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RE: Sorry state of fuel in North America
Not for me...for all the other "the MAN is keeping the GOOD cars from us!" people (hint - if they really were trying to keep us in fuel hogs - we wouldn't have 3/4 and 1 ton trucks with diesel engines...the big block gas mills still out tow and out perform the diesels, just at a much higher rate of fuel consumption).
I just don't want to have to pay more for my baking needs because of this, lol.
It's not the man, a conspiracy to keep fuel prices high, or any other garbage like that - it's partially an infrastructure issue (not enough stations selling diesel for people to feel comfortable making the jump), and largely a cost issue - diesels cost more to purchase, cost more to maintain, and the fuel costs per gallon are higher.
I've run the numbers for myself, and found the same result that has kept me from buying a hybrid - at the end of a 5 year period, the typical fuel efficient "normal" vehicle will be far cheaper in a straight up gas model than a hybrid or diesel when you factor in purchase price and maintenance.
Heck, I got really excited when I heard about the Chevy Volt. Figured that was the perfect solution - electric car with a backup gas motor in case you ran out of juice away from a charging station...until I saw the sticker price of the thing - 41K+! Compared to something like a Cruze at 17K...That 24 thousand dollar difference is equal to over 180,000 miles of gas at the current $4/gal rate - 24,000/4/gal=6,000 gallons of fuel @31mpg combined=186,000 miles. Sure, the cost of fuel is likely to keep rising over the years, but everything will continue to rise in price as well just due to inflation.
I ran the same numbers on the diesel vs gas when I was looking at buying another truck. The purchase price+cost of fuel+cost of maintenance on a diesel just didn't make financial sense to me over the cost of a gas engine. I can see it making sense to full timers, or people constantly towing/hauling heavy loads, but for the majority of us commuting or making the grocery store runs, it just doesn't work out, financially, in the end compared to gas.
That financial aspect is the largest part of what's holding back diesel adoption for the majority of us
On an RV forum you are analyzing financial options??? Are you kidding? There is probably no RV for purely recreational usage part time (not full time) that begins to financially pencil out. The RVIA has provided statistics that suggest the average RV is used less than 20 nights a year. And we pay for the RV, often interest on the loan, suffer depreciation when we sell it, maintenance costs, the tow vehicle and all the rest of the registration and taxes, etc. For twenty nights a year it would be for most of us much less expensive to just buy that Prius that you don't think is financially savy and stay in motels or hotels.
You comment about gasser big blocks is so dated I am wondering if you are Rip Van Winkles cousin or something. The newer diesels all have more than 600 foot pounds of torque and the newest ones are up around 800 foot pounds. This is compared to the Ford V-10 big block at aound 480 foot pounds of torque. And the gasser does not come with the fantastic exhaust brake nor will it get towing anywhere near the diesel mileage. I have no idea how long a gasser big block will last but most diesels are in it for the long haul, some have passed one million miles without overhaul. I sort of doubt the gasser will go that long. More to the point, considering longevity the diesel will be less expensive if the owner likes to keep trucks a long time. It will outlast several gassers.
Do yourself a huge favor, go drive a diesel and watch your towing world open in ways you have not considered.
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jmtandem
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05/22/12 09:31pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Sorry state of fuel in North America
I have never tossed and turned all night worrying about how much butane is in our petroleum products. This will now replace my concerns about the recession, war, socialistic trending in the U.S.A., politics, aging, health issues, and the
failure of schools to teach kids how to think!
X2
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jmtandem
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05/21/12 08:26am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: TV charging TT batteries
It depends of how discharged the battery is. However the previous poster is correct -- dead can be too far gone for recovery.
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jmtandem
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05/19/12 08:31am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: HEY we need a sticky for our TT pics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There is nothing like an Airstream. Nothing even comes close. Congratulations.
