RE: Setting up for the winter......................
I know of one fellow at the campground I stayed at last winter, he has a nice movie style popcorn machine and makes popcorn, If I remember right on Thursdays. If your walking by, your invited to come on the patio and enjoy a bag of popcorn and fellowship, always folks sitting around talking and eating.
RE: Removing adhesive after graphics are removed acetone anyone?
Has anyone used acetone to remove the adhesive residue left after removing the graphics from a fiberglass side? If so, did it do as you intended?
I am starting the slow process of doing this and trying to keep cost as economical as I can.
Planning to paint them back on.
Shared experiences appreciated.
Everyone has their way of doing things, so I might as well jump in.
This summer I re-decaled my whole coach, the second time I did a recal job.
1. I got tracing paper and traced all the decals, with exception of straight lines.
2. Traced out and cut all my decals from the rolls of colored vinyl I ordered, 3 mills is best.
3. The sides of my MH faces East and West. About 10 or 11 with the morning summer sun beating on the East side, I took my razor tool and carefully peeled off the decals. Then a spray bottle with acetone, I used over a gallon. Spray on glue residue and scrap with razor tool, it melts off, wiping with a rag. Use natures heat gun.
4. when the sun heated up the West side I would work there doing the same.
This was done in about a month.
After all decals remove one could see where they were and with the decals I cut I replaced them, adding my own design in a few areas.
It takes a little time and patience. Tools and supplies: the replacement vinyl for decals, Acetone, plastic spray bottle, used about 30 straight edge razors, razor holder, I used the kind you can retrack the razor. Sissors to cut decals, tracing paper, masking tape, and a 6" automotive plastic squeegee.
Then after all done, a wash and wax job. NO, I'm not for hire.
RE: CAT vs. Cummins
No doubt someone will tell you "Cat doesn't make truck engines anymore so service could be an issue." IMHO you can ignore those people because they don't understand that there are hundreds of thousands of Cat truck engines on the road and a very extensive service network.
We love our Cat and as they used to say "If it's not a Cat, it's a dog! LOL
I don't know if that is true, I know they dropped out of the motor home engine supplier business, but I live 8 miles from a Cat dealer and I believe Cat has come out with their own brand of Tri-axle trucks. New design with Cat right in the grill, and I would assume they have their own Cat engine in the truck, not a Cummins or Mack. This dealer has two of them on display, So I would assume they make truck engines still.
From what I have read at least two of the new Cat engines are rebadged Navistar units.
http://fleetowner.com/running-green/caterpillar-truck-engines-also-get-scr-aftertreatmentThere are for Navistar's and Cat's Vocational Truck line such as Construction Dump Trucks, Cement Mixers, Garbage Trucks, but not for Motorhomes. "Caterpillar will continue to sell and ship Cat Vocational Trucks with CT Series engines that meet EPA regulatory requirements,” the company said. “Navistar is our valued engine supplier and the company continues to supply us with quality and reliable engines for our Cat Trucks. They call it a Cat engine, but it's the new Navistar 15L, which is derived from the old Cat 15L no longer available for on-highway trucks. You guys getting worked up over nothing.
I'm not worked up, I'm as cool as a refrigerated cumber. My Islander has a Cummins.
RE: Wintering in Florida
Drain the water system and remove all food. Nothing else is needed IMO. Mine sits in my yard in Florida year round except when I am using it.
I agree, I do the same thing, use to have a RV cover, they are a complete waste of money. Mine had a warranty of two or three years, and two months after the warranty was up the top rotted off! The sun completely distroyed the thing.
RE: CAT vs. Cummins
No doubt someone will tell you "Cat doesn't make truck engines anymore so service could be an issue." IMHO you can ignore those people because they don't understand that there are hundreds of thousands of Cat truck engines on the road and a very extensive service network.
We love our Cat and as they used to say "If it's not a Cat, it's a dog! LOL
I don't know if that is true, I know they dropped out of the motor home engine supplier business, but I live 8 miles from a Cat dealer and I believe Cat has come out with their own brand of Tri-axle trucks. New design with Cat right in the grill, and I would assume they have their own Cat engine in the truck, not a Cummins or Mack. This dealer has two of them on display, So I would assume they make truck engines still.
RE: Am I the last snowbird up north
My DW's youngest son's new bride called and asked "I have off until January from nurses training, how about if we come down?" (They spent 3 mo. with us last year.) DW answered "How about if you don't?"
My DW's answer would be "There is a nice motel down the street". :B
Enjoy them while you have them, life is short.
RE: Tracfone problems
I was a loyal trac phone customer for years and years. I accepted the fact that once we left the city and in the country and especially in the mountains of Tn/Nc we would not have service.....When we traveled down the interstates we would not have service for many many miles........The straw that broke the camel's back was when I was in the Disney World area around Orlando and I had to call my office......NO SERVICE was all I could get. I called them when I got home and they said they did not have service in and around Walt Disney World......I got ATT the next day......
That's strange, stayed in Winter Haven last Winter, no problem with my tracphone. I had problems with it around Flagstaf, Az, then got to the Grand Canyon and had service, but my wife's verizon cell had none. My main problem is understanding the trac phone operators!
