| |
Subject |
Author |
Date Posted |
Forum
|
 |
Alabama couple rescued from road where Kim family was stuck
GRANTS PASS -- An Alabama couple following directions from a GPS device got stuck and were rescued from the snowy, mountainous back road where a San Francisco man got lost and died in 2006, authorities say.
LINK
The article also mentions that this is the second rescue this year alone.
|
Matthew_B
|
11/21/09 07:37pm |
Around the Campfire
|
|
RE: 12 volt Ground Location
Any 12v connections Ive added (except 1)use the 12v- ground lug at panle or use existing close ground wire(which is tied directly to panel lug/batt) but never thought about why-just seemed seperation was good, not using chassis as wiring. The one light I added there was no ground wire close so I grounded to chassis. Now Im wondering,having a hard time seeing a ground path, if I should run a wire to a 'wired ground.
It would ground back through your frame bond wire. For one light that's already wired I wouldn't sweat things too much, but if you're doing other work in the area I'd consider moving it.
Note that more and more vehicle manufacturers are moving away from using the frame as a ground return. On older cars so many of the electrical problems are traced back to corrosion on the frame grounds.
On the engine the block is used as the ground for the starter, alternator and ignition. Other than those grounds, everything else uses wires back to a single ground. All of the electronic sensors and actuators on the engine aren't grounded to the block to prevent interference; rather they go to a single point ground in the harness that is then connected to the frame and then the block or battery negative. Most manufacturers are now running all of the chassis negatives back to a single bolt on the body and then to the battery negative also.
Trailer manufacturers are starting to follow the trend, led by boat trailer manufacturers. They still bond the frame to ground, but the frame isn't a return for any of the lights.
|
Matthew_B
|
11/21/09 02:06pm |
Truck Campers
|
|
RE: 12 volt Ground Location
I think Id also just add a bus thats hard wired to -12V. (if theres any confusion or there are white and green/bare wires tied together) youll prob be adding stuff down the road. (Or if you had a 12v chassis ground.)You may have a buss thats already there -12v and it may be shared with the AC "ground" (bare or green ac wire)
I'd suggest keeping the AC grounds and the DC negative separate save for the single common point at the camper tie down. If there are multiple connections between AC ground and DC negative, you'll have DC flowing through the AC ground and that can have problems.
The AC grounds all should tie together in the AC panel. From there a single 10 gauge wire should run to the tie down. From the DC negative common point there should also be a single wire to the tiedown.
IN theory if you connect the -12v ground from say a light to the AC nuetral buss, light shouldnt work. However as your camper has had previous owner(s) that have done some wiring there may be cross connection between AC nuetral & ground. But I would not add to it.
The cross connection will only exist when plugged in. Any DC in the neutral would go out the neutral wire to the house panel, through the bond there and back through the cord ground wire.
If there is ever an open neutral the AC current will instead flow out through your 12V load you've added. Since it's certainly not rated for 120V, it will likely burst into flames.
An open neutral will happen in a camper; for example due to a worn out campground receptacle has a bad neutral connection this will happen.
|
Matthew_B
|
11/21/09 11:06am |
Truck Campers
|
|
RE: This time the Maersk Alabama was armed!!!
Good for the American Ships!!! Bet they'll have plenty of target practice.
I suspect they won't. Both times the Maersk Alabama has been attacked, pirates have died. They'll learn that it's better to just go after passive targets and leave the American ships alone.
|
Matthew_B
|
11/20/09 09:40pm |
Around the Campfire
|
|
RE: 12 volt Ground Location
This tells me that the DC negative lead IS connected to the AC neutral buss (the buss with white wires).
You're treating neutral and ground on the AC system as the same. They're not.
The only place the neutral buss is connected to ground is back at your house service panel. If you disconnect the camper you shouldn't have any continuity between the neutral buss and ground. If you do you've got a ground fault that needs to be connected.
There should be continuity between the ground (green or bare wires) and DC negative. But this shouldn't be used for 12V returns since the purpose of those wires is solely for the safety bonding of the 120V system.
Interconnecting 120V grounds and 12V negative returns is how Norcold ended up with a whole bunch of burned up refrigerators.
So, am I right that I have two choices? 1) run a separate 12v negative lead from the battery or 2) connect to the AC neutral buss.
