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RE: Would my (or any) TC work on a 550 w/ a royal bed?
Is the Sport Bed the one that's shaped like a standard bed on the outside? If so, I believe it has a 4x8 space to load the camper. If the camper would fit in a 4x8 box with sides the height of the pickup bed rails, it should work in the sport.
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WarrenS
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03/15/10 08:14pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Outside shower enclosures
I can't believe this. I'm siding with Sleepy. I've worked at a wastewater treatment plant for 7 years and I'm not an expert. I don't know about the rest of the country, but here, the water is treated before being used for irrigation. We then hand some of it over to the water district where it is further treated and allowed to seep through the ground back into the aquafir.
While I would agree that it's reasonably safe to drain grey water in a non-congested area (not a campground), it's still illegal on any public land in California as well as any federal land managed by the BLM, National Parks, or National Forest.
Whether you've been doing it for 30 years is irrelevant. I've been driving for 28 and have regularly exceeded the speed limit since I got my license. I get caught, I pay the fine. You take the risk when you dump illegally.
Sleepy, obviously you refuse to apply your learned knowledge.
Maybe you need to do some research.
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WarrenS
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03/01/10 09:11pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: MPG CHEV 4X4 2500 VORTEC 8.1
Like Bob Shaw, I love this engine (and the Allison tranny with it). Too bad it was discontinued. The only problem I've had with it was pulling the motor mount bolt out and nearly overheating. Low gear, low range, with my camper (4300#), towing my trailer with the LandCruiser and a bunch of extra water (about 8000#) up about a 40 degree slope on a Forest Service road. To give an idea how steep it was, my friend was in his Chevy 1/2 ton 4x4 towing an early Bronco on a trailer (about 7000# total trailer weight). About 100 yards up the hill, he was spinning all 4 tires on the tow vehicle. Between the duals and the camper, I had plenty of traction.
We both ended up unloading our off-road trucks to make it the rest of the way up the hill.
Mine is an 05 in a 3500 DRW. Best I can get is 14 mpg on level ground at 50 with the AC off and no camper or trailer. Hauling the camper, towing the trailer, or running the AC decreases by about 1-3 MPG (3 at 50. 1 at the higher speeds). Doing two or more means about 1 to .5 more of a decrease. Hauling a load that sits lower than the cab seems to mean very little to the mileage.
Easy acceleration makes a huge difference.
Here's a chart of the approximate mileage I get at different speeds.
50 11
55 10
60 9
65 8.5
70 8
75 7.5
80 7
85 6.5
90 6
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WarrenS
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03/01/10 08:48pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Outside shower enclosures
I have a Sun Shower Enclosure that I have occasionally used with my camper. I strap a broom handle to the luggage rack and hang the enclosure from that.
To setup the enclosure, you just inflate the top and bottom air chambers to give it shape and hang from a hook. Most of the time is spent attaching the broom handle to the luggage rack.
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WarrenS
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02/23/10 09:50pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: crankout vs rollout awning?
Can you use an electric drill to do the crank out?
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WarrenS
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02/23/10 09:45pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: TC scared the heck out of me today!!
Good points. Also, though a good driver can often stop in a shorter distance than ABS can, in a panic stop, many drivers will lock up and skid out of control.
In the 15 years I've been driving vehicles with ABS, I've only had the ABS activate on me twice without actually trying to do so (demonstrating or testing the system). A good driver can control the braking system with our without ABS.
I would rather have it than not, but like others, would also like to be able to turn it off if I need to.
True, but one would have to define "good driver". Many people THINK they are good drivers but what is "good"? What defines a good driver? Any special training or is it just in the blood kinda born with it? The vast majority of people are simply average drivers, distracted by life, cell phones, kids, crappy wiper blades, tacos, radio stations, GPS units, pets or their super mocha crapachino latte with a double plop of whip cream and sprinkles.
I've heard that 60% of people consider themselves good drivers which goes to your point. In this case, a good driver is a) paying attention (again, proving your point), b) has practiced various stopping manuvers in the vehicle, c) is not prone to panic, and d) has quick reactions.
