Jaydrvr

We tow with a 1999 Volvo, with almost two million miles on it. Yes, maintenance is key. Rust is likely to be a problem only with older vehicles from the north. It's pretty easy to see and avoid. Jay

3 hours ago, Av8r3400 said:

What makes me shudder is every time I get passed by some overloaded, hot-rodded, crew cab diesel 2500 towing a 40' 5er going 80+ mph with their hair on fire.  Far more people are killed per year by this scenario than by someone pulling an RV with an HDT.

Just because the owner's manual says it can do a thing, certainly doesn't mean it should.

And yes, 25k+ campers are quite commonplace.  Most are designed so poorly, to keep the pin weight down for 2500/3500 rated cargo capacities, they handle terribly.  A trained driver like yourself would be shocked at the (lack of) balance on a scale ticket from one of these rigs.

I'd rather take my chances with an HDT stopping this rig than a 2500 with 4 big mud tires and a coal rolling tune.  But, hey, at least they have $100k in that fancy pickup.

This says it better than I ever could. In thirty years of driving all 48 states, I can't recall seeing any crashes involving an HDT pulling a recreational trailer. Every crash I've seen that comes to mind was a pickup towing a substantial sized trailer/ fiver and I'd have to think they LOOKED to be within the likely tow rating. But nonetheless, there they were, in the median, ditch, or scattered all over the road. The reality is that, for me personally, a pickup truck doesn't give me and the other drivers around me the safety margin I need, when you're getting into the larger, say 15,000# units and up. I understand there are many who don't mind pushing the risk edge, but that's not my way of doing things.  Jay

5 minutes ago, noteven said:

For 350/3500 trucks and down, best towing performance is achieved by taking the MAX tow rating and multiply it by decimal 5 (.5).

 

That's pretty much my approach to most tools. A beefy tool used lightly will have loads of safety margin available and with such a light duty cycle, will last a very long time. Using that philosophy with my HDT, it's still going great at almost 2 million miles. Jay

Often you can disconnect the link to the leveling valve and full the remaining bag with air, lifting the cab enough you can then block it up. Pretty quick and easy. Shocks on the other hand, can be brutal, often requiring significant "encouragement". Jay

Disclaimer: this only applies to my Volvo. Other brands are generally different and easier, but then they don't have the Volvo ride.

2 hours ago, griffinmike said:

Real simple... read the chevy towing specs!!!!

That may sound simple, but the Chevy towing specs aren't written by real world users, they're written by marketing people. They only care about selling trucks, not white knuckles and pucker factors. Jay

Also, most truck stops with shops will have air hoses and help you air your tires. Jay

At that age, I wouldn't trust much of anything on the steer axle. I'd be pulling the hubs and replacing the bearings and seals, just as a precaution. Cheap insurance for peace of mind. Jay

14 minutes ago, lappir said:

Not sure what the differences are, but I'm sure there are some. While Diesel is flammable, it's not all that "EXPLOSIVE" unless many things happen at the right time. Gasoline is explosive with just a spark. Most "Gas tanks" are no longer metal, are most often mounted between the frame rails and not outside of them. Remember the gas tanks behind the seats of Pickup Trucks? How about the Ford Pinto?

Remember most rules are made for those did something dangerous in the past. If you can mount that tank safely and ensure it's never overfilled and is vented properly you could use it for a long time. Any one of the potential issues could cause a huge hole in the wallet though. 

 

JMHO, 

 

Rod

My gas tank is actually rated for gasoline, as it's a marine tank. It's welded aluminum and I wouldn't be willing to use a plastic tank for this application. With all the miles and abuse from normal highway travel, potholes, etc., plus just being mounted on top of the frame and not a custom engineered mount, I'm much happier with this solution. Jay

6 minutes ago, jenandjon said:

Since i have the generator unhooked and out Its a good time to move the generator box ahead and add another fuel tank. Right now the tank for the generator is on the bed. It works out pretty good but as the boys get older I am going to need the bed space for toys. If I lose the fuel tank I believe I can get two 4 wheelers up there pretty easily.

This is the box I want to slide ahead. I found an aluminum side mount fuel tank that will fit behind the box in front of the rear tires. My dilemma is the tag on the tank says diesel fuel only. My generator is gas powered. I am going to assume that means it is not safe to put gas in it. OR is that there because the vehicle it came off of ran on diesel? I have seen plenty of gas burner trucks with aluminum saddle tanks just like this. 

 

I'm pretty sure that only means it wasn't certified for gasoline. Certifications are expensive and the manufacturer isn't likely to go the extra expense if it doesn't seem justified. Jay

Now that all of FL accepts EZPass, along with much of the eastern part of the country, it's well worth having to avoid the annoyance of toll booths and the increased expense of toll by plate. Jay

1 minute ago, lappir said:

I had the appropriate pressure "Cross Fire" equalizers installed a few years ago. The next time I purchase new duals I will install a new set. I have had trouble free use and it's great to just walk by and see the pressure is good. 

