Dayle1
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Joined 24 years ago
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Re: Brakes, dilemma.
If a defective breakaway switch was applying voltage to the brakes with the pin in place, then you would have full voltage to the brakes (or at least 3 of them in your case) and several other things would have happened in 13k miles towing. You would have a very difficult time pulling the trailer, your fuel mileage would be less than 1 mpg, the plastic breakaway switch would have melted in about 1 hour, the wheel bearings would have overheated and failed from too much brake heat and tire wear would be terrible. Oh, while stored w/o shore power, your battery would be dead in about one day. You didn't say when you did the compass test if the truck was connected or not? But maybe you didn't do the compass test correctly? You could jack up each wheel and see how hard it is to turn by hand. It is possible that the 3 wheels had the brakes adjusted too tight. Also, maybe you are riding the brake pedal and slightly applying the brakes while towing. And there are probably other potential causes. The 4th brake is ok most likely because it actually has an open circuit someplace and is NEVER working.271Views0likes0CommentsRe: Macerator pump questions
laknox wrote: I'm still a bit confused about the grey tank not draining as fast as the black. I'm going to contact KZ about the location of the air admittance valve, since it's not under the lav sink, where most are found. Has me wondering if it's starting to go wonky and isn't breathing as it should. Lyle The black tank has a very short length of 3" pipe to the pump inlet. The grey tank has a longer 1.5" pipe so the pump is seeing more resistance at the inlet. Just a guess.555Views0likes0CommentsRe: Fifth Wheel Slide Question
Totally normal, with under floor mechanism it is the only way to keep pressure on the upper slide seal to keep it weather tight in normal use. If you look at the movie 'RV' with Robin Williams, when he makes the fast right hand turn at the beginning of the movie, the top of the main slide tilts out about 8" during that turn.431Views0likes0CommentsRe: Sliding Hitch
You don't need a slider if you can remember to pay attention. But as already stated some of that depends on the variables. Bed length is not an issue. Cab-to-axle (CA) distance is , GM is the longest, Ford just a little less and Ram is the shortest. Then fiver cap design is the other big factor. Regardless of setup, you will not get into trouble making a 90 degree forward turn, the steerable wheels of the truck can only turn about 36-37 degrees max. So, a 90 degree turn at full steering cut will only result in a truck to trailer angle of around 45 degrees. You cannot make a 180 degree turn at maximum steering cut, but you can make a 180 degree turn at less than max. steering cut. Where you will get into trouble is when jockeying back and forth to get into a camp site. That is if you try and get by with the least maneuvering. In 30+ yrs, I've never found a spot I couldn't get into if I was willing to take a little extra time maneuvering. Four SB trucks and 7 fifth wheels and never made contact between truck and fiver.413Views0likes0CommentsRe: power wheelchaird in camper
My wife had ALS and passed away in August. But I did a lot of research and modifications to cover her needs. First was the toy hauler, but one that had the bathroom next to the garage so she wouldn't have to climb steps to the upper level. Second, I removed the double queen lift beds and installed a hospital bed to the lift mechanism to make more room for wheelchairs and other medical equipment. Third, I purchased the Whill model Ci electric wheel chair, weighs only 115 lbs, breaks down into 3 pieces and is more maneuverable than any other chair. Her Phillips breathing machine fit under the chair rather than hanging out behind it. Finally, I bought a Multi-Lift. It is a battery operated sling lift with a 6 ft working radius and sufficient vertical lift to go from a wheelchair outside the camper to another chair or bed inside the camper. And it will maneuver the sling thru a 24" wide door. It will only lift 275 lbs. But in 5 min., I could break down the Whill, move it outside and reassemble it, pick her up with the sling and move her outside and put her in the wheelchair. Because the Multi-Lift is portable, I also fabricated several mounting points inside our house so when we weren't traveling, I could use the lift inside the house for transfers from bed to wheelchair, wheelchair to toilet and wheelchair to living room chair. All of my modifications to the toyhauler and house were reversible. The toyhauler was traded in and the house is now for sale. I also used a Braun transfer lift seat in my truck. It is set up for the passengers side, but as I recall it can be configured for either side. My son works for a mobility conversion company and he knows all the details. He is storing the Multi-Lift and transfer seat. Send me a PM if you want more details or questions.342Views0likes0CommentsRe: Adding 2nd air, converting from 30 amp to 50 amp
john&bet wrote: I have a suggestion for your electricians. Instead of R&Ring the current AC distribution panel simply put in a 50amp panel and run a 30 amp circuit to current panel and set another panel for the new air cond. leaving spaces for future add on's. That is what I did on previous unit. An 8 slot panel (2 for the main). The existing 30 amp panel now becomes a sub panel and some of the existing circuits can be moved from it to extra slots on the new panel to help balance the load. Surface mount wiring also is ez, Legrande plastic from Lowes can handle romex 12/2 w gnd. I used it to add a 20 amp outlet in the garage of a toyhauler from the existing A/C down to the sidewall for an electric heater. Just cut a small notch in the A/C shroud for the wire chase to exit (or in your case, enter) the A/C. Biggest cost is the new 50 amp power cord.609Views0likes0CommentsRe: Another Fiberglass Body Question
goducks10 wrote: Unfortunately thats normal. It's where the Luan backer butts together. Some MFG's use two layers overlapping on the exterior which may or may not alleviate some of those vertical dimples. I've got a few on my 5er. Been that way for 6 years. Yep, the bulges are at the edge of each panel and should be visible every 48 inches.266Views0likes0CommentsRe: Advice needed on Slide Repair
I agree with using SS strips under the rollers, that is a common solution for the weight issue. Most of the problem is where the weight of the slideout sits on the roller when the slideout is retracted. Going down the road, the slideout will bounce up when you hit a bump and them impact the roller. So make sure you use thick enough SS to handle that impact. The underlying problem is that the plastic is there to protect the wood from water intrusion from below. But it also will trap any water that leaks in from above and then prevents the wood from drying out. Your fiberglass and resin will have the same problem. So, it has to rot. Weep holes would be better or no plastic, just paint the underside of the plywood with an exterior paint, make sure there are no leaks from above (like around window frames), and inspect frequently.263Views0likes0CommentsRe: RV Quality
I would disagree with your premise, there is nothing significantly better with the Volvo than the Camry to justify a $40k difference. Quality, reliability, ride quality, resale value, etc. make the Camry and many other low end cars very good choices. Now the Yugo would be a different story. It is the prestige that makes the Volvo worth $40k more. But I agree with your conclusion about RVs, quality is bad regardless of price. And the more things, features, bling you add to an RV, the more problems you are likely to have. There are maybe a few exceptions, Airstream (you pay a lot for quality with few extras), other brands as well, both expensive and inexpensive. My $30k unit seems to be an exception, better quality than my last 3 units spanning 18 yrs.81Views0likes0Comments
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