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RE: Phoenix area RV Park
DW called the Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale and told them we wanted to spend a night or two in the bus (made us sound a little more rockstar) and check out the resort for a future conference (absolutely false, but you never know??).
Security said we could park in the old employees parking lot. They even sent a golf cart to pick us up and bring us to dinner!
Just a thought. We always love the challenge of trying to get away with parking in the most outrageous place as possible. Spent the night in a vineyard in St. Helena in Napa Valley that may or may not been owned by a former speaker of the house from the bay area. Never been run out of any place yet. Maybe we should try harder.
Caveat...We always try to spend some money where we are staying in appreciation.
This might be the best plan EVER!! It's like wedding crashers in an RV. Yeah, you just gave our RV a whole new agenda.
You are most welcome. We really enjoyed Scottsdale and Cave Creek. DW can do some serious damage shopping.
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mainlandernow
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02/08/12 09:59pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Phoenix area RV Park
DW called the Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale and told them we wanted to spend a night or two in the bus (made us sound a little more rockstar) and check out the resort for a future conference (absolutely false, but you never know??).
Security said we could park in the old employees parking lot. They even sent a golf cart to pick us up and bring us to dinner!
Just a thought. We always love the challenge of trying to get away with parking in the most outrageous place as possible. Spent the night in a vineyard in St. Helena in Napa Valley that may or may not been owned by a former speaker of the house from the bay area. Never been run out of any place yet. Maybe we should try harder.
Caveat...We always try to spend some money where we are staying in appreciation.
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mainlandernow
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02/08/12 09:16pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: stuck alternator?
thanks all. found local mobile diesel repair guy with one on hand. beautiful. stars have aligned!
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mainlandernow
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01/29/12 02:46pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: stuck alternator?
where is the best place to get a part? shouldn't be too hard to replace once i have the part?
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mainlandernow
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01/29/12 01:52pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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stuck alternator?
greetings all. I have a problem. started the engine up this morning to get on the road and notice the dash a/c was not blowing very cold. had this problem before, hydraulic fan was not coming on due to loose connection. fan was working fine, but then i noticed my drive belt was snapped.
no problem, have the owners manual with the routing diagram and an extra belt just in case this happened.
all the pulleys are turning freely by hand, A/C, tensioner, all except the alternator. frozen solid! should i be able to turn it by hand? don't want to put my only other belt on and realize that it was the reason the first one snapped?
160 amp in CAT C9 in Beaver Contessa.
help?
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mainlandernow
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01/29/12 01:44pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Powerful, compact flashlight comparison
There is only one name in powerful, compact flashlight, and that is Surefire. There is a reason that they are standard issue for everyone from USMC to SOCOM to the FBI. They are quite literally bulletproof. The CR123 batteries are readily available and last a very long time. Both the light and batteries are a bit more pricey than anything out there, but you get what you pay for.
I have used them throughout 4 combat deployments and they are the only light that I carry. I probably have 5 of them sprinkled about in my vehicles, RV and the house. Not to mention a healthy stash of extra batteries.
An additional benefit to them that is rarely mentioned is that because they are extremely powerful, they will temporarily blind someone if shined in their eyes. That could come in handy.
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mainlandernow
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10/20/11 08:13pm |
Technology Corner
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RE: lost all 12 volt power
That was it. "Salesman switch?" knew the switch, but never heard it called that before. it didn't even dawn on me that would be the problem. Even heard the solenoid trip once i hit the switch.
DW said that she was taking the dog for a walk and he bumped up against the bank of switches by the door. she didn't think anything about it until after you mentioned it.
thanks Diplomat Don.
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mainlandernow
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10/12/11 10:25pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: lost all 12 volt power
don't have a converter, i have a magnum 2kw sine wave inverter that is working fine. currently running TV, sat and all house power through the inverter. all 110 volt items working fine, but no 12 volt power so i have no power to the lights, thermostats or ceiling fan. power at batteries is 13.0 volts but there is no power going to the multiplex wiring system which powers the 12 volts things in the coach.
does anyone out there no anything about the 12 volt multiplex wiring system?
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mainlandernow
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10/12/11 09:42pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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lost all 12 volt power
hello all...lost all 12 volt power in the coach.
staying at 30 amp RV park. running one A/C and DW ran the hair dryer. breaker at the park pedestal tripped. when it tripped, the inverter came on and continued to power the TV and satellite and all 110 volt power, however no 12 volt power (lights, thermostat, ceiling fan, etc.).
no other breakers have been tripped.
it is a 2007 Beaver Contessa with a multiplex wiring system.
any ideas?
