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RE: Inside Stairs
James Madison, 4th president, had rheumatoid arthritis; we toured his home today. His steps to the second floor, built intentionally low and wide, seemed to help him considerably, 200+ years ago.
Adding a short handrail might also help.
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SailingOn
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05/04/13 05:35pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Breaker keeps triping
If the 110v supply line to the shore power box is new as well, it may be too small; see this, bottom of the page.
Low voltage under load would indeed be the tipoff.
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SailingOn
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04/18/13 01:41pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: What to expect with a 20 amp hookup?
You will need an adapter to match your 30 amp plug to the 20 amp supply. They come as either a nifty little "hockey puck" with both plugs in one piece, or a "dog bone" with the plugs separated by a few inches of cable.
Running my AC at home on 20 amps worked fine until my hockey puck melted.
Get the dog bone type.
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SailingOn
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04/18/13 01:26pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Where are you going for your season opener?
Leaving April 19 for a dulcimer festival in Arkansas, then Shenandoah NP then a one-week Road Scholar bicycling tour near Williamsburg, then CT, NY, a bit of Canada, leaving us in Michigan in mid June, 1400 miles from home.
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SailingOn
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04/02/13 07:03pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: 5th wheel tire blowouts.
I have two boat trailers and a utility trailer. None are less than 20 years old; all are stored outside, uncovered. I check tire pressures when they look low. I bought whatever tires were a good deal at the time. The utility trailer, made from an old VW, is frequently overloaded. Among these three trailers I have had zero blowouts, have replaced two tires due to dry rot.
The FW tires are covered when stored; I check pressures and inspect daily when traveling and monthly when stored. In three years I've had one blowout on the road, one massive belt separation while parked, and a third tire that picked up a wood screw in the sidewall - all of them Maxxis less than 3 years old.
The difference I see is the FW has dual axles and the tires are loaded more (though not overloaded).
I'm not convinced that storage is the problem.
My experience is that checking pressures consistently does not prevent blowouts, nor does choosing a respected brand or replacing tires at three years.
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SailingOn
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04/02/13 06:05pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Maryland coast to up to Mystic?
Thanks all. We're planning 5000 miles (it's a long way from here to anywhere else) in 8-10 weeks this spring. The section above remains the one that bugs me most; I appreciate the advice.
The summer of '71, the year before graduation, was the last time I had more than a few days of free time. We blew a tire coming into NYC then, car camping from an Olds Cutlass. Changing that tire in traffic left vivid memories, but was nothing compared with what would happen with today's tow.
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SailingOn
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03/26/13 08:26pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Generac 5852 QP40G 3,600 Watt Generator
CPAP: some machines will run directly off 12v power from the battery. Power drain is something like .5-3 amps so a typical RV battery should easily last overnight, and can be recharged the next day with a generator run during breakfast. There is considerable loss of efficiency if you run through an inverter.
Generator: Anyone who wants to hear the wind through the trees and the crickets chirping will complain if a generator is in any way audible, quiet or not. Any campground with generator hours posted is not going to tolerate one running through the night.
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SailingOn
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03/15/13 07:21pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Gulf Coast trip from Florida to Texas
It may have changed since I drove across I-12 thru Louisiana 6 or 7 years ago (I hope), but there was a lot of broken pavement.
The Interstate through Louisiana was indeed awful a few years back, but has been cleaned up nicely; you won't have a problem.
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SailingOn
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03/13/13 06:13pm |
Roads and Routes
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Maryland coast to up to Mystic?
1971 was the last time we we have driven anywhere on the East coast north of Virginia.
Mid May, we will be at Assateague Island NS (Ocean City, Maryland) and moving to near Mystic. Google maps thinks we can go through NYC, 366 miles in 6 hrs 12 minutes.
Sure.
Can this be done in a day? It looks like we could swing wide inland and north around NYC, cross the Hudson on the Tappan Zee bridge, avoid some tolls and only add 60 or so miles.
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SailingOn
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03/09/13 08:14pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Question on the map of states visited...
It's all good.
But can I add France and Germany and Russia since I camped there?
The maps do claim something about experience or breadth.
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SailingOn
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02/28/13 08:55pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Do I need greese?
The other event:
You're driving back to the campground with the hitch in the bed and no tow and happen on a truck/FW blocking the road, the truck dead with a trashed transmission.
We towed the truck, then the fiver off the road with no problem, but towing the "greese"-and-no-disc FW really scarfed up the disk on our hitch.
Moral:
The plastic discs are nice and last dxxx near forever.
