PNW_Steve
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Joined 12 years ago
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Re: washer/dryer
I have two rigs with washer and dryer. I found them fairly useless unless I had full hookups. The water and waste tankage were a severe limitation. Doing a modest amount of laundry DOUBLED our water consumption. I do a lot of boondocking. That makes the frugal consumption of water and power is necessary. So, laundry in the RV is not very practical for me. Just my $0.02 :)629Views0likes0CommentsRe: Question regarding residential refrigerators
I haven't had an RV refrigerator in years. My 5er has a 10.8cu.ft. residential fridge. I power it with a 300 watt solar setup feeding two GC-2's in series and a 1500 watt pure sine wave inverter. I have a Honda inverter generator for backup. The solar is not always enough to keep up. We have developed a routine of starting the generator to run the coffee maker, toaster and hair dryer as well as getting a headache start on bulk charge on the batteries. About 45-60 minutes each morning. That keeps me happy (coffee), my wife happy (hair dryer) and the refrigerator happy:) My new rig has enough solar to run everything as long as we have good sun. The generator is for cloudy weather. I LOVE the space we get with the residential refrigerator. I will never go back. Another bonus. I my refrigerator dies I can find one in stock at most any Home Depot or Best Buy for $300-$400.525Views0likes0CommentsRe: El Paso Wally docking
Blazing Zippers wrote: Well, we have a couple "wild & crazy guys" we travel with. You know--Smith & Wesson, and they bring their friend, Rugar. We don't want trouble at all, just traveling through. Thanks for the tip about Anthony. :) Apparently we run in different social circles. I spend my time hanging out with Colonel Colt :) I have to laugh at this. I joined IRV2 a couple of weeks ago. A comment like this got me banned.583Views0likes0CommentsRe: LifePO4 video
I must be stuck in the '90s :) I still find that FLA is the most cost effective chemistry when you look at cost Vs capacity and longevity. The various Li varieties are very interesting to the geek in me. I have seen some hobbyists coble together some slick BMS setups. I just don't have the time or interest in going down that road. If you are severely limited on space or weight capacity then the higher energy density starts to become attractive. I am fortunate there. My 24v - 430a/h FLA battery bank fits nicely and cost just a bit over $800 including shipping. I live in a pretty remote are so shipping can be a killer.729Views0likes0CommentsRe: Best/easiest internet setup for working remote/full time
I purchased an AT&T hot-spot and got setup on one of the iPad unlimited plan. When it works, it works great. Unfortunately coverage is hit and miss in places that we visit frequently. It is $35 a month for unlimited data that is supposed to be unthrottled. I have had it for about eight months and have flogged it pretty good while binge watching Netflix. No sign of throttling yet. I recently switched my phones from AT&T to Verizon's Visible service. I have tethered it to a Wi-Fi router and have been very happy with it with one BIG exception. I fly in & out of Pasco Airport (PSC) and find that I really need my phone there. Unfortunately Verizon has no service there. That shocked me. The Visible service costs $25-$40 a month. One phone is $40. If you have others join your "party" it goes down $5 for each person. We have two and room for two more. We are paying $35 each with all taxes and fees included. When we fill the two remaining spots we will all be paying $25 each. Unlike "family" plans that we have tried before, each phone is billed separately. So, if Johnny joins my group and does not pay his bill, I am not liable and my service is unaffected.772Views0likes0CommentsRe: Generator RF Noise
mustard wrote: I just installed a Cobra handheld CB with a firestick antenna behind the left driver's window. I've notice a very large amount of RF noise when running the generator. Anyone experience this and can tell me how can I eliminate the RF Noise? I would look at common mode chokes on the generator output. http://www.dellroy.com/W4EF's-Ham-Radio-Page/Portable_Operation/EU2000i_Filter.htm832Views0likes0CommentsRe: Looking for a DYI forum or site for travel traliers
Have you considered converting a bus into an RV? They make a very reasonable platform to build on. Many of them come equipped with wheelchair lifts. I am in the process of converting my second bus to a RV. My current project is a Bluebird rear engine. I have seen a number of conversions that retained wheelchair lift. Good running, well maintained buses can be had quite reasonably. Take a look at http://www.skoolie.net and http://https://www.busconversionmagazine.com/ I purchased my current bus for $3450. Similar buses typically range in price from $4,000-$10,000. Mine had a bit of body damage that I had to deal with. It is a bit shy of 40' and is equipped with the Cummins 8.3 and Allison MD-3060. These buses are typically very well maintained. I have seen examples of similar buses with over 300k miles and are still in service. Mine came with 170k miles. It runs and drives great.311Views0likes0CommentsRe: Rivets.. suitable for the awning
Stainless closed end rivets of the appropriate diameter and grip range should work fine. I do recommend using rivets with a grip range that covers your material thickness plus a rivet backer. The rivet backer is basically a washer that will spread the load out1.2KViews0likes0Comments
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