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RE: Front bedroom a/c height
The only height problems I've experienced have been with tree limbs in campgrounds and on city streets and a low canopy at an older service station. I followed a friend with a bumper pull trailer into the station. He fueled then pulled out. I pulled in and began fueling. He walked back and told me I didn't have much clearance. I climbed up the rear ladder and looked along the roof. If I'd driven out forward, the AC unit would have been wiped off and the roof damaged. My Cougar's overall height is 11 foot, 10 inches.
We forget that older stations don't have as high canopies as the newer ones.
I used to tell my traffic school students that overhanging limbs are not usually trimmed by the city,county or the state. They are trimmed by trucks, buses and RVs.
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CACTUS CAMPER
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10/13/08 08:54am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Slideout problem 2006 cougar
My 06 Cougar has a small plastic cover beneath the manual crank. It is located near the middle of the belly.
Jim
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CACTUS CAMPER
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08/12/08 09:05am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Cinder Blocks
CM is correct in that wood blocks crack. I park my 5er on 2 X 8 planks to keep the tires off the hot cement slab. I used a long drill bit and drilled through the planks from side to side, then used all thread with a washer and nut on each end. They may crack but they won't come apart. You can get the long bit, all thread and the nuts and washers at Home Depot, Lowes, or Ace Hardware.
Jim
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CACTUS CAMPER
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08/12/08 08:57am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: AC thermostats
My experience:
The first summer with our class A, we used it to house visiting guests. They complained about having to manually turn off the air conditioner during the night. I changed the thermostat. Same problem.
I called an air conditioning tech who checked the system and found no problems. Then he pointed out that the thermostat was on the wall in the entranceway with the refrigerator on the opposite side of the wall. He thought the thermostat might be responding to the heat from the burner section of the refrigerator.
I pulled the thermostat and sure enough the wall was not insulated. I stuffed it with pink insulation as far as I could, then put a thin sheet of foam insulation behind the thermostat. End of problem.
Some times the solution is low tech.
Jim
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CACTUS CAMPER
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07/20/08 07:32am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Gas/Electric water heater
On my Cougar I have to throw the breaker in the main panel to turn off the electric element. I leave if off except when we are hooked to 110 and we want hot water. Didn't know about it until I got hot water when I began installing an accumulator tank.
Jim
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CACTUS CAMPER
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07/05/08 12:47pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Bug guts on front cap
I carry a one-gallon pump-up bug sprayer to wet down and rinse the surface. Dryer sheets do a good job of knocking the bugs off.
During a trip to Alaska I bought screen wire and jury rigged it to keep bugs out of my radiator.
Jim
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CACTUS CAMPER
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07/01/08 04:02pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: What do you like to use for leveling?
I use wood 2 X 10s and Lynx levelers when needed. To prevent the wood from splitting I used a long wood bit and drilled through the 2 X10s sideways and intalled 3/8" all thread. As the wood shrinks, I tighten the nuts again. Works for me.
I use the 2 X 10s to insulate the tires from the ground on my RV slab, also.
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CACTUS CAMPER
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07/01/08 11:37am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Charging battery with alternator
Why would you want to leave the batteries unhooked while traveling? Your question is a non issue.
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CACTUS CAMPER
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04/12/08 08:01am |
Tech Issues
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RE: On The Road To Alaska
Been there, done that. Enjoyed it.
Tips:
1. Fit a screen to keep bugs out of your radiator.
2. Get a small plastic insecticide sprayer and a collapsible long-handled brush. Clean bugs off the front of the vehicle(s) every day. The longer you wait, the harder they are to remove.
3. Most important, buy a copy of "Milepost." I would never think of making the trip without it.
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CACTUS CAMPER
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04/12/08 07:55am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Cheap tires on new fivers
For US DOT tire codes check: www.harringer.com/tiremakers.htm
This site tells where the tires are manufactured. Just for fun count the number of tire manufacturing plants in China.
As for Japanese cars, all I have bought had very good tires. In fact many of the foreign autos are now made in the USA.
Jim
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CACTUS CAMPER
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04/04/08 07:59am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: 2005 GMC Sierra 2500 Diesel Maintenance
I had read several post on how to change the fuel filter on a Duramax engine. When I had the transmission serviced I asked the mechanic to change the fuel filter while he at it. Later I asked how difficult it was. He said, "No sweat. I just removed the battery above the filter and it left me enough room to work." He did caution me that with one battery out, the positive cable is still hot from the other battery.
Jim
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CACTUS CAMPER
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03/31/08 08:39am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Sewer Solution, on a 5er
I don't understand what the underbelly has to do with the Sewer Solution. Mine attaches to the tank drain outlet. Put it on, drain tanks, refill partially with water if I want, drain again, then remove the Sewer Solution until the next time I need it. It is not a permanent attachement.
Please pardon me if I misunderstood the question or answers given.
