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RE: Stimulus Late in Arriving
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I must be eligible because I’ve received the first 2 payments and my status hasn't changed. ...
This might not apply to you but it did to my daughter and son in law. They changed the income level to qualify this time around. They raised it a tad. So, just because someone is on SS, it doesn't mean that this is their sole source of income. I have a couple of retirement accounts along with my SS. Just a possibility.
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aftermath
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04/08/21 05:21pm |
Around the Campfire
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RE: Towing up grades with "M" and 1 gears
Thanks Grit Dog for your post. I see this thread turning into my tow haul is better than yours kind of thing. I tow with a Tundra. I have over 50K miles on my current trailer that we have pulled over passes in Canada, Washington, Montana, Wyoming and other places not as dramatic. The first thing I do when pulling away from home is to shift into S5, which is the same as M5. This locks out the overdrive in my 6 speed tran. Engaging my tow haul basically changes the shift points. This helps when accelerating if you are in a hurry. It also uses more fuel so I usually don't engage this. On downhills, it holds the higher shift points which, I guess, helps in braking but only minimally for my observations. Going uphill I will often sift into S4 to keep rpms up. There have been some very long steep grades where I select a lower gear in order to keep my speed up. I can climb almost any grade at a min of 50mph. I find it even more important going down hills. I will anticipate the speed and downshift to increase engine braking. It works for me and my setup. I also prefer this method to waiting for the truck to roar as it shifts gears under load.
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aftermath
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04/06/21 09:22am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Equal-i-zer vs Dual Cam
I seeked out the equalizer brand after my husky hitch got stolen. Found one used for a good deal.
Overall its sorta primative. Doesnt like sharp turns or changes in elevation. I have zero experience with the dual cam. Can only say the equalizer ain't that great and I would look to a different brand.
To the OP, It sounds like you have experience with your DC and I didn't detect any big criticisms other than the upgraded bars. I would say you probably need to follow up with the manufacturer about your concern. You certainly could go to a different hitch but it would end up costing you more to do so.
I am an Equalizer user and towed a hybrid with my Toyota 4Runner. Towed it for 5 years under all sorts of conditions including one trip in almost gale force winds. Never had a problem. Moved to a larger trailer that came with a heavier Equalizer. Have over 50K miles on this trailer, again with no complaints.
From everything I have heard or read both of these hitches are good, they have lots of followers. The quote above is rubbish in my opinion. "Primitive"? Do you know how long this brand has been around and how it continues to rate very high with trailer owners? "Doesn't like sharp turns"? What are you talking about? "Changes in elevation"? What? Are you saying that they don't work well in mountain passes or are you referring to uneven campsites? I can attest that both of these are false. As a matter of fact, hooking and unhooking on uneven ground is one of the strong points of this hitch.
You might not like the Equalizer but.....at least try to give a fair review.
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aftermath
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03/31/21 04:28pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Axle Service
My word, more than a thousand dollars!? Look, I have a 2006 Airstream and I take mine into the Airstream dealer. Most of you are probably thinking that they must charge an arm and a leg for service. Not true. I have had this trailer since 2009 and always have the dealership work on it. To "service" an axle means to take off the wheels, repack the bearings, check the condition of the magnets and adjust the brakes if needed. They also told me that I should do this every 10K miles. Go by mileage and not time. Service is just this. If you need new brakes or new axles, then lots of money makes more sense. Last time it was about $100 per axle. I think it actually came in a tad under that. Will be due next year...probably will be more.
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aftermath
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03/08/21 05:05pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: RV Magazine
I just read the March issue and was going to quote some of the things the editor/owner posted but I threw it out yesterday. Really not my cup of tea. Somewhere I read that this was like looking at "Good Housekeeping" when we are expecting "Popular Mechanics". I agree but then, I am part of the population that relied on Trailer Life to teach me about mechanical things. How does this fridge work? What happens if the hot water tank goes out? What can I do if the heater does not come on? Now I can read about painting the inside of your trailer, what kind of bedding will liven up your trailer, what kind of beer should you be looking at, why camping is so good for people "in love". Yeah and those are just the ones off the top of my head.
To top it all off, the editor said that they have had a lot of criticism lately and reminded all of us that change is a hard thing for people to accept. Then, and this is why I will not renew when the time comes, he told us that there are help articles and information on line at some RV link. If I am going online to find out things that I am interested in, why should I continue to subscribe to your magazine? I really am not interested in what kinds of flowers I should put out on the countertops to "freshen" up the inside. Really?
All that said, I think I do understand the big change. They are aiming at a much younger crowd and from what I am guessing, a more wealthy clientele. It reminds me of the Sunset magazine we used to look at.
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aftermath
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03/05/21 09:42pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: wind power
The issue here in my opinion, is that most people focus on one source of power and don’t look at the importance of the big picture. EVERY energy source has its faults. We all know about oil but we should not or could not for that matter, eliminate it entirely. Same as wind. They should all work together with the goal of a dependable system that we can clean up over time.
