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RE: How to stay warm in cold weather.
I've never done it but a small Chinese version of a Webesto Diesel Heater would be a nice addition in the winter time. It is safe (vents and draws combustion air from the outside) and doesn't use much electric. I bought one a few years back just in case I ever want to mount it.
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Caveman Charlie
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12/08/22 10:38am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Does travel trailer furnace have a filter?
I've never seen one that did. But, I'm used to older units. Maybe some of the new ones have one ???
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Caveman Charlie
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11/22/22 05:05pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Where to for Thanksgiving?
My wife reminded me last night that I “volunteered” to help out with her office potluck today, so I got up early and baked five loaves of bread and made two pounds of butter. Good stuff.
Did you actually make the butter ? I've seen articles about how to do it but, it is to difficult for me .
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Caveman Charlie
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11/22/22 05:02pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Winter Battery Storage
If they are fully charged they won’t freeze at zero. As they self discharge over time while sitting there they could. A discharged battery will freeze at 20* F. A trickle charger or something similar (solar?j will help to keep the batteries fully charged.
^^^^THIS^^^^
Folks don't take batteries out of their cars for winter when not using that car for several months in the winter, why should one drag the batteries out of their RV for winter?
Fully charged batteries will not freeze even in sub freezing temps for weeks at a time.
Simply put, no need to go to the work and hassle of removing and storing the batteries inside your home, garage or basement as long as you have fully charged the battery and have disconnected the battery from the RV electrical system for the winter provided you do not have access to power while in storage.
If you have a RV with a modern multistage converter and you have power available, you can even just plug the RV in and let the converter take care of the batteries.
What you don't want to do is leave the batteries connected to your RVs electrical system without having some means of charging. The RV electrical system has 12V devices like the stereo, water heater, fridge, furnace which all draw a small amount of power even when they are turned off.. Those small draws will flatten your battery in a matter of a week or two.. Hence the need to plug RV into power or disconnect the batteries for storage.
x2 on this! If batteries routinely froze at 0, none of us in Minnesota would ever be able to drive our cars!
Fully charged batteries won't freeze until -73F. For 20 yrs, I have just fully charged the 6 various RV and boat batteries I own, completely disconnected, and left outside in their respective boats/RV's. Ditto on the vast majority of boat owners in our region. Nov-April, and in the spring mine have never been at less than 85% of charge, and usually above 90%. Batteries do self discharge over time, but cold slows them way, way down. In Minn, even with the summer, the average temps mean over a year before they get to 50% self discharge. MUCH faster in Texas or Arizona in the summer - then it may be 3 months. For places that get snow, just fully charge, disconnect and forget until spring.
Yup, I charge the battery on my boat as I winterize it. Then I unhook it and leave it in the boat. The last battery lasted 10 years this way. It wasn't bad when I replaced it I just thought that was enough.
On my TT I have 2- 6 volt batteries. I store it at home, in a shed, and have a voltage meter inside so I can watch it. I make sure the voltage is up to snuff. If it drops a little low I flip on the power converter for a few ours and top them off. The last batteries I had in there lasted 10 years too and I still have them. But, they were getting to the point where they wouldn't hold there charge for as long so I installed new ones.
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Caveman Charlie
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10/18/22 08:30pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Can 'O Worms: how long can I expect my 5er to last?
It doesn't owe you anything. Use it until the wheels fall off.
( I don't mean that literally.)
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Caveman Charlie
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10/14/22 07:53pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: anti siphon device ?
I suppose this is an inappropriate or unnecessary suggestion, but couldn't you just replace the manual setup with a simple 12v pump and new faucet?
It's not inappropriate but, the hand system works quite well for the little bit of water used when I use this camper. And,, I keep this pop up for going places with no electricity. I bought it used, cheap. It looks like it must have had some sort of battery system on it at one time but, the whole thing has been removed. It's really just a tent/bed on wheels.
So easy to tow though. I live in SW MN and have a friend that moved to Duluth on the north shore of Lake Superior this year. Beautiful country up there. To visit him, and go camping up there, I need to go through what we call the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/ St.Paul and their suburbs. Plus, It's a 5-6 hour drive for me to get there. I can drag this pop up though the cities at 70-75 mph, get 20 mpg, and not worry about abusing it. It's kinda old school thing and that is fun sometimes too. I use it once, maybe twice, a year. I paid $1000 for it and kinda regret it because either I should have just bought a tent or spent more money and got a better pop up. Oh Well, I had fun with it this year and will again next.
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Caveman Charlie
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10/14/22 07:48pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: anti siphon device ?
Thanks for all the responses. It give me things to try out.
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Caveman Charlie
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10/14/22 07:34pm |
General RVing Issues
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anti siphon device ?
Although my primary RV is a travel trailer I also have a old pop up camper I use occasionally.
It has a hand pump on the kitchen sink. There is simply a water tote below the sink with a 3/8 flexible line that you put into the tote. You pump up and down on the valve handle mounted behind the sink to pump up water and there is a pipe that shoots the water into the sink basin. It works good for what it is intended for.
