Steph and Dud B
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Posts
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10
Posts posted by Steph and Dud B
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8 hours ago, John E Davies said:
when your fresh tank runs dry, your water pump aerates, and you cannot pump the water heater tank dry
You're correct, of course. The water's on the wrong side of the pump. The back of my brain was trying to tell me something was wrong with my logic when I was typing that, but I couldn't see it.
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The conventional water heater also gives you another 6 gallons of water on board (in the tank).
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New tires on my truck, gas for the genny, plow guy at the ready, and chains on the fire apparatus. As ready as we're gonna be.
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It's crazy how crowded campgrounds are now. We were fortunate to get all of our destinations reserved for this summer. Mostly dry camping in state parks, but 2 weeks in a campground on the Cape.
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The $65K base price is what our build sheet said in October, 2021.
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There are cons for 4x4. Reduced gas mileage. More parts to fail. I haven't used 4x4 very often while towing. We don't tow in the snow and we're not (currently) frequent boondockers, so we could probably live without it. However, the few times I used it, I was glad to have it. Most often, it has simply been wet grass in our back yard, where the trailer is stored. A few times, we wouldn't have gotten the trailer back into the yard without 4x4. Needed it once or twice on wet grass in a campground, too. If your trailering is going to be limited strictly to snow-free paved roads, commercial campgrounds, and driveways you might not need it. I would be uncomfortable without it.
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13 hours ago, John E Davies said:
I personally will not buy another diesel. The gas engines are good enough and won’t eat you alive with long term maintenance costs.
I loved my diesel, until I didn't. Towed my fifth wheel like a monster. Up long grades, leaving the big trucks in my wake. That cool diesel sound. But then, sitting on the side of I-80 at 5:00 PM with the entire contents of my oil pan all over my truck and fiver thanks to a failed high pressure oil sensor put a real bad taste in my mouth. When the third turbo started to fail on the trip home, that did it. Traded it in for my gasser. Don't get me wrong, diesels are great when you need them, but I don't see another in my future.
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Hi, Nick and Linda. Sounds like a great plan! I take it this is your first RV. Welcome to the lifestyle. We've had the good fortune to have traveled most of this country in the past 23 years. It's not just the places, it's the people, too. We've met some wonderful people because of RVing. Some became lifelong friends, others just happy memories, but we're so happy to have met all of them.
Although we've been doing this for a while, things are changing out there and we've spent a lot of time this past year learning new lessons and re-learning some old ones. For RVing in general, there are lots of online resources, including some really good YouTube channels. There are a few RV content creators that we've been following lately. Not too many Oliver owners, but we've found some of the Airstream and Casita owners have good tips for traveling in smaller trailers.
FYI (and forgive me if you already know this), there are some accepted RVing behaviors that have been standardized over the years. RV etiquette, if you will. A few that come to mind: Don't walk through other people's campsites, even if they're not there. Dim your headlights in the campground after dark. Don't leave your outside lights on all night. Don't let your dog bark excessively. Little things like that make campgrounds nicer for everyone and are appreciated by all.
March will be here before you know it. Hope to meet you on the road someday!
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"Mike Jones, the chief of police in the small Alabama town of Brookside, resigned today in the wake of revelations by AL.com that he turned the department into an aggressive traffic trap that by 2020 received half its revenue from fines and forfeitures, many on minor offenses from those who drive by the town on Interstate 22." -AL.com
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The refrigerator's too small.
😁
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Congratulations, that'll be a fun day.
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But I'm afraid it does. The 4.5 cu ft Norcold will be the smallest RV fridge we've ever had. My wife thinks it's adequate for a couple for 5 days (which I figure will be our max before dumping tanks). Assuming no other fridge but bulk drinks stored in the truck until needed, what say you experienced owners? 5 days food in the Norcold?
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40 minutes ago, Galway Girl said:
We carry a ARB ac/dc compressor chest fridge in the back of our truck for extra space and it’s been a great combo on our 7 month road trip.
How is that powered without draining the truck battery when you're parked?
