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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: Big, Big problem with my fresh water tank!!!!
I'd use a soap to clean it and bleach with rinse. If it's been in the tank for awhile, it's also in your water supply lines and water heater. Probably a good idea to flush them too.
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westend
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06/17/13 10:26pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Breaktrough in solar
That Laurel and Hardy video is a classic!
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westend
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06/17/13 06:47pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Toilet paper holder
My contribution to Western Art History, The Horse Bit Holder:
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b7/mowerman_/The%20Hilton/IMG_0003-67.jpg width=640
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westend
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06/17/13 06:09pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Sway caused accident on I-75
I'm certainly glad to hear the folks are going to be okay. And I sure hope the dog is found and returned to the owners.
However....to say that sway "caused" the accident is possibly incorrect. Homestly, all we really know is there was an accident, that involved a trailer and a Chevy Avalanche. We have no way of knowing what really caused the accident. It could have been simple driver error, so to blame it on "sway" is really just taking a wild guess.
Again, glad the folks are gonna be okay.
".....when the driver of the truck, Mary Crawford, 65, of Swartz Creek, reportedly felt the 30-foot trailer she was hauling begin to sway, causing her to go off the roadway while traveling northbound on I-75"
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westend
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06/17/13 03:53pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Waterless Exterior Cleaning idea (sort of)
The 'California Duster" is better than a swiffer.
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westend
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06/16/13 10:26pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Top tier gasoline.
You are spot on. A refinery makes the gasoline in a geographic area, and ALL retailers get their fuel from this ONE source. As you state, when the tanker fills up for a delivery, the additive package is added for each particular BRAND. There are very few refineries in the USA - Each retailer DOES NOT have their own refinery.
So where do I buy top tier gas, how do I know what station sells top tier gas? Only label I have ever seen on a pump or station states the octane rating,and ethonal content. Am I supposed to walk in and ask the minimum wage cashier what standards the product is formulated to?
It is nice that you can do the research,but as far as I can tell, this knowledge is useless from a practical stand point.
I was going to let it go,but you seemed to be getting your panties in a twist because some did not read your research.
I read the link the OP provided and it contained a lengthy list of name brands which or committed to selling top tier gasoline. You may want to review the document in its entirety.
Thank you for posting the reply I have not been able to stay on top of this thread, I have been living in a driveway of a house I am selling in NY and it looks like all the paperwork will be signed by Saturday so I have been busy getting my things in order so I can get out of NY ASAP. Hopefully I will have everything done and be on the road by Tue. or Wed.
Usually if I start a thread like this I try to stick with it and reply to any questions, but in this case there were other things that demanded my attention (especially if I want to get out of here before Wednesday.
While there is some truth to the statements that all gas is the same when it leaves the refineries the only thing that matters is what comes out of the nozzle of the station you are buying it from and pumping it into your tank. Your engine would run terrible on the pure gas that leaves the refinery, it's the blend of chemicals that are added to the gas that make an engine run better. I have read about this myth that states all gas is the same for many years and for a while I believed it myself. Some people are still insisting there is no difference but the fact is there is a difference in the quality of gas even if the octane rating is the same.
I used to deliver fuel for a living. For the most part there is NOT a difference in the quality of the gasoline being delivered. The difference is in what additives are put into the gasoline. The additives are combined with the gasoline when it is being loaded into the delivery truck.Not necessarily. In Metro Twin Cities, MN there are two refineries and a pipeline terminal. Around Houston and Baytown, TX there must still be a half dozen or more.
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westend
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06/16/13 05:27pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Battery Charging Issue
Just curious - when I am connected to the tow vehicle and in motion - what voltage should I be seeing on the battery? I assume this is not running anywhere near the converter.The same voltage that is present on the starting battery less a few .1 vbdc. Your vehicle alternator will operate from 13-15 v. You don't have to be in motion. This assumes that there is a continuous circuit from your vehicle's 7 pin connection to the trailer. That is not always the case.
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westend
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06/16/13 01:51pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Top tier gasoline.
I can only compliment Big Oil on making the refining of petroleum such a mystery that folks that buy it every week are clueless as to what they are getting.
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westend
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06/16/13 06:48am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: How much power does solar panels actually generate?
