Pismo Beach 1st Timer Experience

So you want to go to Pismo Beach in your brand new 5th Wheel Toy Hauler eh?  All the stories are true.  Plan on getting stuck.  Maybe if you read this you won't get stuck but even if you do it's no big deal.... probably.  Don't panic or be afraid, just be prepared.  Like anything in life it's not so bad once you have done it once.  Just make sure you do it right and you will have a great time.  If you are reading this post prior to your 1st trip then you are heading in the right direction.

My cousin, an avid Pismo Beach goer told me about how he burned up his brakes, blew up his clutch and how dually's don't do so well in the sand.  Kinda puts the fear in you right?  Other friends told me I would have to air down.  I am towing around 15,000lbs of 5th wheel behind a Dodge Ram 3500 4X4 Dually with a Cummins HO 6 speed MT.  I took the advice, made some modifications to my Truck, bought a tow strap, brought a shovel and a tool for removing air from my tires and off to the beach we go.

I had hoped to avoid airing down as it's a pain to air back up so I head out on to the beach without airing down. It was low tide so the sand was hard packed near the surf so I had no trouble driving to mile marker 7 to meet up with some friends.  They already had a site picked out for me.  I end up passing them a bit and start up the hill to turn around and I didn't make it 20 feet before I was knee deep in the sand.  My wife panics and jumps out.  I am calm, cool secretly a little concerned as this is my 1st time.  I immediately begin to air down the front.  A friend works on the trailer tires.  He has these things that you screw on and it takes the tires down to 18lbs automatically.  My wife digs out behind the tires with our shovel in preparation for backing out of the hole.  In less that 5 minutes I am backing out no problem which is good cause if the tide came in my 5th wheel would become a houseboat.  :)

But I am not out of the woods yet.  I still have to turn up and around into loose sand and drive to the spot.  I make a run and turn up and surprisingly traction is solid and I am moving along just fine in the soft stuff.  Airing down really does make a world of difference.  I still can't quite make it up the hill into the spot that was picked out for me.  I would get most of the way and start to dig in.  I am able to back out though since it is down hill.  I make few runs and gun it, throw some sand and finally come to rest next to three other RV's.  We were all circled up like they did with wagons in the old westerns.  Now it's time for a beer.

Backing out when it was time to leave was no problem.  Granny geared it out no sweat.  Left at high tide in the soft stuff and still no trouble.  Drove to the garbage cans with a mile left to go and felt it was ok to air back up.  Friends followed me there with their air compressors and I was backup in no time.  It helps to go with a group of friends that have done it before.  Now that I have done it, it will be much more relaxing drive next time.  The pre-trip anxiety will be gone.  Since I am still a newbie at towing a 5th wheel I have enough anxiety as it is.  After making the trip without any major issues I feel 100% more confident now.

Here is a summary of what I did to prepare and what I would do next time.

1. Added a PacBrake brand Exhaust Brake.  It comes with a tank which I used to air up the front tires.  This offers peace of mind coming down the hill.  Awesome!
2. Next time I will bring a small compressor as the small PacBrake compressor will take too long.  There is a service that will air you up for $1 per tire as a backup plan.
3. Added Smarty Jr programmer and 5" exhaust system to add and additional 100hp.
4. I purchased a Tire Valve remover to speed up the air down process but if you loose the valve you are screwed unless you have some spares.
5. Before the next trip I will buy set of Tire Deflators.  I think 18lbs was too low for my trailer so I will look for something to take them down to 25 or so and experiment from there.  I will also try to only air down the Trailer instead of the truck as I have heard that works for some.
6. Before the next trip I will pick up a small 6 gallon or similar portable compressor.
7. I used a full tank of diesel so I had nothing left by the time I got on the beach and had to make a special trip in to town for diesel.  Next time I will be looking to fill up part way there.
8. I brought some 4X6's to put under the jacks for stability.
9. Some folks bring boards and tarps that wrap around the RV keep the wind and sand out.  It wasn't too windy on this trip so they weren't needed but I gather it could be nasty on a windy day.

