|
|
02-15-2003, 01:00 PM
|
#1
|
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 544
|
Tow vehicle rating
I could not vote in this poll or "Tell us the type of your tow vehicle" either - should add a "bigger" category.
My tow vehicle rating is about 12 tons. (1998 International 4700).
Coming from a 1 ton Chevy Van, extented wheel base with a 454,
I now know one thing for sure:
YES, bigger really is better. That's it, bigger transmission, radiator and brakes.
What they say is true: when you tow an Airstream, you don't feel it.
At 70m/h, I completely forget it is there (on flat land at least).
Going down the mountains, I am afraid of only one thing now: an SUV pulling a trailer running into me.
|
|
|
02-15-2003, 02:15 PM
|
#2
|
Rivet Master
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 917
|
I'd love to see you pull into a State Park or National Park campground with that combo !!
At least you would get rid of any low hanging branches that would hit the top of our trailer .
John
|
|
|
02-15-2003, 02:25 PM
|
#3
|
Rivet Master
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 917
|
Vendor!!
I saw on our other thread that you're a vendor over the summer and now see clearly why you have such a monster tow vehicle !
Are you involved in mountain bike races?
John
|
|
|
02-15-2003, 02:30 PM
|
#4
|
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 544
|
Yes John,
We went to dump after a show in Old Forge NY, at Nick' s Lake State Park in the Addirondacks.
We badly dragged our butt out of the dumpsite. We had camped there a few times in the past with our van - and barely made it. You should have seen the maneuvering then.
The turning radius of the truck is actually much better than the van's.
We always can find our rig easily coming out of WalMart. Just waiting for our favorite campground to install a dumpstation.
|
|
|
02-15-2003, 02:37 PM
|
#5
|
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 544
|
No, John:
No bike races. Bluegrass music vendor, mostly North East.
Small problem with low branches: the roof of the box is some type of translusant plastic. Bought it with a small leaky dent. Have not had time to fix it yet. Have to redirect rain in a corner with a tarp.
|
|
|
02-15-2003, 02:54 PM
|
#6
|
Rivet Master
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 917
|
My friends are down from Maine and they work Ossipee Valley every year.
Got to love BlueGrass!!!
John
|
|
|
02-15-2003, 03:11 PM
|
#7
|
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 544
|
John,
We have been to Ossipee Valley for the last 3 or 4 years.
Your friends must have seen us.
3 years ago, on our way there, we had a tire on the van explode in CT, at 65m/h, heavy traffic.
Thanks to the trailer, we kept the course and the whole rig stopped nicely.
We displayed what was left of that tire near our booth on the fairgrounds (Cornish ME). A lot of people must remember it.
They kept asking "how could you stop the trailer?". I beleive the trailer helped stop the van and saved our butt.
Chantal.
|
|
|
02-15-2003, 03:31 PM
|
#8
|
Retired Moderator
1992 29' Excella
madison
, Wisconsin
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 4,644
|
cool!
my truck at work is a 98 4700!
they are tuff!
do your air brake recall yet?
john
|
|
|
02-15-2003, 04:14 PM
|
#9
|
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 544
|
I think the brakes are a hybrid of hydraulic & air. We had it just over a year, will know more as we go.
The air ride though is nice, especially when I bump the control with my leg and find myself stuck to the ceiling (at 5'4'', I need that extra problem to reach the pedals !!)
Chantal
|
|
|
02-15-2003, 06:45 PM
|
#10
|
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 544
|
to John from FL:
I just realize.... your friends at Ossipee: are they Brian & Sally ???
If so, it is a small world and say hello to them from:
Chantal & Mike
|
|
|
02-15-2003, 07:26 PM
|
#11
|
Rivet Master
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 917
|
Chantal,
No, their names are Dick & Ellie, from Waterboro. Their in their mid 50's.
They're close friends with one of the bands and I'll get the bands name for you.
John
|
|
|
02-16-2003, 07:56 AM
|
#12
|
Rivet Master
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 917
|
Northstar!
Mike & Chantal,
The bands name is "Northstar" with Ted Demille.
My friends were wondering if you guys sell CD's? They remember a vendor selling them with your type of vehicle.
John
|
|
|
02-16-2003, 10:59 AM
|
#13
|
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 544
|
John,
Yes we sell CDs and more stuff. We have a big yellow & white tent, we attach our Airstream to the back of it with an extra awning. They must know Brian, he is from ME, now in FL, sells hats & RV mats all over New England.
Chantal
|
|
|
02-17-2003, 03:41 PM
|
#14
|
Rivet Master
1959 22' Caravanner
Atlanta
, Georgia
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,197
|
Would a 7ft tall 1975 K5 GMC Jimmy be concidered a big tow vehicle?
|
|
|
03-22-2003, 11:59 AM
|
#15
|
4 Rivet Member
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 307
|
femuse
You definitely have the biggest tow vehicle here, unless someone has a freightliner (doubtful)
The nice thing about your truck is it's multi-purpose. You can fit lots of stuff in there. In a diesel, it would be great. But 1998 is almost new.
|
|
|
03-22-2003, 02:07 PM
|
#16
|
Aluminut
2004 25' Safari
.
, Illinois
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,477
|
Ipso.
Wait....I know I've seen that on this fourum! There is an Freightliner, Mack, Peterbilt or whatever out there and the person does also use it to pull his large A/S! I swear I've seen it in the photo section. I only wish I could have found it to post it.
It's quite a rig!
Eric
|
|
|
03-22-2003, 03:34 PM
|
#17
|
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 544
|
Don E Texas has a Freight Liner. Well....he uses only part of it. We use the whole truck.
We carry a bit more than we used to in our van (like 2nd generator 3000i, a few hundred pounds more of music books, enough groceries for a few months-like maybe 20Lbs of rice,....). The difference is (besides BIG brakes), we have room to move things around and don't have to walk folded in two. People were always asking :"you're not putting all that stuff in your van, are you?". Yes. Except it took us about 6 hours to load. Things had to go a certain way, all displays had to be taken apart,..... A real drag. Now it's a lot faster.
Quote:
In a diesel, it would be great.
|
Of course, it's a diesel
|
|
|
03-22-2003, 03:40 PM
|
#18
|
Aluminut
2004 25' Safari
.
, Illinois
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,477
|
Chantal! That's it! I knew I didn't have too much to drink!
Thanks for posting the link to the picture!
Eric
|
|
|
03-22-2003, 05:01 PM
|
#19
|
4 Rivet Member
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 307
|
femuse
Oh, I read it that you had 454 in it instead of you went from a 454 in your van. What kind of MPG do you get in this beast? Probably comparable to big block gassers.
|
|
|
03-22-2003, 05:38 PM
|
#20
|
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 544
|
We have had the truck for only one season and a half, and I have been too lazy to check the numbers. The previous owner said 9 mpg. That looks right.
Other big advantage to the van: I don't think that the MPG is different with or without trailer (maybe not in mountain). We rarely use it without trailer.
The other is the cost of fuel: most of the time, diesel is the same price as regular. When towing with the van, we used mostly mid grade, but used premium in mountain. 10 & 20cts a gallon more than diesel.
The last point: we talked about buying a smaller truck. We test drove a Isuzu I think or similar. The way you sit, there is nothing between you and whatever you may run into. Then, the brakes were not impressive.
We thought about something like a Ford 450 or 550, but couldn't afford them. This was a lot cheaper, and in the end, a lot safer.
|
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|