stub-kb-2
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Re: Tow Vehicle research
i agree that any of the big three will deliver. the group we travel with gives us a "pepsi challenge" with all brands, different years to compare. they really all get the job done, and every one of us has the one who broke down at least once. one thing to consider, Ford did not take federal bailout money.410Views0likes0CommentsRe: Adding weight capacity to a TV
Gdetrailer wrote: stub-kb-2 wrote: Seattle Lion wrote: We bought the truck in June and the TT later that month. When we bought the truck we didn't plan on owning an RV. Long story. We are not badly over capacity. It is a matter of a few hundred pounds if any. I just wanted to see if I could improve things a bit. The truck never bottoms out with the trailer, never has any overheating (transmission, oil, water, etc) even when climbing, and there is no serious sway (actually none most of the time). It just worries me that I am possibly over a bit. everyone on these forums, and in the magazines are terryfied of making recomendations that will lead someone to do something stupid and / or dangerous. NO, I DON'T think "everyone" is terrified of making suggestions however it is really STUPID and a waste of ones money to attempt to COVER UP a potentially bad towing match. You ARE PLAYING WITH OTHER PEOPLES LIVES (IE other motorists included) when you attempt to bolster an obviously overloaded vehicle with helper springs, overloads and airbags. The result can be deadly. as it stands, you are towing the trailer you own with the truck you own. period. The OP feels it is not good and you are trying to talk someone who does not feel "comfortable" with the present overloaded situation. Wouldn't you feel bad if the OP ends up being the next RVr in the news from flipping their rig? if you are comfortable doing just that but want to make some improvement (NOT TRYING TO HAUL EVEN MORE), again not to haul more, but continue doing what you are already doing more safely, i say go for it. No matter how you cut it adding aftermarket "upgrades" simply coverup an overload situation, it does not FIX the actual problem and if for any reason is involved in an accident can raise serious issues with the law and insurance. a lot of folks on these forums say "buy a bigger truck" like we all have $20k lying around to trade up with. It is simple, if you don't have $20K laying around you simply SHOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT THE BIGGER TRAILER. As I see it, the OP has several ways to do this. Your solution, apply aftermarket parts to cover up and use. My suggestions are trade the truck for one more capable OR trade in the bigger trailer for a lighter weight one. THESE are the two possible best outcome solutions. There IS a reason for 3/4 and 1ton vehicles, they simply are more capable, stout and require no aftermarket parts to hide a problem. i towed with 1/2 tons for years. no different than any other tow vehicle (semis included, which i have 15+ years experience with) you have to be safe, smart, and reasonable. i have rune firestone airbags, as well as load ratio'd main spring overloads. if you have a few hundred bucks, the airbags are the way to go. please don't take this as an endorsement to put another ton in your trailer, just to continue doing what you are doing with coniderably better control, and a safer ride height. "upgrades" do nothing to fix an overload, period. It is easy to tell someone to simply slap brand x fix and go about your business as usaul. But in the end it is a SLOPPY way to coverup a problem. YES, I BUY 3/4 ton trucks for a GOOD reason, it is to provide a more stable towing platform whether I am running empty or if I am towing my 7K TT or heck even my 10K flatbed trailer. It just handles the loads BETTER than a patched up 1/2 ton will ever do. My 3/4 ton truck weighs in at about 1,000 lbs MORE than a 1/2 ton, there MUST be a reason for that? The right tool for the job gets it done safer. My goodness aren't we sensitive! Just to help you lower your hackles, I also have a 3/4 ton, and a 1ton DRW. I'm not foolish, lazy, or stupid. I also know that my dually is properly sized for my fiver. However, almost every toy hauler and park model you see exceeds the gcvw of a 1 ton. By your standards everyone should buy a class 6 truck. My point was simply HE'S ALREADY DOING IT! Lets make it more stable. My 3/4 ton had no factory overloads. It also has a Dana 70 rear diff, same as a 1 ton of the same vintage. I put airbags on my truck for handling and stability, not to be "sloppy" as you so ineloquently put it. If you haven't run air bags, " don't knock it till you try it". My srw 3/4 ton handles better loaded than my DRW 1ton , both loaded legally. Don't moan and wail in red if you don't know what you are talking about.525Views0likes0CommentsRe: Adding weight capacity to a TV
