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Author |
Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: eternabond tape
Bumpy,
Sorry I can't say how it will be at 7 years but 4 years ago I used it the full length of my Winnebago to hold the fiberglass roof in the aluminum attachment track. The MH is parked outside year around and the Eternabond looks as good now as it did the day I put in on. Before that I used it around the bathroom skylight then 2 years later replaced the skylight and it was an all day job getting the Eternabond remove.
Dave
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dbates
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03/26/13 06:36am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Catalytic Converter Stolen
Locally the scrap yards have off duty policeman present plus take a picture of you and your driver’s license. I’m not sure they do this all over the state of Indiana but at least the face & license picture taking should be required everywhere.
Dave
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dbates
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03/24/13 12:55pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Tow Dolly opinions/recommendations
X3 for Demco KarKaddy II
Dave
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dbates
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03/22/13 07:50pm |
Dinghy Towing
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RE: Gas Mileage - Again...
MPG is only accurate if you keep track of it over the LONG haul. I have a 30’ 1998 Winnebago Itasca over a 1999 Ford F53 and pull a Vibe on a KarKaddy dolly. I purchased it in February 2005, have driven it 44,650 miles and you can see the geography below that it’s covered. My overall MPG is 8.23 but tank fill ups varying from 5.08 to 13.05 and 3 tank averages from 6.56 to 9.92.
You MPG will vary not only because of the speed, traffic, terrain and wind but also how the level the MH is parked when filling up and the sensitivity of the pump nozzle. One or two fill ups are of little value in determining your MPG. As said above “go and enjoy and don’t worry too much about the MPG”.
Dave
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dbates
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03/22/13 07:36pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: what is best trip router to use
I've been using Microsoft Streets & Trips for many years and have found it to be a very good route planner for the MH and scheduling deliveries for my Lions Citrus and Rose sales deliveries. I always plan my trip with S&T then recreate it in my Garmin GPS. S&T will show most of the campgrounds with their addresses & phone numbers. It also provides many points of interest along the route at your limiting miles from the route or within your determined radius from your designated point. It is inexpensive so I update with a new version about every two years.
All route planning or GPS software has problems. S&T and Garmin are no exception to this rule so you have to be wary and watch where you are going.
Dave
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dbates
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03/19/13 07:09am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: To TOAD or Not to TOAD, that is the question
Having a toad is a great convenience and big money saver for us. We use the MH to get to the center of points of interest and the toad to visit the surrounding areas. We can make several 100+ mile loops in the toad around the MH campsite saving a lot of fuel (31 vs 8.3 mpg), allows us to visit places that we can’t park a MH at and the ability to turn around on a dime if we miss something and want to go back.
I know that few here like the idea of a dolly but my Demco KarKaddy SS has served me will for the past eight years and 45,000 miles. Its loaded tongue weight is less than 200 pounds. If I can’t get a pull through campsite most of it stores quite well under the rear of the MH. In the 209 nights that we’ve camped there have only been 3 nights that it had to be stored elsewhere because the campsite was too small. Why do I have a dolly? My Vibe can’t be pulled four down and I love my Vibe. Yes, it takes maybe 5 minutes longer to load and unload but what’s 5 minutes in a lifetime. It is getting a little harder to get down on my knees to hook up the wheel straps and toad to dolly chains but at 73 I’m still able to do it. Plus if I have to get rid of the Vibe I know that I can find a good toad that can be pulled on my KarKaddy with no additional installation costs.
Dave
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dbates
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03/13/13 08:59pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Sky light crack
Yes, it will work but you'll find that the sky light will get brittle with age and you'll eventually have to cover more and more of it. UV deteriorates them.
Dave
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dbates
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03/01/13 08:56pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Toad
When I first started using the dolly I strapped the toad down on the KarKaddy as Demco recommended by pulled the toad all the way forward to the front wheel stop then strapped it down but I found that the straps came loose & I even had one strap come all of the way off. I then realized that the straps didn’t slide over the wheel as they are tightened so they remain a little loose behind the wheels and when you started pulling the Toad it would slip back leaving the straps loose on both sides of the wheel.
I now pull the toad all of the way forward to the front wheel stop then back up about one inch. I then strap it down until the tires squish. As the straps tighten the wheels roll forward and the strap tension equalizes in both the front and rear of the wheel. Since I started doing this (over 40,000 miles ago) I’ve never had a problem with a loose strap. I still check them within 50 miles of start and again each time I stop (about every 2 to 3 hours) but I’ve never found a strap loose enough to cause a problem since.
