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Getting too OLD here - I reckon
Well - Its about time I slow down here on the populous Forums Threads and start just reading things and remember the good ole days... I like most others on here always follow NEWEST POSTs which lists all of the forums. Since all of my experience has really only been with TENT Camping and FOLDING TRAILER POPUP camping and alot of off-road trails sleeping in a sleeping bag under a big engulfing large bush...
It seems my long term association with the operations and design of Portable Systems and Emergency Radio Operations keeps getting me into trouble when some of my comments...
Guess it is time for me to only provide comments with the tent Camping and Folding trailer camping forums. The salvation here is there isn't much conversation on-going with these two threads...
Therefore I will be toning down on my comments here on this Forum and most likely you all will only find me making comments on the POPUPPORTAL forum...
Being retired and actually in a camping stand down at the present time until I can afford to get my new battery bank up and going again I still will be doing my daily routine of monitoring this Forum including the JAYCO Forum and the POPUPPORTAL forum along with a couple of Ham Radio forums, F150 Truck forum, and my family and Professional followers on-line through social media... Should give me a few things to do when I am not sitting outside under my big tree in the back yard watching all the road traffic go up and down the neighborhood here... I will probably end up like the old folks you see sometimes sitting next to the road and waving at everyone as they go passing by haha...
Its been fun trying to stay up with the newer bunch and their new toys... Hopefully I have helped a few folks along the way...
I am still here just won't be saying much anymore... Time to let go of the torch so to speak...
as we say on ham Radio 73' and CUL
Roy Ken
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RoyB
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06/18/17 09:44am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: take my kayak to Cherokee / Maggie Valley NC ?
I sure see alot of tube floating around the Little River that goes through Smoky Mtns especially around ELKMONT CAMP...
I know KAYAKing in the rivers in WVA into VA and NC are popular...
Never done KAYAKing before so it must have something to do with either not much stream flow or maybe too much ????
Seems like the Maggie Valley run all the to Cherokee along US19 had alot of trucks with KAYAKS in their beds... Have made the run between Maggie Valley down into GEORGIA areas and have seen KAYAKS in the Nantahala River coming out of Fortuna LAKE I guess that the NC 28 road follows through the high country there...
I would think Fishing in an around the Natl Forest there would be really good...
I am more into the OFF-ROAD camping through this area. Love it...
Roy Ken
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RoyB
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06/18/17 08:43am |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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RE: Where's the light switch?
Not familiar with your 5th wheel but most outside lights especial on the front and rear of the trailers are powered by the truck safety light connection in the 7-way connection...
Was just looking at a photo on-line and don't see any LED LIGHT strips being used. maybe was added by the previous owner...
http://cdn.dealerspike.com/imglib/v1/800x600/imglib/Assets/Inventory/71/AC/71ACED90-4A2C-4AC7-83A8-AE765C6189AB.jpg height=400
google image
Roy Ken
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RoyB
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06/18/17 07:34am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Back burner has yellow flame
A yellow burner flame means the burner is not getting enough air.
So much for what I know haha... I always thought it was getting too much air... Went to GOOGLE and it says:
"A yellow burner flame means the burner is not getting enough air. Gas stoves are popular with homeowners because they provide efficient heat transfer with precise heat control. They heat cookware with flame from a burner. A properly adjusted gas stove burner burns with a blue flame."
So I stand corrected after all these years hehe... Thanks for the info... Learn something new everyday...
Roy Ken
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RoyB
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06/18/17 07:20am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Problems logging into Good Sam website
Delete please... I thought they were talking about the GOOD SAM FOrum Portal for RV NET...
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RoyB
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06/18/17 07:10am |
Good Sam Club
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RE: 5th Wheel Turn Signal Failure
A 7-way and 4-way tester is part of my toolbox...
http://www.etrailer.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/pics/T/R/TR20117_500.jpg height=250
http://cdn2.bigcommerce.com/server4600/584d2/products/11143/images/10227/4_way_light_tester__50689__63699.1329501307.1280.1280.JPG height=250
Knowing what is happening at the source sure does speed up finding the problem and saving some monies...