Jim
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CACTUS CAMPER
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03/25/08 09:32am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Set-up /Take-Down -- 5er vs Class A MH
We had two 5ers then a class A. Now we are happily back with a 5er. The only thing significantly slower with the 5er is leveling. One factor to us was insurance cost. The trailer is covered by the TV while on the road, so you only need insurance for when it is parked. The cost is significantly lower.
We did enjoy the extra storage under the Class A, but the width--102 inches--did cause problems on narrow roads and in some campgrounds. Like others have mentioned, the TV can be used around town while the Class A sits and depreciates.
Jim
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CACTUS CAMPER
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02/29/08 01:16pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Plastic Cover for Fifth Wheel Pin Box
I have never seen a pin box cover, however I protect my trailer pin by slipping a soup can over it. By using a can opener that cuts around the rim, the can slips on with a tight fit. I spay painted mine black to match the pin box. This is not for asthetics, but to protect my shirt or jacket if I bump into it.
Jim
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CACTUS CAMPER
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02/16/08 10:46am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Driving Texas Hill Country scary?
I did find some Texas state highways a little narrow for a 102-inch-wide class A. Including mirrors, your rig will be right at ten feet wide. Not that you can't do it, but with 70 mph speed limits you get impatient drivers behind you and only an insane person would drive a motorhome that fast on such curvy roads. I found it a tense experience driving on Highway 36 southeast of Abilene. In places the shoulders are quite steep and I felt I had less than a foot of pavement on each side of my wheels.
You will do okay if you stay with the major state highways--not necessarily interstates.
Jim
P.S. My salute to your maritime museum.
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CACTUS CAMPER
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02/09/08 11:15am |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Running Refridgerator while driving
Here in Arizona I don't dare run with the refrigerator off in the summer. The biggest danger is fire. In an accident if a propane line is ruptured the pilot light, or igniter can start an explostion or fire.
I had a blowout once that ripped the floor out beneath the refrigerator and broke a propane line. As soon as I got out of the truck I could smell gas. I use a switch to disconnect both batteries--a knife switch because it is quicker to operate and I can see if it is on or off. Without a source of ignition leaking propane can't be set off. I shudder when I see units with a propane connection for their grill coming out behind the rear trailer tire where an exploding tread could rip it open.
As hotvdub said, always shut off the refrigerator while fueling.
Aside from safety, I followed instructions from others on this site and installed a 12 volt computer fan to help move air over the refrigerator coils to improve efficiency of the unit.
Jim
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CACTUS CAMPER
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02/06/08 08:28am |
Toy Haulers
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RE: trailer brakes intermitantly come and go?
Before our trip to Alaska in 02 I had CW check the brakes on my 5er. Tech said the brake shoes were fine--lots of material.
In northern BC I began having intermittent brake failures. By the time I got to Anchorage, no brakes. First I looked for wiring problems, specifically grounding. No joy. Took it to an RV shop. Found the shoes were still good, but the magnets were worn out and had rutted the drum. Had them replace the brake drums, shoes and magnets as a unit. Due to labor costs it was probably cheaper than trying to find a shop to machine the drum where the magnet contacts it.
Jim
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CACTUS CAMPER
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01/09/08 09:15am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Why do i camp?
My nephew and I were undergrads at Arizona State University at the same time. Often during the fall we would pack up my VW bug and head to Oak Creek Canyon for the weekend, usually arriving after dark. One night we didn't take time to set up a tent so we threw our sleeping bags on the ground. Before morning it began raining. I scrunched down in my bag, but Walt wriggled to shelter beneath a concrete camp table. Pretty soon water began running into the depression where people kicked the dirt away sitting at the table. He was flooded out before my sleeping bag became too soggy. We spent the rest of the night in the VW.
My wife and I borrowed my brother's 16-foot camp trailer for out honeymoon--at Oak Creek Canyon. We tent camped with our sons for years until they no longer traveled with us. Through the years we have had two mini motorhomes, one Class A, and are now on our third fifth-wheel. While our youngest son was in the Coast Guard we spent parts of several summers in the Coast Guard campground beneath Grays Harbor lighthouse in Washington state.
When we travel we enjoy sleeping in the same bed every night without wondering who slept there last--or what they did, or if the sheets were changed.
Jim
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CACTUS CAMPER
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12/29/07 07:39am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Replace TV with flat screen
Our Keystone Cougar has room in the TV box for only a 12 or 13 inch unit. I trimmed a hardwood cutting board (From kitchen wares) and attached drawer slides and mounted it in the bottom of the TV box. It pulls out like a computer keyboard slide. The 20-inch LCD TV sits on the TV slide-out shelf, outside the box. I remove the TV and slide-out shelf before bringing in the living room slide out. (With the slide out in, we only have about 4 or 5 inches clearance in front of the TV box.) We carry the 20 inch LCD TV in the bottom of the shower, cushioned by the shower rug, and store the TV slide-out shelf beside the bed.
It's not as handy as a permanent mount, but there's no way to permanently mount a TV in our fiver. It works for us.
Jim
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CACTUS CAMPER
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12/04/07 09:45am |
Fifth-Wheels
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