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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: Privacy Laws/Non-disclosure?
If this is how the dealership treats you when you are looking to buy a trailer, just think how helpful they will be after the sale! I would walk from this deal and the dealership!
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RetiredGuy
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10/06/08 07:25pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Water in the Campgrounds
I have two in-line filters for all water that I get from a CG. The first removes sediment and the second removes bad taste. Every six weeks or so I replace the sediment filter. When the filter is new it is snow white. After six weeks it is somewhere between tan and brown.
We have never gotten sick from CG water but OTOH, how would you really know? Maybe that day you felt a little lousy you were a little sick from CG water and maybe not. On the rare occasions when people do get sick from eating or drinking something contaminated, it takes medical experts a long time to track down the cause. A good example is the recent occurance when people were getting sick and first they said it was tomatoes and then they changed their mind and said it was peppers. That took weeks.
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RetiredGuy
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10/03/08 09:14am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Going from 50 amp. to 30 amp. adapter
As long as you don't pull more that the 30 amp rating of the adaptor and the site circuit breaker, it's just like being fed from a 30 amp circuit, and using a 30 amp power cord. As everyone else said, you'll have no problem with the adaptor.
Huh?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but a 50A adapter is actually 220v, which is 2 times 110V 25A.
If that's true, then using the dog bone adapter means you get a maximum of 25A out of the box - half of the 50A... and if that's true, then you can't pull more than 25A.
Any electricians out there who can validate?
(Short answer to the original question: Yes, it will work just fine..)
50 amp service is actually two 50 amp legs. Put another way, you can actually get 100 amps from a 50 amp service.
FWIW, sometimes 30 amp service is less than 30 amp. One of the reasons for this is that the campground circuit breakers get old and they trip at less than 30 amps.
And, yes the adapter will work just fine.
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RetiredGuy
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09/23/08 04:06am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Virginia "Personal Property Tax"
In Virginia, the tax rate is based on where you "garage" the vehicle. Find someplace to store the RV in a county with no tax. Prince William County comes to mind and there are others.
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RetiredGuy
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09/23/08 03:55am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Current 5ver owner recommends Class A
I owned a TT and wanted to move up. It was either going to be a FW or a Class A. To get the same size and comfort, the Class A was going to cost at least twice what the FW and TV cost. Then if you throw in another vehicle to tow, it mades it even worse. When on the road, I can unhitch and drive the TV to get it fueled. There are some service stations that are a real challenge to get a TV with FW attached into and out of. But with just the TV it is a piece of cake. Those same station can also be a challenge for a large Class A but there you don't have a choice. For me it would still be cheaper to have a TV, FW, and small car rather than a Class A and small car. YMMV but this is what worked for me.
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RetiredGuy
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09/22/08 07:51pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Very Sad To Read The Winterization Threads....
Very sad to read the threads from the people who are in southern California. They have high taxes, lousy roads, and terrible traffic. They have all of that plus earthquakes, mud slides, and wild fires. I'm from Colorado and the saying here is, "You smile when you go to the continential divide and p*** because you know that both Texas and California are downstream."
(I'm sorry. I couldn't resist!!!) ;)
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RetiredGuy
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09/19/08 04:38pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Alaska Travel Caravan/by yourself
We are on our way home after spending three months in Alaska this summer. At several campgrounds where we stayed, caravans pulled in while we were there. Caravan RVs would start pulling in the late afternoon around 5:00. The last few would straggle in by 10:00. The next morning at 7:00 there would be a herd of people standing outside around the trip leader. By 8:00 they would all pull out. This is not my idea of fun. One place we saw this was in Telkeetna, an interesting little town that is worth a day or two of exploring. I guess the caravan leader didn't think it was worth anything more than an overnight stop. Maybe the caravan saw things we didn't but we certainly saw thing they didn't. At one time we thought we might take a caravan to Alaska but after seeing them in action, there is no way we would. The only possible benefit I see is that you have some instant friends. OTOH, we met and made friends with people as we traveled. We stay in contact with some of them and I expect that these friendships will continue for years. I think many take caravans as they are fearful of going on a long trip with many unknowns. Truth us, going to Alaska is pretty simple. it is just a little longer trip than going to the nearby state park for the weekend.
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RetiredGuy
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09/18/08 07:27am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Pros and cons on extended pin boxes
FWIW, I read somewhere that the further back the nose cap of a FW is from the truck cab, the more turblence you get and hence lower MPG. I would vote for a slider vice an extended pin box.