Other optional tips and info off the top of my head.  Bring firewood.  Nothing like a nice fire and Smores.  I learned that double riding is not allowed and helmets, flags are required on all vehicles on the dunes.  There is a 15mph speed limit on the beach which is patrolled regularly by authorities.  It's only $10 bucks a night and reservations are recommended on popular weekends.

Pacbrake and FLO ~ PRO Exhaust Installed

The Pacbrake Exhaust Brake and 5" FLO ~ PRO exhaust have been installed.  So far so good.  The PacBrake is working as expected.  Can't wait to try it with the fifth wheel in tow.  I purchased 5" FLO ~ PRO exhaust with a muffler as I am not trying to be louder.  I like the sound so far.  It is louder during acceleration, but it is hard to hear much of a difference at cruising speed which is exactly what I wanted.  Now my truck sounds like a beast, but only when you put the hammer down.  There were some minor and preventable install issues but for the most part things went well.

Summary:
Exhaust Elbow Removal took an extra hour due to some dumb idiot
Pacbrake Instructions need to be updated
Aftermarket accessories might get in the way of your new Exhaust

If I had to do it again I could probably do the install in a day, but in total I probably spend two full days on this project so be warned if you plan to do this yourself and you have never done it before.  I only banged one shin and one knuckle so not bad.  I like to do things right which also adds time.  Much of my time was spent in short spurts in-between breaks at work and after work.  I completed small portions of the install on the bench and did lots of periodic research.  I took a full day off to complete the brake and exhaust install.

I had issues removing the factory Elbow from the factory Turbo and the factory installed exhaust.  I could tell it would be difficult to remove the Elbow without removing the tire and wheel house splash shield so I went ahead and removed them.  The V clamp on the exhaust side of the Elbow came off easily with a 7/16 wrench.  The v clamp on the Turbo side was oriented in the most difficult place possible.  After repeated attempts with a 7/16 wrench and no success I tried a 10 mm wrench and to my unhappy surprise it fit.  WTF is what came to mind.  Who is the Idiot that did this?  One of the v clamps was clearly American made with a Chrysler symbol on it and the other was apparently made in Japan or somewhere where they use metric threads.  ARRR!  Come on!  Geeeze!  1 hour wasted.


There is nothing more concerning then when you finish a major install like this and it doesn't work.  I turned the truck on, the compressor ran and ran and ran, but the tank wasn't filling with air.  I figured it was an airline issue and reread the instructions.   Ultimately I found the problem, but it was based on guess work and a photo on the internet of someone else who got it right.  There is one major mistake in the instructions on step 15 which says to connect the Blue nylon hose to the connect fitting on the "BOTTOM" side of the Compressor.  If you are hanging upside down when you install the blue nylon hose, this might make sense.  Take a look at the picture to the right.  The picture demonstrates the correct way.  As you can see i had to connect the blue nylon hose to the connector on the "TOP" of the compressor.  Step 18 wasn't helpful either as it says, "Connect the Black nylon airline to the remaining fitting at the compressor".  Had this step been more clear I could have used process of elimination to figure out where the blue line should go.

The Pacbrake instructions could be more clear.  If you have never inserted an air line into a quick connect fitting you might wonder how to do it.  Once you have done it you realize how simple it is, but I had to research this as it was not explained in the instructions and I don't want to just guess. The install location for the wiring harness was also unclear.  The place they suggested doesn't appear to exist on my truck so I had to improvise.  Other than the installation instruction issues mentioned the product is working good.  I really love it so far.  Quality parts appear to have used so I am happy overall with the product so far.  Ive only driven a few miles with it so the Jury is still out, but so far so good.  Sounds cool too.  Big smiles.   If anything goes wrong I will be sure to update this. 

