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Forum
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RE: Winterization: wet or dry?
I've read makers of companies recommending the pink stuff almost always. In a northern climate, it doesn't take much water in a joint, valve, or other fitting to crack it.
In southern climates, you can get away with not being meticulous about winterizing. For example, I've used cheap vodka through the lines, then blown them out with air, which means that any water in the system usually has some alcohol in it, lowering its freezing point. However, I wouldn't recommend this because I'm doing this at my own risk.
When in doubt, go with the pink stuff. Far cheaper than hunting down and fixing a cracked pipe or fitting.
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mlts22
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06/17/13 01:43pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: WALMART RV Parking
A couple years ago, I was looking at how economically feasible it would be to have a parking area just for people to get some shut-eye securely. However, there were just a ton of costs that made it not workable unless there was another income source from the property like a 24 hour store.
There are a lot of regulations, and asking $10 to park can open up a lot of can of worms, such as ADA compliance, having to have working restrooms on premises that can handle the people parking, etc.
The best way to go about having dry camping/parking would be to have three things on site: A 24 hour shop or gas station, a full service CG, then an empty parking lot. That way, the revenue from the gas station and the CG will pay for the capital needed to keep a parking lot going.
It is a good idea, but it is something very difficult to do because it takes a lot of capital outlay for the real estate. In some places, $40 a CG asks can barely cover the real estate taxes, sales tax, bed taxes, liability insurance, Wi-Fi coverage, electrical/plumbing/sewage, road upkeep, grounds upkeep, security and rules enforcement, and the cost of the employees to work this.
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mlts22
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06/16/13 07:46pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Camping pet peeve
I have peeves, but this is my most notable:
Checking in to a completely booked CG, finding someone in your campsite, going back with the camp host, finding the guy occupying it says he is too drunk to hitch up and go, so the CG might as well give him a free night. At least the camp host refunded my money.
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mlts22
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06/15/13 08:58pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Best Class C Motorhomes
I'm one of those who watches the roof, and fiberglass is far better than the membrane types, as it means the seams can be located at places that the wind isn't forcing water into the vehicle.
Ron Dittmar has an excellent explanation for what to look and what not to get, and this can save you tens of thousands in water damage.
Were I looking for a class C right now, I'd see about a FR Solera, either a 24R (gives one a sorta-walkaround queen bed in the back, as well as 27 feet of length in a 24 foot package), or a 24S, which everything works well, even with the slide retracted.
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mlts22
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06/15/13 08:08pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Getting started....tow vehicle recommendations....PLEASE!
How many people will you be bringing along? If it is just 2-4, then get a 3/4 (or a one ton) crew cab. That way, if you want to get a bigger trailer, there isn't issues with "hmm, can I pull that" nagging at you with every model.
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mlts22
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06/15/13 07:01pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Whose Class C OR I finally joined the Wally World Crowd
Maybe it is over its CCC...
I do feel sorry for the owner though. The awning just by itself can be four digits to get fixed.
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mlts22
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06/14/13 04:07pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Winnebago View Profile Community
+1 on the diesel gen. LP gas gens slurp up fuel like it is going out of style, and it can be pretty difficult to find propane late at night, while diesel is fairly common.
If I had the choice, I'd always go for the diesel generator if offered.
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mlts22
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06/14/13 04:06pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Connecting TT to 30a plug on Honda Genny
The 30 amp plug is 120 volts. It requires the locking to non-locking 30A adapter or dogbone, but Camco sells some decent ones of this. I avoid the adapters made from a black Bakelite-like plastic -- they get hot, while the dogbones and the Camco yellow ones don't.
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mlts22
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06/14/13 03:42pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: plastic gas can protection?
Those Jerry cans get stolen quickly. I'd consider just leaving them at home. One idea that is secure in the area on the A-frame would be the Rotopax mount and gas cans. With a locking T-handle and assuming the pack mount is securely in place, it will take a thief a good effort to dislodge them, and likely damage the Rotopax gas containers beyond the point where they can be used. Only real downside of the Rotopax containers is that they only store 2-4 gallons of fuel each, but they are stackable so a mount can have multiples.
Don't forget to toss in some Sta-Bil in the gasoline, as well as cycle the gas in the containers through your vehicle every few months, getting fresh gas and stabilizer. That way, the gas stays good for a good while.
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mlts22
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06/14/13 03:09pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: need your opinions: rv or hotel?
Here's mine and my wife's take on hotels. We are both police officers. She's is actually in crime scene now. There are so many things that go on in hotel rooms, you would be shocked, or maybe you wouldn't. We've both seen the lowest form of human existence in these places. We tend to avoid hotels as much as possible. Definitely no lower rent hotel/motels. We will take our trailer when we can. Not always possible of course. Just nice knowing who's slept in the bed before us, preferably us. Going to Boston in a couple of weeks, will be staying in a hotel, but at $400 bucks a night I'm assuming it's ok. (famous last words)
I've heard plenty of stuff about hotel rooms being used as meth labs... and nothing gets those nasty chemicals out of a room unless it is completely torn down to the walls.
Believe it or not, one can come out ahead using a RV than hotels. After this next winter, I will have slept in my TT over 100 nights on weekends. At the price I paid for it, the cost per night compares pretty favorably to a hotel. To boot, if I unloaded my rig right now, and only factored in the cost of deprecation, the TT actually would be cheaper than staying those nights in a hotel (cheapest in my neck of the woods would be $100 a night when all the fees are added up.)
In general, RVs are more expensive, but there are plenty of advantages:
1: You can cook your own meals, as opposed to hoping the local greasy spoon adheres to health standards.
2: The useful pesticides that work on bedbugs are all banned, so they have made a comeback with a vengeance. Even just three years ago, bedbugs were the exception, not the rule. Now, they are epidemic.