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RetiredGuy
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09/08/08 10:11pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Alaska Checklist
We are the road back from a trip to Alaska. We left home May 9 and don't expect to get back before the end of September. Our special preparations:
1. Bought a freezer that fits in the FW to bring home 50 pounds of fish.
2. Bought a copy of Milepost and Camping in Alaska by Church.
3. Made reservations at Denali Nat'l Park.
4. Sent emails to many of the places we wanted to visit and got back many brochures before we left home.
5. Loaded up and took off.
We didn't bring extra tires, fan belts, etc. and never needed them. The freezer is full of frozen fish. We found Milepost to be close to useless. Would never buy another one. Too much detail and too much of it out of date; impossible to read while the vehicle is in motion. There are great campgrounds they don't mention as the campground does not advertise. They had ads and writeups for campgrounds that had been closed for several years. Church's book was our bible for finding excellent campgrounds. Wouldn't be without it. Didn't need reservations at Denali but we were there late in the season. We normally called campgrounds a day or two in advance to be sure they had space. Sometimes a caravan pulls into a campground and takes up 20 or so sites. If that happens the campground might be full for a night. Never had a problem finding a place. The brochures were helpful in planning where we wanted to go. At one time we considered a caravan. After seeing them in operation in Alaska, we are very glad we didn’t go that route. Many times caravans would start puling into a campground in the late afternoon with some not getting there until after 10:00 pm. The next morning we would see a herd of people standing around the leader at 7:00 am and then everyone would pull out at 8:00. This is not our idea of fun. We pick places we want to see and spend a few days rather than being on a forced march 12 hours a day. We had and are still having a great time!
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RetiredGuy
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09/07/08 01:32pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Bailment
Actually many states have ruled that shop keepers have an inherent responsibility to manintain safe and secure actions. In many cases, the owner flatly stated that the shop left the keys in the vehicle and hence , the shop was responsible. In no case so far, has a shop owner proved beyond a doubt that they did not leave the keys in the vehicle. So the people who had the rv stolen only has to say that the rv shop left the keys in the rv. Now it is up to the shop to prove he didnt. Even though he may have the keys in his office, there is always the second set. You think that crook is gonna testify for the shop owner? Not so far in many many cases involving tart law.
***snip**
I don't think you have a good grasp of the law. Assume that the owner sues the shop and says the shop left the keys in the vehicle. And then the shop says it did not. The burden of proof is on the plaintiff (owner) to prove the case. The level of proof in such cases is preponderance of the evidence meaning more than 50%. The shop doesn’t have to prove squat. If the plaintiff says the keys were left in the vehicle and the shop says they were not. That is a 50/50 split and the plaintiff loses.
Of course if the shop can produce the keys or show that the office where the keys were sucured was broken into and the key were stolen, the shop would most likely win in that case as well.
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RetiredGuy
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09/06/08 11:49pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Alaska bears when and where
Go to Brooks Camp in Katmai Nat'l Park. You should pick a time that corresponds to the salmon run there. We were there for 3 days in the middle of July this year. Although the lodge is expensive and they can't take too many people, you can camp in the campground and it is cheap. You can see big brown bears up close. At times at the falls there were 8-10 big bears all feeding at the same time. They are as close to you as 10 feet. There is a viewing platform and the bears ignore the people; they are after the salmon. Further down the river we saw sows with cubs while we were on a viewing platform there. These were also as close as 10 feet from us. You walk the trails and the bears use the same trails. Although you should stay back from the bears, we once rounded a curve in the trail and a bear was about 30 feet from us. He looked at us and walked off into the bush. This year was our second trip there and we will go back for a week next time.
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RetiredGuy
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09/01/08 12:31am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Caravan tours of Alaska and Canada
Why do folks like Robert and mcgill just have to spout off their own feelings instead of providing some information that the OP requested?? Happens way too often on just about all the different forums and I just don't understand it.
Now - we have taken only one caravan/organized tour. That was Fantasy Tour's trip to Churchill manitoba to see the polar bears. it was a wonderful trip. Well organized and pleasant leaders. As far as the organization - we had no complaints.
If the OP had asked, "What would be the best hitch I could put in my 1/2 ton pickup to tow my new 18,000 GVWR 5th wheel?" how would you respond? Maybe, just maybe, you would (if you had a brain) question the basic premise of the question. There is just a chance that the OP had not considered that caravans have many faults. At one time I thought a caravan was the way to travel to Alaska. Then as I learned more about them, I decided that a caravan was not something I would ever do, at least to travel to Alaska. If the OP has all the facts and still wants to use a caravan to go to Alaska, fine. The faults I have seen with caravans are not something that would be apparant just by reading the slick web sites or brochures.
