RE: Pulling with 1/2 ton
Watch this—> Https://youtu.be/M75Sm7XaIdY
This video is very good for someone getting into towing a TT. I agree that someone who knows what he is doing can configure a 1/2 ton to go heavier, but for John Doe who just decides one day that he would like a TT, but has never even seen one, this would keep him out of trouble while he learns the ins and outs of it.
This video is not trying to convince a knowledgeable and experienced RVer that he is doing it wrong.
RE: Pulling with 1/2 ton
Do all the math you want, but in the end, it's how you load it and what it weighs after all you load or do not load in it.
Yes. But when trying to determine how much "what it weighs" you can handle, or how much truck you need to buy, the math is your only gauge. Unless you trust the salesman when he says "sure, you can tow that with this truck."
RE: Class A stuck next to house!
When we bought our current house, it was the first time we had ever been able to park our RV on site. We had always stored it at my FIL's house. We didn't bring the RV to our house until we wanted to go camping the next time. The day before our camping trip, I brought the Class C home and parked it in the grass behind the driveway end.
It rained that night.
We were late getting started on our camping trip the next day, waiting for the tow truck.
RE: Pulling with 1/2 ton
I tow with a half ton, but wouldn't tow one that heavy. My personal max with a half ton is 6,000# GVWR. Yours exceeds that, empty.
Here is how I determined my maximum tow weight:
Truck payload rating is 1895#.
DW and I weigh 400#, leavng 1495#.
I have a topper, 200#, leaving 1295#.
WD hitch, 100#, leaving 1195#.
I have a boat I sometimes put on top of the truck, 150#, leaving 1045#.
Generator and its fuel, 70#, leaving 975#.
Assorted camping gear, 150#, leaving 825#.
Since tongue weight should be 10% to 15% of trailer weight, I divide 825# by 10% and 15% to get a range. That gives me 8250# right at the bleeding edge of capacities, or 5500# at most conservative. I like having extra capacity, so I rounded 5500# up to the nearest 1000#, giving me 6000#.
Your number will vary depending on your tow vehicle's payload rating and what you normally carry. You may have a lower payload rating, but not have a topper or boat. Do the math for your vehicle.
Use your trailers GVWR, not its dry weight.
RE: Trailer Battery runs down
Airstream uses a WFCO inverter that draws power even when it is supposedly turned "off." I put a separate disconnect switch on the hot wire between the battery and inverter for this.
If your Bambi has an inverter, disconnect its hot wire from the battery and see if that makes a difference. If it does, a Blue Sea disconnect will fix the problem.
RE: fresh water tank overflow syphoning tank dry
Let me start by stating that my overflow in a tube sticking out the bottom of the underbelly of the trailer.
I have never seen an overflow (actually vent) tube anywhere except right beside the gravity fill port. If you have a fancy trailer with levers to flip rather than a gravity fill port, I have no idea.
RE: Trailer Battery runs down
It could be anything.
Do you have the pin pulled on your breakaway brake switch? That will do it in minutes.
Since it does it with the disconnect switch on, you will have to follow every wire from the battery to see where it goes.
RE: MultiSeal ( Flat-Out ) and TPMS
My experience: This does not directly address your question because a TPMS was not involved.
I own a 6' utility trailer. About 20 years ago my brother asked if he could borrow it. I said sure, and he came and got it.
Fast forward about 10 years. A tire on my utility trailer went flat. I got out my air compressor, but it would NOT air up. I took the wheel off the trailer and took it to a tire shop. They removed the tire, then came and asked me if I had ever put Fix-a-Flat in it. I said that I hadn't, but the trailer had a previous owner, so I didn't know. They said SOMEBODY had put Fix-a-Flat in it, and it had rusted out the rim. I needed a new rim. They said that if I ever put that stuff in a tire, take it to a tire shop as soon as possible because they have to rinse all of it out before that can happen.
When I got back home, I called my brother and asked if he had put Fix-a-Flat in my trailer tire while he had it. He said yes, the tire went flat and he did.
(That particular brother could break an anvil. I loaned my Father my chain saw one time. While he had it, my brother borrowed it from him. When Dad returned the chain saw, it was a brand new one still in the box. My brother had managed to destroy the chain saw, and Dad felt responsible since he had loaned it to him.)
RE: Honda 3000eu issue using a bonding plug
Check polarity of 30 amp outlet against 15 amp outlet, e.g. "hot wire to hot wire" should show zero voltage. If it shows 120v they are wired reverse from each other and one of them should be changed.
Triple check the bonding plug.
This only makes sense if both:
1. 30 amp and 15 amp have reversed polarity from each other
and
2. something in your RV has a neutral/ground short
The reason this would explain the problem is the RV's neutral/ground short puts one leg of power on the ground wire (the leg that is hot on the other outlet). The bonding plug puts the other leg on the ground wire. That is a dead short between the two legs through the ground wire.
