Chuck_Sorensen
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Re: Generator Check using Portable Power Protection Unit
jjson775 wrote: Interesting. I also have a Progressive unit and an Onan generator. What did you find out with the test? Hi - I found that the generator was wired correctly; at least to the receptacle that I plugged the Progressive unit into. No Power Protection alarms while running the generator under different loads. Chuck Sorensen 2012 PW Excel TS332Views0likes0CommentsGenerator Check using Portable Power Protection Unit
When running the Onan generator, I have used my portable power protection unit, a Progressive Industries 30 amp to see what it thinks of the generated power. Using a 30 amp female to 20 amp male plug I connect the protection unit to a van 120 vac outlet; a three wire extension cord helps. Nothing need be plugged into the protection unit. The error codes will show what the protection unit sees and the generator frequency and output voltage are displayed. Chuck Sorensen Buellton, California 2012 Ford PW Excel TS3KViews0likes7CommentsSlab City, California Observations
We recently visited Slab City, California; it is located just southeast of the Salton Sea. Slab City started as a Marine training base during WWII. When the base was no longer needed, the buildings were removed from their foundations, leaving bare concrete slabs. I had pictured dozens and dozens of empty slabs arranged on a grid of roads available for camp sites. The reality is that there are not quite so many slabs and that all of the slabs are in use by others; most slabs with some kind of structure built on them. Some people live there year round; others during the winter. No utilities and little infrastructure. We did find an amiable fellow who had dragged an open boat up on one end of “his” slab. He was framing it in preparation to closing the walls. He did let us pull the van up on the other end of the slab and take a picture; concrete step leading up to a PW on a slab. Another desirable camping site option was the area maintained by the local Loners on Wheels chapter near the east end of LoW Road. Their area looked so good that there was talk about Vickie, my wife, staying out of sight while we camped there. Google Earth shows how well the chapter has cleaned its area. We ended up camping on a random patch of desert; of which there is much. On the road to Slab City sits colorful Salvation Mountain; the two decade + tribute to God by one man. I found that after climbing “the yellow brick road” to the top of the Mountain that the shortest, and safest, way down for me was to sit and slide down the back of the Mountain to a dirt road. Chuck Sorensen Buellton, California 2012 PW Excel TS13KViews0likes30CommentsLarger Diameter Tires - Odometer / Speedometer
When we bought our van, its stock tires resulted in the speedometer reading high. After replacing the tires with the next size larger tire, the speed indication was dead on. I assumed that the odometer was then accurate along with the resulting MPG calculations from the Ford computer. Later I observed that the Ford odometer mileage to one of my 100 mile auto club towing radius points was 5% short. I verified the my decades old 100 mile point was still correct using two on-line road trip sites. Using the 5% odometer correction, the Ford V-8 gas mileage now moves up to an overall 14 MPG. But only if the fuel measuring system and Ford computer calculations are correct. I wanted to know the gas mileage of my first vehicle, a 1953 Chevy pick-up. I filled a one gallon gas can and carried it in the truck’s bed until I ran out of gas. Then, after noting the mileage on the odometer, I put the gallon of gas into the truck. Using the truck until it ran out of gas, including refilling the gas can, the odometer reading let me calculate the MPG. Even at 23 cents per gallon for gas, economics prevented a full gas tank. This is another example of marvelous teenage thinking. Like using a hot soldering iron to melt tread into bald tires. Chuck Sorensen Buellton, California 2012 PW Excel TS3.3KViews0likes9CommentsRe: Lesson Learned; Stuck in Sand
Thanks to all for your thoughts on this topic. Stan909 - It was past the Dunes parking lot where the dirt road turns to sand. We had already climbed the rings at Hole-in-the-Wall. Camped at Mid Hills Campground just north of there the night before getting stuck. Smkettner - No 4WDs around. Not planning to change anything; other than staying out of deep sand. :>) Chuck598Views0likes0CommentsLesson Learned; Stuck in Sand
