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RE: Enjoying camping this weekend and...crash!
jetboater, I'd get the brakes checked as mine will not let me move at all if I grab a handful of manual trailer brake
I've never had trailer brakes lock just applying power to them. Next time you have a drum off,hit the controller and see if your brake shoes move.
I know my brakes work as I can lock and smoke all 6 tires on pavement.And I haul heavy most of the time.
I thought on electric brakes shoe movement was a result of the magnet dragging on the drum. If drums are off how would shoes move?
You're correct of course.
Electromagnetic brake 101: Magnet brakes rely upon the attraction of an electro magnet to a circular disk mounted to the inside face of the drum to move a camming arm. the camming arm in turn spreads the tops of the shoes only against the inside of the drum. No drum ~ you won't see any action at all.
wheel must rotate slightly to drag the camming arm and spread the shoes.
Now onto electric HYDRAULIC brakes 101. Most common system installed on RV trailers is the Dexter or Kodiac system that has an on board hydraulic pump that runs at variable speed dependent on inertia of controller unit in cab of truck. Manual over ride engaged and brakes are in good condition you ain't moving that trailer at all.
I routinely hooked up the umbilical before backing under pin as my trailer was heavy on the pin at over 4K and my truck was a ten speed with a grunt reverse so if I misjudged the pinbox height and proceeded to back under, I could easily push my trailer right over the commercial chocks but if brakes were engaged, I'd simply get out of cab to find my trailer hooked up, jaws closed and feet about 6" in the air.
Those brakes were easily capable of stopping my combined weight of 36K by themselves.
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bstark
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05/21/13 03:38pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Protect your Credit Cards at Syracuse Rally
There was a demo Youtube link showing how a later gen I-phone could be uploaded with an app that would allow anyone to simply stand near you and download your RF card info to their Iphone and instantly email it to whoever for usage. The fact is: you could have unauthorized action on that card while you're still walking around the mall oblivious for an hour or two and it might never have been out of your pocket.
The wallets/containers work well but really; if intending to use a card for purchasing stuff like your morning coffee by simply waving it over a reader why not have a card specifically for that purpose and load the one RF card with just enough money to do you for a week of coffee buying?
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bstark
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05/20/13 10:16am |
Around the Campfire
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RE: So what's your take on this article?
I'm very glad we're getting viewpoints from all angles and not just one.
Five years ago there was so much "Rainbows and Sunshine" posts that it was a real eye opener for the DW and I when we hit the road. Every park did not have a vista, every neighbor wasn't worldly, and some nights the local hotel was almost the same price as the park. I fully understand that depending on a person's history, things will look different among different people. I guess I'm from the school of "to be foretold, is to be forewarned." So to hear different angles from people with different histories just make the subject matter that much better.
Every post I've read based on the subject I must admit I agree with 100%. Funny that some of them are at opposite ends. For example these parks are wonderful places for fellowship, yet they can also be extremely clicky when enough time passes. Or they may be a poor investment, but there comes a time when it simply doesn't matter.
For me, the biggest drawback to that lifestyle is what you see happening during the real estate boom. 55+ parks sell out to a condo developer leaving the residents between a rock and a hard place. For example "Pismodise" is only a block away from the ocean. That has to be prime real estate that one day will be sold off, maybe by the children when the folk pass on. Instead of working the park, they will take the money and fly off to Aruba.
Exactly!
It is my opinion you have to approach this decision as you did the RV'ing one some years back: growth investment being the last consideration.
We all went RV'ing with our eyes open to it being akin to boating "a hole in the water in which one throws quantities of money".
I believe this time in our lives is the time in which one needs to think in terms of "my last penny get's spent on my funeral".
You need to approach this aspect thinking that you could walk away from whatever investment you've made in the same manner as "you could also throw a stroke and be forced to walk away from any equity investment".
Selecting the prime location is always tricky at best but having the ability to coming and going as one pleases would be paramount.
"Clicky" will always be a factor to deal with regardless, as there are always groups who feel you need to join their group to be fulfilled. It has been my experience however, that given time, ALL folks worthy of knowing, will accept you for who you are, if you make it very plain at the outset who you refuse NOT to become.
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bstark
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05/20/13 10:05am |
Snowbirds
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RE: So what's your take on this article?
As I see it; the article uses pictures showing only those little single-wides due to property tax based coding restrictions.
