BEisler
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Equinox AWD Toad 2017
We are ready to pull the trigger on a 2017 Chevy Equinox AWDand am reading conflicting reports as to whether Equinox AWD vehicles can or cannot be flat towed. Motorhome magazine just says "Equinox" can be towed, but does not specify AWD or FWD. I have read some posts in other sites from people with older (2010 - 2012) AWD Equinox's who say they are fine. Then I read other blogs where they state that regardless of the year, it is "not recommended" to flat tow an AWD Equinox. PLEASE HELP!!!!!! Thank you3.4KViews0likes6CommentsRe: (Stupid) Diesel Questions
DutchmenSport wrote: If you have an I-phone, get the app, "Gas Buddy". It lets you select different grades of gas or diesel. It also has a map feature that gives you the locations in your immediate area where fuel stations are and the current price at each station. You will find out there are many more options "out there" other than truck stops. By zooming in on the map, (like Google Maps), you can get a good feel how to navigate the fuel station is. Everyone has their own preference where they like to get fuel, but I have come to dislike Flying J's big time. I find them confusion, dirty, not friendly, crowded, and people are very rude, both truckers and auto drivers. Not to mention the derelicts that come up to you when you're pumping fuel and hit you up for a hand out. I almost went postal the last time that happened (which was just about 2 weeks ago. That guy RAN away from me I go so crazy!). A lot of people use Flying J.But for me they simply don't appeal and don't work for me. I have filled up at Flying J, but not at the truck pumps, I fill up at the car pumps for diesel. I keep saying I'll never go back to another one, but sometimes, they really are the only one around with diesel. Use Gas Buddy. It will help you a lot. I just got the Gas Buddy App. Looks very helpful! Thanks for the good advice!194Views0likes0Comments(Stupid) Diesel Questions
First, forgive me if this information has been posted in the past - my search came up empty. So . . . I am a new diesel owner and am getting ready for some trips in the next few weeks - once this friggin winter weather decides to go away. Anyway, I think I have just about everything figured out on the new DP but it occurred to me that I now need to make sure I have diesel fuel available on my routes. Flying J, Pilot, Love's - tons of them out there. My first question is, in my 37 foot RV am I expected to go through the truck pumps? Next question, (and this is probably really stupid) are those pumps basically the same as the others? Can you pay at these pumps? Any special "etiquette" required at the truck pumps? I assume all of the big name stations have the extra low sulfur diesel? I apologize for all of these really silly questions, but I am one of those who likes (needs) to know what to expect in advance. Looking forward to the usual great input.9.8KViews0likes37CommentsRe: Going from Gas To Diesel(?)
I appreciate the debate regarding HP, but I have pretty much landed on going with the larger 340HP Cummins. Hopefully I will be more than satisfied. Now, next questions. . . . can you educate me on the DEF tank? What is it? What does it do? What do I need to do with it? I googled it but always enjoy the practitioner input I get on this forum! Thanks569Views0likes0CommentsRe: Going from Gas To Diesel(?)
