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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: Gas price jUMP!
Just (10 min ago) paid $3.61 here in central NY. Some stations have jumped 10-15 cents today to the $3.70ish range. This should keep us running for 2-3 weeks if we have to.
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Exocet
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09/12/08 09:07pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Truck cap - Rear Window Wiper
The ARE Z-Series cap I had on my old truck had a wiper option. It already had a hole on the glass for it. But, that was back in 2002. Things might have changed between now and then.
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Exocet
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09/07/08 04:36pm |
Towing
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RE: Broken Stove Vent Flap
Ours broke recently as well. It was securely closed when it broke. I might try the metal rod approach and some epoxy to hold it to the plastic flap. Given that it appears to be a common failure item, it probably doesn't make sense to bother replacing it with the same type.
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Exocet
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09/04/08 06:15pm |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Minivan question re: Freestar
The advantage of the Freestar was the 4.2L V-6 produced 265 ft-lbs of torque. Great for towing. The downside is that Freestars are notorious for shredding torque converters. Been there, done that.Interesting, I keep my ear pretty tuned to the automotive industry even though I don't turn a wrench for a living anymore. This is the first comment I've heard of this problem. A quick check of the internet does not confirm your statement.
Freestar reliability ratings
A lot of people STILL confuse the Freestar with the earlier generation Windstars, which DID have transmission problems. Those vans had a different transmission, yanked from the Taurus, that was undersized for minivan duty from the beginning.
Windstar reliability rating
The transmission in the Freestar is a descendent of the transmission in the Windstar. The transmission reliability is much better, but the torque converters have problems. Check out the Freestar forum on Edmunds. A lot of reports of failed torque converters. Granted, this isn't a scientific sampling. But that many failures of the same component is suspicious.
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Exocet
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09/03/08 07:23pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Zion to Bryce avoiding the tunnel
We drove UT-14 out of Cedar City 3 times (all without the TT) on our recent trip. The first 8-10 miles eastbound is 4%-8%. It's a little winding, but having done it, I wouldn't worry too much about taking the TT over it. The shoulders are decent and there aren't any real sharp turns. On the eastbound portion, there is a passing zone about halfway up. Once you're up top, the road is pretty easy going. One time we followed a large DP MH. He had no trouble maintaining a decent speed. From Cedar City, you gain about 4000 ft in altitude. The change in scenery is impressive. Be on the lookout for the lava fields. Cedar Breaks is also worth a stop.
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Exocet
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09/02/08 07:11pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: New Truck Break-In
I had about 5K miles on my TV before the first tow. I also had the "don't exceed 50 MPH for the first 500 towing miles". For the first 200 miles, I kept it to about 60 MPH. For the next 300+ I kept it to about 65 MPH. There's no way I would drive down the interstate at 50 MPH when the prevailing traffic is doing 70-75 MPH. I also changed the diff fluid after my first tow.
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Exocet
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09/02/08 06:45pm |
Towing
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RE: Leaving Mt Eaton,ohio to I 40 West
What route are you taking up?
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Exocet
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09/01/08 06:46pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Minivan question re: Freestar
The advantage of the Freestar was the 4.2L V-6 produced 265 ft-lbs of torque. Great for towing. The downside is that Freestars are notorious for shredding torque converters. Been there, done that.
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Exocet
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09/01/08 06:31pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: leak tests as yearly maintenance?
I would consider it a good investment. Small leaks can go undetected for years and cause thousands of dollars in damage. I would consider it very important to do on trailers with laminated construction.
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Exocet
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09/01/08 06:17pm |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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RE: Travel Trailer Inspection
NY requires trailer inspections as well. All they do is check lights and make sure your brakes work. Cost is $6. The sticker is not placed on the outside of the trailer, so its not obvious if you have had an inspection or not. I usually do the TT, but not my utility trailer since I tow it less than 20 miles per year.
