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Forum
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RE: One more week then "empty nester"
We didn't mind at all. As they moved out, we quickly repurposed the space that they used to occupy.
We see DD and family pretty regularly. But they are 40 minute away so it is never a drop-in situation for either.
Our son found out that where we stood politically and his wife forced him to disown us. He was a drag and a drain for 15 years so I really don't mind it that much. Out of four, he does have one good and worthwhile son. The baby-mama and wife are both not missed at all.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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01/25/21 09:44am |
Around the Campfire
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RE: Basic Question About AC Power Wiring
Had,
You have a lot of good answers here, but one I have not seen is one that I have experienced. I don't have much, but a lot of people that do pay me to fix things. One thing I have discovered in both the AC and DC wiring of boats and RVs is that the terminals get loose over time. I do not know if it is vibration or thermal cycling, but one of the first things I do when an owner is having trouble with a system that used to be entirely reliable is to go in an tighten every terminal and screw I can fine.
So, I suggest you get a good flashlight (because you want the power off even on the DC side) and a nice strong screwdriver and go at it. If typical, this will not be comfortable and will take way longer than you are thinking, but every time you get another 1/6 of a turn on anything, you will know that you are making progress....
This was the cheap fix. If you need more, you have to buy a monitor called a Kill-A-Watt that plugs into a receptacle to monitor voltage and a clamp on ammeter to find out what the A/C is doing.
Best of luck
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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01/24/21 11:06am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Overnight parking going places?
Sjohnson,
One of the things that you have to decide long before departure is if you can live without deploying the slide. While it will not matter everywhere, it will make you unwelcome in some places that have limited space.
Apart from that, you have a whole lot of good information here. I can't help you about camp (cramp) grounds, we don't buy them often enough to matter. We do a whole lot of "Stealth Camping", but that is much harder to pass off with slides extended.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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01/23/21 09:41am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Annual maintenance
The grease I use is about 10$us a tube. The engine lube oil is only about 30$us for the jug and the filter I like is 8$.
When I compare that to the 3K$us that the overhaul cost me two years ago (when I did the R&R and most of the engine work), that all looks real reasonable to me.
Grease is cheaper than parts - always.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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01/21/21 05:59pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: First camp trip?
At least they have their dog with them....
They must be good people.
(Notice that the wheel is chocked!)
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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01/15/21 09:24am |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Albany NY to Newport, VT
Do you mean Newport VA (Virginia) or UT (Utah)?
Have you tried Google Maps? They aren't the best, but are usually up to date.
Matt
Utah is landlocked. I don't think there is a Newport, Utah.
I would not have asked if I did not know it was a nice section of Bountiful UT.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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01/09/21 05:15pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Grand Teton Campgrounds new reservation deal
We are not campers as much as we are travelers, so making reservations with much advance notice is simply impossible. If we stop at or call (are cell phones great) and get told all the slips are reserved, we consult with RVparky to see if there is something in striking range. There often is not.
So, on a side note, we have gotten very good at Wallydocking, Blacktopping, Turnout Camping, Flatspoting, Sandtopping, Beachcamping and Stealth Camping. This and even a little real boondocking.
We travel as a self contained unit, so I do my best not to pay for things I might never need or actually want.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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01/08/21 04:00pm |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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RE: looking for info
We never camped in that area because we can mouchdock with family. I think that with few exceptions most of the east coast south of New York Harbor is pretty much the same. Get east of there?? Not the same.
Be sure to plan your route to get you to the correct side of the bay. The ferry is often crowded (needs reservations) and is kind of expensive for big things.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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01/08/21 12:45pm |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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RE: Albany NY to Newport, VT
Do you mean Newport VA (Virginia) or UT (Utah)?
Have you tried Google Maps? They aren't the best, but are usually up to date.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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01/08/21 12:27pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: TRIP PLANNER APP FOR RV?
It still can't be used as an enroute navigator unless you spring for satellite wideband service. The software packages that cold do that are all dead. I miss them a lot.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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01/05/21 09:23pm |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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RE: Boondocking Etiquette
Grit Dog,
If by pompous and/or self-righteous you mean those that refuse to think of lot-docking and black-topping as boondocking instead of dry camping, then you could well be correct. People have gotten away from the old fashion thinking of "words have meanings" if favor of "any word means what I want it to and if you don't understand it's your fault".
