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RE: boondockerswelcome
There is a difference between not having hook ups and boondocking. When I boondock I am looking for a great, scenic location with a place to stay without a lot of other people. Otherwise, I can stay in a Walmart parking lot and call it boondocking.
Jim,
I kind of hate to tell you this, but there are a lot of newer people that refer to any kind of dry camping as boondocking. As with so much else these days, the meaning of many words seems to be whatever whoever wants it to mean at that moment. (It seems this can change during the discussion - too.)
An acquaintance contacted me and asked if there were any places to "boondock" in my area. There are none. Then he asked if there were Walmart or other places? To which I replied sure, more than a few. He was incensed that I did not understand that he could "boondock" at Walmart.....
We have really boondocked. It wasn't paved. There was no traffic to be heard.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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07/26/21 11:29am |
Public Lands, Boondocking and Dry Camping
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RE: boondockerswelcome
Very early on I had a short discussion with the originators of Boondockers Welcome. They were well aware that it is not true boondocking. The thought behind it was that those that would use the service should be prepared to be completely self contained. The reason for the name is that they tried several, and this one had the nicest sound to it. I have to agree.
We have years of credits for hosting, but we just haven't been able to use any yet. Hope this year changes that.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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07/26/21 11:00am |
Public Lands, Boondocking and Dry Camping
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RE: Fuel for Gassers
Why does premium fuel give more mileage and power?
Richard
Richard,
This is a very good question, and I will try to answer it without getting too "engineer" for you.
In times past, engines did not have a computer to control fuel mixture and ignition timing. Now many do.
They listen intently for any knock that is the result of wrong conditions including spark timing. When they hear a knock, the box will start a bunch of corrections that some engineer has tested and advised. Usually the cure is to back off the spark timing. While this will cost some mileage, because the ECU (Engine Control Unit)never gets tired of listening and gets board at sitting still, when it hasn't hear a knock in a while, it will dial in more timing advance. It may also lean out the mixture a little (he can also use fuel to quell a knock). Another correction that many ECU have is to lower the engine temperature. There is not a great deal he can do here, but it is again involved with fuel mixture and sometimes the engine fan speed control.
When you have your very own computer and a raft of sensors, you can pull off all manner of nifty things.
If I lost anybody in here, come back and I will try again.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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07/24/21 10:03am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Fuel for Gassers
Alex,
The 7.3 V-8 is not the Ford V-10. So, what many will tell you is possibly wrong. Very early in your experience with this coach, you should buy a "Scan Gauge" and plug it in. It can feed you instantaneous fuel rate and average as well. Try different fuels. Write the odo on the receipt. Figure out which works best for your driving style.
The alcohol in "motor fuel" adds nothing but cost. The problem is that is now more common. At one time I monitored how much the alcohol contributed. The loss of fuel economy (in crease in fuel rate was a mirror of the alcohol content.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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07/23/21 05:39pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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Least expensive EZ-Pass
When I was working near Chicago some years ago, I got an EZ-Pass. When that job ended, I didn't use it for a while and got billed for the month I didn't use it. That didn't go over so well.....
Are there any EZ-Pass carriers that do not bill you if you don't use them??
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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07/23/21 08:43am |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Anyone have an all elec. car
Back again with a thought... (this could be dangerous)
Are there any EVs yet that can be towed 4-down? There were not last time I looked.
Now, if some EV builder made a model that could be towed 4-down, and had a feature that when in braking mode signaled from the coach, it went into regenerative braking so as to recharge the system when you want to slow the rig anyway.
Do you think that they could sell a few in this crowd?
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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07/23/21 08:36am |
Around the Campfire
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RE: 34 ft 89 winnebago chieftain
Skwiz,
Ready for some new feed??
There is no reason you can't get the springs re-arched and add air springs too. (Air springs are all our coach has in the rear.)
About the Onan, look for a comfortable small engine shop. Onans are used lots of places that people want reliable small engines and they may be more interested than a Cummins shop.
About the coach, be real ready. If the rubber parts have not been replaced, age will be getting to a lot of them. You have heard about tires (I hope) that 7 years is about it. It is less in hot climates. But there are hoses and belts that also age out. There are three types of hoses that will leave you stuck. (If you are lucky.)
As the brake fluid has probably absorbed moisture, this would be a good time to flush the system. Replacing all the rubber brake lines while you do this is convenient.
The coolant has probably depleted it anti-corrosives, so replacing any coolant hoses that have gotten hard or spongy is easier when the system is already drained.
On this "old" a unit, the rubber fuel lines may not have the sense of humor for today's "motor fuel" and replacing all you can with new alcohol tolerant hose with prevent a lot of future grief.
The three about are not terrible work and if you do it, you will learn a lot and make the reliability of you coach bags better.
The coach in the picture is ours. It is 48yo and has about 180K on the clock. We go where we want to and have been on a hook only for very serious (and unlikely) component failures.
So, give her the care she deserves and she will give you times of great enjoyment.
You might try to find an owners group on the web. If you can, the information they can provide will be of amazing value.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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07/22/21 08:56am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: One night stays and black/grey tanks
As we are travelers more than campers, I would have expected that our operation is more different than most. That does not seem to be the case. Our coach is very senior, bordering on antique and it only has one waste tank. That is about the same size as the potable tank. While both level gauges work (at the moment), the potable is a good indicator for the waste tank. That be the case, I like to find potable and a dump about every third day to give us some margin.
