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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: Batteries
What does a herd have to do with batteries?
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LeonardTinker
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11/16/08 08:01pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Iron Man LT tires on Forest River 5th Wheel
If there's anything of quality being made in China for export to the United States I haven't seen it. I have Chinese made products, sure. I don't think you can live in the U.S. without buying Chinese made products. Sheets and towels and even TV sets are one thing. Tires under 5 tons of trailer are another. NEVER AGAIN!
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LeonardTinker
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11/11/08 10:03pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Oiled Filled Electric Heaters- Advice
When you turn electricity into heat in a resistance heat device you get 3.4 BTUs per watt. Whether the heater has a fan or not. The fan will distribute the heated air better. The oil filled unit will have a thermal flywheel effect in that it will heat up more slowly and likewise cool off more slowly. Somewhat similar to heating bricks in days past. Personally I'd prefer the fan type. I'm an HVAC contractor by the way.
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LeonardTinker
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11/08/08 06:17pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Rear bunks or rear loft for kids?
I have an Ameri-Camp F321QBS. It has two bunks. The top one is about 30" wide and the bottom bunk is about 45" wide. They are both 72" long. Next to the bunks is a half bath. I have 3 grandchildren and they have 3 cousins so there's usually an argument about who goes. when we go places. I have a crew cab truck and the back seat holds 3 car seats. The bunks will sleep one bigger kid on top and 2 smaller ones below. When I first looked at the trailer I thought that 2 toilets in 33 feet was over kill. In hindsight it looks like a real good idea. First I have 35 gallons more holding tank capacity. Second the boys have their own sink with their own medicine cabinet with tooth brushes. And lastly if a 5 year old needs to go potty at 2:00 am do I really want him up front waking me up? That's a rhetorical question by the way.
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LeonardTinker
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11/05/08 09:00pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: My turn...dropped 5er onto tailgate...lucky
I did it too. I totalled the tailgate. On the other hand I think the tailgate saved the bed of the truck box. The pin box of the trailer came down on the tailgate. My suspicion is a bedsaver would not have had any effect. Any contrary opinions?
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LeonardTinker
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11/03/08 08:36pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Which generator and where to put it?
I have a 4 kw Honda I installed in the front compartment of my fifth wheel. Works great, its reasonably quiet, has a remote control, and cost $2500. Runs everything onboard too.
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LeonardTinker
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10/19/08 08:00pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Switch it up,,,good exp. with Chinese Tires
If anybody is interested I will make somebody a heck of a deal on 3 Kenda 235 x 16 85 tires. One blew up big time and I'll keep one as a spare. The tires on the ground will be Michelin. I'm not going through this experience again. The Chinese can go merrily to hell and take their various products with them.
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LeonardTinker
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10/03/08 06:25am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Have generator prep. should I go built in or portable
I looked at the various options for my fifth wheel trailer. 2 2KW units hooked together were one but they do not have electric start capability. They cost on the order of $1000 each plus a couple hundred for the connector cable, 3 KW unit in the truck box was another option but as it happens they are an inch or so too high to allow me to close my access box cover. The 3KW unit cost on the order of $1700. The 3 KW unit will run most of my 120VAC items but not all. I settled on the 4 KW Honda built-in. It cost $2500 and runs everything on the trailer (which has 30 amp electrical service). The remote cable and panel was maybe $75. The fuel tank and hose and fittings were maybe $40.00. I wired the start circuit to the trailer 12 volt battery and simply connect the shore power cord to an outlet on the genset thus avoiding a transfer relay. I ran a fuel line to an outboard motor fitting on the front wall (next to the front conmpartment where the genset is located). I have a 6 gallon outboard fuel tank in the truck box with a 10 foot hose which plugs into the fitting on the wall of the trailer. The genset has a remote control which I fished in the wall and mounted next to the tank monitors. I do need to work a little on noise control (insulation) but generally I have been very satisfied. When we set up in a campground without hookups I set the fuel tank next to the landing gear and put a chain and a lock on it, plug it in to the fuel fitting and when we want power I can start it with the remote inside the trailer. I don't run it after 10:00 pm or before 7:30 am. By the way, so far I haven't put louvers on the compartment door, I just open the door. Eventually I plan to install the louvers though. The exhaust goes out the bottom and exits on the street side of the trailer. It works very well in National Park and National Forest campgrounds since I turned 62 this year and now get in the parks free and get camping at half price!
