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Re: Sway/WDH with light trailer and 2.5" reciever
Thanks guys! When the weather gets warmer I'll go for a few more shorter drives and see how she goes. Preferably to the CAT scale a few times (nearest one is pretty much 50 miles away) and see what weights I have. Most trailers in this class are 3500lb single axle when empty with "ultralight" appliances. Mine is the exact floorplan with standard appliances but with tandem axles, allowing the 7k GVW. But she's barely pushing 4k empty. Granted those are published figures, but I don't expect the actual weights to be much more for this particular model (very few options). I can say this, I am pleased I went with an over-kill tow vehicle. When I was young we had a GMC Jimmy pulling our 24 footer and got sucked into the vortex of a semi....I will never forget that as long as I live. Proper adjustment of the WDH solved that issue, but I've vowed to have "more truck than needed" ever since. So far so good, and looking forward to 2015's camping season!213Views0likes0CommentsSway/WDH with light trailer and 2.5" reciever
I've done a lot of research, but nobody has seemed to have asked my question (maybe it IS a dumb one..) We recently purchased a small 19FLDWE Hideout, which is essentially a tandem axle ultra-light, 4k empty, 7000lbs GVWR (not sure I'd ever trust putting in the 1 ton of cargo plus full water, so lots of safety built in there). Our tow vehicle is a 2011 2500HD, which has the old body style, but the new 2015 frame (which they did on the HD pickups from 2011-2014), so I have the 9600lb GVWR and 2.5" receiver and integrated tow with yaw-sensor control. I drove it home through the mountains of Utah and she towed like a champ, nothing but a ball as I wanted to research what type of hitch and sway to get. No sway, no sucking in by semis (no real wind though either), but lots of mountain passes. I didn't even notice the bed sag when she was hitched, and the truck actually drove BETTER since she was happier to have some weight on the back springs. Now I'm looking at hitches and am starting to thing that a WD hitch is worthless for my tow vehicle and relatively light trailer. My hitch is marked at 1500lbs tongue for both WD and weight carry, the manual gives me a safety factor of 1000lbs weight carry, and 1500lbs WD. This is where my question differs from the dozens of others who have the lighter duty hitches/trucks and a 500lb tongue weight limit. If my tongue weight never exceeds 700lbs, is a WD even necessary? My next question is on sway control. Can you buy sway control without the WD hitch? Is it worth it? As a mechanical engineer, I'm inclined to trust it a bit more than the electro-wizardry of the integrated brake controller. Again, my trailer is only going to be 5k out of the 15k that the truck hitch and frame are rated for. Thoughts?2.2KViews0likes8CommentsRe: Choosing a Tow Vehicle
Most SUVs are rated at or below 5k. In the world of crossovers, it usually quite less. You choices are pretty much a Tahoe/Suburban (just over 8000lbs) and often overlooked is the Land Rover Range Rover L322 and/or the LR4 (both at 7700lbs), they can actually be had pretty reasonably on the used market (thanks to depreciation), if you don't mind the miles and can do your own maintenance. Good luck.423Views0likes0CommentsRe: Ford or...?
