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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: First trip report - Part 1, Valley of the Gods, Utah
If you ever find yourself with the jacks in, you can get them back out. Back under it a little ways, and then set the camper down on the end of the bed. You can swing the jacks out and then lift the camper back up.
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Matthew_B
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05/22/12 09:59pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: 10 years on the Truck Camper Forum
7 years for me.
How long has Brad been the moderator? He's been the moderator the whole time I've been here.
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Matthew_B
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05/22/12 09:47pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: hydro flame
If you need to get boards, go talk to Randy at Best Converter.
http://www.bestconverter.com/Dinosaur-Electronics_c_109.html
You want the Fan 50 Plus.
If you're a bit handy with wiring, you can replace the fan relay with this board too. It will keep the blower from running after you've run out of propane.
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Matthew_B
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04/17/12 12:37am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Drafting
Mythbusters did a segment on drafting. They found that it didn't make much difference until you were around 10 feet back. That's WAY to close to ever consider doing.
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Matthew_B
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04/14/12 11:42pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: charging battery
Did the dealer mention, or charge you for a "relay" or anything like that?
If no, at best the camper is charging off the +12V line that comes with every trailer plug standard.
Ford has come with the relay from the factory for over 20 years. Dodges have come with them for a while too. Only Chevy thinks it's cool to leave RV owners stranded with a dead battery.
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Matthew_B
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04/09/12 10:44pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: charging battery
If you don't have a voltmeter:
Disconnect the camper batter. Turn on an interior light in the camper. Go start the truck. If the camper interior light comes on, the truck is charging the battery.
Turn off the truck. If the light stays on, then the truck is charging the battery when it is off. If that is the case, you can discharge your truck battery from the camper.
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Matthew_B
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04/09/12 10:25am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Who to contact in an emergency
There are some problems with your thinking that you can go to a ridge top to find cell service.
-snip-
But a more important problem is why you are overdue? Often people are overdue because they are sick or injured. They can't physically walk or crawl from where they are injured to get to a ridge top.
You are completely missing what I said. My point about being able to pick up remote cell service is that you can give more precise updates and that is all. The more often I update, the smaller the search area.
I fully intend to give a date where I must give an update, and if I don't they are to start looking from where I last was and where I intend to go.
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Matthew_B
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04/08/12 10:29am |
Public Lands, Boondocking and Dry Camping
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RE: Our NEW Arctic Fox 811S!!!
Looks good, congrats!
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Matthew_B
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04/08/12 10:23am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Who to contact in an emergency
Since this is a boondocking forum - and I don't mean a Wal mart parking lot - don't become over confident in being able to call on your cell phone.
That is my point, I want someone to come looking for us if we don't show up in civilization at the expected time.
In Colorado there are many mountain areas that do not have cell phone reception. Some of these areas can be as close to towns, major highways, etc. as 10 miles but no cell service. Here is an example that some of you might recognize. The west side of Loveland Pass near I-70. You can get cell reception on the east side, up to the top of the pass, from the I-70 area. It is 8 miles from the top of the pass to the Keystone Resort area. For at least 6 miles there is no cell service.
One thing I've learned is that I often do get service way out in the boonies if I go to a mountain peak. Highways are usually at valley bottoms and through passes where the terrain shields the radio waves. Get up on a ridgeline or peak and cell service is better.
Part of it is learning where the cell towers out in the mountains are. Many times fire lookouts have served as locations to add towers because the serve a long stretch of highway and they already have power. Look for red beacons at night - often that is a cell tower.
One thing I will do is if I know that there is someplace like this, I can make a short trip and then get service so I can check in every couple of days. The shorter the window where I will check in, the shorter the time that I'm going to wait if I really need help.
The local sheriff in Colorado is usually the contact for SAR - Search and Rescue - missions. Many of the old mountain passes change counties at the summit. So often searches involve a couple of sheriff departments.
Good point, that is quite common here.
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Matthew_B
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04/08/12 12:45am |
Public Lands, Boondocking and Dry Camping
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RE: TC and bike racks...
I have thought about fabricating a swing out rack for the back of the camper. With 5 bikes to carry, the ladder setup wouldn't work.
The idea would be to attach it to the right jack of the camper with a pivot. It would secure to the ladder (on the left on my camper) when traveling. It could be swung out when I needed to get into the camper. Once in camp it could be removed so it would be out of the way.
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Matthew_B
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04/07/12 08:58pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Who to contact in an emergency
Or you could teach her how to post right here on RV.Net and as long as she has pretty good details of your intended pathway, and what you look like, there would likely be someone nearby to have a look for you.
I hadn't even thought of that angle! Thanks for the suggestion.
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Matthew_B
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04/07/12 08:54pm |
Public Lands, Boondocking and Dry Camping
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RE: Who to contact in an emergency
If she doesn't know where you are I'd have her call your cell number. I assume it would be with you wherever you go. If YOU are unable to answer then one of the other folks with you should be able to.
