| |
Subject |
Author |
Date Posted |
Forum
|
 |
RE: Water tank has a drain?
We just filled up our water tank for the first time. A small stream of water is coming out of a small hose underneath however.
I assume this hose is for draining the RV for winterizing.
Picture: Picture link
Does anyone know how to stop this? We're going to use the fifth wheel so don't want the water to drain. For now, I bent the hose so it stops draining the water.
Does this hose need a cap? Perhaps a switch somewhere?
Thanks!
2009 Keystone Cougar fifth wheel
IMO, that's the main drain for the fresh water tank. Nearly all low point drains are red and blue. I'd take the wire off, cut the hose shorter and add an on/off valve.
Lyle
|
laknox
|
11/14/23 03:39pm |
Fifth-Wheels
|
|
RE: Safety chains on 5th wheels
I have seen some 5th wheels use safety chains on them attached of course, to the tow vehicle. Didn't know if this is a "new" regulation or just a recommendation by some of the dealers/manufacturers?
Thanks so much,
Curly
Here in AZ, safety chains are required for all ball and pintle hitches. This includes bumper-pull ball hitches, regular gooseneck hitches, "gooseballs" and Andersen-style hitches where the ball is elevated. Some states to not require safety chains for GN hitches, though, but you'd sure better have them if you enter a state that does require them.
Lyle
|
laknox
|
11/13/23 02:27pm |
Fifth-Wheels
|
|
RE: We just bought a fifth wheel! Several questions ...
We just bought a used 2009 fifth wheel to put on our land and live in while we build. The one thing that doesn't work on the fifth wheel is the battery so the first thing to do is to replace that.
Before we start buying stuff for the fifth wheel, we have a few questions that hopefully someone can help us with.
1) Since there is plenty of room in the battery storage compartment, we can pretty much fit whichever battery group size. Does the group size matter? In our old Casita trailer, we only had very limited room for 1 battery so of course we had to buy the correct group size. How does this apply to the fifth wheel?
2) The fifth wheel only as one battery (which is dead). We'd like to put at least two or three 12V AGM batteries. I assume we can connect the RV to one of these three, and connect the batteries in parallel (positive to positive, negative to negative) to keep the batteries 12V?
3) We're going to hook up a Renogy solar panel (with built-in controller). Do we simply connect the solar panel to one of these three 12V batteries?
Thanks!!
Check out my cousin's YT channel, BeginningFromThisMorning, where they detail the build-out of a '64 GMC bus into an RV that is 99% solar. Almost 3500 watts of solar and 2800 ah of battery storage via a Nissan Leaf battery. If you have questions, don't hesitate to contact them as they're very good about answering. Might take a day or two, though. Juan, cousin's hubby, keeps up on the latest in solar, so even though his rig is already getting "dated", he can probably answer questions about the latest stuff.
Lyle
|
laknox
|
11/11/23 07:10pm |
Fifth-Wheels
|
|
RE: Fifth Wheel Tag Renewal
Nobody uses "Trip Permits" in these high fee States???
Here in AZ, you're limited on the # of times you can buy them, just to keep people from doing exactly this.
Lyle
Bastards, they take the fun out of everything!!!
A-yup! You'd think they were our Moms! :M
Lyle
|
laknox
|
11/11/23 07:03pm |
Fifth-Wheels
|
|
RE: Fifth Wheel Tag Renewal
Nobody uses "Trip Permits" in these high fee States???
Here in AZ, you're limited on the # of times you can buy them, just to keep people from doing exactly this.
Lyle
|
laknox
|
11/10/23 11:00am |
Fifth-Wheels
|
|
RE: Fifth Wheel Tag Renewal
Just don't com go GA. You pay 6% sales tax at purchase, then the tag is based on the value of the camper. I called to get an estimate on an $80k 5th wheel, and it was $1200 for the tag, with it going down slightly each year as it depreciates.
On a vehicle, including motorhomes, you pay 6% sales tax at purchase, then $20 a year.
I can't understand why tags on a trailer are so expensive.
Bet the State considers it a "domicile" and taxes it like your house. Here in AZ, we can no get a permanent tag for trailers < 10k GVW, EXCEPT, for RVs; only utility trailers.
