RE: advice on what to buy
I have a setup that I like a lot and think it would likely serve you just as well. The truck is a 2008 Chevy 2500 crew cab long bed with the LMM engine (more power and reliable than previous models) and 6 speed Allison transmission. The combo works just great both pulling and more importantly, going downhill. Very stable. My trailer is a 5th wheel, Arctic Fox 29-5T, rear living room, well equipped including LPG generator. Big enough for 2 people to live in, but not too big to pull thru cities and will fit into most all RV camp spots.
Check them out.
Northwowod Mfg - Arctic Fox Trailers
RE: Exterior Ladder Install
That brought back some memories all of a sudden. I haven't heard the name Stomberg Carlson since I was a kid back in the 50's. Reminds me of my Dad and Mom trying to adjust the antenna on the house for that old black and white Stomberg Carlson TV we had. Mom would be hollering out to Dad who was on the roof "Turn it just a just a little bit more...hold it right there, no, no now you've got to far, go back the other way...hold it, hold it you got it now, that'll do." Then as soon as Dad would turn loose of the antenna it would turn back to snow on the screen. And then they'd start the process all over again. :D Finally they'd settle on the best snowy screen they could get and then put aluminum foil on the rabbit ears to try and clear it up a little more. We got 2 channels sort of clear and one channel would come in certain times of the day if you had your little brother hold the rabbit ears over his head with wet hands while standing on one foot while facing North. :B
GREAT MEMORIES! Nice that you shared that with the rest of us.
RE: Self adjusting or manual adjusting brakes
I installed the Dexter NevR-Adjust 7K brakes on my 5200 lb axles and they self-adjust quite nicely. I put the brakes on with the adjusters backed out pretty far, to make the drum installation a little easier, and to see if and how the self adjusters actually worked. The installation instructions tell you to 'burnish' the brakes by making 30-40 stops (going forward - not reverse) and the self-adjusters do adjust the brakes just fine moving froward. No need to backup, firm stop or otherwise. And since you usually drive forward, not backwards, the brakes stay adjusted all the time. If you need new brakes, these are the ones to buy.
RE: One license plate!! (long rant!)
Folks, remember that Missouri and Kansas was the origination point of many of the wagon trains, and presumably the first vehicle registration laws, many of which were written back in the day and are likely to be the basis of the laws still in effect. And folks here LOVE THOSE LAWS and don't want to change them. They LOVE the laws the way they are written, even if they make no rational sense to the rest of us.
I looked in the MO law to see if there was a requirement that a (private - non-commercial) truck (pickup truck) had to be registered for the gross weight of the truck plus the towed trailer (5th wheel) but could not find it. I found the law that applies in Kansas and they specific exempt trailers strictly for recreational purposes and tow trucks from the general gross weight rules. Perhaps there is a similar exemption in the Missouri law.
RE: Anti Freeze testing
I recently read in one of the other RV forums about winterizing with antifreeze, then draining all the lines and blowing them out with air. The antifreeze displaces all the water (nothing left to freeze) and then all the antifreeze is removed leaving the lines empty. They don't leave the antifreeze in the lines during the winter. That's the way I'm going to be doing it from now on. They also suggested using mineral oil in the toilet, to seal it from tank odors and to lubricate the seals. Takes about a cup or so. Very inexpensive.
RE: Anybody settle in Show Low year around
My choice would be in either the Prescott area or in the Verde Valley. Not nearly as hot as Phoenix in the summer, not nearly as cold as Flagstaff or Showlow in the winter. I don't know what the cost of property is though.
RE: Kansas License Weight Requirements for Tow Vehicles
I lived in Ks for 5 years and always wondered why the rate rating on the truck lic. was so high - 12k on a truck that had a GVWR of 8500.
Now I finally know why!
When your truck is registered with 12K tags (anything less than 20K), you pay your licensing fees AND your personal property tax at the same time, so it seems like a lot and it is. If you license your truck at 20K or higher, you pay your licensing fees at one time and your personal property tax separately, and billed at another time in the year with any other personal property, so you may not notice how much your truck costs because it is split into two different bills.
Kansas License Weight Requirements for Tow Vehicles
If you have your tow vehicle registered in Kansas, this may be of some help to you.
The Kansas law requires a vehicle towing a trailer of any kind to carry enough weight on the tow vehicle license plate to cover the gross weight of both the tow vehicle and the trailer. Said another way, if you were to scale the truck (presumably) and trailer, you need enough weight on the license plate to cover the entire weight shown on the scale.
