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RE: Will fifth wheel front hit truck back window?
I think I would certainly find out. Go out into a large parking lot and slowly start making tighter and tighter turns while keeping a close eye on the front cap of your fifth wheel. You will then know for sure.
IMHO, a much better plan would be use a tape measure, get the distance back of cab to center of 5th wheel. Next, measure width of cab at the height of nose of trailer. Now a piece of string, tie a loop large enough to fit around the king-pin in the end. Pull the loop straight, and measure the first measurement down the string, and put a clip on the string. Put loop around king-pin, with string in front of trailer, then move to side until clip gets to front of trailer, make a mark. Measure from that mark, back toward center half the width of cab, that is where it will contact.
Then hope you always camp on flat ground where the trailer or truck will not tilt or pitch
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Lantley
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09/21/19 06:41am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Will fifth wheel front hit truck back window?
I think I would certainly find out. Go out into a large parking lot and slowly start making tighter and tighter turns while keeping a close eye on the front cap of your fifth wheel. You will then know for sure.
It's not as simple as checking/testing on a flat parking lot.
If the ground is uneven the trailer or truck could pitch or tilt and create contact in a close turn situation.
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Lantley
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09/19/19 12:24pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Assateague Island
Coming from New Hampshire I'm sure you understand cold weather. Although December cold in MD maybe warm compared to New Hampshire in December.
Other than the cold it's doable. Not sure I'd want to do it, but if you a feeling adventurous go for it!
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Lantley
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09/16/19 09:14pm |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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RE: fresh water tank overflow syphoning tank dry
I find this thread interesting. Our fifth wheel also has a pressure fill and valves to determine city water/system use/winterize etc. Last year I started noticing that when I fill the tank to capacity it would drain WAY longer than it used to when tap shut off at house. I would get to campsite and notice my "idiot light" was showing 2/3 tank. Not trusting it I ignored it. Now I show up at a campsite and find I can add 1 or 2 6 gallon jerry cans to what I believed was a full tank. In addition our family following us on road trips notes that we lose water on left turns and not just a little...looked like smoke coming off the tires. The last time I topped off the tank I noted water coming out overflow but when I got under the rig there is actually two red "overflow" tubes with one coming out hard/fast and the other trickling out. I wonder why there is two tubes? Is one an overflow and the other the breather tube? I would really like to understand them and may have to pull the coroplast to see whats changed as it used to just drain off a gallon or two as the tank was full and somewhat pressurized.
There are two VENT tubes to prevent pressurizing the fresh water tank. With a connection to city water, the incoming pressure can be quite high and the RV manufacturer does not supply a regulator. Two vents give greater capacity for out flowing air and also adds redundancy in case of one becoming restricted. NEVER add valves to these vents, if you ever forget to open them when filling, the tank will expand causing considerable damage. If you pump water from an unvented tank it will collapse and possibly dislodge from the supports. If your check valve in the water pump or the fill valve leaks, that too will fill the tank when connected to city water so the vents need to work always.
The fact that you didn't see the water spilling out in the past was just a matter of chance, straight roads cause less spilling.
The answer is to run the vents up and out of the coach well above the water level.
I added a gravity fill port of the hatch type. The elbows at the top are the required vents. The small holes in the door act as an insect screen and allows venting with the door closed and locked. The fill hose was attached to the tank by spin welding a hose barb to it.
https://i.imgur.com/vuogavAl.jpg
I don't disagree that running the vents up and out is a good solution. However accessing the tanks to accomplish this is not a simple task.
Putting on valves is very easy. Tie a string to your faucet/finger or whatever it takes to remember to open the valves!
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Lantley
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09/12/19 04:18pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: How do you really judge TV adequacy anymore?
So far you haven't refuted that the 1500 series trucks are capable of towing within their ratings.
What you have done is advocated that heavy duty trucks serve a purpose also (no argument here).
PS: By the way, that "fairly new truck" has a 500,000 miles on it, and its still going. I'd say he got his money's worth out of it.
I expect to get my money's worth out of my F150 also.
I agree I don't dispute that 1500 series or any series truck is capable of towing within its parameters.
What I question is that a 1500 series is as capable as a 3500 series even if their payload capacities are similar.
There is more that distinguishes the trucks than simple payload rating.
Accomplishing 500K on 2 diesel engines is OK but it not an outrageous achievement. Apparently something gave out on the 1st one.
As far as getting your money's worth. I expect to get my monies worth as well. My last truck was a 2007 3500 Duramax dually that was still going with 300K on original engine and trans when I traded it . While the rest of the truck had signs of wear the drive train was still going strong. I expect at least the same mileage if not more out of this truck.
However I'm not sure this post is about value and money as much as it is: "How to choose the right truck for the job"?
