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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: Refrig on AC OK, on gas, no.
I had same problem - only fixed after LP line leading from tank to fridge cleaned out of gunk from bad LP fill. Service tech found low pressure in line leading from tank to both the water heater and the fridge - this led him to clean the lines which fixed everything. Water heater worked on lower pressure than that required for the fridge to work properly. Had what seemed to be normal flow to the stovetop. Just goes to show that not all that flows is of the correct pressure.....get the pressure checked.
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doghouse_owner
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10/06/09 08:14pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Cordless phones to use with Skype
At home I use a USB adapter like this to which I have connected an "old timey originally designed for land line" V-tech portable phone base and my land line cord. This adapter sits next to my computer. The adapter is also plugged into my computer. There are 3 other portable V-tech handset bases set up around the house. Works great. Although my contact list is not stored in the handsets, I can use the saved Skype speed dial numbers or Skype-out from any of the handsets. No big deal to me, as I generally use Skype video which requires I'm in the office. The handsets are great for when others are calling/Skyping me, so that I don't miss a call. If I then want video, I walk and talk my way to the computer.
There are specialized VOIP phones (V-tech makes one called the USB7100) which are all-in-one units which do show your contact list. My setup was put together before the all-in-one units came on the market and I already owned the Vtech handsets (Costco, cheap). The VOIP phones are more expensive and you'd need to buy 4 to be equivalent to my set-up. The range on my V-techs is great, so I won't be changing my set-up anytime soon.
I'll only be changing when they make an inexpensive portable hand held video phone.
I won't be dumping Skype anytime soon, as I have family in England to whom I video Skype daily. Can't imagine how much I've saved with Skype. Love watching my nephew grow up from across the pond.
From the RV, I just use an old fashioned Skype microphone and ear bud plugged into my laptop with a webcam mounted on the top of my laptop. Anywhere I have internet access, which is just about everywhere with my SprintPCS broadband PCI card, I have Skype.
Wendy
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doghouse_owner
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10/02/09 05:20pm |
Technology Corner
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RE: 09 Honda Fit Sport with fog lights & Blue Ox base plates
Hi Golfknut
The Blue Ox baseplate install was very straightforward. Actually just last weekend I noticed something bouncing around on the floor of the engine compartment and realized it was a bolt. So I took the big one piece front fascia off and did an inspection; nothing missing from the baseplate install, just an extra bolt that must have been trapped road debris. If you're strong enough and have the tools, you can do the baseplate install yourself. Now that I've seen it done, I actually might be able to do a second install myself, even with my girly muscles. I do recommend that you not remove the foglights completely, but rather just disconnect the wiring after you have pulled the fascia off. A dremel can be used to cut the plastic housing around both fog lights. To make the left side of the installation easier, I also recommend temporarily removing the window washer fluid container.
The baseplate pins line up perfectly with the tow bar which is hooked up to my Sprinter via the Stowaway2 swingaway hitch extension which was on level with the Sprinter hitch receiver. No height adapter required.
The routing of both (the surge brake cable and the supplemental break away brake) cables was more time consuming rather than difficult. I watched the installer hold himself in an "upside down on your back, half-way in, half-way out, make that chiro appointment now" position while first poking the holes through the fire wall, then attaching the cables to the brake pedal. The holes in the firewall are higher than you would think. My thought process was brake pedal, feet, low, but actually, it's about 2/3-4/5's up the height of the firewall. The cables were then brought up directly into and across the engine compartment to the left of the battery, which had been removed to make it easier to see the fire wall. I thought as well that the cable would be routed underneath the engine, but if you look underneath, there's not much exposure from that side. The cables cross over the top of the engine and drop down in front of the radiator where they attach separately to different points on the grill - the surge brake cable is attached to an L-adapter on the wiring harness plug-in, while the break-away cable is attached to the grill itself after it leaves what I call it's resettable "keep the brake on" box. Remember the cables are enclosed in cable tubes, which are fixed along several points, so the cable does NOT pull into moving parts when the brake is engaged.
I have been intending to take pictures and promise to upload them before next weekend.
I've driven my Sprinter-Fit combo several times now and am extremely pleased. I have to really remind myself that I am in "towing" mode, as the setup is a breeze to hook-up and drive.
Wendy
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doghouse_owner
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10/02/09 04:12pm |
Dinghy Towing
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Suggestions for Vero Beach/Palm Bay Florida rv camping
Does anyone have any experience with rv camping within 15-20 minutes of Vero Beach and Palm Bay in Florida? Plan to be in Vero Beach Jan 17-21 2010, Palm Bay Jan 22-26, 2010. Am going to be in my B, so will be moving around during the daytime.