RE: Fridge in new camper not working...
Got home, checked the code. It's a Code 10, which is "not user serviceable." Something about "fridge has lost communication with controls" or somesuch.
I have an appt for Sept 12th. The way this is going to go is that they will come out and go, "we need to order parts. All parts are back-ordered for two months," at which point I will politely demand that Northwood take back this thing (or find another way to fix it ASAP), because this problem should have been caught at the factory, OR, should have been caught by Norcold before the unit was shipped. I'm not going to sit here for weeks or months while a brand new camper is unusable.
Sometimes stuff happens. We bought a new Airstream in 2017. During PDI the Dometic air conditioner worked fine. Took it home and was loading it up for our very first trip when we realized the Dometic was blowing hot air. The dealer had to replace it, Dometic had a bad run and we got one. They could not have caught it because it was working when they tested it.
Good luck on them taking your RV back because it needs a new control board.
RE: Surge power protector- hard wire or portable?
Before backing in of pulling in I always check with my home made pedestal checker,cheap but it works.
Saves me the hassel of dragging everything out.
http://i.imgur.com/jfD16Ell.jpg height=210
parts list
15 amp to 30 amp Adapter
triplex outlet
Outlet tester
Volt Meter
I had all these around the house,why not use them...
I also use my 50amp to 30amp adapter to check the 50amp side. Sometimes I like them better as they are in better shape.
I like that. I've debated building one for 50amp spots that would check L1 and L2. But never could find my roundtoit.
If you ever do, also add a 240v LED indicator light between the L1 and L2 wires. That will tell you if they cheated and wired both to the same leg, possibly causing a NEUTRAL overload.
240v green LED indicator light
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51sEgy0qNhL._SL1000_.jpg width=320
Question for electronics techies
Is it possible to tap the hot wire AFTER the switch but BEFORE the dimmer slider?
I want to put an indicator light on it, but don't want the indicator light to dim with the slider.
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41T3vkqg3mL.jpg
RE: Surge power protector- hard wire or portable?
I have room behind a panel to put the hard wire version. But what if for some reason it goes south? Now your going to have to wire around to restore power.Make it plug and play by putting plugs on each side? If I do that why not just use a portable unit and install behind the panel? Or just use the portable unit plugging into the power pedestal? Taking the chance of someone walking off with it-water intrusion and just having to deal with every time you set up and leave. What's you thoughts? I'm sure there's more + and - to each one.
I went with hardwired. Can't walk off. If you install a portable inside, you can't see the readout. Hardwired has the remote pendant, which includes a bypass switch.
In my first RV I did 30 amp twist lock plugs. The space was almost inaccessible, so I did that so I could remove it if necessary to repair it. When I moved it to my current RV, I have good access so I direct wired it.
RE: Battery disconnect
I connect the breakaway switch after the disconnect switch so I can quickly turn off the brakes if the pin is pulled, the breakaway switch breaks or if a short develops in the wiring.
If any of that happens, I will be doing 70mph on the highway, so I don't plan to turn it off. If I really NEED to disconnect the breakaway switch in a hurry, I can cut one of its wires. I disagree strongly with having the breakaway switch after the battery disconnect.
RE: Battery disconnect
The only reason not to use the negative wire is the breakaway switch should never be disconnected from the battery, and disconnecting the negative does that. Either disconnect the positive, or be sure the battery disconnect switch is wired to the battery before the disconnect switch.
In answer to your question, you must not be disconnecting every hot wire or every ground wire going to the battery.
RE: Onan Microquiet 4000 Won't Turn Off
When it happened to me, I had to replace the control board. I took some pliers and pinched the fuel line closed to kill the generator.
RE: Accidentally plugged into 220v
A 50 amp RV does NOT like 220. A 50 amp RV has two 120 volt legs and is not 220.
There's a big difference.
This is one of the wrongest answers I have ever seen to any question. A 50 amp RV outlet is 120v/240v. Put a tester between L1 and L2 of any 50 amp pedestal and see, if you don't believe me.
Your S&B house is wired with 120v/240v. You use the 120v for lights, televisions, and stuff. You use the 240v for water heaters, stoves, and stuff. An RV is absolutely NO DIFFERENT. It uses the 120v for 120v stuff. If it has a 240v appliance, it uses the 240v. Most do not, but a few do.
RE: Accidentally plugged into 220v
Install it and forget it. I have. US made. User serviceable, if needed. Good warranty.
Progressive Industries EMS-HW30C
https://static.wixstatic.com/media/439d5a_1c6839e4198b422a8da2e2476dc9a0fb~mv2_d_2500_2070_s_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_546,h_452,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/439d5a_1c6839e4198b422a8da2e2476dc9a0fb~mv2_d_2500_2070_s_2.webp width=640
