RE: Anyone recommend HP Photosmart C8180?
I owned an Epson printer with the separate ink cartridges, I thought it was a good idea too. I realized, I was spending a fortune, every time I needed to replace a cartridge, especially the black ink. The black ink cost twice as much, and does not have anymore ink than the color. I just went to get another ink cartridge, and it cost $29.00. It seemed everytime I used the printer one of the cartridges was running our to ink. The black ink seemed to run out the most often. I decided to buy a HP printer that only has two cartridges. The replacements are far less money, and if I buy them in a multi pack they are even cheaper.
The individual color ink cartridges for my Canon Pixma 4300 retail for around $16. There are better deals available if you buy a set of color cartridges and you can get the price down to about $12 per cartridge. I have found that if I'm printing mainly photos, I do tend to use up one color more quickly than others, so if I were using a tri-color cartridge, I'd be tossing out ink. But, you do have to look at the size of the ink cartridges.
And, I've read that the start up cycle on Epson printers tends to consume more ink than other brands. But, that is something you should research.
As to the intent of the original poster, I didn't see where enough information was provided to condone or condemn his intended usage. We have some family photographs, some of which were done professionally about forty years ago or more. I certainly don't have a problem in scanning them so that my brother and sister can have copies to pass on to their children.
I certainly believe in respecting the rights of professional photographers would encourage others to do so. But, let's not jump to conclusions about the poster. Or did I miss something?
RE: Anyone recommend HP Photosmart C8180?
I made a switch from a HP all in one to a Canon Pixma 4300. Very soon I hope to get a new scanner. I really like having a printer that uses separate ink cartridges for each color. The Canon has been much more economical for printing pictures. but it does require Canon paper for the best results.
I believe most all in one printers have cartridges where the color inks are in one cartridge. I wouldn't go that route unless I printed very few pictures.
So, I suggest a separate printer and scanner. For around two hundred bucks, you can get a printer and a scanner that will work for what you want to do.
RE: adventurer six speed folding bike problems
First of all, can you see anything that is keeping the wheels from rotating, such as the front brakes? If it's the brake blocks resting against the rim, then you have to adjust the brakes. There should be instructions for this along with the bikes.
If the wheel isn't being stopped by anything you can see, than it might be the bearing adjustment. Remove the wheels from the frames. If you hold the wheel by the axle, and the wheels don't spin freely, than the bearings are over tightened. The axle goes through the wheel, and on each side, there are little ring bearings. They are held in place with a type of nut...you can back off that nut a little (on each side) and then the wheel should spin freely. But, be careful not to loosen the bearing too much....just enough to allow the wheel to spin freely.
If you're not too mechanically inclined, it might be wise to take the bikes to a shop and have them do a tune-up and assembly check. Many bikes need quite a few adjustments when they're new...the factories don't do much except slap them together. You really need to make sure that everything is tightened properly, and brakes, gears, etc. are properly adjusted.
RE: I-71N Thru Cleveland to I-90
71 to 271 to 90 east should do the trick. I've traveled that route quite a few times, and as long as you're not on the 271 during rush hours, you should be fine.
RE: Removing graphic stickers
On my trailer (aluminum siding), I used a hair dryer and WD 40 to remove decals that were damaged or needed to come off. The hair dryer heats them up enough to peal them off, and WD 40 does a good job of removing any adhesive residue.
Have fun!
RE: Where to purchase Fuel for Weber 220?
To use the more standard size Coleman propane tank, just take out one screw that keeps the tank support in place. Open up the support a bit, and you can use fatter propane tanks rather than the skinny ones.
RE: Jayco Jayfeather EXP 254 Purchase
We've looked at the 254 and think it's a great little trailer. At some point, we may downsize to something such as the 254 which can be pulled by a 1/2 ton truck.
RE: RVing is cheaper than car & motel, cost calculation
Big Katuna brought up the major point. You have to consider the cost of your camping rig. It's pretty hard to do accurately, as you would have to take the total number of nights you spend in your rig during its lifetime, and divide that into the actual cost of the rig (purchase price minus selling price when you get rid of it) along with the yearly maintenance and storage costs. That being said, I doubt if many of us are really saving unless you are towing a smaller unit with one of the regular family cars. When our boys were growing up, and we were traveling and camping in a PUP towed by one of the regular use vehicles, our cost for RVing was pretty low. But with the cost of our trailer and truck, it will take a heck of a lot of nights for us to actually save $$$.........but, I still prefer to travel and camp with my own rig versus staying in motels and hotels.
