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Author |
Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: US 54 Wichita to Tucumcari
Google Maps comes us with an interesting route. It recommends I80W through Nebraska, I76 towards Denver (but not through Denver), then I-25 S to New Mexico.
Again, this will be in March that I will make this trip. I am familiar with everything but I-25S. Are there any mountain passes on I-25 in Colorado or New Mexico?
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jeffcarp
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09/30/08 08:42am |
Roads and Routes
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US 54 Wichita to Tucumcari
We will be taking a winter trip from Des Moines to Albuquerque in March. Most mapping programs take the I-35 (Oklahoma City) route. A few shows US 54 through Kansas.
In a small Class C (on a Chevy 3500 rear wheel drive), which would you take in March?
Is US 54 mostly 2 lane or 4 lane? It looks like it saves about 100 miles and potentially an hour, depending on which online mapping program you use.
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jeffcarp
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09/29/08 01:37pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: mini cargo trailer - Reese Backpacker
They are motorcycle tires, so they are rated for freeway speeds.
What is the max speed rating on those tiny tires?
Personally, I would look for a small (say 5x8) single axle utility trailer (flat bed with 1 foot rail sides and a ramp gate) with larger tires on at least 12" or bigger wheels. I see trailers matching this description for sale used for between about $250 (a really great deal) up to about $800 (too much $$). Around $500 seems to be about average for a nice used one. New they are about $800 to $1200.
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jeffcarp
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09/08/08 05:40am |
Towing
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mini cargo trailer - Reese Backpacker
While traveling today, I was passed by a car pulling a small cargo trailer labeled a Reese Backpacker. From the info I could gather, it is a 35 cubic foot trailer that weighs about 200 pounds and attaches to the hitch. This is perfect for me to pull behind my Roadtrek. But I can't find any info on the Reese website. Is this still made and if not, is there something similar available on the market. I am familiar with the Stoyaway products but I have a tight CCC. The Reese product is appealing because I have tons of pulling capacity.
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jeffcarp
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09/06/08 07:38pm |
Towing
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RE: Alabama US Highway 231
Sounds like that is the way to go. I came through Atlanta in June of this year, and this lane reduction was terrible. The traffic hit far north of the city and cost us at least an hour. I think the Alabama route, while 60 miles longer, will be a much more pleasant route.
once you get south of US-80 in the southeast, the hills minimize, a lot of flat ground and swamps.
Weekends on I-75 thru Atl have also gotten interesting. Siz lanes get reduced to 2 or 3 for the DOT to repave the hiway.
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jeffcarp
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09/04/08 06:13am |
Roads and Routes
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Alabama US Highway 231
We drive every year from Iowa to Florida. It never fails that traffic and/or construction creates delays through Atlanta, no matter what time of day we try it. In addition, the way our days work out, a stopover in Atlanta for one night is the right distance. But the choices of RV parks in Atlanta is poor. I am considering heading down through Alabama on I-65 instead of Georgia to make it a easier drive. According to Google maps, it adds about 60 miles.
My concern is the stretch from Montgomery, AL down to I-10 in Florida. It uses US Highway 231. I can't find much information about that highway. Is it 4 lane? Hilly? Curvy? If it is 4 lane, I can likely overcome some of that 60 mile extra by not having the slow leg through Atlanta. If it is a small 2 lane highway at 55 mph, then I do have another hour to deal with.
Any guidance is appreciated.
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jeffcarp
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09/03/08 09:05pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: replacement macerator pump hose on Roadtrek
Same here...dealer is 4 hours away. I'll just buy a hose assuming it is a straight forward installation. Does anyone have the outside and inside diameter specs on the hose? And has anyone found a better replacement. I've found what appears to be similar to the factory hose here:
http://superflex.thomasnet.com/viewitems/boat-and-rv-hose--1021/rollerflex-153-recreational-vehicle-hose?&sortid=1033&measuresortid=1009
Strange, I was accessing the forum to complain about the hose on my 2007 RT 210P. It has a small crack in it as of last month. I was going to just cut it and splice it with a barbed coupler and clamps. Lo and behold a thread on waste hose right there at the top!
