RE: What did you do to your Class A MH today???
Dumped the tanks. $5 at Cabela's. That was cheaper than going in to buy something so as to dump free!
Filled the gas tank. OUCH! $109.00 at Town Pump (30.5 gallons).
Friday, load up and head for Roundup for the ARRL Amateur Radio Field Day with the Musselshell Amateur Radio Club.
RE: RV Campgrounds discount/saving clubs
IF you use it, it may be worth the cost.
If you do not or can not use it, it definitely is NOT worth the cost.
Last fall, a week at a KOA in North Georgia paid for the card, and staying at some KOA's on the trip down and back was a bonus. This year, no long trips are planned, so I am debating whether or not to renew the membership. Since there is only one KOA in the state where I stay, and that only once or twice per year for one or two nights, probably not.
That is the same reason I allowed Good Sam to expire. I seldom used it, so why renew it!
Will you use it enough to recoup the cost? That is a question that only YOU can answer.
Good luck.
RE: Winterization: wet or dry?
The guy who does my underground sprinklers uses 100 PSI air, at high volume, lets the air flow until there is no moisture coming out of the sprinkler heads.
In the motorhome, I use 60 PSI air, through a 3/8 inch ID air hose, and blow out all faucets until there is no moisture.
That has worked well in two motorhomes, a truck camper, and a fifth wheel. No broken pipes or fittings through several Montana winters, temps as low as 30 below. The only anti-freeze used is a cup full or so in each drain trap and in the toilet. I disconnect the pump and run all the water out of it.
For my first motorhome many years ago, I dumped 6 gallons of anti-freeze into the fresh water tank, then ran it through the system. I learned to NEVER do that again!
RE: Time to renew registration, $$$ ouch!
ONLY $175?
The registration renewal for the motorhome this month will be a little over $250.
But then, this year it is eligible for PERMANENT registration (11 years old or older), that's why it will be so high (approximately twice the annual fee). I will NEVER have to renew the registration as long as I own it!
Hmmm...
Perhaps, if I live long enough, eventually there WILL be a "free lunch"!
RE: Dinghy towing question
Actually, section (h) refers to brake fluid and brake linings only.
It would be interesting to find out exactly which types and brands are approved "by the Commissioner".
RE: S2000?
I for one, would like to hear from ANYONE who has had a MANUAL Transmission fail due to unauthorized towing 4-down.
The problem is, the damage done due to lack of lubrication is cumulative, and may not be recognized as being caused primarily by towing. Or, the driver is unwilling to admit that perhaps the "BOOK" was RIGHT!
When the rear seal dries out due to lack of lube, and shreds, how many would think that towing it for several thousand miles was the cause of the seal failure? Very few, I imagine.
When the rear bearing or the needle bearings in the middle of the mainshaft wear out due to lack of lube, same thing, how many would realize that towing without proper lubrication caused the failure? I can hear it now: "NAH, don't be silly, I have towed this thing 40,000 miles with no problem! It had to be the cheap junk bearings that were installed!"
I really doubt that you will ever hear anybody blame the failure on themselves, for not following instructions!
RE: Dinghy towing question
Go here for the NC braking laws:
http://www.ncleg.net/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bysection/chapter_20/gs_20-124.html
Here is a "copy and paste":
ยง 20?124. Brakes.
(a) Every motor vehicle when operated upon a highway shall be equipped with brakes adequate to control the movement of and to stop such vehicle or vehicles, and such brakes shall be maintained in good working order and shall conform to regulations provided in this section.
(b) Repealed by Session Laws 1973, c. 1330, s. 39.
(c) Every motor vehicle when operated on a highway shall be equipped with brakes adequate to control the movement of and to stop and hold such vehicle, and shall have all originally equipped brakes in good working order, including two separate means of applying the brakes. If these two separate means of applying the brakes are connected in any way, they shall be so constructed that failure of any one part of the operating mechanism shall not leave the motor vehicle without brakes.
(d) Every motorcycle and every motor?driven cycle when operated upon a highway shall be equipped with at least one brake which may be operated by hand or foot.
(e) Motor trucks and tractor?trucks with semitrailers attached shall be capable of stopping on a dry, hard, approximately level highway free from loose material at a speed of 20 miles per hour within the following distances: Thirty feet with both hand and service brake applied simultaneously and 50 feet when either is applied separately, except that vehicles maintained and operated permanently for the transportation of property and which were registered in this or any other state or district prior to August, 1929, shall be capable of stopping on a dry, hard, approximately level highway free from loose material at a speed of 20 miles per hour within a distance of 50 feet with both hand and service brake applied simultaneously, and within a distance of 75 feet when either applied separately.