3: RVs do have common keys (CH-751), but there is no maid wandering around with a master key that can make stuff vanish. Yes, in theory, they have surety bonds, but it gets tough to prove one had a laptop, that it vanished, and that a maid did it. With my TT, a thief would have to get in, then try to pry open a strongbox. Not impossible, but a lot harder than swiping a card and tossing it in a laundry cart.
4: You know the bathroom/shower will work. One never knows this with a hotel, if there is hot water, or if there might be surprises in the hotel's water.
5: Stocking up the bar area with one's favorite beverages is cheaper than cracking open a hotel's minibar.
6: No need to worry about looking under ever crevice to make sure there is nothing forgotten.
7: Less time waiting in line, and no need to hand keys over for check-out.
8: The nefarious people tend to go where the pickings are. In general (as there are always exceptions), hotels are easier spots for thieves to make income than CGs.
9: Sick building syndrome, mold in the air ducts, and other airborne sicknesses that are a problem with old buildings tend to not be a problem with a RV.
10: Hotels can be located pretty far away from where one needs to be.
Of course, there are times where a hotel is a must, for example, an urban area, or flying to a different region of the US too far to drive. But, it is nice to use one's own rig instead of having to get a hotel (or driving back/forth) if at an event 100-200 miles away.
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mlts22
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06/14/13 12:50pm |
Beginning RVing
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Barnes & Noble Nook HD/HD+ on sale big time
I stopped by a game shop to pick up a Nexus 7 as an e-Reader to study with. Found they were sold out. Went to the neighboring B&N, and found that the Nook HDs were $120 or so. A comparable N7 would be around $250.
Bought it, dropped in a 32GB SDHC card (they can use up to 64GB cards), added a custom ROM, and the result is a very good working general purpose tablet. It isn't fast by any means and it lacks a front/rear camera. However for book reading, E-mail, Web browsing, and such, it is a good deal.
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mlts22
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06/14/13 08:57am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Auxiliary diesel tank
I'd look at a top tier tank maker like Transfer Flow which uses automatic pumps, or if worse comes to worst, take the fuel nozzle from the tank, stick it in the fuel filler door, and pump gas. Their stuff is 50 state street legal with DOT certificates.
On the other hand, there is always the fuel can route. A number of Rotopax containers mounted on a pack mount will stay put though almost anything.
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mlts22
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06/14/13 08:54am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: "LISENCE"
Not rumor.
I would jump on getting the non-commercial B or A license because in a wreck, the insurance company will not honor any claims, and the other party can allege gross negligence for not having the qualifications to operate the motor vehicle.
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mlts22
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06/14/13 08:50am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: New EU2000i surges at idle
I have had that problem. It was a dirty carb. Although I've had good luck with Seafoam, I've had even better results with Sta-Bil Marine treatment to clean up dirty carbs. Not the old pink Sta-Bil, this one is dark blue-green. It has a storage dosage and a clean up dosage. And it works! It fixed my 2000 right up.
PS: Yes, this could happen with 10 hours on it. If the gas sat it in for a month or so. It does not take long with these things.
Thanks for the advice. I have plenty of Sta-Bil, but use the red stuff, guess I'll try the marine bottle next time I do some generator running.
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mlts22
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06/13/13 07:09pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Fridge
That is pretty common. It is just the way absorption fridges work. I usually switch out hard-sided blocks of freezer gel packs to help get the fridge side's temperature down quicker.
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mlts22
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06/13/13 06:40pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: ???? For open frame Generator users.
The main reason we "upgraded" our Generac 4000 for 2 Yamaha 2000Is is because I am no longer able to help my DH load the Generac into the bed of the truck. He is able to load the 2 Yamahas easily by himself and I can start them with no problem so they have been a blessing to us.
That is the biggest downer of my 3000 watt Yammy -- 200-250 pounds, it ends making itself a permanent home in my truck bed. Were I to do it over again, it would be a 2000i and a 2000i Companion, plus parallel cables and an extended run gas tank.
I might end up getting a 2000i anyway... I am looking at a 1000 watt generator as something very fuel efficient to take along with enough oomph to keep the furnace batteries charged, but for a couple hundred bucks more, I can have double the wattage, and something that can run a "B"'s A/C.
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mlts22
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06/13/13 06:05pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Top tier gasoline.
AFAIK, there are zero places I've found in central Texas that advertise E0 gas.
I don't worry about "top tier" gas, just use the stuff from Shell for my vehicle. For the generator, same thing, except I squirt some Sta-Bil in. So far, so good.
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mlts22
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06/13/13 10:55am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: To Bomb or not to Bomb?
I'd get any food stuff and dishes out, then set off a bug bomb as the first salvo, then go from there.
Caveat: Turn the propane and electrical systems (12 volt and 120VAC) completely off. Some bug bombs can turn into real bombs if they encounter an ignition source.
(Edited for better punctuation.)
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mlts22
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06/12/13 10:48am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: ???? For open frame Generator users.
I can easily hear (and feel) my 3000 watt Yamaha inverter generator. This is part of the reason that I'm looking at a solar trailer for wintertime boondocking.
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mlts22
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06/12/13 08:21am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Hymer class A coming to the US?
Very good information. I knew Hymer would step into the "B" market because there are no competitors in it on the Ducato chassis (which should be on the roads later this summer, but renamed the Dodge ProMaster). The only rival would be Winnebago, but it would be interesting to see the short European "A"s on the road on this side of the pond.
They would take some redesign though. US rigs are expected to come with a generator and an A/C unit, and cassette toilets are a no-no, so they would have to have a black tank.
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mlts22
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06/11/13 08:37pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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