If one were going to elect this lifestyle as a transition bridge to the great trailer park in the sky then it would behoove one to perform more than cursory research as the moniker of "Trailer Park" or "Mobile Home Community" means so many different things in various parts of the U.S.
Personal story: We were RV'er's pulling a 38 Mobile Suites with a custom built International Toter carrying a Harley Ultra in a "doghouse" behind the cab. To say we were highly invested into the lifestyle would be accurate. We wintered all over the U.S. southern states.
Along came the realty dive hitiing full stride in winter of -09/10 and we were wintering in Florida again after years of Texas - Arizona. We had discussed RV'ing getting tiresome with Interstate's becoming crazier by the year and maintenance of rolling stock wearing me down when returning to Canada every spring while being required to complete "full" retesting for the AZ-CDL needed to be Canadian comnpliant getting even more bothersome.
Driving around Florida revealed many options from foreclosures of townhomes through condominiums to fully detached bungalows on acre sized lots. Our needs were simple; a home of some size with two bedrooms and two full bathrooms with split floor plan to give separation to guests and ourselves. The ability to shut everything down, lock the door, leave a car either on site or in storage and fly home without worry was paramount.
Enter the Mobile Home Communities we looked at last after exhausting ourselves with the legal risks associated with foreclosed upon properties that may have been done improperly by banks like B of A using contractors who filed incorrectly and many, many houses built during the boom that used high sulphur content Chinese Drywall that were a ticking time bomb waiting to bite you in the wallet.
We eventually settled upon a 2br/2bthrm double wide of some 1280 sq/ft with all drywall, cathedral ceilings, lanai, carport, utility shed in a 55+ community and could not have lucked-out better had we been the ones who just won that Powerball.
It was one of many new homes put on site at the beginning of the crash that had gone unsold for 2 years that we pitched a ridiculously low cash price which was immediately accepted by the management.
The parks activities aside, you find yourself amongst a group of people who know how to take full advantage of the surrounding area's amenities and who genuinely care for each other's welfare.
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bstark
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05/20/13 08:39am |
Snowbirds
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RE: Bought new motorhome in Florida, taking it home to Canada
You will be deemed attempting to import without proper documentation if you simply show up at the kiosk.
Your process starts with perusing the list of vehicles with compliance already established in Canada via Ontario Hydro/CSA inspection stickering etc., it then moves on to the moree mundane such as propane, water, plumbing even stuff like the black tank venting and the colour of the lenses over all the marker lights turn signals etc., all has to be certified as compliant with Canadian reg's PRIOR to importation.
Your vehicle may very well already be on a list but if manufactured with only a mile per hour and no kilometer speedo or no daytime running lights, they may insist that be changed out and can be expensive. The inspection process is performed by Canadian Tire, for one, and usually runs around $100 to $200 dollars just for the inspection and certification.
Without this certification that vehicle is not entering Canada as an imported vehicle.
You would have saved yourself a lot of aggro had you called the border (Canadian Customs) folks PRIOR to purchasing your MO/HO as they could have furnished you with a list of already compliant vehicles and instructions on prior documentation required.
You need to notify the border crossing you intend to use in advance and have all your paperwork already performed or you are letting yourself in for a very nasty couple of days.
They do not look kindly upon those who simply show up pleading ignorance. That will get you a world of hurt; believe me.
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bstark
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03/29/13 08:02pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Do you admit staying 6 months in US
We now fly down every fall and do not have a return flight booked as we don't know exactly what week or day we will be returning. No problem as we tell them we're snowbirds right out of the box.
We answer every question the agents ask as truthfully as we can and whatever answers we give are readily varifiable by our past history as is viewable on their screen in front of them after they swipe our passports through the reader.
You will buy yourself a bigger load of hurt by knowingly lying to a direct question than you ever could by not knowing the answer and telling them such.
Get a grip here; people telling you nonsense like "don't tell them you're snowbirds' are fooling both you and themselves. Your entry and exit dates are all there for them to view on the screen.
Cameras are aimed at your rig while you sit there waiting to advance. Cameras are positioned to view the rear of your rig while they'r asking you questions checking for the rear plate agreement with records.
One guy innocently asked me one time "recently get a new trailer?" I did my best Beaudreaux/Thibideaux impression by "how did you know" his answer "different plate number on your trailer".
You need to think in terms of these guys not being out to ruin your trip, they are interested in catching people with less than honourable intent. Lying to them will be their first clue.
take the stress out of your crossing and just answer their questions as they ask them with the truthful information you have available.
