Good morning!!!!

[pennwalk]

LS, nice. to see you back. I hope you will continue to walk in the light. Your garden is amazing. I love to see the different styles on peoples gardens.

Best wishes

Chris

 

[buckeyefarmer]

LS, good to hear from you. Nice job on the patio. All your work is top notch.

87deg here. working on computer. Doing a full backup on the Iphone right now and it will take awhile. New Iphone came today, will start setting it up once the old one is backed up. Once I'm happy with the new one working right, the old one becomes my wife's phone. Hers been having problems, and I've been wanting more memory as I take lots of pictures.

This morning, I laid out a 24 x 36 area in the side yard, to see what it would look like as a cabin in VA. Looks small on the ground, might go bigger. but it's also small enough that I think I can build it myself pretty quick. It gave me a chance to play with the new laser level I bought last month. You can square things with it, as it has a rotating and a fixed light at 90deg. I have 3 blocks and a brick at the corners for visual. I set a nail with orange marking tape in the ground in case I want to play with it again. I was off 2" on the diagonals at first, so it's pretty close to square now.

I've also debated building a detached garage in this area, maybe 30 x 30 or so. probably a little bit to the left. Then I would convert our existing garage to a downstairs master bedroom and bath, and make the upstairs storage or a game room.

 

[daugen]

I can't imagine taking a tow behind on a 4000 mile journey, especially over the mountains of colorado. I'd be looking for the smallest sprinter type RV they make with a bunk.

I had the MB Sprinter last time, definitely drove better than this Ford.
But....I need more room, a larger bathroom, just can't jam myself into such a small space anymore.
Buckeye, I look for pull thru's so larger rig isn't always a problem

I've been watching a lot of you tube videos on folks full timing it in rvs.
These fifth wheels are huge, often a toy hauler, and have three axles. That's a lot of tire scrubbing while parking.
and with my backing skills, well, we won't go there...

still out on gen "crew dispatched" but no cause shown yet.
gen is noisy but works

geez, looking at radar, another big batch of yellow headed this way, lot more rain

 

[m7040]

Drew, agree with Buppies. A one ton or 3/4 ton will make it comfortable and will not limit you on an RV trailer. The Ford PU that you saw when we met will tow pretty much anything and be very stable and not drop speed on hills. If you go smaller on the RV like some of the aluminum Airstreams the half ton PU should be fine

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Drew, since you're shopping for a trailer, check out Grand Design. Here is the one we have, considered a "couples trailer".

Explore and learn more about Grand Design Transcend Xplor 200MK

Explore the top-rated Grand Design RV Transcend Xplor 200mk travel trailers. Exceptional design, value, and touring capabilities.

www.granddesignrv.com

For it's size, pretty light at 4900lbs empty. Plus, their customer service is absolutely exceptional!
We had the t-stat get fried 4 months out of warranty. It was fried from touching it and a static electricity spark.
They sent out a new replacement t-stat and updated control box no questions asked!

I pull it no problem with our Nissan Frontier rated at 6900 lbs towing. But, I will be getting a new 1/2 ton p/u when I can find what I'm looking for.

 

[daugen]

Drew, agree with Buppies. A one ton or 3/4 ton will make it comfortable and will not limit you on an RV trailer. The Ford PU that you saw when we met will tow pretty much anything and be very stable and not drop speed on hills. If you go smaller on the RV like some of the aluminum Airstreams the half ton PU should be fine

this will be my daily driver, no room for two cars in driveway.
so really, really don't want the larger truck, which won't come with driving aids.

going to 3/4 ton usually adds a ton to the tow vehicle, while duallies I'm well aware are the perfect choice.
But I owned a cummins dually 3500 and it was just huge to drive around town.

I've been looking at high end weight distributing hitches. Several allege to almost eliminate sway, very different from the hitch with bars I had before.
I'm told the three best hitches out there are the Anderson hitch
Andersen Hitches Weight Distribution Hitch, 4" Drop / Rise

or the B&G with hydraulic pump

https://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution-Hitch/B-and-W/BW78FR.html?feed=npn&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Google%20%7C%20Shop%20-%20Weight%20Distribution%20Hitch&adgroupid=87543463379&campaignid=203667737&creative=407421965478&device=c&devicemodel=&feeditemid=&keyword=&loc_interest_ms=&loc_physical_ms=9003950&matchtype=&network=g&placement=&position=&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5f2lBhCkARIsAHeTvljgsnwuFpkKTUisol0-D1WGWibJp7Um1MyMWH0fPSd98HF2y073XrUaAsFUEALw_wcB

but what the dealer said was the best hitch, and wow for the price of it sure should be, was the Hensley hitch:

Jim Hensley Hitch Design | ProPride 3P Sway Control Hitch

ProPride features the most advanced sway control hitch on the market for all your towing and RV needs. Buy the ProPride 3P advanced anti sway trailer hitch.

store.propridehitch.com

my thoughts/hopes were that a really good sway reducing hitch would help with a heavy trailer.

But no hitch will fully offset a five ton trailer pushing a three ton truck around a curve, or stopping the whole thing.

one of the college summer jobs was driving a sod boom truck, don't know gvw, but big. I had no CDL, was 18 years old....
but sure learned quickly when that truck was loaded, and the sod got rained on, wow that truck would self steer around the corner.
Modern trucks have acceleration down pat, hugely powerful. Stopping is something else. Makes you wonder how effective the trailer's brakes are.

just about everyone has suggested a larger truck. Pretty hard to complain about a Cummins or Powerstroke diesel hooked up to an Allison trans.
maybe I just get the larger truck while I have the rv. I can't do this for a lot longer...
but I really want those auto driving aids.
need a long talk with dealers confirming supercruise/blue cruise absolutely will work when pulling an rv.
If not, easy solution, just buy a 3/4 ton diesel.