Proof of my premise arises when a discussion of the EV is posted. GM, Volvo among others are shooting to drastically reduce dependence on the ICE. Increasing electric vehicles will help us in many obvious ways. People think that they are going to do away with ALL of our cars and trucks. The demand is still here as is our demand for “other” sources of power. So relax, no one is going to come for your Silverado nor are they going to shut down the oil generating plants. Right now we need them.
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aftermath
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02/22/21 08:41am |
Around the Campfire
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RE: wind power
We need all these sources of power. We need to interconnect the grid so we can buy (share) power when needed. People want to focus on the weakness of each source which brings the negativity we all too often engage. I live in the Pacific Northwest. We have hydro, nuclear, wind, gas and coal. When it gets real hot in the south we send energy. When it gets real cold they send energy here. The real benefit is when an emergency pops up we can rely on our neighbors. All of the wildfires is an example. We also have to shut down generating capacity for maintenance. No problem.
Texas runs their own system. Because they chose not to winterize their grid they ran out of generating capacity and this was with their oil and gas production mainly. If Texas was a partner they could have supplemented their electricity load which would have helped many citizens. Sadly it is human nature to blame others when things go bad. A top official said it was the fault of green energy. What?
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aftermath
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02/21/21 04:45pm |
Around the Campfire
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RE: surge protector and water filters
Water? I am a minimalist here. I use a blue everyday filter just to remove the basic stuff. In the few (very few) occasions when the water was bad we would purchase water from a store at that location.
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aftermath
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02/15/21 04:40pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Harbor Freight Tailgator generator review
If we stop buying from China, Walmart will be out of business tomorrow!
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aftermath
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02/11/21 03:33pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: You have 13 yrs 11 mths left to buy a GM gas or dsl vehicle
This has been an interesting read. It has covered everything from a to z and has managed to get everyone all riled up. This is not going to happen overnight and the market will have a lot to do with everything. NO, they are not going to do away with ICE tow vehicles, at least not right away. Just read in my morning paper about the new F150 hybrid engine. The "hybrid" is not a pure electrical engine and does not need recharging. It still runs on gasoline, but a lot less. It is not limited by the length of a trip like an EV is.
I like the concept of EVs although they would fit well with a portion of consumers, but not all of them. Perhaps, with time, the kinks will be figured out and an EV could be in most garages. I am not worried or threatened by the vision of GM. I applaud their willingness to take a chance. It will serve us all well down the road. I owned a prius and it was fantastic for dependability and economy. Built too low to the ground and was terrible in the snow. I now have a RAV4 hybrid. I am getting about 36mpg during the winter and look forward to comparing this to summer trips.
Back to the market. People want more efficient vehicles. EV's are the best in that regard but do need recharging. The infrastructure is not built yet to support these. In comes a company who wants to "meet the needs of the market" so they invent and install a diesel fed generating station to charge a battery to help save the environment. Ah, such is the power of the market. This is what we will get....
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aftermath
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01/29/21 09:25am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Dometic RV Toilet - Model 300
The video that OldBiscuit posted is EXACTLY what happened to me. Before I break camp I use an old ax handle to prop open the flush valve so the tank can fill. One time I got the handle down a little too far and it disengaged the piece mentioned in the video. Boy, was that an easy fix and a lesson learned.
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aftermath
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01/18/21 03:51pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: RV Resolutions MIA
jetboater, are you aware that Trailer Life is gone? Changed over, kaput, new name, new magazine all together. No more Trailer Life, no more informative articles to help us do it your selfers and no more problem resolutions.
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aftermath
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01/11/21 08:09am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: How did I do this? - Bent Ball Mount
Buyer Beware is all I can say. Harbor freight is great for some things but I wouldn't touch anything that I would depend on for safety OR long life, with a 10 foot pole as they say. There is a fine line between inexpensive and cheap.
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aftermath
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01/04/21 04:52pm |
Towing
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RE: RV Resolutions MIA
Trailer life is now under the umbrella of Camping World. "Resolving" issues with trailer and trailer dealers is not in the best interest of Camping World. Just take a look at a recent post here regarding a leaking toilet in a Camping World product.
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aftermath
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01/04/21 04:46pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: I just got the new RV Magazine
I decided quite some time ago to make every effort to buy locally, or at least buy locally from a chain store. Tried not to purchase things on line. CW turned me against buying locally for all the reasons already stated. I find it personally insulting that they expect you to join their club to get the "discount" pricing they list. Their pricing is still higher than what you can get most anywhere else.
Then there are the stories about purchasing a trailer from one of their dealerships. Extra fees for this, extra for that and to top it off, pay for a post purchase walk through. Nope, they won't get a single dollar of mine. I refuse to deal with an organization that treats me as if I were a fool.
