CharlesD
Expert Expediter
We all know that the big shots in charge of the carriers never come on here and read anything.
Pulling a really small camper
- Thread starter rainbowwar24
- Start date
We all know that the big shots in charge of the carriers never come on here and read anything.
See post #43.
Dakota
Veteran Expediter
You know what they say, Crazy Minds Think Alike!!!
gatorfan068
Active Expediter
We all know that the big shots in charge of the carriers never come on here and read anything.
How do you know this? Its not like you have to logon to read the forum......
How do you know this? Its not like you have to logon to read the forum......
It was sarcasm. Fact is, they all do come here and read, often. People have had their contracts canceled because of what they've said here online.
CharlesD
Expert Expediter
With the number who post on here as well, I thought for sure he would catch the joke.
Rainbow, if we didn't scare you off the site- and we really do not intend want to do that... you asked a question to drivers and we shared our opinions and ideas on your thoughts. Keep in mind many on here have well over half a million commercial miles under their belts- some on here have well over a million miles under their belts- I'm almost at a million. Miles that is. Your best bet is to get a worn out Sprinter and give it new life, and customize it the way you wish. You strike me as the type to have plenty of ideas- an Empty Sprinter or box/cube truck would serve your construction skills well. I often see vans and Sprinters parked with gas generators mounted and running.
Now... to be blunt...
If you want to run with the big dogs, you got to get used to taking showers at truck stops. At least for a little while anyways. Because it sounds like you have limited over the road time and limited run time outside of the the southern and/or eastern region of the country. Get a load out of Laredo and roll with it to Detroit for starters. or pull a load out of Denver going to PA with 4 drops along the way. Pulling an RV trailer behind any commercial vehicle is often times illegal, either by law and/or by most carriers. If you don't believe us, just ask a DOT officer. If it made sense... don't you think you'd see more doing it?
Check out a Shower Bunk by AA Sleeper- maybe you can get some ideas that way?
Trucking isn't for the faint of heart. You can't just carry some packages to some places in a couple states in 2 years time and then suddenly be an expert. You said you got somebody (your brother I thought you said) who has been in truckin for over 30 years... and even they said it was a bad idea? That's no surprise.
I would not be surprised if you did not post on here again... but I hope you do.
We are trying to educate you- not belittle you. Seriously. We're not trying to make you hate us, just trying to help you think outside the box (like you're doing), but think outside the box and look at the whole box- not just 2 sides, all sides!.
That's all I got to say.
Now... to be blunt...
If you want to run with the big dogs, you got to get used to taking showers at truck stops. At least for a little while anyways. Because it sounds like you have limited over the road time and limited run time outside of the the southern and/or eastern region of the country. Get a load out of Laredo and roll with it to Detroit for starters. or pull a load out of Denver going to PA with 4 drops along the way. Pulling an RV trailer behind any commercial vehicle is often times illegal, either by law and/or by most carriers. If you don't believe us, just ask a DOT officer. If it made sense... don't you think you'd see more doing it?
Check out a Shower Bunk by AA Sleeper- maybe you can get some ideas that way?
Trucking isn't for the faint of heart. You can't just carry some packages to some places in a couple states in 2 years time and then suddenly be an expert. You said you got somebody (your brother I thought you said) who has been in truckin for over 30 years... and even they said it was a bad idea? That's no surprise.
I would not be surprised if you did not post on here again... but I hope you do.
We are trying to educate you- not belittle you. Seriously. We're not trying to make you hate us, just trying to help you think outside the box (like you're doing), but think outside the box and look at the whole box- not just 2 sides, all sides!.
That's all I got to say.
Brisco
Expert Expediter
Nope.............
Doggie Daddy
Veteran Expediter
Apparently not, as he has not been heard from since.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using EO Forums
When I was doing courier work, I asked dispatch there about pulling a trailer. At the time, I had a Ford E-150 and the trailer would have given room for more freight. They said no. They really wanted at least a box truck, I eventually bought the Sprinter as a halfway-point. I couldn't park the box truck in my neighborhood and that would have required me to have two vehicles--- and the company I worked for then wasn't paying that kind of money.
The camper-trailer requires quite a bit of maintenance, wheel bearings have already been mentioned. If the trailer is over a certain size, brakes have to be inspected. Trailer lights--- what a nightmare, don't get me started. Then too, these trailers are usually meant to be used only occasionally. I don't know if they fare well if you use them every day, putting several thousand miles on every week.
FWIW, I've owned and maintained a boat trailer. Of course it's different than a camper, you're not ordinarily backing a camper into a lake. Still, the issues of bearings, brakes and lights just don't go away that easily on any of these sport-trailers. You will have to keep up with more maintenance with these things.
Add-on: Towing a trailer adds a bit of work at the pickup-delivery and this has to be thought of. You have to disconnect the electric harness, go through the procedure to drop the trailer and move it to the side. If your hitch sticks out, you may have to pull the pin and remove it and put it to one side. Once you're finished loading/unloading you have to reverse the procedure. Re-attach the hitch to the receiver, drop the tongue on the ball, re-connect the safety chains, re-connect the wiring, check lights and possibly brakes--- just messing with the trailer adds a fair amount of work and time, and frankly it may be time you don't have much of. Having to do this before a weekend camping trip might not be noticeable-- I never thought much about it when towing the boat-- but when you have to do this several times a week it gets old fast. Trust me on this.
The camper-trailer requires quite a bit of maintenance, wheel bearings have already been mentioned. If the trailer is over a certain size, brakes have to be inspected. Trailer lights--- what a nightmare, don't get me started. Then too, these trailers are usually meant to be used only occasionally. I don't know if they fare well if you use them every day, putting several thousand miles on every week.
FWIW, I've owned and maintained a boat trailer. Of course it's different than a camper, you're not ordinarily backing a camper into a lake. Still, the issues of bearings, brakes and lights just don't go away that easily on any of these sport-trailers. You will have to keep up with more maintenance with these things.
Add-on: Towing a trailer adds a bit of work at the pickup-delivery and this has to be thought of. You have to disconnect the electric harness, go through the procedure to drop the trailer and move it to the side. If your hitch sticks out, you may have to pull the pin and remove it and put it to one side. Once you're finished loading/unloading you have to reverse the procedure. Re-attach the hitch to the receiver, drop the tongue on the ball, re-connect the safety chains, re-connect the wiring, check lights and possibly brakes--- just messing with the trailer adds a fair amount of work and time, and frankly it may be time you don't have much of. Having to do this before a weekend camping trip might not be noticeable-- I never thought much about it when towing the boat-- but when you have to do this several times a week it gets old fast. Trust me on this.
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