New Trailers

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Yo Jeff so tell us what was it like pulling that large new trlr over the mountians. Everything O/K we all hope?

[Jeff Bayley]

Joe- I just now got the car loaded after taking my sweet time securing the misc junk to the top level of the stacker. Plenty of room to spare if I want to stop and buy junk for the new house on the way back I guess. So it's 5:30pm PST and I'm ready to shove off. Might leave tonight. More later I guess. I drove here to CA using 1-10 but can't remember what I went over for mountains. I can tell you that it's more than a fly back there. I guess I'm around 16,000 pounds with the car and stuff since the trailer was 12,000 pounds empty. I'd like to weight it somehwhere but I don't think I should stop at the scales off the hwy and take a chance of getting scrutinzied for the length. Don't some truck stops have scales ?

[lewpopp]

Go on line for www.flyingj.com and they will tell you where all of them are and they all have scales.

Lew

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Just checked fuel prices on that site 2.39 in Gary Ind.

Did ya ever think we'd be happy to be paying that

I think the cheepest I saw was 2.35 over Jon and Rodgers way.

[Jeff Bayley]

I left Carlsbad alright X-Mas Eve and put 300 miles behind me. Just stopping now at 2am. The first 70 miles sucked and I could already tell I didn't want to fuss with a trailer this big long term but it was mostly due to climbing 4,000 feet in only 50 or 60 miles. I crawled along at 35 miles an hour in 3rd gear sometimes. I figured out to keep the RPM's up in 5th gear prior to hitting the hill and it helped but there is a very noticeable drop in climbing power. I'm sure this is not anything new for most of you seasoned owners but this is a first trailer pulling experience for me so any additional tips welcomed. I had it up to 85 MPH and all ok.

After getting over the first round of hills and getting on a flat straight road I'm not as pestamistic about the trailer. Not sure what the opinion will be after 3k miles.

I think the better part of the extra strain from the load is on the transmission more than the engine. These engines go in semi's do they not ? The transmission they pair up with it different though. Like a 13 speed manual I think. My arm chair mechanic guess is that the greater toll is on the tranny. Confirmation welcomed.

One thing I could use some advise on is how to best reduce the chance of exhusting / overheating the turbo when climbing over the mountains. The boost would hold steady at around 23 while climbing. My first bus had a temperature exhust gauge to give you some help about on temp and it changed very rapidly in a hill that like unlike the water temperature. It is absent on this bus. It seems like my acceleration rate decreases for a bit immediatly following a climb for several minutes as if to suggest the turbo is tired. It almost feels like the turbo is not working at all although I'm still showing boost. Seems like acceleration is slower and almost non exhistent even if I'm leveled off. Could be my imagination. Throwing it out there in case I'm not imagining this.

[dreadnought]

Dude! Do not pull into a state owned scale house! That's just asking for trouble. They get paid to remove money from your pocket and they are good at it. Most all truck stops have scales and will weigh you for around $7. The best are "Cat Scales" that are guaranteed accurate.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Going from never even pulling a toad to 16000lbs on the hitch and then right over the mountian to boot. Thats why I asked the question in the first place

Let me put your mind at ease about the pyro guage though.
I'm guessen your probably around 60000lb or so and you are correct those motors are built for 80000. Add in the fact that it is cool this time of year and the exhaust gas temp. isint gonna be a factor. Id be watching the trans temp guage though. Im sure its gonna preform just fine in the flat.

Hows the brakes. I'm also guessin that 3 more braking axles with only an additional 16000 might actually improve braking?

[jack14r]

I was at marathon in florida and i spoke with a coach driver of a newer marathon and I asked him what his h3 weighed and he said 62000 lbs.then i asked what does your stacker trailer weigh he replied 20000 lbs.We talked for awhile and he told me that the coach has a 4.86 rear gear and it will pull to 2300rpm which he said a texas trooper friend of his radared him at 108mph late one night,the DD60 is made to pull 80000+lbs in hot weather,but there is nothing wrong with checking the gages.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

I'd a never guessed that an H3 weighed that much. Do I dare say that's too much for a camper

108 hu? whew

By the way, hello Jack, welcome to the club and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!

[jack14r]

the h3 is owned by a nascar driver I am sure it is full of marble and granite,also it is a triple slide.the stacker trailer has a tahoe,two harleys,and a golf cart inside.I would not want to buy a coach that starts out that much over gross.