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RE: Broken Silverado Tow Mirror ($700?)
Hi Everyone
Thank you all so much for your inputs. We worked on the mirrors today. The bad news was that there was more damage internally that I had originally thought. However this was repairable with some glue as they were not major structural issues. With more strength than I can muster (thanks Arnold) and a some major insights (thanks again Arnold) we were able to reconnect, all the wires and metal "guides" and press the upper mirror back onto its pivot points. It works fine.
The lower mirror is another story. The cheapest so far (on my own - 1/2 hour search) that I can find is $70, and I am not sure if it is even the right one. It is totally shattered although the backing is structurally solid. The glass will probably start to fall out with any appreciable vibration. So another search is in order.I intend to follow-up on the leads posted here. Part of the problem is the exact part number. This was not a stock item, but a special order in 2008. Most of the items shown are not extendable powered, heated glass (no longer) with turn signal indicator. Most are the wrong shape.
I'll keep you posted.
Thanks
Bill
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BillandCarole
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01/23/12 03:38pm |
Tow Vehicles
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Broken Silverado Tow Mirror ($700?)
Hi Everyone
Our 2K8 Silverado Duramax clipped the garage edge, breaking the lower convex mirror and popping out the upper powered mirror (turn signal, up/down, right/left).
The full assembly (mirror and all) runs nearly $700 at the dealership so hopefully we can get by without this option.
The upper lens/mirror looks like it should just press back in but I have been reluctant to press too hard on it. The lower mirror is all fractured and will have to be replaced. The best price I have found so far on the internet is $76 for the lower mirror lens.
Does anyone have any experience/suggestions in this regard?
Thanks
Bill and (you guessed it, Carole)
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BillandCarole
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01/22/12 12:12pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Trailer Tires (again)
Bill,
Some folks may not respond as were hijacking the OP thread so hope the OP doesn't mind.
My 28' 5er in sig with two slides and 5200 lb axles has a 11200 GVWR and weighs 9240 lbs on the trailers axles.
I prefere a narrow tire for trailer use so I went with a LT215/85-16 E BFG Commercial at 2680 lbs = 10720 lbs. Ran those tires for over 65k miles and 7 years. Bought another set the same size and now have 10k-11k miles. Zero issues with either set.
I would assume your 11600 lb number is the trailers GVWR and as you indicated in a earlier post the trailer had a 8k gross weight ?
The 2680 lb capacity 16" E tires for a 8k trailer are a great match.
The 8K figure was the most weight we had ever had on the trailer axles. When you added in the pin weight of 1400 lbs, we were up to a rolling weight of 9,400 lbs (5'ver) which is what the trailer weighed going to Alaska. The truck was another 9K.
Regards
Bill
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BillandCarole
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12/14/11 01:45pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Trailer Tires (again)
wERS - Until he answers my placard question we do not know what is going on with his tires. I would suspect someone replaced 15" rims with the 16" wheels and ST 235's. This non OPer has a 24' single slide trailer. If that is the case the LT225/75R16's in LRE will be a good solution, he already has the 16" rims. Chris
This is a 25ft 5th wheel.
Lets start with the basics. MAX RIG WEIGHT 11,600 LBS
Pin weight 1,400
Axle weight 5,200 each
It came from the factory with flipped axles and oversize tires. This was to mate up with our diesel. We have lots of ground clearance and the rig sets almost level with the Chevy Turbo Diesel we tow with.
If I am doing the math right, we would need a minimum tire rated at 2600 lbs. I would do more if I can get it on the rig. I am reluctant to swap out the rims and will do so only as a last resort.
Thank you for all your suggestions and help. This is new ground for me and I am struggling.
regards
Bill
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BillandCarole
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12/13/11 10:21pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Trailer Tires (again)
You are a good candidate for the 17.5" wheel upgrade if you want to retain load capacity. The tire size you want is the 215/75R17.5. The diameter is 30.5 inches and is a medium duty truck tire. A Goodyear Marathon ST235/85/R16 is 30.5 to 30.7, depending on where it was made.
------------------------------------------------------------------------I am just not getting it in the 16 to 17.5 wheel conversion. Please explain, if it is not too time consuming. We already have some fairly expensive custom wheels and are reluctant to switch again.
Bill
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BillandCarole
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12/13/11 12:32pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Trailer Tires (again)
What is the GAWR on the placard? Maybe LT225/75R16's are the answer. Chris
Hi Chris
Thank you for your reply. I have made yet another trip to the tire dealer and their suggestion was the same as yours, a LT225/75R-16/10. They suggested (what they have in stock) either Cooper or Toyo's. The weight ratings on this size are 2600 lbs which is less than that the rated weight of our current tires. However going to the next larger size causes serious clearance issues due to axle spacing. Presently we have only 2 1/2 inches from tire to tire. The larger size is 1 plus inches taller, leaving only 1/2 inch of clearance. The trailer grosses at 11,600 but we have never exceeded 8k when loaded on the trailer axles. Is this enough of a weight cushion?
Thanks
Bill and Carole
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BillandCarole
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12/13/11 12:22pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Trailer Tires (again)
Since you have 16" rims...you have the option of going with lots of different LT tires.
