trailertraveler

This may be old news, but it is our first visit to the area since the 2015 shootout in the Walmart parking lot. The very popular BLM area just off AZ-260 on Thousand Trails Road is currently posted as Day Use Only. Dispersed vehicle camping is still permitted on a number of Forest Roads. Make sure you get a copy of the current Motor Vehicle Use Map (dated April 15, 2018). There were lots of RVs and tents along FR-525 between AZ-89A and Palatki Ruins. The rules allow for vehicle camping within 300' of the roadway. However; the way the road is graded with ditches along the shoulder, would make it difficult for most RV's to exit and re-enter the road. Every prepared pull off had several RVs and/or tents yesterday afternoon.

Yes and the other link which is to the Forest Campgrounds site states: Which is why I said "may close". Things have changed with many Forest Service campgrounds. In recent years, we have encountered a number of Forest Service campgrounds that use to remain open after hosts left or until the roads were impassable that now close on a specific date. Always best to call the Forest of local Ranger District and get the current information.

It is a National Forest Campground. Here is a link. Like many of the Forest Service campgrounds in Utah, it closes. Looks like it may close Sept. 30.

As mentioned UT-261 (the Moki Dugway) may be one you may want to avoid. UT-14 between I-15 and US-89 might be another. As mentioned you will likely not be able to transit UT-9 through Zion National Park. If you have the time you might want to explore the UT-12 Scenic Byway and its many side attractions on the motorcycles or in the Smart. If you do not have one, I suggest you get a copy of the Mountain Directory. It gives very detailed descriptions and recommends roads to avoid in big rigs. You also may want to consider additional stops than just Kanab and Moab. There are so many great places to see in Utah in addition to the 5 National Parks you will not be able to see then all.

Some remote spots like the Rio Grande Gorge have AT&T and no Verizon. Coverage Maps may not tell the whole story of actual field conditions. Using the same example of the Rio Grande Gorge AT&T cellular connectivity can go from zero to excellent with each turn in the river. A spot near the end of the road into the gorge actually gets better connectivity than some spots closer to town and the main highway. If satellite internet is anything like satellite TV and radio, terrain will affect the ability to get a clear view of the satellite(s). We have been unable to get satellite TV in areas of NM, AZ, UT, KY and WV that I can recall. Is satellite internet affected by trees as much as satellite TV is? We find that getting satellite TV when camping in the National Forests can be a challenge. I have had 300' of cable out in some spots to get a clear shot at the single satellite that our system uses.

I am a relative novice to streaming video. My cellular plan allows unlimited on device streaming but throttles tethering and hotspot use after 15GB to 600kbs. I have become aware that there are set top boxes that can access Netflix, etc, that have a Sim card slot. I have not seen any description of whether the data usage is considered on device or tethering data? If it is considered on device, my plan would be to move the Verizon sim card from my Samsung Tab A to the set top device. I did not see any mention of these devices on the Technomadia website. Is anyone using one of these set top devices? What cellular carrier are you using? How does the signal reception/connectivity compare with a phone? Have you used any kind of cellular signal booster? Any actual experience would be greatly appreciated.

There is also a BLM campground on the San Juan River between Bluff And Mexican Hat. There is a petroglyph site nearby.

We came through Kansas City on I-70 westbound on 8/27/19. The only closure we encountered was at the I-435 South exit on the west side of the city The detour was a short one. Exit I-70. left under I-70. Left onto I-70 East. Immediate exit onto I-435 south. We were headed to I-35 South. The I-470 to I-435 would have been shorter, but for some reason the GPS did not take us that way and I missed the I-470 exit. We usually come in on US-50 which merges with I-470 at Lees Summit and avoids most of the congestion of I-70 around the City.