Problem here in Vegas is that Roadtrek will not drop ship stuff direct to owner and to get warranty service I have to go back to dealer in Orange County (McMahons). Not a viable option with gas prices the way they are--might just go buy some replacement hose that is more flexible and sturdy.....
GC
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jeffcarp
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09/01/08 10:20pm |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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replacement macerator pump hose on Roadtrek
I have a 2008 RT 210 and need to replace the hose on the discharge side of the macerator pump. The hose lable appears to say it is a 1" cold water hose. I am hoping to find something more flexible but more durable if it exists. Anyone know of a source online to replace this hose? Or a source of a better product? Thanks.
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jeffcarp
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09/01/08 02:09pm |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: Can you run refrig on propane while RV is indoors?
The storage garage is a leased facility. I can't run electric to it. The receptacles are on the outside of the doors and are for incidental purposes. But, when I posted this question, I forgot about one thing: 12VDC. I called Dometic and they claim that my 5 cu ft refrig only draws 1.5A per hour. I've got 220 amp-hr batteries. So I should easily be able to power the refrigerator for a day without issue. Right?
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jeffcarp
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07/10/08 10:40am |
Beginning RVing
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Can you run refrig on propane while RV is indoors?
I keep my RV in an indoor storage garage. The garage is approximately 12' wide x 35' long x 16' high. My Roadtrek is roughly 9' wide x 23' long x 10' high. My point is, there is some excess volume in the garage besides the RV but not a whole lot. This is a metal building, and the garage door has a tight seal.
I'd like to be able to being cooling my refrigerator down the day before we camp or take a trip. Is it safe to run the refrigerator on propane for a day while the RV is parked in this enclosed garage?
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jeffcarp
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07/09/08 09:41pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: 06 RT 190 Onan 2.8 troubles
I had nearly this exact problem with my Cummins 2.8kW in my 2008 RT. When I would start the generator it would take a few minutes to settle out. Then, any load you added, it would surge for several minutes, after the load was added. If you added enough of a load, it would stall out. It would never start the AC. We used the generator while traveling from Iowa to Florida, and it would surge even with the 750W microwave. Obviously, a 2.8kW generator should hold the microwave.
In Orlando, I took the RT to Cummins Onan for service. Turns out that the stator in the generator was shorted to ground. The mechanic said that a generator that would not hold a load is a symptom on a grounded stator. They also replaced the carburetor because after replacing the stator, there was still some surging going on, but only at full load. Now it runs well.
FYI, this was warranty for me, but the bill shows the repair cost, then shows it credited back. It was about $1000.
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jeffcarp
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06/28/08 05:39pm |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: RoadTrek 210V ground clearance
No, not at all. These are just to allow us to keep the RT in our driveway for a period of time while we prepare for or unpack from a trip.
Boy, those ramps are beefy and expensive!!! Are you going to be taking them around with you?
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jeffcarp
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05/24/08 11:54am |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: RoadTrek 210V ground clearance
It is amazing how math finds its way into everyday applications. You sound like you enjoy this stuff. If so, I will give you another one.....The ramp that I am looking at is in this picture, with dimensions
http://www.discountramps.com/wheel-risers-1.jpg
The slope is 1" per 1' on my driveway. The final question on this product is, will the 210 RT go up this ramp, or will the front bumper hit the ramp and push it out of the way before the wheels get to the incline?
The wheelbase of the RT 210V is 155"
Fun stuff, eh?
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jeffcarp
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05/22/08 08:49am |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: RoadTrek 210V ground clearance
Brilliant! My how those things escape you over the years. But you are correct. The rear would drop less than the front because the fulcrum isn't the center of the vehicle. You are exactly right. And if the ratios are right, certainly there is 4" of clearance to permit the rear to drop.
Thank you so much for your input.
Where did you find a picture that was straight to the side? What I've found is slanted.
When you raise the front wheels, the rear
wheels act as a pivot point, or fulcrum.
Think see-saw.
Using a metric ruler on the Roadtrek website
picture of a 210, I find that the ratio of
(distance from rear axle to front axle) vs.
(distance from rear axle to rear bumper)
is 9.3 to 3.5.
