tbutler
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Posts posted by tbutler
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Brett,
Thanks for the information. Your technical tips are very helpful. I always learn something. With our side radiator I usually hose it out good with a garden variety sprayer every time it gets a good wash. I hadn't used any detergent and that would be a good idea once in a while.
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Darn Tom! We were planning on running up through Canada and back down, but now I don't think it is worth it. What a shame. All for the good ol' $$$$.Now Wayne, nothing I said should discourage you. Filling out the form won't cost you a cent! It just takes a little while to put together an inventory. You don't need to include any of the stuff that is attached to your motor home. Just inventory all the valuable loose items, computers, cameras, other valuables you carry with you. You should have a good inventory of these items for insurance purposes anyway. Consider this a good reason to get it done now and go to Canada. We have been to Canada every year, for the last four years. It's a great country, go and enjoy.
You don't have to pay anything at US Customs to process the form. It will take you a few minutes to process the paperwork. One hangup is that it isn't easy getting into Customs from the "back side." We can usually find a parking place on the US side somewhere nearby and walk in from there. I enjoy the reaction of the border agents, they don't see too many of these forms. I suppose that most RV'ers don't file this form but if you don't you leave yourself open to more problems than you want. Most border agents are quite reasonable but if you get one on a bad day it would be nice to have the form! With it you won't have any argument.
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Here are the official web sites of the border crossing agencies in the United States and Canada. Consult these before making your border crossing. Even if you cross frequently, check this before you go as rules do change.
Find out what you are allowed to take with you when you cross, regulations for food, animals, plants, liquor, cigarettes, firearms, etc. Both sites have extensive information on other rules and regulations for entering their respective countries. Before you leave your country of origin, you should know what you will be allowed to return with. Likewise, before entering another country you must know what you will be allowed to bring with you.
For the US Customs and Border Protection: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/
For those leaving the US: Look under the side heading: US Citizens/Legal Permanent Residents
For those entering the US: Look under the side heading: For International Visitors
For Canadian Border Services Agency: http://cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/menu-eng.html
For those leaving Canada: Look under the side heading: Canadians and Residents
For those entering Canada: Look under the side heading: Non-Canadians
One of the items under US Customs and Border Protection (Know Before You Go - Tip: Register...) is of particular importance to RV'ers. Since those of us who are full time carry plenty of stuff with us, it would serve us well to follow this tip. I have always prepared CBP Form 4457 and get it verified by CBP before leaving the US. I have never been challenged regarding the contents of the motor home upon return to the US but it only takes once to make it worthwhile having this document prepared and verified before you leave the US. I have the form on my computer and update it as I purchase items. I fill out form 4457 and refer to the attached list which is printed from the computer. I have had agents come to check serial numbers and look at one or two items on the list and then go ahead and certify the remainder of the list. I have had agents simply certify the list without looking since it had serial numbers and identification information on it already. What they are looking for is anything you purchased out of the country and are returning with. You have to have some way to prove you took it out of country with you or you may be liable for duty on everything in your motor home!
This is the wording from the CBP Web site referenced above:
Tip: Register Items Before You Leave The United States
If your laptop computer was made in Japan, for instance, you might have to pay duty on it each time you brought it back into the United States, unless you could prove that you owned it before you left on your trip. Documents that fully describe the items -- such as sales receipts, insurance policies, or jeweler's appraisals -- are acceptable forms of proof.
To make things easier, you can register certain items with CBP before you depart -- including watches, cameras, laptop computers, firearms, and CD players -- as long as they have serial numbers or other unique, permanent markings. Take the items to the nearest CBP office and request a Certificate of Registration (CBP Form 4457). ( CBP Form 4457 ) It shows that you had the items with you before leaving the United States and all items listed on it will be allowed duty-free entry. CBP officers must see the item you are registering in order to certify the certificate of registration. You can also register items with CBP at the international airport from which you are departing. Keep the certificate for future trips.
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In a previous article I outlined an alternate route for I-80 through Utah and Wyoming. One that isn't as fast but got us there just the same and we got to see new places. Here is another installment of that series.