If you have or get a phone or tablet that will support MHL to HDMI, you can watch whatever you can stream on your device on a larger TV screen. There are data plans that allow unlimited data on the device. The connection may be slowed some during times of high usage but I have not experienced it to where it was obvious and affected streaming. Our experience has been similar; however, streaming often works on the phone or tablet when it does not when using a Mifi or tethered phone through a router with devices connected to the router.

When we got our current phones, we were offered tablets for free with just the additional line device fee. I paid edtra to get a Mifi in place of one tablet. I had one of the previous Verizon Mifi versions. It started constantly rebooting. It was always considerably slower than the Samsung 7 and Tab A. I tried to get it replaced with a Tab A (which I could have gotten for free when I upgraded but chose to pay extra for the Mifi). Verizon would not give me a Tab A and replaced the Mifi with a 8800L. It also is considerably slower than the phone and tablet. It is running the 1S firmware and drops off frequently. If I tether it, it will work for a while and then slow to virtually 0. Restarting it does not resolve the issue it needs to be turned off for awhile before it will work again. When it is time to upgrade again, I will not get another Mifi if I can get a tablet for the same price or cheaper.

Cable TV and OTA usually use the same coaxial cable. Sat needs a separate cable because the signal will not pass through the Winegard amplifier. Have you tried connecting the TV to the antenna stub?

Our Coachman Class C, Monaco Travel Trailer, Aspen Trail Travel Trailer and Hemisphere Travel Trailer have all had propane/electric water heaters and all were 30 amp. The big issue with that is that if you are running the AC and the water heater on electric, you are in the high 20's for amp draw. It doesn't take much more to overload either the pedestal or the RV breaker. At least some of the suburban water heaters have the switch for the electric element on the heater itself so that one must go outside to turn it on and off. I find that to be a pain.

Do you know what the db rating of your generator is? The Forest Service does not have a set level in their regulations. Be aware that the National Park Service does.

Where would you pickup I-80? Seems like it would add quite a few miles. It has been a couple of years but last time we drove I-70, Indiana was the worst stretch. We usually drop down I-79 to I-68 rather than using the PA turnpike. I-68 will end at I-70 which will take you to I-81 to Harrisburg. It is more miles, but no tolls and no tunnels if that matters. I-74 to I-64 to I-79 to I-68 to I-70 to I-81 will add miles. I-64 seems to have less traffic than I-70. We have driven I-64 East from St. Louis to I-79 many times and it is usually in pretty good shape.

I had an Onan 2800 in a 2004 27' Coachman Class C. Not sure what size the AC was, but the generator ran it just fine even at altitude (with the altitude setting adjusted). In our next RV, a Yamaha 2400 would only start the 13,500 AC if everything else was turned off including the converter/charger.

It has been a few years, but we did stay at a commercial park in Mexican Hat. There is also a BLM campground on the River near Mexican Hat. I think it is called Sand Island and there is a petroglyph site nearby. When we were there, the roads in Valley of the Gods had caution signs to avoid in wet weather which is not very often.

I had a can of PB Blaster discharge in the trailer's front compartment. The fumes infiltrated the trailer. The closest and bedroom required hours of airing to remove the odor. I would not store anything with gasoline or highly flammable liquid in an enclosed trailer storage compartment. The generator compartments on motorhomes and even some trailers that I have seen have open bottoms and often vents or screening on the side and are isolated from the RV living area.

Load Range and speed rating are both often designated by letters. The load range is usually following directly after the tire size designation and many tires say "Load Range X". The speed rating is designated by a letter often following numbers related to load rating (i. .e. 117/114/N in the case of the Goodyear Endurance). I believe the standard for ST tires is still that if they are not specifically marked, they are speed rated at 65MPH. The Carlyle and Goodyear Endurance tires I have seen are clearly marked with a speed rating.

