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RE: VA Blue Ridge Pky, Flowers ?
Thanks for the info, I've taken notes. I hope to get down next week after the holiday weekend is over. We were going to go this week but the rain changed our minds. We travel with a furry white and tan Shih Tsu who expects a couple of long walks each day and on trails or in a wet campground he comes back pretty messy so he needs a bath before he gets loose in the van. I can tell you that if it's raining outside washing even a small dog in a Class B is difficult. I expect a nice trip even if the flowers are past prime.
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CJBill
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05/22/12 06:52pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: VA Blue Ridge Pky, Flowers ?
OK, OK, you got my interest. My Lady wants to see the flowers so I'm trying to plan a flower hunt. Meant to go earlier in the month but stuff got in the way. Looking at the map it seems like good spots to spend a couple of days to see the area would be Julian Price, Linville Falls, Crabtree Falls or Roan MT. St. Park TN. Are they all good or is any one preferred for flower viewing?
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CJBill
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05/21/12 02:37pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Dash Cams ( Crash Cameras)
Could the OP please give us the make and model of the camera he purchased. I would be interested. Any other info anyone could give me about these systems would be appreciated. For one can one both view and record the pictures at the same time? Could one record the output of a backup camera also?
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CJBill
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04/30/12 10:10am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Portable Air Compressor
On the recommendation of another Roadtrek owner on this forum or another one I purchased an inexpensive (~$44) Craftsman #2875115 12 volt air pump which they say is for SUV/TRUCK. If all you want to do is top off your tires 3 or 4 lbs to bring them up to 80 lbs it has worked reasonably well for me, the electric cord plus air hose is just long enough to reach all of the tires on my 190 Roadtrek. Personally I wouldn't want to carry a real compressor or anything larger than this in my Roadtrek but would like to be able to top off my tires while traveling.
Still this unit is not ideal and I would be glad to learn of something similar that would be better. I will mention the down sides I have found but one can also go to the Sears web site and see that they only give it 2.5 out of 5 stars and you can read a number of negative comments. On reading them over I think many of the problems noted could be avoided with care.
I have used the unit to top off my tires up to 80 lbs for a year or so. One of the problems complained about on the Sears site is the mechanism for clamping the hose to the tire stem is difficult to attach and remove. I found this to be so and would always loose a little air removing it. This almost became a severe problem on one long trip when on removing the hose the valve stem stuck open and I was rapidly loosing the air in my tire. By the time I had gotten my very small Swiss Army Knife out of my pocket and freed the valve stem so it closed I had lost, maybe 20 lbs but I think less. At this point the problem previously noted of not being able to run these pumps for a long time becomes noticeable. The pump has, 10 minutes run time requires a 10 minute cooling time, printed on the bottom but I seemed to think it was 5 minutes so it took me a while to bring my tire up but I managed. I have since realized these problems are avoidable. I had been pushing the pump connection on to the valve stem quite a ways and discovered after my trouble that if I only pushed it on a little it was easier to clamp and to remove with out loosing much air, and so far with out having the valve stem stick open.
The second frequent complaint on the Sears web site the end that plugs in to the 12 volt socket breaks easily. I am glad I read the complaints as now I know to be careful. There may be a more serious potential problem. As previously commented these pumps need to get a lot of power out of a 12 volt receptacle. Thus I think one should always run the engine when using the air pump to decrease the amount of current one needs to pull through the 12 volt socket. Sitting in my driveway today the 12 volt socket shows 12.25 volts but when I turn on the engine the alternator provides 14.4 volts. I believe this means there would be 17% less current needed for any device using power from the electrical socket. I mention this because at some point the 12 volt accessory socket in my van stopped working. I keep a log in my van but didn't record or didn't know exactly when it went bad but either it was poorly made or overused. If it was the latter it must have been the air pump even though the van circuit has a 20 amp fuse and the air pump has a 15 amp fuse in the plug. I always thought I should be running the van engine while using the air pump but am not 100% sure I did.
So with a little caution I believe this air pump is serviceable for topping off my tires and will continue to use it but if I loose another electrical socket I'll take note if it was the pump and likely change my mind.
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CJBill
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04/04/12 03:50pm |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: VA Blue Ridge Pky, Flowers ?
Thanks Guys, I'll copy your notes so I don't loose track of them and the feedback helps me think about it. Now I am thinking late May but will do a little more checking as the time nears. Maybe we'll go twice, not so bad.
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CJBill
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04/02/12 07:10pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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VA Blue Ridge Pky, Flowers ?
Last October we drove home from Asheville NC going north along the Blue Ridge Parkway. We enjoyed the drive and DW was very impressed with the number of Rhododendron along the road. Since she loves gardening and flowers she insisted the we return in May to see the flowers. The Park website gives the bloom time for Rhododendron as June through early July which surprised me that it was that late and I wonder about the mild winter we have had. So are there any experienced people who can give us a good idea of the best time to see flowers this spring, particularly the Rhododendron along the parkway?