Lyle
|
laknox
|
11/09/23 09:18am |
Fifth-Wheels
|
|
RE: Fifth Wheel Tag Renewal
Our renewal here in Arizona was over $1500 for a 2022 Solitude 5th wheel.
I know that in Ohio it is less than $100.
Obviously, it varies wildly between states.
Back between 2007 and 2013, we full timed in DPs, registered in South Dakota, annual registration was around $400 - and that was for a $300,000 coach.
Yep. Here in AZ, vehicle registration is a PROPERTY TAX, plain and simple, just as you pay on your house. FWIW, my '13 Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track, cost me $161. My '16 T&C minivan cost me $163. My '22 3500 Denali cost me $1,156. Yeah, this is property tax, period.
Lyle
|
laknox
|
11/08/23 01:30pm |
Fifth-Wheels
|
|
RE: Toy Hauler
KZ makes 2 Venom models with 15'9" garages. I have no clue whether this would work, or not.
Lyle
|
laknox
|
11/06/23 11:31am |
Fifth-Wheels
|
|
RE: Suspension on 2004 Coachman Dream Catcher
My '04 Komfort 25FSG had factory shocks. They did help a bit, but because the angle they were installed at, I don't think they were as effective as they could have been. In retrospect, I should have done an axle flip as soon as it was out of warranty and I think they would have worked much better. I can certainly tell that my current KZ does not have them.
Were I in your shoes, I'd spend the money to replace them, especially if the rig's in otherwise good condition and you tow it a lot.
Lyle
|
laknox
|
11/06/23 11:28am |
Fifth-Wheels
|
|
RE: Which 303 protect for fifth wheels
I first heard of this stuff for using on =tires= as it, supposedly, helps to put back some of the volatiles that are lost from the rubber. Various tire shine products actually pull the volatiles =out= to make the tires look better, but actually hurt tire life.
Lyle
|
laknox
|
10/30/23 10:18am |
Fifth-Wheels
|
|
RE: Leaky Plumbing & Winter Living Prep Questions
I figured I would knock out my questions in one topic rather posting multiple threads.
So I have a 86 Terry by Fleetwood that I just started living in a couple of months back since my housing plans fell through when I moved back to my home state and I figured I would live in it through the winter as well since its cheaper than renting a apartment for $1300 a month when all I pay is $280 so I figured I would save the money.
So my shower pan drain is leaking at the drain, Can I just remove the drain and silicone the seal and re-install the drain cover?
Any tips from keeping my water lines from freezing?
My furnace is down for now due to a rats nest but I'll be removing it to fully clean it out but is it alright to run the furnace 24/7 when I re-install it? (Its a Terralab Engineers Inc. Furnace) is there a electric alternative that I can attach to the furnace or replace it to help reduce space heaters and tripping breakers?
I will also be skirting and insulating underneath my camper too and insulating most of my windows and vents.
Any other Tips and Tricks I should know about?
Thank You for any help possible.
I've never winter camped, so can only offer suggestions that I've read on various RV fora in the past almost 17 years.
Skirting: Yes, it's a great idea. Run a cord from your pedestal and put 1 or 2 100w incandescent bulbs underneath for heat.
Interior heat: Since your furnace is down, use 1 or 2 of the oil-filled radiator type heaters. May have to run them on a lower setting to keep from tripping breakers. If it's the pedestal breakers tripping, may need to contact the park to have them replaced. If it's your internal breakers, may need to replace them, as they do weaken after several trips. Open your under-sink cabinets to allow warm air to circulate around the plumbing. That area can be a "cold sink" and can contribute to plumbing freezing. If you have heat ducts in the basement, run the furnace fan on low to keep air circulating into the basement to keep pipes from freezing.
Exterior heat: May need to use heat tape on the pedestal and a heated hose. May also need heat tape around the dump valves if they're exposed. If needed, fill the onboard fresh water tank and run off the pump. Disconnect the hose, drain it and store it in the basement. When it warms up, refill the onboard water tank.
Furnace: Once you get it working, think about renting a 100 lb propane tank from a local service. Will save you a lot of schlepping 30 lb tanks around. You'll be lucky to get 2 days of constant furnace out of a 30 lb tank. If you're in a park, the propane truck will likely be there at least once a week, running a scheduled route.
