RE: Generator wont start ??
It may have spark, but is it the right spark?
Our generator was becoming hard starting, needed to crank it longer each time I started it. I was doing a tune up on it, changing the oil, oil filter, air filter, etc., and then just would not start at all.
First thing checked - is it getting spark? Yes. After some more checking I rechecked the spark and asked myself - but is it enough spark?
Removed plugs, found almost new looking plug installed (we have only owned this motor home about 9 months or so), checked the gap and the gap was 0.035 and the manual says 0.030.
Also, when I went to remove the plugs, they were not "tight", barely 'finger tight'.
Re-gapped plugs to 0.030, re-installed plugs and tightened them up, it started right up. Now it starts like it should.
RE: Generator fuel line
I just did a tune up on our generator: changed oil, oil filter, trying to find the right Generac air filter, checked the plugs (looked very new but were gapped 0.005 to wide causing the generator to experience hard starting, and noticed ... you guys said it - the fuel line splitting and rotting near the generator connection point.
It is now on my list of things to do - replace fuel line.
Thanks for you comments and information, I now know how big the job will likely be.
RE: electric shock
Chop that extension cord into short unusable pieces and get a nice heavy duty one.
That's a bit silly, just put a new end on it.
That advice to chop it up into short pieces was not silly.
In fact, it was the best and most professional advice possible.
Sure, you can go to a store and by a plug, cut the old one off, and put a new one on, but the cord and plug set is now 'damaged goods' and is no longer 'listed and labeled' (because the plug was cut off).
I imagine you would go down to the store and buy one of those old, screws-in-the-front types of plugs too, right? Heck, they cost less than a good quality dead front type, so why not, right?
RE: Made WIFE happy!!!
Just buy a sample tile at Home Depot. Glazed is okay. Doesn't hurt anything.
Except some of the glazes have lead in them.
MOST glazes have lead in them.
However, no one is concerned about that in their homes, and the main problem with lead in things is when they are located in locations in which the lead can be abraded away into the air, i.e., "floor" tile is an excellent example of a surface which gets abraded routinely.
If concerned about the lead in the glaze when heating the tile, preheat the tile to a very high temperature for a while, releasing whatever will be released under heat, then you you use it at a lower temperature, not as much is left to be released.
Instead of a glazed tile, though, go to a marble and granite place and get a scrap slab of granite the size you want, have them round off the edges some (no need to polish all nice and shiny it unless you want them to).
RE: Big Rigs
We are 45' long when hitched to the fiver and have had a harder time in some places that the single vehicle greater than 35'.
Agree with that - we were 56 feet long with our F350 crew cab long bed and 36 foot 5th wheel. Now we are only 36 feet long for the motor home and maneuvering is much easier.
We recently stayed at a state park where it took an hour trying to maneuver the truck and 5th wheel between the trees and around the curves to get to our site. The 36 foot motor home just went right through with not even a close call.
Many of the state park limits are for 'getting to your site', but they do not take into consideration the length and combination of the entire set up.
RE: 30 Amp Coach / Two AC'S
Our motor home has two a/c units on a 50 amp service.
We are currently in a state park which only has 30 amp services.
We had a slight voltage drop problem at first, they replaced the receptacle (burned and overheated) and the wires to the receptacle (burned and overheated) and that problem went away.
We've been running both a/c units on the 30 amp service for 3 days now, along with a toaster oven, microwave, electric skillet, etc., have not tripped the 30 amp breaker. :C
That is good to know for the future.
RE: Installed shore power for MH
The DC resistance of #6 copper is 0.491 ohms per 1,000 feet.
The DC resistance of #4 aluminum is 0.508 ohms per 1,000 feet.
The amperage rating for #6 copper (THHW) is 65 amps.
The amperage rating for #4 aluminum (THHW) is 65 amps.
Thus the two are compatible in current rating and resistence (which is what creates the voltage drop at a given current).
However, if #4 aluminum is used and placed in PVC conduit, then the size of the PVC conduit would most likely have to be one size larger.
All in all, though, aluminum is typically used for longer runs of higher ampacity.
