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Forum
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RE: 50 amp RV outlet
NEMA 14-50 has been ordered. Now to find some wire. I try and buy local when I can. Nobody had 50 amp rv outlet. One hardware store had never even heard of it.
Its a NEMA 14-50 which is a standard receptacle and plug for electric ranges. Home Depot and Lowes and Menards all day long. Asking for the "RV outlet" is where you went wrong.
Charles
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CharlesinGA
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04/22/21 11:12pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Roadmaster or Hellwig
We chose the Roadmaster over the Hellwig for our Ram 3500 SRW because it mounted to the axle housing in a more outboard, OEM fashion, at the bottom of the shock mounts. The Hellwig mounts more inboard with a clamp around the axle making it less effective IMO. We also installed lower Stable Loads (stainless steel versions). They offered some improvement in sag, handling, and even reduced sway slightly (at highway speeds)—-nothing dramatic. They work especially well when used in conjunction with slightly pressurized airbags.
I bought a Hellwig for my '03 2500 RAM. I was not happy with the mounting setup to the axle, as it clamps right at the point the axle tubes go into the differential casting. The Roadmaster picks up the stock mounting points on the shock brackets, further out, so the bar does not need to be as thick to have the same effect.
The Hellwig has been sitting in the box for a couple of years now, I guess I ought to get rid of it.
Charles
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CharlesinGA
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04/12/21 10:48pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: New generator for new rv. Recommendations
In my opinion, the best buy for the buck Clicky
YOMV
Great way to Pi$$ off anyone within a quarter mile of you, and you will grow tired of hearing it too. No open frame generators for RV'ers, be a good neighbor, get an inverter unit.
Charles"Champion 4000-Watt RV Ready DH Series Open Frame Inverter with Quiet Technology"
You must of been having a bad day and skipped right over that word "inverter"
The "inverter" doesn't make the unit quieter. You must have skipped over "open frame".I would disagree with that assessment; an inverter does make the inverter generator quieter than a conventional generator (how much quieter can vary significantly depending on load). I'm happy with my generator, for my use it has been a great value, and no one else has ever complained about it.
Now, to be perfectly clear, an enclosure would make my generator even quieter, no dispute from me. But for $20 I could build an enclosure with sound insulation, that could still provide the necessary air flow. But I don't need the enclosure, others may need an enclosure. If they do, they may want to go ahead and throw in the extra cash and go all-in for an enclosed inverter generator. What ever floats their boat, I'm good with what i have.
db ratings are not linear. The open frame unit you reference is rated at 64 db which is a LOT louder than one that is say, 56 db which is more in the realm of enclosed RV type inverter units.
60db is the National Park Service limit, that is why all the enclosed RV type generators strive to get under the magic 60db. Yours may not be as loud as a real cheapie non inverter, constant 3600 rpm unit, but it is, at 64 db, more than I would want to listen to.
Charles
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CharlesinGA
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04/10/21 01:42am |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Poop in outside sink
My motorhome was plumbed with the bathroom sink going into the black tank. I used a dishpan in the kitchen sink and carried it back and dumped it in the bathroom too. Lots of water in the black tank makes it much easier to get a good through dump of the black tank.
Indeed, many RVs are done this way, for good reason.
Charles
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CharlesinGA
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04/07/21 11:03pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Are 16" tires still common? South america.. And disk brakes
BTW GY is being sued and losing over the Marathon failures, cost them over $500,000 in on suit. Think about that before you believe them on their Endurance tires. Remember what Gomer said: "Fool me once....."
Apples and Oranges. The Marathons are made in China and notorious for blowouts. In contrast, the Endurance is made in the USA and I have not read or heard of one blowing yet due to cheap/crappy tire. I am sure someone has hit something and blown one, but Endurance tires are clearly better than other choices, by a wide margin.
For many trailers, LT tires are simply not an option. My trailer has tires that are way over rated for the weight and yet, second trip out on a set of 2½ year old Hercules I had one blow and shred less than 15 miles after leaving home. Hercules is supposed to be a good tire, but I had already replaced the '07 Marathon spare (it went on my rarely used utility trailer) and I replaced the blown tire with another Endurance and continued on the trip. I got home and found the other Hercules in front of the blown one had wires embedded in it, scrap. The two off the other side, one had cracks running the full circumference of the tire in the bottom of the treads, scrap, and the last one looked OK so it too went on the utility trailer.
Charles
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CharlesinGA
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04/05/21 10:59pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Battery & electrical questions
The Cole Hersee style 200 amp is normally stocked at NAPA.
