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Forum
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RE: Ford F150 battery drain when towing Travel Trailer
I'm trying to figure out where the source of the problem may lie, any ideas? Could the battery on the trailer be an issue? Could the wiring harness on the F150 be at fault? Is there an issue with newer F150s being able to handle charging devices as well as the trailer?
It could be a dozen different thing. Stop making wild guess and buy a current clamp !
With no trailer attached, start the engine and place the meter on either the positive or negative battery lead. (It may take 5+ minutes for the reading to stabilize, so be patient !)
Record the reading. Remove the meter, shut the engine off and connect the trailer. Start the engine and place the meter on the same wire. After waiting for things to stabilize, you should be getting almost the same meter.
Get out your owners manual and find the page that lists the fuses. Remove any fuse that is associated with the trailer, one at a time, checking the meter each time for a change.
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theoldwizard1
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10/20/20 03:56pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: favorite tow vehicle for small trailer??
Stick with a Honda.
I doubt that those CUV/SUV have electric brake controllers. I also doubt that any of those small trailers come with electric brakes.
You really want electric brakes !
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theoldwizard1
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10/19/20 09:02pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Back tire stuck in wet ground
That is a really poor tow truck driver. Usually they just back their truck up on to solid ground, let out more cable and pull.
A snatch block will allow the pull from a different angle.
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theoldwizard1
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10/19/20 08:57pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Chip a v10
The biggest complaint most people have with the V10 is that it has to rev up to make power. I do a "chip" would make a lot more power at a lower RPM.
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theoldwizard1
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10/19/20 08:54pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Different House and Engine Battery Types in Parallel ?
What you want is a DC-DC battery charger. Just make sure that one of the supported "battery chemistries" is SiO2.
Hmmm ... Quick search did not turn up such a beast ! Worst case, run a 1000W inverter off of the engine battery and power your SiO2 battery charger. You probably should wire a relay in so that the inverter is only powered when the engine is running.
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theoldwizard1
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10/19/20 08:46pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: F53 suspension upgrades
I am not an expert on MH suspensions, but a radius rod on a leaf spring, solid front axle, seems redundant. If the axle is properly secured to the springs, it can not move for/aft except for the compliance in the bushing in the leaf spring eye.
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theoldwizard1
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10/18/20 10:15am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Azdel or not?
The EDPM rubber that most mfrs use is guaranteed for 10 years before it needs to be re-coated or re-sealed.
I would NEVER trust a typical EPDM roof for 10 years unless it was stored more than 50% of the time out of the sun.
If stored in the elements, somewhere between 5 and 10 years, it needs to be removed and replaced.
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theoldwizard1
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10/16/20 07:25am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Azdel or not?
When we buy our next trailer (fairly soon), I will negotiate to have the roof maintenance covered by some sort of contract if there is such a thing. These TT manufacturers absolutely love to blame improper/lack of roof maintenance from customer and deny warranty claims. I don't think I've found one RV company google review where I haven't read that several times.
I have only heard of ONE after market place that gives any kind of long term warranty, but that is AFTER a tear off of the EPDM roofing and replacing it with commercial grade TPO.
RV Roof Install
They offer a 20 year warranty, but require an annual inspection.
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theoldwizard1
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10/16/20 07:22am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Azdel or not?
I keep seeing so many stories about fiberglass walls delaminating and the such with luan as part of the construction. I see people who don't even have water damage and the walls are coming apart. So, would you only buy a trailer that uses Azdel or is there good reason to buy one that doesn't have it because the manufacturer has a superior reputation for wall construction and longivity?
To start with, I think Azdel is a great sheathing product. Understand that wall sheathing has two primary jobs. Prevent wall "racking" (front to rear movement) and provide a very smooth sub-surface to apply the finish, typically some type of flexible fiberglass product like Filon.
Delamination is caused by water intrusion that de-bonds the exterior finish to the sheathing. Typically this come from the area where the roof attaches to the side wall or from around windows. Continuous water intrusion ruins the adhesive. If the sheathing is any type or organic (wood) it will rot. If the studs are organic, they will rot, If the floor is organic, it will rot.
Azdel is a little like locking the barn door after the horse is out ! If there were no leaks, an organic sheathing (wood) would be fine.
Organic sheathing and organic wall studs are much cheaper than non-organic (Azdel and aluminum). Several manufacturers experimented with non-organic floors, but they did not decrease the distance between floor joists or add extra bracing and they found out (the hard way) that honeycomb floors do NOT hold up to foot traffic.
Segue - Coachmen heavily advertises the use of Azdel, but they do NOT use it in all of the their products. Even in the products that they do use it, they don't use it in the front or rear walls. My guess is that they can not keep it attached to the studs because of the severe amount of racking those two wall get.
