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RE: NuCamp T@B320 S vs. Little Guy Mini-Max
Been looking at the NuCamp T@B320 S and Little Guy Mini-Max teardrop travel trailers.
They both seem to be competitive in terms of pricing and features; however, we have some concerns:
The T@B 320 S gives us pause because of the Alde heating system and the so-called central air a/c system. Both are non-standard systems which would make warranty support, parts, replacement, and DIY maintenance more difficult. Also, not sure what to make of the 5 gal cassette toilet system . . .
At first glance, the large acrylic window on the rear, middle of the Mini-Max seems like a cool feature. Unfortunately, we've heard reports of the 13.5 a/c having problems keeping it cool because of it. Typically, you can't close the shade on a large acrylic window without the risk of trapping heat and melting the plastic window enclosure. Is this true for the Mini-Max?
Comments or opinions? Any input ref their overall reliability, quality, and general usability?
Thanks!
Hi OTRfun. We don’t have the T@B320 but have a T@B400 with the Alde heat and hot water system . It is a 2022 model. We have camped roughly 110 days in it in the last 18 months and regularly use the Alde both on propane and electric. It has not had any problems and does a good job.
We also haven’t had any problem with the AC unit but don’t use it much.
The T@B has been trouble free after more than 22000 kilometres all over Canada and extensively in BC. Not a single glitch although the outside black moulding along the top pulled away a bit on top. I pushed it back in and it has been fine since then.
Hope you find what you are looking for.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52387203690_56dcf7ca64_c.jpg
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Reisender
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07/26/23 03:23pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: heat and Li batteries.
Lithium iron phosphate batteries are lithium ion batteries. Same thing. The iron and phosphate are in the form of ions.
yes, but it's the chemical composition that controls the properties. LFP batteries have a wider range than what is used in cars.
it was 46C here yesterday and my LFP batter in the camper didn't spontaneously combust.
Steve
Hi Steve. Roughly half of the batteries used in electric cars now are LFP. Just over half of Teslas sold use LFP batteries and that number is increasing. Ever changing tech of course.
it is far far less than 1/2, I would hazard to guess in the less than 5% range of vehicles sold if you're in north America. tesla just started using LFP in a limited trial last couple years in China and now all Chinese sold tesla's are LFP, and only on the standard range. Ford VW and a couple others are starting to dabble with them
here is a list of care running LFP and they are only available in certain countries in this set up
Tesla Model S
Volkswagen e-Golf
Ford Fusion
Nissan Leaf
Porsche Panamera
BMW 740iL
so the tesla is the standard range model only sold in China.
The rest are not on anyone's list that is seriously looking at electric cars for anything other than going to the grocery store as the range sucks. There is a trade off in using LFP for cars, the negative being less energy density than the others, meaning the same ah of storage takes up more space and weighs more. the benefits being longer life, and a safer chemistry.
Presently standard range model 3 and model Y use LFP batteries.
https://electrek.co/2022/04/22/tesla-using-cobalt-free-lfp-batteries-in-half-new-cars-produced/
that just goes to show how many they are selling in China as the article you linked said exactly what I did. I didn't mention the model letters/numbers only the "standard range" I think for the bigger more desirable electric cars in north America, Tesla has plans to bring LFP in. ford is switching over in the Mach E for the 2024 model on standard range only also. When I have time, I can look at the others. I don't know anyone who bought a standard range where I live, but I guess if you live in a big city and don't do a lot of road trips that might work for you.
Yah. It will be interesting to see the adaptation of LFP going forward and which markets adapt them.
Presently all model 3 and Y’s sold in Canada come from China but they are not all LFP. Just the standard range. Model S and X come from the factory in freemont. The Cybertrucks will come from Texas and rumour has it they are the 4680’s produced on teslas own battery line.
That’s subject to change going forward and other rumours indicate that some Cybertruck models might be using 2170’s from Panasonics nevada factory. Hard to keep up with all of it. Interesting though.
Cheers.
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Reisender
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07/25/23 08:17pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: heat and Li batteries.
Lithium iron phosphate batteries are lithium ion batteries. Same thing. The iron and phosphate are in the form of ions.
yes, but it's the chemical composition that controls the properties. LFP batteries have a wider range than what is used in cars.
it was 46C here yesterday and my LFP batter in the camper didn't spontaneously combust.
