Mledtje - The camper tie downs in the bed of my pickup have bent the bed where they are attached. I haven't checked, but it may be that when the folks at Four Wheel installed the camper they didn't reinforce it properly. One of these days I'll get around to checking it out.
Tundradude - How about some info on your new rig? Was it new or used? Was there something wrong with the old trailer? Inquiring minds want to know.
Went up into the Sierras this past weekend. There's still a good deal of snow on the ground. The main roads were cleared, but the side roads were not. I promptly got stuck on one of the side roads. The snow was in patches on the road, and I didn't realize how deep it was in the last patch I attempted to cross. It wasn't very bright of me to attempt it. The truck came with street tires and I have been waiting for them to wear out before buying some all-terrain tires. As I started across the snow the truck got high centered and the tires didn't have enough grip to keep me going or to back up. Once I lost traction it was all over. It took several hours to get out. I got stuck about 4 in the afternoon and it was dark thirty by the time I got out. There was, of course, no moon, so it was Dark with a capital D. And did I say cold? I'm glad I have the camper - it took the anxiety out of the possibility of spending the night. I was planning on spending the night anyway, just not stuck in a snow bank. I was thinking one of those high lift jacks would have come in handy, but I don't think the bumper on my truck it strong enough to support one of those. Do you think the tow hooks would work with a high lift jack? The tow hooks look heavy duty and should be able to take the strain of supporting the front of the truck.
Jim "There is a fixed amount of intelligence in the universe, and the population keeps growing."
I am getting ready to replace the D rated tires on my 00 Ram 4x4. I didn't realize there was so much difference in E rated tires. Some are rated nearly 800 lbs. more than others. Does anyone know what the wheels on this truck are rated for(in weight)?
Mike, I think your idea of a bracket on the back of the camper is a good one. It would be very clean and hardly show at all. You would need to make sure it's anchored into something solid though, not just the sheet metal.
Get rid of the street tires! That kind of hassle just isn't worth the money saved by waiting (in my opinion). You must have really been feeling your oats to take on a drift large enough to high center the truck. I'd be nervous doing that with TA's and 4wd.
I also found some snow this weekend. I picked a spot on the map I haven't been to - Shaver lake east of Fresno. It's at 5400 feet on had plenty of snow. So. Cal Edison runs a campground there that they keep open all year by plowing. It's a nice place off-season but a little pricey. Probably crowded in-season. Here's a picture.
I've never noticed that much difference between E range tires. I assumed they were pretty much the same since they aren't available in a large range of widths. The Firestones that came on my Silverado are rated at 3040 lbs at 80 psi. I replaced them with wider D range tires rated at 3000 lbs at 65 psi. You can stay with D and still get the weight capacity you need.
It looks like you have steel wheels. I don't know their rating but I wouldn't worry about it. They've worked fine so far with the load you carry. You could find some aftermarket steel rims and see what the typical rating is.
If you have the stock wheels, then their capacity is at least 1/2 of the rear axle capacity. Check your door jamb for the rear axle capacity. Should be listed as something like "gross rear axle weight rating" or something like that abbreviated.
The term "load rating" on tires is actually a little misleading; it corresponds to the old "ply rating" and is a measure of how "tough" your tires are (basically, how hard they are to puncture). An "E" tire is "tougher" than an "D" tire.
The "weight carrying capacity" of a tire is a function of how much air it holds. A larger tire at lower air pressure holds the same amount of air as a smaller tire at higher pressure.
An "E" tire is "tougher" than a "D" tire, so the manufacturer can certify it to be mechanically sound at a higher air pressure. Thus, a 245/75R16 load range E tire at 80psi has the same weight carrying capacity as a 265/75R16 load range D tire at 65psi.
If you go to the BF Goodrich Tires site (www.bfgoodrichtires.com) and download the .PDF file for the All-Terrain T/A, you will get a wondeful comparison of size/load range/weight capacity combinations.
Vince, I thought I read on a earlier post that you had used some of that Par bond on your Lance camper. I have a 2000 Lance 1010 and was wondering what was the criteria (leaks preventative maint.or other factor?) that made you use it? I looked through the mfg. literature and couldn't find any reference. Should you go over the factory caulking or what? My camper has been outside in a northern Wisconsin winter with only a cover on it. Does the factory caulk break down?