But, if you want to stick with ST's go with a 16" Maxxis in load range E.
Dealers don't stock them, but can certainly order them with a 1-2 day turn around. Les Schaub out west, Discount Tire anywhere.. You might have to lean on them, because they want to sell you what they have in stock..
Make sure you specify "fresh" manufacture date. No more than 6 months old.
I am also having tire issues with the same tires. Were trying to replace our Marathons with something made in the USA. Actually ours were, but the replacements are not. I visited 5 of our local tire dealers earlier this week. In ST tires, NOTHING was available from the USA. And, according the Les Swab, their Maxis are NOW made in China. OUCH!!!We are therefore going to LT tires. We have quite tight clearances on our Komfort 241FS. The tires are over-sized ST235R80-16s and the axles are flipped. There is little over an inch of clearance on the shock struts. The question is, will an LT tire of the same "size" fit? A little smaller is better in our case, as the current tires are "overkill" load wise. The rig has never weighed more than 8K as per the scales, normally in the mid 7's.
Thanks to all
Bill and Carole
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BillandCarole
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12/10/11 05:51pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: How long do you Drive?
We do about 250 to 300 and usually try to be off the road by 2 or 3 pm. We hate setting up in the dark (its dangerous) and spaces get fewer and farther apart as evening approaches.
Our habits
Bill and Carole
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BillandCarole
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09/02/11 07:21pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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New California Restrictions?
Hi Everyone
We crossed the CA./Oregon border on Monday. At the agricultural inspection station just inside the border we made the normal stop. However this time, in addition to the normal plants/fruits questions, they wanted to know if we had any firewood. Does anyone know what they are looking for?
Thanks
Bill and Carole
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BillandCarole
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07/21/11 09:47am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Want Non chinese Tires
I will take your advice. The rig grosses at 11,600 although we normally travel at less than 8,000. The local Costco carries Michelin and I will get a quote from them. The BFG are also a good suggestion. The truck currently has Bridgestones on it, and I will check these out as well.
Les Schwab has treated us well over the years and I feel a certain loyalty to them. There was no charge for the work they did today. I appreciate this. However in regards to the Chinese tires, I am not willing to compromise. And I was not impressed with one I was shown. Company appreciation is one thing, safety another entirely different one.
I was greatly surprised that Les Schwab was not carrying any American tires of the type we needed. They cover most of the southwestern United States.
regards
Bill
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BillandCarole
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07/20/11 08:23pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Want Non chinese Tires
Its hard to believe you can’t find non-Chinese tires in 16”…
What size tire and what is the axles load rating…
The current tires are ST235/80R16, load range D, 8 ply Goodyears.
You obviously are in for a reality check. And I did not say I could not find them, only that Les Schwab was not carrying any in their current inventory.
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BillandCarole
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07/20/11 08:12pm |
General RVing Issues
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Want Non chinese Tires
I have just returned from our local tire store (Les Schawb) and was told that they didn't have any non Chinese tires for our 5th wheel. We need to replace a damaged tire that was beyond repair. They called around and came up with nothing. The current American tires are now of Chinese build. I am in shock at this depressing news. And the replacement tire they wanted to sell us was over $200 for 16 inch 10 ply tires. Not inexpensive. We are currently without a spare and therefore at home till we work this out.
Thoughts/ suggestions ?
Regards
Bill and Carole
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BillandCarole
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07/20/11 05:45pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Electrical Puzzle
The consensus opinion is that we have a battery issue. I will definitely load test the batteries to see how long they last. They are 4 years old and are not the golf cart batteries we hope to use as replacements. A battery terminal cleaning "party" is also on order. Definitely don't want to go wandering off into the woods with a bad battery or batteries.
Thanks Everyone
Bill and Carole
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BillandCarole
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06/29/11 06:46am |
Tech Issues
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Electrical Puzzle
This topic has been moved to another forum.
You can read it here: 25186542
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BillandCarole
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06/28/11 09:17pm |
Technology Corner
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Electrical Puzzle
In preparation for an up coming trip, I went into our 5th wheel this evening and turned on the dining table light. It came on VERY dim and a visit to our volt meter indicated that batter voltage was down to 2.8 volts and battery panel would not test. I plugged in shore power and voltage immediately jumped to 13.6, and the battery panel indicated that the batteries were fully charged. The charge held good and the light burned bright even after I disconnected the shore power. The rig has never performed like this before. Does anyone have any ideas?
Thanks
Bill
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BillandCarole
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06/28/11 09:17pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Is is just me or?????
We've hypothesized that it's the city people who don't speak. They're used to busy sidewalks where they would be considered strange if they spoke to every passerby. If you walk around a small town everyone says hello-doesn't matter if they know you or not. We never noticed that the non-speakers were a certain age or sex.
