I'm surprised there's not more posts here

[RockDodger]

With TTs under 20 feet becoming more and more popular with the V-6 SUV crowd, I'm surprised a lot more posts don't appear here. Is it because folks don't know about this forum? I'm guessing that's probably it. I would like to see more pics especially. It has been my experience that people with smaller campers possess streaks of ingenious ideas and cool innovations. So let's see some of it!:B

[RockDodger]

Although the branches have wandered in several different directions, I get the idea. The forum format is antiquated, but that does not seem to deter postings in other categories as well. I just thought that the popularity of small travel trailers would spark enough interest to keep a forum like this alive. Oh well, to each his own I reckon.:B

[DiskDoctr]

Why decreasing popularity and posting?

1. No pic or video hosting. Open FTP connection and upload your pics to your own location, then get a link that will work until someone like Photobuttkick turns it off.

2. Captcha and Cloudflare problems. Faulty rulesets that get reset every Sunday (or used to) means you have to 'earn' your way back to posting status and if you post long, details, external links (refer to #1 above), or a couple of replies in one day...your posts are now all suspect and subject to draconian "Verification" and harassment. All things counter to personal privacy, BTW. Oh yeah, and any post in the tech forum about it gets barraged with "I don't get it, you're an idiot or a liar" posts :R

3. "Newest" link doesn't show all the recent posts. Just noticed this today. Have to go into individual forums to see new posts.

4. Winter won't give up!!! LOL.

It'll pick up soon.

[RandACampin]

TomG2 wrote:
A "less skilled and less experienced" driver is much more likely to say, "This is as good as it gets" as they chase their combination down the road, than those of us who have the experience to know what "good" really is.

My point is that you took a shot at "less skilled and less experienced" drivers. The more one tows, the more they will appreciate that little extra. I am not talking a one hundred percent cushion, but twenty percent is nice to have sometimes. I have seen people on here who have to leave a kid at home to make things work. Not for me.

Do us all a favor and shut up.

[trail-explorer]

myredracer wrote:
I still get hit with the Captcha thing and it's extremely annoying.

Happened to be on back to back posts a few days ago, I too got annoyed.

[drsteve]

rv.net is still in the stone age. No Facebook page, no Twitter feed to follow, no option to like on Facebook... all of which would drive traffic to the site.

[myredracer]

If I were a young person and looking for an RV forum to hang out on, RV.net would not be it. It just looks, and is, so out-dated compared to the others out there and lacking many features. It's like something from the 80s.

I still get hit with the Captcha thing and it's extremely annoying. If I were new to RV.net I'd go elsewhere because of it. I often can't get a post to work but if I post it one sentence at a time it'll work. Ridiculous! Pffft... If you look past all the drawbacks, there are people here that are very knowledgeable tho.

You'd think The Profit could do something better to represent his business empire.

[jrhanbar98]

I used to read this broad all of the time, it honestly the TT forums and the Tow Vehicles have become a bit cantankerous at times. I am suprised that with the experience we have here that a ‘sticky’ has not been created to walk a newbie through ‘what can I tow question’. So every time the question is asked people don’t have to restate the same points right and wrong. Add in the natural personality quirks and you get entertaining reading but nothing of real value. I have seen more that one poster drop off because of being overwhelmed by the comments made to them some of which get too personal.

I also think the bulletin board style system is antiquated, I have never posted a pic but I don’t have the paitience to try. Love it or hate it FB is popular because it’s mobile friendly, easy to use and what many people use to connect on various issues.

Searching is also a PITA, in theory each question should only be asked once, in practice the will be off shoots. This leads to. Ultiplr similar conversations over time for a newbie it overwhelming on where to start and what to believe, at least one guy likes to pos5 previous to hot topics.

Just my 2 cents feedback is a gift.

[gmw_photos]

TomG2 wrote:

profdant139 wrote:

I am not sure where the disagreement is here.

The disagreement is with the statement, [COLOR=]"less experienced/less skilled drivers simply default to recommending "a bigger tow vehicle."". Many of us who have towed a lot enjoy towing with a little extra in the tank, so to speak. Maxed out on the ratings may be good on those perfect days, but having a little extra tow vehicle has saved me more than once. I have towed with both and will always opt for a little extra capacity.

Not just "inexperienced"drivers suggest a little extra tow vehicle. But, as always, "different strokes for different folks". Makes me no nevermind.

Tom, I agree with your statement:

"having a little extra tow vehicle has saved me more than once. I have towed with both and will always opt for a little extra capacity."

