cwboyscooby
Explorer
Joined 12 years ago
User Profile
User Widgets
All Activity
Re: Dogs in 5th wheel towing
To clarify: I wasn't saying that I didn't want people to say not to do it, just don't say "never do that" without adding articulate reasoning. I had not considered riding with him in the 5th wheel, but now that its been mentioned, I see several positives to this. I think I'll have the wife ride with him on a shorter trip (she's not comfortable driving this rig). Not only will she get to experience what he feels, but having her with him until he becomes accustomed to traveling in the trailer will quell most any anxiety it may cause. There is no problem with he and the boy being separated during transport. No, a Ram 3500 doesn't have the towing capacity we need. I don't know i they make a 5500 megacab, but that's worth looking onto next time we trade. We'd really live to move to a Freightliner M2, but the crew cab version really doesn't offer much more room and they're quite expensive. Thank you to those who suggested riding with him. That's the type of advice I was asking for. Any other suggestions would be appreciated. I am very worried about this issue (thanks to all the people who basically say that you don't care about your pets if you do this). I was really looking for valid reasons why it would be unsafe. I don't think there are any. Most people can't imagine the love we have for this animal. He is as much a member of our family as any child. He is a lifeline (literally) to our son, and we can't imagine life without him. Losing him would be like losing a child to us, or to our son, would be losing a parent...1.2KViews0likes0CommentsDogs in 5th wheel towing
I have seen several posts about pets traveling inside the trailers and immediately see countless "never do that", or "animal cruelty" type responses. I would like to explain our situation, our intentions, and ask if anyone has a reasonable alternative to our plan. Please, don't just say its unsafe or cruel without reading my post in its entirety and explaining why your feel it's unsafe or cruel. We travel the nation both for pleasure and business. We have clients around the country that we need to visit on occasion and demonstrate products. We also love traveling as a family, and often make at least one cross country trip per year and smaller trips every month. We have a crew cab F-550 and a 5th wheel trailer. We have a special needs child with an English Mastiff service dog that is larger than the average adult man at 260 lbs. There is a reason the dog is a mastiff. I really don't care to discuss my son's medical needs, as that's not the point of this discussion. We used to travel as a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids) plus the dog in the cab of the truck. It was tight and difficult at times, but we managed. Now, we are having another baby. It's simply not possible to fit a car seat, 2 adults, 2 kids, and a 260lb dog in the cab. The dog cannot ride in the bed of the truck. Not possible, not remotely safe. There's no place to put a kennel large enough in the bed without the trailer hitting it, and without a kennel he could get his head caught between the trailer and bed if we turn or hit a dip. We cannot transition to a motorhome or bumper pull trailer; it's not an option. This is a custom built trailer made for our business, which is 40' long and weighs nearly 20k loaded. No bumper pull trailer could work, and a motorhome custom built to our needs would be completely cost prohibitive. Our only options: Dog travels inside trailer, or we can no longer travel as a family. Here's what we have done to make this reasonable: 1. We have air ride suspension on both the truck and the kingpin. The ride in the rear of the trailer is still very bumpy, but the front (over the bed) is nearly as smooth as the ride in the 2-ton tow vehicle. Yes, I've tested it myself. 2. We have converted the front bedroom to a bunkhouse for the kids and dog. The dog has his own 8' x 4' kennel with a bed. 3. I removed the electric input from the rear and relocated it to the front. It can now be connected to a generator mounted in the truck bed, and the trailer A/C can be run while towing. The trailer is temperature controlled while in tow. 4. We have a camera wired with sound mounted in the front bedroom. We can see and hear the dog at all times while traveling. 5. We always stop every few hours and we would let the dog out each time. He is also never left unattended in the trailer; he goes everywhere with us including sightseeing, restaurants, shopping, etc. I understand that the cab of a truck is safer if we were in a collision; however, there were a wreck, structurally a 5th wheel is the same as a motorhome (this trailer is stronger than average aluminum and steel framing with aluminum walls). How would it be less safe? 5th wheels almost never become detached unless the vehicle rolls, in which case it doesn't matter where he's riding. It's bad. We cannot afford to transition to a semi with a huge sleeper. We've considered having the frame stretched on the truck and adding a sleeper, but that would cost a small fortune and make accessing most campgrounds impossible (imagine backing a 40' trailer with a 26' long truck into a campsite). Is there something we haven't considered? Ideas, Thoughts, Alternatives?9.4KViews0likes22CommentsRe: Best 5er for gut and rehab? Most important factors?