A good observation and one that I will remember. "Friendliness" tends to have other factors as well. Additional tendencies that I particularly have noted are: 1 that it is proportionate to the distances from "civilization". 2. We tend to become friendlier as we get older, perhaps because age brings a clearer understanding of what is important. 3. The "ME" generation is just that. Why be friendly, unless you want/need something? Sad
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BillandCarole
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06/14/11 07:29am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: 3G Vs 4G Data Plans (Verizon in Particular)
The larger corporate web sites also have "sensing" code that can automatically increase the resolution based on response (ping) time.Ping time has nothing to do with bandwidth and large corporate sites don't increase "resolution". They MIGHT disable flash but that's typically on a REALLY slow connection (like dial up), everything that's labeled "high speed bandwidth" gets the full deal, it's just loads slower with a slower connection.
I am no longer on "the bleeding edge" but do know what can be done if you have the money, expertise, reason to do it. The more reasonable question is how much of it is being done, and how big a difference will it make? There are lots of "legacy" computers out there still doing dial up, even running windows 98. Such sites frequented have a reason to be backwardly compatible with small data packages and low resolutions. Even Outlook and Gmail have a pure "data" downloads, no HTML.
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BillandCarole
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06/12/11 07:34am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Help With Aiming Dish TV Antenna
If your doing HD TV good luck with manual aiming. We did it and it took forever to setup every time we moved. A huge hassle. Our best solution was a solid base, absolute vertical alignment, and then watching the "signal screen on the TV when doing final alignment. We had issues locking on to the wrong satellites (there are lots of them), sighting thru trees, and faulty wires and components at times. Most of the people we talked to had the same issues. Lower resolution (Non HD) is much easier to do but HD enabled satellite receivers make doing this tough. We finally gave up and bought an Wineguard autotuning dish. Pricey (about $700), but functional when not in the trees. We still don't use it when its just an overnight stop. Pulling it out of the bin along with the 3 cables is just too much hassle when we are tired, not to mention the reverse in the morning.
Good Luck and Happy Aiming
Bill
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BillandCarole
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06/11/11 08:40am |
Tech Issues
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RE: 3G Vs 4G Data Plans (Verizon in Particular)
I also ran this question by another group (internet by data card) and the consensus there is that there is definite potential for this to happen. For normal email, not a problem. However when you get to video (Hulu, Netflix, Youtube etc) this is either an option or an automatic "upgrade to a higher resolution. The larger corporate web sites also have "sensing" code that can automatically increase the resolution based on response (ping) time. It appears we are going to have to be more careful in our downloads. We use 4 to 4.5 gig a month when away from home. An additional gig is $10 even if you are only 1 "bite" over 5 gig. ugh. And we don't do Netflix, just "normal" surfing.
regards
Bill
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BillandCarole
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06/11/11 08:21am |
Technology Corner
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RE: How much money do you keep for emergencies?
Ok ... Credit and debit cards..verses cash. But I learned the hard way.
On a trip to the boat show in Miami, I used my CC to buy dinner for the team. I had to stop next door and buy something at the drug store. As I was leaving the clerk said " Thank you Dr Smith." Huh? The credit card was issued to Dr. Smith and was not mine.
I walked back next door and asked to speak to the Manager. The waiter had been taking CC and swapping them with other patrons. In the mean time he was selling the CC info to a third party. In the 20 minutes, mine had racked up almost $1800 in charges. Needless to say the cops arrived and the waiter got some silver jewelery as a gift.
Then the CC company got involved and the fun began. Actually Capitol One was very nice and reassured me that since it was a CC I would not be charged and a new CC would be issued to me in 24 hours. They also went as far in helping me so this would not happen again. Fraud protection was set on my CC and debit cards.
It was also suggested that the CC be marked so this would not happen again. To do this, I took a hole punch, the kind you punch paper for a binder, and put one hole in the side of the CC under the magnetic strip and away from the numbers. If it's dark in a restaurant or a couple of drinks, I just feel for the hole before it goes in my wallet.
Another piece of advise from the fraud people. ALWAYS USE CC , NOT DEBIT CARDS! If something happens and your account is stolen. The money in question belongs to Capitol One, or "PEGGY" if you use Discover cards. This can take several months to straighten out. You are not out of pocket. But, if you used your debit card, well that's your money and it's gone till they resolve the problem.
Horace
A good story and one I have learned from. And good advice as well. The hole is a clever idea from several standpoints. Thieves don't like things out of the "ordinary", preferring "routine" victims where the outcome in in their favor. The hole makes for quick identification of the card.
We also have had the wrong card returned to us. A simple mistake, not a crime (fortunately) but the potential mischief great. We noticed because the card was the wrong color, right company though. Fortunately the right charges had been rung up. Simply the case of a very busy cashier. We live out of our cards 24/7, even when home. We have layered alternatives and backups. This is the society we live in today. We are almost entirely dependent of electronic media for out finances, from deposits to expenses, to investments, to taxes. All electronic. And the sad part is that its becoming almost impossible to avoid, and too inconvenient not to. Its either expensive not to, requires snail mail (this is getting expensive and is "slow"), or a physical trip to somewhere distant or unknown. The satellite company, phone company, and power company have no physical offices where we live. Its either snail mail or electronic. And mailboxes are getting hard to find. We don't dare leave outgoing mail in our box. It disappears well before the mail-person ever gets there. Sad...
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BillandCarole
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06/11/11 08:08am |
Class A Motorhomes
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