RE: Want to Visit Toronto Canada?
As for things to do - what do you like? There are museums, a zoo, theatre district, market and ethnic areas, and late in the summer Toronto hosts an air show and the Canadian National Exebition. If you are into sports, Toronto has hockey, baseball, basketball and football depending on the season. Of course there are parks and beaches (of sorts) and attractions like the CN tower. There's always something going on. Once you have a time picked, they have a tourism website to check for activities here: Toronto
RE: Batt Low equals Fridge loss? OPPS, update OUCH!
Camper lights were dim, but lit a little, and lit up fine with truck running, like normal lights.
This means the charge line from the truck is fine - no blown fuses or anything. The most likely cause is the battery - either loose terminals, or electrolyte too low, or a shorted cell. If the ability to deliver lots of current to the battery is compromised (as outlined above) then 6 hours may not be enough to recharge a pancaked battery.
Larger more complex refrigerators require 12V to operate, as mentioned in the other posts. The fact that it works with the truck running, shows the power line from the truck is fine.
RE: Small Class C better than a TC?
I rented one of these this year and got between 14 and 15 MPG when my foot was not too heavy. It was roomier than my TC and we really enjoyed it. More storage, able to get something from the fridge when underway, not even having to get out of it when stopping for a rest in thick flies or really nasty weather. Lots of advantages.
However, I bought a TC because I camp about 30 days a year. The other 335 days I like getting an extra 3-5 MPG, simpler parking, and having a truck for the 5 times a year I haul something. I also like being able to get the vehicle on the hoist at my mechanic's shop, rather than having to go to a specialty garage I don't trust.
The class C also glues together 2 things with very different lifespans. A lightly used and properly cared for TC or TT will still be like new when you are on your 4th or 5th truck.
As I said, I enjoyed the 19' Class C and would likely rent one again if I vacation on the opposite side of the country. But if I was going to swap my TC, it would likely be for a small TT and SUV to save even more fuel costs when not camping, and then live with the parking / can't tow my boat issues.
I doubt I'll ever get to full timing or even half timing, but if I did I'd look hard at the Class C stuff. For now, at 10% of my time spent camping, multi-use vehicles make more sense.
RE: Ceramic heater
I've had three ceramic heaters and on each one the thermostat has failed. I now have a 4' baseboard like heater with no fan.
I made the same swap - not because of failures, but because the baseboard-like device is quieter without the fan. I've been happy with both types of heater; I just like to hear the night sounds instead of annoying fans.
RE: Forget leveling for your refrigerator!!!!
Fridge tilt seems to be a nonissue for those that self ignight the burner.
I don't know where you got this idea but it is WRONG! The fridge going out as you drive down the road is not a problem for self igniters however leveling is still critical for ALL absorption refrigerators when parked and operating to prevent damage to the cooling system.
RE: hot water rotten egg smell
That will happen if you run unchlorinated water (typical for well water) through the system, then don't use it for a few days. Things grow in that water, if there is no chlorine to kill 'em. And the rotten egg smell results.
Run some "city water" through the hot water heater, enough to flush out the smell, and you'll be good for, oh, a week or so. If you want to avoid it, drain the hot and cold water lines and the hot water tank between trips. And "sanitize" the whole system with bleach a couple times a year.
We have been on well water for 40+ years. Never have had any odor from water sitting in the tanks. When we do have to resort to city water I will drain and flush with our water to get rid of the chlorine taste. Yuck
X2!
Sulphur in water is common and won't hurt you - flush a couple times and you're good to go.
RE: knats in camper
We found small insects did not get in through the vent screens, but rather through the hole in the screen the crank handle for opening and closing the vents goes through. We solved the problem with a couple of kid's hair elasitics that were covered in a fuzzy material. Wrapped around the crank and slid up to the hole, the elastic keeps them in place, and the fuzzy covering blocks the hole without impairing operation of the crank. This resolved all of the tiny bug problem.