My problem sometimes is just a dirty connection at the 7-way socket on the truck. I always squirt some WD40 into the socket and moving it around some before heading out. Some folks will not like the WD40 but that is what I have in truck side pocket along with a roll of duct tape haha...
Roy Ken
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RoyB
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06/18/17 06:44am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Back burner has yellow flame
Disregard - Overcome by events...
Roy Ken
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RoyB
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06/18/17 06:32am |
Tech Issues
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RE: party lights
when all fails just get a large bag of tie straps... They work great but unfortunately not reusable.
Why not use reusable wire ties...
Releasable/Reusable Plastic Zip Cable Wire Tie
Great Idea Dutch.... The TIE STRAPS are rather cheap and never bothered to look for any thing else... Will get a bag of those.... Thanks for the tip...
We all are creatures of habit and I sometimes get my same camping site again only to find a few more TIE STRAPs I missed cleaning up hehe...
Roy Ken
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RoyB
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06/17/17 01:00pm |
Do It Yourself Modifications and Upgrades (DIY)
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RE: party lights
when all fails just get a large bag of tie straps... They work great but unfortunately not reusable.
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71w231AZQvL._SL1000_.jpg height=200
I use these to hold up my Rope Lights (LOWES) around the inside of my awning. I have a couple of 25-foot lengths being used... Takes about 10 tie straps to hold them in place...
I always snip my tie straps off when I tear down packing up...
Then I have to spend a few minutes finding them all on the ground to throw away haha...
Roy Ken
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RoyB
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06/17/17 10:02am |
Do It Yourself Modifications and Upgrades (DIY)
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RE: Exterior Light Added LED Strip light with Pictures
Our problem here in Virginia is that we have Annual Inspection required at the State DOT Inspection stations. They love to fail your inspection and make you remove the items in front of them before they will issue your inspection sticker... Our OFF-ROAD JEEPS suffered big time with all the external lighting you can find to add to them... Use too you could add socks over them but not in todays world...
The biggest craze today is the neat looking LED PANEL that go behind the front grill.... Some get away it but most don't...
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/529a061be4b0a2f014161e02/53be1a31e4b0d364ec05a11a/53be1a8ee4b02d83f6c7a965/1404967706406/20140610_181125_zps01b239f5.JPG height=300
Google image
Just saying - Didn't mean to start up a mess - I will delete my post if you all like... I got shot down recently posting about DOT rules and enforcement on not having a working battery on board when it comes to Break-AWAY Switch actions... Guess I am the only one on here that follows the rules hehe...
By the way NewToUs - I added exterior lights to my awning as well and changed out my outside porch light to one of those motion detector LED SL-1000 lights...
Roy Ken
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RoyB
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06/17/17 07:19am |
Do It Yourself Modifications and Upgrades (DIY)
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RE: Plugging into the electric dryer outlet
Here is a neat photo marked up to shows the comparison...
http://www.noshockzone.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/RV-Dryer_Outlets.jpg height=400
NOSHOCKZONE image
Your 30A RV Unit must comform to these 30A Socket readings... Note they are the same as for a standard 15A-20A 120VAc Receptacle with the exception they are controlled by a 30A 120VAc Breaker...
http://noshockzone.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/20-30_Amp_120V-metered.jpg height=400
NOSHOCKZONE image
There doesn't seem to be good way to use an adapter cord and come up with these required readings from the 240VAC DRYER connection shown here...
In my opinion of course...
Roy Ken
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RoyB
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06/17/17 06:56am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Exterior Light Added LED Strip light with Pictures
Adding lights to trailers always make one wonder if what you are doing is legal in the eyes of the state DOT office. They have the general approved plan for the required SAFETY LIGHTS
Generally added lights to the sides of trailers will not be frown on by DOT.
One must be very conscious when adding unapproved lights and fixtures on the front and rear of the trailers... These are things that might accidentally get turned on and cause safety problems when be driven or pulled down public roadways... Hopefully the annual state inspections catch the problem areas before anything bad happens.
I was wanting to add back-up lights to one of my trailers and finally went to the DMV to talk about what I was wanting to do and it would have been very much illegal in their eyes. Glad I asked before putting money into the mod project...
