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Forum
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RE: Size truck to pull 16' - 20' travel trailer
Sure it can depending on the particular truck and with careful selection of trailer.
Most 1/2 ton trucks are perfectly capable of handling up to about 8000 pounds no matter what these 3/4 ton folks want to tell you.
No you are not going to be able to haul a family of six, bikes ,generator,hot tub and the kitchen sink.
You need to get the figures for your particular truck,not brochure figures,but actual figures,with special attention to payload
When looking for the trailer the only figure that you want to work with initially is the Gross Vehicle Weight rating. 11 to 15% of the gross weight is tongue weight which is carried on the truck as payload.
There are literally millions of 1/2 tons hauling campers safely,just as there are many 3/4 ton mostly 5th wheel rigs that are overloaded.
Do your due diligence,get your figures and go from there.
This.
We towed a 22' from TN to Glacier with a GMC 1500 with absolutely no problem.
Make sure you have a tow package with tranny cooler.
Check your weights, get a good brake controller, an Equal-i-zer hitch, a well-maintained truck, and you will be fine.
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coolmom42
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07/12/14 06:13pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Campgrounds on the Mississippi Gulf Coast
Whatever the temp is, it will be warmer than SD. :D
For weather info---go on weather.com. Put in the city near where you want. Go to the monthly forecast, then go to "averages". You can see average highs/lows plus record highs/lows.
Typically you will see highs in the low 60s and lows in the low 40s on the Gulf Coast that time of year. But do be aware of the records---they DO happen! Once in a while that part of the coast gets an Arctic blast coming down. Good news is that it normally lasts only a day or so.
You WILL need heat, definitely.
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coolmom42
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07/12/14 05:52pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: battery wiring
Getting ready to swap out the 12V battery for two 6V. What gauage wire is recommended? I have 6 guage to a junction box just behind the current battery and then 6 guage to the converter about 15 feet away. Do I need to change out the wiring? To the junction box or all of the way to the converter?
Two 6v's are simply connected in series to create one large 12v, thus no real need to change the wiring size as a consequence of swapping the 12v to two 6v (in series) battery swap...
Here is a good reference.
http://www.marxrv.com/12volt/12volt.htm
I believe we used 4 gauge wire. Had a local battery shop make up the wiring. Be sure to get the wiring long enough, check the layout of your batteries first. One of ours had to be turned sideways, which required a longer wire than otherwise would have been needed.
The price your dealer quoted is pretty reasonable, if it includes quality parts & labor. But be sure to spec the parts you want! It's also a simple DIY if you read up on it.
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coolmom42
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06/26/14 05:05am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Charging house battery from alternator---disconnect switch??
Wait -- doesn't the house battery *usually* charge off the alternator when driving? I'm confused.
R
Yes.
But in a retro-fitted camper van--which I am thinking about doing--there needs to be a switch to isolate the house battery during use so as not to drain the chassis battery accidentally.
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coolmom42
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06/26/14 05:00am |
Class C Motorhomes
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Charging house battery from alternator---disconnect switch??
I saw a post (either here or in the Class B section) about exactly how to wire a house battery to charge off the alternator. The description included directions on how to wire a switch to disconnect the house battery from the chassis battery, so as not to run down the chassis battery. But then the switch can be turned to charge the house battery from the alternator while driving.
But now I can't find the thread. Can't turn up anything on a search.
Can anyone help me find this thread, or at least one with similar info?
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coolmom42
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06/25/14 08:04pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: What limits your use of your travel trailer / RV?
Too many obligations that creep into our travel/camping time.
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coolmom42
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06/21/14 09:19pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: First time out... 3 day trip in the Amerigo
I have 2 comments;
1) Your work is amazing and that's a beautiful camper.
2) Some lady's undergarments are in one of your photos!
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coolmom42
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06/21/14 09:17pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Coleman mach 3 ac freezing up
Remove the "new" filter for a day or 2 and see if additional airflow solves....
Try this. Also check that you put the filter in correctly, and that the evaporator is not clogged with dust or dirt.
If that's not it, you are low on refrigerant, which makes the compressor run continually & therefore you get icing. You likely are not hearing the compressor cycle because it's running all the time.
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coolmom42
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06/19/14 09:01am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Gas can mystery
It is indeed a one-way cap. If the can gets warm, the pressure inside it builds and vents the vapors until the pressure is about the same as atmospheric pressure. Then when it cools down, there is a lower pressure inside the can than from the atmosphere, but it can't equalize because of the one-way cap.
Same thing can happen with any container with a pressure change from temperature or from an elevation change.
If you open and close a water bottle at high altitude, then go to a lower altitude, the bottle will get squished in.
And by the way, plastic gas cans do NOT "breathe." Any pressure equalization is due to less effective sealing than the metal cans have.
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coolmom42
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06/12/14 04:26pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Busted in Yellowstone
What's really incredibly stupid (aside from the legality of it) is that they were doing it for very little money.
