Quote:
Originally Posted by DieselX
What's happening??
Newbie here, drive a diesel Excursion... My apologies. My wife is a traveling nurse and we live in our camper and move every 13 weeks. I home school our daughter and try to pick up odd jobs here and there.
Love this site and trying to learn a bit. I have been getting around 16mpg in mixed driving and maybe 11 towing.
Anyway just stopping by to say hello!!
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Okay, you don't move very often, but I nonetheless wonder about how closely your weight-distribution hitch is dialled in. There's money here, not just better (safer) performance on the highway.
Here is a post I made to that effect on a Dodge fourm.
Same for TT axle alignment and brake performance. And TT suspension in general.
This post by John Barca from an RV forum is a basic for leaf-sprung suspension TT
needed upgrades.
The FE benefit is better tracking (fewer steering corrections). Less wear & tear on front end, tires, and brakes.
And the better the quality of the hitch, the better things are all around. The REESE DUAL CAM (or, slightly less, the EQUALIZER) are the minimum quality hitch one wants. The best would be the virtual pivot projection htches, the PRO PRIDE to be favored above the HENSLEY ARROW (but it can be found used for a good price; I have one). They are set up the same way as any WD hitch, but practically-speaking
eliminate sway. I have done hard, prolonged maneuvers with mine that would put any 5'er on it's side, and would do the same for a TT with any lesser hitch.
LT tires/wheels in 16" to replace ST tires in 15", also. BF GOODRICH COMMERCIAL T/A an excellent choice. The reliability of ST tires is execrable.
All this seems expensive, but losing the use of the TT is a very real concern that is ignored by 90% out there. It's disposable, and insurance covers it is the "thinking". For someone fulltiming, this is in no way acceptable. Some changes to up reliability, and dialling in steering performance means finger-tip control and increased reliability.
All of which will add to your towing average mpg. And vehicle longevity (which is real economy).
To speak frankly your TV and TT are at the bottom of the heap for road performance. There is nothing worse the past 25-years than the Excursion in re it's steering, braking and handling. And the TT is generically bad. I wouldn't choose either under any circumstance. This is the harsh way of saying
work to improve what you have as it can be done, and has been done by others.
Plenty can be done that itself is not expensive (alignments, for instance, on both vehicles; WD hitch numbers verification).
Eveything above is a subject in itself and much too much to write about here..
www.woodalls.com for research (and PM me if you want). Don't take my hard words to heart, but hear them for the attention needed to your familys home. The behind-the-wheel confidence factor will go way up, and spending money to save money will reap a
genuine return.
FWIW I'm third generation with aero. all-aluminum TT's and am also a commercial driver. Participating here, on DODGE forums and on TT forums is how I wrap all concerns of longest life at lowest cost with highest reliability together. And llive/work full-time from my TT (the sig pic is the last TT, since sold).
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