Also, what are your experiences with an anti sway bar?
Sorry for all of the questions but you sound knowledgeable.
Yes I used ParrBond on my roof joints. It was preventative, the right time to seal is before you get a leak. My camper was built in '91 and has been outside uncovered probably all its life. The factory sealer was totally cracked and useless. The internal seals, like under the vent flanges, were doing the job to keep water out but Lance always has more than one seal which I think is a good idea. I used a wire brush on a drill motor to knock off loose bits of the old seal. Not much came off. Then I sealed right over the original. Not the ideal method but I figured if it can stand up to a wire wheel then it's pretty well attached. Anyway the old stuff offered mechanical support to the new so I think it works well. Next I need to do all the marker lights, windows, etc on the sides. The silicone like stuff they used is mostly pulled away. The Lance dealer has a tube of stuff for this job that is better than regular silicone, which doesn't last long at all. I don't know what it is, maybe urethane or maybe just better silicone.
I feel the roof should be resealed on a regular basis. I really don't know how long but somewhere around 5 years seems good. A visual inspection is the best way to tell when it's needed. A good source of information is the service manager at your Lance dealer. Those guys see it all and know the real truth.
As far as sway bars go, I consider them required equipment if you are carrying a camper. For not much money you improve the handling and safety of your rig without loss of ride when unloaded. The truck always comes with a front bar but usually not a rear one. If you want to read some outdated (they redesigned the bar) information on a Hellwig bar, click on the bar link at http://members.home.net/vofm.
Steve, The 1010 is great. We ordered it with all the options except air,Ben and the fiberglass outer walls. We had a Sunlit BB on a 95 Chef and even though we loved the Sunlit we really appreciate the features of the 1010, big refrig, oven, shower, toilet microwave etc. The only problem is that I keep tearing off the rubber bumper from the camper when I load. I think there is too much friction on the spray in bed liner when I lower the jacks and it pops off. I'm trying to figure out what to do with that.
When its used it sits onto of a 2000 K2500 Chef Extra cab. Ye, I'm overweight by about 900 lbs.with the wife and kids and everything else in the load. I don't seem to have any problems we made a 6,000 mile trip from northern Wisc. to the state of Washington and back and I really felt the truck and camper were an excellent match. The Lance dealer installed air bags and they are really nice. Although sway isn't a big problem I'm going to install a sway bar before we start camping this summer. I would have done that last summer but Hellwig didn't have the ones for my truck when we left. The truck has the 6.0Liter engine and seems to have enough power for most of the things I run across. Going up the mountain passes I shifted into second gear and went the same speed as everyone else. Believe it or not this rig has more get up and go than the '95 had with the sunlite. I ordered that truck with a 350 and I swear I got a 305 instead. All in all I'm really pleased with this package.
I read with great interest your post about your Lance 1010. That is a very nice camper. I am researching campers and like the Lance 920 and the Lance 1010. I have a GMC Sierra 2000 2500 ext. cab long bed with the 6.0 and 4.10 rear. I was wondering if you are towing anything now or planning to with your camper. If you are towing how is the handling and performance of your truck? I am planning on towing a boat and trailer weight of 3500 lbs. I would prefer the 1010, but with that setup I believe I would be too over loaded. Regardless of the camper I choose I plan to install anti -sway bar and air bags. Any thoughts would be appreciated by anyone. Thanks.
I tow a 16ft boat that with the trailer weighs around 2000#. I hate to use the cliche but "I don't even know its behind me." One time last spring in a hurry, I failed to secure the coupler on the ball and eventually the boat was going down the road on the safety chains at 60mph and had a good sway to it. Again, I really didn't feel anything but I saw it acting funny through the window in the door of the camper. I slowed down and re hooked the wires and the coupler and went on our way. I have the 3.73 rear end and with the 4.10 I doubt you would have any problem at all. When you compare the 920 to the 1010, check the weights, the 1010 weighs only 105 lbs. more than the 920 dry. Also, I wasn't real crazy about the position of the ridge in the 920 although it wasn't a real big deal. In any slide-in you can always use a few inches of space. The main thing is you are interested in a Lance and that puts you ahead of most other brands. In all the brands we checked in on the Lance was a clear winner, we didn't check out the Bigfoot line as we couldn't find a dealer but I've heard nice things about them.