However, there are 2 exceptions to the general rule: 1) travel trailers used only for recreational purposes and 2) tow trucks/wreckers. You are NOT required to consider the gross weight of the trailer/towed vehicle for these two types of vehicles.
As an example, my truck weighs right at 7,000 lbs and my 5th wheel trailer weighs about 10,000 lbs, varying as conditions change, so about 17,000 lbs gross. If I only tow my travel trailer, I can use a 12,000 lb tag on the truck (the lowest weight that is offered) and be in compliance with the law. If that trailer were to be a car hauler and weighed 10,000 lbs, I would have to have a tag covering at least 17,000 lbs, and presently the 20,000 lb tag would be the lawful tag.
If the trailer weighed 4,000 lbs, I would need only the base 12,000 lb tag.
You are aware that the license fee in Kansas depends on the weight
rating on the license plate. The more weight you carry, thi higher your license fee. Here is a comparison between the 2012 fees and the 2013 fees:
12000 16000 20000 24000 30000
2012 40 102 132 197 312
2013 40 152 182 247 362
You could save yourself a considerable amount of money by changing your license to a 12K tag.
Just be aware that this exception is for travel trailers used for recreational purposes only. You may want to look for yourself, see KSA 8-143 5(B1) at http://kslegislature.org/li/b2011_12/statute/008_000_0000_chapter/008_001_0000_article/008_001_0043_section/008_001_0043_k/
If you haul other trailers, you need to have the proper weight on your tag.
RE: oven problem
The pilot light is adjustable. Remove your oven temp control knob. In that unit behind the temp control for the oven will be a small screw that adjusts the pilot. Access is from the front. A very small move of the adjustment screw makes a BIG adjustment in the pilot.
RE: Am I wasting money checking nev-r-lube dexter axels?
Monty
I think you SHOULD have your bearings checked yearly, either by yourself or a trusted mechanic, preferably not at a RV repair facility. The check should be very brief and should consist of pulling the dust cover, checking for excessive grease coming out of the bearing, and a check to make sure the bearing doesn't have too much play. This is something on the order of 10 minutes per wheel, not the pull and repack the bearings you may be used to doing. And the cost should be minimal, not in the $100's that are sometimes charged for 'checking the brakes'.
Sealed bearings do have a bit of leakage of the grease - something on the order of a small bead of caulking - and this would be considered OK. Also, if you look at the Dexter website they will tell you how to check for bearing wear. It is easy to do and doesn't require pulling the hub or the bearing.
RE: Cold weather use-> heated pads vs forced air for tanks
My fox has dual heat 120/12V pads and the usual forced air heating. What you w3an't need all depends on how you are going to use your trailer. If you are without shore power, the forced air heat that keeps you comfortable also keeps the tanks from freezing. If you are in a park and have electricity, you can use the pads as added protection. And the 12V side could come to use when you're on the road and the temps are extremely cold.
A friend of mine insulated his trailer underbelly, foam and fiberglass insulation, covered the bottom with alum sheeting and decided he would to skiing for a week. It was pretty cold the week before he left and by the time he got to the ski area, his tanks were frozen. Couldn't dump, and didn't have much room to add any more. And he didn't have a way to thaw his tanks. Made for a less that great ski week. In his case, having either forced air to the insulated underbelly or having some pads so that when he was plugged in they would heat and thaw and then at least he could dump, or preferably both would have been 'the ticket'.
RE: Make Hardwired surge protector portable
No, I haven't done it, but it would be easy to do.
I permanently mounted my Surgeguard in the box that holds my power cord, and could have easily made it with plugs on each end. Personally, I like it locked up and out of sight.
RE: if the house is rockin.......
I bought a similar unit from a neighbor at a garage sale for $15, except that is uses a bumper-jack-adapted unit at one side instead of a chain binder. Uses chain across the bottom, then jack up the bumper jack a little. Works excellent on any surface. Works on any trailer I've ever seen.
RE: Underbelly Patch
Why not just tie into your existing propane system? You have a stove that runs on propane and a refrigerator that runs on propane and a heater that runs on propane - just tie into the supply line inside your unit wherever it is convenient.
RE: Help me figure this out!
Check all of the resettable circuit breakers in the compartment next to the battery. One of them is tripped, guaranteed!
Yes, This is what you need to do. The pos+ line will go thru a circuit breaker. There are 2 terminals on it. It might be that the circuit breaker has failed. Normally, trailer manufacturers use auto resetting breakers.
