trimster

Of course they will. They live for that kinda stuff.

Update: This is still ongoing. The hurtle is the code guys myopic view that no matter what the title says, he sees a semi. The city code folks are having a meeting in a few weeks to discuss. I've asked to be a part of the discussion. This is getting a bit irritating. I might be getting an attorney to draft a letter regarding compliance and the states sole jurisdiction over vehicle classification. But attorney in the mix always rachetts things up a bit. Right now, to them, I appear cooperative. That appears to be a plus.

So, I'm effecting a fix for my existing hitch. I'll post images soon. I was able to straighten the ¼" plate and test fit a fab'd backing-plate. It's a short-term fix addressing 2 of the design flaws, to get us thru this season. One of the issues leading to the side plates bending is trailer breaks. I just replaced them and it appears that only 1 of the 4 are working properly. It's a wiring/ground problem. Easy fix. However, the bending shown in the photo was acceleration. I've wanted to add a pinbox that would take care of chucking. That would have helped in this instance. Ordering one today. I did find several TrailSaver TS3 hitches (used) but the closest is outside Fresno Calif. The other, south-west area of Texas. Bit of a drive from Salt Lake city.

My bad. It was Air Safe hitch that I called and they are waiting for the new heads to be approved.

Just called ET. They are way! Out on delivery now. They are having to design a new head apparently.

Not much throttle at all. Tires were on concrete surrounding RxR tracks. Tires spun on the tracks, grabbed when they hit asphalt. Guess if I had the axles locked it might not have happened. I don't lock them very often when driving. Maybe I will now, if the roads are wet.

So, this morning I was pulling my trailer in the rain to a shop for suspension work. Pulling away from a stop, slight incline, the Volvo tires spun and then grabbed, then spun then grabbed. BIG jerk on the trailer hitch. And here is the result. These blocks hold the top of the 1" rod that the hitch floats on. Being under-engineered (not long enough to distribute the fore and aft stress widely enough) the blocks held but the steel bent. I have a solution to fix this. Longer blocks, 4 thru bolts and a stiffener plate on the other side of the plate. It's kinda like putting a bandaid on skin cancer and hoping it will get better I think. So looking for a new hitch. Budget is tight. Used is good. For future trailer upgrade, I'd like to find something that would hold 4k pin weight and 25k-32k trailer. Suggestions, leads on where to get something are welcomed.

After searching and settling on Progressive, I found that not all agents can write a policy that will allow you to bobtail. Weird, but who knows why. We live in Utah and got our policy out of Lazydays RV in Florida. They understand what we are doing and the policy allows for bobtailing. Quote was quite good. Must do trailer and truck together. Our volvo is registered as a motorhome in Utah which helps.

What he said.

We have a ProPride 5th wheel suspension hitch. Still tweaking it to dial in the proper spring-to-load settings. It does NOT take care of chucking like the feature sheet indicates. I'm thinking about putting a Rotoflex pin-box on the trailer. No real suspension in the Rotoflex, just sliders and bumpers dampening the fore and aft movement. So a combination can help the trailer ride, but I would not feel comfortable about both hitch and pin-box offering suspension. And the price of Jacalopee is worth it on so many levels. Absolutely makes the process of connecting your equipment painless....and it works. Mine is under the white-box on the back of the cab. The kit came with enough of everything to run the RV connection to the rear of the truck easily.

Looked at the volvo title. Type: truck Classification: motorhome If it was a bus conversion it would say Bus and Motorhome. A super-C would say truck and motorhome. Seems Utah looks at the original build as the type, and what it functionally is as the classification. My 5th wheel is trailer and then 5th wheel (vs travel trailer or flatbed, etc) I think presenting the title is all I will need to make this go away.

Again I don't want to vier political so here's the facts. A past city council person wanted to help a family member with their new certification, make some money. Before big box stores, another county council member, who's brother owned a building supply store sell more sheetrock screws by changing the code for fire rock board separating the house from the garage. Used to be a screw every 12". Changed to every 8". Every city and town has this stuff going on. These are 2 that affected something I was doing. Hence, I dug into the back story. I was a tv news producer for years. I like digging into stuff like this. Typically, if it doesn't make sense on the surface...there's a story of personal gain in there somewhere.