We have been across Kansas on I-70 at least once a year for the entire time we have been full time in the motor home and for years before that in cars. This spring when we left Denver, we dropped south from I-70 at Lyman, Colorado, taking US 40/287 south to Kit Carson and staying on US 287 to Lamar, Colorado. From there we turned east on US 50/400 and stayed with US 400 when the two separated.
We stayed overnight at a nice rest stop on US 50/400 just before crossing into Colorado. The next day we drove to Dodge City, Kansas. We stayed at Gunsmoke RV, a nice park with large pull through campsites. In Dodge City we visited the Boot Hill Museum. They have a fine collection of pioneer and cowboy memorabilia. Both east and west of Dodge City we saw numerous cattle feed lots.
East of Dodge City we stopped in Greensburg, Kansas to take a look at the community recovering from an F5 tornado. Construction is still going full force two years after the tornado. Wichita was our next overnight stop. We spent several nights at USB RV Park. Wichita has many attractions, museums, an old downtown area with shops and restaurant/bars and a Cowboy Town with many old original buildings from the era of the cattle drives. We returned to I-70 in Kansas City via the Kansas Turnpike and I-35 which takes you through the scenic Flint Hills of eastern Kansas.
Most of this route is extremely rural. So rural that we didn't see a Wal-Mart until we got to Wichita. The wheat fields in eastern Colorado and western Kansas were beautiful and agricultural activity is everywhere. The roads are generally good roads with light traffic. In some places there are frequent passing zones to assist other traffic in passing you. These are things we enjoy and why we try to vary our route as we travel well worn routes.
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Hey Wayne, I nominate you for the FMCA GGA (Good Guy Award)! Not for helping them with the electric, anyone would have done that. But you didn't report the rest of the conversation. I'm sure there was much said after you solved the problem! And you probably didn't even hear the best part of it!
We should start a summer camp, basic training for RV'ers! Can you find a DI hat? We could whip them into shape in no time! SEAJAY will help and we only have to pay him a dime!!!
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SEAJAY,
You are probably correct, we had a 1994 Dynasty and it had a four door refrigerator with an ice maker. When it started to leak we were told that the refrigerator had to be removed to fix the leak --- so we traded it for a new 2004 Windsor which doesn't have that problem. We agree with Wayne, you should have baught a new coach!!
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Great idea SEAJAY, I'll credit 10 cents to your account! And I'll give it a try when we get to a a fixed location for a while.
I did something similar this fall when we got to our winter quarters. I plugged a power strip into the outlet above the recliner and attached the power end to the underside of a small table that I built. It fits under the fold out table that I use for my printer. The under table held my photo printer, two 1TB drives and the USB port to connect them all. That way I could plug in one USB cable to my computer and be connected to everything! Then with everything plugged into the power strip I just flipped the switch on it to turn it all on or off. All this wonderful technology has its challenges! Having all the support power packs and chargers sure helps! Thanks.
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Check my posting in reply to the windshield wiper question. I found a resource that has a listing of salvage yards for RVs. I went through the list and at least one of them mentioned manuals. You might find what you need at one of these sources if you haven't already found one.
I have also started a topic under the general category with the resource listed.
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This is the answer to everything! You might even find the meaning of life somewhere in this listing!
Mark S. Nemeth has been full timing for five years and it must have been his passion to put together a resource list that includes most everything an RV'er could want to know.
I was looking for RV Salvage resources for cheap replacement parts. His list is at least 50 entries from all over the country complete with descriptions of specialties of various salvage resources! That list alone could save any one of us thousands of dollars! But there is more...
Check it out for yourself: http://www.ccis.com/home/mnemeth/index.htm
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Thanks Jim,
By the way, I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that perhaps a well maintained quality motor home might actually appreciate in the future... WHOA! What did you say???
What if... manufacturers of large motor homes go out of business because of the economy, inability to get loans to continue business or for customers to purchase, fuel prices, government regulation on engines related to pollution, etc., etc.
