Today was a "bonus" day. Meaning... that we enjoyed a beautiful sunny day rather than the forecasted rainy day.
So, I opened up our Aliner and studied our electrical system a bit. Thanks to RoyB, I have a greater understanding of how the battery system works. I marked the area on top of the battery case where I'm going to add a turn off/on switch to prevent battery drain due to the propane C/O alarm etc. I'm picking up the parts tomorrow and get it done hopefully.
I'm also going to go to a "power tool" shop locally and check out the Honda generators there. I'm eyeballing the EU2000I model.
Does anyone have an opinion about this model as opposed to a similar other brand such as Yamaha?
Oh, you could spend endless hours over in the Tech Issues forum on generator information. Let's just say, you can't go wrong with the Honda EU2000i. It's the Cadillac of inverter-based generators.
My personal experience has been: bought two used Champion 2000i inverter-based generators plus the parallel kit for about $300 less than the cost of one new Honda EU2000i. Together, they'll run the a/c for the PUP, and I have a backup for household use during power outages. But I was willing to buy used.
Regardless of what you buy, just learn and following the maintenance guidelines in the manual, such as exercising the generator every couple of weeks. My manual said every two weeks. I do it ever 4-6 weeks though, without issue or failure.
In my Roadtrek that I sold recently (it had an onboard genny), I religiously exercised the genny monthly at full load as instructed by the Onan manual. It ran flawlessly with no repairs. Man! That thing was loud! I changed the oil as the manual stated. So, I have some experience when it comes to generators. But, the portable style is a new thing for me. I have a feeling this is going to be a lot of fun.
I just need to decide where the put the gas can and the genny on my Alinner (up front or back) - that kind of thing. So, my first question would be... where do you guys keep the gas can on the PUP? I don't have a pick-up truck so that is not an option. Secondly, how many gallons capacity is your gas that you take along? 5 gallons? I'm thinking of a 2 gallon can to keep the overall towing weight minimal.
I forgot that I can check the archives for this subject. Thanks the the tip.
As for info on gensets stop over to the tech forum and make sure you have a comfortable seat as there is about 100 hours of reading on the subject.
Myself I prefer the Honda's for several reasons.
They come with a closable gas cap so you don't get any fuming and can actually keep it in a truck or back of an SUV.
I also like the fact that it will take an extended range cas tank. Most folks use one of the 6 gallon outboard motor plastic one. Main reason I like using the extended tank is it allows for at least 24 hours of straight run time. Nice if you are boon docking and can run the genset 24/7 for the A/C without having to refill a hot genset every 4-6 hours. Honda's have a fuel pump so you can locate the extend tank above or below the carb. No so with many others.
I toss my generators in the back of the SUV (no pickup either). As Mike mentioned about the Hondas, mine has a lockable gas vent cap as well, so unless I've gotten sloppy and spilled gas on the case, I don't smell the gens that much, or at all. I do put something over them as I pack other things in the back of the SUV.
I bring along 2.5 gal cans, at least so far. I have 5 and 8 gallon cans (true jerry cans) but haven't used them out and about. I just store treated and non-ethanol gas at home in them. I carry the gas can strapped on the a-frame of the front of the PUP's frame, or inside the pup, locked into place. I haven't burst into flames. Yet.
Gas weighs, in big round numbers, about 6 pounds per gallon vs. water weighs 8 pounds per gallon. At two gallons, you're talking 12.3 pounds (a little something for the can). I know every pound counts but it's not too bad.
Today paid a visit to a local "Boat Guy" shop that has a Honda Power Tool store within his store. It's quite the set up. I was quite impressed. I was talking with one of the store reps that convinced me that the Honda EU2000I is the one to buy. She, (the rep.), started up that model generator for me to check it out in action. I was surprised at how quiet it was running. By walking a few feet away, I had to listen hard to just hear it. It was quiet enough for us to have a talk while it was running - right next to us.
Oh, And, I could lift the genny with no problems. It weighs 47 lbs. I think.
Another worker who approached me there said that he can make a "strong box" case with for the genny to put on the front jack tongue of the my Aliner for low cost. He does this kind of welding work on boats for the company. He suggested that I put a 2 gallon gas can at the rear of the Aliner. He can make another box for the gas can to go on the rear hitch of the Aliner for relatively low cost. What I like about this place is that they do repairs there on the spot. I have a 5000 BTU AC in the Aliner and I was told the Honda genny will run that with no problems. So, it looks like I might go that route. I'm still going to investigate this a bit more. RoyB sent me a ton of info on the same genny and the setup he uses on his camping excursions. I am thankful to RoyB and all of you for your input. I'm still open to any other ideas anyone may have.