Don't do #2. Connecting anything to neutral other than the returns of 120V circuits sets you up to a bunch of scenarios that can result in fire or electrocution.
|
Matthew_B
|
11/20/09 09:35pm |
Truck Campers
|
|
RE: 12 volt Ground Location
On my Northern Lite there is a sticker on the forward passenger side tie down bracket on the camper that says "acts as ground" or something like that... So there is a DC ground path provided by tie downs, etc.
There is also a ground line in the connector from the truck.
jeff
RIVA requires the "frame" to be connected to the AC ground and DC negative. Since there is no camper frame, many camper manufacturers run an AC ground wire and a DC negative lead to one of the tie down mounts. Most often this is the left front tie down that is grounded.
This ensures there is no way for an AC short to energize the frame of the truck.
|
Matthew_B
|
11/20/09 06:24pm |
Truck Campers
|
|
RE: 12 volt Ground Location
You should be able to find a 12V negative common. Do not rely on the AC safety ground and certainly do not rely on the AC neutral as the return for DC circuits. The neutral should be fully isolated in an RV.
In my camper the DC common was originally a giant wire nut tying the circuits together. I've replaced it with a busbar for a connection I'm more confident of.
|
Matthew_B
|
11/20/09 06:21pm |
Truck Campers
|
 |
RE: Climatologists baffled by Global warming stall
More great news regarding "Climate Change formerly known as Global Warming".
Hackers broke into the servers at a prominent British climate research center and leaked years worth of e-mail messages onto the Web, including one with a mysterious reference to a plan to "hide the decline" in data about temperatures.
Link To News Article
For those that don't like a link to Fox,
UK Telegraph
This is really big. There appears to be some very damaging info in the leaked files.
Not only do the researchers talk about how to "hide the decline" they also talk about the problem of the middle ages warming period.
|
Matthew_B
|
11/20/09 02:48pm |
Around the Campfire
|
|
RE: lost my cell phone - somebody found it
THis happened to my daughter while she was walking with GD at the park, but she was lucky..the lady that found it found "mom" in her address book & called me. I told her where she lived about 2 blocks away & she was going to take it to her house, but they found each other before she had to do that.
A buddy of mine has a funny story about calling "Mom."
He found a phone sitting on a bench, so he picked it up and called "Mom" on the list. He told her "Hi, I have found your son's cell phone. Get in contact with him and then tell him to call his own cell phone. I'll keep the phone on and then when he calls I'll make arrangements to meet him and give him his phone."
As soon as he hung up, the phone rang. Mom was there and told him "Hey Allen, some guy has your cell phone, give him a call and he'll give it back."
|
Matthew_B
|
11/19/09 10:08pm |
Around the Campfire
|
|
RE: Debt Collection Calls
Just say you are tired and want to pay the bill ,ask were to send the checks. Get their information and turn it over to the feds. Then you will be done with it.
X2, that's exactly what I have done.
Due to number portability, I've had the same cell number since '97. Even with that, I still got put on a list; I'd assume someone just made up the number and I was the unlucky recipient. I'd play along enough to get a company name... then I'd tell them thanks and that I wasn't the person I said I was, and if I were called again they would get a repeat treatment followed by legal action.
The calls went away quickly.
|
Matthew_B
|
11/19/09 10:00pm |
Around the Campfire
|
|
RE: Looked at a TT yesterday!!!
AWWW, you like us so much that when you want to talk TT's, you talk to us instead of going over to the TT forum :B
|
Matthew_B
|
11/19/09 09:48pm |
Truck Campers
|
|
RE: PC in your TC?
We always take DW's laptop. We can download cameras when it gets full. Mostly we look for a wireless AP, but we can also use bluetooth paired to a cell phone to access the internet for $10 a month on our plan.
|
Matthew_B
|
11/19/09 09:47pm |
Truck Campers
|
|
RE: 12 volt or 120 volt televisions power draw
What brand are you using, Matt? I have an HP G70-460US, it runs great on MSW inverter, I have a little 100 watt cigarette jobby I carry around with it and there's a 400 watt in the camper. The powerpack is the size of a small tv remote control.
I have a HP NW8000, DW has a Compaq Presario V2000.
|
Matthew_B
|
11/19/09 09:45pm |
Truck Campers
|
|
RE: A few questions on Dualies
These posts always interest me. I'm going to guess Matt is in a dually and TCer#1 SRW.
Correct. DJ and I were the only dually owners in the caravan.