Before the extreme high fuel prices, RV manufacturers were already looking at ways to improve fuel efficiency and to down-size their motor homes. Will RV manufacturers return to making as many large motor homes as in the past? Or will they look to Detroit and the auto manufacturing industry and reconsider their plans? Will the financing be available to manufacture large motor homes even if the manufacturers want to return to the old ways?
What if... several million baby boomers retire about the time that the supply of new motor homes begins to dry up???
What if... these baby boomers were 60's hippies recalling the good ol' days???
Or maybe they weren't hippies and want to live the good ol' days???
Perhaps they aren't really campers but just want a comfortable life on the road. A good used motor home or conversion bus may just be the answer to their needs.
Maybe, just maybe we may own the last of the dinosaurs and these things might just become quite valuable in the future.
I wouldn't bank on the above but... When a finite supply meets a strong demand...
I'm keeping my motor home in tip-top shape just in case!
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Go to your favorite search engine on the internet and type in RV Salvage. I came up with plenty of entries. One in the center of the country is www.colawrvsalvage.com in Carthage, Missouri (SW part of state near I-44). I have had a friend who has picked up items like a replacement for his rear view camera. When the first one didn't work, they replaced it with another! I'd give them a try. They ship. Try searching the internet for similar salvage yards in other parts of the country, you might find one close to home that you can visit personally. I haven't been to any of these yet but I understand it is really interesting place to visit!
PS: Here is the mother load listing of RV Salvage Yards: http://www.ccis.com/home/mnemeth/rvsalvage.htm
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Good suggestions Jim. We started with a tow dolly. After one year we abandoned it. Problems we ran into included having a low front end on our toad which required we carry some wood blocks to raise the ramps so the front of the car wouldn't scrape on the dolly. The dolly had surge brakes (the weight of the car coming forward during a stop caused the brake cylinder on the dolly to activate its brakes) but the mechanism that activated the cylinder had to be replaced several times. Finally we had a flat tire and try as I might, I could not find a replacement tire for the tow dolly. I had to purchase one on a rim from a representative of tow dolly manufacturer. That was the final straw and I gave it up. We currently tow four wheels down. I would love to use a trailer to protect my toad but the hassle of dealing with a trailer in campgrounds is one that I am not willing to accept.
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jroger,
I will start by referring you to a discussion of 12V vs. 6V batteries in the section on Technology>Electrical.
Since you are starting from scratch, you want to replace the 12V batteries with four 6V batteries in a series and parallel arrangement. There was a good article in Family Motorcoaching Magazine several years ago that I used as a reference for replacing my batteries. It has good step-by-step information to take you through the whole process. If you are not interested in doing the work yourself, I would suggest going to a RV shop and having them do the replacement for you.
Suppliers for batteries of the wet cell type are many. I went to Interstate Batteries, www.interstatebatteries.com for a local supplier and they had them in stock.
For the sealed absorbed glass mat batteries, check out www.lifelinebatteries.com These cost about twice as much as the wet cell type batteries. They should last longer but I don't think it will be twice as long.
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OK, There have been a lot of words, here are some numbers.
I went into Quicken where I account for every expense. Here are our expenses for the last 12 months, May 13, 2008 through May 13, 2009. I have rounded them off and they are yearly totals so if you want monthly expense, divide by 12. These are the full timer expenses. I have not included food, you should already have a budget for that, neither have I included medical expenses and medical insurance, you know what your expenses are there. I have eliminated many other categories like computer expenses, photography, astronomy and aviation. These are my hobbies and you will have your own hobbies and a pretty good idea of what your expenses are there.
I will say that we are not trying to scrape by on the bare minimum. We don't stay at the most expensive parks but we will if we must to be where we want to be. This past year we toured central Canada from Ontario to Alberta, traveled to California to visit our daughter and family and returned to the midwest to visit more family before going to our winter resort in the southern tip of Texas. All this travel was at diesel fuel rates near or above $4.00 per gallon. Our total mileage in the RV for the last 12 months has been about 16,000 miles and this is pretty typical of our travel in the RV.
