Skibane
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Joined 20 years ago
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Re: Travel Trailers vs Motor Home
One of the things I appreciate most about RVing with a TT is the relative ease of self-repairs. Things tend to be smaller (which makes them easier to handle), and more standardized (which means less scavenging for repair parts). Here's an example: Changing a flat tire. Motorhome tires tend to be big, heavy, and secured with big, highly-torqued lug nuts. The nuts on my Class A required a 6 foot breaker bar to loosen or tighten to specs. Having 19.5 inch tires meant that replacements were relatively scarce and expensive (and almost non-existent in Mexico). Many of the automotive centers that cater to passenger vehicles don't stock them, and won't mount or balance them. That's not much of an issue with travel trailer tires, and almost unheard of with tires on the pickups and SUVs commonly used as tow vehicles.788Views0likes0CommentsRe: Travel Trailers vs Motor Home
Bobbo wrote: On the other hand, in August we were camping on Newfoundland island in Canada. The guy next to us had been there for 5 weeks in his travel trailer. He was supposed to be there for 3 or 4 days, but blew the engine in his truck and was stuck. He had been waiting for a crate engine to be shipped there that whole time. Vehicle problems can happen to any vehicle, not just a motorhome. At least he was able to continue staying in his trailer while repairs were being made. Typically, when a motorhome is in the shop for repairs, you stay in a motel - or go home.794Views0likes0CommentsRe: New smartphone direct-to-Starlink satellite service
Crabbypatty wrote: Its simple. Set phone to wifi calling and it goes over starlink wifi router. Eventually, some passenger vehicles will offer a built-in Starlink terminal as a factory option - which will make what you're describing commonplace. No need for a smartphone-to-satellite direct connection, when you can just tether your smartphone to the satellite terminal in your vehicle instead.1.2KViews0likes0CommentsRe: Travel Trailers vs Motor Home
I had a 28 foot Class A before doing a significant "downsize" to a 17 foot TT. The Class A was roomier, but some of that additional space was inefficiently used in the driving area - which really can't be used for much else except seating. The driver's area was also cold and drafty in the winter time, due to the difficulty of installing adequate insulation and gasketing in all the surfaces around the engine compartment immediately below it. The TT is definitely more airtight, even though it is single-wall molded fiberglass, without a separate layer of insulation. For ease of maintenance and repair, there is absolutely no comparison - Keeping the running gear working on the TT is a trivial job. A pair of top-quality 15" tires for the trailer is under $300. A set of 6 top-quality 19.5" tires for the MH is well over $3K. Fuel economy of the Class A (towing a compact pickup) was 5-8 MPG. Fuel economy of the TT (being towed by a mid-size pickup) is 15-17 MPG. I will never own another Class A.793Views0likes0CommentsRe: Best quality: Micro Minni, R-POD, E PRO
Pbutler97 wrote: CKNSLS wrote: Any Forest River product can be of dubious quality. So can any Thor product, Winnebago/Grand Design Product, the list goes on and on. Please tell us what brand can not be or is never of dubious quality. Never say never - but... Escape, Bigfoot, Casita and Oliver all have relatively few complaints about build quality.886Views0likes0CommentsRe: New smartphone direct-to-Starlink satellite service
shastagary wrote: Not sure I'd count on being able to access a satellite that's only used under extraordinary conditions. the satellite service used will be starlink internet service that is used daily by those who have it. don't know if there will be a way to test it we will see I was referring to the Globalstar satellites used by the Apple iPhone 14 - not the Starlink satellites. Apparently, the iPhone 14 doesn't use them for anything other than "SOS" service - which means that iPhone 14 users don't know if their Globalstar satellite access is actually working until they need it in an emergency.1.2KViews0likes0CommentsRe: Smaller Propane Tanks
rhagfo wrote: Well yes 40# tanks are heavy so step down to 30#. I am a little lost on how hard many find to get propane. Around here about 1/3 of gas stations fill cylinders. You live in a state where only gas station attendants are allowed to pump gasoline. Gotta give those employees something to do when they're not pumping gas...849Views0likes0CommentsRe: New smartphone direct-to-Starlink satellite service
shastagary wrote: this shows how it should work starting in November satellite sos for emergencies Do they provide any way of testing it, other than having an actual emergency? Not sure I'd count on being able to access a satellite that's only used under extraordinary conditions.1.2KViews0likes0Comments
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