Oh; and I suppose you know all the polite stuff you should do like taking off your shades, shutting off your engine and rolling down all the windows so they can easily see inside your vehicle. getting out of your vehicle while waiting in line might elicit them asking you why you exited your rig as well. As a newby a long time ago I did this to unlock all my compartment doors to make it easier should they direct me to secondary inspection... my answer was accepted on it's face but I was cautioned to not bother doing that in future as it's a red flag.
If they approach you while you're lined up with a dog in tow, shut it off and roll down your windows so the agent can ask you any questions as he/she is walking the sniffer dog around your rig.If it's just a casual walk-by leave it running so you don't hold up the line.
Things I've learned.
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bstark
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03/16/13 06:17pm |
Snowbirds
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RE: Tired of The Same Place
For the past 5-6 years we have stayed in the same RV park in Yuma. We have made friends with a lot of folks but now feel the need to find something else. Most folks go inside at dark, no one hangs out around a fire after 7pm. We're not ready to do that and are wondering where we can find folks that aren't in bed by 8pm. We're not wild party folks, but we do like staying up at least to 10pm and having fun. Here's a list of what we are looking for.
1. Warm in the Winter
2. Pool/hot tub not important
3. Activities other then food,food and more food
4. Pet friendly, real pet friendly, have 2 Shih Tzus
5. No bugs, flys, or mosquitos
6. little or no wind
7. No extra charge for pets
8. Pet park (fenced)is a plus
9.Free or reasonable wifi
10. No goat heads, stickers, burrs that would bother my furkids
11. Reasonable electric, currently paying .18 per KW
12 Monthly rate under 500 a month
13. Must have happy, friendly and fun loving folks
14. Exercise (Yoga) and dance instructions a real plus
15. Not Florida
Does such a place exist?? Where oh where can it be?
Well; like yourselves we spent 6 years wintering in Yuma at Del Pueblo on 3rd ave and had to do a change-up to be nearer a direct flight home to Canada so we could return to Canada in a hurry if an aged MIL's health worsened.
We found a place with a complete variety of interests for every possible taste from theater, (live and cinema) golf with much cheaper green's fees, boating, fishing, bicycling, all the usual park activities, no bugs, pet friendly with pet amenities from enclosure to in-park grooming, late night activities, happy hours ~ ~ you name it.
The kicker: it's another over 55 retirement community and it's in Lakeland, Florida. Liked the place so much we got rid of the RV and bought a double wide with carport and Lanai and have never been happier. In our 4th winter here now.
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bstark
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03/16/13 05:57pm |
Snowbirds
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RE: Fl. repeals requirement for International Drivers License
"Americans make up 88 per cent, while other international visitors contribute nine per cent."
That means out of every 100 visitors, only 3 are canadian. I was being overly generous. All 3 of them, wow.
Well with 88 americans contributing to Florida's economy with average stays of less than 4 days and not requiring an international driver's license in any case; the Florida Legislature must have thought those 3.5 million Canadians staying on average twice as long as their american counterparts along with them being the largest group of foreign property owners were indeed, worth maintaining by immediately rescinding the requirement. Wow!
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bstark
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03/10/13 01:40pm |
Snowbirds
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RE: Fl. repeals requirement for International Drivers License
it was a good way to kill your tourist business
All 5 of them. Wow.
All 5 of what? :h
I think he must mean all 5 of the 3.1 million as of 2010 with numbers rising each year not counting Canadians being the single biggest group of foreign property owners in sunny Fla.
clicky
clicky
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bstark
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03/08/13 06:29pm |
Snowbirds
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RE: Nicest/best built 5th Wheels??
Lippert makes the frame for Mobile Suites .....
Mobile Suites is overpriced junk!
I'm surprised the interstates aren't littered with the carcasses of Mobile Suites that have snapped in half with Mobile Suite owners sobbing and weaping, their dreams shattered and hearts broken like a poorly welded butt joint.
Well; you kinda described the reason why they aren't snapping in half as the frames under them are comprised of multiple thick wall rectangular box tubes welded together to form a frame 15" tall by 4" wide. Very few "butt joints".
Manufactures want to provide what you folks demand by building 36 footers or bigger with mulitiple slideouts and full of amneities then sell them to the 3/4 or 1 ton crowd.
Where do you think they're going to cut the weight so you can carry their pinweight on your wee trucks without compressing the snubber blocks? DUH...... why the frame of course. The only thing none of you actually ever see or care about until it let's you down.
