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RE: Traveling to the NW
McKenzie Pass in Oregon (Hwy 242) is closed to trailers due to switchbacks. I have towed over plenty of roads in Oregon that wouldn't be advisable due to 10 mph turns and single lane bridges. These roads are out in the sticks and are lightly traveled. Large trucks service the towns out there so you can make it.
Don't know the height of your rig but I would stay off of Washington 14 between Vancouver and Bingen. There are some low tunnels on that stretch. Extremely beautiful road but you can enjoy the gorge almost as much from the freeway on the Oregon side.
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Durb
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01/23/20 09:01am |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Portland Oregon Parks question
If you are working at the airport and are willing to accept a 45 minute commute, then I retract and Vancouver could be an option. Usually the traffic on I205 south backs up at the I84 interchange which would be south of your exit (Airport Way). Washington doesn't have any income tax. However, you won't be able to evade Oregon's income tax if you work in the state but live in Washington.
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Durb
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01/21/20 08:19pm |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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RE: Portland Oregon Parks question
Whatever you do, I wouldn't recommend finding a spot in Vancouver. The distances may look short but the commute over the river is brutal. Portland has refused to add to their road infrastructure during a period of growth and the traffic is bad. Find a place that is as close to your job as possible. By the way, welcome to the forum and to the Northwest!
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Durb
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01/20/20 08:06am |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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RE: 20k USA made hitch for rails?
Curious. Over half the posts are recommending B&W products when they don't even manufacture a hitch that meets the OP's criteria. Let's see...your rig weighs 20 thousand pounds, use an 18 thousand pound hitch, that's pretty close. Or....I exceeded the capacity of my 18k Patriot, so you should be fine. Am I seeing bad advice here?
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Durb
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01/20/20 07:59am |
Towing
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RE: 20k USA made hitch for rails?
Trailer Saver TS3, 25k. Might as well have a comfortable ride in the process.
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Durb
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01/19/20 02:32pm |
Towing
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RE: Auto slider or manual
If you have the factory puck system, you may not need a slider. It appears GM may have addressed this issue when designing the new truck. They installed a longer bed plus they put the gooseneck ball 2" behind the axle centerline for additional cab clearance. I have observed this truck with a puck mounted B&W hitch and the owner had set it up so that the jaws were over the gooseneck mount. You may want to measure the ball to cab clearance and see how it jives with your trailer.
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Durb
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01/18/20 01:14pm |
Towing
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RE: 5th wheel tires
G rated tires on a 11,700# trailer? Talk about massive overkill. My trailer has an 11,500" GVWR and could have been optioned with passenger tires. I tow with 16" LRE tires and have around a 50% safety margin while towing at approximately 10,500#. I towed with Towmax tires (China bombs) for four seasons with zero issues. I'm currently running Goodyear Endurance. The tires tow the same, longevity and speed ratings are the only criteria I used.
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Durb
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01/17/20 07:22pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Kirkland motor oil
If there is one store that has earned my loyalty, it is Costco. I trust their marketing and packaging departments have done their homework and are offering a quality product at a fair price. If they offered a 15/40 diesel blend I would change in a heartbeat. However, their chicken seems to be overpriced!
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Durb
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01/17/20 10:42am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Goodyear Endurance tires?
Goodyear has a load inflation chart for the Endurance tires which can be observed on the internet. You won't need to pump them up to 80 psi. I like my Endurance tires after one season. The only thing that set me back was their 1/4" tread depth when new. No big deal as most ST tires age out rather than wear out. I think they would be a nice upgrade.
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Durb
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01/14/20 10:09am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Prepping RV for private sale
Thanks all. I will most likely get the slide topper and replace the ladder and yes, full disclosure. But here's a question - for those of you who have bought and sold: assuming the RV is in very good shape, clean, empty, attractive, etc.and it goes on the market at the right time of year, are the NADA value listings a fairly reasonable guide for what one can expect to sell at?
My experience is no. Better to check the ads and see what the marketplace is doing. I asked $21k for a travel trailer, NADA said it was worth less than $9k. Had a potential buyer that offered me $9k and got indignant when I declined. Sold the trailer an hour later, sight unseen, for full price which was fair.
I don't know how NADA arrived at that value, maybe a depreciation formula. The existing market is a better indicator.
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Durb
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01/13/20 10:15pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Truck bed plug or just use plug in bumper for 5th wheel
I towed for a year with the bumper plug, it was fine. I installed one in the bed and I prefer it. The bed plug fits better with my hook-up routine of checking my hitch jaws and hooking up the brake cable.
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Durb
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01/12/20 11:16am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Pets and National Parks
We don't travel with pets but I recall some posts regarding private parks in West Yellowstone having dog tending services due to the particularly long-visit nature of Yellowstone Park.
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Durb
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01/10/20 07:26pm |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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RE: 2004.5 Dodge 3500 towing capacity questions?
Those are some big tires for that truck, 6,000# per tire, same as my dually's tires combined. My guess is my 04.5 dually has the same 9,350# rear axle as your truck. With two people and around 400# in the bed, my rear axle weighs in at 3600#. The engine won't think twice about it but with a 40" tire rolling diameter you will be stressing your clutch and truck brakes. I'm assuming you are talking fifth wheel or gooseneck.
