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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: shifting on downhills

When towing my TT in the high and steep mountains, I decide what gear to be in by watching the tranny temp. If the temps starts to climb I drop a gear or two to bring the rpm's up and the tranny temp down. It works for me.
When going downhill, I shift early and let the engine do what it can to slow me. I still have to apply the brakes from time to time because my turbo gas engine is not great at motor braking. Small engine, big horsepower and torque at low rpm's
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BarabooBob
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08/20/23 05:05pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Newbie to Camping Trailers

I agree with dcb's statement about shorter trailers turning quickly when backing up. However, I also back up with 10ft utility trailers so my 17 ft TT seems slow to turn. Just get out and practice, practice, practice.
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BarabooBob
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08/19/23 05:10pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: It wouldn't go anymore

Never underestimate the ingenuity of a RV'r stuck along the road (or in the turn lane.) We were driving up the Coquihalla Highway (British Columbia) on the long steep section with our Class C and the engine started to loose power and speed. I was praying that we would get to one of the infrequent pull offs before it died. I limped into a pull off and it died as soon as we were totally off the road. I popped the hood and stood there looking at the engine expecting something to magically show me what the problem was.
I started to wiggle wires in the hopes that something would start working. My wife yelled out that the heater wire started running. I jambed a thin piece of wood along the side of the offending connector, ran a jumper to activate my battery isolator and used the coach battery to jump start the RV.
The battery would now charge off of the alternator and we finished our trip back to Wisconsin.
That is called farmer engineering here in Wisconsin. I am also a farmer welder (meaning that my work may not be pretty but it will hold up to abuse.)
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BarabooBob
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07/23/23 05:54pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Not a rant

I installed a Fantastic Fan with a wired remote. The remote was mounted next to the over-cab bed of our Class C so nobody had to get out of bed to change anything. The Fantastic Fan also had a moisture sensor so we could leave it open when we left for the day and we didn't have to worry about rain. We came back to the RV many times to find the vent closed and turned off and we didn't know that it had rained, but after asking the neighbors, they said that it did.
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BarabooBob
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07/23/23 05:38pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Power converter fried

Yes and yes. The batteries should charge while you are driving. And you do hook up the positive to one battery and the negative to the other battery. And those are not dumb questions. A dumb question would be: "Can I pet the bison and grizzley bears at Yellowstone?"
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BarabooBob
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07/17/23 06:58pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: WF-8955AN Power-supply no longer charge

I hope that you read the other posts on almost every forum that state WFCO converters have a very high failure rate. I have owned 3 units with WFCO converters in them and all three would not work properly. The common failure is that they rarely go into bulk charging mode and get stuck at 13.2 volts output. They should go to 14.4 volts. All 3 of mine had this problem.
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BarabooBob
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07/09/23 03:39pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Propane--no gas going to range

I learned from experience that you have to turn the propane tanks on slowly so that the system doesn't think that there is a massive leak. This is a quote from etrailer's propane problem solving site:
If your primary valve is fully open and you still don't have propane flowing, the next thing you should check is your excess flow valve. This valve is located in the center of the gas fitting and will limit or stop the flow of propane in your RV if it decides there's an issue. If your excess flow valve is engaged, you're going to have problems.
There are 2 common reasons why your excess flow valve is preventing propane from flowing: a propane leak or your primary valve being opened too quickly.
Check out their site at https://www.etrailer.com/faq-rv-propane-troubleshooting.aspx
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BarabooBob
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06/24/23 08:36pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Champion 2500-Watt Dual Fuel Inverter Generator

We were boondocking recently next to a guy who had a Champion generator. Couldn't hear myself think when he had it running.
Was this an open frame generator or an inverter. I have two 2000 watt inverter units and they are both very quiet. I combine them when I need to run high power stuff but most of the time we run one of them in eco mode. That is enough to charge my TT batteries after running the furnace all night.
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BarabooBob
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06/19/23 02:09am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Almost disaster

I always check my oil level before leaving the parking lot of my local Ford dealer after they change my oil. I pay them to change it because it is a pain in the butt to get at the filter on my truck while laying on the ground. I also check for drips on the ground and oil level again about 20 miles down the road.
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BarabooBob
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06/10/23 08:22pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Extra storage on the tongue.