You might be able to get away with a 1,000 watt unit, if you can find out what the starting amps are for your 5,000 btu A/C. The best way would be to put a meter (kill-a-watt, etc) to see what the start up is. Of course, if you're already comfortable purchasing a 2,000 watt unit, I would stay with that. More power is more power, but you might be able to save some coin.
I would have no beef with a Honeywell 2000i at ~$580 or a Champion 2000i at ~$630 for that size of A/C and other appliances, depending on what your use is. Nothing wrong with "red"...it just has a steeper club membership fee. Not to mention that fuel pump that most others don't have...that's a big plus for ease of use for extended runs. Not that you can't do that with other generators - you just have to keep the external tank higher than the generator for gravity to properly feed it, should you go that route.
Well, last night started the brake job on the other side of the pup. Left side was done about 1.5 weeks ago, but then home remodeling and family visits for Memorial Day slowed it up.
While I had the brakes off (use the whole kit if you're doing much of any parts replacement!) for replacement, I noticed that the leading hanger had two holes drilled in it, and that Fleetwood had used the upper holes on each side of the trailer. I removed the bolt on the left side when I was doing the brakes, and moved it down to the lower hole, thereby lifting the trailer up around 1". At this point, I'll take anything for "free". I replaced the bolt with a new one from TSC so I don't have to deal with the rust from the old bolt/nut, and the knurled shaft of the bolt is not knocked down. It took me using a floor jack to put enough force on a wrench to work the nut off, even with penetrating oil and a wire brush, but I got there.
Anyway, I started the right hand side last night: the drum is off and ready for cleaning (this was the one covered in grease), got the nut off the bolt in the hanger last night and ready for me to bang it out today. I don't figure 11:30 at night is when the neighbors want to hear me using a small sledge hammer on a stuck bolt in my front driveway. Maybe I'm old fashioned.
Should have that all wrapped up by the weekend.
I just picked up a three hook over-the-door towel rack to hang on the bathroom door since it doesn't have any other multipurpose function.
I may have mentioned it previously, but the shower curtain hanging from the shepherd's pole in the bunk end is working out famously for making two "rooms" for the kids on their bunk end. The DS is 7 and the DD is 5, so they need their own spaces...it would just be nice if they were nice to each other regardless.
I also enlisted my mother to sew new elastic on the back of the curtains that hang from the ceiling to cover up the side to roof seams. They were starting to droop. I tried to learn on the sewing machine for the first time this weekend, using my DW's new machine, but apparently sewing elastic onto existing curtains that have the little plastic hooks still embedded into them is not the best way to learn. I will have to take the DW's sewing machine to a repair shop to have something done to the alignment. I'm not going to attempt that one myself. Oh well, I'll stick to the other things.
Good catch on finding the two bolt locations. We've also found quite a few Coleman/Fleetwoods with shipping straps still on the axles/springs to lower the height for shipping on two layer trailers.
Seems quite a few dealers didn't even know they were on there.
Most folks find then like you doing a brake job, or trying to change a tire. The body sits to low with the straps that it's hard to get an inflated tire on or off the camper.
Today I purchased a pre-owned 1979 Bethany trailer. There are some interesting issues with it, some can be dealt with easily, others I am unsure how to go about fixing. I joined this forum mainly because I am a single mother of three with a retired and disabled mother. We are on a fixed income and this was a long sought purchase for us. We are both relatively handy at home repairs and would love advice on how to care for and fix-up our new family toy!
The most major thing as of this moment is replacing the propane hose and valve connector for the furnace. I do not have photos year but here is a description of the problem.
There is no propane tank (easy fix), the previous owner said someone had cut the hose before he purchased it. It has the remnants of a black rubber hose on the piece that I assume is the propane regulator on the outside of the unit- above the tongue. I am confident that I can replace the tube and purchase a valve connection myself... If it is a safe consideration, that is. Would it be safe for me to attempt this on my own? Should I take it to an rv repair to make sure there are proper parts? Also, does the regulator need to be serviced?? The furnace has not been used in at least two years (along with the sink, stove, and inverter). Would I be better off waiting to use anything until I had it checked out professionally, or would common knowledge be more than adequate to ensure the safety of y family?
Thank you for reading my long winded post. I look forward to learning a great deal from you all!
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