RE: Repair or replace roof?
Since your insurance rates will most likely increase so that the insurer can recoup the payout, I'd recommend to patch the roof yourselves. If the rest of the membrane is old and starting to fail, I would suggest to call a roofer in your area that does single ply flat roofs. Do not tell him what an RV repair shop will charge. The cost will be a fraction from a roofer compared to RV shops.
Hum..... I've NEVER had my insurance rates increase on my cars, house, rv etc. because of a claim. Now if you have many many claims, I imagine they would increase the rates. My trailer roof was replace last year under warranty. New insurance actually is a few dollars less than the year before. So much for an increase. They've already factored in claims in the insurance rates.
If you buy insurance for trailer damage and then don't use it on valid claims you may as well just not buy the insurance, your just pouring money down a rathole.
RE: Roof leak
Find the cracked/dried caulking and pull it all off. Use mineral spirits to clean it up followed by a good general purpose cleaner like 409. Recaulk and cover it with Eternabond tape. That stuff is the bomb. Follow the instructions to the letter though. Make sure the temperature is above 55 when applying it and don't be in a hurry. Once that stuff sticks, its really hard to remove.
be careful with mineral spirts on a rubber roof. Most/all mfg say do NOT use any petroleum products on the roof.
I'd use a plastic putty knife to remove old bad calk, clean it with soap/water or dicor roof cleaner or spic and span, go over it with water to remove any residue then let it dry and use the dicor lap sealant or eternabond.
RE: Repair or replace roof?
your TT will likely pay for a new roof less your deductible. In most states insurance is required to repair to "like new " condition. What that means is they must to replace the roof not repair the roof.
I had in incidence with a tree branch last fall, and got an estimate for roof replacement, Insurance agent came out took a look at the trailer and ok'd the replacement. A week later, new roof was on. All I paid was my deductible.
RE: 12 volt coffee makers is the any good reason to own one?
Aeropress. Best way we've found to make an excellent cup of coffee, better and easier than a french press. boil water in the teapot, 10 seconds in the areopress and coffee is done.
RE: FTC takes action on Robo-Calling
Looks like the FTC efforts to shut down Card Services are not working. I've received 3 calls in the last 7 days.
Did you answer the call?
If not, try answering the call then press 1 (I kept pressing 1 while their automated message was playing), the 1 option connects you to a real person. Then TELL them to REMOVE YOUR NUMBER from their call list.
This is what I did after having them call me every day for TWO WEEKS. They kept missing me since they always called during hrs I work.
I just happened to have a day off and they caught me in a bad mood after I had to drop working on some stuff in my garage and run Olympic style across the garage to get the phone :M
So far that has been over TWO MONTHS ago and no more "card services" missed calls on my caller id :B
I tried that. The response was basically "No, stuff it up your ***, we ignore the do not call list and now know your is a valid number. Try and stop us." Then he just laughed and said they haven't caught us yet.
Recently the spoof Area code went from florida to a local Oregon area code as well. My folks in montana have it show up as a Montana area code.
RE: where did the oil go?
I an Airplane mech and I highly recommend you get a sample kit from
http://www.blackstone-labs.com/what-is-oil-analysis.php or a sismilar one and check your oil through them. Use an independant lab, not one like AMmsoil etc as they just try to sell their product. My most recent one said, Wow, Quite a bit of metal in oil. Recommend you change it sooner, could be just breakin or beginning of a problem. Do'nt use additives or products that promise renewal. If they did what they promised, we would'nt wear out engines. If the products are so great, why are they not apprved by the FAA?
x2 on blackstone. after several consecutive analysis by blackstone I'm now convinced that the longer oil change intervals on newer vehicles are still VERY conservative, at least for our driving. Even at 10K miles on my duramax and mercedes (about when the change oil usually comes on), the analysis indicated that everything was still very good and the additives still strong and they indicated I could easily go at least another 5K before changing if desired. I'll stick with the 10K, nice number to remember. previously I was in the 3K for cars, 5K for my truck camp. Clearly that was vast overkill with likely no long term benefit.
to the OP if your concerned about oil consumption, send a sample to blackstone lab when you change oil and they will give you an analysis of the oil and highlight any concern areas and give you a good comparison of what typical number are for your particular engine. In most cases they have enough data on various engines to give a good comparison and they also often know what to look out for with various engines. They also offer the same service for transmission fluids.
RE: PenFed Fuel Cash Back Credit Card
Several have posted about getting 5% cash back for fuel using a PenFed Credit Card. We now have that credit card and are beginning to understand the limitations. What we've learned:
1. Generally PenFed says to use it at the pump and not inside to get the cash back. But the transaction must be coded as fuel and not food or merchandise.
2. Works at independent gas stations.
3. PenFed doesn't know if it will be coded correctly when fueling in truck lanes at truck stops like FJ, etc. where you pay inside. Should be fine at the car and RV lanes where you pay at the pump.
4. PenFed doesn't know it the card will work at big box pumps like Safeway.
5. Can't be used at Costco because they don't accept Visa.
What's your experience?
