 Battery Maintenance and Pulse
Technology Conditioning with Solar can Double your Battery Life.
Batteries
keep us rolling and give us conveniences in our trucks and trailers. But
if you don’t maintain them, you’ll be stranded and surprised. I run a
lot of toys from my eight 12 volt outlets in my truck, from my cooler to
my motion detector in the trailer. Diesel trucks use two 12 volt
batteries for extra power to start a diesel engine. This also gives you
reserve power going down the road. Living Quarter horse trailers usually
have two deep cell batteries that can be drawn down and last a long
time. With 4 batteries between your truck and trailer, proper
maintenance is as important as checking our trucks oil level. There's new
technology that can do most of the work for you.
Sulfation is the largest cause of battery
deterioration.
SolarPulse Industrial Solar
Charging System is a product that reenergizes the sulfates and
charges your batteries with sunshine,
more... |
|
Truck and Trailer Security takes Action
 Theft is such a personal event. We buy things enjoy
them and someone takes them away. I stay at allot of motels around the
country and am relieved when I leave in the morning and my trailers are
still connected to my truck. Just added several more products to my
trailers to make me less nervous in Vegas parking lots, the only place
theft has visited me successfully.
Read more.
B-52:
Rack'em's B-52 replacement locking jack. It's for bumper trailers, is
rated at 5000#'s. Lock'em:
Next from Rack'em is a wheel lock. Lock'em RA-25 Magnum Wheel Lock. HitchSafe:
Fits 2 inch receiver, HitchSafe, a weather proof drawer with a
combination lock.
Watchdog:
A new theft target is your trucks tailgate. Replacing your
tailgate is not cheap.
Read more. |
 
Trailer Electronic Technology for Safer, Easier Connection.
EZ
is a magnetic connection, powerful magnets. Just get the male end near
the female plug and "pop" it sucks together. A tab slot align the socket
and plug to match the right connections. The male end has two silicone
o-rings, the cables have sealant injected inside, all to make the system
water proof. If you can keep the water out, you can keep the mud and all
the corrosive chemicals used to dissolve ice on the highway out. Spent my share of nights with a flashlight in
my mouth in the rain as I work on trailer lights.
See the review.... |
|
Matching
your Truck to a Slide in Camper for Towing
Look at trucks with the big Lance campers on them.
They’ll have air bags or extra overloads and sometimes 19.5”
or even 22” tires. It’s nice to take your house with you to
the woods, mountains and then there’s hunting. If you need
to haul horses too for Elk hunting or just horsing around,
it’s important to get the specs figured out. Payload and
trailer tongue weight come from the same capacity limit.
Which makes hard sided heavy truck campers difficult to use
with trailers. It’s fairly common for a ¾ ton truck to be
overloaded with a hard sided slide in camper.
More.... |
  BIGFOOT
Trailer Jacks; Ever cranked a heavy trailer jack by hand?
Even the 2 speed jacks wear you out. Electric
jacks are cheaper, hydraulic jack are faster and made for heavy use.
Bigfoot has a steel oil reservoir
that the hydraulic motor mounts to instead of a plastic tank
that I see on other brands and the cover stays
on.
More... |
|
NEW and Improved
You're going to love this newly redesigned
PopUp 2
Hitch.
Smoother acting and trouble
free. They've made the best hitch even better.
One pull of the handle to raise the ball is all it will take
to convince you that this is the hitch you want.
Simply pull the rod to raise the ball and push to lower it
from your trucks wheelwell. More
info....
|
|
 |
New CAFE standards allow for towing considerations from
RVIA
While the new levels will encompass a majority of
vehicles that tow RVs, there is good news for the RV
industry in the legislation.
President Bush signed into
law the first increase in automobile fuel economy in 32
years, mandating automobile manufacturers meet a (CAFE)
standard of 35 miles per gallon (mpg) by 2020.
First, separate fuel economy
standards for cars and trucks will be maintained with
different standards to be set for pickup trucks weighing
between 8,500 and 10,000 pounds and for medium- and
heavy-duty trucks. Second, the framework for
establishing fuel economy is based on “one or more
vehicle attributes” which will allow consideration of
vehicle towing capacity.