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bstark
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03/07/13 08:07am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: DRV Mobile Suites Landing Gear Care /Maintenance
Keep an eye on the level in the reservoir, spray the exposed cylinder rod periodicly with a dry type of lube that will not attract dust or debris and that's about it. All the fittings and hoses are subject to usual stuff like leaks over time but yours should be good for years yet.
You'll notice the feet are rather large and that makes it easier to spot any leaks at the cylinders themselves as those feet will catch a pool of oil making it easily visible before it becomes a major issue.
I also advise perusing the two forums noted for Suites owners the SOITC and 5thwheelforums.com for all the discussions they've had regarding these units.
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bstark
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02/28/13 01:00pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: genny hook up
While everyone has attempted to help you they've missed the mark except for the fellow who mentioned wiring in a transfer box.
Here's some food for thought to get you started: How do you suppose those dogbone adapters accomplish the task of supplying 120v to both legs of a 50 amp 120/240 volt system? It's rather simple; they simply feed a single 30 amp 120volt supply to BOTH of the legs.
The genny prep done by factory would have a 50 amp transfer box somewhere adjacent to the feed up to your breaker panel. ONE LINE IN WOULD BE FROM YOUR TRAILER'S 50 amp UMBILICAL and another line from that box through a split breaker that would provide protection to both legs of incoming genny supply (if you were to have a 50 amp 120/240 capable genny package) and here is where you could neck it down to a single leg 120 volt supply coming from a male internal insert 30 amp 120 receptacle ideally being of a weatherproof type with a weather proof spring loaded cover that would inhibit the female end of your cable from genny coming loose and creating arcing or loss of contact altogether.
All of this bumpf is readily available from any electrical supply house and only requires you to make up a cable that would plug into your highest amperage outlet ideally 30 amp 120V on your genny and the other end fit inside that 30 amp receptacle.
Your trailer would then run the very same way it normally would albeit with markedly reduced available wattage so stuff like A/C's and washer/dryer combo should be avoided.
Reading between the lines here I detect you may be considering this to power a residential 120volt fridge or freezer and simply want to avoid long periods of time without the fridge having power?
The other alternative would involve two or ideally more Trojan type 6 volt batteries and a fairly decent invertor with a good clean sinewave supply. Costly but nice.
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bstark
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02/20/13 07:05pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Installing 2nd AC
If there is already a thermostat installed from factory then those wires will be up there somewhere and not necessarily in the same junction box as the 120 supply to the A/C unit.
They may be simply coiled up in the attic space adjacent to the hole to be made in the roof by use of a template. Chances are good you'll cut the hole and fish around underneath the roof and find them coiled up in a bundle laying on top of insulation.
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bstark
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02/17/13 04:54pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Installing 2nd AC
One tip off about the thermostat would be zones mentioned on the unit itself and temp sensors in both the bedroom and lounge area. If your unit has those sensors it's a safe bet they intended your unit to be a dual zone, single thermostat unit.
Complications arise when you add things like heat strips or heat-pump type of A/C/ units so your dual zone system thermostat has to recognize both heat and cool functions for the A/C units.
Tieing a second unit into your thermostat if wiring is present to allow it will require you to set dip switches within the second unit to comply with the thermostat recognition.
All doable stuff IF the thermostat is a dual zone type, there are individual sensors AND the 22/24 guage wiring has been run up to the area of the bedroom ceiling.
The default basic system otherwise would simply be another thermostat up in the bedroom taking power from the ceiling supply for the A/C and wires run via snake to a spot on the bedroom wall away from the heat of a nearby light or the direct draft from a ceiling ducted drop vent.
Good luck.
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bstark
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02/17/13 04:46pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Dan Tauer is leaving DRV for Redwood
Luxury fifth wheels? How does this equate? The 40 footer Redwood has a dry weight less than 15K . How the heck can you build a Luxury RV 40 feet long and have the thing come off the line in that weight category?
Rhetorical question folks ~ YOU CAN'T.
You either use heavy guage cross section rectangular stacked box frame (heavy) or a cheaper lighter alternative. You either use real hardwoods in your cabinetry, ALL parts of your cabinetry NOT just the doors or cheaper lighter materials with less density and weight.
You either use thicker walls for greater thickness of insulation or.... You either use thicker real marine tongue and groove ply for the underlayment flooring and cover that with heavier guage carpeting like 80 oz stuff or you go cheaper and lighter.