The new magazine is simply a sales brochure. I counted 20 pages of advertising that was at least a minimum of a half page. Page 79 sums it up pretty well. It is an article about "Dog Treats" and covers all sorts of nice equipment to help keep your pets safe. Right in the middle, there is this announcement, "Find all of these at campingworld.com" Heck, they even are hawking "White Sherwin Williams Semi Gloss" paint in an article about "Camp Couture". Pretty sure there is a kick back in there somewhere.
Good bye RV Magazine. I will miss all of the useful information I used to get from Trailer Life.
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aftermath
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01/02/21 02:40pm |
Good Sam Club
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RE: Has anyone seen (or purchased) a Taxa Mantis??
I saw one while camping in the Columbia Gorge this last summer. Since we spent many years in our tent trailer the wife and I were interested. Taxa makes two sizes of this trailer, I believe the Mantis is the larger one. It looked pretty neat and was plenty large enough. I looked at them online and thought that the prices were pretty high. Of course, I am old, and all the prices are high the way I look at it. A sticking point for me would be that there is no black tank, just a cassette toilet and very little fresh water storage.
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aftermath
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12/19/20 08:29pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Yep....Gettin' older
Hearing aids are very personal. Everyone has different types of hearing losses, different types of physical issues and we all work/play in different environments. Those who go out looking for a quick fix are often disappointed. Over the years I have had three different sets. My situation is unique, but so is everyone elses. I have a couple of friends who purchased theirs online, got them in the mail and paid little for them by comparison. Trying to get them tuned in long distance was troublesome for one person and he eventually gave up. The other person never went to a specialist for a hearing test. They did theirs in the store and he could never get them adjusted. He paid more and ended up unsatisfied. I would suggest that you go to a doctor and have them check you out*. Follow up with a trained audiologist and keep going back until they work for you. I have a high frequency loss and am almost totally deaf in one ear. I wear a cross system and am amazed at how well it works. I went in like three times to get it just right and how I return once a year for a tune up. Best thing I ever did.
*I was losing my hearing gradually over many years. I got aids and things improved but then one ear was getting worse. Because I was under the care of a doctor, they found a tumor growing in my auditory canal. I doubt a hearing aid tech could have spotted that.
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aftermath
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12/14/20 04:37pm |
Around the Campfire
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RE: Water pump not circulating anti-freeze
PattiWong, Welcome to the forum. Yeah, you will get lots of information here but, sometimes people can be aggressively critical. First off, what you did was not wrong, many people winterize this way. There are better methods but don't feel like you messed up.
My first concern came up when you said that the pump was not circulating the pink stuff from your water tank. Was your pump working before? The bypass winterizing connection is the best if you can easily access your pump. If the pump isn't working, that will be another issue.
Getting the pink stuff into your tank and then through your pipes isn't a big deal. You can flush all of this out in the spring. I would caution you though to take great precautions to avoid getting this into your hot water tank. I did this my mistake and had to deal with foaming water from my hot faucets for most of a season. I think it had something to do with the surface inside my tank, or the heating of any residual left behind. None of this is DANGEROUS, RV antifreeze is not poisonous but it does have a strange taste....
I don't put antifreeze in my FW tank, mainly because it would cost a lot for many gallons. In my trailer access to the water pump is close to impossible so I can't use the by pass system. I winterize my trailer each year with compressed air. That is a discussion for a later time. Best wishes as you move forward learning the ropes.
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aftermath
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12/09/20 09:00am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: It’s the little things! Gravel Pad for my TT!!
What a nice setup. I would give anything to have my trailer parked at my house. Enjoy
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aftermath
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11/23/20 09:43am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: TT to HTT
17 years in a tent trailer, 5 years in a hybrid and now 11 years in our current trailer. When it comes to "camping" the hybrid can't be beat, in my opinion. You are outside, under the canvas with plenty of fresh air to breath and good beds to sleep on and a bathroom with a shower. We loved our hybrid but.....
As we neared retirement we knew we would be hitting the road for far off places. We did take the hybrid on long trips but those were spent at campgrounds for a couple of days, or more, at a time before moving on. We also camped mainly in the summer to accommodate the kid's school year. It worked really well.
Going camping and traveling are two different things. We have over 50K miles on our current trailer. We can go out in the cold early spring and the cold and rainy fall. While on the road for hours at a time we can stop somewhere to have lunch, use the bathroom and be on our way in the matter of just minutes. No need to avoid the cold and no requirement to set up the tent ends and store them away when wet as we are moving to our next destination.
If, you are planning on camping with your son, a hybrid would be perfect. Again, we loved ours and never regretted owning one. Your plan to get a used one, use it for a few years and then maybe get something different is a good one. Best wishes.
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aftermath
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11/23/20 09:40am |
Hybrid Travel Trailers
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