Jump to content

ThomB87

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    89

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    2

 Content Type 

Posts posted by ThomB87

    Any Arkansas ideas to share?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Devils Den is beautiful but no cell service at the campground. You have to drive to the top of the hill. I definitely would vote for Magazine or Petit Jean. both are beautiful. Hike to the waterfall on Petit Jean. 

    Also check out COE campground below Beaver Dam. Make sure you get a site on the river. Easy drive into Eureka Springs from there. 

    • Thanks 1

    propane issue

    in Mechanical & Technical Tips

    Posted

    23 hours ago, CRM said:

    To use a Coleman Road Trip grill you would still need to do some piping to bypass the trailers regulator. Won't work right, or at all, if you just use the adapter on the grill side and plug into the trailer quick connect.

    No the Road Trip will work off the quick connect. The regulator for the Road Trip is a removable. You can buy an adapter hose on Amazon with a connector that screws into the same fitting as the regulator used for the 1 lb green bottles. No need to by pass the trailer regulator. Weber, Blackstone, and others will work. There are kits where you remove the grill's regulator so it will work off the quick connect. They are all low pressure. The issue is with high pressure devices like Coleman and other camp stoves. Even if you remove the regulator they will not run at proper temperatures. For those you do have to by pass the trailer regulator. Some solutions is carry a spare tank. Or they make Y connects you can use on one of the trailer tanks. 

    Hope this helps

    • Like 4

    propane issue

    in Mechanical & Technical Tips

    Posted

    You can use a Coleman Road Trip Grill with an adapter hose available on amazon with the quick connect. Weber, Blackstone, and some Camp Chefs will also work with a mod removing the regulator.  Lots of You tube videos. Those are low pressure devices. They run at 11wc.  Coleman stoves and others are high pressure running at 15wc. They will not work well even with a mod.  Need to know whether your device is low pressure or high pressure. That sometimes means calling the manufacturer.  I use a Coleman Road Trip. I wanted to switch to a Coleman Cascade 3 in 1 because it is smaller and lighter. Just went down the internet and RV forum Rabbit hole to find this out. 

    • Like 1

    Electronic key pad

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Agree with Patriot. The keypad works well. Order the silicon cover. The original will show wear on the numbers you use. It will eventually crack. Not sure why they do not just come with the silicone. If you do have issues RVlock has good customer service. They come with a fob but we never use it. Carry the key with you just in case as a backup. Change or test the batteries yearly. 

     

    This did not happen to me. But passing on a story. Lock quit working. The trailer key was in the glove box of the tow vehicle.  Tow vehicle was locked. Fob for the TV was in the trailer! They were able to get into the trailer by crawling in through the basement. It was not easy because you have to push up on the basement cover which has a heavy mattress and bedding on top of it while laying on your back. Apparently a very good workout testing both strength and flexibility. Two lessons were passed on to me. Carry your truck key with you even if you are just walking around the campground. And if you work on the lock, like replacing the key pad, double check the connector. There is a plastic connector between the keypad and lock mechanism. Make sure it clicks in securely. 

    • Like 3

    Will the Norcold refrigerator/freezer be able to chill down my "blue ice" pack?

    in Mechanical & Technical Tips

    Posted

    2 hours ago, dhaig said:

    @Nancy_D, we have a Norcold 3-way refrigerator and use it to freeze the blue freezer bricks.  We typically use 6 bricks, in 2 groups of three and rotate the groups as needed to refreeze them.  Typically this is a daily rotation.

    We have added supplemental fans mounted at the rear of our Norcold refrigerator, which make a significant improvement in the cooling capabilities of the Norcold refrigerator, especially when outdoor temperatures are high.  If you encounter problems with you refrigerator, I recommend use considering the Beech Lane Refrigerator Fans

     

    Top or bottom vent? How easy to attach and wire up?

    • Like 1

    Alcan hwy

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Get the latest edition of the Milepost. It will come in handy on the road.  Good to have something that doesn't require internet. We stayed in RV Parks mostly. But lots of folks boondock and there are place to pull off at the side of the road that allow it. There are also at least two facebook groups that we joined. They are useful for the latest updates. In addition BC, AB and the Yukon have websites dedicated to latest road conditions.    (When you have service.)

