*Truck and Towing thread........ask your questions here.*

[tiggerdad]

Flow's worthless self won't either.

Be protected from mayhem...like auto-backing

 

[sirenia88]

Here is the first time to the Fort. I was towing the trailer with a 1999 Ford F150 powered by a 5.4 L V8. It was 2012 and realized that a 1/2 ton extended cab was tight for long road trips.








This was the set up at the Fort in November 2014. First run to the Fort since I got the new tow rig.




Random travel rig picture. My rig is in front. My parent's rig is right behind. They have a Jayco Kiwi towed with a 2008 Explorer powered by a 4.6 L V8. It tows their trailer very nice.




This is my contribution to this thread.

 

[dmaxphil]

Nice setup! Nice truck!

 

[tltay2005]

Great thread. Being the DW I don't really have much interest in trucks, but since we, or should I say DH, is in the market for a new tow vehicle, I will have to have him read this thread. He has his heart set on the new 2016 Nissan Titan XD with the Cummings diesel engine. We have a 2004 Titan now, and it has been very reliable, except for general upkeep maintenance, it has never been in the shop. Next choice is the Toyota Tundra. Lots of Fords and Chevy's here on this thread, maybe this thread will give him some motivation to look at all options. We are towing a 2015 17' Keystone Hideout. Also have a 2013 Nautic Star center console boat that we tow. Would like to have something with a long enough bed to put the golf cart in so we don't have to make two trips. Keep posting, love the photos!

 

[dmaxphil]

Here are some pics of my previous 2 trucks.

First Duramax. Sniff sniff. Hauled anything and everything I threw at it. It's now working in San Antonio as a tow truck.

Tundra - hauled a popup with it. Strong truck. Horrible gas mileage.

 

[bama_ed]

Tundra - hauled a popup with it. Strong truck. Horrible gas mileage.

Damn good looking popup, Phil. What is it? <model-year>

I owned a Jayco 12 HW 2005 popup (bought it new) until I traded it for an Aliner Expedition last year. Nearly 200 nights camping over 9 years - lots of memories.

Of course, for popups, just about anything over a minivan is fine for pulling it.

Bama Ed

PS - and anyone interested in the virtues of a popup has to only ask....

PPS - <sniff> from April 2013 in loop 100...



I think I'll go down in the garage in a dark corner by the Aliner and sob now....

 

[dmaxphil]

Damn good looking popup, Phil. What is it? <model-year>

I owned a Jayco 12 HW 2005 popup (bought it new) until I traded it for an Aliner Expedition last year. Nearly 200 nights camping over 9 years - lots of memories.

Of course, for popups, just about anything over a minivan is fine for pulling it.

Bama Ed

PS - and anyone interested in the virtues of a popup has to only ask....

PPS - <sniff> from April 2013 in loop 100...



I think I'll go down in the garage in a dark corner by the Aliner and sob now....

Thanks! 2011 Jayco 1206. I lifted it 5". Some before and after pictures below. I ended up selling for a little more than what I paid. Also custom built a golf cart to match my Tundra specifically for the Fort, but ended up selling that too when I was made an offer I couldn't refuse.

We loved our popup but wanted a little more space.

 

[dmaxphil]

Damn good looking popup, Phil. What is it? <model-year>

I owned a Jayco 12 HW 2005 popup (bought it new) until I traded it for an Aliner Expedition last year. Nearly 200 nights camping over 9 years - lots of memories.

Of course, for popups, just about anything over a minivan is fine for pulling it.

Bama Ed

I think I'll go down in the garage in a dark corner by the Aliner and sob now....

I really like those high walls. I imagine it was decently heavy? Ours tipped the scales at 3100lbs.

 

[SouthAlabama5er]

but I wonder if I wouldn't get better fuel mileage by moving to the 5er.

Believe or not you should get a little bit better, not enough worth noticing. Something to do with the air flow over the cab and the nose of the 5er, if would be the same with a travel trailer if you put a camper shell on your truck bed. Just my two cents...

 

[SouthAlabama5er]

Dmaxphil, I really like that pop up with the wheels and the lift, pretty cool!

 

[peg110]

Great thread. Being the DW I don't really have much interest in trucks, but since we, or should I say DH, is in the market for a new tow vehicle, I will have to have him read this thread. He has his heart set on the new 2016 Nissan Titan XD with the Cummings diesel engine. We have a 2004 Titan now, and it has been very reliable, except for general upkeep maintenance, it has never been in the shop. Next choice is the Toyota Tundra. Lots of Fords and Chevy's here on this thread, maybe this thread will give him some motivation to look at all options. We are towing a 2015 17' Keystone Hideout. Also have a 2013 Nautic Star center console boat that we tow. Would like to have something with a long enough bed to put the golf cart in so we don't have to make two trips. Keep posting, love the photos!

