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RE: Highway Tolls
I guess I should have added this for the OP - Welcome to NY where the tolls are high and don't even go to maintain the roads that they are paid on. And if you are traveling through NY wait until you leave the state to buy gas as you will save at least $.40 a gallon.
Yep, high tolls, poor roads. But as poorly maintained as the toll roads are, the free highways can be much worse.
If the OP went West from Central NY and hit high tolls, he no doubt took the NY Thruway, Interstate 90. Other than back roads like 20, 20A or 39 (all of which involve lots of slow downs for small towns) the only other real alternative for making time is Interstate 86. Unfortunately, that is one of the worst roads I've taken in a long time. If you stick to the left lane and keep the speed under 50, it won't be that rough of a ride. But doing so you are a traffic impediment so as soon as you move to the right lane or increase your speed it will shake your rig to pieces. Some sections of that road are passable, but I've had too many bad experiences along the length of that road that I won't drive it again. I'll pay the tolls rather than ruin my motorhome.
If you had an E-ZPass with the NY Thruway's Motorhome Plan, you would have paid the same tolls as a passenger car for the Thruway portion of your trip.
Although I live in NY I have never enrolled in EZ Pass. I don't spend enough time on the Thruway or bridges to make it worth while to me. Now that I own a MH you've piqued my interest. Any more info or a link you can provide? Thanks.
Run, don't walk to your nearest E-ZPass service center and sign up. It's worth it. It can save you significant money and it doesn't cost you anything (other than the need to maintain a credit balance, usually $25.)
It's offered through several states, and each have their own rules. Since you live in NY, you definitely want to sign up in NY as they have no monthly fees (some states charge fees or deposits) and only NY offers the Motorhome Thruway Discount plan which charges a motorhome regular passenger car rates and not the commercial rates you would otherwise pay.
You can have up to four tags with no deposit (as long as you use credit card auto pay.) I have one for my car, one for the DW's car, and two for the motorhome (both on the motorhome plan.) One MH tag is for two axles, the other is for four (when towing the toad.) If you have a nearby full service customer service center, I would stop in and get the tags there. I tried the mail/phone/fax routine to get on the plan and had problems, including a guy who told me it wasn't possible to get a four axle towing tag on the motorhome plan. When I went in person, they knew just what to do and I left a few minutes later with all the tags I needed.
Even if you don't use the Thruway often, it's still worth having the tags. Almost all tolls are cheaper with the tag (motorhome tolls are A LOT cheaper) and it's nice being able to use any lane you want rather than waiting in line and dealing with tickets and cash.
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ShapeShifter
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10/12/11 08:11am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Onan MicroQuiet 4000 good enough?
I know this is a newbie question, but I am wondering if for a small entry level TH, if an Onan MicroQuiet 4000 would be good enough for most boondocking.
Odds are that the small entry level trailer will have a 30 amp shore cord. That gives you 3600 Watts of power while plugged in. The generator gives 4000 Watts, which is a hair more than available on shore power. Therefore, the generator should be able to do everything that shore power can do.
On the other hand, if the trailer has a 50 amp shore cord, then there is 12,000 Watts of power available, and the generator will only put out a third of that. In that case, you will have to limit what you run at once, just as you would have to do if you were connected to a 30 amp pedestal with that trailer.
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ShapeShifter
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10/11/11 03:11pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Both need to know how to drive and operate rv systems
I know what to do - I just might not be comfortable doing it and I am not afraid to ask for help.
That's pretty much the way my DW would sum it up.
Over the years she's pulled or driven horse trailers, travel trailers, truck campers, class C's and gas and diesel class A's. She can drive the current rig, but doesn't like doing it, she's more than happy letting me do 99% of the driving.
Similarly, she can handle the various systems in the rig, including shore connections and filling/dumping tanks, but she's more than happy to let me do much of it most of the time. She is not at all technologically inclined, and might not operate some systems to their full potential (like I doubt she'd get the satellite TV system going if I weren't there) but if there were an emergency she could definitely handle the basics:Get the rig to a safe spotGet the rig into a campground near a hospital and hook up utilitiesRun generator and be self sufficient if no utilitiesBreak camp and get to homeetc.
