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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: Want To Talk About STUPIDITY !
Normally our RV show in Minneapolis MN is in January, and it is posted in Motor-home magazine. I did not see the show listed in latest issue. I wonder if they are considering skipping our January show?
Mark
edit: found out from a few members that our show will be Feb. 5 to 8, 2009.
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MNtundraRet
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12/02/08 01:40pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Maintenance charging of 12V batteries in a utility room
Before I traded the trailer & TV for a motor-home, I brought batteries home to be charged up a few times during the winter. I would not do it near the furnace-room, but I had a different problem.
I was charging each 12v Deep-cycle battery with a 15 amp charger. First one went fine so I did the second one. Sometime during that charge my Carbon Monoxide detector went off. I turned off my 30+ year old furnace and called the gas company. They came over shortly and stated the furnace and water-heater were just fine. He asked me if I was charging batteries. It turns out that the hydrogen gasing will also set off the Carbon Monoxide detector. My newest detector warns about this possibility.
Mark
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MNtundraRet
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12/02/08 01:02pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: checking battery strength
"smkettner":
Your comment about "battery strength indicator panel" and relative accuracy brings up a scary point. In three years of owning my motor-home and over 70 days of use each year, I have not yet seen my battery-strength indicator lights ever show less then full for both house and chassis battery-banks. I agree with another post that plug-in meters read actual voltages slightly low at 12v plugs because of line-resistance.
I do not trust my indicator panel for battery strength, and I will not let the batteries drop until the "full light" goes out, to take an accurate reading at the batteries with the volt-meter. My WFCO charger does come on and charge batteries at bulk-rate (14.2 volts) much of the time so I assume my batteries are around 80% charge at that point and the indicator panel still reads full. If my panel reading ever drops I most certainly get an accurate voltage at the batteries and post it near the panel.
Mark
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MNtundraRet
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12/02/08 06:06am |
Tech Issues
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RE: checking battery strength
Please note that the 12v dc outlets in the dash area run off the chassis battery, not the house battery bank. Of course there may be a few exceptions.
Mark
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MNtundraRet
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12/01/08 06:37am |
Tech Issues
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RE: checking battery strength
I use that location to monitor what type charging is taking place in my motor-home. I use a plug-in voltmeter to check for "bulk", "normal", "maintenance" charging. Also checking house-batteries before pluging into shore-power, or turning on generator. A standard meter with probes could also be used, but I use it at the battery-bank terminals.
Mark
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MNtundraRet
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11/30/08 04:21pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Heater and refrigerator will not light
Since all 3 appliances need 12v DC to light, did you have 12v power in the RV? Did you reconnect the house-batteries with the disconnect switch? The propane detector usually runs off the house-batteries. If not powered it may block lighting of propane powered appliances. Check the fuses on generator and converter output, and check the batteries. You might not have had 12v DC power.
Mark
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MNtundraRet
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11/30/08 04:10pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: LCD TV Spec 120 hz
There are twice as many picture frames produced in a set period of time. Picture would be better for fast action sports like racing when using 1080i signals. That's why ESPN only sends out a 720p signal.
Mark
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MNtundraRet
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11/27/08 07:29pm |
Technology Corner
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RE: What's with my tv?
When you did the channel search for over the air channels, was the television set for "antenna"? If you did the search on "Cable" it would have found nothing. If you have a cable splitter box was it set to Antenna, and to the correct TV location?
Mark
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MNtundraRet
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11/27/08 07:15pm |
Technology Corner
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RE: Generators
Actually; running the generator 1 to 2 hours each month is considered normal. The generator needs to be excersised each month for both the engine and to heat up & dry out the coil-windings that produce the electricity. Don't forget to put Stabil in the fuel. Gas goes bad without it in about one month. You might consider it more wasteful if your generator does not work the first time you really need it.
Mark
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MNtundraRet
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11/26/08 11:55am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Charging House Batteries
Rich:
No one here was referring to using an unregulated charger. The alternator, the built-in 3,4-stage chargers, and 3,4-stage portable chargers all monitor the battery-banks they are charging. They will cut back on charging as batteries approach full charge. Many RV's have 3 or more charging sources going at one time: Solar, alternator, and generator; without causing any problems.