That said, aluminum corrodes and you would end up with a deteriorated neutral or hot conductor. Aluminum is used for underground lateral runs from transformers to the electric service equipment, and, yes, it is not uncommon to have a neutral conductor corroded in two and needing to be replaced.
I like copper, but at the cost of cooper for that size, as compared to aluminum, install the aluminum in PVC raceway and set the difference in cost aside to replace it later. You will still save money over the cost of copper. :C
I've seen front caps deformed while driving ...
I've been noticing a lot of 5th wheels with their front caps deformed due to wind pressure, some of them you can even see the framing behind the front cap. Never noticed it with ours when we had it because we were never looking for it, doubt I could have seen it from inside the truck anyway, but ...
Wondering if the front of the motor homes have similar deflection, or are they just made better?
I have not noticed that happening on motor homes. On gassers that could be because there is a large vent (the grille) in the front to let the air through.
Just speculating and curious. Anyone else notice it on 5th wheels they see driving along?
RE: Tandum axle coach - 2000 thru 2002 ???
National did.
When we bought our 2000 National Dolphin about 2 months ago I saw a couple of other 2000 National Dolphins with tag axles, the only problem was that one had a bad leak at the passenger seat window and one was in rough shape (interior torn and filthy). Camping World at St. Augustine was showing both on their lot for sale (yecch, don't know how they could expect to sell one of them in that condition).
Would have liked to have gotten one, but neither compared to the one we bought.
RE: Where do you get your oil changed?
We took it to our local Ford dealer (Ford F-53 chassis) and they charge $59.00 for the oil change.
They not only have bays large enough for commercial trucks, they do motor homes too. When I called to find out if they did oil changes, I was connected to their 'motor home service adviser' (guess they like long titles :) ).
RE: How long does it take you to dump....
With our previous RV (5th wheel) it took a good 15 minutes plus to dump and rinse. Of course, though, there were 3 separate tanks, and they were large capacity tanks, to dump and rinse.
Our motor home takes maybe 5-10 minutes at most (didn't time it today, but it takes no where near as much time as the 5th wheel did).
RE: Leveling in the driveway
Camper... you are thinking grade (Rise vs run)... not degrees as in geometry
He didn't say "degrees", he said "%".
10% is 1 foot in 10 feet, it is also 1" in 10", or 10 feet in 100 feet.
RE: So when we say 50 Amp
Yes, you can pull 50 amps per leg at 115v ac as long as your neutral is strong enough to carry and balance the load if each leg is drawling a different amount of amps. It's called load sharing through your neutral bond.
Nick,
If you had 50 amps on each leg, you would not have any current on the neutral conductor.
Now, if you had 50 amps on one leg and -0- amps on the other leg, you would have 50 amps on the neutral conductor.
Being as neither of the above two scenarios are likely, you will have 'some' current on the neutral conductor.
This is the way to calculate the amps on the neutral conductor: L1 amps minus L2 amps = neutral conductor amps.
Which will never be greater than 50 amps on the neutral conductor(unless something is wrong with the 50 amp overcurrent device - the breaker - and does not trip when drawing more than 50 amps through it).
RE: Sell your RV because fuel costs too much
RVing is alot cheaper than our last boat. We use to burn 25 gph at cruise.
That's the relationship I've started applying to our motor home ...
8 gph at 65 mph ... :)
Doesn't take a very big boat at all to suck more fuel than that. :B
RE: Three times as much
My motor home gets 7 mpg (pulling my car).
Ummmm ... that raises an interesting point ...
What kind of gas mileage will your car get pulling your motor home? :h
Now that is a true comparison. :C
RE: Three times as much
Here's a similar comparison:
A top fuel dragster gets about 10 gallons per mile.
A freight train transports one ton of freight 400 miles with one gallon.
So what?
My favorite was that the Queen Mary went 21 1/2 feet to a gallon of oil.
And I read that the QE II goes 6 inches on a gallon of diesel fuel. :B
RE: 50 Amp Motorhome will not accept home shore power
am a novice, understand little about electrical functions and trouble-shooting/testing lines and circuits; however, I have wired several houses, etc
Now THAT'S really scarey:E
I think I may have inspected some of those houses. :R