And if she had trouble with any of the details, she'd have no qualms asking for help. She'd do just fine on her own, she'd been doing it for many years before I met her -- but she's very happy to have me around to worry about the driving and the technical details now that she has that option.
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ShapeShifter
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10/11/11 03:01pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Drove around with the steering locked on the toad
We lock the pins in the tow bar also. We do this because we have read reports that some times the pins are partially removed when you stop to have a meal. But then we always do a walk around every time before we restart.
I've read reports as well about pins being loose, and the reports always seem to center around mischievous vandals while at rest stops. While I don't doubt that it happens, I'll bet most of these cases are situations where the pin was never properly secured in the first place, or worked its way out on its own.
Based on those reports, I also kept my pins locked. Then when arriving home I found one of the locks open and hanging by a thread -- waiting for that one last good bump to fall out completely. When we left the campground, I checked that everything was secure. On the three hour drive home the only time we stopped was at a couple of red lights and at the border crossing, and nobody approached the rig at those momentary stops.
So I just can't believe that there were some mischievous vandals who snuck up to the rig at a red light and picked the lock (there was no sign for forcing the lock.) Instead, it's much more believable that the lock was never really properly closed in the first place, and bouncing around caused it to open and work its way out of the hitch pin.
When people find a loose hitch pin after a rest stop, I'll bet that most of the time it was loose when they pulled in for the stop, but they didn't do the walk-around and notice the problem until leaving. Of course, there have been reports where the person was seen tampering with the rig, but I'll bet natural causes are much more common.
At this point, I just use the regular hitch pins. One day after disconnecting, I stupidly left one of the locks sitting on the toad's bumper when I drove off. I never did find that lock, and I haven't bothered replacing it. Fortunately, I still had the non-locking hitch pins with me so I wasn't stuck.
All these comments apply only to flat towing, right? I use a dolly on my front wheel drive car and always leave it in "park" with the steering wheel locked. No problems in about 10,000 miles of towing.
Correct. I assume you have your driving/steering wheels on the dolly, as is most common. In that case you put the transmission in park, and lock the steering and car. The free-wheeling dolly wheels will allow the car to roll even in park, and many dollys have a swivel plate or steerable wheels that allows the car to track properly on curves.
But when flat towing, all wheels must roll freely, so the transmission needs to be in neutral, or the transfer case is in neutral, or the drive shaft is disconnected. Also, the steer wheels must point straight ahead while driving down the road, and should be able to self-steer when going around corners. So the steering wheel needs to be unlocked as well.
I'm lucky in that I don't have a steering wheel lock on my toad, so I won't have the OP's situation happen to me. And I can put my transfer case in neutral, so I leave the transmission locked in neutral. And while I do have a factory alarm if the doors are opened, it doesn't have a motion sensor, so I can leave the toad locked up tight with no key needed for towing.
But I did try to pull away once while the transfer case wasn't in neutral -- but I noticed that right away and didn't drag the toad more than an inch or two. :R
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ShapeShifter
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07/11/11 08:09am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Western NY to Durham NC
As for an alternate route home, I can't help. I would avoid I-95 thru D.C.
Oh yeah, that's a given! I should've said that in the original post.;)
Thanks for the location tips, they sound great. And the timing is perfect -- more driving on the first day when we're fresh, a little less the next day, and the shortest leg on the last day so we can arrive at the destination (a dog show) at a good time.
We've visited the Camp Creek vicinity a couple times, staying at Twin Falls and Pipestem, and it's a beautiful area. We won't mind being back in that area at all. We've passed through Morgantown a few times, but never stopped. This should make an interesting trip, thanks for the help.
Anybody else have any suggestions?
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ShapeShifter
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07/04/11 06:32am |
Roads and Routes
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Western NY to Durham NC
In a couple weeks we're leaving the area surrounding Buffalo NY, and heading down to Durham NC. Rather than push it hard and drive straight through, we want to take our time and drive no more than 4 or 5 hours a day, so that means a couple overnight stops on the way down, and then again on the way back.