Just saying....
Roy Ken
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RoyB
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06/16/17 08:58pm |
Do It Yourself Modifications and Upgrades (DIY)
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RE: Why not run portable generator off vehicle's fuel tank?
My 2KW generator has run off my truck on two occasions That I know of haha... One of my PLAN Bs include what is known as an OKLAHOPMA CREDIT CARD from back in my Texas days...
The one I have is alot difference from the 60s version where mine has a hand squeeze pump... The original method leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
http://www.myoldrv.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/006-300x225.jpg height=300
Google image
I have filled my 2KW Generator gasoline tank from my truck gasoline tank on two occasions that I can remember..
Roy Ken
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RoyB
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06/16/17 12:52pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Best Stand Alone Charger?
I have excellent charging of my batteries in storage mode using the smart mode chargers... They charge up in a fast three hour charging cycle and then maintains charge using the 13.2 FLOAT (Maintenance) mode. This float stays in place until somethings starts drawing power from the battery then it switches to 13.6VDC mode.
We all know what happens if you leave a 13.6VDC source mode on a battery for extended time. It will boil out your battery fluids over time. The 13.2VDC charge almost eliminates this from happening...
If you are able to monitor your batteries then any of the different 12VDC Chargers will work I guess... If the batteries is at a storage facility then you most likely will not be around it very much to check things...
The battery minders do not have alot of DC Current involved and will top off your battery over time just fine. Same as a low wattage solar panel. If that is what you are looking for then just pick up a low current something...
What I do here at the house is I will switch OUT my batteries and let them set all winter long. Starting out with a fully charged battery they will read around 12.6-7VDC at the terminals and sitting for a couple of months they only drop down to 12.4-5VDC. Then I will charge them back up to full charge again using my smart mode charger....
For me I would want a full blown smart mode charger that I can use with my 2KW generator if the need arises... It's all about PLAN Bs around here hehe... We camp OFF-GRID alot here and need a way to recharge our batteries after they get drawn down to their 50% charge state and bring them back up to their 90% charge state as quick as we can. Of course we can only do 12-14 of these 50-90 charge cycles without having to do a slow full 100% charge mode takes around 12 hours or so using our smart mode chargers... The worse thing you can do to a battery is only do a bunch of small 30 minute charge events. The batteries will not last long doing this... When we are in OFF-GRID camping mode no way will I start a new day/night run off my batteries unless they are at at least a 90% charge state. In my case it always got dark around the camp site around 9-10PM if I was doing alot of these short charging times. Then I would have to do a real slow full 100% charge mode to re-generate the batteries which takes 12hours or so of full charging which is sometimes hard to come up with when at off-gird camp sites where they may have generator run time restrictions etc...
I'm sure others do this differently but this has worked out good for me over the past few years when I started camping OFF-GRID in my POPUP camper.
Roy Ken
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RoyB
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06/16/17 11:18am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Adding insulation WITHOUT tearing up the rig??
Those RV walls are so thin I don't know if one could drill a small hole in the wall and spray in expanding foam insulation or not...
When first going to ELKMONT Camp inside the Smoky Natl park we noticed a whole bunch of campers would put a 30' x 30' tarp over their whole trailer. This was mostly done for the occasional rain in the area and the tree coverage is so dense that it drip waters for days after a rain storm...
We did this on our OFF-ROAD POPUP and made two cutouts in the tarp to go around the roof mounted air conditioner and vents including the fantastic fan setup on the roof. We went straight off the roof in the back down to the ground and the front of the roof tarp came out over the awning setup and then went to ground. We used the 1/2-inch web ratchet strap for tie downs and went into the ground in four corners using the small screw into the ground anchors. Those leave no marks when you pack up and leave...
Worked out pretty neat for us and was quick to put up and take down using the ratchet web straps...
This would help also keeping the trailer shaded and maybe cool down better...
This is the only photo I can dig out of use using a tarp over our tent setup along the Blue Ridge parkway camping..
http://i738.photobucket.com/albums/xx22/roybraddy/Facebook/Wall%20Photos/2406_1034537108961_9964_n.jpg height=400
Roy's image
Search on-line for 'RV camping under tarps' - lots of different ideas here..
