RE: Grey Tank Odor
We were having the same problem which we solved by cracking a window some when we ran the Fantastic fan. The fan has to get make up air for what it exhausts and I feel it was sucking the outside air down the grey water tank vent line and then past the water in the p- traps. I also started putting black tank chemical into the grey tank. Haven't had any more problems since we started doing the window and chemical.
We have two grey water tanks, one for the bathroom and one for the kitchen sink. Only the bathroom one vents through the roof. The kitchen one vents through the side wall behind he sink area. This was the main culprit I believe.
Rear view camera
I have a 2011 Chevy truck with a built in rear view setup, but the camera is located in the tailgate of the truck. The tailgate has to come off to haul my truck camper.
Does anyone know where I should look to find, just a camera that I could mount on the back of the camper and plug into the OEM set up?
Here is what the fittings look like, two of them.
http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL621/2555455/24323634/406728237.jpg
RE: BC campground recommendations
I think a lot of people find that when they get to BC or AB, the genral need for full hookups is not the same as you might want in south Texax or Arizona. IMHO to really enjoy the beauty and grandeur of BC, a person needs to spend some times in the provincial parks. Whoever picked the location of the PP in BC did a great job.
Most of us drive self contained RVs so a shower is not a problem for most of us. We just take much shorter "navy" type showers in the provincial parks. I can go several days just on battery power, as seldom do we need an air conditioner, etc. Just switch the fridge and water heater over to propane and since it is light most of the night, seldom do we even need to turn a light on in the rig. Some electricity to run the circuit boards in the fridge and water heater, to run the domestic water pump is about all we use. On occassion I will connect the inverter to recharge our computer battery or the iPad battery but that doesn't take much power to do.
If a person has some medical need for 120 volt power, then that would be different. When we leave Florida, we stay at commercial campgrounds plugged in to hookups, till we get to the mountain west. When we get to the high country where it is cooler, we start staying at the govenmental type campgrounds. To me, the main items I search for are scenery, quietness, a well taken care of CG, at a reasonable price. I know others prefer to stay only at commercial campgrounds where they can plug in, so whatever works for each of us, is available.
RE: BC campground recommendations
In Houston BC we try to stay at the Shady Rest Park, a private one very well run and landscaped.
http://www.pajbcooper.com/Alaska%20Trip%202011%20074%20(Small).jpg
Full hookups available
http://www.pajbcooper.com/Alaska%20Trip%202011%20072%20(Small).jpg
On the Cassiar Hwy are three of the most beautiful parks in North America and are provincial.
Meziadin Lake, Kinaskan Lake and Boya Lake on the north end of the highway. Boya is our favorite of the three. Have stayed at a private one just north of Dease Lake, Lakeside or River's edge or something like that (actually is Water's Edge) but a bit rustic for the price. They were just putting the CG in when we stopped, no showers, one outhouse for the campground but were working on it. If in the area and need a camp site, would be worth a drive into to it and check it out for yourself as it may be much improved since we saw it in 2009.
Kinaskan Lake
http://www.pajbcooper.com/IMG_2008.JPG
http://www.pajbcooper.com/IMG_2009.JPG
Meziadin Lake
http://www.pajbcooper.com/IMG_2028.JPG
http://www.pajbcooper.com/IMG_2033.JPG
Boya Lake Possibly the clearest lake water I have ever seen.
http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL621/2555455/12355287/183128776.jpg
http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL621/2555455/12355287/183128768.jpg
The Jade City store did offer free parking in the lot next to the gift shop. Fun stop even if not over nighting.
http://www.pajbcooper.com/IMG_1984.JPG
Also a private campground in Vanderhoof that is nice, uses the owner's first name, has good WiFi and super clean showers and laundry facilities. Just a well run campground. Dave's RV Park is the name. (had to look it up) There is a grocery store in Vanderhoof called the Co-OP that has the most outstanding deli in that area, smoked meats, cheeses, well worth a stop. Dease Lake store also has a good deli where we will stock up on goodies.
Don't remember finding a bad campground from Jasper headed west toward Kitwanga and on to Prince Rupert. The provincial ones are so nice that the private ones have to provide "extras" to attract business, which they do.
RE: Some random questions driving through Canada to Alaska
I normally will stop at the first bank ATM machine and take out $400, after crossing the border, both directions. This is based upon past experiences. We use it for provincial parks being run on the honor system, or the hosted ones by private concessionaires as more and more BC ones seem to be. Much like more and more are doing in the US. Having cash is also good to have if you get to a more remote road house and find their credit card data line is down. Then it is cash only if you want fuel.
A few times at the honor system collection "pipes", I had been short of cash and put a personal check in for payment. May take a few months after I get home before the check clears but all of them have eventually. I consider the exchange rate, the foreign transaction fee the PP will have in depositing my check and make it for an amount to cover the extra costs they will incur. If the PP charge is $14cnd a night, I will usually make my check out for $16usd to cover the charge, depending on the current exchange rate. I would rather be a bit over than under as the provincial parks of Canada are just as good as they get, anywhere.