Do Not Start with an RV! Look for a good enclosed car hauler. The strength is unrivaled and the extra width (8.5') is really nice inside. I have already done one 28' bumper pull and will be starting a 40' gooseneck soon. The car hauler trailer will last 30+ years if well cared for, and you can get a used one without breaking the bank. Just avoid the cheap "hurricane cargo" or almost anything else built in Georgia. Stick with Haulmark, Wells Cargo, or another top builder. I bought the 28' for $3k, put $10k into converting it into a toy hauler, and was just offered $14k for it. No, not really much of a profit after adding up the hundreds of hours labor, but better than taking a loss like on any RV. Things to pay attention to when looking for a trailer: Interior height: most are 6' or 6.5'. That sounds great, until you have to add water tanks and other storage. try to get a 7' or taller. I like 8' so I can build a sub floor 1.5' tall and have full pass-through storage and room for a genny, propane, and water tanks underneath. Weight and axle location: Car hauler frames (including walls and roof)are usually steel vs wood and are much stronger and heavier than RV frames. They'll last forever as long as you keep rust away, but they do add weight. They also usually have the axles mounted further back like a toy hauler, so keep the distribution in mind when furnishing. Doors: Some already have RV entry doors, and I always prefer a rear ramp door rather than side opening doors. Don't buy all your stuff new! find a salvaged RV and use all you can. I bought a wrecked (unrepairable) 1 yr old Mountain Aire for $2K, and from that got a perfectly good Onan generator, 2 roof AC units, all 3 holding tanks, some plumbing, fridge, stove, oven, microwave, power inverters, wiring, etc. When I was done with it, a scrapper came and removed the carcass for free. You can use a lot more residential items than you think... While I used an RV toilet, I used a residential shower insert, residential sinks, kitchen counters, etc. Yes, my 28' bp trailer weighs 10k lbs, my gooseneck will prob be around 18k.... but who cares. Mine will be on the road 20 years after most new RV's are scrapped, and it's designed and laid out exactly how I want it. I also consider it an advantage that most people have no clue it's an RV. I park and sleep where RV's usually aren't allowed to do so, and for some reason, truckers are more friendly. If you want a motor home, look at Freightliner box trucks. very affordable, strong, big enough to make a great RV, and actually get better fuel mileage than a dually pulling a trailer the same weight. Good luck!!!!320Views0likes0CommentsRe: Why do I need WD?
Barney: Sorry for the confusion. It's a Reese 2.5" Class V. Bought in the late 90's. It appears that my 12k may have been wrong. It looks to be rated to 20k lbs according Reese website, but that is for a new version (maybe different, maybe not). It clearly says Reese Class V on the receiver, but I can no longer find/read the numbers. Maybe a pressure washing would help, but I really don't care that much. I know it's strong enough. Ron: I saw no need for the WD Hitch, as I have been hauling a 10k lb cargo trailer (car hauler) for years without one (and without a single problem in over 100k towed miles); however, as soon as I began Rv'ing I've had two separate people (at State Parks) offering their unsolicited warnings about towing a TT without a WD hitch. This was the entire subject of my post. I saw no need, but with people coming to warn about it, I thought maybe I was missing something. I am new to the RV world.384Views0likes0CommentsRe: Why do I need WD?
I guess I opened a can of worms here. It wasn't really my intention. I actually have a WD hitch sitting in my garage that came with the trailer. The previous owner pulled it with an Expedition, and if I were doing the same I would use the hitch. My receiver is old and I cannot find the numbers on it, but It's a Class V, so I really doubt that it's overloaded at 800-1200lbs. I should have never said I had "sway" issues in heavy wind, it was really just the wind pushing the trailer to the side. There was no fishtail and the wind gusts were in excess of 60mph. I know trucks, engines, brakes, everything mechanical. I've done plenty of towing over the years including BP, GN, and FW. I am just new to the world of travel trailers. I was just wondering why so many people think they need WD hitches on a TT when a cargo trailer of the same size and weight would not. I assumed I was missing something somewhere. I'm sure I'll be driving down the highway tonight and see one of you guys with a WD hitch on their F-550 pulling a jet ski. More power to you.385Views0likes0CommentsRe: Truck shopping-Chevy or Dodge
You can get the AS69RC in a 3500, but I rarely see them. I think they have to be special ordered, but I'm not sure about that. I have seen a Dodge 4500 consistently pulling 20k+ for over 150k miles now with the Aisin, so it may prove to be the missing link for Dodge, but not until they make it standard equipment on all Cummins trucks.347Views0likes0CommentsRe: Why do I need WD?
