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Post by bigbill on Jan 28, 2019 18:15:41 GMT -8
I'm creating this post for a location where people can post weird or not thought of problems with tow vehicles. I am going to start out by talking about a problem that I have seen on several 1990s up Chevrolet trucks and suvs. Some of these are experiencing this in 5 or 6 years. The brake line that runs along the frame near the fuel tank rust out causing you to lose half your brakes instantly. So if you drive in salt country check these lines every time you change the oil for rust build up. I originally thought this was no longer a problem but a friend of mine with a 2007 just had it happen.
Also some Dodge trucks are showing extreme rust in the rear bumper/frame area this could lead to hitch failure.
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Post by vikx on Jan 28, 2019 20:55:53 GMT -8
My 2000 Chevy Z 71 with less than 25K miles on it had a steering column "clunk" under the hood. The repair shop said it was a common problem and an easy fix. It's been a while, but I remember they changed out some rubber sleeves plus did some adjustments. $80 for the repair.
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Post by vikx on Jan 29, 2019 20:39:36 GMT -8
Concerning newer Jeep Grand Cherokees:
1. They have a parking assist control button that may not work. I had a very unpleasant experience trying to hook up to my trailer. The parking assist was frozen ON and kept slamming on the brakes every time I got close to the trailer. I tried everything but it would not turn off. A trip to the dealership and a computer adjustment fixed it. Still very annoying...
2. Also: many Chrysler products with factory hitches have a 7 way connector that is turned 90* to the right compared to most 7 way receptacles with the locating groove at the top. Mine even slipped in wrong, living the left brake light on all the time. Duh. Anyway, be sure to check for the locating groove before plugging the trailer in, especially with older slightly worn plugs.
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Post by danrhodes on Jan 30, 2019 20:38:42 GMT -8
Concerning newer Jeep Grand Cherokees: 1. They have a parking assist control button that may not work. I had a very unpleasant experience trying to hook up to my trailer. The parking assist was frozen ON and kept slamming on the brakes every time I got close to the trailer. I tried everything but it would not turn off. A trip to the dealership and a computer adjustment fixed it. Still very annoying... 2. Also: many Chrysler products with factory hitches have a 7 way connector that is turned 90* to the right compared to most 7 way receptacles with the locating groove at the top. Mine even slipped in wrong, living the left brake light on all the time. Duh. Anyway, be sure to check for the locating groove before plugging the trailer in, especially with older slightly worn plugs. They also have a shifter that can easily fool a driver into thinking its in park. Likely killed actor Anton Yelchin. www.theguardian.com/film/2018/mar/24/anton-yelchins-family-settle-jeep-lawsuit-over-star-trek-actors-death
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Post by vikx on Jan 30, 2019 20:44:19 GMT -8
Yes, Jeeps did have the shifter problem. My 2017 has lots of loud alarms and beeps if I try to turn the motor off and am not in park. I've done it more than once...
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turbodaddy
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Post by turbodaddy on Feb 3, 2019 15:01:27 GMT -8
bigbill, I just had exactly that problem on my 2006 GMC Sierra. Brake pedal got real mushy all of a sudden. I looked at each wheel expecting to find a break in the line and there were none. Fluid was dripping from fuel tank area. A tip from my mechanic. If you do have a leaky line near a wheel just crimp it with vise grips and you'll maintain enough pressure to drive with brakes on three wheels. The line will have to be replaced anyway so you're not really hurting anything.
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Post by bigbill on Feb 4, 2019 12:54:30 GMT -8
bigbill, I just had exactly that problem on my 2006 GMC Sierra. Brake pedal got real mushy all of a sudden. I looked at each wheel expecting to find a break in the line and there were none. Fluid was dripping from fuel tank area. A tip from my mechanic. If you do have a leaky line near a wheel just crimp it with vise grips and you'll maintain enough pressure to drive with brakes on three wheels. The line will have to be replaced anyway so you're not really hurting anything. Yes it is happening much more than most people realize.