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2 hours ago, topgun2 said:
The most fool proof, easiest, least expensive way to monitor propane tank levels is to simply leave one tank's valve closed.
I know a lot of people do that but we've always run both tanks on and checked the little red changeover indicator every day or two when using a lot of propane. Never ran dry in 20 years. Would hate to find out we're out of propane when the furnace quits at 2:00 AM.
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Here's another unknown: We know the Dometic with soft start will run (briefly) off the lithiums or off a 2k generator. Haven't heard heard yet whether there's a soft start for the Truma (or of it needs one).
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21 minutes ago, dewdev said:
Waiting another year for the 2023 model will only cost you more money (and time).
Yep, that was our conclusion, too. Even if we had to wait until 2023 and retrofit a new A/C, that would probably be less expensive than buying a 2023 model.
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So, this prompted an earnest discussion with DW tonight. Specifically, would we want to trade that kitchen cabinet space for the bigger fridge? In the end, probably not. We think that the current 4.5 cf will be enough for the two of us and cabinet storage is always precious.
But that Truma A/C? That's another story. I'd give my eye teeth to have one of those on our trailer when we take delivery in August.
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Wow. Interesting. Now we're wondering if we should pull back and wait for the 2023 model. 🤔
The (presumably Truma) A/C would be great. Was hoping they might switch to those during the 2022 model run, but that survey makes me think it won't be this year after all.
Don't know about the bigger fridge. My wife thinks the current 4.5 cf fridge will be ok for the two of us, I think it's a little small.
Who knows what the 2023 prices might look like, though...
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4 hours ago, bhncb said:
At initial hook up, whichever regulator input is pressurized first becomes the "active" side. Then, when the selector is moved to the center (auto) position, the other input becomes the "reserve" side.
That doesn't sound right to me, at least with a Fairview. We have the same regulator on our fifth wheel. Point the lever at the tank you want to use first. When it's empty, the red indicator will show and the regulator will switch to the other tank. Before disconnecting the empty tank, turn the lever to the other tank, which now becomes the primary. There is no center position for the lever. The pdf in Mossey's post says the same thing.
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30 minutes ago, johnwen said:1 hour ago, ScubaRx said:
I contacted OTT and was told to not cover the openings. It will void the warranty.
From https://askthervengineer.com/the-essential-guide-to-your-rv-absorption-refrigerator-and-why-it-doesnt-work-in-the-mountains/: "All that heat from your fridge’s interior has to go somewhere! And when burning propane, the fridge releases toxic exhaust gases, too. You don’t want either of those things inside your RV. That’s why your RV is installed inside a sealed compartment and the hot gases are exhausted through your fridge vents."
I can't understand why OTT says that gap should remain. Is there another seal behind that gap?
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There is no reason air needs to pass around the fridge into the cabin. In fact, it shouldn't. That's a propane burning appliance. The rear of the fridge should be exposed to the exterior vents but the front of the fridge should be isolated from that service area. Take photos and start a service ticket.
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Coachmen Class B production will have Truma A/Cs on the roofs of new units in 60 - 90 days. They've been quietly testing them for the last year. Hmmm....
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In our first camper we drank the water from the fresh tank for years with no problems. Then, while doing some maintenance, I saw the inside of the clear tank overflow tube and the green stuff in there. Even though it never caused us any harm, it put the idea of what could be lurking in some other pipes in my head and we've been drinking bottled water ever since. The fresh tank is for washing and flushing now.
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6 hours ago, John Welte said:
Now, I'll have to figure how to raise the Ollie while at a dump stations
I was thinking about driving the rear wheels of my truck onto some leveler blocks. Not as easy as using the jack, but not as damaging if you forget about them before you leave.
New owner Build ?
in General Discussion
Posted
One item we've hemmed and hawed on is the street side awning. We also live in the Northeast, where there's usually lots of shade, but do dry camp a lot in a park that's mostly an open field and plan to revisit the south and southwest after retirement. It helps keep the windows open in rain, but will complicate snow removal in the winter. It's on the build sheet now, in pencil...