RE: PSA Test Help
If the state you are in has a local (county) health dept, they will probably do the PSA blood test for a nominal fee. Check the local yellow pages for the county health dept.
RE: 5th wheel hitch in lease truck
It's pretty simple. See what the lease company says. But, I think you know.
I think the only way to know for sure is to check with the lease company directly. That way, there will be no unpleasant surprises if they write you up for it. If it was me, I would not "volunteer" the information, but I would not hide it with a bed liner either. Put the responsibility on the guy who checks it prior to turning it in. That is what he gets paid for - but at least you will know ahead of time what to expect if you check with the lease company first.
RE: Refrigerator Fan
I have personally not seen any need for one in our fridge. I usually keep ours running all the time during camping season (March-November) and clean in out and turn it off otherwise with the door propped open to prevent mildew. Seems like it would take up a lot of valuable space for a questionable benefit.
RE: How to make a queen bed more comfortable?
It really depends on the quality of the mattress you already have - in some cases the foam toppers will work okay on an otherwise decent mattress. However, if the mattress is like most that come as "original equipment", it is just a lousy mattress and adding foam toppers will only make it taller, not better. You might try a topper at first to see if it works, but we ended up buying a regular queen size from the furniture store and got rid of the old one. In my opinion, the foam toppers are not a cure-all for a lousy mattress, but worth a try to see if they work for you. Good luck.
RE: Should they be towing a Camper
To what degree can you blame citizens for lack of law and codes reinforcement?
The government at whatever level CANNOT fix everything. Even if there was a law against this, these morons would not know about it. It is the responsibility of the INDIVIDUAL to learn everything he can about a particular interest he may have, particularly if if may affect other people as well. If I suddenly decided to take up hang gliding or water skiing or whatever, it would be my responsiblity to learn as much about it as possible BEFORE actually trying it myself. The bottom line is "citizens" don't need a law, they need to use their common sense (if they have any) and learn to think for themselves. Government already has too much influence on our lives.
Bike recommendations
My wife and I are considering the purchase of a couple of bikes to take camping. There are many choices out there relative to size, gear speeds, etc. We would mainly be getting the bikes for travel and exercise around the campgrounds - no steep hills or long climbs, so my question is what would you recommend that would be moderate in cost and appropriate for our use? Any suggestions appreciated.
RE: ac vents
My Keystone Montana has the round air conditioner vents, and I just bought one from my local Camping World. It is the kind that can be closed off, and also can be rotated. I bought one that I can put in the bathroom to cut off the air flow in there. Mine was less than 10 dollars. I would think most any store that sells camping supplies would either have them in stock or can order them for you. Good luck.
RE: I used E-Bay to buy something, PayPal fraud alert!
Thanks very much for the heads up. Some people are so gullible it is unreal. Excuse me for the short post, but I have won the Nigerian lottery and have to e-mail a lot of personal info to claim my winnings!
RE: With My Whole Heart, Thank You for My Freedom!!!
Thanks for the great post. As a veteran, and someone who served during the Viet Nam era, I don't think the guys who actually served there were ever given the credit they deserved. Their country CALLED, and they answered the call! The POLITICIANS screwed up that war, but that is another subject.
But for veterans of all eras, the saying is still true - ALL GAVE SOME, AND SOME GAVE ALL.
Happy 4th to everyone.
RE: I'm apprenhensive to even broach this subject
You asked what others do, so here's my take. Whether I owned a fiver or a MH, after doing the necessary water, electric, sewer, etc. I would put out the outside rug, roll out the awning, drag out a couple of chairs, and TAKE IT EASY. But it is your own personal preference, so if your husband likes to stay busy doing all the other little things, AND ENJOYS IT, why not let him, as long as he does it safely and doesn't hurt himself. I have seen some people pull into a site, unhook and level, and that's about it. Other people apparently haul everything they own at home to the campsite - but if that's what makes them happy, so be it. Sounds like you and your husband just need to talk this over and figure out what works best for BOTH of you.
RE: I'm apprenhensive to even broach this subject
Sorry to be so confused, but are you asking what PROCESS you have to go thru when hooking/unhooking and setting up a fifth wheel? For example, do you need to know what steps to take after backing the fiver into the campsite, such as leveling, unhooking, etc? If so, please clarify and I'm sure you will get the help you need.
RE: Gas/Electric water heater
On Atwood water heaters both of the switches are normally inside. On Suburban water heaters the 110v electric switch is outside behind the cover. Suburban places the switch in a remote location to keep folks from accidently burning-out the heating element by forgetting to fill the tank with water first.
Thanks for educating me on the reason why they put this switch on the OUTSIDE, where it is hard to locate and use. I wish they had put it INSIDE and let me take my chances with burning out the element due to my own ignorance!
