RV FRENZY

Fast Forward

2014-05-10T08:17:00.000-07:00

4 years have flown by since my last blog. Sold old Violet our 87 Vogue III to an Australian. Now we have a new to us 89 Beaver. We are looking towards going full time in this coach in about 3 years. I'll post pics as soon as I relearn how.

Summer approaching

2010-04-10T19:34:00.000-07:00

Now that the temps are back up in the mid-80's, I'll bring in the batteries to stay charged up!

We hope to take a trip before June, but my schedule has me studying 7 days a week now. We'll see, maybe next weekend.

Long spell since last update

2010-03-19T13:29:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Quartzsite was ok. As I told my wife, nothing like camping out in the middle of the desert with 30,000 other people. I would say the reason to go is to visit with friends as the rest of the circus was just tiring for your feet. Another interesting observation; most of the retired folks have an entitlement attitude - "that's MY parking space, chair, foot path, etc.". Thankfully my daughters friend was able to come, otherwise this would not be a place for kids to have much fun - or be treated decently.

Storage

2010-01-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to opening the floor safe in the RV. We have no gold, jewels, coins or anything of value to anyone else. Poor white trash we are. So, I found the safe is a perfect storage spot for the electric heater we have. :O)

Quartzsite

2010-01-11T19:27:00.001-07:00

Our friends from Tucson gave me the nudge to pack up and get going to "Q" this weekend. On the battery front - the Exide house battery has been brought back to life. After two plus weeks of charging - desulfating - floating, etc, the battery tested out as being "good" according to Checker Auto. The warranty had expired and I was prepared to buy a new one, so I see no reason to doubt the 40 minute load test they did. The 8d is still hooked up to the charger. I tried to start the engine with it a few day ago and it wouldn't even crank over once. I'll be trading it in on a new 8d at Batteries Plus this week unless their load test surprises me too!

Projects update:

New awning straps are on-board and will be installed when we get parked.

I purchased a Mr. Heater and it works fine. I'm holding off on hooking it up to the LP gas line until I get back and have more time for the task. This weekend we'll us the 1 pound bottles.

Stinky water no more! 1 pint of bleach and flushing out the tank with 200 gallons of water seemed to do the trick. No evidence of any sediment or other gunk in the samples taken during the flush. I still think an access hatch is a good project to pursue at a later date.

I believe I now have the correct hose fitting to use the on-board air to keep the tires inflated.

Should be a fun trip and lots of pictures / stories to follow!

New Year

2010-01-03T08:09:00.003-07:00

Lauren and I went to Camping World for new awning straps. Purchased 3 of them for under $10. We also looked a several RV's too. While some were nice, most were cheaply made. What impresses me the most is how well made our old Vogue is after 23 years! I've not seen anything new under $100K worth trading for.

Today I might get back to the batteries.

Happy New Year!

2009 RV Recap

2009-12-21T16:14:00.001-07:00

Sadly, we only made one trip in old Violet this year. In March we went to San Diego during Lauren's spring break. I had been working on Violet for a few weeks getting odds and ends fixed and applying a good polish. At 22 years old, I'd say Violet still looks decent at ten feet. Mom took the picture shown at left and sent it to me at work. This during a particularly difficult time - work wise. What a morale booster! We stayed at Santee Lakes Campground just outside of San Diego. Actually, it was more in-town than out. Santee Lakes were made to reclaim waste water. You might think this would be a smelly place to stay, but it was really nice with hundreds of birds nesting in the area. We got a spot with one of the lakes right out the back of our rig. Lauren and Mom rented a paddle boat and in general we had a nice time staying there. I would recommend it to anyone planning a trip to the San Diego area.

We spent an afternoon on Coronado Island.

We found a beach parking spot on the South side of the Coronado Hotel. The beach was really nice.

I forgot to take our camera to Sea World and haven't developed the disposal camera pictures yet. Now I'll need to find where I put them so I can get them posted. We did the "Breakfast with Shamu" and it was well worth the price. I expected the food to be lousy, but it was a really good buffet style spread. I think I went back 3 times. We were able to sit right next to the tank for the show. Real nice for the ladies and for me I got a show and good grub too!

