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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: How Many nights or weekends............
This yr has been rough because of illness but we usually go 3 weekends out of each month plus a 10-day or so trip.
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windriderjr
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08/21/08 10:05am |
General RVing Issues
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Finnally going camping
It's been a long camping season for this family. DW spent 7 hrs on the operating table to have some spinal problems fixed. My mom has been in and out of the Hospital for the past few months.
I've been pretending to be the responsible adult and have missed most of the camping season. Well, Mom is back home with dad and DW just had me make reservations for Labor Day and Columbus Day camping.
Life is good again :)
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windriderjr
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08/21/08 09:58am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: BEWARE !! CAMPING WORLD ADS
Being mostly nomads when we travel, there's nothing like seeing a CW sign on a highway far from home. I always "need" something :)
OTOH, I do most of my maintenance myself and have the local dealer (where we bought the TT) do the harder stuff. Never tried CW's service. I seem to remember seeing an installation fee for hooking up a digital converter box that was higher than the price of the box one time there. I laughed because I'm perfectly capable of plugging a box in :B
Some things are cheaper at CW but not many. The main reason I'm a fan is the convenience.
Caveate Emptor.
(Let the buyer beware)
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windriderjr
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08/21/08 09:52am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Camping Alone
I camp alone a lot.
DW doesn't get into winter tent camping for some strange reason :)
I am taking the TT for a week with the guys at the American Kitefliers' Association Convention in late Sept. DW staying home.
I will occasionally "go for a walk in the woods" backpacking or camping on an island by myself for a weekend.
DW and I have a lot of trust in our relationship. I call her every day if I have cell phone reception and always come back happier then when I left.
DW goes away on her own occasionally, too.
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windriderjr
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08/21/08 09:36am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: HELP! newby to all this
I think the main problem you will have if you go the MH route is the towing capacity of the rig. I usually see small cars being towed, not 6,000 lb trucks with 600 lbs of bike in them.
My TT weight is 3,900 lbs dry with a GVWR of 4,200 lbs. DW and I find it quite comfortable. Alone, it's a palace :)
YMMV
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windriderjr
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08/20/08 11:44am |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Cleaning the RV after a trip
You have to clean them?
;)
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windriderjr
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08/19/08 01:54pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: To Be Armed or Not
Always take a pulse rifle in the 40 watt range ;)
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windriderjr
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08/19/08 01:48pm |
Tent Camping
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RE: Fun Camping Items
I started putting a colorful spinning wind toy at the end of our "driveway" in CGs. It makes it very easy to find the site and kids love it. It is something like this.
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windriderjr
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08/19/08 09:04am |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Generator
I use a Honda EU3000is. If I had it to do over, I would have gone with 2 EU2000is' but only because of the weight. I can get it into the bed of the truck by myself but it isn't fun.
There are three things you need to know in order to narrow your choices of generators: 1) how much power do you need; 2) where will you use it; and 3) is it practical for you?
1) how much power do you need?
The best way to find this out is to use a clamp-on Ammeter. Plug your rig in and measure the peak draw with the A/C cycling and whatever else you are likely to be using. Measure the voltage of the line and use ohm's law to get watts (watts = amps x volts).
The second best way is to look at the ratings for each device you are powering and add up the watts.
Either way, I would add another 10% or so to be safe. Now you know how big a generator you need. My answer was 2,700 watts peak.
2) Where will you use it?
If you are camping on your land out in the woods with the nearest neighbor 20 miles away, go cheap. If you are camping in State Parks, you need something quiet.
Measuring sound is not something most of us understand well. Technically, what is being measured is "sound pressure level" (SPL), commonly called "volume". Sound obeys the "inverse square law" which means the further you are from the source of the sound, the lower the SPL. SPL is measured in units call "Decibels" (db) at a given distance. The law for noise limits in National Parks is 60 db at 50 feet (36cfr2.12)
I wouldn't want to be next door to someone with a generator that loud. the Honda I have produces 54 db at 20 feet. Just make sure you are comparing apples to apples by looking at both the db number and the distance it is measured at.
3) is it practical?
Can you pick the thing up and put it where you need it by yourself? My generator weighs about 150lbs with gas in it. It isn't easy to move and would be hopeless for my DW to try to pick up. Does it have an electric starter? is it going to last?
Good luck on your search. I hope this helped.
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windriderjr
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08/15/08 08:19am |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Camoing within an hour or two from Philly
Are you looking for a CG or are you looking for backcountry camping?
In other words, are you backpacking or car camping?
If you're car camping, then check out the State Parks. Here's a link to PA State Park Camping.