holstein13 wrote: Ignoring the question of adequate power, here are some of the differences I've noted when I switched from Gas to Diesel. Diesel fuel is more expensive than gasoline and this may or may not be offset by better mileage. Mine isn't, but my coach alone is close to 54,000 pounds. I now fuel up at the truck stop diesel pumps. I've got a 200 gallon tank and filling it up at the car pump at 10 gallons per minute would take 20 minutes. I now have to fill a DEF tank that I didn't have to do with a gasser. Every other fuel fill up requires me to top off the DEF tank. And it's on the wrong side of the coach. My fuel fill inlet is right behind my driver's seat so it's very easy to gauge where to stop at the pump. I can fill from either side. Air brakes are super easy to operate. Takes less pressure to engage than my old hydraulic brakes. The ride is very quite up front. It's a night and day difference. I can easily have conversations with my wife (although we rarely do) or listen to music or anything else. The air ride suspension is much nicer than my old suspension. 95 percent of the bumps and potholes are easily absorbed by the suspension. I need to air up my coach and let the ride height come up before leaving. I make sure my ride height is adequate by walking around the coach and checking when I first start up. Conversely when I stop the coach and put down the jacks, I need to make sure the tires are straight so that the wheel wells don't come crashing down on the tires. If I tried to make a turn before the coach was at ride height, I would surely damage the tire wells. I've witnessed it on another coach. When I want to let the coach idle, I must bring the idle up to 1,000 RPM to prevent damage to the motor. I just bought a fuel filter for the coach to keep as a backup and it cost me over $100.00 I'm told that bad fuel is a real possibility with diesels My air filter has a gauge that tells me if it's dirty and needs to be replaced. My coach is equipped with a supplemental air leveling system that keeps it level on roads with a crown or curves. I can even level and put out the slides using this system without the jacks. My alternator is so powerful it can even keep the batteries charged while one roof AC is running. No need to run the generator on route. My generator is now diesel as well and takes a few seconds to warm up when I press start. I've got an engine block heater installed but am told I wouldn't need it unless temps drop dramatically below freezing at departure time. My engine and transmission weigh about 7,000 pounds alone. Everything on this engine is huge, especially the air filter and exhaust system. Each cylinder puts out 100 horsepower. My air horns sound dramatically different than my old electric horn. It's more like a train now and gets people's attention. My coach came with a diesel hydronic heating system that keeps my shower hot no matter how long I run it. It uses engine heat while on route to heat the furnace. The parking brake is a plastic knob that I must pull to activate. It can hurt my hand to pull on it because it has a percussive effect. There are only three buttons on my transmission R N and D. There is also an up/down arrow and an eco mode but I never use either. To park, I put my foot on the brake, put the transmission in Neutral, apply the air parking brake and then release my foot from the service brake in that order. Otherwise an alarm sounds. To get moving again, I put my foot on the service brake, release the parking brake, then put the transmission into gear in that order. Otherwise an alarm sounds. The engine seems to be as easy to start and stop as my old gasser. I pause for a few seconds before starting it to allow the glow plugs to light up. The entry door is now in the front of the coach so I walk around the passenger seat every time I enter the coach. It was less awkward in the old gas coach. Also, the door needs to be slammed before departure to make sure it is properly sealed against wind noise. There are truck repair shops virtually everywhere along the major highways. Lot's of official Cummins authorized service centers as well. They are easy to get in and out of. I hope this gives you some of the insights you were looking for. It's a shame that the horsepower issue keeps getting debated endlessly on this forum. Wow, this post is EXACTLY the input I was looking for. I cannot thank you enough. And all of the other posts were super helpful as well. I am all eyes if anyone has anything to add. THANK YOU SO MUCH. As an update, I am now looking at the same model RV as I was looking at before, but with a 340HP Cummins - much more comforting for me.569Views0likes0CommentsGoing from Gas To Diesel(?)
Ok, I am sure this has been bantered about quite a bit but thought I would start a new thread on this that may compile a lot of good input all in one thread. I am close to making the move from gas to diesel (pusher). What do I need to know about the operation, maintenance and idiosyncrasies, etc. in making this change? For example, in cold weather do I need put a fuel additive in to keep the diesel from gelling (I believe this was an issue many years ago). Some things I heave gleaned just from scanning previous posts are that diesel can be a little more costly for maintenance but easier to drive with much better handling. Whatever you can think of that a diesel newbie should know - please share!9.7KViews0likes31CommentsRe: Colorado Fly Fishing RV Campgrounds
Thom02099 wrote: BEisler wrote: Thom02099, We are probably looking at somewhere between mid-August and mid-September. 4runnerguy,we don't currently have a toad, but that is certainly something I need to consider to make this trip. All, this continues to be very, very informative. Thank you! Something to keep in mind for that timeframe, many of the streams/creeks/rivers in Colorado will have dwindled down from the spring snow melt runoff and natural decline in water levels during the summer. That timeframe is also during the monsoon season for most of Colorado, making said streams/creeks/rivers sometimes susceptible to flooding, like the flooding in northern Colorado in 2013. Wow, that is something I never would have thought of. Great input. Thank you.392Views0likes0Comments
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