wayne77590

Hi Ray, My 2 cents worth. For 5 years I had a Demco and used a hammer and screw driver to punch the pin out. After reading some information, and now I have a Blue Ox tow bar, i found out that just turning the steering wheel in one direction or the other will 99% of the time take the pressure off the hard to release pin. I still carry the hammer and screw driver for the just in case times.

My wife has declared the name of our MH as "Citrus." (Guess which citrus.) My sons call it the SKI mobile (SKI=Spending Kids Inheritance.)

To the original poster, the manual states: ----------------- To tow your vehicle from the front with all four wheels on the ground: 1. Position and attach the vehicle to tow it behind the recreational vehicle. 2. Turn the ignition key to ACC/ACCESSORY. 3. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL (N). 4. Turn fog lamps and all accessories off. 5. Remove the IGN SW fuse from the Instrument Panel Fuse Block. See Instrument Panel Fuse Block on page 5-97 --------------- If that process does not work to unlock the steering wheel, seek help from a GM dealer. They should be able to assist you.

Towed the 2013 Lincoln MKX for the first time last week for 240 miles. I don't think there is any difference in the procedure so here is what I did. Hooked up, of course. After putting the keyless start into the accessory position, I turned off the radio and the AC then the display. I shifted into neutral in the proper sequence as indicted in the manual. Exited the car and towed. Four hours later there was no problem with the battery. I typically only travel 250 or so miles a day and we usually stop in a rest area or truck stop for lunch. On this trip we travelled straight through with no stops. When I do stop for lunch in the future I'll start the car and let it run for 5 minutes as the book indicates, then repeat my procedure for towing. If it ever acts differently than this first time, I'll post the information.

DW considers anything that is not a five star hotel/motel boondocking. I think it was a good title Tom. My MH is not configured to run by itself overnight unless the generator is running. Do they allow the slides to be extended? That is also a must in my configuration.

I have the 2013 Lincoln MKX. It is supposed to be 99% identical to the Edge. I have the keyless entry/start also. I towed it for the very first time Thursday the 10/3/2013. Book says, start for 5 minutes before towing. Run selector shift to R, then to D, then to N Place key in accessory position. This can be the confusing thing. You have to have the ignition on to be able to take it out of park. So, after runing through the transmission sequence and it is in N, push the start/stop button until it is off, then push one time to place in accessory position. Also somewhere in the manual I read that after 10 minutes in accessory position the system will shut off. I had not problem starting the car after 240 miles of towing. However, we pulled into our site and I leveled, extended slides, hooked up elect so DW could start on the inside then went to the car to disconnect. First I got in the car and started it, then I went from neutral to park and exited to disconnect. One tow bar arm came loose real easy and the other had to much tension. I went back to the car to put it in neutral and push on the front to disconnect BUT the lever would not come out of park. Nothing I did would make it come out of park. To make this short, and after many calls to Ford dealer and Ford Roadside Assistance they sent a tow truck. I had time to read the manual and one thing caught my eye on fuses. Fuse #59 was the brake on/off fuse. Hmmm! When the tow truck arrived and after some conversation we pulled #59 and it was a 10 amp and it was blown. I had a spare, plugged it in, and everything worked fine with the shift coming out of park. I have a theory. I believe that brake lights work even with the system off. The lighting system that was used when the baseplate was installed was the "diode" kit. So now when hooked up and the brake pedal in the TOAD is activated, not only the braking system lights come on, but the power through the umbilical cord is also applied. We were in some small town heavy stop and go traffic and I think the current through both system was to much. My theory. Anyone?

How long will your stay in the U.S. be? I met a couple from the London area and they were on a 6 month tour of America. They were going to rent but found out what you found and that it is to expensive. So they purchased a used RV and the dealer said when they were finished they would buy it back. Far as I know everything worked out alright and in the end it only cost them some depreciation on the RV. I think it was around $8-12,000 the lost on the 6 months use. Not bad.

Water, lots of water, no matter what you use. Others have stated elbow grease when using drier sheets (I prefer Bounce) but be careful as to much pressure will cause the bug to scratch the surface if it has not had time to dissolve. Lightly go over the surface with sopping wet drier sheets, or a wet rag and do it several times to prevent scratching. I learned the hard way on my 3M masking.

Branson Stagecoach Campground. Passport America daily rate $22.

Mark, One reason that I decided to give up my Class A CDL is because of the cost, and especially if you should get a ticket. I had a motorcycle accident involving only me and my motorcycle. I got a ticket for it. It was $164 back in that time and there was no defered adjudication of defensive driving if you have a CDL. Pay the fine and/or do the time. With a Class A license you have options that include defered adjudication and/or defensive driving. The fine may be the same, but it doesn't go on your record with defered adjudication. At least it didn't 20 years ago - my last time before my CDL. I agree with you that knowing the CDL manual will make you more aware and is definately a good thing, but getting a CDL just to have a CDL can be costly. (In Texas.)

