andy_george

I'll be jealous of that weekly drive when the snow is flying here in Michigan! Thanks for the info...

6 person family here also. Welcome and congrats!

We bought the wife a new Honda CR-V a few weeks ago. We had a 2001 first gen., and holy cow how far they have come. Insane really. Anyways, it has nice aluminum wheels, but I just scored a 17" steel set of wheels off craigslist for mounting some new Blizzaks to for the winter. The steel wheels are the typical matte gray, and the wife would like something a little less ugly for the sloppy winter months. I know quite a few of you have plasti-dipped wheels, grills, etc. before so I'm just looking for a little guidance. Just a few questions: 1) I never plan to remove the black I apply, so is plasti better than spray paint? 2) when bolting the wheel to the hub, does the plasti want to remove or wrinkle where the lugnuts contact the wheel? 3) is there a better brand than another? I know our local Menards had a huge selection of plasti made for wheels, but I forget the brand name. 4) any other input! Thanks guys!

I'm with Rad.... We can't have the site moderator taking a Sienna on a cross-country trip;) Who's with me!?!? Sorry ASD Dad!;)

Awesome! Welcome!

Thanks for the input. Good points!

Within the next year or so our family business will probably be retiring our oldest pickup, a 1997 Powerstroke Ford. It's always been awesome, but it's just getting a little old, with little issues from rust and corrosion finally causing enough issue and concern that towing regularly with it makes me a little worried. I'd take another pickup, but probably a used one to save some money, and I'd also shy away from a diesel.... Love them for pulling, but the price premium just can't be justified when we use it 5 months a year for pulling relatively light loads. A nice setup would be a supercab Ford with the 6.2l, but many times the bed of a pickup fills up with supplies really fast. So I was thinkin a cargo NV may work quite well, as it would work as a great stock truck, while pulling one of the trailers that range from 5000-7500 pounds. The chassis, horsepower, and torque would be comparable to our old Ford, but the torque curve would be less impressive, for sure. Does anyone know what mods (no turbos or superchargers) can be done the to 5.6 in a used NV to increase its output without straining reliability or the rest of the drivetrain too badly? Again, this is a ways off, and may never come to fruition, but I'm open to anyone's knowledge and ideas. Thanks!

Not surprising, like you say, but nice of you to let us know. Is a "tailpipeoscopy" a real thing, lol!?? Is that that real term they use for the exhaust sniffer?!

I'm assuming that pic was a photoshop. I've also NEVER seen the top mirror convex, in any application.

I noticed the glare immidiately after we got out NV also. I thought it would drive me crazy, but I've gotten used to it and don't notice it anymore.

Awesome info and advice, guys. Another reason that this forum is the only one I check regularly.... But part of me now wants to join rv.net and kick off my intro with a thread titled "Does our 2001 Honda CRV have the correct air freshener to safely tow our new triple-axle destination trailer?" :)

I like the badging you put on the door. Nice touch!

Great point. The lateral forces are exactly why I decided to give an improved trailer tire a try. Our concession trailers have to be parked in some really tight spots at events, and the tandem really twists hard at times. Hopefully these are more up to the task!

A few weeks ago ASD Dad and some others were discussing trailer tires and I chimed in. I forget which thread it was though. Anyways, since then I've blown ANOTHER Goodyear Marathon with absolutely no warning, not high temps, below rated load capacity, and at 55mph. I vowed to never buy another trailer tire again, and give Light Truck (LT) tires a shot for trailer duty. But I recently discovered that Goodyear has a new trailer tire they promise is better.... The Endurance. Slightly more expensive, but the load ratings are way higher for the same size, speed ratings are up, they have a new rubber compound, and are made in the US. I caved and ordered 4. I'll give an update when I get them and mount them up....

Welcome and happy travels!

That is awesome. If my wife was more open to a vehicle like that I'd be looking high and low for one. And I like the wheels.... Same wheel I chose.

Thanks for the info! Glad to have an active moderator!!

Can't wait for the pics! The dynamat has always seemed like a great mod, but I don't have much experience with removing the door panels.... Seems like for me something always breaks, and is squeaky when back together, etc.

Or so I thought.... Until I realized that a 25lb. bag of cane sugar had fallen against the interior door handle assembly, and wasn't allowing the power locks to flip the lock flipper. Once again, these NV's make Maytag appliances and Timex watches seem like things that require constant attention, lol;).

Nice that a father of 5 still has time to spend in the garage. Good work!

Good info, thanks. I've also always thought the filter seemed small for the motor size, but just stuck with it. I may jump up to a larger filter for the points you made.

Awesome. Welcome!

SWMBO! Had to look that one up! Funny.. I have one of those also! Lol!

Yeeeaaaaahhhhhh..... If I had the ambition or brains to figure out why my pics always post so goofy the rest of you could stop flipping your monitors to see what I'm trying to show ya!:)

Love that our NV can carry six passengers and 1000+ pounds of business cargo on the same trip. Truly the most do-it-all vehicle available! And it hardly squats! And when more cargo space is required, it's time to hook up!