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RetiredGuy
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08/29/08 10:59pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Leaving the television in the camper could....
While I don't know the answer to your question, I do know that they ship LCD TVs in trucks without any temperature control in them. Those made in places like Singapore are packed in containers that are loaded on ships. No temperature control there either. If extremes of temperature damaged LCD TVs, I would guess that they would ship them in some sort of temperature control. Have you ever been in a semi-trailer when it it parked in the sun or in the bitter cold? The temperatures in there are pretty extreme.
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RetiredGuy
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08/24/08 08:26pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Caravan tours of Alaska and Canada
I have never been on a caravan and after what I have seen in Alaska I would never be on one. Here is just one example of why. I am currently in a campground in Telkeetna. Last night a caravan pulled into the campground. None arrived before 6:00 pm and some didn't arrive until well after 10:00. Telkeetna is a neat little town and worth a day or two to explore. I am here for two days. There are great flightseeing trip to Mt. McKinley from here. There are a lot of historic buildings and interesting things to see. By 8:00 this morning, the entire caravan pulled out. I guess they have a schedule to make and no time to see Telkeetna. If you like showing up late in the evening and leaving early the next day without seeing the sights, then maybe caravans are the way to go. This is not the first place in Alaska where I have seen this late-in-early-out forced march of caravans. That coupled with the cost makes we wonder why anyone would ever consider a canavan. Just my two cents.
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RetiredGuy
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08/24/08 02:41pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: 55 Gallon Water Drum
I know some who have used a water bed for hauling water.
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RetiredGuy
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08/24/08 11:34am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Need Information on Haines, AK
I have been in Homer, Valdez, Seward, and Haines. All four this year. I would rate them in the same order as I listed them. I loved Homer, thought Valdez and Seward were about the same, and thought Haines was OK. We weren't there when all of the eagles congragate. If you want things like gift shops and a lot of restaurants, that wouldn't be Haines. I think if that is what you are looking for, go to Skagway. I have never been in Skagway. Like Haines, Skagway is at the end of a fairly long road. The road from Haines to Haines Junction is a pretty drive.
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RetiredGuy
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08/18/08 04:22pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Verizon Data Service in Alaska
I got internet service most of the time in Alaska, with extended network.
When did you have service? Were you using an air card, USB modem, tethered phone, or what?
Thanks,
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RetiredGuy
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08/17/08 05:38pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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Verizon Data Service in Alaska
Does anyone know if Verizon data service (Broadband and/or National Access) works in Alaska? Calling Verizon to ask this question is almost useless. Maybe someone at Verizon knows the answer but I can't seem to find that person. I have been told that several years ago Verizon did offer data service in Alaska but since then they pulled out of the state and sold everything. All Verizon cell voice service is on Extended Service meaning some other carrier is supplying the service through contract with Verizon.
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RetiredGuy
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08/17/08 04:03pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Where to Register Your Rig???
You can be a legal resident of any state. You become a legal resident by your intent. There are many factors that can be used to prove your intent. These are things like where you vote, where you pay taxes (if any), what address you use when filing federal tax returns, where you have a library card, where you get your drivers license, your mailing address, where you claim your residence for medical insurance, etc. Ususlly not any one of these proves your intent. If you are a full timer, you should get as many as you can to strengthen your case. If you do things like have a drivers license in one state and vote in another, then this raises questions about which state is your legal residence. In addition, you need to understand how your current state looks at losing you as a legal resident. New York used to be notorious about going after their residents who spend 6 months in Flordia and 6 months in New York. These snowbirds all tried to switch to being Flordia residents to avoid New York taxes. New York didn't want to lose the taxes. I don't know if this is still a problem. I have never heard of any state not wanting to gain a new resident.
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RetiredGuy
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08/16/08 02:49pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: State and Federal Donut Hole
For starters, I think Reserve America stinks! I recently used it to reserve a space in a park where I thought the park would be full. They told me on the phone I was lucky as I got the last space. When I got to the park there were literally over 100 empty (non-reserved) sites that could have been reserved. Maybe that many people canceled or failed to show. Want to buy a bridge? I have never had a good experience when trying to reserve a camp site with Reserve America. And when I have mentioned Reserve America to the campgound hosts where I have stayed, not a one has good words for them.
Many campgrounds do not allow all of their sites to be reserved. I just stayed at one where about half the sites were reservable and half were first-come, first-served. The campground had something like 80 sites. There were 10 or so sites that were reserved for the weekend without anyone in them.
My advice is to just go and see what you can get or call the campground directly and ask about available sites.
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RetiredGuy
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08/04/08 03:27pm |
General RVing Issues
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