BTW We have 2 Amex cards that cover all of the above but they also have limitations.
we've used ours for 3 years and have yet to NOT get the 5% on fuel purchases. However, I ALWAYS pay at the pump. Ours works at safeway, Kroger, Fred Meyer etc. The KEY is that you the gas station is seperated with it's own pay island etc and away from the store, so then the SIC code comes up as fuel not groceries.
Never had a problem at flying J, pilot etc, but we don't use the truck islands. Pen Fed is pretty specific that the card MUST be swiped at the pump and not inside. Again, inside the SIC code may come up as something other than gas station.
And, yup, the downside is that it doesn't work at Costco.
BTW even at a stand alone station, if you fill propane tanks, it won't give you the discount, since that is not swiped at the pump.
Nice things are:
1) you get the 5% credit applied to your statement BEFORE the bill, so you get the credit every month.
2) No limits on monthly or annual fuel $ or gallons like some cards
3) Gas OR diesel get you the same credit unlike some cards that are gas only, no discount on diesel.
So it's Pen Fed for FUEL, that's ALL we use it for, and our visa flex perks for EVERYTHING else I can charge, including utility bills etc. Outstanding program for airline travel on any airline w/o any of the usual airline miles restrictions.
RE: 12 volt coffee makers is the any good reason to own one?
I don't see one. Batteries are terrible energy storage devices on a watts/lb basis, and propane, while not as good as gasoline is orders of magnitude higher in energy density in watts/lb. So.... I'd rather use propane whenever possible and save the precious battery AH for stuff I can't possibly do with propane.
RE: Kill the Suds
We always use Dawn and don't have suds in the gray tank. Use less soap.
x2. We also use dawn and don't get much suds at all and we live in an area with pretty soft water.
RE: where did the oil go?
You didn't read my post! I said it should not burn oil. But if it does nothing more than a half quart in 3k miles. Anything more and it should be taken care of. And yes working hard it could also use some oil. Again nothing more than a half quart.
You, sir, are absolutely wrong on this one. The engineers at Ford didn't just pull the number out of thin air. I can assure you that they know best what is considered 'normal' for the OP's engine and what's considered excessive. As I already cited, it's one quart every 900 miles.
Here's the exact text from the proverbial horse's mouth:
Oil Consumption Test
The following diagnostic procedure is used to determine the source of excessive internal oil consumption.
NOTE: Oil use is normally greater during the first 16,100 km (10,000 miles) of service. As mileage increases, oil use generally decreases. Vehicles in normal service should get at least 1,450 km per liter (900 miles per quart) after 16,000 km (10,000 miles) of service. High speed driving, towing, high ambient temperature and other factors may result in greater oil use.
And you would be perfectly fine with using upwards of 5 quarts of oil between oil changes for the life of the vehicle? when the majority of vehicles are using none!!!
First I seriosly doubt the "majority" of engines use no oil between changes, the vast majority will use some. I have NEVER had an engine that used NO oil between changes even when the change interval was 3,000 miles. How much is the question, many were/are a quart or less in 3,000+ miles, but ALL used some amount.
Second if you have an engine that uses no oil between changes you are living in a dream world. What you are experiencing is fuel dilution in the oil. SOME oil is being used, no quesiton. If the oil level doesn't change at all, your getting fuel dilution in the oil making p for the lost oil, and THAT is a much bigger problem than using some oil!
RE: Tires: Maxxis Not Available. Plan B?
Like Sandiaman said try Discounttiredirect. Shipping is free and no tax. Have Discount tire mount and balance for $19 per tire.
if you go to the website and order them one option is for them to be delivered directly to a nearby Discount/Americas tire and the web price will include mounting and balancing.
RE: how to safely deenergize capacitor
I use the old fashioned method of testing it with my meter- though they say that modern meters are such a high impedance that they will not discharge a capacitor, I have yet to run in to one that was charged.
The "official" method uses a 2k ohm 5 watt resistor.
and leave it connected. many capacitors will build up another charge if you discharge it and then open the leads. Won't recharge to anywhere near the initial charge, but it can be enough to give you a suprising jolt.
RE: New travel trailer - what is the best length
rather than starting with length we found a floorplan we liked and then looked at how it would fit our travel plans. Yes, it's long, (35' overall), yes there are campgrounds we can no longer get to, but we decided to go with it anyway.
After 2 years of traveling, close to 15K miles of adventures, almost 200 days living in the trailer, we still love the trailer and haven't found another one we would trade it for. We just check ahead on campgrounds and while our first choice hasn't always worked out, we have always been able to find a campground that is close enough to where we want to be to enjoy it. And, our preference is remote sites, no hookups.
So, look at floorplans you like first then size considerations, not the other way around.
RE: where did the oil go?
Most vehicle mfg will say that as long as oil consumption is less than a quart every 600ish miles it is considered "normal". At least in terms of anything they will consider fixing under warranty. That said, I'd consider that excessive on a newer vehicle.