I have a 2011 2500HD GMC, I liked the pushrod V8 for reliability and the drivetrain of the Chevy is solid. I was recently considering going the diesel possibly dually route and converting to the camper forum (I still would have if I had the $$). I test drove all 3 brands with my order of preference going into it being Chev, Dodge, and Ford. I found Chevy to be awesome with the duramax, but payload was lacking (the price of an indy front-suspension), the ride was awesome. The new Ford powerstroke surprised me and the dual turbos and the best get-up-and go, it literally felt like a V8 gasser. The downside to Ford was the interior ergonomics seemed to be designed for people under 6' in height. Everything looked sharp, but was wrong. Felt wrong, in the wrong spot. Dodge was the biggest surprise between utility and capability. The new interiors rock compared to previous dodge iterations, the crew cab foot well coolers are awesome, and the Ram designers have put storage in every possible place they could get. At this point in time, I think all 3 make extremely reliable pickups. Test drive all 3 and find which has the best price combined with what "feels" the best for you..316Views0likes0CommentsRe: Ordering 2015 ram 3500
Jerryleejr, He is looking at the DRW which is only available in 17" skinnies. The on/off road tire package is a nice addition which is available on the SLT and not the Tradesman, but if the OP is looking to swap to 19.5's anyway, he should check out the Tradesman trim and see if it works for him. If you are looking at 19.5's from the factory, and buying a DRW anyway, why not look into adding a bed onto a 4500 chassis cab? Should be similar in price when all is said and done and you'll gain another 2k in rated GVWR. That's crossed my mind more than a few times; however, I'm going to be pretty close to the 14k limit when all is said and done and I think I'd rather run the dual rear E-rates at 80-psi rather than worry about commercial tires and their high pressures.227Views0likes0CommentsRe: Ordering 2015 ram 3500
I've been pricing these trucks out lately and hope to upgrade myself. I was originally looking for a Big Horn as I loved the Canyon Brown interior and the sweet 7" gauge cluster. As more time passed and number crunching, I found that you can save THOUSANDS for a tradesman over the other trim levels and only give up brown interior and the gauge cluster. I'm most likely going to order a Tradesman with rear backup camera, rearview camera, Bluetooth, CTD, ASIN 3.73, 5th wheel prep, and be equal in cost to a non-ASIN trimmed SLT/Big Horn. It's worth a try to price out a Tradesman, and with the carpet kit/etc. there isn't really much difference, at least not $3,000 worth, IMO. Great trucks, and I'm a chevy guy. Dodge hit it out of the park with their latest version. I just hope the interior and front suspension holds up!!228Views0likes0CommentsRe: Truck starter dead?
Did you try the hammer? Mine died the other way, ie: it wouldn't spin, just died. First it was slow starting and eventually it just quit. It was as if the battery was dead, no clicking. It took me quite a few taps with the hammer but I got it running again and back to my garage for a swap (most starters are fairly easy to replace, just a couple of bolts). I had an old CJ7 where the starter would die and I had to routinely crawler underneath and give 'er a good ol' tap with a rock to get going again. Now if you get the low-battery clicking sound, it could also be the wires (as mentioned). Especially if grime/grease has gotten around your motor. You can clean these up and see if it clears (this is usually what gets Discoveries, due to the starters location, but I wasn't so lucky). If you do this, note that the solenoid leads are usually next to each other and also usually hot. You can get quite the spark display if you happen to short them! Disconnect the battery first..417Views0likes0CommentsRubber Bed mats?
Browsing and enjoying these forums for months now and have about decided on tow (haul?) vehicle, tiedown type, camper, etc. Now I have a question regarding rubber mats. I was originally going to simply to a Linex liner and see what happens, but it looks like the consensus is a rubber mat, even if one has the liner. So... which rubber mats are proffered? What brands should I be looking at? Thickness? Tread style? If I get the mat and leave it in the bed, is there any need for Linex liner? Should I worry about the bed rails? Thanks in advance for all your help!6.8KViews0likes26CommentsRe: What Brand for a working mans camper
During my search of campers, if I were looking for a "working man's" camper, and also pulling a trailer, it would be a Camp Lite. The MSRP is cheaper than the competitors, the interior and exterior is pretty much all aluminum, it is also robust and incredibly light. You could get the 11 slide or the 10.0 and be fairly happy with the setup. Everything seems heavy duty and easy to clean also. As long as the aluminum framing holds up, they should last for years with minimal worry about water damage. Downside? It's not "cute", and searching for a camper for my family (3 kids), it's not very "homey" which is important for the wife. It is incredibly utilitarian, very much a "working camper" or a "hunter's camper." The finish work leaves something to be desired, as there were aluminum burrs and edges on most corners that hadn't been shaved off. Not a deal breaker for me (I'd use it as a negotiating point), but when you have a two year old, a few bloody fingers off of the edges makes for a none-too-happy wife. So I'm probably going to go the Adventurer route instead (I'd check out the non-slide 80 series or even the 86 or 910sbs if you have a dually and want a slide); however, if I were in your shoes, I'd buy a Camp Lite 11 or 10.0.425Views0likes0Comments
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Prefer to camp in a travel trailer? You're not alone.Jan 21, 202544,029 Posts