(e1) Every motor truck and truck?tractor with semitrailer attached, shall be equipped with brakes acting on all wheels, except trucks and truck?tractors having three or more axles need not have brakes on the front wheels if manufactured prior to July 25, 1980. However, such trucks and truck?tractors must be capable of complying with the performance requirements of G.S. 20?124(e).
(f) Every semitrailer, or trailer, or separate vehicle, attached by a drawbar or coupling to a towing vehicle, and having a gross weight of two tons, and all house trailers of 1,000 pounds gross weight or more, shall be equipped with brakes controlled or operated by the driver of the towing vehicle, which shall conform to the specifications set forth in subsection (e) of this section and shall be of a type approved by the Commissioner.
It shall be unlawful for any person or corporation engaged in the business of selling house trailers at wholesale or retail to sell or offer for sale any house trailer which is not equipped with the brakes required by this subsection.
This subsection shall not apply to house trailers being used as dwellings, or to house trailers not intended to be used or towed on public highways and roads. This subsection shall not apply to house trailers with a manufacturer's certificate of origin dated prior to December 31, 1974.
(g) The provisions of this section shall not apply to a trailer when used by a farmer, a farmer's tenant, agent, or employee if the trailer is exempt from registration by the provisions of G.S. 20?51. This exemption does not apply to trailers that are equipped with brakes from the manufacturer and that are manufactured after October 1, 2009.
(h) From and after July 1, 1955, no person shall sell or offer for sale for use in motor vehicle brake systems in this State any hydraulic brake fluid of a type and brand other than those approved by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. From and after January 1, 1970, no person shall sell or offer for sale in motor vehicle brake systems any brake lining of a type or brand other than those approved by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. Violation of the provisions of this subsection shall constitute a Class 2 misdemeanor. (1937, c. 407, s. 87; 1953, c. 1316, s. 2; 1955, c. 1275; 1959, c. 990; 1965, c. 1031; 1967, c. 1188; 1969, cc. 787, 866; 1973, c. 1203; c. 1330, s. 39; 1993, c. 539, s. 359; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c); 2009?376, ss. 10, 11.)
Section (f) is, IMO, the section for RVers to take note of. It would be interesting to determine exactly which brakings systems have been "approved by the Commisionner of Motor Vehicles"!
Another interesting point: "shall be equipped with brakes controlled or operated by the driver of the towing vehicle"! since surge braking systems are primarily automatic, and the driver of the tow vehicle has minimal control over the brake application, is such a system legal in NC? I don't know!
RE: WALMART RV Parking
"You wouldn't like my parks since we don't run loss-leaders and don't offer $10.00 sites, so there is really no need give out their locations."
IMO, westernrv doesn't show his locations out of pure (and probably justified) paranoia. He is quite simply afraid of the weirdos out there (yes, even on these forums) that just might make his life miserable if his locations were widely known.
I, too, would like to know what Montana RV parks are his. There are only three such parks in this state that I have patronized over the last 10 or 15 years. One is a KOA, the other two are not isn't. One is in Deer Lodge, one is in Great Falls, and the other is West of East Glacier. Are any of them his? I really don't care!
RE: Are CB radios still used?
For all of you old timers (I'm 43)lol, if using a cell phone then Google maps has traffic on it and it is real time and a free download! Not sure how fast things get reported though. Also, my Android phone or operating platform has many free apps like Google maps with traffic, scanner radio (used to scan local fire, police traffic etc and many more) and weather updates using phone gps. The only downside is reception. I use my CB for most of the above comments too along with my cell phone. My answer to the OP'S question is: Yes!
Tell me there young pup (:)), Does your cell phone tell you where radar setups are? Does Google let you know where a rainstorm is starting to slow traffic? Or does it let you know instantly if the lines at the Pilot fuel pumps are shorter at the Flying J? Sometimes things in life need the "old fashioned" human touch. :W
Actually, yes, it can...I don't have the app, but yes, there IS a speed-trap warning available for Smartphones! It gives me real-time traffic & weather reports.
I wonder, how well is your Smartphone going to work on...oh, let's say U.S. Highway 2 between East Glacier and West Glacier?
Or, Montana State Highway 200 over Roger's pass?
Or along the Little Blackfoot River between Lincoln and Clearwater Junction?
CB radios work great in all those areas, and much more.
A cell phone is useless over a lot of territory out here.
