Travlr41
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Re: What do you tow behind your Motorhome?
rondeb wrote: ... I think one of the screens that go under the tow bar from under the RV to under the Miata would have stopped that. The screen is called Protect-a-Tow. I have used one now for 3 years with my Jeep toad with nary a rock chip. I have now rigged it so I can use it on the new Miata. I hope it works just a well. Bob in Houston455Views0likes0CommentsBaseplate installation on a 2013 Miata
Some background: I had sold my 2010 Jeep Wrangler toad and was on the way home from Fayetteville, Arkansas with my new 2013 Miata toad (hopefully) when I got the message from Discount Hitch that Roadmaster said the baseplate made for the 2006 to 2011 Miatas would not fit. Yikes, no pressure there! With encouragement from the Miata baseplate guru Healeyman I went ahead and installed the Roadmaster 52728-1 baseplate. I'm very pleased with the results and it goes to show that although there are 3 versions of the NC Miata, they are all the same under the skin. Resources for this installation are: The Roadmaster installation manual Healeyman's 2010 Miata baseplate installation Here are some installation observations: Healeyman has a floor jack and jackstands so he removes the front wheels. This makes removal of the fender liners, splash guards and fender bolts/nuts easier but is not required. I used my Miata ramps I had a used baseplate, so I had to fish the nut plates into the main rails with a magnet and coat hanger. To make it easier, I removed the bumper core as per instructions. Healeyman is more coordinated and skips this step What ever you do, don't follow the directions to drill out the bumper core holes once it has been removed Fit up the whole assembly loosely, then drill out the holes for the 4 vertical bolts on the main cross-member (hat tip to Healeyman) The center splash shield's vertical sections have to trimmed. A box knife works but sometimes goes out of control Cutting holes in the nice new grill is stressful, but it turns out not much has to be removed Because the grill is recessed in the 2013 and 2014 models, the towbar receptacles stick out farther and can be used in a normal fashion (not true for 2009 to 2012 models) There are a hundred plastic fasteners, screws, bolts and nuts to keep track of. I organized with baggies You will have 2 fasteners and 2 screws leftover (don't panic) Here's the start Getting the front and center splash guards off Looks like dunebuggy with the fascia panel off This is what you need to get out of the way These are the nuts and bolt that you have to remove all the plastic for This is the bumper core. You can see the holes the need to be enlarged to 1/2" With the bumper core off, you can fish in the nut plates through these holes Here we are loosely fit up Here we are with the fascia back on and checking the brackets A closer look Real pleased with the final installation2KViews0likes1CommentRe: What do you tow behind your Motorhome?
twainharteartist wrote: Healeyman wrote: Travlr41 wrote: Anything wrong with the red 2010 Miata? Yes... It got butt-smacked and totaled while being driven, not towed. Bought a silver 2012 6-speed PRHT. I removed the towing baseplate and my LOUD horn from the 2010 and installed them on the 2012. ONLY MANUAL transmission Miatas can be flat towed. We just got back from towing the 2012 about 6,000 miles. To add to the fun, just before we left, I installed an Electric Super Charger = +50HP and 55+ '/# tq. Sounds like your having fun. And away we go....... Tim Losing the pretty red one sucks and the electric blower looks like something to consider. I sold the Jeep yesterday, so I'm hot to get my 3rd Miata too. If I get a 2009 to 2012, I know the Roadmaster base plate will work; you proved that. I'm also looking at some 2013 models, on those Mazda has done their 3rd tweak of the fascia panel and grill. In place of the blocked upper hexagonal grill is a solid plastic bumper; the open hexagonal grill is now recessed about 1" inwards. Looking at photos of my old '09, your '10 build and photos of the '13 models, overlaying them and scaling them the same size, I think this if what they did: The real bumper is under the the most forward extent of the fascia panel (closed hex before and solid plastic on new). The fascia panel doesn't seem to extend any further than before (based on headlight location. The open grill seems to be recessed about 1" compared to the solid bumper in the new 13's. With respect to the bottom lip of the "mouth" opening it looks like 2" but that is because the lower lip sticks out further on the 13's vs the 12's. The "mouth" opening itself looks to be the same size on all models since '09. So, I think the baseplate receptacles will stick out an inch from the front of the grill in the 13's where they were flush on the 12's. From you '10 buildout, it looks like the receptacles are long enough to do this w/o clearance problems. Bob in Houston393Views0likes0CommentsRe: More power for my Ford E450 32 Foot Forest River Sunseeker
Well, I uploaded the 5-star tuning RV map, using the Livewire TS 5015 unit. We've been on a trip from Houston, TX to Johnson City, TN and then down to Savannah, GA and I have been pleased with the results. Once into Mississippi and through the Smokey's and back out headed towards Savannah, we were constantly going up and down grades; some pretty steep. Where the transmission would incessantly downshift at the slightest grade with the stock map, it will now hold in 5th if I am going between 60 and 65 mph. If I am travelling at 70 mph, I can expect a downshift but a couple of clicks on the "coast" button will prevent the downshift. I assume this is due to the extra HP from the map and a change to the shift points. What I really wasn't expecting was an increase in mileage. Last month on the trip from Houston to Fargo, ND, I could never get better than 7.5 mpg on basically flat terrain. This trip through the mountains, I gave consistently gotten 9.7 mpg. Now this isn't totally an apples-to-apples comparison because on the Fargo trip I was towing a Jeep Wrangler and on this trip I was towing a Triumph Tiger on a motorcycle trailer. For my next trip with the Jeep, I still expect at least 8.5 mpg. It was well worth the cost to me. Bob in Houston793Views0likes0CommentsRe: More power for my Ford E450 32 Foot Forest River Sunseeker
Hank85713 wrote: Will try to update tomorrow with another fueling and maybe slower speed. Did notice at slow speed Scan Gauge showed less mpg than at speed? Throttle control at low is better, somewhat improved at speed, drove mainly on CC. Hank: I got my Livewire TS yesterday and downloaded the RV map this morning. We have a trip to Tennessee coming up so I can see what the changes will be. Looking through the available gauges on the readout, I didn't see one giving instantaneous mileage. Am I misunderstanding what you are saying in the quote? Bob in Houston172Views0likes0CommentsRe: More power for my Ford E450 32 Foot Forest River Sunseeker
Hank85713 wrote: its a tuner, it is like a hand held computer game, 5-star shows it with a suction mount. That's so you can use some of its other features on the road but isn't really necessary if you don't want to use them and have already downloaded the new map? Amirite? Bob in Houston172Views0likes0Comments
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