MSG397 Newbie

[Msg397]

Hello everyone and thank you for all of the information you have posted about a variety of topics. I have run across information I have search for posted by this community and really appreciate the extra and experienced information you all have provided over the years.
My wife and I own a 2019 GD Momentum 397TH (Toy Hauler) and pull her with a 2019 GMC Denali DRW 3500. Inside the Momentum, we bring our 2019 Polaris Razor rocks and trails edition and enjoy many UTV trails and campgrounds from North Tennessee to central Florida, where we currently live. We are currently part timers with 2 years remaining until retirement and have started our purging process in preparation to sell everything and go Full time somewhere in the fall of 2022.
We have been Rving since 2010 and have had a truck camper, our first fifth wheel, a class A, and now back to a fifth wheel, with reasons and justification to all the changes, in our mind. We intend to see America and many areas of Canada in our travels as full timers and will be spending some time in our preparation between now and roll out day making modifications to our fifth wheel relating to solar and lithium batteries, hybrid inverter, fire supression, as well as organizing and comfort mods.

I've joined this forum so that I might contribute to topics and subject matter I'm familiar with for others to gain knowledge and experience as I have obtained through my travels and trials and errors, like the 3 tire blowout day with our Montana Mountaineer by overloading it and at times driving over speeds I should have. Many lessons in that adventure.

I might also add that I'm not only a newbie to this forum but have never registered or been a member of any other forum so I will do my best to be constructive. Following the policies seems quit easy.

Happy trails all,

[Cannon07]

Welcome from Georgia

[FT4NOW]

Welcome to the forum. 3 tire blow outs in one day, yikes! I sure hope there were some lessons learned there. I guess you're an expert at road side tire changes now.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[Msg397]

Thanks for the welcome and yes on the tire blow outs, I would have to say mostly my fault. I fell victim to what many fifth wheel owners do in that there is so much storage, I guess it’s ok to put something in there, right?. Well obviously not true and with us wanting to be prepared for an emergency, having every toy that would fit, and in the clothing area, prepared for a day at the beach all the way to participating in any black tie affair, we were packed to the hilt engorging any and all cargo capacity ratings and with a dual axel 36’ fifth wheel that is a recipe for disaster so I pretty much had it coming to me and now closely following weight restrictions and tire care and inflation. It also helps these days for a triple axle 20,000 lb GWV weight rating with G rated tires. We have also gotten ourselves on the scales but being so gun shy after our Montana experience, we find ourselves well within weight limits even with an 1100 lb razor on board.
You may wonder how we made it to our destination with 3 flat tires well we had an extra spare on board (65 lbs or so), so that took care of 2 flats. The third occurred right as we pulled in to our camp sight in the Ocala national forest so we set up camp with one tire flat. The next day I put the entire rig on jack stands, loaded up all 6 tires in the truck and drove into town to get new tires. On one hand a real bummer to our trip, truly some lessons learned but the blessing was that that third flat could of happened much earlier so it was quit lucky for us to make it to the campground as the third tire popped.
So all in all, it cost a day of fun and some $$$ to deal with tires but we learned something and became a little more weight wise as a part of the experience.
Even with our new Momentum with much higher weight capacity, triple axels, and better tires, I check tire pressure before any leg on any trip, rain or shine, we watch our weight management at all times and almost never drive over 65 mph. So far that seems to be a successful recipe for keeping tires in one piece. I might also add that one of the flats damages a fiberglass fender cap which is common in fifth wheel flats so that was one we had to take care of after we got home but it’s another reason to be prudent about your weight and speed as you travel the highways with any heavy rig.

I hate that all of that happened but am better prepared for traveling as I try to apply what I’ve learned since owning an RV is expensive enough let alone adding dollars for lack of knowledge or worse, engorging warnings clearly displayed on all rigs.

[777Airboss]

Hi I am very new to the forum , but would like to ask what model (manufacturer and size)tires you have on your momentum please.

Thank you,

Kevin

[Msg397]

Kevin, I'm so sorry about the delay, I have been away from email capabilities for weeks. Current size tires on the Momentum are ST235/80R16 LRG and are Westlake tires. I am considering in about a year or so going to an H rated tire and have only found the Hercules H-901 tires that would fit on my rim. Most others H rated tires require to move up to a 17" rim.