I had some minor issues when installing the 5" FLO ~ PRO exhaust.  There is nothing wrong with the exhaust system.  It's just that I have after market things installed that I didn't account for.  In the end it wouldn't have have caused me to change my purchase.  I have a B&W fifth Wheel hitch.  This hitch includes a large bracket under the bed that protrudes a couple inches down very close to the top bend in the exhaust tip section of the pipe.  Additionally I had an after market sway bar that was in the way.  I no longer need the sway bar so I removed it.  I also found I had to cut an inch and a half off the tip section of the exhaust from the side where it connects to the muffler so I could stay clear of the spare tire.  I also have an after market hitch that was in the way of the bracket that holds the tip portion of the pipe.  I was able to utilize the bracket where the sway bar attached and it all works well.  Sounds very nice as well.

Took the truck for a test drive.  Between the addition of the Smarty Jr and the new exhaust, the truck gets up to speed very quickly now.  So quick, I plan to turn down the setting on the Smarty Jr.  I really don't need that much, but it is nice to have.  The Pacbrake works great.  It really slows you down especially when running at higher rpm's.  The Pacbrake automatically disengages when you apply the gas.  I should be picking up the fifth wheel from the dealer soon so I can give it a good test.  I am heading to Pismo beach next month which will be the real test. Can't wait.

Wow! Adding Horsepower Was Way Too Easy

I am still pinching my self to make sure I am not dreaming.  Yesterday I added 100HP in 3 minutes.  Well, sort of.  I did a fair amount of reading before hand and some internet searches to decide on what setting to use, but the install literally took around 3 minutes.  You plug in the device for a couple minutes, select your desired power setting and that is pretty much it.  You can unplug it and put the programer under the seat and enjoy the new power or you can leave it plugged in and play with the power setting which ranges from 0 to 99.

I own an 03 Dodge 3500 Ram with the 24 valve 5.9L Cummins engine with a 6 spd MT.  Until my recent purchase of a 15lb fifth wheel I had always felt my Dodge had plenty of power.  Not so now.  It works, but I want more ya know?  I called Power Products Unlimited to get a suggestion on which exhaust brake and exhaust system they recommended.  I had done some preliminary research already but I wasn't sold yet on any products.  I figured the added HP gain and lower EGT's would be enough of an increase in HP so I had no plans to buy a programmer.  The salesperson recommended the Pacbake exhaust brake and Pro Flo exhaust system.  He also recommended the MADS Smarty Jr and went on to explain more about the product.  I was an easy sell.  I figured since I was doing the install my self I could afford the extra expense of the programmer and I am all smiles now.  :)

After some internet searching most people were recommending the SW2 setting (70HP gain) for auto tyranny's and SW3 (100HP gain) for the MT.  From what I read, depending on your diving habits, SW3 can actually be better on fuel economy.  We shall see.  I have only driven around town a bit so the jury is still out on the settings.  I am concerned about burning up my clutch so I may tone it down a bit.  Running empty the increase in acceleration is huge now, but if I punch it while towing I might blow up my stock clutch.  It sounds like there is a torque setting that I can adjust to help minimize the chance of damaging the clutch.

I will update this post later as I learn more. 

Peace of Mind Modifications to Reduce Stress

After taking delivery, our maiden voyage and a trip to the dealer with the Beast in tow and after conversations with friends and family I have determined there are some necessary upgrades that must be completed.  These upgrades should add peace of mind and confidence which will reduce stress while towing a 15,000 lb fifth wheel.  As i mentioned in a previous post "What have I done?" my truck has met it's match.  And after our Maiden Voyage in our Cyclone 3110 I realized at least two modifications would be required add on's to my 03 3500 Dodge Ram HO Cummins Dually.

My Dodge handled the beast ok, but breaking is a concern and getting up to speed is slower than desired.  Until now my Dodge has been more than enough.  I carried a 4,000lb camper and towed an 18ft fiberglass boat with no trouble.  The only performance modification I have made was adding a cold air intake.  I also added Turbo and Pyrometer gauges so I can keep an eye on things.  After hearing stories about people smoking their brakes there is no way I am taking this beast up any long and steep grades until my truck is ready.