For the stops, we're not looking for a tourist destination, just a comfortable place to relax and stop for the night -- doesn't have to be anything fancy, but no Wall-Marts, truck stops, rest stops or seedy dives of a campground. Dog friendly is a must.
We'll be handling the return trip similarly, making a couple stops again. It might be interesting to take a different route back, or at least stop at different places.
So, does anybody have any suggestions on good routes to take, and good places to stop?
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ShapeShifter
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07/03/11 02:10pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Getting more serious
Wow, that's as basic a question as you can get. Welcome to the forum and RVing.
The answers will vary, and folks will be along with more details and their opinions. There is no one type of rig that is right for everyone, that's why there are so many different types out there. These are my own observations and opinions.
Travel Trailer: Provides a good cost to functionality balance. While some trailers can be expensive or heavy, they are generally reasonably priced and usually light weight. They can often be towed with a vehicle you already own, if it's a larger SUV, van, pickup, etc. Takes some practice to back up and get into a site, but once there you have the tow vehicle to go places around town. Maintenance of the running gear is rather simple.
Fifth Wheel: Can cost more than a travel trailer, and often larger and heavier, but you often get more features, more room, and more comfort/luxury. Towing can be more stable and backing is often easier, but the tow vehicle must be a pickup truck (or larger heavy duty truck.) Sometimes a suitable truck is already owned, but sometimes a larger one is needed. Once in camp, you still have the tow vehicle to run around town. Maintenance of the running gear is rather simple.
Class B motorhome: Sized like a full-size van, this is the smallest of the motorhomes. Living space is small, but the overall vehicle is small and easily maneuverable, making up for the small space. This can go just about anywhere, and can easily make stops while on the road traveling (don't have to look for special parking.) Very easy to get into a campsite, but once there you have to break camp to go into town. Maintenance of the running gear is more complicated than a trailer, since you have another motor and associated systems to maintain, but running systems are pretty much the same as any van. Registration costs are higher than a trailer. Driving is pretty much the same as any daily driver vehicle.
Class C motorhome: Bigger than a class B, this is generally a medium sized motorhome (but there are some huge ones out there as well.) The front end cab makes it almost as easy to drive as a full size truck or van, but you must be aware of the extra size behind the cab. Some people get claustrophobic from the overhang above the windshield. Generally has lots of sleeping positions (beds, convertible dinettes, over the cab, etc.) Often used by families because of the various sleeping options. Not too difficult to get into a campsite, and is generally big enough to tow a car if you want to have a vehicle to drive around town without breaking camp. Again, maintenance is more than a trailer because of the engine, and registration costs are higher. Much of the drivetrain is the same as typical trucks and vans, but some may have specialized systems that require a special dealer.
Class A motorhome: Generally the largest, and often has higher level features than some other types, but will also cost more. Gas models are similar to maintain as a Class C, but diesel models often require a special dealer or large truck service shop for maintenance. Diesel maintenance can get rather expensive. Some models get heavy enough (over 26,000 pounds that a special driver license may be required.) While they often have convertible dinettes or sleep sofas, they often have less sleeping positions than a Class C, which makes them more common for couples rather than families. Larger units can be more difficult to maneuver, especially in crowded campgrounds. Breaking camp with one to go into town is usually not practical (since large enough parking spaces in town can be hard to find) so pulling a toad is common, but renting a car a the destination is also possible. Registration and maintenance costs will generally be higher than other types.
This is a big question, and there is no easy answer. You should get lots of opinions on this one. Many people will disagree with what I wrote, but that' OK, as there are a lot of different experiences out there, and what works for one may not for others (like comments about maneuverability, luxury, etc.)
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ShapeShifter
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06/21/11 11:23am |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Family or unisex bathroom/shower facilities
There is a brand new campground near me (opened last year) that has two "Family" rooms in the back of the regular bath house. That's the first one I've seen in a private campground, but I haven't been looking for them so there may have been others. (Most of the time I never even go in the CG facilities, we just use our own.)
