From: John De Armond
Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.rv-travel
Subject: Re: Your Opinions on TT/Tow Combo
Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2007 16:23:42 -0500
Message-ID: <mqdmk3psq5n26ck4q41fci0bbpvak5ig0k@4ax.com>

On Mon, 26 Nov 2007 07:59:13 -0500, katie@snow.com wrote:

>In article <13klbmu8td52h4a@corp.supernews.com>,
> "Mike Simmons" <mikesim@yhti.net> wrote:
>
>
>> You owe it to yourself to look at offerings from Ford, GM and Dodge... keep
>> your $$ in the US.  The Tundra hasn't been as trouble-free as the older
>> Toy's have been.
>>
>> Mike
>
>Mike, I had already decided to "Buy American".  Last night was just the
>beginning of my "homework".  Now, I need to get out and look at the
>options available in used trucks.  Thanks for your advice.

Niggling little point but...  Toyota trucks have more domestic content than Fords.
Most of the Ford parts now come from Mexico.  Toyota has gone out of its way to
source domestically made parts.

Until you get up to commercial trucks, "buy American" really doesn't have much
meaning anymore.

I don't have any brand loyalties but if I were buying a truck today I'd be looking at
either a GM or Toyota.  Fords still ride like log wagons compared to the other
brands.  Fords, including my current Ford van, have the ability to make me car sick
even when I'm driving.  Never happened in any other vehicle, land or sea based.  I
still have a bad taste in my mouth over the crap Chrysler turned out a few years ago
and I'm not a big fan of that rattling Cummins engine.  That leaves GM and Toyota for
all practical purposes.

My MH is on a Chevy chassis.  I've owned several GM pickups of one brand or another.
The difference in ride quality is amazing.  Mom's MH was on a Ford chassis and IT
rode like a log wagon compared to mine, even though hers was 15 years newer.

As far as reliability, modern automated production methods and the EPA's CAFE
warranty requirements have made them all reliable.  You have to watch out for
problems with particular models and manufacturing runs.  Other than that, they're all
roughly equal.

John

From: John De Armond
Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.rv-travel
Subject: Re: Your Opinions on TT/Tow Combo
Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2007 18:21:38 -0500
Message-ID: <80lmk3pctje7rde7lqgl8q82c6nguqpoaj@4ax.com>

On Mon, 26 Nov 2007 17:03:52 -0500, Hugh <hbdandvsd@yahoo.com> wrote:

>Neon John wrote:
>snipped
>> and I'm not a big fan of that rattling Cummins engine.  That leaves GM and Toyota for
>> all practical purposes.
>snipped
>>
>> John
>
>Bad info John.

No it's not.

>The newer Cummins found in Dodges are as quiet or more
>quiet than either Ford or GM. Don't take my word for it, go and listen
>yourself.

I live on the edge of an RV park and also on the edge of an ORV recreation area.  I
get to listen to more than my share of diesel trucks.  I usually have to look at the
badges to tell a GM diesel.  Fords have a little rattle but only if you listen for
it.  That Cummins STILL rattles, though not as bad as in previous years.  Even if the
engine was quiet I STILL wouldn't buy a Chrysler truck.  BTW, that's an opinion and
not advice.

John

From: John De Armond
Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.rv-travel
Subject: Re: 80% Rule
Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2007 20:02:48 -0500
Message-ID: <8j3sk3h95tbqbnnd825i5oqeh5bcrss6sv@4ax.com>

On Wed, 28 Nov 2007 19:53:44 -0500, "Cliff" <cliffclingan@hotmail.com> wrote:

>Frank Howell wrote:
>> >
>> Yay, but what about the Nate tow weight or the Cliff tow weight?
>
>   I'm not familiar with the Nate Weight scale, but mine is so simple I
>prefer it.  Works this way; If it fits on the truck, Haul It ... if you have
>a trailer, put what fits on the trailer, and pull it along with you.

That's John's Weight Scale too.  Even when "what fit" was a heaping pile of sand that
the front end loader operator pummeled my single axle trailer with.  Had to be
several tons.  Towed that sucker home with a Datsun Z car.

Only time I ever got bit was when I loaded a 1 ton pickup truck equipped with cattle
sides with 10 cords of firewood.  I got almost 5 miles before both tires on one set
of duallies blew :-(  It was so heavy that the 10 ton bottle jack jacked itself into
the pavement.  We had to call around and find a steel plate to put under it.  Ended
up making 3 trips that time.

