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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: how much ice in black tank to clean sensor?
Dump a bottle of the cheapest Walmart fabric softener in the tank and go camping. Leave it in till the next time you would normally dump. The more miles the better. Works for us on our C Do it once or twice a year.
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John & Angela
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05/23/13 07:59am |
Beginning RVing
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RE: %#$&# salesman
I think both are at fault. The ultimate responsibility lies with the consumer...remember caveat emptor. That said dealerships need to stop selling tt based upon the somewhat fictional dry weight. When I bought my tt, I knew the tow max of my old armada. What I didn't understand was tongue weight, payload, gawr etc and how they pertained to me. I had dealerships leading me to believe I could tow an 8500 lb dry 34 ft tt with my armada (rated at 9100 lb and rated for 910 lb on the receiver). I knew better than to shop dry weight even though I was told by more than one salesman that gvwr didn't matter, dry weight is what you watch. I bought a tt that was under tow max by 2000 lbs loaded but over on payload. That was my fault not the dealership. I upgraded the tv. The truck dealership sold me a used F250 diesel like I asked. Again, I made a crucial mistake, I never double checked the payload sticker because it was a diesel, it can tow a pretty sizeable trailer no problem. We were thinking of a future 5er upgrade. Oops, this diesel has less than 1500 lbs available payload. No 12000 lb sabre for this truck although it is well matched to the current tt. These were mistakes on my part, not the salesmans part. The only thing I ever blame a salesman for is trying to undersell the true weight of a trailer. The tow vehicle is the responsibility of the owner..
Goid morning. I'm confused on one statement in this post or maybe I am reading it wrong. Why would GVWR matter except to always try for the max. Kinda like buying a truck. If you have a choice of two trailers weighing roughly the same and one has a GVWR 1000 pounds more than the other why would you not buy the trailer with the bigger rating. It's a rating not a weight. I think encouraging people to buy trailers with low ratings can only lead to bad things. Same as a truck. And as far as dry weights being fictional, in recent years they are fairly close in the units I have scaled. JMHO I like a safety factor. I would rather pay a little more for a trailer that has a little bigger brakes and axles and consequently a little higher GVWR. Look at the dry weight, be reasonable and add realistic cargo numbers, then see if it fits into the tow vehicles capabilities. GVWR should only come into it as a bigger is better thing. An ARCTIC FOX 25 foot trailer weighs 6200 pounds but has a GVWR of 10,000 pounds. It would be nice to have a tow vehicle that pulls 8000 pounds for this trailer but you certainly don't need now that pulls 10,000 pounds.
while I get what you are saying and agree to some degree, we are talking about newbies. Most newbies have no clue about how much weight to account for in the way of gear etc. by doing calculations using the TT max gvwr they can help to make sure they don't exceed their tow ratings. on the other hand, if you take someone who knows (from previously scaled trailers or weighing every last item they will put in the TT) then you can calculate based upon using the actual weight sticker in the TT plus the weight you add to get a good idea of where you will stand (we have been doing this with 5ers). I say somewhat fictional dry weight because the brochure dry weight is rarely what it weighs when it is sold with propane, battery etc. The yellow sticker on the door or cabinet is the true dry weight before cargo.
Agreed on the brochure dry weight not being acurate. As a rough guide maybe but larger rigs and especially campers can have yellow tag numbers considerably different than the brochure.
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John & Angela
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05/21/13 07:39pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: %#$&# salesman
I think both are at fault. The ultimate responsibility lies with the consumer...remember caveat emptor. That said dealerships need to stop selling tt based upon the somewhat fictional dry weight. When I bought my tt, I knew the tow max of my old armada. What I didn't understand was tongue weight, payload, gawr etc and how they pertained to me. I had dealerships leading me to believe I could tow an 8500 lb dry 34 ft tt with my armada (rated at 9100 lb and rated for 910 lb on the receiver). I knew better than to shop dry weight even though I was told by more than one salesman that gvwr didn't matter, dry weight is what you watch. I bought a tt that was under tow max by 2000 lbs loaded but over on payload. That was my fault not the dealership. I upgraded the tv. The truck dealership sold me a used F250 diesel like I asked. Again, I made a crucial mistake, I never double checked the payload sticker because it was a diesel, it can tow a pretty sizeable trailer no problem. We were thinking of a future 5er upgrade. Oops, this diesel has less than 1500 lbs available payload. No 12000 lb sabre for this truck although it is well matched to the current tt. These were mistakes on my part, not the salesmans part. The only thing I ever blame a salesman for is trying to undersell the true weight of a trailer. The tow vehicle is the responsibility of the owner..