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coolmom42
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06/12/14 04:20pm |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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RE: water jugs that DO NOT LEAK
Check out "http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen/refrigeratorFreezer?productId=10006448&pickupStoreReallyFar=false. We use 2 1/2 gallon and they have held up well. Nice large fill hole and handle. We put it on countertop by sink. Spigot works good. Been using for 3 years.
I really like the looks of these. The larger one would be just right. Some of the reviews had trouble cleaning it, but I think that would be easy with something like a bottle brush to reach the corners.
Thanks for the suggestion!
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coolmom42
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06/11/14 08:45pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: water jugs that DO NOT LEAK
Maybe these will be OK with the Teflon tape as an aid on the threads. That seems like a good solution.
Several of the reviews said the cap cracked, but I suspect someone cross-threaded it and muscled it on.
I'll probably look for a couple of the smaller versions for easier handling.
Thanks for the input!
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coolmom42
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06/11/14 06:28pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: A couple general questions about travel trailers
Hello. I am in the market for a travel trailer and have a couple questions. I will be living in the trailer a couple months out of the year and I found a four seasons campground that'll let me keep it there year round. They do however shut the water off November through April.
Do all trailers come equipped with a water tank ? YESAre they ok during the winter or will it freeze ? They will freeze. You need to drain the tank, water heater, and water lines, and run some RV antifreeze through them. There are detailed instructions for winterizing a RV in many threads here. Can you get a circulator pump to prevent it from freezing ? No. And even if you could, that would not be adequate in a northern climate.
Do they generally have removable propane tanks or do they need to be filled with a truck ? Propane tanks are removable on trailers. Some types of RVs have larger permanently mounted tanks.If so can it be modified to work with a portable tank ? No need, since the tanks will be removable.
Do they come with sewage tanks or do they tie into on site sewer pipes or do they do both ? Both, if you have sewer at the site. But many sites do not have sewer. Your sewer aka "black" tank will freeze in a New Jersey climate.
Does anybody use the automatic water heater system in trailers. If you're not familiar it's an on demand water heater that heats water instantly when needed.
What size electric panel generally comes in a trailer ? 60 amps ? Every trailer I've ever seen uses fuses located near the converter. A trailer with one AC unit will need up to 30 amps. A trailer with 2 AC units will need up to 50 amps. You will need the appropriate cord plugged into the appropriate outlet at your site. The current you can pull through that outlet will be limited by the breaker on the site electrical pedestal.
Any input would be awesome. Thanks guys.
I'm assuming you will be living there only in summer months.
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coolmom42
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06/11/14 06:18pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: A reminder for those who sanitize the water system.
Any water including City Water will only hold a Chlorine Residual for a few days, then you have no protection. It is always a good idea to sanitize at the beginning of each season.
This.
Don't forget the hoses and water heater.
Flush with plenty of fresh water.
You won't have a lingering chlorine taste if you don't use way too much chlorine. Calculate correctly and measure it.
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coolmom42
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06/11/14 03:59pm |
General RVing Issues
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water jugs that DO NOT LEAK
Every water container we've tried over the years leaks around the threads where the spout or spigot screws on. Doesn't matter how carefully we screw it on.
Is there any variety that doesn't leak?
I've looked at all kinds online, bur of all the ones that have reviews, at least half the users say the threads leak.
Prefer hard-sided, rectangular, with a dispensing spigot.
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coolmom42
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06/11/14 03:46pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Nashville to Yellowstone
Don't waste your time on Wall Drug. It's just a big building full of overpriced souveneirs and less than great food.
DO stop at the Little Big Horn Battlefield. A beautiful place with a compelling story.
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coolmom42
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06/09/14 03:32pm |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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RE: Need service in Nashville
This is a great small dealer about 1.5 hr southeast of Nashville, 15 miles off I-24. Call & ask if they can help you out. They are honest and highly competent.
Newby's RV Sales
4840 Manchester Hwy, McMinnville, TN 37110
(931) 815-5100
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coolmom42
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06/09/14 03:04pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Hazmat codes
There is not a unique ID number for every hazardous substance. For substances which are mixtures of assorted chemical compounds, the Hazmat name might be something like corrosive substance, acidic, inorganic, n.o.s. (n.o.s. stands for not otherwise specified) and that name will cover a lot of different mixtures.
All those mixtures will have similar hazardous behaviors and their ID number is the same. Their behavior will be similar in an emergency situation and emergency responders will treat them the same.
If you look in the emergency response guide, you will see that the same response guide number applies to a wide variety of materials, and that's because they will behave similarly and be treated similarly in an emergency.
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coolmom42
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06/08/14 09:12pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Land Between the Lakes
Go to LBL.org, to find descriptions of the group sites. Then go to their reservations site to see what's available.
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coolmom42
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06/08/14 06:47pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Travelling companion
Tell "Ann" to buy a class B or smaller class C and hit the road on her own.
Join Escapees, I'm pretty sure they have a singles group.
No way would I share even the largest RV with a stranger.
I agree 10000%!!!!!!!!!!
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coolmom42
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06/05/14 09:07am |
General RVing Issues
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