More....
|
|
 |
|
  Tired
of your headlights shining in the trees? Stinger
Hitch Helper introduces a dually version. Rated for 2000# tongue
weight. Stinger Hitch, simple to attach to your receiver
hitch and then just add trailer or cargo, what a difference it makes !
Great for those heavy slide-in truck campers. Improve your truck or
SUV's handling. Stinger Hitch Helper use it when you need it. Take if
off when you don't. Feel safe again with this new load stabilizing
helper. See the details, pictures and video for safer towing and a level
rig... More...
|
  Updates: I
tried the Tattle-Trail TTK 550 wireless Portable Towing Monitor System
with my 3 H gooseneck trailer. Using an accelerometer
to detect movement, vibration or shock. like the gyro in my camera
to prevent shake and blurry images. In a previous life, the
engineers at Tattle-Trail developed kidney dialysis
instrumentation. These guys tow trailers and could see the
problems their experience could solve with early detection of
trailer tire tread separation, broken suspensions, wheel bearing
problems, loose...More.... |
|
  Ford
announces 2009 F150
with more towing features. Trailer sway control can determine from
the yaw motion of the truck if the trailer is swaying
and....Integrated
Trailer Brake Controller is factory-installed
and allows direct
More...The
new 2009 Ford F-150 offers customers the most choice
with more configurations than any other full-size pickup
on the market. With three cab styles, four box options
and seven unique trim levels, the F-150 comes in 35
different configurations to....
More...
2009 Ford F150 with new 6-speed, diesel and turbo gas
engines coming in 2010. The striking F-150 Platinum
features
More... |
|
  2009
Dodge Ram, new coil spring rear suspension,
finally a normal crew cab called Ram Crew, bed storage
under the rail and cab floor storage, plus more.
More.... |
|
The Best
Tranny Pans, Differential, and Valve Covers. |
|
PML knows how to keep you covered!
You hear me complaining about oil capacity on this
website constantly. Now I found a way to add 2 or 3
more quarts of oil to your tranny and differential.
The more oil, the more cooling ability, the longer
your truck will stay out of the shop and on the
road! Pulling trailers builds extra heat in your
engine, transmission and axles. You need extra oil
capacity and a cover designed for cooling, not the
stamped flat pans and covers truck manufactures buy
100,000 at a time from the cheapest bidder. It's up
to you to give your truck the longest life.
Click for more.
Keep your Differential &
Tranny Pan cool with more oil capacity, order now.
|
|
Heavy
Duty Pickup Trucks, New Race. The Year of Emissions.
 The
excitement builds with each jet ride to the next new truck media launch,
biggest year I can remember for major truck changes. Most of it brought
about by the new low emission laws for diesel engines that began January
2007. GM totally redesigned the whole truck. Ford has the most
mechanical changes with a new nose and diesel engine, Dodge changed the
diesel for the new emissions law and reintroduced it's chassis cab
model. More... |
|
They are bold and sexy!
I consider them the best built mudflaps I've found. The new model has a
polished aluminum yoke, and heavy wall aluminum tubing. Still adjustable
in, out and up, down. Which is so good for my truck reviews which range
from a tall H2 to a Nissan Frontier. And I review new trailers too, any
mudflaps can protect your trailers from mud, that's a slow speed
problem. But the damage comes from....
More.....
|
|
 PML
Ford F250 Differential Covers Install,
If you've read your trucks owner manual, there is a different
schedule for normal use and "severe or trailer towing". For some
maintenance schedules you change oil twice as often for severe
use. Towing stress creates heat, heat breaks down the oil faster
and you know what happens next. A lot of us overload our
trailers especially using 3/4 and one ton pickups.
More.... |
|
 is
the best known name in trailers.
