How do I convince the DW

[ADQ K9]

That a wet bolt kit, and better tires than the factory Trail King are a necessary upgrade. A need vs a want.

[66joej]

Get her to read some tire threads on this forum.

[chuckster57]

Tell her a tech said so.

[ajk170]

That's a tough one- I went three years before my DW agreed that the money would be well spent- I argued the tread was almost gone but we only had about 7K miles on the tires. I also pointed out the noise the trailer made as we crept around the various parks. But I argued for the Morryde CRE 3000 in addition to the wet bolt ket since the labor cost was negligible. I was able to take advantage of a Trip from El Paso to Disney World to argue that the CRE 3000 would help in the suspension and make the ride better for everybody. And I argued that getting the best tire we could afford would be a huge upgrade over the China bombs that were previously on there. She agreed and we did it, I looked at the Lippert Shock system as well but that was a bridge too far at the time. I also agree that reading this and other forums are a huge help to educating you on the issues, upgrades and potential dangers that these things can become. If your DW is like mine, she won't read these forums, she leaves that up to me so the challenge isn't just getting her to agree but also to read forums like this and that maybe too much! Baby steps... I would also suggest framing the the tire conversation how it's a benefit to her and the family, make it about her and them and less about how it's something that you just want to do (despite that it's really a safety factor). I suggest prioritizing with the tires being #1 and wet bolt kit ...not #1. Another thing I would recommend when upgrading tires- don't forget to opt for the metal stems rather than the standard ones. If you do that, you could set yourself up for a future tire pressure monitor, but again... baby steps. I would also frame the tire discussion in terms of the damage (not to mention safety) that a blow out could do to the coach and what that would do to your insurance rates (they will go up). So tires are an investment and insurance against potential future problems. But in fairness to her, if you just pulled your coach off the lot she probably sees buying tires now as buying them twice and nobody wants to do that. Like I said, I did pull my 316RL 7K miles (mostly highway) around Southern GA to Central FL up to VA (in the early Summer) and then from VA (Williamsburg area) to El Paso TX in late summer. Point is, those miles were on the China bombs and I certainly exceeded the 65mph speed rating. Was I lucky, absolutely and I don't know that I would do all that again. And that is the other aspect, those China bombs are typically rated for 65mph max and if you exceed that an cause an accident when they blow, you will probably be help negligent if they prove you were speeding. Sorta like being overweight and causing an accident as a result of being overweight... "you're screwed and you know it!" (he says with the best Scottish accent). The low speed rating on those China bombs would also be part of the safety argument if I were presenting it.
You may also consider a slow build up of data and evidence in order to chip away at her rather than putting it all out there.
Good Luck!
-Andy

[ADQ K9]

What I neglected to mention is that she controls the finances, I just bring in the money. Its been 3 years and she still hasn't let me forget I almost died when I ordered our TV without her knowledge. There are a lot of other wants too, most of them will increase the value of our trailer. Since the trailer is encapsulated in snow now about all I can do is plan for the spring.

[ADQ K9]

Joe,
Looks like you got a new truck. Congrats

[gearhead]

Buy her a pair of gloves and coveralls and show her where the spare is. Tell her "it's all yours".

[Brentw]

Guess I'm lucky too with my mate, a couple of questions to keep me honest, then it's a go ahead if you think it's the right choice.
But that said, she knows I've usually over researched before I make a decision.

[FlyingAroundRV]

Not sure about the wet bolt kit, but convincing her about better tires is a no brainer. I sold my DW just by telling her how much damage a blown tire can do to the trailer vs how much a new set of boots cost ... $thousands vs about $400-500. It's a no brainer for us! Also, had to convince her that a TPMS was good insurance too. Now she monitors the tire pressures while she knits and I drive, and we both travel with relative peace of mind about what's happening waaaay back there on the trailer.

[busterbrown]

It's a pretty convincing argument when you have photos and real world shared experiences that prove the destructive power of a shredded tire carcass at highway speeds. A quality set of $100 tires is relatively cheap insurance to help mitigate a vacation ending failure. As others have stated, let the DW read a few posts on this or any other RV forum. She'll be a true believer.

FWIW, a wet bolt kit is much easier on the pocket book than a set of tires if you're able to do the work yourself. But if your like me, the wet bolt kit can be the catalyst for new heavier axles and springs.

"There are a lot of other wants too, most of them will increase the value of our trailer" - This comment worries me as I'm extremely confident that any given trailer is losing value after delivery no matter the money, effort, or upgrades "invested". A $5,000 solar and LiFePO4 battery bank may be a wonderful convenience for the coach's owner. But for all intents and purposes, it's a convenience (upgrade) that will depreciate just as quick as the RV itself. It may help sell the coach quicker when that time comes. But I don't think people invest in a better mattress or nicer sofa in their fifth wheel in the hopes of "value-added" profits. YMMV

[notanlines]

Mike, Here's what you own:
2016 Ford F350 CC 6.7 4x4 SRW (Ghost Rider)
2017 Cougar 29 RKSWE (The Tumble Weed)
Connected by a Curt 15K WDH W/Sway Control
A late model F350, a really nice RV, the best (arguably) WDH on the market and you get grief for an expenditure of $350 to $400? I think Grandma's old saying that is quite apropos would be that DW is being penny-wise and pound-foolish. Carlisle's can be had for about $75 apiece at your favorite Wally World. I don't care if your wet bolt kit ever gets installed, but tires affect us all. Your insurance company will thank you.

