Toterhome vs Motorhome vs RV recomendations

[cyclone]

You could buy this one and put both boats in it and still pull a trailer. I assume you like the ramp truck idea (since you've had 4) because you can take your stuff and don't have to tow all the time. Now you're taking more stuff. Good luck in your search. I don't know if there is a perfect vehicle for any or all of us.

Kenworth K100 Straight Truck

1992 CUSTOM built registered as RV straight truck. 45 overall length with auto liftgate. 236 rear car storage area with 110 height. 91.5 rear door width clear. 498K original miles. This unit was b...click to see more of this listing

classifieds.race-dezert.com

Man that would be an ideal setup. i wonder how loud it is inside the cab when hammered down and climbing a grade. I do like the ramp truck idea. at this point, though, comfort is key.

 

[cyclone]

How much weight are you towing??

I had delusions of putting Game Over inside the box (about 3500 lbs) and then towing the 21 daytona inside the enclosed trailer behind the ramp truck (12,000 lbs guestimate) for an upcoming west coast river trip. On flat ground it would do alright, but its gonna overheat and be dangerously slow going up hills. Combine that fact with the horrendous ride the trailer has imposed on the ramp truck and its got me seriously thinking about changing tow vehicles.

I could spend the time and money to add air suspension to the ramp truck but there's still the lack of power and cooling issues to deal with. I"m not sure the currently reliabilty will be there if I add more fuel and boost to the 3208 diesel.

A Class A diesel pusher sounds like the cheaper and more comfortable choice but may not climb grades any better (with a two-boat stacker trailer behind it) and from what I've read here unless it has a side mount radiator and a beefed up rear frame section/hitch it may not last long with a heavy trailer attached to it.

Also, trying to find a stacker trailer with a wide enough door opening to fit the boat inside is quite difficult. I jumped on my current trailer because it had a 96-inch wide door opening, which is rare. The trailer was overbuilt to haul a competitive tractor inside of it and so its way heavier than it needs to be for a drag boat but like i said the boat fits inside of it. lol

A toterhome may not ride much better than what I have now and they are spendy.

A Super C? I dunno much about them.

 

[Flying_Lavey]

I had delusions of putting Game Over inside the box (about 3500 lbs) and then towing the 21 daytona inside the enclosed trailer behind the ramp truck (12,000 lbs guestimate) for an upcoming west coast river trip. On flat ground it would do alright, but its gonna overheat and be dangerously slow going up hills. Combine that fact with the horrendous ride the trailer has imposed on the ramp truck and its got me seriously thinking about changing tow vehicles.

I could spend the time and money to add air suspension to the ramp truck but there's still the lack of power and cooling issues to deal with. I"m not sure the currently reliabilty will be there if I add more fuel and boost to the 3208 diesel.

A Class A diesel pusher sounds like the cheaper and more comfortable choice but may not climb grades any better (with a two-boat stacker trailer behind it) and from what I've read here unless it has a side mount radiator and a beefed up rear frame section/hitch it may not last long with a heavy trailer attached to it.

Also, trying to find a stacker trailer with a wide enough door opening to fit the boat inside is quite difficult. I jumped on my current trailer because it had a 96-inch wide door opening, which is rare. The trailer was overbuilt to haul a competitive tractor inside of it and so its way heavier than it needs to be for a drag boat but like i said the boat fits inside of it. lol

A toterhome may not ride much better than what I have now and they are spendy.

A Super C? I dunno much about them.

Would you be able to put a lift inside Lincoln Hawk and stack the boats in there? That could eliminate the rough ride from the trailer and wouldnt be much heavier than your trip East with the boats so you already know how it would do with no power changes.

 

[FROGMAN524]

You could buy this one and put both boats in it and still pull a trailer. I assume you like the ramp truck idea (since you've had 4) because you can take your stuff and don't have to tow all the time. Now you're taking more stuff. Good luck in your search. I don't know if there is a perfect vehicle for any or all of us.