Then, there is another consideration. If Mary wants to wash her hair, she would rather have more hot water than we can normally manage.
These two sort of drive us toward an FHU for the third or forth night and we dump and take on potable then.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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07/22/21 08:33am |
Beginning RVing
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RE: RV navigation systemsl
Country Bob,
If you stick to blue roads and don't try to travel the "road less taken", you phone will do well.
For planning, the phone will be useless and in spite of trying to pre-load areas where coverage is poor or less, we still drove off the end of the world a few times. In these cases any GPS is better.
For planning, Google maps does work, but there is the "no coverage issue" to deal with all the time. So, using it as an enroute navigator is a lost cause.
Our coach does not need much for special conditions, we are not so restricted.
With the death of Street Atlas, there is no longer any planning package that works for us. For us, it can't be an internet application, we are off coverage far too much for that to be of any value at all.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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07/21/21 10:37am |
Technology Corner
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RE: New 5er, fresh water
Bob,
I do not know your specific coach, but as a general statement, almost any pump will be able to deliver water to the potable tank from the city water connection. All that extra valve does is to by-pass the pump and (typical) check valve part of the system and go right to the tank.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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07/21/21 10:23am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: boondockerswelcome
We have been BW hosts almost since the beginning, we are in striking range to a big attraction and so we have a lot of traffic. It is a great way to meet interesting people.
We have been HH since the beginning and due to strange events have yet to take advantage of this. We are hoping to this year, but it looks kind of grim actually. Not HH's issue, but things just have not worked out.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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07/16/21 08:49am |
Public Lands, Boondocking and Dry Camping
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RE: Anyone have an all elec. car
I look at it as much the same as the early days of engine powered cars. The steam cars could run on kerosene and as lamp oil it was available, but gasoline often had to be shipped in by rail as 5 gallon cans.
When I was much younger, an older person was telling me of barn finds of pre-brass era cars that were pushed into the barn when they had run out of fuel....
AAA has two services for electrics. One is a roll-back with a big generator to take you and the car where you need to go while charging the car. The other is a conventional car (I am told some are CNG powewred) with a good sized diesel generator to recharge your car where it is.
And to top this all off, in California they are asking people to not charge their cars during the hot times because the grid is overloaded.
Matt - who does not foresee the day he will be able to afford an electric car and doesn't really care.
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Matt_Colie
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07/16/21 08:43am |
Around the Campfire
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RE: lifepo4 and maxxfan
Matt,
Welcome and thank you for trying to supply enough information.
You called the converter "power dynamics". Did you mean "Progressive Dynamics" from Marshall MI?
If it is a PD unit, it did not burn out your fan.
If it is a PD unit, just set the connections to the battery and forget the rest. Those guys do their homework.
If this is not the case all bets are off.
Matt - another from SE Mi
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Matt_Colie
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07/03/21 10:40am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Electric bikes !!
How does he have Ecotric Dolphin folding 20" when the only thing offered on the site is Pre-order?
I have been looking. We have a pair of 20 folding bikes that live under the dinette most of the time. I am not sure if I should buy built for, of add and electric front wheel.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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06/30/21 11:17am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Electrical question
Barry,
It sounds like the meter is owned by the campground. That be the case, you have mentioned it to them, and you might mention it again but if their bookkeeping doesn't flag a zero bill, then they are missing something. I suspect that you like them and the place. Try to get their attention again.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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06/30/21 10:35am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: U.S. 20 across New York
Rick,
About two years ago. we took 20 from the Toledo area to Albany. We abandon it on the way through Cleveland because it was too slow and there was only city to see. Once we got clear of that, we ran it all the way to Albany as that was out destination. It was fun, and not much slower than we might run on an interstate. We did detour when south of Rochester to go to the Strong Museum there, but other than that, we stayed with it to Albany. We did not go any farther east.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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06/27/21 09:19am |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Question for those who have replaced rv frig w/ residential
I closed off the vents to outside, but installed the new unit so in could communicate with the air inside the coach. It has worked real well for 15 years.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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06/23/21 06:12pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Just an observation and wondering
AND...
I just read (unconfirmed) that PG&E is asking people to not recharge their electric cars because of demand caused by the heat wave.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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06/22/21 09:42am |
Tech Issues
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RE: new camper needs help!
Well Mom,
Did you notice that 2 out of three recommended a Pop-up. There are lots of reasons for this. Pups have a top that is usually a single piece of fiberglass and so are less likely to dissolve because a roof leak went unnoticed. And everything else about them is also less expensive.
If you really want to try out a Class C, Rent one. They are very available. Yes, it will be somewhat expensive, but you won't have to:
Register
Insure
Store
Maintain
or worry about it.......
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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06/21/21 01:32pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Wi-Fi / Cell-phone Signal Boosters
Hedge,
You had best make up your mind. WiFi and Cell signals are very different.
I fought with various Wifi ideas and settled on an Alfa device. I got it working only to find that the Wifi I was fighting for was so overloaded that the plan was hopeless.
Then I took to using my cell to create my own hotspot. This was four design levels ago. This was it the 1A days. When I ran out of signal, I went to Wilson Electronics and got a better antenna and a repeater. That worked until 3G. Then came 4G and it had to be upgraded. When 5G is fully implemented, I will probably have to upgrade again.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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06/21/21 09:17am |
Technology Corner
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