RE: How old is too old?
If you plan to have most of the significant work done by others you'd better be prepared to empty some pretty deep pockets. These big toys can get expensive.
Obviously, buying an older rig saves you depreciation compared to buying new or near new. Newmar would be an excellent choice. If you focus on rigs over 10 years old, then Holiday Rambler and Monaco should be safe bets. Newer models of those rigs may or may not be as well built. Good luck.
RE: We bought a dishwasher,, hmmmm
I installed a Fisher-Pakel dishdrawer (a dishwasher that is smaller than a household dishwasher, but works the same) in our coach under the stove where the oven would normally have gone. It works great. The coach was not wired or plumbed for this modification, so I brought in a hot water line and installed a drain.
In my case, I installed a drain that would drain directly into the park's drain system rather than my grey water tank. I did that for a number of reasons and like it that way. In a pinch I could drain the waste water into a bucket or let it run out on the ground if we were boondocking where it wouldn't bother anyone. I used a one way valve to allow air to follow the waste water down the drain since it won't drain without one. The clothes washer is going to have a drain mounted high enough up to keep waste water from back flowing and still allow air to follow the waste water down the pipe. You can't block the feature. Good luck.
RE: Niagara Falls
In 1995, we took a vacation back east spent just one day in the immediate area of the falls. In the 1950's we lived close by and visited for just a day each time. You may also want to visit the locks if you have never seen such an engineering accomplishment. (The locks allow ships to by pass the falls.)
RE: What are these? And do they need replacing?
AS long as your breakers work, that's all you can ask of them. No reason to fix anything that works. If you HAVE to replace them on the road, do it then.
I don't like fixing things when I'm on a trip, when this seems like an easy do at home.
X2
Preventive maintenance is a proven concept. Waiting until it fails is just plain foolish. For anyone that has worked on electrical connections, this is obviously a way beyond needing replacement. And, especially since it is so easy and inexpensive to do so. If you can change a light bulb, you can do this. It isn't rocket science.
RE: Trouble Free Motorhome Owner?
We've owned our 1993 Holiday Rambler Navigator for 10 years and haven't had any significant problems. I would recommend any of the high end Holiday Rambler rigs (Navigator, Imperial or Spector) up to around 2005 or so. Ditto with the identical Monaco products for the same time frame. (Monaco bought HR in the late 90's from Harley Davidson, who owned it for only a year or two, so ownership and quality control kept changing, sometimes not for the best.)
From what I understand, Newmar makes a very well built rig and you might want to consider a coach made by them.
RE: 1973 Holiday Rambler Vacationer
While HR products were very well made back then, that was 40 years ago and as SplrinklerMan pointed out, it would have to be very, very cheap to be a "good buy". Check the running gear, such as the brakes and bearings, and the tires should be less than 10 years old.
You are probably going to want a furnace and stove eventually, as well as a refrigerator (not an icebox). Seriously consider a newer, lighter trailer that you could pull with your Dodge Ram.
RE: Electric Motorhome steps
I believe that some of the stair motors are the same as those used in the power windows of vehicles. There should be some electrical limit switches that will shut the motor off when the stairs extend fully or retract fully. It appears that your stair motor is not shutting off when the stairs have reached their limit. Perhaps a wire has come loose or a connector is corroded and the signal to shut off the motor is not there.
X2
HR used the same motor and assembly used for power windows in cars. You should be able to find replacement parts at most automotive parts stores. Sorry, I can't recall what brand or model of car.
RE: Stupid question about power
Don't worry. You won't find a campground with 220 volt service or 50 cycle here in the US, but those are typical in foreign countries.
If you really believe that no campground in the US has 220 volt service available, go to any properly wired 50 amp outlet and connect your volt meter to the vertical slots on each side. Make sure you have it set for at least 250 volts...X2, "50 amp" service is 240V @ 100 amps.
Technically you're right. A 50 amp outlet has the potential for 240 volts and some high end coaches take advantage of that potential. But those coaches are very uncommon. However, in Europe 240 volt systems are the norm, and I think that's where the warning originated. My concern was that the poster understand there is little to worry about here in the US. The way most rigs are wired, they will use only the 120 volt power and won't have a problem even if plugged into a 50 amp outlet, even though that outlet does have the 240 volt potential. The object here is not to confuse a newbee or others about damaging their rigs if they plug into a campground post using an adapter purchased from an RV store or even an home improvement store. They are going to be OK.
RE: batteries, amp hours etc
which is better(ok I already know the 6v x 2 is) but just wondering what the numbers mean.
My current set up:
2 12 V batteries wired in parr. amp hours 115
other
2 6 V batteries/gold cart wired in series. what I dont know is what is labelled on them
220AH rate at 20 hours
min @ 25 amps:425
So the 12V batteries have a amp hour rating of 115, the golf cart a rating of 220 ?
is this a no contest between the 2 or??
Since 6 volt is half of 12, the battery will have twice the amps but the same total "power". That's an over simplification, but I think you get the idea.
Six volt batteries have three cells, so the cells can be larger with thicker plates than the same size 12 volt, which will have six cells. The thicker plates will allow discharging and recharging much better than the thin plate batteries, so that is why most of us use pairs of 6 volt batteries instead of a pair of 12 volt.
RE: Thoughts on Saltwater State Park in Washington
When the weather gets nice both fill up quickly. You may want to research a larger, private campground. I'd suggest those up at Easton, near Snoqualmie Pass since the driving time to Seattle is just over an hour on the freeway and the nights are very cool. But, you'll have to make your reservations early.
