First trip is done, and the results

[prof_fate]

I've towed small things many times, bass boats and jet skis and a small p'up. I wasn't sure what to expect when towing a 6500 lb 30' beast down the road.

The plan was to go to the mall parking lot some sunday morning and practice a bit but that never happened, so we load up Friday night and head out - OK, Friday night rushour on a holiday weekend. We can do this, right?

Lets add in we're on the PA Turnpike, which is under construction and it's raining too. Can it get any more fun?

Actually it went rather well I think - not a bit of sway anyplace at all, either being passes or popping on and off the berm of the road, never hit anything (like concrete walls or barrels), maintained 55 to 60 as a target speed and got to 75 at one point downhill.

At couple of times we experienced the feeling we were in a basketball, but then we never once felt the push-pull I"m used to with a trailer and experienced riding with the guy that delivered it to us. I assume the WD and anti-sway turned the bucking into bouncing. (shocks are 20,000 miles old so it's not that).

Got to the campground and now it's time to back it into the spot...seems every spot is already full and it had quit raining by now at least. Believe it or not got it into the spot in the perfect location on the first try!

Ok, the downsides to an older tow vehicle...The truck was well kept by the previous owner and topside looks great. No rust, no repairs, never wrecked. Underneath is some rust and i knew that. Nothing looked all that bad. Well, the A/C quit a week or so ago and I took a look - no freon, so I put some in and find a leak - a line had chafed on the rad support. Some investigation shows the lower part of the support has rusted away leaving nothing for the condenser and trans cooler to mount to.

It's sold as the entire front core support for $700, and it's 15 hours to change it out - about $2000 total. Oh joy. I"m taking it to a guy next week that I've been told can do a reapair on it for 1/4 of that. Then the AC line needs replaced.

Also found a leak at the rear axle - apparently the rear pumpkin cover has rusted to the point it's got a hole in it. That's a new one. I've never seen a cover that has oil behind it rust out. Easy fix, not sure the cost but it can't be too much...famous last words.

I was picking my son up from school today and saw the most obscene truck ever - a Ford F650 4 door dually pickup. Sounds like it had air brakes on it too. Big? Get a ladder to get in and out and forget using the bed for anything - the bed floor is about chest high

The F650, Ford F650, ford f650 truck, f650 truck, Ford F650 Super Crewzer, Ford f650 for sale, the f650 .com

[sherdep]

Glad to hear your first trip went pretty well.

I have seen the International Harvester which is the equivilant to the F650 - what a Beast it right - hate to pay the gas bill on top of the purchase price - WOW

[dretired]

WOW !! HOW much for the truck ??

[Don and Elaine]

Be careful when towing at any speed higher than 65 mph as the TT tires are only speed rated for 65 mph. If you have a blowout at high speed,(over 65) you not only put your loved ones at risk , but those who are driving near you as well. I Had 4 blowouts in 5 years that were all attributed to high speed (exceeding the ratings of the tires). I now drive the speed limit and only exceed it when I have to accelerate to pass a slower moving vehicle. All too often, I have seen trailers pass me, only to see them a while later on the side of the road, changing a blown tire. Its better to arrive a little later than not at all.

[prof_fate]

Tire failures from excess speed are really from overheating - speed makes heat, underinflation makes heat, etc. To drive for an hour at 70 will certainly make more heat than 2 miles of downgrade at 70.

When Firestone was having the tire blowout issue on the explorers 8 or 10 years ago it was a tire underinflation issue that was found to be the root cause - and now all SUVs and vans and if not all most all cars come with tire pressure warning systems, which at some point in the very new future (if not already) are legally mandated to be on all new cars.

Heat kills tires and the air in inside reduces the flex of the tire and therefore much of the heating that occurs.

Other factors could of course be age - how old are the tires? Has dry rot set in? My tires are less than 8 months old (assuming they didn't sit in a warehouse for years Aged Tires: A Driving Hazard? | Video - ABC News

[Linnemj]

We came across the PA turnpike today from Philadelphia to New Stanton in our new Dodge pickup truck. The road surface is terrible - I am not sure what they are using the $20 we paid in tolls for! I-70 from New Stanton to Washington, PA was worse - very tight lanes with jersey barriers right at each edge.

Glad you made it without incident. I was thinking "I am glad I am not towing on these roads".

[prof_fate]

I've always lived around pgh or into ohio a bit but my wife is from Baltimore Md. I can't tell you how many times I've driven the turnpike to Breezewood and many times to Harrisburg or that area. With all the turns and hills it's never boring, that's for sure.

What they're saying is they're trying to staighten the worst parts and rebuild the whole thing - much of the actual concrete up till about 5 or so years ago was the original concrete laid down in the 1940s! We may complain a bit now but they did it well originally.