Goid morning. I'm confused on one statement in this post or maybe I am reading it wrong. Why would GVWR matter except to always try for the max. Kinda like buying a truck. If you have a choice of two trailers weighing roughly the same and one has a GVWR 1000 pounds more than the other why would you not buy the trailer with the bigger rating. It's a rating not a weight. I think encouraging people to buy trailers with low ratings can only lead to bad things. Same as a truck. And as far as dry weights being fictional, in recent years they are fairly close in the units I have scaled. JMHO I like a safety factor. I would rather pay a little more for a trailer that has a little bigger brakes and axles and consequently a little higher GVWR. Look at the dry weight, be reasonable and add realistic cargo numbers, then see if it fits into the tow vehicles capabilities. GVWR should only come into it as a bigger is better thing. An ARCTIC FOX 25 foot trailer weighs 6200 pounds but has a GVWR of 10,000 pounds. It would be nice to have a tow vehicle that pulls 8000 pounds for this trailer but you certainly don't need now that pulls 10,000 pounds.
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John & Angela
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05/21/13 07:26am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: RV Fuel Issues & Prices - Post 'Em Here!
Just filled up the smart car with 18 bucks worth of diesel. 1.28 per litre or about 4.80 US PER US gallon. Hasn't really gone up much here in the last 5 years. Maybe 16 cents a litre. It'll drop here after the long weekend....and then go back up for the next long weekend. :). Gas is about a dime more right now.
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John & Angela
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05/20/13 05:17pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: 3,500 max tow capacity.
Remember the eight magic words of why we RV. "The hair in the shower drain...is mine".
I've RVd for many years - more than half of those with a towable that would meet the OP's requirement for being towable by a 3500-lb-rated tow vehicle. The only bath facility was a porta-potti. Does it really matter if the hair in the shower belongs to a previous campground guest, or a previous Marriott or Hilton guest?
Paul
It was an attempt at humour. And now you know why I have a day job. Be nice now. :)
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John & Angela
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05/19/13 09:55pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: 3,500 max tow capacity.
Remember the eight magic words of why we RV. "The hair in the shower drain...is mine".
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John & Angela
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05/19/13 03:10pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Built-in Onan Generator - inverter compatibility
There must be a separate transfer switch that switches between shore and Generator. Can you confirm that this is the case?
I don' t believe that this is a compatibility issue as there seems to be no problem with the charge function taking place.
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John & Angela
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05/18/13 06:20pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Built-in Onan Generator - inverter compatibility
Assuming they were installed correctly there is no way that I know of to be not compatible. They are separate systems and one works when the other one doesn't.
What were the symptoms. What was it doing or not doing.
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John & Angela
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05/18/13 11:08am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Trouble Free Motorhome Owner?
Amost 10 years full timing in our 2003 Revolution. Went through the Norcold fridge (replaced with residential) and a washer dryer and that's about it. Minor stuff other than that. Over 100K on it now. I have temp sensor problem on my Onan generator that I will have to deal with someday (other than bypass). Other than that, looks like new inside and not bad outside. We bought it to last 20 years. We are halfway there. :).
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John & Angela
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05/18/13 10:56am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: 3,500 max tow capacity.
I maybe misunderstanding some of the posts but I am not sure why you would care what the GVWR of the trailer is. Rule of thumb is always the bigger the better. It is a rating not a weight. However you should be looking at net weight and then calculate realistically what you will add including everything that goes through the door, goes in the tanks and gets put on the tounge. Leave yourself a little leeway and make sure you do a test tow before buying. You will be able to get a good feel of how it pulls even if it is empty but have the delaer fill the water tank to simulate at least some of the weight.
John, I have ZERO knowledge when it comes to TT's and what is out there. Looking to see if there are any real options out there based on those that went before me. Otherwise there is hours and hours of research.
For those that need to know it's a Toyota Highlander, and I currently own a Class A and 33 foot 5'ver. Between those two we're camping about six months. So no more :Z insults from the peanut stand please. To everyone else thank you for your input.
I certainly didn't mean to be insulting. Sorry if it came off that way. I second looking at the TAB type trailers. For what you are planning I think you might have a lot of fun with something like that. I also remember a 15 foot funfinder that would work for us in your situation. Then again, I pull a tent trailer with a smart car. :)
Good luck with the selection. I would be interested in what you choose.
Happy trails.
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John & Angela
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05/16/13 07:52pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: 3,500 max tow capacity.
I maybe misunderstanding some of the posts but I am not sure why you would care what the GVWR of the trailer is. Rule of thumb is always the bigger the better. It is a rating not a weight. However you should be looking at net weight and then calculate realistically what you will add including everything that goes through the door, goes in the tanks and gets put on the tounge. Leave yourself a little leeway and make sure you do a test tow before buying. You will be able to get a good feel of how it pulls even if it is empty but have the delaer fill the water tank to simulate at least some of the weight.