Yes and yes on the protocol. The issue is what she should do if she can't contact me. If I'm stuck or have a mechanical breakdown, I want someone to come looking for me if I don't return when expected. It helps a whole lot if search and rescue know where to start.
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Matthew_B
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04/07/12 08:53pm |
Public Lands, Boondocking and Dry Camping
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RE: Who to contact in an emergency
I don't know about everywhere, but here you could call the Sheriffs Office and they could send a message to what ever county you are in as a "welfare concern" and have them check...I know we use to do it in the "old days"...
Thanks. I presume you're a retired LEO or other emergency person? Is it easy to contact the right people a long ways away at night or on a weekend? If so then the local people may be the right people after all.
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Matthew_B
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04/07/12 08:50pm |
Public Lands, Boondocking and Dry Camping
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Who to contact in an emergency
There have been several threads about PLBs or other emergency beacons, but I have a question about those that don't choose to use one.
I've chosen no to carry a beacon since we do travel with two adults and a teenager so we should have someone to go for help in an emergency.
We do contact a relative and let them know where we will be and when we should contact them again. Usually I talk to my sister with frequent updates as we travel through civilization and back into the boonies. I'll text her with where we are, where we are going and when we expect to be contacting her again.
My question is who should she contact if we don't check in? Given that we could be 2000 miles away, I don't think the local police could do much. Is there some way to essentially dial 911 for someplace 1/2 way across the country?
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Matthew_B
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04/07/12 06:10pm |
Public Lands, Boondocking and Dry Camping
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RE: Charger/converter upgrade?
Well, my curiosity gets the better of me sometimes but-I just saw comment about "My main objective is quick charging from the truck alternator... " and "I am not planning on upgrading charge wire from alternator...", red flags went up-realizing your expectations were not going to be met by replacing the converter. I was hoping this fell under the catagory of what I dont know...
I second Mark's comment.
The factory charging system is pathetic. It never kept my bank charged. I added a 4 gauge wire with a heavy connector directly from the alternator to the camper battery. After that keeping the camper batteries charged has been a non-issue. I've gone on 2 week trips with the only charge source is from the truck, and the battery has never been low even with a fair amount of draw.
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Matthew_B
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04/02/12 11:24pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Charger/converter upgrade?
How many batteries do you have? If you only have 2, having really much above a 45amp is a waste of energy.
Joe...why do you say that?
I am no electrical genius...won't the 55 amp charge faster than a 45 amp?
Cost diff is nil...
Tx, Bill
Just as a note: this all applies to a flooded lead acid battery. If you have an AGM battery, bigger is better.
A 55A charger will charge faster than a 45A, but the difference is negligible if you don't have enough battery to take advantage. When a battery is low, the current draw will be limited by the charger. After some time, the voltage will rise and the current will start tapering. The higher the initial current, the sooner the current will start to taper. Once you get under about a 5 hour rate (charger current rating equal A-hr rating of the battery divided by 5), additional charger capacity does almost nothing.
The other factor to consider is the recommendation of only charging at a 5 hour rate maximum. This is because the active material on the positive plate shrinks when discharged and swells again when charged. There is no limit to how fast you can discharge. If you recharge too fast, the active material will flake off when fast charging. Slow down the charge rate and the stress in the active material can relax and not flake off.
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Matthew_B
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04/02/12 11:21pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Husky 2250 generator anyone have one ?
Several things make them quieter; inverter technology is the main reason. The engine is only running as hard as it needs to at the current demand, enclosed insulated housings and there are probably other reasons.
Inverter generators are great when you're doing something like charging a battery. You can't even tell they are running 25 feet away.
It has been documented that Honda lies about the EU2000 full load noise level. It is noisier than many fixed speed generators out there.
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Matthew_B
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03/31/12 02:24pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Husky 2250 generator anyone have one ?
Every 3dB doubles the sound energy.
71 - 58 = 13db = over 4 times as loud
Your neighbors will not like you at any campground, and if you're boondocking, don't expect any wildlife to come near.
Incorrect. The dB scale was invented because our ears are not linear.
A 10dB increase sounds twice as loud.
A 6dB increase is a doubling of the pressure
A 3db increase is a doubling of the energy.
13dB sounds 2.4 times as loud. It is 4.5 times the pressure and 19 times the energy.
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Matthew_B
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03/31/12 02:21pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Reservations or no reservations?
The need seems to vary inversely with gas price. I haven't been someplace popular this time, but the last time gas prices were this high I noticed a definite drop in the crowds, so I stopped making reservations.
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Matthew_B
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03/26/12 10:04pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Loading A Weighted Down Truck Camper
Also consider that the waste tanks are usually near the rear of the camper. With the overhang and typical forward COG, the front jacks already carry most of the weight. Adding more to the rear jacks isn't going to be a problem.
Yep, that was going to be my response too.
I have little trouble with the jacks. What I do notice is that my front axle is starting to get really light with both the black and gray tanks full. I haven't weighed it, but I notice the bad handling.
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Matthew_B
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03/26/12 08:08pm |
Truck Campers
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