The RV expenses (other) include two new LCD TV's which I installed myself this winter. The RV expenses (other) also include a new inverter and the costs of installing it. The auto and RV expenses both include major preventive maintenance costs. For the toad, a 60,000 mile service and some suspension replacement parts. The toad has 80,000 miles on the odometer and another 75,000 tagging along behind the motor home. So the engine is on one maintenance schedule and the suspension and tires are on another schedule.
You will see electric costs under utilities because our winter resort bills that separately. We have an annual contract at our winter resort and that is included in the campground costs. Other utility costs include two different cell phone contracts. My wife has one company and I have a different to ensure we always have coverage. We also have internet suppliers with dial up access as well as cell modem for each of our computers. We have near full coverage from DirecTV, costs could be cut here if you don't want or need the TV.
Auto Expenses 3800
Campground Fees 5725
Homeowners Insurance (Full Timers+) 380
RV Expenses
Fuel 4960
Insurance 1450
Registration 260
Service 4000
Other RV Expenses 6400
Utilities
Cell Phones 1135
Direct TV 1500
Internet Access 1350
Propane 610
Electric (at winter resort) 500
So that is what I see as the extraordinary costs associated with life on the road. Some like the utilities will be offset by what you now spend on those items at your home. And of course others have mentioned that the cost of purchasing the RV is money that you likely won't recover when you sell your motor home but then you can consider that money as what it costs to be free to explore and enjoy an new lifestyle. You can not put a price on the wonders you will experience as you travel. You will save money because the endless stuff that you purchase will be greatly curtailed by the limit of space in your new home. Your souvenirs become your pictures and an occasional piece of clothing or other small item with the emphasis on small!
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Leroy,
Be aware that if you plug in on a 30 amp connection, not everything in your coach will be able to work at the same time! You can use the electric water heater and maybe an air conditioner but if you want to use the microwave you'll have to shut off the water heater or the air conditioner. You might be able to use 2 air conditioners but don't try to use the hot water heater at the same time. Your limit will be 30 amps no matter what your power card is capable of carrying.
That said, we stay at parks that have just 30 amp electric all the time. Our coach has a regulator system that will shut down appliances if we approach the 30 amp limit so we don't blow the circuit breaker. Without this feature, we would be outside resetting the breaker every time we switched on one to many appliance. If we need two air conditioners, we will try to get 50 amps because there is always the microwave, coffee pot, washing machine and drier and the hot water heater that need electric, not to mention the TV, etc., etc.!
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While you are unplugging the shore power, you did unplug the shore power didn't you?? Be sure that the generator isn't running and won't run if you have an automatic start on your generator. Also, be sure your inverter is turned off before starting any electrical repair on the 120V AC current in your motor home. Any one of the three sources mentioned here could make for a very unhappy ending. After making sure you have no current coming from any of the three sources, use a test meter to determine that you absolutely have no AC current before touching any electrical component. Better safe than sorry!
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SEAJAY,
I recently replaced my thin plastic tube for the second time. Fortunately mine is located in a place where the leak goes outside, not in. I went to Lowe's and they have an ice maker tube which is thick rubber covered by a stainless steel mesh! It fits right on where the fittings that held the thin plastic tube were. I got a one foot tube for less than $3.00 and now I have an ice maker and expect that I will have no further problems. If you need a longer tube they also have 5 foot, 10 foot and 20 foot tubes! You could probably get a threaded piece to string together two one foot tubes if you needed more than a foot but less than five feet!
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I invite anyone who is reading this topic to take a look at the discussion of moisture control in motor homes which I posted in another forum and has since been relocated to the Class A Motorhome discussion. Jhalat is correct that ventilation is the key to controlling moisture. If opening vents isn't enough, turn on the fan, it will remove the moisture and eliminate condensation problems in the motor home. Yes, a dehumidifier will work but it shouldn't be necessary if you use the techniques I outlined in my post.
