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slackercruster

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Posts posted by slackercruster

  1. Are many young people getting into RV's? I think the ones that do go for the van life. I don't use the forum much as I have not been out with the RV since Oct. of 22 and have no plans scheduled.

    I really don't see how RV'ers can travel to campsites nowadays. The cost is stupendous for most of them. I think there were a lot of old timers on the forum that have retired or passed away. There was a old guy here that always helped me out with the tech stuff. I think he was the weekend mod. Fantastic help over the years, miss him. 

    I'm near 70 and thinking of selling truck camper and truck as a turnkey sale. I mostly used mine for my part-time work and since I don't do that work any longer, I don't use it much. I was never much of a vacation person, so if not using RV for work, I don't really need it.

    Still, if you need one...it is nice having an RV. But like all things, it goes downhill with age if it just sits. The 2011 F350 Truck only has 33k miles on it. Prior to that I had an Aliner I had bought in early 2000's. I would mostly boondock unless working in NYC. Back then it was $100 a day to park it in Jersey City, even though I didn't need any hookups. Now it is about $150 a day in Jersey City. I can't afford that, nor do I like working in NYC any longer...too dangerous for me.

    Well, if the lotto ever comes in, I will buy a small, cushy Class C. I would not care if it devalued just sitting. I like having an RV if $ was no object. And I still may keep mine if the resale is poor. I could never replace it again. So not rushing into anything. I paid $17K for the truck camper. They are $26k now. I don't know how much the truck cost now.  I paid $36k a new F350. I can't tell if the dealers are charging more for trucks than the msrp now. Crazy!

    I looked into RV Trader to sell it. WOW! $160 to $260 to run an ad. Maybe I will look into truck classifieds and price it with the TC. 

    Well, good luck everyone and thanks for all the help over the years! Not planning on leaving, but have one foot in the door!

     

     

     

  2. On 6/12/2023 at 9:36 AM, durangodon said:

    When I replaced my RV fridge, the "attention-getter" for me was:

    1.  Lower initial cost

    2.  Quicker cool down

    3.  More consistent temperatures

    To me, the only real benefit to the traditional gas absorption fridge is that it can operate on gas.  That allows boondocking for those RV's with a lack of space for more and better battery power.  If an RV has the space, you can buy several batteries and a good inverter for the difference in cost between a household compressor fridge and a gas absorption RV fridge.

    When my 8 cu ft RV fridge went out, replacement was over $3,000.  I bought a 10 cu ft residential one from Home Depot for $300.  Minor wood trimming, some hold down brackets, and closing off the outside vent is all that was required to do the replacement.

     

     

    $3,000...Just Wow!

    Had no idea they were that high! My gas went out on mine, but 12v and 110v work great. Looks like another notch in the cap for RV'ers thinking the industry screws them. 

  3. OP...yes and no. I got a truck camper, so my truck is separated from the RV industry. The truck camper has had some issues, but I work around them. The truck has been pretty good except for some minor issues.

    I would not buy a truck camper again. I bought it for a few reasons that no longer apply to me. I would buy a decent mini class C if I had the $. So, I just keep the truck camper.

    RV's are different that the furniture and appliances you buy for your home and such. Learn to live with it and mod things when you can to improve them. Like, if the mattress is bad, put in something else.

    Good luck!

  4. Class C got what they deserved. Normally I'd say more, but don't want anyone triggered. Forum has been a big help to me over the years, going back to the Aliner days.

    Weekend Warrior comment is not offensive. I wish I could be a weekend warrior again.

    For the 8 months have not used my Truck Camper and not much opportunity to use it. I may sell it, have not decided. I had been using it pretty steady for the last 11 years, but things have changed. I hate selling it though. It has gone from $17k to $28k new. Truck also went up. Point is, could not afford to buy it if I had to again...even used.

  5. On 3/12/2023 at 9:23 PM, Dutch_12078 said:

    There was a small RV dealer not too far from our upstate NY base that closed down last fall. He only dealt with trailers, no motorized RV's. At 70, he wanted to retire and couldn't find a buyer for the business, so he deeply discounted the remaining stock and shut it down. The property is still for sale I believe. I picked up some odds and ends of spare parts during the sale, most at 50% off.

     

    Same exact thing here. They sold just trailers, sold out at 50% and ended up with auction for remainder.

    Sidenote...

    Some of these 'trailer only' RV dealers are a pain to deal with. This dealer refused to do work on my truck camper fridge because it was not a trailer, even though the same exact fridge that is in a trailer. 

  6.  

    Anyone have issues at campsites?

     

    Tensions also escalated over reserved campsites, with some recreationists wrongly claiming already-reserved sites by tearing off the reservation tags and replacing them with their own, prompting the nickname “campsite pirates.” The original parties end up angry and confused when they arrive to find their campsite occupied. The practice isn’t common, but it’s happening more than it used to, Carroll said.

    “In the past, it was extremely rare,” he said. “Have there been disputes? Yeah, you know that happened previously. But like I said, not on the scale that we saw this year.”

    Crowded Oregon campsites see fights, ‘camp pirates’ - oregonlive.com

     

     

  7. On a serious note, peak oil will have a lot to say about our world. A recent poll showed 50% of the people on a survival forum didn't believe in peak oil. In other words, they believed oil was limitless in any amount that we need it to be. 

    I don't know when we will peak with oil production. But we are cracking (fracking) rocks to find gas and sifting oil from the tar sands. That says something.

    If you get too hot, step into the shower for a couple minutes. Cools you down fast! But I'm more worried about peak oil. We must always have oil production. If no oil production, no tires or asphalt roads for the tries to roll on.

