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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: wind deflector
Unfortunately I don't have pictures, being old of mind and body and short of pixels, or whatever it is they make pictures out of nowadays.
I bought my wing from JC Whitney some years ago. If I recall correctly, it is about 60" wide and maybe 20" high and is adjustable from flat to about 90 degrees. The closer the wing is to the trailer, the better it works due to air-flow characteristics.
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67Airstreamer
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09/21/11 03:47pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: wind deflector
I use a wind wing on the rear of my campertop and it works for me. Although the savings are not great, they do add up over the miles. In my case, my mileage increased by about 3% when towing my TT. With the cost of today's fuel, this has become more important than ever before.
A good wing will also help stabilize handling in windy situations.
My wing is a commercial unit that is made of aluminum and some sort of material like lexan. It sits on rubber suction cups, and it is held on with nylon straps. It has proven to be very sturdy. It has been worth the $300 I invested.
I'd say go for it, experiment with the angle setting (mine is about 33 degrees), and have fun.
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67Airstreamer
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09/21/11 03:19pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Oil Changes. what time of year to do it?
At this point, it seems to be a matter of opinion. I've seen no studies that would prove engines are damaged or benefited using one method over another, only theories. Has anyone seen such a study based on empirical evidence?
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67Airstreamer
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09/14/11 02:55pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Towing MPG Astonishing!
Well, that little revelation about driving in the wake of 18 wheelers seems to be quite significant when discussing typical mileage achieved with a vehicle. It's similar to a person taking advantage of a tailwind or downhill and then reporting his mileage without stipulating these very important factors.
Internet "facts" can be interesting.
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67Airstreamer
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09/13/11 11:58am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Ram Air and Headwind
I doubt the intake features raise the fuel mileage noticeably. There are a lot of variables to fuel mileage results that can only be equalized by many miles of calculations.
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67Airstreamer
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09/07/11 06:32am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Daytime Running Light Relay Caught Fire
Is a relay necessary with the running lights? Mine are wired directly to a switch, without problems.
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67Airstreamer
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09/07/11 06:23am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Eternabond problems
My Eternabond efforts have resulted in the seams being covered with Dicor to prevent lifting and leaking, which the Eternabond was doing.
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67Airstreamer
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08/30/11 03:52am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Transmission Temp Dodge 2500
One reason many vehicle manufacturers choose to use dummy gauges or idiot lights or none at all is that it's so easy to worry about normal operating variations. Real gauges are a source of many complaints and back-shop expenses when under warranty.
On the other hand, aftermarket equipment supplies love them. They sell a lot of enhancements for what often is a non-issue.
I've seen 230F in my auto transmission when in mountains, and it's still going strong after many years of towing. I do keep the fluids fresh, however.
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67Airstreamer
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08/29/11 02:29pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Weight distribution Hitch setup????
jmtandem,
There's no question that a heavy tow vehicle and/or heavy weight transfer bars put a lot of shock and pressure on the travel trailer. My Airstream suffered from this factor for years, causing some rivets to pop out and even some metal shearing and interior wood damage. Some folks report frame/body damage too.
My solution was to use an AirSafe hitch, which isolates the trailer from the tow vehicle via a Firestone air bag. This stopped all such damage and provides a very soft ride for both the trailer and the tow vehicle's passengers, especially on the pockmarked roads so evident today.
I presently have a travel trailer that warns against the use of more than 1000 pound weight-transfer bars and one-ton vehicles. This trailer is one of the "ultra lights" and has a frame to match the classification. Thus the warning.
Regarding the need for weight distribution with various types of rigs, I doubt the manufacturers will put time and resource to distinguish the difference between vehicles with heavy-duty suspensions designed to carry heavy loads and those with light-duty suspensions designed mostly for passenger transport. At least I don't remember seeing any that has made the distinction. There are probably too many variations of the theme, and so it is left up to the individual to seek the best compromise on his/her own. I agree with the spirit of your approach, that one template does not fit all circumstances, and it's apparent you're interested enough to find what's best for you.
It has been reported that it is harder to transfer weight on a one-ton truck than a passenger car. So ironically, it may take a heavier bar to settle the front end of a one-tonner than that of a car, thus possibly aggravating the trailer-damage factor.
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67Airstreamer
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08/28/11 10:10am |
Towing
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RE: Wind
AWMIII, the campground is being unreasonable. They are turning themselves into what the lawyers call an "attractive nuisance." IE, they are encouraging dangerous behavior for those who would risk life-and-limb for the attraction. If they don't recognize this, someone should tell them.
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67Airstreamer
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08/26/11 07:43am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Diesel Fuel Cheaper than Gas
The price of oil and refined products therefrom is not set at anywhere but the marketplace.
Go out and buy/trade some and you'll quickly find out how the mechanism works, not just for petroleum and its products, but for innumerable other commodities.
No conspiracies, no sinister plots, just market economics, since noone's got a tight corner on the market. Perhaps OPEC helps create a bit of pricing pressure, but most is simple S&D.