I'm sorry, it looks like I missed the point of this topic. :S
I thought it was a discussion of general trends, but since you seem to be looking for specific campgrounds, let me add that the new place I'm talking about is Branches of Niagara on Grand Island near Niagara Falls. It's a nice place, with great facilities and location, but it's pricey and the sites are kind of crowded.
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ShapeShifter
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06/18/11 09:25am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Washer/dryer noise. Surround sound. Is Bus worth premium?
I had thought the rear bath location made more sense as the hallway location might make more distracting noise if a load of laundry was going at the same time someone wanted to watch TV. Anyone have any relevant experience?
We have the washer/dryer in the hallway in the middle of the rig. 99% of the time noise is not an issue. When agitating you may hear some slight splashing noises. When doing a fast spin there is a bit of a whine. While drying there is some constant noise from the fan. But none of it is distracting from the TV. The air conditioner is about 1,000 times louder, and the furnace is about 100 times louder than the washer/dryer. Those are annoying to me but the laundry is not. Even the FantasticFan in the ceiling vent is louder.
About the only time that the washer/dryer is a bit distracting for me is when doing a fast spin, the vibration can sometimes shake the rig and bounce it around a bit. I would think that would still be an issue regardless of location.
For me, I wouldn't let the laundry location be a deciding factor: convenience is more important than the noise.
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ShapeShifter
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06/17/11 12:04pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Family or unisex bathroom/shower facilities
There is a brand new campground near me (opened last year) that has two "Family" rooms in the back of the regular bath house. That's the first one I've seen in a private campground, but I haven't been looking for them so there may have been others. (Most of the time I never even go in the CG facilities, we just use our own.)
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ShapeShifter
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06/17/11 11:57am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: NEW GPS Unit Just for RVers. WOW
OK here we go again.....
Condescending? Or just explaining in great detail how people here give advice or make judgments on something they know NOTHING about.
I guess we can add testy to the list. It would seem that you may not like anyone disagreeing with you.
So we are now arguing semantics on what ONE BUTTON actually means - is that your point? Really? That is your point - SERIOUSLY?
Yes, seriously. By using your logic, one can find just about anything with a single button press. For example: fire up a web browser, type in the address for Google, type in an appropriate search phrase, then hit that one single button that says "search." What you have to do to get to that button is just as important as the last button in the sequence.
No one yet has proved they have a GPS that does what this one does AS EASY as this one does it, or produces as much specific RV info as this one.
And I seriously doubt anyone will. Yes, there seem to be some wonderful RV related features, and I'm very excited to hear about it. Thank you for bringing it up. But not everything you mention is ground-breaking or unique to that unit, that's all.
If you don't like the features and the buttons aren't where you like them, don't buy it, it's that simple. But don't tell me that it's not worth it or it has the same features as what you have because I know better.
I never said I don't like it, I'm quite interested in it. And I never said it wasn't worth it.
Please note the word TOUTING is condescending.
Really? Touting simply means "to advertise in strongly positive terms." After all, that is what you've been doing. I see nothing condescending in that word. It's not my intent to be condescending or to rain on your parade. I simply came to the defense of another member who got stomped on for expressing an opinion that is different than yours. And now you have stomped on me with even more gusto. I can see where this is heading. This appears to be a very interesting unit, but apparently this is not the place to get good and unbiased information on it. I guess I will have to research it elsewhere -- good luck and good bye.
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ShapeShifter
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05/27/11 05:48pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: NEW GPS Unit Just for RVers. WOW
Isn't this typical. A person WHO DOESN'T own the McNally GPS unit telling a person WHO OWNS a Mcnally GPS unit that it takes " SEVERAL" keystrokes to get to the nearest dump station.
Isn't that precious. This is that part I love the best. Making know it alls eat crow with actual pictures of the ONE BUTTON that will bring up all the local dump stations. PROOF that if you hit the ONE BUTTON that says RV DUMPS, it will bring up all the local RV DUMPS.