Steve
Hi Steve. Roughly half of the batteries used in electric cars now are LFP. Just over half of Teslas sold use LFP batteries and that number is increasing. Ever changing tech of course.
it is far far less than 1/2, I would hazard to guess in the less than 5% range of vehicles sold if you're in north America. tesla just started using LFP in a limited trial last couple years in China and now all Chinese sold tesla's are LFP, and only on the standard range. Ford VW and a couple others are starting to dabble with them
here is a list of care running LFP and they are only available in certain countries in this set up
Tesla Model S
Volkswagen e-Golf
Ford Fusion
Nissan Leaf
Porsche Panamera
BMW 740iL
so the tesla is the standard range model only sold in China.
The rest are not on anyone's list that is seriously looking at electric cars for anything other than going to the grocery store as the range sucks. There is a trade off in using LFP for cars, the negative being less energy density than the others, meaning the same ah of storage takes up more space and weighs more. the benefits being longer life, and a safer chemistry.
Presently standard range model 3 and model Y use LFP batteries.
https://electrek.co/2022/04/22/tesla-using-cobalt-free-lfp-batteries-in-half-new-cars-produced/
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Reisender
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07/25/23 05:57pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: heat and Li batteries.
Lithium iron phosphate batteries are lithium ion batteries. Same thing. The iron and phosphate are in the form of ions.
yes, but it's the chemical composition that controls the properties. LFP batteries have a wider range than what is used in cars.
it was 46C here yesterday and my LFP batter in the camper didn't spontaneously combust.
Steve
Hi Steve. Roughly half of the batteries used in electric cars now are LFP. Just over half of Teslas sold use LFP batteries and that number is increasing. Ever changing tech of course.
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Reisender
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07/23/23 10:12am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Anyone tried double towing in BC Canada?
I’m not sure about the fine amount but I know we have talked to a couple folks who were simply told to drop the trailer but received no fine. It’s not uncommon to see boats or other small trailers at a couple of pull outs within a hundred kilometers or so of the border. Even truck campers that were too heavy on pickups although that’s less common.
The other thing they get people for at a safety check close to us in the Okanagan is no 12 volt battery on the trailer, so no breakaway brakes. Not sure about fines but they make you drop it until you put a battery on it. Makes sense.
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Reisender
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07/22/23 08:41am |
Towing
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RE: Fires in Canada
Is it true the Canuks do not fight their wildfires but let them burn forever????
No. It’s not true.
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Reisender
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07/15/23 05:35pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Diesel Pusher losing power
Just curious as to other have had similar experience.
Have a 2006 Tiffin Phaeton, currently on a road trip in WY and motorhome seems to loose power on even small inclines. Had the air filter changed in Odessa Mo. which seemed to correct the problem for a while. Currently we go from the ability to travel at highway speeds to literally having to climb the entrance to the rv park we are staying at for a couple of days at 5 mph because the unit wouldn't go any faster.
Am trying to find a diesel shop in Cody, WY to check the coach out but just wondered if other members have experienced anything similar.
Appreciate any feedback.
We had those symptoms when we got a cracked exhaust manifold which apparently reduced turbo boost. (I’m not a mechanic so don’t understand this). Have your mechanic check the exhaust manifold. Ours was a Cummins ISC. 2003.
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Reisender
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07/13/23 08:14am |
Tech Issues
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RE: What's needed for sewer hose storage
We installed two Rubbermaid packer boxes on the hitch platform. The one on the right is for sewer hoses etc (yucky stuff), the one on the left is for chocks and levelelling blocks etc. The centre one is stock and had the propane. But we also carry the fresh water hoses, empty water jugs for campground use and an empty bucket. We pack the hitch light. And we mounted a strap and brackets for our little 6 gallon tote tank. Nice setup for us.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53039770824_fce4e119bf_k. width=640jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53003784537_ef3ca976f3_k. width=640jpg
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Reisender
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07/11/23 06:33pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Water pump randomly runs for short bursts
No the pump can run even if all the faucets are off. One cause could be a slight leak. I would check the pump first. Slight leaks can occur with older pumps. Temperature changes can also cause the pump to run. If you turn off the hot water, pressure will slowly drop and the pump will cycle periodically to maintain the pressure. Changes in temperature can also do this even if the HW tank has not been heated. Temps dropping during the night can be enough to trigger the pump.
If the RV is not in use, it is easy to check for leaks. Pressurize the system and turn off the pump. If ambient temps are roughly constant, pressure should hold for at least a day or two and the pump will not run when turned back on.
