Geronimo John

I spoke with RecPro today about their 13.5K BTUH low profile units. Sadly, they have no engineering support what so ever. Could not answer any of my engineering questions: Did not know about our have any knowledge of use of Dometic Auxiliary Drain Kits as OTT uses. Did not know what kind of compressor they use. (Scroll, inverter, reciprocating or if it has a variable speed or step speed function. etc.) Did not know how the fans work (Multi-speed control, winding based speed-control or if they are just single speed.) They do have a wiring diagram though and it is provided with the unit. I asked if it was online and..... she did not know. So I changed my order and went with the 13.5K BTU unit. I think that if I use the OTT method of raising the A/C unit, that the Dometic Auxiliary Drain Kit may work on the Houghton units. Their bolt pattern is at 13.5. If our roof penetration is an actual 14" X 14", then I could run the drains together on the air return open duct to the existing 1/2" OTT through the wall drain line. This is still perking in my noodle. HOWEVER, one thing I did learn was that according to the RecPro Customer Service Contact (Sherrie), there have been two "Sets" of Houghton's. The first did NOT run the fan continuously. The Second Set does. She stated that the change was made by the Aussies and she did not know why. I stated that for at least 1/3 of US trailers it was a bad decision and certainly wasteful of energy.

SnakeRiverIdaho: Interesting new generator. Its 65 pounds packs a lot of power. I could justify that weight in my basket; where as the traditional Honda 3K generator for my rig is just too much added tongue weight on our F-150 regardless of where I would put it. For those that need the power, I agree this would be a great choice. However, it is certainly pricey. GJ

Do any of our Houghton AC owners have info about the Houghton condensate drain process out of the unit and onto the Ollie roof? I am contemplating retrofit the Houghton with the Dometic add-on condensate drain hardware. See picture below. Thanks GJ NOTE: Thanks Steve CR for the above picture! 🙂

That's a significant advantage of your TSP TPMS! Something to verify before purchasing a TPMS for sure.

I recall that putting our TPMS on spares was not an effective tire monitoring approach. Unless the tire is turning, it will not for most system report a pressure. If Ollie has a deflation, when I mount the spare, I transfer the sensor to the spare. That said, having spare sensors IS a good idea. So point well taken, just for our system, a different reason. GJ

On 12/19/2022 at 4:41 PM, katanapilot said: Or $1500 for the RecPro/Houghton 13.5k heat pump and maybe 4 hours labor? Cheaper yet and you can use the heat function versus propane if you have 120 volt power. The Black Friday additional 15% discount seems to have passed. However the RecPro/Houghton 13.5 K, non ducted, WITHOUT the heat pump is still being sold at a great price. Remember to ask for the 5% new customer discount. Here are their current "No Heat" and their "With Heat Pump" versions prices: NOTES: Be aware that: The one on the left is significantly higher (13 11/16") than the low profile one on the right (9" High). The one on the left is 73 pounds, and the one on the right is 99 pounds. GJ

With the number of "bandito posts" on other's A/C topics (Such as the Truma threads), I figured that a separate post for those retrofitting their Domestic's to the Houghton A/C units would be in order. That way the Truma Team won't have to listen to all our interruptions on their threads. 🙂 It would be wonderful if our moderator(s) could relocated the many bandito posts (such as mine and others) to this thread. And God bless our moderators. Mahalo, GJ

We have run our OE2 Dometic A/C for hours on our Honda EU2000. Of course with an Ez start. No need for a 3000 watt generator unless you want to be using the Microwave/Converter at the same time. If going with a possibly "lesser quality" unit, then I would suggest a 2500 watt unit. GJ

Charlie: With a Solar System, Lithiums, a Champion 2500 Dual Inverter, a1000 watt Yeti AND a 300 watt Jackery (Power Station).... I think you take easily have mastered any concern for "Power Security"! Not that you would ever need it, but I bet you also have a set of 20 foot heavy duty jumper cables as we do! Well done. GJ

Charlie: You are making a very salient point. As Solar and Lithium technologies adoption and capabilities increase, the use of generators is being greatly reduced. For our vintage of OTT, solar as a factory option priced us out. So boondocking made having a Honda EU 2000 essential. Now, in our case with 3 each 100 aH Battleborns, a 200w solar suit case, an upgraded PD converter, and an Orion DC/DC 30 amp charger we generally go 2 to 3 days without even unloading our Honda or needing shore power. This gives us much greater "power security". Point is that having a "Honda" is now very nice to have, not really essential. This opens the door to purchase of less pricy generators. A significant paradigm change. GJ

