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RE: Generator no start
Need more info- when you say "it didn't even try to start", what did it do? If literally nothing happens when you push the button, it's an electrical problem. It could be a bad battery, bad switch, bad solenoid, bad starter, bad wiring, etc. If it spins merrily away but doesn't start, then it's either fuel, spark, or compression. Compression rarely goes away without warning, so it's likely not the problem.
ALWAYS start with stuff that's free to check, unless you like to waste money by throwing parts at a problem. First rule out of a fuel problem as was mentioned is to simply make sure you have enough fuel in the tank- if your fuel level is below 1/4 the generator won't run. First rule out of an electrical problem is making sure all of the battery and starter connections are clean and tight. With such a low voltage, high amperage system, it doesn't take much of a bad connection to keep something like a starter motor from working.
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rjstractor
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03/28/23 07:06pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Need a new toad-a sporty one
I was reading the latest FMCA Towing Guide and to my surprise my wife's 2021 Kia Forte GT is flat towable in either automatic or manual. Hers is a 7 speed dual clutch automatic with a 201 hp 1.6 liter turbo four, it's well equipped and comfortable and with a 0-60 time in the mid sixes it's definitely sporty. The Kia Soul GT with the same engine and transmission is also flat towable. Both of these DCT equipped cars require a specific procedure outlined in a Kia service bulletin to be performed before towing, but it's not too far out of line with procedures required for other automatic cars. The lower trim models of the Forte and Soul that have CVTs are not flat towable. Of course, this would need further research to verify.
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rjstractor
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03/25/23 09:25am |
Dinghy Towing
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RE: Trailer Brakes Not Staying On
Also don't go replacing parts until they are diagnosed to be bad.
Do you know someone that would let you connect your trailer to their truck to try to isolate if the issue is the truck or the trailer.
Good advice! Replacing parts before checking all of the "free" stuff and using some basic logic to troubleshoot is a sure way to frustrate you and relieve you of any extra cash you might have. My first move would also be to either hook your truck to another trailer, or your trailer to another truck. Any work or parts replaced before determining whether you have a truck problem or a trailer problem is time and money wasted.
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rjstractor
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03/22/23 07:28pm |
Towing
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RE: Towing Frontier on Dolly
That's a head-scratcher. Have you thought about towing four-down since you already are using a driveshaft disconnect?
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rjstractor
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03/20/23 09:56am |
Dinghy Towing
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RE: Towing Frontier on Dolly
The first thing that stands out to me is that it's unusual to tow a pickup using a dolly. Are you using a driveshaft disconnect to load the Frontier on the dolly the conventional way, or are you towing it backwards? If your towing it backwards that might be the issue, since the back end of a pickup is much lighter than the front.
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rjstractor
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03/19/23 10:41am |
Dinghy Towing
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RE: Prevost developing an electric coach.
I did a quick read on them- the agency in Wenatchee has been using them for five years now. Very interesting that they are way ahead of Sound Transit, which to date still doesn't have any fully electric buses in service.
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rjstractor
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03/12/23 07:31pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Prevost developing an electric coach.
The reason the electric bus is better than a diesel bus is that a bus stops a lot. An electric bus uses no energy when it is stopped, a diesel bus keeps running. In addition, diesel buses have to be taken out of service to fuel up, an electric bus does not. What they are doing is using inductive charging to charge the bus and keep it running. A typical bus route a bus has multiple locations where it has a planned stop for 15-30 minutes or maybe more, that is where they put inductive charge pads where the bus stops, this is where the bus recharges for the next part of the route. It is proving to be a great use of EV technology.
Do these inductive charge pads exist, or is this just a concept?
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rjstractor
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03/12/23 11:19am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: I Bought Too Much Truck
I think your concerns about the size of the F250 vs the F150 are somewhat overblown. The extra width of the F250 is all in the mirrors- the bodies are exactly the same width. (well, the F250 is a tenth of an inch wider) The F150 is listed with the standard mirrors, and towing that big trailer you'll want towing mirrors. That will put you at the same width as the F250. The F250 is only two inches higher than the F150, so not a huge difference there. Doors are the same as well. I daily drive a newer F150 at work, and I don't find that it's really any easier to park than my older F250. The big difference is that the newer truck has a much tighter turning radius, but older Fords are notoriously piggy when it come to turning. Towing a 9K 37' trailer, I think you'll be much happier with the F250.
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rjstractor
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03/11/23 11:09am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Prevost developing an electric coach.
Mass transit buses are one application that really makes sense for electric vehicles- Metro Transit has been using electric buses in downtown Seattle for longer than most of us have been alive. Of course, these are trolley buses that get their power from overhead lines, not battery power.