So were are in a typical city neighborhood. No HOA crap. We have 11' min. evesments. I don't have quite enough clearance to back the 'motorhome' behind the house due to the condo top and the house roof eve and the gate posts. But it's just a few inches short of clearing. I do slip the 5th wheel back along side the house. The code guy said his action was "NOT motivated by a complaint". Rather, there are at least 3 commercial semis that park in driveways more than a few days a week within a 5 block radius. That is a new thing. I took an evening wander on the Spyder and found those semis. That IS a violation of the code. He's also going after a couple of people that have 5th wheel trailers that hang well over the sidewalk, blocking any pedestrians. Before we were a city, the county didn't really care to enforce this kinda stuff. When voters opted to incorporate as a city, the swath of new codes and ordinances began. The code guy also said he "has been watching me and my previous trucks for years (a series of 1 tons, then an International 4700 fully decked out as an RV hauler) and now this truck". I heard back from my city councilman friend within minutes of emailing him. Good sign. He asked if he could forward the email I sent to him on to the enforcement folks. Of course, yes. I plead my case from several angles, including those who have done bus conversions on their property. And one who converted a box truck. All the while stating that my semi-looking thing is factually a motorhome, not a commercial truck. I'm sure it will take a few days to get feedback. I will be sending on a copy of the title clearly showing it's a motorhome in the eyes of the state. If I prevail, I'm pretty sure this code guy is going to feel a bit butt-hurt and then start nit-picking me. Wait until he finds out that our zero scape front yard was not designed and overseen by a 'certified zero scape landscape architect'. Yes. That is a code in our city.

Plates.... not really. The biggest indicator visually is the lack of DOT information on the sides of the vehicle. Ours, like most of us, has 'RV use only. Not for hire' or something to that effect. The 'permit' idea is a good one albeit another hassle. But less hassle than what I am going through. And with all the rules and regulations and code now that people are not aware of, not sure how someone new to this HDT ownership lifestyle would know that they needed a permit (hopefully free but I'm not holding my breath on that one). In fact, the conversation with the code enforcement dude revealed a code I had not heard of...'residential areas can NOT have more than one RV on the premises'. Utah is known for its large families. Many here pull a travel trailer behind their motorhomes so they have sleeping space. But my speculation... the code was written to go after those that have a raggedy trailer (not used) and a newer (replacement) RV/Trailer on their property. I guess a newbe to the HDT-as-RV world that did not know about the code, would wait until the code folks dropped by and put a violation card on the truck.

So the city code enforcement guy shows up at my house at 8am to place tag on my truck indicating that I am in violation of the city code banning "semi trucks' from bring parked on residential property. We had a constructive, civil conversation. His stance... "it looks like a semi so it's a semi" even though it is registered as a motorhome. He was interested in how that could happen. I explained that the state has a form called "re-classification of vehicle status" and that the state now sees this as a motorhome. That's what the title says. He found that interesting (he did not know this was possible) but held his line. So, what I am going to do is attempt to have the verbiage of the code re-worked to be more specific. It's helpful that one of the city council is a friend living on the next block. What I am looking for is the words that might me proposed to specifically separate a "commercial" truck from one that has been certified by the state as a non-commercial vehicle (in this case a motorhome) no matter what its outward appearance might 'appear' to be. This is the code for the county: Commercial vehicles. Commercial vehicles shall not be parked or stored on residential property in an R-1 or R-2 zone, except in the following circumstances: Commercial vehicles may be parked on a property in conjunction with lawfully- permitted construction, maintenance, or site development activities so long as said activities are diligently pursued. One commercial vehicle may be parked behind the front line of the dwelling and, screened from view from public streets or neighboring properties with a six-foot tall (minimum) opaque fence.3. One commercial vehicle may be parked in the front yard or side yard of a dwelling, in the R-1 or R-2 zones upon issuance of a permit by planning and development services, as long as all of the following criteria are met: No other commercial vehicle is parked or stored on the property.b. The operator of the vehicle is required to be on call 24 hours a day to use the vehicle in response to an emergency;c. The commercial vehicle is parked on a paved surface in compliance with section 19.80.030.C or 19.80.035.A;d. The commercial vehicle is parked entirely on private property, not parked on or over the street or sidewalk; and. The commercial vehicle does not exceed Class 5 (two-axle, six tire single unit trucks) in Federal Highway Administration vehicle classification. This is the code for the city I live in of an RV .: 11.20.055: PARKING OF RECREATIONAL VEHICLES OR TRAVEL TRAILERS: A. Definitions: As used in this section: RECREATIONAL VEHICLE: A vehicular unit other than a mobile home, primarily designated as a temporary dwelling for travel, recreational, or vacation use, which is either self- propelled or pulled by another vehicle. Recreational vehicle includes a travel trailer, a camping trailer, a fifth wheel trailer, and a motor home. "Travel trailer", "camping trailer", or "fifth wheel trailer" means a portable vehicle without motive power, designed as a temporary dwelling for travel, recreational, or vacation use that does not require a special highway movement permit when drawn by a self- propelled motor vehicle. TRAVEL TRAILER: A portable vehicle without motive power, designed as temporary dwelling for travel, recreation, or vacation use that does not require special highway permit from the state of Utah when drawn by a self-propelled motor vehicle. B. General Prohibition: No recreational vehicle or travel trailer shall be parked or stored anywhere within the city except as permitted by this section. C. Street/Highway Parking: A recreational vehicle or travel trailer may be parked on a public street for up to twenty four (24) consecutive hours. D. Private Property Parking: A recreational vehicle or travel trailer may park on private property with the permission of the property owner/representative for an indefinite time as long as it does not violate any other ordinance or law. (Ord. 09-12, 3-18-2009) I think there's another bit of city code/ordinance that I can't find right now though the cities web site. So rather than ranting about government over reach...please be constructive with ideas on how to approach this and maybe some snippets of words that might help narrow the code to still be enforceable for commercial vehicles and exclude state titled motorhomes. Thanks all. Appreciate the input.