Actually the 1010 is only about 50 lbs heavier than the 920 if you get the rear bumper on the 920. Ronnie, in your post you say you ordered with all the options except "air,Ben and the fiberglass outer walls" did you mean to say generator? Am I correct in assuming that you have a "normal" K2500 Chevrolet, as in an 8600 lb GVWR? As for the rubber bumpers on the front of the camper try spraying a little silicon spray on the rubber bumpers right before you load the camper. Also regarding rear sway bars. Addco sells one as well and it may fit better than the Hellwig.
I managed to rip the bumpers off my camper for good. In mine it wasn't the friction, rather it was the stiffener bar which goes across the front of the bed and ties to the Happyjac brackets. I'm now experimenting with mounting the bumpers to the truck rather than the camper. Last time I taped them under the bar with duct tape and they worked fine. For folks without the bar problem, you could mount the bumpers to a board and hook it to the front of the bed somehow.
Awhile back I asked if anyone had heard of a plastic film you could put on your truck to prevent rock chips. Someone thought it was a 3M product, but I couldn't find any reference to it anywhere.
The April issue of Popular Mechanics has a reference to it. The stuff is called "3M Scotchcal energy absorbent thermoplastic urethane film." It supposedly does not yellow, doesn't harm your paint, and will peel off with no difficulty when you're ready to remove it. They even have a $1000 paint protection guarantee.
Check out this site. http://www.superhitch.com/ They list tiedowns for Silverados, you'll have to check if they fit your HD. My problem with these tiedowns is the forward chain looks like it will block the fuel door.
I just noticed something similar in the Performance Products catalog. It is a clear film to put over your headlights to reduce damage and aging. It's probably the 3M material cut to fit and increased in cost a few thousand percent.
Thinking, ok, dreaming about getting a pick up camper. I remember as a kid riding in the back of a camper to baseball games. Is that recommended anymore and does anyone allow people to ride in the back of their camper?
It all depends of where you live. Here in CA it's allowed so long as you have an intercom between the cab of the truck and the camper. I have no idea if having a boot between the truck and camper qualifies or not. Lance recommends against it because of the lack of seat belts in the camper and the possibility of injury in the event of an accident.
I have a 2000 3/4ton long bed 4x4 6.0 auto and 4.10gear.I carry a 2000 Lance 920 with most options including air and composite walls.Fully loaded for a 2 week trip to Maine including 2 people it weighed 9810 lbs. Mileage ranged between 8.5 and 11 mpg.I averaged 10 most of the time.
I'm planning on getting a 3/4 ton and a 30 foot travel trailer later this year. I've been waffling between the 8.1/Allison that I want and the 6.0/4sp that I probably should get for the relative fuel economy. How does your 6.0 pull your trailer?
I believe a slider window on the truck and camper qualify as a way to communicate with someone riding in the camper. But to meet the CA law they still need seatbelts in the camper. It's perfectly safe to have people riding back there as long as you aren't in an accident, at which point it becomes particularly unsafe. It's really a matter of whether you're willing to play the odds or not.
caveman, that is very good mpg. I get 9-11.5 with a 9.4' Lance on a 2000 2500 4wd 4.10 auto 6.0. Usually it's about 10. Drive 65-70 on the freeway.
I went to Camping World today to buy a Fan-Tastic Vent to get ready for summer. When I walked in a clearance sale notice was up listing some amazing bargins, like 50-90% off, because they were clearing some stuff out. They had one open-box 12V evaporative cooler which had a normal price of $699 (ya right) which was going for $122. Wow! I bought it. It fits in a std vent opening and is only 1/2 as tall as a typical AC unit, maybe less. It has a reversible fan so I can still use it like the Fantastic fan, plus it actually COOLS, and on only 12V. Well, cools as well as a swamp cooler can. The best part is one of my vent openings is AC ready so it has wiring and a water line already there! I'll post some pictures (surprise).