Never heard of any problems with extra gas cans or auxiliary tanks. Though I have never carried any, don't expect you would have any problems going through customs. They may take a look and a sniff of them at the border, as fake gas cans are a method of smuggling illegal goods into a country by some.
RE: We are Coming to the "Dark Side"
Like headinsouth, we have both a 5th wheel and a truck camper. The 5th wheel is for our longer stays and the TC is our traveling rig. We alternate summers in the western part of Colorado and Alaska. The last 4 trips to Alaska have been with our Lance 845 TC as we seldom stay more than a night or two at most sites. With the 5th wheel, we tend to stay at campgrounds where we have utilities as we often stay a week or more at a place.
When it rains and we are staying a week, the 5th wheel is so nice with all the extra room. It has a slide room bunk setup, so when the young grandsons go with us, it goes.
When we are moving every day or staying in remote mountain west campgrounds, the TC is the best possible rig for us. Better truck mileage, easier to maneuver, fits in older campgrounds easier, etc.
I don't consider one better than the other, just different uses for each. If I had to give one up, I honestly don't know which would have to go.
RE: RV Net Forums & Other Forums
Nothing much unique about truck campers that I have seen. I also have a 5th wheel in addition to our TC. Both have the same brand of furnaces, fridges, water pumps, converters (the 5th wheel's is larger), the same general propane setups and the list goes on. Most motorhomes or TTs are in the same situation until you get to the high end ones with hot water heat.
Recently I was having a problem with my water heater, an Attwood, not shutting off soon enough. I found the answer to my problem, not on the TC section of this forum, but in a comment made in one of the motorhome threads from someone that fixed the same problem with their Attwood.
Not having it's own running gear is about all I have noticed that would qualify the TC as being unique. We are on our 5th truck camper at the present time and normally will spend 90 to 100 nights a year on the road with it. While we have more "self appointed experts" than do most of the sections, we also have the best trip reports on the forum, in the TC section.
RE: Your pickup truck.......
You needed to be underground to be safe in that location. Read the Mayor of Moore Oklahoma is pushing for new requirements that all rebuilt sub divisions must have an underground safe room built accessible to all residents.
RE: May 21 - Travel on Alaska Hwy not advised due to snowfall
The Alaska population changes about 65% every 5 years due to so many of the residents being there for a government job, with the military, or one of the other government agencies. Most residents know the day they arrive in Alaska, the day they are scheduled to leave. The military rotates most after 3 years, but some personnel after 1or 2 years.
This makes the Alaska population look like a parade, here today, gone tomorrow. As far as I know, PA12DVR may be the only forum member that was born in Alaska, Trackrig went to high school in Alaska in Nenana but not aware if he was born in the state or not..
RE: Best RV Parks to stay in Alaska
Here is a list of site from our web page. Over the years we have stayed at many/most of them, especially the private commercial ones. In a normal cool summer when we don't need plugins, we stay in more remote governmental campgrounds, and during a hot smoky summer we will more often be at a commercial campground plugged into electricy to run our AC.
http://www.pajbcooper.com/campgrounds.htm
As with everything else, campgrounds change, some open and other close. A couple of these may have closed since our last trip in 2011. The Homestead CG in Palmer in now closed permanently and was our favorite in the area. In some places it isn't a matter of which is best, but which is acceptable. Some locations, the parking lot at Fred meyer is the choice of many. I don't care for pavement camping but as they say, at times, "any port in a storm will do."
Not sure if Grizzly Bear CG up by Cantwell, near the entrance to Denali Park is open or not as it was reported closed sometime back.
We often split our stays between the private and government run campgrounds. Cooler summers we stay more in the more rustic campgrounds without utilities and hot smoky summers we are plugged in more at private campgrounds.
On this list of private campgrounds in Alaska, I have a few photos of some of the campgrounds, a few I have never stayed at or seen, but listed them if they were thought to exist at the time I was doing this page.
http://www.pajbcooper.com/Campgrounds%20by%20Location.htm
RE: Traveling Through Fort Worth and others
As a former LEO, I often would use excessive speed at "probable cause" to stop a vehicle. Then when their window rolled down and the alcohol fumes came out, it was another drunk driver off the road. I was never pressured to write a certain number of citations per shift, I got to write all I wanted to do.
Most of the drug mules, I stopped in Colorado were due to defective vehicles that violated Colorado law, i.e. tail lights not working, broken tail lights, expired tags, windows tinted to dark, etc.
The most common way for the drug dealers to ship drugs was to buy a used car (usually a junker off a car lot somewhere along the southern border) then find some illegals wanting to go north. The car would be packed with the drugs and the illegals would be sent north in it and told where to deliver the drugs. They got to keep the car. It was still registered to the person that sold/traded it to the car lot where it was purchased. Often times they buy the cheapest car they can find that they think will make it to the delivery point.
The mules/runners are usually not career criminals, just needing a way to get north and the thought of being a car owner is very a very powerful incentive.
