emilio700

iTrader: (3)

Plenty of 2wd but they were all base models the Tradesman model and such. To get one with all the goodies they were four wheel drive every one of them. I searched the entire state for quite a while. Ironically I found one that was almost perfect only to find out the salesman was an idiot and that it was a special order for someone else. That was sort of the hint that I needed to just stop looking, build my dream truck and be patient.

Arca_ex

iTrader: (2)

Nice. Welcome to the party barge master race. I've got the same 42' Haulmark Edge but I think it's a 2005. Have been getting about 10 to 11 MPG at 70MPH with my 2000 F350 with 7.3l and manual with short rear end gearing. Still on stock tune though, need to get a chip. Your truck should do way better than that. Gooseneck pulls so much nicer than anything else I've had, especially when you go to pass semi trucks, they don't push me around at all now even with the massively increased surface area of the trailer. You'll like it except the first time you accidentally drive into somewhere that you can't make it through and have to back out of it. Route planning is huge with stuff this size. Also sometimes at certain gas stations the normal fuel islands out front won't be accessible. It's cool using the semi truck fuel islands, and the huge nozzles can fill my 40 gallon tank in like 30 seconds but it usually costs anywhere from 5 to 10 cents more per gallon than the stuff out front, so an auxiliary fuel tank or planning your stops carefully will save money.


Where are you getting that from? The CA DMV website shows that you need a Class A Non Commercial to tow that.

I see the part about up to 15,000 on trailer under the Class C, but that is GVWR of the trailer not actual weight. I'm seeing it as if it's over 10klbs, the trailer cannot be rated for more than 15k lbs. And that Haulmark is rated for 22k so I thought it didn't fall under that rule.

Here in AZ there is a loophole where I can put "Not For Hire" stickers on my truck and trailer classifying it as recreational use, and I am good to go up to 26,000lbs. It's some random ARS article and I have it printed out in the center console just in case. I don't think that is a thing in CA.

Savington

iTrader: (31)

That is crazy - out here in CA the truck stops always have the cheapest diesel.

Oop, you're right. I forgot about GVWR. E should be able to contact Haulmark and have them print a tag for 15,000, though. That's what I did with my 32ft - it's got a frame rated for 14k+ and axles for 10.5k, but it's tagged at 9,999lbs intentionally so I can tow it legally in CA (10,000 would be fine too but I didn't want the ambiguity). As long as you never exceed the new tagged weight, you're good to go.

As far as the "not for hire" stickers, they are meaningless in CA. If you look like you're pulling for hire, you're getting stopped anyway. Having said that, I asked the same question a couple of years ago when I was buying my trailer, since at ~17k loaded and 19,200 GCWR, I am legally supposed to hit the scales in Oregon (and maybe Nevada, I don't recall now). The answer I got from residents of those states was a mix of "they don't like pickup trucks in the scale lanes" and "ask for forgiveness, not permission".

Roda

Here in AZ, commercial vehicles pay a higher tax on diesel... amounts to a few cents per gallon. Some places even charge the commercial price at the 'regular' diesel pumps, then refund you the cash. You have to watch some places, because they'll post the 'civilian' price, but the pump will charge the 'commercial' price. IMHO it's a scam to put the extra money in their pocket, as most stations don't have a lot of commercial traffic.

Locally, Sam's Club has the cheapest diesel... by far. Paid $1.76 on Monday.

Arca_ex

iTrader: (2)

I think you might have misunderstood the fuel island thing. The truck stops have good prices, but the pumps for semi trucks that are usually located out back are more expensive than the normal passenger vehicle pumps out front. Has to do with some commercial use tax or something I believe. I'm probably going to invest in a 100 gallon in bed fuel tank that gravity feeds into the stock tank so that I can fill up in Arizona, and make it to Cali tracks and back without buying any diesel in Cali since it is so much more expensive. With that much added fuel capacity I could go about 1300 miles before I needed to hit a station within the next 50 or so miles.


Also the Not For Hire stickers are useful for me, but that's because I've got AZ plates and license. I forgot the exact wording and now I remember why it's important, the Not For Hire stickers let me tow even above 26,000 GCWR with only Class C. See number 5. It's a list of exceptions for the commercial drivers license conditions. The redone trailer tag is a pretty good idea though, I hadn't thought of or heard that before. Arizona Revised Statutes - Title 28 Transportation - Section 28-3102 Exceptions to driver license classes; definitions - Legal Research

d k

iTrader: (4)

FWIW, anyone looking for RAM trucks should check out dennisdillion and davesmith in Idaho (I think).

