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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: chevy suburban mods
The only suspension mod I would do would be to get high quality new shocks and maybe put LT tires on it next time it needs them. The original shocks are going to be shot after this long. While you are in there, grease everything that needs greasing and check all the suspension components for wear. Also, change the transmission oil.
I'd put a bigger transmission cooler on it and invest in a good weight distributing hitch with sway control. I tow a 24' with an '03 Tahoe and find that with a properly adjusted hitch it rides and handles well and rides level. I also found that with 90k miles on it the original shocks were really bad.
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bartlettj
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04/06/13 10:46am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Jensen AWM965 Radio & iPhone?
Apple is notorious for changing the interface over the years, even though it looks the same. My ipod connection on my car stereo works fine with my older 4Gig Ipod mini but won't charge or control my Ipod 4. It will, however, play back if I use the Ipod controls. Check what it says on the Iphone screen, it will probably say "device unsupported" or something similar. You can use the A/V aux jack with a headphone cable to connect it.
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bartlettj
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04/02/13 01:33pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: What would cause a shudder under load
When was the last time you changed your spark plugs and wires? This may be an engine misfire and not necessarily a transmission problem.
If you still think it is the trans shuddering, hook up a gauge and monitor the line pressure. It should fluctuate along with the shudder if it is in the transmission.
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bartlettj
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04/02/13 12:08am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Converter/Battery Issue?
I was having trouble with my Jensen stereo coming on randomly when the water heater burner lit up. I cleaned the battery ground wire where it was screwed into the frame and it fixed the problem, and the lights don't dim any more when the water pump comes on. Check all your battery connections for corrosion, including frame ground points. My trailer is only 1.5 years old.
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bartlettj
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04/02/13 12:03am |
Tech Issues
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RE: So Seafoam is good?
You may want to change the spark plugs, something the seafoam loosened up probably fouled it out.
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bartlettj
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04/02/13 12:00am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: charge TT batteries from tow vehicle?
As far as what powers the electric brakes:
If the breakaway switch is activated: The trailer battery powers the brakes
In normal "truck" mode: The tow vehicle battery powers the brakes through the brake controller. The brake controller pulses the voltage on and off to the brake shoe magnets to adjust how hard the brakes grab.
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bartlettj
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04/01/13 10:30am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Outboard Motor Gas in Generator?
You can foul your catalytic converter and oxygen sensors running 2 stroke oil in a car engine unless you dilute it heavily. I use mine up in my lawnmower, it works fine, doesn't smoke once it warms up.
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bartlettj
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03/31/13 09:43am |
Tech Issues
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RE: 2007 Silverado Transmission Temperature Sensing Point?
I can't find the information for that specific transmission, but all the other electronically controlled GM transmissions have the sensor in the valve body or near the test port. This is essentially just after the fluid pump so you are getting the temperature of the oil in the pan.
You can read it out through the OBDII port, or in the information center if your truck is so equipped.
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bartlettj
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03/30/13 11:13am |
Tech Issues
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RE: What Batteries Should I Buy, 2 12-Volt or 2 6-volt DC?
So I know you already modified your trailer...
I solved the dry camping capacity issue when I had my popup by taking an extra set of fully charged batteries in the tow vehicle (in a plastic tote) and then swapping them when the batteries on the trailer got low. I made it over 2 weeks dry camping this way. Then I could also take the spare batteries to town with me and charge them, or one could do a small portable solar charger setup. I refuse to get a generator since I like it quiet when I camp and I like it when my neighbors are quiet too.
I'm doing this with my current TT also- I have a pair of 12V group 24's that came with the TT, and a pair of Costco 6V golf cart batteries. The golf cart batteries get installed on the tongue, and the 12 V gp 24's go into backup duty.
This also provides insurance against cell failure- while it is a bit of a pain to have to swap out a battery bank at least if one goes down it doesn't take the other one with it, and in the middle of a cold night you can get the heat back on and the toilets flushing without having to fire up a generator.
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bartlettj
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03/30/13 11:09am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Costco vs Sams Club 6V Golf Cart Batteries
Any comments on the shelf life of the GC2 batteries from Costco? One Costco has the batteries dated 8/12 (It's March 20th today), the other near me has them dated 12/12. I realize that some Costco's probably don't sell a lot of golf cart batteries and I'd get the newest ones I can. I'm sure they don't check the charge level of the batteries that are sitting around on the shelf.
They are $86 at my local Costco, and the cheapest I can find Trojans locally is about $140, so I can almost buy 4 Costco GC2's for the price of 2 T-105's and nearly double the battery capacity. Plus, Costco will take any old lead acid battery as a core so I've got a couple of crappy little Honda starting batteries sitting in my garage to get rid of...
I went to a different Costco (there are several stores in my area), and I found a pair dated 3/13. Looking around at other GC2 batteries, they have the same style cases (caps, top, terminals) as the US battery 2000 xc2's.
Now- a philosophical question:
Hook them up and charge them in series with the WFCO 8955 converter I have and just start using them?
Or charge them individually with my cheapo 10A automotive charger until they bubble for a bit and then hook them up to the WFCO?
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bartlettj
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03/28/13 10:22am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Alternate to campfire
A propane fire pit is nice (I have a little red campfire), and it certainly doesn't put out wood smoke, but it does put out a smell that may still aggravate asthma. It runs the burner rich on fuel so the flames are yellow, so you can smell the propane and it puts out a lot of carbon monoxide and some unburned hydrocarbons. If you've ever smelled a propane powered forklift, it smells like that with a bit of paint fumes thrown in.
