Camp Host US Newsletter
September Edition 22
September 7, 2005
Featured Product
In This Issue:
- Towing Tips
- RV Electrical Tips
- Recipe
1. Towing Tips
The ABC's of matching up trucks with fifth wheel trailers. (Not one man's opinion but a collection of thoughts from fellow Rv'ers.) How much fifth wheel can I tow, how big of a truck do I need, is diesel better than gas, what about duallies or 4x4? Lets have a look. First there are a few terms and concepts to get familiar with.. GVWR - That's the most weight your loaded truck can weigh and stay within manufacturers limits (the total weight resting on all four or six tires). This is important when selecting a fifth wheel because you actually "carry" part of the trailer rather than just "pull" it. GCWR - That's the most weight you can have with the truck and trailer combined but remember, staying under the combined limit and over on the GVWR isn't good. GAWR - Is the axle weight rating which is always higher than the combined component rating of the truck (GVWR). Don't get sucked into using this rating alone just because it allows you more weight capacity. You have to consider all the components on the truck including the weakest link which probably isn't the axle! Base or "Curb" weight - My personal favorites! Most brochures advertise "Best in class" type weight ratings and tout huge trailer weights but if you read the fine print you will see what it takes to achieve those weights. a stripped down base truck, smallest engine, std transmission and no options, not even a bumper hitch, mirrors or floor mats. Weigh the truck - It all starts here. Without the REAL weight of the fueled truck, you are only guessing at the outcome of your capacities. If guessing suites you, read no farther because the rest of this will be boring. If you haven't bought the truck yet don't worry, take one for a "test drive". straight over to a set of scales and weigh it. I did it and so can you. Pin Weight capacity formula - Add the fueled truck + passengers + hitch + anything else you plan on sitting on or in the truck including that auxiliary fuel tank you just installed, it adds weight too. Subtract that total from the trucks GVWR and you will see what you can handle in the way of kingpin weight. Note: Weight capacities are manufacturer suggestions NOT legal limits. Let's run through an example. Our dream fiver has a "dry" weight of 12,500 lbs with a pin weight of 2,400 lbs. Our hypothetical brand X truck has a GVWR of 9000 lbs; it weighs 6,000 with a full tank of fuel. Working back from 9,000 lbs lets subtract our "stuff" and see what kind of weight capacity we're left with. 9000 - GVWR of truck -6000 - truck with fuel - 150 - fifth wheel hitch - 50 - spray in bed liner - 60 - nerf bars - 130 - driver, Susie - 210 - husband, Fred - 110 - daughter, Sarah - 140 - son, Michael - 60 - pit bull, fluffy That leaves a grand total of 2,090 pounds for additional capacity of which all or part can be allocated for the pin weight. Wow. that's not much of a pin weight, what happened to that 15,000 pound towing figure I read someplace in a brochure? Oh, yeah, that was based on the stripped down "base" model wasn't it? Sort of trick advertising isn't it? So it looks like we can't tow that sharp trailer we had our eyes on because the pin weight is well over 2090 lbs, darn. Not only is it over when the trailer is "Dry" but you can bank on the fact that the pin weight will grow with every can of corn you place in the pantry. A wise person on the RV forum (I cannot remember the name) once posted a formula for determining the maximum trailer weight. Most loaded fivers average 20% pin weight so if you multiply the GVWR of the trailer by 20% you will have the heaviest weight the pin will likely ever be. Select a truck that can support that weight and you'll never worry about pin weight again. What can we do, what are our options? Well, four options jump right out; 1. Choose a lighter trailer with a lighter pin weight. 2. Choose a truck with a higher GVWR. 3. Leave the kids and fluffy home, there's a savings of 310 pounds right there! 4. Ignore the numbers because your buddy has a similar truck and "it pulls just fine". A higher GVWR, now there's an idea. Well let's see, the next step up is around 9,900 pounds, that might work, then there is a big jump to 11,400 lbs GVWR. wow what's up with that, oh wait. it's one of those duallies, I hate those, they make bad daily drivers ya know! Duallies or dooleys - The most hated of all trucks, what good are they? There are arguments all up and down the spectrum but when it comes down to it, they do one thing well, they support more weight. a lot of weight, which is what fifth wheel trailers add to a truck. Diesel versus Gas - Volumes can be written on the arguments but it comes down to one thing. which do you like? Many think the extra low RPM torque of the diesel is more suited to towing the heavier loads. 