Kenworth K100 Straight Truck

1992 CUSTOM built registered as RV straight truck. 45 overall length with auto liftgate. 236 rear car storage area with 110 height. 91.5 rear door width clear. 498K original miles. This unit was b...click to see more of this listing

classifieds.race-dezert.com

Now that’s freaking cool. Love COEs.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[warpt71]

A toterhome may not ride much better than what I have now and they are spendy.

I would bet that a true toterhome on a real truck chassis would ride better. There are thousands of semi's running down the highways everyday. If you could find a Peterbilt cabed toterhome you would be GOLDEN!!! I believe that "home" part will get you around the CDL. Any of the semi chassis should have factory rear air ride unless they are really old units. Also, both driver and passenger seats should be air ride.

Lastly, if you need a CDL driver, you can hire me! lol

Im sure whatever you end up with will be bitchen. Hope to see you out west in a couple of months

 

[Sleek-Jet]

I had delusions of putting Game Over inside the box (about 3500 lbs) and then towing the 21 daytona inside the enclosed trailer behind the ramp truck (12,000 lbs guestimate) for an upcoming west coast river trip. On flat ground it would do alright, but its gonna overheat and be dangerously slow going up hills. Combine that fact with the horrendous ride the trailer has imposed on the ramp truck and its got me seriously thinking about changing tow vehicles.

I could spend the time and money to add air suspension to the ramp truck but there's still the lack of power and cooling issues to deal with. I"m not sure the currently reliabilty will be there if I add more fuel and boost to the 3208 diesel.

A Class A diesel pusher sounds like the cheaper and more comfortable choice but may not climb grades any better (with a two-boat stacker trailer behind it) and from what I've read here unless it has a side mount radiator and a beefed up rear frame section/hitch it may not last long with a heavy trailer attached to it.

Also, trying to find a stacker trailer with a wide enough door opening to fit the boat inside is quite difficult. I jumped on my current trailer because it had a 96-inch wide door opening, which is rare. The trailer was overbuilt to haul a competitive tractor inside of it and so its way heavier than it needs to be for a drag boat but like i said the boat fits inside of it. lol

A toterhome may not ride much better than what I have now and they are spendy.

A Super C? I dunno much about them.

I think you're trying to get 10lbs of shit into a 5lbs bag.

Sounds like what you need is a legit tractor/trailer and a CDL. Used race set ups are all over the place. Maybe hire a driver if needed or just go do it yourself. Probably be cheaper than a DP and a tow behind stacker.

 

[Blackmagic94]

I had delusions of putting Game Over inside the box (about 3500 lbs) and then towing the 21 daytona inside the enclosed trailer behind the ramp truck (12,000 lbs guestimate) for an upcoming west coast river trip. On flat ground it would do alright, but its gonna overheat and be dangerously slow going up hills. Combine that fact with the horrendous ride the trailer has imposed on the ramp truck and its got me seriously thinking about changing tow vehicles.

I could spend the time and money to add air suspension to the ramp truck but there's still the lack of power and cooling issues to deal with. I"m not sure the currently reliabilty will be there if I add more fuel and boost to the 3208 diesel.

A Class A diesel pusher sounds like the cheaper and more comfortable choice but may not climb grades any better (with a two-boat stacker trailer behind it) and from what I've read here unless it has a side mount radiator and a beefed up rear frame section/hitch it may not last long with a heavy trailer attached to it.

Also, trying to find a stacker trailer with a wide enough door opening to fit the boat inside is quite difficult. I jumped on my current trailer because it had a 96-inch wide door opening, which is rare. The trailer was overbuilt to haul a competitive tractor inside of it and so its way heavier than it needs to be for a drag boat but like i said the boat fits inside of it. lol

A toterhome may not ride much better than what I have now and they are spendy.

A Super C? I dunno much about them.