On the way home we stopped at the tower off I-8 shown below:

If you tow a trailer or have a motorhome over 22' long and bring along a toad, DO NOT attempt to drive up to their parking lot. No matter how big the (old hippie) owner says the parking lot is - it isn't. I had to un-hook the toad, un-hook the tow dolly, back down and get everything turned around. Took 45 minutes and by that time I was determined to see that stupid tower. Take my advice - save your money and head on down the road.

The rest of the summer was spent in limbo due to my job situation. Next year will be different! I plan to head out a least once every-other-month. Even if it's only 5 miles up the road to McDowell Mountain Park. We hope to take advantage of living in an area where you can go RVing year-round!

Future Frenzy

2009-12-15T16:53:00.000-07:00

Once I get done messing around with batteries and other "easy" stuff, I'm gonna paint old Violet. I've got the GM paint codes and know a place in Mesa that will mix it up for me. I'm going to use the roll and brush method. Here is a good link on how to paint fiberglass. I hope to start the prep work around Feb 1st. Should be fun!

More Battery Stuff

2009-12-15T16:36:00.001-07:00

I check on these batteries at least 2x per day. They are "off gassing" nicely and are charging at 13.30 volts. I am easily entertained. While my daughter looks forward to Santa, I'm anticipating doing a load test on Dec. 29th! I'm living a wild life!

Battery Maintenance

2009-12-13T15:03:00.000-07:00

Both batteries are now on a "maintenance" charge for the next two weeks. They seem to be "off gassing" nicely. The manual said it can take that long to desulfate badly discarged and sulfated batteries. Considering I've done almost everything you can to kill these batteries, I'm going to give them the full 2 weeks before hooking up a load tester. I hope Checker or Napa will have one I can rent.

Batteries Continued

2009-12-10T06:45:00.003-07:00

The 8D is on its second charge/desulfate at 2amp and as of this morning all appear to be a go. I'm thinking it should be fully charged and on a "float" charge by this evening. Crossing my fingers this will be the case.

Update 3 p.m. Dec 10: The battery is now on a "float" charge. I may lug the other 8D in and start it charging tonight. I can then check the voltage of the charged one after it "rests" for 12 hours.

Update 5 p.m.: I've disconnected the charger and now have 13.07 volts! I'm excited about that! I'll re-check tomorrow again. I've now hooked up the other 8D and it tested at 7.59 volts to start. I'm charging it just like the last one and hope for the same results. I've decided to use my two-wheeler as the new battery cart -

I think I'll fabricate a second tier for the 3 deep cycle house batteries to sit on. This will make it easy to wheel them in & out of the RV and to keep them charged. I plan on keeping them indoors and out of the heat going forward.

Heating Up!

2009-12-08T17:58:00.002-07:00

As the Quartzsite trip nears, I'm looking at either getting sleeping bags for us or installing a catalytic heater. The Olympian Wave seems to be a popular choice by many RV'rs.

The Wave 6 is about $250 + shipping on Amazon.com.

Update: I'm looking at Mr. Heater now -
Portable and I can get it at Northern Tool for $99 bucks. Maybe Santa will bring me one?

Cheaper to Keep Her

2009-12-08T17:33:00.001-07:00

I've recently been looking at Skoolies as a future project. Thought I might sell old Violet and convert a bus which would take me about 8 years I reckon to do. Anyway, Jake's school bus is a nice example of what can be done with recycled stuff an not a whole lot of modifications or fabrication work being done.

On the other hand Sporty Ricks bus takes a little more skill at welding.

I'd have to dust up on that. I like both these conversion you can see them and lots more on Skoolie including some real hatchet jobs. I also thought about converting an old moving van like the one on Planet Mechanics - sorry can't find a photo, but that might be more of a stretch to get the wife's buy-in on a Gypsy wagon :O)

The Timeless Ride

2009-12-07T18:56:00.002-07:00

I came across this adventurer and would like to pass it along. Click on Hubert to see where he is at. There is some beautiful photography too. While I admire U-bear, I'm not willing to give up my portable bed or bath just yet to strike out to the unknown. I think I'll follow along for the ride for awhile though.

Charging Batteries

2009-12-07T18:38:00.001-07:00

Across the parking lot from my daughters music lesson is a battery store. Lucky me! I was able to purchase the BatteryMinder I had been stalling on getting. Here is a picture of the unit -

I've hauled out the 8D Werker battery and it is now on a slow 2A default charge. It had an initial charge of 7.4 volts. I think the chances of recovering any functionality is slim, but worth a try. I'll report back in 3 days with the results.

