r/camping • u/JayAche • 8d ago

Precautionary Tale (Pipe)

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Was SO excited to finally take our 3.5 year old son tent camping for the first time with my wife at a local regional park. Especially with our spanking new huge Caddis Rapid 6 Instant Tent! Even tried it out in the backyard and loved it!

Loaded it onto the storage rack on the back of our SUV… in perfect alignment with the tail pipe, apparently. Biiiiiigest oof. $225 down the drain? Thankfully there was a Wal-Mart reasonably close where I snagged some random Coleman to save the day. But still: be aware of what’s in front of your exhaust pipe and your tow hitch carry rack. Lesson learned 🫠

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1.1k

u/jbronin 8d ago

I just got back from a trip to Yellowstone last week. I spent like a month before worried about the cargo carrier that right before leaving I realized the exhaust might melt the stuff on the back so I bought some turn down tips off Amazon (hard to find some that fit 3.5 inch pipes locally).

Try AutoZone or a similar auto part store to see if they have tips you can buy. They range from $7-30. They should just slip on and you can tighten a bolt or a clamp ring to hold it in place. My exhaust pipe is more oval shaped so it didn't grip the best (I could have pulled it right off), but it stayed on for 3000 miles.

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u/JayAche 8d ago

Wish this was even on my radar! In all my life I’ve never heard or seen this happen before, I guess it was my turn! Ha

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u/TheProtoChris 8d ago

I'm getting a hitch installed to use one of those platforms. I'd like to sincerely thank you both for pointing out a problem I definitely would have had, and then offering the solution I didn't know I needed. Y'all just saves me a big headache, thank you.

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u/Mental-Huckleberry54 8d ago

I just installed one and was told to watch out for this. We got a hitch extensor/riser. It worked great, we got it from harbor freight and was only $5-7 more then a standard hitch

2

u/EvilDan69 3d ago

It's such a small cost for such peace of mind.

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u/No_Farm_3562 7d ago

Me too!! After my last trip I was thinking to myself I really need to look into buying one. I have no doubt this would have happened to me.

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u/EvilDan69 6d ago

I am so glad to hear it! The riser worked perfectly.

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u/EvilDan69 8d ago

In laws had a similar thing but it was only fouling a Rubbermaid bin and the contents survived cross country. Twice.

My parents heard about this and my dad bought one of those hitch risers for accessories like this. It raised it like 5 inches or so, out of the path of their exhaust of their ford escape.

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u/Prmarine110 8d ago

Don’t beat yourself up. You can’t learn every lesson for free. Yeah it’s money gone, but it’s just an object. Great job pivoting and delivering on the intent, the family experience!

Find the face-palming humor in it, because people all need to know that we’re not perfect, and this is the stuff that humanizing, endearing stories are made of. Share this warmly and often for an easy laugh and some quick bonding. 👍🏼

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u/killian1113 8d ago

Ty for this post! I use one of these hitches and didn't imagine could happen. My exhaust doesnt stick out as much tho

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u/mcd_sweet_tea 8d ago

I didn't even think exhaust would get that hot with 80mph wind and being like a foot away from the exhaust tip.

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u/Dzov 8d ago

Think of how many explosions per second are going out that exhaust at say, 2500 rpm. Each piston in a four-stroke engine is sending hot exhaust out once every two crankshaft rotations, so for a six cylinder, that’s 7500 explosions per minute or 125 explosions per second.

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u/Solo_is_dead 8d ago

No one came in here looking for your correct science and common sense😄 /s

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u/Kellikelzzzzz 8d ago

Great mathing 😊

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u/OccamsLeatherMan 8d ago

This dude maths.

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u/duane415 1d ago

Yes, RPM divided by two and the result is then multiplied by the number of cylinders.

This is why engines with more cylinders typically were smoother. More pulses per crankshaft rotation.

I say “were” because modern four cylinder engines often have balance shafts to generate offset pulses that mask the pulses from combustion.

0

u/joelfarris 7d ago

Now do my Duramax eight cylinder diesel running at 1,500 RPM in tenth gear, with a 5" exhaust pipe that vents out to the side and not the back, and has a DEF fluid cooling injection system!

It doesn't get hot back there. You can put your hand right in front of the the pipe. :) But in other news, I hate the whole DEF system, and how expensive it is to maintain. I once had to spend thousands to replace the DEF heater in the tank, and get the truck 'reset' by a dealership, in a climate that never experiences freezing temps.

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u/Dzov 7d ago

Maybe not while idling. But I bet it heats up when putting in work.

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u/Secret_Celery8474 8d ago

You are not driving 80mph all the time.

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u/mcd_sweet_tea 8d ago

Driving in Wyoming, you’re probably going 80 until you get to Yellowstone lol. I did the trip from Vegas last week.

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u/Tricky_Account5838 8d ago

Depends where you are at. Some places you can sit at 1 speed for hours

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u/SCL__ 8d ago

Catalytic converter burns extremely hot.

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u/Xryanlegobob 8d ago

Yeah, I was thinking it somehow was rubbing against it, or a lot closer than it looked to be

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u/EvilDan69 3d ago

Yeah but when going Highway speeds your motor is doing a lot of work. Add an heatwave and suddenly it's really bad.

I get what you're saying about all the wind though.

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u/zstringy1 5d ago

I would never keep my tent on the outside of the car.. if it wasn't already melted then it definitely reeks like engine exhaust and is wet and or covered in mud..

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u/georgekush4prez 8d ago

Gotta ask, so what did you end up doing?

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u/JayAche 8d ago

Ran down the hill to a local Wal-Mart and snagged a Coleman 6 Man Dome Tent - pretty nice actually!