Featherlite is the first aluminum trailer I can remember seeing. Back in the
seventies, gooseneck trailers were the new thing. And since 1973,
Featherlite is still ahead of it's time. They stood out then because of the
exceptional quality and uniqueness just as they do today. We are very proud
to have
Featherlite
Trailers
join us. You'll be surprised at how many types of trailers Featherlite
builds. From the famous horse and stock trailers to car, cargo, dump and
motorcycle trailers. Click for loads more.
|
|
|
Dodge Expands Commercial Presence,
Charges into Class 4–5 Segment with All–new 2008 Ram 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs All–new
chassis cabs showcase dominant commercial capability, durability
and dependability.
More on Dodge Ram.... |
|
|
 Popup
Industries RV3 5th-Wheel to Gooseneck
Adapter Do you have too many hitches for
all of your different trailers? There’s bumper pull, gooseneck,
fifth wheel, you name it there’s just too many combinations out there
sometimes. Pop up industries helps out here by offering their fifth
wheel to gooseneck adapters. This handy little product allows you to tow
your fifth wheel camper using the gooseneck hitch you already have in
the bed of your truck thus eliminating one hitch from your collection.
Pop up industries has been around for years starting with their PopUp
Gooseneck ball hitch and now with many hitch extensions for short bed
trucks, More... |
|
 New
Featherlite
all-aluminum
Sport Utility Recreational Vehicle
SURV trailers designed for easy towing & comfortable living
during outdoor adventures.
New for 2006,
Featherlite SURV trailers are designed to haul ATVs,
motorcycles, dirt bikes, dune buggies, cars and more, available
in a gooseneck or bumper pull platform.
More.... |
|
 If
you have a over-head camper, this is for you,
especially newer Heavy Duty trucks have
longer rear leaf springs, causing more wheel travel and lean with a
camper. SuperSprings for a level truck and less lean on curves.
SuperSprings also works as a torsion axle similar to a anti-sway
bar.
SuperSprings
Anti-Sway Safety Stabilizers do not replace the existing springs,
but function together with the vehicle's existing suspension system,
providing additional support only as required, when the vehicle
enters a bend, turn, swerve or when carrying a heavy load.
Discover More...
SuperSprings:
•Do not stiffen the ride
when your vehicle is empty or on a straight road, as do overload
springs. •Are inexpensive and easy-to-install. •Require no
maintenance. •Reduce rear end sag and sway due to heavy loading.
Today's light trucks and Vans are designed for smooth ride and
comfort when empty or lightly loaded. When fully loaded, the softer
suspension in these vehicles tends to let the rear end sag,
compromising safety and comfort.
Find out More...
|
|
I've discovered
a product that makes a lot of sense for stabilizing your
truck by itself or pulling a trailer and trucks with
slide-in-campers. Manufactures leave plenty of room for
improving your truck. I'm looking for the most important
modifications you can do yourself.
Find out More... |
  On
the road repair welding. The military has GOWELD and plasma
cutters in many of their Humvees, tanks and armored personal
carriers. GOWELD is very
portable, the wire spool is in the handle. Just clamp the cables
to your trucks batteries, run the hose to a tank of Argon gas or
use coated wire and you're ready to weld anywhere.
More.... |
For heavy slide-in truck campers, I like
a dually the best. They are a pain because they are 8 ft. wide.
Extra tires make me feel safer. On the new Ford Super Duties, which
started with the 99 models, have longer springs to improve the ride.
Dodge and Chevy have also stretched their rear leafs for a better
ride and more wheel travel. In 2003 the Dodge 2500/3500 rear leaf
springs are 3 inches longer. But this also allows more spring
travel. Campers are notorious for side wind. In these newer trucks,
they move too much side
 to
side with a camper. I recommend
SuperSprings automatic
overloads on the rear.
This should stabilize it. This is true whether a single or dual rear
wheel. Slide in truck campers, travel trailers, and sport ramp
trailers are growing in numbers as the baby boomers are enjoying
more recreation as they near retirement. You'll see more RV trailers
and campers on your block. |
|
|
 New
Popup GN5, now you can tow you gooseneck with your
Semi-truck. Slide out your old coupler and slide in the GN5
and tow with your 5th-wheel.