RE: Stupid question about power
Its a 20 amp, I may have to get converter, solar panel, or generator before its all said and done. Fishinghat: I saw western washington and had to ask. I'm in spokane right now, just got here this week and its where I bought this mh. Are there any free/affordable places in the area where I can also fish for my meals?
My handle "Fishinghat" is based on owning pleasure boats most of my life, and boating in Puget Sound and in Canadian waters. I'm not all that familiar with fresh water fishing, and my salt water fishing is focused on salmon. The major salmon runs are later in the summer, although there are some species you can catch now. Bottom fish are also available, but I don't know what the seasons are.
As for "free" or affordable places, National Forests are free (I believe) but anything with water/power/sewer is going to charge you, and they aren't cheap. I've never fished using my RV so I don't have any useful suggestions. Wish I could be more helpful.
RE: Stupid question about power
Poster rjf7g is right on.
Whatever plug you have on the cord to your RV will work just fine if you plug it into the receptacle at the campground that looks like the female version of that plug. In other words, if it fits you're good to go.
Don't worry. You won't find a campground with 220 volt service or 50 cycle here in the US, but those are typical in foreign countries.
RE: True invoice
I second using Costco's buying service. We just bought a Honda CRV and using Costco makes the task a little easier.
There is a high volume Dodge dealer, Dave Smith, in Kellogg Idaho that offers very competitive prices. His ads imply he is the world's largest Dodge dealer, and a friend who bought a truck said the whole town is focused on supporting his business. You could get a quote from him.
RE: Water pump on 99 Holiday Rambler
I don't have a Vacationer, so I don't have any specific experience with your coach.
I'm going to suggest looking in the same bay as your plumbing hookups. You'll probably see a panel that can be removed by backing out some screws. Behind the panel you should see the pump.
If it isn't there, look near the water tank since the pump should be mounted down low and close to the tank.
RE: What Would You Do?
As BuckBarker posted, reliability is the weak link here. But, you are not liable if you sell a used vehicle since the purchaser would have to prove the engine was a "known defect", like it had been in a major accident and repaired. It may break down and require frequent repair/maintenance, but that is not a legal defect. The buyer is required to use "due diligence" and assumes the risk of future repair costs when he/she buys a used vehicle. You would be liable if you misrepresented the truck, like total miles. Even if you had been told the truck needed a certain repair, you are selling the truck "as is" and are not required to disclose the recommended repair to the purchaser.
Consumer's Union rated both the Chevrolet and the Fords pretty much equally in reliability, with Dodge third on the list. Personally, I'd consider all three if you found one with the options you want at a reasonable price.
RE: Paying for electricity w/ 50 amp
When we've stayed at parks with 50 amp at the site, we were changed a flat fee per day that included power. If the same park had 30 amp sites, they sometimes would be less, but only because the site was not as "improved" or new as the 50 amp site.
As for monthly rent, the power usage was based on amperage used, not how much was available. So, if you are connected to 50 amp power, you may not use any more than you would have used if you were connected to 30 amp. You could use more since more amperage is available, but that doesn't mean you will. So, regardless of which plug you connect to on the post, the amount of electricity you actually use will probably be the same. You could use more, but that is a choice you will make, not your RV.
So, if 30 and 50 amp service are both available at the site you are in, the park is probably going to charge you the same fee.
(After I posted this several others commented about amperage and voltage and displayed quite a bit of confusion over the terms. I didn't cover this originally since I didn't think it was part of the question. Voltage times amperage equals wattage. So, if electricity was a water hose, a big hose, like a fire hose, it could fill a bucket in X minutes at low pressure. A small garden hose could fill the same bucket in the same amount of time if it had high pressure. That's the difference between low voltage (big hose) and high voltage (garden hose). Amperage is the size of the stream of water coming out of the hose being pushed by the voltage. Not the speed, the size. Wattage is the net result. I hope this helps explain the common confusion with electrical terms.)
RE: Dingy
The most common vehicle towed is the Honda CRV. It doesn't require modification, is easy to drive, easy to get in and out of, and is very reliable.
(We just bought a new CRV and may install a baseplate and braking system to tow it, but since we already have our Hummer set up we may just procrastinate and save the money. Most important though is the wife likes it.)
RE: Poulsbo RV
I looked at PPL's site, and I see the asking price, is there a way to see what the actual selling price was?
Yes. Go to the Home Page and look for "Sold". It isn't real obvious, but it is there.
RE: Poulsbo RV
I live close to two of their stores and have dealt with them several times for repairs and modifications. They did the repairs and modifications correctly. When I shopped for a used coach, their prices were outlandishly high. So, if you find something you like, check out PPL's web site for what similar rigs sold for. I bet you'll find the actual sale price was significantly less than what Poulsbo is asking.
That said, I fully appreciate the cost of doing business; paying the employees, flooring costs and rent on the space along with all the little stuff. And, they don't sell RVs every day all year around. So, they have to make a profit and profit is not a bad word.
RE: Leeking Batterys
Too much water added to a battery will cause the gas bubbles to push liquid out when the bubbles try to get out. So, wash off the overflow and keep the batteries clean. The bubbling should stop pushing liquid out in one or two charging cycles.
Be careful of the liquid. It probably is no longer just "water", but acid and can burn your skin.