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Exocet
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09/01/08 06:04pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Nissan Titan towing
I have an 08 SE, CC, 4x4, long bed. A very capable tow vehicle. The long wheelbase makes for a very stable towing platform. The 37 gal gas tank is great as well. I just completed a trip from NY to AZ to MT and back with about 6000 miles of towing. Got 7-11 MPG with an average of 8.9 MPG at 65 MPH.
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Exocet
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08/28/08 07:18pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Gallup, NM to Albany, NY
We just drove the I-44 route (going the other way) and found it to be a decent road. Whatever you do, don't take I-40 through downtown Oklahoma City. It's bad enough in only a car, let alone towing something.
I would take I-70 to Columbus and then take I-71 to Cleveland. Then get on I-90. It's probably shorter than heading into PA then up to I-90.
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Exocet
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08/22/08 06:18pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Grand Canyon-Zion- Back East Route
That's the route we took on our recent trip to get to the Zion area from the Grand Canyon area. Good roads all the way. The only significant hills are both going downhill. First, just north of Flagstaff. Second, coming into Virgin, UT. Coming back, you could go up I-15 to I-70. Then head east. That's probably the easiest.
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Exocet
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08/19/08 07:35pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Erie PA. to Boston
Just did the Erie to Binghamton stretch 2 weeks ago. The section from the NY/PA border to Chatauqua Lake is rough. One or two stretches of construction. No major slowdowns. There are a couple of other sections of I-86 that are on the rough side. NY17 is pretty good. I can't comment on I-88 as I haven't been up that way in 2 years.
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Exocet
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08/18/08 07:26pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Rapid City to Niagara Falls - By pass Chicago
We recently travelled I-80 around the south side of Chicago, and didn't find it that bad. We went through that area about 2:00-3:00 on a Wednesday afternoon. On our 8000 mile trip, we found the I-15 stretch from Provo to Salt Lake City to be far busier.
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Exocet
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08/16/08 07:38pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: TT Suspensions
Our old PU had a torsion axle on it. Our current TT does as well. I wouldn't consider either to be "high-end". They were/are very smooth riding.
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Exocet
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08/16/08 01:41pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: towing with chrysler concorde
A couple of years ago I saw a Concorde towing a 27-28 ft Airstream down the road. I couldn't believe it. It must of had the bigger engine. :)
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Exocet
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08/09/08 07:10pm |
Tow Vehicles
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Parking Lot Follies
Who has gotten stuck (or nearly stuck) in a parking lot with your RV? On a recent trip I turned into a parking lot only to see a small sign that said "Small Lot, No RVs, Trucks, or Trailers". Of course by the time I see it, the TT is halfway in. At this point, I can either proceed into the lot and take my chances, or try backing the TT out onto a busy road. Well, I went into the lot and proceeded to turn around. After about 10 minutes of back and forth manuvering, I finally got turned around. For a while I thought I was going to unhook the TT to get the TV turned to a better angle.
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Exocet
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08/08/08 07:25pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Our cross country follies.....(long) UPDATE
Wow! Your trip was far more interesting than our 32 day trip. We only had two things go wrong. #1, after driving through a Texas downpour, I discovered that a previous roof repair had come undone and left about a 2" opening along the front edge of the roof. Fixed at the next campground. #2, the exterior flap on the range vent broke somewhere in SD. Added to my "to do" list after getting home. I guess we should consider ourselves lucky!
The only real excitement happened the time I forgot to block the TT wheels and the TT almost rolled down into the woods with me hanging on to the tongue jack trying to stop it. Fortunately, it stopped 5 ft short of a tree.
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Exocet
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08/06/08 07:06pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Maxxis tires??
I just put a set of 4 on our TT. Drove about 6000 miles with them. No issues and hardly any treadwear. Maxxis also has a 4 year warranty. Most others are no more than 2.
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Exocet
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08/06/08 06:39pm |
Beginning RVing
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