RE: Anyone use faketv for security in their fiver?
We leave the TV on and tuned to the Animal Planet so the cat has something to watch when we're away.
The dog just chases the cat, so, everyone stays happy :)
My wife's Colt beats your Ruger :)
charlie
RE: Adding a toilet sprayer from scrach ????
In an older MH I did the cheap way.
Bought a std kitchen spray hose.
T fitting was installed under the sink (pressure all the time). I remember having to get a fitting adapter for the sprayer.
Made a bracket for it to fit next to the toilet.
The only problem with it was that it would drip a couple of drops every time it was used.
FYI, we did not full time, only monthly camping trips. Almost never hooked up to city water.
charlie
RE: towing fith wheel with F-150
Don't know how short your bed is, but, ours is only 6 1/2'. I chose not to put in a slider and am limited to about 60 deg turns with my trailer.
The rig I have is max for my truck. We limit what we put in the truck and bed and watch how the trailer is loaded.
There are a lot of lighter rigs than the one we picked. In fact there were four others on the dealers lot that were all light enough for a 1/2T.
Shop around, and look at the pin weights.
charlie
RE: Dave and the tree - a cautionary tale (long)
Punched a hole in the top of my queen bedroom, but I got the last laugh. I cut the hole into a square and installed a needed vent! HAHAHAHAHA! And I got to watch while the RV park maintenance man sawed down that branch! We burned it that night while we roasted wienies and marshmallows...tasted great..the taste of revenge!
Don't get me wrong, I really like trees, just not the vengeful ones! ;)
ROFLOL!
Love it.
RE: Thinking again
That may or may not be the one the OP is using. Air compressors are like A/C's, some don't take much to start and others do. I have one that starts with ease and another that has to have the air pressure in the tank reduced to get started, when plugged into a 20A wall socket.
RE: Thinking again
I am shopping for a genset for my small fiver and am leaning toward the Yamaha 2400 instead of the Honda, simply because one will let me run my AC (yes, I checked). And, if I really needed it, someday, two of them can be put together for 4800.
charlie
RE: Don't want too - but I might HAVE too........
I like your style too. Can't believe DH won't do what he needs to to make his DW feel safe.
Either take the TV or the whole rig. You've probably driven the TV before. Not a whole lot different. Stop often and don't feel bad about passing up a gas station or any other tight spot. Don't worry about driving an extra mile to find a good spot to turn around either. I do that a lot :)
Good luck and God speed!
charlie
RE: I have had it with my generac generator!!
Has anyone tried the new Briggs & Stratton genset (2kw/3kw)? It says it is quiet but does not have any measure of noise like most of the others. Seems like a good deal and I've had good luck with B&S stuff in the past.
charlie
RE: Safety of my Family
While I have a CCW permit I don't usually recommend that folks carry in the wild unless they are well versed in the type of weapons they need and how to use them, ie, if you need to ask you probably shouldn't. The suggestions above about 'living with wildlife' are good ones. A gun that can protect against bears and cougars is a large one, which is difficult to control and use well. When not used well, they are probably more dangerous to the user as they will only serve to anger the wild animal even more.
I have not seen evidence that pepper spray weapons are effective, but, they are probably better than nothing when you're confronted with a dangerous situation.
If you're worried about the 'two legged animals' then any suitable weapon is easily carried.
And, yes, I usually do carry, whether in the wild or not. And, yes, I do carry a different weapon when in the wild.
charlie
RE: Air Compressor
Before you buy...
I had one of the little combo units. Worked fine for topping off tires. Then I got a flat on the TV while out fishing. Never realized how long it would take that little thing to air up a truck tire. It overheated three times and I still only got about 20psi in the tire, but, enough to get back to site. Most of the little units are now labeled with how long it takes to air up a tire. Good for comparing, but, about half of what it really takes.
So, I searched for one of the larger capacity ones. But, have to be careful with it as it can draw enough current to blow fuses with the cig lighter connection. Have to hook it directly to vehicle battery.
At home I have several. All work OK, but, the cheap harbor freight one I have frequently is hard to get started when it is cold (under 40deg and not an issue most of the time). You do get what you pay for :)
charlie
RE: Bugs
A good wax job helps. Carnuba. Apply by hand.
WD40 takes them off, but, it also strips the wax. Could also damage some products so it should be checked before using.
When I am 'in the mood' to get everything cleaned up, I'll use WD40 to get the bugs and tar off. Then wash it well. Then wax it. Too bad I don't get 'in the mood' very often :)
charlie
RE: What size 5r Battery
So, were you hooked up? You say you had the A/C on? Even just a fan running all day is a huge load. So is the refer. I think you'd be surprised at how much power you were using. We could get four days out of a pair of cheap deep cycle batteries.
Batteries usually good for 100-200Ah. A typical light bulb is 2A. If you leave it on all day thats 48Ah. That's 1/4 to 1/2 your battery charge! A simple radio, like the one installed in most trailers, can suck down a few amps too.
