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Interesting information on OPD valves on propane tanks
Ever since I had to upgrade the LPG cylinders on my camper, I've dealt with problems with cylinders filling slow. Sometimes they'd fill OK, and then other times it would fill very slow. The gas station attendant always commented that it was problems with sticking floats.
This last time I filled, the cylinder would barely take propane. It took about 5 minutes to put 1/2 gallon in. I figured it was time to change out the valve on the cylinder. They have float level gauges so I figured it was worth spending ~$25 for a new valve vs. $60 for a cylinder with a level gauge.
I burned up the propane that did go in, and took the tank to Farrellgas to have the valve replaced. The tech there told me that the valve was probably fine, but it was not being filled properly. He suggested trying to fill it first rather than being out the cost of a valve. He told me that what gas station attendants will do is they open the tank valve wide first, and then open the valve on the fill hose. He said that the fill hose valve opens quick, and the sudden rush of propane will operate the excess flow valve and cause the flow of propane to be highly restricted. Once the excess flow valve operates, the pressure of the fill pump will keep the excess flow valve shut. The proper was is to open the hose valve first, and then open the cylinder valve slowly. He demonstrated the difference, and it went from a slow crawl to a normal flow when he did.
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Matthew_B
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03/02/13 12:05am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Disposal of anti-freeze after de-winterizing
I use RV antifreeze to water my lawn, works fine.
Car antifreeze you can turn in at our dump as a hazardous liquid.
You guys must have different grass down there than we have up here. It kills our grass. That makes really wonder how non-toxic is it.
It kills grass for the same reason that dumping table salt on your lawn will kill it. Propylene glycol has a strong enough affinity for water it sucks it out of the grass.
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Matthew_B
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03/01/13 11:53pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Converter/charger upgrade
I put in the WFCO kit you linked to. It lasted about 4 years and then fried. I didn't like that the cooling fan didn't really move air in from the front, it only circulated the hot air around and back through the converter. I also had problems with the WFCO sticking in boost charge on hot days.
I replaced it with the PD upgrade kit:
http://www.bestconverter.com/4600-series-Upgrade-Kits_c_133.html
This one was MUCH better. It has a second fan drawing air in from the grill. The fuse board has a charge indicating light and button on.
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Matthew_B
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08/09/12 10:08pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: No, I was Right!... I traded my SRW for my DRW!
I figure hydro-boost only makes sense if you run big tires. I have stock sized tires on my truck and it can lock all four with the camper on. I found out the biggest help comes from re-building the rear brakes. Mine had slowly faded and I didn't realize how bad they were because the change happened slow. I replaced everything and nearly put myself through the front windshield the first time I hit the brakes.
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Matthew_B
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08/08/12 10:47pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: No, I was Right!... I traded my SRW for my DRW!
You can raid a F-superduty (the F450 before it was called the F450) at the junkyard and convert your F350 to hydroboost.
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Matthew_B
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08/08/12 12:42am |
Truck Campers
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RE: This looks like a good way to add more batteries to your TC
Ouch... How do you use it unloaded now, I'm guessing it involves hefting the batteries out and onto the ground under the camper?
Correct. I move the batteries beside the camper and plug them back in.
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Matthew_B
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08/07/12 11:54am |
Truck Campers
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RE: I was right...bought a SRW.
Do you ever park between two other cars? How do you walk from your door to the roadway when there's a fender in the way?
If the spaces are that narrow, I can't get out of the truck unless I climb out the window because my door can't open far enough to get out.
So your door is thicker than your fender?
I've been in tight spots and it is harder to get out of the door than it is to get by the fender. I've never been in a spot where I can't get past the fender when I could get out the door.
The door is about 5" thick. The door sticks out at an angle so it isn't straight through the door, but the thickness when measured at a 45° angle. The fender adds 10"... that's pretty close.
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Matthew_B
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08/07/12 11:07am |
Truck Campers
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RE: I was right...bought a SRW.
Here's something else to think about. The mirrors on a SRW truck are wider than the fenders on a dually. If your mirrors can fit, so can the rear fenders/tires of a dually.
There are some exceptions where the obstacle is lower than the mirrors. This can be an issue in a drive through where there is a narrow curb or low bollards.
I've run into very few drive though situations where I couldn't fit, but then even a SRW would have a very hard time getting through.
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Matthew_B
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08/07/12 11:02am |
Truck Campers
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RE: This looks like a good way to add more batteries to your TC
How would one wire up that extra battery to the camper batteries?