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LeonardTinker
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10/01/08 07:56pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Urban Legends
The McDonalds coffee story overlooks the inconvienient fact that McDonalds had been warned several times that their coffee was too hot and they proceeded to ignore the warnings. Under that senerio it doesn't require a really bright lawyer to find a cause of action. One wonders why the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission can't turn some of these bright lawyers loose on the multitude of hazardous products we're getting from China?
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LeonardTinker
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09/28/08 08:48am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Chinese Tire..any good?
Which I wish to remark,
And my language is plain,
That for ways that are dark,
And for tricks that are vain,
The heathen Chinee is peculiar,
Which the same I would rise to explain.
Bret Harte 1870
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LeonardTinker
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09/27/08 10:21pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Chinese Tire..any good?
Replace the Chinese tires right now. I wish I had done it a month ago (and several thousand dollars ago). Michelins go on and I'll worry less.
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LeonardTinker
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09/27/08 10:12pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Iron Man LT tires on Forest River 5th Wheel
I have a 2004 Ameri-Camp with 235 16 85 Kenda tires. After all I heard about Chinese tires in general and Kenda specifically I spoke with my tire shop about replacement. The Kenda tires looked brand new and it was hard to spend $700 to $1000 to replace them. September 1 one blew and damaged the side of the trailer, a water line and the suspension. The trailer is now being repaired and I have 4 Michelin 10 ply rated tires waiting for me. Cost me $1100 but I'm not risking anything on Chinese anything again. After the tires, pet food, Thomas toys painted with lead paint, toothpaste sweetened with ethelyne glycol (a poison), the current dairy and baby formula stuff. . . Do I need to continue? My question is where in then hell is the Consumer Product Safety Commission while the damned Chinese are trying to kill us off?
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LeonardTinker
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09/27/08 10:01pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Displaying the United States Flag Properly
There is a popular belief that flying the flag (the national ensign) inverted on a boat is a symbol of distress. This is not true since a number of nations' flags are the same either way. Frane, Britian, and Sweden for example. Nevertheless a number of people during the Vietnam conflict put flag stickers on their cars inverted. I didn't care then and I don't now. Free speech is more important to me that what someone wants to do with a flag. I am a Viet nam vet by the way.
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LeonardTinker
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09/25/08 10:18pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Anyone take their Grandkids with you
I have three grandchildren 15 months, 4 yearls and 9 years and they have three cousins 3 years, 5 years and 7 years. Their parents are functional but we travel routinely. August 2007 I had a 3 year old and an 8 year old and we went to northern Ontario. We've been to the Arrowhead in Minnesota, Colorado and Missouri. This August 4,7 and 9 and I went to Black Hills for 10 days and it looks like we might go to Minnesota or Colorado in October. By the way, I'm 62 and I'm pretty good at changing diapers! I have 3 child safety seats in the back seat of a crew cab pickup and for obvious reasons bought a bunkhouse fifth wheel this year. The pickup camper was getting a little crowded. I'm having a ball.
