gmoreno

One last thing Brett. Fuse at both ends is what you stated. I suspect my local RV repair facility might know what you are referring to. But could you elaborate here for me? Maybe even walk me through on how to attach the 10gauge wire to the toad? Thanks, Rob

Thanks for clarifying this for me. Be lost without your expertise! Rob

Brett...as always, you are spot on. Just for clarification....Chasis battery or house batteries to keep a full charge on the rover? Rob

Thanks for the reply, but I fail to see how your solution addresses the toad battery from being discharged. Recall, that I am not so concerned with the RVi Brake being used in the toad, but more so that the ignition key will be turned to the "on" or "second" position, and thererfore, the battery will power many of the electronic components in the car and in turn, creating the battery drain. Can you help me understand what you are trying to convey? Thanks, Rob

I have a 2003 Land Rover Discovery II, SE trim level that I plan to tow 4-wheels down. I will use an aux braking system (maybe RViBrake) and have seperate magnetic tow lights on the toad to plug in directly to the MH, 4 pin set-up. Here's my issue: Owner's manual for the LR states that the ignition key be set to the second (II) position while being towed. Needless to say, there will be a battery drain upon arrival to my destination. Even if I used a jump-pack for the RVi Brake, I will still have a battery drain just by virtue of the iginition key being set to the II position. My preference would be not to wire anything into the Rover or pull fuses and such; mainly because I have an extended auto warranty on the Rover and if I tamper with the electrical system, my warranty could become null and void. Below is a quote from a Landrover website forum when I posted my quandary: "If you do decide to go with battery disconnected, be sure that you have vehicle unlocked when you do that, plus take off the connection to the hood alarm switch. Reconnecting a battery to a Rover can make the alarm return to last known condition, if that was "armed" and hood is open, welcome to the immobilization hassle castle." In sum, I'm thinking of somehow having the MH maintain power to the Rover, but haven't the foggiest of what I need to do to perform this task. Odds are, I'll probably leave this task to my local MH repair facility, but wanted feedback from the FMCA forum to hear everyone's two cents worth. Thanks, Rob

Been towing our '02 CVT mini front wheels up for three years. No issues. Using an ACME tow dolly. No locking the steering on the cooper. Load, strap and go. Don't have an aero kit on our cooper, so can't say of you'll damage your cooper while trying to load onto the dolly. What I do have is an 8 inch drop hitch on the back of the MH where the tow dolly attaches to minimize mini cooper back bumper scrapes. Only scrapes I have encountered comes from the hitch - because it sits so low - and not the back end of the mini, thank goodness. I like the ACME because of the surge brake system an it is light (400#s) to manuever by hand, once you arrive to your destination.

Hey everyone: I have an opportunity to purchase a 2003 Land Rovery Discovery. Towing guide for MY 2003 cars says four-wheels down is ok. My specific question is addressed to those folks out there that tow a LR and what their set-up is. Also, if there any quirks I should be aware of when towing a LR for this model year. My rig is a Class A gas, 2010 V-10, 35' - 5k towing capacity, so I know the GVW for the LR is right up there at about 4,800 lbs, but I believe my Damon has the umph to to manage the weight. I'll miss towing my little mini-cooper (front wheels up), but 4 wheels down and a larger car I think will be a better option for our growing young family. Thanks, Rob p.s. one last question, what should I budget for costs associated to prep the LR for towing 4 wheels down?

Follow-up to LED topic: For those folks out there considering making the switch from incandescent to LED interior bulbs, I did back in July '12. The real incentive to go this route were my two young kids (4 and 7 years of age). The incandescent bulbs get mighty hot to the touch and I didn't want my kids to get finger burns when it came to lights out. This is especially true for each of their lights located in the bunks. They like to turn off the lights in the rig. There has been some chatter about full time Rv'rs wanting to make the transition to LED - to save battery consumption - but didn't want to break the bank making the transition. I can't speak to battery consumption being decreased, but can attest that the LED bulbs I installed emit pretty much the same lumen output and fit nicely into the base units of each lighting fixture. I found a nice fella on the internet who sells all sorts of LEDs at a very fair price. The owner's name is Rob. I purchased my goods from him. http://www.eversale.com/ I paid just under $90 for 18 LEDs to replace my 1156s (EV-BA15S-18) and just under $15 to replace my 3 t10s (EV-LED-T10-18-WW). In all, out of pocket just over $100. Haven't yet replaced the t8s I have, but thinking about it. Finally, there was some chatter somewhere on the FMCA discussion forum about LEDs and some of the cheaper models interfering with some RV electrical stuff. Six months after purchasing and installing these LEDS and 3k miles later, I can report that I did not encounter any issues; no radio frequency distortions or anything of this sort. FYI, rob

Thanks everyone for your input for both topics of discussion; furnace and space heaters. I am intrigued about the airtabs and will look into them. So I'll purchase a couple of space heaters and make sure that they don't exceed 1000 watts and, I'll have my service guy look at my furnace. I'll still phone Atwood to see if they can zone in as to why my furnace shuts down when traveling at a high rate of speed. Hopefully their answer will guide my tech in what to look for. Happy trails! Rob

The engine will heat only the front occupants of the rig. There simply isn't enough "umph" from the engine blower fan to throw the heat to the back of the rig where the kids will rest. And even of there was enough umph, the noise would be God awful loud and by the time the hot air made its way toward the back of the rig - say even 15 feet - that once scolding hot air would soon cool down. Not to mention, the front passenger (my wife) may suffer a heat stroke from all the hot air! Anyway, I think you get the idea. Don't know exactly about the hot air stuff...she says I blow hot air all the time! And she is still around to tell about it! Maybe Brett can use his FMCA tech contacts to have this quandry printed in the next issue of the FMCA magazine and have an FMCA tech draw a picture about this phenom. What say Brett?