Couldn't you just tap into the harness going to the socket/plug feeding the camper?
That would be before the camper isolator.
You don't need an isolator in the camper for a Ford (which this rack fits). Fords come with a factory installed charge relay. If the battery was tapped into the wire to the plug, it would be on the camper side of the relay.
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Matthew_B
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08/06/12 11:05pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: This looks like a good way to add more batteries to your TC
Seems like it would be easier to add bateries under the wing at the rear of the TC, between the bed and the camper, with a mounted rack. Then you could use the remote watering stuff to keep the water levels where they need to be and they would stay with the TC when used off-truck.
I did that, and it made loading and unloading a real pain. It left little room on the right side. If the camper shifts to the left, it drug going out.
Eventually I just gave up on the rack and I heft the batteries in each time I load the camper.
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Matthew_B
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08/06/12 11:04pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: I was right...bought a SRW.
How wide is a camper on a SRW versus a DRW? I don't have one and was just wondering (tongue in cheek). What's the widest part of the the truck/camper combo, the dually wheels sticking out from the camper? Is it really that significant to have a DRW vs a SRW? If you can drive around with the camper on the truck, can't you drive a DRW around with or without the camper?
My camper is 2" wider than my truck.
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Matthew_B
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08/06/12 10:58pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: I was right...bought a SRW.
Do you ever park between two other cars? How do you walk from your door to the roadway when there's a fender in the way?
If the spaces are that narrow, I can't get out of the truck unless I climb out the window because my door can't open far enough to get out.
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Matthew_B
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08/06/12 10:57pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: I was right...bought a SRW.
Definately so. I always wonder what a full blown panic stop and manuver from 75 mph would feel like with a high CG 4,000 lb camper in the bed. :E :E :E
I've done it twice.
Once was a mule deer that ran in front of me. I dropped from the low 70's to about 15 MPH when I hit him. It only cost me the grill.
The other time a tractor pulled out in front of me crossing the highway. I managed to get slowed enough.
Both times the inside of the camper did get tossed around.
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Matthew_B
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08/06/12 10:54pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Another Bureaucratic SNAFU
I think the point is to demonstrate what can be done. IMO the mirror shown is way too wide, but something around 20-25 degrees using the same formula would be great. The blind spots in these new cars is amazing. Something really needs to be done to help the problem.
I've gotten several rental cars that are phenomenally bad at obstructing the view. It's almost like I'm looking through portals. I've heard the reason is because of stricter rollover protection rules and side impact air bags. Perhaps we've gotten ahead of avoiding the accident to begin with.
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Matthew_B
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07/07/12 07:48pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Another Bureaucratic SNAFU
For many years the etched warning on the right hand mirror has read "objects in mirror are closer than they appear" so what's different?
Jim
It's not legal on the drivers side to have any distortion in the mirror. I'm not necessarily agreeing with the law, but that is the law as it stands.
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Matthew_B
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07/07/12 07:46pm |
General RVing Issues
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Get your public comments in on proposed change to Yosemite
Some of the historic bridges of Yosemite National Park may be removed under a proposal to restore a more natural condition to the Merced river.
Historic bridges of Yosemite Valley under siege
The national park service is taking public comments on the proposal to remove the bridges until September.
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Matthew_B
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07/07/12 07:43pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: U joint vibration?????????????
Is it a two piece driveline? I know that we used to see a lot of heavy-loaded rigs destroy the center bearing,
Do you know why it would do this? Flexing of the frame?
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Matthew_B
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07/03/12 11:15pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: this is perfect
I've commented before that the horse shows my daughter goes to haven't had a EMT at them. I've pushed the idea but it didn't go anywhere. Well the last one had two girls end up in the hospital. One with a concussion. The other didn't have any broken bones or internal injuries even though we were convinced she must have.
We're going to have an EMT at them from now on. If you're interested in visiting the Willamette Valley...
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Matthew_B
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06/23/12 10:00pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Charging batteries off the truck
I can't answer the question for the other brands, but the alternator in Ford trucks since the early 90's does pretty good at idle. Particularly so with a diesel where they use a much bigger crankshaft pulley. On the diesel it puts out around 90 amps at idle.
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Matthew_B
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06/03/12 09:25pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Dually Conversion
That's what I love about "Forums" somebody gets tagged as a "Senior Member" and all of the sudden they know everything about everything.
HA HA HA HA HA
He's been around for a long time before you came along.
I predict that if your style doesn't change, he'll be around for long after you're kicked out.
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Matthew_B
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05/30/12 12:42am |
Truck Campers
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