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

[tiggerdad]

Finally got around to seeing if our cart would fit in the bed of our new truck, and it does! Fits great, the rear wheels are inside the bed, so we can remove the tail gate if needed. Our only hick-up was that the rear seat foot rest scraped the ground, had to move truck forward down the slope of our driveway to load with out scraping. Depending on the angle of the site , may have to make some adjustments in loading and unloading. No biggie, just glad not to be making two trips to the fort anymore.
View attachment 177738

There are no angle to the sites for the most part. I would suggest a simple fix such as 1-2 boards/blocks under the ramps to decrease the angle. Something that thin could easily be slid under the golf cart once it was loaded.

The only places at FW to get any angle would mean driving your vehicle off the pavement in most cases.

This or something similar should help.

 

[tltay2005]

There are no angle to the sites for the most part. I would suggest a simple fix such as 1-2 boards/blocks under the ramps to decrease the angle. Something that thin could easily be slid under the golf cart once it was loaded.

The only places at FW to get any angle would mean driving your vehicle off the pavement in most cases.

This or something similar should help.

DH was saying we may have to load and unload in the overflow grassy area. If all else fails, they foot rest can be removed.

 

[tiggerdad]

DH was saying we may have to load and unload in the overflow grassy area. If all else fails, they foot rest can be removed.

If your footrest is like mine you should only need to remove two bolts and loosen two others to make it tilt up. If this is the case then it shouldn't be too bad.

 

[Teamubr]

If I recall, I thought there were unhitch/unload areas with mounds you could back up to along the road between the Outpost (checkin) and the 4 way intersection. I see people in there unhitching toads, but thought I saw 3-4 ft tall grass mounds, I assumed for unloading stuff from the back of pickups.

j

Then again... maybe I was hallucinating.

 

[tiggerdad]

Unhook areas are available on the way in but no unloading mounds.

There is a mound of dirt to the left on the road leading to the maintenance shed, but they put a wooden fence around that a few years ago to keep people from using it as it was not intended for that reason.

Would be a good thing to provide however...

 

[2goofycampers]

We have the same problem loading and unloading our GC. The sand definitely is better than the dirt/rock at home.

 

[Teamubr]

There is a mound of dirt to the left on the road leading to the maintenance shed, but they put a wooden fence around that a few years ago to keep people from using it as it was not intended for that reason.

That may be what I remembered. It was off in the grass and I remember thinking it was odd to encourage people to drive into the grass. Probably why they put up the fence... Too many people were encouraged.

j

 

[WDGPCFR]

I have been planning a trip back to the Campground since we bought out TT two years ago. My question is - I want to do a split between the campground and a resort. What is the procedure for storing the camper while you are at the hotel?

 

[peg110]

The hotels have LARGE parking lots and can generally accommodate the parking of your TT. Usually, though it's in the BACK of the lot. You should still call the Resort directly, ahead of time, just to be sure.

 

[peg110]

The truck and camper. Not actually hooked together in this picture though. Just getting both ready for the upcoming trip. Less then 2 weeks away.

 

[peg110]

Came across this and I had to share it.

 

[tiggerdad]

Ha ha!

 

[SouthAlabama5er]

I guess if some one ask if your truck has a receiver hitch, the answer would be "sorta kinda". Haha! Good stuff!

 

[bama_ed]

Unhook areas are available on the way in but no unloading mounds.

There is a mound of dirt to the left on the road leading to the maintenance shed, but they put a wooden fence around that a few years ago to keep people from using it as it was not intended for that reason.

Would be a good thing to provide however...

Yes. Here is the mound before the fence.

 

[cdnSpinalTap]

Yes finally got everything working correctly thank both of you for all the help....
Now I can actually post on things about the thread.