RE: Wow, price to have a TC-Port was ridiculous
Ignoring the (very real) issues raised by previous posters, with inflation at 2% per year, something that cost $11,000 in 1999 would cost $14,229 today.
RE: Walmart futon mattress better than dinette cushions?
I've thought about doing this for a long time, and I was hoping for some reports from somebody that had actually replaced their dinette with a sofa based on a futon. It certainly seems like it should be doable. Unfortunately, nearly all the comments are about SLEEPING on the mattress, or about alternative materials for existing cushions, neither of which was really part of the question.
In my case, like the original poster (I think), there will almost never be anybody sleeping on it. It's all about getting a comfortable place to SIT in the camper, with back support in a comfortable position (the angle is NOT = 90 degrees), and that on rare occasions could be still be used as a bed (say a visiting child). The reason for a futon-like device and not a real sofa or comfy chairs is that you retain the emergency bed.
I've owned a futon in the past, and it was not very comfortable for sitting, but the angles on that particular unit were pretty limited (1 choice) and the mattress tended to slide off. I do remember futon versions in the 70's made without a removable mattress that seemed like they might be better for the job. I had one back then, but I have not seen one like it is several years.
RE: DC Power question
I have a few electronic toys that have DC wall wart power adapters. I was wondering if I could somehow hook these up to the DC system of the Truck Camper.
An example adapter:
Input: 100-240V ~50-60Hz 600mA
Output: 7.5V-... 2140mA
I've searched Google for DC power plug, but all I see is cigarette lighter sockets or more wall warts. I figure I would need a fuse or someway to get the voltage to match the requirements of the electronic toy. In other words in can't be connected straight to the battery; Right? I am currently using an inverter for these things, but it seems to me running it straight to DC would be more efficient. Any help would be appreciated.
Running directly from the battery requires some knowledge of what you are doing, or you will be shopping for new toys. The example you gave of needing 7.5V would cause the magic smoke to leak out if you connect it to the 12 V battery directly - even through a fuse.
Honestly, the best thing to do is keep using the inverter. These things are pretty efficient these days. The amount of energy you would save by building DC-DC converters is pretty trivial, and not worth the effort or risk. Don't forget the continuous changes in toys too - new cell phone, etc. will likely require still more DC-DC adapters.
RE: Camp site light
Thanks for the information on the brightness of the Coleman gas lantern, that was one thing that I was wondering. Most of the lights that I have been looking at are rated in Lumens so it is hard to compare the gas to the newer ones.
I did a bit of poking and found there's a huge difference in light output of the various gas models. Mine is over 50 years old and claims a 200W equivalence, however the most recent Coleman spec sheet for it's dual-fuel North Star states 1138 lumens, which would be closer to a 70W bulb. Size of the mantle, fuel type and pressure all make a difference. Of course, the real measure would be lux on a work surface or other area of interest. You can throw the lumens in all directions like the lantern, wasting most of the light, or focus a small number of lumens with a lens and get more lux on the area of interest like a flashlight does. Certainly the ability to focus more easily is the big LED advantage, but if you want an area light, none of the LED lanterns seem to have more than about 1/4 the light output of the old naptha beasties. I've noticed some LED street lighting coming out of the far east recently, but they require a LOT of watts to operate.
RE: Camp site light
It depends on what you want to do, and what you think is "bright enough". My Coleman (naptha) is the equivalent of a 200 watt incandescent lamp. It does not feel like it's that bright, because used outside, there are no walls and ceiling to reflect light back so lighting sources are considerably less effective.
Will you have a power source (generator, big battery) nearby? If so, electrics start to make sense, and standard home stuff works fine. I've used "trouble lights" and bulbs in pigtail sockets on extension cords from an inverter lots of times, especially at multi-day camps. But for portable area lighting, especially if you have to work on something, nothing beats a gas light, or even comes close.
