A couple of you know sailing is one of my 2 hobbies...

[shnool]

Before I met my wife, she was already into Brittany dogs, and running them at field trials. As we started to date she got me involved in that hobby as well, and got me hooked.

Best I can do to describe field trialing is by calling it a fox-hunt but with 2 handlers and 2 dogs, trying to find birds. It's a competition, it's a race, it's about style. It's judged by 2 judges based on speed, style on point, and pattern (to the dog). Extra credit is given to the handler who does not have to handle their dog much (very little direction cues by the handler). There are also "Scouts" that are MEANT to rustle up the dog should it get behind or off course. They are the "hidden" and "unspoken" helper in this...

Anyway... We have been traveling with 2-5 dogs, and 2 horses. My 10 year old daughter has now taking a liking to riding horses, so we purchased a 3rd horse (she gets my old horse I got a new one)... anyway that forced our hand to get a bigger trailer.

Here's what we are traveling in now (that's got a living quarters in it, with heat/bathroom/A/C, and it's a 3 horse, we used the 3rd spot for dog boxes):

This new trailer has a special room (mid tack) to put dog crates in, and is a stock trailer, allowing a free form loading of the horses:

Ok now the fun... we have to drive from PA to MN stopping in OH to sign paperwork for our lender for our old trailer... trading in the OLD trailer, so drag a trailer out, and a new one back... FUN FUN MID-WINTER. All for our crazy hobby!

Here's a shot of us doing our crazy hobby, that's me on the black horse forward (handling). If you look real hard far to the right, is a white spot, that's my dog doing his job better than ever (I linked to it, because when I embedded it, it lost the dog to the far right)!
http://www.shnool.com/images/FieldTrials/CT-03252012/DSCF0788.JPG

 

[SpiderPig]

That's a hell of a rig. What kind of mileage do you get pulling something like that? I see you don't have a diesel puller either.

 

[shnool]

Patrick, the truck empty without the trailer attached gets about 13-14mpg highway. It's the 6.0 Gas engine.

Towing the old trailer we get about 7-8mpg. Literally average 7.8 with 2 horses and 5 dogs, and roughly 80 gallons of water. I've seen as low as 5mpg with a 30 mph headwind up hill for a long stretch of highway.

Funny thing is the old trailer is aluminum over steel, the new one is 100% aluminum. So while larger the new trailer is about the same weight empty. But because the trailer is bigger, and has larger axles, we go from a 12,000lb GVW to a 14,000 GVW, which if we were to ever fully load it, puts us RIGHT at our maximum for towing with THIS truck.

As part of my crazy trip, I am considering replacing my truck on the way out too. I am not sure I can pull that off, but I'm gonna try anyway.

PS: Back on topic... I've told the wife since THIS IS HER hobby (ha), that next year I get to spend some money on a new boat! heheheh... we'll see if I win THAT argument.

 

[shnool]

I am on my way back from MN.. with a new (used truck) and a brand new trailer... Interesting trip.

 

[sinnettc]

"Interesting trip"? Does that mean you had adventures in towing in the snow?

What's the truck? Looks like maybe a 3500 dually?

 

[shnool]

Chris we stopped in London OH, where we bought our old trailer (Chevy Dealership), and I traded my 2012 single rear wheel, 4x4, long bed gasser 2500, for a optioned out 2011 dual rear wheel 4x4, diesel, 3500 long bed. The towability went from 13,800 on the gas, to 22,300 on the diesel.

I was informed on my way to pickup the trailer, that its GVWR is actually 16,000lbs, not 14,000, and that it was 8 feet longer not 6... methinks the wife pulled a bait and switch on me.

Anyway, yeah we JUST avoided the blizzard on our way out, driving through the start of it, when we hit Pittsburgh, we were supposed to stop there, but I pressed on to WV, and just outside wheeling... WE got 1 inch of snow overnight, but NOTHING like the 18 we got at home! We stopped at the bank on Thurs, then 2 hours later we got to London, OH, picked up the truck (which happened to have a gooseneck hitch already, I love buying in horse country)... hitched up and drove another 3 hours to IN.

Then on to MN. The dealership in MN was GREAT. WE smacked some ice and broke the gray water spout off on our trade in (he was cool about it, said he'd knock the repair off of our deposit, but it'd probably only be $100). He got us turned around in 2 hours, and we made the 1100 mile trip back in 2 days. The NEW truck was getting 10-11mpg the whole way, so VERY promising.