Seattle Lion wrote: We bought the truck in June and the TT later that month. When we bought the truck we didn't plan on owning an RV. Long story. We are not badly over capacity. It is a matter of a few hundred pounds if any. I just wanted to see if I could improve things a bit. The truck never bottoms out with the trailer, never has any overheating (transmission, oil, water, etc) even when climbing, and there is no serious sway (actually none most of the time). It just worries me that I am possibly over a bit. everyone on these forums, and in the magazines are terryfied of making recomendations that will lead someone to do something stupid and / or dangerous. as it stands, you are towing the trailer you own with the truck you own. period. if you are comfortable doing just that but want to make some improvement (NOT TRYING TO HAUL EVEN MORE), again not to haul more, but continue doing what you are already doing more safely, i say go for it. a lot of folks on these forums say "buy a bigger truck" like we all have $20k lying around to trade up with. i towed with 1/2 tons for years. no different than any other tow vehicle (semis included, which i have 15+ years experience with) you have to be safe, smart, and reasonable. i have rune firestone airbags, as well as load ratio'd main spring overloads. if you have a few hundred bucks, the airbags are the way to go. please don't take this as an endorsement to put another ton in your trailer, just to continue doing what you are doing with coniderably better control, and a safer ride height.525Views0likes0CommentsRe: Alternative to Winterizing
jhlady wrote: Remove any stored water, blow out the lines, put pink RV Anti-freeze in the traps and you are good to go until the next trip with little or no work to do to get ready. Hope this helps. this is what i have been doing the last 5 years. i bought a cheap regulator and fittings a Lowe's. i hook my air compressor to my city water port. quick, easy, safe343Views0likes0CommentsRe: Power Tuner for Gas engines
dodge guy wrote: I run an SCT tuner with tunes from 5 star tuning. With the V-10 it made a significant improvement in towing. Mine came with 3 different tunes, towing, perf. and economy. And can be had in any octane rating. I have the 3 tunes in the 89 octane. When towing now it is much more relaxed because the trans shifts better and it holds O/D longer and raises the shift points and line pressure. I can also change any parameter i want to tailor it to my specific needs. It also adds 15HP in the towing mode. I gained .7 mpg towing too. You have to understand how a tuner works to use them properly. The generic tuners won't do much for you. But when you get a custom tuner tailored to your specific vehicle it works great. dodge guy, i see you have a couple of other mods. i am guessing that the performance mods you have all work in harmony to give you your overall experience. do you recall if the mods were all done at the same time, or different times? just to say, did you make all of the changes together to achieve your gains, or had some changes been made, and the gains were achieved after the tuner was added to the mix? also, do you remember what you paid (roughly) for your tuner? thanks.383Views0likes0CommentsRe: Power Tuner for Gas engines
wmoses wrote: stub-kb-2 wrote: I just bought a Chevy Avalanche for my wife. i am curious about performance tuners (Bullydog, edge, etc.) what experience do you have with either the Chevy 5.3L or other small block gas engine (any Brand). are these tuners worth the investment? thanks! I can only offer you my personal experience with the tuner noted in my sig. You will see benefits in both power and torque and fuel economy on a stock engine. Period. The gains in power and torque could be enhanced if you have other mild mods like CAI and CAT back exhaust, but my engine feels a little stronger with the tuner and my K&N panel filter. Best part is I get better mileage too ... about 1 mpg. At this time of year I get about 17 mpg on my daily work commute (30 miles round trip) in traffic on the freeway. I get 22 on the highway at about 65 mph average and have seen just over 25 mpg at 60 mph average. All this on regular gas. I would get more power using the premium tune and premium gas, but is am cheap. As an added bonus I can also use it to re calibrate my speedometer if I change wheels, change my engine shift points, switch off AFM, turn off top speed governor, etc., etc. As for the warranty issues ... Pooh! You can revert to stock if you feel the need. I recommend the tuner I use ... based on actual experience! is your truck a 4x4? from the way i read this, the only mods you have are the tumer and K&N, is that correct? thanks, man i didn't mean to start a fight...383Views0likes0CommentsRe: Power Tuner for Gas engines
i don't have any question that tuners make definite power improvements on deisels (speaking from experience). my greatest interest in the tuner for the small block is the mpg gain that evey tuner manufacturer claims. at today's fuel prices a 1 mpg improvement on daily driving could pay itself off in as little as 15,000 miles. although that is a long time, i keep my vehicles well over 100k miles. everything staying the same (more likely to go up in $) that is a fuel savings of $1,700 over the life of the vehicle. very intriguing...382Views0likes0Comments
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