travelnutz
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Joined 19 years ago
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Re: Cost of new fiberglass roof on a 32' Winnie
Judging from the condition of our Rhino sprayed in bed liner and up over the sides too on our 2004.5 Chevy LB truck bought new and had the liner sprayed in before we drove it, the Rhino liner lasts and looking very good 17 years later. Ours of course is black and has hardly faded much at all. I have the color renew kit that was sent to me from Rhino in about 2012 and never used it yet as the OEM liner still looks quite good. What they sprayed on is really tough and sure is lasting. Nothing slides around on bed liner like other brands which are so well noted for doing. When a tornado went over us and ripped the breaches off the big pines in February in 2015 when snow birding in our Carriage 29' 5th wheel and the sharp ends of the branches falling on the 5th wheel rubber roof put 6 holes thru the rubber roof. I wanted to have a Rhino sprayed on roof to replace it but the insurance wouldn't pay the cost. Thus, and additional layer of 1/4" marine plywood was put on and a new rubber membrane glued on. Cost was $4460 done here in Michigan and included a new 15' awning material installed that had 3 holes in the old one from the branches that pierced it. Got 2 estimates down in Florida to have it done there and the same was quoted at $7700 and $7400 they both quoted just patching the holes in the OEM plywood roof . Insurance said it was too high. I had patched all the holes in the roof with Dynaflex 230 hours after the tornado so the insulation wouldn't get wetter or saturated. Always carry a tube of it in both of our RV's just in case of need. Very good stuff for caulking and works on wet wood also as it is water soluble before curing in the air. Sorry now that I didn't pay the additional costs ourselves to have the Rhino roof sprayed on. So far superior!!!1.1KViews0likes0CommentsRe: Anybody still tow with an old GM?
Still have our ordered new 2004.5 Chevy Duramax 6.6 diesel Allison crew cab long box 4X4 truck and has way over 200K of only towing miles on it. With either the 11'3" Lance TC on the back or towing our 29' Carriage 5th wheel behind it. Brake lines are still not rusted but one front line had to be replaced 5 years ago as a large rock hit it and nearly flattened it in one spot. We heard it hit but didn't notice any damage at all. Didn't look at the brake lines etc but should have! Oil change place saw the damaged line. The bright red paint is still shiny yet and there is no rust on it as I always have our vehicles undercoated properly and before we even drive them. It works! Has a sprayed in bed liner up and over the top sides and the tailgate, so no rust there either! We live in West Michigan on the Lake Michigan shoreline and they do salt the roads here in winter. Hadn't planned on keeping the truck so many years but it has been such a fine truck, so why spend gobs of $$$ to get a new one. The one we have does everything we want it to do and the truck has had only 2 not expensive repairs needed so far. Happy campers we are! The inside and upholstery is still in very good condition. At 79 years of age why do I even need a newer truck??? Much rather keep the money in our own accounts!452Views0likes0CommentsRe: What Portable Propane Gas Grill Do You Use?
Same here too. The best one! The Weber 1 grill Portable Grill is excellent for RV and campground use and also for use at home too. Just $69.95 at most stores and does an excellent grilling job and uses a one pound LP cylinder or a 20# or larger gas cylinder, your choice. We have had many different PP grills over the years (55) and this Weber is the best by far. Very even heat and can use the top cover to either grill very fast or keep the heat in for slow grilling. Infinite flame adjustability and has a piezo igniter. We get 5 to 6 excellent grilled meals (steaks/burgers/chicken/chops or pork steak) out of each 1# cylinder when camping. Not bad at all! We don't even use our huge stainless patio grill when at home anymore unless we need to grill for more then 4 or 6 people. Basically the big stainless grill just sits and takes up a lot of space now. The Weber 1 has replaced its roll at a very small fraction of it's size as the go to grill and it actually grills faster and better! We Have 2 of them (1 for home and one for our 2 RV's) but are going to add a third so each RV will have their own and no need to move the one back an forth. Folds and locks down after it's cool with the stainless legs in seconds and in a storage compartment using the convenient handle on top and you are done.796Views0likes0CommentsRe: First Diesel trip in US 1930
Electric vehicles do serve a purpose but not much chance they will be even near 50% of the vehicles on the road in the next 20 years as the ability of electrical production even with wind and solar will stifle the getting even 50% of the vehicles on the roads being totally electric powered will assure that. Electric power generation is, was, and for well beyond the next 20 years will mainly come from fossil fuel, hydro, nuclear, and natural gas with solar and wind contributing the lesser amount by far and there's a limit to how much can be diverted on the grid systems just for massive electrical vehicle consumption. First off: The polluting emissions for the producing of Li-ion etc batteries, solar panels, and windmills is staggering. Let alone what to do with the incredible amount of non-recyclables waste from all the very high polluting waste that is left behind when the no longer useable batteries, solar panels, and wind mills are scraped! Secondly: The cost of making the batteries, solar panels, and wind mills in the volume needed is also staggering plus! AND must include the near totally redoing and re-constructing of you entire grid system. This is such alone that will keep the number of electric powered only vehicles and OTR trucks well below even 50% for the foreseeable future of far more than 20 years out. Likely 40 to 50 years or more from today!!! I'm nt against electric vehicles at all but it is going to keep land, air, and sea pollution just to remain at the same level as today with the manufacturing required, needing of the additional electrical power production required, and the total re-making of the grid system just in the USA alone. Dare you to add the approximately 95% of the rest of the worlds population and countries doing the same thing and note what a beyond messed planet called Earth will be the result. There's no pie in the sky or nothing is really free either scenario. Yes, much worse planet than the planet is today and that is assured!!! PERIOD!354Views0likes0CommentsRe: Heating Cost: Electric vs. Propane
