mweiner

If your "coach air conditioning " is blowing out 55 degrees from the vents, you should be able to cool down the coach pretty quickly... Also, open a small window to blow out the warm air once you start ...then close up the coach. One more thing, if you really want to cool off faster, turn on the engine and run the vehicle AC up front for a while...the two units together should make a difference. Of course, we have a small Class B and the space to cool down is MUCH smaller than what you probably have, but, I would think that your system would be sized appropriately for this. Question- when was last time you had your unit serviced? Good luck...

Thanks for this. Question, are two 160 watt panels enough to keep my twin 6 volt batteries charged up... I know that it won't be enough to run the AC. @😁😁😁 Listen, the guy who installs my stuff...for my private cars.... proximity sensors, back up camera, custom radio and amplifiers, speakers etc. has been doing this for over 25 years. He is my go to guy for all mobile electronics. When he installs something.. like the new radio navigation system I put in the coach recently, you can't see how he does it... wires are not visible anywhere. Truly magic. He just installed a new back up camera and front camera all integrated into the new dashboard system with a 7 inch screen... very slick. The new mircophone to pick up voice is a tiny one just popping out of the headliner near the windshield... I'm going to be very involved and will certainly ask him about the size of the wires...he is very trustworthy and really backs his work 100 percent. He even does work for dealerships in the area with new cars. Hmm, I had some difficulties locating Bob's solar website...was that Solarbobsolar.com Didn't work for me??? SO, do you think I'll be able to get enough bang for the buck on these two panels? I imagine it's better than nothing? I really don't expect to be boon docking that much, but, keeping the batteries charged is much more desirable than letting them get deeply discharged.

The guy that would install them for me professionally told me that he could easily get two 160 watt panels up there for a maximum output of 320 watts. He wasn't sure about a 3rd panel?? And, he would wire that to the electrical system with a charge controller... The two panels installed would be around $1,100. If that could give me a little more peace of mind when boon docking, I would consider this money well spent. The coach has two AGM deep cycle 6 volt batteries in series under the hood. They're Centennial batteries, here they are below... https://battsys.com/centennial-battery-cb6-224-6-volt-224-amp-hour-sealed-lead-acid-agm-battery

Did you purchase late model motor home to save money on depreciation? The first few years.. maybe three to five are the steepest loss of value once you drive the vehicle off the lot just like buying a new car. Many of these vehicles don't get a lots of miles on them and in my particular case, I purchased the 2012 Roadtrek RS Adventurous with 26,000 miles for a 6 years old Mercedes Benz Sprinter with a five years old conversion. We saved almost 50 percent off the manufacturers suggested list price on a 2017 model with the 2016 vehicle.... pretty much the same features. Depreciation is a huge factor in the purchase price and since many of these vehicles are converted in Canada, like the Roadtrek and others, a brand new 2017 coach we saw at the local dealership had 2,000 miles on it already. SO, what was the average age of the particular model motor home that you purchased and how long have you had it.?

YES, if you stream that much data....it pays to be on unlimited...I agree 100 percent. I may decide in the future to go with Verizon...

Did any of you purchasing a Class B motor home give consideration to the fact that a fiberglass roof with seams has a much better chance of leaking than a metal roof straight from the factory with some penetrations for a fantastic fan, etc. ?? I was concerned that the reconstructed roof of a Class C coach like the Winnebago Navion or similar models would NOT be as sound as the inside conversion of my Mercedes Benz Sprinter van. Further, I'm thinking of having solar panels installed on the roof and integrated into the electrical system. While I have a professional installer who knows what to do, it's always a risk when you penetrate the membrane of the roof. What have been your experiences with this..? I presume that it's worth the risk to get solar? If it weren't done after market by my installer, it would have been done by Roadtrek in my case. A penetration is a penetration. My decision to get the Class B motor home was based on three things, 1. Way it drives, and manueveable handling. 2. Extremely high MPG for a vehicle of this size. 3. Lower maintenance and repair, especially of the roof seams and seals. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

I hope that the opportunity to vote will be done over the Internet.

Yeah, Project Fi is not for everyone. If you are a really heavy data user, the costs can get pretty pricey. There's no ceiling on data, it's $10 per GB with no upper limit. Most people though don't use excessive data, in fact, more people than you might think pay for unlimited plans and never use the full potential.

OK, as a matter of sharing information, here's a link to what it's all about. I've been using them for one year now and my cellphone expenses have been substantially lower... maybe you and others could benefit from this. The only thing is it only works with limited phones that you get from Google. I was leaving a lot of money on the table with unused data... Project Fi only charges for data you use and refunds you every month if you are under your allotment.... better than roll over minutes...it's an actual cash discount each month. Conversely, if you go over your data plan, they charge you accordingly. Overall though, I was paying a lot more per month for "unlimited data" that I actually never used.... I recently inquired about Verizon.. they wanted $45 per line for four phones and $180 per month for two phones unlimited..... really? I was paying a similar amount to T-MOBILE.. My average bill from Project Fi for two phones is around $100 per month.. Even with the cost of purchasing new phones, Project Fi was still less expensive overall... kinda like getting the phone for no additional charge. We'd all like to think we're getting the best engineered price for our dollars, but, in many cases this just isn't so. Hope you take the time to learn about Project Fi....it may save you a few bucks. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Fi

On average, how many miles can you travel before you need to refill or add DEF fluid? I've been told that a full DEF tank of 5 gallons (US), will go approximately 4,000 to 5,000 miles? Have you had any experience with this? Maybe the Mercedes Benz Sprinter uses DEF more efficiently? Any thoughts?

