| |
Subject |
Author |
Date Posted |
Forum
|
 |
RE: TT limitations to fit my TV
Whatever you do, be sure that you understand what the loaded weight of the trailer you are getting will be, NOT the dry weight. Trailer salespeople seem to focus heavily on the advertised dry weight which is going to be substantially less than your "going down the road" weight. GVWR for the trailer is probably closer to your camping weight than dry weight. For instance, our trailer has an advertised dry weight of about 5200 pounds. Equipped as we bought it, though, and will a load of water, food & beverages, clothes, pots/pans/silverware/plates/cups, camp chairs, kids toys, bedding, full propane tanks, etc., it's darn near 7K pounds ready to camp. GVWR on the trailer is 7500 pounds.
|
OrangeTJ
|
08/09/11 12:26pm |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: TV Good and Baad years
Those miles are negligible (I have an 05 2500 5.9 with almost that exact mileage and it feels new). I have been VERY happy with the towing performance of my truck, FWIW. It's a stout truck. Only downside to the 05 that I have found is that the auto tranny isn't compatible with an exhaust brake without installing a torque converter controller. My trailer is relatively light so it hasn't been an issue for me but it might be a reason to consider an 06 over an 05 if the price difference is minimal.
|
OrangeTJ
|
08/09/11 12:10pm |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: First trial run towing with the new truck.
It seems to me that the answer is in the tires. P tires are soft and squishy. The tow rating of the truck has little to do with it, as they are most likely spec'd based on the relatively low GVWR (the load the tires carry). I'd be willing to bet that LT's would make a tremendous difference. Heck, when we stopped using our Yukon to tow and the LT's on it were worn out, I switched back to P's. Even unloaded, the vehicle feels like a marshmallow compared with the much firmer D rated LT's that were previously on it. Although the ride is smoother with the P's, I preferred the firmer feeling the LT's provided and will switch back when these P's wear out in a couple of years.
|
OrangeTJ
|
08/09/11 12:06pm |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: pros and cons of 2003 dodge cummins?
I don't know about the 03 from experience, but I am VERY happy with my 05 2500 quad cab 2wd CTD. Mine is the 325/610 engine with a 48re transmission. I can't really imagine needing more, although I don't tax it very hard with our 7K lb trailer. It tackles mountain passes with ease and return 19ish mpg in mixed unloaded driving and 15ish towing. GREAT truck.
|
OrangeTJ
|
08/03/11 10:09pm |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: Some diesel questions
I don't think it's overkill. We tow our Keystone Bullet 282BHS with an 05 Dodge 2500 CTD. The trailer has a "dry weight of about 5,100 pounds but we're about 7K loaded and ready to go down the road. I have not regretted going with the diesel once since buying it a year and a half ago. SO much nicer of a towing powerplant than the 4.8 V8 in our 04 Yukon. Obviously, the 2500 is a whole lot more truck than our Yukon was but it is a MUCH more comfortable/relaxing towing experience and gets better mileage to boot. Better mileage means more range to me and I don't like to stop unless I want to, not because I need fuel.
|
OrangeTJ
|
08/03/11 10:03pm |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: Dodge Ram 2500 ST Quad Cab 2WD Diesel Pros & Cons
I have an 05 SLT 2500 Quad Cab CTD auto. Probably not much difference between the two. I get about 19 in mixed around town/freeway driving and 15+ towing our Keystone Bullet 282BHS. Very happy with the truck overall.
|
OrangeTJ
|
08/03/11 09:57pm |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: has anyone given up on slides?
We've only had ours for 2 years now, but no issues with the slide whatsoever. If something ever does go wrong, we'll just get it fixed and keep on with it. For us, the advantage of having the extra space all the time is worth the risk of a potential problem at some point.
|
OrangeTJ
|
08/03/11 09:42am |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: TT for family of 7 that can be pulled with Chevy 1500???
Also, your kids are only going to get bigger and heavier! A 2500 seems like the minimum requirement. You might also look at 1 ton vans.
|
OrangeTJ
|
07/29/11 03:57pm |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: Towing Capacity 1990 F-250 4x4
For the single towing trip you are talking about, I bet the reality is that you'll make it just fine. Slowly but fine, which is no big deal. There's certainly no sense in buying a whole new truck just to go over 7-10 miles worth of hills.
|
OrangeTJ
|
07/26/11 08:36am |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: Chevy 5.3 vs 6.2
I think you'll be happy that you went with the 2500. Congrats!
|
OrangeTJ
|
07/26/11 08:33am |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: Towing Capacity 1990 F-250 4x4
Any significant hills along the way? I've driven my father's well maintained 90 F250 with the 7.4 gasser carrying a Lance 9 foot camper and towing a 16 foot runabout and found it to be very slow going (i.e. 35ish) up any significant grade. I can't even imagine towing 13,500 over the mountains with it, although I'm sure it can be done.