Without averaging in the cost of a rig, traveling and camping with a RV can be cheaper than staying in motels, or flying and renting a car, etc.
As to the benefits of RVing.....that's why we're all hooked!
RE: Are you tired of your GPS saying, "Recalculating"
Sorry if you already read this, but I downloaded "Mick" the Australian to my TomTom One Third Edition. I wasn't too surprised when I heard "Buggar, buggar, buggar, turn left........
But, we howled when we heard for the first time "Chuck a Uee and get back on the motorway!"
RE: Small portable boat for family paddling around (PortaBote?)
If you have a Camping World nearby, check to see if they have the Instaboat in stock. I just saw one at the Camping World in Hamburg. It looked like it had less room than my 10' Porta bote....but I wasn't looking seriously, so I may be wrong.
RE: Small portable boat for family paddling around (PortaBote?)
I've been happy with my Porta Bote. They're very sturdy, and can handle three without a problem (10' model). The hull, when folded, is a bit hefty for one person to handle....I can do it, but you have to make sure you're carrying the hull at the center point. Setting up takes about 15 minutes. I've used mine with a Minn Kota trolling motor, so I can't comment on rowing. While the electric motor is ok for small lakes and very leisurely cruising, I'm really thinking of getting a gas outboard so I can move a bit faster. I also plan to keep the boat set up for regular use at our summer cottage, so a gas outboard would be much better for doing some fishing and photography.
In terms of traveling, keep in mind that in addition to the folded hull, you'll have another good size bag with the three seats, transom, oars, and hardware. When camping, the porta bote works best when you can keep it assembled and tied up near or at your camp site. Setting it up and breaking it down on a regular basis is a bit of a chore.
RE: Opinions please........
I like the dealer's response. With the nature of RVs, it's better to have a good dealer to provide support when you need it. And, I agree with his point about maintaining a service department. From his point of view, if you buy elsewhere, who is going to get priority service when it's needed? A loyal customer or someone who bought elsewhere?
That's not to say that you shouldn't bargain for the best deal. And the best deal is something only you can decide....especially once you know that you've gotten 25% or so off the list price.
For me, buying from a good dealership that will be there for product support is worth paying the difference....and I am "handy" enough to take care of a lot of problems, but for larger issues, I want a dealer's support.
RE: Air card so slow
I'm in the same boat. I just checked and I should have broadband coverage at my winter home...but I haven't received it yet. At my summer cottage, only National Access is available. So....it's fine for a lot of stuff, but is pretty slow for video downloads such as UTube. But, since I wanted to stay connected whether at the winter home, summer cottage or on the road, the Aircard seems to be the best way to go if you only want to have to pay one monthly bill. I'm hoping that broadband access gets to be more widespread in the near future, or a new technology evolves to improve the situation.
RE: Towing OVER capacity..... too many doing this....
SteveRankin...great post!
In some cases, I'll agree that it's possible to modify a vehicle and make it fairly safe to tow at or somewhat above the vehicle's rating. But....I think what a lot of us are talking about is the amount of folks that are towing with rigs that just aren't up to the task and are dangerous. Should I care????
You better believe I ought to care! I care about the kids and passengers that are endangered due to the lack of knowledge or foolish decisions that the adult in charge has made. I care because if there is an accident, innocent folks in nearby cars and trucks may get hurt, maimed or killed. I care because with better education, sales policies and law enforcement, accidents could be avoided.
What I don't know is how bad the problem is... i.e. how many accidents, injuries and deaths occur each year due to vehicles pulling trailers. And, do accident reports include any information or statements regarding the accident possibly being related to maxed out tow vehicles.
As to the original question....I don't say anything to folks about their rig unless it occurs as part of a larger discussion. Walking over and harassing someone about their rig isn't going to do anything.
If RVing is going to continue to have a large following in this country and our roads continue to get even more congested, then there will have to be better monitoring of all vehicles and especially larger rigs such as commercial trucks, buses, large RVs, etc.