It's always good for a chuckle to see someone wetting their panties over being a few
hundred lbs overweight.  There's sooooo much safety margin built in....

John

From: John De Armond
Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.rv-travel
Subject: Truck aerodynamics
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 13:10:33 -0500
Message-ID: <nrjtt056bi6jl76jdjc453n5rr45baf5vu@4ax.com>

I received this email from one of my engineer friends at one of the big
three auto manufacturers.  I thought it might interest some.  My friend
manages an engineering group in the powertrain engineering division so one
might consider this "from the horse's mouth", though I'm sure one or two
of the self-styled "engineers" in this group might argue....

"I was at a long meeting xxxxxx, which included engineers
that work on aerodynamics, chassis, electrical, etc., in addition to
my normal powertrain colleagues.  One of the topics was pickup truck
aerodynamics, and I thought you might be interested in it.

According to wind tunnel tests, opening or removing the tailgate
actually gives *worse* fuel economy than leaving it closed.
Similarly, the mesh tailgates hurt fuel economy too.  However, a bed
cover (tonneau cover) does significantly improve fuel economy."

From: John De Armond
Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.rv-travel
Subject: Re: Truck aerodynamics
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2005 16:10:55 -0500
Message-ID: <ifi0u0djj634csesvk9s97o34sq9ef0hdb@4ax.com>

On Sat, 08 Jan 2005 17:49:26 GMT, "Glenn" <glenn@glennwood.net> wrote:

>
>"Neon John" <johngdDONTYOUDARE@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
>news:nrjtt056bi6jl76jdjc453n5rr45baf5vu@4ax.com...
>>I received this email from one of my engineer friends at one of the big
>> three auto manufacturers.  I thought it might interest some.  My friend

>
>Except that this is about 10-year-old news, the email must have been stuck
>in some kind of time warp. Glenn

Actually, Glenn, this is NOT old news.  There have been anecdotal reports
of this floating around for years.  I think it was Car & Driver that tried
to do a semi-scientific test perhaps 20 years ago.  But this is the first
time to my knowledge that a major auto manufacturer has dedicated
significant resources to researching the matter using scientific methods
under controlled conditions.

The wind tunnel in question has sufficient resources to maintain air
conditions to specified values in the range of about 20 to 100 deg F, any
RH plus fog and rain, and wind speeds up to 100 mph.  It also is equipped
with a few million $$ worth of analytical equipment that can, among other
things, measure instantaneous fuel consumption, drag forces and other
important parameters with great accuracy.

That this quantification has been done across an entire product line is
also significant.  Aero improvements in truck design make earlier results
potentially worthless.  I don't know if these results will ever be
published.  But it should be sufficient to say that leaving the tailgate
in place is a good move.

John

From: John De Armond
Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.rv-travel
Subject: Re: Ford F-Series Trucks
Date: Sun, 30 Apr 2006 19:03:39 -0400
Message-ID: <cufa52914057j45kvkm9ntg3gesj6s12qf@4ax.com>

OK.

* Why is Ford truck styling so butt-ugly and getting worse every year?

* Why do Ford trucks STILL ride like log wagons compared to the other
brands?

* Why does Ford continue to jack up their 4WD truck far beyond what
ground or tire clearance requires?

* Why doesn't Ford offer the jacked-up kit as an MSP (Men with Small
Peckers) option and let the rest of us leave the step stools at home?

* Why does Ford spend so much money developing interior plastic parts
of such low quality that they make milk jug plastic look luxurious in
comparison?

* Why doesn't Ford STILL not get the 4WD drive shaft angles correct so
that U-joints will last more than 20Kmiles?

* Why are the tailgates still so hard to open after a little weather
and corrosion?

* When is Ford going to release the source code to the PCM module(s)
like the law requires?

* Why does Ford let their dimwitted salesmen spam Usenet groups?

I eagerly await your complete and detailed answers to ALL my
questions.

On 30 Apr 2006 11:24:39 -0700, "Jim" <hornjim@yahoo.com> wrote:

>Contact me for all your Ford F Series Truck questions.
>
>
>Jimmie Horn
>Beach Ford
>N. Miami Beach Fl
>(305) 493-5000
>Sales