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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: Need recommendations of SUV to tow 4700lb TT in the Rockies
I highly recommend something with forced induction, and diesel preferred. Jeep Grand Cherokee ecodiesel is one. Used, there are some MB/BMW/VW/Audi models too.
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APT
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06/07/22 08:17pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Tires for Travel Trailer in Port Huron Area
I last purchased Carlise DS from Discount Tire. That is would I would call before making the trip as mine had to be ordered.
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APT
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06/03/22 09:21am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Modify top bunk
Do you want to carry tall items? I would not modify the bunk itself except removing the mattresses. Put whatever shelves/bins you want there.
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APT
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05/04/22 08:19am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: New Ranger for towing
Do you already have the Ranger? Payload and rear axle ratings will be exceeded well under tow rating. It should be fine for about 4000 pound dry TT. I cannot think of any 5th wheel that would support a 200 pound receiver in the bed and even modest 15% pin weight.
Power from the Ecoboost should be fine.
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APT
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04/27/22 11:40am |
Towing
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RE: Converting PC laptop to Android tablet
I have never heard of that conversion. I have installed Ubuntu on a new SSD to revive some old/slow laptops with good success. Honestly, I recommend just spending $100 or less on an actual Fire tablet. They go on sale a few times every year and can get many configurations under $100. They are much easier to maintain and manage vs. raw Android OS for parents and children.
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APT
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04/21/22 08:35pm |
Technology Corner
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RE: For those towing with Teslas. Super charger tips. Thanks
Where is the charger port on your car? It seems like with your combo you could take up only 2 Supercharger spots from the pic you showed (or unhook the trailer in any parking spot while you charge).
Also, this seems more appropriate for the TV area not TT.
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APT
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04/05/22 11:48am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Switch Router Setup
"Better" depends on what your goals are. Why do you have 2 routers? Latency and network privacy are two aspects plus many more.
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APT
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03/26/22 03:05pm |
Technology Corner
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RE: 2016 Heartland North Land Caliber
I bought my North Trail new in 2010 and still have it. It has been great for our family with only repairs due to my own mistakes. As mentioned, the value of any 5+ year old RV is more reliant on how well it was maintained than any initial quality. Search for a couple Pre-Delivery Inspection guides and checklists or hire someone to do it for you.
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APT
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03/26/22 02:57pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: RV Queen mattress
We used a 3" memory foam topper for 10 yrs on the factory mattress. LAst summer we replaced it with a full memory foam mattress from Costco in RV "short Queen" size. As mentioned already, one benefit of foam mattresses are the easy to custom cut to size. For the fitted sheets, we just tuck any excess underneath the mattress.
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APT
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03/15/22 09:03am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Towing performance - F150 vs F250
I'd start with a trip to a CAT scale to understand what your current weights are, especially rear axle and GVWR of the F-150.
If you want to tow in the mountains, then I recommend something with forced induction. The F.150 with 3.5L ecoboost and 10-spd trans will outpull your current truck very easily. But there is such a wide range in available pin weight on half tons.
Otherwise, any 2022 gas 3/4 ton will have more power and better gearing than you have now which will also an improvement, but suffer the same power loss at higher elevations as your current 5.4L.
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APT
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03/07/22 07:21am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: How's that 6.6 gas working for you?
How many miles per year overall do you expect? Here are my recommendations:
Less than 8k per year -> 2500 6.6L gas
8>15k per year -> 1500 5.3 or 6.2L
>15k per year -> 1500 baby D-max
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APT
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02/05/22 03:17pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Chevy Express 3500 with 6.0
It's a solid powertrain and excellent towing platform. I have the same engine/trans in a 2500 Suburban which weighs a little bit more than your van, but also has 3.73 vs. 3.42 axle. I have no issue recommending up to 8000 pounds dry. I also recommend replacing the OEM receiver with the Curt XD.
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APT
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02/01/22 05:08am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: 6.6 GM. Gas
Great engine mated to a good-in-2022 transmission. Both are dead reliable. I wish GM used the 10spd. Budget for 8mpg and you may be happy with 9-10mpg.
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APT
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11/28/21 12:19pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Brake Pads
I am a big fan of Powerstop pads and rotors. I have them on my Suburban for 30k miles as well as my DD Subaru Outback (F 10k, R 25k miles).
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APT
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11/10/21 08:55am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Water pump
The pump automatically turns on when pressure is "low" and then off when "high". As long as the water pressure is in the "middle" then mine does not turn on. So the regulator in the pump could be bad, or there is a leak (in the line or a faucet). I would look at all the water lines that you can access for any sign of water leak/damage before changing the pump.
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APT
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09/27/21 06:19pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Navigation options
The market has/is going towards Phone->vehicle interfacing (Apple CarPlay, Android Auto). There are a lot of apps that allow offline data storage to not use cellular data while traveling, and the latest vehicles offer much larger screens to show the maps/directions/POI than the phone screens.
I personally use a combination of Google Maps and Waze. I prefer Maps for researching POI at a location and Waze for navigating/routing.
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APT
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09/22/21 08:01am |
Technology Corner
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RE: New Truck question(s)
Get the 3/4 ton for much larger fuel tank. If you like the Ford better and it's cheaper, buy that 7.3L/10-speed. Overkill? No one said than when towing a TT. More power and more gears typically means lower fuel consumption and better towing experience, power when you want it.
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APT
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09/22/21 07:55am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Looking into getting first TT
I have said 2500 Suburban. Some of the TTs on your list would push my comfort limit even though I have plenty of suspension. 7k dry TT means 8500-9000 pounds loaded with a larger family and all their gear, with 1100-1300 pounds of loaded TW.
If you are open to full sized vans, the Nissan NV3500 and GM Twins (Chevy Express or GMC Savana 3500) would all work for most on your list.
If vans more not an option for you, are you planning on more short trips (<2h each way) or longer ones (5+ hours)? The last 2 seasons we have been driving two vehicles on most of our camping trips. My wife or daughter drive it, which helps limit load on the tow vehicle as well as ability to take more stuff, like bike rake, kayaks, PWC, boats, etc. If driving 2 vehicles is an option, then I recommend any 2011+ 3/4 or 1-ton crew cab pickup and whatever current vehicle you have.
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APT
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09/22/21 07:45am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Opinions on 2014-2018 Travel Trailers
All TT build quality/assembly is poor. When shopping used, the largest influence on "quality" is how the previous owner maintained it. If you are a DIYer, then just look out for any evidence of water intrusion, soft spots on the floor, warped anything, stains, etc. Anything else is relatively minor to repair/replace later. If you are not a DIYer, buy new with a 5yr low deductible bumper to bumper warranty. :)
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APT
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09/22/21 07:32am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: 2021 Outback & Mini Max
Is your Outback an XT model? If so, then you have the same power as the Ascent which is rated for much higher tow rating. Suspension is weaker which can be addressed after you try to tow that RV.. The CVT is fine, although I do recommend using manual mode and "shifting yourself" in manual mode so the belt isn't always changing ratios or unlocking the torque convertor. CVTs have a bad reputation from 2005, but I am not hearing of common recent failures of 2015+ models even from abuse.
I tow an open landscape trailer, 12x6.5 with about 2500 pounds loaded (and no brakes :) ) with my 3.6L and CVT. I would be comfortable towing that Little Guy teardrop with mine. I can monitor the trans temperature through my infotainment system, and I expect that is still available with the later 11" screen. If the temps get over say 240* F for short times or 210* F for 30min+, then a transmission shop can install a higher capacity cooler than stock.
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APT
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09/22/21 07:28am |
Travel Trailers
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