Wow, 16.5/KWH is crazy expensive as here at owned home our electric power is 9.6/KWH and when in our Florida CG with our RV it's 10.3/KWH. Both states forbid marking up the resale of propane unless you are a licensed propane dealer open to the public or the producers of the electrical power. CG must pass on the price paid per measure in these 2 states but others may have different laws to enable them to rip you off. Our Florida CG we stay at used to have a mobile propane truck go thru every 2 weeks and could refill 20, 30, and 40 lb portable tanks but the new law down there is only 100 lb plus stationary secured permanent or RV built in propane tanks can be refilled by a mobile propane service. Means you have to take them to a propane dealer to be refilled. Our family owns CG's in Florida and I served on the Board Of Directors at a huge GC resort in Michigan. Propane is about the same price in both places, here in Michigan and in Florida per gallon at a dealer at .98 and 1.02 /liter. 1 liter = 1.06 quarts. 4 quarts = 1 gallon or 3.8 liters = 1 gallon. The difference is at home on the 2nd Saturday of each month the propane at Redi Rental is 1/2 price so you need to have an extra 30 lb tank etc or 2 so you can span the time of a month's usage without running out. Thus, if doing so, propane does work out cheaper. If not 1/2 off, otherwise it's much closer to being the same cost for either for heating. A few degrees below freezing means the RV furnace must send some heat to the liquid tanks and if colder the plumbing lines also. All depends on what you have to pay for either the propane/gal or the cost per KWH as to which is cheaper.936Views0likes0CommentsRe: Fuel mileage 5th wheel vs travel trailer
hornet28, Yes, A 5th wheel has a considerably better aerodynamics flow being a continuous surface for air flow than a TT which is located behind the tow vehicle and thus the flow is disrupted along the surfaces. BTW, perhaps your brother and his wife each drove Ford diesel trucks and kept a trailer down at Old Town Campground n Retreat at Old Town FL where they'd stay at in the winter often between RV hauling trips back when Joe and Linda owned the CG. They lived in Muskegon. Had your Bro passed several years ago and his wife still hauled RV's for a few years and later had a smaller trailer at the CG? We live in Grand Haven about 13 miles south of Muskegon and have been going to Old Town CG for about 10 or so years now for about 2-1/2 months in winter. Just wondering.2.9KViews0likes0CommentsRe: Rancho Shocks
I have and had Rancho shocks on vehicles for over 20 years. The Ranchos adjustable shocks we put on our bought new 2004.5 Chevy diesel truck just 2 months old in 2004 for hauling our heavy TC's are still on there today and still functioning as they should with over 200,000 miles on them. Had them checked late last fall before going to Florida for our annual 2-1/2 winter and visiting family stay. Rust usually takes its toll on shocks after many years and to help deter rusting I had masked off the shock control areas of the 4 Ranchos and sprayed them with a very good undercoating aerosol can spray and let them sit in the sun for about 2 weeks to bake and dry so they could be handled. Yes, they are all still rust free today so it really works. It is the drying skin over undercoating not the sticky gooey tar stuff that stays sticky.494Views0likes0CommentsRe: Replacing the table and chairs with a booth ??????
We much prefer the booth dinette. Our OEM booth is very comfortable sitting even for long periods. The thick seat and back cushions always stay put (the velcro keeps them exactly in place). The huge storage area below is awesome and there's a large 14 X 20 access door on the end of each seat. Or if wanted or needed, there's total access to the full under seat storage by taking the seat cushion off and opening/lifting up the full seat plywood cover. There are some very cheaply made booths in RV's that have flimsy poor quality foam used that may not be comfortable for sitting. Best check a booth out thoroughly before you buy. Good fabric cover used is head and shoulders better than any plastics, Naugahyde, or leather coverings. Too hot and/or sticky for sitting. We have 55 years now of RV'ing ownership and experience.564Views0likes0CommentsRe: Picked up my son his first tow vehicle
We sold our red 1993 Chevy 2500 350V8 ext cab 4X4 long box truck with 168,000 miles on it back in 2004 to an asparagus farmer who's farm is next to some acreage we owned nest to his in West Michigan 73 miles north of our home. We had the truck undercoated when new but didn't have a strayed in bed liner done. As of last fall, he had 431,000 on the truck and still runs fine. The "Lift Systems" air bags we put on when the truck was new are still working fine and do not leak, the engine is the original and so is the auto tranny. Almost no rust on the frame or body except where he had damaged it with a front loader bucket on the passenger's side and in the bed from hauling implements and items needed on the farm. Seats were starting to wear thin but still no rips. Not bad at all for 431,000 miles driving!!! He said he's only going to use the truck now for on the farm use as he had bought a newer one last spring. Gave us $7500 cash for it in March 2004 and says it's the best $7500 he's ever parted with... Yes, the roads are salted in Michigan but under coating sure works and really maintains a vehicle's resale value as in no rusting for many years! However, if the vehicle had collision damage, the repair place normally does not re-undercoat or do it properly.297Views0likes0Comments
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