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RE: Who is a four season TC'er?
Truth is we have only gone once in the snow to Tahoe.
We will go to the coast or to Big Basin if possible. Generally just to the coast to get away from things. About the only time we can actually take a spontaneous trip.
We are planning on a get away after Christmas day. Hopefully to the North coast.
PJ
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PJ Colahan
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12/01/08 06:35pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Front Chains or Back Chains
I have seldom used chains on my 2500HD SWR 4x4. With the TC on I get some pretty good traction. But going over Hwy 50 in the snow the chains have been a real comfort.
I would think that a dually with only the outter wheel chained would provide really good traction as you are forcing the chain into the hardpack through a much reduced area.
Just a thought.
PJ
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PJ Colahan
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12/01/08 06:19pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: What size A/C unit should I get?
We have the 13.5 and I think it is an overkill. Very noisy also.
I know that we could run our unit on a Honda 2000. Given the size area that we are talking about the Polar would most likely be enough. Doesn't use as much power and I haven't heard anyone say anything bad about it in here. If I go to replace mine I'll go with the Polar.
Which brings me to another suggestion. Don't order the installed gen, insteads buy the Honda 2000 and put the $2000 you save toward solar or traveling.
Good luck.
PJ
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PJ Colahan
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12/01/08 06:02pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Found a used boat
Nice looking vessel.
This guy actually may be the luckiest guy around. He could be sleeping with the fishes with the luck he was having.
Obviously, not a good sailer. I have done a lot of sailing and you don't leave the cockpit very long, especially when your that close to the shoreline. In fact how long does it take to make a sandwich and listen to a repeated weather message. He could have popped his head out the hatch once in a while.
He must have been sailing very close to the shore.
Maybe he thought he was in a TC and that noise outside was a babbling brook running by his camp site.
PJ
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PJ Colahan
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12/01/08 05:56pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Insurance Gripe
I've been lucky so far. About three years ago my DW Jeep got badly keyed. The Hartford took care of it and our insurance never went up.
Unfortunately, last Friday I was leaving the bank parking lot and had to cut the curb to get out into the lane. Didn't see a fire hydrant which was much below the view from the passenger window. By the time I felt it, it had gone down the side of the truck. Punched a hole in the passenger front door, the rear door and caved the bed panel in. The tire got even with it by breaking off the hydrant. They are designed with hollow bolts so that they can break away without causing damage. Still waiting to here on that one. The road crew that picked it up said I had bent it.
The carrier is taking care of the damage to my truck, because I use an approved repair shop they take $100 of the deductible and the parts are already on order.
We will have to see what happens to my premium this time. Hopefully, it won't be too bad.
Happy Thanksgiving to All.
PJ
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PJ Colahan
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11/26/08 05:12pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Winterizing/overbalancing unmounted camper?
Welcome,
We have a Fleetwood Elkhorn and have had as many as three people, if you take into account our weight, maybe four or more people in the cabover area with the camper off the truck. Very stable in my opinion. Of course we have lowered it as far as possible to stablize the weight.
We always ensure that we put a large pad under the jacks feet to prevent them from sinking. While camping we use some 2x12's and at home it sits on the cement pad.
As for winterizing, sounds like you have it under control. Make sure that your water heater has been drained.
I don't live in a harsh climate at all but I still like to inspect the interior every so often during the winter to make sure everything is good. Also allows a little fresh air in at the same time.
I would suggest that a week or so before you plan to go place a small space heater in the unit on the lowest setting to take the chill off and circulate the air. Be sure that it is set at low as you don't want to create any condensation. Also, plug in the camper and ensure that the batteries are charged up also about a week in advance. This gives you time to correct any problems before you go and not he night before the trip.
Have a great Thanksgiving.
PJ
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PJ Colahan
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11/26/08 01:07pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Northstar Debuts U.S. Escape Pod
For some reason it seems smaller inside from the pictures. Could be the angle that they are taken at but the counter area, stove and sink combo just seem too small to be useful. Looking at the pictures in Gordons online magazine the door is located on both the driver and passenger side unless he got the negative backwards. But I would have thought the pictures to be digital now.
Does anyone else think the interior looks small?
Someone mentioned the mounting point being lower and better. But,if the mounting points are lower then the sides will need to be stronger as there is more unsupported span. If this has been taken into account then it would seem to indicate that these are better built than TC's with the wheel well step in their sides.
As for using a flatbed over a standard bed. I rarely use the space in my bed to haul much. More often when I do the space is less than convenient working around the wheel wells and the contours of the bed. The flatbed would be more versital and like indicated storage boxes would give you a place to put things and lock them up. Around here you can't leave anything small in the bed or it will be gone.
