fpmtngal

A friend of mine had an F150 hybrid and a 25’ (overall, not floor box) trailer that has a GVWR of 6800 lbs (published dry weight of 4930, but that was nowhere close to what his trailer weighed - it was always between 6,000 -6,500). I also don’t think his particular truck had 1300 payload - I think it was close to 1200, due to the trim level he had. That was a good combination. He then bought a larger trailer - 28’ (overall, not box), GVWR of 8400 lbs that was also known to be a tongue heavy model. His tongue weight was over 1,000 lbs. He towed it once with the F150 hybrid (a truck that he LOVED!) and immediately ordered a bigger truck. I think he ended up ordering an F350 diesel, because he wanted to be a little more future-proof than he would have been with an F250. He misses the hybrid but does like the F350 more than he thought he would - and he LOVES the bigger trailer. Based on his experience, I would look at smaller trailers.

5G can make a big difference as far as internet speeds, but it depends on both location and carrier. My phone has always been on a T-Mobile and a few years ago I added a cellular iPad that’s on a Verizon plan. If I had a phone that was showing some issues, then I would definitely buy one that was 5G capable. Even if your carrier doesn’t have 5G where you are currently, you’ve done a bit of future-proofing and if you travel much, it can be very cool to have that extra speed. When my older phone started to show problems with the battery, I replaced it with a 5G capable phone and was very happy with the difference. T-Mobile has surprisingly good 5G coverage - more often than not if I had T-Mobile service, I had 5G. I liked it so much better that I bought a new iPad that was 5G capable even though there really was nothing wrong with my old one. It didn’t take long to discover that (as of last summer) I had far less 5G coverage with Verizon than I did with T-Mobile, and regretted buying it when I did, I probably should have waited to replace the iPad until there was a more compelling reason to. I often had a good Verizon signal but not 5G last summer. I found myself using T-Mobile more for my internet needs, simply because it was faster and where I was traveling (eastern Oregon & Washington, western Idaho, northern Nevada, northern Arizona and parts of California), I had pretty good T-Mobile service, all 5G. There were some spots (like the middle of Kaibab National Forest) where I didn’t have any T-Mobile service but did have Verizon (not 5G). I wonder what I will find this summer when I start traveling. Cell companies are constantly improving/expanding/updating their service so perhaps I’ll find Verizon has more 5G coverage this year and I’ll be happier that I upgraded the iPad sooner than I needed to.

Awesome news!! Thanks for the update.

I was not surprised to see the price increase, though I’m disappointed in it. Like others, I got rid of DirecTV when I bought Starlink but didn’t change any of my cellular services. It’s still worth it for me, I use it often enough that I haven’t paused it. It’s also not the only subscription that has been going up. I still have a subscription to Adobe Acrobat Pro, but I can’t think of the last time I did anything that would require the pro features - it’s going up $60/year. I’ll let it renew for the coming year but will be paying close attention to what I’m doing.

As was mentioned above, outdoor kitchens vary a lot. I know people who love them, and others that used them when they had them but didn’t miss them when they changed to a different rig without them. A disadvantage that wasn’t brought up - if the kitchen has a sink, you have additional water lines to pay attention to in freezing weather. Some outdoor kitchens can have fiddly propane connections or sink issues or slide mechanisms that can be difficult to operate (I know someone who had all of the above with their outdoor kitchen and wished they had not ordered their trailer with it). Another disadvantage that’s been mentioned is the duplication of things (depending on the outdoor kitchen). The duplication could be an issue if you are looking at an RV with more limited cargo capacity. I happen to full-time in a travel trailer. That outside kitchen adds weight that you might need for something else. Several years ago when I was thinking of getting a different trailer, I looked at one with an outdoor kitchen. Having it might have made it easier to use my grill and cook veggies at the same time (I’m solo) but decided I’d rather use the weight for something else and I didn’t want the extra hassle of setting it up and tearing it down.