Kay, By all means, please feel free to address me by my first name, Mark, that's fine. I retired early from higher education administration.... let me tell you it's the best thing I've ever done.. I'm 65 and love the freedom of not having to go to the office and deal with politics... Wow, 500 acres.. that's a lot of work.. we live in Los Angeles in a quiet suburban neighborhood...and when we close up the house with double pane windows, it's very peaceful around here. It's not as quiet as your area, but, much quieter than a campsite.😁 YES, one of the best features of having the little class B is that we're extremely mobile... throw a few chairs in the back, pick up an outdoor mat and close the awning...we can be ready to move in less than 10 minutes easy.😁 So far, we've met really nice people... And have not had to resort to moving to another park when we've gone out. And, if we do decide to go out for the day or evening, we just drive the rig there. Driving around looking at sites in a Class A or even Class C is much more challenging... parking in our rig is relatively easy. We still have our teardrop trailer, although, I have it up for sale right now.. Really cute, and it has some advantages over the rig, but, setting it up and getting it ready to go is a VERY labor intensive exercise. Usually takes about an hour to 90 minutes. So far, we love taking the small RV to places, it's a snap to just dash off for the day or weekend.. We keep it stocked with clothes and staple items, so, in the event of an earthquake or other natural disaster, we could be on the road in a very short time indeed. One of the reasons I wanted this particular coach is that it's versatile to go anywhere. We went from LA to Fresno and averaged 18.68 MPG climbing over 4,500 mountain passes. And, that little 3 litre V6 Mercedes turbo diesel just hums along and doesn't slow down on the climbs. I expect that it will not be too difficult to average 18 MPG across the United States. I've heard of people getting 19 or 20 MPG .we were going 65-70 MPH. In California with my teardrop trailer, the legal maximum is 55 MPH...so, the rig is not only faster it's one vehicle and I don't have to worry about towing. Yes, we like it very much and hope to see many places with it. So, you're still working full time.. what do you do? How often do you get out to go on trips? Let me tell you that we decided to do this while we still have the energy to do it..... I had thought, look, this is a depreciating asset and is really no less expensive than driving my car and staying in hotels. BUT, you can't stay by natural surroundings with hotels except for maybe Yellowstone National Park and pay super high rates...I'm talking $300 or more per night! Also, we decided that we couldn't buy back these years...it was now or never. Finally, on early retirement...my father in law, retired at 55.... I retired at 59... He told me that the reason he retired early was to "enjoy his retirement"..he did and lived to 83..... Don't wait until it's too late... People always overestimate the amount of time they have left.... there's no point in being the richest person in the cemetery. I hope you enjoy your trips as well.. along with your ham operators friends..that another sub-culture all its own. Wow, your rig is amazing, a tour bus.... how long have you had it and what kind of modifications have you done?? I'll bet that fuel economy is not a big concern for you or what's the furthest you've taken this ? It's like the size of metro city bus, correct? I see that you finished the conversion in 2013...? Must be very nice! I'm sure you pull a small car behind this? ---MARK

I'm not offended at all that someone might imply that we sometimes sleep in our RV.. that's why we purchased a Class B. Otherwise, what would have been the point? When we drive across country in our car... we're "living in it for 8 hours per day just driving"... I don't know why you're confused about the fact that we are "not full timers". AND, in some instances, yes, we very well may stay in a hotel from time to time. What's wrong with that? My RV is my "mobile timeshare".... I've met many people with Class A motor homes who travel twice per year, snow birds flocking south in the Winter and back to their destination in the summer... We just didn't want to make fuel the biggest expense of our rig and wanted to see more of the country. Again, different agendas for everyone. During really inclement weather...rainy season...I'd rather be home enjoying myself. It's much easier being at home. Again, full timing is a choice, I'm just not willing to give up my private residence, back yard and extremely quiet environment. We've stayed at some really nice RV parks, campgrounds and others places, but, it's definitely NOT as private as being in my own home.

Bill, really?? You've never heard of Project Fi??

My rig was purchased recently with on 26,000 miles..and now has 27,500.. not a drop of oil consumption.