Hey Brett: You da' man! So, looks like I need to have someone create an airfoil. Any aerodynamic engineers out there that can create the needed airfoil...at least pencil a drawing or sketch so that I can something fabricated and my local repair guy install it? Maybe something removable? OK, maybe I don't need an engineer, just someone that can quickly draw up something for me so I have a better idea of what it is I need to do to try and fix my furnace problem. As mentioned, we don't do alot of winter driving, but up in the Boston area, and in the NE, it can still be quite cool in the month of May and when we do get away for an extended weekend during this month, we still need the heat on in the rig. So, I don't need anything fancy. Just something to deflect the wind. Thanks everyone....including Brett's contact at the FMCA tech board. Rob p.s. Brett; I'm originally from El Paso, went to college in Denton, and lived in Dallas (actually, Lewisville) after college. You originally from Texas? Just noticed League City on your Avatar. Miss the warm weather down there, that's for sure!

Hey Rich: Nice manual....the Holy Grail of my unit and troubleshooting guide. Thanks! I'll probably phone Atwood and see if they concur with the dealer and their physics theory of why the furnace shuts off while traveling. We don't do alot of winter traveling, so the furnace shutting off never really bothered me. Thanks for the advice about space heater; closed radiant style. To desertdeals69...thanks I'll be sure to watch my thermostat settings and to not play Mario Andretti when taking sharp turns in the rig, so as to prevent the space heaters from tipping over! Rob

Hey Brett: My heater is an Atwood Hydro-flame. I haven't confirmed the model number installed in my rig, but I am looking at the product literature that came with the rig when I purchased it and in the manual, it states that there are several models available- 7900-II, 8012-II, 8500-IV, and 8900 III. To get to your questions, the whole unit just shuts down....quits. And if I pull over after a couple hours of driving (knowing that the heater quit because it is getting cold in the rig), I attempt to re-start the heater via the remote control. I turn the unit "off" for about 30 seconds to one minute, then turn it "on" again. Sometimes it fires up, sometimes it doesn't. I know it fires up because I hear all the usual customary noises that alert me, notifying me that the furnace is back on-line. Fan does not stay running. Furnace located on passenger side, mid-way down the rig, about eye-level, so maybe 5' up from the ground. Ok eye- level for a short fella like me! Bill: Thanks...I do intend to keep the generator running while on the road. The only way to power the flat screen TVs and DVD players to provide entertainment for the kids in the bunks is to have the generator running. Not too concerned about consumed gas by the generator. More interested in learning if I can overheat electrical outlets in the rig and such if I purchase a convection or ceramic heater and keep it running for a number of hours, or at the very least, use them when I know the furnace heater shut off. As for MPGs, we'll be towing our mini-cooper on a tow dolly, front wheels up. When doing this, we typically average about 7 MPGs Thanks, Rob

Hey Brett: I trust your judgement; you are generally spot on with your comments. But, not sure I agree. First, we've traveled in the rig on cool days with the furnace running full bore prior to departure. Shortly after departure, sometimes in 1/2 hours time, other times a little longer, no heat comes out from the furnace. This is most evident on windier days. This phenom has occurred since new (we purchased the rig brand new). So, I have experienced this event first hand. Secondly, I have placed a phone call to the dealer concerning this issue; shortly after purchasing the rig and then most recently, in early spring of this year. The dealer (the head RV Tech) has assured me that it is nearly impossible to keep the furnace going while the rig is cruising down the road. Something about the "convection" winds flowing down th side of the rig and some of the wind finding its way to exhaust vents, ports, holes, etc. and in my cause, blowing out the pilot - or whatever - so that the unit can not stay lit. Since I'm a newbie to the RV lifestyle, I'm really not too sure if I have a "pilot" light to speak of. I simply stated this because frankly, I'm not sure what I have and I can only assume that there is a pilot light or something of the sort that fires up the furnace and in turn, offers heat to the house. I'll put another call into the dealer concerning this issue...maybe their position has changed. In the meantime, still would like to read some comments about space or ceramic heaters. Thanks Brett, Rob

We're hoping to make a Christmas trek to DC, from Boston; roughly 500 miles. From past experience and while traveling, I know that the furnace pilot light will flame out and, as a result, not warm the rig. Needless to say, the rig will get pretty chilly. What's everyone's opinion on the use of space heaters or of the like while traveling? One type of space heater better than another? Ceramic heaters? What precautions should we consider - besides common sense - if we decide to use space heaters? We'll be traveling with our two kids - 7 and 4. Of course, we'll have blankets available.

