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RE: Goodbye CH751 key!
I seldom lock my basement doors, parked at home, or camping. If someone wants something in there, they will get in! I'd rather make it easy, than repair the damage.
My water fill door locks with the 751, as does the outside shower door. I'm thinking just to ensure that they don't open in transit?
Jerry
I recall a car I had that got broken into. They completely tore the drivers door lock off, made off with <=$50 of stuff. I never did get a quote on fixing the damage to the door and getting a replacement lock. :)
IMHO: there IS something to be said about not making it to hard and just keeping honest folk honest.
Keeping in mind that *IF* criminals really want something, they can do more damage than whatever the lock is 'protecting' is worth. :)
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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04/27/23 02:04pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Just curious
Careful Mark, you might ‘trigger’ him - lol ??!!
3 tons
I don't think he has been "Un triggered" for the last three months :B
LOL!!
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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04/22/23 05:27pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: NorCal Mini Truck Camper Rally - April 2023
While I'm not going (IMHO to far to drive) HAVE FUN!!
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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04/21/23 04:39pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Just curious
Holy fawk….this discussion is sillier than the camper soap thread!
But GOSH!! We are ONLY on the 4th page... LOL!!!
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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04/20/23 06:21pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Question on switching to LiFePO4 batteries.
I'm going to replace my 2 lead acid batteries in my Bigfoot truck camper with two 100ah LiFePO4 batteries. I've previously installed a 4 way battery selector switch to allow me to keep one of my batteries at a high enough charge level to start my generator (they are run in parallel). However, this won't be necessary (and probably won't work) with the lithium batteries and I will probably need to have it at the Both position to start my generator.
My question is is can I damage the batteries if I switch to the Both position when one battery is low and the other battery is fully charged?
In a word: No.
A battery is simply a energy storage device.
No matter what "type" or chemistry the batteries are if they have the same nominal voltage (IE: 12V) then the following would be true:
Battery #1 is 12.5V and Battery #2 is 13.5V and you hook them both together in parallel along with a load. What happens?
The load will draw current from BOTH batteries but since Battery #2 is at a higher charge voltage than battery #1 some of Battery #2's energy will flow to Battery #1 until such time BOTH batteries have the same charge voltage.
If you simply hooked a not-so-much charged battery up to a fully charged battery without a actual load the "not-so-much charged battery" would still be a load to the fully charged battery until such time that both batteries have equal voltage.
So can you can see the 'wasted' energy/charge being used for the lesser charged battery?
This is why it is generally recommended that to use two or more batteries in parallel they ought to be the same Brand+type+age+capacity and charge level so stored energy is not wasted charging the other batteries in the bank.
- Mark0.
You're forgetting about the BMS and the electronics in it.
It really does not matter.
Ether the batteries are at the same charge voltage or not. Period.
Don't over think it.
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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04/17/23 09:26am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Question on switching to LiFePO4 batteries.
I'm going to replace my 2 lead acid batteries in my Bigfoot truck camper with two 100ah LiFePO4 batteries. I've previously installed a 4 way battery selector switch to allow me to keep one of my batteries at a high enough charge level to start my generator (they are run in parallel). However, this won't be necessary (and probably won't work) with the lithium batteries and I will probably need to have it at the Both position to start my generator.
My question is is can I damage the batteries if I switch to the Both position when one battery is low and the other battery is fully charged?
In a word: No.
A battery is simply a energy storage device.
No matter what "type" or chemistry the batteries are if they have the same nominal voltage (IE: 12V) then the following would be true:
Battery #1 is 12.5V and Battery #2 is 13.5V and you hook them both together in parallel along with a load. What happens?
The load will draw current from BOTH batteries but since Battery #2 is at a higher charge voltage than battery #1 some of Battery #2's energy will flow to Battery #1 until such time BOTH batteries have the same charge voltage.
If you simply hooked a not-so-much charged battery up to a fully charged battery without a actual load the "not-so-much charged battery" would still be a load to the fully charged battery until such time that both batteries have equal voltage.
So can you can see the 'wasted' energy/charge being used for the lesser charged battery?
This is why it is generally recommended that to use two or more batteries in parallel they ought to be the same Brand+type+age+capacity and charge level so stored energy is not wasted charging the other batteries in the bank.
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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04/16/23 07:14pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Would you get new tires ?
I bought a set of Toyo's in 2014. They have < 8000 miles on them.
Am I going to replace them anytime soon? Unless I see visible signs of rubber degration (cracks/discoloration/etc) it won't be anytime soon.
- Mark0.
Let us know how about the damage your RV if you get a blow out and how much it cost to fix the repairs. IMHO the price of tires is a sound investment$$$$
The tires in question are ~$400-500 each and are VERY overrated for the application (truck+camper).
