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RE: Road dust
Try this it works for me and dosen't cost anything.
Close tite everything opening into the camper. Then just open the passenger side cabover window a little. A 2 or 3 inch slit opening will do. Not 100% but this method keeps the inside of my camper cleaner than anything else I've tryed.
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Lots of Stuff
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11/24/09 08:06pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: 2009, 141 nights traveling in TC plus Table of Cont
I think that the coastal highway is beautiful.... much like the Blue Ridge Drive in the east. It is in some ways overwhelming.... one beautiful view after another. But No restrooms or resturants.
Many people only do 100 miles or so of the blue Ridge... for the same reasons.
It is a shame that there isn't public access... we are spoiled by our national and state park systems.
I've heard the coast highway in California is very expensive for the state to maintain. Oregon’s coast highway in very developed and so generates revenue. Washington’s coast highway isn’t on the coast very often so lower maintance costs. In Washington if you want to see the whole coast you’ll have to hike a lot.
We love California’s coast highway and are very glad they maintain it for us rubber neckers.
Your pictures bring memories of our trips up and down it.
Thanks
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Lots of Stuff
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11/23/09 08:56am |
Truck Campers
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RE: 12 volt or 120 volt televisions power draw
Great discussion about power factor in this thread, but why should you care? Relative to overall capacities, the amount is trivial and besides - it's not real power! Sure it needs delivery, but you get it back in a half cycle...
I'm not trying to be a smart Alec, I'm just trying to understand what you think the issue is.
It's the reason you can't run some electronics on small inverters.
Even though their rated Wattage is lower than the inverters output.
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Lots of Stuff
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11/23/09 08:35am |
Truck Campers
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RE: BLM camping in Utah
Link to camping in the Glen Canyon area.
Campgrounds
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Lots of Stuff
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11/22/09 11:40pm |
Public Lands, Boondocking and Dry Camping
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RE: Many New Lance TC for 2010
Interesting how after all those years of nearly everybody else going to aluminum while Lance was still telling us how their wood framing was allegedly superior they are getting with the times and admitting they were wrong. That aside, its nice seeing some new blood in the mix.
Gosh in hard side campers I can only think of Arctic Fox going to ALL Aluminum frames in all models before Lance. Of course I’m only thinking of companies still in business.
There’s Host and Eagle Cap off the top of my head but that’s not the point … when others started building with aluminum Lance continued touting the alleged superiority of there wood framed units for several years until they changed their minds in recent history and started building their larger units with aluminum. Now all their units will be aluminum so did wood change recently or what lol!
Not sure Host is still in business and Eagle Cap has gone back to offering wood and aluminum frames.
Would anyone expect any manufacturer to say another’s is better???
Even owners won't.
I give Lance credit for NOT going to aluminum until they devised their Lance lock method of construction.
But alas for me the great new Lance campers only have 6'6" headroom and I'm 6'7". Oh woe is me!
I'll have to keep my 6'10" headroom, wooden framed 915 forever.
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Lots of Stuff
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11/22/09 09:17am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Many New Lance TC for 2010
Interesting how after all those years of nearly everybody else going to aluminum while Lance was still telling us how their wood framing was allegedly superior they are getting with the times and admitting they were wrong. That aside, its nice seeing some new blood in the mix.
Gosh in hard side campers I can only think of Arctic Fox going to ALL Aluminum frames in all models before Lance. Of course I’m only thinking of companies still in business.
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Lots of Stuff
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11/21/09 10:37am |
Truck Campers
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RE: 12 volt or 120 volt televisions power draw
Please tell me about Small Television power supplys that have any Inductive or Capacitive Reactance to worry about. Like wise the power factor of newer TV power supplys should not be a problem, I think.
If it is a US only model or an international model with a draw of under 65W, then there can be a terrible power factor due to distorted current draw.
With a switch mode power supply, the current draw consists of pulses drawn at the crest of the line. In this case the power factor runs around 60% to 75% with the excess VA consisting of harmonics.
If the TV is an international model with a draw over 65W, European regulations require power factor correction so they draw a sine wave. In utility applications, this is a good thing. But if often means a bad thing when trying to run things off a "modified sine wave" inverter. The power factor front end will attempt to follow the rapidly changing waveform and cause it or the inverter to shut down.
Here is an example waveform right before the inverter quit:
http://i49.tinypic.com/6fbk90.jpg
The yellow is voltage and the magenta is the input current to a power factor corrected laptop. Note that when there is a step in the voltage, the current shoots off full scale.
Now take a closer look at the edge:
http://i48.tinypic.com/wcn805.jpg
The first waveform is at 2A/div, the second is 20A/div. No wonder the inverter quit!
OK Matthew_B this is when I get into trouble and I never was a scope jockey.
But this wave form shows faulty engineering in my view. Looks like the filter cap is nice and large and the bridge rectifier is very robust but someone forgot about current limiting the capicatiors inrush. No big deal if your plugged into the wall. But a problem for small inverters.
If you think I’m full of it that’s OK. I’ve gotten very rusty in retirement. And as I've shown, I'm often wrong.
My HP Pavilion dv 1000 works just fine on my 200 watt inverter. Yet the inverter gets warmer running the computer than it does running my small flat panel TV and DVD player.