Towing parameters are very important and should be factored when choosing a truck, however how you plan to use the truck is equally important. Focusing solely on towing parameters alone when comparing trucks would be a mistake
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Lantley
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09/12/19 09:20am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: How do you really judge TV adequacy anymore?
..."towing within its tow ratings"... Reading Comprehension 101
There is the towing within the ratings and then their is the duty cycle thing.
If you are just a weekend warrior going out occasionally, that F150 may get it done for a once a month trip or an occasional trip.
However if you are a full timer crisscrossing the country regularly an F-350 will be more capable vs. an F-150. Assuming both vehicles have similar towing parameters.There is no evidence to indicate an F150 can't tow every all day every day within its tow ratings without incurring any more adverse effects than a F350 would at the comparable duty point. Matter of fact, there is a hot shotter on this forum that does so with a Ram 1500, all day, every day (Oh! but say it isn't so!, he even exceeds his ratings, the nerve of some people).
I had a 2002 F250, V10, I towed a lot, I wore it out; the same I expect to do with my F150. #grittyinternetfables
This is where the experience factor comes in. People who use their trucks for a living drive heavy duty trucks. Go to your local big box store and note what contractors are using. Go to your local utility company and note what trucks you see in their yard.
Heavy Duty trucks rule the working world because they need to be available every day. They also need to withstand the rigors of being loaded down with cargo their entire lifespan.
For light duty applications you may find a few 1500 series trucks being used commercially, but the trucks carrying the tools and cargo are heavy Duty trucks.
We haven't seen ecoBoost technology placed in heavy duty trucks because of heat and duty cycle concerns.
Heavy duty trucks are made for a reason otherwise they would not exist
Sure there maybe one hot shotter using a 1500 but 99% of the hot shotters are using heavy Duty trucks.
Go to the destination CG's and note what truck full timers are using.
Real world observations will speak for themselves.
I'm not saying you can't full time with a 1500 series truck . I am saying a 1500 with a larger payload capacity will not hold up as well as a 3500 series truck with a similar capacity when used at full capacity on a daily basis.
By the way I believe the one hot shotter you referenced has a rebuilt engine in his fairly new truck.
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Lantley
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09/12/19 06:12am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: How do you really judge TV adequacy anymore?
..."towing within its tow ratings"... Reading Comprehension 101
There is the towing within the ratings and then their is the duty cycle thing.
If you are just a weekend warrior going out occasionally, that F150 may get it done for a once a month trip or an occasional trip.
However if you are a full timer crisscrossing the country regularly an F-350 will be more capable vs. an F-150. Assuming both vehicles have similar towing parameters.
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Lantley
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09/11/19 08:30pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Black Water Tank Missing Capacity
How much residual water remains in the tank? The tank does not drain to a bone dry status. THere is always some water left.
Where is the output pipe in relation to the tank? I doubt it is located in the very bottom of the tank.
Most likely it's attached to the side of the tank a couple of inches from the bottom. Hence the tank never drains completely and always contains some water.
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Lantley
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09/11/19 07:25am |
Tech Issues
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RE: fresh water tank overflow syphoning tank dry
Today the change the angle of the 4” piece of tubing and raised it about an inch. Drove home and it appears to have worked. Will want to test more before any cheering. What I am still questioning is what part the gravity fill port might have to do with this.
The spill will continue till the water level drops to the vent port. Running the vent up hill by 1" will reduce spillage a bit. If the trailer leans to the side where the vent is connected, the spill will start, if leaning the opposite way there will be no spill.
A gravity fill system has a vent and fill pipe well above water level and that is why they work. A pressure fill system needs to have vents well above water level, but that would cost a few dollars that the manufacturers will not spend.
The manufacturer that I fought with changed back to gravity fill to fix the problem, but they still have no clue why water only runs downhill.
If you think that your problem is fixed, have a car follow close behind on a curvy mountain road so they can record the spillage. Yes, I did that.
I feel your pain. However I did not try to figure out what was causing the siphon. I really have no desire to remove the underbelly to get to the root of the problem. I am not located near the factory.
I simply put shark bite valves on the vent and overflow lines to stop the water loss. Yes I have to remember to open the lines when I get to the CG. Kind of a crude solution but it works for me.
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Lantley
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09/11/19 07:19am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Let's talk generators - again.
I don't own a gas powered Onan but I do read of lots of gas and carb issues with the gas powered models.
I thinks it's mostly a maintenance/ethanol issue vs. poor design.
However one of the main reasons I have come to prefer LP is that it burns clean and avoids all the carb issues.
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Lantley
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09/11/19 06:25am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Let's talk generators - again.
Ask your insurance company if your covered if your vehicle is left unattended with engine running.
Insurance company didn’t bat an eye in PA for my father-in-law 2 or 3 years ago. He started his car one winter morning and ran inside for a minute. Came back out and it wasn’t there.