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LeonardTinker
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09/25/08 10:08pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: hooking up a fifth wheel
Actually in my case I managed to fail to get the trailer correctly connected to my 16K Super Glide hitch and totalled the tailgate on my truck. That being said I suspect the tailgate ($125 at a junk yard) was cheaper than a pickup box. Now I connect as shown in the drawing a few posts ago so the capture plate (its a Super Glide, remember) has to ride up as it slides over the hitch plate. I look at the hitch to see its hooked and then raise the landing gear an inch or so and get in the truck. I set the trailer brakes manually with the controller (P3) and try to pull away. I really don't want any more tailgates and the junk yard is out of GM tailgates anyway. By the way, to hook up to a Super Glide it has to be very close to straight in. Pullrite says within 16 degrees and they may be right. I try to be straight in. On the other hand, everything they say about Super Glide is true. I bought mine on Ebay ($530) but the people at Pullrite have been spectacular when I have questions. And the hitch has functioned flawlessly. It is a hernia producer to remove from the truck but my son in law and I can do it (it does come apart easily) and then I have an open truck bed with only 4 holes in the bed. All in all I'm very happy with this hitch.
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LeonardTinker
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09/24/08 05:31pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: My First Blowout, now tireshopping.
I have a 2004 Ameri-Camp 321 QBS. September 1 I was coming home from the Labor Day weekend and a lady pulled up alongside me to tell me I blew a tire. I pulled over and found the right rear shredded. There is apparently some water line damage (there's a water leak from somewhere) and some body damage. The dealer I bought the trailer from had given me a year warranty on the used trailer so I took it back to him. His tech found a suspension part bent as well. I had reservations about the 235 16 Kenda tires and had gone as far as to get a quote on replacements but the tires looked so good I didn't. I sure wish I had replaced the damned Chinese tires now! The dealership tech is trying to maintain I hit something in the road. I can't see how the front and rear tires on the truck and the right front trailer tire were ok and the right rear trailer tire hit something. I also can't imagine something big enough to bend the suspension being hit without my noticing it, or seeing it on a 4 lane road. This is either going to be dealt with under the warranty he gave me or it may very well involve litigation.
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LeonardTinker
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09/18/08 07:25pm |
Towing
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RE: Fiver without bunks for kids. Yes or No ?
I have an 2004 Ameri_Camp 321QBS as well. I have 3 grandchildren and they have 3 cousins. The limiting factor is the truck has room for only 3 car seats in the back seat. My trailer has 2 bunks, both rather short (72"). The top bunk is around 30" wide and sleeps one kid and the bottom bunk is 45" wide and comfortably sleeps 2. I thought this was overkill but we have the optional half bath next to the bunks (replaces the other 2 bunks). In hindsight I'm very happy with it. The kids have their own toilet and lavatory with their own medicine cabinet for their tooth brushes. And when a 6 year old needs to potty at 2:00 am they're not up front waking me up. This is a win-win situation and we also have 35 gallons or so added holding tank capacity. The downside is I have to hookup twice to dump. The rear half bath has its own gate valve and drain tube. The only thing I would like is the front bedroom slide since then I would have more closet space. A very minor lack, btw.
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LeonardTinker
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09/13/08 08:31pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Pros and cons on extended pin boxes
The extended pin boxes are a myth. I read that on Pullrite's web site so i worked it out with cardstock models. Turns out the critical dimension is the distance from the center of the pin to the side of the trailer which an extended pin box DOES NOT change. With a 6 1/2 foot box I concluded a sliding hitch was the way to go. Superglide is automatic and that was my choice. One downside, the dealer can't move my trailer without taking the hitch adapter off the trailer first.
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LeonardTinker
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09/13/08 09:00am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Would you buy a hitch on Ebay?
I bought a 16K Superglide on Ebay. Pullrite doesn't make it anymore (its 18K now) but I called pullrite and the fellow said they still supportb it with parts. I installed it and its been very satisfactory. New the 18K is around $2,000. I paid $530.
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LeonardTinker
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09/13/08 08:38am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Non-potable water in white hose
Sheesh!!!! What a bunch of weenies! If you must treat the hose with clorine bleach but the idea of throwing it away is totally absurd.
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LeonardTinker
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09/13/08 07:12am |
Beginning RVing
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