As mentioned, how and where you intend to camp will be a major factor in whether you will use/need a generator. Other factors to consider are how many amp hours of battery do you have or can you even fit? Will you need to run the furnace at night if dry camping? Will you want to use electric appliances like a coffee maker, hair dryer, etc. when dry camping? Does your trailer have a propane refrigerator or is it one of the newer models with a residential 120 volt or 12 volt refrigerator? Do you have or intend to install solar? We also rarely dry camp but have also used the generator during power outages. I would not recommend carrying a gasoline powered generator in a trailer compartment. Lots of room in a truck bed and even better if you have a cap or cover on the bed. I also suggest that if you are only going to use a generator occasionally, that you consider a dual fuel generator. Running on propane eliminates the problems of stale fuel, gummed up carburetor, draining the fuel tank and carrying a supply of gasoline. Yes, propane is less efficient than gasoline. In my opinion, given that you likely are already carrying two tanks of propane (maybe even a third for a grill) and the convenience factors; a dual fuel generator is worth it.

Please explain what is incorrect? The information I stated was in regard to ST tires. LT tires and ST tires are not the same and even in the same size generally have different weight ratings with LT tires generally having the lower ratings. In 15" tires like the OP is talking about, there may not be LT sizes with a sufficient weight rating with dimensions that will leave adequate space between tires or in the wheel well. Michelin rib tires are Not ST tires and I do not think they are available in the 15" size the OP needs. The fact that Marathons were once rated a 70MPH at 70psi doesn't mean much if they aren't and haven't been for years as far as I know. I never said I tow or recommended towing at 75-81MPH. But I would rather tow at 60-62MPH (which is the sweet spot for my rig) on tires rated at 81-87MPH than ones rated at 65MPH.

Most ST trailer tires are speed rated at 65MPH including well respected brands like Maxxis. As far as I have been able to determine, Carlyle and the Goodyear Endurance are the only ST tires with a higher speed rating. Carlyle's are rated at 75- 81MPH and the Endurance are rated at 87MPH.

As others have mentioned, this is not unique to 5th wheels. Some parks want you to keep the landing gear on the pad. Many want all equipment on the prepared parking area, If your door ends up over grass they may not allow even a small mat or rug. The landing gear can sink with time creating depressions in the ground. A couple of years ago after several days of heavy rain the landing gear on one corner sank so deep that it damaged the landing gear as the trailer shifted several inches. If your planning on using sites with parking areas smaller than your RV, I suggest knowing the rules first.

I have only been questioned about the length of my trailer or total length at campgrounds that assign sites. When you reserve on line, you are often asked for the length of the trailer. If the pad is only 25' long, a 30' trailer or 5th wheel may not fit. As far as fitting on a site is concerned total length only matters if the site is narrow or you are planning on staying hooked up. Shorter sites are often wide enough to park next to the trailer so it is the trailer or 5.th wheel length that matters not the length when hooked up

When one tire of a pair fails, the other is now carrying all the weight (well over its rating). Tire experts say that the surviving tire is damaged and it is not a question of whether that tire will fail, but when. They recommend always replacing both tires of the pair when one fails otherwise you get into a cycle of revolving tire failures.

I have towed a 9880# and now 9680# with a 2500 and now 3500 pickup. I would count on closer to 1200# for tongue weight. If you add a second battery and larger propane tanks than the OEM ones, that will add weight. If you put a solid cap rather than a tonneau cover over the bed, it will likely add about 200#. A good premium sway control and weight distribution hitch will weigh over 100#. A Hensley or Propride will be closer to 200#. If you add any cargo management system to the bed like sliding trays, that will add weight. With a 34' trailer, I would go with the longest wheelbase tow vehicle I could find. A SRW 3500 will likely be about the same price as a 2500. At least it was for the Chevys. The 3500 will have 1000# or more payload capacity than the 2500. There may be different options for rear ends in the various models. Engine and transmission are likely the same. I like the 3500 better, because it does not squat as much with the trailer connected and I do not have to crank the weight distribution bars as tight. Other than that and the fact that the 3500 needs DEF where the older 2500 did not, there really isn't much difference. None in performance that I can tell.