What size TT % truck you have where you could add 150 pounds to the tongue weight and not worry about too much tongue weight.
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BarabooBob
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06/10/23 08:16pm |
Do It Yourself Modifications and Upgrades (DIY)
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RE: F150 5.0 V8 or V6 Twin Turbo

I have an 2011 F150 with a 3.5 eb with 245000 miles. At 185000 I had an exhaust manifold replaced. At 200000 I had the cam phase stuff repaired. I do not experience any turbo lag while towing. The ho charts show almost full hp at 1800 rpm's and my experience towing gives me the butt meter that agrees with this. While towing in the Rockies, I leave my digital display set on tranny temp and shift if the tranny starts to get above 200 degrees. I rarely have to go below 4th gear (6 speed tranny) I am leaving for the Rockies in the near future with this truck towing my TT.
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BarabooBob
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06/03/23 06:50pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Is it better to be hooked to short power in storage? or not?

Up here in the great white north, I leave my TT plugged in year round. We use thee TT for deer hunting in November and December plus all summer long. I like having it ready to go on short notice and don't like playing with the batteries. I did replace my WFCO converter with a PD smart charger when I bought the unit.
I also like to go sit in the camper during the winter when I get tired of winter. I turn on the furnace and let my mind go camping. One time I forgot to turn off the furnace and emptied both 20 pound lp tanks out in a couple of days.
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BarabooBob
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05/23/23 08:22pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Furnace black smoke

When you find the problem and solve it, please let us know the solution to your problem.
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BarabooBob
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05/23/23 08:09pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Furnace black smoke

Do you happen to have a screen on the furnace intake/exhaust area? If it is too fine of a mess, it could restrict air intake.
I am sure that you have a restriction somewhere on your air intake. This would result in a rich mixture that causes smoke.
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BarabooBob
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05/22/23 02:32pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Will Air bags make a big difference?

Using air bags to lift the rear does not change how much weight is on the front axle. I weighed my truck axles when the truck was empty and when hooked up to the camper. You don't want the front axle to get light because driving will be like wrestling a snake.
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BarabooBob
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05/19/23 05:24pm |
Towing
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RE: Cody WY to Fishing Bridge RV Park - Route Challenges?

I agree that it is the best route to Fishing Bridge. I think the biggest problem will bw the bison. We sat for over an hour watching bison wander around the road. The rangers tried moving them off of the road but there is only so much they can do to chase 2000 pound grumpy fluffy cows off the road. We really enjoyed the up close encounter with the bison. We got up close photos, imagine being on the other side of the window from a bison. Very nice trip.
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BarabooBob
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04/30/23 07:15pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Jackson to Moab

padredw, that is the exact route that we take. I will be going back next summer for the month in September, 2024.
To the original poster, do you realize how hot it gets in Moab in August. Expect upper 90's for daytime highs. We have been there in August several times and with proper hydration, you can have a great time.
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BarabooBob
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04/29/23 05:50pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Recommended tools for a newbie

I have only had to work on my truck once and my TT needs brakes adjusted once in a while. I use my tools to help others out most of the time.
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BarabooBob
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04/16/23 05:50pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Missing orange cover on marker light; Water leakage concerns

Instead of silicone, I would use butyl tape which is available at any good RV shop.
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BarabooBob
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04/10/23 06:51am |
Tech Issues
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RE: AC noise. Should it be like that?

n the video you can see that he has a Danby residential through the wall A/C unit. You can pick them up for $2oo at WalMart. If the motor is humming and the fan is not turning, the shaft is indeed tight. the screwdriver trick may work. You will probably have to pull the unit out to try it. If you can see the motor, try putting a very small drop of light weight oil on the bearing.
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BarabooBob
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04/10/23 06:47am |
Tech Issues
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