So the 3208 and 3216 are used in the lmtv/Fmtv military 4x4 and 4x6

I wouldn’t say they are unreliable but they are not engines to super hot rod. The problem is people bitch about them because unlike the good cat motors, they are not sleeved cylinders and thus cannot be rebuilt an infinite amount of times. Instead you have to bore and bone. Omg the horrors of what the rest of the automotive world deals with lol

Hot rodding is simply

Air fuel combustion.

bigger injectors
Bigger turbo
Bigger exhaust
Higher flow intake
More cooling

You could mod all of those

keep your egts in check and a realistic amount of boost and the engine will be fine. Just understand that even if you double your tq it will still suck up a hill

But it would still be fun to try

 

[1tonfun]

You would be surprised how smooth the toterhomes ride. They float down the road, just not as plush as a pusher. I can leave the shampoo on the shower ledge in the bathroom and it will be still standing in the same spot 800 miles later.

 

[ToMorrow44]

Toter will usually get you way more towing power, but a less than ideal floor plan. Pusher will get you pretty decent towing power, with some great floor plans. My rig has the CAT C7... and when i towed a 30’ enclosed with all the sand toys in there... it did pretty dang good. Once I went to a stacker... that’s when it really slowed it down on grades.

My dad has the C7 in his F650. Been eyeballing these guys for a while. They’re pricey but seems pretty good.

 

[cyclone]

Would you be able to put a lift inside Lincoln Hawk and stack the boats in there? That could eliminate the rough ride from the trailer and wouldnt be much heavier than your trip East with the boats so you already know how it would do with no power changes.

its not tall enough inside to stack boats and the 21 Daytona is too wide to fit inside.

 

[4Waters]

@cyclone , That hauler was never a rocket. It's done a bunch of runs from Chatsworth to York, Pa and everywhere in between. I think Jim had it at California Car Cover for decades. Last I saw it was maybe 2006 or 07? It was "semi-retired" then, just doing car shows for years loaded with tables, chairs and a metric shit ton of dusters. Before that, it was his race hauler...until bigtime semi and 53ft Kentucky hauler. That red brick is not fast, but it used to be real dependable. Too bad it's not working out for you, really kind of a cool rig.

That's where I've seen that damn thing

 

[rush1]

thank you for the feedback. i was wondering about the pros/cons of a pusher vs super c and this certainly helps.

Look for a used highline pusher in the early 2000's no latter that 2005 make sure it comes with an ISM ,M11 cummins ,c15 cat or a detroit series 60 it will haul ass with anything you hook up to it ,the problem is prices are crazy stupid high right now.

 

[rush1]

@cyclone , That hauler was never a rocket. It's done a bunch of runs from Chatsworth to York, Pa and everywhere in between. I think Jim had it at California Car Cover for decades. Last I saw it was maybe 2006 or 07? It was "semi-retired" then, just doing car shows for years loaded with tables, chairs and a metric shit ton of dusters. Before that, it was his race hauler...until bigtime semi and 53ft Kentucky hauler. That red brick is not fast, but it used to be real dependable. Too bad it's not working out for you, really kind of a cool rig.

If I remember correctly it hauled thier ss/aa hemi cuda ,Defrank & Cohen back in the 80's

 

[DRYHEAT]

So the 3208 and 3216 are used in the lmtv/Fmtv military 4x4 and 4x6

I wouldn’t say they are unreliable but they are not engines to super hot rod. The problem is people bitch about them because unlike the good cat motors, they are not sleeved cylinders and thus cannot be rebuilt an infinite amount of times. Instead you have to bore and bone. Omg the horrors of what the rest of the automotive world deals with lol

Hot rodding is simply

Air fuel combustion.

bigger injectors
Bigger turbo
Bigger exhaust
Higher flow intake
More cooling

You could mod all of those

keep your egts in check and a realistic amount of boost and the engine will be fine. Just understand that even if you double your tq it will still suck up a hill

But it would still be fun to try

i’m trying to remember going back 30+ years now but, the 3208’s in trucks were rated pretty low so the drivers didn’t blow them up, if I remember right they had some marine ratings at 375 hp don’t recall what the torque ratings were.

it’s never gonna compare to modern day class eight power but with a bigger turbo and an increase in fuel volume might wake it up.

