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Old 08-12-2017, 05:18 AM   #1
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seems weird to me!

Ok so Ive had this Coleman CT192RD for about a month now. weirdest thing about it is, it pulls like a bitch. I previously had a 1994 Fleetwood Avion 34.5 5th wheel trailer dry weight of 11,250 lbs that pulled better than this little 4K lb travel trailer., anyone else have any similar problems? I know bumper pull is different from fifth wheel but this is some ****! I cant pull 65 mph without being in drive. I used to pull my Avion up to 70mph in overdrive with no problems. I dont get it, I may need to get this thing weighed out cause something dont feel right. Any suggestions?
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Old 08-12-2017, 04:02 PM   #2
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I'm gonna be watching this thread.

So, can you fill in the blanks that most of us have?

Tow vehicle?
Hitch?
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Old 08-12-2017, 04:18 PM   #3
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I cant pull 65 mph without being in drive.
I usually use drive to tow. Most newer trucks are 6 or 8 speeds and the don't tow anything in top gear. My tow/haul mode locks overdrive out completely. I tow a 5500lb trailer with a V-6 in the Tennessee hills without a problem. It will occasionally rev higher than I like, but that's what overhead cam engines do.
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Old 08-12-2017, 11:06 PM   #4
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I would check wheel bearings and electric brakes. Who knows, maybe the plug is pulled, and they are always on, but worn down enough to pull?
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Old 08-14-2017, 02:43 AM   #5
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Snakebitten. Ive tried filling in my vehicle information. It keeps telling me that it cant find the url to the page Ive inserted. so I got tired of trying after and hour. Ill try again sometime later. Tow vehicle is 1999 F250 Superduty Automatic trans, 5.4 engine 4.11 gears. Was getting 14 mpg pulling my old Fleetwood Avion 5th wheel grossing 18k lbs combined weight with my hypermax tuner on 91 octane fuel. This little coleman is supposedly 4420lbs, bumper pull, no equalizer.
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Old 08-14-2017, 02:45 AM   #6
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MartyG, I checked all that, wheels spin freely and cleanly, brakes engaging and disengaging as they should.Seems like the aerodynamics of this thing are the problem I think. cant think of anything else.
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Old 08-14-2017, 02:50 AM   #7
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Wildwest, I hear ya. These Ford modular engines like mine are famous for loving higher rpms, Ive basically just figured im gonna have to buy a whale tail or something to shoot the air over the camper for less drag, because nothing else makes sense. How can I have gone from pulling an 11,400 Lb fifth wheel getting 14 mpg and crusing to around 10 and struggling to hold 60 mph? has to be aerodynamics Has to be. I just thought maybe someone else has gone through this and has some helpful insight.
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Old 08-14-2017, 10:25 PM   #8
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I would say wind resistance (aerodynamics) is the issue. Several years ago, I had a F250 with the 6.0 powerstroke pulling a Cougar 5er weighing around 10000#. I also had a 6x12 enclosed utility trailer that I would sometimes use for my A/C business. The small enclosed trailer seemed to be just as hard to pull as the 5er at interstate speeds. I now have a 22ft enclosed trailer with a v-nose. I get better fuel mileage towing my Voltage than I do with the enclosed trailer. I don't believe weight has near as much to do with how hard a trailer is to pull than aerodynamics does. Especially at highway speeds.
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Old 08-14-2017, 11:40 PM   #9
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Ever picked up a 4x8 sheet of plywood and a gust of wind came?

It's a parachute!

Yea, travel trailers are a HUGE brick-in-the-wind.
Never pulled a 5er. So they're that much less wind resistant?
Never realized it.
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Old 08-15-2017, 02:31 AM   #10
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Never pulled a 5er. So they're that much less wind resistant?
Never realized it.
Depends how the nose is shaped. The old blunt nose type are kinda the same as an standard enclosed trailer. The newer rigs with the "radius-nose" do much better (IMO).

The biggest difference to me is weight distribution, as a 5er puts it directly over the rear truck axles... and therefore, provided the weight & balance are ok, you don't have what I call the "pendulum effect" of a bumper-towed rig.
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Old 08-15-2017, 01:46 PM   #11
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Depends how the nose is shaped. The old blunt nose type are kinda the same as an standard enclosed trailer. The newer rigs with the "radius-nose" do much better (IMO).

The biggest difference to me is weight distribution, as a 5er puts it directly over the rear truck axles... and therefore, provided the weight & balance are ok, you don't have what I call the "pendulum effect" of a bumper-towed rig.
The Colemans are pretty flat up front with no radius, I can see how it's like towing a big parachute behind you.
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Old 08-15-2017, 09:46 PM   #12
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If you have an open bed on the truck and are towing a fairly flat front TT the turbulence is your main issue. I typically towed our small Coleman with an F150 with a tonneau cover on the bed. If I put it behind my F350 with the full cap you barely noticed it was back there.

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Old 08-15-2017, 09:57 PM   #13
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Or just trade it for a new Chevy and pull the wheels off of it.
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Old 08-16-2017, 01:22 AM   #14
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Or just trade it for a new Chevy and pull the wheels off of it.[emoji38]
Yep [emoji56]

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Old 08-16-2017, 01:26 AM   #15
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Don't encourage him BL.
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Old 08-16-2017, 01:13 PM   #16
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Don't encourage him BL.
We Chevy guys can't help it. [emoji6] I actually like all American brand trucks that are American made. Previous tow vehicle was an Expedition and it was awesome.

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Old 08-16-2017, 02:19 PM   #17
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We tow our Coleman 15BH with our E350 van (5.4L) and barely know it's there and get decent mileage. When we loan it to our son with an F150 (5.4L) with open bed he says it feels like a brick and his mileage sucks. Aerodynamics of the tow vehicle behind the windshield is just as critical as the trailer.
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Old 08-16-2017, 05:05 PM   #18
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Yep.

When towing the teardrop, most would believe the lack of drama would be because it's around 1500lbs. But I KNOW the reason it is almost imperceptible is far more because it sits tucked down behind the aerodynamics of the tow vehicle.

While pulling this tiny toy hauler, at only ~3000lbs, the same tow vehicle is burdened with a huge airbrake, by comparison.

I love it on the 6% grades downhill! It actually holds the truck back from rapid speed increases. The teardrop, just the opposite.
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Old 08-16-2017, 05:55 PM   #19
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I love it on the 6% grades downhill! It actually holds the truck back from rapid speed increases. The teardrop, just the opposite.
I rarely have to touch my brakes on any downhills around here, I have a Dutchman jake brake attached to my truck.
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Old 08-19-2017, 02:23 AM   #20
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Ok so here's what Ive done so far, I put my camper shell back on my pickup, helped a little bit but still a slug, so I popped open my back vents (supercab f250) and noticed a very slight change as well. So this is definitely a aerodynamics problem. Just a sidenote, I pulled a Case 580K (17000 lbs) on a PJ trailer Gooseneck 32ft dual wheels (another 7000+) 65 mph down the highway with my little 5.4 v8 F250. My trucks not just for pulling campers. =) =). Im proud of that old beater. shes a beast! that was before I bought the hypermax tuner. Thats like pulling 4 or 5 of my little Coleman CT192RD's. So this is definitely, absolutely an aerodynamics problem. Happy camping everyone! thanks for all the input.
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idk. what the heck, pulls heavy, weird

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