krobbe
Explorer
Joined 13 years ago
User Profile
User Widgets
All Activity
Re: Towing a 4500lb TT with an SUV
Your Forest River Wildwood 170SSX FSX has a 79sqft frontal area and is 23ft long. As you've discovered, your Honda Pilot can move it. Just not at highway speeds and up or down grades without excessive wear and tear and frayed nerves. A large SUV with a V8 or Ecoboost will have the horse power and torque to move that frontal area at highway speeds and up/down grades more easily. Some good choices for that size trailer is Tahoe/Yukon, Suburban/Yukon XL, and Expedition/EL. I've heard that the longer Suburban/Yukon XL and Exp EL tow better than the shorter SUV's. Expect anywhere from 6 to 10 mpg from any gasoline engine while towing and you won't be disappointed. As this is a 3rd vehicle for you, mileage shouldn't be much of an issue as it isn't a daily driver. My "vacation only" Suburban towing a 7500lb 34ft trailer averages 9mpg.463Views0likes0CommentsRe: When do you throw in the towel?
For me in Michigan, the amount of rust usually determines when I offload a vehicle and look for another rust free one. The southwest states should have something in the used market to tow with. My '03 3/4 Burb with 140K miles is from TX and has no rust. It still has never seen salt and I'm fortunate to only occasionally drive it in warmer months. I would cry if anything should happen to it. The insurance and registration on a new vehicle is also a consideration at least in my state.424Views0likes0CommentsRe: Breaker Panel Help Please
RobWNY wrote: ... When I got home, checking the breakers should have been the first thing I did but assuming it was the element, I emptied the water tank, removed the element, did an ohms test on it and it was fine. Then I removed the switch and did the same test. That tested ok as well. So with the element out and just bare connections, I tested voltage and had no power. That's when I checked the breakers and discovered they were off. I gave no thought whether they were just off or had tripped. When I turned on the water heater breaker, everything tested ok but it got me to wondering why they were off in the first place, ... When working on any electrical device, the very first step is to de-energize it at the source and test for power with a tester. You were lucky the circuit breaker was already off as you risked electrocution.:E715Views0likes0CommentsRe: Want to add a cig charger inside-ideas?
Fisher Bill wrote: So the weekend of the 6th, 7th & 8th a few of us guys are going to the Oregon Duck game in Eugene and we'll be in a RV park that is totally dry (basically a parking lot) and we have a generator but those have to turn off by 10. One of the guys uses a C-pap machine and it can run on 12V, all of my interior outlets are 120V so I'm think of adding some sort of cig style power source so he can run his machine off the batteries at night. Really curious how the weekend went with the power draw of the CPAP. Hopefully you made it thru the night. I'm not sure if even 2 12v batts would handle it all night. :Z430Views0likes0CommentsRe: Want to add a cig charger inside-ideas?
I installed a couple of these 12v outlet/charging stations in my bunk room for the kid's electronics. I wired directly to a 12v circuit in the breaker panel as it was nearby. My CPAP experience: My nephew used a CPAP on a weekend trip with us. We used a small 12v to 120V inverter to power it. The single battery I had at the time was depleted around 2am. Used the Honda2000 genny all night on the second night. I installed a second battery sometime after that. If you don't have batteries up to the task, have him bring a fully charged battery pack to run it all night and charge it up during gen hours.429Views0likes0CommentsRe: New to the RV World - Towing Mirrors Recommendation
Bought my CIPA mirror extensions thru carid.com. The ones for my Suburban were fit specific. Your Traverse will be a universal type like: CIPA® - Towing Mirror Extension I can say my mirror extensions are very low vibration and I never remove them as it isn't my daily driver. Good luck in your search.122Views0likes0CommentsRe: Multiple Tire Blowouts
How fast are you towing? I typically run 62 to 75 on most trips depending on wind direction for best fuel mileage and traffic/road conditions. Speed and heat buildup can easily kill a tire. Most ST tires from a few years ago were only rated to 65mph. Trailer manufacturers tend to use cheaper tires that are rated to do the job but are lacking in durability. The Goodyear Endurance ST and Carlisle HD get top ratings from many folks. My Kumho Radial 857 tires 205/R14 are load range D, speed rated to 106mph. So far I have 15,000 miles on them and all is good. These are LT's only avail in size 14. If your rims are 15", GY Endurance ST. A LT tire like Michelin XPS RIBS will do well for 16" rims.272Views0likes0CommentsRe: Tires
I've had Kumho Radial 857 in 205/R14C load range D for several years now. Speed rating R(106mph), 65psi. Tire wear has been really good and they run cool. Bought thru Belle Tire special order (not cheap at $150). These are for commercial light truck, transporter, van and trailer per the manufacturer. Probably the only LT tire for 14's. I might buy again when needed if still available but will probably spend less with the GY Endurance. I have about 15,000 miles with no issues. My other choice(which are installed on my single axle cargo trailer) is the GoodYear Endurance ST205/75/R14 load range D, speed rating N (87mph), 65psi. I have about 4000 miles on these and so far so good. A little more reasonable at $115.625Views0likes0Comments
Groups
Fifth Wheel Group
Interested in fifth wheels? You've come to the right spot.Jan 29, 202519,006 Posts RV Families
Activities, advice, and destinations for those traveling with kids!Oct 09, 2024501 Posts Travel Trailer Group
Prefer to camp in a travel trailer? You're not alone.Jan 28, 202544,029 Posts