Update 12/9:

I came home from work to see the charger flashing red. That sent me to the instructions which said the battery is not fully charged due to being too big of a battery or discharged too much to complete a full charge on one cycle. I checked the volts which have risen from 7.6v to 12.33v - YEA! I reset the charge at 2amps again and hope for the best. I'll report back in a day or so.

Battery Decisions

2009-12-06T19:24:00.001-07:00

If you wait on making a decision long enough, you can always find another choice to confuse the matter. I was set on parting with a $100 bill for a new batter charger, but delayed getting it ordered on-line. While checking out the available RV's on Craigslist I came upon these two 8D AGM batteries for sale. Used only 2 months and have been kept alive with a trickle charge....humm. These are $520 a piece new and the seller wants $150 each. Humm? A hundred bucks here three hundred there and we're talk'in money. Once I confirm the date these batteries were manufactured, about the only other test would be to check their current state of charge (12.7-12.8 volts). Do I get these superior AGM's and hope they are ok or chance bringing the old flood acid 8D's I have back to life? One new 8D will be more than the 2 used ones. I'll order the battery charger as I need it anyway and sleep on getting the AGM's tonight.

OK. I've sent an email to the owner to ask the age of these batteries. Now I can go to sleep :O)

Odds and Ends

2009-12-03T17:34:00.002-07:00

It has been a few days and a holiday since posting last.

The above bus was listed and sold on Tejas Coach Works. As the saying goes - "a dollar short and a day late".

I was watching the news a few days ago reporting on the RV industry and how some manufacturers are rehiring laid-off workers. The news showed them literally running from one work station to another slapping in staples, screws, etc., as fast as humanly possible. I'm glad they have the work, but the image of workers running with their tools back and forth to assemble an RV really turned me off. Would you want to buy an RV assembled this way?

Quartzite is looming and my battery issue is still unresolved. I'm also needing to install a propane ceramic, vent-less heater or get some sleeping bags to keep warm. I'd like to install a 6-8 inch porthole/hatch on the bottom of the fresh water tank to enable me to throughly drain and clean the tank. Darned if I didn't loose the marine web site where I can buy them. I also need new pull down straps for my Carefree awnings which I haven't ordered. So, with all this needing to be done and the trip getting closer by the day, I'm working myself towards another RV Frenzy!

Amazing Bus

2009-11-23T16:54:00.001-07:00

Check out the AMAZING BUS CONVERSION. I, on the other hand, am working on a finely hand crafted deluxe linoleum floor in the bathroom.

A Throne of my Own

2009-11-21T18:53:00.002-07:00

Our first trip in the motorhome was down to a bird sanctuary near Sierra Vista, Arizona. The wife proclaimed "this is a wonderful machine!" after trying to use the public facilities before retreating to our mobile "throne". Today we were at a park in town and an hour from home when I needed to use the facilities - YIKES! It made me wish I had the mobile throne with me everywhere I go. Today's experience reminded me of one of the many reason's we love our RV!

How to read tire date codes

2009-11-20T18:28:00.002-07:00

Your RV tires Should have a 4 digit code beginning in the year 2000. The example below shows this tire was manufactured in the 51st week of 2007 (LMLR5107).

Prior to 2000 tires will have a 3 digit code with the first two being the week and the last digit being the year. The tire below was manufactured in the 40th week of 1998.

If your RV has a 3 digit code, you should seriously consider replacing them as they are beyond their useful life and could fail. Most RV tires wear out due to age even if they appear almost new and have plenty of tread. Ozone penetrates the tire even if they are covered. Ozone causes the rubber to become brittle over time. Same with UV radiation which causes cracking or checking. I've been told to apply Johnson's Floor Wax to slow down thees effects. I have not tried this yet, but I will do some additional investigating and report back at a future date. I have not found where a manufacturer gives a useful life, but most say to look at replacing them after 6 years. For my rig this means budgeting $400 to $500 per year for future tires. You should keep your tires clean, properly inflated, covered and use a non-petroleum dressing on them such as Premo while in storage to get the most life out of them.

