RE: Trip report, part one: 2013 Overland Expo and the TC flood
Gracias Jefe,
Linda and I wished to be with Y'all, but circumstances did not permit. Your account is a great image of the doin's. We hope to attend a western event in future time. Imagine, sons of the beach and desert dwellers, around a campfire, what tales we'll tell!
Love to all,
skip
RE: RV Net Forums & Other Forums
This is, to me, an very interesting topic. I go to the TC forum almost every day that we have on-line access. I also enjoy the Around the Campfire, forum from time to time. I have obtained a bunch of great titles to read, expanded my NASCAR info and experienced the soc ial and family side of the RV world. When I'm having a problem with gear, the several technical forums have always produced good results to solve some problems.
I'm a google addict, if the keyboard fails, I google the solution. I have found that anything I want to explore can be found there. I'm still amazed by the unlimited information available with a few key strokes!
I also look forward to www.truckcampermagazine,com twice weekly publication, that has been a really people oriented format for us.
All in all the whole truck camper deal has been a way to keep on, keeping on, for us. We are both in our seventies, many of our friends are vegetating on the couch, in front of a TV, "If you don't use, you lose it", has been our guiding phrase.
Whazoo (Dave) has been a remarkable, stimulating contributor causing a lot of our TC forum participation, his work has been a magnet to this forum, for us, as have been many other "Laughing Fellow Rovers"!
We ignore the grouches and preachers...............
Love to All,
skip
RE: NASCAR at it finest ........huh?
Dick Trickle never won a cup race, but always was very popular. Danica has won in open wheel. She is a racer. Nascar has to do something to grow not decline. Some of our female friends are somewhat becoming interested in our beloved sport, so that having a female driver, if it helps the gate, is more than OK with us.
If it was easy, everyone would do it!
RE: Best performing compressor fridge?
Hi Silver,
Greetings from the beach at Assateague Island.
It sounds like there are a few proven compressor portable fridges now in service.
If I were considering a fridge for expedition work in rough terrain, I would consider a built in system. There is no substitute for insulation to reduce compressor operating time. When we were sailing we used an Adler Barbour 12 volt compressor to cool a top loading box with 5" of closed cell insulation, top, sides, and bottom. For the most part the compressor was run off a battery charged by solar and a wind generator. We never had any failures.
The compressor was up to the task in all weather. Top loading is, I think, the most efficient way to freeze and refrigerate. The Adler Barbour had a freezer box that fitted in the big box, there were ice cube trays that were vertical, most important at cocktail time! The freezer was plenty large enough to store a good amount. The top opening doors were thick and tapered to fit nice and tight.
RE: Lance truck campers TPO Nose construction
I recently, just missed being bashed by a wild turkey here on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. It would have been a very damaging hit.
Luck not skill was with us, I think the frontal wave pushed just enough for a miss
We also have a TPO roof on our 2005 Lance 1121. It has been trouble free. 18 months ago we were steered to Liquid Rubber as a replacement for Dicor for the roof seams. It has worked well and is MUCH easier to apply. Our Lance dealer suggested it.
We had some experience with carbon fiber in marine applications. The costs will make you weak in the knees, way beyond what RV users would accept, I believe. The Americas Cup sailing classes are into Carbon Fiber, a mast can cost 1 million!
RE: Truck camping on othe beach
The larger the truck, the more conveniences that are available. We have a full bath, a large over-stuffed sofa, space for storage. Here, on Assateague Island, several hundred rigs of all sizes and shapes, except duallys, which aren't permitted, operate constantly. There are no serious problems. When, occasionally some one gets stuck, there is always help. You must air down in soft sand. I do 20 psi front,30 psi rear. We have two sets of wheels and tires. 16" Nitto Dune Grapplers for beach and local use(many here use them permanently) and 19.5" wheels for long distance, cross country.
Over sand travel is a very harsh environment. I have a small lawn sprinkler to rinse to bottom of our rig at the dump station as we depart. I use the non-potable rinse water. Although we have a set of air compressors on Assateague, I have a small one carried onboard, if needed. In the April issue of Truck Camper Magazine on line, we did an article on camping on the Beach at Assateague Island National Seashore.
For us , camping on the beach is one of the major advantages of TCing!
RE: Use of air bags
I have found that the most useful aspect of our airbags is to level from side to side. Also after the air bag installation the addition of adjustable Rancho Shocks reduced the sway to almost nothing. We also found that air pressures in the range of 40 to 65 psi worked best for us. The shocks also help with the variations from loaded to unloaded, softening the ride as needed.
RE: cataract surgery
My wife had the "Rare" condition that is reason enough to do the surgery at separate intervals. After her left eye was done she beacme blind in that eye the morning following surgery and lost most of the vision in her right eye shortly later. The surgeon and his partners were not sure what happened. After several days she was referred to a
Specialist who said, "You have a brain tumor on you pituitary gland, fortunately it can be removed with immeadiate surgery, frequently I see patients whose eyes have damaged by cataract surgery, and there is nothing that can be done."
She had complete recovery of her vision following removal of the tumor thruugh nasal surgery at the University of Maryland Hospital.