The problem is that after pumping the water that is still in the line will try and slowly siphon (fall) back down into the tote. You can even watch the pump handle move position as it does this. This causes a suction noise back through the pumps outlet above the sink. This is right next to my head as I'm trying to sleep at night. (it's really a annoying noise) There is no real way to cork off the end of the outlet. What I need is something to put in the line below the sink that will keep the water from trying to fall back down into the tote and therefore no more siphon at the valve.
Sorry that I did not explain this well.
Does anyone have a solution to stop the hand pump from siphoning back down into the tote below it ?
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Caveman Charlie
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10/11/22 06:26am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Fridge won't stay lit
No thermal couple. It uses a flame sensor.
Manual
Yup many companies call it a "Flame Sensor"
There are two or three types of Flame Sensors. I know two of them
One is a common Thermocouple
The other is photovoltic
I'm not sure there is a 3rd or but am allowing for the posibility. I'm guessing a high temp thermostat might work.
Thermocouples are the most common.
I'm familiar with standard Thermocouples. They are in a lot of furnaces and in the water heater on my camper. They have to heat up and then they hold a valve open so the gas can flow though.
I don't know anything about Photovoltic sensors but, I can kinda guess how they work from the name.
On this fridge the igniter and the sensor are the same thing. When you activate the fridge the circuit board opens the gas valve and the igniter sparks. After the gas lights the the igniter senses the flame it then shuts off the sparking at the igniter and the circuit board continues to hold the gas valve open. If it doesn't sense the flame the circuit board will shut everything down. After 3 tries it goes into lock out and you have to turn the fridge off and back on to try again.
I'm told it does this by measuring the amount of currant flowing through when the igniter is sparking. When the flame is in the way of the spark the amount of currant is different and the circuit board senses this.
So it's not a Thermocouple and it's not a Photovoltaic sensor either.
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Caveman Charlie
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09/10/22 01:25pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Nash 18FM water intrusion?
Could you have water coming in around the air conditioner ? Driving through HEAVY rain puts the test to everything. You are pushing air into every part at 50 + MPH.
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Caveman Charlie
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09/06/22 06:17pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Fridge won't stay lit
I ordered a new burner assembly which includes the orifice and the burner. Of course it is different and won't go on my propane line because the end is different.
So, I ordered a new line ; which I know it going to be different; because I can't get the original one and even if I did it would have the wrong end on it.
When the new line comes I will try and find someone that can either bend it to fit with a tubing bender or, more then likely, I will have to cut both lines and splice them in the middle with a chunk of hose and two clamps.
(Sigh) I had this same issue when I changed mine, I had to cut one end off and reflare the tube end with a new fitting. The tube is Al and is easily bent by hand.
Thank you for pointing out that it's Aluminum.
Well, after many months I got the fridge fixed. The thing is that I am either working or camping. I don't have very much time in between. So I haven't had time to work on it. I tried ordering another tube that was sold as being the correct one and it wasn't. Now that I had 2 I decided to just throw caution to the wind and start bending it. After about a 1.5 hours of bending it this way and that I was able to find a position that would work without the tube rubbing on anything. Next problem was that you are suppose to put the burner on the tube and then install it and I couldn't do that. I had to put the burner in the hole first and then install the tube. This meant that I could not get a wrench on the fitting to get it tight. I found a cheap 5/8 wrench and cut/broke it to the right length so that I could get it to work in that spot and tightened the fitting. It's in the shed running great right now with no propane leaks.
For a over a month I was buying lots of ice and using coolers. ( that sucked) For another month I had the fridge working but, not on propane so I always had to use spots with electric. Now that it's fall I love being able to park anywhere without needing to plug in so I hope this works. Everyone cross your fingers for me and maybe it will work. Have a nice Day ,,Caveman Charlie.
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Caveman Charlie
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09/06/22 05:33pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Fridge won't stay lit
I ordered a new burner assembly which includes the orifice and the burner. Of course it is different and won't go on my propane line because the end is different.
So, I ordered a new line ; which I know it going to be different; because I can't get the original one and even if I did it would have the wrong end on it.
When the new line comes I will try and find someone that can either bend it to fit with a tubing bender or, more then likely, I will have to cut both lines and splice them in the middle with a chunk of hose and two clamps.
(Sigh)
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Caveman Charlie
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08/25/22 11:53am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Fridge won't stay lit
Have you cleaned the orifice and burner tube?
I have cleaned the burner tube. I'm taking it to the repair place on Monday and I will suggest to them to clean the orifice. To do that effectively you have to remove it and some of the line from the back of the fridge. I'm thinking that maybe the orifice got damaged when they put the cooling unit on it because you have to remove it to do that.
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Caveman Charlie
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08/20/22 03:38pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: My Fridge Died
To wrap up this thread.
After removing the fridge I found yellow powder at the bottom of the boiler tube. Soon after that it started leaking ammonia. I ordered, and had installed, a new cooling unit. Unfortunately this took a long time. Everyone is just so busy these days. Now it the propane part of the fridge won't stay lit. I've started another thread about that.