 

[monkeyswrench]

If I remember correctly it hauled thier ss/aa hemi cuda ,Defrank & Cohen back in the 80's

Yep. Defrank built a clone in the early 2000's. I don't know if it was to race or just to be really cool.

 

[BamBam]

Man that would be an ideal setup. i wonder how loud it is inside the cab when hammered down and climbing a grade. I do like the ramp truck idea. at this point, though, comfort is key.

BJ McKay and his best friend Bear rolled around in one of those Cab Over trucks for years. Can't be too bad right? I think anything has to ride better than Lincoln Hawk pulling that trailer

 

[ToMorrow44]

I had delusions of putting Game Over inside the box (about 3500 lbs) and then towing the 21 daytona inside the enclosed trailer behind the ramp truck (12,000 lbs guestimate) for an upcoming west coast river trip. On flat ground it would do alright, but its gonna overheat and be dangerously slow going up hills. Combine that fact with the horrendous ride the trailer has imposed on the ramp truck and its got me seriously thinking about changing tow vehicles.

I could spend the time and money to add air suspension to the ramp truck but there's still the lack of power and cooling issues to deal with. I"m not sure the currently reliabilty will be there if I add more fuel and boost to the 3208 diesel.

A Class A diesel pusher sounds like the cheaper and more comfortable choice but may not climb grades any better (with a two-boat stacker trailer behind it) and from what I've read here unless it has a side mount radiator and a beefed up rear frame section/hitch it may not last long with a heavy trailer attached to it.

Also, trying to find a stacker trailer with a wide enough door opening to fit the boat inside is quite difficult. I jumped on my current trailer because it had a 96-inch wide door opening, which is rare. The trailer was overbuilt to haul a competitive tractor inside of it and so its way heavier than it needs to be for a drag boat but like i said the boat fits inside of it. lol

A toterhome may not ride much better than what I have now and they are spendy.

A Super C? I dunno much about them.

Would something like this fit the Bill?

Facebook

www.facebook.com

 

[cyclone]

Would something like this fit the Bill?

Facebook

www.facebook.com

View attachment 1003012
View attachment 1003011
View attachment 1003013

it might. is it yours?

 

[awesome1]

I got this I just listed. Drives, tows and pulls like an animal!

 

[ToMorrow44]

it might. is it yours?

Nope, just saw it on FB and thought of this thread

 

[mark r / 019]

Hi Mike , I recently ordered a new race trailer . It’s 28 ft . With the tongue it closer to 32 ft total . I am currently trying to figure out the best solution with the CA length laws . CA law is a combine max length of 65 ft . To be legal that’s only 33 ft of Tow Rig to work with . Arizona and most other States are 65 ft also . Nevada is 70 ft . Your current trailer and rig looks long . Is it over 65 ft ? Maybe your State has different law for this . I am seeing some nice rigs in your post . I am curious how the other RDP members are getting away with this . I would hate to buy something and have DOT tell me I couldn’t use it being over 65 ft . The tag axle on Diesel Pushers are bad ass but long . That’s in the 70 plus range on total length . I appreciate any input on this . Thanks Mark

 

[RiverDave]

Sounds to me like you need to pick a boat and haul it and abandon the idea of taking both unless you want to spend twice as much..

My motorhome has a 300hp CAT and would pull an enclosed with 1 boat in it fine.. two boats though and I’d want something like 450-500 hp.. so now I’d need to be looking at something older to fit in the budget constraints..