Supply and Demand, that's the equation. Supply is finite, human demand is infinite, given enough time.
Frustrating, but true.
Might as well shake fists at Irene and blame the weatherman.
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67Airstreamer
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08/26/11 07:26am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Hitch Angle Question
CountryT, it happens to all of us at one time or another; that is, you are taking all this way too personally. Ron approaches his topics with his engineer's inquisitive I-have-to-know-all-elements-of-the-problem training. Even though what he brings up in such a pursuit may sound personal, it isn't at all. His pointing-out a seeming inconsistancy with a prior posting, which was explained by your subsequent posting and caused no discredit to you at all, was not a personal or unfair attack by Ron. It was just his way of trying to find out why the change in opinion with the original seemingly satisfactory hitch setup. Without your explanation, which was entirely honest and reasonable, it left this core-of-the-matter up in the air.
I've injected my feelings into such discussions before, but I struggle all the time to prevent it, and, instead, to just enjoy the give-and-take in our efforts to find the best answers we can.
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67Airstreamer
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08/24/11 09:06am |
Towing
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RE: Local business vs. Internet sales
What I like best about Internet shopping is that the dealers always have exactly what I need. No dumb looks when asking for something out of the ordinary. Just click and deliver.
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67Airstreamer
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08/20/11 07:13am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Can I use car tires on my traile ?
The Tire & Rubber Association also recommends derating passenger tires by about 10% when used on trailers.
I used P-rated tires on a double axle travel trailer for many years without problems. However, I was 25% or so underweight for the tires. I think the tires were kinder on the trailer as they seemed to be "softer" than regular trailer tires. This could, of course, theoretically add to sway, but I never experienced any using friction sway bars. (Politically correct in almost every way, 'eh?)
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67Airstreamer
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08/19/11 02:17pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: What Governs MPG's
Hey Wes, I enjoyed the info on towing locomotives. The almost frictionless steel-on-steel advantage shows why railroads are, pound-for-pound, perhaps our most fuel-efficient and effective modes of transporation.
It's interesting to read that wind resistance still affects you guys, as shown by your comments regarding the extra resistance of empty hoppers/open cars versus full hoppers/closed cars. But as you noted, those tail-gating cars drafting each other in mile-long chains really helps, too.
And one hp per ton for the hills and less for the flats, WOW.
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67Airstreamer
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08/17/11 06:56pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: 2011 Ford F-250 6.7 L Can't Be Beat
Well, my memory isn't very good, but didn't the OP just report 14.5 mpg pulling a 30-foot trailer? My old-school 7.3 will match that, but won't beat it.
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67Airstreamer
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08/16/11 03:44am |
Towing
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RE: Taking oil samples
With the great reputation that BlackstoneLabs has, the WalMart comment actually fits.
I know I shop at WalMart, and from the looks of the parking lot, so does most of the town and the out-of-town RVers too.
I've got a Blackstone oil analysis kit ready for my next oil change.
See you at WalMart.
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67Airstreamer
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08/16/11 03:30am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Oil change temp, Hot or cold????
The question is theoretical concerning cold oil drains versus hot ones.
There seems to be no real studies to show which one is better, or if it really doesn't matter.
However, I've seen several cases in which the manufacturer recommends the oil be drained when it is warmed up. I don't know if this advice comes from tradition ("that's the way we've always done it") or from real studies to show an actual advantage. I can see in cold weather it might take a long time to get cold oil to flow, especially in the early years of oil development, but today's oil is so good it doesn't seem to be an observable problem except perhaps in really cold weather.
About prefilling the oil filter: unless you put the fresh oil into the inconvenient little holes on the side of the filter and not in the convenient large center hole, you are putting unfiltered oil into the innards of the engine. Who knows how much the new oil is filtered at the factory or what could get into it during the processes to bottle it and get it to the consumer? Can the oil be contaminated with microscopic grit that will harm your engine?
Again, theoretical questions that are left unanswered. You pays your money and takes your choice, and arguments on both sides of the question are good ones.
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67Airstreamer
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08/14/11 03:04am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Hitch Head Bent?, Need Advice
I have a hitch that bent like that. I got a welder to straighten the bent section and then weld some triangular-shaped gussets to fill in the gaps between the main body of the hitch and the extensions where the little balls fit. Those anti-sway bars produce a lot of power to keep the sway down, and some hitches are not beefey enough to take the pressure.
Since the fix, I've had no further problems.
I might note that occasionally, someone will report that the little ball has broken off and had to be replaced. As I said, a lot of pressure is developed in these anti-sway devices, and sometimes it results in damage that must be fixed.
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67Airstreamer
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08/07/11 01:06pm |
Towing
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RE: trans temp!!??
I wouldn't worry about cutting the life of the transmission because you saw up to 240F while towing. My 1996 Ford transmission has been at 240F under hill-climbing mode and is still ticking. However, I keep the oil fresh to make sure it is not breaking down.
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67Airstreamer
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08/05/11 01:30pm |
Tow Vehicles
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