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Bow_Tied
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Post by Bow_Tied on Feb 4, 2019 19:48:25 GMT -8
Can I post general things about tow vehicles? Some random points I have encountered: Tongue weight rating is typically the allowed tongue weight applied to the vehicle -including- cargo & -people-. I have discovered many don't know about this and don't consider their passengers as cargo for that calculation. Check your owner's manual for specifics, sometime there is an allowance for the driver. For tow capacity of the vehicle, be cautious of relying on ratings that are not directly from the OEM. I have seen conflicting information on sites like Edmunds. The best bet is to review your owners manual. Sometimes that specific axle gear ratio your vehicle is equipped with will change the rating. As an example my Envoy is rated to tow 6000lb but if it had the 3.73:1 gearing it could tow 6500lbs. Sometimes all else equal a 2wd can tow more than a 4wd truck due to the extra weight of 4x4 components. It pays to get into the details. People are often aware that adding a transmission cooler to their automatic trans tow vehicle is a good idea. Note that if you live in a cold climate, they make coolers with a cold bypass built in so the cooler is bypassed until such time the trans has warmed up which avoids a restriction in the cooling circuit from thick oil trying to get through a secondary cooler. Something to think about when shopping for one. As usual, you get what you pay for with these things. www.trucool.com/productsHTH, cheers.
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Post by vikx on Feb 5, 2019 21:20:13 GMT -8
I don't like the swivel jacks; not only do they look funny, the trailer isn't very well balanced with one. I suppose you could get away with it (keep the old jack) if your trailer is light enough.
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roadtripper
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Post by roadtripper on Feb 6, 2019 7:04:59 GMT -8
Thanks Viks for input. Trailer not that light and I agree on looks. The tailgate issue is a pain though. Also, twice I’ve bent the jack on steep paved gutters pulling out of parking lots. Not a rare problem I think from all the gouges you see in pavement. Maybe a scissor jack not attached but carried in the tool box?
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Post by vikx on Feb 6, 2019 21:09:34 GMT -8
Any extra jack would work. I'm wondering if two of the folding jacks would do? Your existing jack could be shortened a little to prevent dragging but that wouldn't solve the tailgate issue. Check the clearance and see if you could use a short extension. If so, you could get a 12" extension shortened to exactly the right length.
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roadtripper
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Post by roadtripper on Feb 7, 2019 6:51:56 GMT -8
Thanks. I’ll mess around with those good ideas.
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ruderunner
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Post by ruderunner on Feb 9, 2019 2:44:23 GMT -8
If we're talking about the tongue jacks that fold up parallel to the tongue, I like them and have had no problem with them.
If you're concerned about appearance, paint it to match your tongue.
Bills last sentence is a bit simplistic. Too much tongue weight starts to upset the balance of the tow vehicle and may require using a weight distribution system.
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turbodaddy
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Post by turbodaddy on Feb 12, 2019 15:01:57 GMT -8
My worst towing incident was at Bandelier National Monument. We stayed a few nights at the Juniper campground which is really nice. There are trails from the campground to the bottom of the canyon where you can explore the ancient pueblo. We wanted to get more information about the hike, so I started down the road into the canyon with camper in tow, thinking we’d go to the visitor’s station.
The road was very narrow and pretty steep at the beginning. All of a sudden my wife said “We just passed a sign on the passenger side of the road. It said something like, “No trailers allowed on this road”. The problem was that by then I was committed and there was no way to backup or turn around. I put the truck into low gear and kept tapping the brakes ( thankfully I do have trailer brakes which I adjusted as we descended.) That road was the steepest I’ve ever been on, and I was really afraid the transmission and / or brakes were going to fail. Our camper is 3200lbs loaded, and the TV was rated for 7500lbs, but it did not feel safe at all. Worst of all was not knowing how much further it was to the bottom, and thinking about having to go back up. I wasn’t sure there would even be a space to turn around at the bottom. We did make it and there was a place to park, and room to maneuver. Going back up was not quite as scary, but again, I was unsure if everything would hold together, but it did. As bigbill said, “engage your brain”, before you get into a situation like mine. We would have been like a runaway freight train if we couldn't slow it down, and probably would have plunged over the cliffs to our certain death. Our epitaph "They died doing what they loved best".
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Post by vikx on Feb 15, 2019 12:40:43 GMT -8
I moved the hitch/tail gate/extension discussion to it's own thread. Let's keep this one for warnings and sharing information on possible glitches with our tow vehicles and nightmare towing...
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