there...
This post has actually got me thinking a bit more on this too... While I've not really had to deal with overloading the 30a setup, it probably would not hurt to simply have a dedicated outlet in the kitchen area that plugs into the 20a outlet on the pedestal, as I normally run an electric space heater for keeping the chill out during cooler weather camping... In the morning, it's not uncommon to have the microwave, fridge and space heater going at the same time... By at least having the space heater on the dedicated 20a would just keep the higher load off the 30a.. Humm.... This might be a good 'winter' project!
Mitch
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MitchF150
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09/25/09 03:20pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Newbie Towing with Ford Expedition
Well, since the Expy and the trailer are already in your possession, what I would do is hitch it all up and take it to a scale and get it weighed... I know it's tough to find a scale that's not combing with Semis and all, but it's the only way you are going to know where you stand weight wise... I know the Flying J truck stops usually have scales for a nominal fee.. They also have individual axle scales, so you can get the trucks front, rear and the trailer axles on 3 individual scales at the same time. The weight ticket will have your individual axle weights and then you can see where you stand. There are other methods to get your tongue weight and all, but I'll you to the "search" feature for that! ;)
Brochure numbers are fine when comparing models and such, but not for figuring out where you will be at your MAX ratings...
As you've read so far, both of those figures are based on "perfect world" situations and both are mis leading to say the least when it comes to "your world"!
All the dealers are going to do is quote from those brochures and tell you "you'll be fine...".
If you never get to a scale, then it'll be how the truck feels to you and how it tows... Unfortunately, that means 'road time' and hope for the best! You should be able to tell if your truck is struggling or not pretty fast. If it constantly downshifts and has a hard time holding speed, that's a pretty good indication that it's too much for the truck.
Also, saying you are not going to pack much before each trip might sound good the first couple of times, but I know the last thing I want to do when I get to the camp ground is go back out and go shopping for food to stock in the fridge! I want to have it all loaded and ready to camp before I leave the house.. A couple bags of groceries is not going to make or break your weight at all, so why bother? Running with an empty FW tank is fine, but it sure is nice to have in case the camp ground has 'unknown' water quality! I've been to some camp grounds where the supplied water was awful. I was so glad I had a full tank of my own water that I know the quality of....
Anyway, I know this is a lot to take in all at once, so WELCOME TO RVING! :) We all learned one way or the other, so you are not alone!
Mitch
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MitchF150
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09/25/09 02:40pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: "How to back up a trailer without filing for divorce"
One thing I've observed others do is that they usually don't have a problem with getting the trailer to initially backup in the right direction, it's keeping it from going in that direction too far..
In other words, they wait too long before turning the truck wheels the other way to start 'following' the trailer as it's on it's initial turning arc.
When I was a kid, my Dad usually had me help him back in and I was only 14 years old.... I would get him to get the trailer going in the right direction, then I would say "follow it" and then he would turn the truck wheels back to 'follow' the trailer in.. As adjustments were needed, I would say "left" or "right" and "follow it" as it adjusted..
Today, I do the same thing, except, the wife is there to just stop me if I'm going to hit something. We too decide where we want it to go and then I put it there. She might have me straighten it out as it goes in, but the big key is the "following" the trailer as soon as it starts going where you want it..
Hope that helps! My folks are still married after 45+ years of marriage because my Mom learned how to direct Dad by watching me as a kid!
Mitch
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MitchF150
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09/25/09 02:02pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Do you use overdrive when towing?
How many gears does your tranny have?? If it's a 5 or 6 speed, I'd say that you can just let the trans/computer decide what gear it wants to be in, as there are some extras there!
If it's just a standard 4 speed, then you might find that running with OD off eliminates a lot of shifts during a 'normal' hwy run...
I don't believe that you will necessarily 'save' more fuel by using OD compared to only running in 1:1. In my case, when my truck goes into OD, I find I have to give it a tad bit more pedal to maintain speed (60-65 mph). If the road is flat and no head wind, it'll usually hold OD and speed okay, but that little bit of extra pedal to hold that speed basically nullifies any 'savings' in gas.... Why, because I'm simply dumping more fuel into the cylinders as opposed to running less pedal, and higher rpms, which the engine likes anyway (2500 rpms gets me about 62 mph in 1:1).. My engine has very little torque at the 1500 rpms it turns in OD going that speed....
I seem to get 9-10 mpgs no matter using OD or 100% in 1:1... Wear and tear on the engine?? Well, I've got over 200,000 miles on my rig now and will tow it anywhere and not feel the least bit concerned about it!
