Land28BH
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Re: What could I be missing?
Wes Tausend wrote: ... It looks to me that you understand what you need, and have it together. The tranny cooler is a good idea. If the OEM tires are "P" (passenger), not "LT" (light truck), I would seriously consider upgrading them. LT allows Load Range C, equivalent to the old 6-ply, "D"~8-ply, "E"~10-ply etc. The TT (any length) will drag a lot more wind than the trailered Bronco. It wouldn't hurt to plan on 55 mph on the flats, if you can take the pace. Large hills might be slower, and the truck will thank you for somewhat less than wide open uphill. Have a great trip and keep us informed. Wes ... Ditto - Probably one the best mods to a 1/2 ton vehicle at the upper end of it's weight range. I have routinely pulled much more with a 1500 pickup (same family size but much older kids) and did just fine with gear change and tires only. Also, you will likely have a hitch weight much closer to 10% than what other poster mentioned. My trailer is less than 10% and I am trying to find a way to add/move some weight to the front for better towing characteristics (trying to eliminate the last little bit of sway tendency), but I have been pulling this TT this way for years.449Views0likes0CommentsRe: Listed base weight?
That is pretty much my point at the end of the day. I only needed to know a close range of the actual vehicle weight given that there are always so many variables. Weight of people, gear, fuel, fluids, and so forth in the trailer or tow vehicle. Being exact here is overkill since I have plenty of range to my "do not exceed" figures. If I go back and reweigh trailer it would likely be 100 to 200 lbs different that previous weigh-in which would not help. Same with the van. The only way to do this with great accuracy is to completely unload van and trailer making sure minimal fuel and fluids are on board and weigh both separately. I would rather go camping. I really do want to thank the folks for the links and excerpts provided. That was exactly what I was looking for. As you can see I have been a member here since 2003, although an infrequent poster but certainly no novice to towing.475Views0likes0CommentsRe: Listed base weight?
Actually, I did research the links. I was having a difficult time initially trying to find the site with the curb weight calculator. It is very detailed offering the ability to input your exact build codes which is very specific to exact configuration. Thanks to all those who posted the links and excerpts. I believe I was able to estimate the weight pretty accurately and also confirmed my estimate using the Payload less GVWR method. (interestingly, my van had a modification to it that added 45 lbs to it prior to my purchase and is reflected on the GVWR Sticker with amendment) It is not likely that I will be re-weighing the van soon but by estimating the weight of passengers in the van and other items including the added hitch when I weighed it as a combination. I believe that I am within 100 lbs of the actual weight of the unloaded van. Should be interesting to find out some time how close my estimate is. By my estimate, the tongue weight of the trailer is just under 10%which may help explain some handling issues that were occurring. I would like to see closer to 12%. Also interesting to note that I have owned this trailer for 8 years and had the estimated weight accurate to within a few hundred pounds all this time.474Views0likes0CommentsRe: Listed base weight?
Thanks, I knew I could go back and reweigh it but it was not a practical option at the time and was $7 a pop. Knowing the base weights gives me the info I needed for now. I know I am within GVWR, GCWR, F and R axle rating so great detail was not needed, just a rough idea would be fine.474Views0likes0CommentsListed base weight?
Does anyone know of a source for base vehicle weight? I have 2013 Chevy Express 3500 Passenger Standard Wheelbase van with LT trim. I had the van and trailer weighed and received front axle, rear axle and trailer axle weights. I am trying to get a rough idea of my tongue weight. FA 3190, RA 4460, TA 7760 Thanks2.3KViews0likes13CommentsRe: rear end swap
bucky wrote: I don't see where you state what ratio you have now, so I'll go with a 3.55 as it was the standard on trucks from Dodge of that era. I would do the swap, but probably with new ring and pinion hardware and bearings etc. Used parts are crazy high around here at least, so buying a whole rear may not save much if anything. Also, you will never want to go back to the 3.55s. I have swapped ratios several times on my gassers and find that my towing mileage increases without much effect on empty mileage. The 4.10s put my trucks into the power band for pulling hills better loaded as well as the 50/55 mph zones in 3rd with the converter locked, and allowed OD loaded on the interstates. Ditto this. I run a '02 4.7 1500 and went from a 3.55 to a 4.10 and this is exactly what it did for me. With the 3.55 the transmission was constantly up/down shifting. The 4.10 allowed it to stay in a particular gear within the power band. My engine/tranny combo is probably quite different from yours but it allowed me to tow for 8 years with this truck.....258Views0likes0CommentsRe: Chevrolet TPMS
I can chime in that it is a pain in the butt. The TV in my sig has TPMS and it will not let me lower the rear tire pressure to a reasonable level when I am not towing/hauling heavy loads. It needs to have two (or more settings) so that I can air rear tires down to reasonable level. I link TPMS in general, but this is ridiculous. My 2008 Dodge Ram2500 had a button to change the settings from loaded to unloaded. 5 years later you would think we could have been a little smarter but apparently no one can be trusted to make an intelligent decision anymore.470Views0likes0CommentsRe: seeking recomendations for a towing vehicle that will seat 7
Yes, you will need to wire up the brake controller as well. There is no simple plug in adapter like many other cars. All together, hitch and wiring was about $400. I already had a brake controller that I transferred from my truck. I agree, compared to the 3/4-1 ton truck the van actually rides pretty well. There is no resemblance to a mini van...this is a full on truck. With the big voluminous interior, I think it may be a bit more noticeable to me where in a truck a lot of the bounce and rattle is out back.441Views0likes0Comments
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Prefer to camp in a travel trailer? You're not alone.Jan 21, 202544,030 Posts
