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Forum
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RE: Thinking about a Truck Fridge.
I have a NovaKool which I believe has a capacity of a little over 4 cuft. These and most other 12 v compressor fridges or freezers use the German built Danfoss compressors. The Engels uses a Japanese equivalent. With the Danfoss, the manufacturers can select the compressor size and they can alter the power consumption and output needed for the specific model. Most of the smaller units will run at about 2.5 amps @ 12 volts. On cool days most units are set to run about 30% of the time. Since the small units have a freezer compartment within the main unit, it is necessary for the unit to run frequently to keep the frozen food actually frozen. On a hot day the run time and power consumption increases rapidly and @ 90 oF the unit is likely to run constantly. That would result in power consumption of about 60 AH per day. Opening and closing the unit and adding warm beer to be cooled will also have a large effect on the efficiency. Plan on a couple of high capacity RV batteries and at least two solar panels in the 100 watt range.
Note also that the proper installation is essential. The fridge will not run efficiently unless there is a lot of air flow around the compressor. The wiring is also very important. My fridge is on the opposite side of the camper in relation to the batteries. I needed close to 40' of wiring to reach the fridge and return to the battery bank. The dealer had installed 10 gauge wiring. The voltage drop and losses due to resistance were huge. I needed to go to 6 gauge wiring.
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JimK-NY
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05/10/13 08:48am |
Truck Campers
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RE: In-Line Charcoal Water Filter for Under Sink
Over the years I bought several of those Pur filters that attach to the faucet. Never again. The quality is horrible. Everything is plastic and the housing tends to split after the filters are changed a few times. I switched at home and in the camper to a simple Brita filter. The cartridge lasts for a long time and is very efficient.
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JimK-NY
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05/10/13 08:19am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Roof clearance
You want to keep the camper and center of gravity as low as possible without having the camper hit the truck. My bed mat must have compressed because the clearance dropped to about 1 1/4" and I started to bang the truck roof. I added 3/4" and am ok. So for me 2 1/2 is about right.
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JimK-NY
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05/03/13 01:09pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: NorthStar 8.5 Adventure.
I also have a Northstar Igloo which I highly recommend. Northstar campers are intentionally a bit small than some of the other choices. Also no slideouts. The units are well built. Mine is a 2004 and it has logged a lot of miles and bad roads. I had one window leak which was easily repair, just a caulk problem. I am finally replacing the water pump due to a slow leak. I have not had any other issues.
I only have one complaint. I have two solar panels and these were hooked up to a factory installed electric line. I am losing some efficiency because the electric line was only 10 gauge. It should be about 6 gauge. I guess I am a bit unusual with 270 watts of solar. I have a 30 gal tank and would not want anything small since I do a lot of remote desert camping. BTW, I love the cassette toilet and no way would I want a black tank.
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JimK-NY
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04/10/13 05:14pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Leaf Helper Vesus AirBag
If you have a choice, I would recommend an extra spring leaf rather than air bags. If I pump up the bags, I get lots of sway. I have to use mine at low pressure (about 15-30 psi).
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JimK-NY
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04/05/13 07:39am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Mattress and Insulation Upgrade
I am not sure about the bubble insulation layer. It seems that the foam mattress already provides a lot of insulation.
I found a similar mattress made by Serta. The mattress is 8" thick with a bottom 6" layer of dense foam and a top of softer foam. I got mine a couple of years ago from Overstock.com at about $350 delivered. Very, very comfortable.
Just one word of warning. In very cold weather, condensation can form and get trapped under the mattress. Eventually the mattress will get moldy. I waited too long before I discovered this and had to wash the cover and have the mattress treated. Just stick you hand under the mattress periodically and check for dampness. I lift up the mattress every few weeks in cold, damp weather and dry it out. I usually slide a small folding step stool under the mattress and set up my 12v fan to dry out the area.
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JimK-NY
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03/20/13 09:38pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Carbon Monoxide detector
You said CO detector but could it actually be a propane detector? Propane detectors are usually mounted in a low place and CO detectors in a high place. Propane detectors often fail every few years. They start to alarm for no apparent reason. Mine went off a couple of times in one year and that gradually became once or twice a week. It was very loud and no fun the few times it went off in the middle of the night. I had a dealer replace it and no problems in the past half year since the replacement.
