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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: Trinidad CO to Clayton NM (160->389->551->325->64)
It's all two-lane. Haven't driven that route recently so can't say what condition the roads are in these days. You can spot check them with Street View on Google Maps, but that won't catch small bad stretches unless you're lucky.
I used to live in Trinidad and did Raton pass all the time - just did it recently with a fifth wheel. You've got the Duramax and should have no issues with the pass.
Rob
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Second Chance
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09/26/21 02:20pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Lithium battery and 2000w inverter
What do you hope to power with the inverter? We have a 2,000 watt inverter to power our residential refrigerator when we're not plugged into shore power. We also have two 100AH LiFePO4 batteries to power the inverter and a 300 watt solar panel (with solar charge controller) to recharge the batteries during travel. It's a well-balanced setup - but not enough battery capacity nor solar for anything more than long travel days or power outages at a park or campground.
Rob
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Second Chance
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09/25/21 02:29pm |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: IVECO Daily: strange towing choice from Australia
Good looking setup - but how does the 3L diesel do and highway speeds?
Rob
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Second Chance
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09/25/21 08:04am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: hydro or electric leveling
Electric has one motor to fail. Hydro has a motor, the hydraulic pump, rams, and hoses that can fail. You can decide from there.
The new electric systems have a motor on each strut.
Rob
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Second Chance
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09/20/21 04:02pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: hydro or electric leveling
We've had both. I've experienced a leaky manifold (replaced it myself with part supplied under warranty) with the LCI hydraulic system and had to add CAT anti-stiction fluid to stop the annoying popping sounds. On the other hand, it will lift the trailer off the ground one side at a time to change a tire.
The electric system was much slower and I didn't trust it to lift one side of the trailer (not as robust). A couple of pros for the electric systems - especially ones with the new hall effect motors - is that they are more easily user-repaired.
Bottom line: I don't know that I'd let hydraulic vs. electric make the decision for me. I would be more concerned about a floorplan that would work for us.
Rob
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Second Chance
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09/20/21 03:39pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: An upgraded option for the half ton Pickup crowd
I agree on the front end - kinda looks like what some of the Lexus SUVs have been looking like the last few years. The design resembles some of my grandkids' transformer toys...
Rob
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Second Chance
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09/20/21 08:59am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Navigation options
The post above is wrong. You don't need cellular for the entire trip. If you know you are headed to a no cell zone you can download the map before you leave. Otherwise, Google Maps and WAZE will keep the route ahead downloaded to your phone and you will have no idea when you run in or out of cell service.
You don't need a stand alone GPS (especially a built-in which is a pain to keep up to date). Plug in your phone and you will have the most up-to-date information for routing plug minute by minute traffic updates and POI information the GPS units can't touch. Google and WAZE will even keep up with temp road closures due to construction which would take a year to get updated in a GPS system.
1) Can Waze be configured to route big rigs around low clearance overpasses, weight-limited bridges, restricted roads, etc?; and 2) how much data on the cell phone plan does Waze typically use?
Rob
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Second Chance
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09/19/21 08:18am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Spouse left behind after death at a Campsite, what to do?
I have personal experience with this kind of situation from both sides of the fence: in the '70s, my late wife and I were camping in a National Park in Utah when I heard a commotion in the next campground circle. I went over and found an elderly woman (seemed very old to a 20-something at the time) wailing and yelling for help. Her husband was unresponsive on the floor of their Airstream. Being a registered nurse, I checked for a pulse and respirations (none present) and started CPR while the camp host radioed the park headquarters to get EMS on the way. It took EMS at least 20 minutes to get there. They took over CPR and I started an IV for them when they were unsuccessful twice. Long story short, the gentleman didn't survive. Rather quickly, other (more seasoned) campers rallied round and started organizing things to get the widow and her rig back home. Several of the ladies took the widow under their wings to provide emotional support while others were working out the logistics. It took a community.
Fast forward 30+ years and my beautiful wife died suddenly and unexpectedly - though not on a camping trip. I can tell you that I was in no shape to make any decisions and probably not safe to drive. I was a wreck. Friends and family stepping up and getting me through those dark times are the reason I survived. I could not have gotten myself and an RV home... and I was only in my mid-50s at the time.
I am remarried and, when my wife and I decided to go full-time, we joined FMCA for several reasons, chief among them is the FMCA Assist program. This is, basically, an insurance policy that provides medical evacuation/repatriation, emergency medical reunion, return of mortal remains, return of dependents, vehicle return, and several other benefits. This plan puts me much more at ease should anything happen to either one of us.
Rob
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Second Chance
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09/17/21 05:09pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: 5th wheel lube
Ok thanks that makes since I hadn’t thought of that. We tried them on our trucks at work for a while but they didn’t hold up but I can see we’re they might work better for this.
I get multiple years out of each $12 - $15 lube plate on our 15K fifth wheel. As for the hitch, PullRite specifies what lubricants to use on each part of the mechanism underneath the plate (jaws, pinion, latch, springs, etc.). I just follow the manual on that and put a thin film of all-purpose grease around the pin where it makes contact with the hitch and latch parts.