While some stores may stock the 24213, the web site makes it appear that it is a warehouse item for me at least. In any case, its $15 or more higher than Amazon delivering it to my door.
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/TWR24213BX?partTypeName=Solenoid+Switch&impressionRank=39&keywordInput=cole+hersee
Charles
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CharlesinGA
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04/02/21 11:01pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Battery & electrical questions
I'm thinking that POSSIBLY the generator starts off the chassis battery--because one day I couldn't get the generator to start (think I just didn't prime it enough the first time) and cranked it multiple times with no luck. Then the chassis battery turned out to be dead, as in it wouldn't start the vehicle. As soon as I got the chassis battery jumped, and the engine going, the generator started right up.
So my thinking was that I ran the chassis battery down in attempts to start the generator. Still not sure if that's what happened.
By starting the engine, you then had the engine's alternator powering and charging all of the batteries, both the chassis and coach, so there is no telling at that point.
Charles
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CharlesinGA
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04/02/21 10:49pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Equal-i-zer vs Dual Cam
I would stick with the DC. The EQ has the potential to do the same thing. Between the 2 the DC Is the better sway control hitch due to it wanting to pull the trailer back to center, whereas the EQ wants to hold the trailer at the position it stopped at.
Stick with the DC. In the 15 years I towed with mine I never dropped a bar, even in tight backing maneuvers!
I have never used a Reese DC but the concept is far superior to the Equalizer, which I have one of and used a couple of times and learned to hate. Its just a form of friction anti sway control.
Charles
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CharlesinGA
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04/01/21 12:29am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Help identify bearings parts
Dexter 4100-6000 axle catalog
A 4400 lb axle hub uses (PDF page 5 of 16 or p48 at the bottom of the page.)
Inner bearing cone (bearing) L68149
Inner bearing cup (race) L68111
Outer bearing cup (race) LM67010
Outer bearing cone (bearing) LM67048
The inner bearing and race are available from Timken as a set and known simply as SET17
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/tmk-set17
The outer bearing and race are available from Timken as a set and known simply as SET6
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/tmk-set6
The seal is a Dexter 010-019 but is found under the National/Timken number 473336 and is a spring loaded double lip seal
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/tmk-473336
If you are doing tandem axles and want to replace all of the bearings, order everything plus some grease, bearing packer, etc from Summit and get it over $99 for free shipping. They have the best prices I have found and you will be astounded at how fast they get the stuff delivered.
I prefer a Gearwrench 2775D bearing packer or a Lisle 34550 bearing packer, I own both and they work equally as well.
Lisle 34550 bearing packer from Summit for $19.00. Cheaper than Amazon.
You need about a 2 lb ball peen hammer and a 12 inch or so steel drift to get the old races out plus a couple of pieces of 4x4 wood.
You need a bearing race driver set but you can usually get a loaner set from an auto parts store that has a tool loaner program.
Charles
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CharlesinGA
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04/01/21 12:20am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Metal tire valve replacement
There are a number of metal stems that come with both size seals. Both Dill and Schrader make them. There is nothing wrong with this and it will not cause any problems.
Charles
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CharlesinGA
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03/31/21 11:52pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Defaults dual propane regulator
I prefer Marshall Excelsior regulators and hoses. All US made and US components and they work well.
MEGR-253P regulator with inverted flare pigtail connection fittings.
Mounting bracket for regulator that hangs over the threaded rod between the tanks
Vent cover that snaps over the vent on the regulator
15 inch stainless braided pigtail hoses with ACME nut and reverse flare ends -- NEED TWO
Or save $20 and buy the rubber/plastic hose pigtails, still MEC.
$109.60 for all of that, or $20 less for the cheaper pigtails.
Marshall Excelsior RV LPG catalog 2020
Charles
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CharlesinGA
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03/27/21 11:49pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Tow Vehicle Spare - Have you checked it?
If the tire you are removing from the ground to spare is 6 yo or more Discount tire will not remount it.
I had a 2007 dated trailer spare, brand new, very nice, that I was replacing. I normally don't deal with Discount Tire but they gave me the best price on the trailer tires. I wanted that spare mounted on a wheel for my utility trailer that most of the time doesn't leave the yard, or go very far if it does. They refused, I took the tire to my usual family owned tire shop and had them swap it over.
Charles
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CharlesinGA
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03/27/21 10:27pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Battery & electrical questions
Now ... what has happened twice in 15 years regarding our current motorhome's batteries getting charged by the Ford alternator ... is this: The 12V solenoid that connects the engine alternator to the coach batteries whenever the ignition key is turned on has failed, such that we arrived at our destination with coach batteries that did not get charged by the alternator.
