What did you do to your tow vehicle today?

[Chief T]

Well, it's been over 5 weeks since we filled up the tank. So I guess I'll fill 'er up while the prices are low and with my fuel points accumulated, should be paying about .95 a gallon.

[elchilero53]

What did I do to it? I drove it.

[kawboy01]

Upgraded to 5" cat back side exit Banks Monster Exhaust. Helps keep the heat off the trailer and it looks way better than that bazooka tube.

[Boomerweps]

Ran some errands and decided to weight it using my HaulGuage on the straightaway in front of the High School. It measured just coming up off the 6000# mark. Unfortunately, it doesn't show a digital amount, just an analog dial ;(
SOoooo, with my 7000# GVWR, I added things up. I carry a bunch of stuff in the truck, my 51# WDH head in there for now & me for about 6030# weighed. Leaves just 970# of my truck's 1990# CCC. Dog is 72#, wife ? (Won't say but I'll allow 200# for a rounded amount, WDH load bars 26# each, last estimate calculated tongue weight 450#. Doin' the math leaves me 198# for anything else in the truck when towing my TT based on GVWR. WOW!
I need to do a proper weighing on the CAT Scale with the truck empty & unhooked. Plus compare my HaulGuage reading that day to the CAT. And I should reassess all the stuff I carry "just in case". I'm towing just under 4K on a truck rated to tow 9100#.
I'm also going to reset my HaulGuage next outing. Initial after purchase readings were consistent in the 5400# range with just me. I can't believe I've added over 600# of gear & accessories!

[SecretSquirrel]

Originally Posted by Boomerweps

Ran some errands and decided to weight it using my HaulGuage on the straightaway in front of the High School. It measured just coming up off the 6000# mark. Unfortunately, it doesn't show a digital amount, just an analog dial ;(
SOoooo, with my 7000# GVWR, I added things up. I carry a bunch of stuff in the truck, my 51# WDH head in there for now & me for about 6030# weighed. Leaves just 970# of my truck's 1990# CCC. Dog is 72#, wife ? (Won't say but I'll allow 200# for a rounded amount, WDH load bars 26# each, last estimate calculated tongue weight 450#. Doin' the math leaves me 198# for anything else in the truck when towing my TT based on GVWR. WOW!
I need to do a proper weighing on the CAT Scale with the truck empty & unhooked. Plus compare my HaulGuage reading that day to the CAT. And I should reassess all the stuff I carry "just in case". I'm towing just under 4K on a truck rated to tow 9100#.
I'm also going to reset my HaulGuage next outing. Initial after purchase readings were consistent in the 5400# range with just me. I can't believe I've added over 600# of gear & accessories!

You’re in for it now as soon as DW hears you called her “rounded”.

[Semperfi24]

Because I have the all black appearance package, my truck came with the garbage halogen bulbs. As was mentioned a few posts back, changing halogen bulbs to led can lead to problems. It was also noted by another comment, maybe not in this thread, that halogen housings are designed for halogen bulbs, and changing the bulb can have consequences with uneven light dispersal and having really bright spots that could point into the eyes of oncoming drivers.

So I went with the Morimoto led upgrade. Will try to attach a picture, but it isnt a picture of my truck, just basically what it looks like on my truck. Incredible difference compared to the halogen.

[filthy-Beast]

Bought it two days ago, installed a Nextbase 522 Dash cam and ordered RetraxPro MX cover today.

[mpouls1]

I swapped out the rear shocks to Bilstein 5100 and added Timbrens SES while I was under there. Noticable difference as truck feels more planted although ride a little more rough but to be expected. I may change out the fronts as well but that's another day.

[MedicJim]

Got a cap for it used needs a little TLC but not bad

[Mowgli64]

Added wheel liners and mud flaps, beautiful spring day in Minnesota.

[filthy-Beast]

Added a Retrax pro cover.

[SailorSam20500]

Took it out for a drive to charge up the battery. It's been sitting in the garage for 2 weeks...