Mark
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MNtundraRet
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11/26/08 11:46am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Charging House Batteries
Kirk:
If you are running the generator, the generator will supply AC to run the built-inconverter/charger for battery charging. At the same time, I plug in my Schumacher 40-15 amp Speedcharger into one of the outside AC outlets. It charges a separate 12v gel battery for me, but it can be connected to the house-battery bank, so that they are being charged by both built-in and portable charger at the same time, to speed up charging of batteries while running the generator. Also note that in motor-homes with the V10 Ford gas engine; running the engine while supply about 70 amps for battery charging.
Using this method I can get: 70 amps + 45 amps + 40 amps for charging 4 batteries each hour if needed. For recharging batteries in storage lot (no shore power) this means running engine about 45 minutes and the generator about 2 hours. Batteries are recharged and engine and generator get the exersize they need. I also keep a 9-watt solar panel on the dash to keep the chassis-battery charged during the month, while the house-batteries are on disconnect. System has worked well for the last 3 years.
Mark
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MNtundraRet
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11/25/08 06:54am |
Tech Issues
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RE: water pump bad already?
If your trying to suck antifreeze from a bottle through the outside hose water-connection, it will not work. You need a hand pump to put it in there. Inside you can connect a short hose to the inlet side of the water-pump to add antifreeze after you disconnect line from the water-tank. A faucet must be open to allow the pump to prime and pump solution.
Mark
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MNtundraRet
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11/24/08 05:30pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Generator Racing
The fuel mixture adjustment on some models is the "Altitude Adjustment" knob. Make sure it is set to the correct altitude (elevation) for your current location.
Mark
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MNtundraRet
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11/24/08 03:33pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Frozen dump valves
If the tanks are empty, and the motor-home stored for the winter, there is no reason to thaw out the valves. They will thaw out in the spring. Otherwise warming up the knife valves with a hair-dryer, or portable hearter will work.
Mark
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MNtundraRet
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11/24/08 06:39am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Generator runs but no electrical power produced
By any chance does the shore-power cord need to be plugged into an AC outlet on the generator? That is the way my Jamboree works.
Mark
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MNtundraRet
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11/23/08 05:57pm |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: had a cold snap with water in lines now what?
If you have an air-compressor, hooking it up the the water-inlet, and using it to flush water out of the lines may work better than running the pump. Of coarse the temperature must be above freezing to clear the lines. If temperatures don't get above freezing soon, you may be paying the price come spring for not winterizing sooner.
Mark
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MNtundraRet
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11/22/08 03:58pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Problem w/HWH retracting this AM- ideas, help please?
I would say the problem was the cold weather. Jacks retract because of the springs. Metal parts contract in cold weather so tolerances get tighter. The jacks would stick on retracting. If extending and retracting hadn't worked, you have needed to warm up the problem jack. Getting under the vehicle and pushing up on the jack may have helped too.
I would leave them up if you expect cold weather tonight.
Mark
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MNtundraRet
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11/22/08 03:47pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: How to get FREE HDTV-DIY
Along with over the air signals for HD television being free. If you currently have even the minimum analog service on cable television in your area, and you purchase a new digital, or HD television. The cable company is required to supply you the local HD signals at no extra cost. Hook up the television directly to the incoming cable. Use the search function on the televsion for both analog and digital searches. Mine were already there a year and a half ago. You would need to up-grade cable service for high-definition signals on the regular cable stations if you want them, which I did about 3 months after using the set.
Mark
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MNtundraRet
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11/20/08 09:38am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Am I being scammed???(UPDATE - IT GETS BETTER!)
You did the right thing. Many of these places use this excuse to get more money. If you think you have a problem, have it checked elsewhere for a second opinion. Otherwise; don't worry about it.
Mark
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MNtundraRet
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11/20/08 09:23am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Inverter (How Long)
You did not mention your battery capacity. You could have easily used up 45 amps in a 3 hour period. More if your refrigerator was on along with some lights, monitors, and the inverter itself. I does not look like the batteries had a full charge. Check them with a volt-meter. Are you saying you had full charge on the batteries because the built-in monitor said it? Many monitors show full charge when the batteries are actually discharged somewhat.
Mark
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MNtundraRet
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11/19/08 08:16am |
Family Camping
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