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HenryJLittlefinger posted:Guess who didn't put antifreeze in the water lines? Guess whose water tank emptied into the bulkhead as fast as it was filling? Guess whose pump filter is split? Guess who's taking the family for the first campering trip of the year in two days? Ah poo poo, that sucks... glad you got it all figured out and fixed though! If it's any consolation I ran into a similar gently caress you last weekend that postponed my plans to go camping, when the thermistor on my 12v cooler fridge conked out and froze everything inside. I was hoping it was just a loose connection, but when I popped out the sensor I noticed the pins and housing were pretty corroded. Tried electrical contact cleaner but that wasn't quite enough, and even though it's a new fridge, it still took awhile to get in touch and go back and forth with iceco's customer service. They finally offered to send out a replacement thermistor so I'm hoping that'll fix the issue.
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May 16, 2024 02:49
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Catatron Prime posted:Ah poo poo, that sucks... glad you got it all figured out and fixed though! I'm continually amazed at how fragile the appliance parts are in campers. I know a lot of stuff is built for weight, but some things seem so lightweight that exposure and vibration and dust destroy them way too fast. Another thing that always kind of baffles me is the propane systems. In my Scamp, the pilot light, main burner, and fridge condenser are a big convoluted and archaic looking unit on the backside of the fridge, accessed through the outside hatch. I still don't understand how the furnace fits into the system. The main pilot light has to be lit for the furnace to run, but the furnace has its own ignition that isn't tied to the pilot light at all. Also, there are no furnace controls other than the Rodgers-Shaw thermostat on the wall. There's a good 4 feet of gas line between the main propane manifold and the furnace. Does the pilot light somehow keep the gas line to the furnace primed? Somehow it all works, clearly Olde Magick.
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May 16, 2024 03:35
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I guess this won't count as a proper RV but I'm posting it here anyway! So I bought a van (VW Multivan T5) and now for tax reasons I need to figure out how to attach an oven to the roof of it somehow. I'm probably not going to ever use the oven, but if I want to register it as an RV I need a "sturdily attached cooking implement" and they did not accept my loose gas hotplate in the trunk for that, the cowards. I bought a small oven already and the van has an inverter so I just need to build a frame for it and figure out how to attach it, but I got no clue how to attach it. I suppose I'm going to have to tear up the interior a bit to figure it out. My first idea was to just drill holes through the roof and then run some bolts that way and put on some sealant but I'm thinking that that is probably a dumb idea.
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May 22, 2024 19:30
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organburner posted:I guess this won't count as a proper RV but I'm posting it here anyway! You're gonna need to run a good active vent system and really ought to have good CO detector mounted as well.
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May 22, 2024 20:45
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It sounds like it's an electric oven, yeah? How much power (expressed in amps or watts) does it pull? Can your inverter handle that load? I would not attach it to the roof / ceiling of the car because that invites water ingress. Your best bet might be to make a little cabinet for the oven and screw it down behind the rear seats. What's the floor made of back there? What's under the floor there? You might be able to use self-drilling / self-tapping screws to screw it down, but make sure you're not going to drill into the gas tank by accident. I'll need more pictures to know what's going on.
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May 22, 2024 23:11
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Thanks, I'm not planning on actually using the thing like, ever but in case the inspections want to test run it the inverter is good for 1500w and the power draw of the oven is 800w. I do want to get proper ventilation anyway because I feel like I'll need it but I might check if there's a company that installs that stuff to make sure it's properly water proofed. I am not planning on actually using this as an RV this year because I still need a mattress and want to get a leisure battery and solar for that, then I'll take it to Sweden via Lapland. Maybe swing by Norway some. But that'll be next year. I'll try to post some pics of it, I already made kind of a cabinet in the back but that wasn't good enough for the inspections to register it as an RV. I could maybe just expand on that and make a shelf for the oven. EDIT: So here's the van:  It's got some bumps and bruises, doesn't always start on the first try and half the doors don't unlock reliably. It is also nearly 20 years old so, eh. Here's the tiny oven:  Not much to say about tiny oven. It's a tiny oven. Here's my hosed up cabinet chest thing:  I was hoping this would satisfy the inspector. It did not.  Black box on the left contains a gas burner, but that's not enough to make this into an RV. More on that later though. I kinda didn't have a plan when I started building this I just started because otherwise I wouldn't get it done and it ended up wonky and hosed up. Whole thing is held on by these hookscrews(?)   I know it looks like poo poo but it is surprisingly sturdy. Now to make this van into an RV I need basically a big enough bed which is easy enough, the seats all fold down to make a sleeping surface. A table, which this thing does contain but I forgot to take a picture of it. Storage space which I now have. And a "sturdily installed cooking option" which I was hoping the gas burner would count as. Alas. (The reason I thought this was because I've seen other vehicles registered as RV's that just have a loose electric hot plate) I think I'm just going to expand the chest thing upward and make a shelf for the oven. Then screw it to the shelf. If I was smart I would remove the thing and rebuild entirely from scratch but I am not smart. organburner fucked around with this message at 14:33 on May 23, 2024 |
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May 23, 2024 08:39