RE: Acer Aspire netbook laptop- Free to me
Acer netbook is a great little computer. My wife happened to have a external DVD player, so I used it to put my Copilot 9 gps on it and put velcro on the bottom of the netbook and velcro on my M.H. dash and it works great, even made mounts in my Wrangler for it so I have gps in the Jeep.
RE: 2013 Chevy Spark
Chevy Spark! What in the world is wrong with GM? They keep putting out more and more models of cars instead of improving the ones they already have. They know that Saturn was a great car for RVers yet they keep making cars that you can't tow four wheels down, they will never learn.
RE: Paying bills while on the road
My Norton 360 says I have identity protection or shopping and banking. That is in addition to the security already put in place by the banks. So paying bills online is not a concern for me as long as I am using my own laptop.
If I shop online while a snowbird, I always use PayPal if the seller accepts it. PayPal adds yet another layer of protection between me and any hackers.
I always use Paypal, even if I can get it cheaper from another vendor, I turn away, really don't like giving away my credit card number to vendors, which some keep on record.
RE: Class A only campgrounds
We stayed at wilderness rv resort near silver springs florida last feb, they had a resort inside the resort for the CLASS A crowd. It was fenced off and had a guard to keep us trailer trash out:B. Now dont get me wrong I have met some very nice folks that had class A's but some of the ones at this park would not even wave as they drove back through our section of the park:h. I hope to never get to good that I look down on less fortunate folks. BTW if its class A only its most likely not a CG its a resort. Good Luck
What you said was very true, I Wintered there for three years. The place is divided up into three areas, the Village, where trailers, 5vers, class C's and class A's can park. The Town, out in the back, mostly 5vers and park models, AND The Reserve!, you pay a little more, bigger lots wide open spaces and unfriendly folk, not all but most. What stinks is, they can come down to the Village lodge, laundry, banquet hall, and pool, but no one either from the Village or Town can go to their lodge, laundry, pool, banquet hall.
The original owner is responsible, all he wanted was to sell lots, he lost the place, the new owner is trying to abolish the "caste" system. I don't go there anymore, price is reasonable, but to cold.
RE: Everyone down south already?
Safe travels Sam, we take off today for Texas. If we do head to Florida this spring to check out real estate I'll swing by your park and we'll have that cup of coffee. :)
DD just called and said there is a whole bunch of tornado warnings south of us and all the way down into MO today. Guess we're getting to the age now where the kids are taking care of us and are doing all the worrying for us :W
Ok John, give me a jingle when your coming, I'll be in Palmetto this year.
RE: Everyone down south already?
Leaving after Xmas, that is if the Lord is willing and the hogs don't brake down the fence! Grand kids? Nah, I don't stay around here for them, they are 2,500 miles away, and I sure am not going to Winter in California!
RE: 1st to winter in Florida
Anywhere north of I-4 you better have a heated hose or be prepared to unhook and drain it. Often in Jan - Feb.
Last four years of Wintering in Florida, never had to unhook, or even thought of using heat tape on my hose. Twice though, I let the cold water drip very slowly in the bathroom sink and that did the trick.
RE: Grab handle lighting now works!
Mine didn't light up, didn't come that way, but the handle broke, I replaced it and while in there installed a light in it, got a lighted handle now!
RE: Flooding Tail Lights
Best approach would be to wire the tail lights properly and avoid drilling holes and adding extra bulbs inside the lenses. Shortcuts always seem to have a way of coming back and biting all of us at a later date
Who is to say properly? On some cars if you introduce outside system electric you can damage the computer in your car, then, you have problems.
Evey toad I've had I drilled and put in a separate braking lights, no problem, better way to go.
RE: Manual retrack Kwikee Step
A while back when mine wouldn't come in and I didn't have time or it wasn't the place to work on them I took the carter pin out and the pin in the linkage, pushed the steps in and bunged the thing and drove away. My control unit burnt out I found out through testing, so the steps being 11 years old I coughed up the money, ordered the new and upgraded system and installed it.
RE: Driving a Diesel
Two things I would recommend....
1. Since it's a 99 DIPLOMAT it probably will NOT have a "Jake Brake"..rather, it will have an EXHAUST BRAKE..two different animals. I would change out the original exhaust brake with PAC BRAKE's PXRB. You will notice a difference.
2. Take a course, or at least learn about your air system, how it works, how to bleed the air, how your air brakes work etc. There are several avenues available to you to do this.
Good luck, they are not much different than driving a gasser, except there is no engine noise, no wind buffeting, no wander, no sway, and you arrive at your destination without being tired.....:B:B:B....Dennis
In other words, read your owners manual and what ever manuals that came with your motor home, it should have all the info you need. Welcome to the world of diesels, now, let the maintenance begin!
RE: Hawaiian Isles RV Resort in Ruskin, Florida
I stayed there for a week last winter, very big, lots and lots of park models and mobile homes with rental lots scattered about. Lots of places to fish, no white sand beach to swim there, got a swimming pool and large rec hall. I didn't care for it and wouldn't go back, but I'm not saying you wouldn't like it.