So, it seems to me the real problem here is suspension, not the number of wheels. Either TCer#1 needs anti-sway bars or stiffer springs or both. The number of wheels makes no difference.
I'm cheating a little. My camper doesn't have a basement so it's a over a foot lower. Everyone else had a basement model so they started with a higher center of gravity.
I also had the heaviest truck by a good margin, also helpful in the COG department. I also have a heavy sway bar AND all steel springs that are beefed up from stock.
It was FAR from apples to apples.
While typing this, it occurred to me that it is possible for the tires themselves to bulge while cornering and cause some of the lean in which case a dually would spread the load over more rubber, but I still think it's more to do with suspension.
I do believe that the bulge in the tires does make a noticeable difference. I went cheap on the back end of my truck last summer and I didn't replace the Michelin XPS tires with like tires. It definitely increased the lean and sway. I'm used to it now but the first corner I took with the new tires startled me for sure.
|
Matthew_B
|
11/19/09 10:23am |
Truck Campers
|
|
RE: Side enrty vs Back entry ?
Darn those F 150 guys!!!! :B
My only point was that it wasn't a Geo Metro or other dinky car that shoehorned into the space, it was a full size truck...
But you comment is funny nonetheless :B
|
Matthew_B
|
11/19/09 08:12am |
Truck Campers
|
|
RE: A few questions on Dualies
I note you're driving a dually now. Would you want to go back to a SRW?
No way, my wife wouldn't help me drive that wonderful old truck... it felt like were tipping over every time we went around a sharp curve or were passed by a big truck of bus. No loose sphincters in that truck!
I won't reveal the names out of courtesy, but the following exchange did occur last summer over the radio.
TCer#1 "Hey Matt, could you slow down, we can't keep up going around the corners."
TCer#2 "Yeah, I'm behind both of you. Matt goes around the corner flat and then you lean WAY over following him"
:B
|
Matthew_B
|
11/19/09 12:34am |
Truck Campers
|
|
RE: Side enrty vs Back entry ?
Then again... if someone parked up againest the rear bumper it would be a problem for rear doored campers.
Another tiresome... what if, what if, what if... question.
I wasn't trapped, but I have had someone park too close for me to open the camper.
With a CC and a 11.5' camper, my truck + camper takes up 1.5 parking spots. I had left early from work on a Friday and we stopped at the grocery store on the way out of town. When we went in, we were parked well away from anyone else. What I didn't consider was that when we were done, it was just after 5 PM. So instead of being out by myself, I was now surrounded by other cars. That .5 space was too much to resist and a guy parked his F150 behind me with the bumpers inches apart.
I had to move to a new spot so we could get the groceries loaded into the camper. If this were to ever happen with us inside, I would go out the top hatch and then back down the ladder, no big deal.
|
Matthew_B
|
11/18/09 10:59pm |
Truck Campers
|
|
RE: A few questions on Dualies
I bought a brand new Chev 3/4 ton truck in 1970. It wasn't a C-20 or a C-30... it was a C-21034... Longhorn. It had a 8'6" wood bed. It had a 350 cubic inch engine (and a 4 bolt main) and 4 bbl quadrajet carb. turbo hydamatic transmission...
The tires were 950- 16.5" Goodrich 8 ply. If I went to 10 ply heat caused them to fail, if I tried 6 ply our homemade campers weight blew the sides out of them.
I hauled the camper on it for 27 years.... plus just about everything else and drove it daily. 10 mpg loaded or empty high speed or slow.
Now heading back on topic...
I note you're driving a dually now. Would you want to go back to a SRW?
|
Matthew_B
|
11/18/09 09:46pm |
Truck Campers
|
|
RE: 12 volt or 120 volt televisions power draw
I know but my computer has yet to damage my 200 watt inverter.
I never had any damage done, but my laptop simply won't run on a 200W or 400W MSW inverter. The inverter shuts down after 5 to 10 seconds on overload.
DW's laptop runs just fine on an inverter. The first group of waveforms are from my laptop and the second group is from hers. Since then I found a cheap second hand 12V adapter so I just use that.
|
Matthew_B
|
11/18/09 09:44pm |
Truck Campers
|
|
RE: Pictures of your cool car
100mph-0 Braking 3.9secs
:)
Does that make the blood vessels in your eyes pop?
|
Matthew_B
|
11/18/09 09:35pm |
Around the Campfire
|
