Having tossed around every possible variation, size and variety of RV and Tow Vehicle, we decided some time ago to just stay with our Ol' Jayco Eagle Fifth Wheel...
Uh... the fact that I've been doin' some little RV remodel on it the past couple months, as time and pocket money allowed, kinda makes that part obvious... don't it! :o)
Part of that choice was simple economics, part was emotion, and part was puttin' all the pieces of "our way" on a piece of paper and makin' the decision that the way we've done for the last, near 10 years, is still the best "way" for us... An RV Tow Vehicle truck and Fifth wheel.
So, with that part already decided, and having been forced into lettin' our '06 Cummins, Big Red, go last summer... in the interest of dancing around increasing financial distress... we're needful of replacin' that truck...
The RV Remodel on the Eagle won't be much good... without a truck to haul her down the road.
Been lookin' all over... from here east into Nebraska...and west all the way to Arizona and Nevada tryin' to get up to speed on the prices and what seems to be available...
We tossed around for a lil' while, goin' to an MDT... which I've decided against... for a 'future' reason...
That takes me... full circuit through motorhomes and MDT's right straight back to what suits me the most... a Dodge, 3500 Cummins...
But... our "Way" has still changed a touch... Heidi gettin' attracted to splittin' the wind, "Ridin' her own" creates the desire to have a place to haul TWO motorcycles on ONE fifth Wheel rig...
Oh... I can hear the squallin' now!... "YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" ...
That's what I keep hearin' 'bout my fifth wheel to gooseneck hitch conversion... though I've never seen a single rig broke by the conversion... (People say you can't but can never SHOW why) The only damage I've ever seen was from gross overloading of the trailer... which would have busted with either hitch... I've hauled this trailer with that heavy battery bank up front for nigh on to 50,000 miles... and 10,000+ with the Yamaha hangin' back there... and haven't even blown a tire... so they were wrong...
... 'Course... the people squallin' the loudest... hadn't ever tried it their ownselves... and couldn't say exactly why I couldn't.
... just that I couldn't...
With some careful cipherin'... lots of sketchin' a couple of upgrades... and a whole lot of failure free miles, on less than pristine roads later... They were wrong... and they'll be wrong this time too! :o)
Folks just hate it when bald headed Ol' pussgut geezers DO... What You Can't Do! :o)
But looky here, I got the idea from my own brain...
Yeah... I know that's a scary thought... but give it time...
Soon after I came up with this lil' idea... John Davidson sent me word 'bout the rig he built something like 16 years ago... that's just almost exactly the rig I'm talkin' 'bout.
He kicked the hitch back about a foot for swing clearance... just like I'm needful of doin'. In my lookin' around, I've found several rigs that have been set up that way... As long as you stay within reason, support with proper suspension... don't exceed your capacities... get the total load properly balanced...
... It's a goin' concern! :o)
So... now armed with the knowledge that a few good Ol' Boys had already done it... done it well... and it worked fine, I kept my schemin' parts simmerin'.
... and found a couple of things... One... an outfit down Texas way that builds some sweet Fiberglass sleepers... at a real reasonable price... ('cause the Pups need a proper place to ride!) Here's a flavor of what I'm schemin'...
It's not 'zactly what I'm workin' on... some access door changes and other bits... but you can get a purty good idea...
and second... a Truck... over to Greeley... that started out life in 2001 as a Dodge Cummins chassis cab... with the longer frame under a Regular Cab... (a bit longer than that'n in the picture)
I'm just hopin' that it'll hang on and not get itself sold... before I'm able to line up my Ducks!
This time around... I'll be workin' to do ever'thing... cash money... No New Debt means the man ain't got that stick to beat me with...
... as I stomp on the throttle rollin' past the Gov't buildings... Turnin' that Thunderin' Cummins loose, pattin' my cute lil' senior kiester... an' blowin' him kisses! :o)
OOPS! ... :o)
Guess I'm a baaaad, baaaaad cowboy!
Take Good Care
Brian
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1 comment:
Brian, check this site out. Looks like it may be a answer to your problem.
www.idahotote.com/
A silent but avid reader. Leon
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