Have you done the calculations for daily use? 1800AH of storage is huge, also 500 lbs. of added weight.
The Sanyo panels are nice but I doubt the price will bear out any increased efficacy over the life of comparable modules, sold at much lower prices. Of course, value may not be your criteria. There is worth in buying the higher priced item, sometimes.
Edit: Saw where you used the spreadsheet to calculate daily use. Something is probably amiss (like refrigerator duty cycle?), you are about double what most power gobblers report for daily use.
I've simply done it based on a residential fridge power consumption. I took annual power consumption number from bestbuy.com then figured out the daily consumption from that. It worked out to be about 100Ah. Does this sound about right? Alternatively, I can go with that compressor based one which appears to use about half that, but obviously the capacity is far smaller.
And the Sanyo panels - I have three reasons for this panel. First is, as you mentioned, for additional few % efficiency, which I agree isn't enough to justify the price difference. The second, is that the pannel _should_ (I didn't confirm this yet) work better under less optimal lighting conditions due to its hybrid use of amorphous and mono cells. Third, is more of an insurance. This combo overall may only return an additional 20% power over a panel that costs half as much (inc. cloudy conditions), but if I do end up using that extra 20% once a month, I would pay for it. Besides, I do plan to keep this trailer for 8+ years, so I don't think the price difference is going to make that much difference at the end.
Having said that, if I made wrong assumptions, please point them out!
I believe your AH estimate for a fridge is on the high end. If you go with the Danfoss 12v compressor unit, you should see about 20-40 AH/day, depending on use and ambient. I use a small dorm fridge and it uses 80w at a 1/5 duty cycle. The newer Samsung 10 cu. ft. models use just a bit more.
To each, his own, on the module choice. I don't see that the Sanyo HIT modules are that much more efficient to harvest 20% more power. I chose to buy a discontinued 235 watt USA made panel for about a third the price of the Sanyo. I'm about 99% sure any warranty is out the window but the Mfg. is still building modules. If warranty is important, then a Sanyo or Sharp module makes sense.
Good luck with your solar installation!
Edit: Yup, 900AH for those Trojans, I should have caught that. Still, a heck of a lot of capacity.
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westend
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06/16/13 12:33am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: How much power does solar panels actually generate?
Have you done the calculations for daily use? 1800AH of storage is huge, also 500 lbs. of added weight.
The Sanyo panels are nice but I doubt the price will bear out any increased efficacy over the life of comparable modules, sold at much lower prices. Of course, value may not be your criteria. There is worth in buying the higher priced item, sometimes.
Edit: Saw where you used the spreadsheet to calculate daily use. Something is probably amiss (like refrigerator duty cycle?), you are about double what most power gobblers report for daily use.
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westend
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06/15/13 10:33pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: new guy with an old trailer
Yup, just a knuckle dragging grease monkey here LOL. Fancy titles need not apply.
KevinROFL, I were one too!:B
FWIW, one of my hunting partners has an old aluminum skinned travel trailer, hauls it with an old beat up Ford 3/4 ton 4x4. We've had more fun with that old rig over the years and there is zero worry about scratching, denting, or any of the other more common maintenance aspects that you see around RVnet. He's a knuckle dragger like us so the Ford is always mechanically sound. Even the ugly deserve a little love. ;)
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westend
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06/15/13 10:23pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Vintage RV Rentals?
You could check over at Tin Can Tourists website. There may be someone willing to rent. I know they do have a "For Sale" section.
I need another restoration project like a hole-in-the-head, but that Boles Aero sounds real interesting. How much work does it need?
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westend
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06/15/13 10:13pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Liquid fabric softener and black/gray tank smell
Yeah, throw a cup or two of Downey or Snuggle in the tank, maybe a bit of soap. too. These fabric softeners do limit odor and have a scent that isn't offensive. The Calgon product probably does more to lower the surface tension in the water but either will work for the task.
FWIW, I'm working on a remodeling job and we're removing wall paper and ceiling textures in certain rooms. One of my workers remarked on the foul smell of the house when she first entered (which I confirmed and knew the source). After a few days of spraying walls and ceilings with water and fabric softener, the place is starting to smell fresh.
