RE: How to use Generator
I'm certainly no generator expert, but I seem to recall reading that nothing should be plugged in until after the generator is started. This is assuming the writer's generator is not built in.
I had the same question when I read the post. Whenever I've use my generator, I turn it on first, let it finish sputtering and get it running smooth (which usually only takes a couple seconds after starting), and THEN plug in the camper, same as plugging in with shore power. Get the "power" up first, then plug in.
See if that helps.
RE: Help making my Refrigerator Cover White again.
I've used Krylon for plastics (spray can) on several outside items. Works great. 3 years ago I spray painted all the shutters on our house. They are a vinyl you know. They were a dingy blue color. I took them all off, repainted with Krylon for plastic a bright red. When painted with the dark dingy blue under it, it actually came out more of an antique (rich color) red, which turned out beautiful and really gave the house that "zing" we wanted. I did 11 windows (22 shutters) some 3 years ago, and all of them still looks great, no pealing, no flaking after 3 weird winters, spring rains, high winds, and lots of corn and bean dust beating against them during harvest season.
Krylon is the way to go.
RE: Camping while traveling
Every private campground is different how they handle drop-in's vs reservations. State sponsored campgrounds (like State Parks or Federal Forests) are found on the state DNR (Department of Natural Resources) web sites. Federal campgrounds, here's a start: http://www.recreation.gov/
If looking for overnights,in addition to Wall Mart and Cracker Barrel, don't forget about private campgrounds or campsites maintained by private clubs, like American Legion, Elks, Masonic Lodge, Moose Lodge or even military. If you are a member of one of these organizations, consider contacting them and see what's available. Also, if you are the member of a specific religious group, church, synagogue, mosque, it's possible you might be able to get an overnight in the parking lot if you contact the right spiritual "grand poo-bah!" (We belong to a church and we link with other ministers and churches and inquire about overnighting in their church parking lot. Sometimes we can, sometimes we cannot, but it's worth a shot if you belong to something like this).
There again, to answer your question, there's no standard. Every campground is different, and prices are different for every campground too.
RE: %#$&# salesman
That's sad for the young man who probably doesn't have the means to upgrade but he just got a lot smarter. What's an education worth?
Probably somewhere between $30,000 and $45,000 for a new truck that will do the job.
RE: Warped Attitude
If it was't for all the "off the wall" comments, I would find this web site very boring. Humor is good and helps break the seriousness in life. Life is too short to be so hard-nosed about everything. Camping is a fun experience. I think these forums should be a fun experience. Apart from all the humor, joking, and wacky comments, I find that every forum I've read, good answers are always there.
Maybe we should start a thread under "around the campfire" where anyone can say any whack-ed out thing they want? (within family-orientated boundaries of course).
RE: How much do you need?
What you get is determined by the type of camping you do, where you go, how much storage space you have in your camper, and what you can afford and willing to pay for.
Sewer hose. My camper is 31 feet long. The black and gray drain is in the middle. That means it's approximately 15 feet from the drain to the back or the front of the camper. At a minimum, I always carried enough hose to reach the back or the front of the camper, in the event a full hook-up site does not have the sewer connection 10 feet or less from where I park to where it's located in the ground. Moving the camper 5 feet can make all the difference in the world. I carry 50 feet of hose. 2 twenty feet connected together and 1 10 feet to use at dump stations.
Water hookups can be equally as Questionable. So I always carry 200 feet of hose in 50 foot lengths (and I do not use the white one, just normal garden hoses that are, always have been, and always will be 100% dedicated to the camper for fresh water.
Electric Cord (30 amp) RV cord, I carry 3 extra 25 foot sections, giving me a total of 105 feet of potential extension cord (with the cord in my camper).
And yes, I have on a few occasions used every bit of all of this.
Very few Indiana State Parks have water spigots 25 feet from the connection of my camper. Most are a shared spigot, so no one can attach permanently to one. But I do plan my campsites within 200 feet of the spigot so I can attach the hose, fill the fresh tank on my camper and then unhook the hose so others can use the spigot.
