tbutler
-
Content Count
2713 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
44
Posts posted by tbutler
-
-
Welcome to FMCA and the forum. We loved our full time travel and are on the road about the same amount of time now that we were when we were full time. If you are in it for the long term, consider getting the most solid coach you can afford. We're at 167,000 miles right now.
Wonderful that your home escaped the worst of the damage. I don't know how the housing market will be in the near future. Our house went on the market in the summer of 2001. It took a few months but it finally sold. Be patient with the sale.
-
4 hours ago, Hermanmullins said:The last post to topic until 30 minutes ago was December 3, 2016.
Herman
It still a problem!
-
So the way I read this discussion is that there is mass confusion in the toll system in this country. I really appreciate the links that Wildebill posted. The map on the Alliance for Toll Interoperability page alone is worth a thousand words.
This is just one of the challenges those of us who refuse to be stationary in a single place face. I'm just thankful that we don't have to show our passport to leave Texas, though that would be the case if some (expletive omitted) Texans had their way. How many laws vary from state to state in a way that tends to create individual kingdoms within our country. The road system is a national system, a national treasure, that should be administered as a national system. I feel the same way about a whole bunch of state laws that vary considerably from state to state. That may have made sense in 1900 when very few people traveled beyond their own state but this is 2017, most people can get in their car and travel to another state in an hour or two. Full timers are always at home and usually never in their home state. When you go full time in an RV, you have to constantly adjust to varying state laws and state based systems like health care. It is all so archaic.
I hate tolls. Like Bill (the huffypuff Bill), I have my GPS set to avoid toll roads. Louise insists that I not express my feelings when we pass through the inevitable toll booth. So I smile and shake my head and hand over the money. Nothing irritates me more than any road that starts with I as in I-xx having tolls. Nothing says welcome to "our state" better than a toll road. But in the case of the interstate system, the roads are heavily funded by the federal government. If elected, I will forbid tolls on all federal roads.
That said, I'm boycotting toll roads when possible. The northeast is most difficult and I surrender on I-95, my dentist will fix my teeth. If toll roads are inevitable, we should have a unified payment system. This mix and match map is just crazy. If getting a unified system is not possible with the established groups, then the government should federalize the entire system. That's right, I'm saying take it out of private hands and make it a federal program. This is the United States of America.
-
I'm using Firefox 55.0.3 (32 bit), that is the current version. I am unable to see signatures, mine or any others. This has been a condition for some time (week or two). Still nothing there. I can find no control for me to change a setting and show or not show signatures. From what I am seeing in the above discussion this is a system problem, compatibility with Firefox?
-
We replaced our Norcold with a residential refrigerator. I wrote the process up and posted with pictures here on the forum. You can find the post and following discussion at this link.
Our coach was originally wired for a 1500 Watt inverter. When we purchased the coach the inverter didn't work so it was replaced with a 2000 Watt inverter. No change in wiring was made at that time. Later we replaced the 2000 Watt modified sine wave inverter with a 3000 Watt pure sine wave inverter. Again no rewiring was done between the battery supply and the inverter.
There is a fuse to protect the wiring and we've never had a problem blowing a fuse on the inverter circuit. Check the fuse on the inverter circuit. If the replacement inverter uses more amps than the fuse is rated for then you would need to replace wiring. If not, you would be able to use the wiring that is already there.
-
The Good Sam card is only good at Flying J and they are 30 to 40 cents above market prices in any given area. If you have to use a truck stop I guess it's the best you can do but shopping for fuel at better prices can save a lot more than 8 cents a gallon.
-
There are a number of 5% fuel discount cards out. We have the Sam's Club Master Card. We were already Sam's Club members so the membership fee was already being paid. Some people don't get the fact that 5% is a whole lot more than 5 cents. At today's prices (in California presently), diesel is $3.00+ per gallon which means a 15 cents per gallon rebate. The same card also offers 3% cash back on travel (which includes campground fees).
-
So many different systems, we need to know what year and model coach and what leveling system you have.
Our first coach had a tripod system, one jack in the center front, two in the rear. The front was a pivot point for side to side leveling, thus no twisting of the frame.
Our present coach has air leveling only, HWH system. So we don't have this problem. But it is a totally different animal from the OP.
-
If all else fails, pick the smallest window you can fit through and break it out. You will need tools to disassemble the door from the inside. It sounds as if you are correct, a connection to the lock mechanism has broken or become loose. Either way, you will need to disassemble the door from the inside. A locksmith might help but if the mechanism is broken, I'd be surprised if a locksmith could get you in without breaking a window.
-
I recently had an encounter with the corner of a slide-out. Visit to the urgent care center and a nice scar on my forehead. Previous slash from a lift storage compartment door. I'm looking for a rubber rocker panel cover. Reverting to my childhood!
-
We had this check valve problem. The factory installed a plastic check valve in the hot water heater outlet. DUH! When ours broke, the broken piece would periodically completely or partially block the outlet so we would get a little hot water and then none, back and forth. We couldn't get the valve out of the water heater but were able to get the obstruction out. That "fixed" it. Apparently this valve is required by the RVIA code. I think it is primarily there to prevent back flow into the hot water heater when using the bypass valve when winterizing the coach. When we finally did replace the water heater, I made sure they put in a brass check valve. These are standard items at RV supply stores. Should be no problem finding one.