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WarrenS
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02/22/10 06:49am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Towing with Hitch Extenders w/ Long TCs
Remember that when your front tires are higher than the rears (starting up a hill, driveway, etc...), the trailer could hit the bottom of the camper. It would be a real pain to get under there and connect/disconnect the trailer. Finally, the closer the pivot point (the ball) is to centered between the rear tires of the truck and the trailer, the closer the trailer tires will track behind the truck tires.
RE: Extended tongue, That idea appeals (it had occurred to me early on, though I didn't know people actually did it), but I have 3 different trailers, plus a car dolly I tow with, so doing them all would be impractically expensive.
Not sure an extended "A" frame on the trailers would work w/ a WDH, either, though a 4ft longer trailer frame would probably reduce the hitch weight a lot.
Of course a SuperHitch and extender probably will set me back $800,
which is considerable, too.
Bob
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WarrenS
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02/22/10 06:45am |
Truck Campers
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RE: TC scared the heck out of me today!!
ABS is proven to INCREASE stopping distances.
This is not meant to be a flame so please don't take it that way.
You comment is a common misconception of the function of ABS. The primary function of ABS is to allow directional control while braking with low traction. Not decrease stopping distance. That is a secondary function that sometimes works out, sometimes does not.
I have a video that show the state police testing police cars with and without ABS to determine if the police car in a high speed condition is better or worse with ABS. I show it in my class when I am teaching brakes. Anyway, they tested on many different surfaces and there were times that non-abs stopped faster, and times where it did not stop faster, but when they did a sweeping right turn on gravel and hit the brakes, the non-abs car slid into oncoming traffic and off the road where the ABS car did not.
Try it out, go out in the snow, lock the brakes and see if you can turn. You can't.
Good points. Also, though a good driver can often stop in a shorter distance than ABS can, in a panic stop, many drivers will lock up and skid out of control.
In the 15 years I've been driving vehicles with ABS, I've only had the ABS activate on me twice without actually trying to do so (demonstrating or testing the system). A good driver can control the braking system with our without ABS.
I would rather have it than not, but like others, would also like to be able to turn it off if I need to.
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WarrenS
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02/21/10 09:44pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Towing with Hitch Extenders w/ Long TCs
I tow my LandCruiser on a 16' trailer weighing between 7k# and 8k# on a SuperHitch (24" extension) with a WDH setup. I started with a 2.5" Tow Beast and converted. The Tow Beast deflected several inches just sitting still where the SuperHitch deflects less than an inch.
Yes, the WDH makes a difference. Your Hensley should work fine with the SuperHitch.
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WarrenS
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02/21/10 09:31pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Unload your camper at site?
We unload if we'll be staying more than one night and the campground allows it (most do).
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WarrenS
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02/21/10 09:19pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: sewer discharge pipe.......
Every camper I've seen is on the left side at the rear.
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WarrenS
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02/21/10 09:14pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Booked 2 nights at an RV park for 140 bucks per night.
I've paid as much as $85 per night for a campsite without the olympics so I'd say you've found a smokin' deal.
Have fun!
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WarrenS
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02/14/10 04:08pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: How do you level a TC?
Sometimes we offload (more than one night). If not, I try to get the truck as close to level as I can (sometimes using the yellow lego like blocks), disconnect the tiedowns, and use the jacks to get it right. One night, I got the truck stuck in mud (left side was about 6" lower than the right). I disconnected the FastGuns and just used the jacks to level the camper, not worrying about the truck.
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WarrenS
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02/13/10 02:34pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: TorkLift vs HapiJac
I started with HJ and switched to TorkLift one component at a time (first the frame mounts on the front, then the rear, then the FastGuns). The front frame mounts and the FastGuns made the biggest difference. Like others, I don't like the way the newer bumpers flex with the HJ buttons.
This was all on my current rig with a rubber mat in the bed.
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WarrenS
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01/31/10 11:24am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Tie downs for off roading (or Ice Roading)
Mine doesn't slide around at all since I installed the TorkLift Frame mounts and FastGuns. I also have a thick rubber mat that covers the whole bed and a 2x4 across the front of the bed.
I've been on many forest service roads, Pismo Beach, and in the snow.
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WarrenS
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01/27/10 09:04pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Sewer Solution
I have one and love it. It takes way less space and makes less mess than the old stinky slinky. However, I don't use it at dump stations. I also have an 8' stinky slinky that I can use for quick dumps at the dump station.
