BBworkdog
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Re: Refurbishing a 5th wheel reese hitch
I agree with boat anchor. I had a Reese 16K slider installed in my 2004 GMC but did not use it excessively. Recently on a trip to Colorado and then to California I noticed the bolts on the horizontal axis were crooked. Upon disassembly I saw the nylock nuts were backing off. Even after tightening them as much as I could the bolts were still canted downward. I had to retighten them about every 500 miles. I had regularly cleaned the old grease out and re-lubed everything before major trips yet the metal on the yokes wore out because the high tensile bolts did not appear to be worn. The hitch was always noisy and banged with chucking. Replacing with a Curt Q20.757Views0likes0CommentsRe: Anyone towing 17k GVWR 5er with 2004 GMC Sierra 3500?
On the LLY, GM tried to improve emissions by raising EGT's (exhaust gas temperatures)the cheapest way they could. That was to reduce intake/turbo inlet diameters from 3 inches to 2.5. This raised EGT"S and reduced emissions but under significant loads these caused overheating of the engine and transmission. They also ran the diesel fuel through the engine to help cooling and added a fuel cooler into the system to try and control overheating. Every rig combination and their trip locations are going to have different problems and raise issues. When I was in California, I really got a kick out of passing Ford's and Dodges on the hills at 55 mph. It was when I went through Utah on the way to Illinois that the problems occurred, many continuous steep grades in the Rockies. As I said in my previous post, I added the AFE turbo inlet manifold and larger Banks inlet tube. I think it added 25 horsepower! The Earl's trans oil cooler was easy to install if you are a fair mechanic. Fabricating mounting brackets from aluminum stock is the hardest part, but was fairly easy. Any automatic trans used in towing can benefit by a larger cooler. The weakest link in your rig is the five speed auto, but its an Allison. Treat it right and it will serve you. Happy trails!418Views0likes0CommentsRe: Heaviest 5er without a dually?
You've heard a lot of opinions on weights, capacities and payload. These did not address your issue of driving in city with a full size pickup truck. With practice, you would be surprised where you can park a long pickup once you understand the dynamics and practice parking. Even what a lot of experienced RV-ers don't understand is that it is much easier to BACK a long wheelbase pickup into a stall parking than to pull in to it. It is amazing watching long wheelbase pickup drivers trying to pull in to a space, backing in and out numerous times and never getting the vehicle straight. I went from a CC shortbox truck to a full CC dually. Yes, the dually is harder to park, but it is the wide fenders, not the length that causes the concern in getting in and getting out. I work at a large urban hospital and I have had to find parking spaces that will work and those (most) that won't. My concern is greater getting out because you don't know who or what is going to park around you before leaving. So, I look for spaces where I can pull straight out into the exit lane. Backup cameras are required for backing in to most spaces. Buy an aftermarket one if your vehicle doesn't have one.1.3KViews0likes0CommentsRe: Exterior cover for the winter? Brands and Recommendations?
I used to live in sunny California and wanted to protect my Landmark from the sunlight. Purchased an ADCO cover and it seemed to fit well. Well, the wind whipped it and the black material left semi-permanent black marks on all of the raised seams around the trailer. Several rubbing points wore through and resulted in rips to the material. After all of the headaches and damages, it was the worst investment I've made for my RV. After one year the cover was trash.298Views0likes0CommentsRe: reese 20k hitch
I have to junk my 16K Reese slider. The pivot bolts on the horizontal pivot are worn out and the bolts cant downward. The Nylock nuts won't hold anymore and even after I tighten them as tight as I can the bolts still cant downward. The bolts don't look worn so I suspect the yoke and pivot are worn out. I've always had banging from chucking, even when new and even with a nylon plate installed. Now I know the cause.446Views0likes0CommentsRe: Anyone towing 17k GVWR 5er with 2004 GMC Sierra 3500?
I had a 2004 2500HD crew cab shortbox and pulled a 36.5 Landmark 5er. It did much better after adding the Ride-rite air bag package which leveled it up. Handled much better. The LLY can pull it if you have fixed the LLY overheating problem. More on this on the Duramax forum if you look up LLY overheating issues. I added an AFE turbo inlet manifold, 3" Banks inlet tube and an Earl's trans oil cooler. Read the Allison owners manual on transmission operation. Its online somewhere if you didn't get one. I can understand keeping your truck if its paid for.420Views0likes0CommentsRe: New Grand Design solitude vs used DRV
Additional recommendations: Shop around a lot. Go to some big RV shows. There are bunk house models where all of your boys will have their own room and space with a tv to entertain them at night. Or play video games. You will not be boondocking too much in the beginning. Full hookups in a park and the amenities they offer will help you adjust to RVing. Everyone has their favorite brands, but don't base your decision on someone else's individual opinion of one unit they have. When you find THE ONE that you love you will know it. Don't settle on such a major investment. The industry is largely made up of a few major corporations with different model lines. Look for quality construction, fit and finish. Just like shopping for a car, the dealer may not have the model you want in the colors you prefer, but they can get it. Even floor plan and bathroom options can be had. The industry is putting out good products and technologies have improved since the first slides came out. Enjoy.764Views0likes0CommentsRe: New Grand Design solitude vs used DRV
Forget about the state parks with the rig you are considering. Whatever rig you buy, make sure it is easy to clean with laminate floors (leaning toward the toy hauler there) because RVing with young ones is not easy. You will increase your overall enjoyment much more if you don't have to worry too much about what gets tracked in. Look for a unit with a tub for the kids. A few units do have tub showers. The con of toy haulers is usually the set up and take down times. Convertible furniture wears out faster. Unless you are going to take toys, I would not get a toy hauler. You are there to enjoy your family. Don't let the reality of child-rearing, and keeping them safe, detract from your experience. Been there, done that, raised five. Enjoy the adventure.764Views0likes0CommentsRe: Which to own- a New Mid level 5er or a older High line 5er
Having bought a new high end 5-er, I recoomend any potential buyer know what they will do with it and where they are going to take it. Yes, it is nice to have one to live in, extended, when you want to, but going to the beach with carpeting throughout is not a good proposition. Even my wife began to regret buying high because she wants it to stay nice, but our destinations are sometimes limited, or our precautions can put a damper on enjoyment. Older high end units almost always have full carpeting when laminate is more practical. And replacing carpeting which goes under the slides normally can be challenging. We are considering this now even though our carpets are like-new due to my wife's liberal use of roll up carpets. Another factor to consider in all units is the type of slide mechanisms used. Many of the older high end units had problems with slides of certain types with the increased weight of quality construction and materials coupled with larger slide sizes. These problems usually came with mechanical screw-driven types, I believe.484Views0likes0Comments
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Interested in fifth wheels? You've come to the right spot.Feb 18, 202519,006 Posts