Are you a full-time RVer? I have very limited experience with insurance companies, but when I sold my house and went full-time, I told my insurance company (Progressive) that I was full-time and needed full-timer’s insurance. They didn’t ask for anything other than my address, then the Texas registration once I switched over the vehicles. There was no question about leases or utility bills. I don’t know how it would work if I were not a full-timer though. And that was a couple of years ago. I’m wondering if they are trying to sell you a policy that’s not appropriate for a full-timer?

My trailer came with a 12V Jensen TV, and since I boondock a fair amount, I didn’t necessarily want to run the inverter every time I watched TV. I also had an old AppleTV box from my home ownership days (used it as a hub for Apple’s Home Network so I could unlock my door, change my lights and so on when I was away). I dug it out when I got Starlink and used it for streaming. It works well for me since the TV space is quite small (my trailer is small) and a bigger TV wouldn’t fit anywhere. I did end up buying a new AppleTV as they use a faster, more efficient chip so it uses a little less power. At the moment I’m using the big inverter all the time - Starlink didn’t like my cheap 700W modified sine wave inverter. As long as I do that, then I guess there’s less reason to stick with the 12V TV, though I still wouldn’t be able to put a larger TV in (I’ve measured). So I’ll continue streaming with the AppleTV. I really don’t care about the “news back home” particularly - since I don’t have a home or an area I’m interested in keeping up with. But there there are a couple of network shows I might want to watch, plus it is nice to have the ability to watch some national news, so I wanted the ability to watch a network. I found that Starlink somehow reports my location to Fubo as Denver, so I can get the Denver network stations. Works for me.

It’s going to be interesting to see how this plays out. The wording scares me - you have to have a primary location and be able to check in every month. This fall I bought Starlink and decided to cancel my DirecTV subscription. But I didn’t want to go without the ability to see some TV channels, so I started looking at various live TV streaming services. It was interesting reading the fine print - Hulu won’t let you sign up without “residential internet.” The specifically prohibit college internet services, satellite and cellular for signing up, and if you sign up using either cable or DSL, then go somewhere else, you have to use your device at your “home network” once a month. YouTube isn’t as restrictive, but they have their issues if you are only using Starlink and don’t have cell service when it comes to a network station (they have to verify your location before you can watch it). The way I’m reading the Netflix announcement, they are going to impose a similar condition - you pick a primary location and have to log in from that location once a month. I’ll be most unhappy about that because my park in Phoenix provides cable internet. I’m only here about 4 months out of the year, so there’s no way I could log into my home network (or home location) once a month. For those who access it only by cellular or Starlink - what are they going to do about that? Being a full-time RVer does have its challenges.

There’s an updated article on Truck Camper Magazine about this incident. It backed up something I had read on another forum written by a guy who used to repair trucks for a living. Both he and the article in Truck Camper Magazine point to a fulcrum effect - a big camper with a large overhang, then a couple of e-bikes attached to a rack behind it. Add to that a diesel engine, 4x4 and a custom heavy front bumper on the front. That sets up a fulcrum with large weights on the front and back of the truck, causing the frame between the cab and bed to fail. The article also pointed out the problem with going by truck manufacturer’s published payload capacity - when they say “up to xxxx lb payload” it usually applies to a specific configuration (usually a base model, standard cab, 2WD and a gas engine) and is rarely found on a dealer’s lot. The camper owner had bought truck/camper combination without taking into account the payload figure on the door sticker, which was less than what he expected and less than the camper weighed. There’s no mention that the front tie-down brackets had any effect - rather it was an overloaded truck with forces in the wrong place. The owner ended up having a lot of luck - he found someone nearby who welded the frame with a temporary fix to get him to a Ram dealer. Then when Ram refused to repair it under warranty (the truck was overloaded), his insurance paid to repair it and he got it home. Truck Camper Magazine Ram 3500 Broken Frame Update

He’s walking now but it’s getting harder and harder for him (he walked around the whole tent today, taking breaks occasionally). We went through the Q RV show today and they talked to several vendors that were selling electric scooters, both 3 and 4 wheels. They also looked at the Lectric Bike trike, which is definitely into the bike/trike category not mobility devices. Plus it’s heavy. I think they are leaning toward a trike type of mobility device. The Lectric trike is really nice looking and looks very sturdy. I’d think it would be cool except that it’s heavier than I can manage (I can’t manage a regular Lectric bike, either).