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I would like to know if a dehumidifier wouid help ... I have been loking at a small portable unitThanks Mike
Mike,
Dehumidifiers work better than the chemical driers which are effective only in small spaces such as cabinets or small closet spaces. I used a chemical desiccant in the cabinet over our bed when I had a leak in a slide out. It kept the moisture at a low level in that space until I could get repairs done. As my article points out, the key to controlling moisture in your motor home is ventilation. Allow the moist air to escape by ventilating, with a fan if necessary. A fan is certainly necessary when cooking or showering but may also be necessary when you have large numbers of people in the motor home. This is especially true if they have damp clothing or are breathing heavily.
Bring in outside air which will be lower in moisture content and, if necessary, warm it to stay comfortable. This is the most effective way to deal with moisture. If you really don't want to open windows and use a vent fan, then use a dehumidifier. -
I've found that having them custom made at shops such as we have when we travel to Yuma are the best bet. We had white units on our last coach, but found they were too restricting. You couldn't see in, but you couldn't see out either. We had tan/white put on our present coach which control the heat and let you see out easily. They are all put on with snaps or the turn units as you wish. Complete set for windshield and side window $125.00 custom measured and installed. One side note: They are cleaned the easiest way by just using bucket and scrub brush with Awsome cleaner and water and then hosing the screen down while on the coach and then scrubbing with the Awsome/water combination and brush as you can keep them taunt while scrubbing and then unsnap the bottoms and hose down from the top which allows all the dirt to flush out the back and down the windows. Lot easier than trying to lay them on the driveway and clean them.Gene and Shirley Nelson
Here is my technique for washing sun screens. Whenever possible I will use the campground picnic table for washing. The dirty water drains away through the slots in the table and I have never had a campground owner complain about my washing their table! I have had to wash the screens on a driveway but can't get them to rinse clean. That would be a last resort for me. I have washed the screens on the coach but it really doesn't do a very good job for me.
On a picnic table I can put the large screens on the bench on the opposite side, accordion them back and forth to keep them off the ground and then pull them across to me as I wash them. As I pull them off my side of the table I again accordion stack them on the bench I am working over. If possible I'll use a hose to rinse but can also use a bucket to splash water on them for a rinse. If I use a hose I put a sprayer on it so I can get a good spray for rinsing and can shut it off when not in use. I usually clean them when putting them up. Hang them on a line just long enough to get the bulk of the water off and then put them on the windows to finish drying. I use a stiff brush and a little dishwashing detergent. If they are really dirty, I'll scrub both sides.
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Actually SEAJAY I think you answered your own question. Three motor homes, traveled all over the country and no problems. The surge protector is an insurance policy, just like any other. If everything goes well, the insurance is a waste of money. So far you have been doing fine.
I have the same experience. Only two motor homes but eight years full time on the road. We have been to 49 states in the motor home and most of Canada. I do make sure that my computer is unplugged when we have a thunderstorm nearby but really don't worry about it. Yes, we have huge quantities of electronics on board but other than a few cheap devices, I haven't had any problems with TV's, DVD players, microwaves, etc. The problems I had were from my non-sine wave inverter, not the line current. The electrical grid is really quite superior to what we had years ago and the quality of the current we get varies only in those parks that are improperly wired.
I haven't even considered purchasing a surge protector. Let's see what accounts we get from people (or their electronics) who have been burned by this attitude.
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Hello Strange73,
Where do you live? I ask because the FMCA Convention in Columbus, Ohio this summer (July...) is the best place to actually see the difference. Bunches of coaches, you can drive 'em and see how they handle. Walk through them, look in the closets and cabinets, the storage, the cockpit, look at the price tag and decide which coach is "you."
My wife highly prizes her pantry for storing food and dishes. If you don't want to eat meals in the coach (I knew someone who said their stove never would work! HA HA) then the pantry won't matter. Some coaches have large basement storage, others have basement space taken up with air conditioners, aqua hot water/furnace, audio/video centers, refrigerators, etc. Do you want a party machine or a home? Are you going to be driving hard for long distances or just an occasional weekend? You have lots of things to consider. Look at all the possible motor homes and pick the one that fits your needs.