My experience with current vehicles is that the vast majority use significantly less oil than that. With newer vehicles that I have owned and friends have owned, consumption seems to vary all over the map. My mercedes with 140K uses less than 1/2 qt. every 7500 miles between changes. My son's s-10 with 250K has used a quart every 3000 since new, Duramax with 110K uses a quart about every 5K on synthetic, almost none on conventional oil (different viscosity), mostly towing. I've had hondas that use about 1 quart every 3-5K and some that used virtually none. And my old chevy van (87) with small block was a quart every 3K or so from new till 180K when I sold it, partly from the common exhaust valve guide seal getting hard and the puff of smoke on hot start.
Personally, as long as consumption isn't changing drastically for the same driving conditions as mileage increases and stays higher than a quart every 2K miles or so, I'm not concerned in the least. If oil consumption starts to increase rapidly, then I'd be looking to see what is going on. But that's just my comfort zone, your's may be different.
Engines must use at least a small amount of oil to avoid cylinder damage. If the bottom oil control ring removes ALL the oil film from the cylinder wall, then there is NO lubrication film when the compression and second ring are moving over the cylinder wall. NOT good. The amount left can be very small, but it is there and is then consumed during the combustion cycle.
It's when the oil control ring or valve guide seals quite doing there job that you need to be concerned about oil consumption.
RE: DIY, cheap repair for torn vinyl roof?
My roof is very definitely vinyl, and not rubber. I had the RV dealer I got the RV from verify this, and that assessment is reinforced by seeing the material that was torn off by the tree branch.
I do have insurance, but it has a $500 deductible that I'd really rather not shell out if there's a cheaper DIY fix I can do.
pay the $500 and have a new roof installed. It's the best way to end up with a repair that will last. Insurance should pay for a complete reroof.
RE: Filling fresh water tank while boondocking
I just installed a small RV water pump in my pass through. Output plumbed into fresh water inlet, Inlet plumbed with small hose and a SS dip tube. put the dip tube in my 7 gallon water tank, turn on the pump, wait till 7 gallon is empty, repeat with another tank if needed.
RE: Need recommendation for tire pressure for TT tires
Virtually all the ST tire mfg specify that the tires should be run at max sidewall pressure regardless of load. Has to do with tire design and the very high side loads on trailer tires when you turn.
Done that for many miles and tread wear has been even. I get 25K-30K miles/set and the wear is even at max pressure. Neighbor has 200K+ miles on his cargo hauler, does the same, same thing for wear.
As to worrying about heat buildup, it is a non issue if the tire isn't overloaded. Tires are designed for a max cold inflation pressure knowing that pressure will rise as they heat up or you go to higher daytime temps.
RE: Replacement RV microwave
I'd go with a panasonic inverter microwave. Why?? well, rather than cycling between 0% power and 100% power on any of the low power settings, it varies the magnetron output. So, if hooked to a generator your not constantly causing the generator to see a widely varying load. In eco mode, the genny won't be going between idle and high rpm. Next, they also cook better on low power than cycling units. And finally, you CAN run these microwaves on power level 5 or so with a 1000W sine wave inverter and a pair of 6V batteries if you want to. Other microwaves, even the lower output ones, will neeed close to a 2000W inverter and a bigger battery bank. You can pick up a nice one that is the size of the typical small microwave in most trailer for about $125. It works great for us in the above situations.
Now normally when dry camping, coffee/tea is from the stovetop, most cooking using stove, oven or grill, but using the microwave at a lunch stop or a quick rewarm for something is nice to have.
RE: Do tires have to be changed at a certain age?
If they are ST Tires they should be replaced after they are 3 years old or 10,000 miles whichever comes first. If they are LT tires--- 5 to 7 years....would be a good rule of thumb to change them out. Went through 2 sets of ST tires in 6 years and less than 20,000 miles. Now Running lT tires. Letting tires set in the sun daily will reduce their life.
replacing ST's after 10K miles???? GIVE ME A BREAK. I've run many many sets of ST's to 30-40K miles before they needed replacing because of tread wear!!! And yes, that was within 3-4 years.
And I'm not the only one getting that kind of life out of ST's. Neighbor has over 200K miles towing his big cargo trailer around the country on ST's and he gets close to 40K/set.
ST's are listed by most mfg as going by the same age rules as other tires as well 5-7 years.
RE: Balancing RV tires
I have written this before, but no one cares.
The hubs/drums on trailers are not balanced.
Of the 18 I have personally checked, not one was in balance, the worst was 5.5 oz. out.
You can balance the tires all you want but the assembly, most likely, will be out of balance.
The hubs and drum on vehicles are not balanced either....but you still balance the tires.
actually most/all drum brake housings on passenger vehicles are balanced. Look carefully at drum brake and you'll likely see either holes partially drilled through, or more commonly a rectangular steel tab on the drum. That's how they are balanced.
Haven't seen that on trailer drums, so I assume they are not balanced.
However, the effect of a given amount of unbalance also depends on the diameter of the object. so the same amount of imbalance on a drum will have much less effect than the same amount of imbalance on a tire since the tire diameter is much larger. Don't recall exactly but I suspect it is a squared relationship.
So if you balance a TT tire (which I do), you won't end up with a completely balanced assembly unless they balance on the hub. But IMHO you'll in virtually all cases end up with a better balance than nothing at all.