Thanks for the additional information, I’ll pass it on to them.

Linda, how would yours handle the gravel around Quartzsite? I have a friend who is looking for a scooter or trike that would be able to handle camping places like around Quartzsite and other places like that. It can’t be too heavy as it will have to be managed (lifted/loaded) by the wife, since the husband is the one who has mobility limitations and can’t lift anything. I don’t think rain would be the issue as much as rough terrain, like boondocking around Quartzsite and other SW desert locations. If yours could handle places like around Quartzsite, I know they would be interested.

When towing a trailer with a half ton truck of any sort, the limiting factor is more likely to be payload than towing capacity. Payload varies by each vehicle, it depends on the features it has. For instance, I used to have an F150 that had just over 1700 lbs of payload. A friend of mine had one with a different trim level but had the same engine and max tow package, and their payload was only 1400. I once saw a 2017 half ton Ram that had a payload of only 1068 lbs. The only way to verify what a particular truck has for payload is to look at the sticker on the driver’s side door. The tongue weight of the trailer should be 10% minimum of the trailer’s weight. My trailer tows better when the tongue weight is 12-13%. I use the GVWR for the weight of the trailer - mine is almost always close to that. Some trailers are naturally either tongue heavy or tongue light, depending on how they are designed (i.e., how far forward are the axles, where is the slide, galley, etc.) and you may need to consider that when choosing a tow vehicle. So you have a trailer with 7500 lb GVWR. It doesn’t have a huge amount of cargo capacity so the trailer is going to be at that weight most likely. That means your tongue weight will be a minimum of 750 lbs but could be higher (like 900 lbs). Let’s take the 750 lbs. That’s weight that is carried on the truck so is part of the truck’s payload. Then the weight of the occupants is also carried by the truck. Let’s say you have 2 adults and 2 relatively small children - perhaps the total weight is 400 - 500 lbs (potentially more). Let’s use 500 lbs since kids grow fast. That means that without adding anything to the truck, it will be carrying 1250 lbs (750+500). Add a cooler, a few tools, a jack, maybe a suitcase with some toys for the kids, and you are most likely going to be hitting the truck’s GVWR. That does NOT include carrying any firewood or propane fire ring, folding or bag chairs, grill, etc. Do you have a hobby that might be equipment intensive (mine is photography and cameras, battery chargers, lenses, laptop computer, and so on gets heavy quickly). Are you thinking about dry camping a lot? If so, how are you planning on keeping your batteries charged? Are you thinking of a generator? That can add another 50 lbs. Do you have a dog? Both dog and dog food add weight. I know people who tow trailers with similar GVWR with Tundras, and they do very well because they are older couples and don’t take a lot of things with them. They’ll get to their location, fill their fresh water tank near where they are camping, drop the trailer and then go buy firewood locally. They don’t travel with computers or gaming devices or anything like that. So it can be done if you are careful and really work at it.

I don’t think I’d stay anywhere in Bakersfield except in a park (I’ve stayed in a couple of them in the past couple of years), crime is definitely an issue in the whole city (at least it was several years ago). I would stay at the Flying J in Lebec, if you don’t mind driving another hour south to get there. The last time I was through there was this summer and it looked about the same as always. I’m pretty sure they still allow overnight RVs in a different lot than the truck lot. If you are going to head east on hwy 58 out of Bakersfield, there’s a couple of reasonable places in Tehachapi.

I’m not familiar with your particular trailer, but with a GVWR of 5,000 lbs, it probably has a light-weight frame. The problem with using leveling devices on trailers with light-weight frames is that you can bend it and get the whole thing out of whack - the reason why levelers aren’t put on them in the first place. Since you are now thinking of using a jack to raise the side enough to get leveling blocks under the lower side, make sure you know the proper way to jack up the trailer. Axles and frames can be damaged if done incorrectly. And yes, it does sound like it would work (jacking up the trailer, putting the blocks under the tires and then lowering the trailer down onto the jacks).