One evening about 3 AM, I was on patrol in western Colorado when I spotted some runners and they had a tail light not working. Hit them with the overhead lights and they pulled to a halt. Then it looked like a covey of quail leaving that car. Six men were headed out all 4 doors. When I checked out the car it was full of drugs so I called DEA and INS and waited till they got there to take over. All 6 men were found and arrested by the feds.
RE: Traveling in Tornado prone areas
bumpy, that is good to know. I am still using a 2008 version of S&T so may just stick with it for awhile longer. Planning is about all I use it for anyways, so it still works fine for that.
RE: Tie Downs
Make sure you get a set of locks for them, so they won't wander off when you are away from your rig. Easy for the owner to use, but also easy to remove, very quickly.
RE: Traveling in Tornado prone areas
The Weather Channel has developed a new forecasting tool called Tor-Con and it is explained by the head weather man, Dr. Greg Forbes.
http://www.weather.com/news/tornado-torcon-index Actually listed as Tor:Con but I get a smiley face with that. LOL
Scroll down the page and it will give a list of the percentage chances of a tornado within a 50 mile radius of that location. As someone that grew up in the middle of Tornado Alley in southern Oklahoma, this is valuable information to have on hand. With the 24 hr forecast, it gives most RVers time to be somewhere else, which is what I would do. If you live there, make sure your storm cellar is stocked and ready for you to go under ground.
Tornados are possible in many places in the US, we even have them here in coastal Florida from time to time. On land they are called tornados, over the water, they are water spouts. Most can barly make an F-1 rating and some can't make that. But get into Tornado Alley and you will find many more tornados and ones with much higher force, including the F-4 and F-5 monster storms.
Map of Tornado Alley - other variations of it are out there as well but this is the one I have seen the longest.
http://www.severe-weather-fan.com/location-of-tornado-alley.html
RE: Coach-Net, Good Sam or "Other" in Alaska?
I have Good Sam, think it is the Platinum road service. Whatever they call it, I get unlimited towing to the nearest qualified service center for problems. The choice of where, is Good Sam's, not mine. So I am not familiar with the "your Choice and only 100 miles" plan. Never used the GS plan in Alaska but have used it in Canada and was well pleased with the service we received. Got my RV stuck is some soft dirt, not in a cell phone area, so a passing motorist stopped (over 20 vehicles stopped to see if they could help) and offered to notify the RCMP at the next town, which he did. They dispatched a tow truck out to extract me in a reasonable amount of time, I paid the driver and was on my way. Then when I returned home to Florida I submitted the receipt to GS and they sent me a check for the full amount. This was one of the exceptions in my policy regarding, having to call Good Sam first. Since the tow truck was called by the police, the GS group knew this was a legitimate need for a tow.
The 25+ years I lived in rural Alaska, I never carried or probably never heard of road service coverage for our RVs. I would just flag down a passing vehicle and have them notify a tow service at the next station they passed. Or I would hitch hike to the next station and get a tow truck to go back and get my RV.
Many Coach Net forum members have made positive comments about their service as well. Most of these road service companies use the same pool of service providers in an area, so not matter which company you use, the same tow truck may come out to save you. No matter which company you use, make sure you read and understand your policy before you need to use it. 99% of the complaints aired here on the forum are from people that don't understand what their policy provides and how to go about getting service that the road service will pay for.
RE: July 4th
We have found that many people on both sides of the US-Canadian border on the south, combine the two holidays, Canada Day (July 1) and US Independence Day (July 4). In 2011, on our way to Alaska, we found the campgrounds in northern Montana and Idaho very full. RVers from both sides of the border, like to cross over and enjoy the festivities of a week long celebration. We found a nice campground near Moyie Springs Idaho the last of June and stayed there till July 5, when we crossed over into Canada. The CG we were in filled up before July 1 and stayed full till July 5 and maybe longer than that. Get that close to the border and folks from both sides will celebrate any holiday they can find in the area, US or Canadian. LOL :)
We avoid the Canadian NPs over any of the holidays in Canada. When everyone leaves Calgary and Edmonton to go to the parks, I hope the last one to leave remembers to turn off the lights. Those are ghost towns on Canada Day and other holidays.
In Alaska check when the salmon runs are happening, as the crowds from town will follow. Seward has a July 4th mountain foot race and the town is packed and reservations are needed for a camp site. Other than that not much problems with crowds. The same goes for Yukon as Alaska, both are large geographically, but neither have enough permanent population to be a crowding problem in most cases.
Sometimes in Homer at the Salty Dawg Saloon, if a lot of tourists are on the Spit, you may have to wait in line to get a bar stool. The same is true at the Malemute Saloon in Ester. (west side of Fairbanks)
RE: Suggestions for Destruction Bay
Sue, if there are no sani-dumps at any of the Yukon Campgrounds, I wonder what that pipe sticking out of the ground was for at Congdon Creek?
RE: Are we all on the darkside?
I too associate the term with Star Wars. There you had the light side (good, such as Luke Skywalker) and the dark side (evil, such as Darth Vader) Just like duct tape which has a light side and a dark side.
May the Force be with you.
