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RE: Strait line vs Equal-I-zer?
I love my Reese DC, I think you'll like it. Like others have said, you are better off installing it yourself if you think you are capable and learning how to adjust it. I typically only have to adjust after a significant change like a new hitch, new bar ends, adding a riser ball, etc. Most seasons I make no adjustments. It completely transformed my towing experience with regards to how it handled the air pressure from passing vehicles.
Another reason to install it yourself, many here on the forum that had the dealer install theirs had to fix it anyway. Many dealers do not seem to know how to do it. Plus if the trailer and vehicle is not fully loaded it can't possibly be adjusted right. I make my final tweak after we are loaded and ready to go.
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Wishin
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04/19/12 04:41pm |
Towing
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RE: Another truck test 3/4 ton
I've always been a Chevy fan, but the Ford has a real nice interior. The back seat especially, the Ford wins with no comparison. Comfortable, even in the middle and a nice head restrain for all 3 seats. Underneath the Chevy is still my favorite. Oh well, my wife wants a Suburban so it doesn't matter so much to me. I look forward to seeing the new GM trucks in a year or two, they can't get here fast enough.
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Wishin
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04/14/12 06:56am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Am I....missing something....or just hallucinating?
Certain pad types produce a lot more brake dust than others. This does not mean they are low quality either, just made with different priorities in mind. Many high performance pads produce a lot of dust.
There have been many full size trucks made here in the USA with inadequate brakes. A modern frontier had larger/better brakes than some full size trucks of years back.
Similar vehicles are rated differently in different parts of the world. They may not be overloaded at all.
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Wishin
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10/18/11 10:02am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Raptor frames bending
So you're not suppose to hit a 12" bump at 55 mph? I don't think I'd try that no matter what the ad. videos showed. I can see why they're mad however.
I'm thinking it wouldn't bend towing a trailer.
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Wishin
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10/08/11 08:59pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Winterized-Remove battery?
I've always removed mine (2 6v's) and kept them in my attached but unheated garage (much warmer than outside however). They stay fully charged all winter (6-8 months) without ever charging them. I'm thinking of leaving them in the trailer disconnected this year.
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Wishin
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10/08/11 10:42am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Batteries gel vs water
If you wanted to use the extra battery tray in your truck, you'd have to add the dual battery wiring for it. If you're going to be driving around on a regular basis I guess you could switch batteries (truck extra for the trailer) when the trailer battery gets low in the trailer. With cautious use of electricity and 2 v6 golf cart batteries from Sam's I can go a full week without charging. Furnace use however would require a charge every 1-2 days however.
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Wishin
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10/08/11 08:22am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Do you still sugest a sliding hitch?
My dad has a slider, but he never uses it that I'm aware of. It is a Reese and binds up too often and is very difficult to move from towing position to the manuver position (or back). Before that he didn't even have a slider. He's been pulling a 5er since '92. I'm sure they are nice if they work properly, you have to be much more careful if you don't have one. Their newest 5er, a Couger, has the corners cut out so it can turn sharper than their previous Cardinal. If I thought I could afford one I'd probably get one if I was confident it worked quickly and easily enough. I've observed others in campgrounds struggle to get theirs to slide back as well.
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Wishin
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10/06/11 07:48am |
Towing
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RE: Lubrication of Weight Distributing Hitch?
I use wheel bearing grease. I actually had to replace the heads on my trunnion bars after I got my trailer used, which came with the used w/d hitch, because I don't believe the previous owner ever greased it. They were worn significantly and the wear was worth at least a chain link. He owned it 7 years and I don't think they traveled a lot with it and the last couple of years hardly used it.
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Wishin
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09/30/11 04:20pm |
Towing
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RE: Adding A Utility Shower
I have thought of doing the same thing and had some of the same concerns. I was thinking of rigging up my own shower by tapping in the low point drains and just hook it up when needed. Maybe even buy the kit you're talking about but mount it on something that can be tucked away when not in use.
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Wishin
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09/30/11 10:25am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Air bags for rear coils-recommendations
I agree with where the thread is going. Add washers to get to the front at the unhitched height, your rear end will still sag some. If you have auto level shocks, don't they bring the rear up to the correct height? If that is so then you really just need to focus on getting the front end back down to a normal height.
I have Airlift bags in my rear coils. I have a different vehicle than you so I don't necessarily recommend doing what I did. I removed my air shocks so I could buy a higher quality shock for my vehicle (Bilsteins). I then connected the auto level air line to the air lines on the Airlift bags. My auto level control now controls my rear height by using the Airlift bags instead of the air shocks which are no longer there. The auto level control however never lets the air pressure in my vehicle drop below 10-15 psi, which is too much for an unloaded vehicle in my situation. I removed the air seal in the pump to allow it to drop as low as necessary. My car even with no fuel and empty still requires a small amount of pressure to keep it level so I don't have to worry (too much) about the bags going to zero, which could cause them to get pinched or out of position. Airlift recommends a minimum of 5psi all the time.
