RE: Hooking up the 5th
i also squat the truck about 2-3 inches when hooking up. i haven't ruined my lube plate in about 40 hook ups. i also do a visual to make sure my hitch jaws are wrapped around the king pin before i put up the tail gate.
RE: Running a second generator?
seems to me that buying a second generator with smaller wattage output to run instead of the rig's genny wouldn't cover the cost of buying and running the smaller genny. the only benefit would be the quieter sound of the small genny. i think i can put up with the noise and save my money!
RE: earthquakes in California
part of living in earthquake country is you have to be prepared to take care of your family for at least a week, maybe two. the stores will empty and water will be scarce as people hoard. it will take the government that long to mobilize and bring water, food, and meds. we keep the toyhauler filled with water, gas, and propane. we also have 30 gallons in the hot water heater, and about 6 gallons in the toilet holding tanks.
RE: where to get fresh water - gorman and apple valley
check the flying J at lebec and I-5. it's a few miles north of gorman. you can get there on the frontage road (north peace valley road) from the main entrance to hungry valley.
RE: New Electric Sand Car
there is a finite supply of dino fuel. the cost of finding, transporting, refining, etc... the oil will only get more costly in the future. to be realistic, electricity from nuclear, solar, bio, wind will be our future, unless a new technology comes along. electric motors are expensive, but as more companies compete for our money, prices will come down. i don't know the particulars of how long an electric motor will run, compared to an internal combustion, but we need these companies to keep inventing and people to buy them so the technology can advance. i'm old school, it will take some time before i'll go electric, probably like the horse and buggy guy when the horseless carriage came along, but by then i'll be able to afford it!
RE: Who uses Trojans?
GI Joe's has 6V Trojan T-105 for $120 each and they claim they are rated at 130 amp hours.
Thanks
$120 Damn! I bought mine just 5 years ago for $64 each. Still going strong. And btw, the T105 is rated at 225 Ah at the 20 hour rate. I have 4 of these, hooked up in series I've got 450 Amp hours to play with.
And in case your wondering they weigh 62 lbs each.
Yep $120. The only other place to buy Trojans around here is Battery X-Change and they want $139.
You're right - they are 225Ah - I just went to their web page. I'm not an expert in DC power but I though you add the voltage but not the amp hours when wired in series. And in Parallel you add the Ah but not the voltage.
For an example:
2-12v 115Ah batteries in parallel = 12v, 230Ah
2-6v 225Ah batteries in series = 12v, 225Ah
Thanks for all the help.
you are correct on the amp hours and voltage. mckenziek had 4 6v batts, both pairs are in series, then you wire the pairs in parallel.
we've had ours for 2 years, and with the furnace blower keeping the bride and kids warm in the desert winter, the batts would read green in the morning. it is one of the best investments we've made for our toyhauler.
RE: Youth atv quad
....
Okay, before I get the "it's too dangerous for your Kids" or "they will get hurt"....
it is, and they will, but that is what makes riding so appealing. my dad bought my first dirt bike when i was in 6th grade. i've broken a few bones, but my dad still supported my riding. i didn't have time for drugs or gangs growing up, i had to keep my bike up to speed and myself healthy. from my experience, this will be one of the best choices you will make for your kids. good luck with whatever quad you choose!
RE: Trash in our desert!
thanks for all the replies! it's nice to know that i'm not out there all alone. this post reminds me of a quote from my pastor. "10% of the people do 90% of the work". i just need to adjust my attitude the next time i go out and be content that i still have a place to ride and picking up someone else's trash will be a part of our trip.
Trash in our desert!
we just came back from ocotillo wells near cahuilla and commune. place was crowded! pulling out today, we were amazed at all the trash that was left by people. i know that most of the people that post here care about their desert, but it was sad. i was taught "haul it in, haul it out". it's no wonder that our riding land is being taken away! i had my kids go out from camp in a 50 yard radius and they came back with a full trash bag (had to bribe them with a dairy queen stop). anyway's, thanks for letting me vent!
RE: Cleaning the fresh water tank?
sometimes it's impractical to drive the rig to slosh the bleach around the tank. i just fill it up until it comes out the over flow, run the taps and shower, let it sit over night, then drain. my tap water is chlorinated so i'll fill it back up to keep the bacteria out and to keep for an emergency(i live in earthquake and fire country).
RE: New San Diego Area Mx Park. in the works...
Now all they have to do is control the meth addicts and drunk drivers on Hwy 76, and it might be a nice place.
they don't have drunk drivers and meth addicts where you live???
RE: Battery Chargers
since you are getting a new rig in a year, just hook up the charger to the batts when you make camp. it isn't that big a hassle, and you can take the charger out when you need it. if that is too much a hassle for you, get a new converter. that way there is no hassle, the batts get charged correctly, and you won't take a chance of ruining your batts.
i use to mickey mouse stuff all the time, now i'm too old and too lazy! i use to live by "time is money". now it's "money saves me time".
RE: Electrical Puzzle ??
you might have a "step up" transformer in the fan that gets the motor up to speed, kind of like a capacitor on an a/c motor. sounds like you are getting back feed on the circuit. my best guess is you have a bad fan. let us know....
RE: Rider down - Evel Knievel
i had the pleasure of watching him jump at carlsbad raceway back around 1970. i broke an arm imitating his jump! left quite an impression on my young mind. i also got to see his Christian testimony on youtube just last week. God speed!
RE: Dec 8th......So Cal....
heading out to ocotillo wells, maybe the east end of the park near the blu-in. we just got a new crf230 for the wife and a quad for the kids. they are dying to ride them!
RE: Octillo Wells-where to fill water? and general reviews
from calabasas, i would take the 210 to 15 south. exit 15 to 79 south in southern temecula. drive to S-2 (san felipe road) and turn left. there is an electrical substation on the sw side for a visual marker. there is also a nice place to pull over at the intersection for a break. take S-2 to 78, turn left, and about an half an hour, you're there!
the party people camp near blowsand and pole line road. we camp in a quiet spot in imperial county, north of the 78 where the kids can ride in relatively safety. they blade all the roads before the season, so you can camp anywhere you want. i've seen motorhomes in the middle of the park!
i would check out shell reef (ocean shells that are common to the caribbean), devil's slide, gas dome and pumpkin patch (you have to see to believe). like i said, the roads are bladed, so beginners on bikes and quads will have no problem getting to these spots. also pole line is known for filming extreme jumping videos. every time we are there, someone is doing crazy stunts!!
ocotillo wells is close to sea level for jetting your rides. temps are cold at night, mid 40's to the 70's during the day, just right! make sure your rides have off road stickies, the rangers might come into your camp to check them.
we paid for this park, so enjoy it!