I got to learn about TRUCK stops, because the rig is longer than the average SEMI, and nearly as long as a 53 foot trailer and truck (probably 10 feet shorter). Which makes it difficult to get fuel except at truck stops, and I've found most truck stops get aggravated with you when you say you could NOT possibly pull the rig into their car pumps! They have to flip a switch you know, to allow you to pump at the higher (taxed) price. Ugh.

I also got to learn about UREA,or rather diesel exhaust fluid, as the truck required a fill up halfway to MN. So yeah I got to tow the OLD trailer empty out, and the NEW trailer empty back. Between the truck and the trailer though we saved roughly $10,000... so it was worth it. Yeah, old truck, empty trailer, we got 7.8mpg, new truck old trailer, we got 11.2mpg.... and new truck new trailer we got 10.8 and 11.07mpg. Hand calculated. So I am quite impressed. Boy that trailer is hard to turn around.

 

[sinnettc]

Sounds like you made a good choice and played the weather right too. Pretty long trailer to tow, glad it's not me.

I've seen some posts about the DEF stuff on the camping forums but haven't paid much attention since I don't have a diesel. I gather it's a recent change related to pollution controls. Does it go in the tank at fill up or is there a reservoir under the hood for it.

 

[shnool]

DEF (diesel exhaust fluid) is basically a 32% urea mixture. It's sprayed into the exhaust path of the diesel to combine with the contaminates to reduce NOX emissions. I think the byproducts are CO2 and Ammonia.

The implementation with Chevy/GM is under the hood, a 5.4 gallon tank (which theoretically) only needs filling every oil change (yeah that's great if it gets done then, and you aren't using the truck harder by, I dunno, towing). This is an emissions thing, and is basically mandated on all BIG rigs manufactured after a specific date. It's also flowing into cars as well now. Even the new chevy cruze, and many mercedes with diesels are going that route, to be compliant with stricter emissions standards in the US. Basically any diesel Heavy Duty pickups, all big rigs, and some smaller cars now are getting compliant with the new emissions standards and require DEF. It's slowly showing up everywhere you buy diesel.

Ford actually is a bit smarter about it, the fill tube is next to the diesel fill tube... but I guess that puts the tank pretty far away from the engine compartment.

The real interesting thing about it is, DEF fluid freezes, not at 32 degrees, but 10 or so... but I guess the compartment is designed to flex some to allow for this, and engine heat is used to keep the tank thawed? Not sure. It's a REAL bear though if you should run out, most of these cars are designed to basically throttle down and stop working without it (bringing the vehicle to max speed of 4mph). Despite there being NO REASON they cannot just continue on, just with a lot more noxious gasses coming from them.

PS: Parking the rig is a challenge at best.

 

[SpiderPig]

The implementation with Chevy/GM is under the hood, a 5.4 gallon tank (which theoretically) only needs filling every oil change (yeah that's great if it gets done then, and you aren't using the truck harder by, I dunno, towing). This is an emissions thing, and is basically mandated on all BIG rigs manufactured after a specific date. It's also flowing into cars as well now. Even the new chevy cruze, and many mercedes with diesels are going that route, to be compliant with stricter emissions standards in the US. Basically any diesel Heavy Duty pickups, all big rigs, and some smaller cars now are getting compliant with the new emissions standards and require DEF. It's slowly showing up everywhere you buy diesel.

Urea injection was developed by the Germans and was brought to the US. Mercedes first used it in 2007 model cars (mine is a 2006 and the last of the old school diesels). Their technology was sold to VW, Audi, etc for theirs. Its only now that the trucks are catching up.

 

[shnool]

But what is driving it, is arbitrary standards set by law.
http://tinyurl.com/l52wqsq

 

[SpiderPig]

But what is driving it, is arbitrary standards set by law.
http://tinyurl.com/l52wqsq

Not completely arbitrary... There is a chart that shows Europe has been doing this for years with success. Its about time the US catches up with environmental standards.

What really concerns me is the Marine industry. If you re-power a boat after 2016 you'll need to add in a tank and advanced system to run the diesel. Also, what if you are offshore and you run out of urea, does your engine shut down? The car systems have limitations to prevent bypassing the system. I wonder what the Marine equivalent will be. Just one more thing to carry in bulk now around the world.