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westend
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06/15/13 10:06pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: How much power does solar panels actually generate?
Hi harold,
mono, poly and amorphous eh? Are you daft?
Still waiting on your explination on why it can not be done as long as they are all 12 volt.
I have seen several applications using both amorphous and monocrystaline, both supplying power to the same controller.
I believe the "daft" one, or ignorant one is you.
Ignorant adjective; unaware, uninformedJust so this doesn't get lost in personal diatribe: Mixing different modules that have different output specifications, even if of the same construction type, may not work out well. This is especially true if using just one controller and modules are wired in parallel. The controller may get confused as to the operating input and efficiency will suffer.
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westend
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06/15/13 08:31pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: new guy with an old trailer
By the time you get the family, all the gear, and the trailer hitched, I'd bet you'll be close to overloading the payload of the Explorer. I had a LTD Edition and it was a great platform for moving the family around but wasn't much of a tower.
You'll probably have some time while doing the restoration work to the trailer. I'd suggest you look around for a truck that will pull the trailer. If your budget is low, find an old beater in good mechanical condition that you can love for it's ugliness.
This is kinda what I had in mind, I'm an auto mechanic so getting a vehicle in good mechanical order isn't a problem, The problem is finding one I can afford that isn't all rotted out here in New England.
KevinUnderstood. Up here, in the Northern rust belt, some things have gotten better. The DOT uses a lot less salt and vehicles are better treated from the factory. Also, prices for good used trucks is high, IMO.
Just the fact that you referred to yourself as "mechanic" rather than "technician" tells me you will get it done.:B
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westend
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06/15/13 06:49pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Two sets of power coming into bathroom lights.
Yes, it should be fine to grab power for your fan from the light fixture. Hopefully, there is adequate 12v distribution so the bath light circuit is independent from other 12v draws. Best practice would have the lights on one branch circuit and other devices on a separate branch.
When you find four wires into a location, you can be 99% sure that it is part of a string. Direction of wire exits/entrances has little meaning in the RV world.
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westend
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06/15/13 12:16pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: new guy with an old trailer
By the time you get the family, all the gear, and the trailer hitched, I'd bet you'll be close to overloading the payload of the Explorer. I had a LTD Edition and it was a great platform for moving the family around but wasn't much of a tower.
You'll probably have some time while doing the restoration work to the trailer. I'd suggest you look around for a truck that will pull the trailer. If your budget is low, find an old beater in good mechanical condition that you can love for it's ugliness.
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westend
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06/15/13 12:07pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Solar wired to load centre?
There shouldn't be an issue with solar power distribution since the load center wires are in continuity with the battery.
Two things would stop me from doing it: the assumed problem of fusing the charger circuit at the load center and having the solar without a switch or circuit breaker somewhere in the solar circuit to remove power from the load center.
I put a Hipower manual breaker in between the module and the charge controller to interrupt power, should it be necessary.
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westend
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06/14/13 10:44pm |
Do It Yourself Modifications and Upgrades (DIY)
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RE: Progressive Dynamics Inc Converter blowing battery fuse
Have you checked the emergency brake switch to make sure it wasn't accidently pulled? With the switch on it will wear down the battery and then the converter will be pushing it's full output to charge the battery and power the brakes.
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westend
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06/14/13 07:18am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: How much power does solar panels actually generate?
Don't know of any module that produces 500 watts but that doesn't mean there isn't one. Theoretically, solar panels will produce full output when in a laboratory with the correct luminescence supplied. That is how they are rated. Angle towards the sun, time of day, and amount of available sunlight all factor into the output. Practically, my 235 watt module still is producing some power, albeit very little, at dusk and dawn. It will also make some power on cloudy and rainy days, but not near the rating watts. This is a polycrystalline cell module. Monocrystalline, especially thin film, will produce, relatively, more power in lower light conditions.
Yes, you can run an electric fridge with solar and sufficient batteries for storage. I'm using a small 120v dorm fridge that draws 80 watts when operating. I have 320 AH of batteries and a single 235 watt module. I have yet to test all of it out full time but I'm pretty confident it will work out well.
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westend
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06/13/13 09:26pm |
General RVing Issues
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