What I'm afraid of is that it could be a leak inside the walls that I can't see. I don't have any water showing up anywhere that I can see (not around the pump either).
How do I measure the pressure in my lines?
Not sure on that or if it would be useful.
If the check valve does t fix it and you know the pump diaphragm is good consider “half splitting” the system. That involves putting a shutoff valve at a point you think is the half way point in the system. Then shut it off. If it still cycles you know the problem is in the first half the system.
Good luck.
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Reisender
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07/04/23 12:05pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Water pump randomly runs for short bursts
Greetings all,
I've had two campers in my life and the first one I had was pretty rough and had lots of issues. One was that the water pump would randomly run for a second or so, which I didn't have the time or funds to look into, so I just turned off the pump at night so we could sleep.
We upgraded to a "newer" (to us) Jay Feather and for the last couple of years, we had no issues with it, but for our last two trips, the water pump started randomly running for a few seconds, just like our old camper. It SHOULD only run when water is called (faucet is opened) and I don't think I have any leaks (that I can see) and I made sure that all of the faucets were closed, but it STILL runs randomly and it it so frustrating. Do I need a new pump (or whatever the sensor is that tells the pump to run when the pressure after the pump drops)?
Thanks,
TLB
Good morning lost boy.
Start with replacing the check valve. If that doesn’t work you have a leak.
The other thing I would do is check to see that the taps for your outside shower are turned off good. People forget to turn those off and just rely on the sprayer stop.
Good luck with your search.
John.
Yeah, the outside shower was the first thing I thought of, but they're all tightly closed. No obvious leaking either.
Oh ok. Then give the check valve a check out.
I also had a pump diaphragm with a pinhole leak in an RV about 20 years ago. Tough to chase down but hang in there.
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Reisender
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07/04/23 11:34am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Water pump randomly runs for short bursts
Greetings all,
I've had two campers in my life and the first one I had was pretty rough and had lots of issues. One was that the water pump would randomly run for a second or so, which I didn't have the time or funds to look into, so I just turned off the pump at night so we could sleep.
We upgraded to a "newer" (to us) Jay Feather and for the last couple of years, we had no issues with it, but for our last two trips, the water pump started randomly running for a few seconds, just like our old camper. It SHOULD only run when water is called (faucet is opened) and I don't think I have any leaks (that I can see) and I made sure that all of the faucets were closed, but it STILL runs randomly and it it so frustrating. Do I need a new pump (or whatever the sensor is that tells the pump to run when the pressure after the pump drops)?
Thanks,
TLB
Good morning lost boy.
Start with replacing the check valve. If that doesn’t work you have a leak.
The other thing I would do is check to see that the taps for your outside shower are turned off good. People forget to turn those off and just rely on the sprayer stop.
Good luck with your search.
John.
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Reisender
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07/04/23 10:48am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Our June 2023 Tesla T@B westcoast adventure including pics.
Nice trip report, and pics. Our June trip was the James Bay Road. Left Southern Ontario on June 1, Got asked to leave the Province of Quebec on June 6. They were evacuating anyone working in any forested area of the Province, and campgrounds were closing. We were looking at the dam at Radisson when Hydro Quebec security came up beside us to ask what we were doing there. That is when we found out about the forest fires.
We couldn't finish off our planned route and headed back south. We only encountered smoky conditions one night.
When we got back to the check in point at the start of the James Bay road, there was a Securite de Quebec cruiser with two officers turning away people wanting to go north.
We enjoyed the short time we had there.
Brian
Sorry to hear your trip was cut short Brian. Give it another shot next year maybe.
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Reisender
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07/02/23 09:05pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Our June 2023 Tesla T@B westcoast adventure including pics.
Great spots - makes me want to go check out BC camping... thanks for posting.
Come on up. You are always welcome. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. July and august can be a little dicey for campsite availability depending on your rig size. But spring and fall are cooler and quieter.
And Vancouver island has a lot of interesting spots including the provincial capital Victoria. Living forest Campground in Nanaimo is a good basecamp for a week to take in the sites within an hour of the area including the capital. It is full service large campground but is like a provincial park in the sense it is in an old growth forest. It’s also right on the ocean and river. Canoe rental, kayak etc. We have enjoyed our stays there. And with somewhere around 300 sites it is seldom completely full other than maybe long weekends.
Hope you make it up and safe travels.
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Reisender
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07/01/23 01:29pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Our June 2023 Tesla T@B westcoast adventure including pics.