Thankfully I've always had a good ability to judge left and right width wise - front to back I suck something terrible. I attribute it to lots of mowing grass on a tractor as a kid, learning to get that deck close to flowers and trees and such and not hitting them. I know in my head that if a tractor trailer will fit down that turnpike I will with that TT back there.

[sherdep]

I like your analogy of if a tracktor trailer can I can LOL

I am headed to PA in July (Carlisle) - not sure if I am bringing the camper as of yet - gotta see what the gas prices do besides I can drive alot faster without the trailer then with it and I have only a few more weeks to deicide LOL
I already have reservations for the Western Village RV park for July 7th to the 10th

[prof_fate]

If economics matter it makes no sense to buy an RV, for the most part. You do it for other reasons, or compare it ot something other than a cheap hotel at least.

I did some math back when we were thinking of getting a camper and over 10 years if you use it 21 days a year, plus insurance, campground, some gas to get it there (or you there) it's easily $150 a night and likely closer to $200. Using it more lowers that to some degree, but a round trip to ours runs ~$70 in gas and tolls. And that's assuming you don't rack up costs in mini golf or what not and doesn't count the cost of the TV at all. Call it a hobby and you can justify a lot more, and you may get some resale value in the future to offset some costs.
Time with the kids/family is my justification. And that's priceless.

[sherdep]

Originally Posted by prof_fate

If economics matter it makes no sense to buy an RV, for the most part. You do it for other reasons, or compare it ot something other than a cheap hotel at least.

I did some math back when we were thinking of getting a camper and over 10 years if you use it 21 days a year, plus insurance, campground, some gas to get it there (or you there) it's easily $150 a night and likely closer to $200. Using it more lowers that to some degree, but a round trip to ours runs ~$70 in gas and tolls. And that's assuming you don't rack up costs in mini golf or what not and doesn't count the cost of the TV at all. Call it a hobby and you can justify a lot more, and you may get some resale value in the future to offset some costs.
Time with the kids/family is my justification. And that's priceless.

I understand that part - and yes I agree on the family time is priceless.

I drop my daughter off at her Mom's for a week so it would only be me the first week then the two of us the second week. I can always stay with friends if I need to

[trudinator]

Originally Posted by prof_fate

I've towed small things many times, bass boats and jet skis and a small p'up. I wasn't sure what to expect when towing a 6500 lb 30' beast down the road.

The plan was to go to the mall parking lot some sunday morning and practice a bit but that never happened, so we load up Friday night and head out - OK, Friday night rushour on a holiday weekend. We can do this, right?

Lets add in we're on the PA Turnpike, which is under construction and it's raining too. Can it get any more fun?

Actually it went rather well I think - not a bit of sway anyplace at all, either being passes or popping on and off the berm of the road, never hit anything (like concrete walls or barrels), maintained 55 to 60 as a target speed and got to 75 at one point downhill.

At couple of times we experienced the feeling we were in a basketball, but then we never once felt the push-pull I"m used to with a trailer and experienced riding with the guy that delivered it to us. I assume the WD and anti-sway turned the bucking into bouncing. (shocks are 20,000 miles old so it's not that).

Got to the campground and now it's time to back it into the spot...seems every spot is already full and it had quit raining by now at least. Believe it or not got it into the spot in the perfect location on the first try!

Ok, the downsides to an older tow vehicle...The truck was well kept by the previous owner and topside looks great. No rust, no repairs, never wrecked. Underneath is some rust and i knew that. Nothing looked all that bad. Well, the A/C quit a week or so ago and I took a look - no freon, so I put some in and find a leak - a line had chafed on the rad support. Some investigation shows the lower part of the support has rusted away leaving nothing for the condenser and trans cooler to mount to.

It's sold as the entire front core support for $700, and it's 15 hours to change it out - about $2000 total. Oh joy. I"m taking it to a guy next week that I've been told can do a reapair on it for 1/4 of that. Then the AC line needs replaced.

Also found a leak at the rear axle - apparently the rear pumpkin cover has rusted to the point it's got a hole in it. That's a new one. I've never seen a cover that has oil behind it rust out. Easy fix, not sure the cost but it can't be too much...famous last words.

I was picking my son up from school today and saw the most obscene truck ever - a Ford F650 4 door dually pickup. Sounds like it had air brakes on it too. Big? Get a ladder to get in and out and forget using the bed for anything - the bed floor is about chest high

The F650, Ford F650, ford f650 truck, f650 truck, Ford F650 Super Crewzer, Ford f650 for sale, the f650 .com

I like this one - it has SIX doors. Wish I had an extra $100K lying around. LOL. Can you imagine the looks you'd get driving into the campground with this rig??? Richard Petty has one. Website is: F650 SuperTruck

[prof_fate]

Wish I had a garage to build one - then I'd take an order and have an extra $100k LOL