Roy Ken
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RoyB
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06/16/17 10:03am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Best Stand Alone Charger?
I'm still using my VEC1093DBD Portable Black & Decker 40AMP Smart mode charger...
I also have a smaller 10A smart mode charger I picked up from WALMART...
Seems like they are wanting us to use the 14.8VDC model smart mode chargers now for the two 6V GC2 batteries in series... My on-board converter/charger is a PD9260C and it only puts out 14.4VDC in BOOST charging mode. I am also just now going to a 6V GC2 battery bank so may have to deal with some changes here myself later on...
I have been running multiple 12V 85AH batteries in parallel since I purchased my OFF-ROAD trailer in 2008. Just last season the Interstate batteries started to fall off on performance and gave up the ghost... Not bad I reckon for many 50% to 90% charge cycles over the years...
Just now building up a new battery bank and going to use two groups of two each 6V GC2 batteries in series to give e around a 440AH capacity battery bank. Most of my camping is OFF-ROAD back on a creekside spot somewhere or up on a close by MTN Ridge...
I don't know if we can get away with using the 14.4VDC charger modes and just count on charging longer or not when charging the 6V GC2 batteries...
Roy Ken
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RoyB
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06/16/17 08:14am |
Tech Issues
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RE: CASINO OVERNIGHT IN MONTGOMERY
Can't say we have stayed in the CASINO areas but always stay along the east BLVD of Montgomery..
Used to enjoy the South BLVD areas where all the grand hotels and shops are at but over the years all of this turned into a CRIME AREA big time after dark... We have actually been pulled by the local police just driving around in the truck looking at old places we used to go to and being elderly was told this was not a safe place to be after dark... We went back to the East Blvd haha...
We used to stop at the Rv Camp place just across the street from the Truck Stop at the I65 road exit.
All of the grand hotels and places along the South Blvd are all boarded up now ( just a few years ago)...
We always stop in PRATTVILLE now when going through Montgomery...
Hope it has gotten better from just a few years back...
Roy Ken
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RoyB
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06/16/17 07:30am |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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RE: LEDs and radio static
Not much you can do - One of the down sides of the high end LED that have built-in REGULATOR chips on them...
You will also lose your WX RADIO Broadcasts and your HDTV will go blank screen especially when you are using the roof mounted OTA BATWING antenna... Being a HAM RADIO guy I also lost all kinds of frequencies in the LOW and HIGH VHF/UHF bands... Turn off the LED lights and everything jumps back to life. My FM RADIO was not effected by them...
The LEDs meet the FCC specs but are known to radiate high enough RADIO FREQUENCY Interference NOISE to interfere with your home entertainment items...
When I changed over I bought about $200 of top end LED items. Had to replace them with the cheap China $4.95 LED boards to work in my trailer. Those did not have the regulator chips on their boards... The REGULATOR CHIPS allows the LED lights to work with a wide range of input DC Voltage...
The deal back in that time was to never buy a whole bunch of them - Buy just one and see if it works for you haha...
Search RFI and LED LIGHTs on here to read about them causing Radio Interference
Roy Ken
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RoyB
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06/15/17 03:39pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Negative dew points in AZ
It was kinda that way when we lived there back in the 60s... You could see the Superstitions from Phoenix as clear as can be and they were 90 miles away... Our house had the roof mounted water cooler air conditioning back then...
Then all the people started showing up planting trees and bushes and the dry heat slowly went away...
Bet its strange to see readings like that...
Roy Ken
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RoyB
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06/15/17 11:37am |
Snowbirds
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RE: WEN 3100 watt inverter generator
I notice its noise spec is listed as 57 decibels which is about the same as the Honda EU3000i model...
Roy Ken
honda listed at 49 to 58 where the 58 is probably going full tilt.
I guess i should delete everything and bail out of here haha... My Honda 2KW EU2000i I purchased in 2008 from a company called MAYBERRY is still working just fine...
Me sorry guys...
Roy Ken
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RoyB
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06/14/17 05:58pm |
Travel Trailers
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