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Forum
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RE: RV Show -Atlanta (eye opener)
Maybe folks were still trying to find GAS for their vehicles and couldn't get there.
I would think that is the case. Nobody wants to go anywhere they don't absolutely have to go. Even at $4 gallon people will buy gas, and go about their lives, but when there is no gas to buy...that's different.
Planning a trip out next month with a 3 hour drive time, but may stay closer or even cancel if gas supplies are not more reliable by then.
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Radio
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09/28/08 12:01pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Bad Smell From Kitchen Sink
1. Give the tank a good washing out. Use lots of laundry soap and bleach. (Which is a pain and slow)
2. Keep the drains plugs in place when the sink is not in use. And make sure there is water in the "P" trap.
3. Use a strainer thingy to prevent food scraps from going down the drain. That's what causes the stink.
4. And of course, make sure the vent is not clogged.
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Radio
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07/28/08 07:22am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Got new Rockwood 8280SS home, 1st impressions
Just curious what do you get for gas mileage towing your unit?
Awful. Between 9.5 and 11 MPG without overdrive.
Later in the trip I began to use OD without overheating tranny and the RPMs went down but didn't get a MPG calculation. Not too many flat places in the roads down through Kentucky and Tennesee so the OD didn't get much use.
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Radio
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07/23/08 02:29pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Got new Rockwood 8280SS home, 1st impressions
This is the only RV we will ever own (unless we manage to wear it out...not likely) and I think we really hit the ball out of the park on this one.
That's what we all say! (We're on our third RV :B )
We also have a Rockwood fifth wheel (3rd season with it) and I actually have had no issues since the purchase. Your experience will probably be similar, just enjoy.
Two words: "Economic Reality" :B
Been married to the same wife 33 years, drove my last 3 trucks 12 -15 years each.
Trucks, wifes, campers...if you take care of them they last a long long time.
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Radio
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07/22/08 06:34pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Got new Rockwood 8280SS home, 1st impressions
Congrats, we just looked at the Rockwoods 2 weeks ago. We are partial to the 8280WS, same rear kitchen but different front bedroom/bath layout. How is access to the fridge with the slide pulled in? That is the 1 thing we are concerned about and the dealer didn't have a rear kitchen to look at. Enjoy the new camper, welcome to the party.
You can just barely get the frige door open. Plan ahead and put what you want in the door or on shelves near the front on the latch side.
Forget getting in the pantry. You might make snacks ahead of time and put them in the frige where you can reach them.
We kept a small cooler in the cab of the truck on our journey. We'd pull out of the way after fueling at a truck stop and wolf something down and then back on the road again.
For the overall roominess, value, quality (thus far!) and weight I just don't think the frige thing is a deal breaker.
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Radio
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07/21/08 02:19pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Cougar electric landing gear dead
Had the same issue with a brand new 5th wheel.
Start at the switch that controls the up/down fuction of the jacks. Follow a heavy wire back to the battery box. Somewhere along there you will find a device that holds the fuse. It's futile to tell you what it looks like because thay are all different! Mine looked like an old fashioned flint and fluid cigarette lighter painted black. Yours will no doubt be different. But it will be between the switch and the battery.
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Radio
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07/20/08 05:44pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Under the 5er
Wear gloves.
Dave
For sure. I can't get near "great stuff" without getting it all over me, so I always wear laytex gloves to work with the stuff. Same ones I use with the sewer set up.
Also, I think I'd prefer the kind for use around doors and windows as it does not expand quite as much. Too much expansion could break or jam something.
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Radio
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07/20/08 11:49am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Got new Rockwood 8280SS home, 1st impressions
This is the trailer that was ordered in the "This morning in Elkhart" thread, for those that followed that.
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Radio
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07/19/08 11:36am |
Fifth-Wheels
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Got new Rockwood 8280SS home, 1st impressions
Well, as total newbies we towed the thing about 700 miles through all sort of (summer) weather conditions on just about every kind of road surface and traffic conditions. From experience, I can recommend camping in the driveway is a whole lot less stressful way to get to know your first RV. But we jumped in the hard way, had some fun, minor screwups, and got home from RVW to Georgia just fine.
We stayed in a KOA and 2 state parks, for a total of 7 nights.
Here's our first impressions of the new camper:
Stuff we like:
NO LEAKS! ANYWHERE!!
Has very good towing manners, no problem for the F-150 to pull. Very well behaved on uneven, bumpy roads and on the freeway with big trucks passing.
I will improve transmission cooling (yes, I have the tow package) before next summer.
The kitchen! Huge counter space and more cabinet space than I think we'll ever need. Massive pantry.
The way the faucet head is also a spray nozzle on a hose and looks and works great at the same time.
The lift tubes on the overhead cabinets keep the doors firmy open OR shut.
The refrigerator worked great in 90 degree heat, and so did the A/C. In fact all the major systems we used on the trip were flawless. Did not use water pump or furnace. Even the Concertone XZ600 worked great!
The matress is a full (real) queen and slept very well.
The lights in the basement! And by the steps.
All the chairs are comfy, we saw no problems with interior fit and finish. Like the hidden storage in the dining room chair seats. (Shhh! It's a secret)
We like all the storage in the bedroom, three wardrobes and some drawers.
The toilet room has a window! Like the open bath layout. Like the tiny tub in the bottom of the shower.
Improvements Forest River made:
The water pump relocated to make more cabinet space. And is on the opposite end of the trailer from the bedroom.
The slide out motor relocated to somewhere besides between the street side wheels under the slide...now protected and out of the way...somewhere.
The "accordion" style bedroom door replaced by pocket door. Nice.
