Gavin60
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Re: Between Charleston SC & Savanah GA
I have been from NC below Wilmington to Edisto Island in Decemeber, the water temp is around 58-61 on average...its nice on the beach, you can barefoot but you might have some slightly cold toes but shorts and a windbreaker is about all you need....SC native :)275Views0likes0CommentsRe: Another question about solar
To give you an idea of what you're up against; this may help, I have both wind and solar on my home, both are considered "Wild Power". In other words as the wind increases, so does the wattage output on the wind generator. Solar is essentially the same, a little to a lot of shading and wattage output drops...full sun and you're doing good. However with wild power you need a way to store it and regulate it...which means in the case of a camper, batteries and lots of them to pull an AC unit. But it just doesnt stop there, you need enough batteries to be able to exercise them without overly discharging them...lead/acids will treat you as rough as you treat them. To give you a rough idea try starting out with about 22 golf cart batteries and go from there, so you will a need a LOT of panels to drive an AC unit, plus keep a charge on overall system, the inverter itself will need to be something a serious off-gridder would use, such as an Outback inverter at around 3600 watts... you need to compare it to the output of your AC unit, each Outback alone will cost about 2,500 bucks. However Outback inverters are capable of being tied together for to increase wattage output, so for every 3600 watts, its going to cost you another 2500 dollars. I use Outback exclusivley, I plugged it on 5 years ago and it never has shut off I use that for our "Island system" within our home. I must have let teh magic smoke out of 4-5 700 dollar inverters before I "caught on" Any inverter you plan on using to pull an AC unit better be far beyond the cheesy big box store stuff because when a good load hits it, it will only let the magic smoke out of it and you will be out of the 500-700 for that inverter. Driving an AC unit is a daunting task with any RE system My home has 22 panels at around 230 watts each, on a good day I can make about 7-11 kw....no batteries on this part of the system; the solar is grid tied so I dont need a huge battery bank. The ONLY reason I have a battery bank and a wind generator Island system is because its backup power...the power drops around here faster than a war torn third world nation. Try a block of ice and a fan behind it, or dont move around a lot during the hottest part of the day, the best way to do what you want to do is a get a generator. Leave the camper solar stuff to charging a battery for the water pump and led lights304Views0likes0CommentsRe: Long Island to Myrtle Beach with 35ft RV & Propane?
Nothing in South Carolina to worry about other than the millions making their pilgrimage to MB/Mecca Personally I travel the older state roads in SC to avoid as much of the MB traffic as possible.... have seen it back up the traffic on other interstates too On the 26/20 interchange in Columbia as far back as Pomaria....miles long, kinda like a rolling road block of suv's, mini vans with bicycle racks and coolers. I think you will probably be jumping off 95 around Dillon SC and all your traffic mess will begin there, always worse around the 4th of course. The traffic finally becomes inescapable the closer you get there. If you roll in on the weekend try to do it early, early in the morning before the sun comes up. The week days other than fridays would be a good choice too. No Tolls and I dont know of any tunnels, restrictions around there Im aware of. There has been a Gazillion campers pulled there for at least 50 years. No other headaches for you other than the traffic.522Views0likes0CommentsRe: 10 Most Dangerous Breeds of Dogs
A lifelong friend of mine is an animal vet. He told me once that most violent dog breeds who end up at many animal shelters are usually put down within 48-72 hours because they know most folks wont be adopting them. too much liability, too many folks carry a lawyer in their pocket like a pistol and quick to pull it out too.483Views0likes0CommentsStarcraft laminate or " traditonal" type siding
Hi Folks, I was able to see a Casita Spirit Deluxe today and also several in the StarCraft line. The Casita was quality all the way but tight on living conditions... lots of large windows seem to help. The StarCraft line ( much more roomy) had an AR series and a Launch series... The AR series had what I would call a more traditional type of siding which lapped over the next panel and the Launch was a smooth type of panel for siding...is that what they call a "laminate"? If so, which one do folks prefer the most in regards to longevity? Thanks! Gavin1KViews0likes1CommentRe: Need Help On A Decision between 2 TT's
scbwr wrote: My suggestion would be to look for a used Starcraft and use for a while to see how you do in a smaller trailer. Then, if you sell it, you will minimize any loss. Or, buy a used Casita, knowing that if you don't like it, you can sell it and lose little or no money in the process. As others have stated, you do need to do some camping in a trailer to see what will meet our needs. My wife and I manage quite well in our Minnie and we just got back from a six week trip. Prior to the Minnie, we had a 29' Sunline TT and prior to that, we camped in popup trailers for about 13 years. If you buy a traditional trailer with a rubber roof, you can really minimize maintenance and extend it's life by keeping it stored inside. Depending on where you live, the difference in cost between the Casita and a traditional trailer may pay for a lot of storage. We bought our Minnie in