Recently someone asked me if there was anyplace to boondock near where we live and I told him there was not. He said he was surprised that there were no Walmart or other. To which I replied that there were plenty of places they could over-night-park for free, but those sure were not boondocks.
If someone has a different definition, he is welcome to it but he should have no expectation of his private meaning being universally understood.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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01/05/21 09:03am |
Beginning RVing
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RE: house battery leaking
If the battery is actually leaking, it is almost impossible to repair. If one cell can take a lot more water than the others, be ready to replace one or both.
As stated above, it is very possible that the installer cracked the case.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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12/30/20 02:33pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Changing Spare Tire
Texas,
My coach has 16" wheels and E-rated tires. They weigh about 80# each. If needed, I do have the jack and wrench to change one out.
I will suggest that you carry that essential kit if you plan to travel other than the blue roads. Thrice I have had to deal with a tire on the road. Of those times, twice the road service truck did not have either a jack that could get under (out coach is very low) or a wrench that could deal with the lugnuts. As I did have both, we were able to effect the required service and go on our way.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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12/28/20 08:03am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Blocking "Restricted" Calls on Smartphone
We have Nomorobo on the house line, so we never even look at the phone until the second ring.
The "Credit Card Interest" AHs keep calling from different numbers. Sometimes, they even spoof good numbers. If I have time, I just string them along until the jerk figures out he has been had...
Then, if I have the time, I report that number to Nomorobo.
They just keep calling.
My cell used to be my business phone. I used to get 20~30 junk texts a week. For the last couple of years it has had an auto reply that says "Stop - this number no longer accepts text" followed by a remark. I am now down to about 1 or 2 texts a week, but I also turned off notification and it is not on a leading screen, so it can be a week before I notice them.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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12/22/20 08:29am |
Technology Corner
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RE: California to Maine Summer 2021
Awood,
All you have listed are the over night stops..
You are not listing just about a dozen must see stops.
OKC. The Western Heritage Museum
Virginia, The Marinier's Museum - the Monitor
Mystic CT, not Old Mystic, The Seaport Museum
On the way to Jackson MI, plan the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn.
St.Louis - get to the Cahokia Center.
This is just what I could thing of without looking at my log books.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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12/18/20 12:15pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: If I ask the question "Why"...
And he didn't include any reference information!!
What does Guy have and what is it doing/not doing??
Matt :h
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Matt_Colie
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12/18/20 11:46am |
Around the Campfire
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RE: Yep....Gettin' older
I have tried a few, but those that get set up once by an audiologist have never worked out, and I have had the mask issue too. Then there is the mask fogging the glasses. I just don't go anyplace I have to mask-up and that is anywhere outside the house in Michigan.
The hearing aids don't work because I have holes in my hearing and if the gain profile can't be configured to match that, then all they do is make the noise louder. With my level of tinnitus, that is worse than useless.
Currently, I am trying to work with Olive Union that has devices you can individually and rapidly program with a smart phone. It is promising, but I still am not sure that they beat nothing. The stable whistle of the tinnitus is at least something I can count on. Yes, I have tried the treatments for it, but none have worked.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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12/14/20 08:51am |
Around the Campfire
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RE: What about driving a diesel pusher?
Blue,
All the switches, bells and lights are just to impress your friends.
It will be easier to drive than a school bus because there are no (or at least fewer) screaming kids in the back. If you drove Blue Birds, it is just like that. If you drove Internationals, you now have a better view.
Go to it guy.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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12/08/20 02:24pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: WiFi booster
Well 8nt,
You can keep messing around if you want to, but doing the hotspot with Verizon hardware is so easy, that it makes everything else look silly.
If you really want to use the crampground WiFi, get serious and look up the Alfa units. Read about them. Before cell tethering was easy, I did this a lot. I often worked with spots I could not even see.
Now, I only use the Alfa hardware when cell coverage is so bad that it is an issue. (In spite of many believe, cell coverage is not universal all over the USA.) There are lots of dark places even if you combine coverages. I recently worked a closed Panera Bread.
If you are going to tether or hotspot from your phone, put it on a good power supply. This operation will toast the onboard battery. It takes about three keystrokes to set it up and which ever phone is hot, we can all (3) use it together.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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12/08/20 09:22am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Winnebago Brave31c
Lepre,
You might also go over to Winnebagos at IRV2 and ask there. You might get a better answer and faster.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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12/07/20 02:51pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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