We just upgraded from our TT to the new 5er and almost doubled in weight so it called for some mods to the vehicle..TV is a 2011 Ford F250 6.7 diesel, it already has a full def delete and egr block off done ( or as I call it "letting the girl breathe" ) so the added power and torque, not to mention increased fuel mileage Is off the charts..I'm averaging 14 mpg when towing the new rig, with my heavy tow setting and I am getting 24 mpg when I have it set on street mode aND not towing anything..The latest add was the Firestone Air Bag system to the rear end. Man what a difference that made, I'll never own another pulling vehicle without again...Not a bad price and super easy to install. I have before and after install pics below,
View attachment 167282

Before bags above and after below

View attachment 167281

Just curious (and not trying to be argumentative, as I tow a big 5'er and have always wondered this) - if that 5'er sunk down your springs that much, doesn't it technically mean that it might be too heavy for your truck? And if it's too heavy, wouldn't it over spec the brakes, transmission, differential, etc? I've always had a feeling that these air bags just mask a bigger problem. Have you weighed the truck with the 5'er on to see if it's still within the GVRW?

 

[peg110]

Just curious (and not trying to be argumentative, as I tow a big 5'er and have always wondered this) - if that 5'er sunk down your springs that much, doesn't it technically mean that it might be too heavy for your truck? And if it's too heavy, wouldn't it over spec the brakes, transmission, differential, etc? I've always had a feeling that these air bags just mask a bigger problem. Have you weighed the truck with the 5'er on to see if it's still within the GVRW?

Interesting point you bring up. I might, however add, that a vehicle equipped with a hitch can tow a light load, but a wheel equipped with a WD hitch and electronic brake controller can typically tow more (safely). So couldn't the argument be made that Air Bags modify the original towing abilities?

All that being said, typically the GVWR is based on the axles/wheels and what they can bare (as well as other factors possibly too), so I suspect that it's possible to have "Stock Shocks/Suspension" and tow a load within it's rating and get the sagging, but by adding the Air Bags you improve the Tow as well. (like a transmission cooler improves the towing ability but does little for the overall GVWR and towing capacities.)

 

[jbrostek]

Knowing the 2011-2012 specs pretty well since I bought my 2012 DRW. I have a feeling he is probably within the GCWR, maybe even the GVWR. But definitely at or likely over the RAWR on that rig. And I used to the same with my current rig. I had 350# to spare on my RAWR and that was before I had my spare 45gallon tank. She could stop with the 5er on without issue, going was not as nice as the DRW due to the axle ratio, but she would roll just fine.

 

[cdnSpinalTap]

Thanks guys - great points. I understand that modifications can improve tow-ability - add torque, level the truck out, cool the transmission, etc. We live near and tow in the Rocky Mountains quite frequently so I tend to be hyper sensitive on the weight specs, especially with 3 kids in the truck and going down some major grades. I've always taken GVWR at face value - the maximum operating mass of the vehicle - and sized my trailers and vehicles appropriately, without mods.

All that being said, I am sure that they build in some tolerances and modifications probably throw those numbers out the window. And, to be honest, my understanding of vehicle engineering is extremely limited. So again, all just for discussion and not to claim that I am right and everyone with air bags is wrong.

Here's a pic of my rig. It's a one tonne and I have about 400# to spare on the GVWR when fully loaded with gas, occupants, a little water and a little waste. You can definitely see some sag in the back, but being within specs I am not concerned about it.

 

[jbrostek]

I am not against air bags, I even considered running them on my old truck but opted for better shocks. A friend put them on his dually, he is not over RAWR, GVWR, or GCWR. But I agree with his trailer on his truck the ride is a LOT smoother. Oddly though, his trailer on my 2012 and the ride is not as bad as his pre airbag.

A 250 is close to a 350 in many aspects and I am big on weight ratings too. I knew my old truck (thanks to the scales) was really close to maxed out. New truck I can tell is not even close to the max and that is a good thing. Plus its just so much of a nicer ride it makes the payment worth it.

 

[Teamubr]

Just curious - if that 5'er sunk down your springs that much, doesn't it technically mean that it might be too heavy for your truck?

This makes complete sense, but with today's trucks the suspensions are tuned more for ride and comfort. The manufacturers know most trucks will never/rarely see weights close to max, so they soften up things to make it comfortable driving to the market or soccer game. There are overload or progressive rate springs to handle the advertised limits, but the trucks need to sag to get into the extra spring capacity. My new 5er has about a 2600 lb pin weight, even with my auxiliary tank full, I still have nearly 1000 lbs on my RAWR, but the truck squats down to sit just level.

j