Brief web search seems to indicate no boondocking allowed at the Vero Beach Wal-marts. Is this still true? What about Cracker Barrels, Lowes, Home Depots, Camping Worlds, grocery stores, etc?
I am interested in either an RV campground, as well as boondocking locations.
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doghouse_owner
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09/15/09 12:04pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Roof-Rack On A 'B'
My Roadtrek RSA Sprinter has the factory roof rails in place, so adding a rack would not involve adding new holes to the roof. I would appreciate having the handholds when I get up on top to inspect, repair, wash and wax. Its just not that big a space up there, so kinda scary when on a slippery surface needing to turn around.
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doghouse_owner
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09/02/09 12:45am |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: power management question
Thank you everyone! - as usual, very educational. Clearly I had forgotten about that darn 10:1 ratio thing. Won't forget next time. :) I feel much more confident now that my setup is more than adequate for weekends of dry camping.
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doghouse_owner
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08/25/09 12:16am |
Tech Issues
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RE: brake cable adjustment on ready brute
Good question - I have same setup installed only 6 weeks ago and noticed more deflection last week than I seem to remember from installation.....
Looking forward to reading the answer..
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doghouse_owner
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08/24/09 07:02pm |
Dinghy Towing
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power management question
This is the set-up:
2 6 volt batteries with 220 amp-hrs when fully charged
Tripplite 750 watt inverter charger set to charge at max 45 amps/hr
30 amp shore power plug in (3600 watts/hr)
Onan microlite 2500 generator (2500 watts/hr = 20.8amps/hr)
If my batteries are depleted 50%, assume need to recharge 110 amp-hrs.
Since the power from either the generator or the shore connection goes through my charger, isn't my charger limited to the power source, assuming that 100% of that power source is transferred to the battery via the charger?
In other words:
If I use my generator, this will take ~5.3 hrs (110/20.8)
If I use shore power, this will take ~3.7 hrs (110/30)
How would I ever get a true charge at 45 amps/hr from the charger when I don't seem to have an outside power source greater than 30 amps/hr? Would I only get 45 amps/hr if I had a 50 amp plug-in?
Am I missing something here?
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doghouse_owner
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08/24/09 06:59pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Wood ramp or blocks 6 or 7in rise
can someone tell me the relative weight differences between redwood, oak and fir? I'm about to make some ramps and the orange box store had 2x12x10' fir boards for 8$ each....seemed a good price to me....should I have gotten a different material?
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doghouse_owner
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08/20/09 11:04am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Winter Travels
The western coast all the way up to Vancouver, BC can be really nice in January - a bit wet at times, but rarely snow if you stay off of I5 in southern Oregon - even then like elsewhere it gets cleaned up in a day or so. HOWEVER, it will probably take you 7-8 days just to get over here, sooo......
Keep in mind the chain laws - you can be stopped and ticketed for not having chains in your vehicle...
From the WADOT website:
"Vehicles over 10,000 gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), including some larger passenger trucks, SUVs, RVs and vehicles towing trailers, must carry chains Nov. 1 through March 31 on certain state-owned roads.
For more information on Washington's tire and chain regulations, visit http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/commercialvehicle/chain_req.htm or http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wacWAC 204-22 Standards for Tire Chains."
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doghouse_owner
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08/16/09 09:56am |
Roads and Routes
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RE: rv dump valve broken w/full tank
wimp! cheater! pumpkin eater! no guts, no glory... ;)
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doghouse_owner
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08/15/09 04:47pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: winterizing
It's not nearly as difficult or time consuming as you might think. If you're going to use RV antifreeze, the key is to have a T-valve placed just before your water pump and a hot water heater bypass setup. These are pretty straight forward modification that you can DIY or pay someone else to do (I did it and I'm only a girl :W ). Many of the newer MHs/TT are done at the factory. I also don't use an in-house water filter, as that would need to be pulled everytime you use RVAF. Instead, I use a water filter on the hose.
I winterize multiple times a winter using RVAF via a pre-water pump T-valve - Because I work out of town and leave the B unattended in the winter, I think it's worthwhile doing this every time I get home between Dec 1 and April 1. It's probably OCD of me, as I live in suburban Seattle, not a place known for freezes, but last year, there were 3 separate unexpected hard freeze weeks, and I slept like a baby.
I usually do the following as I'm unpacking from a weekend trip away in the B...
