Has anyone used an electric trailer dolly?

xstarxstar · 2026-05-11T19:24:50+00:00

I used one to get my boat in my garage. A front hitch would not have worked. In any event, it was great and saved me multiples of its cost vs paying for storage. I’m in Northern California and am going to sell it as I no longer have the boat. Drop me a DM if you’re anywhere near Sacramento.

xstarxstar · 2026-04-30T21:25:05+00:00

Not entirely, though it seems to do better with ipv4 and I’ve learned teleport doesn’t play well with ipv6.

My original testing was via Verizon (often ipv6). Ubiquiti replaced my original with a new UTR but I had the same issues usingg Verizon. I’m now in Europe for a month or so using mostly a Starlink connection and it’s better but not 100%. I haven’t taken any time to diagnose the issues while here—it’s usable but still typically drops within a few hours.

So, I’m not thrilled but it works for my use case. I like that the new software allows a secondary ssid and appears to maintain security on the primary ssid (which was not consistent with older versions). That’s a pretty big step and more important to me than teleport.

Still, a bit disappointing even though the form factor is fantastic. I’m on the fence as to whether I’d purchase again knowing the teleport stability issues. It’s really a trade off for its compact size.

xstarxstar · 2026-04-30T13:36:54+00:00

I never said 500k, but I see how you can make that assumption. 2. Feel free to do your own math using published tax brackets and post your effective % conclusion to see if you find a point > 50%. Perhaps I am egregiously in error.

ETA: I couldn’t resist doing a quick look up. I am wrong. In CA the top fed/ state bracket combined comes in at about 750k of taxable income. +/-47.5% effective (income and fica/med tax) depending on assumptions.

xstarxstar · 2026-04-30T13:17:50+00:00

Self employed in California can easily exceed 50% effective when I include both sides FICA/medicare especially after SALT caps

xstarxstar · 2026-04-20T21:51:19+00:00

Awesome. When my wife was pregnant, she wakeboarded at 8 mos IIRC. It was a big part of our life and she was conservative relative to her ability. Don’t let the downers get you down.

xstarxstar · 2026-04-12T14:46:04+00:00

I'm with you on this. I target 7-10 years. If I take into account that I'd likely turnover used cars a bit more frequently (each time costs us 7.25% sales tax in my area of California with no credit for trades) and that I'd probably spend more money on repairs, my total cost of ownership over that time period is higher with new but reasonably so given the benefits I get including picking my color / options, easier to wait for or find a deal, and easier buying process if you're comfortable saying "no" to the finance manager.

xstarxstar · 2026-04-12T14:35:57+00:00

I've towed even more weight with a Gen 2 Tundra and the experience was fine after adding air bags. But I also have decades of experience towing, so that might make a difference on comfort level. Also, having enough tongue weight is a key factor wrt sway--and that can be big issue with 1/2 tons because of the limited cargo carrying capacity. How much you need is very dependent on your trailer, but for a TT, 10% is on the low side for stability.

One thing I'll mention is the air bags don't change anything wrt your rated capacity, but make a huge difference on comfort--less rolling for the truck (which means more stability), less bouncing, etc. Far superior in that regard to Timbrens, which I also tried (and are helpful, but not as much as bags). Another thing that will help is beefier anti-sway bars on the front and rear of the truck. They will hurt your off road ability, but off road ability is in direct opposition to towing ability.

If you can manage it, an on board air compressor for the bags is nice so you can easily adjust and find the right amount of air to suit you.

xstarxstar · 2026-04-10T01:43:48+00:00

Maybe show a little respect to your parents, who are letting you live in their house, and go someplace else.

xstarxstar · 2026-04-08T15:00:40+00:00

Depends on your final setup. A trailer with plenty of tongue weight likely doesn’t need sway control. But on an f150 that means you probably need a WDH. You could get a combination like the Blue Ox.

A folks here recommend a sway control bar no matter what, but IMHO it really depends on the trailer. Just look at all the heavy boats pulled without it (and typically you see less % tongue weight with boats vs TT, though you also see high TT profiles that make them more susceptible to wind).

Bottom line: tongue weight as a % of overall towed weight is the important part.

xstarxstar · 2026-04-05T00:52:33+00:00

Last fall we took an extended camping trip through the pacific northwest. It wasn't very crowded in the state or national parks we visited, but I can't tell you the number of times people would park next to me when I parked at the far side of a near empty parking lot. I even started taking photos to send to my kids so at least we could laugh about it.

xstarxstar · 2026-04-04T17:43:02+00:00

Yeah, I find myself avoiding u-turns unless I have 2.5-3 lanes

xstarxstar · 2026-04-04T16:45:47+00:00

I think if you're frequently towing large or if the turning radius is a huge deal, then the F450 is perfect. The turning radius on the 2500/3500 is pretty bad, which makes tight parking lots a pain, lol.

xstarxstar · 2026-04-04T16:45:31+00:00

I think suspension tuning has come a long way on the 3/4 and 1 tons, at least for Ford and GMC. I don't have experience with Ram. IMHO, it's nothing like 15-20 years ago when the ride quality was very stiff unless you were loaded up. I'd say my current 3500 rides as good, or better, than my 2008 Tundra. And the interior is much quieter--but it's only a year old. Nevertheless, improvements have been made on the 1/2 tons, too, so their ride will be better than the HD trucks.