4x4 or 4x2 - If you plan on going off road, boon docking or camping on beaches, a 4x4 might just be the ticket. But if all you are going to do is stay on highways, park in RV parks and the occasional gravel/dirt campground, a 4x2 is the way to go. If honesty gained points I'm sure a few 4x4 owners would step forward and admit they have never switched into 4-Lo yet. I did twice in a year. Here are a few miscellaneous items to keep in mind when shopping around. Trailer brakes - The bigger the better. You will hear many say the truck has to be able to stop itself AND the trailer, but that simply isn't true. The trailer brakes are designed to stop the trailer. If you have an option to buy larger brakes or disk brakes on the trailer, by all means do so. Truck Wheelbase - The longer wheel base you can have on the truck, the smoother the ride you will get. The drawbacks are maneuvering around town and their turning radius. You need to decide if the amount of towing you do warrants the longer truck over the inconveniences of everyday driving around town. If you decide on the longer wheel base truck, your back will thank you the first 3000 mile trip you take. Number of AXLES on the trailer - Two axle trailers tow (track), handle better, are easier to back than single axle trailers. Triple axle trailers aren't any smoother and actually are harder on the tires in turns but are required to carry the heavier loads on the larger trailers. While we're on axles, the total weight of a trailer rests on two things. the axle(s) and the kingpin. If you see a trailer with a GVWR of 16,000 lbs with only two 7,000 lb axles, don't worry there is no mistake, the kingpin will carry a few thousand pounds of the load. Short bed VS long bed trucks - Face it, a fiver averages over eight feet wide which means if the front gets too close to the rear of the truck cab, something is going to break in a sharp turn! With a long bed truck the hitch is far enough away from the cab to prevent accidents but not so with short bed trucks. The foolish thing to do is install the hitch behind the axle centerline; the smart thing to do is buy a "slider" hitch. The slider hitch is set on rails and with a throw of a switch can be manually moved back about 10" so you can make those tight turns without hitting the cab. They are for backing and slow maneuvering though and not for highway driving. Some say it's a waste of money but compare an extra $120 for the slider to the cost of a rear cab window with metal damage. Matching a truck to your "driving style" - Properly matching up a truck to a trailer is more than just looking up weight capacities in a brochure. Will you feel comfortable driving up a 5 mile long 7% grade pulling that 13,000 lb trailer with the 6 liter engine screaming just to go 25 mph, then worrying about the trailer pushing the truck down the hill on the other side because it just doesn't "feel right"? Or would you feel more comfy pulling the same trailer with a more powerful engine? Half the trip is in the driving, no sense in making it a "white knuckle" experience. Trucks are expensive - Buying one today only to find out you really should have bought a more capable truck only adds frustration and who needs more of that? Take time evaluating what is important to you now as well as what may be important LATER, which could be as soon as next year. It's tough trading in a one year old truck. I know! A few more dollars a month in payments or fuel costs may be easily offset by a more pleasurable towing experience on your vacation. Well, there you have it, now you have enough knowledge to go out and look at trucks and trailers without some salesperson taking advantage of you. Hope you gained something useful out of this. In closing, I would like to dispel a common myth - Yes the Chevy S-10 and Ford Rangers do make fine fifth wheel tow vehicles, you just need to make one minor modification. Simply remove the 2" trailer ball from your rear bumper hitch, place three thick washers under the ball and reinstall it, you won't have many threads left but that's a good thing. The additional washers will raise the ball high enough to keep the bottom threads from cutting a groove in the pavement while you are towing. You should immediately notice improved mileage due to the reduced drag.
