The Banks System October 01, 2011, 03:07:14 pm Yahoo Message Number: 125621We are considering the Banks system, but do not know what a proper system looks like, since there are options, many of them.Can anyone recommend the best items for a 2006 E450 V10? We are hoping to increase our up hill towing power. Mileage changes aren't such a concern as long as I can get up some of those grades without unhitching. I'm lazy...;-)Lydia
Re: The Banks System Reply #1 – October 01, 2011, 05:14:15 pm Yahoo Message Number: 125626QuoteWe are considering the Banks system, but do not know what a proper system looks like, since there are options, many of them.Can anyone recommend the best items for a 2006 E450 V10? We are hoping to increase our up hill towing power. Mileage changes aren't such a concern as long as I can get up some of those grades without unhitching. I'm lazy...;-)Lydia Lydia, I'm respectfully curious. I have an '02 30' and have towed a '95 Honda Accord and now tow a '10 CR-V and have towed all over the western states over most of the major passes. I never felt I had to "unhitch". Where are you taking your rig and tow vehicle (how heavy is it?) that you feel you have to unhitch? The Banks system is a pretty expensive remedy. Just my opinion, of course.Chris
Re: The Banks System Reply #2 – October 01, 2011, 07:39:37 pm Yahoo Message Number: 125633Lydia,Just call BANKS directly and they will walk you through what you need. That is the way I did it , actually they sent me information either by emai or snail mail. Been a while so I don't remember. If you are within driving distance to Banks I recommend you go directly to them as this is their business. They have a place where you can park overnight and it takes about 6 -8 hours to install. Hope this helps.Betty Jean
Re: The Banks System Reply #3 – October 01, 2011, 07:51:02 pm Yahoo Message Number: 125634Just checked the Bankspower.com site at the bottom is a way to tell what you may need. We have unhooked when we have gone off the beaten path on a couple of narrow, extremely steep (one pass we were told was 7%)and another one in Colorado that the road was tight and steep. That is unusual and the Banks kit did not make that much difference. We saw a diesel truck pulling a 5th wheel on the Colorado road that was stopped because it was that steep. Wish I could just remember which road we were on that time! LOLBetty Jean
Re: The Banks System Reply #4 – October 01, 2011, 11:15:55 pm Yahoo Message Number: 125640Chris,We are driving a 2006 30' and since purchasing last September have felt that the coach is quite underpowered when towing. Our last coach was shorter and had a Ford E450 V8 and even given her age (1982) had more umph pulling a load up a hill. We are not trying to go fast but 35 at the top of a grade is pretty bad. That is just on a couple of grades north of Bishop and Lee Vining, CA on 395. So, on a couple of those grades we now unhook. The other grade where we always unhook is the Tioga Pass. Going slow on that grade anyway but it is quite a climb. We are pulling a '04 Wrangler Sahara. (3500 lbs) The jeep is pretty heavy but since the coach isn't fully loaded we would like a little more power. Pulled a full flat bed trailer with my Toyota Matrix atop with the old coach and both vehicles were loaded as we were moving at the time. Well over 5,000 pounds and went over the Tehachapi Pass in CA much better than the new coach does.thanks, Lydia
The Banks System Reply #5 – October 01, 2011, 11:45:46 pm Yahoo Message Number: 125641As I believe I mentioned
Re: The Banks System Reply #6 – October 02, 2011, 11:31:02 am Yahoo Message Number: 125654Lydia mentioned the grade on 395 north of Lee Vining. I drove up that in March. I was towing a Toyota Yaris at just under 3000 pounds. I was driving a 2008 MB with the V10 engine, and no after-market engine enhancements. I had no trouble maintaining 45 on the grade. In fact, there is a curve to the left about half way up and I backed off a bit because my speed was just a tad high for conditions (wind, snow). I had initially considered putting a Banks system on my RV but, after a year of driving aound the East and another 6 months driving around the west, I decided I didn't need it. To each his own...Ken F in UT
Re: The Banks System Reply #7 – October 02, 2011, 12:20:00 pm Yahoo Message Number: 125656"I had initially considered putting a Banks system on my RV but, after a year of driving aound the East and another 6 months driving around the west, I decided I didn't need it. To each his own...KenWe too have pull a Jeep up and down most of the major passes in the West including many 11,000' passes in the Rockies. We always made the top, sometimes a little slow, but we made it. We have never needed to disconnect to be able to climb a grade. Now, there are a few down grades that might be better taken disconnected but even that that has been handled with the use of gears and careful braking. A Banks would not help going downhill. We thought about the Banks system but realized that we are not in that big a rush (most steep grades rarely last very long) and the $3000+ price tag would buy a lot of gas. Knowing myself, I would be using the extra power much of the time and would further diminish the mileage. Anyway, compared to our 1983 LD, with a 350-V8, the 2003 LD, with the V10, feels like a sports car and is faster even when towing. It's all relative. I'm happy to have this perspective.Larry
Re: The Banks System Reply #8 – October 02, 2011, 12:56:09 pm Yahoo Message Number: 125657On Sun, 02 Oct 2011 16:19:53 -0000, "Larry" wrote:QuoteWe have never needed to disconnect to be able to climb a grade.Larry, I will bet you know more about this than I do. We disconnect just to abide by the Ford guidelines for total weight at a given elevation. For us, this is 8,500 feet. Fortunately, there are few passes over 8,500 where you maintain that elevation for more than a few miles, so we rarely have to disconnect.The guidelines are in the Ford Owners Manual.In scenic Mountain View ArkansasCheers, Don