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jmtandem
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05/16/12 10:03pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Thank you all. I have my first PU Camper
I have the truck in my sig. Axles are 9350 rear and 5500 front. This gives me 14850 total. Factory tires are 2945 dual and 3145 single. Total 18070. Wheels are alcoa and stamped for 3300 each, times 6 equals 19800. Axles are my weak link. Good news is I am not anywhere near that number loaded and ready to go. Crew cab Dodges can handle heavy campers. My truck and TC have every option available. Love it.
What suspension components are you using to augment the stock set up?
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jmtandem
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05/15/12 08:22am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Thank you all. I have my first PU Camper
Well, I looked it up and the DRW rating at ground for your truck is actually about 9750#. But that really surprised me knowing how strong Ford's are. You are right. Going to 19.5" wheels & tires would gain nothing since you are exceeding the rear axle rating already.
Here are some charts I found.
Frank
Frank,
If I followed the OP's narrative and calculations then he is about 1000 over gross as the data you provided in the links give the Ford a 13,300 gross max weight. If the rear truck's axle is 9750 then it really does not matter that much what tires the OP uses as the rear axle is the limiting factor, not the tires. (I have over 12,000 pounds of rear tire capacity on my Dodge and an axle of 9350 pounds.) Ford does have a regular cab 2x4 truck that has a payload of 7000 pounds; however, that is not the crew cab the OP bought. I guess I am a little lost with one comment made by the OP that the GVWR is limited by the tires. It seems to be limited in the rear by the axle. I am not sure about how the OP calculates 'sprung weight' and 'unsprung weight' as to the wheels and tires as it does impact the GVWR. Any thoughts?
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jmtandem
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05/14/12 10:11pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Please assess this (detailed) set up...
Run the numbers using the trailers GVWR and see what happens
X2
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jmtandem
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05/14/12 10:02pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: ez grease bearings
Where do you see the grease. Is it at the zerk or behind the hub? Can you see with just the dust cover removed.
This tends to be a somewhat delicate job. It is not about forcing grease into the hub. Just add grease gently until it comes out near the grease zerk but not out of the zerk. Too much energy putting the grease in can damage a seal and contaminate the brakes.
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jmtandem
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05/14/12 10:48am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Thank you all. I have my first PU Camper
Dodge put wimpy axles (no flame wars please) on their 2011's that would not carry an Artic Fox 1150 fully loaded comfortably.
Steve,
This is an interesting comment as I have a 9350 pound rear axle and I think the 2012's also have the same axle on the Dodge 3500 dually. Anyway, more interesting to me and I can assure you that I am not a weight police guy is your comments about GVWR. Where does it say that the GVWR is a function of tires. My understanding has always been that for pickups the GVWR is a function of how well the truck stops with a load at the GVWR. It is more of a safety issue as opposed to a warranty issue. Agreed, that the GVWR is always lower than the combined axle ratings, wheel ratings and tire ratings. I went to the Ford towing guide and could not find anything in the camper section (or any section) that supports that the GVWR is a function or determined by tires.
I think from your analysis and description that your truck is a 4x4 as that would be about right for a truck weighing in at around 8500 pounds empty with fuel and one person.
Anyway, you have a super setup and I have been looking hard at the AF 1150 dry bath and trying to understand how much of my truck's payload would be used by the camper and the answer is pretty much all of it.
Thanks and enjoy your new ride.
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jmtandem
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05/14/12 09:35am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Bolting Alaskan camper to bed of the truck - good idea?
QUESTION: how tight should I have those tie-downs? Turnbuckle turned by hand then by wrench until the chain is nice and taut? I'm just concerned that too tight may not be good. Please advise
Absolutely not! Hand tight only.
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jmtandem
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05/13/12 04:28pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: camping grounds 100 from Sacramento ca
California delta, lots of good fishing and many campgrounds. 50 miles south of Sacramento.
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jmtandem
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05/11/12 06:49pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: What would you do?
I would file this issue under 'perception is reality, reality is irrevelent'. There are more important things to worry about. Once the campground took your money and let you in it is no longer your issue. It is theirs. If their 10 year rule was really enforced they would have mentioned it at the time of check in. I suspect the rule is more to screen potential guests than anything else and that it can and probably is 'bent' by the campground owners at any time and for anybody. Now worry about something else.
