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RE: Introduction and some ideas on extra water storage
In addition to the concern about extra weight, and sloshing water, I would have some concerns about having all that weight right behind you and any passenger in the event of a collision, or even a hard braking or evasive maneuver situation. Not that any of us thinks that we will get into an accident, but it does happen, and if you have 50 or more gallons at 8 lbs a gallon plus weight of the container, which as described would likely be substantial, this could be a real issue with that coming forward into you. Even if bolted into the floor, I am not sure that much weight (momentum) could be contained. (And you probably are all laughing due to the fact that there is several thousand pounds in the bed of the truck, but hey, it isn't actually in the cab...)
I also wonder what that weight would do to you COG that close to your center, someone better skilled at the calculations might be able to advise. But most TCs are heavier on the rear axle, so what Joe shows might be a better option for carrying water to move that weight forward, and away from you.
I "Like" your thinking...
sleepy
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sleepy
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02/09/12 02:42pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Introduction and some ideas on extra water storage
manufacturers size water tanks and holding tanks so that the total weight isn't going to break your trucks frame, axels, or wheels... or tear up your brakes when trying to stop...
if you have a 1 ton truck and an 8 ft camper you might be at or below your trucks payload after adding a lot of stainless steel and water.
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another consideration... if you double or triple your fresh water... where will you put all of that extra waste water... if you get caught dumping on the ground you can incur a very expensive clean-up, depending where you are.
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Most of us learn to conserve... 3 quart navy showers, don't let the sinks faucet run while washing or rinsing dishes... use paper plates and recycle or throw them away... etc
I would guess that every truck camper owner that sucessfully boondocks is a master at water conservation.... and extends the useful capacity/life of their holding tanks to a week or 10 days
and if you are going to stay in campgrounds you won't need the extra water
good luck to you... think hard before you spend your money
welcome to the forum
sleepy
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sleepy
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02/08/12 07:42pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Do you guys find your camper to be a little bit of sanctuary
The TC is a great escape device. Funny how stuff keeps changing around us when we take the TC out for a spin. One day we wake up under the tall pines, then it will be ocean front, and next thing you know there's desert all around. A couple times it's even had a car show or rodeo going on around it. I suspected but never realized how much vacation property came along with the TC when I got it. How's that for sanctuary and piece of mind.
I can't explain it any better than you have... and a bonus...
you can type and spell!
Thanks
Sleepy
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sleepy
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02/08/12 06:06pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Why aren't there more truck camper bloggers out there?
I remember the univac.... vacuum tubes... huge, hot
I was in the USAF's eletronic school at Keesler AFB when the transister was invented... they told use those little ceramic looking blocks with 3 wires were going to replace the vacuum tubes... being fresh out of high school... we knew better. (wrong of course)
Now... here in our town on any given day we may have the biggest and fastest computers in the world... and they are still getting physically smaller.
... in the scientific community SIZE and Speed of the computers are the number one bragging metric. But... usually in 6 months or a year someone, some where will surpass you.
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sleepy
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02/08/12 04:30pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Why aren't there more truck camper bloggers out there?
We are happy with the way we do things on RV.net... now... the bloggs that i've seen are fluffy, even prissy... looking for perfection.
I enjoy raw information... and from the numbers that i've seen on RV.net others do too. If I misspell... its usually a blogger type that corrects me...
A canadian blogger PM'd me to tell me all of the things that are wrong with my trip report... theres been about 90,000 views... here perfect blog just has a fraction of that.
I don't like leaving RV.net for anything, I'm happy here... I like the way we do it here.
xxxxxxx
Sorry about... but you asked, and that is my opinion.
BTW... is it true that someone pays you for ads on your blog... how much do you get ? Is that the reason "bloggers" try to get people to blog or at least read theres?
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sleepy
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02/08/12 11:52am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Up on blocks?
What should be done with a second car left garaged for two or three months whilst out camping?
Our Prius is Ok for 3 months... but after that the 12V battery drifts down.... unless someone is driving it every 6 weeks or so It might not start without help... the hybride battery is much higher voltage and doesn't run the computers, lights, stereo, etc.
When we retuned at 6 months the 12V battery was 'dead" and all of the computer stuff had to be initiallized to default by the car.
I don't want to leave a trickle charger on it for that long...
when we get a volunteer to drive it the keep on driving it... the like the 54.6 mpg that it gets. Our son says the Prius is too small... he put 5000 miles on it while were we gone for 6 months....his car was still in the same spot in our driveway when we got home.
sleepy
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sleepy
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02/08/12 07:42am |
Truck Campers
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RE: swing out barbecue and stove
JHawk, from PEI had a swing away, self store camp stove/bbq grill on his truck campers bumper/jacks much like this one. I have pictures somewhere... I may have posted them in the trip report.
I was impressed...a lot of his innovations were influenced by his sail boat and his ocean going trips. I think that he could easily remove the stove portion for storage.
Sleepy
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sleepy
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02/07/12 06:36pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: any escape out of winter trips planned?
This morning... I had a one line PM wanting to know our itenery... good places to go.
We never have an iteneray, never make a reservation, never pass anything of interest.
A few years ago we were in the Avenue of the Giants (Redwood Forest along the Pacific Coast)... MH and 5th WTs were driving thru at more than 50 mph... never stopping...just put a check mark on a list saying they'd been there.
We stopped along the road, did some hiking, ate Salmon berries off the bushes... hugged the biggest trees... felt their power and majesty... the cool humidity, experiensed the clean smell of the woods... thought about what had happened in history while that seedling struggled to become one of the oldest and biggest living things in the world.