RE: Dinghy towing question
JMHO. I have towed with & without braking system. I have my Blue Ox Patriot set high & still find with not following close, watching far ahead my toad brakes very seldom activate. However, if you do make a panic stop they help. Plus many states require them. My state of WY does not. I Just don't want to get a cite in a state that requires the braking system. I recommend getting it.
I'm actually amazed at how lienent most of the country is. Just a few states require them on anything less than 3000 lbs. According to Brake Buddy's website.
Chances are, you will find on closer examination, that Brake Buddy is quoting TRAILER braking laws. In many states, a towed motor vehicle is NOT considered a trailer, according to the legal definition.
It is obvious the various states do not consider the risk worthy of legal note.
RE: Towable Cars
I have a PT Cruiser but still find that towing it on my new dolly, causes the tie down straps to get chewed up.
I am considering buying a car that I can tow WITHOUT a dolly, but uncertain just which automatic transmissions, or tow-friendly.
I know that all ( or most ) Saturns are.
I would like some ideas which ones other people find compatible for this.
Thanks
"but uncertain just which automatic transmissions, or tow-friendly."
That seems pretty clear...
RE: Camping pet peeve
One of my pet peeves is people who come to one of our favorite primitive campgrounds, then complain that:
They have to bag their garbage and take it back out with them, because there is NO garbage service
There is no shower house
There are no lights or electricity
There is no or very poor cell service
There are no hookups
There is no wifi
There is no dump station
Then, when they have gone through their litany of "complaints", they wonder when I say "YES, isn't it WONDERFUL, those are the reasons we come here!"
RE: Towable Cars
A manual transmission PT Cruiser is towable four down. You can get a lube pump from REMCO that, when installed properly, will allow you to tow your auto tranny PT four down (I have one on mine that I am not using, I should remove it and get rid of it. I don't even know if it works.) How are your straps getting "chewed up"? I towed my PT from here to Chattanooga and back last year, with no strap damage at all. No problems of any kind, in fact.
As stated, MOST (but not all) 4X4 Jeeps are towable four down. Two wheel drive Jeeps are usually not towable four down unless the driveshaft is removed.
Subarus are towable four down, but MANUAL TRANSMISSION models only. SOME All Wheel Drive vehicles are NOT four down towable.
Many other 4X4 vehicles are towable IF there is a NEUTRAL position in the transfer case. Automatic or manual tranny makes no difference.
ALWAYS read the "Recreational Towing" section of the Owners Manual when considering a vehicle.
Good luck in your search.
RE: Looking for best options for towbar for a new Jeep
I have been using an inexpensive ($145) fixed arm adjustable width towbar on my Jeeps for many years. I have bolted the brackets to the stock bumpers and custom bumpers. It just simply works. Since it does not telescope or slip or slide or lock or unlock, there is very little to wear out or stick or otherwise fail.
Many people don't like them, would never own one, consider them to be too inconvenient, etc. That, of course, indicates personal preference.
IMO, it does the job nicely. In fact, it does exactly the same thing as the $800 towbars.
The choice is yours.
Good luck.
RE: Friends from the "OOP'S" thread.
About 10 PM last night, lots of noise, high winds, rain, I don't know what else.
A nasty storm front rolled through, that's for sure!
I thought about getting up to look, but decided the bed was much too comfortable to bother with it.
This morning is clear and sunny. Hopefully the grass will dry enough to mow it.
RE: DRW isn't always the only answer....
I noticed that he did not have equalizer bars on the hitch, which might have prevented this from happening!!! Chris
If the wind was THAT strong (and it obviously was!), I very much doubt that a WD hitch would have made a bit of difference!
The winds between Big Timber and Livingston, MT, on I90 often blow 80,000 lb semis over. An RV doesn't stand a chance, even if it has the most expensive high-tech hitch available!
Long light TT!
Just looking at the video the winds were very gusty, a 5er of the same size might likely survived. That would be for two reasons while a bit taller, also much heaver, that TT could be as much as 4,000# lighter than a 5er of the same length.
5er hitch has a limited side tilt before it would also need to take the truck also. Not saying that it can't happen, but in this case not likely.
Last October, I spent two nights in the Rapid City KOA due to wind. When we left, we saw 4 semis on their sides in the ditch, and one fifth wheel RV in the same condition. The tractors were still hooked to the semi trailers, and were on their side as well. The truck that had been towing the RV was not there when we saw it.
Yes, it DOES happen, even with fifth wheel hitches!
RE: Friends from the "OOP'S" thread.
Well, THAT was fun!
30 to 40 MPH wind, heavy rain, pea sized hail, thunder, visibility less than 1/4 mile, but it didn't last long.
Sure put a stop to our outside work!