Some tire dealers dislike them, but I'm sold on them. 

 

Rod

I've used Cat's Eyes on my rig commercially for many years and perhaps millions of miles. The only failure I've had is when a shop tech broke one. I replace them about every ten years. They've been a tire saver, time saver and stress saver for me. I really like them. Jay

48 minutes ago, GlennWest said:

Jay I think you are right about the phone. It is a cheap one. It is brand new though. Walmart special for prepaid verizon. Chromebook sees it good. Just goes to 80% and starts over. 

I didn't actually want to say it, but I know you don't do expensive phones... Lol  Jay

You might want to look into a Bluetooth range extender. Jay

Do you have another phone to try? As I recall, you might not have the latest and greatest phone. It's possible that your phone is weak on Bluetooth. Jay

6 hours ago, trimster said:

That's the one.

Big thanks!

Glad to help!

Donvel, I believe. Jay

To the east coast from what location? Expect from $2.00 to $4.00 per mile in the current environment. Say, Sacramento, CA to Washington, D.C., which is 2700 miles. That could cost from $5400 to $10,000. Seems like that would take care of a lot of nice hotel rooms, and that's only considering one way. Double that for round trip. Jay

12 minutes ago, bags said:

My mechanic has checked all cluster connections are good on this 15k milage cluster. he is supporting a ground issue as well. The ecm under the hood is working as it should, not throwing codes. We think there must be a second eco for the inside the truck for the cluster but can't find it. Anybody know anything about a second icm. There are 2 driver display fuses. I hate to take it to a dealer as my experience is the age of these mechanics is younger than the truck. Any and all thoughts appreciated. JB

 

On my 1999 VNL there is only one ecm. Jay

Also, you might check the connections from the dash harness to the gauge cluster. Wiggle them gently to see if that helps. Applying some Caig DeoxIT to the connectors might also help. A little goes a long way here and it needs to get down into the connector. DeoxIT is a contact enhancer. Good luck. Jay

48 minutes ago, Rotorhead said:

Well I’m at the dealer. They said the grease line gets connected to the top of the throw out bearing. They also said there is no way that it could come undone by itself. They said what probably happened was the last people to do the clutch just left it off. 
nice huh? 
they are going to take it off for now. There is about 30-40% remaining on the clutch is it should last me a while. Then I can get it done the right way.

The clutch will last a long time, but what about the throw out bearing? I would think if it hasn't been greased, it's already screaming pretty badly. When it lets go, you're pretty much grounded. Been there, done that. Good luck! Jay

I never use USPS forwarding, as that also provides my new address to all the junk mailers that I don't need. It's a wonderful thing to have a new address and a mailbox free of all the junk mail, at least for a while. Plus, the post office isn't the most reliable at forwarding, as mentioned earlier. Jay

1 hour ago, Sculptor said:

Two days ago I had the chance to chat with the service manager at the dealership. He said the 210 running temp is absolutely normal.  This confirms many comments above.

He further said the viscous clutch has a special oil that, when the engine hits a certain temperature it becomes hard, no longer viscous.  That’s a detail I didn’t know.  He seemed unsure but guessed the temp would be 225 or so.  His description matched comments above, I should be able to feel the fan kick on, and will notice a decrease in speed/power.

This info is old news to most of you, but I, for one, learned some stuff.  Thanks guys.

That's very interesting! I had a viscous clutch on my old F-350 decades ago, but I had no idea they could possibly be hiding out in an HDT. I've only seen the air de-actuated type of clutch in the few big trucks I've owned or used. Okay, I've learned my new thing for today, I'm good until tomorrow..

Thanks for the update!

Jay

21 minutes ago, Pete Kildow said:

Buddy of mine has rebuilt dozens of those Fitzgerald engines. Most just out of warranty. 5 still in warranty. With the junk there putting in those engines. Most will not even let them touch an engine anymore.

They were even building 500+HP engines with 11.1 Blacks without potion coolers. Know of over 25 of there last couple of year builds. That has not given anything but issues. Sad they allowed profit to come before quality.

Which is why I only use an authorized factory shop and factory parts. The extra $$$ are worth the peace of mind. Jay

29 minutes ago, noteven said:

Jay - one of my imaginary inventions is a dyno trailer - the lead trailer axle would be a drive axle with it's driveline connected to a dyno in the trailer or a set of Telma retarders. 

Controls in the truck cab. 

Add resistance as needed put a load on the engine. 

Portable. 

Works on flat land. 

That sounds pretty awesome! Let us know when you have it ready. Maybe Glenn can be the first test subject.. Jay

8 minutes ago, Pat & Pete said:

Thanks , Jay . 

I obviously hadn't read that post . Guess I got up too early this morning .

Lol.. Getting up too early is rarely a good thing. Jay