TXiceman

The wrench monkeys that are hired to change oil are a lost cause. I gave up having oil changed for many years and did it myself to have it done properly. Fighting over tightened drain plugs and filters was not fun. Now at my advanced age, I no long crawl around under the vehicles and am at the mercy of the oil change clowns. Ken

We had the Banks system on a 31' class C with the 6.8L V-10. It was a great improvement. Ken

Contact the Excapees headquarters for information in setting up in Livingston, TX. They may have some ideas. We knew one couple from Denmark that kept a motorhome here and registered in Texas. They came over and traveled on their visas and then back to Denmark with the motorhome stored in the southern USA awaiting their return. Ken

The price on the trailer has been reduced to $36,500. It is a great full time and 4-season trailer that is ready to be enjoyed. It is 40 feet of beauty and 19,000# GVWR. Contact Sandy Titman at PPL Motorhomes in Houston, TX. Unit number F171. Ken

Lippert builds most of the frames for RVs in the USA. They should be ashamed of the product they put out. They claim they build to the RV manufacturers specifications and take no responsibility for their welding and thin metals. I feel that they should take responsibility that the frames are built with the proper materials and welded properly. I am a retired mechanical engineer and would not design or build a substandard product. Whatever the product was, it had my name on it and it was built right, or I walked from the project. I'd go back to the trailer manufacturer and Lippert to fix the problem. In any case whether you get their help or you make the repairs on your nickel, make sure that the repairs are done by a certified welder and the suspension attachments are properly braced and supported. Ken

SuiteSuccess, it is hard to say. Prices are all over the map depending on what area you are located. Part of the issue with ours was it was not an FX4 or 4 x 4. Seems everyone thinks they have to have a 4 x 4. We had a 1997, 2002 and a 2012 F350 and none were 4 x 4's. Two were daily drivers and we lived in northeastern Oklahoma. We saw some snow and ice and I never felt the need for 4-wheel drive. Just shop, shop and shop. Ken

Kirk is spot on with the drug schedule. The pharmacies have been pushed to this dispensing protocol due to the abuse of pain killers by many people. It makes it hard for someone that truly needs the medication. Ken

Fulltimer, good luck getting that, I could not get near that number for my 2012 F350 DRW at the end of last year. It had good tires (75%) and 116,000 mile, Trailer Saver TS3 hitch and air springs. Seems the truck and RV markets have gone a bit soft. Ken

You might want to tell us if the 6.0L has been "Bullet Proofed" and di you run a tuner. Ken

Look at the coverage maps and see where coverage is spotty. There also may not be a slot open for you to join the network at a given location when you travel. As for cost, when you are on Star Link you do have to still subscribe to various streaming services. You cannot make a direct comparison to Dish or Direct unless you add the streaming fees. Ken

Streaming is fine as long as you have enough and a decent internet connection. We have been too many places with no or limited cell service. Campgrounds seldom have enough bandwidth to stream. Star Link is expensive and not available everywhere. We used DISH on the road and decided to keep it in the house due to poor internet service at the house. Ken

In the past 10 years, we have had suspicious activity on our credit cards, ie hacked, on three occassions. We have set our cards to send us a text message on any charge of $1.00 or more. One charge came from a place in Alaska, and we were in PA. The last one was in the UK and we were in Houston, TX. Both times, I got the text alert before the card carrier contacted me. Ken

I personally do not like the Anderson hitch. I have helped several folks get them unhitched when the ball gets jammed in the socket on the trailer. Two cases, we had to pull the whole pin assembly and bar from the frame in the truck. his meant, blocking the jacks on the front of the trailer and lifting the front of the trailer well over a foot to clear the hitch frame. Then he had to take the socket adapter off the trailer and pry the ball out. Go with a good B&W hitch. 18 wheels use a 5th wheel hitch for a reason. They are sturdy and work. Ken

When we were traveling and hosting, I cannot recount all of the 250/2500 series trucks pulling 40 foot plus, 3 axle toy haulers. The RVers were blissfully happy and had not a clue as to their weight. If asked, they quoted the advertising number in the brochure and never the limitation posted...."when properly equipped". It was no sense in insulting their purchase. Hopefully they learn before they or someone else is injured. I had a few ask me why I was using a 1 ton dually of my 40 foot, 3 axle trailer...well it weighed 19,300 lb and 4200 lb on the pin. Ken

You can patent pretty much anything. Whether it is worthwhile or of use is another story. Ken

The PERP was black the LEO was a female Hispanic and I am white (with a trace of Native American) for the curious. Wife is white with Dutch Irish ancestry. I do not know what that has to do with it. My firearm was not on me but on the console as I was sitting in the driver's seat and could not reach the holster when seated. I have since found and ordered a Kangaroo concealed carry under the arm holster. Take a look at those. A neighbor that is a former LEO recommended them and that is what he uses to carry 90% of the time. Ken

As noted, the Palomino is an entry level, weekend, and vacation trailer suitable for 3-season use. The Grand Design is a few steps above it....that is why it cost more. Ken