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jmtandem
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05/11/12 08:24am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Rachel NV
Scheduled a stop there on the way back from Bryce. Is it as bad as I hear?
What do you hear?
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jmtandem
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05/10/12 08:18am |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Bolting Alaskan camper to bed of the truck - good idea?
I owned an Alaskan for ten years and was on a Dodge 2500. In the front I used the HappiJac tie downs and in the back I tied it to the truck bed. On road off road no issues!
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jmtandem
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05/08/12 08:28am |
Truck Campers
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RE: 11 ft camper and horses?
We are looking to go back to a Lance from our 5th wheel when I return from Afghanistan next year and are looking at either a Lance 1181 or 1191. That said, we've discussed getting back into horses as well. My question for those with large campers (11ft variety) is can you haul a horse trailer with that large of a camper? Anyone have any experience with that kind of a setup?
Agree with the previous comment about the dually. As to how much horse trailer you can tow, that is dependent on the distance from the receiver on the stinger and how much trailer you will need. The Lance brochure has a handy table that provides information about trailer tongue weight and trailer weights that can be accommodated as the distance from the reciever increases up to about 48 inches. There is a dramatic reduction in trailer weight capacity with the very long 11 foot campers.
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jmtandem
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05/07/12 09:34pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Truck Campers
I got really tired of hitching, unhitching, backing up and re backing up
After three truck campers and one 30 foot TT, I can assure you that I would much rather hitch/unhitch a TT than take on and off the truck camper. I can hitch a TT in under two minutes. The TC's strengths are as stated above by others -- maneuverability and size. Offsetting that is a MSRP price entry fee for the TC being as much as or often more than the TT and the fact that most TC's require far more truck capacity than one that is only pulling a TT. If you like to unhitch and use your truck to run around while the TT is at the campground, that might be an issue as well always having the TC on the truck or spending the time and energy to off load and reload it.
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jmtandem
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05/07/12 08:08am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Pacific Coachworks Sandsport
Everyone I have talked to says to go fifth wheel as they tow much better. Only issue is that the smaller fifth wheels are considerably heavier than a larger TT. Decisions.................
And with a fifth wheel hitch in the bed of a pickup you lose a lot of dirt bike or quad carrying capacity in the bed of the truck. A premium hitch such as the ProPride or Hensely will go a long way toward a good towing experience with a pull behind. Fifth wheels are nice but if you want or need the bed of the truck for stuff they are a compromise.
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jmtandem
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05/06/12 05:51pm |
Toy Haulers
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RE: Pacific Coachworks Sandsport
I have a Pacific Coachworks Tango 30 foot trailer, a 2009. No issues except replacing tires. The fifth wheels and travel trailers have been made for about six or seven years. The toy haulers are more recent. In my assessment and why I purchased a PC Tango is that I felt they were head and shoulders above Jayco and Forest River products. The quality is very good probably more along the lines of Arctic Fox. However, they are not in the league of Airstream trailers. A couple years ago the company was bought out and the original founders are gone. I am not aware of the product's quality issues (if any) since they reorganized. One key indicator you might consider is that there are almost no negative comments about PC products on these forums-- that is good!
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jmtandem
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05/05/12 10:18pm |
Toy Haulers
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RE: The Whazoo's trip of many colors...Or...Brokefoot Mountain
Mr. jmtandem, I guess I'm now programmed to do it again, but I'd never say well done. Thank you for saying it and yes, it is easy to love AND miss Lake Powell.
I have spent time on a houseboat on Lake Powell; however, I think for me the truck camper program is better. Bring the mountain bikes and do exploring (of course having a broken foot doesn't help with mountain biking). I can't wait until your next trip report!
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jmtandem
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05/03/12 09:40am |
Truck Campers
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RE: It's Home
Ranger,
What mods did you need for the stock truck to carry the camper?
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jmtandem
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05/02/12 09:11pm |
Truck Campers
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