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Forum
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I rarely use my LevelAirs
There was a time when I thought these things were the greatest. But after a few uses I sorta just slipped back into pulling up onto my lynx levelers. As the season heads towards it's end for us Vermonters, I realize that I sure have a lot of accessories!
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Rob & Kasey
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09/13/08 07:36am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Best TT with a Dry Weight Under 4800 Pounds
Pamvanw brings up a good point. As we've shopped (and continue to shop for the next big thing) we keep slides in mind. We do stop at rest areas and need access to the bathroom, fridge, etc. Some units we've seen the slide blocks the door to the bathroom. Yikes.
With the rear queen slide we lose the dinette and the sofa in thier normal setup. But the one dinette seat is usable and about 1/3rd of the sofa. The kids climb up into the slide and eat thier lunch using my guitar case as the table. DW and I sit in the two open spots. It all works out OK. We've easily done overnights in the setup as well. Kids in thier bunks and we're up in the slid-in-slide. No problems.
But again, good thing to keep in mind.
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Rob & Kasey
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07/23/08 08:35am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Best TT with a Dry Weight Under 4800 Pounds
We've been very pleased with our Forest River Surveyor 235RS. There's also a 255RS. Or whatever the newer model numbers are. Both have the rear queen hard slide. Our 235 has two double bunks which are great for the kids as they get thier own beds.
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Rob & Kasey
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07/23/08 07:49am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Bike Rack Advice Needed
I couldn't say enough good about our Top Pop Rails rack. Safe, secure, and in the right place. Tried bumper hitch...nope. Same issues you describe. Tried front mount hitch...nope. Bikes in the way of a clear view...and distracting. Enter the Top Pop Rails mounted over my LP tanks. Yep. No more worries.
http://www.toppoprails.com/
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Rob & Kasey
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07/23/08 07:39am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Prodigy Mount in RAM?
I mounted ours in the same location as the photo above. However, I first removed the plastic "bucket" panel and carefully made a neat hole in the back. The result is that the Prodigy is nicely recessed into the area using the quick release bracket. Took about an hour.
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Rob & Kasey
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07/21/08 08:18pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: gas or diesell with water added
Why not just get a Mr. Fusion? These handy countertop appliances can generate over 1.21 gigawatts from household garbage.
http://images.wikia.com/bttf/images/5/56/Mrfusion.png width=500
http://images.wikia.com/bttf/images/f/f2/Refueling.jpg
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Rob & Kasey
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05/23/08 04:46am |
Tech Issues
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RE: What do you DC experts think of this?
Hydrogen buildup with AGMs is normally not a problem. It's only a problem if something goes wrong and the charge voltage goes too high. Then it becomes a big problem. I'm not sure if a vent fan would be the best protection or if a high voltage sensor and shutdown would be better. That way, you might not actually vent hydrogen and ruin the batteries, in addition to not blowing up the trailer. Something to ponder.
I believe that my risk would be if something went wrong with the Prosine and it lost control of itself. Otherwise I think that it's programming will shut down things before something gets out of hand.
In the worst case scenario, the AGMs would need to be severely overcharged at a dangerous rate according to virtually eveything I have read. If that occurs then I suppose there is a remote risk of a big bummer. Perhaps the active venting with a dc muffin fan would be good, maybe some sort of alarm, we'll see. I don't feel I am being unsafe. It would take a lot of bad things to line up just right for something to go tragic. Am I being dumb?
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Rob & Kasey
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05/16/08 04:55am |
Tech Issues
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RE: What do you DC experts think of this?
A little off topic but is that the fresh holding tank filler tube running down the left side of the picture? I seen these puncture and/or crack. Don't know if that's a concern.
Yes, that is the gravity fill tube and the vent tube. We don't use it much as we fill the fresh water tank via a ball valve we installed between the city water inlet and the tank outlet. I'm not very concerned about something going wrong there.
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Rob & Kasey
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05/16/08 04:44am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Yamaha 2400is generator/13,500 BTU ac
Runs my 13.5 AC no problem. Good luck!
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Rob & Kasey
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05/15/08 09:25pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: What do you DC experts think of this?
So I have ordered a 3' black 4/0 cable to replace the 13" interconnect that is there now and connect at the opposite corner as the positive. I also intend to move the newer batteries to the outsides and the older ones to the inside. I believe based on what I have read that this will be a good arrangment offering acceptable balance for the batteries in the bank.
I appreciate the feedback and advice!
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Rob & Kasey
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05/15/08 12:35pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Opinion on the Surveyor 235 by Forest River
You know what they say about opinions...
We have the 06 235. Although it is by no means an example of master craftsmanship, it is serving us very well. Being quite handy, I've done this and that to make things stronger and tighter in many ways. Additional screws in a lot of places. Replaced some of the wiring. Cleaned up the sloppy tank wiring underneath. But overall the cabinetry has been fine. Towing is a breeze. As far as any off-roading it depends on how off-road you are talking about. We frequent many music festivals which has us up and down dirt roads, through fields, up and down hills, over heavy gravel roads, etc. As already mentioned, the 235 sits pretty low so care needs to be taken for sure.