I appreciate the feedback.
Dealer said he had a number of guys with new F150's with max towing and the 500# torque Ecoboost, pulling these 10k trailers.
and no problems. ?????

 

[daugen]

Drew, since you're shopping for a trailer, check out Grand Design. Here is the one we have, considered a "couples trailer".

Explore and learn more about Grand Design Transcend Xplor 200MK

Explore the top-rated Grand Design RV Transcend Xplor 200mk travel trailers. Exceptional design, value, and touring capabilities.

www.granddesignrv.com

For it's size, pretty light at 4900lbs empty. Plus, their customer service is absolutely exceptional!
We had the t-stat get fried 4 months out of warranty. It was fried from touching it and a static electricity spark.
They sent out a new replacement t-stat and updated control box no questions asked!

I pull it no problem with our Nissan Frontier rated at 6900 lbs towing. But, I will be getting a new 1/2 ton p/u when I can find what I'm looking for.

Grand Design has the best reputation for customer service.
But they are fully in bed with Lippert, who makes the frames, the frames that are cracking and breaking all over the internet.\
they were the first model I looked at. But I honestly believe all these units are built the same, poorly...., so dealer service and name brands is important.
Grand Design also uses Schwintek slides, which are terrible, and why my rv is going into the shop on Saturday.
I think Grand Design is among the top three and if they had a more local dealer here, I'd be more enthused.

there are so many youtube videos out there with folks buying Grand Design rv's and they all break the same.
Manufacturing quality control is simply dismal in this industry.

Ted, my Frontier was one of my favorite trucks. am hunting a pic of it, somewhere in the 8 gazillion photos I've taken

 

[buckeyefarmer]

LS, like that camper layout. my camper box measures 8x25.5 without the tongue, so about the same size as that. my bath is across the back, so the slide has u table and a short couch. The 24 x 36 cabin I'm laying out for VA is 4.5X the camper space without slide extended.

 

[B7510HSD]

this will be my daily driver, no room for two cars in driveway.
so really, really don't want the larger truck, which won't come with driving aids.

going to 3/4 ton usually adds a ton to the tow vehicle, while duallies I'm well aware are the perfect choice.
But I owned a cummins dually 3500 and it was just huge to drive around town.

I've been looking at high end weight distributing hitches. Several allege to almost eliminate sway, very different from the hitch with bars I had before.
I'm told the three best hitches out there are the Anderson hitch
Andersen Hitches Weight Distribution Hitch, 4" Drop / Rise

or the B&G with hydraulic pump

https://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution-Hitch/B-and-W/BW78FR.html?feed=npn&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Google%20%7C%20Shop%20-%20Weight%20Distribution%20Hitch&adgroupid=87543463379&campaignid=203667737&creative=407421965478&device=c&devicemodel=&feeditemid=&keyword=&loc_interest_ms=&loc_physical_ms=9003950&matchtype=&network=g&placement=&position=&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5f2lBhCkARIsAHeTvljgsnwuFpkKTUisol0-D1WGWibJp7Um1MyMWH0fPSd98HF2y073XrUaAsFUEALw_wcB

but what the dealer said was the best hitch, and wow for the price of it sure should be, was the Hensley hitch:

Jim Hensley Hitch Design | ProPride 3P Sway Control Hitch

ProPride features the most advanced sway control hitch on the market for all your towing and RV needs. Buy the ProPride 3P advanced anti sway trailer hitch.

store.propridehitch.com

my thoughts/hopes were that a really good sway reducing hitch would help with a heavy trailer.

But no hitch will fully offset a five ton trailer pushing a three ton truck around a curve, or stopping the whole thing.

one of the college summer jobs was driving a sod boom truck, don't know gvw, but big. I had no CDL, was 18 years old....
but sure learned quickly when that truck was loaded, and the sod got rained on, wow that truck would self steer around the corner.
Modern trucks have acceleration down pat, hugely powerful. Stopping is something else. Makes you wonder how effective the trailer's brakes are.

just about everyone has suggested a larger truck. Pretty hard to complain about a Cummins or Powerstroke diesel hooked up to an Allison trans.
maybe I just get the larger truck while I have the rv. I can't do this for a lot longer...
but I really want those auto driving aids.
need a long talk with dealers confirming supercruise/blue cruise absolutely will work when pulling an rv.
If not, easy solution, just buy a 3/4 ton diesel.

I appreciate the feedback.
Dealer said he had a number of guys with new F150's with max towing and the 500# torque Ecoboost, pulling these 10k trailers.
and no problems. ?????

Drew I towed my 30ft Grand Design with my 3.5L Ecoboost no problem had more than enough power. Stopping was a different story but doable with the trailer brakes adjusted properly and a good weight distribution hitch. My Ecoboost had the cam tensioner rattle real bad and Ford would not repair it with the 3rd party warranty they sold me so I now have a new Ram 2500. Goo luck with your search been extremly happy with the Grand design now after 3 years.

 

[m7040]

Glad you are back LS feel free if you need someone to talk to. I am one who holds it all inside making my health go down

Hot here maybe storm later

3/4 to one ton Truck way to go Drew know they are expensive but you cannot take it with you and safety does apply here

M7040 your daughter and I both hold similar degrees I’ll bet we could talk a lot. I also have degrees in Business History and one more in Public Administration
As well as political science

I will have her call you.