PJ
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PJ Colahan
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11/25/08 05:11pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Fuel prices dropping, camping increasing?
We were hoping to be able to do some more camping with the reduction in fuel costs, unfortunately that hasn't happened.
First, my business is tied directly to the automotive industry and I probably don't need to say any more there.
Second, all the near by CG's in my area, which is heavily populated are full making it impossible to take imprompto trips.
Third, as the Holidays arrive we have to take into account the additional costs associated with this once pleasant time of the year.
I put the cover on the camper this weekend and looks like we will be off the grid for awhile until next year or some relief is felt in the automotive market.
I hope that most of you are able to enjoy the present fuel cost benefits and go camping.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all.
PJ
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PJ Colahan
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11/25/08 10:06am |
Truck Campers
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RE: New interactive weather map for truck campers:
I just checked out this weather site. It seems very easy to nav. If we were connected while traveling it would be very valuable.
Thanks for the link.
PJ
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PJ Colahan
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11/25/08 09:24am |
Truck Campers
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RE: It wa sgood while it lasted...!
What I don't get is why the powers that be (I assume at the admin or higher level), never respond or say much of anything that I have ever been aware of as to the repetitive and significant problems with this site, the rather antiquated forum software, and what (if anything) is planned to make needed improvements (and when). However, on the other side of the equation, if a member is perceived to be out of line with their posts, man look out ... there seems to be no limit on the resources and attention put to that effort to keep things in line and up to snuff. The bottom-line is that a LOT of people end up wasting a lot of time with the kind of thing that is going on right now. (And if it's not one thing, it's another). I belong to a lot of other boards, and while none of them are perfect all the time, this one consistently takes the cake for the most problems for a good portion of the time. If it wasn't for the fact that this is a very popular and useful forum, I submit it would have dried up and blown away long ago.
There in lies the rub. If the forum wasn't any good we wouldn't be here!. The problem is that the site is popular and I believe that is the backward thinking that prevents them from updating the software. If people are coming to the site now then why, in their mind, spend any money and fix it. Unfortunately, that is the same thinking that got GM, Ford and Chrysler into trouble and the opposite is true for Toyota, Nissan and Honda. There is always room for improvement and those who fail to keep up will eventually run the road of the Dinosaur.
I'll get off my soap box now. The height is scaring me.
Regards,
PJ
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PJ Colahan
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11/21/08 03:36pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: No Spontaneous Trips Here
You all have given me some great suggestions. Thank you. We will have to learn to work around the situation here in the SFBA.
Too bad as we love the shore and sticking our feet in the sand. The stealth camping sounds interesting. We will have to experiment with that.
You have also given us some new places to check out. Thank you.
kcabpilot,
One of our favorite places is Big Basin. Spent my b-Day there in March. Almost had the park to ourselves, not quite but almost.
Had we the time I would love to get up to Fallen Leaf CG at Tahoe. That use to be one of favorite CG's. Would camp there every year the first of June for the Ren Faire when we attended just about every faire in Northern CA. Don't know how it was effected by the fire a couple of years ago. Hope it was spared.
As for Mt Diablo, I only recently found out that you could camp up there. My DW checked into it but for some reason that I can't remember we couldn't get in.
We will have to check out some of these other places.
Regards,
PJ
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PJ Colahan
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11/20/08 01:15pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: No Spontaneous Trips Here
Raften,
Your right that does limit us. But my DW loves the coast as do I. I was hoping not to have to travel a great distance, hopefully not more than 2 maybe 3 hours as I only have a couple of days to get away.
Right now wouldn't be too bad as the weather is much cooler. During the summer we cannot stand the heat.
Mooney,
Yosemite would be nice but a little too far for us right now. Last time I was there was probably 25 years ago. Camped in January. Had clear skies, full moon and snow everywhere. Was so bright at night that you didn't need headlights or for that matter any lights to get around. A ground fog would come in late at night only and would be solid from ground level to about 10 feet high. By morning there was a perfect line around the entire basin of ice on the trees from that 10 foot level to the the ground. Above that the trees were still green. Beautiful. Unfortunately retraints as mentioned prevent us from going to far, partly due to time, partly due to budget and partly due to my DW's health right now.
I think we are probably going to be stuck this holiday as we have too many limitation on us for going to many places. We will still keep our eyes open on Reserve America site but after two months of monitoring it, it doesn't look promising.
Regards,
PJ
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PJ Colahan
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11/19/08 02:46pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: No Spontaneous Trips Here
Joe,
I would vote for the Oregon coast as well but can't take that much time off and the amount of fuel for us at this time would be too much for our budget to handle. I grew up in Tillamook and hope someday to return to the Oregon Coast or as my DW and I refer to it "Gods Country", no disrespect to anyother areas. I envy those who live in Oregon and the ability to take short trips to the booneys.
devores,
Both my Dw and I cannot handle hot weather, not sure how I ended up where I live but here I am. Its for that reason and that we don't like crowds that we usually camp in the off season and near the coast.