As Eric James said, I initially set up my w/d hitch with the autolevel disconnected and then put the fuse back in when done. This did not work out so well. I have the Reese dual cam system and this caused my cams to go out of alignment. It also allowed the air bags to take some of the load off my w/d bars and my front end went back up a small amount. After that I tilted my head a bit more and then rechecked my front end height after the auto level had done its job of bring the rear back up. It was a bit of trial and error like any hitch set-up except I had to let the auto level readjust before taking my measurements. In the end of course I readjusted my cams to make sure they are centered. If you don't have the dual cam system you don't have to worry about that part. Everything works great now.
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Wishin
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09/29/11 01:53pm |
Towing
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RE: Tundra Towing ability...or lack thereof?
Thanks guys - no non factory options on the truck. Typically it is me and the wife, a pug, clothes for a weekend, firewood for the weekend, food and a cooler. High side, lets say 600 lbs. That leaves me 680 in tounge weight? So if I maxed the 25DS at 6,119 and figure 15% tounge weight = 917 lbs and 10% would be 620lbs (plus whatever the WDH weighs??)
Thanks,
Jack
I think you've got it figured out. The clothes and most of the food will be in the trailer however so that will give you a little more breathing room. You should weigh the truck with you and the wife inside and the stuff that won't go in the trailer to see how much payload you have left and how much left over capacity you have for each axle, they you can be more confident in your estimate on how much tounge weight you can handle.
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Wishin
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09/29/11 11:57am |
Towing
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RE: 2011 F150 5.0L Towing capacity and GCWR
Besides the possibility of the empty trailer being even heavier when options, battery, propane, etc. is loaded, I believe you're underestimating the amount of stuff you'll put inside. If you usually carry 700lbs in the trailer now, a bigger trailer will encourage you to bring more, trust me. You might want to double the 700lb number to 1400lbs. As the kids get older they will bring more stuff as well.
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Wishin
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09/29/11 09:11am |
Towing
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RE: 2006 Ram 1500 max reasonable tongue weight
It appears that you only have 702 lbs of excess rear axle capacity. Most of the hitch weight and everything in the bed plus some of what is in the cab will use that up. Even if you keep your hitch weights under 700lbs loaded you'll still probably go over your rear axle rating, plus you'll be nearly at or over your GVWR. I'm in the same situation with my tow vehicle. The next TV will either be a 3/4 ton Suburban or a 1 ton van for me.
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Wishin
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09/29/11 09:06am |
Towing
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RE: Keeping power cord from dragging
Mine makes one loop around the tounge jack to give it the right length.
My w/d hitch has a mount for 2 friction bars and at times in the past I've tied it to the one of the left since it doesn't have a ball in it. I have a Reese dual cam so I don't use the right side one either. You can get velcro cord ties that work well in place of zip ties, or you can buy zip ties that you can undo rather than the one time use ones.
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Wishin
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09/29/11 08:12am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: VERY Newbie needs help picking a tow vehicle!
The trailer you have picked out has 11.8% hitch weight from the factory (540/4595) and you will probably maintain that or increase it slightly if you try to shoot for an ideal hitch weight (12.5%, some may say 13%). This trailer could easily be 6500 lbs loaded, maybe more which would give you a hitch weight of 800 lbs or more, maybe closer to 900 depending on final loading. I would say most of the 1/2 ton suv's could handle this but be sure and find out their actual payload to see how much you have left over for people and gear in the vehicle. If you end up with 850 lbs of hitch weight and you only have 1200lbs of payload then you could easily run out and be overweight. Overloading the rear axle is pretty easy if you aren't careful as well. The Hensley hitch many are promoting is a very nice hitch that makes for a more stable towing experience but it also adds a lot of weight that is equivalent to tounge weight.
You might be better off with a 3/4 ton Suburban which can handle a 1000lb tounge weight (not great but more than enough for your trailer) and it will have more payload as well. If you carefuly shop some of the tow vehicle on your list perhaps you can find one with enough payload but you will be cutting it very close. Most only have a 4000 to maybe a 4500 lb rear axle limit, a 3/4 ton Suburban has a 5500lb rear axle limit. It also has a large fuel tank (38-39 gallons) which is nice for towing as well when you're getting 8-10 mpg.
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Wishin
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09/29/11 07:58am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Whatever Happened to the Mighty Suburban for TTs?
