Is it really worth it?

[honda03842]

Rob, The various tow vehicles and trailers is all very interesting. Life is very short in the big picture and we each get to experience very little so the experiences of others is valuable. Thank you for relating your experience, and the same to Wayne and others, all doing it in a controlled manner.

It's not simple, even in towing, people have different needs to get to the same place on the same route. We are older and retired and don't mind down shifting and taking a few more minutes to make the top of the hill. Economy is at least as important as speed to us.

As to brakes and towing we have never contemplated towing a trailer that weighs more than our tow vehicle though it is fairly common, particularly with 5th wheels and probably some trailers. People towing heavy trailers seem to be able to handle the situation via W/D. Personally my trailers have never been in the W/D class.

Wishing you well with your Ford truck and many safe years of travel,

[frank_a]

We plan on towing our ParkLiner with a 2013 Escape. The ParkLiner weighs 2100#s dry, and our 2 liter ecoboost Escape has a tow capacity of 3500#s, with a curb weight of 3732#s. We expect to visit both the U.S. & Canadian Rockies with it when we retire a few years down the road, as well as the extensive Appalachian Mountain chain in the East.

YMMV.

Frank

[MC1]

Originally Posted by honda03842

Rob, The various tow vehicles and trailers is all very interesting. Life is very short in the big picture and we each get to experience very little so the experiences of others is valuable. Thank you for relating your experience, and the same to Wayne and others, all doing it in a controlled manner.

Wishing you well with your Ford truck and many safe years of travel,

A great summation Norm. I like the way this forum has progressed. Sure folks have different views on towing and TV's but the discussions have become really respectful with a new sense of maturity.

Rob... I too want to wish you may happy travels with the EB150. The original promo videos on that vehicle were very impressive. I have read that the new ones with the 800lb lighter aluminum body will get an increase in tow rating. X2

[Mike Magee]

On the subject of "is it worth it," most people on a forum such as this will say yes. But it is a wide world full of different people with different ideas, desires, priorities and goals. My wife could not care less about RVing. She came from a family of homebodies; her grandparents rarely went anywhere, they had no desire even to drive to town if they didn't have to. My folks always loved to travel, and I ended up that way too. In fact, if I had been born 100 years earlier, I suspect that I would have been one of those guys who earned a living going from town to town with a horse-drawn wagonload of goods for sale.

[Rob Outlaw]

Well said Norm, words of wisdom for us all. And you are so right as the rigs start to get bigger, much bigger i.e. large 5th wheels etc no doubt most of the trailers do out weigh the TV. No way around it.

To that I will add one more comment regarding our experience with TV's. With the Tundra the towing experience became so excruciating on longer road trips especially we just got to the point it wasn't worth the trouble any more. Before that we had a 2001 Tacoma DC with 6 cylinder towing a Coleman Pop Up which was an even worse experience with gas mileage about equal to the Tundra/T@b combo. That lasted a year max. With that in mind, I suppose you could say I came into this discussion with a bit of a jaded mindset given our past experiences. Its encouraging to know that so many seem to be so successful at getting by with much less (compared to big rigs) in their tugs as well as the trailers. But I still love trucks.

There is an old timers saying here in Big Sky Country, that in life you get one good truck, one good woman, and one good dog. I'm fortunate on the woman my wife of 30 years and dog who is long departed now but a pet soul mate if there ever was one. Lets hope the F150 completes that final segment otherwise my life might yet be unfulfilled.

[MC1]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

On the subject of "is it worth it," her grandparents rarely went anywhere,

Mike, I can so relate. Both my grandparents were based on farms in the Annapolis valley NS. Out of the 4 only one grandmother had a drivers licence and a car (a 52 maroon Pontiac). She polished and waxed it so much the primer was showing though when the car was 15 years old...LOL. Guess that is where I get my care care genes from. They never ventured far from home. Only to town for supplies etc. My one grandfather walked to town, "20 miles" round trip. (true fact).

[carlkeigley]

Just some quotes:

“Our freedom can be measured by the number of things we can walk away from.”
– Vernon Howard

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” – Proverb

“Forget your lust for the rich man’s gold, all that you need is in your soul.”
― Lynyrd Skynyrd

“Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” ― Lao Tzu

“Don’t waste your love on somebody, who doesn’t value it.”
― William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

“Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries.”
― Anne Herbert

“For I don’t care too much for money, for money can’t buy me love.” ― The Beatles

“Laughter is the best medicine.” ― Proverb

“The greatest wealth is health.” ― Virgil

“I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

[frank_a]

Great stuff Carl, thanks!

[TomK]

That was good, Carl!! I especially like the last one. Gandhi had a way with words, eh?

Tom.

[Jim Bennett]

Some great quotes there, Carl.

One of my favourite quotes is from Abe Lincoln. "Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be."

[honda03842]

I'm a big fan of Ayn Rand who struck a chord in me about the power of the individual and the fact that the smallest minority is the individual, and possibly the reasoning individual.

"From the smallest necessity to the highest religious abstraction, from the wheel to the skyscraper, everything we are and everything we have comes from one attribute of man - the function of his reasoning mind."

"Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver."

"Learn to value yourself, which means: fight for your happiness."

Ayn Rand, author of Atlas Shrugged and many other good 'reads'.

[Jared J]

Ayn rand should be required reading in high school.


Sent from my iPhone using Fiberglass RV

[honda03842]

Jared,

I used to have a license plate "J Galt" . People would toot at me all the time. It was required reading for Ginny while we were dating.

Unfortunately the lessons of her book may require failure before they are recognized, my only real fear.

[Rob Outlaw]

Just for the record, this is probably not the place to take up politics, religion and philosophy however I don't share your admiration for Ayn Rand, or her writings and philosophy. This is not to say I don't believe in the power and inspiration of the individual, heck I've been self employed all of my life and in what can only be called a very competitive arena.

But from what I know of Ayn Rand, nah, not the least bit of admiration or inspiration.

rob

[Glenn Baglo]

Ditto.
And, I thought politics was not a topic for discussion on the forum. Nor religion. Not sure which ban Rand fits best.

[carlkeigley]

Never heard of him/her.

[honda03842]

Lets move on.

For most of us our FRVs are is worth it. The cost is a choice and varies widely, related to initial investment and camping style. It varies from person to person and the cost is very often a function of the amount of usage.

All costs and choices vary by person, resources and personal freedom.

[CampyTime]

Amen, Honda!


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[Nut501]

Norm,
I agree with you! The individual person does make a difference. Especially, in the TV and camper that we choose. Politics and taxes play a big part in these two items! Because the more taxes I have to pay into Uncle Sam and less amount of disposable income we have to spend on TV, camper and fuel, etc. I believe that the individual can manage their money better than the government. I would love to own a new Escape camper, (like Ms. Donna's) that is one beautiful camper! So, my option is to purchase a nice used camper. Unless, I can hit the lottery!
Bottom line is we don't have to agree on politics, but let's agree that camping is fun and we can all enjoy being outside!
thanks,

[honda03842]

Carl, Your quote is worthy of extended thought, not for the smile it brings bur for the reality of its meaning..

If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else! Yogi Berra

It's certainly good to get the trailer you think you need, unfortunately what you need can changes with time for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes it's better to keep and enjoy what you have. Ginny reminds me of that.