Trailer Life Article

[Dean Upson]

I just read the article in the "RV Clinic and Performance" section of the March 2003 issue of Trailer Life. The article was "2003 Ram Fifth-Wheel Hitch" by Jeff Johnston & Ken Freund.



Although the article had some interesting (if dated) information in it, it was by no means complete. I was especially disappointed to note the exclusion to the PullRite Hitch in the list of Hitch Suppliers at the end of the article. PullRite makes clamp on hitch brackets for all the models of the HD Ram. I know from personal experience that they have put a lot into the development of these no drill/weld brackets us. They really have gone the extra mile and for my money they have the best fifth wheel hitch on the market. One would have to wonder as to why TL overlooked one of their advertisers in this article.



Dean

 

[Casey Balvert]

Excellence

Dean,



I agree completely. I had my Pullrite 25. 5 hitch installed yesterday. This thing is built rugged beyond belief and the mounting system is so well thought out and so strong that it in effect reinforces the truck's frame. And not one single hole was drilled in my truck's frame. The customer service provided by all the folks at Pullrite raises the bar for excellence that few companies that I have ever dealt with will even think to strive for much less achieve.



Casey

 

[Fireman]

I concur

Does that surprise anybody?



Fireman

 

[jmtandem]

Dean,



Not to dump on TL but I quit subscribing last year. I did not find articles complete or comparisons of engines or trucks statistically valid. In some articles they comparatively tested towing capabilities of trucks. Unfortunately some of the trucks were not equipped comparatively. One truck would have a manual transmission and the other an automatic, for example. They didn't test apples with apples. But, to their credit TL did test what they had and had the tests been more in depth the magazine would be more useful to me. The final straw that caused me to not renew my subscription was some arrogance in articles that were condescending to other than RV highway users also enjoying public highways. I always thought that public highways are for all legitimate highway users to enjoy whether they are motorcycles, cars, vans, sports cars, trucks, fifth wheels or travel trailers, motorhomes or bicycles.

 

[Dean Upson]

I have become more and more disenchanted with the publishing industry and the media. They brainwash us with what they think we want to hear and they serve their own self interests. I am considering dropping my subscription to TL when the next renewal comes around. I hate to because I enjoy camping and like to keep up the latest products. If they are not giving me a complete and unbiased evaluation, then the information is useless. They do have some interesting and factual information, but I shouldn't have to sort it out.



Dean

 

[Casey Balvert]

I think that information that is found on the internet tends to be far more objective than most of the magazines that exist on advertising revenues. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what will happen if they are critical of a product made by one of their big advertising accounts.



Of course one must view information found on the net with a wary eye but forums such as this if take in perspective are far more valuable in terms of the real world than what you will ever read in magazines such as TL. While the TDR magazine is something that I enjoy reading when it comes in the mail, this forum is where the real information is. This part of the TDR is worth the price of admission. Just be sure to keep an open mind when reading it and keep the BS filter turned up. My two cents ladies and gentlemen. Off to work I go.



Casey

 

[jmtandem]

TL magazine, TDR magazine, website

Casey and Dean,



Thanks. I am not at all biased against magazines. I get several at home including the TDR. With TL (or other magazines), when was the last time they commented negatively about a product they tested and is also advertised in their magazine? I suspect that is pretty rare. TL magazine is all about RV users getting out and enjoying America. To publish an article that does not extend that same courtesy to the non- RV highway users also out enjoying America is condensending and arrogrant to me. For years TL was a magazine that instilled the desire among many folks to get an RV and hit the road, go camping, see America, and even try the RV lifestyle.



There is a incredible amount of information on the web site www.irv2. I agree with you, when you get into the discussion forums and you read about accounts from users of the product, the 'shoe leather hits the pavement' and the users are probably far more direct on their assessment of how a product works than a magazine would be.



I like the TDR website a lot, also.