Yes, once you get to that screen, it's a single button press. But what did it take to get to that screen? For it to be a single press to get all dump stations, that would mean that the screen you display is the one that is shown all the time. That wouldn't be very helpful, I'd much rather have a map of where I'm at and where I'm going.
So, assuming the map screen as the starting point, how many button taps does it take to get to the screen you show? I think that was jcthorne's point, which you have pretty much proven with your screen shot. Only if the displayed "RV Dumps" button was on the main screen would it be truly a single button press.
Normally, I wouldn't respond like this, but that was a pretty condescending attitude you have in your response. You say you have four different models, but if you are as amazed as you seem to be by some of the features, I would guess they are either older models or very basic models. I'm not trying to put down this unit, as it looks like it has some very interesting features, but many of the general features you tout are pretty common these days. He does have some valid points.
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ShapeShifter
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05/27/11 10:32am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: tow bar height difference?
Does not matter what brand/model tow bar you have. Ideally, the tow bar should be level however an incline towards the coach so that the difference in height is no more than 4” (10cm) is acceptable. More then 4" is unsafe.
That may be your opinion, but not all manufacturers agree with you, so checking with the manufacturer is a reasonable suggestion. It sounds to me that you're quoting the recommendations from Blue Ox (or at least your numbers agree with their's.) Roadmaster, on the other hand, says +/- 3"
Personally, I think the MH end being 4" higher is too high. When you hit the brakes, both the MH and toad will tend to nosedive: the back of the MH goes up, the nose of the toad goes down, and the angle of the tow bar gets worse.
My setup turned out to be dead level without a drop receiver, and I like it that way. If i were the OP, I'd go with a 4" drop -- 2" might get you in the minimum zone, but if you're going to put in a drop, might as well get it as close to level as possible.
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ShapeShifter
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05/23/11 04:29am |
Dinghy Towing
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RE: NEW GPS Unit Just for RVers. WOW
Well you guys out there that say you have a GPS that’s grate BUT they will not give you most parks or RV parking locations while this one will pull you up to the front door.
Are you sure about that? Or is it going to guess on the location based on the address, which could put you quite a distance from the actual front door. While it's nice to have additional camping POIs pre-loaded, unless they went the extra mile and verified/updated the actual lat/long of the campsite, I wouldn't expect to always be routed to the front door. In my experience, the more remote the location, the more margin of error there is in estimating a location by address -- and unfortunately campgrounds tend to be in the more remote locations.
I'm not knocking this GPS, just pointing out the realistic limitations of the "locate by address" technology used by all GPS units. The only way this one will be any different is if they manually confirmed the lat/long of each POI, which is an expensive abd tedious process.
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ShapeShifter
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05/22/11 06:02am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Be Careful..another accident
I have to disagree again...
Nobody said we have to agree, everybody has their own opinion. If we all thought the same thoughts, it would be a pretty boring world.
Again, however, in spite of everyone's best efforts, accidents do happen
Yes, there are times when there is nothing you can do. I'll bet a lot of us have seen the video of the semi truck that suddenly looses control and in less than a second crushes a bus against the center divider wall. Sometimes things just happen.
Of course, we don't have the full picture here, but it seems to me like there wasn't a sudden event out of the blue involved here. The motorhome was following a bus, the bus stopped, and the motorhome didn't. Odds are the the driver wasn't paying attention, was too close, was too fast, was too inexperienced with the coach, or some combination of those events. Those all could be chalked up as operator error: he should've been paying more attention, should've left more distance, should've slowed down, or should've done all of the above until he was more experienced with his new coach.
Hmmm, does this finally prove our quandary and often debated subject on the forum, if a Toad really helps stop your MH in a panic stop? :B :B
I don't think there is enough information to determine that, since we don't know what kind of toad it was, and what kind of braking system (if any) it has.