My research suggested that going with the Pacbrake exhaust brake would be a good choice.  Since money is tight and since this was not originally budgeted into our purchase I will be doing the install myself.  Since I also need more horsepower i figured it would be a good time to upgrade the exhaust and add a performance module.  I am not trying to get loud or smoke my tires or blow black smoke out my tail pipe.  I just want to be able to get up and go when I need to.  So I went with the Flo Pro 5" turbo back exhaust and was advised to buy the MADS Smarty Jr.  I was told my MPG might improve with this setup as much as 4 mpg.  I don't believe that, but if I save any and gain power i will be happy.  I am anxious to see how much my exhaust temps go down after adding the new exhaust.

For those of you thinking about doing your own install like this I will warn you, it is a bit intimidating at 1st.  In my case I haven't had a full day available to work on this yet, so I have been picking away at the install 10 mins here, 30 mins there an hour there.  I started by doing the easy stuff that could be done on the bench.  I have done a lot of internet and forum searches looking for photos and how to's whenever I had questions and slowly things are coming together.  The install is not complete yet, but so far so good.  Everything has bolted up nicely.  The instructions could be improved, however using process of elimination on the air lines they have been sufficient so far I hope.  I had to pick an alternate location for the mounting of the wiring harness since the location they pointed out in the instructions doesn't seem to exist for my model and year Dodge.

I had a hard time deciding where to install the air tank.  I think I would prefer to mount it mid-ship on the passenger side, however in the end I installed it exactly where the manual suggested.  I am sure this will be fine.  I still have some electrical work to complete and now that the exhaust has arrived so I just need to take a day off to complete the job.  My weekends are just too busy and I need to get this done.  I have read you need three hands for a portion of the exhaust brake to exhaust pipe connection phase so I will most likely be phoning a friend.

I will update this post when the job is done.

Planned or Completed Upgrades, Mod's and Additions

This is a list of upgrades, modifications and additions that are necessary, nice to have or wish I had.  I own a Dodge Ram 3500 HO Cummins 5.9L with 6sp mt.  I just bought a Heartland Cyclone 3110 and they both needed some work done.  The Truck has met it's match power-wise and the Cyclone just doesn't feel like home yet but I am getting there.

1. Exhaust Brake - PacBrake $1,258
2. 5" Exhaust - Flo Pro - $510
3. MADS Smarty Jr - Done - Wow! - $495
4. Fifth Wheel Hitch - B&W Companion $2,000ish installed
5. Brake Controller 
6. Air Bags
7. Adjustable Shocks
8. Replaced Blow Max Tires with Goodyear G614's. 
9. Air Compressor that can put 110 lbs of air into your new G614's after a Pismo trip when you have to let the air out to avoid getting stuck in the sand.
10. 200 Watts of Solar power with Charge Controller
11. Inverter 
12. Replace all bulbs with LED bulbs.
13. Blue Ray Surround Sound Receiver to replace the old DVD version that it came with.
14. 12 Volt Receptacles for charging devices
15. Replaced the basic Fantastic vent with one that has a thermostat remote control, rain sensor and is reversible.
16. Installed a sewer hose storage tube.
17. Added a screw on sewer pipe valve since one of the other valves is leaking.
18. Relocated the spare tire as it hung too low.
19. Need to increase ground clearance between the rear Level Up jacks and the ground to avoid scraping and to allow for traversing area's with sharp grades like parking lot entrances.
20. Water Filter, regulator, gauge.
21. Made some nice cup holders to either end of the Couch.
22. Made a small storage shelf for the garage for nicknacks. 
23. Found and utilized a significant hidden storage area located just to right of the drawers on the kitchen island.

Not cheap.  Keep these costs in mind if you plan to tow a fifth wheel.

Maiden Voyage of the Beast

Our maiden voyage/shakedown cruise in our new Heartland Cyclone aka "The Beast" is a family reunion in Napa.  The hotels are all booked up so three of our families take the RV's and we stay in a parking lot owned by one of our relatives.  We didn't get far out of our driveway when two significant problems were brought to my attention.  No brake lights on one side and water was pouring out of the underbelly.  After some investigation and due to the fact that we were on a time table we determined the problems could wait and we hit the road.  My dad was following us so he would take up the rear to help deal with the lack of brake lights on one side.