When we dry camp everything is off unless we need it right then, like the water pump. Refer is on propane as is water heater. If we want music we use a separate portable radio. At night we will share a light or use the little ones that attach to your book. Showers are navy type. We've even used a camping lantern inside when we want to stay longer without a genset.
Second thing has been mentioned, your converter/charger. If yours is an older one, like we used to have, it will only send 6A to the battery. Takes a long time to charge that way (10 at 6A = 60Ah which is less than half a charge). If you use a separate charger get one of the good three stage ones that can send 25A to the battery (only about $50). I have charged a dead battery back to life in about 6 hours.
Dry camping is a different way of living.
charlie
RE: costly mistake. 5 wheelers please read.
Pull test.
I thought a visual inspection would be OK too. But, father-in-law (old time trucker) showed me how it could 'high hitch' and look like it was hitched without being there. Not sure if all or only some can do that, but, it is worth checking on yours.
I back up. Lock up the hitch. Raise the LG about 1/2" (just enough to clear the pad). Hook up trailer umbilical. Do the pull test. Then pull the chocks and do the test with the trailer brakes. Then finish everything else.
I've dropped trailers, had hitches fail, had brakes fail, lost wheels, etc. And some I've just witnessed, like a boat trailer going into a lake because the hitch wasn't secured. So, I do get kinda picky about it.
Just because it hasn't happened to you doesn't mean your safe :) I haven't hit my tailgate yet. But, after backing my tailgate into a post, I decided to get a bedsaver and a rear view camera :)
charlie
RE: Newbie advice needed
If you're buying from a dealer they will go over all the checklist type stuff. Still wouldn't hurt to print one out. There are several good ones. Key, don't get in a hurry, even if it is raining or cold.
I did the parking lot thing when I picked mine up. Abandoned kmart size.
Turns. Try going around a curb and see what kind of spacing you need. It isn't much, but, you do need to know how much. Make the turns at a relative speed, like you would going though an intersection. Good practice when you get to your first gas station that has no room beyond the pumps.
Backing same. I just worked on it till I could back into a marked parking place. Don't back around obstacles (like light poles) unless you have a ground guide. Use an open area and just put marks on the ground.
Brakes. Use the area to adjust your brake controller. Get it set so you're happy at several speeds. Do a panic stop just to see what it's like. Also, turn off your controller once so you can see what it's like if the trailer brakes fail (don't forget to turn it back on :) ).
Might even want to unhook and hook up a couple of times till you're used to it. Better there than in front of a bunch of campers who are 'grading' your work :)
Yes, it will be like night and day towing. I think you'll like it :)
Above all else, have fun.
charlie
RE: Aftermarket stabilizers and Camping World
Ken,
It is easy to forget about the little shops. When in Las Cruces we had a heck of a time with the bigger dealers. Finally found a little shop just off the interstate. They did decent work and wer priced right, but, there was always something missing in the job. When truck tow package installed they forgot the ground wire to the frame. When genset repaired they failed to plug in the remote start cable. Just little stuff, but, enough that I checked everything after I got my rig back.
I also agree that you can fix most of the stuff on your own with just a few simple tools. The appliances were the parts that always got me. Seemed like a control board was always going out. Wish they were easier to troubleshoot.
For the OP, I agree with others that just about any good shop should be able to do the job. Am glad CW gave you something for your troubles and hope you get your rig fixed properly.
charlie
RE: Aftermarket stabilizers and Camping World
Ken,
Have you tried Holiday Trailer Sales out on Central? They have a really small shop area but they seem to do good work. Family owned.
charlie
RE: fifth wheel that can be pulled by 1/2 ton pickup
My fifth wheel claimed to be 1/2 ton towable. That being said, weight-wise it could be possible, my unit only weighs about #9500. The problem is that about #2000 of it is pin weight. That could be pretty tight for a 1/2 ton truck.
"pretty tight" is a nice way of saying it is just not good. I tried putting 2000lb in the bed of my truck once. Just once. Bottomed out the springs, then the front end came off the ground. And, no I did not drive it that way. :)
I'd just say that someone lied about it being 1/2T towable. There are a lot of salesmen who will look at the GCWR and use that to say if it can be towed or not, ignoring the pin weights. Some folks look at their TT and figure the same size fiver should be OK.
There are those trailers that 'claim' to be 1/2T towable, dealers who say they are fine for your 'little' truck, and then there are those that are really OK. Check weights!! Every truck and every model of every truck is a bit different.
And, remember that the mfg trailer weight is unloaded, so figure on what you will put in it. Same with truck ratings. It can be very enlightening at how fast 100lbs of stuff adds up. A long weekend worth of food is usually over 100lb. Fiver hitch is over 100lb. 40gal of water is about 300lb. Some folks tool boxes can be over 100lb. etc. etc.
charlie