Hope these help.
Lyle
|
laknox
|
10/25/23 09:35am |
Fifth-Wheels
|
|
RE: WTH ! ! ! Tires
I figured it was road hazard, just surprised it was curb side, rear axle.. NTHING wrong on the tire in front of it.. Oh well, No sense covering for winter, they are just on for support over the next few months..
From what I have been told the rear tire is usually then one that gets road hazard damage because front tire hits it and causes it to flip and dig into rear tire.
My uncle learned from an "old tire guy" in Casa Grande AZ, that you always put the new tires on the rear of your truck and run them for a couple thousand miles (for him, about 6 weeks), then swap them to the front and put the other 2 new ones on the rear. Uncle was having issues with flats on the rear weekly whenever he put new tires on until the "old tire guy" gave him this tip. Reduced his flat frequency about 90%. I've been doing that ever since with my vehicles unless all 4 need to be done at once.
Lyle
|
laknox
|
10/25/23 09:08am |
Fifth-Wheels
|
|
RE: How important is 90 degree turning?
We are looking at going to a 5th wheel from a TT. I keep hearing people talking about being able to turn 90 degrees. I really want to do with the standard B&W hitch in my F-350 with the 6'11" bed.
I realize if I turn too sharp I can damage the truck and camper, but I figure if I can turn a 5ver to 80degrees, that is alot sharper than the probably 45 degrees I can turn my TT. My current TT is 33', and the 5ver we are looking at is 35', so actual towing length will be shorter. Am I missing something?
My '02 2500HD D'max, short bed, 4x4, crew cab, would NOT hit my '04 Komfort 25FSG, a very square front FW. My current '17 KZ had even more room due to the cutaway corners on teh front. I =did= hit my truck with the Komfort when backing up; looking one way and turning the other, and just lost situational awareness. Took out the back glass. I ran a B&W Companion with my Turnover Ball with the Companion set as far forward as it would go. Now, I have a '22 3500HD Denali, SRW, CC, 4x4, and I have my Companion set to the rear as my KZ is only 10.5k GVW, so I have no worries about weight. Again, I can not hit my truck with my FW at full lock, R or L. Because I have a tool box that sticks up about 3" above the bed rail at the front, I do have to watch that if I'm turning sharp on uneven ground. On level ground, the corners of the FW clear the tool box with a couple inches to spare.
To me, if you're in a situation where you need to turn that sharp, you've done something "out of the ordinary" and, usually, you can "back out" of it and take another stab at making the turn. If you simply can't, then try and make sure you've got at least 3 observers, one behind and one on either side. If you don't have them, then you need to move, GOAL (get out and look), make corrections, move a little more, GOAL, repeat as necessary. Any more, I'm not too proud to do this; 40 years ago, I'd've just rammed it through. :-)
Lyle
|
laknox
|
10/23/23 03:48pm |
Fifth-Wheels
|
|
RE: Need ideas for stabilizer jack pads.
I just used some 12" glue lam scraps I had, cut to 12" lengths. I've got 8 of them. I paid for them for a deck rehab project, and wasn't about to let the cutoffs go to waste. :-) I also have a set of lego blocks as well as some scrap 2x4 in a crate. All but the lego blocks were free from rehab projects. Works for me. :-)
Lyle
|
laknox
|
10/20/23 03:42pm |
Fifth-Wheels
|
|
RE: Grand Design 260RD issues after a year off - Help Please!!!
If the gfi will not reset there is obviously a problem with that circuit. A mouse could have chewed a wire, a wire has become crossed in one of the plugs, etc., etc., etc. The list of possibilities is endless. It’s going to take some detective work with a continuity meter, a test light, etc. to find the problem.
Without being used for a year, critters was my first thought, too.
Lyle
|
laknox
|
10/15/23 06:03pm |
Fifth-Wheels
|
|
RE: Best navigation app when towing a 5th wheel
If you're especially tall, near, or at 13'6", Route 1 is a good database that can be added to almost all nav apps and standalone GPS units. Usually runs about $75 for all of N America, one time charge. Over 8,000 low clearances listed vs about 1,500 for most "trucker" or "RV" nav apps / devices.
