DKM_Fam
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Re: Which truck would be better for my TT
A little late for this discussion but I have a very similar setup and can offer some real world advice. I own a 2017 Outback 323BH. Please do not flog me to death here as I know well enough the mistake I made in purchasing my tow vehicle. I tow it with a 2016 Ford-F150 Screw EB 3.5 with the Max Tow package (11,800 lbs). The truck has the XLT package. My truck is the 4x4 and the yellow sticker on the door says my cargo capacity is 1892 lbs. I have a family of 5 (3 smaller kids). I was miss informed by the dealer (go figure) and purchased the Keystone Outback thinking all was well within the limits. I purchased a Husky WDH with the TT and had it all set up at the dealer. Real world tow was very uncomfortable. The F-150 EB is a STRONG STRONG engine. It has more than enough power to pull the load and the RPM range is quite impressive. It has no problem with the tow. The issue comes in with the handling and the sway of such a large TT. The truck pulls and stops the TT fine. The handling of the long TT is horrendous. To help with the problem I took the truck to Tampa Spring Co. and had an extra leaf added to the spring pack. (4 vrs the standard 3 the truck comes with). This made a huge improvement. Next I upgraded the tires to LT’s. This also helped the ride considerably. This is ~$2,000 in cost that I would not have incurred if I hade chosen a 250 from the start. So now my setup pulls OK, but please understand this is not the setup you should strive for. If I had it to do all over again, I would get a lighter, shorter TT or an 250. Real world numbers, my F-150 EB gets 19.5 mpg not towing. I get 9 mpg pulling my camper. I love the F150 for my daily drive and the truck is an outstanding product with lots of capacity. But when you hook it to a 35+ foot TT you definitely know it is back there. R, Dennis381Views0likes0CommentsRe: Can I do this? Add bunks?
Thank you for the feedback. Sounds like no one is jumping up and down saying not to try this… I think I will take some measurements and make up a sketch or two this weekend. Gather materials next week and Walla I have a great Memorial Day weekend project. My kids want me to do build it for them. All three of them get in the closet now when we are camping with their flashlights and make a play “fort” in there. The closet has 3 12V lights now. I was thinking I could reroute the lights for bunk lights and add a 12 plug for a USB charger for each bunk. Get the DW to make some nice bunk curtains and each munchkin would have their own space. The more I think about this, the more I want to try it.590Views0likes0CommentsCan I do this? Add bunks?
Have a couple questions for the more experienced good folds on the forum. My family owns a 2004 Georgie boy Pursuit. Ours has the large passenger side rear bedroom slide out. I am thinking of taking out or modifying the large closet in the slide and converting it to a triple bunk bed for my three kids (age 7, 7, and 9) We love our coach and it is paid for so I am not interested in purchasing a bunk house model and selling ours. For now ours is simply a family memory maker and we use it ~ once a month for 3-4 day camping trips. Currently our routine is the twin’s sleep on the dinette and our daughter gets the couch. The problem for the DW and I is that in the mornings we have to tip toe around sleeping kiddos and each day we have to unmake the kids beds to put the lining space back together. I am not worried about resale value or the kids eventually out growing the space. Just looking for info on if anyone has ever seen this type of conversion done. It does not look difficult and I have the skill set to make the modification. While thinking of this I did come up with the following question: Can I screw into the outer walls of the MH? I would verify water and plumbing were not in the way first. Could I use a magnet to find the metal studs in the wall? Any info would be appreciated. Thank you.4.2KViews0likes16CommentsRe: Blue Ridge Parkway question
Thank you all for the great advice. Our rig height is 12’5’’ so I think I should be OK their but will definitely be keeping an eye on it. Sounds like most of you are confirming my biggest fear. Snow and Ice and having to get down the mountain if it rolls in. Like stated before, I am a Florida Flatlander but have driven in adverse conditions and in mountains before. The goal of the trip was to take my family to the mountains and hopefully let the kids play in a little white stuff while not endangering any of us with having to drive in bad conditions. I know I ask a lot : ) I think we will just head that way and see how the weather looks. Thanks for the RV park recommendations. If it is bad weather on BRP, we may just park it at a nice campground and enjoy the scenery for a while. r/ Dennis461Views0likes0CommentsBlue Ridge Parkway question
