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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: Adding a rear "porch" to TC
Sleepyhead, have you got some pics?
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pezvela
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05/12/13 09:01pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Want to add a battery to my truck camper - help please
Thank you.
I take it there are complications with installing the TL battery clamp on the driver's side? I have a 2000 F350. My house battery is on the drivers side. Running battery cable over there from the passenger side could get expensive.
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pezvela
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05/10/13 12:26pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Looking for sensitive thermostat
Well, I guess you could just cook dinner later, then using the burner would be OK. Maybe cook a roast and get oven heat. :B
There was a time I used the burner and/or oven for heat, but I now use the Wave3. I will run my Wave3 all night if needed. The programmable thermostat allows me to set the temps differently at different times. If I have the Wave3 too low, the thermostat will fire off the furnace. I think I have only had the furnace come on a couple of times.
Wayne
We vacation out West, exclusively. We almost never cook inside. I carry a complete outdoor kitchen with me (shade structure, netting, Lifetime table, propane 2 burner stove, even Rubbermaid wash basins).
Use of the actual INSIDE of a TC is only a last resort for us. But it sure is nice to have when conditions warrant.
What is the Wave3? I guess I cold Google it but I'd rather hear it from an avid user.
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pezvela
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05/10/13 11:03am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Looking for sensitive thermostat
Well, I guess you could just cook dinner later, then using the burner would be OK. Maybe cook a roast and get oven heat. :B
There was a time I used the burner and/or oven for heat, but I now use the Wave3. I will run my Wave3 all night if needed. The programmable thermostat allows me to set the temps differently at different times. If I have the Wave3 too low, the thermostat will fire off the furnace. I think I have only had the furnace come on a couple of times.
Wayne
We vacation out West, exclusively. We almost never cook inside. I carry a complete outdoor kitchen with me (shade structure, netting, Lifetime table, propane 2 burner stove, even Rubbermaid wash basins).
Use of the actual INSIDE of a TC is only a last resort for us. But it sure is nice to have when conditions warrant.
What is the Wave3? I guess I cold Google it but I'd rather hear it from an avid user.
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pezvela
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05/10/13 11:03am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Looking for sensitive thermostat
Count me one of the ones with a misconception, I guess.
Are you saying that it is more efficient for the propane heater to come on, say five times in 30 minutes when temps drop a degree below the settings than it is for a thermostat to wait for a five degree drop and then run the heater to make up for that five degree drop in one fell swoop?
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pezvela
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05/10/13 10:47am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Want to add a battery to my truck camper - help please
Tooldad, look at the back compartment of your fridge. You might be able to disconnect the lead from your main PC board to the 12v heating element, at either end.
I have an upgraded Dinosaur P-711 board and there is a separate 12v connection for running the 12v options BESIDES THE HEATING ELEMENT in the fridge. I just leave that connected.
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pezvela
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05/10/13 10:41am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Thinking about a Truck Fridge.
DJ, are you saying your Engel starting making the dreaded vibrational noises AND it stopped cooling?
My Engel has gotten a bit noisy at times but it still cools like the first day I got it. The vibrations are unpredictable; sometimes it does, sometimes it doesnt. I am beginning to wonder if the compressor mounting has come loose or something.
I live on the road in August and September out west. Last summer I went with BOTH my propane fridge AND the Engel. I have a Lance 1030 and that big counter space between the dinette and the propane fridge is ABSOLUTELY PERFECT FOR MY ENGEL/NORCOLD 45! Lance has both a 110 and 12v outlet right at the back.
This was really the way to go for me. I kept ALL my drinks in the Engel and all my food in the absorption fridge. My absorp still works pretty well; I can usually get about 50-55 degrees below ambient temps. If it's 100 degrees out, I'm moving to some place higher. But I just dont open the absorp fridge much and that helps a great deal in hot temps.
I only have a single 31 AGM. But I do have a 140 watt solar panel that more than keeps up with it. My charge controller says I am occasionally putting out as much as 7 amps in good, full sun which is not uncommon in the summer in the West.
I never bought a single bag of ice last summer. That was nice not having to deal with ice.
Before I had solar, I took a fishing trip where I filled the Engel with fish fillets I had caught. These were room temp fillets and I used it as a freezer. After three days of probably running constantly, the Engel had run down BOTH of the starting batteries in my F350, diesel. These were very capable 27 group Interstates. This was when I wasnt using the camper. So, the electrical options for fridges will have to be coupled with SOME good charging source OR you will have to keep moving on the road to keep you batt(s) charged. I dont like moving that much, so I went solar.
I guess one could figure out a way to increase battery capacity. That isnt easy in the TC world.
I cant imagine being limited to a single 4 cu ft fridge for EVERYTHING. Not with as long as I spend on the road and in remote areas.
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pezvela
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05/10/13 08:31am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Looking for sensitive thermostat
I understand the comfort level when the temperature is constant BUT wouldn't a more sensitive T/S cause the furnace to cycle on and off more frequently thereby contributing to more wear and tear?
Would you consider a portable heater to help keep the temperature more constant?