For the money we paid I have zero complaints. Good luck!
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Rob & Kasey
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05/14/08 05:16am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: upgrade converter?? or new batt's and a good inverter?
Gees, all the guy wants to do is run a laptop. Get some new batteries and be done with it.
Excellent point. Perhaps I am too excited about my Prosine. I am the king of total overkill! :)
Anyway...
To run the laptop and other small accessories, I ran a small hardwired 1K watt $75 MSW Xantrex inverter for quite a few years with no problems or regrets. If I didn't have the unusually demanding inverter needs that I have it would still be installed and running.
So to the OP I suggest looking at the Xantrex XPower.
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Rob & Kasey
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05/10/08 07:17am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Generator security
We used one of those "kryptonite" bicycle cable locks...
We do almost the same thing with one added step. The first cable goes through the handles, as well as through a second cable lock that is locked tightly around the body of the generator. Sure, someone can perhaps use a big set of cable cutters, but not many folks at the large music fests we attend walk around with large cable cutters.
Having the cables this way allows us to freely move the generator around if the wind shifts or whatever.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41D94V3WFHL._SL500_AA280_.jpghttp://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41W6Y59VBVL._SL500_AA280_.jpg
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Rob & Kasey
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05/10/08 06:01am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Digital display
Be sure to also check out the Trimetric 2020 from Bogart Engineering. I have been very pleased with it's performance and functionality for 8 years now.
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Rob & Kasey
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05/10/08 05:37am |
Tech Issues
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RE: I am a raving fan of the Prosine 2.0!
And I almost forgot, so is my Yamaha EF3000iSEB :B
Looks like I could park my Durango and Surveyor in your 5'r!!!:B
When I was "Prosine shopping" I recall that the 2.5 came with a more basic control panel and the Xantrex ACS was optional. The 2.0 including a full-on control panel was a steal at $800 for a manufacturer refurb, too!
I spent a lot of time researching and the Prosine series in general just seemed hands-down the best option for my system. I really love it. Although my TT is a more basic model as even completely loaded it only goes so far, my electrical system is serious business. I've pretty much rewired everything.
I welcome any questions from those looking at the Prosine models. I've become quite familiar with it.
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Rob & Kasey
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05/09/08 08:11pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: upgrade converter?? or new batt's and a good inverter?
You can also pick up a factory refurbished Prosine 2.0 with a one year warranty for around $800. I have purchased two of them now and they were both in perfect/mint condition. Absolutely no signs that they were ever touched. Other than a "refurbished" Xantrex sticker on the casing it would have been impossible to tell. Only catch I can see is the one year warranty instead of the two year warranty with a new one. So that's a $1,000 extended warranty.
I could not be more pleased with the performance and features of the Prosine 2.0...refurbed or not. Even at $1,800 it would still be worth it! (although I would never have gotten that approved by DW)
http://www.robandkasey.com/images/powercontrols.jpg
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Rob & Kasey
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05/09/08 06:10pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Sirius Radio in the house?
We use the expensive (but totally excellent) Sonos which provides access to Sirius, Rhapsody, Pandora, Napster, and our 1600 CD library. Absolutely awesome system!
If you need something like this anyway. ;)
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Rob & Kasey
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05/08/08 06:41pm |
Technology Corner
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RE: Bunk Ladder
I took the rubber feet off and hack saw the legs down to were I wanted them. I then put the rubber feet back on.
I did the same thing works great
Me three. Perfect fit.
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Rob & Kasey
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05/08/08 06:36pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: How to fill my fresh water tank
We don't like the gravity fill as it's on the living side of the trailer where our table and chairs live. We've installed a couple of tee fittings and a ball valve between the city water connection and the input side of the water pump. Open cabinet under the sink, open the valve, and water fills the tank. We open the gravity fill cap to allow the air pressure to fully escape better than the vent tube. Only downside is if I don't monitor the tank level and I overfill the tank and water pours out of the gravity fill and all over everything anyway.
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Rob & Kasey
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05/07/08 05:22am |
Tech Issues
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RE: What do you DC experts think of this?
MELM -
Excellent article. I must have overlooked your previous recommendation to review it. It certainly makes sense, and I wouldn't have thought that with gigantic 4/0 cables that the effect could exist. But for the cost of one longer cable to connect at opposite ends I do believe that I'll do it. And put the new batteries on the ends as you suggested.
Looking at the photo it seems the most convenient to remove the 13" negative interconnect between the shunt and the top battery and install an appropriate length negative 4/0 cable from the shunt to the lower battery's negative terminal. The temp sensors would be in the right place then as well.
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Rob & Kasey
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05/05/08 09:56am |
Tech Issues
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