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RE: energy saving cooking
Hi Jim,
. . . . . .. BTW don't EVER try to do an egg in the shell in a microwave. They explode in a serious fashion.
Poke a pin through the shell, make sure it pierces the yolk sack too. Prevents explosions.
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Canadian Rainbirds
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05/24/13 12:16am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Mystery switches & window blinds
On a boat docking lights are recessed floodlights that illuminate the dock as you approach along side. I have seen a few on motorhomes, they are kind of like backup lights but on the sides.
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Canadian Rainbirds
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05/24/13 12:01am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: What did you do to your Class A MH today???
Learned how to disassemble the coach steps in order to access the stuck motor. Then searched this forum for the correct part and went to the store to buy it. Gotta love saving $100 and increasing the warranty from 1 yr to lifetime.
Thanks forum!
The few times I have been able to save a hundred bucks by doing it my self, I figure I should be able to by my self a really nice bottle of whisky, but somehow DW doesn't see it that way. :B
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Canadian Rainbirds
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05/23/13 11:58pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: What did you do to your Class A MH today???
Got it ready for a weekend away with the Vancouver Islanders. The bed is made and the beer, wine and whisky is packed. I figure we're done but DW says there is still more to do? :h
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Canadian Rainbirds
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05/23/13 06:18pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: What did you do to your Class A MH today???
Nothing -- I'm retired now.
X2
Ahhh yes!
Being retired, I have more time than money!
Waiting for 15 more days 'til "The Boss"
gets her pardon from the School District!
Heading out right as she passes thru the gate!
Will let her drive, and will take a picture of the school in the rear cam of the coach!
Never look back! :B
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Canadian Rainbirds
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05/23/13 11:56am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Motorhome replacement parts.
Welcome to the Forum and to RVing. Very sorry to hear about your father, ope you can enjoy his memory in his motorhome.
The headlight housing is likely an automotive one. Who made the chassis? Ford? GM? As an example the headlight housing for our previous rig, a 1997 Triple E on a Ford chassis came from a Ford Explorer. Hopefully you will get an answer here but if not take the rig to a Ford, Chevy etc dealer with a good parts man and they may recognise it.
As for the driver's seat, now is the time to upgrade! Auto wreckers will have a great selection of comfortable seats. Find one that you like an that will fit.
Here is a link that might help: http://www.mhsrv.com/other-rvs-for-sale/mountain-high-rv/
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Canadian Rainbirds
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05/22/13 09:24pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: What did you do to your Class A MH today???
Brought it down to the house an parked it level cross ways in the driveway, plugged it in and turned on the fridge. DW made the bed and began the chore of sorting and stowing, getting ready for our Island trips, the first of which will be the first rally of the Vancouver Islanders Chapter of FMCA.
Also picked up the TV from the repair shop--it had stopped responding to the remote. Rather than return it to the rig it is now down in the shop along with the cherry wood surround while I try to plan how to remount it.
My first installation worked OK but was hard to access and secure and worked loose frequently. Now the question is: Can I modify the frame without damaging it? :h I used to be a pretty good woodworker but am losing more strength and fine control every year. We'll see. If worse comes to worse I have a good friend who is a cabinetmaker. If it works, I'll post a photo!
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Canadian Rainbirds
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05/22/13 09:13pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: What did you do to your Class A MH today???
Nice day in central calif, 85 deg
Washed , bounder 34j, cleaned windows, gased her up.. Cross country trip in T-3 weeks
Can't wait going to be an adventure
The first class A that we really liked was the Bounder 34J. Loved the layout. At the time we had a 1973 Triple E with a Dodge 440 and a 4 barrel carb! Couldn't swing it at the time. Later bought a '97 Triple E Commander and then our current rig.
By the way, we'll be lucky to hit 50 up here today, cloudy and rainy, just lit a fire in the stove downstairs. :(
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Canadian Rainbirds
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05/21/13 04:37pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: What did you do to your Class A MH today???
Moved it out of its parking area for a few minutes.
My neighbour came to the door and explained his problem: The boat mover had arrived to pick up his father-in-law's boat for launching and got jack knifed with the boat against a large tree. The truck was on the wrong side of the boat and couldn't get out of the driveway! Once the motorhome was moved he was able to snake past the boat, the wells, a few large trees to our driveway and back to the boat from the other side. It is now happily against the dock.