I use a simple PUR water filter at the kitchen sink faucet.
I use a simple in-line water pressure regulator that attaches to the garden hoses.
I do not use any kind of surge protector (I probably should) but never have and have never had any problems. If anything, I've experienced LOW voltage at campgrounds, never high or over voltage. And theres really nothing you can do when the voltage is low.
The best think you can do is a driveway camp (camp out in your driveway for a week-end) withouth the assistance of your house. That will teach you real fast what you need and how much you'll need.
There's no right or wrong answer, every person is different, their camping needs are different, their financial resources are different. You just REALLY have to figure out what will work for you, and go from there.
RE: Are you a sales or storage organization.
At least the dealer was honest and did not waste anyone's time haggling over something that camping world will not be able to beat.
RE: What Would You Do?
Sounds like your problem is typical many of us have. We have problems with our vechiles, but once it gets to the shop, it runs perfectly and often returned with no solution. Then as soon as you pull in your driveway ... same problem! GRRRR....
The solutioni is simple! Your vehicles knows it's home and, like all kids, it hates going to the doctor. So, do not throw that thing out they hang on your mirror with the number the shop uses to identify your vehicle with the work-order. Keep it hanging on the mirror. And do not remove those plastic or paper floor mats they put down either.
Now your vehicle will THINK it's still in the shop and continue to behave!
(personally, I'd trade for another vehicle).
RE: Re-use the "pink stuff"
With so many people on these forums so concerned about germs and stuff in the water system, why would anyone want to re-use last years pink stuff. It sat in water lines all winter mixing with any bacteria and then it sits in a bottle over the summer where that bacteria grows, and then it's put back into the fresh water system? No wonder so many people complain about their water lines smelling, being yucky, and have to sanatize, sanatize, sanatize. It just dosn't make any sense to me why anyone would want to reuse the pink stuff? You spend a fortune on your RV and then you go cheap to maintain it and then run the risk of dilution and lines freezing anyway? Nope, just don't make any sense to me. Use new every year!
RE: Water odor
Take a wet towel. Fold it up several times and let it sit for a week. Now unfold it. What does it smell like? Standing water over time stinks. Any water left in your water heater over the winter can turn sour. It's not the water actually, it's the "stuff" in the water that decayes making it smell bad.
Simple fix for a common problem: Just flush your water lines and flush your holding tank, and flush your water heater. Sanatize with a bit of bleach, flush and you'll be good again.
RE: Campfire meals for kids ~ Ideas please :)
Rather than using the hot dog stick (fork type) for a hot dog, you can also use them for link sausages, summer sausage, pork chops (you have to hook the pork chop several times like a sewing needle through the meet .... but it works), same with steaks (beef), and even chicken legs-wings-thighs can be poked with a hot-dog fork and cooked over a fire. Then you can get a popcorn popper for fires also. If you use a wire basket (for fires), you can cook hamburgers, although the handles can get hot. You can also foil wrap potatoes (whole) and toss them in the fire and bake them, or put them on top of a grill over the fire, or use that wire basket. Then there's an unlimited items of food that can be cooked in a foil wrap. Add lots and lots of butter and keep turning it over and over ... works wonderful for sliced potatoes, carrots, any other vegetable you slice, boil, or steam! Then, with that same hot dog fork, you can teach them to toast bread (poke the bread so it's flat and won't fall off). Don't forget about corn on the cob. Leave ALL the husks on the corn, soak the corn in a bucket of water a couple hours before cooking, then simply put the corn (with the husks) over the fire. The edges will turn brown and even burn some, but inside the husks ... oh hum! You can also husk the corn and wrap the cob in aluminum, but it's just not the same, the corn has a tendency to burn.
Anything that can be fixed over a stove can be fixed over a fire, and can easily be fixed using a hotdog fork. That's still my most favorite way to fix food when camping.
Important note: Remember, anything other than a hot dog takes time to cook completely. So you'll have to really teach the kids patients and that it takes TIME when they are holding those forks! Chicken and pork is not something that can be heated in 30 seconds when its raw.