This would put anyone in a frenzy

2009-11-19T18:15:00.002-07:00

Honey, do you know where our fire extinguisher is?

Follow the link below to an expert on RV fire safety.

Fire suppression systems for your RV

Batteries and Chargers

2009-11-19T16:27:00.004-07:00

I won't be going to Quartzsite this year without resolving my battery issues. I must admit they died a slow death due to my lack of knowledge and neglect. Here is a picture of the (2) Werker 8D batteries needed to crank the engine. The picture doesn't do justice as to how big they are - each weigh 130 lbs. I took one down to Batteries Plus to see if there was any warranty left, which there wasn't, and to buy a new one is about $300 each - Ouch! So, I lugged it back home with the bright idea of adding new acid and charging it up as the cheapo fix.

After pumping out 3 gallons of acid and replacing it with new and then applying a charge for a day or so, all I managed to do was boil out some of the acid (see pic). Then I gave up for the summer months (leaving them in the 100+ heat) until I had the inspiration to work on them again. Long story short, see my link on batteries and read it at night when you can't sleep.
All you wanted to know about batteries and then some.

I haven't given up on the 8D's and tonight I will be ordering a new battery charger.

I looked at the Battery Tender brand which is recommend on several RV sites.

It's about $60 + shipping.

I chose the BatteryMINDer because it has a desulfator/conditioner function. In reading the many reviews, It sounded like some people had luck in reviving their old batteries to a functional state. That is what I'm hoping for. Otherwise, I will be buy new ones. Either way, I need a charger that will keep them charged without boiling them.

I will update this blog on the results. It will take a week for delivery and from what Ive been reading about another week to desulfate the battery - if it can be done.

2009-11-18T20:23:00.000-07:00

Case of an RV Frenzy!

RV's and Dogs

2009-11-18T16:38:00.003-07:00

Ever notice how many people with RV's have pets? Ever see an RV for sale that said "we have dogs, cats and smoke like chimney's" in the description? We have two fine motorhome dogs - Sammy and Ashton. Sammy was a stray and Ashton we got at the dog pound. Sammy rides up front on his mini dog bed.

He's a rascal and once got up on the left driver side arm rest and shifted our rig into gear. This while I was outside getting some forest info and the rig was running. Good thing the air brakes work!

Ashton is part dog, part chicken and likes to lounge on the couch.

Tonight we are off to look at another cattle dog mix that was rescued. I'm not real keen on having 3 dogs, but the wife and daughter out voted me.

Update 11/22/09

Here is "Loosa". Named after an Appaloosa because of her coloring and markings. We got her from Fedwell Farms a rescue for cattle dogs. Any dog that won't eat the chickens, bother the goats or chase the geese must be good.

Studded Snow Tires and Hard Times

2009-11-16T12:05:00.006-07:00

I'm taking a detour from my chronology of events to discuss my "toads" bald tires. When we lived in Colorado, I had a set of 4 studded snows put on my toad. Then had them removed and the street tires put back on which are now bald. If it were not for the austere times we live in, I would just buy new tires, but I've got these snows with plenty of tread and studs! Normally, I would just have them mounted and be on my way, but the wife won't ride with me in Phoenix with studs clickety-clackety-ing as we go. No problem. I'll just have Discount Tire "de-stud" them. Well, no such thing exists here in Phoenix anyway. Ok, I'll pull them out my self. Here is a picture for your enjoyment -

Plier's or vice grips will not work. Some web-site recommended softening them up with soap which I didn't try. Imagine trying to pry a slippery stud out. The best method is shown below:

Yep, a small regular slot screw driver and a good padded glove. You've got to dig down along side of the stud and get the end of the screw driver under the flange of the stud - see below:

Then pop them out. Make sure your wear safety glasses as they can fly out and hit you in the eye causing you to spend all you saved doing this job on the doctor. Figure about 40 minutes per tire. I recommend doing 1/2 of the tire with one hand and the other 1/2 with the other hand. This way both hands are equally sore the next morning.

I'm off to Discount Tire to have them put on the old "toad".

Well it took another day before I got the tires on, but here it is... and a picture of old "Gumby" the Toad.

Gumby has 135,000 miles now. I'd say she's a 10 X 8, that is a "10" at 8 feet. :O)