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I took my kid out for a dad and daughter campering trip last weekend.  What went (mostly) right: -I installed a Red Arc brake controller in my Tacoma. Since I have the tow package, it plugged right into an open plug in the main harness and the knob mounts in an empty slot on the dash. No cutting or anything. On the way up, it worked perfectly, calibration took about 30 minutes of driving and then it was good to go. On the way home, it was flashing a code for voltage drop/short, but the brakes still worked just fine with no issues. I think I just need to clean out my plugs with some contact cleaner and maybe a little sanding. -New lines and filter delete in the water pump worked great, but my main water tank drain has a slow drip. -These mirrors worked great for seeing down the road behind the camper. -Using actual good cookware and not just some cheap poo poo because it's a camper is the way to go. Both cooking and cleanup are so much easier. Things to improve: -6 gallons is not enough water for two days for two people, the way we were using it. Dish washing is the main waster, but a 5 year old who leaves the faucet running when she washes her hands and brushes her teeth is bad too. Next time I'll carry a carboy in the truck to top up. -I used a memory foam mattress on top of the big bed, which is formed when you fold the dining table down. It's great at night, but during the day I had a rolled up mattress, about 4'x2' to keep out of the way. It took up an entire bunk in the bunkbeds. -A 3 gal gray water tank with a 6 gal water tank is the wrong combination. Things I've decided I need after all: -A colander, turns out Annie's mac n cheese can escape a slotted spoon over the pot. - A cassette toilet HenryJLittlefinger fucked around with this message at 17:26 on May 24, 2024 |
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May 24, 2024 17:15
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:I took my kid out for a dad and daughter campering trip last weekend. Slather some dielectric grease on the plugs too if you aren't already.
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May 24, 2024 17:23
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:
Maybe check out "pot strainers".
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May 24, 2024 22:14
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:I took my kid out for a dad and daughter campering trip last weekend. I love the scamp, that's awesome!! I'm in the same boat, trying to figure out how to prolong my water. Carboy or scepter is a great idea, but if you're looking to cut down on dishwater usage I've had really good luck using a small spray bottle for doing dishes instead of running stuff under the faucet. That alone made a huge impact on my daily consumption. The other thing is just reducing the amount of dishes altogether. I picked up paper plates so we can just toss or burn them, and just put them over the normal enamel plates for extra rigidity. For cooking, I'm doing more with cast iron and carbon steel griddles, and have recently been on a kick with pie irons. If you're looking at camp toilets, another option to maybe add to your radar -- I just bring this folding toilets along with poo gel packets that'll congeal everything in the compostable bag for easier disposal. This is something else I've recently stumbled across that's a bit spendy, but I love the idea: https://dry-flush.com. I just figure a bag is less awful to deal with than a black tank or cassette that needs dumped
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May 24, 2024 23:03
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Catatron Prime posted:If you're looking at camp toilets, another option to maybe add to your radar -- I just bring this folding toilets along with poo gel packets that'll congeal everything in the compostable bag for easier disposal. This is something else I've recently stumbled across that's a bit spendy, but I love the idea: https://dry-flush.com. I just figure a bag is less awful to deal with than a black tank or cassette that needs dumped I have 5 gallon bucket with a toilet seat and lid (purchased as a kit, the company is called Reliance and they're sold at REI) that takes "Double Doodie" waste bags. It's definitely less ideal than a cassette toilet as far as the user experience goes, but it's real easy to remove the bag, tie it off, and dispose of it where appropriate. It definitely depends how often you use it though: I'm going to be a lot more amenable to pooping in a bucket when I'm alone for one night than I would be if I was a whole family for a week.
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May 24, 2024 23:15
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casque posted:Maybe check out "pot strainers". FWIW, even at home, I just use the pot lid to drain pasta. Leaves a little more liquid on the pasta but that’s better for the sauce anyway
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May 24, 2024 23:20
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Catatron Prime posted:I love the scamp, that's awesome!! quote:
One thing I've done in the past is a double garbage bag with kitty litter in it, but that is really not a great solution, especially since we're always in bear country. The more I think about it, the more I want to keep the poop dry. edit: I've seen those reliance bucket lid seats, that may actually be the real winner. I've got a huge supply of buckets and REI dividend. And my wife is fine using stuff like that. HenryJLittlefinger fucked around with this message at 23:24 on May 24, 2024 |
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May 24, 2024 23:21
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Are there any general rules for brands, etc. to stay away from or go for these days? Looking at a motor home to haul kids and dogs around during summers, etc. and my wife locked in on a 2016 Winnebago Brave. I honestly just can’t find much in the way of reviews on them. The fact that the engine, etc. are Ford is a huge letdown for me but it seems like they may be one of the only names in that game. 38k miles, but has already needed an engine replacement/rebuild (owner thinks she sat with cruise on too much) and today when we went to look the fuel pump seems to have kicked the bucket. I totally get how those things happen, but I am already extremely wary of Ford (still have 2 year warranty on the rebuild, but still). Price is pretty good, but if I should just walk away or try to find something better, now would be the time. All the resources out there are mostly just geeking out over features, etc. I’ve heard that travel trailers are mostly trash now, so I wouldn’t be too surprised if motor homes are the same, but I don’t need a disappointing money pit. Even discounted, I’d rather avoid the big mistake on this.