the fall of 2013 and it has been stored inside when not in use and I can really see the difference in how all the caulking on the roof is holding up and how the roof stays cleaner compared to our last trailer that was stored outside for half the year. I am intrigued by the Casita and Escape trailers, and would consider one if we really felt we needed to downsize for whatever reasons. But, I think I would also consider a B class camper. Although more costly, with a B class camper, you can eliminate the hitching process and the camper is easy to use as a site seeing vehicle when traveling (no need to tow a car). Good luck in your search and enjoy whatever unit you decide to purchase! Everyone is throwing in some good advice! I do appreciate it! In part of researching all of this I did send off for some literature from Casita and they have a referral service which sends you a contact name and number to a nearby Casita owner which had agreed to be part of their referral service. The DW and I are going to see one this Sunday afternoon...its actually just about three miles down the road. I have been an outdoors person all my life...the wife less so but is tired of getting soaked by hotels and home rentals, she is realistic of what a camp ground entails and is a willing participant if it will stretch our " traveling dollars"....she has seen the home rentals at a North Carolina area just keep going up and up; now at around 900-1000 dollars a week and even that rate is about a block away from the ocean. We have never been the type who needed to be right on the water, when we could simply walk there and simply save a bunch of extra dollars. However, we pass a campground going into the area several times a year and low and behold they want about 250.00 for seven days for full hook up. Since she is a former bean counter she was satisfied at the economic sense a TT can bring to the equation. It is down to a Castia and the StarCraft AR series, with the Forest River R-Pod a distant third...but I keep getting drawn back to the Casita for some reason... I guess for the water infiltration issue and later resale value it we decide to toss the whole ball of wax away. Unless the Casita is very cramped as some say it might be with three people, I am leaning hard towards that one...I guess I will know more after Sunday afternoon if we will be staying in a Torpedo. All the best everyone! Gavin782Views0likes0CommentsRe: Need some help on 21ft or less travel trailer
Majja13 wrote: I would say you actually have lots of options. I am especially if used a consideration is. Take your time try everything out when you are looking. Get in the shower sit on the toilet etc. Make sure it fits you. Like mentioned earlier in a hard sided trailer a small to medium sized SUV will really limit what you can tow safely. Towing a trailer is all about how much payload the vehicle you are going to tow with. You will add several hundred pounds of weight when you start loading it with bedding, pots and pans, dishes food etc. Also if you can find a RV show go look at several models in a setting where you can compare many different things. Just a couple more questions for you. Are you looking for long trips or mainly weekend trips? Is 21' just an arbitrary number or is there a reason that you picked 21'? Are you looking for a TV (tow vehicle) now or do you already have one? Good luck, welcome aboard and happy hunting. Hi, I just picked 21',thinking it might be within in the range of 3500 lbs towing limit I will probably upgrade my truck to a f150 type 5.0/302 soon, but currently have a 3.0 V-6 Ranger....I haven't checked the gross it can pull but I think for the time being I need to downgrade my TT expectations to 3500 gross towing, ( if I plan on the Edge also towing...The DW has the Edge...I would like both vehicles to be able to tow the same TT, I know the Edge will limit this scheme with its total 3500 but will have to do until the eventual F-150.557Views0likes0CommentsRe: Need Help On A Decision between 2 TT's
Hi Folks, Thanks for the different angles on this. We will probably use it for 3 days to a little over two weeks at a time. We are both around 5'5" and at the most 3 will be in the TT. I guess Im pretty handy at repairs etc ...built my own home over a three year period, wiring, plumbing etc.,( career related stuff: welding, machining, Tool & Die) I guess I like to try to do things myself before I spend a dollar on a repair I could have saved some money on. I will probably keep it covered until I can build awning type shed to park it under. Im getting the vibe here, that if Im handy at DIY and take care of it, that I could easily keep the starcraft for 20 years? Ahhh but the rub here is that the Casita has a strong quality appeal to it! I don't think it will cramp our style too much but the cost difference is substantial!782Views0likes0CommentsNeed Help On A Decision between 2 TT's
HI Folks, Im a newbie but I have gathered some information and have narrowed my search down to two TT's. Im looking at a 17' Casita and a StarCraft AR-One There is a good price gap between the two but Im willing to pay extra for a Casita if the quality and longevity is there. MY goal is to retire in 7 years @ 62, but would like to buy the TT in the next few months....I would also like for it to last through my retirement years too, so I guess my question is, am I spending money un-necessarily on the Casita if I can expect the Starcraft to last as long? I really like the extra room and floor plan of the starcraft but could easily use the 17' Casita for the floor plan it has to offer. Is there any gage or way to estimate a "normal" life expectancy out of the two types? Thanks everyone! Gavin4.5KViews0likes17Comments
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