I believe it is classified under "mobile home"criteria. If so than this applies and I hope it gives you the amunition you need http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/rsd/vi/inspection/inspectionCriteria.aspx I'm really not sure if this is the applicable section. I'll keep looking. I don't understand why everyone else that has a diesel MH only has to get a standard inspection and you have to get a commercial one. Beyond me!

I did not like the wrench either and when I was talking with Dan Covington he suggested using super glue. I did. It keeps the theft proof from just spinning and you can take the sensor on/off by hand. My biggest problem was the gasket leaking and after about a week I took them off and they are still in the original box. I had only used 4 sensors on the TOAD and I was very skeptical to try and use them on the MH. Myabe I should see what newer technolgy is out there.

Don has a good point. The dealer should be able to inspect it, OR you should be able to go to any dealer and they will tell you what inspection station(s) to use. I have never heard of any RV needing a CMV inspection. I guess if one was being used for business and was titled commercial it would make a difference. Not sure on that one. That is another item. What does you title or bill of sale say the vehicle is. I remember once in Rhode Island I had a 1 ton, crew cab, long bed F350 King Ranch and I stopped and got $10 worth of tokens at the ticket booth going into Newport. The toll booth operator said I could not get the tokens because I was over 8000 pounds. Next day I pulled up to the booth and showed her my registration that titled it at 7900 pounds. She was aghast and gave me the tokens. Several days later I booth operator stepped up and stopped me and said I could not use tokens because i was over 8000 pounds. I reached up to the visor, pulled out the same papers and showed them to her. She just shook her head and I passed through. Never had another problem. I suspect in your case someone has it in their mind at those stations that you are commercial just because you are over 26,000 pounds. I don't think there has been a change in the law regarding RV's for private use. Shop around. Depending on county taxes it should cost you less than $20 to have the RV inspected. Registrations will cost you somewhere in the neighborhood of $350 a year.

That is just wrong. I get inspected every year at a regular inspection station. They will not do a gas motorhome as the requirements are different than a diesel and they cannot work on it. However, the very first time I pulled into the station to inquire, and I was driving the car, they asked if it was gas or diesel and when I told them diesel they said they would inspect it. Do not know why. A motorhome is usually exempt from commercial inspection practices. Where are you that this is happening?

Seems the link I posted is identical to the one Planocat posted. Must be great minds. Whe does it state in the CDL portion of the manual that RV's are exempt. Probably because a business can own an RV but it is being driven for personal use and is exempt from the CDL requirements. Just my assumption. Somewhere else I have posted a link that Texas describes any vehicle that is 26,001 pounds or greater as a Commercial Vehicle. I'll see if I can find that again. That would also explain the "exemption." Strange, I have never had to fill out form CDL-2 for any Class A or B license I have ever obtained. Also, please consider that an RV weighing 15000 pounds towing s trailer weighing 11001 pounds requires a Class A, or a Class A CDL. It is a combination of vehicles weighing in excess of 26,001 pounds and the towed vehicle is over 10000 pounds. Many miss that aspect of it. Some more information of the definition of a commercial vehicle:

Isn't it strange that the majority of places prohibit the dumping of gray tanks, yet tenters can wash in tubs and dump in shrubs. Hmmm! Something wrong with that picture, but I will abide by the laws. As to the sink being plumbed to the black tank, that should be a relatively easy fix to have it re-plumbed to the gray tank. Our kitchen sink and bathroom sink are plumbed to the Galley tank (we have 3 tanks). The Galley Tank will get filled real fast if we do dishes in the sink, and at most get-to-gethers DW cooks a lot so we need FHU and just open the galley valve. I have gotten an extra day or two out of the galley tank by opening both the galley and grey tank valves and letting the fluid find its own limits. Not recommended for black and other tanks, not at all. Also, after each dump of any tank I put 2 capfuls of Calgon Softener in the tank. I was amazed when I first started doing this how easy things flushed out. Happy trails.

What anyone does is their own business and I will say to you, congratulations in that you never had to prove licensing requirements. It happens that way most of the time. However the legal status states that if you are using a vehicle for business purposes you "may" (Note I said may as in my original post,) need a CDL. The "may" part is my wording. Ignorance of the law is still not an excuse in most courts. If it were me and I was not positive I'd ask the DMV clerk to give me a written statement covering all aspects of my work/business, RV, and that I did not need a CDL. I will bet dollars to donuts that it will never be given. I don't believe they give out the little yellow books anymore. If a standard Class A or B license is needed study the entire CDL manual, you can't go wrong and there is good information to learn.

As the OP indicated he uses his MH for work/business and may well need the CDL I believe that the CDL manual has not changes as that is pretty much regulated by federal law, however the regular Texas Driver's License manual was updated early in 2012 and superceeds the other previous manuals. Just be aware. One can search for the words, 'Texas Driver's License Manual' or 'Texas CDL Driver's License Manual' and get the most current version of the TDPS web site.

Be wary of hooking up anything to the brake light. Some exhaust brakes turn on the brake ligths when activated. My MH does.