Steve, Yes, it is an extended cab. I can drive 65 to 70 on the interstates most of the time. On other roads it just depends on everything. I do have a nice picture and a scanner but have no idea how to e-mail the picture. If you can tell me how I will send it. Mark
I normally carry a slide in truck camper that I have had from Ohio to Tennessee and in the mountains of New York and Maine. I am very happy with the performance of the 6.0. I also have a 27.5 ft 5th wheel trailer that I pulled one time in Ohio that probably weighted 6500 lbs when I pulled it. I can definitely tell the difference in the weight but the truck still did OK. It would be much more noticible in the mountains but under most circumstances the wt that I have in my trailer which would be over 7,000 lbs fully loaded would be about the limit for that engine.On thing, the truck has very good brakes. tkanks, Mark
You click on the participant's name to get their email address. Once you have the picture scanned to a .jpg or other format as a file on your drive then open the new email message, click on the "attach" button or menu selection (method varies by program) and when the dialog box pops up, select the picture file from wherever you put it on the hard drive. That's it, once you send the email the picture will come along with it.
mine is a 6.0 2wd. 3.73 auto with a lance lite 8ft. 6in. that weighs about 2200 lbs with fiberglass walls and ac. 12.5mpg 60-65 mph. empty 15-16 on freeway at 70 -75. Around town and some hwy 14-14.5 mpg.
Our popup camper has a rather small refrig, so we have to use small sizes of everything. We needed some containers to separate the stuff and make it all accessible.
We took the back ends off of 2.5 gallon water containers and they work great! One container has margarine, jelly, mustard, relish, mayo, another has lunch meats, cheeses, etc.
I cut the back 3" or so off the water containers and my wife keeps saying, 'We need one more of those containers'. I think we have about 5 of them in that little refig.
Mike L
For us, this makes it easy to access everything, and it keeps small items from rolling behind the salad dressing.
Turns out Las Vegas is a great place to watch the drags. Much easier to get into and out of than Pomona or Sears Point. And free parking! If you are self contained, you can stay in the parking lot (that may cost, I don't know).
We visited the Race Rock Cafe - they have alot of real race cars hanging on the walls and off the ceiling, including a couple of Top Fuel rails, several Nascar cars, Sprints, Indy cars, and more. The line was too long to eat there, but it was worth walking through.
We also went to the Imperial Palace car display. Admission is $6, but we stopped and asked how to get to the display and were given free passes! It would have been OK for $6, but it was great for free.
On the way home, we detoured through San Diego. Went to the world famous zoo, and checked out the Auto Museum in Balboa Park. A small display of quality cars and motorcycles and automobilia. It was also free day at the San Diego Model Train Club... Man, what a series of displays!! O gauge, S gauge, HO gauge, N gauge, and Lionel 3 track. Some of the layouts took 2500 sq ft or more. And they are still adding on!
Went to a very good little Mexican restaraunt in Chula Vista - Casa Don Diego, 1199 3rd St - highly reccomended if you are ever in the area.
Well, I better go unpack the camper before I get caught here!
I finished the swamp cooler installation today. It went well and overall seems to be a good unit but I have a few dislikes.
The weather seal is one strip of foam tape you have to stick around the opening. It's up to you to make it bend 90 degrees around the corners. Then only 4 bolts from inside to hold the unit down and compress the foam. Of course the foam isn't compressed much in the middle. Plus the screw holes from the original vent are outside of the foam so it's up to you to seal those somehow. I put sealer and screws in the holes. I think I'm going to make a 90 degree seal between the side of the unit and the roof using Snow Roof and nylon webbing. Kind of messy but functional as a second seal.
It isn't too noisy but the air flow is a little hard to direct. It doesn't really put out a huge amount of air from each vent but not bad. I'll have to wait for the heat to see how effective it is. I do like the fact that it has a low profile on the roof so I won't catch trees much more than I do now. I put a few pics on my site.
