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Forum
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RE: New RV Checklist Android App
This app looks great, making my lists right now to use it on my next trip. I was printing a checklist every trip to take with me since I know I'll forget something one of these days.
If you're good with programming, I'd like to suggest you make a more robust RV App like the old RV'ers Notebook program. It would be great if we had a single app to keep trip logs, track mileage, keep maintenance records, and expense sheets. Just a suggestion, I know that would be an app I'd buy. ;-)
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Mick1152
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04/06/12 11:37am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Anaheim Harbor RV Park
So what's across the street?
Anaheim RV Village is across the street. I've stayed at both places. I prefer Anaheim RV Village as it's bigger and seems less crowded but I didn't have any issues with Anaheim Harbor.
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Mick1152
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12/25/11 08:46am |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: New respect for TV upgrade install
On my first RV, the old TV area left a lip which hung out enough for the bottom edge of the TV to rest on when stored. I glued a thin rubber strip to it to prevent rattles. Then the swing out structure was all mounted inside the old TV area. I used two short bungee cords inside the compartment attached to the bracket on the back of the TV to hold the TV back against the opening. The sides of the opening was lined with a soft foam I covered in vinyl to prevent rattles. Was always secure and never rattled. Just pulled the TV out slightly to release the bungee cords to swing the TV out.
It worked but after a while I found myself never using the swing out of the TV and just leaving it in place. So for my current RV I just used I board over the old TV opening, hinged at the bottom and held in place by a latch on either side of the board. Then just flat mounted the TV to the board. Can see the TV fine without the swing out arm and I can fold the TV down to access the new storage area behind the TV.
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Mick1152
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12/11/11 02:37pm |
Do It Yourself Modifications and Upgrades (DIY)
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RE: Disneyland RV parks.
Being from Northern California with Annual Passports to Disneyland I've tried all of the above suggestions and a few others. We boondocked at Camping World and parked at Disneyland in the morning two days in a row. Nothing special at night, but was amazing when the kids got tired and our home was only a short tram ride away. Then relax, have lunch/dinner/snack/etc and come back for more fun. Both days we boondocked we stayed at the park till the midnight closing, got back to the RV and the kids were asleep before we left the parking lot.
Anaheim RV Village is where we normally stay these days after trying several different places and acquiring ourselves a toad. Its nice, not usually very crowded, friendly and helpful staff, and great view of the fireworks on nights the kids are too tired to go to the park at night. You can walk to the park however it is a bit further than it seems. For pretty much any of the parks you will either want a toad, take public transit or just drive your RV to the park and park in their lot during the day. http://www.anaheimrvvillage.com/
Anaheim Resort RV Park is right around the corner from Anaheim RV Village. Our first stay there was a few years ago with our first RV. Our first RV was a 1989 beat up Southwind we were given for free. It looked right at home in the park at the time. Most of the RV's there were permanent fixtures at the time and the place looked very run down. I don't know if they are under new ownership or just cleaned up the park but when we were down there last month and drove by there it looked great. I will probably give them another try on our next stay as they are a few bucks cheaper than the other ones. http://www.anaheimresortrvpark.com
Orangeland seemed very crowded and busy both times we've been there. Kids were younger and had a great time playing with other kids but I'd have liked it to have been a little more relaxing while we were home in the RV. Also, I did not quite understand their pricing for their spaces. The space we stayed in was a premium space, while the one right next to ours was a regular space for $5 cheaper. I could not find any difference in the two spaces while we were there. But I sure felt better knowing I had a premium space while my neighbor was stuck in a regular spot! /sarcasm http://www.orangeland.com
Canyon RV park is a park we stayed at by mistake on our second RV trip to Disneyland. Saw the address said Anaheim and it was a spur of the moment trip so we just made a reservation there. In reality it's about a 20 minute drive up into the Anaheim Hills. The park was great, very relaxing, and a true campground instead of the parking lots with a little grass you get closer to Disneyland. However, if you plan on hitting the park for a few hours, coming home and relaxing and then going over again for more fun, the 20 minute drive is a deterrent to that. http://www.canyonrvpark.com/
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Mick1152
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12/03/11 05:09pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: jeep wrangler unlimited lifted?
I had a 2004 Rubicon with a 4.5" lift and 35" tires on it I towed behind my friend's RV for a few trips. We used a custom made tow bar, nothing fancy just a standard tube bar that attached to the D-ring brackets on my custom front bumper and connected to a 2" ball hitch. On his RV we had to use a riser for the ball to keep the tow bar mostly level.
One caveat, make sure you get your Wrangler professionally aligned after you install the lift and tires as it will throw your alignment off. You really don't want to wear through the big expensive tires and put all the extra stress on your towing setup.