Lesson Learned; Stuck in Sand While recently looking for a camping spot near Kelso Dunes in the California located Mojave National Preserve our Pleasure-Way cleverly drove into the sand and quickly got stuck. Ford’s poor man’s locking differential, the Traction Control System, activation was not felt or indicated on the dashboard display; as it was experienced on a muddy dirt road in the California situated Carrizo Plain National Monument. Backing out seemed like the shortest path to firmer ground. We did not plan ahead and bring a tire grade air compressor. Reducing tire pressure to about 20 psi is a common tactic to help not get stuck and to get unstuck in sand. Airing down worked with our 1987 Fireball fifth wheel and Ford pick up at the beach. With the front wheels turned parallel with the vehicle’s length we removed sand from behind all four tires. We had six Lego type yellow plastic leveling blocks and five pieces of wood; each piece about twice the length of a block. Starting at sand levels low enough that the rear tires could get a grip, we made two runways of blocks and wood headed straight back from the rear tires of the van. Using higher V-8 engine RPM a reverse run was made until the van was stuck, again. The blocks and boards were now buried out of sight under the van; in line with the front and rear tires. After retrieving the blocks and boards, the above process was repeated four more times to move at total of about 45’ to driveable ground. This drama resulted in three broken yellow plastic blocks and the spinning tires melted the blocks’ plastic and deposited it around the rear tire treads. We were set up in our final camping spot as the sun set, but there is less urgency about being stuck when you have a camper containing everything you need to spend some time. Unless the tide is coming in. Chuck Sorensen Buellton, California 2012 Excel TS5.4KViews0likes14CommentsA few Dometic RM 8505 Refrigerator observations and opinions
Absorption refrigerators have been improved in the last few years. The 8505 Operating Instructions make no mention of having the refrigerator level during use. The warranty does not require level operation. The refrigerator works best when level and Dometic wants us to try it level before calling them for help with problems. During a failure to cool using propane, the 12 vdc mode worked great while driving until we could obtain an ice chest. I think that the 12 volt mode is now getting a bum rap. (The refrigerator propane valve was our problem.) While trouble shooting my cooling problem, one Dometic failure pointed out in their service manuals that got my attention was the burner flue tube becoming unwelded from the boiler. Burner works great, but no heat is transferred to the boiler. I drive with the refrigerator on propane when a cluster of vehicle stops is anticipated. I drive with the refrigerator on propane when charging the coach battery is a priority. Refrigerator temperature seems to increase a couple of degrees over the stationary temperature when driving with the refrigerator on propane. I have not checked 12 volt operation temperature differences. When all of its parts are working, this refrigerator performs better than expected; as during occasional unlevel and higher elevation operation. When you consider that the closed cooling system contains water, ammonia, hydrogen gas, and a corrosion inhibitor that you add heat, gravity, 12 vdc control, and ambient air to, and then it can make ice cubes; it is like magic. Chuck Sorensen Buellton, California 2012 PW Excel TS2.7KViews0likes5CommentsRe: Thetford Aqua-Magic Style II Flush Pedal Flies Off
This is a follow up to my “Thetford Aqua-Magic Style II Flush Pedal Flies Off” Just putting things back together did not last long. On checking the pedal again I found a locking ridge that had been worn down so it was not too obvious. It looked like this ridge was meant to pop into the groove of the hollow pivot shaft; the one with the return spring around it. I tried to build the ridge back up with epoxy so that it would hold, but I was unsuccessful. All things considered, this left me at the same point that Benjamin came to in his reply. I called Thetford Customer Service and ordered a replacement base for our toilet. Part Number 42135 for the white, low base (12” floor to china bowl rim) toilet. Included were a closet bolt / seal package, waste ball seal, new base to bowl screws, instructions, and attached pedal. $101.14 including shipping and possibly tax. I ordered the base on 29 July, the tag on the back of