Re: The Banks System Reply #9 – October 02, 2011, 02:05:33 pm Yahoo Message Number: 125658"We disconnect just to abide by the Ford guidelines for total weight at a given elevation. For us, this is 8,500 feet. Fortunately, there are few passes over 8,500 where you maintain that elevation for more than a few miles, so we rarely have to disconnect."DonThe thing that is likely to cause problems when climbing steep, high-altitude grades is overheating. Our LD has a ScanGuage that is set to show the water and transmission temps. I have never seen either get excessively hot. Ford's V10 have a well designed cooling system that, when in good condition, can handle just about anything you throw at it.Larry
Re: The Banks System Reply #10 – October 02, 2011, 04:04:18 pm Yahoo Message Number: 125659Ok, I will get a bit more specific as I would love some feedback. We are driving a 2006 IB AE with slightly over 18,000 miles on the engine. We picked this coach up in Missouri a little over a year ago with 9,000 miles on her. Driving back to CA was a breeze while the roads were flat. As soon as we started any climbs I noticed that the coach seemed to be reluctant and frequently I found my foot to the floor to keep up some sort of speed (45 MPH with no toad). AND, all cargo bays and interior cupboards were bare except for manuals and such that came with the coach. After 12 years of driving SOB coaches, it seemed this new one should have done a bit better than that (expectations). We are perfectly happy doing 55 as CA requires when towing so it is not that we are trying to break any land speed records. After all, we are on a trip and the purpose is to at least see the roses as we drive by but at times it feels like we could actually take a still pic of them as well. We also have a scan gauge and are not experiencing any heating issues. Haven't observed the tach to often, haven't felt the need.So, bottom line is when we attach our toad life gets very slow. Anyone else have this issue? Could it be that the engine itself isn't quite up to snuff? Certainly wouldn't think it needs a major tune or such.Love the feedback! Robin and Lydia
Re: The Banks System Reply #11 – October 02, 2011, 05:17:05 pm Yahoo Message Number: 125660With 305 hp and only 14,050 GVWR, you should be doing much better than you are. It sounds like I do better with my 225 hp V10 and 14,000 lbs (1998 Maverick on an E350 chassis plus trailer) than you are, so I suggest having good mechanic check it out. Things like a restricted intake filter or exhaust system can substantially reduce power, along with several other things, but will let the engine run well at lower power.Eric Greenwell
Re: The Banks System Reply #12 – October 02, 2011, 05:18:35 pm Yahoo Message Number: 125661About the towing limit of 55 in cal. if you use a tow bar it is consitered a combination and 55 does not apply,
Towing rules in California Reply #13 – October 02, 2011, 05:37:33 pm Yahoo Message Number: 125662What's a combination? Eric
Re: Towing rules in California Reply #14 – October 02, 2011, 05:58:14 pm Yahoo Message Number: 125664A combination is what the DMV calls a motorhome pulling a car with a towbar and the only requirement is to be able to stop within a certion distance.
Re: Towing rules in California Reply #15 – October 02, 2011, 06:36:03 pm Yahoo Message Number: 125665I've never heard of this, and the two California DMV publications on towing and driving I've read don't mention it, even though they both mention towing cars behind motorhomes. Do you have a specific reference?Eric
Re: Towing rules in California Reply #16 – October 02, 2011, 07:15:57 pm Yahoo Message Number: 125667Quote from: Eric Greenwell Rob Getts A combination is what the DMV calls a motorhome pulling a car with a towbar and the only requirement is to be able to stop within a certion distance.Eric Greenwell wrote:I've never heard of this, and the two California DMV publications on towing and driving I've read don't mention it, even though they both mention towing cars behind motorhomes. Do you have a specific reference? ---I don't tow, so maybe I missed something. I didn't find any section in the CA vehicle code that states that a motorhome towing a vehicle by a tow bar is exempt from the "All Vehicles When Towing 55 Maximum" law. Maybe Rob is referring to the laws governing *auxiliary brake requirements* ? It's commonly thought that CA mandates an auxiliary brake system on a *towed vehicle* weighing over 1500 pounds; it doesn't. There are "stopping distance" requirements for several categories of vehicles towing vehicles; one can wade through the convoluted yada yada that is the CA vehicle code for these. IMO, it's not a smart decision to tow a vehicle without an auxiliary brake system, but, AFAIK, in CA, it's legal unless the vehicle is *on a trailer*; then the "1500 pounds or over" law applies because one is towing the trailer, not the car. Never mind, of course, that the *car* weighs a whole lot more than any *car dolly*, but all this murky nonsense apparently is rational to whoever sits around thinking up stuff to put into the vehicle code.Joan
Re: The Banks System Reply #17 – October 02, 2011, 09:45:26 pm Yahoo Message Number: 125668On Sun, 02 Oct 2011 20:04:13 -0000, intilzha no_reply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:QuoteWe are driving a 2006 IB AE I have no idea what a IB AE is, but I doubt the bed, bath position affects performance. ah, maybe a 30 foot anniversary edition? Our 26 footer will maintain 58 mpg on a level road when the TPS reads 22 on the Scangauge, If your TPS reads much higher, I would suggest you have the engine checked. Something is not right.