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I have had pressure regulators do this. If you have a pressure regulator on the hose (you should always use one), it may be the problem. Change it out for a new one and it may solve your problem. As far as I know, there is no repair for these, they either work or don't.
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I have just replaced my Xantrax Trace RV2512 with a Xantrax RS3000, a sine wave inverter. The 2512 still works, all functions except the auto generator start function. The RV2512 is not a sine wave inverter. The RV2512 is a 2500 watt inverter/charger so it has a slightly larger capacity than your current model. When we are plugged in, it charges the house batteries We used it for five years before we had it replaced. There are several types of electronics that we found problems with, electric blankets will not work with the RV2512 and door bells wouldn't work with it either.
Full-Timing: What about the kids?
in RV-ing with Kids
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On the question of what to do with the stuff you have collected over a lifetime of living in a foundation home, everyone has their own connections here that are difficult to part with. From our experience, we started by selling my motorcycle. Louise says she knew I was serious when I did that! We had furniture that was of some value and we gave our children first choice on that. Daughter number two was moving into an apartment at the time and took several of the furniture and electronics items (sterio and TV). We also had a few family heirlooms among the furniture. Those were passed along to specific children with their concurrence. So many of those items were not gone completely though we have no intention of ever asking for them back.
Then there is the whole category of collectibles. Both Louise and I had numerous collections of items from coffee mugs to fossils that we had assembled over the years. Once in a while I get a twinge for some of those items. We sold or donated most of those items. None were particularly valuable other than keepsake kinds of value. I would like to have had some of the fossils to give to my grandchildren though none are old enough to appreciate them yet. That collection was too heavy and too bulky to be storing in our daughters basement so it went. So now I look for rocks and fossils and transfer them directly to the grandchildren rather than keeping a collection on hand.
Common household items were easier to get rid of. When you think of what you paid for some of these things and what you get when you sell them it helps to keep the RV lighter. My days of consummate consumerism are over and I am glad that I'm not throwing my money away on stuff that will be worth pennies someday when I am finished with it. We sold everything we could at a series of garage sales at fire sale prices and gave away what we could not sell.
We had some nice artwork, our oldest daughter took some of those items and the rest we stored in her basement. They aren't heavy and can be stored in a compact space so we kept them. When we have to give up the motor home we'll have some artwork to decorate our new home with.
Louise loves to read. She always has some books with her but she doesn't collect books. She loves to use the book exchanges at parks to find new books to read. She has a bread maker, blender and several other cooking utensils. Louise likes to keep the house decorated when we are staying in one place for a while so she has small photographs and nick-knacks stored away in drawers. I made a small table that fits over the steering wheel to hold some of the things we like to display. Many of these things are small souvenirs of our travels. She has a lace tablecloth we purchased in Mexico and drapes it over the dash and steering wheel table to make things look nice.
As an amateur astronomer I had several telescopes. I rebuilt one of them to fit into the motor home, the other is compact in a suitcase style carry case and it fits under the bed. I get those out from time to time as we travel though not enough to justify hauling them everywhere. Still, I won't give them up. We have a friend who travels with her keyboard and sets it up to practice and play as they travel. We know another couple who travel with her sewing machine because she loves to sew. Those things that are of greatest importance you will find a way to keep and/or take with you.
We had a nice home gym which our oldest daughter took and uses. We purchased a Bowflex, it fits into one of our basement compartments. We get it out periodically to keep fit. It is out more often when we are in a location for an extended period of time.
We have items for our grandchildren when they come to visit. Coloring books from places we've visited, puzzles from National Parks we have visited, they love to play with tickets and our convention badges and ribbons. We got some native toys in Alaska. We keep some simple games they like to play. We can't keep them away from our dominoes and they love to play Mexican Bingo. We also have a collection of DVD's for them to watch. So plenty of rainy day stuff for the children.
Life is simpler knowing that there isn't room for anything more so now we shop for the essentials. We invest our money in the experience of living rather than in things.