Nothing makes us hurry to get to the next campground early in the day... then we'd miss all of the stuff that others do.
Iteneraries are stressful... high speeds on Interstate Highways are stressful... campground jerks are stressful...
We can all avoid stress.... and really enjoy life... just let it happen.
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sleepy
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02/06/12 04:27am |
Truck Campers
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RE: any escape out of winter trips planned?
Yes...
... destination loosely planned, the camper is loaded, we are packing, and final preping for return.... heading out soon for 3 months... and return home by June 1st for medical appt
Get the house sitter in place...
I plan on posting as we travel... hope to see some of you along the way.
Sleepy
Sleepy - so glad to hear you are finally getting to head out again! I look forward to reading another trip report from you and Janet!
If you get near California I would be honored to buy your dinner!
TimH
janet reminds me that we still have dr appts... that I'm jumping the gun.... that in the excitement of the super bowl I let my passion for travel get ahead of my senses
Dammmm I'm tired of staying home.... I'll update as the time gets nearer.
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sleepy
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02/06/12 04:00am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Generator grounding, humourous....
is my generator portable... well it's built into the camper and i take it where ever I go.
I have my ground rod in a flower pot...
This post is humor... isn't it?
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sleepy
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02/05/12 09:39pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: any escape out of winter trips planned?
Yes...
... destination loosely planned, the camper is loaded, we are packing, and final preping for return.... heading out soon for 3 months... and return home by June 1st for medical appt
Get the house sitter in place...
I plan on posting as we travel... hope to see some of you along the way.
Sleepy
janet reminds me that we still have dr appts... that I'm jumping the gun.... that in the excitement of the super bowl I let my passion for travel get ahead of my senses
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sleepy
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02/05/12 08:48pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Generator grounding, humourous....
My truck campers ground rod terminates in a flower pot... and Janet has flowers as we travel.
PVSolar electric really makes the flowers colors flash in a brilliant way... lights up Janet too if her hands are wet and she tries to pick a bouquet.... makes her hot all over.
She thinks it's me!
Sleepy
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sleepy
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02/05/12 09:53am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Adding solar
Steve... your post has already made its way to the TC univ... the innovation with the hinges alone would have done it.
I'd like to have mine easily tip up even if just to wash them... and have all of the dirt run off.
Your hinges are strong enough to handle a hardy wind when parked... (but as you mentioned... just no low limbs or bridges)
As far as the snow...
I like cold wine... but Janet would really pitch a fit if she cought be going up there to get a bottle. Heck... she worrys about me climbing on a nice day... I sneak and do it anyway.
and thank you for the compliment... I'll accept for all of those that inspired and guided me... I wish that I had installed them much sooner.
Sleepy
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sleepy
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02/05/12 06:29am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Adding solar
Hi,
Nice install. What charge controller are you using?
I'll bet that he'll get to that as the installation progresses... don'y you... really?
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sleepy
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02/04/12 04:58pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Adding solar
Very nice... another advantage to those wonderful hinges is to minimize heat build up from forming under the panels.
You are doing a very nice job... thanks for posting. We'll be watching for the rest of the install.
Sleepy
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sleepy
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02/04/12 04:56pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Does anyone have any snow yet?
Garry... for some people life is an IQ test... and they are failing.
When I was stationed at Loring AFB in northern Maine the frostline was 8 feet... like you said... we were accountable... silver city was a remmedy
for those that haven't served "silver city" = barb'ed wire hotel = stockade
Thank you for being there for all of us... I'm sure glad that I'm not there.
Sleepy
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sleepy
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02/04/12 11:12am |
Truck Campers
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RE: leaning to the right side
I like it level at bed time... I have never put my jacks down when parked.
I'd never worry about compensating for the crown of a road... all roads are different... I also don't worry about leveling for banked roads,
I'd never go to an all you can eat buffet to add weight to the drivers side....
I'd never use air bags to compensate for the wind... I'd forget when I reversed direction
I don't like making excuses either...
THINK about it folks... find a level spot... take your measurements by eye or ruler... make adjustments... forget it.
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sleepy
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02/04/12 03:06am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Does anyone have any snow yet?
It was 60F here today... I washed and waxed the truck and loaded the camper.... trying to get ahead of the curve.
We might make the Louisana Coast by Mardi Gras (Feb 21)... even if we don't the mud bugs will be in season. They are my favorite part of the carnival season.
I don't mind missing the snow in Ridgeway... we were there a couple of years ago... nice area... True Grit resturant was very good...
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sleepy
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02/03/12 07:51pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Does anyone have any snow yet?
Well, things are changing in New mexico...
I just got an update on my facebook page
Roads are snow packed and icy in the Capitol this morning be careful out there. Check nmroads.com for the latest information on driving conditions.
We are tracking that area closely... trip time.
anyone with info... TN to Memphis, down the Mississippi River, around the Gulf Coast to south TX, uuuuuuup thru Marfa, Davis Observatory and then North thru NM... to Rocky MT NP over a 3 month peiod.
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sleepy
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02/03/12 07:42am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Oakland Ca
One of our TC forum members is on his way home after having his wife in treatment in Nebraska... they stayed in the hospitals treatment center for 3 months. If I did that my Medicare and my suplimental insyrance would cover it. Have you checked the the medical facility to see if that is possible or if they have suggestions about your RV?
Best of luck to you... it's a long way out there and traffic is horriblewhen you are in the area.
If we can help you as you pass through east Tennessee let me know.
Sleepy
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sleepy
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02/01/12 03:51am |
Truck Campers
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