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Jun 3, 2024 00:23
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To quote one of most knowledgeable people on here when it comes to RVs:cursedshitbox posted:
I kept the Class A bit in here because it’s almost universally true for used RVs. CSB rehabbed / basically rebuilt his unit as documented in some AI threads. It’s quite the adventure. The point being that RVs prioritize fast and cheap in that age old maxim of “fast, cheap, good. Pick two” almost everything is “bespoke” aka some poo poo that barely is fit for purpose and costs 3x more than it should because RV. They’re basically land bound yachts and share a ton of building techniques with yachts. IMO name brands without warranties are pointless in the secondary market, particularly if you’re looking at 2020 and newer because the manufacturers couldn’t keep up with demand and literally anything that could be scrounged up or made to work was tossed in there. Any random RV is not necessarily going to be built better than something else as 90% of the time most RVs are built by a handful of factories in close proximity to each other and constantly changing staff / suppliers / whatever depending on conditions outside of your control. One thing that gets glossed over is the fact that the key market for RVs are better off older Americans at or close to retirement who have more money and time than most people. The entire RV support system is built around that mindset and you’ll need to adapt to it if you buy an RV. Which means any warranty work will take 3x as long as you expect because so few places will work on them and they’re all backlogged. As a result most RVs have a long list of deferred maintenance that may cause issues for the next owner.
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Jun 3, 2024 14:08
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Nystral posted:They’re basically land bound yachts and share a ton of building techniques with yachts. At least yachts are built with the expectation that the inside will get a little wet from time to time.
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Jun 4, 2024 22:11
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Browsing the forums and this thread reminded me of that time I saw a dude try to take his like 30 foot RV through the Whataburger drive thru in Sulphur Springs, Texas. I think he realized he hosed up when he came up on the height limit pole and he tried to just make the turn and go around and out. He couldn't make the turn and had to reverse out. Ended up scraping the side of his RV on the height limit pole. It was painful to watch.
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Jun 4, 2024 22:51
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I don't really know much about RVs/motor coaches in particular, but when my wife and I started talking about camper life we ruled out anything self-driving pretty quick on the grounds that they're another vehicle to maintain, specifically another vehicle that sits for a long time between uses. If you stay on top of maintenance, and abide by timed jobs (e.g. 1 year for oil changes, 5-7 years for tires), you're constantly spending money on consumables that aren't getting consumed. For me personally, every use would likely be a series of "well I hope it starts/hope the brakes are good/hope the coolant that hasn't cycled in months is good" that all add up to "hope we make it there and the family trip isn't ruined." But I'm an anxious type. The next thing is that RVs seem to be made of the same materials as camper trailers, i.e., extremely lightweight and flimsy stuff held together by billions of sheet metal screws. So not only do you have the cost of a vehicle, it's a very flimsy one. I had enough experience with camper trailers (or thought I did) that we ended up getting a popup first, because I could work on it. Which I did, a bunch, until I got sick of chasing rotten wood and particle board and aluminum skin and degrading weather stripping and plastic trim and seals and poo poo for years. I was able to fix a ton of things and improve it to the point we actually made a decent profit when we sold it, but it was a pain in the rear end mostly for popup-specific reasons. We now have a Scamp and I'll never go back to an aluminum skin on wooden frame camper. This thing is so much more repairable, especially if you know how to work with fiberglass or are willing to learn. It's dog simple to drill out old rivets, put new ones in with sealant, reshape, sand, paint, etc. It's a very rigid shell, so you don't run into the issue of things sagging or changing shape such that your doors never line up or the windows are unsealable. The doors, windows, and hardware on my 1997 16-foot are all much higher quality than on a similar aluminum skinned camper. A couple friends of mine have very new popups and the issues on a brand new one are on par with much older ones, so it doesn't seem like the industry has solved anything. The fit and finish on them is pretty dismal and fresh off the floor they look like they were assembled by a teenager on meth with his first impact driver. But anyhow, yeah read cursedshitbox's novels on these things and take note. Oh, and if you do look into a trailer, do due diligence on your tow vehicle.
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Jun 4, 2024 23:48
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