Regards to both of you,
PJ
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PJ Colahan
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11/19/08 12:34pm |
Truck Campers
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No Spontaneous Trips Here
When my DW and I decided to get our TC the plan was to be able to make spontaneious trips on the weekends to get away.
Unfortunately, we forgot where we live. The San Francisco Bay Area has far too many people in it. To add to the problem, the economy has forced a lot of people to stay close to home for their trips adding to the difficulty in getting CG space, especially near the coast.
Two months ago we decided to spend Thanksgiving camping. We have been trying to no avail to find a place at the coast without having to travel 5 or more hours to get there. That has proven to be impossible. Even Brennan Island in the delta is booked up (not my first choice).
I'm I alone in this or are others seeing the same type of things?
Regards,
PJ
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PJ Colahan
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11/19/08 10:24am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Rumors about water tank mold.
Like Joe, our TC is our backup resource incase of a major earthquake.
You couldn't ask for a better emergency pack than a TC. Another reason why I like to keep the H2O tank full. Trouble is trying to keep the food stocked up. I get lazy sometimes and will rob the TC stores instead of running to the grocery store.
Regards,
PJ
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PJ Colahan
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11/19/08 10:17am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Rumors about water tank mold.
Like most of you, once a year a mix a faily strong batch of water and clorine and fill the system with it. I run all the faucets to ensure that the mixture it in all the piping. After about 3-4 hours I drain the system and refill with fresh water. Again flushing all the faucets.
Upon refill I add maybe 1-2 table spoons of bleach to the tank. This ensures that nothing will grow in the tank while it sits. I also leave my system completely full to try and eliminate any air in the system as I believe the more air in the system the more potential you have for mold growth.
I used this method on my sailboat for years and have never had a problem.
I have also heard of some people using hydrogen peroxide in place of the bleach for protecting the water. I have never used this method but it would be safe. I just don't know the proper solution to actually get any benefits from it. Seem like HP would be better than bleach in the water you intend to use.
Regards,
PJ
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PJ Colahan
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11/19/08 09:41am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Tie downs
I have the HJ's that attach to the frame and I am very satisfied with their performance. I have a 4x4 and do not always stay on the paved roads. The HJ's perform very well.
On one outing we sent down a road that was one way. More than once I had to drive up onto the hill at probably a 30 degree side angle and felt very comfortable with the entire assembly.
I also like that the HJ's have the spring loaded tiedowns that provide some give as you would be surprised at the fact that you don't really want a hard lock down like you were transporting a piece of equipment.
Regards,
PJ
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PJ Colahan
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11/18/08 03:57pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Thinking of a Coastal Drive (Oregon)
In Lincoln City there is a smoke salmon store on the east side of the highway. The salmon is mouth watering.
God, I starting to salvate now.
Hope you have a great trip.
PJ
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PJ Colahan
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11/18/08 12:32pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Thinking of a Coastal Drive (Oregon)
One place we found on our last trip was Seal Rock. A little RV park just across 101 from a beautiful beach. Very reasonable and you can listen to the wild life from you site.
We enjoyed all the state parks along the coast. My DW is in to the light houses and there are many to stop and visit. We also like the Sea Lion Caves. Hadn't been there in years and really enjoyed seeing it again.
The Aquarium was good as mentioned along with Newport, which reminds me of a smaller more friendly Fishermans Wharf in San Francisco. At Newport we stayed at the state park just south of town. It is big but it would be very nice in off season.
In Florence there is a great caffe that you can't miss it as it has classic car ends sticking out all over the exterior and interior. Food isn't bad either.
We drove up the Umpqua River and found the drive beautiful.
In Florence there is an RV park that is right on the bay in old down town. At the docks there it reminds me of Alaska.
In Waldport if you go up river there is a small park called Chinook RV park. The people that operate it are very nice. It is clean and you can take a short walk out to the water from their. Losts of wild life along the river and across. Looked like good fishing also.
I actually don't remember a bad place along the coast. We, like you stayed mostly at SP's but have had to settle for RV parks a couple of times because of availability. The ones I mentioned are the ones we liked the best.
Hope you enjoy the trip.
Happy Thanksgiving.
PJ
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PJ Colahan
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11/17/08 04:25pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Posts deleted on a thread
So this is what it takes to get people in a discussion anymore. We have lost interest in TC's and since we cannot discuss politics we have the next best thing and that is the politics of the forum.
Maybe we need to do more camping?:h
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PJ Colahan
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11/14/08 04:46pm |
Truck Campers
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