I know additional laws aren't always the answer....because laws have to be able to be enforced in a reasonable manner. I've been on a lot of roads where I rarely see any police or troopers, let alone officials giving tickets for violations of cell phone laws! So, I'm not sure what the answer is. But, I have a problem with the situation where anyone can by a large motor home or truck/trailer combination and hit the highway when they've never driven more than a small car or truck. When I'm hitched up, I've got a 30' travel trailer connected to a truck thats around 15' long.....45 or more feet total. What a weapon on the highway!! Although it would be a hassle, and a money maker for the state (NY just loves taxes), maybe I should have had to have a different driver's license and road test? Although my trailer has to have a yearly inspection in NY...it doesn't include a check of the hitching system. Maybe it should?
If we expect commercial trucks to be monitored to insure our safety on the highways....why shouldn't we expect our RV rigs to be held to certain standings?
My apologies.....didn't intend to make such a long post, but I sincerely believe that this topic is very important when you consider the number of rigs on the road and the percentage of those rigs that are questionable in terms of safety.
RE: Towing OVER capacity..... too many doing this....
A Mercury towing a trailer in 1955 is irrelevant to towing today. Highway speeds are higher, the volume of traffic is higher, and safety standards in 1955 were far from good. I was 5 back then, and it was common for me to stand on the "hump" in the back seat and watch where we were going. It wasn't safe...but we didn't have seat belts either. But...if a front collision had occurred, the consequences would be much worse than what would happen today.
There are far too many folks that are ready to make excuses or rationalize their deliberate choice to tow in excess of the ratings for their TV. To do so, IMHO, is foolish and just one freak accident away from having terrible consequences. It's a moral responsibility to stay within tow limits and make every effort to have a safe and reliable tow package. If folks can't afford a larger TV and the costs that go with it, then stick with something such as a PUP that is safe to tow. We did it......a PUP is what we could afford, and could be towed with the family vehicle.
And, RV dealers need to be honest and realistic in their sales advice to customers. Yes...it is the buyer's responsibility, but I don't understand how anyone would want to knowingly advise someone to buy a trailer that is obviously too heavy/long for the TV to be used. I sure wouldn't want that potential for disaster on my conscious.
RE: What is it going to take to tow this camper...
You could do it with a V10 gasser...as I do. However, if you could get the right deal on a diesel, you will probably save on cost per mile when comparing gas to diesel. But, that savings may be minimal if you pay a lot more for a diesel and don't tow that many miles per year. I've crunched quite a few numbers and have come to the conclusion that it wouldn't pay for me to trade up to a diesel when I'm not towing that many miles per year. However, after a trip to the Smokey Mountains this summer, I know that I would have like to have had the power of a diesel...my truck handled it ok, but a diesel would perform better.
RE: Stop thief!
OK...I reread the original post, and my apologies if I wasn't clear in what I was saying. If the chipmunk can get in when the slide is fully extended, my thoughts are that something isn't correct with the adjustment of the slide and or the seal. Therefore, I suggested that the camper needs to be fixed.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but when the slide is extended, the metal flange and seal are tight against the frame around the slideout. If done properly, the critter shouldn't be able to get in. But....I'm not a RV technician, so perhaps I'm assuming too much.
RE: Is Pilgrim the next RV Manufacturer causality?
Doesn't sound good. If it were just a slowdown or temporary shutdown due to a slowdown in orders, I would think that their statement would be more detailed. Sounds like they're in a bind and need some additional financial backing. If they can't get it, then you can look for their application for protection under chapter 11 of the bankruptcy laws...at least that's how I understand it.
RE: Stop thief!
The best solution....fix the trailer. It shouldn't have an opening that the chipmunk can get through. If it were me, I'd be figuring out how to keep the critter out of the trailer....I really wouldn't want to kill it.
Now at home....if the critters sneak in, the traps get set! But, I agree that when in their territory, a little patience and mercy is a good idea!
RE: Weber Q BBQ and propane
Yes, I have had the same problem and so have many others according to my research.
The valves on these are very sensitive. Here's what I do and this should fix the problem:
Turn on the valve at the propane tank very slowly.
Wait at least one minute before trying to light the grill.
When you are finished grilling and ready to turn it off. Close the valve on the propane tank first and then turn off the knob on the grill.
Do this each time and it should light reliably and get hot enough to cook all food properly.
Also, be sure to keep the holes in the burner tube clear/free of burned on food. They can affect performance as well.
That's what I would have said!