Don't put grease etc on the disc. It attracts grit and sand and screws things up.
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SailingOn
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02/28/13 08:11pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: What you change on your FW to make it better
... wireless hdmi to send video off phone/ipad/computer to main tv (doesn't work with iphone 5 - darn apple for changing the connector)...
Apple does make a Lightning (the Apple proprietary connector)to micro-USB adapter: link which works for syncing with a computer and for charging, might work with video.
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SailingOn
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02/28/13 07:15pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: 5th wheel for '04 F150 Supercrew, short bed? Just temporary?
The payload rating of your truck should be on a sticker on the edge of the driver-side door. The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of the trailer should be on a sticker on the outside of the trailer, usually on the driver's side near the front. The pin weight of the trailer is often estimated as 20% of the GVWR.
The truck's payload rating should be comfortably higher than the sum of the FW pin weight plus the hitch and anything else you put in the truck (people, tools).
For my truck, the payload sticker says 2030#. The trailer's GVWR sticker says 7500#; 20% of that estimates the pin weight at 1500#, letting me load a wife and dog but not much else.
Mine tows, brakes, climbs just fine, but the trailer you are looking at is longer, heavier. The 4x4 package will reduce the truck's payload rating.
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SailingOn
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02/10/13 09:47am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Do Not Mix Wheel Bearing Greases
Since it hasn't been mentioned in this thread:
The Dexter EZ Lube axles were designed so the axle on boat trailers could be filled with grease, keeping water out during boat launching.
Assuming you don't plan to immerse your RV in water, periodically adding grease via the Zerk fitting is unnecessary, and can cause grease to be forced past the seals onto the brake lining.
Dexter recommends inspecting the bearings every 12000 miles, which then means cleaning and repacking with new grease.
So the question of mixing grease becomes moot.
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SailingOn
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02/09/13 04:31pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Pulling 5th wheel versus TT
What are all the "extra steps" in setting up a 5th Wheel?
Why is backing a 5th so difficult or harder than a TT?
- steps: I think he is referring to the stairs up into the bedroom of a fifth wheel.
- backing is challenging because most of us learned with bumper pull trailers, and the FW pivot point is over the tow vehicle rear axle, so the trailer responds more slowly to steering changes.
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SailingOn
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02/09/13 03:42pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Best 5th wheel (for me) towable by F150HD
If you need space in the tow vehicle for more than two kids then a big SUV and a TT is the solution.
The PU/FW combination will be more stable on the road and easier to hitch/unhitch.
You already know the F150 will limit your choices now, and again when you want to move up. That does not matter if you can find what you want in a lightweight trailer. We're happy with what we have, going into the third year.
I have read here and elsewhere that lightweight may mean flimsy and prone to failure; that is a concern but I am not convinced.
I'd worry about the 5.5' bed: backing without damaging the cab will be challenging.
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SailingOn
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02/08/13 03:44pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: tore up skirting
When my curbside rear wheel blew, it tore up the top of the wheel well and underlying insulation and destroyed mud flap on that side, but left the exterior trim undamaged.
With no great skill I was able to replace the insulation from scraps in my garage, fabricate sheet metal to cover the gap, and replace the mud flap, total under $30.
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SailingOn
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02/07/13 05:08pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Care and feeding of a generator?
Two attitudes about generator noise:
1 - If it is mine, it's pretty quiet.
This is reasonable, since I run it by the campground rules, when the noise does not bother me; I can talk and hear the TV over it; I've gotten used to it; and the power is important to me because it lets me go and stay where I like.
2 - If I can hear it, it is too loud.
This is reasonable, since I came here to enjoy the great outdoors; my wife hates generator noise; I want to hear the river running and the birds and the trees rustling.
In general, the inverter-generators are quieter.
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SailingOn
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01/30/13 08:29pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Best practice for campsite reservations?
If you think (wish?)there is any rule, or consistency, in the way campgrounds report length limits, more experience will help.
Do you measure from the pin to the bumper? Include the spare tire on the back? Subtract the 4-5 foot overlap with the truck? Assume the back of the RV can extend past the pad?
My trailer sits nicely at home on a level 10 foot pad. The rest is overhang.
The most memorable challenges I have had have involved getting to sites, not fitting into sites.
I report whatever length I think will get me the best spot.
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SailingOn
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01/30/13 07:54pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: securing a generator
Stealth: I have an old faded black canvas storage bag that fits nicely over the small generator in the truck bed leaving it looking like trash; no one bothers it.
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SailingOn
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01/21/13 07:39pm |
Travel Trailers
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