Cops talked to him, “yeah, you shouldn’t do that but yeah, it’s freaking cold out this morning.”
Because cars being stolen with keys in it is becoming a thing, insurance companies are creating exclusions.
As mentioned Remote start is the simple solution for this issue.
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Lantley
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09/11/19 04:58am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: fresh water tank overflow syphoning tank dry
I guarantee you it's a siphon. As I said the water will continue to flow long after I disconnect the fresh tank fill hose. All it takes is for the vent or drain hose to fall into the tank a bit and a siphon is possible!
Granted the entire system could have been designed and constructed better but this is the RV world where proper design and construction is low on the priority list.
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Lantley
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09/10/19 04:26pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Terrible Trucks
The new vs.used philosophy has its pros and cons.
For the most part used will always be cheaper but will come with risk and compromise.
Newer will always be more expensive, but there are still good buys to be had.
You get a fresh truck with warranty that can be repair free for a long time.
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Lantley
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09/10/19 10:21am |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Husband/wife Audio of Parking our 44' toy hauler
I found it easier to just do it my self.
For the most part I agree. Having another set of eyes can be beneficial, however their tends to be less grief when I do it solo.
Solo is my preferred method for most sites.
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Lantley
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09/09/19 12:05pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: fresh water tank overflow syphoning tank dry
I have been thru this too many times before. The reason that things never change is that too many have no idea how things work.
Is it up to the buyer to understand how to correctly pipe a fresh tank?
Do I need to submit my own drawings at time of purchase?
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Lantley
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09/08/19 09:01pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: fresh water tank overflow syphoning tank dry
My set up does not gravity fill. You can fill via a pressurized water hose or via a bucket using the on board pump. Filling is not a problem. I have a 80 gallon fresh tank,filling via gravity would be a PIA.
My overflow and vent tube both exit beneath the fresh tank.If you overfill the fresh tank a siphon will/can start. Once started the siphon can dump a lot of water on the ground.
iIhave resolved this issue by installing valves on my drain and siphon lines
We need to quit calling a spill a siphon. The vent hoses are attached at the top of the tank and go down towards the road. If the trailer is tilted, water can spill out. If you round a curve and the water sloshes to the vent side, it will spill out. A siphon requires that the hose extend down into the tank, but that is not how they are made.
Adding valves to vents is both a miserable way to deal with a water system, and major damage can happen if one ever forgets to open them.
The proper fix for this cheap factory shortcut is to route the vent hoses up and out well above water level.
It's a siphon because once the water starts to flow it does not stop.
It's not a simple matter of the water spilling out.
I I overfill my tank enough to get water flowing out of the vent /overflow lines a siphon will start and continue long after I have stopped water flow into the tank.
I agree if the lines were run above the tank a siphon would not start, however for many of us the lines come out of the underbelly and siphoning is possible.
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Lantley
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09/08/19 04:00pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Late check out
I agree with you. What you refer to as a monopoly is more a case of the business being being dominant and good at what they do.
"Sort of like the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld" Their product or service is superior to the point that they dominate the competition and set their own rules.
You can either play by their rules or play somewhere else.
A business that can dominate their marketplace and set the rules as they see fit did not get to that point by accident.
They generally have a good reputation and many satisfied customers that keep coming back.
Their core service/product is generally so good that consumers ignore or deal with any quirkiness or rules they do not like.
There are CG's I frequent the have rules or policies I don't agree with but at the end of the day I keep coming back because overall I always have a positive experience.
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Lantley
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09/08/19 03:55pm |
RV Lifestyle
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RE: fresh water tank overflow syphoning tank dry
My set up does not gravity fill. You can fill via a pressurized water hose or via a bucket using the on board pump. Filling is not a problem. I have a 80 gallon fresh tank,filling via gravity would be a PIA.
My overflow and vent tube both exit beneath the fresh tank.If you overfill the fresh tank a siphon will/can start. Once started the siphon can dump a lot of water on the ground.
iIhave resolved this issue by installing valves on my drain and siphon lines
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Lantley
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09/06/19 02:55pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: When do you throw in the towel?
When the cost of repairs or required repairs exceeds the value of the vehicle its time.
Don't put a $2000.00 transmission in a $1,500.00 vehicle.
There is a point where the expression don't put good money into a bad thing applies.
My last truck had 300K on it and was pretty much worn out, although it ran fine I was avoiding a couple of required repairs.
Rather than make those repairs I opted to trade the truck in while it still had minimal life in it and put that repair money into a new vehicle.
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Lantley
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09/06/19 04:55am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: fresh water tank overflow syphoning tank dry
I have the same issue and I have valves on the ends of my vent and overflow pipes.
Yes you must remember to open valves.
Just make opening valves part of your setup routine
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Lantley
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09/06/19 04:47am |
Tech Issues
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