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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: Anybody else have bad issues with RV Value Mart?
MK,
It was undoubtedly a trade-in. The sales people won't make jack on this deal. They need it off the lot to make space for more profitable things.
There are not many pictures that show ceiling, and the one where the A/C is has some shadows. If those are water spots, don't just walk away, RUN!!!
You need to go and see this and it would be even better if you could take a friend that has had bed experiences with RVs with you. 6K$us is barely worth hiring an inspector, but you should ask and you might get one.
I hope it works out for you.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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10/22/21 05:13pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Full Time RV living as a S Corp/1099 employee
Josh,
I don't know the total ins and outs of what you are planning, but I worked out of my coach as a contractor (doing specialty work on racing sailboats) and it worked out great. This was before smartphones and good traveling internet access. I had to keep finding where (like fast food places and libraries) where I could pinch wire.
Now, I just set the phone as a hotspot and buy the unlimited plan. When Starlink gets fully on line, that would be the cats pajamas for you. The other satellite services were too slow and very expensive.
I used to end the year with both bunches of invoices and 1099s from insurance work, so I had to find a good accountant. If the work involves relocating at all ever during the year, then the coach expenses are deductible. Keep good records and you can win at this.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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10/22/21 05:02pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Gasser guys and gals ...why not a diesel ?
I have the simplest answer here..
The coach we wanted was never available with a diesel.
Not that I couldn't put one in, several have done so.
I have run the numbers and the mod would break even at about another 230K miles.
Thanks anyway
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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10/20/21 08:23am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Hi from RI
George,
For a new Thor, you should have a good tool kit and look up FMCA, they can be a lot of help. They can help all around.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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10/19/21 09:11am |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Cold weather, generators, and campgrounds
My wife and I were at Yellowstone the past few days at NPS campground Madison, which is run by Xanterra. It was pretty cold and snowy for several days, not extreme, but a little "rough" for mid-October.
The campground rules are no generators btwn 8pm - 8am. There were many in the campground that ran their generators intermittently all through night. My question is this:
Is this complete disregard for the rules and FELLOW CAMPERS acceptable in light of the conditions?
Well Captain,
You don't give much for the specifics of the conditions. You also allow that those that ran generators ran them intermittently.
It would seem to me that those that did run generators were doing their best to not inconvenience the others there and still survive the night. There are more than one reason that they may have had to fire up the generator. One of the top ones to me would that Fishing Bridge is probably closed along with the other campgrounds that can supply electric.
Now, if they had run the generators all night, that would be a different story altogether.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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10/17/21 09:13am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Amps Draw and Voltage Drop Question 2
This is amazing, in the entire thread there is only one line - ONE!
That I do not agree with....
That was the OPs line that there were no stupid questions - UNTIL NOW!!
This does not qualify as a stupid question at all. It was a well thought and interesting question and you got good and clear answers.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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10/16/21 04:23pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Anderson connectors: if too small, is that a bottleneck?
It’s all about how much loss you are willing to accept. I want 2% or less from panels to controller.
Lwiddis,
Thank You for your service, but this is an issue I run into all the time in boat wiring work.
The tables all publish voltage drop as Percent(%) and that is just plain wrong. The system voltage drop is VOLTS... This is true what ever the system voltage is. Many solar systems run greater than the 13.6 nominal for charging a 12V system. That voltage drop can still cripple a system even when the percentage of the system voltage is small.
I simple terms, for low voltage systems, always buy all the copper you can afford. You only have to buy it once, but if you don't you will pay for it for the life of the system.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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10/13/21 03:46pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Handling “hard dried stuff” in the black tank ?
There is a great YouTube "Ice in Black Tank". I suggest you make note of his test and success before you proceed.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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10/13/21 08:57am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Any 80mph PLUS - class Aers still on here ?
Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything. Charles Kuralt
While our classic coach can maintain those speeds, we usually are on roads that will not and we like it that way.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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10/12/21 10:51am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Replacement Water Pump
Why do people want a quiet pump??
That noise is the warning that something is not shut off well or you have a leak you need to find.
Having grown up (OK - gotten old) aboard boats on tidal water, the last thing you need is to have the silent pump run and pump all you potable water overboard.
We turn the pump off when underway, but if we are not and I hear that pump run, I go and find out why it ran.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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10/08/21 09:20am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Air compressors
Well Fifth,
The first mistake is looking at the tank size. The tank is the cheapest part and is of little value in your case.
As soon as you look at any air compressor, look at the specifications. The first part to look at is "CFM at 100Psi". This is the money shot right there. In simple terms, 1Hp should get 5CFM at 100 PSI. If you plan to run it off 12VDC, 1Hp is about 60Amps so you better be real ready for that.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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10/08/21 09:11am |
Class A Motorhomes
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Is GasBuddy any use at all now??
This was our first long travel this year. I could not get GasBuddy to give me a big map with prices on it so I could look ahead for a deal on the laptop that always travels with us.