Very doubtful there will be a issue at all. Hence no need to replace unless there is visible evidence they are degraded.
If you wish to replace perfectly good tires every X amount of years "just because" then you are more then welcome to.
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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04/12/23 07:27pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Would you get new tires ?
I bought a set of Toyo's in 2014. They have < 8000 miles on them.
Am I going to replace them anytime soon? Unless I see visible signs of rubber degration (cracks/discoloration/etc) it won't be anytime soon.
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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04/12/23 06:16pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Just curious
Been drinking rv tank water for 50yrs. Never had an issue and never sanitized a tank. Just check the water before filling and use a filter on the hose while filling.
Ditto.
I almost always carry at least 1/2 a tank as IDK if there are trustworthy water sources where I'm going and more often then not I'm boondocking/dry camping without any hookups.
While I will filter the city water via hose while filling the tank, I have no issue with drinking it OR ever having to "sanitize" the water system.
IMHO: some folks just like to make stuff more complicated than they need to be. :)
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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04/12/23 06:10pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: $100,000 Host Campers
Ahhh... effects of both inflation and inflated pricing.
Inflation in ALL countries the world over has made the cost of materials+labor more expensive.
Then we have the pandemic to thank for the inflated prices from when people could not toss large sums of $$$ at planes, hotels and resorts they found RV's and campgrounds to toss their money at. RV's AND campground reservations became hard to find and prices skyrocketed!
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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04/11/23 09:57am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Make line on driveway for camper loading?
This is what I ended up doing. After measuring the inside width of my tail gate opening I then centered two nylon straps on my camper placed at the same width -1".
Then using one (or both) mirrors - I aim one of the trucks bed rails just to the outside of one of the straps.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52783889907_9031292549_z.jpg
It works every time as long as you can see one of the ends of your bed rails in your mirror(s).
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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04/02/23 04:26pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: No power getting to my Angler 8C, 2001
Ok good evening, everyone. I was able to do some more research on it today. Ok I plugged it into a non-GFI outlet I flipped up all the breakers in the camper. Everything worked for about 30 seconds, then I heard a click, and everything went off. It never threw a breaker in the camper; it threw the breaker in my main fuse panel in my house (where it was plugged into). So, I flipped down all the breakers in the camper and hit the breaker back on in my house. So now I went and turned on the breakers in the camper one by one and it clicked again when I flipped up the breaker to the converter. So would this mean my converter is bad and causing this? I have to accept the fact that this converter may be as old as the camper, 22 years old. The converter should be located in the fuse panel of the camper? Again thank you everyone who is helping me.
Bruce
Most likely the converter, or it could be the charger. Many times they are in the same box but separate. It could also be something else on the same circuit. Unplug all electricity, take a photo of the fuse locations and pull all the fuses. Then see if you can open the front of the converter/charger. If so undo the wires from the breaker to the charger only. Now put the fuses back in and carefully plug in shore power, flip on the offending breaker and see what happens. If no tripping you have a bad charger. If it trips there is a short in the breaker panel or some other device like the microwave or whatever is also on that same circuit.
Here are some pictures
https://i.imgur.com/xSCRplZl.jpg
I had a 2001 Elkhorn 8S and yep - that looks like the factory panel and converter/charger.
However I'm at odds remembering how the thing was wired as there is a breaker for:
1. Converter/charger
2. Air Conditioning
3. Microwave
4. General
5. Main
Stock the items that can draw AC power are: the fridge, converter/charger, air conditioning(if installed), microwave (if installed). Stock your water heater is GAS only.
So the question would be if ANYTHING is getting power with the "main" breaker off.
Obviously SOMETHING is causing the house breaker (and the 'Main' one in the camper) to trip.
I'd assume that your doing what I used to do before a trip, plug in the camper to pre-cool the fridge/freezer and top off the battery.
BTW: WARNING! THAT model converter/charger is known for boiling batteries and wreaking them. There are drop-in replacements (or used to be) that have multistage charging.
Personally I'd try to isolate by shutting everything off and all breakers and just turn on the "main" breaker and see what happens.
A DVM, trouble light or probe will be useful to see where you have power. Since the goal is to charge the battery and/or pre-cool the fridge, if the "main" breaker does not trip with all the other breakers off, next turn on the converter/charger breaker with the main and see what happens.
Then do each breaker one at a time paired with the main and see which ones can be on with the main without tripping.
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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03/30/23 04:27pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: New to truck camping ...
Hi all, just picked up a nice 2014 camplite 6.8 to sit on our 2022 F350. My wife is not sure camping is for her so I'm looking for some good sites and advice on places to book or check out to get the family into it. We love being near water and want to avoid large busy campgrounds. Also LOVE state parks. Are there any sites I should check out or parks I should be sure not to miss? Just returned from a trip to the keys (hotel) and really liked the look of Bahia Honda State Park ... definitely looks like a special place. Any help getting started is much appreciated.