With any luck, this should result in a kilo or so of freshly caught Spot Prawns and some nice turning wood from the large Arbutus tree (Madrona) he had taken down. (The stacked wood from this tree had caused the problem; it blocked the end of his turning area.
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Canadian Rainbirds
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05/21/13 04:31pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Amps jumping around on AGM finishing charge
My brand new ones not in service yet. Yes they do, and they outgass during settle in.
I finally have some short #4 wires so I can do a realish (700w) load test and get some decent discharge plots. I'd like to start out charged. I have noticed there is no point in even attempting the last few percent charge when it is over 90 out. Sneeze and they want to outgas.
Jim
Bring them up here Jim, it's 9.8C (49.6F) outside right now! (10:30PM) not forecast to get over 12C (53.6F) tomorrow!
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Canadian Rainbirds
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05/20/13 11:35pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Battery life
Some of the hydrometers sold in stores aren't very accurate. I had one that I had to throw away. I replaced it with one I got at a battery company which was about three times the price, but I trust the readings.
Miles
I agree with Miles. But having said that, a variation in SG of .25 is not huge, but would likely (hopefully) respond to a 15V overcharge (equalizing) charge.
By the way, in your post you typed 12.25V and 12.5V as reading on the hydrometer. a hydrometer doesn't measure voltage, it reads Specific Gravity, or the density of the electrolyte compared to pure water, which has a SG of 1.000. In other words, it tells you how much of your electrolyte is acid ad how much is water. As a battery discharges the electrolyte becomes less acidic.
Most (not all) new lead acid batteries at full charge have an SG of around 1.275 to 1.300. Some batteries are produced with a lower SG for various reasons, one being more tolerant of high ambient temperatures.
We would like to hear of the outcome. Please let us know.
As an aside, I have 6 2V 150 AH glass cells, designed for float application, that were manufactured in 1984. They are still in use in my ham radio station and will happily provide the 10 to 15 amps my 100 Watt transmitter needs the voltage does not drop on transmit. The SG in them varies from 1.235 to almost 1.250. An over charge brought them up from 1.230 more or less across the board, except for one cell that was at 1.225 and is now at 1.235.
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Canadian Rainbirds
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05/20/13 08:49pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Question for the Battery Experts
Interesting. Two of the regular posters whose opinion I value greatly, smkettner and pianotuna, give different advice. Then Mena661 (another whose opinions I trust) backs up smkettner. Maybe mexwanderer will chip in and tie it up again. :h
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Canadian Rainbirds
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05/19/13 11:40pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: New RV'r - Batts + Chargers + Inverters = clueless
You know, it's really gratifying to see someone who knows what they want to do, researches what they might need, then ask pertinent questions of the very knowledgeable people on this board. You have received suggestions from very a wide variety of helpful people, from experienced solar users to a battery design engineer. Your installation will go much easier for your preparation.
Much nicer to read and respond to than "I put in 1000 watts of solar but my group 24 marine battery won't last the night", or "I installed 6 GC batteries but the 40 watt solar panel won't recharge them".
I thought I knew all I needed to know about batteries and charging until I began doing a little more dry camping. It took me about two years of fooling around and asking questions here to realise that one day I just might learn enough.
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Canadian Rainbirds
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05/19/13 08:59pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Air in propane line
I wouldn't consider it normal. Unless I have removed a cylinder I have LPG at my appliances instantly. You need to put a manometer on the system and do some testing, something is wrong.
X2 I suspect a slow leak somewhere letting the system drain down.
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Canadian Rainbirds
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05/19/13 08:37pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Carrying Aux propane tank
I am also sorry for your loss . I have to question tho as to how is a forklift tank any safer? They lay on their side instead of upright. I also carry the 20 lb tank in my basement and it is secure but after this Maybe not. Again sorry for this to happen Larry
The tank in most motorhomes are mounted horizontally as well, but the valve is on the top.
The reason these tanks, which feed propane gas (vapour) to the device, must be kept with the valve on top is so that vapour and not liquid propane will vent if necessary. Liquid propane venting will expand many thousands of times in volume and very quickly become a huge explosive cloud.
Many vehicles that use propane for engine power use LIQUID propane to the engine intake. Therefore the valve is usually on the side with the internal pickup near the bottom of the tank.