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Mick1152
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10/23/11 01:44pm |
Dinghy Towing
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RE: Bigger oil filter for Onan 5500 Marquis ??
Do you know what the Onan part number is for the original filter for your generator?
I have a 5500 and was looking for a longer filter as well but found there are two different filters for 5500 generators. I know my original filter is 122-0645 and was just curious if yours was the same so I can give the filters you found a try.
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Mick1152
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10/07/11 06:37pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Handy Hints, Gadgets, Products & Gizmos
Stumbled upon this nice, roll up wooden path on a deal site last week and thought it would be perfect to use for the outside shower when the kids are washing off from the lake. Just got it today and I have to say it looks perfect! Rolls up nicely for storage but unrolled it's 3.5 feet long and 1.5 wide. Gives a nice platform for the kids to stand on while using the outside shower to keep their feet out of the dirt/mud so they can step into dry shoes/sandals with their clean feet.
http://www.bargainoutfitters.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?p=B140A&i=198234&utm_medium=GAN&gltrk=k54384&gltrkaff=dealnews&utm_source=dealnews&utm_campaign=Primary
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Mick1152
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10/05/11 03:46pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: California Non Commercial Class B License?
Don't have one but first thing I'd ask is to make sure you NEED one.
With a Class C license you can:
Drive any RV up to 40' in length
Tow a travel trailer up to 10,000 lbs GVWR
Tow a 5th Wheel up to 15,000 lbs GVWR
You will only need the non-commercial Class B license if you are 40' to 45' in length. If you are over 45' then you also need the 45' housecar endorsement. The test is based on all the information in this booklet available on their site:
http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/dl648/dl648.pdf
You must also pass a driving skills test which isn't difficult, just includes some backing and parking and making a turn without driving over the curb with the rear tires.
I haven't actually taken the class B test but have taken the non-commercial Class A test which, from my understanding are pretty much the same thing.
One tip, before you show up for your test make sure everything is working properly and check ALL of your lights. If there is even a single tail light, brake light, head light, high beam, running light etc not working they won't let you take the driving test.
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Mick1152
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10/01/11 05:31pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Is it just me?
I have a list on Todo.ly and keep my items organized by priority. Maintenance/Repair items, Items/Equipment and Packing lists. Priority 1 items are things I consider I must take care of before the next trip, 2 are should take care of, 3 are at my convenience or per whatever schedule I've set up for them and 4 are simply wishlist things I want to do or get for the RV.
Personally, I love having my RV Todo list. Gives me something to do with it when I can't be camping in it and it ensures I bring it home from storage at least one weekend a month and exercise the engine, generator and tires so they don't just rot away in storage.
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Mick1152
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08/28/11 07:13pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: What did you do to your Class A MH today???
This is actually over two days but:
Installed 32" LED TV in the front of RVInstalled 22" LCD TV in the bedroomHooked up and activated Dish Network receiver and found out the satellite dome actually works!!Replaced the 34! interior light bulbs with cheap LEDs I bought off ebayRewired 4 light fixtures which were apparently wired backwards and didn't work with the LED'sReplaced ToiletChanged generator Spark PlugsChanged generator air filterWashed exteriorand am now Relaxing on the Couch with a nice adult beverage watching the Giants game on my new TV
That's it!
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Mick1152
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08/23/11 11:17pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: DISH pay as you go???
And when you leave your service area you also loose all major networks that are assign to your local channels and many times will not receive HD on the cable channels. It is crazy at dish. And unless you have a dish, dish on your RV forget talking to local or dish folks about any problems. They will not hear it. As told this AM buy a dish-dish and then you MAY get HD when traveling but no networks. What do I have all this for??
Or just sign up for the National network affiliates. You will have to fill a form out and send a copy of your RV registration but they will add the New York and Los Angeles networks to your account to be accessed anywhere in the country. So you may not have your locals but you still have the networks so you can watch the shows you're used to.
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Mick1152
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08/17/11 06:26am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Generators Need To Be Exercised - Where Do You Do It?
Off topic but really suprised at the amount of folks who don't exercise their generator.
Me too! The low hours on my new to me RV surprised me. Heck, even excited me at first... till I knew better. Wasn't even enough hours to have done 2 hours of exercise every 3 months let alone every month. Needless to say, the generator has been the one thing I've had problems with. :S
Now I drive the RV home from storage (in the town I work in) one weekend a month and run the generator under load during the drive home and back to storage.
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Mick1152
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08/11/11 12:54am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Toad Rentals ?????
If I hadn't just sold my truck and made my toad my daily driver I'd have happily rented mine to you for that much time. I currently have a 1999 Malibu for my Toad/Daily driver and love it. My previous toad was 2002 Saturn SL2 with the little 4 cyl engine. It was super light and easy to tow.