-
I think of it as a matter of convenience. We have DirecTV in the coach and at home. We know what channels are available, where to find them. Once we are set up and the satellite connection is made, we have the same service we always have. No time finding the OTA channels and then figuring out what the programming schedule is for any particular program we want to watch. We looked at the streaming offerings while at Indy 2017 but just couldn't see it as a viable option. When it happens we get parked under a tree, it is a temporary situation and we'll use cable or OTA but it is definitely the desert as far as our TV is concerned.
We also appreciate the time shifting that can be done. We have both east and west coast network channels so as we travel we can adjust our viewing for the local time. Finally, as we travel, we frequently stop at a rest area for the night or just for lunch. On numerous occasions we have checked the weather via the Weather Channel during these stops to determine future route or travel schedule to avoid bad weather. Having good TV service available no matter where we are located has proven to be a valuable asset.
-
There was a long discussion of this several years ago. After reading that, there are several other discussions you may want to read. Use the search function above and put in Montana. You will get several other discussions that you may want to look at. Most of these relate to cautions and unhappy stories. Lot's of people do it, probably most get by with it. I wouldn't want to be looking over my shoulder worrying about getting caught. Sleeping well at night is worth a whole bunch of money.
-
Herman,
What a difference one "O" can make!
-
There is a real difference between a destination RV park and your run-of-the-mill short stop park. Like rossboyer, our park offers a variety of activities, in the park, that are quite attractive if they fit your interests. In addition, you get to know the rest of the people in the campground, they become a second family for you. Some great friendships from all over the US and Canada.
-
It could be a faulty sensor. We had an overheat code but the temperature sensor was at fault. It was replaced and worked fine.
-
The 7.5 KW Onan Generator will shut down for any of a number of reasons. This is to protect the generator. As jleamont said, look at the blinking light on the on/off switch on the dash or on the generator. If it is blinking it is giving you an error code. To interpret that code you need the operators manual. If you don't have it handy or can't find one, you can get it on-line. Here is a link to help you understand and operate your generator. It doesn't have the error code information. To get to the owners manuals on-line, you have to register with Cummins Quick Serv. If you call Cummins you can discuss the problem with them. (800) 888–6626 They can talk you through reading the error codes. Be at the gen set when you call.
-
Rather than turning off the inverter at the rotary switch which would I believe cut off all power to that circuit, there most likely is a switch on the inverter or a way to turn off the inverter in the operation menu on the inverter control panel. Turning off the inverter on the control panel would be the most likely way to get battery charging while having the inverter off.
-
If you have the standard Splendide washer/dryer combo, their website indicates that it operates on a 15A 120V circuit. Ours has a 20A breaker on that circuit. Either way, you should be able to operate that unit when on 30A shore power. If you have a different washer/dryer, you can look in your manual as Chris says or check the circuit breaker in your 120V power panel. You can also look up the model you have on the dryer manufacturers web site.
-
I agree, the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) completely escaped any damage, no wind, no rain, no flooding. None of the storm water goes to the Rio Grande River. All those rivers drain back into the Gulf of Mexico.
There may be some people relocated to the RGV but there are plenty of RV parks in the valley and most have had empty spaces during the winter. Generally FEMA relocates people close to their home and job. Corpus Christi is three hours travel time from the RGV and that is the closest area that sustained severe damage.
-
Every RV'er should have a good understanding of electricity and the various kinds of connections you will be making with your coach. My favorite reference is RV Electric. This is a complete reference that covers the basics of 20A, 30A and 50A wiring, how it works, how you test it, what problems may occur, even how to wire an outlet for your RV at your home. There are also instructions with labeled pictures to show you how to build your own test equipment for 30A and 50A outlets.
If you don't have a good understanding of the electric power supply then you absolutely must have a surge guard to protect your RV. The potential damage that can be done with a mis-wired outlet can be very expensive. If it only catches one bad power post in your RV'ing experience, the surge guard will have paid for itself. As WildBill says, current can fluctuate faster than you can detect. A surge guard will protect you from current changes that you can't detect with an ordinary tester.
-
If you have jumper cables, you can jump the car to the house batteries to start the generator. + to +, - to - just like jumping another car. Both systems are 12V. The car has plenty of power to crank the generator. Once started, the generator shouldn't need battery power to continue operation.
-
Our hearts go out to all who are caught in the midst of this disaster. The pictures are horrible and the personal pain is unimaginable. Be well, and carry on.
-
I posted a few pictures from our expedition. Check out my blog here on FMCA.com
Tires Parked For Months On Cement? Is There A Problem?
in Tires
Posted · Report reply
There are a variety of things that can be used as parking pads to protect tires and extend their life. There are special pads for this purpose, I've used wood and now I use cutting boards, inexpensive ones from Walmart will do. Whatever you use should be large enough to support the entire footprint of each tire.
To reduce the flat spot, inflate your tires to the maximum pressure given on the tire and the rim. Do not exceed the lesser of those two pressures. An alternate would be to put the jacks down to relieve the weight being supported by the tires. You could also put the coach up on blocks as another alternative.
If parked outdoors, the tires should be covered to protect them from UV rays of the sun.