We went into the casino's. Actually lost $1 in a slot and made $2 in another machine. You have to go through the casino to get to the Stratosphere viewing platform, or to the Imperial Palace Auto Collection.
The SD Zoo is worth visiting. Be prepared to walk a lot! It is a big place. Don't take the bus unless you want to walk back and check out all the little exhibits the bus misses. Get there early, and don't go on a week that kids are out of school (like before or after Easter). We got there at 9am opening and left at 3pm so we could go over to the Auto Museum and Train exhibits. You could easily spend all day there.
I found you a really nice 5/8" split lockwasher. Or do you only collect flat washers?
We stayed in RV parks. Averaged about $20/night. We plugged in every night and used our little electric heater. It is much quieter than the furnace and since the electric is essentially free, we saved the propane.
Congrats on the screaming deal of the year on the swamp cooler!
Before riding in a camper it is worth going to the video store and checking out The Blues Brothers. I'm sure the scene in which the cop peels out from behind the road sign into the path of the pickup camper is heavily staged. It does carry a message, however. Never saw so little fiberglass insulation go so far.
Has anyone ever used nylon insert lockwashers instead of split washers to hold the trailer ball to the hitch? I sometimes put a ball on my tractor drawbar and would like to be able to get it off more easily. Also, does anyone have a source for large diameter nylon insert nuts?
I think you are talking about two different things here. The type of nut used would not affect how tight the nut should be tightened. A nylon locknut should be just a tight as a nut with a lockwasher, and should take just as much torque to loosen it.
The nylon does not function as a locking device. It's function is to prevent a nut that has come loose from free spinning and coming completely off the fastener. Usually that means you have to wrench a nylon locking nut all the way off, it won't spin off until the nylon is completely off the threads.
A slotted nut and cotter pin with an appropriate hole drilled in the ball might work better for you. The cotter pin will prevent loosening of the nut, and with the cotter pin removed the nut will spin free once you loosen it.
If you still want a nylon locknut, McMaster-Carr carries them up to 1 1/2". They also carry the slotted nuts up to 2"
I've got a 2wd 2000 model Silverado 2500 with the 6.0 engine and 3.73 rear axle. I'm currently pulling a travel trailer that goes about 5000#, but will soon be upgrading to another trailer that weighs about 6500# (fully loaded).
Most of my towing is pretty much flatland, except for occassional trips to the Texas hill country. Any opinions on whether my 3.73 axle will be OK for pulling the new 6500# trailer, or will I/should I upgrade to a 4.10 gear set?
Also, I'm always mystified by the towing tests I see in Trailer Life magazine. They've shown my truck in various tests with acceleration times 0 to 60 MPH of 20 to 25 seconds or less while pulling a 6000# or higher trailer weight, yet the best I can do pulling my current 5000# rig is about 30 seconds. They even had a test on a Toy Tundra pulling a 6300# trailer 0-60 in 19 seconds - what's up with that?!
Any opinions on either topic would be appreciated.
OK, we'll see how the new trailer pulls next weekend when I pick it up. I've been pretty satisfied with the peformance of the 6.0 when towing, except that the acceleration times seem relatively slow. Once I get it up to 60, it pulls like a pack mule all day long.
Acceleration seems slow with the 6.0L engine because you have the 4L80 transmission which has a high first gear. Kind of slows down the initial take-off. I think the 1st gear is 2.48 vs. 3.06 for 1st gear in the 1500s.
Yeah, the tranny gear ratio is part of the difference. What I don't get though is why my 2500 seems so much slower than some of the 2500s tested in Trailer Life. Last night, I looked at an issue from a few months ago where they tested a GMC 2500 pulling a 7600# trailer, with 0-60 time of 24 seconds. The test truck had 4.10 gears vs. my 3.73, but it was a 4wd truck (heavier than my 2wd) pulling a trailer that weighs 2000+# more than my current rig. Just seems to me with my lighter trailer and lighter truck, I should be able to do just as good as this test truck, even with the difference in rear axle ratios.
Well, I guess it doesn't make a lot of difference anyway. The truck pulls the trailer well, its real stable and I can cruise easy at 65mph if I want to.