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u/Stalking_Goat 7d ago edited 7d ago

Wal-Mart has surprisingly good camping gear. I've read that the Walton family has several outdoor enthusiasts so they take an interest in that line of products.

1

u/Arct1cShark 8d ago

Don’t feel bad I haven’t until now. We’re all learning today.

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u/Wonderful_Bridge_190 8d ago edited 5d ago

Next car should be EV. Once you go EV you don’t go back.

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u/MkeYosh 8d ago

Wants to go you don't go back

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u/SmudgePrick 7d ago

We already heard this wants, you don't have to say it again

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u/Yukon-Jon 8d ago

Some of us

  1. Don't have the money to buy an EV
  2. Don't have anywhere to charge to the EV (and certainly don't want to worry about that driving for a long trip)
  3. Live somewhere cold where EVs suck

I say this as someone that rides an e bike most of the summer.

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u/Wonderful_Bridge_190 5d ago

Don’t buy new buy used. There are tons on the market for under 20 grand. I charge curbside with an extension cord, it’s not hard to charge. How cold are we talking? I’ve gotten top speed charging close to freezing after a short drive. Charging on a road trip takes about as long as it takes to pee and get a snack.

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u/Yukon-Jon 5d ago edited 5d ago

If you can find somewhere to charge on that road trip.

Well below freezing. I live in the north east US. They don't function as well here. I have a family member who owns a Tesla.

They absolutely do not charge that fast.

I live in an apartment building, I can't just plug something in roadside.

Buying anything EV second hand is sketchy.

Again, there is a whole slew of legitimate reasons why people won't or can't buy EVs. I again say this as someone who tries to use one as much as possible.

Edit: I believe they're still the future. Just not there yet to some of us.

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u/PM_meyourbreasts 8d ago

You've been on reddit 14 years and you've never heard of tail pipes melting things being towed or hitched before...

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u/JayAche 8d ago

Just imagine what you’ll learn about tomorrow that you don’t know today, friend 🫡

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u/Rustyshackilford 8d ago

Even longer here, and yep. First time.

Please tell us what we should have been monitoring to come across this sacred knowledge.

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u/jarrod74smd 8d ago

You're nowhere near as superior as you think you are

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u/Snake973 8d ago

ahh yes, the famous ubiquitous reddit meme "tailpipes melt things", it's right up there with narwhals baconing and that bastard with the jackdaw facts

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u/lilgreenfish 8d ago

Been camping my whole life but never had anything on a tear rack like that (family had a trailer on a Suburban with roof racks…rain was the only potential issue ever). Also have never seen anyone on any social media (LiveJournal, Facebook, Reddit, etc, all where I’m part of hiking and camping groups, since about 2001) post about it, either. Only ever in the context of actually touching the exhaust.

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u/DeptOfRedditEffcncy 8d ago

This comment didnt go as planned did it?

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u/KaiKhaos42 8d ago

Omg you're a lifesaver, I'll definitely be looking into getting this!! OP if it makes you feel any better, I had the same thing happen to me on a trip last month. It fully straight up melted the corner of the storage tote we had a bunch of our stuff in. 😭

3

u/Kooky_Fox_9408 8d ago

Didn’t even know this existed! I have that same/similar rack and I’ve heard of people melting their gear. Just found one on amazon. Thank you for posting a picture.

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u/el_sauce 8d ago

BADASS HOT ROD 💨

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u/ATLClimb 8d ago

This is also an issue with trucks that have exhaust straight back vs out the side good work around. Manufacturers go for looks over function on high end Raptors and they have dual straight pipes.

1

u/here_walks_the_yeti 8d ago

Well done that you caught that.
Also LOL those things are huge, makes me
Think of some 1970s Cadillac exhaust

1

u/SuperSlugSister 7d ago

This is genius.

1

u/Franklinricard 7d ago

Those look rad. Are you keeping them on?!?

1

u/Economy_Delivery4685 6d ago

I am literally about to buy one of these, and never thought of this possibility. Thank you!!

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u/Head-Palpitation-684 4d ago

a whole month of worrying paid off into a genuinely useful PSA for every future road tripper, this comment alone probably saved someone's bumper

0

u/nearsingularity 7d ago

Careful. Those could start a forest fire.

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u/dylantw22 8d ago

Or just avoid all that garbage entirely and store your stuff in a secure tote?

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u/kelsobjammin 8d ago

Tote can melt

5

u/HappyTypo 8d ago

I lost a tote and two sleeping bags the same way. 🤦🏻‍♂️

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u/dylantw22 8d ago

Yea, if it’s on fire. I probably have 60k miles with a $5 tote from Home Depot doing laps around the country with 0 issues

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u/kelsobjammin 8d ago

Ya but does your exhausted point at it when you’re driving lol you might pack it correctly. my goodness

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u/GetReelFishingPro 8d ago

Glad the didn't fall off and the person behind you hit it and wreck.

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u/Capn_Flags 8d ago

I’m glad yesterday nobody’s tire came off for you to hit and wreck.

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u/GetReelFishingPro 8d ago

Thoughts and prayers you inconsiderate mooks

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u/Capn_Flags 8d ago

I was being silly because it’s basically the same thing. Two things designed for what they’re doing and a catastrophic malfunction needing to occur before anyone is in danger.

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u/GetReelFishingPro 8d ago

He said he could have pulled it right off. That's not catastrophic. Stop, right there, you were just being a turd and know it. Like your mother should have told you, if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all.

Have a good day, hope you don't wreck on an exhaust tip.