Summary of observations and lessons learned:
Brake lights failed on one side - Broken plug found under the back bumper.
Water leaking from underbelly
Shower Stall Crack - Covered under warranty
Add blocks under jacks that won't reach when fully extended
Unable to use the fan above the Stove without running the Gen or plugging in
Smoking brakes and clutch concerns brought to my attention

We got a killer deal on a new 2014 Heartland Cyclone, but I am starting to wonder if maybe there was a reason for the deal. I had already found a significant crack in the shower stall.  God knows how they will be able to fix that one.  A patch won't be acceptable.  I asked if there were any leaks during the PDI and was told there are no leaks.  We tested the lights at the dealer and I was told the brake lights worked so were they lying to me or did something shake loose?

On the way to Napa I am experimenting with different levels on the brake controller and finally seem to find a good setting, but then I end up changing it again.  Just can't get it right.  I wonder if there is a better way.....  My almost stock 03 Dodge HO Cummins does an ok job but as I mentioned in my last post, it has met it's match.  But it handled the hills just fine.  Accelerating up to speed from a stop is a problem though.  Stopping the beast is still uncomfortable.  More about my thoughts on these thing later though.

We arrive at our destination again without a scratch.  We are late for dinner so we all jump in my dads camper and head off.  Good times with some of our family.  Belly's full and a couple beers and I am good.  The stress of the drive and all the issues is fading a bit.  We head back to our new home in the parking lot.  I unhitch and level the beast with a few buttons but there is an error.  Turns out one of the Jacks was unable to reach the ground.  Noted and will correct the next time with a block.  We settle in for the night.

I am a bit of an early bird in the mornings so i get up to see if I can figure out the Brake problem.  After a few tests I find the problem was a result of a plug that had vibrated loose behind the bumper.  This was an oversight by the guys that installed the fifth wheel hitch.  The plug is damaged so it doesn't clip in like is should.  For now I taped the two plugs together with electrical tape and one problem is solved.

There is still a very slow and steady drip coming from the underbelly.  The Coroplast underbelly material covers everything so there is no way to determine where the leak is coming from .  The pump isn't cycling randomly so I have ruled out a leak in the water system for now and ignore the problem for the remainder of the trip.

Now my mind turns to breakfast and others are starting to awake so I ask around as to what the plan is.  Turns out it is potluck breakfast and we will all be eating in the Cyclone.  Cool.  This will give me a chance to try out the back deck patio and tables.  We were able to seat all nine of us very comfortably using the three tables that come with the beast.  Yeah!

I am used to a Lance Camper that had solar and most everything ran off the batteries.  This Cyclone is not setup for dry camping.  The Fan above the stove is integrated in the Microwave which runs on 120v.  The only way to use the fan while cooking bacon is to run the generator or plug into power.  This will have to be resolved at some point since I plan to do a lot of dry camping. Adding Solar and an inverter is one of my top priorities.

Skipping ahead to breakfast the next day where I sit with a cousin of mine that has been towing a Toyhauler for many years.  He also has a Dodge with a Cummins and begins to tell us about his trips to Pismo beach.  One one trip he smoked his brakes trying to come to a stop at a bottom of a hill.  He drives like he is racing though even when toying his beast.  On another trip he punches the pedal on his pumped up Dodge and smokes the clutch.  Lessons learned without having to experience them, but now I have to spend some money.  Ouch.  My wife is listening in and says that I didn't research this enough.  I need more horsepower, but not so much that I smoke my clutch and an exhaust brake is a must have.