Ah, ha! Thanks for the info, I found it in the app. Very cool.

The problem with the above photo set-up is that I think most states that allow double towing require the first towable to be the 5th wheel. In this case, the SUV is towing a bumper pull “trailer” (the pickup bed) and the 5er is last.

Don’t think that’s legal. That old Lance 5er looks to be in reasonable shape for its age.

Did this email get sent to only residential customers or to everyone? I have an RV account and haven’t seen an email from them (yet). I wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on my usage, I think it would be interesting to see just how much I’m using now that I’m streaming TV and watching far more than I’ve ever watched in the past. I didn’t see an option when I logged in, but then I don’t always notice the obvious! Edit - OK, I looked harder at the Starlink website and the tracking ability only applies to priority use for residential users. Since I don’t have a residential account, I don’t have priority data so no way to see my usage.

I’m another solo and while I’m getting better at backing, I sometimes really struggle. I always do the GOAL thing at least once, often more than once if things don’t go well or I’m having a day when things just don’t look right to me. Occasionally someone will spot me struggling and offer to ground-guide me in. I’ve been very appreciative of that sometimes, it can be really helpful to have another pair of eyes looking around. I wouldn’t get involved with the situation you described.

Starting DTV is pretty easy, actually. Having a Traveler antenna makes it easier to set up than my old Winegard antenna (which was more in the fussy category than difficult). Yes, it gets more and more expensive every year, and there seems to be issues with what channels they offer occasionally. I almost switched to Dish when they dropped the grandfathered DNS and I would have had to call in to change the local channels whenever I moved, but by that time I was full-time and could switch to a mobile account which gave me access to DNS. I would probably have kept my rarely used account if I hadn’t gotten Starlink, in spite of the fact that I usually had to go online and have them reenable/or whatever they do so that my receiver would work again after a month or two. Once I got Starlink, I looked at where I could cut expenses and DTV was the logical choice, Live TV streaming services are cheaper. The only thing with them is that there are “gotchas” with them, some being more restrictive than others. Read the fine print if you are full-time and move a lot.

I didn’t get an email about what to return, so I called today. Talked to someone reading from pages that only partly answered my question. So I took my receiver and a remote to the UPS Store and got their receipt accepting it. They say that they’ll send me an email when they receive it, though I wonder about that - since they seem to be only able to send bills by email. I carefully put the receipt away, in case the receiver gets lost somewhere.

I really loved my F150. My trailer is also smaller/lighter than what you are looking at, but I know several that are towing trailers up to about 7-7500 lbs. I never had an issue with power, and would probably still own it, but I ran out of payload. My trailer has a tongue weight of 700-750 lbs and I did very well - until I sold the house. Then even though I tried not to, I added enough weight to the truck to go over its GVWR - my truck was a Lariat and had just over 1700 lbs payload. When I’ve compared notes with others who own various F150 models, the payload can vary between 1300 to 2000, depending on trim level and other features. The Ford power towing mirrors are a separate item, not included with the max tow package. That was a must-have item for me and the only F150s in California that had them also had really heavy options like moonroofs and extendable running boards, or were in a high enough trim package that payload was going to be limited. I ended up special ordering my truck.

My account now shows disconnected as of Tuesday. Still no email telling me what, if anything, I’m supposed to return. I assume they want the card that’s in the receiver back, but haven’t heard. I get back to my home-base tomorrow, figure if I don’t get an email by Monday I’ll call again.

I towed using the Trimax hitch clamp from Phoenix to Vegas and then a short hop from Vegas to Pahrump. The clamp took out the free play (and mine had some also) and it seemed like the trailer behaved better - less play between the truck and trailer in crosswinds and uneven surfaces. The nuts didn’t loosen up. I haven’t yet taken it and the hitch off, but will before Friday - I’m going to put the bar in the other (extended) hole, which moves the trailer back far enough to be able to open the tailgate. I think that will be more telling - I suspect that moving the trailer further away from the truck would accentuate any sloppiness. I’ll see whether taking the clamp off then putting it on again will affect whether the nuts would work loose quicker.