Jpbeck1
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Re: Cool Mods - Thread restored 10/18/2012
Hello, there was a discrepancy between the voltage my solar controller was displaying and what my hand held voltage meter read at my battery bank. I installed a voltage meter as I couldn't figure out why. I used 8 gauge wire and only have about a 12 foot lead from the controller to the the batteries. And having spoken to a few solar experts they all had the same opinion-- "sometimes that happens". Anyways, it was a simple install. I ran 4 wires down along side my solar cables going to to the batteries. Installed the shunt on the negative terminal, moved the existing negative leads to the shunt. The whole job took me about a couple hours. I cut the hole with box cutters. Then I color coded the voltage meter for the corresponding wire. Then fished the wire down under the trailer. Then I mounted the shunt on a sheet of plywood, and labeled it. Next, I moved all the negative leads from the battery to the shunt, and connected the green wire from the monitor to the shunt, then connected the yellow and blue wires (from the monitor) to the "unshunted" side. Next, I installed the red wire from the new voltmeter to the positive side of the battery bank. Finally, I popped the new voltage meter in the hole (it has small tabs to ensure it stays in place. As you can see there is a slight difference. This meter has a LED light and a low voltage alarm. Wiring it in this configuration also monitors amps and voltage used. It's a simple project. It only took a couple hours, the hardest thing was cutting out the hole. I got the voltage meter from Amazon for about $20, and the sprinkler wire from the remnant rack at home depot for $5.501Views0likes0CommentsRe: do all dealers lie
I learned to not give them the opportunity to lie. I go onto a rv lot, equipped with the knowledge I need so that all I'm there for is to look at the trim and floor plans. I know how much I can tow, I know what my GVWR is, and I know where to look for the trailers weights are. If I have a question I whip out my phone and go to the manufacturer's website. When I'm ready to buy I have my credit union draft me check and I bring it to the office and say this is my check this is all I wil pay, do you want to do business with me?491Views0likes0CommentsRe: Everyone has an opinion. What's yours?
When my kids go off to college we will probably get class A in the 25 to 30 foot range. We'll tow my wife's crv. Although I've gotten the towing and setting up our travel trailer down to a science, I've always liked the idea of pressing a button and being set. It's a trade off though because you'll have to disconnect the toad though anyways. There's no perfect rv. But having my wife make me a sammmwhich as I'm driving sounds great! Not having to stop so she can pee sounds even better though.419Views0likes0CommentsRe: Pulling with half ton!
afidel wrote: Jpbeck1 wrote: I tow with a half ton, and I'd run out of CCWR long before I'd run out of tow ability. I think my cargo capacity is only 1700lbs or something like that, but I can tow 10,000. Once you get that 500-600 hitch weight on the back, you are creeping up to that limit. It's deceitful the way these truck companies advertise. Add up how much everyone weighs, and what you put in the truck bed, you'll see what I mean. It's not deceitful, it's just your use case doesn't match what is being tested, which is a single contractor towing a heavy load to a job site. Unfortunately what the engineers tested and what the salesman at the stealership thinks it means is often very different. After I posted it I thought the same thing.403Views0likes0CommentsRe: Towing Trailer with a 4Runner
Since you asked for opinions and since I towed with a SUV I'll throw in my 2 cents, I'm sorry if it's not what some people want to see, but it's all true. If it works for some, great. It didn't work for us too well. We towed with a SUV (Grand Cherokee with a v8 and a "6500lbs tow rating", and Reese weight distributing hitch) for about 10 years, then we got a full sized truck, and I'll never go back. The wheel base is too short on SUVs so you get pushed around like a rag doll. Braking was always a white knuckle event, and going through mountain passes without the air conditioning on was not fun! If I had to do it all over again, I'd either just jump into a four door full sized truck or stick to pop up trailers for SUVs. Pulling a trailer (basically a brick), with a SUV with a 5000lbs limit is not fun. I can almost guarantee you will have exceeded your CCWR once the hitch and the tongue weight is on the back too. NO $2000 Hennessy hitch is going to change that fact :)! ! Probably not what you wanted to hear though, but like a previous poster said... let the numbers do the talking.387Views0likes0CommentsRe: Water Filter
Wow that's some serious filtration. I keep my rv packed and loaded, with food clothes and water in case there is a fire or big earthquake and we have to move into the rv. . I thought all was well until my water tank fell off my trailer the other day due to a faulty design, it showed me a lot. The fresh water tank had algae growing in it. I could go on to talk about what filter we use when filling it up, but no amount of filtering before putting water into the tank would prevent algae from growing in the tank. Only chlorine will prevent that, which kind of all but defeats the purpose of filtering -- aside from the irradiated stuff and or other nasty stuff. Which brings me to this we bring water to drink and cook 5 gallon jugs, and we use the fresh water tank to bath and wash dishes. I haven't found a charcoal filter that will eliminate the chorine taste. So if you store water in your tank, make sure to put chorine in it as well.270Views0likes0CommentsRe: Pulling with half ton!
I tow with a half ton, and I'd run out of CCWR long before I'd run out of tow ability. I think my cargo capacity is only 1700lbs or something like that, but I can tow 10,000. Once you get that 500-600 hitch weight on the back, you are creeping up to that limit. It's deceitful the way these truck companies advertise. Add up how much everyone weighs, and what you put in the truck bed, you'll see what I mean.403Views0likes0Comments
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