CO detectors should also be replaced every 5-7 years. They are typically battery operated. If the unit is relatively new, try a new battery. Otherwise just replace the unit.
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JimK-NY
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03/17/13 10:19am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Shower fixtures - why are they so bad?
I would agree that RV plumbing fixtures are cheap. I suppose many RVs are not used that much and so cheap fixtures seem acceptable.
I also have to say that I think household plumbing fixtures are also poorly made. Everytime there is a problem I start cursing the plumbing industry back to the time of the Romans. Every house I have lived in has had shutoff valves that leak instead of shutting off the flow of water completely. I have replaced numerous faucets. I did three sets of kitchen faucets in my house over a 20 year time period. All were expensive brand name units. Shutoff valves and garden faucets often still have waxy rope packing to seal from leaks around the valve. There has to be some better engineering available.
There should be lawsuits over the poorly made toilet supply lines. Many have plastic threaded connections and with time and vibrations they let go. We had a bathroom floor, kitchen ceiling and kitchen floor destroyed for this reason. It would have been worse had my wife not just stepped out of the house for a few minutes. I know of friends who have had much worse damage.
While I am thinking about it, go check the supply line to your clothes washer. These are often plain neoprene and eventually they burst especially the hot water line.
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JimK-NY
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03/16/13 02:23pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Crock pot cooking with out hook ups
Some ideas are not worth the effort...except of course those my wife has and I need to at least pretend those are worth it.
Most crockpots consume around 100 watts on the lowest setting. You have a 95 watt solar panel and will be lucky to get half of that output. I have 270 watts of solar and would not attempt your cooking project.
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JimK-NY
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03/15/13 02:30pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: SRW diesel truck choices
You might want to reconsider the choice of a diesel engine. You will save quite a bit of weight going with a gasser, not to mention many thousands of dollars cheaper. You mentioned using the truck as a daily commuter. In that case, the diesel makes even less sense. I love my diesel and my camper is always on the truck, but the diesel is not good for short distance driving. The fuel economy seems to be really bad when the motor has not warmed up. It takes quite a 10 miles for the engine to get to operating temps. In addition diesels do not like stop and go and short distance travel. A few days of driving under those conditions can set off the emission control warning light and I will need to get out on the highway for 20-30 miles to blow out the system.
Well said...
Thanks, and this is great advice for some, but I ran the numbers and gas doesn't make sense for me:
12,000 annual miles (VERY conservative)
Annual fuel cost with Diesel at $4.19 and Gas at $4.03 (current prices around here)
Gas 10MPG = $4836
Diesel 15MPG = $3352
Difference = $1484 / year
Up-front price difference = $7,500
Residual price difference after 7-years / 12,000 miles per year = $5,500
Net Difference = $2,000
So the payback is about 1.5 years. Here is where most people say "diesel maintenance costs way more", which is true I suppose, but even at $1,000 more per year (very unlikely) the payoff is still there, or it's at least neutral.
The increased payload for the gasser is only about 250 lbs (Ford F350).
My commute is 17-miles each way 4X / week and takes about 25-mins. 3/4 of it is on the freeway doing 70+. Every other weekend we drive up to Tahoe, which is 200-miles each way.
Since you will be driving longer distances, then I would agree the diesel makes sense. I love mine. I bought in 2010 so I decided on a Dodge with the Cummins diesel. Both Ford and Chevy were introducing new diesels with no reliability history and with urea injectors. My Cummins is a proven workhorse and met the emission standards without urea.
Buy the diesel, but don't expect 50% better mileage...maybe 30% so the payback will be a bit longer. I would not be concerned about the maintenance costs. I have averaged about $80 every 7000 miles for oil changes. I also need a fuel filter every other change and there are other fluid changes due including the differentials and transmission. With the all the oil and fluid and air cleaner changes I probably average about $150-200 for each 7000 miles of driving. I could cut those costs by shopping around or doing oil changes myself but I have been on the road fulltime and have used only Dodge dealers for service. There are almost no other major maintenance costs until the recommended rebuild at 300,000. I don't expect to keep the truck that long.