RE: strange phone calls
I have heard it said when you get scam phone calls, play along with the caller as long as possible, but provide absolutely no information about yourself or anything. The idea is to keep them on the phone. The longer they are on the phone with you, it's costing them money for the phone service, and it's less time they can scam someone else.
I really like the idea of giving the phone to your 4 year old child or grandchild. You might play musical phone also, put them on hold, anything to keep THEIR line timed up as long as possible.
Thanks for the "heads-up!"
RE: Begginer questions on battery
I've never disconnected the battery on my pup, or either of the 2 different TT's I've owned. I kept the camper(s) plugged into shore power 24x7x 365 (except when on the road traveling).
If you were camping in a campground, connected to full hook-ups and you were located at one spot for a month, would you be unhooking and disconnecting your battery? So what's the difference between being parked at a campground or parked in your driveway?
RE: Must See Suggestions: St. Louis, MO to Sioux Falls, SD
Depending upon how much time you have, Six Flags amusement park in St. Louis, and the St. Louis Science Museum ... both will demand a full day each, but well worth the time!
RE: New Tent trailer owner:) just looking for advice and tips
Congrats on your new purchase and hope you have lots and lots of fun and good memories. You've asked a lot of questions, not sure I can answer all of them unless this post becomes 126 pages long! The big thing is, you WILL learn how it all works, and you will have a lot of fun doing it too.
Your walk through class will teach you the basics, how to set it up, take it down, put up the awning, propane tank, electrical, water, hitching, stuff like the ... the mechanics of it all. "Camping" is something you learn by experience, and there is no right or wrong way to do it. Think of your camper as an extension of your own home. Dress it out with things that make you comfortable and things you like. There's no magic bullet or no one single place you have to go to for camping supplies or gear. Don't over complicate. Keep it simple and start with basic items.
Think of your pop-up as a tent on a trailer ... which is exactly what it is. As long as your "tent" is dry, there is no need to air anything out, apart from natural use. You can park them anywhere, but the advantage of parking on a hard surface instead of grass is because grass will die under the camper if it's parked for any long period of time. I think that's the only reason for not parking on grass.
One thing you REALLY REALLY need to do before you head out on your first camp-out away from home, is to do a "driveway camp." Spend a week end in your camper in the driveway, and try to live in it without any dependency upon your house (except for maybe bathroom and shower). Even in a campground, may people use bath houses for bathroom and shower and never use the facilities in their camper.
Just remember, don't over complicate it. BUT do have an immense amount of fun!
Congrats again!
RE: Desperately seeking RV to rent 7.20 - 7.27 Northern Michigan
Not such an unworthy topic to get deleted. I think the question is a fair one. Not sure about your specific area, but CruiseAmerica.com is perhaps the most popular RV rental company going. Granted their prices are not the cheapest, but they are reliable and their equipment is reliable, and they back up any services you may need on the road in the event of a set-back.
Locally, you might check out Craigslist or do some detailed surfing on the internet.
Sorry, I don't live in your area, but here where I live, there are a couple Cruise Americas and I've known folks who have used their services and have had very successful and happy trips.
RE: New to me TV! YAY!! Should I name her?
I'm not so sure about kids naming your RV. In "RV" the movie, the kids named the motor home "rolling turd" .... and it stuck through the entire movie ... Just a word of warning ... kids don't always think like adults do!
Yes, name it! But for the sake of your marriage, better name it a male name so the wife won't get jealous when you spend more time in the camper Monday through Thursday than you do with her! :)
RE: Another newbie questions - step carpeting
The green indoor-outdoor stuff for steps has been on my TT since the first day I bought it and it's never come off. Did the same with our TT before that. If you loose as spring, you can always just use a bit of wire and wire through the eye-holes. When the carpet gets worn, you can make your own with just a scrap left over bit of carpet or rug. I had to replace one (have 2 steps) after years and years of service ... never removed. I had a bit of green in-door out-door carpet and just cut it out big enough to wrap around the step. Got the springs (extras laying around different campsites we've been to over the years .. quite obvious someone took them off and on and lost them). Another reason to never take them off!