Poor advice here: I would make sure my trailer and truck brakes were top notch and tow the 30 miles. If my buddy's truck broke down, I wouldn't think twice about hooking up his 16k fifth wheel and towing it to a safe place.
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Durb
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12/31/19 12:18pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: New Trailer Day!
Congratulations on your new trailer. Since you will be new to sewer hoses, I would recommend one of those clear adapters that go between the trailer's outlet and the sewer hose. It is nice to know what is going on when dumping.
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Durb
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12/27/19 10:20am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Hard tonneau covers and 5er hitch
I have an Extang tri-fold on an eight foot bed and have no problems towing when folded. There are clips that hold it in the open position. I would verify that your hitch pin placement is further rearward than one third of your bed length so that you pin box doesn't interfere with the cover. When my cover is folded, the stacked panels add about 2" of height over the bed rails. Not a problem towing but things can get a little close when backing tight up a hill. I still love the cover after five towing seasons with it.
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Durb
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12/23/19 10:06pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Imagine tt by Grand Design
We have a 31 ft. fifth wheel with a lot more windows and interior cubes than that trailer and we do fine at a hundred degrees with a 15k air conditioner. Wait a minute.... we don't have humidity issues so we can be comfortable at 80. Plus, it always cools down at night. I'm beginning to think I don't know what I'm talking about!
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Durb
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12/22/19 09:35pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Motorhome, 5th Wheel or Pull Trailer
Having had a small pull behind, then a small 5th wheel and now a 30 ft. Class C, I'm going to say the 5er wins this one. But, consider that you won't be traveling in high wind very much so its not a priority to me.
You live in Galesburg, does that refer to gale force winds? :)
Have to agree with the fifth wheel. I've owned tent trailers, travel trailers, and now a fifth wheel behind a dually. We travel the Columbia River Gorge frequently with the fifth wheel and have virtually no wind movement with the rig. I will say the wind is usually in your face or on your tail. Probably makes a difference.
I have friends with motorhomes that complain about wandering with no wind at all.
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Durb
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12/19/19 10:08am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: 5er hitch options RAM MegaCab w/6'4" bed - Solitude 310GK
Thanks, I stand corrected. I apologize
No apology needed. I think we are all trying to give the OP good information.
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Durb
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12/13/19 09:33pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: 5er hitch options RAM MegaCab w/6'4" bed - Solitude 310GK
After reading your post again, I don't believe thats TRUE as far as not using that Rotoflex with the Andersen, unless there is some reason the adapter cannot fit on the pin box. Looking at it ,I can't see where thats an issue. The Andersen is not a gooseneck hitch . If I remember there was the same said about the MorRyde. IMO you are confusing what they say, not to use with a gooseneck hitch. The Andersen is no more a gooseneck then my Reese hitch. Connecting the Andersen with a ball to the adapter changes nothing as far how the MorRyde functions, which is fore ,and aft movement . Is that not the same function of the Rotoflex, and if not, it still would not make any difference. I can see a problem with the gooseneck arm trying to flex back, and forth being extend down to the bed.
Unless I am missing something , that Andersen does not change anything other instead of sliding into a conventional hitch ,and connected ,its connected with a ball. As said its NOT a gooseneck, there is a lot of difference.
Check the Andersen website. A lockout kit is required when using an AUH with a RotoFlex pin box. The part number for the kit is 3247.
Andersen's own videos show the hitch being used with a MorRyde pin box.
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Durb
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12/13/19 08:20pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Pin Box again Moryde vs Trailair
I'm confused, I have always thought chucking is the forward, and backward motion.
You are correct. Many on this forum think chucking is just hitch noise. The trailer generates fore/aft motions when it goes over bumps. All trailers are different and the amount of chucking forces vary. When you are bouncing off the seat backs and your wife has to hold her chest, you know you have a chucking problem.
Some blame chucking on a hitch and suggest hitches that don't chuck. If the hitch caused chucking it would be evident when the trailer isn't hooked up. It isn't, the trailer generates the chucking forces.
There are ways to make trailers chuck less like better axle equalization, trailer shocks, and loading. There are also design implications like length and mass placement that cannot be corrected. One tactic is to harden the rear suspension on the truck (via air bags) to keep the trailer from pushing down and, at the same time, not pushing forward. This works but is hard on both the truck and trailer.
There are two basic types of hitches and pin boxes. There are solid hook-up styles that transmit all the trailer generated forces to the frame of the truck. There are soft joint styles that convert trailer generated forces into heat and dissipate them (air hitches, MorRyde, air pin boxes). These devices don't stop chucking forces, they just make sure they don't reach your seat back.
The thought of airing down the trucks tires seems absurd to me. Think about it. The trailer pushes forward on the pin box, the pin box is securely attached to the hitch, the hitch is securely attached to the frame of the truck which is attached to your seats. Why would airing down the tires help as they are totally removed from the energy path? If anything, sidewall compliance could cause the trailer to push further down and, at the same time, push further forward making chucking worse.
There are the lucky few that don't notice the chucking forces their trailers generate. You will find they fall in to the camp of "Since my trailer doesn't chuck, therefore yours won't either if you have the same gear". They are easy to identify.
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Durb
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12/13/19 10:00am |
Fifth-Wheels
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