Dragonfly
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Joined 23 years ago
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Re: Chassis battery
Before you ditch your battery, clean the posts, cable ends and top of the battery thoroughly with water and baking soda. Even if a batter looks clean a light, invisible film on top can create a draw from one post to the next slowly draining a battery. You might also check your alternator output to be sure it is charging the battery properly. Some chargers have an alternator check on them or maybe a battery store will check it (If you trust them to tell the truth vs selling you something). And of course if it is a wet cell, check the water level inside.710Views0likes0CommentsRe: Hard to stay in lane on highway?
The only hurt is paying for the check up. Yes, RVs demand more attention than a car. The longer the wheelbase the better they track. But especially with a used vehicle, go ahead and get a check up if it feels tiring to you. I also notice that as I get older I have to increase my focus. One other thing I learned driving a small bus. I had much less wander when I steered less. Instead of constantly correcting, I found if I corrected then let loose of the wheel, corrected again and let loose again, it was a lot easier. Some bigger vehicles are really prone to over steering until you get used to them.242Views0likes0CommentsRe: Convert to tankless?
Would this be in addition to the regular tank water heater? I wouldn't want to give up the propane option when unplugged. We had tankless in the house. It was quirky sometimes. Sometimes it would just suddenly stop. However, it may have been because it was aging. When it died we replaced it with a regular tank, mostly because of the huge replacement cost. I don't know how long you have been RVing. Do you have a shower wand that you can turn the water on and off to save water and make the hot water last. With a hook up you have unlimited water which is great but you still must conserve the hot stuff with the small tanks water heaters have. One of the great pleasures is coming home or getting to a hotel and taking a LONG LEISURELY HOT shower.237Views0likes0CommentsRe: Winterizing Question
Not sure if anyone mentioned this but I often go out winterized and bring a water container to fill the toilet each time. When heading home, drain it and maybe flush down a little antifreeze. For drinking water bring bottles. For dish washing, just use paper plates. All you will be missing is the shower. Once winterized, I only unwinteuize if I am heading south for a while.370Views0likes0CommentsRe: Class C as a Daily Driver?
We considered a small Class C for a daily driver. Yes the gas would be more expensive but so is having another car with gas, insurance, maintenance etc. We then transitioned into thinking about a hefty truck with a drop in camper. That way, when not on the road, the camper could be left behind. And, when traveling, the camper could be dropped freeing the truck to travel into areas a C or the truck with a drop in couldn't go. Logistically the drop in camper seems to work best but of course it is smaller, doesn't have direct access between the driver seat and back etc. Tough choice. Then we got lucky and got a great deal on a 4x4 Provan pictured in the signature. It has the best of both worlds but you have to get lucky on a used one since they are ridiculously expensive new. We will probably still add a small, high mileage car for fear of future sky high gas prices even though the Provan has the footprint of an F-350 and would probably work as a daily driver. I don't know what we would have done if the Provan didn't come along. PS: One last item to consider. Using a very expensive camper as a daily driver shortens it's life. So, is it better to have a small car to minimize mileage on the expensive camper or is the savings of not having a car worth the extra wear. Again, a drop in camper solves that. Just leave the camper at home when not traveling. But yes, the drop in vs a traditional C issues come into play. Like everything else. For every plus one choice has, it has a negative that the others don't. Good luck in your decision.741Views0likes0CommentsRe: Do I need an external surge protector? Other essentials?
As for a water filter / system. It can't hurt. But, even if you sanitize and maintain your water system, you never know about the source of water you pick up. We use bottled water for drinking and usually for cooking. The water we load from who knows where in the on board system we use for showers, toilet, dishwashing etc. A clean water tank is great but you never know what you pick up on the road unless you are VERY careful.431Views0likes0CommentsRe: Do I need an external surge protector? Other essentials?
As has been noted, surge protection is just the beginning. Other protection is more important. I think that low voltage protection is high on the list, especially if you sometimes plug into a household 15 amp plug either at home or in a friend or family member's driveway. The other protections (open ground etc) folks mentioned will also become more important to you if you look closely at how some campground plug ins are constructed.105Views0likes0CommentsRe: Is this serious?
I don't know if this vehicle is on an E series chassis but if so, I have been told multiple times that they are prone to ball joint problems. You might include that in your list of things to check. Those that say it might be the tires are probably right but, something caused the tire problem. My previous E series Dynamax had this issue. It was a year or two newer. I bought it new and I only had about the same relatively low miles when it showed up. Best of luck trouble shooting.458Views0likes0Comments
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