Just my thoughts on it...;)
Mitch
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MitchF150
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09/14/09 05:43pm |
Towing
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RE: 2 storage questions
IMO, blowing out the lines should be sufficient.... Being in MT, you'll get pretty darn cold I'd imagine, so also make sure the pump is purged, drain the water heater and remember to make sure the toilet valve has been opened to allow any residual water to drain from there. When water freezes, it expands, so if there is room for the expansion, then any residual water in the lines will simply move forward or back accordingly.. It'll go to the path of least resistance and you should be fine.
On the batteries, I'd take them out and not leave them on the rig the whole winter. You should not leave them plugged in the whole time, even with a converter that has a 'storage' mode, as you just never know how it's going to work, unless you check on it in storage regularly??
I'm in the NW, so we don't get all that cold, but it'll freeze here for a week straight at times... I've only blown out the lines and have not had a problem. I do keep my batteries in the garage over the winter, just so they don't freeze and I can 'bench charge' them once a month or whenever I think about it... So far, so good on my batteries too... Still the originals and still last a full weekend on battery power alone...
Mitch
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MitchF150
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09/14/09 05:19pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: towing ford f 150
Are you looking at flat towing it? What year and what is it's driveline configuration? That will determine if you can flat tow it or not....
It should be covered in the vehicles owners manual. If you don't have one, and the F150 is a 96 or above, you can download a copy of on Here
In general, it really needs to be a 4x4 with a manual shift transfer case to be flat towed. I think manual trans 4x2 can be towed too, but there might be some other limits to note....
Mitch
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MitchF150
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09/14/09 05:05pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: eaz lift spring Bar Falls out
Humm.. When the bars in inserted and you hear the 'click' or see the spring tab move and then close in again, you should not be able to remove the bars at all in it's 'normal' turning radius. Once you turn them to a 90* angle, they should just drop out as that's the release point of the pins. You should see the spring clips move at that point to, also indicating that they will release.
Not sure who told you not to lube up the bar ends that go into the hitch head, but for a simple EAZ-Lift setup, it's critical to do this or have lots of noise, but you will wear out the bar ends and the socket they fit into really fast....
I get some creeks and groans from mine, but it's coming from the stirrups and chains more then anything..
You probably do have a broken pin or two in your hitch head that is causing the bars to not lock in.
Good luck!
Mitch
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MitchF150
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09/09/09 01:59pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Honda eu3000is Generator
Northernman200,
Mine runs my 13.5 AC just fine. Just don't have the microwave on when the compressor kicks in.. It holds a nice 118v reading when it's running full blast. You also wouldn't want your fridge on elec or the water heater on elec if so equipped..
Mitch
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MitchF150
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09/08/09 05:31pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: mice
Do you know how they are getting in? I know mice can squeeze past the smallest gaps and holes. They must also be finding some sort of food source too maybe?
Just recently, my covered fire wood storage unit was the 'home' to about a dozen or so mice.... My trailer is parked about 5 feet from it. Didn't have a single one in the trailer... I got rid of the mice by a combo of traps, poison and my air rifle! (gotta admit, the air rifle was the most fun!).
The best defense is going to be sealing off however they seem to be getting in... If my trailer didn't get hit with the little buggers during the time of my outside mice problem, then they must not have an entry point to my trailer??
Good luck! I think there are about as many 'tails' of what keeps mice away as there are for controlling moles! Lots of 'solutions', but the only true way is to get a body count, or keep them out in the first place...;)
Mitch
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MitchF150
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09/08/09 05:23pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: eaz lift spring Bar Falls out
Do the bars hold themselves in by themselves after you insert them into the head and before you attach the chains?
How far do you have to swing them out for them to 'release' from the head?
Inside the head is a 'pin' that locks into the groove on the bars. That's what the little spring tab on the head does.
Normally, 90* is the point at which the bars are designed to drop out... Normally, you wouldn't want to go past a 90* turn with the bars attached anyway..
As far as the noise goes when turning, are the bars greased up where they go into the head? If not, they should be..
If you could answer some of these Q's, then we might be able to figure out if you are having an issue or not....;)
Mitch
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MitchF150
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09/08/09 05:06pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: thinking of buying travel trailer
I only get a best of 10 mpg with a #5000 GVWR travel trailer in tow with my F150. Average is probably in the 8-9 range with hills and such...
I don't see a 26' TT having a #10,000 GVWR, other then the 'toy haulers'... If #6300 is it's 'dry' weight, that's a #3700 CCC and I've only seen those kinds of figures on 'toy haulers', so is that what it is?
At any rate, stick to trailers that have #6300 GVWR and you should be fine with the 1500... Still won't get no 12 mpg towing, and you'd probably be lucky to get 10mpg when it's all said and done...
Good luck on whatever you decide!
Mitch
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MitchF150
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09/08/09 04:57pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: putting a cover on the TT
Pine needles and maple leaves..... Need I say anymore! ;)
Mitch
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MitchF150
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09/08/09 03:24pm |
Travel Trailers
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