Battery Discharge When Towing 07 Wrangler
I towed my JK for the first time this past week behind my 2004 Itasca Suncruiser, and I had a dead battery at each end of the trip. I am running the Cool Tech wiring harness for tail lights and a Brake Buddy. I turned the key to the first position and pulled the IOD fuse as recommended in other posts on this and other boards. I started the JK engine several times during the trip and let it run for a few minutes. Each time it started easily with no sign of a low battery. However, at each end of the trip only a few hours after last engine test start, the battery was dead. The second time it was profoundly dead, and I had to leave my emergency start battery connected for about 5 minutes before the JK battery received enough charge to start the engine.
In both cases the battery went dead on the night leg of each trip. The battery seemed to stay up for maybe 10 hours during daylight towing but went dead after only 3- 5 hours of night time towing. That seems odd. I wonder whether turning on the motor home headlights triggers some relay in the JK that causes the problem.
It is possible that the problem could have somethign to do with my method of "removing" the IOD fuse. It would come up only so far and resisted complete removal. I assumed that it was designed to be disconnected but stay in above the socket. However, I read earlier tonight in a another post that impplied that the IOD fuse should be removed completely and put in a special docking location elsewhere in the fuse box. Is that correct?
I am also wondering about the ACC position location. There seem to be two separate stops before reaching the full on position where all instrument displays activated. The first position seems to display only the odometer, while the second seems to add another display. The two positions are not very far apart. Are there two such positions near the ACC position, or it this just my imagination? If there are two, which should I use?
If neither of these are the problem, does anyone have any suggestions on what the problem might be? Others seem to have not battery discharge problems with their JKs, but I can't seem to avoid them.
RE: Credit Card Cutoff
I try to hit the stations that cater to 'big rigs' and/or RV's. They understand 40, 60, & 100 gallon purchases! :) If that's not possible, use the phone or intercom to ask for them to override the limits. If neither are available, just go inside or to the window. The limits are not set by the card but rather the station's home office. Sometimes a M/C will have a higher limit than a Visa, too for whatever reason.
I ran into limits of $48 and $50 at Travel America stations in Louisiana and Mississippi last week in their "RV" lane. I have never had this problem at Flying J.
RE: A brighter side to rising fuel prices!
One thing that I can think of is if you're lucky enough to afford fuel at today's prices and future increases is that there should be less folks traveling on the highways to campgrounds, NASCAR races, etc. therefore it should not be as crowded. Of course I have not seen much of a decrease in traffic or less folks at events. I've only seen some folks slow down a bit but not that many.
When you see a full size four wheel drive pickup blow around you at 80 MPH, it makes you wonder what price would make them slow down.
Travel America Pay at the Pump Limits
We just returned to Texas from a trip to Birmingham, AL. On the way out we stopped at Travel America on IH20 in Eastern Louisiana for fuel. When the amount reached $50, the pump cut off. I had to insert my card 5 times to buy a bit over $200 of fuel. On the way back, thinking that the limit must have been a local policy, we stopped at another Travel America station on IH20 near Meridian, MS, and I pulled in the "RV" lane. Guess what? A $48 limit on credit card purchases at the pump. I had to go inside and give them my credit card before they would turn the pump on without the limit. You would think that a business that advertises itself as "Travel America," is also a truck stop and supposedly accommodates RVs would not have a 7-11 mentality.
I have seen limits of $75-$100 at smaller stations but never one as low as $50. That makes no sense whatsoever in this age of nearly $4 gallon gasoline. You can't even gas up an SUV for $50!
Has anyone else run into this problem? Any idea why Travel America has this absurd policy? It supposedly protects against drive-offs, I know, but why does holding your card at checkout protect them any more than an electronic authorization from your credit card company?
Whatever the reasons, I am going to avoid Travel America in the future. Flying J does not treat you like this.
Monitor Light 2004 Itasca Suncruiser
Does anyone know what kind of bulb is used in the small recessed ceiling light directly above the monitoring panel (tanks, electrical, etc.) on the 2004 Itasca Suncruiser. Mine burned out, and I removed it but now cannot remember what I did with it or what it looked like.
RE: Towing a 4-door Jeep
I pulled the IOD fuse and still had a dead battery yesterday after a 14 hour run from Texas to Alabama. I even started the JK several times along the way, but when I got to the campground yesterday, it would not start. So out came the jump start battery.
There is a fuse in the engine compartment that is very easily pulled that kills the majority of the system, but leaves the cigarette lighter live for the BB. From another board:
--kev
RE: Weighing Rig for Texas Registration
I'm not sure of the rules for trailers. I know they are treated somewhat differently than motorized RVs for registration purposes. I have read that they must be safety inspected once (not every year as with motor homes), but I am not sure about weighing. All I am sure of is that motor homes must be weighed with certification before registration unless the title shows the weight. I came from MI, and my title there shows only the weight class.
Weighing Rig for Texas Registration
We are not full time, but this forum seems to be the best place to post a question about rig registration in Texas. We are retiring to my home state of Texas and are bringing our motor home.
For registration Texas requires you to obtain a certified weight for your rig if your title does not show weight. Before weighing, is it worth the effort to completely empty the rig and run the fuel down to an acceptably low level? Does it make that big a difference in the registration cost? Does the weight you submit affect your registration cost in all subsequent years?
Any other hints on registering and titling a rig in Texas?
RE: Whicb King Dome Antenna?
You are serious when you say you don't see what HD is all about?
Not that I don't think that HD has a sharper picture, but I'm not sure it is so much better that it is worth the extra cost. The HD aspect ratio is nice for movies. I mostly watch cable channels like History and others that use a lot of old film where HD is not available. The special channels where HD is showcased are not worth watching only for the pretty pictures. I will probably have HD in the new home (I plan to by a 50" to replace my current 37") we are building in Texas, but I don't see the need for it in a MH with the small screen sizes that are necessary.
Whicb King Dome Antenna?
I am interested in a King Dome antenna for my Itasca Suncruiser MH. There are several models on their web site. I don't think I need the in-motion version or HDTV (I have HDTV at home, and I'm not sure what the fuss is all about). Can someone tell me what you get with the various King dome models? Need some practical advice from experienced users.
One more thing. I just read that a dome antenna dish is much smaller than the portable tripod-mounted type and thus may not provide as good a signal. Also the portable can be moved around to find a clear path though obstructions when a signal may not be available to the dome. So also need to have expert opinion on dome vs. portable.
RV Satellite TV Guide?
Is there a satellite TV guide for RVs somewhere on the Internet?
We have an Itasca class A and are preparing to retire. I would like satellite TV, but we will not be full timers. So I'd like a setup that could be transferred back and forth from my home to my motor home so I need only one subscription. Does anyone do that? I don't think we need to be able to watch TV while moving.