PS. we are near Niagara Falls and will start out on the East Coast and South East next winter. Thank you.
Sorry I have not read through the thread so much of what I'm going to say might of been already mentioned...
First off - Welcome to the wonderful world of Truck Camper camping! While the camper ought to keep the family warm+dry if the weather goes south while your on your trips, IDK if it includes a toilet or not (the little women usually like the indoor features) camping WITH a RV is surely easier to get "the other halfs" into then camping without.
Now for a bit of bad news... being it is March already you better getting surfing ONLINE and do it quickly!! Why? Because around where I live ALL campgrounds are booked solid 6 MONTHS OUT!!! Getting any kind of reservation on a weekend is nearly impossible!
Best of luck!
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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03/19/23 04:54pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: part three of the broken frame saga.
It is obvious all us camp differently. Some are happy wiith 500 lbs of gear while other campers are pushing 7000 lbs.
I have a 10.5 foot camper that weighs 2600lbs wet, and loard for camping I am right at 3000lbs.. I have a hard time understanding what people take to make it weight that much haha.. now my 5th wheel I probably do have 1500lbs of "stuff" but where would you put all that in a truck camper.
How much does a case of Beer weigh? ~1 per day per person over X days... :) :)
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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03/15/23 10:32am |
Truck Campers
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RE: part three of the broken frame saga.
Ahhh the age old questions that nobody ever seems to agree on:
What is a road?
What is 'off road'?
What is a 'jeep trail'?
Roads come in many flavors. Everything from very smooth paved interstate highways to secondary roads (with and without potholes) to well/not groomed gravel (with and without potholes) to flat dirt to uneven/rutted and potholed dirt.
My personal dividing line is that if it is on a ROAD MAP (or USGS map) I call it a road. If not, it must be something else.
IMHO that OEM trucks are simply NOT designed to be hauling +4KLBS down jeep trails and creek beds.
Of course that does not stop anyone from doing it.
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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03/14/23 07:36pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: It looks like my truck camper days are over.
Prayers for a speedy recovery.
(I see you were able to salvage some booze from the wreck. When this settles out have yourself a drink!) :)
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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03/08/23 03:42pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Rv loan rates!
Anyone looked at RV loan rates lately! For 800+ credit scores 8% or more! Even through local credit union. Who is buying these over priced RVs with these rates?
I guess folks with more $$ than you do and are paying cash.
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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03/08/23 03:39pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: It looks like my truck camper days are over.
Gosh - I'm glad that you and nobody else was seriously hurt in the accident!
Cancer sucks - I know.
Will be praying for you,
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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03/06/23 05:32pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: DRW vs SRW safety, tire blowout
If I bought a truck for a camper I would go with a DRW just to be safe.
Problem that I have is that a DRW would not go down many of the trails / roads that I like to drive on. That was the reason I got rid of my little class C. Was just to wide.
This thread has jumped all over, but the original question had to do with safety. Are DRW safer in terms of maintaining stability in a blowout situation? The answer…probably. The thing is that if the probability of a blowout is low (with quality tires) to begin with and then the DRW advantage in terms of avoiding a subsequent loss-of-control accident is relatively small, then do you care enough to upgrade your truck on these grounds? I was simply trying to get a better feel for how often accidents (loss-of-control) result from a blowout on a truck with a camper and to see if there were more SRW accidents than DRW accidents. Right now, not enough data to say. If fact, no firsthand data of an accident and only one secondhand account. The lack of data tells a story.
Maybe all the SRW folks that had accidents died in the resulting rollover, but it is starting to feel like the actual risk associated with a SRW blowout-induced accident is pretty darn low. In my case, probably low enough that I won’t consider the safety advantage in my decision to upgrade to DRW or stay with my built out SRW. There are other, non safety-related aspects that I will still consider though. Of course, to each their own.
With a bit of "googling" one might find the #1 reason that tires "blow out" is because of sidewall overheating. A bit more will indicate this is caused by ether or both under inflation and overloading.
So outside of manufactured defects and sidewall damage from running into something (#2 & #3) if you use proper PSI inflation AND pay attention to (and don't exceed) the weight rating on the side of the tire a "blowout" is rather unlikely to happen.
Would a DRW be "safer" if it actually DID happen? IMHO sure why not?
While it could be said that ANYTHING is possible personally I don't worry about stuff that is not very probable.
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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03/02/23 12:46pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: No power getting to my Angler 8C, 2001
It is the GFI outlet. The neutral and ground on many older RV's are 'bonded' which is causing the trip.
There are plug adapters available that will ether bond or unbond depending on needs OR the simple solution is to not use a GFI outlet.
- Mark0.
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mbloof
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03/01/23 06:59pm |
Truck Campers
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