[BrendaM68]

not much - we just changed the transmission oil -

[Boomerweps]

Reweighed with the HaulGauge today. Same road, 5100# one way (pun intended , 5400# the other way. A little variation, eh? These numbers make better sense than the last time. Subtracting these from the GCW with TT of 8400# means the TT was either 3300# or 3000#. Based on the factory dry weight of 3097, I suspect the 5100# GVW is the more correct value. 200# of TT cargo makes sense with what I have in there, too.
I'm SOooo looking forward to CAT Scaling the rig and weigh it using the HaulGauge for comparison/calibration.

[Doppleganger]

Originally Posted by Mrprovy

I upgraded my halogen bulbs to GTR Prefect Fit LED headlight bulbs; so far they appear to be a worthwhile upgrade!


I also added a ProClip tablet mount to my dash; I use my Samsung 8" tablet for GPS when traveling.

I've been very anti LED in most optics. A halogen reflector is not designed to work with the shape of a line of LEDs. I've also seen videos that actually test the lux output, and some optics actually don't fair as well as quality halogen bulbs. Plus, the added glare from using a brighter light source, in a housing that allows for a certain percentage of light scatter above the cutoff. About the only optics that can deal with that are projectors, but they really adapt better (well, most of them) to HID rather than LED. I've been a forward lighting geek for the past 15 years or so, and have pretty much seen it all.


Oh, and higher color temp != more light, usually the inverse.

[Doppleganger]

Originally Posted by Semperfi24

Because I have the all black appearance package, my truck came with the garbage halogen bulbs. As was mentioned a few posts back, changing halogen bulbs to led can lead to problems. It was also noted by another comment, maybe not in this thread, that halogen housings are designed for halogen bulbs, and changing the bulb can have consequences with uneven light dispersal and having really bright spots that could point into the eyes of oncoming drivers.

So I went with the Morimoto led upgrade. Will try to attach a picture, but it isnt a picture of my truck, just basically what it looks like on my truck. Incredible difference compared to the halogen.

There ya go! That's the way you do it... you play that guitar on your M... oh, wait, wrong song.



The morimoto products are generally really good. Loved how the 50W HID kit worked in my wife's 2014 grand cherokee. Same sharp cutoff, glare was under control, 4500K color temp, they looked like really bright halogen bulbs, not HID, which is perfect. Unfortunately in my 2016 grand cherokee, I have OEM HIDs, which are pretty crappy. The only options I have are cumbersome and expensive, but I will eventually do it. I will probably swap the projectors, and upgrade from 35W to 55W ballasts. Mopar really dropped the ball on their "high performance" headlights, they're not much better than the halogen projectors.

[Mrprovy]

Originally Posted by Doppleganger

I've been very anti LED in most optics. A halogen reflector is not designed to work with the shape of a line of LEDs. I've also seen videos that actually test the lux output, and some optics actually don't fair as well as quality halogen bulbs. Plus, the added glare from using a brighter light source, in a housing that allows for a certain percentage of light scatter above the cutoff. About the only optics that can deal with that are projectors, but they really adapt better (well, most of them) to HID rather than LED. I've been a forward lighting geek for the past 15 years or so, and have pretty much seen it all.


Oh, and higher color temp != more light, usually the inverse.

I went with GTR CSP Mini "Perfect Fit" bulbs, and drove the truck in the dark for the first time since install; very bright and the beam pattern is nice and flat. They did need to be adjusted during install so that the led's were horizontal, otherwise the beam would have been horrible. That's where a lot of chapter LED headlight bulbs fail, they just throw a bunch of LED's around the bulb and its not designed for a standard reflector headlight; or, they're not adjustable so the LED's are horizontal in the assembly.

https://headlightrevolution.com/gtr-...ts-9006-bulbs/

https://youtu.be/9-QmnhFVe08

[Doppleganger]

Originally Posted by Mrprovy

I went with GTR CSP Mini "Perfect Fit" bulbs, and drove the truck in the dark for the first time since install; very bright and the beam pattern is nice and flat. They did need to be adjusted during install so that the led's were horizontal, otherwise the beam would have been horrible. That's where a lot of chapter LED headlight bulbs fail, they just throw a bunch of LED's around the bulb and its not designed for a standard reflector headlight; or, they're not adjustable so the LED's are horizontal in the assembly.

