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RE: Insane first RV trip plan?
I wanna know what your secret was back when yall worked and had kids? You get 6 to 8 week summer road trip vacations or what?
Shoot, the speed limits were even 55 back then. Take ya 3 days to Kansas….with the wind ….lol
Either keep it closer to home or blast out the miles in 1 or 2 days, then enjoy the destination with maybe a couple of short moves. IE: 1400miles to Florida, then a few days in Orlando, a few days on the beach, then a couple days back home.
The OP's trip is basically destinations every 300-400miles, so putting in 2-3 - 700mile days (not fun) and then enjoying the Washington/Oregon area would at least be more reasonable (though not great). But the OP has listed every NP within 300miles either side of the route to Seattle. It comes across as an endurance test more than a vacation.
Add in that it's apparently a new rig and they've never taken an RV trip before, the chances they will have mechanical breakdowns, not like camping, make newbie mistakes or it's more than he can handle towing are real concerns.
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valhalla360
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03/31/23 12:00am |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Underground 250ft run
Consider running it in a PVC conduit so you can easily run new or different cables in the future
This^^^^
Make sure the conduit is large enough to carry wires large enough for a 50 amp service.
We did the same thing in the late 80's. We installed a PVC pipe larger than needed for a 30-amp hookup (I tend to think ahead. Not clairvoyant so had no idea that a 50-amp hookup would be coming down the pipe but I used a larger PVC than was needed just in case I might need the room...someday)
Years later we had a 50-amp RV so I wanted to add or change the 30-amp post to 50-amps. But I neglected to account for the weight of the gravel driveway. The pipe had collapsed under the weight and while the 30-amp hookup was working there was no way to add any wire to it. So we had to run a new pipe for the 50-amp hookup and now have two hookup posts next to the drive.
The moral of the story: Run whatever cables you think you need now, tomorrow and in a few years. If I was doing this today I'd do a uo-to-date RV post....15/20 amps, 30-amps and 50-amps.
The bulk of cost/effort is in digging the trench. Very little extra to put it in a conduit.
Of course, this assumes you put it deep enough. 4-6inches below a gravel surface is likely to fail if you are driving heavy trucks over the top. I do a lot of this for work and the failures are usually when the contractor skimped on depth.
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valhalla360
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03/30/23 11:26pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Underground 250ft run
Consider running it in a PVC conduit so you can easily run new or different cables in the future
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valhalla360
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03/30/23 06:39am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Engine braking on 2017 F150 5.0L
I have a 2017 F150 with the 5.0 engine. When I tow my TT in tow haul mode, it seems to me that Ford has overdone it with the engine braking. As I apply the brakes, it downshifts really hard and revs really high to the point of making me wonder if it could damage the engine or transmission. On my last trip, I would disengage tow/haul when I knew I was getting ready to hit the brakes. Should I be concerned about this, or just let it do its thing?
As long as it's not redlining, you should be fine.
If you feel the need to hit the brakes, you really don't want to disengage the engine braking feature.
Try not to let the speed get too high early on. Much easier getting the speed down and under control doing 50mph on a road suitable for 40mph than letting it get up to 70mph and then trying to get it under control. That will help avoid some of the more extreme downshifts.
If you like manual control, you can leave T/H on and manually downshift but really no need. Once you get a feel for it, you can tap the brakes to make it downshift. I've gotten in the habit early on to do that rather than manually pulling the gear shift down.
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valhalla360
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03/29/23 10:10pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Rv loan rates!
I didn’t say “I had the cash on hand to pay it off”, I said “I had the money to pay it off”. As a matter of fact I even told you the money was invested and what it was invested in. And It’s still invested, and I’m still ahead by a wide margin. But like I also said, different strokes for different folks. You can be you and I can be me.
So when the market tanks and you need cash to pay the loan, you just locked in your losses.
Yeah, you can be you but just pointing out for others some of the risks of investing on margin.
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valhalla360
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03/27/23 11:24am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Help making a decision on truck purchase.
Hey Marty...from my experience, purchasing/shopping for several new FWs, the dry wts given are for the entire trailer, sitting on the scale, disconnected from truck. The dry pin wt is normally about 20% of this figure. So, if the entire dry wt of trailer is 5,500, the dry pin would be 1,100. Then fully loaded 7,000, sitting on the scale, truck disconnected/trailer only, would have 1,400 pin wt, when reconnected to truck.
This the reason some FWs with 10K gvwr only have 4,400 axles. Mine has 5,200 axles, but a 12,110 gvwr.
Jerry
GVWR is for the entire trailer not what sits on the axles. The axle rating plus hitch weight added together should equal or exceed the GVWR. You may or may not get lucky exceeding the GVWR.