 

[cyclone]

Hi Mike , I recently ordered a new race trailer . It’s 28 ft . With the tongue it closer to 32 ft total . I am currently trying to figure out the best solution with the CA length laws . CA law is a combine max length of 65 ft . To be legal that’s only 33 ft of Tow Rig to work with . Arizona and most other States are 65 ft also . Nevada is 70 ft . Your current trailer and rig looks long . Is it over 65 ft ? Maybe your State has different law for this . I am seeing some nice rigs in your post . I am curious how the other RDP members are getting away with this . I would hate to buy something and have DOT tell me I couldn’t use it being over 65 ft . The tag axle on Diesel Pushers are bad ass but long . That’s in the 70 plus range on total length . I appreciate any input on this . Thanks Mark

hi mark- that's a good question. i'm way over 65 ft now but i dont live or routinely tow in California. most of the setups I see at the track are over the limit as well, but the majority of them are registered as RVs and like myself, dont stop in at weigh stations or anywhere else like that. I think if a cop wanted to he could hassle myself or most racers with a toter/rv and a long trailer behind it.

 

[cyclone]

I got this I just listed. Drives, tows and pulls like an animal!

looks nice.
what are the specs on it?

 

[RiverDave]

hi mark- that's a good question. i'm way over 65 ft now but i dont live or routinely tow in California. most of the setups I see at the track are over the limit as well, but the majority of them are registered as RVs and like myself, dont stop in at weigh stations or anywhere else like that. I think if a cop wanted to he could hassle myself or most racers with a toter/rv and a long trailer behind it.

I was told by someone that there is a loop hole and if it’s an rv It doesn’t have to adhere to that 65 foot rule

 

[JDKRXW]

i’m trying to remember going back 30+ years now but, the 3208’s in trucks were rated pretty low so the drivers didn’t blow them up, if I remember right they had some marine ratings at 375 hp don’t recall what the torque ratings were.

it’s never gonna compare to modern day class eight power but with a bigger turbo and an increase in fuel volume might wake it up.

3208's biggest problem is poor torque rise .....meaning there is none. They're probably better than the old 555 Cummins. To hold an increasing load, you've got to be shifting down early and often with both of them. A few farm tractors used both of them in the 70's and 80's.

 

[baja-chris]

I was told by someone that there is a loop hole and if it’s an rv It doesn’t have to adhere to that 65 foot rule

I don't think that's accurate. I do think the cops tend to ignore the total length of rv's towing as long as they are not doing anything else wrong.
However this is the reason I bought a 40ft instead of 45ft coach. The closer to 65ft the better. I'm at 67 with my open stacker.

 

[DRYHEAT]

The 65 foot limit is for certain non-primary roads, if you’re staying on the interstate or close to it you ain’t gonna have a problem until you get up over 80 feet. Especially in an RV/private coach

 

[RiverDave]

I don't think that's accurate. I do think the cops tend to ignore the total length of rv's towing as long as they are not doing anything else wrong.
However this is the reason I bought a 40ft instead of 45ft coach. The closer to 65ft the better. I'm at 67 with my open stacker.

I don’t know one way or the other but the guy was pretty adamant about it

 

[DRYHEAT]

Here, when you guys get it figured out let me know.

Federal Size Regulations for Commercial Motor Vehicles - FHWA

 

[RiverDave]

Here, when you guys get it figured out let me know.

Federal Size Regulations for Commercial Motor Vehicles - FHWA

I didn’t read the whole thing (driving) but figure 16 pretty much says they aren’t subject to length?

 

[DRYHEAT]

I didn’t read the whole thing (driving) but figure 16 pretty much says they aren’t subject to length?

Basically if you’re not being a public nuisance and you can drive your shit, most normal cops don’t know the rules and even many of the highway patrol, just DOT cops and they’re usually out to fuck with truck drivers. Your results may vary.

 

[ToMorrow44]

Gary College has got to be pushing 90ft with this rig right...?

Whose bad ass rig does this belong to?