Lyle
|
laknox
|
10/15/23 05:53pm |
Fifth-Wheels
|
|
RE: Concerns about buying from a distant dealer?
When I was looking back in '15, KZ was my #1 choice. I called them at the time and asked about warranty repairs as there was only 1 KZ dealer in AZ. They told me that, should the need arise, they would be happy to approve an independent shop or mobile repair service to complete warranty work. That sold me on KZ...at that time. It was later that we all heard that Thor was buying KZ (and Jayco) and we were very worried that they would no longer stick to this policy. Fortunately, we only had a couple warranty issues and our selling dealer was about 80 miles away, not a deal breaker for me. Since then, our selling dealer has closed and another dealer in East Mesa picked up KZ, and they are wonderful to work with. None of this "you didn't buy it here" b.s.; they work rigs in in the order in which they're brought in. Still a bit of a hike, but, again, not bad.
This being said, when were looking, if I found something at a very attractive price that a local dealer refused to match, I'd've taken a road trip to buy and dealt with warranty issues either on my own or with an independent shop.
Interesting - as it is the KZ Durango 1/2 ton line that is on my short list. Right size and options I’m looking for, but one dealer is 2 hrs north of me and one is 2 hours south. Would you buy another Durango? How is your perception of their quality?
Lyle
I would =start= my search with KZ, as they're known to me. My current rig has been very trouble-free, though starting to get into some age-related issues after 7 years since it was built. There's one I'd like to look at near me, but I'm not sure the DW is up to dropping that kind of dollars since I dropped over $79k on my '22 Denali and we're now looking at a vacation home. Another $70k on a new Durango? Yeah, no... :(
Lyle
|
laknox
|
10/09/23 11:33pm |
Fifth-Wheels
|
|
RE: How do you transport your golf cart?
One of the swivel wheel sites had a list of states that allowed double towing, the ones that didn't and the ones that allowed "extensions" but didn't allow double "trailers". I blame it on the lazy, ignerint and corrupt politicians who refuse to clean up States' laws to keep up with the times. To me, these are "extensions", just as the tag axles are on the rear of cement and dump trucks (not the ones underneath the frame) are "extensions" and not trailers.
I will say that I know of one local shop that installed a swivel wheel on a guy's FW and the guy hated it. It simply took too much weight off the pin and made the tow very uncomfortable. Guy only used it 2 or 3 times, then took it off and went back to a utility trailer. IIRC, he was hauling a couple of smallish quads on it.
Lyle
|
laknox
|
10/09/23 11:22pm |
Fifth-Wheels
|
|
RE: Semi's as tow Vehicles
There's a lot of people here using Class 8's to tow the really big FWs. The favorite seems to be a Volvo with 500k+ miles. Used to be, you could buy one for less than a new 350/3500 1 ton pickup. Most people modify them to a single axle and sell off the spare to recoup a bit, like upwards of $10k USD, from what I've heard.
Lyle
|
laknox
|
10/09/23 11:10pm |
Fifth-Wheels
|
|
RE: Concerns about buying from a distant dealer?
When I was looking back in '15, KZ was my #1 choice. I called them at the time and asked about warranty repairs as there was only 1 KZ dealer in AZ. They told me that, should the need arise, they would be happy to approve an independent shop or mobile repair service to complete warranty work. That sold me on KZ...at that time. It was later that we all heard that Thor was buying KZ (and Jayco) and we were very worried that they would no longer stick to this policy. Fortunately, we only had a couple warranty issues and our selling dealer was about 80 miles away, not a deal breaker for me. Since then, our selling dealer has closed and another dealer in East Mesa picked up KZ, and they are wonderful to work with. None of this "you didn't buy it here" b.s.; they work rigs in in the order in which they're brought in. Still a bit of a hike, but, again, not bad.
This being said, when were looking, if I found something at a very attractive price that a local dealer refused to match, I'd've taken a road trip to buy and dealt with warranty issues either on my own or with an independent shop.
Lyle
|
laknox
|
09/29/23 05:27pm |
Fifth-Wheels
|
|