RE: Montana vs Mountaineer
What is the difference between the Montana and the Montana Mountaineer series from Keystone? According to the keystonerv website, the mountaineer is a montana + some extras, but it appears that I can get a mountaineer 285RLD cheaper than a Montana 2955RL...
Help me understand what I'm missing?
Thanks!
Actually, you have it backwards. The Montana is a step up from the Mountaineer, hence the smaller price tag. I think both would be good units. We own a Mountaineer and have been really satisfied with it. Good luck in your choices.
RE: Brake Controller
It kind of depends on what brand of controller you have, but, theoretically, you should NOT have to adjust your controller each time you hook up. However, again depending on the quality of the controller, you may have to occasionally change the setting for gravel roads, wet roads, etc. A little experience will let you get a feel for when you need to adjust it, such as wheels locking up when applying the brakes on a gravel road, or not enought stopping power when going downhill etc. Before I went out and bought a new controller, I would drive mine out a few times to get used to how it works. If you decide to buy a new one, most people would probably recommend a Prodigy, but there are several brands that would serve you well. So, without adjusting every time you hook up, just drive the rig and see how it responds, and if necessary, make SMALL adjustments to fine tune it. Good luck.
RE: Landing gear question
How would you lower the foot then?
Guess what - I hadn't thought about that. I suppose you could unhook the spring from the top, then let it drop down and re-hook it, but that might be as much trouble as manually raising the leg. any more ideas from anyone?
Landing gear question
While sitting here recuperating from sciatica/back injury, I have thought of a question about the front landing gear. Has anyone ever tried attaching a spring from the "foot" of the landing gear to the top, which would raise the inside of the leg when you pull the pin. I realize there is not a lot of weight involved, but you are in an awkward position all bent over when pulling the pin with one hand while grabbing the foot and raising it manually. Looks like that might be "back saver" for us old folks, but wondered if anyone had seen or tried it before.
Good neighbors
Two weeks ago, my wife and I headed over to a COE campground in S.C. for a few days. Upon arriving at the campground, I was backing the fiver into the site. While leaning forward and turning left to look in the mirror, I felt a terrible pain in my lower back. I thought at first it was a muscle spasm, so when the pain lessened I went about unhooking and setting up. Big mistake - if I had known at the time, I would have never unhooked and just came on back home. We finally managed to get everything set up, but for the next four days all I could do was sit around/lie around all the time due to sciatica. I have been through prostate cancer, heart arrythmia, attacks of gout, etc. but never anything this bad or long lasting. We were booked at the CG thru Friday AM, but finally decided to leave a day early since I was not getting better. Fortunately for us, we camped next to a great couple, Jimmy and Brenda Smith, from Greenville, SC. We had never met them before, but what a blessing they were. Brenda 'donated" me a "hot patch" for my back, and when we decided to leave, they came over to help us pack up. Jimmy did almost all the heavy lifting that I would normally do, even though he was not that familiar with a fiver (they have a TT). He even offered to follow me to the dump station, but I told him I could manage that with my wife"s help. Without their help, I would have had to call one of our sons or my brother to drive 160 miles round trip just to help us leave. It has now been 15 days and I am just beginning to walk without pain. I have certainly learned the hard way not to take for granted just being able to get out of bed and walk across the room! I vow to be a better camping neighbor in the future thanks to the great example shown by the Smiths. Sorry for the long post, but I hope this helps others realize their blessings and how they might help someone else in the future.
RE: Another AC Issue
I have read several other threads about AC units not cooling and I have another story to add. I went camping Saturday and was planning on staying till Thursday. The temp in side the coach made it to 97 degrees which was 6 degrees hotter then it was outside. The site was in direct sunlight from sun up to sun down. At night the temp outside dropped and so did the temp inside, in fact one morning I had it down to 64 degrees inside. Needless to say I could take the heat and packed it in early. I have made an appointment with the dealer for the 19th of this month and really don't know what they will be able to do for me. One question I have is why would I have a 50amp service and only 1 AC unit? I have had 6 other campers from small class A's to 5ver's and they have been 30amps. My last 2 fifth wheels (1 32' the other 34') were also 30amp with 1 AC unit and they did fine with the heat,
I would like to hear what your dealer says...would you mind PM'ing me the outcome or posting it here? I am having similar issues with my AC. At this point, we are being more selective on our camping spots to be in the shade. That seems to be the biggest factor regardless.
I walked in a buddies 5er who is running a 13.5 mind you and his rig was 9 degrees cooler than ours yet he was in a heavily shaded site. We were in the direct sun from 9 am til 7 pm. Best we could do was 82 inside, albeit it was 96 outside.
Unfortunately, I think 82 inside when it is 96 outside is about the best you can expect when sitting in full sun, unless you add a second AC unit. Despite all the hype in the factory brochures, etc, these things are not very well insulated unless you buy an expensive, high-end unit with extra insulation. Just a little bit of shade makes a big difference in staying cool when it is really hot.