Spotted in Big Fork, Montana. Bad ass boat, bad ass driver.

www.riverdavesplace.com

 

[Singleton]

Gary College has got to be pushing 90ft with this rig right...?

Whose bad ass rig does this belong to?

Spotted in Big Fork, Montana. Bad ass boat, bad ass driver.

www.riverdavesplace.com

His ICON is 46’ tip to tip and the 388 on trailer is 48’

 

[QC22]

i’m trying to remember going back 30+ years now but, the 3208’s in trucks were rated pretty low so the drivers didn’t blow them up, if I remember right they had some marine ratings at 375 hp don’t recall what the torque ratings were.

The last 3208 marine engines were rated at either 435 or 450 hp. The highest rating for the truck engine was 300 I believe in the last years just before the 3116 came out. I am trying to remember exactly, but I believe the marine engine had steel crowned pistons whereas the truck was all aluminum. The injectors are pretty much the same in all 3208s. The differences are turbos, aftercooling, some have single valve springs, some double., and of course fuel settings. Injection pumps are pretty much the same. The 250 truck engine may have had all the bells and whistles of the 300. not positive, but this can all be researched. The 300s were air to air aftercooled though and the 250 had no after cooling.

I'm guessing your Top Kick has an Allison. Despite the torque discussion, it will run faster if you put more fuel to it. The Allison being a 5 speed may limit your ability to run the perfect RPM at the right speed though. I was the truck service manager at Shepherd (Quinn) during this time frame. Pretty sure my recollection is correct.

 

[BamBam]

I was told by someone that there is a loop hole and if it’s an rv It doesn’t have to adhere to that 65 foot rule

I was pulled over by CHP in my motorhome towing my enclosed trailer on the 86 near Thermal. I have a 35' motorhome and a 22' enclosed. Total length is actually around 62/63 feet (motorhome is 35'10" and the trailer has a 5' tongue) The officer only pulled me over for length, didn't care what I said and got the tape measure out. If there is an exemption for an RV I would like to know. The only exemption I know is for "Motorsports" and it has to do with the "King pin to rear axle" (KPRA) measurement and not overall length. This would only apply to 5th wheels that have a "kingpin". The exemption also only applies to interstate highways. Each state is different. I spent more time reading Cali laws cause that's where I live.

On another note the trailer weight of your tag axle trailer may dictate you have to have a Commercial Driver License anyway. 10,000lb. Tag trailer or 15,000lb 5th wheel are CDL requirements (at least here in Cali)

 

[awesome1]

looks nice.
what are the specs on it?

2006 haulmark on a freightliner Columbia chassis. Mercedes mbe 450 with 12 speed ultra shift automatic. Super slide out, onan 8k diesel generator, flat screens, self tracking satellite, automatic awning, rear bedroom with queen bed. Sleeps 6-8 comfortably. 100k miles. New tires, brakes, just had annual service and a few recall items done at freightliner. 40k lb hitch. Drives easier than a pickup $125k

 

[DRYHEAT]

The last 3208 marine engines were rated at either 435 or 450 hp. The highest rating for the truck engine was 300 I believe in the last years just before the 3116 came out. I am trying to remember exactly, but I believe the marine engine had steel crowned pistons whereas the truck was all aluminum. The injectors are pretty much the same in all 3208s. The differences are turbos, aftercooling, some have single valve springs, some double., and of course fuel settings. Injection pumps are pretty much the same. The 250 truck engine may have had all the bells and whistles of the 300. not positive, but this can all be researched. The 300s were air to air aftercooled though and the 250 had no after cooling.

I'm guessing your Top Kick has an Allison. Despite the torque discussion, it will run faster if you put more fuel to it. The Allison being a 5 speed may limit your ability to run the perfect RPM at the right speed though. I was the truck service manager at Shepherd (Quinn) during this time frame. Pretty sure my recollection is correct.