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rjstractor
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03/11/23 10:38am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Looking for a TOAD for our New Travato
This used to be a really easy question to answer 15-20 years ago, just pick up a Saturn SL2 and be done with it. Even the auto was towable, and under 2500 lbs. Good luck finding one today that isn't worn out. If you want a new or almost new car, your options are almost nothing. Chevy Spark and Nissan Versa come to mind, and even the Versa is over 2500 lbs. Kia's and Hyundai's smallest cars are no longer available in a manual transmission, and IIRC virtually none of the CVTs in modern cars are flat towable. I don't think a newer SUV or pickup exists that isn't over 2500 lbs.
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rjstractor
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03/05/23 03:20pm |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: Avion truck camper rebuild
That will be an interesting build! Is your plan to shorten the tractor frame and remove an axle, or leave it as is?
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rjstractor
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02/25/23 09:23am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Can the grid keep up with EV use?
I think an issue that will come to head as time goes on in my area is the shift away from natural gas for heating and cooking. That's an almost incomprehensible amount of heat energy that will need to come from other sources. There is also a shift away from hydro due to the need to restore fish habitat, and folks are still afraid of nuclear energy. What's left? Of course there is wind and solar, but both those sources are lacking during the cold, dark winter months here in the north. Even during rare instances when the sun shines, the maximum solar energy per square meter in the winter is a small fraction of the available energy in the summer. The wind farms of Eastern Washington sit idle for days at a time during the winter inversions. And this happens during the time of year that our need for energy is at its highest. In warmer climates, solar is a good option because the time of highest demand coincides with highest output. In the north, it's completely opposite.
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rjstractor
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02/14/23 07:12pm |
Around the Campfire
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RE: Anyone towing a 2007 Honda Element with Manual Trans.
^^^ Congratulations, you just won the "replying to oldest thread" award. ! :)
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rjstractor
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02/13/23 07:20pm |
Dinghy Towing
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RE: Feedback on 12V water heater element as solar diversion load
My thought you are wasting time and money for the small amount of energy you possibly save.
Exactly. Especially considering that the OP wants to use the excess capacity for resistive heating appliances. The entire output of the OP's system (280W) doesn't even come close to the power required to make either a space heater or electric water heater work with any efficacy. IMO, in order to actually use excess solar capacity, add battery storage capacity so the excess power can be used when needed.
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rjstractor
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02/12/23 07:05pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Towing a Honda CRV one time - NC to Maine
Quick note, to the best of my knowledge all four wheels need to be off the ground if towing that year CRV. After 2014 non can be towed flat.
Dolly would not meet that requirement.
That would be the case on an AWD CRV. The OP's is FWD, so I can't imagine how dolly towing would be an issue.
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rjstractor
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02/10/23 06:43pm |
Dinghy Towing
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RE: New (to us) 2500 Suburban
But as dad pointed out. Just another reason our govt, as great of a country as it is, is so utterly wasteful it’s sickening……can’t wait to support them again this year soon (tax time….)
$3.6M a piece to make 10 HD Subs? Just like the old $1000hammers!
Isn’t this what Duraburb does for like $50k BYOS ( bring your own suburban), minus the bulletproof glass and cool radios?
No kidding, that's even worse than the $1.6M presidential limousine of a few years back that's basically a mashup of a Cadillac and a GM 4500 series commercial truck with run-flat tires and a lot of armor. You know that the boys at Extensive or Kindig-it Designs could have built a way nicer car for probably $250K.
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rjstractor
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02/03/23 08:11pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Diesel to Gas Power Observation
It's been awhile since we've had a good ol'-fashioned brouhaha about gas vs. diesel... been wasting too much time arguing about electric trucks! :B
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rjstractor
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01/31/23 07:10pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Towing a Honda CRV one time - NC to Maine
It kind of comes down to fudging a bit one way or the other. Either you're towing without brakes (with the dolly), or exceeding your hitch capacity (with the trailer), although not by a huge amount. Pick your poison.
Or, you could consider having the car shipped, although that would certainly cost more than either a trailer or dolly rental.
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rjstractor
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01/23/23 09:49am |
Dinghy Towing
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RE: Rivian R1S
Sitting next to an SUV with that model designation.
Nice looking rig, appears to be in the same chassis as pickup. No plates out.
Marty
I think I've seen one or two around here. I don't know if Rivian will get it together and approach the production capacity of Tesla. Their R1S certainly looks much better than a Tesla Model Y, both in terms of looks and practicality. However, the sticker price is not very practical for either one.
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rjstractor
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01/11/23 07:30pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Bought a second truck.
It's even the same color as the surrounding landscape!
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rjstractor
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01/02/23 09:00am |
Tow Vehicles
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