I use mine when it's raining and I want to sit under the awning and have a "fire".
See if you can find someone who has one who will let her try it out. They tend to be a bit expensive.
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bartlettj
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03/22/13 01:15pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Dometic thermostat operation
I have the same thermostat and hate one "feature" that it has. It "shifts gears" when the air conditioner approaches its target setting. The result is a sound like the compressor is stalled and struggling to restart.
Mine does this too, but it's really only the blower fan that does it. If you go outside and listen to the compressor it doesn't stall.
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bartlettj
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03/21/13 06:37pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: 2012 5.3L Yukon XL
Ordered a TruCool MAX cooler today. Planning her maiden voyage in April, so, hopefully it shows up before then so I can install it on the Yuk. I'm extremely hopeful that this keeps me in a more comfortable temp range. This will be a sea level/coast trip, so, it will be the absolute baseline data point. It will only get hotter from that altitude.....
I've got one of those on my Tahoe. It made a big difference to trans fluid temps, and I already had the max tow package with an air to air cooler on my Tahoe. The TruCool is about 3 times the size of the OEM cooler.
Also, plan to change the fluid and filter (Dexron VI) more frequently than even the severe duty recommendation in the manual, and make sure to use the quality stuff. This will get you a transmission that lasts a long time.
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bartlettj
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03/21/13 01:05pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Improved Mileage?
I rented a 2011 5.3L Tahoe in Miami and drove it to Key West, getting 24 mpg because I was pretty much always doing 50 mph and it would kick into V4 all the time. Driving it to Orlando knocked it down to 19 since I was doing 75mph and it was always in V8. I have an '03 5.3L Tahoe and the best I've ever done with it was 17 mpg going from Portland to San Jose.
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bartlettj
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03/21/13 11:28am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: 12.5 Volt Battery To 11 Volt LED Fixture
Hello,
I'm an engineer with some semiconductor physics experience:
The diodes that are at the core of the LED are actually current devices- they drop a narrow range of voltage across the junction that is controlled by the current forced through them. The voltage drop is highly dependent on the junction temperature of the diode and the materials used to build it. If you directly drive that junction with a low impedance voltage source without a regulation device, the current will be way too high and the metals and doping in the semiconductor will migrate around and ruin the diode.
Low power LED's usually use resistors as current control devices, but lighting devices actually use a current regulator. By removing the regulator you risk frying the LED's in short order, or at least changing the color spectrum and lowering the light output. If you are going to change the power supply, make sure you actually design it to regulate the current instead of shooting for some nominal voltage.
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bartlettj
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03/20/13 02:58pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Costco vs Sams Club 6V Golf Cart Batteries
Any comments on the shelf life of the GC2 batteries from Costco? One Costco has the batteries dated 8/12 (It's March 20th today), the other near me has them dated 12/12. I realize that some Costco's probably don't sell a lot of golf cart batteries and I'd get the newest ones I can. I'm sure they don't check the charge level of the batteries that are sitting around on the shelf.
They are $86 at my local Costco, and the cheapest I can find Trojans locally is about $140, so I can almost buy 4 Costco GC2's for the price of 2 T-105's and nearly double the battery capacity. Plus, Costco will take any old lead acid battery as a core so I've got a couple of crappy little Honda starting batteries sitting in my garage to get rid of...
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bartlettj
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03/20/13 02:43pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Have to move our TT...our road is getting improved
Can you use propane to get the fridge cold the night before? That's what I did before I wired in a trailer outlet.
I'd worry about security a little bit in an unfenced unsecured location unless there is someone onsite 24/7 watching it. I'd worry about losing my batteries and propane tanks, at the least.
I keep mine uncovered and unfenced 24/7 but it's in my driveway and there is always someone around.
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bartlettj
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03/19/13 01:01pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Arctic/Polar/Cold weather packages.
As an owner of an otherwise well insulated trailer with single pane windows- get the double pane windows.
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bartlettj
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03/12/13 07:35pm |
Travel Trailers
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Those with inverters... are you happy with yours?
I'm planning to add a true sine inverter to my trailer, along with extended battery capacity, so I can run my tv/dvd, charge a laptop, use a printer, maybe briefly run the microwave, and run my Traeger pellet grill without firing up a generator. I prefer and don't mind paying for a true sine inverter. I'm an electrical engineer and I'm well aware of what kind of battery bank and wiring I need to do this and be happy. I don't ever plan to run my AC system or refrigerator off the battery bank- I'm happy with the adsorption system run off propane and I usually camp in a climate that requires heat but not AC. I camp about 20 nights a year.
What I'm asking is, are you happy with the capacity of your present inverter? I'm thinking I want to do a 1000W continuous Xantrex Prowatt, maybe a 2000W of the same model but not sure I'm ever going to really use 2000W continuous much, especially since I'll probably do a 400 Ah battery bank to start with. I'd rather spend that extra $250 on batteries or toward a solar panel than on an extra 1000W if I never really use it.
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bartlettj
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03/12/13 07:25pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Sleep number bed?? In the cold
I have a sleep number bed at home and like to sleep with the heat off in the bedroom. It's not really any colder than a standard innerspring mattress- it has about the same amount of padding and airspace inside. It might be colder than a memory foam mattress, but that's fine with me because I find them to be too hot. There is foam inside a sleep number bed- it has foam filling all the space between the sides and top and the air bladders.
The sleep number beds are available with different thicknesses of pillowtops. Get one of the thicker ones if you are worried about it.
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bartlettj
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03/08/13 06:05pm |
General RVing Issues
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