Be interesting to find out what type of toad it was. I see so many of the big coaches pulling huge full size trucks, 'cause they can, and IF they choose to have a brake assist in the toad. Nope, I don't think I would want 6,000 lbs pushing me when I had to stop my MH suddenly.:R
Hey, are you talking about me? :B I had to make one panic stop so far, and that was pulling my 6,000 pound full size truck toad. I'll admit, I was following too closely in the rain (no question I was in the wrong.) A couple cars ahead a car spun out on the wet pavement and traffic suddenly stopped. I was very impressed how quickly the MH/toad combination stopped. I was worried, but I stopped in time with less than 10 feet to spare, much to my surprise. I don't know how much the toad brakes improved the stopping distance, but I'm pretty sure the outcome wouldn't have been good if I didn't have the toad braking system installed (and turned up fairly high.)
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ShapeShifter
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04/05/11 02:26pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Be Careful..another accident
With regard to the last post/update by Chris. I've got to say:
I wonder why we were discussing "stopped school buses with all lights flashing while off-loading children"?
The news media fails to report the facts, and we rush to judgement.
Come to think of it, my plan works for me, and there's no reason for me to change how I treat school buses.
Yes, we all jump to conclusions and rush to judgement. But the stopped bus with lights flashing assumption makes sense when you read the description of the accident in the article:
"We had a bus stop, and then we had another one stop right behind it, and then a motor home ran into the back of one of the buses," said Venus ISD Superintendent Bobby Matthews.
It seems reasonable that the stopped bus was at a bus stop, and another bus stopped behind it. It's only later that the reporter gives additional information that the bus was perhaps not discharging students.
Good grief everyone...give the guy a break! I'd be willing to bet that everyone on this forum has (at least) come close to rear-ending someone. That doesn't mean he was not driving carefully, or is not a good driver. All it takes is one little distraction, momentary lapse, or whatever, and you're in an accident. It may or may not have had anything to do with his age. The fact remains...it was just an accident.
About the age comment, actually I don't recall much mention of the driver's age in this thread. Most comments seem to focus on a possible lack of attention on the driver's part or lack of familarity with the day old coach.
You make the comment about a little distraction or momentary lapse not meaning he was not driving carefully. One could argue that being distracted or having a lapse of concentration shows a lack of care while driving. If you run into the vehicle in front of you, it's a pretty good bet you weren't being as careful as you should've been.
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ShapeShifter
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04/04/11 06:40pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Dish versus DirecTV
i was planning to buy new from a source like Amazon, Buy.Com, etc. but your points about the smart card are good and i'll be sure to follow thru on that.
Buying new from a valid retailer shouldn't be an issue, as it should have a valid smart card and no outstanding balances. You can sometimes get deals on eBay and CraigsList that seem to be good deals on the surface, but aren't. And don't be too worried if a receiver has an empty smart card slot -- as long as the receiver shows a smart card ID, it can have an internal card.
that's gonna be tough to pin down. we're not fulltimers but we do spend time east of the mississippi...maybe not as much as we do out west but the amount of time we spend in the east is not insignificant. our home is in chicago but we rarely camp anywhere near our home. i'm not concerned about getting a specific set of local channels. i just want to get ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox but i don't care from where they originate. with that in mind do i still need to worry about what arc i need to plan for? if not then how do i change locals?
Normally, if your account is set up as an RV account, when you move to a new location you give them a call and they turn on locals for that area (turning off locals for all other areas.) If you have a Western Arc dish, and the locals for your current area are only on the Eastern Arc, then you won't be able to receive them even if they are turned on for you.
Unless you really want the local stations, because you want local news for example, an option for you might be to get DNS (Distant Network Service.) This will give you the major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS) from a major city and you will be able to get them anywhere. Dish is not currently allowed to offer them (but may be soon) so you need to go to a third party provider to order them (but you will still pick it up through the Dish Network equipment.) All American Direct is the company you want to talk to for this: http://www.mydistantnetworks.com/ I have no personal experience with them, so I can't answer detailed questions about them.
i was leaning towards the Winegard Trav'ler as i like the idea of pushing a button and forgetting it. most of the reviews i've read seem positive. and getting the locals, like HD programming for us, would be nice but it's not absolutely necessary.