1) turn off the hot water heater (done before getting on road to drive home, allowing time for water to cool off). When I get home, I turn the bypass valves to bypass it (another DIY or factory done modification). (30 seconds)
2) empty black and grey water tanks on way home (10 minutes max, as I use a macerator and usually QuickieFlush the BT)
3) when parked in front of house, drain the FW tank and all lines in (think city water in-line) by opening all taps (bathroom, kitchen and ext. shower cold and hot), the city water fill valve and the low point valve(s). For the last item, look in your manual to find this - there may be 2, one for hot and one for the cold lines. For me, my low point valve is the drain on the bottom of the FW tank. (2 minutes max)
4) drain the now cooled down hot water tank by removing anode rod - stand to side to avoid wet feet. I keep the necessary tools in the driver's side door storage pocket. Quick and easy to do. (2 min max to take out plug).
Begin unpacking the B....
4) when nothing further is draining out, close all taps, city water fill line valve, your low point valve(s) and replace the hot water tank rod (2 min max)
5) open the pre-water pump T-valve and insert hose into RVAF gallon jug (30 sec)
6) if not already on, turn on water pump (10 sec)
7) go around to each tap, turn on until pink, then turn off. Remember to do this for all the hot and cold taps, and the toilet - (2 min max)
8) assuming already empty or near empty black and grey tanks, pour 1-2 cups of undiluted RVAF into each P-trap (for me that's 2 sink drains and 1 shower drain) and a 1/4 gallon into the toilet to sit round the gate valves. (2 min max)
9) I run my macerator for a split second after opening the black gate just to get a little RVAF into the macerator - a bit OCD, but what the hey, RVAF is very cheap, a frozen cracked macerator, not so cheap. No, I'm not at a dump site, and no, I'm not bothered by a bit of RVAF black water in my macerator hose. I just keep the hose end closed. (5 sec max)
10) I hang a sign on my kitchen sink to remind everyone, including myself that the system is winterized. I turn off the water pump and the make sure the water heater cannot be used while bypassed by pulling the ATC fuse (extremely simple to do as my fuse box is inside the coach behind the driver's seat). I throw the fuse on my dashboard in front of my gauges where it won't get lost and is a quick reminder to me about the status of my hot water tank. (2 min max)
So, not counting the 10 minutes to empty the black and grey tanks, winterizing is about a 15 minute job maximum (usually less time) done while unpacking the B.
I do NOT put RVAF in my FWT. It is empty, so there is no need for RVAF. The line between the FWT and the pump and the city water fill line are also empty. Having the T-valve with 2 foot of hose immediately before the water pump allows me to avoid putting the RVAF into the system via the FWT. I drain all the lines initially b/c it avoids unnecessary dilution of the RVAF and frankly, it's simple to do.
When I want to de-winterize, I fill my FWT at the house through the gravity fill, NOT the city water line, leaving that line dry then just open each tap until it runs clear for 30-60 seconds and I'm done. Don't forget to run clear the outdoor shower to avoid possible backwash into the shower and kitchen lines. It's not enough volume for me to have to go empty the tanks (and I have aquarium size tanks - 10g BT, 24g GT). If you're the slightest bit worried of RVAF in your FW, then just use your house water for showers, dishes and toilet and bring another source for cooking and drinking. I don't worry about it and drink from my house system. After I've flushed the lines, I un-bypass my hot water tank, fill it, put the fuse back in and fire it up.
Because I will be doing more winter camping this year, I am about to take on my next DIY project which will involve installing an auxillary 12v fuse block from my house batteries with room for 6 15 amp fuses and then installing 3 tank heaters (fresh, grey and black) with pipe and elbow heaters from Ultraheat. However, I will not be using these when the B is parked out in front of my house, so I will still be using the same winterizing procedure outlined above. This will give me a true 4 season B without having to worry about frozen pipes/tanks.
how to bypass hot water heater
water pump converter kit for winterizing
auxillary 12 volt fuse block install
tank heaters
Winterizing is cheap and easy to do, and doesn't have to be a once-a-year event. You're paying for it year round, you may as well use it year round!
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doghouse_owner
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08/15/09 03:26pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Fridge + Hot Water Heater no start on propane
May also be a problem with your LP gas regulator - some appliances will continue to work better than others on less than adequate pressure.....my water heater would work as did the furnace, but not the fridge...luckily, the regulator is cheap to replace.
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doghouse_owner
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08/10/09 07:15pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Ants and insulation
Diatomaceous earth spread outside along the "dust" trails will also be picked up by the ants and taken back to the nest where it will kill the others that come into contact with it. Benign to your housepets and children. Found at the DIY stores and nurseries.