Re: The Banks System Reply #18 – October 02, 2011, 10:21:41 pm Yahoo Message Number: 125669Yes it is a 30' 2006 Anniversary Edition Island Bed model. I will look at the TPS on our upcoming trip and see what it tells us.thanks for all the suggestions everybody.Lydia
Re: The Banks System Reply #19 – October 02, 2011, 10:25:46 pm Yahoo Message Number: 125670Quote Chris,We are driving a 2006 30' and since purchasing last September have felt that the coach is quite underpowered when towing. Our last coach was shorter and had a Ford E450 V8 and even given her age (1982) had more umph pulling a load up a hill. We are not trying to go fast but 35 at the top of a grade is pretty bad. That is just on a couple of grades north of Bishop and Lee Vining, CA on 395. So, on a couple of those grades we now unhook. The other grade where we always unhook is the Tioga Pass. Going slow on that grade anyway but it is quite a climb. We are pulling a '04 Wrangler Sahara. (3500 lbs) The jeep is pretty heavy but since the coach isn't fully loaded we would like a little more power. Pulled a full flat bed trailer with my Toyota Matrix atop with the old coach and both vehicles were loaded as we were moving at the time. Well over 5,000 pounds and went over the Tehachapi Pass in CA much better than the new coach does.thanks, Lydia I appreciate the reply. I have not been over those two passes with the LD but have driven them in a car. It's just my preference, but I do not mind going a little slower at the top to save the cost of the Banks set-up. But driving should be comfortable, and if more power would help you, then more power to you.Chris
Re: Towing rules in California Reply #20 – October 02, 2011, 10:45:40 pm Yahoo Message Number: 125673Yes I do But I will have to go to our MH TO get the spicific code. I have gone to our local highway patrol office to verify this, but I will get get you the code tomorrow , bob
Re: Towing rules in California Reply #21 – October 03, 2011, 01:26:37 am Yahoo Message Number: 125678QuoteA combination is what the DMV calls a motorhome pulling a car with a towbar and the only requirement is to be able to stop within a certion distance.I suggest that you review California Vehicle Code Section 22406 for speed limit.Art
The Banks System Reply #22 – October 03, 2011, 10:21:15 am Yahoo Message Number: 125689R&L,Do a search for message #119553, "2010 Ford E-Series Power" in the message database linked at the LD Group home page.Maybe you have the described problem.George Culp Saucier, MS 2001 T/K==========================================================So, bottom line is when we attach our toad life gets very slow. Anyone else have this issue? Could it be that the engine itself isn't quite up to snuff? Certainly wouldn't think it needs a major tune or such.Love the feedback! Robin and Lydia
Re: Towing rules in California Reply #23 – October 03, 2011, 02:32:51 pm Yahoo Message Number: 125698I have, Art I see nothing listed there about a motorhome pulling a auto with towbar , AKA combination as per section26454,Quote --- On Sun, 10/2/11, older_fossil no_reply@yahoogroups.com> wrote: From: older_fossil no_reply@yahoogroups.com> Subject: Re: [LD] Towing rules
Re: Towing rules in California Reply #24 – October 03, 2011, 04:01:40 pm Yahoo Message Number: 125699"I see nothing listed there about a motorhome pulling a auto with towbar, AKA combination as per section 26454"RobSection 26454 pertains to requiring vehicles to have adequate brakes, towing or not. It sets the standard. http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc26454.htm> I see nothing in it that negates the speed limit imposed in Section 22406. which states. "Maximum Speed for Designated Vehicles 22406. No person may drive any of the following vehicles on a highway at a speed in excess of 55 miles per hour: ...(b) A passenger vehicle or bus drawing any other vehicle. " http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc22406.htm> The State of California considers motor homes to be passenger vehicles, thus not requiring extra testing or an upgraded driver's license. California motor homes are licensed as passenger vehicles. I find this conversation humorous since I have had chats with our friendly Highway Patrol officers about the speed limit while towing. Their unanimous conclusion has been that motor homes are subject to the 55 MPH rule, when towing. Being that I'm not the only one who has had this conversion, I'm sure your argument has been ruled upon by the courts. If you have documentation to back up your claim, I would appreciate seeing it.Larry
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