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Caveman Charlie
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08/20/22 02:20pm |
General RVing Issues
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Fridge won't stay lit
I have a Norcold Fridge model 6035 (I think that's it anyway. 5.5 CI) I had a new cooling unit installed in it. Now I can't get the fridge to stay lit up on propane. It's not the igniter everything is working like it should ( I put a new dinosaur igniter board in is some years back and a bran new igniter a few days ago)
It's like there is air in the system but, there can't be. The furnace is right below it and it works fine as does the stove and the water heater.
It just keeps popping until finally it goes out.
Pop, pop,, poof, poof, And finally it pops enough until the flame goes out. It will try and successfully relight a few times but, eventually it goes out enough times that the board shuts it down completely. It almost seems to get worse the longer it runs.
I'm completely stumped. It always worked fine before. It's such a simple system. I cant imagine what could be wrong.
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Caveman Charlie
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08/20/22 02:14pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: The [Star] Trek Thread
Love this thread !
I was sorry to hear of Nichelle Nichols passing
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Caveman Charlie
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08/01/22 07:03pm |
Around the Campfire
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RE: Crossing into Canada
I tried to get across and the border guard asked me about AriveCan. I told him I couldn't make it work and why. He get a strange look in his face and said "Who could possibly not have a working email ?". He denied my entry and sent me back to the U.S.
In the time it took you to post here you could have a half a dozen free email accounts.
If you choose not to go, that’s your decision but please don’t invent silly excuses for it.
I understand your position. I just wanted to see if I could drive across the border for no good reason on a whim. I found out that you can't.
Like you said my decision.
As for a dozen email address I'm not going to do that. I already have 2. That's plenty. One that worked would be good but, I'm not going to keep making new ones every time some computer bug pops up.
I also only have one Credit Card and I pay the balance off every month.
I have one Charge Card and it comes out of my check book so when I'm forced to use it to buy gas I write the amount and place of purchase in the check register so I know how much I'm spending . (More people should do that)
I've been banking that that same small town bank for 48 years. (My mom started me a savings account there when I was 10 years old, I still have the same account )
I have one insurance company and I have all my insurance though them.
I've been living on the same house for over 30 years.
The point I'm trying to make is that I like to keep things simple. I'm not going to open another email. After the Centurylink one quit working everyone else that is important accepted by gmail address accept for the government of Canada.
I really don't need to go to Canada anyway if I did then I would have to figure something out.
If try again it won't be until next summer when I get way up that way again. (It's a 6 hour drive for me. I haven't been that far from home since the eclipse of the sun in Nebraska a few years go.) I don't get more then 100 miles from home very often.
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Caveman Charlie
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07/26/22 07:32pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Crossing into Canada
It does surprise me that the Canadian border official denied your entry. I've found them always courteous and helpful, while still being serious in their job.
Perhaps there was an "attitude conflict" on the part of either you or the official.
No, I was nice and courteous and he was also. He did try to be helpful. Said that a relative or friend with a e-mail address could fill out the ArriveCan thing and something about I could take a screen shot of it ? (Not that I have any idea how to do that) I will admit that when he asked why I wanted to enter I said something like "just to see if I can , I have never been over the border before and I wanted to see what it took to do it" . Again he put a funny look on his face, and after he denied me entry, he said that if I got the ArriveCan thing straightened out that if I wanted to try again and said that I was going to Thunder Bay for supper that would be a valid excuse.
Basically, I found out what I wanted to find out. You just can't cross international borders on a whim. Even the one with Canada, our closest ally.
Maybe I will try again someday if I have a real reason to go. But, you can't just drive across for no good reason.
Oh well, like I said, I didn't really need to go. I just wanted to see if I could and now I know that I can't.
I hope that I'm not on some U.S. and Canadian CIA type file now but, I probably am.
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Caveman Charlie
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07/26/22 07:11pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Dometic A/C Capacitors Smoking! Replacement part?
Our local electrician keeps the on hand. We have a lot of electric motors on the farm that use all sizes of capacitors.
Is there a electric motor repair shop near you ? Maybe you can purchase on from there.
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Caveman Charlie
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07/25/22 05:12pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Crossing into Canada
Hi , I'm the orignal poster. I tried to get across and the border guard asked me about AriveCan. I told him I couldn't make it work and why. He get a strange look in his face and said "Who could possibly not have a working email ?". He denied my entry and sent me back to the U.S.
In any case I'm not going to be leaving the country. It's to hard.
I know at least a dozen people with no internet and no email.
For example: I have a good friend, he has a good job for a rural water provider. His wife works at the health clinic. They own their home, have nice vehicles, have a camper, and a boat. They don't have internet or emails and they don't want it.
Another Example: I know a woman that just retired. She doesn't have any internet either. She says she has never needed it and doesn't want to pay for it. Heck, She just got her first cell phone last year.
None of these people, and many more, can go to Canada. I'm guessing the number of people in the U.S, that can't go is probably in the millions.
Oh Well. They just don't seem to want our money. I had lots of fun on the North Shore of Lake Superior here in MN. I really didn't need to go to Thunder Bay Canada and I guess I never will. Canada's loss.
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Caveman Charlie
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07/25/22 05:05pm |
General RVing Issues
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