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theoldwizard1
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10/16/20 07:17am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Choosing our first travel trailer! Big family
If your not opposed to buying used then you'll have many units to choose from when the Covid campers start dumping them.
I have been thinking the same thing !
There will be a large number of 1 year RVs on the market by next summer. Some will be very inexpensive, maybe even repossessed.
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theoldwizard1
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10/15/20 12:22pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Henry Tropi-Cool VS EPDM Roof Coatings
IMHO, you are quickly approaching the time to peel it off an recover. Forget EPDM. Maximum life of about 10 years. PVC or TPO, commercial grade.
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theoldwizard1
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10/14/20 08:42pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Choosing our first travel trailer! Big family
We are honing in on something in the 30-33’ range with bunk beds in a back room type set up for the kids and preferably an outdoor kitchen.
You want a bunk house where each kid get their own bunk. They will grow out of double bucks quickly.
Think hard about that outdoor kitchen. You lose space in the bunk room, and the appliances are just something else to break. Look for a propane grill that can attach to the camper and get a portable 12VDC compressor refrigerator maybe one that can switch to freezer mode. Carry an extra table for uses as your outdoor kitchen counter. These options give you a lot more flexibility.
Also something that large means it will likely come with 240V 50A electrical hook up to run 2 AC units. Do NOT buy a built in generator. Stick with a portable unit under <3000 watts, which will only run one AC at a time.
Also forget the propane refrigerator. Either get a 12VDC compressor refrigerator or residential refrigerator and four 6v golf cart batteries with a 2,000 watt pure sine wave inverter.
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theoldwizard1
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10/14/20 08:39pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Ford 6L diesel in the news again
6.4 not 6.7. 6.7 Ford went it on their own
Correct !
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theoldwizard1
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10/14/20 03:55pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Ford 6L diesel in the news again
My son's truck was a total loss when the fuel pump failed and sent metal shards through his engine. Ford knew of this issue but did nothing about it. Ford SHOULD have replaced the fuel pumps on these trucks. The next model year they changed out the fuel pump to a different type...
I will never own a Ford...
Both the 6.0L and 6.4L "base engine" were designed by Navistar. It was a very "messy" divorce.
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theoldwizard1
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10/14/20 10:59am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: My Newmar 3436 Fridge - 120 Vs. Propane
Sound like you have an "absorption" refrigerator. Heat is your friend and you will get more heat with propane.
Will that amount of heat make enough cold for hard ice cream ? Good question. It has been debated here numerous time. If solidly frozen food is a priority, I would buy a small freezer (3-5 cu ft) 120V freezer or a (small 1-2 cu ft) 12VDC compressor portable freezer. Either way, you out of pocket expense is about 1/2 to the cost so a medium size residential refrigerator.
Bonus with the residential refrigerator is COLD adult beverages !
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theoldwizard1
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10/14/20 10:53am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Help why is my battery terminal corroded and sparking?
1. Battery is beginning to fail causing electrolyte to cook out.
I would not condemn the battery just yet, but I will bet it is a couple of years old !
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theoldwizard1
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10/13/20 05:59pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Help why is my battery terminal corroded and sparking?
Last looked at these batteries one month ago. Today before our trip there is a small amount of blue green corroding at the terminal, and along 3 red wires connecting to it at their terminals.
Corrosion forming around lead acid battery terminals is from a small amount of gas that is leaking around the terminals. It is impossible to prevent this leakage as a battery ages. You can buy those pricey battery post "donuts" or just gob a large amount of Vaseline on the post and terminal/clamp. Remove the terminal so that the Vaseline get under the terminal/clamp right up close the the seam between the post and the case.
BEFORE YOU DO THIS, clean the terminals, cable ends and the ENTIRE BATTERY OUTSIDE CASE with baking soda and water. Rinse well with clear water.
Also there is a small amount of sparking when the red wire is brought to the terminal. Never seen this before. What's going on?
If it is small, ignore it. It just means that something is turned on when you connect it.
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theoldwizard1
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10/13/20 05:57pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: I needed to add an extra browser
I have been using Chrome almost exclusively for a long, LONG time !
If I want to test out something with a different browser, I use Firefox.
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theoldwizard1
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10/13/20 03:59pm |
Technology Corner
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RE: Your "favorite" BBQ Grill, suggestions
X2, only Weber Q for me. Folks say they're expensive and they are pricy but they're built like a tank and last a very long time.
If they are built with the same quality as the Weber Genesis Stainless Steel LP grill, it will probably last a lifetime !
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theoldwizard1
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10/13/20 03:55pm |
Camp Cooks and Connoisseurs
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RE: Quality of Forest River
I'd pack it full of course steel wool then cover it with spray foam.
Stainless steel wool if you can find it !
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theoldwizard1
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10/11/20 07:41pm |
Do It Yourself Modifications and Upgrades (DIY)
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