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JimK-NY
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03/15/13 02:18pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: SRW diesel truck choices
You might want to reconsider the choice of a diesel engine. You will save quite a bit of weight going with a gasser, not to mention many thousands of dollars cheaper. You mentioned using the truck as a daily commuter. In that case, the diesel makes even less sense. I love my diesel and my camper is always on the truck, but the diesel is not good for short distance driving. The fuel economy seems to be really bad when the motor has not warmed up. It takes quite a 10 miles for the engine to get to operating temps. In addition diesels do not like stop and go and short distance travel. A few days of driving under those conditions can set off the emission control warning light and I will need to get out on the highway for 20-30 miles to blow out the system.
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JimK-NY
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03/15/13 07:05am |
Truck Campers
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RE: good place to avoid
I can understand the idea that you need to follow the law or you deserve your ticket. Unfortunately there are some serious issues with speed traps when small communities use enforcement as a means of generating a large percentage of the money needed to fund the local government. Abuses can occur when the salaries of the police officers and other local government officials are dependent on the revenues from the speed traps. I used to drive thru a speed trap area on a frequent basis. I often saw the second car pulled over for exceeding the speed limit by a slim margin. The first car was a local resident with a big yellow resident sticker on the front bumper. Somehow that did not seem fair since both cars were exceeding the speed limit by the same small amount. I was eventually also pulled over. I was not speeding, but was pulled over because in the officer's words I "did not stop long enough at the stop sign." That was a new one for me since I thought stopping and looking before proceeding was sufficient. Anyway I decided to fight the ticket at the traffic court. After several hours of waiting I was told I could wait for my hearing at about 11 at night or accept a deal.. $100 fine and no points. I took the fine. Then there was a similar incident with my daughter. The legal fees only cost about $700 and she only had to pay an additional $200 in fines and got no points. It seems that the construction area was not marked and the previous signs were covered and moved on the grass past the apron area. The officer decided that was still a construction area subject to a low speed limit. Sorry but I no longer have much respect for the legal system or those who enforce it. I would like to see traffic fines turned over to the State and then redistributed based on a set formula. That would end a lot of abuse.
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JimK-NY
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03/10/13 08:29pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Keeping a Honda Generator running till fuel runs out?
You should not have a problem storing your generator with fuel in the tank. Judging from my experience with a lawn mower, I believe that storing with stabilized fuel is better than trying to run the carb dry. Also I believe it is recommended to run the generator every month or so. That helps to keep the jets clean and heating up the generator for 15-30 minutes will also help keep moisture out of the unit. Also it can be a real bit.h to try to start a generator without fuel in the system. I know the dealer complained he always had problems getting new units primed and working. He must have pulled the starter cord 50 times before it finally caught. It is rare that I need to pull more than once or twice.
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JimK-NY
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03/10/13 07:59pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: MPG question
I would also agree on the 12-13 mpg average. I also agree that wind resistance is the big issue. I once got 16-18 mpg at highway speeds (about 65 mph) with a strong tail wind. I have also been in the 10 mph range with a strong head wind. Mountain driving will also take a toll on mileage. I have not found much difference in mileage with different highway speeds. I seem to get about the same when driving at any speed between 55 and 65 or so. I rarely drive much over 65 so I don't know if that would also kill my mileage.
Short trips are also really hard on mileage. My worst mileage has been in national parks when driving a few miles at a time. I think that big diesel takes a lot of fuel just getting the engine up to efficient operating temperature.
I believe 12-13 is about my overall average with 13-14 being more the average for long distant highway driving. Without the camper I averaged close to 20 mpg on the highway.
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JimK-NY
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03/10/13 07:47pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: DOES THIS BUDGET SOUND REASONABLE?
I have a golden age pass and spent most of the last two years as a fulltime traveler. I averaged about $7/night for camping. Obviously I mostly stayed in forest service and national parks. Traveling, I stopped at Walmart, etc. In order to keep your camping costs low, you need to avoid the need for hookups and expensive RV parks. I have two solar panels and rarely need a generator or electric. I have a cassette toilet so I don't need an RV dump. Any outhouse or toilet will do. I conserve water and can go for quite a few days without water -- unless it is hot and I need daily showers.