If you go with the Trav'ler then your decision is easy: they only provide a Western Arc dish, Eastern Arc is not available from them (I wish it was!) Other than not supporting Eastern Arc (which I need to get my locals in HD) I really like mine. I've had it for a year and have had no issues. It will pick up HD, and will get any locals that are on the Western Arc satellites.
But as with any dish/dome mounted to your roof, you still should carry a portable dish. If you are parked under or close to trees, you might not have a line-of-sight for the rooftop dish. The solution is a portable dish with a long cable that you can move around to find a clear patch of sky.
i was just talking to a neighbor in the park and he said the same thing about his KingDome. we have no need for an in-motion setup so i wasn't thinking of going that route. being a ham i understand the value of having more rather than less 'aluminum' in the sky to capture signals. judging by their size most of the domes i've seen must have smaller dishes inside.
Yes, the domes have a very small dish inside. If I recall correctly, the reflector dish inside my KingDome would be about 10 to 12 inches in diameter (which is pretty small) if it were a full circle, but it's only half a circle (which makes it even smaller from a performance point of view.) Then on top of that you have the dome which tends to collect dew and rain drops, both of which absorb the signal. So the dome can be more problematic under weak signal conditions, and can often drop out in the rain.
But that wasn't my biggest problem with the dome. I could never get it working properly with my 722 or 612 dual tuner DVRs. The problem is that you need to be able to see up to three satellites to get all of your stations, and the dome can only see one at a time. A real dish (like on the Trav'ler) can see all three at once, and only need to electrically switch between them as you change channels. But a dome must physically move from satellite to satellite. That means it must get commands from the receiver to tell it to point to the correct satellite. But that doesn't work well with a dual tuner receiver, the folks at King-Dome say it works well with a single tuner receiver, but there is something different in the way dual tuner receivers talk to the dome that causes problems. The other issue is that the second tuner can only see channels that are on the same satellite as the first tuner. While a real dish can simultaneously send signals from one satellite to one tuner, and another satellite to the other tuner, a dome can't do that. If the main tuner has it pointed to one satellite, and the second tuner is trying to pick up a different satellite, that second tuner gets nothing.
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ShapeShifter
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04/04/11 06:27am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Dish versus DirecTV
in the compartment set aside and, according to my notes when we took delivery back in 2000, pre-wired for sat. is this connector:
http://bananaboatbytes.com/images/satellite_connection.jpg width=640
i am assuming that the single RG-6 lead from the sat. dish runs to the input side and a piece of RG-6 will run from the output side to the SAT input on the magnadyne switch. the coax from the switch to the second TV in the back is already in place.
That is a reasonable assumption. I have a very similar panel on my rig, and how you describe it is how I have it set up. By pressing the "sat" button on the switch box, I can route the TV2 SD output of my 722 to the bedroom and/or outside TV. I could route it to the main TV as well, but there isn't much point since it is hooked up directly with component HD cables.
i just spoke with a DishTV CSR in the technical svcs dept who told me that i *can* by a receiver from anyone/anywhere i want (except from Dish Network itself) and have it activated and since i own that rcvr i can connect and disconnect the service at will at no extra charge.
Before you buy the receiver, try to get the receiver and smart card serial numbers for it. Then call Dish Network and see if the receiver is from an account that has an outstanding balance. If it's a used receiver, and the customer that owned it did not pay their final bill, then Dish Network will not allow it to be activated until the outstanding balance is paid. Also, if it does not have a smart card you may be faced with a fee (around $50?) to get a replacement. (Keep in mind that the smart card is "married" to the receiver, you cannot take a smart card from another receiver and use it to replace a missing one.) Finally, when you call with the receiver number, they will check if it was a leased receiver (in other words, was stolen from Dish and not returned when it should've been.)
This sounds like a pain, but it's for your own protection. If you buy a used receiver, they won't activated it if it is their property (was leased) or if it has a balance due. You don't want to be burned and end up with a receiver-sized inert paperweight.
now..i've heard mention of an 'eastern arc' and 'western arc' for Dish. what does that mean and how does that affect my choices? are there two sets of birds in the sky for different parts of the country? please help me understand.