They do something like 22% off MSRP and have 8million trucks in stock. I found the best prices there when I was considering the EcoDiesel.

emilio700

iTrader: (3)

Just looked at my current GVWR decals :(
Truck 14,000
Trailer 18,000

To sneak under the 26k limit the trailer would need 11,999 decal. Problem is I think I'll be over that fully loaded with two cars and enduro gear, even though the truck will never be loaded close to 14k

Dalardan

Just got on the scales loaded, but I do not have a lot of spare parts :
Front : 1780kg ( 3916lbs )
Rear : 2690kg ( 5918lbs )
Total : 4470kg ( 9834lbs )

Damn, I'm effectively overweight. Gonna do an extensive exercise in transfering load on the trailer and minimising stuff. A SRW 3500 would have been a more precise fit and a DRW peace of mind.

Savington

iTrader: (31)

It's pretty crazy how quickly you can "overweigh" a 3/4 ton truck. Now that you know that, you'll start to see a bunch of SRW trucks towing things they probably shouldn't be.

At 6k on the rear axle you are right on the limits of the axle, and on/over the limits of the tire depending on what tire you're on. IIRC my E-rated Michelins are only good to ~3400lbs/ea. You can safely (albeit not legally) run a little over GVWR, but you really want to avoid running over the axle weight rating, and you really don't want to run over (or even near) the max tire rating. Tires don't have a lot of safety margin built in, unlike the metal components on the truck.

emilio700

iTrader: (3)

shuiend

iTrader: (24)

This is awesome to see. It is something I have sort of been thinking about. The eBay head unit I got for one of my miata's has the backup cam input and you can get the camera's on eBay for stupid cheap. I was thinking long term once I get a big tow vehicle and enclosed trailer running some so I could better see what is around. Never thought of looking for a standalone product for it. The RVS solution looks pretty sweet.

vtjballeng

iTrader: (1)

So, this? RVS-082505 | Backup Quad Camera System | RVS Systems . And you hook it up on a separate harness when you hitch up?

Roda

That's really slick. I've been looking at wireless systems, but I really like the idea of having several cameras.

emilio700

iTrader: (3)

RVS-062710 | Backup Camera System | Four Camera Setup with Quad View Monitor | Rear View Safety

The rear and inner camera have moderate IR capability as well. So good vision in low light. Wireless so nothing to hook up. The inner and rear cams have their own transmitter. The side views each have their own transmitter. We attached those under the nose. The display has two short whip antennas sprouting from its back. We got the optional lighter socket adapter as I didn't want the display hard wired into my new dash. OEM dash has a little coin tray thing on top center. We popped the rubber/plastic tray out and put two self tappers into the framework underneath. That holds the big U shaped support for the display. Two thumb wheels hold the display to that frame so it can be removed and stashed in the lower center console in maybe 30s along with the short lighter socket adapter harness. Pretty clean and totally non-invasive.

We also added a big solar panel on the roof to power the two side view cameras and charge the onboard 12V system when parked. I wanted it to be self contained so I could leave it parked without a trickle charger and be confident the jacks will always work. Also allows me to hook up/unhook and park by myself at night which is usually how things work out.

vtjballeng

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the specs Emilio!

afm

iTrader: (3)

And here I am feeling accomplished when I load and hook up my Trailex at night...

Props for the awesome setup.

natedawg

I just picked up a 2003 tacoma v6 4x4 5spd from a neighbor for a steal. Has high miles and needed basic maintenance done tb/wp but for a tad over $2k i can't complain as far as I'm concerned I stole this truck. Also has 6" lift and 33" tires. I ended up doing all the maintenance and installing a hitch/ wiring on it a few weekends ago. Then the next day the truck made its maiden voyage. 1100 miles round trip from chicago to Oklahoma to pickup a new race car. For being lifted on 33s the truck tows pretty well I was surprised. 3.4 has pretty good tq I didn't have to rev it out hardly at all in the hills of Missouri. Got 14-16mpg all trip at 60-70mph. I plan on cleaning it up a little bit, adding some airbags for the rear to level it out when towing, installing a trailer brake controller. This little truck is a beast I bet it could tow a lot more than the 5k its rated for. I bet I was at 4k on the trailer. This truck will work perfect for now to tow around a 4000 pound wake boat and 4000 pound miata on a trailer + I can take it off-roading and have some fun with it.



The miata I ended up with it was raced with SCCA many years ago in the St.louis region. It sat in a garage for the last 6-7 years and hasn't seen the light of day. I'm excited eventually to get working on it and get going. Got to figure out which 1.8 I want to put in it and which endurance class I want to build it towards.

codrus

Is that Miata really tied down the way it looks like it is?

--Ian

natedawg

yep car had no brakes, no tow hooks, no engine/trans to leave it in gear. So I put one on each subframe n one on each wheel. I could careless about the wheels they were just for transport.

As well this was a friends trailer so it wasn't ideally setup for the weight distribution or hook locations I needed. so I had to make it work in a crunch.

How would you have done it?

turbofan

iTrader: (1)

I don't believe you about the 3.4

My buddy's '97 struggled with two dirt bikes in the bed just going from Mesquite, NV to SLC. 13 mpg that return trip, about the same lift and tires.