Hi all, My family and I are considering escaping for the week Dec 29th and heading from Sunny Florida up to the Blue Ridge Parkway. I know most folks come our way for the winter, but being native Floridians, we would like to head a little north to perhaps do a little cold weather camping or have a snow ball fight with the kids. My question is this, we have a 35’ Gorgie Boy Class A. I did a little searching on line and am finding many of the campgrounds along the parkway are closed for the season that time of year. Has anyone driven the parkway this time of year? Are their open campgrounds that we can find to accommodate our rig? Of course if there is bad weather we would follow common sense and stay off the Parkway. Just looking for some reassurance that this trip is doable at the end of December. Thanks in advance for the advice.6.2KViews0likes18CommentsRe: Seat Belts
Thank you all for the great responses. Like I said in the earlier posts, I understand the safety aspects and do intend to have the kids buckled up while siting. But like mentioned above, if they want to lay in the bed in back and watch a movie while we travel, this sounds good to me. I will be less distracted and thus able to pay better attention to the road. I really was just curious as to what other people do. Believe me I do not plan on letting my precious kids ride down the road while sitting up front or on the dash (I saw this once while on a trip). I will use common sense, but do plan to allow them some freedom to get up and move as the wish. I will not allow them to play kick ball in the isle or anything like that, but will allow them to get a drink from the fridge, move from the bed room to the dinette, etc. Great comments by all and I do appreciate them. Please keep them coming.431Views0likes0CommentsSeat Belts
Please don’t beat me up to bad for asking this, I am just curious. We have a new to us 35’ Georgie Boy. The sofa and chair have seat belts. Do people use these while driving? We are a family of 5 (3 kiddos), none young enough to require safety seats. It seems to me, part of the joy of having a big motor home is to allow the family some comfort while traveling. I would love to allow my kids to be able to sit at the dinette or on the floor and play a game while traveling. Kids usually don’t ride as well or as long if “tied down”. I do realize the safety factor, and would insist they were their belts when in congested driving areas, or other dangerous conditions. However, is we are on long flat, low traffic highways and traveling at a leisurely slow pace, would you let them be unbuckled? Just curious and thanks in advance for your honest opinion. Dennis7.5KViews0likes33Commentsnewbie tire question
Recently purchased a 2005 Georgie Boy with the original 10 year old Food Year 245/70R19.5 tires. I realize these are way past safe so I have started shopping around for replacements. Below is the best prices I am finding mounted, balanced, stems, etc. installed. The Dunlop tire is by far the best price. Anyone ever ran these tires on their Rigs? Any opinions on them? michelin xze load range h is $3436.15, goodyear g622 load range g is $2719.62 dunlop ap rib load range g is $2192.09 bfgoodrich which michelin owns and makes its the bfg st230 and they are $2582.66 Appreciate the feedback.1.7KViews0likes6CommentsRe: NewBie with a 12 VDC hose power question
Thank you all for the quick response. Unfortunatley, we did not get much of a walk through. the coach was a used "as is" unit, and the dealership was not that helpfull with the delivery stuff. I did get all the batteries replaced on the coach from the dealer, and they are going to fix the Big Foot levelers. They will not go down,and the delaeship had to order a new controller board for the unit. Thank you Dennis for the list of ideas. I will dig out my meetier and check the things you mentioned this weekend. The coach is clian, clean ,clean with only 31K miles on it. I checked out everything from the many pre purchase lists from the forum before I purchased it. We love the layout, and part of the fun for me is learning all the systems. I am a previous minni Class C owner so am somewhat familure with RV systems, this Class A is just bigger than my previous. I am suspecting a fuse or perhaps the sylenoid for the DC disconect. Wish me luck and thanks again. Dennis202Views0likes0Comments
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