I talked to Demco about this procedure and they have no problem with it but have chosen not to change the guidelines in their manual.
Also remember:
1. If your dolly is a little wider than the RV watch those right curbs when parking. I ground the lettering off of the right dolly tire before I realized this.
2. Make sure that you allow plenty of front end room when parking along a curb. If you have to turn too sharply when pulling out the rear of the RV swings in the opposite direction pulling the dolly into the curb causing the dolly wheels to scrap or roll over the curb.
I've read some have had straps ware out but I’ve had the same straps for 40,000 miles and they’re still A-OK.
Dave
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dbates
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03/01/13 06:36am |
Dinghy Towing
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RE: Snow and Dish tv
Over the years we have had to cleaer snow from our satellite receiver dish several times and immediately began reciving the signal again. This is why we install the receiver near ground. Although we've never tried it we've read that spraying the dish with "Pam" may help the snow to slide off.
Dave
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dbates
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02/27/13 08:07am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Gas mileage for 2001 four winds hurricane 33sl
I’ve driven 44,650 miles in a 31 foot 1998 Itasca over a 1999 Ford V10 for 7 years. I haul a Vibe on a KarKaddy dolly all of the time. Tank to tank mileage varies tremendously but my 7 year high 3 tank average has been 9.92, with a low of 6.56 and my overall average is 8.23. My ScanGuage ranges from 4 mpg up hill to 20+ mpg downhill. How you drive and how fast you drive will make a big difference.
Dave
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dbates
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02/23/13 02:24pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Disposable wipes
Rid-X won't hurt but based on Rid-X website it won't help much either. An RV black tank is for storage and not a septic system. Rid-X says that it can take up to 24 hours to generate enough bacteria to start functioning effectively.
At least two honey dippers (septic cleaning companies) have told me that if using Rid-x makes you feel good then use it but if you don’t put anything down the drain that will kill bacteria, Rid-X won’t add anything that isn't already there. One shovel full of poop will generate more than enough bacteria to keep the process going.
Dave
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dbates
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02/22/13 07:14am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Mapping routes.
I’ve been using Streets & Trips for over ten years. Trip planning is quick and easy with this inexpensive software. It can plot the shortest route between two points that you can easily modified. It can provided detailed information about campgrounds, restaurants, gas stations and other POI within self defined distance along your route or a self defined radius around a specified point. I only wish that their “Landmarks” category was broken down into small groups i.e. parks, tourist POI, government, vehicle sales & service, industry, etc.
As with all GPS and trip software it is not 100% accurate but I’ve found very few real problems with it. I use it for planning and my Garmin GPS on the road.
Dave
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dbates
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02/19/13 06:53am |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Reservations
When traveling we generally start calling for reservations at about 3:00 PM for that night. This way we are not locked into being somewhere that we can’t get to. Sometimes we may end up being a little further away from where we would like to be but not far enough to cause a real problem. As mentioned before Streets & Trips can give you almost every campground (with address & phone number) on your route or in the area you plan to stop at. In addition we use one of the campground books that may give you more info and some CGs that are not in S&T. Only once in Oregon did we begin to worry as all CG we called were booked up, then one called back advising that they just had a cancelation. Also remember that many CG will charge you for one night if you don’t cancel far enough ahead of time.
If you want to stay in a particular CG during high tourist season you may have to make reservations for up to a year in advance though.
Dave
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dbates
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02/07/13 07:25am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Tow dollie use for dinghy
I’ve been pulling my Vibe on a Demco KarKaddy SS dolly for 8 years and 44,000 miles in a wide range of states (see below map) and I’ve never had a problem placing the dolly in a CG. I prefer pull-thoughs but about 30% of the time I have to use back in spaces and I just wheel the dolly in place then back the MH over the dolly tongue. Only once did I have to park the dolly elsewhere. Indiana is another state that does not require dolly registration or plates and my MH insurance includes collision coverage for the dolly. Indiana also does not require tail lights on the toad if the dolly is well lit and I’ve never been stopped because of this in any other state. For safety sake I try never to tow after dusk but if I do or have bad weather I hook up magnetic lights on the toad. I originally got the dolly because my Vibe can’t be towed 4 down and I love my Vibe. As far as backing up I’d say it can only be done over a very short distance but straight only as I have done it and I think it’s the same for 4 down. O’ by the way if you hook up the straps correctly you’ll never have a problem with them coming loose.