I'd think your truck's chassis is probably up to the task, particularly given the suspension mods you've noted, but don't plan on being in any kind of a hurry!
|
OrangeTJ
|
07/25/11 04:39pm |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: Chevy 5.3 vs 6.2
If you're going to "upgrade" your tow vehicle, then do it in a meaningful way. That's my opinion anyway. I don't much see the point of getting out of one 5.3 half ton Chevy and into another, even though the 6 speed auto would be an improvement. IMO, that's just an incremental step up. The big engine will likely give you the upgrade in performance you're seeking while the smaller may leave you wondering "what if".
|
OrangeTJ
|
07/25/11 09:46am |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: ditching the 35 inch tires
I think it's more likely that people will no longer think you have insecurities related to the size of your...ahem...manhood. You should also be prepared for the reality that people will think you're smarter in that you're adding real world capability to your truck vs. sacrificing function for cosmetics. Also, people will be less likely to assume that the truck belongs to a backwards hat wearing 20 year old. If you can deal with those ramifications, I think you'll be pleased with the move to 285's. ;-)
|
OrangeTJ
|
07/20/11 10:24am |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: 5.3 vs 6.2 on a Chevy 1500
As I said it won't be for at least a year. Maybe more. I loved the way my diesel pulled, but for me personally the 140$ tank of fuel is plain old stupid.
For me, a $140 tank of fuel that takes me 575 miles is better than a $100 tank of fuel that takes me 350 - 400 miles.
That said, I'd imagine the 5.3 would be fine for pulling just about any popup out there. The 1500' are nice, smooth daily drivers for sure.
|
OrangeTJ
|
07/15/11 09:36am |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: A $35,000.00 mistake or buyer beware.
15K makes no sense as the GCWR. My 05 Dodge SLT 2500 CTD Quad Cab has a GCWR of 20K pounds. No way yours is 15K. Also, if you're uncomfortable with the payload weight being exterted by the pin, you could look at installing the spring packs from a 3500.
Alternately, you could buy an F450 and stick some F250 badges on it. No way the HOA geeks will know the difference. Since that's an utterly stupid and arbitrary rule anyway, I wouldn't feel any moral obligation to follow it.
|
OrangeTJ
|
07/14/11 04:23pm |
General RVing Issues
|
|
RE: Finally upgrading my tow vehicle
I can't speak to the qualities of the other trucks, as I've not owned them. That said, I wouldn't worry about the 3.73 behind the Cummins, having that axle in my own 05 2500(with the 325/610 engine and 48RE auto). Power is not an issue. I haven't towed 14K with mine - not even close, but I doubt the engine would struggle harder than any other with that load. While mine will easily maintain 50-55 (or more, but I drive conservatively) over any pass I've yet thrown at it while rarely dropping out of 4th (just Sierra passes here, not the Rockies) I imagine you wouldn't be climbing major passes in OD with that much weight, but a downshift or two will likely provide all the power you'll need and the engine seems happy to operate at whatever RPM you throw at it within its rev range. 4.10's wouldn't be particularly desireable to me behind the Cummins as it runs out of revs at 3200 rpm and makes peak power around 2900 IIRC. Towing at steady speed, I generally see 1500 to 2100 rpm depending upon whether the TC is locked up and whether I'm holding on to top gear.
|
OrangeTJ
|
07/14/11 08:20am |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: 98-99 vs 00-03 Suburban / Tahoe
Hmmm...we pulled our Keyston 282BHS (over 31 feet overall length) with an 04 Yukon. It wasn't as solid and planted feeling as the 05 Ram 2500 I subsequently picked up but the biggest shortfall was power, not stability. I would think the OP's smaller trailer would likely be just fine behind a Yukon/Tahoe. Of course, the Burb would be even better in that regard but I wouldn't be afraid of a Tahoe in that application. FWIW, my buddy as a 98 with the 5.7 and it sure doesn't feel any more powerful than our 04 with the 4.8 (which is to say... mostly sufficient but not very powerful).
|
OrangeTJ
|
07/14/11 08:14am |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: Yokohama Geolander's
Which Geolandars are they? HTS, ATS, etc? We used the ATS when towing 7000 pounds with our Yukon and had no problems at all (at least not any related to the tires).
|
OrangeTJ
|
07/10/11 09:15pm |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: Tow Vehicle
Do you have to have a new truck? I paid much less for my 05 2500 diesel with 23.5K miles on it than I would have paid for any new truck. With the pre-dpf/def diesel, I get good mileage to boot. Even new, 250's/2500's with the right engine don't have to cost more than a half-ton. Personally, I gladly trade a few luxury gadgets and gizmos to have a truck that is more capable.
|
OrangeTJ
|
07/06/11 04:17pm |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: What tuner is best for the Duramax
The best tuner is the one attached to the bottom of your right ankle.
|
OrangeTJ
|
07/06/11 08:47am |
Tow Vehicles
|