Tltay2005, I will say that when I went looking for our truck, I wasn't going to consider Ford. Before I got my first truck, all the vehicles I had owned were mostly either Dodge or Jeep. I did buy a fuel efficient Ford escort and kept it for less than a month. Nothing was wrong with it per se' I just didn't like it.

So when I was looking at trucks (and believe me I looked at a LOT of them), I was kind of set on getting the Chevy Silverado Crew Cab. What was important to me was, of course towing capacity, but also space for my 2 kids. As we (DW and I) were narrowing down choices, she said that we probably should look at Ford to give it a chance. Reluctantly I did.

I have to say, that what sold me on the Ford was the space in the Crew Cab compartment. There was much more room for the kids in the cab then there was in ANY other (comparable) Truck we looked at. And the price was pretty good too. That was an F150 about 5 years ago, but 2 years ago we decided to up it to the F250 and I am extremely pleased with it as well. Another bonus (for us anyway) was that Ford was one of the only US Automakers that didn't take a government bailout.

Not that any of the other automakers made an inferior product, but I am very pleased with my F250. It's comfortable, has space and towing capcity, and I feel very safe in it. (Several months ago we got rear-ended at a stop light and it really only damaged my bumper and hitch. Her car was totaled.) What I don't like is the Payment, Insurance, Maintenance costs, fuel mileage, registration costs, essentially all the costs are much higher over our F150 and even more so over previous Car! I guess that's what you get though, if you want a truck.

 

[peg110]

So I am sitting here watching Bama turn the screws on Florida and during one of the interminable CBS commercial timeouts, Ford featured their new option for the 2016 F-150, the towing backup assist.

<sputter> <SPIT> WTH is this?

The last few years car makers have developed the ability for a CAR to parallel park itself with the driver taking their hands off the wheel for the event.

But a truck? With a trailer? Like it would back into a campsite by itself perfectly the first time?

Wut? I don't believe it.

OK so I believe it.

That could mean no more watching other people back into their campsite for cheap entertainment.

And no more using my backin gif's.





What's this world coming to?

Bama Ed

The problem I see with this that (somehow) when backing people may end up focusing on just the camera(s) and what they see and not consider the sides of the camper (that aren't easily seen) or the "Height" of the camper and what it could connect with.

I think the best solution is to learn how to back the camper. It's not easy, but it gets easier the more you do it. While these types of tools are nice, I think, much like a calculator, you need to understand how to do it the "Manual" way before you get the "Automated" (easier?) tools.

 

[tiggerdad]

Backing a camper or trailer using your mirrors:

Put ONE hand on bottom of steering wheel. If you want the end of the trailer to go to the right, move that one hand to the right, if you want it to go left, move that hand left. When I say right or left, I am referencing you sitting in the seat facing forward.

Easiest way I ever learned.

 

[PaHunter]

And always listen to your significant other who is telling you, go the other way, or steps so you can't see them in the mirror. So much fun to be had.

 

[dmaxphil]

And always listen to your significant other who is telling you, go the other way, or steps so you can't see them in the mirror. So much fun to be had.

LOL, Gave up on that idea long ago. I handle it all solo now. That way I only get angry at myself.

 

[SouthAlabama5er]

One thing I practice when I'm by myself is G.O.A.L. = Get Out And Look. No matter how many times it takes, it's always cheaper in the long run!

 

[dmaxphil]

Yep. Especially when backing in to a blind side spot.

 

[Teamubr]

And always listen to your significant other who is telling you, go the other way, or steps so you can't see them in the mirror. So much fun to be had.

Ha ha. Sure fire way to get divorced. We actually tried 2 way radios. That turned into "My way" and "That way". Or "Left... NO! MY LEFT!"

Or worse yet, complete silence. Mean while I'm watching the mirrors realizing I'm no where close to straight and then I hear "STOP!" on the radio. "You're crooked. You need to go more 'over there'." ... Sure.

One thing I practice when I'm by myself is G.O.A.L. = Get Out And Look.

Can't preach this enough. If I can see where I'm going with a little walk around first, I can put almost any trailer anywhere. When you take your Class A driving test (CDL for noncommercial people with BIG trailers) in Illinois, before you back into a dock, you have to get out and look around or they fail you.

j

 

[tiggerdad]

One thing I practice when I'm by myself is G.O.A.L. = Get Out And Look. No matter how many times it takes, it's always cheaper in the long run!

Amen!

 

[SouthAlabama5er]

Ha ha. Sure fire way to get divorced. We actually tried 2 way radios. That turned into "My way" and "That way". Or "Left... NO! MY LEFT!"

Or worse yet, complete silence. Mean while I'm watching the mirrors realizing I'm no where close to straight and then I hear "STOP!" on the radio. "You're crooked. You need to go more 'over there'." ... Sure.

Two words to make life a little easier, "pull through". A buddy of mine lives by them two words. That was his first question when we booked FW last year. "Which sites are pull through?"