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01-09-2015, 01:47 AM
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#21
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1 Rivet Member
1983 34' Limited
2017 23' International
Amersfoort
, Utrecht
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 15
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Hi Charles,
We have a 1983 34' Limited and we are very happy with it. We love the floor plan of ours (side bath, rear bed) because it has lots of storage space in the back (just in front of the bedroom) and feels very open up front with ample room to move around. The triple axle makes it very smooth and stable to tow.
It is a bit difficult to navigate petrol stations. Sometimes we have to scout ahead and plan our approach. We once drove around and entered the fuel station from the back, because that was the only way to be able to get out again without unhitching. If all else fails, you may have to unhitch in a parking lot and go get fuel with only the car. We have not had to do that yet.
Some campgrounds only allow trailers of up to 30'. So it limits your choice of campgrounds. There are also some roads that do not allow trailers of over 30' and even if you are allowed, you sometimes need to steal a bit of road from the other lane when taking tight curves. We have had some challenges getting our trailer backed into campsites, but so far we have always managed and we have not regretted our choice once.
We tow it with a 2010 Buick Enclave 4WD and we are very happy with this combination. The Buick (with a V6 petrol engine, no tow package) tows and stops the trailer with ease. The trick is that we have had the hitch mounted by Andy Thomson of CanAm RV in London, Ontario. Andy guided us in adjusting the weight distribution, the sway control and the breaks very precisely. The weight distribution bars distribute the nose weight of the trailer evenly over all four wheels of the car. In combination with the 4WD, this gives us great traction. The Buick is a very comfortable and smooth car to drive. There are a number of other aspects of this car that make it a much better tow vehicle than a pickup truck, but I won't go into that now. Our main reason for getting this car as a tow vehicle is that we wanted to travel in style. The only modification Andy made to the car is an extra oil cooler for the transmission.
Some people worry about the Buick being too light and too small. We can assure you it is doing fine. The stopping of the trailer is largely done by it's own breaks. We once had an issue when we did not connect the cable well enough and the brakes did not make contact. As soon as we noticed it, we found a place to stop and correct it, but we first had to stop the combination. Even with only the car's brakes to stop the combination, we came to a halt surprisingly easily. Also the engine brakes work just fine going down hills.
Now you have to be precise with a combination like this. If you do something wrong with adjusting or connecting the weight distribution, the sway control or the brakes, you may be in trouble. With a large and heavy pickup truck, you don't have to be as meticulous. It just does not matter as much. Having said that, even with a truck you can be too careless!
Andy has a number of videos on his site, where he demonstrates what a correct hitch adjustment can do. And what a great trailer the Airstream is. We would definitely not tow a white box trailer of the same weight and size with this car.
If you have any questions, let me know. Below is a picture of our rig.
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01-09-2015, 09:29 AM
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#22
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Rivet Master
2013 31' Classic
billings
, Montana
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 3,576
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I have a 72 ford LWB , auto, 373 , 390, we used it for many years to haul water, 450 gals per load, worked good. I hooked the flat bed to it to haul scrap iron to town, 11500 lbs gross, pulled on to the highway and headed up hill, first, then second, 30 mph, not much happening ,so I mashed it to the floor opening the 4 barrell carburator wide open ,she sounded good, nothing changed, still at 30 mph.i looked around and realized , this is the way it used to be, pulling my camper with them old style engines during the 70's and 80's, getting 7 mpg, driving all night to get to the next job....there is no such thing as too much horsepower or money,
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01-09-2015, 09:34 AM
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#23
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Rivet Master
1988 25' Excella
1987 32' Excella
Knoxville
, Tennessee
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 5,101
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I tow a 25' with a 3/4 ton. I like it.
But....I have been on caravans with several of the people who tow long Airstreams with the Enclave. And with the Mercedes SUV. One Enclave was on Landmarks West in the Rockies. One day I traveled directly behind the 34' pulled with the Enclave through the mountains with 8 percent grades and a 20 mile long descents. It seemd to handle the trailer fine. He stopped once on the down slope to check/cool the brakes. So did I. You are not being scammed. People do pull seriously with these rigs. This particular rig made the trip from Ottowa to Arcata, Ca through the Rockies and back home. No, I do not know the long term service life of an Enclave used in this fashion.
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01-09-2015, 12:05 PM
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#24
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Vintage Kin
Fort Worth
, Texas
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,014
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That '83 '34 weighs the same or less than my 1990 35' Silver Streak which itself has a base weight under 7000k.
I'd rather use that Enclave than the vehicles my Dad used to pull his similar SS. Especially as the TW is low on that 34' relative to size.
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01-09-2015, 01:24 PM
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#25
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Rivet Master
2013 31' Classic
billings
, Montana
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 3,576
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Yea! My dad pulled double bottomed tankers with a 4 banger Detroit too!, and you did not stop going up hill, as you would never get it started, no such thing as too much power or money....
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01-09-2015, 01:25 PM
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#26
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Rivet Master
2005 39' Land Yacht 390 XL 396
Common Sense
, Texas
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 5,319
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Quote:
Originally Posted by slowmover
That '83 '34 weighs the same or less than my 1990 35' Silver Streak which itself has a base weight under 7000k.
I'd rather use that Enclave than the vehicles my Dad used to pull his similar SS. Especially as the TW is low on that 34' relative to size.
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Give me a couple of days, and I'll be looking around up here for a deal on one for you.