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mainlandernow
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10/12/11 08:30pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Dometic NDA1402 Icemaker Defrost
i have the exact same fridge and had the exact same problem.
mine would ice up after a few days and actually burned up the icemaker motor. i actually had two problems:
1) there is a drain plug at the bottom of the freezer compartment that was missing and a gap in the hole where the wires came into the freezer compartment. too much outside air was coming in causing condensation and then freezing. i fixed this by using plumbers putty around the wires, ordering the freezer drain plug and ordering the freezer defrost kit from dometic. the defrost kit came with foam strips to reinforce the door seal and a small fan that helped circulate air in the freezer.
2) replaced the freezer drain tube heater strip. it is a small strip of rubber covered wire that installs in the small drain slot on the right side of the freezer that drains into the refer side.
if you PM me your email, i will send you about 4 manuals that helped me through the process. it took me about a year to diagnose and completely fix the problem. works like a charm now.
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mainlandernow
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10/02/11 12:29pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: KVH Satellite
Ditto on the 12 volt power issue mentioned above.
Many folks have mentioned their disappointment with the KVH systems. I just wanted to post that my R5SL has worked flawlessly with Dish Network HD service for almost three years. DW watched Fox News in HD headed through northern California and Oregon this past week.
I initially had a problem when I purchased it as it didn't have the latest software updates, once I got that and the Dish satellite 129 update, it has worked perfectly. The Winegard and MotoSat are great products if you want HD and not in motion. I wanted both and it has worked great for me. Only downside is that heavy rain or heavy dew disrupts HD service, but generally I can get the non-HD version on satellite 119 as it is supposedly easier to find due to its location in the sky.
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mainlandernow
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07/20/11 01:14pm |
Technology Corner
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RE: Fire Extinguishers
the advice above sounds great, but take a look at the link below. it has some good info. the guy is apparently a retired fireman and avid RV'r.
Mac the Fire Guy
myself...i keep three inside the coach and one in the storage bay.
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mainlandernow
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07/18/11 07:27pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Generator Fuel Consumption
according to the owners manual of my 8kw Onan...
no load = .13 gal/hr
half load = .49 gal/hr
full load = 1.02 gal/hr
and based on my experience doing quite a bit of boondocking in the desert, that sounds about right.
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mainlandernow
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07/18/11 07:23pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: house batteries
Best is debatable!
I agree that the best deal on a great battery is probably the Trojan's, followed by the Sam's/Costco versions.
But I have done quite a bit of boondocking over the past year with Lifeline AGMs (Absorbed Glass Mat) and they outperformed the Sam's Club batteries of the same amp hour rating that I had previously. I am getting ready to install 600W of solar and got the Lifeline's in preparation for that.
Downside...they are more expensive. Upside...they require ZERO maintenance. They require a bit different charging algorithm so you will have to ensure that your charger can do this.
Below is an excerpt from AM Solar's website regarding the Lifeline Batteries.
There is a "new" battery out there that has proven to be a valid option to the traditional Flooded Lead-Acid Deep Cycle Batteries. They cost about twice as much but may be worth it given their special benefits. I have been using these batteries over the past decade and find myself appreciating them more and more. They are sold under the name of "Lifeline" for mobile applications and are made by Concourde (the same company that supplies the batteries for our Military Aircraft).
They are still lead-acid batteries but are sealed instead of vented. The electrolyte is held captive in a fibrous glass mat that can't be spilled and therefore can be shipped without hazardous material restrictions. This glass mat also provides pockets that assist in the recombination of hydrogen and oxygen gasses (that are generated during charging) back into water.
I found their charge acceptance to be greater than flooded batteries and it requires significantly less time to recharge these AGMs. This translates into higher efficiency which means a shorter generator run time during those times when you find it necessary to recharge quickly. They also hold up better and at a higher voltage when heavy loads are powered by them. Like when you fire up the microwave through the inverter.
These batteries have very thick positive plates and belong in the true Deep Cycle class. They don't outgas (unless severly overcharged) and because of this they don't corrode terminals and don't need to be watered. The savings in maintenance alone will be worth the extra cost to some.
Just my two cents...many will say they are too expensive, but I have been very happy with the performance.
Just for kicks...the newest, bestest thing in battery technology are Lithium-ion batteries. Way too expensive for now, but will be interesting to see their use in the future. Marathon is now installing them in their Prevost conversions. Not sure the brand they are using. The two that I have been reading about are Mastervolt and Lithionics.
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mainlandernow
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07/08/11 10:32am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: New Inverter
I have a Magnum Inverter Modified Sine Wave inverter that came from the factory, but i am upgrading to a Magnum Pure Sine Wave, with the addition of solar panels and charge controllers.
Magnum Energy makes a great product that is factory installed on Monaco, Tiffin to name a few. Outback Power also makes a fantastic product. I have been researching the upgrading of my coaches electrical system with solar and from all of my reading and research Magnum and Outback keep coming to the top. Recommend getting a Pure Sine Wave model as your electronics will appreciate it.
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mainlandernow
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06/08/11 02:23pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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