The problem is outside the bank, not inside the bank....... Ken

Kirk, when I got my concealed carry license many years back, one of the instructors was a retired LEO and he said in the Houston area, the drug and gang problem was much worse than what we saw reported on the tV and newsprint. He said they only showed the tip of the iceberg. You need to be very vigilant when you go to a bank, and ATM, the grocery store, etc. to make sure you are not being watched and/or followed. These crooks especially prey on the elderly. Ken

We are trying to sell our 10-year-old trailer in the signature. Finding the people are generally looking for CHEAP and not quality. They also can't pull a heavy trailer with their truck. We are hanging in there waiting for a buyer that wants a better built RV in great shape. Glad you got yours sold. Ken

Congrats on the retirement from the road. We made almost 10 years on the road and decided it was time to come off the road, get a small house and a smaller trailer. We have a lot of great memories and a few not-so-great ones. Met lots of fantastic RVers in our travels and loved volunteering at the NWRs and state parks. We all reach a point where we will be better sticking to one location as a base. Glad that you had some great memories. Ken

I have seen several with water damage to the lower part of the garage door. I saw one apart and being rebuilt. Ken

With a 1/2-ton truck you will reach the trucks GVWR and/or rear axle GAWR limits long before you reach the max towing capacity. Load up YOUR truck with full fuel, cargo, passengers, etc and head to the scales and get a total weight and each axle weight. Now you have a starting point for the true weight YOUR truck can safely tow within Ford ratings. For a loaded hitch weight for the trailer, use 12% of the trailers GVWR, not the unloaded or dry weights from the brochure. Add 50# to the truck's total and rear axle weight for a typical weight distribution hitch. If you go with a ProPride or Hensley use 100#. Take the published trucks GCWR and subtract the actual loaded truck weight and this is the maximum trailer you can tow within ratings. Now the hitch weight will add to the trucks weight and load on the axles. Make sure you do not exceed the trucks rear axle GAWR or the GVWR with the added hitch weight. The hitch weights you have listed are low for the loaded trailer. Your loaded hitch weight will be closer to 1000#, not the 690# you listed. The loaded hitch weight needs to be a minimum of 10% the loaded trailer weight or the trailer will more than likely handle poorly. I personally would not pull a 32' trailer with an F150. You can easily get the tail wagging the dog. I am going through this now with my 2022 EcoBoost Lariat with the TowMax package. I have towed trailers with small to medium SUVs and have experienced the truck needing a smaller trailer. Ken

RV, go ahead and use this minus my name. This was in Cypress, TX, northwest Houston area. The LEO that responded said this was happening more and more all over the country. The crooks watch someone get money from an ATM or come out of the bank with a bundle. Then they follow you home or the next place you stop and do a smash or snatch and grab. Anytime you go to a bank or ATM, be very vigilant when you leave. Do not go straight home or to a less populated area. Drive and double back a few times to see if you are being followed. This crook followed us for a good 20 minutes and 10 miles. He knew right where I placed the backpack behind the driver's seat. All the stuff we picked up from our old back is now safely in a safe box at our new bank. I wonder if he would have followed us the 100 miles to our new location. Or would he attempt to get us off the road? This still has me shook up and having trouble sleeping at night. Be safe, be vigilant. Ken

Today we decided to go to get some stuff from our safety deposit box since we were in the area where we used to live. We got out what we wanted and put it in a small backpack and put it in the back floorboard of the truck. My wife said we needed to get some tomatoes and mushrooms from the market near where we were, so I pulled in and stayed in the truck with my pistol in the console. While waiting a black dude broke out the passenger rear window and dove into the truck grabbing the backpack. He knew where I had stored the bag. I managed to grab a strap on the bag and hold on to it while screaming at the top of my lungs. I could not reach the pistol with my left hand as I was leaning into the back seat. His strap tore and he bailed out without the bag. I got turned around and grabbed the pistol and got out of the truck, but he had bailed, and I could not see him. I called 911 and they sent a LEO. While waiting, I kept the pistol in my pocket. He did not get the bag and I called my insurance to get a new rear window. We drove through our old neighborhood and noticed a small black car that had come down a dead-end street and pulled into a circular drive and did not pull-out unit we went past him. He had followed us from the bank, and I do not know if he knew I was still in the truck. In any case he was looking for a quick score and the police call this "Jugging". This was getting to be a problem in the precinct and my description fit the description of one they had be watching for. The bank was looking at their security footing to see if there had been a vehicle following us out of the lot. They were not very busy. We were very lucky that I was not injured, and he did not get the backpack of valuables. Be very careful when you are making any banking transactions and make sure you are not being followed. If you think you are being followed, call 911 and drive to a public area or police station. DO NOT go home. I do not know if he would have followed us the 75 miles to the house. So, for now, I am keeping the pistol within grabbing distance on the console when in the truck as well as in the house and will start carrying most of the time. There are crooks everywhere looking for any opportunity. Ya'll take care. Ken