DutchmenSport wrote: Without WD, the weight of the towed trailer will rest entirely on the rear axle of the tow vehicle, causing the front axle to go light, which could cause loss of steering, especially during non-perfect road conditions (rain, ice). In other words, without WD, you do not have the weight of the trailer on the hitch evenly distributed to all 4 wheels of the tow vehicle. The weight is resting only on the rear. Regardless of your vehicle size and no matter what size of trailer you have, I am a firm believer in doing everything possible to ensure a safe tow. I have too much money invested in my camper and my truck to let something so simple cause me to ever loose control while on the road. Ok, so your point is that the weight needs to be distributed evenly, right? In that case, a WD hitch could make it more dangerous. The trailer puts about 900-1200 lbs on the hitch (depending on how it's loaded). We all know the front of a dry truck is heavier, and even worse with a diesel. My engine alone weighs 920 lbs, plus the tranny and other items.... With a Full ranch hand and other accessories on the front, the dry weight on the front axle should be around 4000-4500, while weighing in at around 2000-2500 lbs on the rear. Add the trailer, and I'm now running about 4500 front axle and 3700 rear axle (estimated at the high end). Why would I want to transfer more weight to the front? Sounds to me like I still need to add some weight to the rear. Having a better balance between front and rear does add to safety. Having too little weight is just as dangerous as having too much in the rear, which is exactly why I have run around for years with sandbags in the bed of my truck when empty. So based on the 50/50 Weight distribution goal, I'm safer without a WD hitch? I have never really broken it down and thought of it that way. P.S. - My hitch is rated to 12,000lbs and I have a payload capacity of 3970lbs.242Views0likes0CommentsRe: Truck shopping-Chevy or Dodge
You opened a can of worms didn't you? As a former mechanic who has spend time taking apart and reprogramming the computers and rebuilding the engines on these trucks,I will give you some insight from a different perspective.... Ford: used to make arguably the best diesel ever made, but have not make one comparable since the 7.3L was replaced by the 6.0L. The 6.0 was horrible, the 6.4 better, but still lacked, and the 6.7 again a step forward, but still not as reliable as it should be. Dodge: The 5.9L was as durable and bulletproof as the 7.3L and is just a near perfect engine. The 6.7L was a pretty decent replacement, but is heavily hindered by the worthless emissions******that they were forced to add. If you remove the DPF and reprogram it accordingly, it becomes the most reliable and powerful diesel ever put into a non-commercial truck. Chevy: By far the most comfortable ride of the big three. A very capable truck, but not as reliable as the Dodge or Ford. It's all in the tune. The Dodge has the potential to blow the Duramax off the road, but Dodge instead chose to offer a more reliable tune and not force the Cummins to have to work as hard as the Duramax does. The Allison Tranny.... Is not an Allison and falls quite short of what it should (and overheat often).... but still better than Dodge's continual failure to build a reliable high-torque-capable tranny. I have always hated Chevy diesels, but they are slowly improving as others are slipping. 1995-2003, Ford Ruled with the 7.3L - 2003-2007, Dodge won hands down with the 5.9L. Since 2007 they are all on a more level playing field (partially thanks to EPA standards), but I would have to put Dodge on top for reliable high mileage towing, or Chevy if you want a more comfortable ride and will not be pulling as much weight for too many miles. Just a last thought, consider a manual transmission for durability or high altitude pulling.347Views0likes0Comments
Groups
Bucket List Trips
Bucketlist destinations you just can't miss. Which spots stick with you?Jan 18, 202513,487 Posts Fifth Wheel Group
Interested in fifth wheels? You've come to the right spot.Jan 24, 202519,006 Posts Pet Owners
Notes from the road with the best travel companions around.Dec 29, 20242,081 Posts Travel Trailer Group
Prefer to camp in a travel trailer? You're not alone.Jan 21, 202544,029 Posts