2. RV Electrical Tips
Using Your RV RV Basics: 120-Volt AC Systems By Jan Kuderna All RVs have two separate electrical systems: 12-volt direct current (DC) and 120-volt alternating current (AC). The 120-volt system is the same as household electricity, with the same type of circuit breakers, wiring and receptacles. Campground hook-ups often have three receptacles: 20, 30 and 50 amps. To understand the difference, let's first define current and voltage. Current is the movement of electrons along a wire. Voltage is the force that moves the electrons. Obviously, 120 volts is a greater force than 12 volts. Current (the flow of electrons) is measured in amperes, or amps for short. RVs need 20-, 30- or 50-amp hook-ups depending on how much electricity the on-board appliances use. A small trailer or pop-up without an air conditioner can easily get by on 20 amps. A 30-amp circuit is necessary for RVs with one air conditioner. Larger rigs that have 2 air conditioners need 50 amps. The plugs for 20 and 30 amps are 3-pronged; the 50-amp plug has 4 prongs. This is because the 50-amp receptacle actually conducts two 120-volt circuits in order to supply the 50 amps that big rigs need. In effect, it is a 240-volt receptacle, like those used for electric clothes dryers in a house. RVs with two air conditioners need the 50-amp circuit in order to run both air conditioners at the same time, because each air conditioner runs on a separate 120-volt circuit. Some older campgrounds may only have a 20-amp receptacle, while some newer campgrounds are being built with only a 50-amp receptacle. Adapters are available that will allow you to hook up your RV to any campground receptacle regardless of what type of plug is on the RV power cord. Of course, you are limited to the available amperage at the receptacle. A 20-amp receptacle will limit the number of appliances that can be run at the same time and may not be sufficient to run an air conditioner. An RV that has a 50-amp plug may find that only one air conditioner will operate if plugged into a 30-amp receptacle. If your RV is connected to a receptacle that is higher than what is required (for example, when a 30-amp power cord with an adapter is plugged into a 50-amp receptacle), you must limit your electrical usage to 30 amps at any one time. Even though 50 amps are available, the main circuit breaker will trip if the RV is pulling more than 30 amps. The following appliances use 120-volts. ·Air conditioner ·Microwave oven ·Refrigerator ·Satellite Dish Receiver ·Anything that plugs into a household receptacle (toaster, coffeemaker, TV, etc) ·Converter What's a Converter? A converter takes 120-volt AC electricity and converts it into 12-volt DC electricity. This is used to recharge the battery and provide power for lights and other 12-volt appliances. When an RV is plugged into an electrical post at a campground, both systems are running off the campground receptacle. Circuit breakers can usually be found behind a metal panel, close to where the power cord enters the RV. Make it a point to familiarize yourself with the circuits and label them. Problems You Might Encounter REDS (Receptacle Early Death Syndrome) is a condition found at many campgrounds. Campground receptacles are often warped, cracked, and discolored from excessive heat. When you plug your RV power cord into such a receptacle, a poor connection is made which results in heat, so much heat that it can melt your plug housing or corrode the blades. Corroded blades plugged into the next campground receptacle make a poor connection and perpetuate the problem. Keeping your RV power cord plug clean and shiny with steel wool or a small wire brush will help to prevent REDS. Occasionally, campground electrical posts are wired incorrectly or do not have a good ground. Inexpensive circuit analyzers, with three indicator lights, can be plugged into an inside receptacle to check for correct wiring. Note which of the three lights are on and check them against the chart on the analyzer housing. It's wise to check the wiring before plugging in any electronic equipment, such as a computer, since faulty wiring could damage the electronics. If there is a problem, notify the campground office and move to another site. If the analyzer shows reversed positive ("hot") and ground wires, a dangerous situation exists. In most RVs the chassis is grounded, so if the wiring is reversed, any metal on the RV is "hot." Carefully unplug the power cord without touching any metal on the RV or the electrical post and move to another site. Anything with an electronic circuit board (computers, refrigerators, microwave ovens, etc) can be damaged by voltage surges (spikes). A surge protector is a good investment to protect sensitive electronic equipment, especially computers and printers, from damage due to fluctuating power sources. Most surge protectors are built into a power strip for use indoors. Heavy-duty surge protectors are available to protect the whole RV. These are either plugged into the campground electrical post or are permanently installed in the RV.
3. Recipe
This simple and delicious smoothie is both rich in flavor AND high in fiber! Glorious Morning Smoothie Close Window Ingredients: 1 cup frozen strawberries 1 cup vanilla yogurt 1 cup orange juice 3 tablespoons wheat germ Directions: Place ingredients into blender and mix on high until smooth. Garnish with a fresh strawberry. Yields: 2 tall smoothies
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If the Great Spirit wanted men to live in one place he would have made the world stand still." -- Flying Hawk, South Dakota Oglala Sioux
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