Every thing is a conductor. It is just that some things are poorer conductors than others. Tom's example of the car brings to mind a long time ago, and long discussion regarding "grounding." We are both Amateur Radio Operators, and one of the things that is taught is to ground the antenna system. My theory is, that if you run an 8 foot copper rod into the ground and lightening strikes the ground near buy, then the copper becomes a potential conductor into the radio equipment. The discussion went on and on with no definitive conclusion. With that said, a friend in Noxapater, MS had a 100+ foot HAM tower in his back yard. His station was in his very organized basement of the house. Along one wall was a work bench with electrical connectors for testing equipment. Against a far wall was his HAM radio station. In the middle of the basement floor was a 4 foot wide by 6 foot long wooden bench. There were not connections to this bench other than the four wooden legs on the floor. This bench was used only to dismantle the metal case of equipment he was working on and he would transfer the internal makings to the other work bench. He had opened up a radio and laid the case next to the electronics, then left his house to go shopping. When the came back the found that a storm had come through the area. Lightening had struck his outside antenna, traveled down the RF wires into the house, through his radio. The radio suffered 1 blown resistor and a capacitor. However, the radio sitting on the bench with nothing attached to it looked like an ARC welder had sliced right through the middle of it. The lightening had then jumped the table, went inot an electrical plug on the wall, traveled up the wired and blew some components in his refrigerator. I wonder why it didn't got to ground from his antenna which was grounded. Lightening is the most unpredictable element in the world.

Read the manual like you were preparing for a school test. So as Tom stated, read it and read it again, then maybe again. You seriously don't have to memorize everything in it but it is nice to know that what info you are looking for is contained in the manual. Winnebago has on-line manuals in sectional form, like maybe one on plumbing and one on electrical and so forth. Download them as it is much easier to search for information than thumbing through pages. Besides, it gives purpose to the computer. Welcome and please enjoy the trip, and the destination when you get there. Happy trails.

I have used AT&T MiFi now for 5 years. (Whew! Lot of money at $50 a month), however we have traveled the West and East Coast and only on a few occasions did I not have good connectivity, or no signal. Many times in those places of no signal the campground had WiFi. The MiFI will connect up to 5 connections and you can limit that to two if you so desire. The 4G signal is very adequate for surfing and paying bills. The 5Gb limit is rarely met unless you stream a lot of videos. Laptops: There is no right answer for which is the "better" laptop. It really comes down to a matter of user comfort and choice. For years I worked with Windows computers and in the RV a Windows laptop. Over the last several years I have had Toshiba laptops and I have been exceptionally satisfied with them. My only reason for getting another Toshiba was because of hardware improvement, in general. For the past two years i have been using a MacBook Pro, 15", and it is serving me well. You need to look at all the options and what your intended use is to determine if a "flash" drive used in the MAC's will suffice, or if you need a Hard Disk Drive of a windows system. Personally I'd go with the MAC with a large flash drive and I would add an external hard drive for backup, especially of the photos. Not a bad idea to have them in a couple places, and as someone else indicated, the iCloud storage capability. I have been banking on the internet for the past 5 or so years. I (knock on wood) have never had a problem. If you use the MiFi, then the WiFi connectivity is between your computer and the MiFi unit. The MiFi uses cell towers and their proprietary hardware and software security. In any case you want to look at the URL of the company you are doing business with and make sure that the URL starts with HTTPS:// wich is the Secure Socket Layer security protocl for encrypting the information as it is sent from your computer to the server. You can search on the term HTTPS and read about it. The big key is in the strong passwords that you should use for all financial transactions. As for security, it is more likely that someone will break into a corporation's database and steal financial data than intercepting your transmissions, or a clerk at a restaurant writes down you credit card number and sells it in a batch that he/she has collected that day. Be careful, as we can become paranoid about security issues some times. Happy trails.

Enjoy the trip, and the destination.

As Brett stated. I use to do it all the time with dog bone adapters. With the 5er I could only use one AC at a time. Even plugging a vacuum in and running it would throw the house breaker. In the 40ft MH, before I had 50 amp installed, I could run the AC. Only one AC would comeon in the basement AC model but that was enough. The energy management system built into the RV took care of distirbuting the load. Typically only the AC could be run and any other appliance would trip the 20 amp breaker. Make sure you use a 12 gauge or better yet a 10 gauge cord. Do not use one of the lawn and garden extension cords that are only 14 gauge, as they will get very hot with any load on them.

MikeandVicki, The only true way to know what pressures are needed in your tires is to have eachof the corner weighed (each wheel or set of duals) and then use the tire manufacturers recommended tire pressures. You can get this information from searching for your tire manufacture brand name "tire inflation chart." Example: Michelin tire inflation chart. Until then, you can run the maximum pressure as indicated on the sidewall of the tire, but do get weighed and use the recommended pressure - with a fudge factor. (Search for that also.) Here is a link to the Michelin Tire Pressure Tables