Ford F-150 XLT 4x4 Naked

[aerostealth]

We took the Aerolid off the Ford truck this morning.




I intend upon hooking up the trailer to the truck tomorrow morning to get some MPG numbers for the truck and trailer with an open bed.

[aerohead]

Really makin' progress !
My ballpoint pen, paper,and calculator are ready for the new quanta.

[aerostealth]

Heading to town going south on Valley Dr at 55 MPH 26 MPG at 91 F, little or no wind. Returning home 25 MPG, average going both ways 25.5 MPG.

I-25 North AT 60 MPH 25 MPG. Going South at 65 MPH 20 MPG. Going North at 70 MPH 19 MPG. Do over at 70 MPH 22 MPG, average of the two 20.5 MPG.

Going North on I-25 at 75 MPH 20 MPG. It was 94 F when we ended the test. The test circuit was 40.1 miles.




Note: Taking 200 lbs off the truck bed allowed the springs to tilt the truck up a little. This means that the level in my truck is off from what I am used to seeing. I had to go from memory of sections of the road I had previously determined to be level. This makes me wonder if I don't need to have the headlights aimed down a tad for using the Aerolid which is the normal way we run the truck?

[aerostealth]

Pulled the truck up under the Aerolid and added this folded quilt in case anything slipped and the lid touched down on the hood.

[slowmover]

Daniel Stern has an excellent set of instructions on how to aim headlights on his site I have used for a dozen years.

Count the turns needed for changes to truck. A tape measure is enough once set.

The truck may have an integrated brake controller, but the TUSON Direclink is state of the art.

I'd like to again recommend having an alignment done on the TT. 1/4 inch out is considered acceptable. I don't find it so. Any big truck trailer service shop can handle it.

Same for setting the weight distribution hitch. The referenced article by Andrew Thomson in RV Lifestyle as guide . He has set up more than 10,000 rigs the past 45-years. Is THE expert. The way we did it forty years ago and more. You can contact him for advice. He finds the current F150 a decent platform for a pickup.

Trailer should be weighted as if for travel which includes full propane and fresh water (which also lowers the center of gravity). A CAT Scale and making three passes to get the initial numbers. Another pass to confirm any adjustments.

Only one hitch design type locks the trailer to the track of the tow vehicle. With the rest one needs to be painstaking. The effects of wind, traffic and road surface is magnified, otherwise.

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