As said above with a dolly you can haul a large variety of toads and if you change toads frequently replacement base plates and electrical hook ups can be more expensive than the one time dolly cost. The KarKaddy SS tongue does fold back and the wheel plates fold up reducing the home storage space by almost 50%. It also has surge brakes so you don’t have to install a brake controller in the MH.
Now for the down side. I’ll be 74 in June and it is getting harder for me to get down on my knees to hook up the wheel straps and dolly-to-toad safety chains but if you’re young and/or don’t have such problems the dolly is A-OK. Yes it does take a little less time to hook up 4 down but not much more than 3 to 5 minutes once you get the hang of it.
Dave
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dbates
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02/06/13 01:07pm |
Dinghy Towing
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RE: Added Surge Protector to Cougar Fifth Wheel
When I installed my 30 amp hardwired Progressive unit seven years ago I used a twist lock plug and have had no problems what so ever. The plugs are a little expensive but I thought if I ever had a problem with the unit I could remove it and plug in direct but I've never had a problem.
Dave
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dbates
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02/06/13 07:57am |
Do It Yourself Modifications and Upgrades (DIY)
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RE: Progressive insurance
Shortly after both of my windshields were cracked by stones (within one month after switching to Progressive) I was refueling, saw a Progressive adjuster refueling at the next pump. I asked what the proceedures were & if the cracks were sufficient to make a claim. He advised that they were and asked if I wanted him to process the claim or my agent. I chose to work with my agent and they replaced both in a very efficient manner.
Dave
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dbates
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02/02/13 07:25am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Opinions on New Surge Protector
There are dozens of posts on this forum testifying to Progressive’s reputation for customer service before, after the sale and even beyond warranty. I’ve had one of their EMS-HW30C (30 Amp hardwired with monitor units) for seven years and it has protected me from several low voltages and reversed polarity situations without fail. The in house monitor is helpful to view voltage, Hz, amps being used plus present & past line problems. It's also modular so Progressive can & will send you parts to repair it if you have a problem with it.
It works fine with 50, 30 & 20 amp connections and although I don’t recommend it with a flip of a switch can be bypassed. For my money it’s a one time investment that has more often returns than my annual insurance premium.
Dave
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dbates
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02/02/13 06:56am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Ford V10 Engines
I've driven 44,650 miles in my 1998 Winnebago Itasca over a 1999 Ford F53 V-10 chassis (the serial number indicates it's a 1999). I bought it used in Feb 2005. Its total current mileage is 97,773 and so far I've had no plug problem. I'm currently debating on replacing the plugs at the recommended 100,000 mile mark but my truck mechanics said as long as the MPG is consistent leave the plugs alone. Since I'm probably going to have to replace the tires this year I'll probably wait on the plugs.
Dave
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dbates
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01/13/13 12:43pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Undercover Boss RVing TV episode
Over the past 20 years we've stayed at numerous KOAs and had membership (off & on) until about 2 years ago. We've found most have been clean (restrooms & pad areas) and generally well maintained but they’re after a market that we no longer are members of and that is "family camping".
When we had 4 to 5 kids they used many of the "extras" included in the camping fee. Now that there’s just the two of us and we generally only stay overnight those extras are of no use to us and drive the per night fees too high. Since we travel in a class A we don’t use the restrooms so we don’t have to worry about how clean they are.
I do think that KOA is missing the ever increasing elder age market and should consider the development of overnight facilities at a lower price. It will be interesting to see what the “Boss” and the employees discuss.
Dave
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dbates
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01/09/13 08:57am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Tow Dolly vs trailer
Toad light connection on a dolly varies from state to state. Indiana doesn’t require them but for safety sake if I EVER have to drive after dusk I WILL hook up magnetic tail lights on my toad. They cost less than $20 at Harbor Freight.
https://dbates.datapitstop.us/UPLOADS/FLD00003/00005387/Maglight%20hook%20up.JPG https://dbates.datapitstop.us/UPLOADS/FLD00003/00005387/Mag%20Lights.JPG
Home made double hook up and mag lights with wired in license plate light
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dbates
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12/20/12 07:28am |
Dinghy Towing
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