An example is my Frontier with the funfinder behind it. I am under ALL of the load ratings, from payload, GVWR, axle capacities and tires. Same with the trailer. Way under the trailer axle and tire capacity.

I too like safety margin.

And that's been my point all along, in this case, with a smaller trailer, a mid size truck ( Frontier ) is not only adequate, it has extra margin for safety.
It also has adequate power. Towing in fourth (of six), with cruise set, it will maintain 60 mph on a 6 percent grade. Water temp only climbing from 195 to 198-200 ( as shown on the scangage2 ).

Truth be told, I'm closer to some of the stated limits with the F350 and the four horse GN hooked to it, or with a full load of hay on the flatdeck, than I am to limits of the Frontier with the funfinder.

[TomG2]

profdant139 wrote:

I am not sure where the disagreement is here.

The disagreement is with the statement, [COLOR=]"less experienced/less skilled drivers simply default to recommending "a bigger tow vehicle."". Many of us who have towed a lot enjoy towing with a little extra in the tank, so to speak. Maxed out on the ratings may be good on those perfect days, but having a little extra tow vehicle has saved me more than once. I have towed with both and will always opt for a little extra capacity.

Not just "inexperienced"drivers suggest a little extra tow vehicle. But, as always, "different strokes for different folks". Makes me no nevermind.

[profdant139]

GMW's point is this: not every trailer requires a huge truck. Some do. Some don't. Isn't that statement self-evidently true?

Some drivers don't know when they are overloading their trucks. Some drivers do know the limits of their trucks and are operating safely within those limits. Again, what is false about those statements?

I am not sure where the disagreement is here.

[TomG2]

A "less skilled and less experienced" driver is much more likely to say, "This is as good as it gets" as they chase their combination down the road, than those of us who have the experience to know what "good" really is.

My point is that you took a shot at "less skilled and less experienced" drivers. The more one tows, the more they will appreciate that little extra. I am not talking a one hundred percent cushion, but twenty percent is nice to have sometimes. I have seen people on here who have to leave a kid at home to make things work. Not for me.

[gmw_photos]

TomG2 wrote:

gmw photos wrote:
A less skilled driver, or one with less towing experience might feel that same tow vehicle is "inadequate". The result is a lot of these well intentioned but less experienced/less skilled drivers simply default to recommending "a bigger tow vehicle".

Even more likely, experienced and skilled drivers know the improvement an adequate tow vehicle makes and appreciate this difference. Especially in difficult situations.

Yes, but Tom, you'll notice I said that an experienced and skilled driver will recognize and be able to handle "a smaller tow vehicle" as a, to use your words, "adequate tow vehicle".

I am not advocating using truly inadequate tow vehicles.
I am however saying there are plenty of vehicles capable of being effective at towing these smaller trailers. To put is bluntly, you don't need a 2500 or a 3500 dually to safely handle these smaller trailers, that is the subject of this thread.

Good discussion. Keep it coming. Post more pictures of these "smaller trailers".

[TomG2]

gmw photos wrote:
A less skilled driver, or one with less towing experience might feel that same tow vehicle is "inadequate". The result is a lot of these well intentioned but less experienced/less skilled drivers simply default to recommending "a bigger tow vehicle".

Even more likely, experienced and skilled drivers know the improvement an adequate tow vehicle makes and appreciate this difference. Especially in difficult situations.

[gmw_photos]

The tow capacity of my Nissan Frontier is stated at 6100 pounds. If I were to set up a 6100 pound trailer with 12% tongue weight, that would be 732 pounds.

The truck payload is stated as 1150. The difference is 418 pounds. I travel solo and weigh 180 pounds. That still leaves me 238 pounds.

With my weight dist hitch hooked up for instance on my 4100 pound travel trailer ( 600 lb.TW ) I distribute 140 pounds of TW back to the trailer axle, so we could argue that I "gain that 140 pounds" back as truck capacity. In this example I'm back up to 378 pounds of available truck payload. I easily stay under that.

I would say that Nissan's stated tow capacity meshes easily and accurately with not only payload, but I'm also well under the axle capacity as well as tire capacity.

I would not call that a farce, I would call that a good match-up, which is likely a big part of why this truck tows either my travel trailer (4100 pounds ) or my horse trailer ( approx 5500 pounds at max, but usually around 4800 ) very well, and within stated limits.

"The right tool for the job", for the last 150,000 miles, of which over 60,000 have been towing.

Oh yeah.....normally aspirated 4.0L V6 gas engine. Original clutch, transmission never needed to be apart, only one set of brake pads replaced.

And yes, we also have a turbo diesel here as well. F350 dually for the two large GN trailers. It's also the right tool for those jobs.