With a 1400lb pin weight, not many 1/2 ton trucks will have the payload once you add in a hitch and a few people in the truck, plus anything else in the bed or bolted on after market (all of which count against the payload).
If you think you know better than the manufacturer, go for it but lots of folks have played that game and payed the price when they pay for the bigger truck or quit RVing because it's scary to drive an overloaded rig.
1/2 ton trucks are really much better suited to bumper pull where hitch weight should be 12-15% rather than the 20-25% of a 5th wheel.
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valhalla360
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03/27/23 11:19am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Rv loan rates!
Way too much talk about money and way too little talk about life.
First, I do not want to pay interest. I avoid it if at all possible. But I value life more than money.
Better to pay a little interest, than wait in my opinion. Kids grow up we get old. I am a fan of do it while you can.
Funny how not paying extra interest, you can have more time and money to spend with the kids.
It's amazing how restrictive it is being tied to monthly payments and how a little interest tends to hang around for decades as the next item you want now pops up.
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valhalla360
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03/27/23 06:33am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Rv loan rates!
Operating on leverage works great until it doesn't...then it multiplies the losses. The ones talking about being savey, always gloss over this part and it would never happen to them...until it does.
The trick is to get ahead of the game. Once you have no loan payments, it's easy to save up for big ticket items.Even when the market goes down, I still have the money to pay it off; and still get to keep the difference on what I already made.
I have a 15 year RV loan at just over 4% that I've had for about 8 years. I'm way ahead of the game at this time. Today, I can pay it off any day I want, and still keep a pretty nice sum of money.
What it boils down to is: What works for you, doesn't necessarily work for everyone else. There is not only one right answer.
Ummm...if you have the cash on hand to just pay it off, you are foregoing the roi on that cash to protect you from being leveraged.
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valhalla360
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03/27/23 06:29am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Insane first RV trip plan?
What are you towing and how big is the family.
A small popup with a 10yr old, is probably doable. A 25ft hard sided camper with 2 teens in the back seat is likely questionable for a station wagon. Have you towed before? Don't take the tow rating at face value. Odds are you can't max it out without exceeding other ratings.
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valhalla360
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03/25/23 10:29pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: bpconversion goose neck conversion
Any chance you took it to the cat scales since it's spring?
It's less than $20 to get real data rather than more guesses and salesman who have no idea selling you something that may or may not fix the problem.
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valhalla360
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03/25/23 12:56am |
Toy Haulers
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RE: 83 and have hung up the keys
It's tough but time comes for us all. Travel might take a different form but do what you can, while you can.
You should be commended for acknowledging your limitations before they might wind up hurting someone else.
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valhalla360
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03/24/23 10:33pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Help making a decision on truck purchase.
I am thinking of buying a new truck to pull our winnebago micro Minnie 5th wheel. We currently have a 2006 gmc 2500 . I’d like to go with a smaller truck for gas mileage and was thinking of a Toyota Tundra or GMC 1500 4x4. While the trailer is fairly light and we’ve been told a 1500 can pull this trailer, I’d like to hear other opinions. Is there anyone who has any experience towing smaller 5th wheels with these trucks? . Gross Vehicle Weight is 7000 on the trailer.
Go down to your local CAT scale and get two measurements:
- Fully loaded and hooked up as if you are heading out for a trip. (usually about $12-15)
- Park the trailer then weigh the truck (if you do it at the same time, the 2nd weigh is only $2.50-3.00)
Now, you can calculate the total trailer weight and the pin weight with real numbers not guesses.
That said: You are likely around 1400-1800lb for the pin weight (5ers typically have 20-25% pin weight). Pin weight counts against payload and axle ratings on the truck.
1/2ton truck payloads vary greatly. Some are as little at 950lb and others can get up around 2500 (extremely rare to find one of these). Most are around 1500lb payload. You also have to count passengers, gear, hitch and bolt on after market parts when calculating payload you are putting on the truck.
Reality is you will almost certainly be over weight with a 1/2 ton truck even with a realatively small 5er.
3/4 ton truck payloads start around 2200lb and can get up well above 3000lb depending on the configuration. Much better suited to a small 5er. (larger 5ers can quickly exceed 3/4 ton truck ratings).
Will the truck immediately implode if you exceed the ratings...no.
Will it be uncomfortable to drive and potentially dangerous...quite possibly.
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valhalla360
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03/23/23 07:05pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: How long should a battery last?
That's about right. You should not be running an electric fridge on that battery. The battery will be shot before the end of the year.
We have no choice as it is a 12v/120v fridge. I typically do not use it on 12v except for while driving.