Order now..
|
|
Get more power out of your Ford truck with
truck parts from AmericanTrucks.com
|
|
CNG, is it the Answer for the Fuel
Crisis?
 Forget
veggie oil, bio-diesel, power programmers and hydrogen water
separators. And hear the gospel of CNG/diesel. The beauty of
this system is if I can't find a Compressed Natural Gas fill up
station, I just run on diesel. We've now had time to run several
tanks through our test truck in a loop using both CNG and diesel
together at 2 to 1. We reduced our fuel cost per mile 23% to 27%
with Colorado prices. Almost double that with Utah prices,
Read the rest as one of the
most important reviews this year...
|
|
The
5th-Wheel, Toy Hauler, Travel Trailer, Slide-in Truck Camper, &
Accessory Review |
 QuickBite
Coupler: You'll love this coupler and want to
replace what you have ! I did, No more in and out of
your truck to see how close you are to the trailer or if you're
centered and you know how much fun it is asking for help to back
up. You'll hear the coupler snap when it's latches. It self
aligns your trailer ball, automatically latches and locks. It
doesn't get easier or faster. Comes with it's own alignment rods
that stick up over your tailgate to
watch through your rear view mirror.
Read whole review... |
|
 Stop
tire cupping, vibration and premature wear on those expensive
truck, RV & trailer tires.
Centramatic
automatic wheel balancers have been saving money on tires for
semi-trucks for over twenty years. Now you can automatically
balance your tires, wheels, hub and rotors or drums while you
drive. A balanced tire doesn't cub, vibrates less & lowers the
tire sidewall temperature from less flexing, giving you longer
tire life. 5 year warranty, made in the USA.
More |
|
Superchips Announces
All-New Cortex Vehicle Performance Programmer Line with
a Two-Year Powertrain Warranty
The Superchips Cortex comes with all of the same great
features that Superchips’ users have come to love,
including programming up to three performance tunes to
enhance power, economy, and drivability. These features
include the ability to save factory settings; program
for performance, towing, or economy; tune transmission
settings for improved drivability; read and clear
diagnostic trouble codes; adjust speed and RPM limiters;
and recalibrate speedometer/odometer for tire and gear
swaps.
More...
|
|
  |
|
SuperSprings introduces overload stabilizing
spring for Class C RV Ford E450.
With the great rear overhang Class C motorhomes have, they need
a little help. The SSA21 sets on top of the factory spring and
self adjusts to improve handling and stabilize the load.
For application
click... |
|
 Now
there's help for the short-short beds. New from PopUp, the
SB116. The long short bed solution. It's "16" inches
of extension. Before you loose your pickup trucks rear window or
worse, check out the solution. Shortbed trucks are the most
popular. But the trailer manufactures don't know it yet. Finally
backup with the tailgate down and without hitting the propane
tanks.
More... |
|
RV5
Extended King-Pin
New lower prices
An Extra Ten Inches Clearance Between Your Truck and RV.
-
More trailer
swing.
-
Easier hook-up.
-
Clamps to
standard king-pin.
-
Bolts to
king-pin box.
-
Installs quickly
and easily.
-
Precision laser
cut fabrication.
-
24,000 lbs.
Gross Trailer Weight.
-
6,000 lbs. Gross
Tongue Weight.
-
Long lasting
powder coated.
-
100% complete.
 
Everyone
who tows an RV needs more clearance between the
truck and trailer.
You can always
use more room for maneuvering, especially if
your towing with a short bed truck. And, an
extra ten inches between the rear bumper and the
bulkhead of the trailer makes things easier,
too.
The RV5 is
fabricated from precision laser cut steel plate
which is welded to the high standards you expect
from PopUp. The finish is powder coat for years
of protection and good looks.
The RV5 is held
securely to the trailer king-pin box with a
strong king-pin clamp. It also bolts to the
king-pin box for additional stability. The
installation fasteners provided are Grade 8
More info
order now
Alaska, Hawaii and Canada Shipping $150 extra
click
|
|
 Popup
soft side slide in truck campers can give you more tongue weight left for
your trailer and improve MPG.
See my reviews with the
Apex and
Caribou.
