jrrichar
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Re: Newbies
firebird69 wrote: Top of the morning to you all, we are 50 now, kids gone and we decided to try out the RV life. I judge field trials which I do off o a Polaris 700 sportsman atv. So we need a toy hauler. My towing rig will be my 2003 Chevy sudurban 1500 4x4. It has I believe 8400 lbs towing capacity. My wife and I found a 2017 puma XLE lite 20TFC My questions are is this a good entry level for amiddle age couple to travel to field trials. We would probably put an average of about 400 miles a month. And can my suburban tow it. What kind of problem does anyone know about puma? Thanks for reading I compete/judge retriever field trials so have a good idea about your locations and want for a trailer. Assume your doing pointer FTs, which is why your on a ATV? My recommendations from the places that we hold our field events at: 1. If you stay near the grounds it will almost always be dry camping (boondocking) 2. Almost all of our fellow FTers go for Northwood/ORV brand trailers for a good reason 3. All of us own super duty 4x4 trucks (one ton most common) with good AT tires and pull TTs. Some have caps most have slide-in dog boxes or full 6-8 hole chassis (Ainley, MTCK, or Deerskin) allowing us to transport dogs easily when we drop the trailer or some do put a ATV in the back. The vast majority of people have these setups because it works and makes life easy. Almost everyone who starts with something different adopts the main setup sooner or later. I have a F350 with cap and a ORV TT. If I take the ATV it is loaded in the back of the truck (cap comes off). If your trials are held on ground similar to ours, your going to need another tow vehicle, as it gets beat up going into some of these places in the weather and locations common to FTs. Hope this helps.441Views0likes0CommentsRe: Setting up for 1 year.... game plan questions???
We have our TT setup for 3-4 months of use in the same spot. We do nothing different EXCEPT, we have a very nice staircase built out of pressure treated lumber and stained. It is very heavy but it has casters and can be towed away from our TT by our TV. RV stairs are very mobile and great for 2 weeks or less stays. Not so great when in a semi-permanent stay. Night and Day difference. Everything else is done the same as if we just pulled into a CG except we use cinder blocks instead of wood. I wouldn't want to carry the dead weight of cinder blocks while traveling.404Views0likes0CommentsRe: Bought new TT today
Congrats, after being in my ORV (Black Rock) non-stop for 3 weeks in some interesting weather: hot summer sun, to pouring rain, to major wind, to snow it has held up just fine right out of the gate. You'll find ORV does a pretty good job on thinking about the user before they just slap things together.352Views0likes0CommentsRe: Quad LED lights-worth the added price?
Own a 2017 F350 with Quad LED headlamps coming from a 2011 F150 with halogen--- GET them!! Worth every dollar. If you look on ford truck enthusiast you'll see the quad beam LEDs and the upfitter switches are very smart buys. You'll also want running boards. I think it's cheaper to get a lot of options on the truck going through the factory as aftermarket price is very expensive or impossible (upfitter switches cannot be added post production). You also do not have to adjust or align them since it's already done via Ford factory.350Views0likes0CommentsRe: 2017 Super Duty is *****
I am one of those SOBs. Put my order in for our 2017 F350 SRW Lariat 2 weeks ago. I also didn't go in with brand loyalty but hands down everything about the Ford made it a very easy choice. The price tag sucks but who cares when you get everything you want and have no plans of getting another one for a very long time. No way would I settle for a truck that just didn't fit me for a few thousand less.361Views0likes0CommentsRe: New tires for my TV suggestions
time2roll wrote: My pick is top line Goodyear. Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure With Kevlar This ^^^ Have a set on my 2011 F150 and they look brand new and work great after 25,000 hard miles. There are a lot of good tire choices but I certainly wouldn't hesitate to purchase these tires again. A good balance between highway and AT use. When I ordered our brand new 2017 F350 the upgraded OWL AT tires from Ford factory are the Goodyear Wrangler AT Kevlar.428Views0likes0CommentsRe: Weight Distributing Hitch has anyone not used one
I'm looking for real world experiences regardless of truck. I know they can vary and certainly I can do a test run. Much about the 2017 Ford Super Duty lines are still being figured out from my end and even the dealerships have a hard time with all the changes and add-ons. The order should go in next week and I have one friend who owns the 2017 F250 and tows. I left a VM to see if he uses a WDH. His trailer is only 1000 lbs. heavier then mine. The payload was taken from a similar truck to what mine will be that I test drove 2 days ago.416Views0likes0CommentsRe: Detachable Side Mirrors for auto
Not full of hate at all and you have the freedom in any choice you make but I would caution you that those of the Kia Dealership and RV Dealership are not riding in the van with you. I would be floored if anyone at a Kia dealership knew about towing and how tow limits are a small piece of the overall towing puzzle. Axles, suspension, transmission, engine, brakes, WIND RESISTANCE (the surface area of the TT), SWAY (wheelbase of vehicle vs. length of trailer) are all examples of that piece of the puzzle. I'm just learning myself. Towing it up a hill and around town is NOT the issue. Braking the trailer on downgrades with crosswinds and semi-trucks passing you will be!! Your decision maybe yours to make but it effects the general public. A 30mph crosswind and a sudden lane change (car cuts you off) could spell disaster. The people at the RV and Kia dealership won't care but you should. If you flip your van and trailer you not only endanger your family but others on the same road. I live in California and have seen a lot of stuff. Most are caused when people push the limits. You are pushing your limit add very little towing experience and you have no safety margin for "life." I hope you never have a mishap and have many happy years in your TT. Maybe that is all you will experience but with no safety net you could also experience a very different result. I'm new so get where you are coming from and some of these guys might sound overly harsh but the consequences do require it. I got a serious wake up call to battery charging and through this forum learned the importance of GAWR as well, before I made a bad choices. I appreciate their help and needed it. It saved me a whole lot of grief. Knowledge is there whether you want it to come in PC (flowers and sunshine) form or not, shouldn't be the determining factor as to whether you look at the common thread in the advice given. Either way enjoy your travels, -Janell291Views0likes0CommentsWeight Distributing Hitch has anyone not used one
I USE a WDH for my trailer when it is towed with my 1/2 ton (payload 1803, GAWR reduces it to 1440). HOWEVER, it looks like I will be ordering a 2017 F350 Diesel Lariat 4x4 (3094 payload) for reasons not solely related to towing our small TT. Trailer GVWR is 6200 lbs. Putting on a WDH is not particularly hard but is it really needed for this super duty? Certainly it simplifies the hook-up and unhook process. For those that don't use a WDH what is the ratio of truck to trailer? I might add a ATV to the back of the F350 occasionally reducing the payload by 900 lbs. but still well within its capabilities. Don't know if that would start to tip the scale back to using the WDH. Thanks -Janell6.9KViews0likes31Comments
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