Rob
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Second Chance
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09/12/21 06:25pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: electric fireplace
Nearly all the electric fireplaces are made in Africa or China nowadays. There is no parts or support network for them. If the glass is flat, you could have a glass shop cut you a new one. If it's curved, you can either cut a piece of Lexan and bend it or just replace the fireplace.
Rob
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Second Chance
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09/12/21 03:43pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Extended Warranty: Why do I need it?
My wife found a very good description of extended service plans a while back (they are not warranties, but rather insurance policies with lots of fine print). They are another form of legalized gambling. The company is betting that nothing breaks that would cause them to pay out more than you paid for the policy; you're betting it will. As in all forms of legalized gambling, the house usually wins. Otherwise, these companies wouldn't be in business or make a profit.
Dave Ramsey and Clark Howard have commented on these plans many times, too. The standard seems to be that 80% of extended service plan revenue goes toward commissions and marketing. Only 20% goes toward paying for actual repairs, which means most people are getting a really bad deal. We prefer to set money aside regularly (earning interest) and pay for repairs as they come up.
Rob
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Second Chance
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09/10/21 04:58pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Where is everybody?
waiting for myforums to load
Funny! If you're actually in NM, we're headed your way...
Rob
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Second Chance
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09/09/21 09:33am |
Snowbirds
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RE: Tire pressure monitor showing 10 tires at once
These are the same answers the OP got on the Escapees forum... I guess he didn't like what he read.
Rob
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Second Chance
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09/08/21 06:25am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Lippert ground control / one control
I have found Lippert Customer Care to be very responsive - they will walk you through anything they are able to over the phone: 432-547-7378.
Rob
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Second Chance
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09/03/21 06:14am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Locast TV suspends operation.
The major networks are available for streaming of their live programming... if you have a paid TV provider already. We have a Dish satellite TV account and, if I don't feel like setting up the antenna for a one- or two-nighter, I just log into the network apps on the smart TV using my Dish credentials. Depending on where we are, I also scan for local OTA stations.
Rob
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Second Chance
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09/02/21 08:09am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Does the Color of an HD Pickup Make a Difference?
Color can make a HUGE difference in the interior temperature of a vehicle. In the '90s, I was friends with the sales manager at a large automotive dealership in Augusta, GA. One of their technicians did a little test one sunny, summer Georgia afternoon. He "borrowed" two calibrated HVAC test thermometers from the HVAC tech. He place them in two identical new trucks sitting next to each other on the lot... except - you guessed it - one truck was black and the other one white. At the end of an hour, he retrieved the thermometers and the interior of the black truck was 40F hotter than the interior of the white truck. That's a significant difference and can dramatically increase the amount of time the AC compressor has to run to cool the interior (and how long it takes to cool down when you first get in the vehicle).
Accident statistics also show that red vehicles are at a 7% higher risk of being involved in an accident while white vehicles have the lowest accident rates. Attorneys and psychologists will argue whether the increased risk is based on scientific factors or it's related to the personality types of some people who buy red vehicles...
Rob
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Second Chance
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08/29/21 01:53pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Absorption vs. Residential refrigerator
We spent our first 4-1/2 years full-time with an Norcold absorption refrigerator... nothing but problems with it including replacing the complete cooling unit once. Our new rig has an 18 cu. ft. counter-depth residential refrigerator. We only have two BB 100AH LiFePO4 batteries and 300 watts of solar. We don't boondock, but even on long, overcast travel days, we arrive at our destination with the batteries at 13.4V or above. We couldn't be more pleased with the setup. Oh - 38 deg. in the frig and -2 in the freezer... never varies.
Rob
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Second Chance
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08/24/21 09:02pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: RV Refrigerators Cooling Issues
RV absorption refrigerators are hardly new. There are hundreds of posts on the forum about them (in addition to the YouTube videos you've mentioned). Use the search function on the forum and keep reading/researching.
Rob
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Second Chance
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08/23/21 05:53am |
Tech Issues
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RE: WARNING: Weather Home App
I Googled the Weather Home app and got page after page of hits talking about how malicious the app is. The techies stop short of calling it a virus, but it's a definitely do-not-install app. You might consider checking stuff out before you install it.
I have used Weather Underground for years - as does my son-in-law who is a pilot for one of the major airlines. It's a good, streamlined app that does not harm your phone or setup. It uses NWS data as well as other reliable sources. There are professional meteorologists involved in managing the information and WU has very accurate condition reporting and forecasts. (I have no affiliation with WU.)
Rob
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Second Chance
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08/20/21 10:56am |
Technology Corner
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RE: HOW do I do this?
We have purchased a car and an RV in states other than our domicile state (we're full-timers domiciled with Escapees in Texas). In both cases, we or the dealer did all the paperwork, included a check for the taxes and registration fees, and registered the vehicles by mail. The registration, plates and titles went to our Escapees mail service and we had them forwarded.
Rob
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Second Chance
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08/17/21 08:08am |
General RVing Issues
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