Just wish I had waited 1 more year and ordered the HD version. I see the HD is only available with a 4.10 axle when you get the 6.0 engine.
I made a run over to the coast this weekend. Price of unleaded in Cambria was 2.10 per gallon. I didn't buy any gas in Monterey because it was too expensive and when I got to Cambria I didn't have a choice. 19+ gallons $40. Ouch!
Comments
Tundradude - How about some info on your new rig? Was it new or used? Was there something wrong with the old trailer? Inquiring minds want to know.
Jim
I promptly got stuck on one of the side roads. The snow was in patches on the road, and I didn't realize how deep it was in the last patch I attempted to cross. It wasn't very bright of me to attempt it. The truck came with street tires and I have been waiting for them to wear out before buying some all-terrain tires. As I started across the snow the truck got high centered and the tires didn't have enough grip to keep me going or to back up. Once I lost traction it was all over. It took several hours to get out. I got stuck about 4 in the afternoon and it was dark thirty by the time I got out. There was, of course, no moon, so it was Dark with a capital D. And did I say cold?
I'm glad I have the camper - it took the anxiety out of the possibility of spending the night. I was planning on spending the night anyway, just not stuck in a snow bank.
I was thinking one of those high lift jacks would have come in handy, but I don't think the bumper on my truck it strong enough to support one of those. Do you think the tow hooks would work with a high lift jack? The tow hooks look heavy duty and should be able to take the strain of supporting the front of the truck.
Jim
"There is a fixed amount of intelligence in the universe, and the population keeps growing."
I also found some snow this weekend. I picked a spot on the map I haven't been to - Shaver lake east of Fresno. It's at 5400 feet on had plenty of snow. So. Cal Edison runs a campground there that they keep open all year by plowing. It's a nice place off-season but a little pricey. Probably crowded in-season. Here's a picture.
It looks like you have steel wheels. I don't know their rating but I wouldn't worry about it. They've worked fine so far with the load you carry. You could find some aftermarket steel rims and see what the typical rating is.
The "weight carrying capacity" of a tire is a function of how much air it holds. A larger tire at lower air pressure holds the same amount of air as a smaller tire at higher pressure.
An "E" tire is "tougher" than a "D" tire, so the manufacturer can certify it to be mechanically sound at a higher air pressure. Thus, a 245/75R16 load range E tire at 80psi has the same weight carrying capacity as a 265/75R16 load range D tire at 65psi.
If you go to the BF Goodrich Tires site (www.bfgoodrichtires.com) and download the .PDF file for the All-Terrain T/A, you will get a wondeful comparison of size/load range/weight capacity combinations.
Also, what are your experiences with an anti sway bar?
Sorry for all of the questions but you sound knowledgeable.
Thanks
Ronnie
I feel the roof should be resealed on a regular basis. I really don't know how long but somewhere around 5 years seems good. A visual inspection is the best way to tell when it's needed. A good source of information is the service manager at your Lance dealer. Those guys see it all and know the real truth.
As far as sway bars go, I consider them required equipment if you are carrying a camper. For not much money you improve the handling and safety of your rig without loss of ride when unloaded. The truck always comes with a front bar but usually not a rear one. If you want to read some outdated (they redesigned the bar) information on a Hellwig bar, click on the bar link at http://members.home.net/vofm.
What do you think of your Lance 1010 and what are you hauling it with?
Thanks,
Steve
When its used it sits onto of a 2000 K2500 Chef Extra cab. Ye, I'm overweight by about 900 lbs.with the wife and kids and everything else in the load. I don't seem to have any problems we made a 6,000 mile trip from northern Wisc. to the state of Washington and back and I really felt the truck and camper were an excellent match. The Lance dealer installed air bags and they are really nice. Although sway isn't a big problem I'm going to install a sway bar before we start camping this summer. I would have done that last summer but Hellwig didn't have the ones for my truck when we left. The truck has the 6.0Liter engine and seems to have enough power for most of the things I run across. Going up the mountain passes I shifted into second gear and went the same speed as everyone else. Believe it or not this rig has more get up and go than the '95 had with the sunlite. I ordered that truck with a 350 and I swear I got a 305 instead. All in all I'm really pleased with this package.