Thank You for this nice trip report. I'm glad you had a good time!
Thanks Joerg. It was a great trip. It didn’t hurt that we had almost perfect weather. A couple days of rain which didn’t really Leslie us down. Made one of hikes a little muddy but still fun. :)
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Reisender
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06/30/23 04:24pm |
General RVing Issues
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Our June 2023 Tesla T@B westcoast adventure including pics.
Hi all. Not sure where this belongs but I'll put it here. Hi all
We just had an epic 29 days on the road in BC and thought I would share some of the highlights.
We started in Vernon BC, worked our way thru the wine country of the south Okanagan, up thru Hedley where we took in some history, onto Princeton and some amazing camping and hiking in Manning provincial park, down and over to the island and amazing 6 days based out of Nanaimo and then on to Gold stream provincial park, port Renfrew, up and over cowichan lake and then on to Rathtrevor provincial park, then back on the ferry to Powell river for another 4 amazing days of hiking and then back home. What an amazing province we live in.
The true hero of this journey was Radar the 13 year old wonder dog. And yes he is in a lot of pictures. ??. We would only let him hike about 5 kilometers per day before putting him in his pack but he just wouldn’t slow down. And he pulled strong on the leash every time we put him on the ground. We are in our 60’s. In people years he is 91 years old. I hope I'm as healthy at his age. You rock buddy. ????.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. We won the lottery of life and get to live in this amazing country called Canada.
Ill add a little commentary on some photos for clarity.
Starting in Osoyoos with some wine tasting. There are hundreds of wineries in this part of the valley.
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Camping in the shade in a little private park.
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Stayed in a little park in hedley to take in some of the mining history in the area. Believe it was called rivers edge or something like that. Even had a little beach on the river right below us.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53004601108_5d0c4c8ed7_c.jpg
On to Manning park and 3 days of hiking in the lightning lake area. Happy chihuahua. He did the first half of a 9 kilometer hike on his own.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53004120776_fbde1e8f98_c.jpg
Camping at a little higher elevation here. 1500 meters or so. We could feel it when hiking. Lightning lake campground in manning provincial park. Many provincial parks have no services here. This one had all three including 30 amp power.
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Rainbow bridge on the lightning lake trail. Easy trail with some ups and downs. Maybe 8 or 9 kilometers depending where you start.
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On shorter hikes we didn't use the chihuahua pack. I would just pick him up and carry him on steeper parts of the trail. Tough little guy. He is 91 years old in human years. I am 61. I hope I am in his condition when I am 91.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53003547502_41a4c22bbb_c.jpg
On to Vancouver Island via the Tsawwassen ferry. We stayed at living forest campground while we took in the area. Highly recommended. Like a provincial park but with full services. Hard to see in the pics but that is the ocean below us. Tide is out.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53003784537_e09784f7fc_c.jpg
Lots of great hiking within half an hour of Nanaimo.
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Took a day trip to galiano island. Worth the hiking.
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On to Goldstream Provinicial park maybe an hour away. This is no service camping. One can take this area in on day trips from Nanaimo if site size or services are important. This is another old growth beautiful campground but there are not a lot of sites suitable for larger rigs. I would say the majority of us were there in single axle trailers, class B vans or tent camping. There are larger sites but may be best to book those in advance. We did very little reseving on this trip.
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On to port renfrew for a few days and then over the top thru lake cowichan and then rathtrevor provincial park back on the east side of the island. Its a rough road into port renfrew and I wouldn't recommend any large rig on that road. I'll try and upload a few pictures later. Quaint little fishing village and nice folks.
We stayed in Rathrevor provincial park for a few days and took in some of the local hikes. It is another non service provincial park on the ocean These folks from the US were parked kind of across from us. We are starting to see more of these Rivians pulling smaller trailers on the road and in the campgrounds. I like the colour.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53004854543_0c6e2ce4b3_c.jpg
Back on the ferry and across the inlet to powell river. We stayed in Willingdon municipal park. Full service. Good central spot for four days of exploring the area including Lund which is mile zero of highway 101 which goes from Canada to the most southern point of Chile.
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Mile zero.
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Interesting 30 amp power pedestals here. Maybe because they get a lot of rain.
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And they have lots of palm trees in this area. Very little cold weather.