    • Like 2

    Hang onto your doors!

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Traveling from New Mexico to Amarillo in the wild west Texas wind. It was blowing 30 mph with gusts to 60! Since it was a tail wind I was getting the best gas mileage ever. We pulled over into a parking area off the I40 for a pit stop. As my wife was exiting the trailer a gust hit, jerked the door from her hand and slammed against the rubber stopper. The good news was no damage to the exterior fiberglass or frame. The bad news was the pressure against the door was strong enough to crack the interior panel. The same result is we need a new door. In the meantime I found some white duck tape to cover the cracks. 

    I know I am not the first to have an issue with the door in a windstorm. So a reminder to be careful out there. 

    Now a question. Anyone who has had to overnight at the mothership while they work on their trailer, have recommendations for a place to stay that will allow a dog? 

    Thanks

    trailer door2.jpeg

    trailer door1.jpeg

    • Like 1
    • Sad 2

    City water intake leak.

    in Mechanical & Technical Tips

    Posted · Edited by ThomB87
    add information

    Thanks exactly what I needed to know. Planned trip to hardware this AM to get an allen wrench and keep it in my trailer tool box.  I have spare washers. 

     

    Fixed. But two trips to the hardware store. First was the 1/2 hex to add to my socket set. No 1/2 inch allen but they had one for a socket wrench. The second trip was for a O ring. When I pulled the fitting off, the seal was a O ring not a washer. I now have a spare. 

     

    Thanks for all the input. 

    • Thanks 1

    City water intake leak.

    in Mechanical & Technical Tips

    Posted

    Ok my set of allen wrenches doesn't go to a 1/2 inch. Trio to the hardware store. But manvered my phone behind the fitting to get a picture of where the leak is. Not a great picture once I enlarge it. But if you can see the black rubber protruding behind the fitting. That is where the leak is. 

     

     

    original_f1cd4090-1253-4150-b3be-f582a6d9d5db_PXL_20230621_004402454.jpg

    City water intake leak.

    in Mechanical & Technical Tips

    Posted

    42 minutes ago, topgun2 said:

    And - 

    Exactly where might you be feeling around?  Outside the hull?  Inside the hull?  How bad is it leaking - stream or fast drip?

    Do you have a !/2 inch Allen wrench handy - like THIS?  Do you have spare hose washers handy?

    Bill

    Outside the trailer where the hose screws in. The best I can describe is where the connector spins around to screw on the hose meets the solid post. The protubing rubber must be part of the seal for the rotating female connector to the hose.  It is a slow stream at this point. At first it was fast drip but got worse.  

     

    I do have a 1/2 inch Allen wrench and spare hose washers. 

    Thanks

    City water intake leak.

    in Mechanical & Technical Tips

    Posted

    City water intake has developed a leak. Fortunately outside the trailer but large enough to make me not popular with any campground. When I feel around where the water is coming out, there is a small bit of rubber sticking out.

    Anyone replaced one of these? Doesn't seem to have any access from the basement. 

    Are these standard parts I could get at any RV part store? I could not find one online that matched  I have not reached out to Oliver Service yet. But I am in Alaska and a long way from home for them to ship. 

    Appreciate any advice before I pull out my screw driver. 

     

     

    PXL_20230620_162038124.jpg

    Canada National Parks Campground

    in Campgrounds & Parks

    Posted

    Campground Reservations

    FYI for anyone planning to head to Canada. Canada National Parks is updating their reservation system. If you have ever had an account with them you will need to set up a new account starting March 3rd. 

    The good news is for this year it is not too late to make reservations. The system is doing a staggered roll out. Reservations for this year open at different times based upon Provence and Park. For example Jasper National Park opens March 16th and Banff National Park March 23rd. Leave it to the Canadians to do it in a civilized fashion. Instead of midnight, the reservations open at 8 AM in the time zone of the park.   

    • Thanks 5
    • Like 3

    Anchorage or bust

    in Campgrounds & Parks

    Posted

    18 hours ago, SeaDawg said:

    Do you have the proper adaptor,  and have you tested it? (Zamp reverses the sae connector, for safety reasons.)