__________________
Regards,
Steve
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01-09-2015, 04:26 PM
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#27
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Vintage Kin
Fort Worth
, Texas
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,014
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Go look at the specs on that year. Lighter than a current 25
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01-09-2015, 04:47 PM
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#28
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Rivet Master
1991 34' Excella
1963 26' Overlander
1961 26' Overlander
Central
, Mississippi
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 5,919
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Quote:
Originally Posted by slowmover
Go look at the specs on that year. Lighter than a current 25
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My 1991 34' scaled at 8380 lbs ready to travel. 7400 lbs on the axles and the rest is on the hitch (includes a Hensley). I pull with a 3/4 diesel because thats what I had when we bought the trailer. The 34' tows nicer than my 1963 '26 Overlander and is about the same weight/tire since it rides on 6 instead of 4. If I recall, the axles are rated at 2800 lbs each so it's a real light weight on ground pressure.
So, the weight is less than newer, much shorter units, the frontal area is less than new wide bodies and the well base in longer....whats not to love?
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01-09-2015, 05:53 PM
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#29
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Vintage Kin
Fort Worth
, Texas
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,014
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So Vernons trailer means a TV that can handle roughly 400# per axle TW distribution. Not bad. It is really is in a sweet spot.
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01-09-2015, 07:36 PM
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#30
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Moderator
Vintage Kin Owner
...
, ...
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 11,696
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jcanavera
Maybe some others can chime in here but I think there were some issues with the 34' Limited's built in the 90's with headliner glue failure. You might inspect your headliner carefully to see if it shows any evidence of bubbles or areas that aren't tightly secured to the overhead aluminum.
Jack
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IIRC Aviator has, or had one of the 34's your reference Jack.
__________________
"One of the best lessons I've learned is that you don't worry about criticism from people you wouldn't seek advice from."
William C. Swinney
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01-10-2015, 09:59 AM
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#31
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Rivet Master
1986 34' Limited
1975 27' Overlander
1969 21' Globetrotter
Conifer
, Colorado
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 8,289
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Our 86 Limited is very nice. It's the twin bed layout with a street side dinette. There is room for my reliner and the wifes couch. The hickory cabinertry had held up well through the years. This trailer has been in the family since new.
There have been some tight right turns and curvy mountain hairpin corners where I need to encroach into the oncoming lane. The engine braking available on our F-350 turbo diesel makes long downhill grades safer. Trailer drum brakes can fade away pretty easily on long down hill runs.
We scale about 9000 loaded for travel and have 8800 for a tow vehicle weight. We average 13 plus minus 1 while towing.
I would buy another 34 if something happened to this one.
David
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01-11-2015, 04:35 AM
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#32
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1 Rivet Member
1983 34' Limited
2017 23' International
Amersfoort
, Utrecht
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 15
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using brakes down hill
Hi David,
You say the engine brake makes downhill grades safer. As if using the brake pedal would be an option at all.
I may devote a seperate post to this, but I do want to make the point here as well. Using the pedal brake on a long downhill grade is NOT an option as it can completely destroy all your brakes (both trailer and tow vehicle) in as much as one downhill run.
If your speed is too high for the engine brake, you can use your brake pedal to quickly slow down to a lower speed and shift down to a lower gear, so that your engine can get control over your speed again by itself. As soon as the engine by itself is able to keep the speed constant, let go of the brake pedal again and don't touch it again until you have to.
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01-11-2015, 05:56 AM
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#33
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Rivet Master
1986 34' Limited
1975 27' Overlander
1969 21' Globetrotter
Conifer
, Colorado
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 8,289
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Yes, I get it. Long down hill grades require a speed where engine braking is doing most of the work. My old gas engine van had limited engine braking potential. Even in 2nd gear the weight of the trailer would tend to overspeed the engine. I had to apply brakes to control speed.
My point is modern diesels have excellent engine braking controls, almost like cruse control in reverse. I can set it at 40 mph and the thing will select the right gear and engine RPM to hold that down hill speed without using the vehicle or trailer brakes. My new Super Duty is so much more advanced than my old gas van.
Our engines and transmissions can overheat going up hill, and our brakes can overheat going down hill. There are well known phenomena to RV towers.
Our OP was asking about the Escalade pulling a 34 Limited. It can be done safely, it's just that some sections of up hill and down hill highway will be traveled somewhat slower. My family has lots of experience back in the 1980s pulling 34s with Suburbans with 454 V8s. The new ones are certainly more advanced than those old tow vehicles.
David
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02-24-2015, 07:02 PM
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#34
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3 Rivet Member
1994 34' Limited
Salem
, Oregon
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 208
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we have a 34' classic limited. with 3 axels and good torsion bars and sway control it tows like a dream. I have not done much towing at all since I was 18 so I was nervous. I am a big guy, 6'2" about 270, please don't think fat, I am built like a linebacker, and I just didn't fit in smaller RV's. The beds were too short, the couches too narrow the biffy too small. in some my knees would be up against the wall. The 34 has great room and is very comfortable. we tow with a F250 super duty. I like the weight, about 6000 lbs, it helps with control and stability. Fully loaded the book says we are about 8900 lbs in the TT. My F150 is only about 3000 lbs and personally I think the bigger truck is more stable. you will get a lot of different opinions on TVs though so don't believe any individual opinion. There is also a group under trailers for the limiteds you might want to post in that section for some more direct opinions. feel free to email or call if you have any questions that i can help with.
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02-24-2015, 10:37 PM
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#35
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3 Rivet Member
2009 34' Panamerica
2008 22' Safari
Metro Detroit Area & Metro Dallas Area
, Michigan & Texas
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 222
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34' PanAmerica Toy Hauler
Great and Unique AS. Towed and stopped by my 2010 Tundra 5.8L V8. I've been on both coasts - mountains and all - without problems. The key is trailer hitch setup, sway control bars, and trailer BRAKE controler!! There is science AND art to the proper way to do the job right. Contact the best guru on AS towing; he's often at the AS factory for Alumapaloza (May). Or, call Andy at his company in London, Ontario, CAN. (CanAm RV)
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