The trip home goes somewhat smoothly, although still stressing a bit, things are improving.  While dumping the tanks I realize that one of the tank valves was left open at the dealer.  Thank god it was grey water.  I used the black tank flush system but it didn't seem to help as the black tank still shows as almost full on the gauge.  We arrive home.  Backing into the driveway was easier this time.  Unhitching and again I realize it pretty nice to unhitch and have full use of my truck vs having to remove a truck camper.  But I am far from satisfied with my decision yet.  I will keep posting my progress.

What have I done?

Those were the words that went through my mind as I drove off the lot with my 2014 Heartland Cyclone 3110 in tow.  Pulling out of the dealer I shift from first to second gear for the 1st time with 14,000lbs in tow I am realizing that my truck has met its match.  I had a bit of sellers remorse after selling my 11 year old Camper the night before.  I am starving from the 3 hour PDI, I have a beast in tow and I am stressing about where I can pull over to eat.  My mind races to justify my purchase but there is no turning back now.

Summary:
My truck has met it's match.  Need to add power.
Jacks and Spare Tire Hang too for comfort in the back
Need a backup camera and a co-pilot
Once I am on the freeway towing is comfortable
The Refrigerator vent cover came off during transport
Finding parking is a problem, but I feel experience will help reduce stress

I am used to a Lance Truck Camper.  It was the biggest one they made at the time and I could go anywhere with it.  The ass end of the Cyclone sits too low for comfort so I know I can't go into just any parking lot.  Starving, I look for a truck stop on my way home.  I finally find one ahead and I pull over and attempt to find parking.  I drive around and find an entrance where all the truckers pull in.  I take a right down an alley that appears to be a potential parking spot and ooops.  There is no way I am going to make it back on the road due to the deep dip where the side walk meets the pavement.  So I have to back out without a backup camera or a co-pilot to guide me.  Not fun.


I am back on the road for a bit and thinking about whether or not to stop off for some diesel or not.  I need practice to get over the fear of towing the beast so I decide to pull over to top off the Diesel and fill up the tanks on the Cyclone.  The distance behind the wheels on the Cyclone Toy Hauler and the ass end is seemingly endless.  I worry I will take someone or something out as I make a turn.  This is going to take some getting used to.  You can't drive around and look for cheap gas.  You pick the first station that can accommodate you and the beast.  Found one, filled up the tanks(Over $200 Bucks) and successfully navigated back to the highway without any damage.  Woot!

I decide I need supplies and figure it is now or make a special trip later, so I keep an eye out for a Wal-Mart.  Some folks boon-dock including us on occasion at Wal-Mart so I thought it would be a good option for finding parking and the supplies I needed.  NOT this one!  All the lanes were bordered with huge trees that hung low and narrow entrances that I can't fit through.  It is almost as if it was done on purpose to keep the RV's out of the parking lot.  I manage to find a spot but my rear end is sticking out.  I wait for a Bus to pull out and I reverse into a spot with help from a fellow driver who sensed my need for assistance.  With supplies purchased I am on the road again.


I finally make it home without a scratch.  I had to place wooden blocks near the curb so I could make it up onto the drive way.  I back into a spot that was earmarked for a potential beast long before the thought came to mind to buy one.  Unhitching the beast was a breeze compared to removing the Lance camper.  Just lower the front jacks, unplug, open the jaws of the hitch and pull away.  Push a button and the 6 point leveling system did it's job and I am done....for now. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.


During the trip home at my 1st stop I parked and did a walk-around and find that the Refrigerator cover is missing.  Damn.  During the PDI the guy opened it but I guess he didn't close it properly.  I immediately call ed the Salesperson and he tells me he would send me a replacement.  He did it, sent the wrong size, then sent me a second one and it fit but it doesn't have the decals.  I am a little bummed about that.

I feel like I need a place to vent, share, warn and remember this adventure.  For now all I have done is put the fear of god in anyone thinking about moving up to a 5th wheel.  I hope to reach a point of comfort as I gain experience and as we customize the beast so that it feels like home.  I like to boon-dock and the beast is not ready yet.  There is much to do and all I really want to do is hit the road.  I am stuck behind this computer for now sitting in my comfortable arm chair but that will change soon I am sure.