Good luck on your decision
Ronnie
Ronnie, in your post you say you ordered with all the options except "air,Ben and the fiberglass outer walls" did you mean to say generator? Am I correct in assuming that you have a "normal" K2500 Chevrolet, as in an 8600 lb GVWR?
As for the rubber bumpers on the front of the camper try spraying a little silicon spray on the rubber bumpers right before you load the camper.
Also regarding rear sway bars. Addco sells one as well and it may fit better than the Hellwig.
Steve
The April issue of Popular Mechanics has a reference to it. The stuff is called "3M Scotchcal energy absorbent thermoplastic urethane film." It supposedly does not yellow, doesn't harm your paint, and will peel off with no difficulty when you're ready to remove it. They even have a $1000 paint protection guarantee.
The website to check it out is: http://www.xpel.com
Jim
"You can lead a horse to water, but if you can get him to float on his back you've really got something."
Check out this site. http://www.superhitch.com/ They list tiedowns for Silverados, you'll have to check if they fit your HD. My problem with these tiedowns is the forward chain looks like it will block the fuel door.
Is your truck an extended cab? What kind of speed do you normally drive at? Do you happen to have a picture of your rig you can email me?
Thanks, Steve
Mike
caveman, that is very good mpg. I get 9-11.5 with a 9.4' Lance on a 2000 2500 4wd 4.10 auto 6.0. Usually it's about 10. Drive 65-70 on the freeway.
Yes, it is an extended cab. I can drive 65 to 70 on the interstates most of the time. On other roads it just depends on everything. I do have a nice picture and a scanner but have no idea how to e-mail the picture. If you can tell me how I will send it.
Mark
I normally carry a slide in truck camper that I have had from Ohio to Tennessee and in the mountains of New York and Maine. I am very happy with the performance of the 6.0. I also have a 27.5 ft 5th wheel trailer that I pulled one time in Ohio that probably weighted 6500 lbs when I pulled it. I can definitely tell the difference in the weight but the truck still did OK. It would be much more noticible in the mountains but under most circumstances the wt that I have in my trailer which would be over 7,000 lbs fully loaded would be about the limit for that engine.On thing, the truck has very good brakes.
tkanks, Mark
We took the back ends off of 2.5 gallon water containers and they work great! One container has margarine, jelly, mustard, relish, mayo, another has lunch meats, cheeses, etc.
I cut the back 3" or so off the water containers and my wife keeps saying, 'We need one more of those containers'. I think we have about 5 of them in that little refig.
Mike L
For us, this makes it easy to access everything, and it keeps small items from rolling behind the salad dressing.
We visited the Race Rock Cafe - they have alot of real race cars hanging on the walls and off the ceiling, including a couple of Top Fuel rails, several Nascar cars, Sprints, Indy cars, and more. The line was too long to eat there, but it was worth walking through.
We also went to the Imperial Palace car display. Admission is $6, but we stopped and asked how to get to the display and were given free passes! It would have been OK for $6, but it was great for free.
On the way home, we detoured through San Diego. Went to the world famous zoo, and checked out the Auto Museum in Balboa Park. A small display of quality cars and motorcycles and automobilia. It was also free day at the San Diego Model Train Club... Man, what a series of displays!! O gauge, S gauge, HO gauge, N gauge, and Lionel 3 track. Some of the layouts took 2500 sq ft or more. And they are still adding on!
Went to a very good little Mexican restaraunt in Chula Vista - Casa Don Diego, 1199 3rd St - highly reccomended if you are ever in the area.
Well, I better go unpack the camper before I get caught here!
Mike L
Do you recommend the zoo? I've been meaning to get down there but have not made it so far.
The weather seal is one strip of foam tape you have to stick around the opening. It's up to you to make it bend 90 degrees around the corners. Then only 4 bolts from inside to hold the unit down and compress the foam. Of course the foam isn't compressed much in the middle. Plus the screw holes from the original vent are outside of the foam so it's up to you to seal those somehow. I put sealer and screws in the holes. I think I'm going to make a 90 degree seal between the side of the unit and the roof using Snow Roof and nylon webbing. Kind of messy but functional as a second seal.
