fordsooperdooty
Southern California
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Joined: 08/13/2004
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It looked so good at Camping World, on Amazon, or a Catalog...a gizmo for your RV that would make your RVing life easier, or better...or do something that you can't do without! Cookware, small appliance, doo-dads!
But you never used it, or did use it and hated it! So you put it away in a dark corner of your storage compartment...banished forever. "What a waste of money" you exclaim every time you come across it again.
Perhaps it was such a hassle to put together and take apart every time you used it? Or the instructions sucked! Or it was a piece of junk!
Was it first seen on "as seen on TV!"? "$29.95...but wait, there's more!" "Order withing the next 15 minutes and the second one is FREE...just pay shipping and handling!"
My biggest faux paux were knives for the RV...the "Miracle Blade 2" and also the "Ginsu Knives". The lifetime Guarantee seems to get me on occasion! Even tho it costs WAY MORE to ship them back than their worth! Shame on me!
So admit it, what foolishness did you fall for...what bait did you swallow? 
"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and consciencious stupidity."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Wingnusa
Scott and Brenda Retired and Wingn the USA
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Joined: 02/05/2005
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Can't think of anything except the JT Stabilizers we had put on. They're still on but we don't use them...
Scott and Brenda Schnelle
Olivia and Jasmine, Schnauzers
2006 KZ Escalade 36CKB
2007 Chevy C5500 w/Western Hauler conversion
FT Class of '06...FT since Oct 2005
Lifetime Good Sam's members
Lifetime NRA member
Habitat for Humanity builders
Amateur Banjo Player
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kalynzoo
Los Angeles , California
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Joined: 12/30/2005
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The slinky stand for the sewer hose. Since we seldom stay in one place more than a week it really is more trouble than it is worth, at least for me. It stayed with the last rig when we traded it in.
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Golden_HVAC
Fulltime, CA, USA
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Joined: 08/19/2003
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Hi,
In my last RV I had three Maxx air covers. After replacing the kitchen fan with a Fantastic fan, it was much more effective than running the stove hood, not to mention much quietier.
So reading the lable on the new Fantastic fans for the new class A, I thought "Fantastic Fan will not work with Maxx air covers" and bought one of those oversized huge fan box that sits on top of the RV with it's own 10 watt solar panel to power the built in fan. That was not worth the $170 we paid for it, and perhaps the only thing I can remember taking back to Camping World. It did not flow much air, and even on 12 volt power was not very powerful at all.
The other useless item to me was a 450 watt "Hot Rod" - well I have no place near the water heater to plug it in, and you know the story about the coblers son with no shoes, well I never go around to wiring up the receptical and switch inside, so sold the hot rod at a garage sale for about $5.
If I had been able to figure a good way to provide 120 volts to the water heater insides (without hitting a gas line) and run it in a way I would be happy with, and that meets code, I would have installed it. But I never really spent any time on that project. Yes I did install a couple of 1,500 watt inverters, extra batteries, solar panels, and air conditioner, but the Hot Rod had me looing for suggestions on how to make it look right.
As for the roof covers, I installed three Fantastic fans, three Maxx air covers, and after 14 years, all the fantastic fans still work great. Maxx air covers do work well on top of Fantastic fans!
The best thing that I ever installed was a 1 quart surge tank on the fresh water pump. Makes it really quiet.
I guess the happiest long term investment was the radiator coolant water filter. IT allowed me to change the engine water hoses at 10 years old, along with the first time servicing the radiator at all, other than installing a new water filter each year. Napa #FIL 4070 and parts to install it in a heater hose line #FIL 4019. After reading about a couple of people having problems with overheating, or a bad water pump, I am not disipointed by deciding to install the coolant filter.
Second happiest thing is the Everpure water filter for the drinking water. It allows me to dring water from the fresh water tank, even filters out the really bad stuff. I don't normally talk much about it because they have such poor customer service. When installing it, they require that you pay $10 extra for a special metric to 1/4 pipe thread adapter, that should be included with each filter sold in America. I liked the water so well, I installed one at home. But still they have bad customer service - at least when I was ordering the second one.
Great subject!
What not to buy!
I guess that fishing pole is going to sit still in the RV for a long time. It is much more expensive to buy fishing equipment and licenses than to just buy the fish. I can relax more when not fishing and getting my hopes up to only catch on rocks.
Fred.
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BobsYourUncle
Surrey, BC Canada
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Joined: 12/12/2003
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Oh thats easy!!
I boondock a lot more than I have shore power.
I once saw my "Gotta have" It was a 12V electric kettle to boil about one cup of water at a time.
So, next time boondocking, I eagerly await my morning coffee. I fill it up and plug it in and wait. . . . and wait . . . . and wait . . . and . . zzzzzzzzzzz . . . wait some more. . .
3/4 hour later, this miserable piece of junk had me a cup of marginally more than lukewarm water. After an hour, it was almost thinking about starting to get nearly hot.