https://headlightrevolution.com/gtr-...ts-9006-bulbs/

https://youtu.be/9-QmnhFVe08

They're still installed in reflector housings, unless you've changed them out for aftermarket projectors. And, being that they're reflectors, you're still going to have more glare, no matter how flat the cutoff looks. I installed a set of (well, this was my 2nd set) projector housings in my 02 Grand Cherokee, and adding a 9006 HID burner was fantastic. They had almost no upward light scatter, the beam pattern was flat and wide, and the cutoff was sharp. Aftermarket projectors, with a smooth lens (as opposed to ones that are dimpled, or have concentric rings in them) will have a sharper cutoff, less light scatter, and more light on the road. Now, the LEDs you installed are probably in that 6000k color temp range, which does a good job of fooling the brain to make you think they're brighter. All our lives, yellow light = dim, white/blue light = bright. Our eyes are also more sensitive to the shorter wavelengths (which is why a green laser looks brighter than a red one), but the higher color temp also washes out on wet roads a lot more. I've always stuck with a color temp closer to the OEM color of 4100K. Certainly no higher than 4500k. It puts more usable light onto the road, in a part of the color spectrum that scatters less light, and really brings out the details without hiding things. This is one of those subjects I really geek out on, and have been for a long time. If someone would produce some 4000k LEDs, I *might* try them in a projector housing, or for high beams (as glare isn't a concern), but so far nothing beats the output of HIDs. There are no shadows (you will always get shadows when you have a board, heatsink, and opposing leds on that board) except for the small return wire, which if you use them in projectors, is hidden behind the shield, and most reflector housings have a support piece for the bulb shield, which you can index with the return wire.


The Retrofit Source is a vendor I recommend, they've done some videos on HID vs LED vs Halogen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KbZBgrEk_w

This was done in a projector housing, pay attention to the details, too. Not every bulb is made the same, not every projector is.

[Mrprovy]

Originally Posted by Doppleganger

They're still installed in reflector housings, unless you've changed them out for aftermarket projectors. And, being that they're reflectors, you're still going to have more glare, no matter how flat the cutoff looks. I installed a set of (well, this was my 2nd set) projector housings in my 02 Grand Cherokee, and adding a 9006 HID burner was fantastic. They had almost no upward light scatter, the beam pattern was flat and wide, and the cutoff was sharp. Aftermarket projectors, with a smooth lens (as opposed to ones that are dimpled, or have concentric rings in them) will have a sharper cutoff, less light scatter, and more light on the road. Now, the LEDs you installed are probably in that 6000k color temp range, which does a good job of fooling the brain to make you think they're brighter. All our lives, yellow light = dim, white/blue light = bright. Our eyes are also more sensitive to the shorter wavelengths (which is why a green laser looks brighter than a red one), but the higher color temp also washes out on wet roads a lot more. I've always stuck with a color temp closer to the OEM color of 4100K. Certainly no higher than 4500k. It puts more usable light onto the road, in a part of the color spectrum that scatters less light, and really brings out the details without hiding things. This is one of those subjects I really geek out on, and have been for a long time. If someone would produce some 4000k LEDs, I *might* try them in a projector housing, or for high beams (as glare isn't a concern), but so far nothing beats the output of HIDs. There are no shadows (you will always get shadows when you have a board, heatsink, and opposing leds on that board) except for the small return wire, which if you use them in projectors, is hidden behind the shield, and most reflector housings have a support piece for the bulb shield, which you can index with the return wire.


The Retrofit Source is a vendor I recommend, they've done some videos on HID vs LED vs Halogen.

This was done in a projector housing, pay attention to the details, too. Not every bulb is made the same, not every projector is.

I looked for projector assemblies for my truck since it was new (06 Trailblazer LT); they're made for the LS & SS, but the LT has a different headlight assembly with no aftermarket support.

I would have preferred HID's, but with the DRL sharing the low beams, I can't use unless I delete the DRL, which I didn't want to do.

[Mrprovy]

Today, I removed my light bar to prep for a front hitch install. I want to have both, so I have to weld some brackets onto the hitch in order to mount the light bar; hopefully I'll have it done in a week or two