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Canadian Rainbirds
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05/19/13 08:25pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: leveling and slide out
The manual for our 2002 Itasca Horizon, (made by Winnebago) with HWH jacks and slides, says level first then slides out. Slides in then retract jacks. It also recommends to leave the engine running while you extend the jacks and move the slides. It keeps the voltage up to the hydraulic pump motor. I have seen the battery voltage drop to 11.5 operating the slides without the engine running. This makes for a much higher current draw and more heat.
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Canadian Rainbirds
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05/19/13 12:37am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco
Here is a link to our Blog from 2011. The first entry starts from just north of LA. You can move down the see our route the previous day. It was quite a pleasant trip.
http://jacksonsjourneys.blogspot.ca/2011_04_01_archive.html
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Canadian Rainbirds
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05/19/13 12:14am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Looking to cross the border in early October
We'll probably be several weeks behind you if you get delayed. We crossed there at the end of October last year. Feel free to PM us if you like as departure date approaches. We usually leave home around the 15th of October.
See our blog for last years adventures. (Link in our profile)
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Canadian Rainbirds
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05/15/13 06:42pm |
RVing in Mexico and South America
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RE: What did you do to your Class A MH today???
Took the TV out of the front (a flat screen that I had put in some years ago). It had stopped responding to the remote so we bought a new remote before heading off to Mexico last fall. Still didn't work! Won't work on a generic remote nor to any settings on the Starchoice Satellite remote. Then we realised that it must be the TV receiver! :S
I'll take it into the shop tomorrow.
The micro/convection in the stick house seems to be running a bit cool so I'll take it in while I am at it. It's the only oven we have so I hope they fix it quick!
We do have a gas oven in the rig--guess I could bring it down the drive closer to the kitchen!
UPDATE:
The shop we have been going to has closed--retired. Took it to a new place; Tony's TV Service. Tony too is Chinese (as was the owner of the previous place). I noted a certificate on the wall showing his qualification in electronic service. From Lima, Peru! We had a great conversation in Spanish! I had worked in Radio/TV repair decades ago. DW and I winter in Mexico so my Spanish in of a conversant level though far from fluent.
Got a phone call early afternoon the TV is ready, $89.00. Could have been worse. Now I just need to get it back in. Thinking about a different mounting system which will require modification of the cherry wood cabinet face. Thinking is the operative word. :h
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Canadian Rainbirds
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05/15/13 06:35pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: What did you do to your Class A MH today???
Got all loaded for the weekend away at Kalamazoo, MI
Sent my RV to the Ford dealership to get the Oil Changed and filled up the Propane tank.
On the way back home my steps kept going out on me...
I returned to the local Ford Dealership begging them to fix ASAP which they did.
Said wiring was worn and causing a short... phew
They put all new wiring and better quality connectors
After this ... I thought FINALLY I will have an uneventful weekend away at a dog show...
Well I forgot to "knock on wood".. 5 hour drive I arrive and set up.
My friend brought pizza and I hooked up and turned everything on, admiring
my "hotel on wheels" ...
but I kept hearing a sssssss sound under the sink and could not see anything...
My friend said "oh it is probably the water heater filling up... hmmm made sense...
After we finished dinner I noticed the noise was not stopping and opened the
cabinet door to see a flood under there...
Thankfully this was Thursday and RV techs work MOn-Friday (and of course when do you need them for repairs ??? does not make sense)
so I drove 30 minutes to
a repair shop who after a few minutes told me it was my faucet that had a crack in it.
So they just capped it all off for me so I could use all other water sources
until I could buy a new tap. They didn't have time to install anything for me.
They said they reason it happened is most likely because it was
not winterized properly ...WHAT ??
Geesh... Of course my RV shop went bankrupt the previous week or they would have
gotten an earful !
Well the weekend came and so did WINTER...
OMG froze my butt off, as I packed for summer...
I went through more than half my propane tank
trying to keep the temperature comfortable in my motorhome...
When a friend said to me ... "we always have electric heaters with us as most
sites have hydro included in the camping fee"... hmm yes that would have been wise..
I was reading online that most regular kitchen taps would work in an RV so I guess
I will be shopping for new taps and some electric heaters this week.LOL
So my Camping Turmoils continue for yet another year... zzzzz
On a good note despite the almost hurricane weather, my canopies stayed put, thanks to
my following a friends advise of "Always stake your posts and the ropes no matter what"
so in the rain while setting up, I did take extra time to secure everything and it sure paid off.
Loved your post. DW refers to moments like that as "Blog Fodder". To see why, check out our blog. :S:E
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Canadian Rainbirds
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05/14/13 11:50pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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