It isn't too noisy but the air flow is a little hard to direct. It doesn't really put out a huge amount of air from each vent but not bad. I'll have to wait for the heat to see how effective it is. I do like the fact that it has a low profile on the roof so I won't catch trees much more than I do now. I put a few pics on my site.
http://members.home.net/vofm/camper/swamp1.jpg
http://members.home.net/vofm/camper/swamp2.jpg
http://members.home.net/vofm/camper/swamp3.jpg
We went into the casino's. Actually lost $1 in a slot and made $2 in another machine. You have to go through the casino to get to the Stratosphere viewing platform, or to the Imperial Palace Auto Collection.
The SD Zoo is worth visiting. Be prepared to walk a lot! It is a big place. Don't take the bus unless you want to walk back and check out all the little exhibits the bus misses. Get there early, and don't go on a week that kids are out of school (like before or after Easter). We got there at 9am opening and left at 3pm so we could go over to the Auto Museum and Train exhibits. You could easily spend all day there.
I found you a really nice 5/8" split lockwasher. Or do you only collect flat washers?
We stayed in RV parks. Averaged about $20/night. We plugged in every night and used our little electric heater. It is much quieter than the furnace and since the electric is essentially free, we saved the propane.
Congrats on the screaming deal of the year on the swamp cooler!
Mike L
No rust I hope.
Has anyone ever used nylon insert lockwashers instead of split washers to hold the trailer ball to the hitch? I sometimes put a ball on my tractor drawbar and would like to be able to get it off more easily. Also, does anyone have a source for large diameter nylon insert nuts?
Thanks
Ross
The nylon does not function as a locking device. It's function is to prevent a nut that has come loose from free spinning and coming completely off the fastener. Usually that means you have to wrench a nylon locking nut all the way off, it won't spin off until the nylon is completely off the threads.
A slotted nut and cotter pin with an appropriate hole drilled in the ball might work better for you. The cotter pin will prevent loosening of the nut, and with the cotter pin removed the nut will spin free once you loosen it.
If you still want a nylon locknut, McMaster-Carr carries them up to 1 1/2". They also carry the slotted nuts up to 2"
www.mcmaster.com
Most of my towing is pretty much flatland, except for occassional trips to the Texas hill country. Any opinions on whether my 3.73 axle will be OK for pulling the new 6500# trailer, or will I/should I upgrade to a 4.10 gear set?
Also, I'm always mystified by the towing tests I see in Trailer Life magazine. They've shown my truck in various tests with acceleration times 0 to 60 MPH of 20 to 25 seconds or less while pulling a 6000# or higher trailer weight, yet the best I can do pulling my current 5000# rig is about 30 seconds. They even had a test on a Toy Tundra pulling a 6300# trailer 0-60 in 19 seconds - what's up with that?!
Any opinions on either topic would be appreciated.
You have more engine and more gear than he has. You won't have any problems, certainly none worth the $700-1000 a gear change would cost.
Mike L
Whats a good brand/web site to look at floor plans and creature comforts for pop-up's that fit a Short Bed these days? In Iowa--
Do they make them for SB's??
Or do you use 8'and go with tail gate down??
HD 4x4 LT 8100/alli/3.73 SB
75v
POPUP:
http://www.fourwheelcampers.com/
http://www.palominorv.com/
http://www.phoenixcampers.com/index.html
http://sunliteinc.com/
http://www.northstarcampers.com/
http://www.alaskancamper.com
http://www.lite-craftcampers.com
http://www.hallmarkrv.com/
Good luck,
Mike L
Well, I guess it doesn't make a lot of difference anyway. The truck pulls the trailer well, its real stable and I can cruise easy at 65mph if I want to.
Just wish I had waited 1 more year and ordered the HD version. I see the HD is only available with a 4.10 axle when you get the 6.0 engine.
I didn't buy any gas in Monterey because it was too expensive and when I got to Cambria I didn't have a choice. 19+ gallons $40. Ouch!
Jim