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CJBill
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04/02/12 09:54am |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Class B MPG?
We have a previously owned 190 Popular on the 2005 Chevy and I have a spread sheet with all the miles and all the gas since we got it.
Overall for 47670 miles we have gotten 14.36 mpg. On I95 from Maryland to Florida we get a bit over 15 mpg at 62.5 mph which is my usual speed. Around town I think it varies somewhere between 10 and 12 mpg. Last fall driving north on the Blue Ridge Parkway we got 11.6 mpg which surprised me as I have gotten better in the Rocky Mountains.
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CJBill
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03/25/12 09:44am |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: Chaco Canyon
We visited Chaco Canyon in May of 2011 and enjoyed it very much. If you are at all interested in early American history you shouldn't miss it and while you are out there you should get on up to Mesa Verde and see that as well.
Getting to Chaco Canyon is quite an effort because of the washboard road. Because it seemed the shortest route from Gallup NM, we drove in on the southern route which was a mistake. It is about 22 miles of washboard and goes over some rocky outcroppings which makes it difficult for a vehicle with low road clearance and longer wheel base. We caught our fiberglass skirt on some rock, broke some glass and dumped the refrigerator contents on the floor on the way in but didn't have anywhere near that problem on the way out.
We drove out the north eastern route to US 550 which is around 12 miles of washboard or a little more but is much more level. We were told by some workers at Chaco Canyon that the washboard wasn't too bad just, “go fast”, one young lady Forest Ranger said 50mph would do it. I sort of tried it but found that at 25-30mph that the back end of the van, a Roadtrek 190P on the Chevy chassis, felt like it wanted to come around and go first. Since getting one wheel off the side of the road surface would have meant we would be stuck in the middle of nowhere until we got some major help I wasn't willing to drive fast which means you have to tolerate the washboard for quite a while but it is doable. On the way out while crawling along we did see a couple of SUV's coming in at a pretty fast pace.
To reiterate, I drove both the northern route from US 550 and the southern route in spring in May of 2011. I found the northern route to be much better than the southern route because of the following.
1) The northern route's section of washboard is much shorter around 12 miles versus 17-20 miles on the southern route. I am sure that recent grading would make the northern route quite easy.
2) The southern route crosses a few sections of rock outcroppings which are a few feet higher than the surrounding roadway. These are fairly short wavelength and somewhat steep on one side or both. So the problem becomes more difficult for a vehicle with a long wheel base and low ground clearance like a Chevy 190 Popular as I found when I caught the fiberglass skirt on one. If one were driving a jeep or any other vehicle with shorter wheel base or higher ground clearance these rocky spots would not be a problem.
3) Except for the problem noted above both routes are fairly level. I remember the southern route as having a deeper sandy ditch on the side of the road such that I believe getting one wheel off the road could be a serious problem in a place where help might be difficult to find, I saw one vehicle while driving in from the south and saw a few while driving out the northern route.
Our first day there was windy and dusty and we had dust in our eyes, nose and mouth but by evening it was beautiful and the next day was calm and very nice. Hot and dusty on the day we went in, it went down to 27f overnight, May 12. In the morning we hiked up from the campground to the top of the canyon wall and along for a ways and really enjoyed it. Of course we walked through the ruins and reading about them and seeing them was a great experience.
For us it was a great experience and I hope to do it again but unless they pave the southern route I'll drive in from US 550 which I believe is the northeast.
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CJBill
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02/22/12 05:35pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Who's been 2 Chaco Culture Nat. Hist. Park?????
We visited Chaco Canyon in May of this year 2011 and enjoyed it very much. If you are at all interested in early American history you shouldn't miss it and while you are out there you should get on up to Mesa Verde and see that as well.
Getting to Chaco Canyon is quite an effort because of the washboard road. We drove in on the southern route which was a mistake. It is about 22 miles of washboard and goes over some rocky outcroppings which makes it difficult for a vehicle with low road clearance and longer wheel base. We drove out the north eastern route which as was said is around 12 miles of washboard or a little more but is much more level and, I believe, better maintained. We caught our fiberglass skirt on some rock, broke some glass and dumped the refrigerator contents on the floor on the way in but didn't have anywhere near that problem on the way out. We were told by some workers at Chaco Canyon that the washboard wasn't too bad just, “go fast”, one young lady Forest Ranger said 50mph would do it. I sort of tried it but found that at 25-30mph that the back end of the van, a Roadtrek 190P on the Chevy chassis, felt like it wanted to come around and go first. Since getting one wheel off the side of the road surface would have meant we would be stuck in the middle of nowhere until we got some major help I wasn't willing to drive fast which means you have to tolerate the washboard for quite a while but it is doable. On the way out while crawling along we did see a couple of SUV's coming in at a pretty fast pace.