When running the local maps, it gave me a map that had logos at the top, but nothing on the tiny map most of the time. When it gave the location, the maps scale was of use only with a solid native guide.
If you go to the large price-heat map, it is so dark that you can't read the cities until the scale is too small to use. If you get there and you are not in the right place, there is not way to find out how to get where you need to go....
I'm not a person that avoids change, but when you take something that worked great for us travelers, and make it hard to use, it is disappointing.
I hope I am alone and someone knows how to get the picture along the planned route.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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10/04/21 10:41am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Long route travel plans
PhilH,
You sound like the type that avoids blue roads and major urban areas.
Unfortunately, you have missed the two best planners ever produced....
I am referring to to Strips and Treats and Street Alas. With either, you could lay out a route and adjust it as you learn. They would be telling you where to start looking for fuel and a place to crash for the night. They were also the best enroute navigators ever if you bought a GPS puck to plug in. Like having a big road map with a "You Are Here" arrow on it. But, I digress, they are both dead and there is no replacement as a stand alone. Don't even mention RV Trip planner. That is an expensive online service and if you don't have wire (internet access) 100% of the time it is useless and can't be a navigator at all. It can do as well as the others like Furkot, which is a free online app.
Your best solution (IMNSHO) is to get (or have a friend get) a USA map from AAA. I nice soft pencil and a big eraser. Figure out how long on the map scale is a 3~400 mile day's drive and start dreaming....
Read all the guide books you can and ask friends and relatives that have been there what they thought.
Most of all, keep dreaming.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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10/04/21 10:26am |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Spouse left behind after death at a Campsite, what to do?
In our small group of several hundred 45+yo coaches, we routinely (like one next weekend) run a ladies driving school. In these, we recruit those ladies that do to teach the others. It is not just driving, it is about everything you need to know to manage the coach. Start up checklists and all of that. I am proud that Mary is one of the instructors, but it has just occurred to me that she may need to know more. I think we need to arrange more training. Both for me on the house hold books, and her on how to deal with a 48yo coach that we love.
I'm not sure why this took so long. A sailing couple friends of ours had a time when he went not quite overboard. He was in the water, and hanging from something by a foot. She was able to control the boat and still manage to arrange to get him back aboard. The situation is very parallel.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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09/17/21 09:51pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Gen-set Troubles
Another idea.....
This would seem to be an engine problem. So, call around to any small engine shops you can find and ask if they will work on it for you. I don't know how easy yours is to get to, if it is tough, they might want to take it out, but I guaranty that they can make it work and for less cash out of pocket than a Cummins shop.
We see a lot of this in our group, but ours are all near 50yo and we have rubber fuel lines cracking.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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09/17/21 01:09pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Black Eye
Well,
I am one of those that has been on all the sides of this.
First, a speed limit is a LIMIT.
Second, courtesy is a good thing.
What we don't know here is what was the capability and experience of the Class C driver. He may be new at this and think he picked a country road so as to not hold others up any more than he had to.
The only state I know has a "Tail Back" law is Alaska. They do their best to enforce it.
It all comes down to the fact that the lead driver may not have be happy with the turn-outs he saw or he may have had an issue that distracted him from taking advantage of them. It is, after all, the drivers responsibility to stay safe.
We don't really know the whole case here, do we??
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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09/17/21 08:03am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: cleaning 7-pin receiver connector on truck
Omrod,
I think you should try to find out what "Trailer Connected" really means when the trailer is not connected.
That would tend to indicate that there was some connection where none should be. Yes, it is probably corrosion that is causing it and it would lead me to think it was in the socket on the truck.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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09/15/21 08:49am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: HarvestHost......anyone using it?
As a long time and well used Boondockers Welcome host, I can tell you exactly what it is like.
You set up the account.
If you are near a place that people want to go or convenient to a well traveled highway, be ready.
Publish accurate descriptions and have a good set of directions to find you.
Be honest about what you can fit. We do have issues with longer trailers and monster coaches.
We are something over two dozen now and that is with nothing in 2020.
It is a great way to meet interesting people.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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09/15/21 08:44am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: New Camping Stove Needed
We have a lot of Coleman. The stove we use is a collectors item and three of the red top lanterns are over 60yo, and I have never not been able to get any parts that are needed. If that is not the case with this stove, please tell us.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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09/14/21 08:41am |
Family Camping
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RE: Dirty Electric
GD,
While that is a cheap version of an Oscilloscope, even with the suggested additional parts to look at the wave shape, you can't use it to do either a true THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) measurement. All you can do is look at it an see if it is pretty.
This came up recently when an acquaintance could not run his new inverter microwave from the CCV portable generator. We got things together and found that his machine produced a really big 3rd and fifth order that fooled the power supply of the microwave.
The microwave ran fine with the power from my 48yo Onan even with the distortion cause be cylinders firing.
Matt
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Matt_Colie
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09/12/21 07:59am |
Tech Issues
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