Glad you chimed in, I thought there might’ve been higher ratings but wasn’t sure, I worked in a fuel injection shop back in the 80s So I don’t remember a whole heck of a lot anymore. I wasn’t sure about injectors, I just know you could have some problems if you didn’t have the right serial number/arrangement number combination.

 

[PRORACER7474]

I have one of each, I can help answer any questions

 

[PRORACER7474]

Better pictures, The Haulmark Freightliner Conversion tows a trailer that weighs 33000 lbs and overall 72k, To me it feels much more safer driving it, you are behind the front axle and when you need to make a turn you must grab the wheel and turn it, it does not move around by itself, it is 87ft long and has a Detroit Series 60 505hp and 1650 Torque that has been turned up to 580 and 1825 torque. The major drawback on the Toter is they are just not that fancy inside more like a cabin, The MH is 44ft and has a Cummins ISL 450 with 1050 torque, I tow a 30ft enclosed trailer behind it and you know it is there on hills but it is a Bath and 1/2 and that makes mom happy because she has her own bathroom and no one is pissing on the seat. The nice part of the MH is it feel much more spacious and when opened up it is really nice and comfortable plus has all the fancy stuff , the downside of the MH is the lack of power [until you get into the KING AIRE and big bus ones ] plus you a sitting in front of the axle so you feel everything kind of like driving a forklift fast. Now this MH is a Newmar Mountain Aire so it does have there pattented comfort drive which helps a whole lot.

 

[025]

I tow fairly regularly 10-20k lb the mh, flat tow and trailer. It weighs just north of 40klb empty. 515hp 10sp. You really don't notice the extra weight. Pulls grades easily. I think the overall weight of the mh makes pulling a heavy set up less noticeable. Down sides of a Toterhome vs a class a are the up front cab noise is more, a quad slide is less common, I'd say operating cost on some levels is more ie; 22.5 tires (in this case 10). Benefits would be safety having a truck front end, maintenence is easy, it rides good as back is usually on air, bigger trans, more towing, drives easily in the wind, interior is home level quality, granite, hardwood, etc as weight is not a consideration, 40klb hitches are awesome and easy, 12k generator is fairly common. I would recommend hydrohot/aquahot for heating if available. You can use that system as an engine preheater, furnace, waterheater on both 50amp and diesel from the mh. No need to carry propane other than the 5 gal for the bbq/fire. This load in the pic was hardly noticeable with cruise control on, Cajon pass, siraco summit.. but not the grade out of bishop,, that one is tougher but I think everything struggles a little up that thing. Good luck with your search, matt

 

[Jmp]

Check out fleetwood revolutions. They have a 400hp cat c9, and the Spartan chassis is rated for a 15,000 lb tow capactiy.No tag axle either. They are nice coaches for the money. They were built on the same assembly floor as the high end American coach line which was a plus for their construction.

 

[monkeyswrench]

I was pulled over by CHP in my motorhome towing my enclosed trailer on the 86 near Thermal. I have a 35' motorhome and a 22' enclosed. Total length is actually around 62/63 feet (motorhome is 35'10" and the trailer has a 5' tongue) The officer only pulled me over for length, didn't care what I said and got the tape measure out. If there is an exemption for an RV I would like to know. The only exemption I know is for "Motorsports" and it has to do with the "King pin to rear axle" (KPRA) measurement and not overall length. This would only apply to 5th wheels that have a "kingpin". The exemption also only applies to interstate highways. Each state is different. I spent more time reading Cali laws cause that's where I live.

On another note the trailer weight of your tag axle trailer may dictate you have to have a Commercial Driver License anyway. 10,000lb. Tag trailer or 15,000lb 5th wheel are CDL requirements (at least here in Cali)

I had heard Cali threw out the motorsports exemption, but that also may have bee when they were really hammering the trailer lenths for "bridge construction/siesmic reasons". California still had on the books some agricultural exemptions, mostly for truck/trailer combos like hay haulers and such.