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Lots of Stuff
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11/20/09 05:22pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: What will happen if I don't dump my waste before winter?
You could leave it as is, then tell us what happened next spring.
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Lots of Stuff
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11/20/09 09:34am |
Truck Campers
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RE: PC in your TC?
Interesting topic,
We generally take the laptop along for the many reasons already listed.
Although the wife revolted at holding it in her lap for GPS navigation.
And she won't drive my stinky diesel truck ether, dog gone head strong women these days.
The last 2 week trip was without the infernal thing, and you know what the trip seemed more relaxing.
Okay I will be the first to ask - which infernal thing? Wife or laptop?
I usually leave wife at home :B
Your right it's plain to me but not very plain in my post.
The Computer NOT the Dear Wife.
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Lots of Stuff
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11/20/09 09:23am |
Truck Campers
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RE: PC in your TC?
Interesting topic,
We generally take the laptop along for the many reasons already listed.
Although the wife revolted at holding it in her lap for GPS navigation.
And she won't drive my stinky diesel truck ether, dog gone head strong women these days.
The last 2 week trip was without the infernal thing, and you know what the trip seemed more relaxing.
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Lots of Stuff
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11/20/09 09:15am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Looked at a TT yesterday!!!
Must admit to looking at small trailers as well. (Actually all RV types)
But haven't found any with the room of my TC. 6'10 headroom and a real Queen sized bed 60" X 80" or 36" X 80" twin's.
Strange how my small Lance TC has more room that's important to me than most other larger RV types.
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Lots of Stuff
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11/19/09 10:06am |
Truck Campers
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RE: 12 volt or 120 volt televisions power draw
Great Scott Matthew B your right and my Remark about Power factors of Small TV power supplies was wrong. They and any Switching Power Supply generally have poor power factors as you demonstrated.
However in most comparisons of loads such as my Computers power supply simply multiplying voltage given by current Will give a valid Wattage to compare with a 12 volt unit. 100-240Volts and 1.7 amps or 120V X 1.7A = 204 Watts
I know but my computer has yet to damage my 200 watt inverter.
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Lots of Stuff
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11/18/09 09:17pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: 12 volt or 120 volt televisions power draw
I disagree. No disrespect intended but volts times amps = watts is only true for DC. With AC the power (in watts) depends on the power factor which is determined by the electrical load and whether it consists of more capacitive reactance (typically from electronics) or inductive reactance (typically from motors). With AC, volts times amps will only equal watts if the load is completely resistive like a light bulb or non-motorized heating element. -Mark.
Please tell me about Small Television power supplys that have any Inductive or Capacitive Reactance to worry about. Like wise the power factor of newer TV power supplys should not be a problem, I think.
Your point is correct on AC circuits of course.
Yet sometimes easy can work with low power loads when just using it for comparisons.
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Lots of Stuff
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11/18/09 05:02pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: 12 volt or 120 volt televisions power draw
Volts times Amps = Watts (Use 12 or 120 Volts as needed)
The lower the watts the Better.
Figure for your self.
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Lots of Stuff
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11/18/09 01:15pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Return To Navajo NM - Keet Seel
Could any of us live like those ancients?
The main thing we've thought about when looking at the ancient ruins of the southwest is Child Care.
How in the world could anyone raise kids in a cliff dwelling???
Maybe that's why they moved out!
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Lots of Stuff
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11/18/09 01:04pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Trip Report - Devil's Fork State Park, SC
Thanks for posting those wonderful pictures.
Shows that a quick trip can be lots of fun. Fall is a great time for camping and hiking in the woods we love it.
Fall mornings make the camper furnace a true friend. Getting up and having breakfast in a warm camper is a real joy for my old bones.
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Lots of Stuff
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11/18/09 12:52pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: lance tank level sensors
The best black water sensor is a flashlight... shine the light down through the open commode valve... when its full its time to empty.
It's the only level sensor that is trouble free.
That’s if you don't mine looking at Brown Trout with Corn eyes and Lettuce fins.
I don’t even like thinking about it.
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Lots of Stuff
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11/16/09 06:39pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: A few questions on Dualies
gas vs. diesel = you couldn't give me a gasser after enjoying the power of my diesel.
Hey Dave!
If you find anyone willing to give you a new gasser for your old diesel send him my way.
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Lots of Stuff
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11/16/09 06:31pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Question re:Solar for Lance Camper
Wild Bill
This 'lengthy' article is over the top, but informative. Thanks I think?....just spent 40 minutes digesting the information. I will start researching some of the specifics that the articles mention. I have at least decided to 're-wire' with 8Ga wire and go with a good 3 stage controller.
Thanks for the link
If you want to save some money!
Your Lance prewire will work great for a 85 Watt panel. Then a Morningstar controller will complete your setup for around $500 total. My Lance connector has worked just fine. Put some anticorrosion paste on the terminals then seal the outside with roof sealer after the connector is made up.
The Lance prewire loops the wires under the sink to mount the controller there, then leads back to the battery box.
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Lots of Stuff
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11/16/09 02:19pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Return To Navajo NM - Keet Seel
Wow and double WOW!
What a great experience, Thanks for posting.
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Lots of Stuff
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11/16/09 10:01am |
Truck Campers
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