This above situation was probably due to corroded contacts of the solenoid - because I could still hear the failed solenoid engaging when I would turn on the ignition key. I now have an after-market heavy duty 12V solenoid with silver plated contacts inter-connecting the engine alternator and coach battery bank.
What you are describing is an extremely common problem on the Winnebago manufactured motor homes. WBO used a charge/boost relay (round silver case, two large terminals and one small one, two mounting ears) that is way under capacity for what it is doing. It is 80 amp rated with plain copper contacts. The very best thing you can do is replace it with a Cole Hersee 24213 which is an identical looking relay, except it has two small terminals. You have to fabricate a short jumper from one of the small terminals to ground, usually a mounting bolt. The old relay was internally grounded to the case.
The Cole Hersee 24213 is 200 amp continuous duty rated with silver tungsten plated contacts that will probably last longer than the motorhome. It is about $50.
Amazon Cole Hersee 24213 relay
The terminals are slightly shorter and you have to be careful tightening the nuts. DO NOT allow the factory installed nuts, or the studs, to turn during tightening, use thin lockwashers and you will have just enough stud to work. I have recommended this numerous times on the major RV boards and just recently went thru a series of PM's with a gentleman who found that the relay was not functioning on his Itasca. He replaced it. This is the "standard" recommendation on the View/Navion forum, to simply replace it before it fails. The one on my '07 View was failed at 18K miles and I didn't know it because I was always using shore power to keep the battery charged via the converter. After testing and discovering the relay bad (no voltage rise across it after starting the engine) I replaced it.
Charles
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CharlesinGA
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03/25/21 12:01am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Torquing tire stud by hand
"Since the primary duty of a trailer tire is supporting a vertical load, rather than gripping an automobile through turns, trailer tires do not have to be dynamically balanced like passenger car tires do. Steering and cornering are less of a concern on a trailer tire than they are on an automotive tire."
I haven't balanced any of my trailer tires nor was ever asked to have it done by the tire shops. Is there a difference in a balanced tire? Asked this question, and read
multiple responses from tire manufacturers etc. Interesting.
I absolutely insist on tires for anything, including trailers to be balanced. Balancing has to do with ride quality and vibration, and if you have out of balance wheels, its like the trailer is being driven on a dirt or gravel road 100% of the time. It loosens electrical connections, it makes things move around in cabinets, cabinet doors to come open and things to fall out, can cause water leaks, and generally wreak havoc on the trailer and everything in it. You also suffer from additional suspension wear, bolts and bushings, shocks if you have them, all take a beating with out of balance tires.
Airstreams for example, will pop rivets if they have a rough ride, and so Airstreamers are very attuned to having the smoothest possible ride for the trailer.
Wheel balancing has nothing to do with cornering ability on any vehicle, but has everything to do with the life of your trailer. Think what condition your house would be in if you suffered minor earthquakes every day? Cracked sheetrock, cabinets coming loose from the walls, etc.
Charles
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CharlesinGA
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03/22/21 10:37am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Battery & electrical questions
Generally the MH manufacturers will not take power from the chassis/engine battery for generator starting as they do not want to risk running down the battery and leaving you stranded.
The manufacturers do however take power from the chassis/engine battery for the slide system and the retractable steps, as they do not want to risk you being stranded by not being able to retract either of these. If you have a slide, it is a very good idea to run the engine while you are operating the slide so you have higher voltage and additional amperage available to operate it. My Winnebago View recommended this in the manual.
Charles
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CharlesinGA
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03/22/21 10:27am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Battery & electrical questions
Links to various models of the Trik L Start. These products allow the coach/house batteries to maintain a charge on the chassis/engine battery. It will not allow current to flow from the chassis to the coach, only from the coach to the chassis, it limits the amount of current to a max of 5 or 10 amps depending on the model, and has low voltage cutoffs that will prevent the coach batteries from getting low if they are not being recharged by the converter (via generator or shore power) or by solar.
If you have a bus or large diesel pusher type MH that has a large battery bank, then the 15 amp Amp-L-Start would be the best choice.
If you have a Class C and want a little more power output than the standard 5 amp "Ultra" Trik-L-Start, then the 10 amp "Mega" would be a good choice.
For a typical Class C the 5 amp "Ultra" version would be a good choice if you want the Chassis battery to remain topped off in storage and have shore power in storage or solar.
By using the Trik L Start, the chassis/engine battery will be fully charged while you are parked and receiving solar or shore/generator power.