Food costs can be really low provided you avoid eating out. I eat pretty plain and my costs are low but I really don't have a guess. I know I saved money compared with what I spent when living in a regular house.
Fuel costs are the big item. I travel a lot. On the road that is about $100/day. Of course I don't drive long distances everyday. You really do need to consider how much you will drive in order to plan a budget.
Finally if you want to camp and save a bundle of money consider campground hosting. That will curtail your driving for sure. At a minimum you will have a free place to stay usually with hookups provided. You might also get a tax free stipend of about $15/day worked.
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JimK-NY
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03/07/13 06:55pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: crossing canadian border with truck camper question
I have been asked a few routine questions, such as why I am visiting and where I am planning on going and returning? Nothing else. We did prepare and had rabies vacinnation records but were not asked.
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JimK-NY
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03/05/13 09:01am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Propane 20# Tanks Short?
If you have an old tank, consider an exchange to get a newer tank. In most areas of the US propane storage and handling is carefully regulated. Vendors or required to check the dating of the tanks and refuse to refill any tank that is not current or not recertified. Tanks with a fill level control are also required. These newer tanks shutoff when the tank is filled to 80% by volume. Since the shutoff is by volume, the maximum amount of propane the tank will hold varies by temperature and in hot weather the tank will hold less propane.
I can't comment on the original posted concern. I do not know if exchange companies underfill below the 80% volume amount. Be aware that you are also cheating yourself if you exchange a propane tank that is not completely empty. I have also since some places that refill tanks for a flat fee and of course they win since tanks are rarely totally empty. I prefer to buy refills based amount. I do make exceptions for convenience. I also frequently use Costco which refills for a flat fee but the prices are really low.
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JimK-NY
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03/03/13 06:12am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Cold weather - specific to TCs
The propane lines do not need to be kept above freezing. Water tanks and lines are inside the camper so there is little concern. I would turn off the supply and drain the lines if you have an exterior shower. The other concern is the waste tanks. You can add some antifreeze such as inexpensive windshield washer fluid. That should handle any concerns except for really low temps.
Camping with temps in the 20's at night and above during the day is pretty easy. You will need to have plenty of electricity to run the furnace blower and you can drain a propane tank every few days. Also be aware you need to have constant ventillation or the condensation will quickly become a problem. Maintain a reasonable interior temp and you will not need to worry about freezing water lines. The ideal solution is to camp with hookups so waste tanks constantly drain and you can use a small 120v space heater to heat your camper.
When temps get really cold, issues magnify. I just plain don't like camping in really cold weather.
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JimK-NY
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03/03/13 05:56am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Tag Outs
I tape off the switches for the water pump and heater after I empty and winterize the system. I have a large red rag that I plan to hang on the crank whenever I raise the TV antenna. I have been close to fulltime for the past 2 years and have yet to raise the antenna, but I am ready just in case I feel like looking at trash TV. I am also concerned whenever I lower the jacks. I have only done that 3-4 times in the past 2 years. Since I rarely use the jacks, it is high risk whenever I do use them. I take the control and cable and wrap it on the truck's steering wheel. The only other issues are the steps needed for travel. I don't use reminders or checklists. I need to check the kitchen area and make sure the teapot and britta container are off the counter and in the sink. I double check to make sure that the fridge latch is set and I also have latches on 3 cabinets. Finally I make sure the rear shade is up so I can use the rear view mirror to look thru the camper to the roadway. I do a final walkaround to make sure all the windows are closed. After a short time these travel steps become a habit.
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JimK-NY
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02/18/13 11:04am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Maps and Atlases
There are both trucker maps and GPS systems which account for overpass heights. I would not want to rely on them exclusively. Everytime I come to an overpass, I play a little game. I try to guess the height and then read the signage. That keeps me focused on the issue. My rig is only 11' 2-6" so I rarely encounter a problem. I think more than twice about any clearance less than 12'.
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JimK-NY
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02/17/13 12:53pm |
Truck Campers
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