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This is where radar spends his time in the car. Its a Tesla dog hammock. Keeps him safe and he can still see us. Radar gets his name from our former trade name while in the air force. Angela and I spent our careers as Radar, Navigational aid and comm techs during our air force careers.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53004847698_17f44c4a55_c.jpg
He is the best travelling dog we have ever had and he loves hiking.
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From here it was down the sunshine coast (and more ferries) and then one last night in emory creek provincial park outside of hope before the last leg via the coquihala highway back to Vernon. Emory creek provincial park is a nice small unserviced provinvisl park on the fraser river. We have stayed there before. Trains run close by, other than that its nice.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53004854563_4ba6da2cb4_c.jpg
Amazing trip again. We have logged over 20,000 kilometres and 112 nights in our little combo between last years cross canada trip and this years BC tour. The roads are busy now that school is out. We'll take a break until mid august and then hit the road again. Hope you enjoyed the pics.
One last pic for the EV tow folks. Here is a snap of the 31 day sliding charge stats window during our 29 days on the road. It should be self explanatory but happy to answer any questions.
Here are the apx stats.
Total trip about 2310 kilometres.
Total KWH about 844 kwh of which Tesla superchargers was $82.00 and BC hydro $40.13. The rest was all campground charging or public/private free charging at attractions etc. So total out of pocket fuel expenses of 122.13.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53009876698_4cd172cbc1_c.jpg
Have a safe and wonderful camping season all.
Sent from my iPhone
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Reisender
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06/30/23 10:47am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Chevy Silverado EV
I think I just read in business news that GM just discontinued making the silverado EV truck. Correct me if I am wrong.
You might be thinking of the Chevy bolt which is being replaced by a different model.
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Reisender
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06/27/23 10:01pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Chevy Silverado EV
And while towing a 10k travel trailer, would the range be cut about in half. Any real world road tests, I will make a search in a few days.
I am so out of touch with todays trucks. I had NO idea people were towing 10,000 pound trailers with half tons nowadays. That was firmly in the 3/4 ton if not 1 ton range when I was towing a fifth wheel. I learn something new everyday.
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Reisender
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06/27/23 12:41pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Propane--no gas going to range
Was having difficulty getting range burners to light. Once I got one to light the flame lasted only a minute or two and slowly died down to nothing. Checked my tanks, they both felt light so very likely empty. At this campsite I was running the refrigerator and water heater on electric, so no problems there. I did a tank exchange and put the full tank on the tongue. Turned regulator to that one and opened the valve. Still nothing. Waited a while and tried again. Still nothing. Didn't even smell gas when I turned the stove burners to "light" position.
I plan to exchange the other empty tank soon and give it another try once I return to the campsite. (I keep it at a permanent campsite about two hours from my house.) Since coming back from the weekend camping trip I've been reading up on propane lockout and will certainly open the tank valves slowly next time. Any other input or suggestions? I'm hoping I don't need to replace the regulator but that might be the next thing if two full tanks don't do the trick. Regulator is original to the camper (bought new in early 2014). Tanks do have a cover over them.
Thanks in advance!
Try this.
Start your fridge on propane. Make sure it’s running on propane and then while it’s running go turn off the tank(S). Once the fridge quits (you’ll be able to tell by the igniter trying to start it) then go to your range and turn on a burner wide open. Go back to your bottle and turn it on slowly preferably while somebody is trying to light the burner. If it lights you are good to go. Your range just locked up probably because you turned the bottle on too fast. This happens to us.
Hope that helps.
Happy camping.
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Reisender
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06/22/23 08:00pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Black Tank Treatments - Yay or Nay?
In cooler weather nothing if we know we can dump within a few days. In Warner weather yes. We use those drop in packets from Canadian tire. Seem to do the job.
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Reisender
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06/13/23 08:00am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Why is the Hemi Going Away
Electric cars are the number one selling cars in the world.
What? In 2022 EV sales worldwide made up @ 14% of all car sales. In the US that number was somewhere a little north of 7%. Buying compliance credits from themselves makes no economic sense whatsoever One could argue that compliance credits in general make no sense whatsoever, no matter who is buying or selling them or mandating them to begin with.
Sure. But the number one selling car is electric. Not gas. The Tesla model Y dethroned the Toyota Corolla as the number one selling car this year. The rest is just production. As production ramp up. That takes time.
I can’t figure out the compliance credits either. I just don’t understand why they would buy them from another company when they could just generate their own by making electric vehicles. Weird.
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Reisender
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06/11/23 09:04am |
Tow Vehicles
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