Ok Owners, we still have not heard from you if you have one of these (and maybe others). Likely some of the below are duplicates, and many appear to be knock-offs. Regardless they are options that did not exist a few years ago so an update is desired. General Generac GenMax Yamaha Cummings Westinghouse Wen maXpeedingRod Please chime if you have one of these, or others that may be out there. Here is a link to a rather biased "review" (of sorts) by one author: https://www.bestproductsreviews.com/best-inverter-generator-for-rv?targetid=dsa-19959388920&matchtype=&device=c&campaignid=14938899091&creative=552785546059&adgroupid=131352087307&feeditemid=&loc_physical_ms=9032812&loc_interest_ms=&network=g&devicemodel=&placement=&keyword=$&target=&aceid=&adposition=&trackid=us_all_top_1_1&mId=407-132-4411&trackOld=true&gclid=Cj0KCQiAwJWdBhCYARIsAJc4idA_mIXoxat0WYNwsLz21nBgUkpw14WnLAE77N1nGfWewxzVZ-1agb4aArFUEALw_wcB GJ

REF: Champion 2500 Watt Inverter: $484 Amazon Prime Dual fuel 38 pounds Super Quiet 2500 watts start and run rating AMAZING! 🙂 It sure isn't a "Hammer Mill" like this grandpa's was!

As a Garmin inReach subscriber, I get occasional info. I thought this one was special and worth a read. I deleted the picture to reduce the size of the file. If you want the "Full Monte", it is here: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/blog/saved-by-garmin/the-10000th-inreach-sos/?utm_source=americas&utm_medium=yarmouth-email&utm_campaign=inreach-consumer-newsletter&utm_content=BP If you often find yourself in a location, especially when alone, where if your were hurt or lost, and it would be difficult or time consuming to find you.... then please consider getting a Sat Tracker. Mahalo, GJ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The 10,000th inReach SOS: A Foot in the Wrong Direction December 19, 2022 In October 2022, we announced that more than 10,000 individuals had received help after triggering SOS distress signals on their inReach® devices. So what was the actual 10,000th inReach SOS incident? Three separate inReach SOS triggers came into the Garmin Response℠ Center moments apart, all reporting a dirt bike crash and a severe leg injury. The injured individual was Kyle McKillop, a 33-year-old inReach subscriber who is no stranger to the outdoors. He regularly camps, mountain bikes, snowboards and dirt bikes in the Pacific Northwest. Originally, he purchased a Garmin inReach satellite communication device to have while on solo trips in the backcountry. “I figured it would be a good idea to get one after an incident with a mechanical breakdown that caused me to be extremely late getting home,” he said. “It’s been a great way to keep my wife informed if anything happens while I’m gone.” On that day in fall 2022, though, McKillop was with five other friends. They planned to do a 60- to 70-mile loop ride in an area and on trails they were familiar with. More than 20 miles into the ride, the group was rounding a sharp, steep and rooted switchback that McKillop had done on previous rides without any issues. To gain momentum, he began accelerating to get to the top of the switchback. It was then that what he calls “the incident” occurred. As the grade of the hill increased, McKillop lost his balance and started to fall. Not wanting his bike to tumble off the switchback, McKillop attempted to jump off the back of the bike and push it into the hill. He jumped, landed on his feet and spun around to avoid falling down the switchback. The maneuver was successful, and he kept his bike from going over the hill. But as he twisted, he realized his foot was not twisting with the rest of his body. It was caught in some roots and thus anchored to the ground. “When I looked down, my foot was pointed completely backward,” he said. “I remained standing but couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It made me sick to my stomach looking at it.” He released his foot from the roots and hopped on one foot over to a spot on the trail where he could lie down. When he looked at his friends, they were looking back at him — in shock. “I knew we had several inReach devices among our group members, and I knew it was going to require a helicopter to get me out,” he said. “We were over 10 miles to the nearest forest road, with significant terrain features that prevented anyone from being able to ride me out.” In a matter of moments, Garmin Response, the 24/7 staffed global emergency response coordination center, let McKillop and the other inReach users know that emergency services were being contacted and dispatched. They informed the group that the rescue team would not have a transport basket and they would need to find a spot for the helicopter to land. Otherwise, it would’ve taken 8 hours for a rescue team to reach the group on foot. Meanwhile, McKillop was in agony. His friends worked quickly to figure out how to get him to a pickup spot for the helicopter. They created a stretcher with branches and paracord, got him loaded onto it and carried him to a ridgeline. When the helicopter arrived, the landing area was deemed not flat enough. The EMTs jumped out to check on McKillop while his friends looked for other spots to land. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything better nearby, so everyone began stacking rocks up on a ridgeline to create a landing area for the helicopter. “The pilot and the EMTs were flawless, but they said it was one of the sketchier rescues they have ever done,” McKillop said. After a 45-minute flight and another 45-minute ambulance ride, he made it to the hospital. He had a broken tibia and fibula and a dislocated ankle — an incredibly painful injury to endure. Still, McKillop made it home by nightfall. “The time of the incident was 11:30 a.m., and I made it home around 9:30 p.m.,” McKillop said. “I am so impressed with how quickly the inReach system worked and got a rescue team to me.” McKillop said that having the inReach provided him with comfort through the whole ordeal. “I would 100% recommend everyone that goes into remote places to have an inReach,” he said. “Knowing that we had a rescue team responding and they had my exact GPS location ultimately helped me stay calm.”