Thanks...I'm very careful about not adding oil unless it's necessary... When I purchased the rig, they told me that they were using this product, Liqui Moly, 5-30 . I didn't know anything about this product, but, learned that they have been in business in Germany for a very long time. This very specialized oil is for gasoline and diesel engines. If you don't know about it, please check out the rave reviews on Amazon. I picked up a 5 litre bottle at a local auto parts store....it's NOT cheap.. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liqui_Moly https://www.amazon.com/Liqui-Moly-2039-Longtime-Synthetic/dp/B005H28X46/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1499799701&sr=1-1&keywords=liqui+moly+5w30#Ask

Another thought...and I'm not trying to be insular or demeaning to people with travel trailers.... heck, I still own a teardrop trailer and associate with those groups... BUT, what purpose will it serve to allow all of these folks to join the FMCA...that really focuses on Motor Home issues? Is it because the membership of the FMCA is in so much jeopardy and they need the money?? If that's the case, then why not raise the dues to $100 per year and have the existing members pay their fare share for the benefits the club offers... After all, there's no free lunch or "parking" LOL.... We all have to pay for the services we think are valuable to us. The extra money we would have to pay is peanuts....for the purpose of keeping the club exclusive to actual Motor Home owners.... those of us who believe in the club will stay in regardless of a price increase.... I know I would. Already, in the first month I've been a member, I've gotten some good ideas and feedback from some other members on the forum.. that's valuable time and information for me.

Running Michelin Defender LT tires, 245/75/16 .... No noise at all. Extremely quiet. I would go back to the people who sold you those tires and ask them how this happened? Could it be an installation issue? 18 months is not that old.... tires should last for five years.... When I recently got my tires, I asked them about a mileage guarantee.. they said, regardless of mileage, I'll need to replace them in five years and I probably won't reach the 50,000 estimated miles by then... they're probably right! Not familiar with Toyo tires, but, I'm sure that they're fine.... could be a balance or wheel alignment issue...? I would put this all back on the shop that sold you those tires.. IF they can't or won't give you a satisfactory answer...I would find another place to purchase your next set. Why didn't you purchase Michelin tires again opting for Toyo?? Sometimes price is only one factor...you have to consider performance as well..

Thanks, I see that somehow I missed reading this... Sounds like the TST system is pretty good? They were VERY ACCESSIBLE on the phone with any questions I had. System works pretty good, but, had false alarm.probably due to pilot error, LOL.😂

I'm using the Google Project Fi Network for my cellphone and data. Has anyone else had experiences, good or bad with this out on the road? In the city or on the main highways, this has NOT been a problem. We live in Los Angeles and I've never had a connection issue. Traveling on main roads in the state has been very good as well. In case you were not aware, Google constructed their own network by marrying three network services together on one network.... T-MOBILE, Sprint and US Cellular. It's supposed to be very robust with US Cellular covering the remote areas while T-MOBILE and Sprint handles the metro areas... This fall, I'm going to put this to the test on a cross country trip that will take us 7,500 miles. I've got friends with Verizon and while it's an excellent service, it doesn't work everywhere. Cell service is not totally guaranteed. SO, if you've had any experience in remote areas, please let me know.. Thanks.

kaypsmith, you wrote, "I realized while posting, that you obviously don't need to pull a car, but a large percentage of class A and C owners do need to pull as we are not able get around after arriving at a location. Some of us including my wife are claustrophobic when it comes to living quarters. LOL! I love your rig, but I also enjoy the larger rig for my personal use." Thanks for your comment! We love our rig!! BUT, we don't live in it, we travel in it. I realize that each of us have different needs, and for me, I wanted the mobility of a travel coach that we could spend time in on a temporary basis while visiting places around the country.. We really love our travels and try to get out as much as possible. When we had our teardrop trailer, we got out 6 times per year, once every other month. And, with the new rig, we've been out more often because it's a much easier setup.. practically nothing by comparison. But, we love our home as well... and it's an appreciating asset.. IF we were considering being "full timers" and I'm not sure I'll ever be ready for that, I would have a rig like yours and others on this forum and most definitely have a toad. Thank you for suggestions on the pre-paid plan... Right now, we're mainly staying in most places that have cell service..and places that don't we're on roads that are populated with people, so, if we did breakdown, I'm sure we would get assistance somewhere. My cellphone provider is Google Project Fi- a blend of T-MOBILE, Sprint and US Cellular all rolled into one network. If you listen to all the marketing hype, Verizon is supposed to be the best, but, that's only if it works where and when you need it. I've actually been in places where my friends with Verizon had to borrow my phone to make a call because there wasn't Verizon service at that particular location. Cell service is not perfect. I've been told as well that even if you don't have cell service, calling 911 should work. Again, no one wants to field test this .... I'd rather skip it. Life is eventful enough, but, things happen unexpectedly. It's nice to have an ace in the hole. And, Tom, thank you for bringing up SPOT...I did look at this website... Sounds promising.

I'm using a system made by Truck System Technologies Inc. , www.TSTtruck.com Has anyone ever had any experience with this company....they came highly recommended.

I presume that if you are doing the oil change yourself...you know what you're doing? Otherwise, take the vehicle to the independent mechanic or dealership..they will certainly make sure it's done correctly... I don't work on my cars, RV or any other vehicles.. I don't have the tools, expertise or inclination to do that. I'd rather just drive my vehicles and enjoy them. I make sure that I never get a vehicle that I cannot afford to keep up professionally.. just me. Of course I understand that some people will want to do it themselves...then, you'd better be prepared for "unintended consequences" if you don't follow directions. Good luck.

Who exactly thinks this is a done deal? How's that?

Thanks....as expensive as a pulling an extra car.....is.... It would make the satellite phone look like a CHEAP OPTION....