[vampress_me]

Ask for forgiveness afterwards instead of asking for permission.

In the grand scheme of things you are talking a couple hundred dollars for new tires versus a couple thousand and/or the headache of dealing with insurance and sitting on the side of the road for a while if a tire goes.

I’m replacing the Maxxis tires on ours this summer before taking off out west. The ones on the 5er are “only” going to be 5 years old this spring and have good tread depth. But I’m not driving a few thousand miles with them. But I am guessing that is going to be a discussion also on this end....

[ken56]

How often do you use your RV? Full time or weekend trips? Tires are a matter of safety, a wet bolt kit is not a necessity even though it does extend the life of the suspension. Wet bolts are a nice upgrade but not life threatening like tires could be. Are finances that tight or is she just a miser? lol. If you can get one go with the tires. Trailer Kings are crap. I went with the Goodyear Endurance and the TK's only had 3K miles on them.

As for the wet bolts, are you mechanically adept that you can do it yourself? The bolt kit is cheap, labor not so much. If you don't want to do it yourself then take it to a local mechanic or frame shop and have them do it instead of an RV dealer. It is a worthy upgrade and will certainly quiet down the suspension.

[Brentw]

Agree, if you at all handy and have the room and hand tools you can save on install. Plus I find that kind of work satisfying. Installed wet bolts and dexter ezee flex equalizer in the driveway. Absolutely helped the ride.

[ADQ K9]

The tires have me paranoid, living in Alaska with long distances between places and services. We travel "heavy", loaded fresh water tanks etc. to go a week to 10 days at a time
Jim, Wally World does not sell tires up here and Sams Club closed last year not sure if Costco even has a trailer tire selection, they are finicky about putting tires on regular vehicles any ways. Tires are expensive up here even in the metropolis of Los Anchorage $700 to replace the TK bombs with the GY Endurance. I might be able to get a little better price shopping around but I went straight to the distributor for the Goodyears.
As for the wet bolt kit, I cringe at the noises the trailer makes when I pull in to the cul-de-sac and have to turn around at the end. In addition to the wet bolt kit I have the crossmembers on the list too. Wet bolt kit and three crossmembers are a little over $400 from Amazon. and I will be able to install.
The roads are not the greatest up here with the frost heaves and constant summer construction. just thinking this will help preserve the trailer.
Other things included on the list are the Furion rear observation system $550, and replacing the factory steps with the Mor- Ryde step above system. Basically all safety and security up grades. If these ad monetary value to the trailer when it comes time to trade/ upgrade fine., but more importantly they will give me piece of mind.
So in closing about $1700 in upgrades not including the steps, I have not priced those out yet

[Canonman]

My DW keeps track of everything we spend (I spend) on Quick Books. She has a simple process for making sure I don't spend too much by simply allocating additional money for airline tickets so she can visit the grand kids on a dollar for dollar basis based on my expenditures. So, a new set of skins for the Cougar is budgeted for $1000 not $500
If I try to use the "Needed and Necessary" argument I simply get the "Time with the Grandkids is Priceless" response.
The system keeps me from buying to many gee-gaws for the Cougar and the grandkids get plenty of visits from grandma.

[daveinaz]

what's a wet bolt kit?

[MerlinB]

Originally Posted by daveinaz

what's a wet bolt kit?

This is one example, there are different ones depending on which axles and springs are on your trailer.

https://www.amazon.com/MORryde-UO12-...e+wet+bolt+kit

[66joej]

Originally Posted by ADQ K9

Joe,
Looks like you got a new truck. Congrats

Mike Thanks going to upgrade the old Cougar to something just a bit bigger.

A note on upgrades. Current one was going to stay so we upgraded the very uncomfortable hide-a-bed couch to 2 Lazy Boys ($2K CDN). Sold the couch. When dealing on a new TT the salesman said the upgrade actually decreased the value on a trade. Did too many upgrades on this rig to count but they use book value.
Point being do upgrades for your enjoyment. There is no value at the other end.

[JRTJH]

Almost any mod you do to your RV is "for your enjoyment" and in all probability won't even be considered when you decide to trade it in. Usually, the dealer won't even ask if you did anything "special" to your RV.

There are numerous "posted, personal accounts" on this and every other RV forum where you can read, "They gave me a trade in value of my current trailer and never looked at it". Typically, most RV dealerships work with enough "front room and trade value" that they can offer the "book wholesale value" simply by asking, "Does your current trailer have any problems?" If you answer, no, it's in good condition, most dealerships can absorb any cleaning/rehab costs out of the profits they will get from the resale of your tradein and/or even if they have to sell it for what they gave you, there's enough profit figured into the sale of the new RV to absorb the little cost they'll have to clean/condition your trade.

If there's more cost than they can absorb, they park your trade on the back lot and either wholesale it or sell it for what they have invested (even if it's a loss) rather than invest more in a "losing investment". The frequency of losses is so low that it almost never happens, so most dealerships don't do the "bring your trade in down so we can check it and give you a dollar amount". Once they have you in the showroom, wanting to buy, they "facilitate your urges" and get your signature on the bottom line. Through years of negotiations, they already know what their profit margin will be, even before you walk into the dealership and tell them you have a trade....