My suggestion would be to look for an older Saturn on craigslist and add the tow bracket, tow bar, and brake lighting to it (and aux braking system if you want or if it will be required in any of the states you will be travelling in, you won't need it in California).
Then after your trip sell it if you don't need it anymore and recover most if not all of your expenses for it. If you keep the brackets, tow bar and brake system you can do the same thing if the need arises again. Or sell it with all that and recover most of the expense of those items.
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Mick1152
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08/11/11 12:41am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Porta Bote
No first hand knowledge with them but saw a guy with one up at Lake Tahoe last summer. My kids and I were setting up my dad's Zodiac (which I procure from his sailboat when we camp at lakes) and the guy next to us started setting up his PortaBote. It was amazing and I didn't realize it but I stopped everything I was doing and watched him set his boat up. Got to talking and went down to the lake with him. I have to say I was pretty impressed. He had a small 5hp engine on his and kept up well with my Zodiac with a 8hp (although I did have two kids with me). All said and done, I'd love one of these things to keep in one of the storage area's under my RV but, after getting the info pack and price sheet, I think I'll be sticking with procuring my dad's Zodiac for some time.
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Mick1152
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08/11/11 12:29am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Opinions requests -- F-150 as TV for a 7000 lb TT?
My last setup was a 2001 F150 Supercrew with the 5.4 and a tranny cooler which had a 8000 lb towing capacity rating from Ford. My TT was anywhere between 6200 - 6700 lbs when loaded for trips.
It towed the TT, it wasn't great and it wasn't perfect but it always got me there. I wish I had more power but it always got me there and back. I'm not sure why the new models have such a higher tow capacity rating but, given the same engine and gearing I don't think I'd want to have towed anything heavier than I did. Going uphill was always slow and steady. I usually just found a line of loaded big rigs to drop in line with and follow up the steep grades. I usually could have gone a little faster but I was on vacation and never saw the need to be in a big hurry and stress the truck. I never had any issues with going downhill and maintaining a safe slow speed without having to use the brakes too much.
One thing I'd caution you on is the dry weight of the TT's you're looking at. We looked at several. One I almost bought had a manufacturer dry weight rating of 5300 lbs. That rating doesn't take into consideration added accessories such as awnings, air conditioners, batteries, propane tanks, mattresses etc. When I went and weighed it before buying it the dry weight of it was 5900 lbs. The TT I bought had a manufacturer dry weight of 4500 lbs but weighed 5400 lbs dry.
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Mick1152
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08/08/11 12:20pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: OK..I did the thing I dreaded....
I'm paranoid about this. My rear camera can show me the toad but I can't tell from the camera or side mirrors if the front wheels are turning properly on turns. I read a tip in the tips thread about putting a piece of sticky paper on the steering wheel so you can see if it is turning in the camera. I did this and it works great. I ended up modifying this a bit by using a piece of double sided white Velcro I keep in the glove box for towing. Stick that on the steering wheel in the 12 o'clock position and I can see the steering wheel turning in the rear camera at every turn.
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Mick1152
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08/01/11 09:27pm |
Dinghy Towing
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RE: Do you name your motorhome?
My first RV a couple years ago was a free 1989 Southwind which we named "Valdez" due to the large oil leak it had.
Our "new" RV is a 1998 Bounder and we call it "Joey". It almost got the name "Jack" as my youngest referred to the Bounder logo as Kangaroo Jack the first time he saw it.
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Mick1152
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07/31/11 02:28pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: What do you use to clean a tpo/epdm rubber roof??
Rain
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Mick1152
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07/13/11 05:47pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Hanging up the RV life, web sites 2 sell toed
I'd still recommend Craigslist. The recommended places in that list you are referring to don't seem to have a lot of traffic. Also, when I was looking for a toad I never saw a single new listing in 4 months on some of those recommendations.
When I sold my old toad I listed on craigslist. Had several people want to buy it within days of listing it, including people from out of state.
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Mick1152
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07/13/11 05:33pm |
Dinghy Towing
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RE: Fiberglass panel unglued
If there is a wave in it then it sounds like de-lamination. My 1989 Southwind had it all over the place. If there is a wave then it let go for a reason. Usually this is a water leak allowing moisture inside the wall and causing the glue to dissolve and give way.
To fix it you can remove the panel from the wall and glue it back to the wall. I'm not sure exactly what I'd use but there are several good, durable construction adhesives you can get at the hardware store.
First and foremost is to figure out why it de-laminated in the first place. Find where the moisture has gotten in behind the panel and fix that problem first. Then work on fixing the panel.
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Mick1152
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06/29/11 06:10pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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