None of these will overcharge the chassis/engine battery, they will only provide whatever current is needed to keep the battery topped off.
https://www.rvupgradestore.com/Ultra-Trik-L-Start-p/tls-oem.htm
10 amp Mega Trik L Start info flyer
Excellent flyer with FAQ and diagrams and such, intended for the Mega but the info is the same for all.
Home page for LSL Products which also lists the Amp-L-Start which is 15 amps.
Charles
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CharlesinGA
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03/22/21 10:14am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Battery & electrical questions
Odds are, the connection between the chassis and coach systems is made with a electric solenoid/relay. Sometimes diodes are used but I do know Winnebago uses relays, and so do some other manufacturers. It is open, separating the systems until you start the engine, then a special key on circuit energizes the solenoid. If you have a "boost" switch that allows you to jump start the chassis engine from the house/coach batteries, you can depress it and listen for the solenoid. That is the reason for using the solenoid, it can carry the heavy starting loads that a diode would not be able to, and its probably cheaper also.
Charles
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CharlesinGA
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03/22/21 01:01am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Torquing tire stud by hand
90% of the time, I remove the wheels at home and take them to the tire shop in one of my trucks. Mostly I deal with a small family owned tire shop and when they do R&R the wheels they run them down snug with a air gun and do the final torquing with a torque wrench. When I get home, I take a breaker bar and one at a time loosen and with a torque wrench retighten, then go to the next lug. I trust NO ONE with my wheels.
I have been dealing with Discount tire on swapping trailer tires I bought last year to new wheels (I carried the wheels and tires in). While sitting at the glass and watching them work on a car in the bay, the "tech" runs the lug nuts down tight and takes a torque wrench and goes "click, click, click....." and I watch closely, the lugs never turn. He over torques them with the impact and then just checks them with the torque wrench for show............
I have enough issues with them getting a decent balance on trailer tires, I would not trust them with my vehicles.
The studs are very hard metal, grade 8 or harder. Its the lugnuts that are soft. I had two back tires replaced on my old Ranger one time. It was.... yes.... Wal-Mart. When I got home I decided to break them loose, it was all I could do with a breaker bar and a cheater pipe to get them broke loose, then I had to use an impact to remove them, the threads in the lugnuts were nearly stripped, the studs were fine. I ended up buying 10 new lugnuts and replacing them all. Truck has another 200K on it since then, still going strong.
Charles
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CharlesinGA
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03/22/21 12:51am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Need more tongue weight
In the early 2000's there was a recall on certain 21 ft Bigfoot models because of the poor handling qualities of them. The recall added 500 lbs of steel weight to the tongue. There are a number of them out there that didn't get modified and there is a story about a couple that bought one, not realizing the issues with it, and totaled the trailer and their tow vehicle on the way home with it.
Whether you want to or not, you could end up having to add a couple of sections of Rail Road track underneath the tongue area.
As far as water goes, get some blue 5 gal potable water jugs and carry the water in the bed of the truck and fill the tanks after you get to the site. This is not a great option but should help some.
Where is the spare tire? Certainly it can be moved to a holder underneath the front of the trailer.
I would consider moving the water tank. It is probably just braced up or strapped up to framework underneath. Move it forward install a new filler neck and tube down to it (might have to build a box around the fill and vent tubes) and remove the existing fill neck and install a blanking plate over the opening where the fill port was.
I have a Thor trailer with a couch across the front that does the funny flip routine to make a bed. The back swings away from the wall and rotates at the same time till it ends up in front of the seat cushion part of it. The seat cushion frame lifts up to expose the pass thru. You may be able to remove a piece of plywood and get into the pass thru if the seat bottom lifts up. Mine pivots up toward the front wall once the back is out of the way.
Charles
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CharlesinGA
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03/22/21 12:18am |
Towing
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RE: WDH or not?
Haven't pulled my camper yet with my new to me 2016 2500 Megacab. My travel trailer is 28' and 5500#. I have always used a WDH w/sway (cheap one they threw in when I got the TT). Like most, it is a 2" bar. The Ram has a class V hitch, 2-1/2" receiver. I have the sleeve, to use the WDH, but wondering if I would be better off, just using a class V and forgo the WDH. I have all I need either way, so really just wondering which is best, thinking there could be some movement in the WDH using the sleeve.
Thanks
Joe
This sure does sound like you are citing a dry weight for the trailer. I would expect a 28 ft trailer to have a gross weight of 7K to 8K.
Charles
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CharlesinGA
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02/23/21 12:40pm |
Towing
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