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John & Angela
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05/16/13 07:21pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Driving the Trans Labrador Highway in a Class A
Angela and I were posted at the airbase in Goose bay in the mid 80's. back then that was a tough road and it was only open two months of the year. I'll be watching this thread with interest. :)
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John & Angela
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05/15/13 07:39pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Boondocking at Walmart
Go across Canada after September and see how many campgrounds are open. Walmarts, Casinos, Travel centres are your friends. 45 days across the country to Manhattan and all but 3 dry camping.
The other thing is, when dead heading, why bother with a campground. What service could they possibly provide that I would need. I have 100 gallons of water on board, solar, batteries, satellite, generator if needed. Seems frivolous to have these things and then pay to buy them from someone else. Any security issue we have ever had were in a campground. Not in a Casino, travel centre or Walmart. Generally speaking I find campgrounds inconvenient for overnight stays. Parking lots are like big pull through sites. Not always easy to find in a campground. Many campgrounds are unstaffed after hours. Picking up supplies involves getting parked, unhooking, driving downtown to a Walmart and buying supplies and then driving back to the campground...in a strange town. To each his own. I have no problem with folks staying in campgrounds if that's where they are comfortable, or maybe their unit is not equipped well for dry camping. I am always amused by those that seem concerned with where I sleep.
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John & Angela
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05/14/13 09:47pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Smart car, tent trailer, kayak combo
The table is standard equipment with the trailer aling with a chair. It is heavy though and we are thinking of looking for a lightweight aluminum alternative. Bitten again it fits flat on the floor between the wheel wells. Cargo space is limited so picking and choosing everything carefully is important.
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John & Angela
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05/14/13 09:02pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Smart car, tent trailer, kayak combo
I think I'd rather stick with a backpack. Seriously, you don't so much 'sit in' a Smart car as much as 'wear' it!!
I think that depends on the persons shape and size as well. I'm 6 foot 1 about 195 and it is very roomy. Probably one of the easiest cars to get in and out for the over 50 crowd which is why that is the average age group driving them. They are fairly easy to live with but like any car they are not for everyone. There is 1.6 million on the road. They must be doing something right. :)
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John & Angela
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05/14/13 01:59pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Smart car, tent trailer, kayak combo
Yep. It is a single LED. Not very bright but it functions as a night light in the tent trailer that shines on the floor so a midnight trip to the door is not in total darkness. I don't know what it draws but its not very much.
There is a charge current meter on the other side not in camera view. I use it to see when the charge process is done. I have a 15 amp resetable breaker on the input charge line and a 10 amp current meter. I charge from my coach batteries, a 10 amp 3 stage samlex charger or solar.
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John & Angela
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05/14/13 10:20am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Smart car, tent trailer, kayak combo
We have to hand our Jeep over to our son here in the next few weeks. He is a mechanic, and our Jeep needs work before it will pass state inspections. I was complaining because I am chomping at the bit to go camping. Wife giggled and said "unless you can tow the PUP with your car, we are not camping". (She is not really looking forward to camping this year, not sure why, but she has made every excuse to not camp already).
Anyway after seeing your "completely awesome" setup. I think maybe my Chevy Sonic sedan, might just pull my PUP. I think it would serve her right to just add a hitch and hook it up. HEE HEE HEE
Heh heh. I suppose, but if she really doesn't want to go you might still wear it in the end. Angela's criteria was that it has a porta-potti so she doesn't have to make a midnight run to the facilities. You can see it by the door. It was the make or break item for our tent trailer camping future. Now she enjoys it all.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8499/8261486878_744b9964e0.jpg
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John & Angela
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05/14/13 07:39am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Long Hot Showers in an RV?
We have a 10 gallon water heater and I have never run out of hot water.
Ditto. A ten minute shower is easy with a 10 gallon tank if both electric and propane are turned on. The next person can do it again in about 15 minutes.
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John & Angela
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05/14/13 07:30am |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Smart car, tent trailer, kayak combo
You might just need a Hensley Arrow cub for that rig to cut down on sway :B
Just kidding that looks like a real fun setup, they make that type setup for motorcycles.
Love the smart car
Yep. The timeout trailer is essentially a motorcycle trailer but the smart car crowd and the fiat 500 bunch are adapting them as well. Whatever works right.
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John & Angela
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05/13/13 08:53pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Below freezing for 5 hours
How far below freezing? Will you be running the heater? It is a hard question to answer.
A couple of hours at 30 degrees, a couple at 29degrees and 1 hour at 31degrees. Yes, I will be running the heater.
No worries in my opinion. Keep it warm inside and the RV will "leak" enough heat to keep everything from freezing.
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John & Angela
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05/13/13 07:28pm |
General RVing Issues
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