The biggest disadvantages to a frequently cycling heater is the draw down of your battery AND the loudness of most fan-forced propane heaters in rigs.
There is really nothing that I run for any length of time in my TC that draws more power than that furnace fan. I boondock a lot and a couple of cold nights coupled with poor solar days (of course, combined with the conventional electrical draw of a normal day) can spell trouble for my grp 31 AGM.
I'll say it and be chastised......but we DO use a single burner on the stovetop to heat the rig just before bed and just after we get up. Maybe 10 minutes, max. Just so efficient and quiet. We just pile on the blankets and can generally stay warm down to about 25 degrees F, w/o running the fan-forced heater.
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pezvela
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05/10/13 07:56am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Want to add a battery to my truck camper - help please
I wish they had better pics of that Torklift product on their website. Cant really tell where it attaches.
Anyone know the price of it? Their "buy it now" link just takes me to a list of retailers. Being in Mexico, it isnt much of a help.
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pezvela
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05/10/13 07:21am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Want to add a battery to my truck camper - help please
When the truck is on,the fridge automatially switches to 12v. with engine running, that shouldnt be a problem, right?
ONLY if the engine is running. If it isnt, the electrical draw on 12v ONLY (not on propane) will drain many batteries in well under an hour.
I have an older Dometic. If 110v power is lost, it auto switches to propane. I must MANUALLY switch to 12v.
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pezvela
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05/09/13 10:09pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Want to add a battery to my truck camper - help please
One other thing........dont even THINK about operating your fridge on 12v, in your present configuration.
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pezvela
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05/09/13 09:58pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Want to add a battery to my truck camper - help please
With my fridge, a 2002 model, if there is no 12v power even on propane, it will not run. The thermo couple, the thermostat, the main board has no power. Maybe yours is different.
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pezvela
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05/09/13 09:51pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Want to add a battery to my truck camper - help please
I cant believe they sell a camper with NO HOUSE BATTERY.
Are you now saying that your fridge does not operate on propane?
If it does operate on propane, then the amount the DC board (to power display lights and fire the piezo lighter)draws is insignificant.
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pezvela
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05/09/13 09:02pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Want to add a battery to my truck camper - help please
Tooldad, are you saying that your camper has NO house battery of its own and that it always draws off your truck battery when you are not plugged into 110v AC?
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pezvela
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05/08/13 09:21pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: With or without oven
Almost never use mine. For things like reheating pizza or anything where a crispiness is preferred (which a microwave cant do), we use our iron skillet with a dome lid over it. biscuits, too. Cant be w/o an iron skillet anyway, so..........
Our oven is pots and pan storage.
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pezvela
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04/23/13 12:01am |
Truck Campers
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Ready Brake question
I'll be towing a Wrangler behind by F350 and am almost sold on the Ready Brake system (I already have a good tow bar). I like the simplicity of it and wont be towing anything but the Wrangler.
Question: Does the cabling/mount from the brake pedal to the outside of the vehicle just stay in place when you are not towing or do people remove the brake pedal attachment and just stow in down by the floorboard?
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pezvela
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04/17/13 02:47pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: big bend national park
I assume that BBNP has the same restrictions on allowing dogs on trails outside of the campgrounds that most all national parks do? That is, not allowed? In many campgrounds it is also illegal to leave pets inside your vehicle while you are off hiking. Is that the case at BBNP?
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pezvela
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01/10/13 11:33am |
Truck Campers
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RE: RV plumbing supply in the SLC area? ON THE ROAD!!
You said it is all 1 1/4" this is standard house plumbing and you can go to any hardware store.. If you have to extend they have extension pipes too.
This is a late answer, but, no, not in my experience. The Lowe's and the HD I checked on the road did not carry 1 1/4" stuff. I did fine ONE 1 1/4" shower drain at an ACE hardware (that the employee was surprised to find they had) but the elbows and p-trap I needed were finally found at State Trailer Supply in the SLC area. What a store that is!!! Free dump, too.
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pezvela
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08/31/12 01:00pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: RV plumbing supply in the SLC area? ON THE ROAD!!
Thanks to both of you for those recommendations. I will check the two RV outlets today, on my way north from Provo.
Boogie, we are considering going through Logan Canyon and then on the way up to the Wind River Range in Wyoming. Are there any campgrounds in the Logan Canyon area that you can recommend? We are in a fairly large truck camper. No kids. We do like campgrounds or dispersed camping areas with some spacing. We would be headed up today so we should find some availability.
I have maps up the yin-yang, both paper and electronic, so I should be able to find any recommendations.
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pezvela
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08/21/12 08:14am |
Tech Issues
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RV plumbing supply in the SLC area? ON THE ROAD!!
I have a P-trap assembly with a hand tightening collar that has broken below the shower. It appears to be a custom assembly as there is a section of straight pipe glued in to get it the required distance to the gray water inlet for it. It is all 1 1/4" so nothing at Lowes or HD fits.
Anyone from the SLC area can recommend a good RV plumbing supply place, ASAP? We are living on the road right now.
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pezvela
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08/21/12 06:43am |
Tech Issues
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