They do not know the cause or when the tumor developed. She has yet to have the right eye done, the surgeon who removed the tumor will advise her when. I recently had both of my eyes done at a two week interval with excellent success.
RE: Fridge Drip Tray Freezes up
The drip hose has a "no return" one way fitting on the end. Ive given it some suction and it appears to be OK. I'll try to blow it out. I have to defrost the fridge. Thanks for the replies.
RE: With or without oven
Butch 50,
What a good idea. I'll talk it over with Marley our Labradoddle. Maybe I can get her to hold the button down on the pilot light whilst try to light the gas with the butane lighter.
And I agree, gettin old ain't for sissies!
Fridge Drip Tray Freezes up
Our Norcold Model# N6403 freezes the drip tray under the cooling fins.
We checked the electronics, nothing was out of specs. I think the drain hose is OK, but I'm not sure. Is there an easy way to test if the hose is blocked?
RE: Our 23 year old daughter committed suicide 4-11-13
My Deepest Condolences to you. Please take the warmth and love from all here who wish to aid you in this time of pain. One of my sons has been crippled with depression for years, it is a disease like no other, often fatal, poorly inderstood, he refuses to accept the diagnosis. He will not seek help, that is part of the sickness.
A professional can provide much help for you.
You were blessed to have her and she to have you. That will always be true. She does not want you to suffer nor do we.
RE: With or without oven
Truth be told, we like to use the oven, often. But we don't like how hard it is to lighr! Down on the replacement knee, clicking the lighter, waving it aroung to light the pilot. It ain't gotten any easier over time.
We did add a stome-like plate to radiate the heat, and spread it. It works well! I would not have a TC with out an oven, it might be a factor for resale, prolly better to have, like air conditioning in a car, even if you don't care for it.
RE: There WERE a few things about the "good old days"...
There is one constant, in my experience/opinion, change, nothing remains the same. The growth of population is good for corporate profit, poor for people and enviornments. Our (US & CA)life spans have
dramatically increased. Caused by, I surmise, modern medicine and better diet, sans tobbaco.
I was raised on a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, Dundee Creek, we had no electricity, cooked on coal oil (kerosene), heated with a pot bellied stove, and along with thunder mugs, had a silvan dell(outhouse) out over the marsh. Up to and through WWII, we fished, crabbed, hunted and oystered for our food. The transition from depression to wartime to better times was our life. It was wonderful!
We handled the problems, solved some, booted some, and put off others till later. With laughter and love, caring and concern, my Mum and Dad and I lived life. It was not grand but it was beautiful, full little treasures. A huge soft blue water channel crab, for a special breakfast. Ring, our blue tick beagle showing up after being lost for days, what could be better ?
Singing Irish songs, after dinner, my uncle Luke's crystal clear tenor voice as lead, and the rest of us in harmony. So simple, strong and a memory that brings a tear, as I write.
These are a few things about the "good old days"..............
RE: How many TCers here?
247 give or take, depending...............
Linda came up with the idea of a TC after we could no longer manage a sailing yacht safely. It was as EXCELLENT choice! We have roamed from coast to coast, North to Alaska, South to the Florida Keys,and alot of inbetween spots of magnificent scenery, wonderful tastes and interesting, friendly folks. We will TC as long as we can, cancan!
RE: Air Bags - which brand?
For us, using our Airlift bags to help to level our TC side to side, has been the most useful aspect. Adjustable Rancho 9000 shocks, tall bump stops and the airbags have worked together to reduce sway, keep us level and comfortable. Our Airlift airbags have been trouble free for ten years and 90,000 miles of highway, off-road and beach travel. We learned that lower air pressures ( 55 to 70 psi) worked better than the higher (80 to 100 psi) ranges did.
RE: Basic info on truck campers
I beg to differ with my cohorts herein. Suppose he meets a lovely lady and wishes a little soire to Alaska, the Florida Keys etc. A nicely setup TC is the ticket. They're economical, nimble, with a reasonable footprint, and will serve him well. He can easily off-load to use the pickup, either a 150,250 or 350 the TC is alot less hassle. There is a system for each of the various load capabilities, the bigger the truck the greater the comfort range, is my belief!
The major shortcoming of the TC is its acommodation limit. We say most TC's will sleep 3 1/2 people, the TT's etc. usually have more bunk space. They all will require a measure of regular maintainence and upkeep. Some folks are happy to have something to look after, others are not so inclined. That would be a primary factor in my view.
RE: Rocket Launch?-TC Rally.
Hi Louie,
We've got our eyes pealed to see the rocket shot from NASA's Wallops Island launch site by Chincoteague,VA also. The weather is just a little iffy. They may postpone if the cloud cover is too thick.
We'll be in ths first parking spot by the waterfront at Tall Pines. Please stop by.
Love to all,
Skip
RE: We lost another memeber..
John has grabbed his throttle cable and headed for heaven. Although we never met face on, we formed a friendship here. He was interested and interesting, I'll miss him!
Love to all,
skip
RE: Do I Really Need 4x4 when towing in the mountains?
If you stay on paved roads, 4X4 is not a requirement. Off road 4X4 can keep you moving, when 2 wheel drive bogs dowm, which is a given,I believe, from my experience.
