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 This
is my second time writing to you. We have a 1997 Safari
Van and tow a 26' conventional trailer. When we first had
the combination I had two problems - it was somewhat lacking
in power and it was very difficult to drive in cross winds.
You shipped me a welded ball mount and explained how to
adjust the torsion bars. As well we changed the tires to
215/65 x 15" and the shocks to gas charged. Since then it
has performed quite well and it handles great in most any
condition. The tires wore out after 70,000 km as you said
they would and we replaced them with the same size but the
model of tire was no longer available. Since then it does
not handle as well as it did even without the trailer. I
kept one of the old tires for a spare so I know they are
the same size. The tire dealer is suggesting a light truck
tire instead but I know that will reduce my power as it
is the same size as the original tires 215/75 x 15". Is
there something else that could be causing the problem or
do I just have the wrong tire?
Ryan
Hello Ryan
It is possible that your reduction in handling has been
caused by a worn front-end component or a bad leaf spring
but I would suspect the tires as you do. At one time 65
& 60 series tires were only used on sports cars, Trans Am's,
BMW's etc. This meant that pretty well any low profile tire
you purchased was designed to handle well first and ride
smooth second. Today even Buick Park Avenues and Cadillacs
come with 55 or 60 series tires. For these cars several
smoother riding, soft sidewall, low profile tires have been
designed. These still handle much better than the old 75
series tires but they do not have the aggressive handling
properties of the tires you removed. It sounds like you
have a good tire dealer. I would ask him to look for 215/65
x 15" tire with an "H" 130mph speed rating and
44 PSI capacity and I think you will find your van is back
to its old self.
I ran into the same situation with our 2002 Intrepid. I
likely should have waited for an RT model that has the aggressive
suspension and 17" tires but instead I wound up with the
luxury oriented ES. It came shod with 225/60R x 16" tires
and was not nearly as stable as it should have been. We
changed the tires to 225/55HR x 16" and it was a different
car, tightened up completely but still comfortable to ride
in.
It seems that tire models change just about as fast as
computers, so finding the best one can be challenging. When
I want to find a model of tire for an application I often
go to the local auto-mall and check tires on the new cars.
Simply pushing the back of the cars or trucks side to side
will give you a very good idea of how much side roll a tire
has. The difference can be quite amazing between different
model tires of the same size. (Top)
Hello Andy
Last fall I purchased a 32' fifth wheel. It weighs 11,300
lbs with 2,300-pound hitch weight. Now I am trying to determine
the best truck to tow it with Ð something I thought would
be easy is getting quite confusing. We like our local GM
dealer so unless you would strongly recommend a different
brand we would like a GMC. I have been told that a diesel
is best but my wife thinks the noise would get on her nerves.
I would like four-wheel drive as we live in a hilly area
that gets its share of snow in the wintertime. Do I need
dual wheels? We are semi-retired so this truck would be
used as a second car about eight months of the year so I
would prefer a short-box. Or should I play it safe and stick
with a long-box?
Hello John
Certainly there is no problem with the GMC truck, in fact
when you need four wheel drive I would prefer it since it
is the only heavy duty 4x4 with independent front suspension.
The others have live front axles that do not give the same
level of ride and handling. The live axles are likely a
bit more rugged for off road or construction use but I doubt
you will ever tax that part of the truck to its limits.
The short box truck will be much easier to live with the
eight months when you are not towing. It will also manoeuvre
much better with the fifth wheel attached. In fact the short
box and fifth will make a "U" turn in less space
than the long box truck will all by itself. To make the
short box work you need a sliding hitch that moves back
behind the axle for tight turns and move over the axle for
highway speeds. My preference is one made by "Pull
Rite" that moves automatically so you do not have to
think about it or get out and move the hitch. This hitch
is fairly expensive but you only have to crease the back
of the truck and the front of the fifth a couple of times
before it will pay for itself. The Pull-Rite also improves
handling on the highway because it slightly changes the
way the fifth tracks and it builds in a bit of friction.
Since the hitch is closer to the back, of the cab there
is less chassis flex, so the short box also rides a little
better. The short box has a smaller fuel tank and less storage
in the box area. You should not need dual wheels with your
trailer but it would not be a bad idea - to weigh it and
make sure the brochure pin weight is accurate. If you know
someone with a truck that can tow it to a scale for you
it would be a good idea possibly your dealer could do that
for you. To measure the pin weight, weigh the back axle
only on the truck then disconnect and weigh the truck without
the trailer - the difference will be the pin weight. If
it is 2,300 lbs then you will be fine with a single wheel.
There used to be a substantial handling advantage with dual
wheels but today there is not a great deal of difference.
Though the duals look much wider the springs are in the
same place so the stance is almost the same. You can install
wider rims on the single wheel to make it virtually the
equivalent to the dually in stability but I doubt you will
find it necessary. By the way the new Dodge trucks have
the wider rims from the factory now. There are two trucks
and three engines to consider. All the new diesel engines
are much quieter than they used to be and the Duramax is
likely the quietest. But it is still a diesel engine and
it is still louder than a gas one, especially when it is
working hard. If you like to sneak out of campgrounds at
6am like I do, it is not likely quiet enough. It has plenty
of power and it is reasonably good on fuel. The other option
is the 8.1 Litre gas, it will use more fuel, has an abundance
of power and is very smooth and quiet. It appears that this
engine has solved the old problems of cracked manifolds
etc. that used to plague big block engines. If your day-to-day
use is mostly short trips less than 10 kilometres, then
the gas is likely a better choice as the diesels perform
much better once fully warmed up and you won't likely drive
enough to pay for the diesel in fuel efficiency.
Both of these engines are in the 2500HD truck. The other
truck to consider is the 1500HD; this is my favourite 4x4
truck. This gets confusing this truck has the body from
the 1/2 ton but it is really a 3/4 ton truck with the same
axle capacity as the 2500 HD. It can actually carry more
pin weight since the truck is a bit lighter. It also sits
lower so it is nicer to get in and out of, it is easier
to see out of, it fits in most parking garages etc. The
lower centre of gravity gives it better handling both towing
and solo, all in all it is a very nice truck to live with
on a daily basis. The engine here is a 325 horse power 6.0
Litre that performs exceptionally well. It won't have the
abundance of power of the 8.1 or the diesel, but it will
certainly get the job done with plenty of reserve. It is
more powerful that the 454 engines of not very long ago.
If you drove from Ontario to B.C. you might add 20 minutes
to your trip with the 6.0 litre. It is more efficient than
the 8.1 but not as good as the diesel. Make sure you order
the 4.10:1 axle ratio and the towing package, as it comes
with a transmission temperature gauge. For your use this
quite possibly is the best truck but drive them both and
see what you think.
I hope this helps to lessen your confusion the bottom
line is you cannot go too far wrong with any of these trucks
and by all means feel free to send me any further questions.
Have a great trip this summer.
Andy (Page Top)
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