    BTW...cold weather cuts EV cars battery range by 41%.

  8. I don't know for sure, but the copper pipes have always been tight so don't think the pipes are leaking. Strong smell in the propane box and outside as well near the box. The leak is pretty bad now and coming in the cabin so I switched off the tanks and can't run propane.

    Switch looks something like this. It is 10 years old but not seen a lot of use. I have a truck camper.

    5-Best-RV-Recliners-Reviewed-2.jpg

    I'm thinking if it is the issue I was going to get rid of it altogether and pipe tanks into the copper pipe one at a time as needed. But I can't figure out how to remove the switch. It looks like it mounts from behind and where it mounts is where the refrigerator is. I have a truck camper.

    Having an auto propane switch is not a big deal to me. Only used the auto feature once. I usually only go for 4 or 5 day trips and don't burn through a bottle even in the cold.

  9. 17 hours ago, etcetera said:

    slackercruster,

     

    Question, what kind of RV do you have?  Assuming you can share this info.

    That works for you for 'urban boondock'.  I am at crossroads and trying to make a decision.

     

    I got a truck camper. With a big metal tool box on the front hitch. (This is not it.)

    R422hafl.jpg

    I can carry a mini gen in it and about 50 gallons of water. That is probably pushing it. I think it is 500 pounds tongue limit on it. 

    Just by chance I saw your reply. If I don't answer someone it isn't cause I'm stuck up. I am on numerous forums and have tons of other computer work to do. So it is a crapshoot if I get back to a subject sometimes.

    If you want stealth get a 2 step out back. I got this to raise it some.

    Dual Hitch Extender (harborfreight.com)

    Here is the 2 step

    Amazon.com: CR Brophy Machine Works RHS2 Black Receiver Hitch Stair with Two Step: Automotive

    I'm getting old so it is harder to load the TC. I use this now when home to load it or on local if safe from theft and hassles.

    Amazon.com: Camco Adjustable Height Aluminum Platform Step- Supports Up to 1,000 lb., Includes Non-Slip Rubber Feet, Durable Construction, Easy to Store and Transport - (43676): Automotive

    Glow steps are cushier, but they are not stealthy.

    TorkLift GlowStep Stow N' Go Scissor Steps w/ Landing Gear - 3 Steps - 375 lbs - Black Bracket TorkLift RV and Camper Steps TLA7833 (etrailer.com)

    I remember when I first got into TC's. An old guy at that forum said he was giving up on the TC going to a Class C cause he is too old for the step. I thought to myself, how sad he can't go up a little step. Now I'm getting old and boom!

    Truck campers are the black sheep of the RV world. Before they had toy haulers, they used TC's to haul a trailer with your toy in tow.

    I couldn't afford my TC now. I got it about 11-12 years ago. Everything has skyrocketed. I am pretty happy with it. Just wish it had A/C. But...if it had propane A/C it would suck down the 2 little #20 tanks in no time. My goal is to move up to a small Class C that sucks the gas tank to fuel the A/C. When I got the truck I wanted 4WD.  I don't really need 4WD any more, so Class C would be super cushy for me. (I used to like to go to VT for skiing. But it rusts up the truck, and can't afford another one, so stopped.)

    I do lots of winter camping. I added this to supplement my forced air furnace and it just sips the propane and don't need electric.

    019332_1.jpg?sw=600&sh=600&sm=fit

    The ideal setup is to run my mini heater and for the furnace to cycle on every few hours to flush the cabin air. But it is sometimes hard to regulate that formula.

    The cassette toilet is nice. You can dump it at any public bathroom (If you are stealthy) or rest stop toilet. You pull out the tank shown on the side.

    2_IMG_6313wecbsa__55096.1620317505.jpg?c

     

    You can also get mini chemical toilets that you can stow. But same principle more or less.

    71-HJZZghmL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

     

    For truck camper you need tie down and some sort of outrigger to tie them on. 

    truck camper tie down - Google Search

    And get locks for your tie downs so they don't steal them.

    truck campers - Google Search

    Don't just jump into it, study them up. You need to match the truck and the camper. 

    broke-back-camper-not-fui.jpg

     

    I had an old mentor way back that schooled me on TC's. So here is my mini give-back to you. But he wrote me ten pages or more!

     

    ....Good luck!

  10. On 4/27/2021 at 12:35 PM, 2gypsies said:

    Don't forget that the founders of the Escapees RV Club, Kay & Joe Peterson, were workers with family, also.  We had the pleasure to share some meals with them at the Escapades.... awesome folks!  Now many Xscapers and other Escapee members are doing the same.... some because they need to do so and some because they want out of the corporate rat race.

    https://www.escapees.com/40-years-escapees-rv-club/

    https://www.escapees.com/escapees-rv-club-history-roots-run-deep/?fbclid=IwAR2aPi27fUWuSEivZ3gGUvt7kAKhwRTyICIRThMML_LUd2vYUMRP1lGZh54

     

    That is great they got the history here. So often it gets forgotten.

  11. I don't eat much canned foods. I like canned tuna, but I get a nautilus feeling from it. Gas fridge is on the fritz. Electric and 12 volt is OK, but I'm boondocking and used gas. So dairy products are an issue keeping cold. Salads require lots of water to wash. In a pinch I get bagged salads, but still have to give them a rinse. I was told lots of bagged salads are radiated, but don't know for sure.

    Anyway, you are correct, try and eat cold foods in hot weather with no AC. But nice to have hot foods once in a while. 

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