Based on prior threads you have posted, I believe you have a 12v DC fridge (no propane option).
When on shore power, your converter takes the 120v AC and converts it to 12v DC to power the fridge and other DC loads.
If it's the 12v DC fridge I think it is, it draws around 50w when running (approx 4amps). Assuming it's running approximately 50% of the time, that's 24hr * 50% * 4amp ~ 48amp-hr for a 24hr day (in hot weather it will run more and use more amp-hr).
Of course, there are probably another 10-20amp-hr from lights and other 12v devices so call it 60amp-hr.
A single 12v dual purpose battery is likely around 70-100amp-hr depending on specifics but you really don't want to use more than half of that (35-50amp-hr) or the battery will have a really short lifespan. As you can see, you are running that battery near dead boondocking.
Options:
- Get a second battery and wire in parallel to double your available amp-hr. This will buy you a day. If you want a weekend, you likely need more batteries (6v golf cart batteries would be a better option as they hold more amp-hr for a given size)
- Get a small generator and run it once or twice a day to keep the batteries charged (a single battery will be marginal getting thru the night, so 2 batteries would be best).
- In a pinch, you could hook the trailer up to the truck and run the engine and the trailer plug will charge the batteries. Not a great option as it's very slow charging and you are putting wear & tear on an expensive piece of machinery.
- Stay in a park with electric hookups.
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valhalla360
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03/22/23 11:57pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Price of camping
Am I reading this right? There's only one CG on the passport site in all of MD? I don't see how that's helpful. Cuz there's a whole lot more CG's than that, some of which are much cheaper.
Maryland is a kind of skinny funky shaped state, so you may need to look at the adjacent states which may be 20-30 miles away.
If you insist on prime location at prime time...yeah, you will pay.
I'm originally from MD so I am familiar with it. My point was really around the value of clubs like passport america which costs money to join yet has only one CG in an entire state?
If you refuse to go 10 miles across state lines....yeah it won't work you. Of course there are other solutions but if you simply want to vent.....
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valhalla360
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03/22/23 04:11am |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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RE: Are bicycles covered for roadside assistance?
I think it falls under common sense. A motor vehicle insurance plan would not commonly be expected to cover nonpowered bicycles.
Unless the insurance is Govt mandated... doesn't really matter what the Govt definition is.
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valhalla360
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03/22/23 12:21am |
Good Sam Roadside Assistance
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RE: Price of camping
If only any of those rates, be it RV or Hotel were available in high demand areas. Example: West Yellowstone in August. Grizzly RV park standard back in site $129.00 a night. Holiday Inn Express $402/night. And those prices don’t include a dozen eggs. Welcome to prices in the year 2023.
Wow, we spent a week at Fishing Bridge in the park for something like $85/n. I was choking on that a bit but location was worth a lot. Helps to be flexible on dates or book early.
Paid $35/n in Cody just before going into the Yellowstone.
I'm guessing you were talking about a holiday weekend or something to be paying $402/n for Holiday Inn.
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valhalla360
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03/19/23 03:20am |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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RE: Price of camping
Am I reading this right? There's only one CG on the passport site in all of MD? I don't see how that's helpful. Cuz there's a whole lot more CG's than that, some of which are much cheaper.
Maryland is a kind of skinny funky shaped state, so you may need to look at the adjacent states which may be 20-30 miles away.
If you insist on prime location at prime time...yeah, you will pay.
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valhalla360
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03/19/23 03:17am |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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RE: New small Airstream TT that will fit inside garage.
For decades, Airstream has made a 16 foot trailer.
Also lots of small fiberglass shell campers kicking around that would fit in a garage.
Nothing particularly new here.
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valhalla360
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03/18/23 08:56pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: purchasing from dealer with a hail "freckled" sidewall
I've determined there is only light cosmetic damage on the passenger sidewall. The roof will be resealed and inspected by me at the pdi. I will get a new battery, full 2 propane tanks, and I got the 400.00 prep fee waved. I'm satisfied with the deal and pulled the trigger. Thanks all for your input.
If the discount was sufficient to ignore the resale value hit, good call.
PS: Mythbusters episode was overly complicated and horribly flawed. Much simpler would have been to take a ballpeen hammer and dent up the car after doing the pre-testing.
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valhalla360
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03/18/23 08:55pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Price of camping
$20-$40 a night for a private CG is unheard of in my area.
Starting price for a private CG is in the $60.00 range
There is some variability but...
Might look into Passport America. Found 5 within a 100miles of DC for under $40 (your signature indicates Maryland) with less than a minute of looking.
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valhalla360
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03/16/23 06:37am |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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