Sigh, scrap this, I pull out my old faithful beat up camp kettle, flash up the stove and in 5 minutes I hat a steaming hot cup of coffee.
As for that lousy piece of junk electric waste of money, back in the box, toss it in the corner of a cupboard. It now resides somewhere in the back of a dusty shelf in my garage. Not sure why I keep it, I should stick it between my dually wheels and stand on the throttle!
2007 GMC 3500 dually ext. cab 4X4 LBZ
Duramax / Allison
Fire Red
95 Sportsmen 25.5' TT
81 Citation 25' "Tail dragger" "Under construction"
"Workin' man's rig"
Bob's Trucks
Check Out My Rebuild Project
Project Feedback
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MiRvn
Dimondale (Lansing), MI
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Joined: 03/14/2005
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Stupid Coiled water hose. To use it you have to completely uncoil and remove it from the wheel. It's like a firehose, so don't count on being able to nicely pile it on the ground! The first time I went to use this, I was probably 7' from the water spout. I had to run this dang hose up and down the side of the trailer, being careful not to kink it. I now have a 5' and a 15' walmart water hose. I think I paid almost $50 for that hose at the dealer when we bought our first trailer.
* This post was
edited 09/02/10 05:15pm by an administrator/moderator *
Dave
2005 Silverado 2500HD Crew Cab, 6.0L, 4:10 Gears, 2WD
Prodigy Brake Controller • Husky WD Hitch • Dual Cam Sway Control
2007 27' Salem BHBS (Bunk Slide/Super Slide)
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livingaboard
Everett wa
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Joined: 09/06/2006
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The towing brackets that I paid a few hundred bucks for and installed on my Honda over 3 years ago. I have never towed it. This and the professional/commercial quality LED magnetic tow lights for the Honda that I never towed.
Dave
Everett, WA
2000 Itasca Suncruiser 35U, F53 Triton V-10
Firestone air bags with Quad control air gauge
Pressure Pro
Banks Exhaust
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deltamaster
Middletown, New york
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Joined: 04/23/2004
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I hated that flat hose too. Worst thing for me was that after a few months it deteriorated and sprung leaks. After the second time cutting off the end and reinstalling the connector I cut the connectors off and tossed the thing. I kept a section of it and ended up using it to protect my bungees from rubbing when I had a load of lumber strapped on the pickup.
I once saw a commercial for a car wash system that was supposed to increase the pressure from the garden hose. It also had a rotating scrub brush and a soap dispenser. I mentioned to DW that it looked like a cool thing to have and she decided to surprise me with one.
First off she got roped in to a scam for some sort of membership thing that she was not able to get out of for two years... turned out to be a scam and we received a settlement from a class action lawsuit.
Secondly the stupid car wash system thing did not work at all as advertised. It did not increase the water pressure much at all. The rotating scrub brush did not work as advertised. The whole setup was flimsy and eventually the plastic parts broke.
Another thing I bought that was junk was a lighted plastic skull hood ornament from Target. It worked for about a week, then the base plate separated from the head and it fell off.
 I ride it like I stole it! 
.......and I just may have.......
I'm on "CB-13", are you?
2004 Fun Mover -- 2002 Sportster -- 1997 Road King
All being pushed down the road by a 1997 "Ram Tough" Dodge Dakota
TSgt(Ret.) USAF
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lat471
Lebanon, PA
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Joined: 06/15/2007
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2 26in folding bikes in bags. Never had them out of the bag and hauled them for 3 years sold them this past weekend for $50. a piece. Also an extra Fantastic fan I planned on putting in the bathroom of the 5er again never left the box after 2 years of riding in the basement. But I had to have it all at the moment. Oh a bipod for the 5er I bought from a friend. Used it once and it's at the campground for sale now. My pin weight probably went down 150# the weekend.
07 Cameo F35FD3
The Black Cloud
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MNtundraRet
Bloomington, MN
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Joined: 12/06/2007
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I vote for "designed by 3 stooges" product goes for the bicycle-bags. While Swagman makes an excellent bike rack for a motor-home hitches, the bike-bag must have been designed by the part-time office clerk after everyone else went home.
The bag opens from the top (zipper). It must be lifted up around the bikes and zippered up round bikes. No easy task. After a few trips with the dirt entry roads to some parks you can guess what happens to the zipper. Zippers failed and pulled apart behind the pull. Repaired a few times, and problem repeated.
You would think someone would just design a cover to drop over the bikes, with eyelets every 9 to 12 inches. That way you could run a rope through them and tighten up bottom like a show-lace. A long rope or straps could be then wrapped around the bag a number of times to tighten bag around bikes to keep from flapping in the wind. No zippers to fail and curse at. More designers have to use the "KISS" method.
Mark
Mark & Jan "Old age & treachery win over youth & enthusiasm"
2003 Fleetwood Jamboree 29
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