Our first day there was windy and dusty and we had dust in our eyes, nose and mouth but by evening it was beautiful and the next day was calm and very nice. The campground is a bit rustic but in a beautiful location and we enjoyed it very much. Our van is only 21 ft but longer vehicles should fit in a number of spots. Hot and dusty on the day we went in, it went down to 27f overnight, May 12. In the morning we hiked up from the campground to the top of the canyon wall and along for a ways and really enjoyed it. Of course we walked through the ruins and reading about them and seeing them was a great experience.
For us it was a great experience and I hope to do it again but unless they pave the southern route I'll drive in from the northeast.
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CJBill
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12/20/11 07:07pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Florida panhandle
Do any of these recommendations have paved camping sights? My DW does not like to camp on sand because its hard to get out of the feed and fur of our Shih Tsu before he goes back in the van. I know, silly question, Florida's all sand.
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CJBill
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12/02/11 01:57pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Cracked ground effects
I have a similar problem with my 190 Popular 05/06 after I caught a high curb on the Blue Ridge Pky. I sent an email to Roadtrek and was told the bumpers are made of ABS plastic. Roadtrek told me a body shop would have the needed material but the fix would be noticeable. I had previously tried to attach something to the inside of the back bumper with JB Weld and it didn't hold for me.
I did some research on the Web for fixing ABS plastic and there is lots of info out there. Mostly it is done by using a soldering iron or something to "weld" the pieces back together. If you could do this from the rear it probably wouldn't look too bad but getting to it would likely be difficult. Search the Web for fixing ABS plastic and you will see what I mean.
From the Yahoo Roadtrek group I got two suggestions for using glue. One was to make your own glue by dissolving ABS plastic in acetone to make a slurry. The second suggested glue from www.eplastics.com/Plastic/ABS-Glue I haven't tried the fix yet but have ordered some glue and may experiment with both glueing ideas and back it up with some glued on ABS strips in back.
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CJBill
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11/23/11 07:42am |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: Any recommended cheap TV antennas?
Why add foil? Does it really help?
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CJBill
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11/16/11 07:32am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Any recommended cheap TV antennas?
I took an old rabbit ears off an old Sony computer and attached it to a small piece of wood which I could put on the roof. I also attached a coax cable long enough to go to the cable input to the van. At a rally I went to, people told me how many channels they could get with their expensive antennas and I could get just as many with my rabbit ears set up just above the roof, we were close to town and it might not be quite as good farther away. It didn't cost me anything because I had the rabbit ears and a little extra coax. It collapses down real small to put away. Not as sophisticated looking as the commercial ones but I kinda like it.
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CJBill
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10/28/11 07:23am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Straight talk
On Straight Talk does one get a discount for additional phones or does each one have it's own full billing?
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CJBill
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10/07/11 02:46pm |
Technology Corner
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RE: Report on new 'pay as you go" wireless Internet
I think my Verizon package is pretty reasonable. Since I have a Verizon cell phone they allow me to turn on a data option to tether my computer which costs me approximately $2.00 per day and I can turn it on at the start of my trip and turn it off at the end. It seems to work pretty good.
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CJBill
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10/06/11 06:28pm |
Technology Corner
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RE: How to re-install Roadtrek A/C Access Panel
I guess I don't understand this. I have a 05/06 190 Popular and reading postings about removing and replacing the A/C covers my understanding was that they are held on by something called "well-nuts" and that Home Depot calls them
"expansion nuts fine thread" #10-32 x 1 1/16" 4 B Steel Rubber. Since I have read more than one post indicating that these are what are needed and that if the cover is removed that one should use new nuts when reinstalling the covers I purchased a set. I have been intending to but have not actually removed the covers yet so I can not say personally that this info is correct but I have seen this info posted more than once in response to this problem. It might be worth while to go to Home Depot and look at one and see if it is what you need.
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CJBill
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10/04/11 06:58pm |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: Roadtrek 190P - Onan Generator - time for oil change
I used to have a package of small paper funnels which could be cut to size for use to fill the generator and after they ran out I couldn't seem to find them anymore. When I was asked at a rally about changing the oil and described this to a gentleman he suggested the conic drink cups available at many water fountains. I thought it was a great idea so next time to the gym I brought several home and they work pretty well.
I first insert one into the dip stick hole to see where the oil comes to and then cut off the bottom so it will insert a ways into the hole. I then follow the previous recommendation of pouring "very slowly". Where as I used to cut the top of the paper funnel to make it fit the space I now just cut the tip to let the oil go through then, it goes in the trash. Works pretty well for me.
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CJBill
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09/24/11 07:49am |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: Use a laptop or netbook for navigating?
Does anyone have the experience to compare Streets and Trips to Delorme TOPO or Street Atlas? Which has the best maps or is easiest to use?
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CJBill
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09/13/11 07:16pm |
Technology Corner
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RE: RV Park recommendations for the South West?
This May we found, USA RV Park in Gallup NM to be a very good campground. We also used the KOA in Albuquerque and found it to be good.
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CJBill
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08/27/11 07:01pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Stretched our B
I guess Class B people aren't allowed to have information about non Class B vehicles on this forum. It seems a shame to me.
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CJBill
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08/27/11 06:46pm |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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