From my HS geometry, similar triangles give
a vertical change of about 4 inches at the
rear bumper if you raise the front wheels
10.5 inches.
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jeffcarp
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05/22/08 08:21am |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RoadTrek 210V ground clearance
I hate to ask this question because I already own the 210 and could check this myself. But, I am away from my RT for about a week and have found some potential ramps to level the RT in my driveway. The ramps are 10.5" high. I planned to back into my driveway (so the front of the RT is low), place the ramps in front of the front wheels, and drive up onto the ramps.
Of course, if I raise the front wheels 10.5" then I will drop everything behind the rear axle by 10.5" also. Would someone with a newer model 210 be willing to check and see if there is anything behind the rear axle that would drag if the rear end is dropped 10.5"?
My main concerns are the generator exhaust, RT exhaust and the rear ground effects. Also, I can't remember if any part of the generator is physically behind the rear axle. I was thinking it was in front of the axle such that it would actually be raised up, but now I am doubting that.
Thank you.
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jeffcarp
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05/21/08 03:21pm |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: Any suggestions for leveling Class B RoadTrek on a driveway?
I found my Dometic manual for the refrigerator last night. It has a section on leveling. It reads "Any time the vehicle is parked for several hours with the refrigerator operating, the vehicle should be leveled to avoid loss of cooling. The vehicle needs to be leveled only so it is comfortable to live in (no noticeable sloping of walls or floors)."
A couple things about this statement....First it only talks about loss of cooling. The manual says nothing about damage to the refrigerator. I've read from some that you risk complete damage to the refrigerator. Also, I've read discussions about people being concerned about 1/2 a bubble off level, 1 bubble off, etc. This statement tends to tell me that too, is overkill.
This is a 2008 manual. Do new refrigerators have better tolerances for the leveling issue. The statement in the manual sure seems to imply that to me.
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jeffcarp
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05/15/08 06:26am |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: Any suggestions for leveling Class B RoadTrek on a driveway?
What about running on 120V through the inverter while driving? Does that increase the cooling better than 12V?
we turn on our frig a day or two before we are going to leave, set it on propane and the coldest setting. whole frig is freezing when we're ready to load it. the 12v is only good if the frig is already really cold and only while driving, all it will do is maintain the current temperature, unless you are in the desert and then it don't do much. we leave the propane on all the time while driving and leave the frige on. to keep the flame from blowing out I blocked the front 3 vents with insulated aluminum tape so air doens't blow in and blow it out.
we use the yellow leveling blocks, so far only needed 10. found the orange ones (Lynx) too fragile and the raised portions protrude into the tires too much (not good). the yellow ones seem a lot more stable and don't scoot around as much.
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jeffcarp
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05/14/08 09:04pm |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: Any suggestions for leveling Class B RoadTrek on a driveway?
How critical is the leveling issue for short timeframes? I mean, do you have to worry about being level if you stop at a rest stop for 30 minutes? Dinner for an hour? I hadn't even given a thought to having to worry about leveling pulling into some place for a short amount of time.
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jeffcarp
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05/14/08 09:02pm |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: Any suggestions for leveling Class B RoadTrek on a driveway?
I checked my drive tonight, and there is a 1" slope per foot. So, over the 155" wheelbase of the RoadTrek, that means 13" of fall.
Could I need use scissor jacks or power jacks?
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jeffcarp
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05/13/08 08:10pm |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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Any suggestions for leveling Class B RoadTrek on a driveway?
My driveway is not level by any stretch of the imagination. We do not store our RoadTrek in the driveway but do of course for a couple days prior to a trip.
This doesn't present a problem except of course for the refrigerator. Right now, our plan is to keep it off, and keep all food in our home refrigerator, transferring it in the morning right before we leave. Do we stand a chance starting with cold food, of the refrigerator "catching up" while driving for a few hours and keeping everything cold? Is it best to go with 12V or 120V setting while driving?
But my real question is, does anyone know a ramp type product that I could drive the wheels onto, then jack up to level the rig? I am aware of the old ramps that you can drive onto, but was thinking perhaps there were newer options that could be jacked up from flat.
Thank you.
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jeffcarp
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05/13/08 06:41pm |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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