    100 watts isn't a lot, but it can be great for the last bit of slowed down charging. And, def better than none. 

    Wete it me, I'd take the Honda, use it in the morning,  and let the portable top off.

    2 12v agms may be enough, if you're careful, as we are, and monitor your power consumption closely. Caveat, which fridge do you have? 3-way, or dc? And, do your batteries charge from the truck while driving?

    No installed solar so no adapter needed. Attaches directly to batteries with alligator clips. Have tested both generator and panels.  Norcold 3 way fridge, so runs on LP. Yes, batteries charge while driving. In a real pinch can charge via truck. Done that in the pass to get boast. 

    Anchorage or bust

    in Campgrounds & Parks

    Posted

    Thanks to everyone who responded. Good information. Confirmed what I already was thinking. Will definitely aim for some extra time at Jasper. BTW once I get to Anchorage I have a driveway to camp in. In Seward I have a spot on the beach at a friends property with water and electricity. Well as long as they don't have another mountain slide that cuts off access.  The city has a dump station.  Wish us luck. 

     

    • Like 3

    Anchorage or bust

    in Campgrounds & Parks

    Posted

    I saw some others planning this trip this year. We will be heading out from Colorado the first of June. Have the newest edition of Milepost on order. We will be sticking to what passes for major highways in the Yukon and Alaska. Will be spending a couple of weeks around Anchorage and Seward. Our 2018 Elite II does not have solar. I do have a portable panel for charging. We will probably boon dock two or three nights in a row. But then I will be looking for hookups, full size showers and a dump station.  Plus around Jasper and some other places I will want more than one night. I really want to have an open itinerary.  

    Anyone who made this trip recently please comment. How hard to find places the morning  of or the day before? 

     

    I know where I live reservation especially if hitting the weekend are 6 months out. 

     

    Thanks 

    • Like 3

    Mysterious shore power outage

    in Mechanical & Technical Tips

    Posted

    15 hours ago, Liana said:

    We literally *just* had this problem. As we were troubleshooting (including trying to find the EMS errorcode chart), someone walked By asking if we were having Power issues.  The only other Time we've had this kind of issue we were hooked up to shore power in a campground. I stuck the voltage tester in the outlet At the pedestal And no joy.  So, my guess is voltage dropped Below EMS threshold so it shut itself down.  I pleaded with spouse to just abandon the electric hookups,  we are totally fine with our new LiFePO4 batteries so why risk the rest of the trailer electronics?

    Liana, That is what the EMS is suppose to do. But in reading the manual and the video on Oliver University the display in the upper cabinet should be showing the error code, not blank.  Once the issue is corrected the EMS is suppose to restore power automatically.  Once hooked back up and normal it should show a PE code for a previous error. I should have been able to use the by pass mode even though it is not recommended. None to that happened.

    The error codes are printed on the EMS box under the seat at the dinette.  You have to be able to read upside down. 

    You do not need to abandon shore power. The EMS will protect your electronics. Like I stated about I would recommend a extra external surge protector at the pedestal.  Peace of mind and it serves as a test unit before you plug in the trailer.  

    When you tested at the pedestal was there no power at all or low voltage? 

    • Like 1

    Mysterious shore power outage

    in Mechanical & Technical Tips

    Posted

    Mossey - At home or in a friends drive way I have a 110 to 30 amp adapter plug. I plug the adapter into the 110 outlet then the surge protector into the adapter. 

    ScubaRX - No rain but a heck of a lot of wind that night.  Keep plastic bags to cover any exposed plugs if the forecast call for rain. 

    There are no issues with using an external surge protector in addition to the EMS onboard one. Jason at the rally said that is something he would recommend. It has been a while but I can see if I can find the thread on another forum.  The guy had pictures of a chard end of a power cord and chard receptacle where it plugged into the RV. The on board surge protector saved the trailer and its electronics. But the power cord and the plug in on the side of the RV both had to be replaced.    

    The EMS seems to be working fine now. This may not be a  big deal. But my concern is this something that will return. I would have thought turning the power off and back on would have reset the EMS if that was the problem. 

    • Like 1
×
×
  • Create New...