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WarrenS
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01/26/10 06:58pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: 2001 Lance 961
I have one and it does have a slide. I've had no problem with the slide area sagging. The skirting on the left side near the rear (the part that hangs down past the wings) has had water intrusion and is soft. The water came from the bottom of the lav sink which leaked for I don't know how long. However, that section seems to be cosmetic (it's not part of the main wall structure) so I haven't worried about it.
The only complaints I've had with this unit are the lack of a bunk over the dinette, the small grey tank, a single battery rather than dual, and most importantly, the factory Magnatek converter charger. Oh yeah, also, the control board in the fridge went out and had to be replaced.
Other than that, this has been a really nice camper.
If you want to call me, send a PM and I'll send you my phone number.
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WarrenS
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01/26/10 06:45pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Duallies vs single
Calif. considers all pickups commercial. Road tolls are based on axles, not tires.
the comment on fees makes me wonder if any state considers a dually to be commercial for licensing/insurance/etc. purposes.
bumpy
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WarrenS
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01/02/10 12:49pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Duallies vs single
My DRW spends more than 90% of it's life (in miles) unloaded as a daily driver. Yes, it's a bit of a hassle taking it through some drive throughs and I do park farther away than when I drive my wife's minivan. While the length is somewhat of a problem, here in the OC, there are parking lots where my duals don't fit between the lines in a parking lot. Since I park in the boonies, it's only a problem during the holidays when the parking lots are at capacity.
Still I manage and wouldn't change for an SRW unless I also changed to a lighter camper.
Photomike,
As I read through some of the responses I see some speaking from dually driving experience, some I am not so sure how much time they have spent driving a dually. Mine is also my daily driver, now over 60,000 miles, and I also own a VW Jetta. I much prefer to take the truck. Three hundred miles in city traffic after purchasing the truck new and I was comfortable. It is not harder to drive, harder to park, harder to handle than a single rear wheel truck. I does take some thinking before hand for a few maneuvers. Skip the drive thru as that does not exist in dually land. Watch the tailgaters drift farther and farther back when raining as the tires (with mudflaps) still kick up a lot of spray), and as to cost-- it might cost a few cents per mile more than the Jetta, but it sure is more fun to drive. Activate the turn signals on the Jetta and in busy places like San Francisco or Sacramento you are lucky to get a break in the lanes to change to; do it on the dually and what a diffence size makes when people think you might be big enough to be a factor. Space is made for you, it is that easy.
That is the downside, you have alreday heard from many on the benefits. Like btggraphic, I take the truck even though the Jetta might cost a few cents per mile less. It is the fun factor. The entire fender issue (so much debated here) stick out less than the mirrors. The real issue is the length not the width, any crewcab (mega or quad cab for Dodges) is so long that the length not width is the parking factor. As the cowboys say "you can't have too much horse". My 4000 pound camper still required the truck to have air bags and overload bumpers and that is on a one ton dually! You just can't have too much truck carrying a heavy camper.
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WarrenS
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01/02/10 12:47pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Duallies vs single
You could change the gears to 3.5 or 3.7.
I'm going to add one more comment because I don't see that anyone else has addressed it yet.
Unless you're ordering a new one, a used dually will USUALLY have a very low (numerically high) final drive ratio. You may or may not prefer that depending on where you drive, how fast you drive, and how much you drive empty (for you, not much, according to the above). My 95 Ford F350 DRW only gets about 14 mpg empty at 60 mph, 12 mpg with my 11.5' TC. Kick it up to 70 mph and 14 becomes 12, and 12 becomes 10 at best. 4.10 gears in the rear, so the sweet spot in the motor is about 60 mph. It has the torque to pull a better gear, but it's not cheap to change out for no more than I drive it. (160,000 miles in 14 years, total, for 3 owners) I'll never put 10,000# behind it, though, like the original owner did, and he got to make the choice.
Fortunately, I generally have plenty of time to get where I'm going, so don't mind the slower speed to save significant travel costs. 2 mpg = almost 20%.
Bob
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WarrenS
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01/02/10 12:42pm |
Truck Campers
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