After a $10k massive wall replacement due to carpenter ants, I really didn't care if they ate the wood (which is what termites do) or just tunnelled into it enough to make a space large enough to house a massive colony (which is what carpenter ants do). The damage is there and unfortunately hidden - you should seriously consider making some holes in your wall board in the areas you suspect of damage and kill them, then start fixing the damage. Look for the dust piles outside of where they enter your wall.
You want to kill the colony before they migrate/expand to form other colonies, hopefully not in your house (or your neighbors').
Carpenter ants are a big, big problem in Seattle, but thankfully not termites. Termites were a big, big problem in one of my former stick homes in Houston.
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doghouse_owner
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08/10/09 06:57pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: replacing screens
Make sure you work on a hard flat surface, because when you press down on the roller to push the spline and screen into the groove, it is possible to bend the screen frame, something you really don't want to do.
Also, after squaring up the screen material to the frame, leaving at least an excess of 2 inches on each side), use clothespins on the sides you have yet to work to help hold the screen in place to get a pretty finished look- don't pull it tight, that will naturally happen as you push the spline into the groove.
good quality screen material is worth it, as is a spline roller of the correct size for the spline material - take some of the old material with you to the DIY boxstore and compare the old to the new - if you buy the wrong size, it may not hold the screen well - too small and the screen will pull out too easily, too big and good luck on getting it to roll in in the first place (there were 6 different sizes of 3 different colors when I redid my stick house screens last month). I found that starting with one of the shorter sides, then moving clockwise around the frame was the easiest (counter-clockwise if left-handed). Try to complete the job with just one spline - the old spline may not be usable if it was stretched when pulled out (nearly unavoidable). I found that poking the spline with a screwdriver in the corners after I had done all the sides really packed the spline material in well. The roller just cannot get into the corners well.
If the frame is bent, just make a new one from parts/kits available in the same area of the DIY store.
Good luck - very satisfying when it turns out well. And only you will know if its slightly crooked, so don't sweat it.
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doghouse_owner
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08/10/09 06:37pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Remifront blinds US distributor?
Nope, totally different product. I have a set of eclipse shades for my B.
See my link above for remifront.
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doghouse_owner
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08/05/09 10:12pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Remifront blinds US distributor?
thank you.....i've sent off a quick e-mail to Sportsmobile to see if they are importing these..........
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doghouse_owner
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08/04/09 02:04am |
Tech Issues
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Anyone know where to buy the Remifront blind system?
I recently saw the remifront blind system on an Airstream Interstate, but the second owner did not know if it had been a factory option or a first owner add-on. Is anyone aware of a US distributor for this product. They are an extremely easy after market add-on and terrific for light dimming and privacy.
Just about every B/C motorhome in europe seems to be fitted out with these...
Here is a link to a .pdf file on a UK website....I'm trying to avoid the shipping and possible customs issues with bringing this in to the US.
Sprinter version
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doghouse_owner
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08/03/09 04:09pm |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: thinking about a tank heater
someone other than Chuck out there on the forum must have tank heaters? anyone? no one?
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doghouse_owner
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08/03/09 03:55pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: RT vs. PW
Is there any more "evidence" than one dealership's word that a manufacturer asked them to do something? is there documentation, a filed lawsuit, even a newspaper article, etc, anything else to back up this rumor? does the manufacturer's original contract with the dealer perhaps require that the dealer be only a dealer of their product and no other? that is not unusual in many industries. If the dealer doesn't like it, they may choose to just not represent the manufacturer, or they may decide to not sign up again when the contract expires. I have a clause in my work contract prohibiting me from working within 50 miles of my current employer for 2 years after I leave this job. It is not illegal if included when I sign the contract, only if they impose it after I sign a contract without the clause.
IMHO, I don't think anyone here has enough information to make any statements at all about the behaviour of any of the manufacturers or the dealer in this matter.
li·bel (l?'b?l)
n.
A false publication, as in writing, print, signs, or pictures, that damages a person's reputation.
The act of presenting such material to the public.
The written claims presented by a plaintiff in an action at admiralty law or to an ecclesiastical court.
tr.v. li·beled or li·belled, li·bel·ing or li·bel·ling, li·bels
To publish a libel about (a person). See Synonyms at malign.
(Middle English, litigant's written complaint, from Old French, from Latin libellus, diminutive of liber, book.)
li'bel·er, li'bel·ist n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/libel
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doghouse_owner
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08/03/09 10:19am |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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