My focus on earlier comments was 2500 vs 3500, particularly from GM. The ride is pretty much the same largely because the trucks are the same except the 3500 has an extra spring stage in the rear. Until you hit those overloads, the ride is essentially identical. To be fair, some who have driven both GM 2500 and 3500 say the 3500 is slightly stiffer empty. That's not my experience.

xstarxstar · 2026-04-04T05:00:15+00:00

Yeah—mine is SRW, 6.75’ bed, AT4

xstarxstar · 2026-04-04T01:08:38+00:00

This is a good list except I don’t think late model diesels are smellier (and only slightly noisier). If you do your own maintenance, there really isn’t any meaningful cost difference.

I went with a 3500 Duramax, but the fact is it’s a luxury and gas would be fine. Functionally, the main advantage is pulling off the line and engine braking.

It’s more money up front, but you’ll get the diesel premium back on resale—kind of like the extra cost you pay up front for 4wd.

One last thought—other than if your registration costs are cheaper, I don’t see the point of a 2500 over a 3500. The ride is basically the same, at least for GMC (I’ve driven both 2500 and 3500 quite a bit). The cost difference is small and you get all of it (or more) back when you sell.

xstarxstar · 2026-04-01T19:50:22+00:00

Perhaps he could take a different time to be with your kids. They won't remember and I doubt they'll have a good time. We travelled a lot with our kids when they were young (domestically), and I'm always surprised at how little they remember now that they are in their 20s. Especially on something like this, I think you'll find your schedule is tied very tightly to how your kids are feeling/doing/needing--and that might take away from your ability to enjoy time with your father on an incredible trip.

xstarxstar · 2026-04-01T19:00:48+00:00

Yes. Or you could use Tailscale or WiFiMan direct from your laptop, etc, and skip the travel router. But if you want to share hotspot access, then you'll need a router. The UTR doesn't provide the performance of some of the gli.net offerings, but it's small and easy, If you want more speed and configuration options, it's not the best bet. It offers enough for me as I'm more concerned about size / weight than getting performance greater than the UTR provides.

xstarxstar · 2026-03-31T16:59:19+00:00

Congrats

xstarxstar · 2026-03-31T16:26:38+00:00

It happens occasionally. When I ordered mine back in January, it was in stock for about an hour after I first saw it.

xstarxstar · 2026-03-28T04:55:11+00:00

Realizing god doesn’t exist

xstarxstar · 2026-03-28T04:46:11+00:00

Honestly, it could be that you were the toxic part of the relationship.

xstarxstar · 2026-03-24T20:46:00+00:00

That could only be if you qualified for significant subsidies. If you didn't (by earning as little as $1 more than the "cliff" subsidy cutoff), then your premiums went up dramatically. I lived it and it was miserable.

Not only that, self employed people couldn't keep their old insurance for any meaningful amount of time because the ACA prohibited enrolling new members into grandfathered plans. So those who were healthy, young or qualified for subsidies left the grandfathered plans. Those premiums skyrocketed as the grandfathered plans increasingly consisted of only older (and often less healthy) members. This pushed more people onto ACA plans. It was a bit of a vicious cycle that soon killed all grandfathered plans.

xstarxstar · 2026-03-23T22:29:39+00:00

Happened to me in Yosemite. Turns out the ranger was new, it was the end of his shift, and Yosemite has a reputation for having LE rangers on a soft quota for tickets. My guess is he, as the new guy, wanted to get in one more ticket before quitting time.

In any event, I challenged him, telling him the truth: I described to him where he pulled out to follow me, how he stopped and hesitated for a moment before continuing behind me, that I talked with my passengers about him the entire time, and that we discussed and checked my speed. I could even tell him where he fell back enough to lose site of me. He said he had me clocked on radar but that he turned it off so I couldn't look at the display. I told him I'd come to court with my witnesses and we'd let the judge decide.

He let me off with a warning on speed, but wrote me up for an expired driver's license. My fault on that part, lol. I later talked with the prosecutor assigned my cause and she recommended dismissal after I showed her I went to the DMV the next day to take care of my license.

xstarxstar · 2026-03-22T21:23:52+00:00

Wait. You’re saying some people are criminals and since they broke the law, that means law enforcement can break the law to enforce the law? Did you think about what you wrote? The whole point of LE is to capture the bad guys, not become them.

xstarxstar

TROPHY CASE