You either use larger heavier tankage or......You either use heavier rated axles of thicker wall 4" tubing and larger wheels and tires which also add weight or......Solid fiberglass roofing or...... Two A/C heat pumps or.....Residential 120 refridgerators and necessary added invertor or a traditiaonal Dometic/Norcold POS......
I'm not seeing legitimacy of this analogy to Luxury Fifth Wheels that the industry is calling these things to give you all the allusion with the cheap bling.
Frankly; the breeds that died were the only true luxury units out there and they went the way of the dodo because you folks were more impressed with "lipstick on a pig" bling than actually getting underneath ind inside the cabinets to see the build quality of all these rolling pieces of shiny junk.
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bstark
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02/14/13 07:33pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Florida non-U.S. resident drivers' license
I think it's time for Canadians to tell Florida shove it. From what I hear . They don't treat us that. Well anyways I have never been there and probably never will
What you hear is not relevant.
what you have actually experienced might be but you readily admit you've never been to Florida.
Here's my rejoinder; been snowbirding all over the world for many years as a DINK and since 2000 with an RV and since 2010 with a home in Florida. My experience from spending winters in Florida, Texas Arizona and California have led me right back to Florida to park my butt for the winter likely until my health prevents me travelling at all.
Try it out before you accept the opinion of "others".
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bstark
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02/14/13 06:18pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Winter Texan lost his RV
THREE DAYS??? YIKES! Glad he's not in my park.
Wait'll you have to help an older gentleman at a filling station find the fuel door on his morohome that he tells you he's owned for years!
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bstark
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02/13/13 06:36pm |
Snowbirds
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RE: delaminination of the fiberglass skin
Check that the extruded aluminum window frame does not have a faulty center weld at it's joint on the bottom of the window allowing rain to enter via a porous or open weld.
Drain holes for rain to exit the frame should be open so rain doesn't pool and run under the movable portion of the window and dribble down inside.
In any case; the damage has now been done and the underlayment has degraded and expanded to force Gel-coat separation.
Can you put pressure on the bubble and depress it inwards? If so, you need to consult a competent repair facility to discuss how the wall material may be removed from inside and new stuff installed in such a manner to allow the fiberglass to stabilize back to flat and be re-glued to the face of that new inner wall material. This is a "Hail Mary" fix and only applicable IF the fiberglass itself has not degraded but merely displaced outward due to force from the expanding luan beneath it.
Good luck.
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bstark
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02/05/13 03:52pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Wheel came off 5'ver
the 2013 keystone manual FastEagle posted last night has retorque after 5, 10, 25 miles. Several tire shops have said to me to do it after 50 and 100 miles.
I retorque before every days drive as well. part of the check the tires thing.
This is the mandated policy of many DMV's for commercial rigs getting new tires installed. The installers are instructed to advise the owner to return the vehicle for a retorque after 100 miles of service.
There are many variables in this area such as aluminum wheels vs steel, cone nuts vs shoulder nuts, hub centric wheels vs lug oriented wheels but in the main; one constant will remain: Install the wheel to a clean mating hub surface, initial torque nuts on DRY NON-LUBED studs and retorque the nuts after some miles of service that have seen heat building highway speeds and subsequent cool downs.
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bstark
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12/01/12 06:40pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Could Winter Texans Become Extinct?
I dunno, mirror checking vs. airport molestations.... Seems like a no brainer to me. :B
That's what one would think until you have the drugged up loser whose stolen his girlfriends car and popped pills for 40 miles bury himself up to his windshield under your rig's butt to the tune of 13K damage on the I-75 at the Alatchua Fla exit. Following witnesses had already been on the cel-phones to the troopers for over 20 miles trying to get them to pull this clown over but wouldn't you know it; they were set up for an intercept just the other side of the overpass he drove under us on.
Luckily for us her 6 year old Saturn four door was insured with GMAC so we were golden, but, as the trooper said "you won the lottery as MOST of these deadbeats aren't". We were even able to reclaim our deductible.
Don't need another episode of that magnitude in our lives at this late stage. They're getting crazier and crazier out there.
Don't know if it's being seniors or not but we have yet to experience the groping TSA's; they have so far just eyeballed us and let us pass :B
The "no brainer" part might change with your age related perception and experience.
For those of you who enjoy the passtime; we wish you nothing but good weather and clear sailing as the best part of the RV'ing endeavour is the wonderful people you meet and the new friend you'll make tomorrow. We DO miss that part.
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bstark
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11/25/12 05:52pm |
Snowbirds
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