itguy08
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Re: Cold Weather Camping - plumbing
fallsrider wrote: Lynnmor wrote: Windshield washer fluid is cheap and won’t slush up like the pink stuff. That's interesting. My experience with windshield washer fluid is that on cold mornings, the fluid turns to a glaze of ice as soon as it hits the windshield. What am I missing? Most of the blue stuff is about 30-35% Methanol. The rest is water. When the alcohol evaporates, the water freezes and that's what you are seeing.424Views0likes0CommentsRe: Ram quality & company and dealer response
Chrysler has never made a quality vehicle. Ram is no different. There is a reason Chrysler went bankrupt twice, has had I think 4 or 5 owners, and has the lowest quality of all vehicles on the road. Sell it and buy a better vehicle.380Views0likes0CommentsRe: Help me make sense of my vehicle's towing capabilities
BenK wrote: I'm talking MTWR...you are talking payload. Apples to oranges...but inter-related...as all ratings play in the ratings system Yes, and the Maximum Tow Rating is calculated based on the GVWR, axle ratings, and payload. Best if we had the actual weight of your TV. Both empty and fully (people, cargo, etc) loaded ready to tow...in order to validate my numbers using the below charts...as half tons do weigh less and if yours has the aluminum sheetmetal...it just might actually weigh in at 5,900 lbs with all of the options (not a stripper model) You don't need to know that - the manufacturer has done most of the math for you with the payload numbers. The payload sticker on the door jamb is specific to that vehicle as it left the factory. It takes into account all the factory installed options and a full tank of gas (but no driver). Here's the actual stickers off my door jamb: Ford certified the truck with a GVWR of 7650, including the 1820 lbs of payload. That means as it left the factory, the truck weighed 5,830 lbs with a full tank of gas. Since I have the Max Tow package the hitch is rated to 1130 lbs of tongue weight (I think but it's 10% of 11,300 from what I remember the last time I looked) so, yes I could come very close to the maximum the brochure says it can tow. This is no mythical vehicle - you can walk into any Ford dealer any day of the week and order one in a similar configuration. I'm sure the other manufacturers offer similar configurations and play by simlar rules as tow ratings are pretty much standardized now. Problem is not all vehicles are configured alike and you sure could get one that looks just like mine with much less capabilities. People will see those huge #'s and think all the models will do it, but it's often an option or a few specific models. The best thing for the OP to do is get GM's manuals on towing, look at the #s on the door jamb, and most importantly the window sticker to determine what packages it has. It may not have the towing package so it may not be able to tow much. Or it may have a maximum towing package. Or something inbetween.1KViews0likes0CommentsRe: Help me make sense of my vehicle's towing capabilities
BenK wrote: This the basis from which most all TV OEM's derive the tow ratings....but note that this is the 'stripper' model with ZERO options...other than the 'Tow Option' and one 150 lb driver. Most times, the OEM does not offer a 'curb weight' (stripper) model for sale. I don't necessarily think this is true now that payloads are well known and tow ratings adhere to the SAE standards. Maybe back in the day it was but I think with modern vehicles it's not as shady as it once was. For example, I tow with a 2011 F150, Supercrew 4x4, Lariat with the Max Tow package. Not a stripper model by any stretch. According to Ford's brochure it can tow 11,200 lbs. From my payload sticker, I have 1820 lbs of payload available to me. Subtract out the 150lb reference driver that leaves 1670 lbs of payload. At a tongue weight of 10%, that 11,200 is 1120 lbs. At a tongue weight of 15%, that 11,200 is 1680 lbs. Now would I load up the family and head out at max weight? Nope. But you can walk into a dealer, order that configuration all day and night and if it's just you, meet the max tow ratings very easily. For the wife and I and out 9k lb trailer it works fine. You have to work back from payload. Take your payload, subtract out everyone's HONEST weight, an estimate of the junk you will need to take in the vehicle and the # left is the tongue weight you can put on the vehicle. Figure on 10-15% of the trailer's GVWR for tongue.1KViews0likes0CommentsRe: Should I use cruise control while towing a travel trailer
All the time if it's not raining. The computer is much better than I am at keeping the speed especially up and down the hills. Only thing I don't like is sometimes it will race up to 6th only to downshift right away to 5, then 4 or 3 before it figures it out. Doesn't bother me letting that little 3.5 spin and spin. Doesn't have to much because of the 2 turbos. It's made to run.4.9KViews0likes0CommentsRe: Why not put turbos on 2500 gas trucks
2112 wrote: The F250 weighs over 2000lbs more than an F150. I get 20.5 MPG running empty on the highway in my EB. If I dropped 1 ton of payload in my bed I would get probably about 12 MPG. Hitch a trailer to it and it would only get worse. According to Google, a F150 Supercrew's curb weight is 4,487 to 5,238 lbs. A F250 Supercrew's curb weight is 5,683 to 6,695 lbs. Maybe comparing a light F150 to a Diesel F250 would get that 2k lbs difference but not gas engine to gas engine. Should you drop 1 ton in the bed of your truck as, say dirt or gravel your MPG wouldn't be that bad at highway speed. The aerodynamics is mainly what kills MPG. I tow a 11' tall, 35' bumper to hitch, 9900 lb GVWR trailer with a F150 EB. Highway I can get 10-13MPG if it's flat. 5-9 in the hills. About the same as a V8 but with more power. None of us really knows the MPG of this mythical engine. Probably wouldn't be worse than the current 6.2 unloaded and about the same towing.821Views0likes0Comments
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