the base noted that it was made on 30 July, it was shipped on 31 July, and I received it on 6 August; just in time. Both the pedal and base showed updated features in the plastic molding. It took a ½” wrench to remove the two flange bolt nuts and a 3/8” wrench or socket to remove the two bowl to base screws. The water connection to the toilet was removed by hand. The two new base to bowl screws were longer and had more threads per inch. The old base had a rubber shim strip between the rear of the base and the floor; the replacement did not. The base was swapped and the toilet reinstalled; it seems to be working fine. The new waste ball seal holds water. The molded base and its relation to the upper spring end looked questionable; we will see. Early on in 2006 this toilet came with a 3 year warranty; I think we see why that did not work out; now a 1 year warranty. The Thetford web site brags that this toilet is “entry level”. The Hankook web site brags that there model tire that Ford puts on our Excels is their “entry level”; it has the lowest specifications of two of their similar tires. See posts 32672 and 32694. Has anyone found a drop-in reliable replacement toilet that is not so cleverly designed and is built with less plastic parts? Chuck Sorensen Buellton, California 2012 Excel TS628Views0likes0CommentsFantastic Fan Interlock Switch Tightening
If you suspect that your Fantastic Fan is not operating because of the dome interlock switch being loose and not providing a good ground, you may be able to tighten the switch nut from inside the van. I removed the screen; mine is clipped in. I opened the dome to provide access to the switch. The fan was turned off. I used a Craftsman 44539 10 mm / 11 mm 12 point combination wrench. It is 3 7/8 inches long with a 10 mm open-end and 11 mm box-end bent at an angle. The 11 mm box-end went over the switch and down around the nut with the natural wrench bend putting the 10 mm end of the wrench lower into the van. Using the fingers of one hand to turn the wrench and the fingers of the other to push the box-end down around the nut, it took about one inch travel of the wrench open-end moving counter-clockwise if looking up to tighten the nut and restore a good connection. Fingers work between the fan blades. I found the following, interesting to me, Q&A words on the Fan-Tastic Vent web site: Q CAN I DRIVE WITH MY VENT OPEN? A YES! It is best to have the dome completely open. There is a lifetime warranty on the dome. Chuck Sorensen Buellton, California 2012 Excel TS578Views0likes0CommentsRe: Dometic RM 8505 Refrigerator – Partial Cooling on Propane
Thanks, Al - I did not pay much attention to the refrigerator for the two years that it faithfully cooled our food. When the refrigerator went into its partial cooling mode, I did not know what was normal when I pulled the two related van side vents off. One of the first things I found is that when looking on the web, most of the burners were larger than the one in my refrigerator; small stuff; harder to clean. When a shop services a burner, the gas jet is inspected and cleaned along with the other things. Cleaning did not fix the cooling problem. Changing out the refrigerator propane valve assembly restored normal burner flame and cooling. I am not good at seeing burner flames during the day. In the evening, when my burner is full on, the blue flame fills the visible burner area; even below the burner parts sticking in there. When the refrigerator was not cooling well, the flame was smaller and better defined; down to almost half of the flue diameter. Sound of the burner turned out to be a good guide, also. Wanting a better handle on what was a “good” flame, I used a meat digital thermometer to measure the flue exhaust at the top of the flue before the exhaust is directed toward the van side vent. For my Dometic RM 8505 that was around 400 degrees F. Typical temperature during partial cooling was 350 degrees F. As a rough check, for good gas or electric operation I lick my finger and transfer the moisture to the top side of the condenser inlet tube just before the fins start; all of the moisture is evaporated within 4 seconds. The condenser cooling fans did not run with partial burner flames. There are a lot of different refrigerators out there so your normal may be different than mine. I now have a better idea of how hot and warm cooling system components should be during normal operation. Chuck Sorensen Buellton, California 2012 Excel TS415Views0likes0Comments
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