First mods I will make:
We have the table and chairs. The strap to hold the chairs in place lets them fall over, as there are no rugs on the legs for the strap to catch on. (You sort of have to see it to understand) I'm going to put small hooks on the chairs to hold the strap in place to see if that helps.
The water filter is behind a cabinet door that is screwed shut. (WHY?) That will get a knob and catch to make servicing the filter easy. Also will "shock mount" the water pump. Everybody does that.
Don't like:
The kitchen drawers are under the optional counter extention. I saw that one coming and bought the trailer anyway. The way the sink is arranged it's difficult to place a dish drainer on the counter to drain into the sink. No big deal. Pretty sort list, huh?
Boo-boos:
The kitchen table was mounted too close to the wall and the day/night shade will not come all the way down. Cordless screwdriver to the rescue. The laundry basket, when placed on the basement deck, doesn't like up with the laundry chute (hole?) I think that's a design issue. Prop up the end of the basket with something and move it closer to the compartment door and it works OK.
This is the only RV we will ever own (unless we manage to wear it out...not likely) and I think we really hit the ball out of the park on this one.
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Radio
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07/18/08 08:32pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: This morning in Elkhart, Indiana
We have the trailer! Our pickup went very well, there was one option (an extra battery) that there was some confusion over, but because I kept all our email exchanges and printed them all out we were able to iron it all out and get it installed real quick.
We are now in the Wapakoneta KOA and the owners are great. Very helpful to we newbies. We got to meet PMiller228 and his wonderful family as they picked up their new 5th wheel in the bay next to ours. (Yes, Virginia, there IS a Radio.)
We are impressed with the trailer, except that the kitchen table is to close to the window to let the shade down all the way (oops!) and the A/C vents over the bed spit out little bits of styrofoam all over the bed. We made "filters" from cheesecloth and blue painters tape and we'll just wait for all the bits to blow out.
We are having a blast.
They really do built dreams in Elkhart, and we picked up ours just yesterday.
Thanks for all your attention as so many of you lived with us vicariously through this posting for the last 10 weeks.
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Radio
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07/06/08 03:55pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Not So Good Experience with RV Wholesalers Today
PMiller...
But you got to meet "Radio"!!!!
Doesn't that count for something?? :R
PMiller and wife have 3 of the most adorable little boys you ever saw, the youngest of which loves a mud puddle!! You are going to have so many fine memories in that beautiful new trailer.
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Radio
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07/06/08 03:29pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RVs and Ham Radio Converge in '08 Field Day News Report
Found this You Tube TV report about this years field day action.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=30QtbCOnKS8
Catch some nice views of Kenwood and Yaesu equipment plus a bunch of RVs in use as mobile stations.
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Radio
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06/30/08 07:25pm |
Technology Corner
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RE: Half Ton Towing advice
Before hauling anything through the Rockies or Smokies I would:
1. Dump the water tank - unless all research proves there will be no water available within 50 miles of the destination. (not likely) And the grey and black tanks would be empty, too.
2. Look at each item I take with me and ask myself if I'm really going to use it on this trip... if not it stays home.
3. And then I'd keep a casual eye on the new tranny temp gauge I just installed
4. And after reading all this I'll not worry too much about the high RPMs!!
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Radio
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06/29/08 06:37am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Installing tranny temp gauge in F-150
OK, I got the gauge installed and it looks great and works great, too!
It installed very neatly where the 4x4 switch would have been if I had 4x4. I removed the coin holder thingy and cut away the backside of the hole. The gauge slides in very nicely! Had to modify the bracket deal that came with the gauge but the finished product looks factory!
Thanks for the accurate info about plumbing the tranny and wire colors. That was great!!
So now the question is, how hot is too hot?? :h
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Radio
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06/28/08 03:09pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: This morning in Elkhart, Indiana
AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!
RVWholesalers have it on the lot and I can't pick it up for 9 days 13 hours and 28 minutes!!
I did ask for some pictures...we'll see if Dave the Sales Guy has time.
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Radio
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06/25/08 06:44pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Best repeaters along I-75 from Atlanta to Dayton, OH??
Nobody has a favorite repeater anywhere between Atlanta and Dayton?
Don't all hams go to Dayton??
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Radio
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06/23/08 02:27pm |
Technology Corner
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Best repeaters along I-75 from Atlanta to Dayton, OH??
We leave in the wee hours of July 4th to pick up the trailer in Ohio. The trip up is a straight shot, 95% of the time on I-75 from Atlanta to beyond Dayton.
Any suggestions as to favorite, active, helpful 144/440 repeaters along this route?
And of course, one side of the radio will be on 146.52 at all times.
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Radio
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06/22/08 05:46pm |
Technology Corner
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RE: This morning in Elkhart, Indiana
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!
I was informed today
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!
that the new trailer rolled off line (ie: out the door)
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!
right on schedule and
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!
the driver will pick it up next week and
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!
we are ON for 5 July delivery!!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!
*pant* *pant* *THUD!!*
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Radio
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06/18/08 07:27pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Installing tranny temp gauge in F-150
You can tap into the radio wires.
For the illumination-tap into the LB/RD (light blue/red) wire. Will allow dimming.
For 12V-tap into LG/YE (light green/yellow). Hot with key on/run.
WOW! Thanks! Where'd you get this info?
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Radio
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06/14/08 07:43pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Installing tranny temp gauge in F-150
JW...
Thanks, that's a start. I can figger out the wiring by testing with a DVM but that's a real pain. USed to work in a place that built broadcast transmitters so I'm pretty good with a schematic. Maybe one will turn up here.
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Radio
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06/14/08 06:02pm |
Tow Vehicles
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