Visit
Outfitter website |
|
 Featherlite
SURV, a heavy duty trailer for your Toys. We camp at Tiger Run in
Breckenridge and Circus Circus Koa in Vegas. We installed
Power Vision mirrors,
Hell-Ya Hitch Helper, Valley Odyssey
brake controller and Truck Bedz.
Featherlite built an "off-road" toy hauler that's
made like a tank, so you can get to the prime remote
locations for 4-wheeling
or just a HQ for outdoor adventure.
More... |
|
Quadrasteer
GMC towing a
Zeppelin travel trailer to Estes Park at the
Spruce Lake RV Park. The Denali
is on the move again showing off it's backing skills in the
picturesque Rocky Mountains. It makes me want to move to the hills
near the Big Thompson River.
Read
more... |
|
 Blowouts
are not fun. And even whipping your trailer
doesn't let you see the rear axle in a safe way or at night.
Pick your reason, the cost of
 tires,
safety, calm horses, or just the pain it is to change a
tire. Been waiting for something like
Pressure Pro to help me monitor tires on the fly..Click
for more
USRider Urges Horse Owners to Use Air Pressure Monitor
|
  EZ - Connector,
RV Pro Plug
and Max Brake Wireless Trailer Light Tester
Those of use that
tow trailers every week know how many times we drop the
coupler on the ball and plug in the wire connection (and
wiggle the connection for contact.) Spent my share of nights
with a flashlight in my mouth in the rain as I work on
trailer lights. Fuel injection and electronics make our
trucks more trouble free, now trailer wiring and electronics
make tracing trailer wire problems a breeze. What do you do
when you don't have someone to check your trailer lights
while you run the blinkers and light switch?
The rest of the report... |
|
 Bridgestone
Winter Driving School at Steamboat Springs CO. The skiers aren't the
only ones having fun! Surrounded by ski slopes, this international
school teaches you to drive well when the weather's bad. I attended
the trailer class and trailer driving course.
Read more... |
|
 Updates
from each event, pictures & commentary,
MrTruck.com Presents:
"Hart Horse Trailer Safety and Tech Tour," With
the latest trailer safety and technology accessories on exhibit
on tour, come by and watch demonstrations We'll
be displaying some helpful technology for safe towing. Stop by, see our
display and ask questions.
Click for the "Tour" schedule,
see when we'll be in your state. |
|
Be careful when using an hitch extension for trailering with a
slide-in camper. This puts more leverage on the trucks receiver
hitch. And usually lowers your trailer capacity by a
third. Read the label and use a weight distributing hitch for
the maximum capacity. |
|
 If
you want to see a well built trailer, check out horse trailers.
Torsion axles and well designed hitches, make for a trailer that
can take dirt roads, pastures and county fair ground potholes
for decades. I will look for RV travel trailers that have
torsion axles & the structure integrity to give you a trailer
you'll feel save towing. Like the grand daddy of RV trailers,
Air Stream.
|
Propane safety tips for RVers
(July 2,
2007) -- "Propane equipment should be checked and maintained
at least once every two years and every time an RV is
transferred to a new owner," said Wayne Lock, gas and safety
manager for the BCSA. Ignition of propane gas within an
enclosed space can result in explosion, and it can be
ignited by many sources including pilot lights, open flames,
smoking materials, electric sparks, and static electricity.
More...
|
|
 E-Z
On System
it can save your marriage or your
hearing when backing
up trailers.
More... |
|
 |
| Popup 9 or 16 inch gooseneck
extension. Help for popular short bed trucks.
More... |
|
 Weight Distributing Hitches for safe controlled trailer towing.
Reviewing Equal-i-zer
WDH Click. |
|
Duals or Single Rear Wheels? |
 Dualls,
Full Floating AxleI eventually went to duals, mostly because I pulled my trailers on dirt
roads. Dirt roads are hard on the magnets on the trailer brakes. I soon
discovered not to count on the trailer brakes.