I have started a new thread on Generators aimed at gathering info and thoughts from owners about their generators. Especially the new manufacturers out there now. GJ

A few years ago, generators were all over our forum. Nearly all portable generators were of standard Motor/Generator design. I refer to them and my Dometic Penguin AC as "Hammer Mills". Then Honda came out with their inverter line. Super quiet, fuel efficient, and their EU 2000 watt unit with an EzStart would run our A/C units. The vast majority of us purchased the Honda inverter 2000 or 2200 units. But they were, and are pricy. Time has passed and most of us still have the Hondas that you could not pry out of our dead hands. But much less costly Champion, Yamaha and Predator inverters (to name a few) have come into play. With the OTT production rate acceleration, I suspect we have many new owners that likely would likely benefit from a revival of the topic. This thread is intended to hear from our owners their thoughts about their generator. Please touch upon the below as well as your experiences: Generator Name and Model Cost of Purchase Power Output (Rated Full Load) Ability to handle our A/C cycling while switched to "Eco-Mode". Please specify if you have an 11K BTU or 13.5K BTU A/C. Decibels idle and full power Ease of use Maintainability Reliability Durability Number of seasons used Thank you! GJ

Champion inverter generators are pretty quiet. I’ve had two. Quiet on propane or gas. Rivernerd/Mike& Carrol: That's great news. I had not heard their inverter line. Guess that's the point! This RoF (Retired Ole Fart) needs to get up to date! Glad to hear, or in this case, not hear their hammer mill non-inverter line. BTW, the Predator inverter line works quite well also. At about half the price of a Honda. Last I heard, the Yamaha one had issues for our AC's.

The champion generators I am familiar with are hammer mills. WOW! They they DO have quiet inverter units out now? !!!! If not, you'll be trading inside noise to outside noise .....and will not have to worry about bears, but will have angry neighbors.

I am editing this post to include two notes associated with the less expensive Houghton: Please be aware that this less expensive Houghton: Is significantly higher (13 11/16" vs 9") than the low profile one ($1500). Is also significantly lighter at 73 pounds than the low profile unit at pounds. As a result I changed my order to the Low Profile unit. GJ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ On Black Friday, and maybe still, for $917 we got one without heat (Us Hawaiian Residents are allergic to snow and cold) we got our Houghton, two remotes, tax, and shipping. Granted we will need to install. Looks like it requires a new T-stat, butyl tape, caulk and hopefully only four hours. And if it turns out as good as Katanapilot's did, we will be super happy! From talking, reading, and videos, the install is really straight forward with two exceptions: Lifting the units down and up. For that we have a stout oak tree with plenty of clearance, rope, pulley and cargo net. Understanding the heater re-connect as posted. (Tough being 4000 miles from our Ollie and planning projects.) GJ

True. At least the $68/year for the registration is super reasonable in TX.

I'm thinking: Long lever arm from rear of back axle Heavy front loaded trailer Overhanging camper Extended several feet the trailer receiver hitch for trailer Add in possible frame damage due to installer of camper or maybe salt corrosion Maybe high speed Especially Yukon Territories corduroy roads Combine several elements of the above and .....what goes up, can slam back down real hard. GJ

I do not believe that it mixes outside air with conditioned air as there is no interconnection between the two. If there was, you would have to insect screen and filter the OA intake. The unit only has one filter, and it is for cleaning the return air going into the unit from the cabin. Also, such a design could lead to a really bad insect migration into the cabin problem. Can you imagine a Florida swamp no-see-un's swarming around such an air intake? Sends shivers down my back... I strongly believe the cause is re-evaporation of condensate on the evap coil by the continuously running supply air fan. GJ

Certainly an odd design. I know that on some A/C systems it is normal to run the fan after compressor shut down for a short time to lower the head pressure. Sort of like an unloader in a shop air compressor. The intent for those set-ups is to decrease the re-start torque. But to run it continuously after compressor shut down boggles my mind as well.

Here is our ADCO A/C cover. Works GREAT! No bugs for sure get into our A/C with this cover. However, I would not recommend it for road use. Storage only. GJ 🙂

Trailer Corn on Cob: I have always gently pulled down the leaves and removed the silk. Rinsed off the corn and re-layered the leaves, and secured with a rubber band. Then nuked them about 2 minutes rolled over and 90 seconds more. I have heard some just toss the whole ears of corn into the microwave and the result is the same with a LOT less effort. Is this a snipe hunting story or for real? If for real, seriously how do you do it? Thanks GJ

I think I need to save this entire thread and work it top to bottom this summer. So many amazingly great easy to do gourmet ideas.