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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: Made In China Solar Panels You'd Better Move Fast!
It seems to me the ultimate effect of open trade is to equalize wages around the world. Jobs move to the lowest cost countries until that is achieved. Manufacturing will come back to North America when the cost of labour is competitive with China. I have no alternative to offer - no government can be elected on a platform of doubling the cost of all the stuff in the stores through restricting trade.
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Harvey51
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05/22/12 08:56am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Storage Solutions
The top came off easily, just a couple of springy catches at the back. Top was moving in contact with the front. I put foam tape between them and tightened the screws holding the front. Also th screws now visible holding the sides to the counter. The squeek is gone.
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Harvey51
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05/15/12 10:48pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Optimal MH size?
For one person? DW and I find our little 20 foot C very comfortable for up to two weeks. After that, I want to mow the lawn and make something in my shop.
We almost stretch out on the two sides of the dinette to read a few chapters. Love that big cabover bed.
Easy to drive, camp anywhere, park with the cars. Small enough for a man to clean without losing interest.
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Harvey51
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05/15/12 05:10pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Driving Question
I would like to have a pair of those side-looking cameras. Anyone have a link to a system of two or three cameras at a reasonable price?
I have one $100 wireless backup camera mounted high up on the back. Works great. I would buy two more but I don't have room for three monitors. I wonder if all three would work with one monitor, just turning on one of the cameras at a time?
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Harvey51
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05/15/12 05:00pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Replacement for Radio, DVD, etc.
How much trouble is it to do the replacement? How does one remove the old radio from the dashboard?
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Harvey51
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05/15/12 04:48pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Power while parked & battery
I wouldn't run the fridge when not occupied for weeks. Those fridges have a limited lifetime and are very expensive. When left for the winter I might plug it in for a couple of hours every month to top up the batteries. Or start the engine for 15 minutes to charge all the batteries.
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Harvey51
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05/12/12 11:43pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: 5-person Trailer for a Minivan?
We loaned our tent trailer to friends when they were trying to decide. They were amazed at how they could hear the sounds of nature and notice when birds and little animals visited. Cool when all the huge windows are open. That pop up was 2000 pounds; easily towed by a minivan. Still in very good condition after 20 years. We fondly remember setting up and taking down, the kids doing their parts eventually the whole job.
Now if you are camping near a lot of man made noises, the solid trailer would be a lot quieter. Of course you'll need an air conditioner so you need to run a generator and it will still be noisy.
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Harvey51
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05/12/12 11:34pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Tank sensors?
I worried about those tanks filling up until I saw the tank sizes. Now I know it is impossible to fill one of the tanks with one freshwater tankfull. Unless you go crazy showering on the first day out.
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Harvey51
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05/12/12 11:20pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Extreme Water Conservation- Share your secrets?
I admire you for being willing to let that secret out.
We spent many years camping mostly at places without tap water, though often with a lake or river in a tent or tent trailer with no tanks. We typically boiled lake water over the campfire for washing, saving our precious supply of drinking water. Now in a motorhome, I still use very little water for dish washing. We don't bother with the MH hot water tank but joyfully use the propane stove to heat water from the big tank. I put some in a bowl or cereal bowl with detergent and wash the dishes once. I rinse several dishes over the bowl to replenish the supply as needed. Then I go with the kettle rinsing one dish over another so the rinse water is used two or three times and only a tiny amount right out of the kettle is needed for a final rinse on each dish. On our last two week trip DW and I didn't need to refill the water tank at all. Mind you, that did include several days just sleeping in the MH while we visited friends and we ate out a few times. There were hot springs for showers. It was cool so no sweat.
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Harvey51
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05/12/12 11:04pm |
Tent Camping
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RE: How do all the tanks work?
Great news - I probably can't fill a black or grey tank from one tank of fresh water. No need to worry about those level monitors that don't work.
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Harvey51
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05/12/12 09:12pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Storage Solutions
Our stove squeaks. I can reproduce the sound when stopped by gripping the stove and wiggling it. Any ideas? How does it typically attach to the floor or wall?
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Harvey51
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05/12/12 09:00pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Battery Drain
It is easy to measure; you could check it yourself as you leave it. Unhook one battery cable, then put the multimeter on its highest current range (usually 10 Amps). Connect the battery cable through the meter to the battery. Then lower the current range until you can read it. If the reading is 100 mA, then in two weeks it will draw 34 Amp-hours which should leave enough for a start.
I have seen a vehicle draw 20 times that much due to a short in the under hood light. Finding it may involve pulling fuses one at a time while watching the meter.
If the current is under 100 ma and you can't start it after two weeks, you probably need a new battery. I can leave a vehicle for a month in winter and it still starts.