And duals on the truck
will surprise you on their ability to stop you. On a factory dually the
inside tire matches the front tire. When the snow got deep I would take off
the outside duals and they would track fine. On a factory cab and chassis
the rear duals splits the front track. With duals you also need to carry
your hammer or bat just like the big boys to check the air pressure more
often. You won't be able to look a duals to see if they are low unless
you're loaded. So get in a habit of tapping the tires before you roll. If
you have a flat on one of the duals they can loosen up the lug nuts. |
|
 Single,
Full Floating Axle below.
Full
floating axles provides a more
even weight distribution over
the axle than a semi-floating
axle. They have 4 bearings
instead of the 2 bearings in
semi-floating axles. By removing
a rear axle hubcap, you can
determine if the truck is a ½
ton, light duty, ¾ ton (flush
axle with wheel) or a heavy-duty
¾ ton, 1 ton (axle sticking out
past the wheel and lug nuts as
shown in the picture.)
The
"semi-floating axle" has the
wheel studs attached to it,
carrying the trucks weight
directly on the axle shaft and
bearings. Differently on a "full
floating axle" where the axle
shafts only provide power to the
wheel hub from the differential.
The wheel hub is attached to the
axle housing with two tapered
bearings on each side. On a full
floating axle you can pull the
axle out and the wheels are
steel attached to differential
axle tubes. This puts the load
carrying capacity on the axle
housing not on the axle shaft as
with a semi-floating axle.
More... |
|
 2005
Ford F350's
TowCommand trailer brake
controller, Towing
Featherlite, and reviewing
TireStep. Plus Elk Herding
at Estes Park. The first manufacture to offer a "built in"
trailer brake controller, Ford introduced the TowCommand last
fall in the 05 SD. I tried it at the Ford proving grounds. This
is an update towing in the Rockies.
Read...
|
|
Battery Maintenance and Pulse
Technology Conditioning with Solar can Double your Battery Life.
Batteries
keep us rolling and give us conveniences in our trucks and trailers. But
if you don’t maintain them, you’ll be stranded and surprised. I run a
lot of toys from my eight 12 volt outlets in my truck, from my cooler to
my motion detector in the trailer. Diesel trucks use two 12 volt
batteries for extra power to start a diesel engine. This also gives you
reserve power going down the road. Living Quarter horse trailers usually
have two deep cell batteries that can be drawn down and last a long
time. With 4 batteries between your truck and trailer, proper
maintenance is as important as checking our trucks oil level. There's new
technology that can do most of the work for you.
Sulfation is the largest cause of battery
deterioration.
SolarPulse Industrial Solar
Charging System is a product that reenergizes the sulfates and
charges your batteries with sunshine,
more...
Forget
veggie oil, bio-diesel, power programmers and hydrogen water
separators. And hear the gospel of CNG/diesel. The beauty of
this system is if I can't find a Compressed Natural Gas fill up
station, I just run on diesel. We've now had time to run several
tanks through our test truck in a loop using both CNG and diesel
together at 2 to 1. We reduced our fuel cost per mile 23% to 27%
with Colorado prices. Almost double that with Utah prices,
Read the rest as one of the
most important reviews this year... 
QuickBite
Coupler: You'll love this coupler and want to
replace what you have ! I did, No more in and out of
your truck to see how close you are to the trailer or if you're
centered and you know how much fun it is asking for help to back
up. You'll hear the coupler snap when it's latches. It self
aligns your trailer ball, automatically latches and locks. It
doesn't get easier or faster. Comes with it's own alignment rods
that stick up over your tailgate to
watch through your rear view mirror.
Read whole review...
EZ - Connector,
RV Pro Plug
and Max Brake Wireless Trailer Light Tester
Those of use that
tow trailers every week know how many times we drop the
coupler on the ball and plug in the wire connection (and
wiggle the connection for contact.) Spent my share of nights
with a flashlight in my mouth in the rain as I work on
trailer lights. Fuel injection and electronics make our
trucks more trouble free, now trailer wiring and electronics
make tracing trailer wire problems a breeze. What do you do
when you don't have someone to check your trailer lights
while you run the blinkers and light switch?
The rest of the report...