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windriderjr
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08/14/08 03:30pm |
Tent Camping
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RE: Tent vs Pop-up...
My parents and I took a PUP across the country when I was young (and dinosaurs roamed the earth). My Dad was able to take 16 weeks off and give me a lifetime of memories. My cousin and I could set up the PUP in 5 minutes by the end of the trip :)
All the arguments for getting a PUP were pretty well articulated and most of the issues against them were also well put. The only thing I would add against PUPs is that you need to make sure you don't put the canvas away wet for any length of time or you will have mold when you use it next. This isn't any different than a tent but the cost of replacing the canvas for a PUP is much more than replacing a Walmart tent.
There are two reasons I have a TT rather than a PUP now: the mold issue and bears. Many CGs, especially Federal CGs, will soon not allow any "soft-sided" structures in the CG in bear country. That includes tents, PUPs and HTTs.
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windriderjr
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08/14/08 03:25pm |
Tent Camping
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RE: no full hookups
Once you get used to the jargon, it will only take a glance to see if the place you are looking at is right for your style of camping.
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windriderjr
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08/14/08 08:41am |
Family Camping
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RE: Portable GPS Device
While not exactly what you may be looking for, The "Trailer Life Campground Directory" on CD can be used with a GPS on your laptop.
DW and I use it when we are headed out to the unknown and want to find a place to spend the night. If you already have a handheld GPS and a laptop, it's much less expensive than any of the other options.
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windriderjr
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08/13/08 12:50pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: AIR LOCK IN PLUMBING?
I think you might have "water hammer". The cure (at least in home plumbing) is an air-filled vertical pipe near the faucet causing the "slam".
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windriderjr
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08/12/08 08:38am |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Buying or renting RV for 8 week trip in Canada?
I think you might have trouble getting the MH registered without an address in this country. Why not buy in Canada? or you could rent in the US.
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windriderjr
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08/11/08 02:27pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Funny start to the weekend
Most of the reservations I've made have been for a specific site.
One time we found a car parked on the site we had reserved. I asked the CG Manager if they knew who the car belonged to, they did and contacted the owner who promptly moved it. Unfortunately, the previous camper had never cleaned up after her dog on the site! there were piles of doggie doo all around the fireplace. I asked the Manager about it. He said they would be happy to clean it up or we could have a different site. I said I'd much rather have the prior occupant clean it. The manager smiled and said, "Since I'm never letting her back in here again, that isn't going to work." I borrowed a shovel and happily cleaned the mess up.
On the way out, the manager came up to the car and made a point of telling us we were welcome back any time.
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windriderjr
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08/11/08 12:52pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Honda Generator Warranty??
I would think they would as long as you brought it to their service center and had the appropriate documentation.
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windriderjr
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08/11/08 10:31am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Extension Cord to TT
When you use any wire that isn't large enough to pass the current you are trying to draw there are more problems than just voltage drop. When the voltage drops, the energy is dissipated as heat. It can get hot enough to cause a fire. When you set up the connection, turn on all that you might ever use and let it run for a few minutes. Go out and feel the temperature of the cord. If it is warmer than ambient temperature, the cord is probably too long and thin. I had a 50 foot 14/3 cord that is now a melted lump of plastic because I forgot and ran the A/C.
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windriderjr
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08/07/08 01:55pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Dry Camping Electrical Limit
I'm a nerd and did all the calculations for battery consumption for my TT and found I could go for a long time (3+ days) on my single 85 amp-hr battery as long as I didn't run the furnace or bathroom fan.
Then i went camping :)
DW didn't like the idea of being ultra conservative with the electrons. She wanted to watch tv at night like at home or in places with hookups. So I was faced with the classic "It looked good on paper" situation. The answer for us was to not worry about the juice and just run the generator for a couple of hrs each day to recharge the battery. I installed a 400 watt inverter for the tv/dvd player. Now DW is happy and I'm happy. battery power is not our limiting factor now, the gray water tank is :)
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windriderjr
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08/07/08 01:39pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Grey Tank not Dumping
That could be, since when I tried to dump it, knowing there is water in it, nothing comes out...at all.
Could it be that some of the black water contents clogged the drain (they both drain out of the same drain).
If it is the valve, is that easy to repair/replace?
If nothing is coming out, there are 2 possibilities: a broken valve or a leak. Are you sure there's water in the tank? Testing with a faucet in the rig would prove that one way or the other.
If the black water contents had blocked the drain, you should be able to see it with a flashlight in the pipe from outside. you could always put on some "dish washing" gloves and feel around, too.
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windriderjr
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08/07/08 12:14pm |
General RVing Issues
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