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Harvey51
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05/12/12 08:51pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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Lovely place for a breakdown
On our last trip (mid April) we stopped at a rest area on highway 16 west of Jasper, Alberta. Great spot, view of Roche Miette which is the most challenging climb I ever made (I'm a complete amateur), has a nice walk up to a mountain sheep pasture and sandy beaches.
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o276/Delphi51/Forums/P1030424.jpg
We have the little class C. The big class A diesel pusher in front is broken down. The guy said his waterpump had failed but it looked like he lost a fair bit of oil on the pavement so maybe worse. He is 50 km from Hinton, the nearest tow truck big enough for the job and 150 km from the nearest place possibly able to deal with his big engine.
I'm sure our Ford 350 class C V8 engine could be repaired at Hinton. I'm very comfortable with the C!
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Harvey51
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05/11/12 09:38pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Battery meter
The indicator works with nothing more than the voltage between ground and the hot 12 V wire. Take the cover off and see if the approximately 12 Volts is present using a multimeter. If it is, the indicator itself has to be broken.
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Harvey51
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05/10/12 10:51pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: New tires? Help me decide?
I just went through the same decision. Our tires(Michelin LT225/75R16 M/S load range E) were 6.5 years old. Cool climate, outdoors all the time, no wheel covers. I found out that Michelin says sidewall cracks 1/16 inch deep means you change them immediately so I did. I replaced the worst tire with the spare to drive the 100 km to the nearest Costco and learned that I was not equipped to change a wheel on the road - my jack did not fit securely under the round lifting areas on the MH. I welded a proper concave top on it and somehow refrained from giving hell to the dealer I bought it from - that jack was dangerous!
Costco certainly had the best price in our area and perhaps surprisingly the best service. I have bought quite a few tires there and have come to trust the tire sales guy who seems very professional and willing to give advice in my interest. But perhaps no tire guy would be willing to say your 6 year old tires are sure to go another year.
They said to please bring the MH in on a nice day because they would have to work outside. I parked in front of the tire shop bays and their crew did the job in an hour. I didn't bring DW - killing an hour at Costco usually costs $500. I got the same Michelin LTX M/S tires again - they served perfectly well and showed very little wear other than the age cracks.
I would not want old deep cracked tires on my other vehicle, either.
Edited to give tire type correctly
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Harvey51
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04/30/12 11:50pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: plastic rear window magnifier
How does it work? Does it make a rear view mirror useful?
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Harvey51
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04/30/12 11:15pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Toadless C Owners, Do You Feel Limited?
Well, if the C is sufficiently small you reach a kind of nice little compromise. Ours is only a couple of feet longer than a van and can be parallel parked quite easily (rear camera vital). Driving it a bit daily keeps the batteries charged so no generator needed and no power plug in. The tanks are large enough and the shower so small that no hookups are needed, so breaking camp usually means putting the step up and turning the key. Not much housework. Kind of nice to park at art stores and takeout places where we make our own tea while we eat our burgers without leaving the dog alone. Or DW can cook a terrific meal in our little playhouse. Not so good for guests but an amazing getaway for a friendly couple. I think I would have separation anxiety with a toad, certainly have never wished for one.
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Harvey51
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04/30/12 11:02pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Tire pressure
In my case, the motorhome manufacturer's plate says inflate front tires to 65 psi, rear ones to 60 psi. The measured front weight is 3230 lb (split evenly), rear weight is 6350 lb (3350 on one side, 3000 on the other). Tires are Michelin LT225 75R16 LTX M/S with maximum pressure 80 psi (for maximum 2720 lb single, 2500 lb dual). The link given above doesn't have a chart for this tire, but I found one at http://musser.us/mus-arc/y-ongoing/RVfiles/tire-pressure-table.html. It says for my weights use 40 psi on the front and 45 on the rear.
I asked the tire shop guy where I should go between 65/60 and 40/45. He said to go with the manufacturer's plate, forget the Michelin chart.
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Harvey51
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04/28/12 10:47pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Recommdation of C 23 - 25 foot with 12+ mpg
I get 5.5 km per Liter, which I think is about 12.5 miles per US gallon. But our C is only 20 feet and a Ford V8. And often under 100 km/hr.
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Harvey51
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04/19/12 05:22pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Batteries - Charging - Electrical - Etc.
We are just now camping in the mountain parks of Alberta, Canada. We find we don't need the furnace at night and actually have a vent partly open. We fire up the furnace a half hour before getting up and use it for a few hours a day. Two Costco batteries handle it easily. No generator - we just drive for a half hour or so most days to charge them.
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Harvey51
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04/19/12 04:32pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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