There were certain states that hassled motor sports guys more than others, and sometimes just random shakedowns. In Pa, rolling out of a swap meet, some toters with stackers got lit up. Spoke with some of the drivers at another event, and they were checked out for their "not for hire" signs. Pa had gotten sticky about that. If you had a lettered up, sponsored type car in the trailer, they wanted you to be "commercial". We were running DOT#'s, and well under limit (by the end of the show at least).
Some may always get by over length, some may get popped first outing. Just takes one badge and either a bad day, or a bad response from the driver. "Yes sir, no sir" are really good friends at that point.

 

[cyclone]

well, I believe the red truck is sold so I'm going to begin searching for the right Motorhome or Toterhome. Thanks for all the input. I wanted to respond to everyone individually but the forum makes that pain in the ass with its "wait 60 seconds between posts" thing. lol.

Are there MH and TH brands/builders to avoid? I'm assuming buy something prior to 2006 for emissions purposes? I'll probably look for a unit with a tag axle.

 

[RCDave]

What's the budget?

 

[fmo24]

well, I believe the red truck is sold so I'm going to begin searching for the right Motorhome or Toterhome. Thanks for all the input. I wanted to respond to everyone individually but the forum makes that pain in the ass with its "wait 60 seconds between posts" thing. lol.

Are there MH and TH brands/builders to avoid? I'm assuming buy something prior to 2006 for emissions purposes? I'll probably look for a unit with a tag axle.

They all have their issues. Thor has a less favorable reputation in my opinion. Can’t go wrong with early Monaco, beaver, Tiffin allegro bus or higher end Newmar coaches. Just depends on budget and desired floor plan

 

[RCDave]

From that earlier era, if you lean that way

Country Coach
Alpine
Tiffin
Newmar
Foretravel

Look for a side radiator chassis and a big block diesel (8.9L Cummins or larger). The side radiator designs allow the engine and rear axle to be placed further back in the chassis, increasing wheelbase, which provides more stability / improved weight distribution. Most side radiator designs involve a higher end better quality chassis with an independent front suspension and disc brakes. They are also a bit easier to work on than rear radiator designs. Typically have larger cargo bay storage too and bigger fuel tanks. My Tiffin Allegro bus has a 150 gallon diesel tank.

Good chassis to consider:

Spartan
Powerglide
Peak
Dynomax

 

[JLG614]

2006 haulmark on a freightliner Columbia chassis. Mercedes mbe 450 with 12 speed ultra shift automatic. Super slide out, onan 8k diesel generator, flat screens, self tracking satellite, automatic awning, rear bedroom with queen bed. Sleeps 6-8 comfortably. 100k miles. New tires, brakes, just had annual service and a few recall items done at freightliner. 40k lb hitch. Drives easier than a pickup $125k

Interested in trade? lol I love my coach but a toterhome will definitely be my next rv

 

[JLG614]

hi mark- that's a good question. i'm way over 65 ft now but i dont live or routinely tow in California. most of the setups I see at the track are over the limit as well, but the majority of them are registered as RVs and like myself, dont stop in at weigh stations or anywhere else like that. I think if a cop wanted to he could hassle myself or most racers with a toter/rv and a long trailer behind it.

I'm 68' when i'm hooked up to my stacker. My dad and a few of our friends are well over 70'. We have only been hassled one time about the length. Unless the cop really has it out for you you should be fine being a little over the legal length

 

[monkeyswrench]

1993 PREVOST LIBERTY XL 40/ft TAG AXLE 550 Detroit Diesel Beautiful...

1993 PREVOST Liberty Tag axle Coach XL 40/ft 550 Detroit diesel Allison transmission 97,000 original miles Runs beautiful coach was very well taken care of inside and out custom order all Books and...

phoenix.craigslist.org

@cyclone , this popped up on Phoenix CL. A bit too Miami Pimp-tastic, but a 550 with a tag axle. Don't really know if it's a decent price or not. Having worked on some though, built like a brick shithouse.