Seems that city folks don't know about cow tipping...maybe. But Smart Car tipping.... Ya. Not a good thing but it's kinda funny in a way.

Yup. 2 in the below bed storage, and one will live on the deck.

Made the final templates for the skirts on the new bed-build. When done, they will be painted the same as the truck.

We made the choice for HDT after disappointments with 1 tons and MDT. Originally we targeted the mid-heigth cab (630) over the condo. But a rare configuration of a 670 with a workstation/dinette was found. The table is important. We have meals on the road at the table and I use it as a workstation, and the grandkids hide back there with their computers and phones....and they like the access to the fridge. As well, being 6'3", the taller space inside the cab is appreciated. In Utah it's really easy to reclassify these to motorhomes. Towing a huge 5th wheel plus a 20'+ trailer with side-by-sides with a 1 ton, is normal here....and tolerated. Not smart, but done every weekend. So far we have under-utilized the truck (building a bed on the back of the truck to carry toys), but our few trips so far, we really like the space. Pulling a toyhauler, we do have all the living space we need. Everything has been a 'needs' and 'wants' list compromise. So far we have balanced the two and are liking our decisions. It was 2 yrs of figuring this out. Like others have said, it's personal. Sometimes, you just have to jump in and see if it works for you. The 1 tons and MDT didn't, for us. They are easier to live with on a few levels. All choices have things that will irritate you on some level. Those lists... you have figure out which might be an irritation that you can or can't live with.

Finishing up the templates for the bed skirting. Fun exercise. It will be painted the same as the truck when finished. The open space in the rear is where the box for the generator will go. Oh... and we added another family member. Something for the truck to carry around. Sold the Goldwing. The Spyder is something both of us can drive. I'm guessing that once the wife gets comfortable in the drivers seat...I'll just be watching the view from the back.

They say too 'spray it on the rinsed surface, let it set, then wipe the surface dry with a micro fiber cloth'. I... dried the surface. Then I misted the wax on and then wiped it off with the microfiber towel. The surface will look 'modeled' or uneven for a day. The ceramic stuff needs to 'flow'. Now, if you use the pure ceramic stuff... little bottles with a price tag.... it's just about as easy. But the surface prep is a bit more demanding and it must be done in-doors, out of the direct sun. A quick re-treatment every 6 or so months keeps it looking great. Water sheets off the surface. Do the windows as well. I think Rain-X uses the same basic compounds in their windshield washer fluid. Help with water shedding on the glass.

Looks really nice. I did the same process. Yes... lots of square footage on our rigs. The orbital buffer was the trick to keeping it a tolerable project. I got the Bauer variable speed model. Holding up really well. I topped my effort off with the new Turtle Wax Ceramic blend spray-on coating. I applied it differently than they recommend and it holds up really, really well. Did the truck, 2 cars, the motorcycle and the 36' toyhauler the same way. Yup, used up a few foam polishing pads.

There a good resource on YouTube... Will Prouse. He buys lots of different brands, tests them then tears them apart. He also tests the other components in a solar system. Pretty straight ahead guy with lots of knowledge.

Not sure about that. The two 16' sheets of 3/16" alumn. deckplate on the back of my truck was $1400. This stuff is an ouch right now. Kinda like 2x4 framing.

Spent yesterday morning at the fabricators test fitting the under-bed boxes and doing final measurements for the rear boxes. These are the drivers side boxes which are 25" deep. Those fit spot on. The longer boxes, one hit a glitch. Or rather, a bit of weld on the frame that hung it up going in. My bad for not cleaning up that opening as I should. Adam, the fabricator par-excellence, measures for the generator box based on some mounting brackets I fab'd up. The ramp boxes are 6'3" deep. The ramps are (folded) 6'. And having the deck plates open up is proving to be worth all the effort. In fact I pulled a center plate to access the problem weld that needed to be ground down. Made it an easy fix. Because the boxes are built to tight tolerances for the space, the doors, hinges, and latches are a bit of a head-scratcher. We think we have a solution. It would be easier all around if they were to be welded into the bed, but I want them removable so I can pull them and work on truck stuff underneath the bed. There will be a lip on the boxes that will act as support for the weather stripping and the 4 elevator bolts that will mount them to the opening support steel. Boxes will be sprayed with a few coats of Por-15. The doors will be power coated gloss black and the latches will be chrome. Looks like 'slam-type' door latches will be the best fit for the ramp boxes. The generator and tool box in the rear will have T-handle style.