jrichard
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Re: Tires and their pressures
Most tire shops and service centers go by the door sticker--and it's a bad idea because it doesn't take into account your actual load and whether you've switched from P-metric to LT (surprisingly, LT tires require more pressure than P-metric for a given load). The Tire and Rim Association sets the standards you're looking for. Look here for the inflation / load values for your particular size and type of tire: https://tirepressure.com/tire-sizes or https://www1.prodemand.com/Content/Pdf/tg_passenger_load_inflation_tables.pdf609Views0likes0CommentsRe: The best hand Electric Trailer Dolly for the money & why?
http://kaadengineering.com/powermover/ I highly recommend Brady at Kaad. I have an AC8 that moves an 8,000 lb boat. It's great. In California, I save about $2,500/year on storage costs plus I have the convenience of keeping the boat in the garage. In any event, I've found most of the objections to trailer dollies are FUD. I read all the negatives before I moved forward, but, frankly, most are minor issues. Brady will listen to your requirements in detail and then add custom features to the dolly as needed. Mine has an on/off switch for the brakes (no need for a controller...just need to send 12v+ to the brakes) that I use quite a bit since my driveway is sloped up. It's powered by 120v and I've never found the 50' cord to be an issue, but I'm not moving mine very far.. He typically does not use the trailer's hitch--rather, he wants you to attach a bracket further back from the tongue. This puts more weight on the dolly and gives you more traction. Plus the attachment is very stable.2KViews0likes0CommentsRe: Thoughts on Uneven Tread Wear on 192 RBS?
Mine looked very similar to that after approximately 8k miles. A tire shop told me it was normal because of tight turns, backing into spaces, etc. Didn't make sense to me as I'd expect to see the same wear on all sides. I had an alignment performed at a shop equipped and experienced with that sort of thing (FWIW, $350 in California for two axles a couple of years ago). I replaced the tires and 9k miles later the wear is perfectly even. The shop told me they were out of alignment enough to cause the uneven wear and it likely came that way from the factory. Given the **** workmanship on almost all trailers, I don't think there's any reason to believe these things are delivered with proper alignment.787Views0likes0CommentsRe: 12v vs 6v battery question
FWIW, I switched to 2x 6v and would never go back primarily because I get much more usable power compared to my old set up of 2x12v. The initial storage is greater plus I can run the 6v very low without damaging them. I think it comes down to: 1. If you run large inverter loads, then 2x 12v might be best for you 2. If you are willing to spend much more on 2x 12v true deep cycle than 2x 6v GC, then 12 v might be best for you 3. If you boondock way out where running into a store to pick up a replacement battery is out of the question, then 2x 12v might be best for you. 4. If you never dry camp, then just get the cheapest set up. 5. In all other instances, it seems 2x 6v is the best choice: they'll last longer than a similar cost 12v setup, they'll provide more power, and they'll be more reliable. For my application, +/-60-70% dry and 30-40% hookups, no heavy inverter loads and rarely more than an hour or two from a battery source, 2x 6v is vastly superior.303Views0likes0CommentsRe: bent a-frame
I had that happen to me on a 2013 trailer. The manufacturer had seen it several times on frames they sourced from a popular frame supplier (based on an email that was accidentally forwarded to me...I'm leaving names out because I don't feel like dealing with butt-hurt manufacturers who want to claim I'm making false claims). It was a pain, but surprisingly easily repaired. AAA sent a flat bed out, picked up the trailer, and took it back to my storage yard +100 miles. That part was a pain--hours waiting for a tow, hours to get it home, transferring everything to my tow vehicle, etc. After we decided where to have it repaired, AAA picked it up and delivered it to the repair facility. The repair shop took the old A-frame off and welded a new (much thicker one) on in its place. They also replaced everything else that had been damaged (lock arms, jack, stabilizers, wiring, etc). Total bill with towing was about $6,000. I didn't pay any of it. My collision insurance covered the repair (...all single-vehicle incidents while moving are considered collision no matter what the real issue is...) and the manufacturer paid my deductible. Still....scary and irritating. It happened on the freeway at +/-55 mph. But props to AAA. After an initially frustrating period of time getting them to understand the difficulty of moving the trailer (they first sent out two different regular tow trucks), they stepped up and called a commercial towing service and took care of everything from there. It was easy. FWIW, the repair shop told me the A-frame was an accident waiting to happen--in their opinion, the walls were not thick enough for the application.489Views0likes0CommentsRe: Generator experience Honda EU2000i&EU2000ic vs. EU3000is
I've used both extensively. I had an EU3000is (not the Handi version) for about four years and replaced it with 2 x EU2000i, in use for six years. There are pros and cons for each. The main pro for the 3000is is that it's easier to listen to than 2 x 2000 when running an a/c or otherwise at high load. Per Honda specs, it's only marginally quieter, but it's a huge difference in real life. The pitch is lower, the rpms sound lower, and it's one unit at 58 dba (at rated load) vs. 2 units at 59 dba. The sound is simply much less intrusive. At idle or low loads, the pitch difference between the 2000 and 3000 isn't as noticeable, but the 3000 is much quieter. Honda shows 49 vs. 53 dba at 1/4 load. This is a HUGE difference especially if I'm running both of the 2000 units. The main con of the 3000 is weight--and this is why I got rid of it. At 130+ lbs, it is difficult to lift in and out of my truck compared to the 2000 at 46+ pounds. For the EU2000, the two main pros are weight and the fact that I only need to take one small/light genset with me if I'm not planning to run the a/c (...though I rarely take just one these days...I have 2 x 6v batteries and all LED lights, so our family of four can easily go 4-5 days w/o charging the batteries....now I typically take the gensets only when I think we'll need a/c). The main cons of the EU2000 are noise level/quality and maintaining two gensets vs. one. The bottom line is I much prefer the EU3000is because of noise, but I think I'll stick with 2 x 2000 because they're easier to move about. Honestly, it's a close call. FWIW, I'd be careful about mounting a lot of weight like generators on the rear of your trailer. It should be in my posting history, but I had the EU3000 mounted in a box and took the time to have things reinforced. I still ended up bending the trailer frame near the axles in front of my reinforcements. The load was simply transferred forward and the frame couldn't handle it.721Views0likes0Comments
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