What happened to the Suburbans? 2 words: Crew Cab.
Pick up trucks with Crew Cab confirurations have significantly cut into the sales of large SUV's. They tow more, have usable bed space, drive better, and set up to 6 people.
Very true. Crew cabs were only available on 3/4 & 1 ton trucks until just the last 10 years. Crew cab trucks are more than enough for most of the families when few people have more than 2 or 3 kids.
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Wishin
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09/27/11 07:07pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Towing a TT with a Traverse
I believe the hitch is limited to 520lbs of hitch weight with weight distribution. For a typical (ideal) 13% hitch weight that would mean a 4000lb (fully loaded) trailer would max out your hitch. This means you need a trailer that is probably no more than 3000lbs empty. This will also give you your buffer for extra weight in the vehicle that will subtract from your tow rating.
I think that if you stay in MI you'll be fine if you keep your weights within these guidelines.
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Wishin
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09/27/11 01:11pm |
Towing
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RE: Whatever Happened to the Mighty Suburban for TTs?
Tue a booster seat does fix the issue, but I'm not sure the problem is gone by the time they outgrow a booster seat. I have a friend that has a 2001 GM Express with the factory 2nd row buckets (back when they made the inhouse conversion van) and he has 4 boys and he only allows one of them to sit in one of the seats due to the same issue. His boys are 10, 11, 11, & 12.
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Wishin
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09/27/11 10:56am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Whatever Happened to the Mighty Suburban for TTs?
There really aren't any "great" options for larger families that want a bigger trailer.
GM Fullsize Van: No tow mirrows available, even in the aftermarket. No head rests other than the front row buckets (unless you want a conversion van, I don't).
Ford Fullsize van: Even more ugly than the GM with the latest grill. No headrests like the GM vans. They do offer nice 2nd row buckets in the E150 but apparently not in the E350. No curtain air bags. 5.4L has fairly low tow ratings so you'd need to upgrade to the V10 which will use more gas.
The GM van also has a 16,000 GCWR like the 'burb.
Ford does have high-back seats in all rows now. But there's an even better option. A company in SoCal called CVC and More will install up to 14 reclining captains chairs, which are quick release, and re-condigurable for trips when you don't need as many seats, and want more elbow room.
http://images.dealercarsearch.com/Media/3267/T9C750_14.jpg
I have the CVC seats, and they are great for long drives.
I'm not sure how useful curtain airbags are in a full-size van. Not too many things are tall enough to touch the windows in a side impact crash. And the Ford vans do have anti-intrusion beams in the body.
The extra fuel used by the V10 is pretty marginal, and the power it makes is sure nice to have.
I tried to build a van on the Ford website and it wouldn't allow me to add the buckets to the rear unless it was an E150. I have seen the CVC seats, those look interesting. I've mostly checked them out on used Enterprise vans on ebay. I do worry about the seatbelt alignment and your picture shows what I worry about. The seatbelt looks like it will run across your neck (if not your face) on the curbside seats. It would be nice if the seats had a seatbelt guide. Maybe they work for adults but I'm not so sure about with kids.
While I agree a van sits up high and curtain airbags are probably less useful there than in a lower vehicle, you just never know. I'd still like to have them.
I'm still seriously considering the van option. The most appealing thing about the vans is the huge cargo room. My trailer is not beefy enough to handle a rear bike rack and I'm tired of loading them into the inside, I currently use a rack on our bed. It would be nice if all the bikes went in the tow vehicle which a van would work well for, I'm not sure about the Suburban. My MIL has one, I'll try a test fit on hers to see if we could cram them all in using a fork mount homemade rack.
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Wishin
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09/27/11 04:33am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Whatever Happened to the Mighty Suburban for TTs?
There really aren't any "great" options for larger families that want a bigger trailer.
Suburban: The 1000lb limit on tounge weight is the biggest issue along with tha fact the hitch is not replacable. I may get one anyway since I don't think I'd ever want to go that big on trailer size and have no plans to replace my current trailer.
All other SUV's: No 3/4 ton version and most also have the same tounge weight limitations as the Sub. if not worse.
Trucks: No 3rd row obviously
GM Fullsize Van: No tow mirrows available, even in the aftermarket. No head rests other than the front row buckets (unless you want a conversion van, I don't).
Ford Fullsize van: Even more ugly than the GM with the latest grill. No headrests like the GM vans. They do offer nice 2nd row buckets in the E150 but apparently not in the E350. No curtain air bags. 5.4L has fairly low tow ratings so you'd need to upgrade to the V10 which will use more gas.
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Wishin
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09/26/11 10:21am |
Travel Trailers
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