Yes, "Western Arc" is the original setup, and consists of satellites at 110, 119, and 129. Some of those satellites are hard to pick up on the East coast, so they put up another set of satellites at 61.5, 72.7, and 77. Which setup you use depends on which satellite has your local stations. That may be difficult to pin down if you are full time, in which case I would get the dish you need for where you spend the most time.
However, if you want an automatic dish, like a Winegard Trav'ler or a Motosat (both are automatic rooftop folding dishes) then you are pretty much limited to Western Arc, as they don't have an Eastern Arc version (much to my dismay.) But if you get a portable dish on a tripod, then you have your choice of Eastern Arc or Western Arc, depending on where you spend the most time. Just be aware that if you travel to an area where the locals are on a different arc than what you have, you won't be able to get local channels in that area (but will still get all of the national channels.)
Finally, if you are going for a dual tuner receiver or DVR (like the 722) I don't recommend you get any kind of dome, either portable (like a VuCube or Carryout) or rooftop. In my experience, they don't play well with a dual tuner receiver. I have a top of the line in-motion dome, and after a year of fighting with it, I never did get it to work satisfactorily with my 722. I now use a Winegard Trav'ler SK-1000, or a portable dish on a stand with a long cable when I'm under trees and the Trav'ler can't get a signal.
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ShapeShifter
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04/03/11 08:16pm |
Technology Corner
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RE: Be Careful..another accident
Reading the article it sounds to me like one bus stopped to drop off children and I will assume had the flashing lights and another bus stopped behind that bus. If that is correct then the second bus could have blocked the flashing lights and on a highway and where there is no intersection it could very easily cause an accident.
I don't know how it works around you, or in Texas where the accident happened, but around here if a school bus stops to let off or pick up kids, and there is another bus behind it, that second bus will also turn on its flashing lights even if it is not picking up or dropping off. This is so the vehicles behind can see the lights, stop, and not pass the bus. Same with an oncoming bus: Even if coming in the other direction, a school bus stopped for another school bus will turn on their own flashing lights.
I''m going to ask a question that's been nagging me since viewing those shots: - wifey's seat is demolished, driver's seat looks un-touched but it's wifey unhooking the toad and driving hubby (supposedly the driver) to the hospital?
There is damage to the door and that corner of the coach, but I don't see where the passenger seat was "demolished." It's entirely possible that the passenger was restrained by seatbelts and was not significantly injured while the driver may have been unrestrained and therefore injured. Or maybe the driver was also restrained but hit the steering wheel in a way that caused injury (the passenger has nothing but clear space in front of them while the driver has obstructions that are much closer.)
There are many other ways the driver could've been injured. The article doesn't specify what type of injuries the driver may have sustained, only that he went to the hospital. Maybe he's diabetic and his sugar is high or low?. Maybe he has a heart condition and the excitement caused palpitations? Maybe he had a neck strain? Maybe they were looking for an excuse to not meet the upset parents? There aren't enough facts and information in that short article, so it's really all just wild speculation. It could be pretty much anything, we just don't know.
I didn't see any lock up marks on the pavement behind the Mo/Ho and I gotta say air brakes or air over hydraulics are gonna lock-er up if applied with vigour, regardles of a toad behind or not!
Unless, perhaps, the coach has anti-lock brakes. My coach is nowhere near as fancy as that one, and it has anti-lock air brakes standard. It's not a stretch of the imagination to think that a coach of that caliber would also have them. I've only had to stand on the pedal once, and while the coach came to a fast and straight stop, it did not lock up the wheels even though the pavement was wet. With modern anti-lock braking systems a lack of skid marks is not an indication of a lack of braking.
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ShapeShifter
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04/02/11 07:55pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Ford not taking orders for black trucks
once a year claybar and twice a year good wax,what else are you goingto do on a warm sat afternoon?
Oh, that's easy, I'd rather go camping! :B
Honestly someone could make a fortune making dirt paint for you guys.
Hey, now there's an idea! :C
Of course, that paint would have to be American made! ;)
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ShapeShifter
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03/28/11 05:24pm |
Tow Vehicles
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