Great advice so far fellas on how to wrap the heated wire around my water hose and then using the foam wrap to help keep the wire in place. What I have not yet read was a reply to my second paragraph; should I leave the heat toggle switch in the "on" position 24/7? I'm not too concerned about draining house battery; I'll be plugged into the pedestal. Thanks, Rob

Great information on the previous thread about winter camping. A related question I have - and not mentioned in the previous thread - is water hose hook-up to the pedestal. I went to my local box store and purchased 30' of electrical, heated wire. My hope was to wrap my city water hose line with this heated wire so that I would have water on demand with good pressure coming from the pedestal. I have also seen advertised in CW that I can purchase a heated water hose and use this for winter camping. Is one method of keeping the city water hose line from freezing better than the other? Do I simply duck tape the heated line to my hose? Do I zip tie instead? The heated wire I purchased says it is "thermostatically" controlled, but I have not opened the package to further investigate this feature; set lower and upper limits of the unit to turn off and on, for example. I paid about $35 for this wire. Finally, the elbow discharge in both holding tanks are heated. When I purchased my rig some two years ago, I asked that the dealer make it possible for me to use the rig during winter. The dealer placed a "heated, sponge-type pad" on both grey and black holding tanks discharge elbow joints, with each pad having their own "on/off" toggle switch. I intend to keep these switched in the "on" position for the duration of my one week excursion. Any concerns with leaving these switches in the "on" position 24/7? I live in Boston, and will be traveling to DC for Christmas. This will be my 1st winter excursion. Any additional tid-bit information would be great. Thanks everyone! Rob

So I don't have a warranty on the house part of the coach other than through the extended warranty I purchased - "Easy Care" - and for a $50 deductable, everything is covered. Took it to Camping World to have them take care of the issue. My more local mechanic - who is very savy and sharp as a tack - couldn't get to my rig in time for our family to travel for a short 5 day stint in Vermont, so here's hoping CW does a good job in the repair. Rob

Thanks Brett!

I have a two part question. Part 1: So the kitchen sink lever broke; you know, the lever that controls H/C mixture settings. My coach is a Class A 2010 Damon Gas. I phoned the dealer where I purchased the coach and he said that I can pick up a whole new system at my local hardware/plumbing box store for a lot less money than what Damon would charge. Can anyone confirm this? Any mods needed to try and DIY? Part 2: My coach is not quite 2 years old and I thought that I had a 1 year bumper to bumper warranty and the "house" part of the rig was something like 2 years...maybe even 5 years. If my recollection is accurate, wouldn't this kitchen sink lever be covered under the house warranty? Thanks, Rob

Been there and done that. By prepared....ain't nothing there at Liberty Harbor. Just a parking lot with water and 50amp hook up only. Need to drive your rig around to one central dump area in the parking lot. No frills. You go to lIberty harbor because it's the closest palce to park your rig to take the commuter rail to NY. Also, liberty harbor is also a place where NJ folks can drive and park their cars and then take the ferry over to NY. Bathrooms are average if below. You have showers there, but again, they ain't pretty. They do book up fast around the holidays and summers, so the 50% is non-refundable. One last thing, you do have a view of the statue of liberty from Liberty Harbor. As I recall, if you stay in lot B3 or thereabouts, there will be no other rigs that will block your view of the Statue of Liberty. I could be wrong about the site number, but maybe you can download a map and confirm what I said. Also, need to push for your site....don't let them assign one to you....they'll hassle you about how they can't commit to a site, but there is leverage for you...just be assertive. hope this helps! Rob

I have not been to Traverse City or any area of MI, so can't offer any suggestions as to where to stay. However, I have had my eye on staying in Petosky, about 1.5 hour drive north of Traverse City and I have been eye-balling a couple of places to stay. Here's what I have come up with: http://www.signaturervresorts.com/bay-harbor-michigan There's an exclusive Class A only resort in Petosky.http://www.hearthsidegrove.com/index.php http://www.petoskeykoa.com/ Also, I hear mackinac island is a must see when traveling MI; Petosky is nearby http://www.mackinacisland.org/ Hope this helps!Rob

Yup...mighty expensive tolls....something like 20 and 30 bucks,right? That's what I paid last year when we stayed at Cherry Hill Park. Thanks for the route planning info! Rob

I will be traveling from the Boston area to Freehold, NJ for a one night layover, then on to my final destination at Virginia Beach. I'll be traveling in a motorhome, 35', roof clearance of 11'2" and towing a Mini Cooper, front wheels up. I leave in about 5 days. The most direct route will be to travel through NYC to arrive in NJ. YUK!!! Does anyone know of an easier route to Freehold, NJ (my one night layover) that allows me to circumvent NYC? Is it 84 West toward Port Jervis, then figure out my way to Freehold from Port Jervis? Thanks, Rob

I traveled the tunnel last year from FL back to MA. I pulled over and turned off the propane. I intend on making a trek to Virginia Beach and will probably use the tunnel again, so I assume nothing has changed from last year by way off turning off propane. Rob