RandyA

A friend of mine who is something between innovative and crazy solved his problem by sawing his canoe in half right across the center. This was one of those Old Town ABS canoes - not aluminum or poly like a Coleman. He then cut two identical pieces of 1/2" marine plywood for each of the now open center pieces. Once the plywood was glued in he covered them with fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin overlapping onto the canoe hull. This gave him two 8' pieces that he could easily load. Actually, he now had TWO short boats that could be used independently. When he got to his water site he joined the two halves with stainless steel nuts and bolts through pre-drilled holes in the plywood sleeved with copper tubing that had been flared out on the ends to completely seal the holes. The canoe performed as well as it did as a single piece. I also have a 16' canoe that I have seriously thought about making the same modification to along with a flat part on one end to serve as a transom for an electric trolling motor. But, I also own a 12' inflatable with insertable aluminum floor pieces and a 15 hp Mercury outboard. The deflated boat is heavy at 120 pounds but it can be folded over the transom and strapped into a nice package that fits on the bed or a trailer hitch carrier. The aluminum floor pieces go in the trailer behind the couch. The motor and 3 gallon fuel tank go into any available storage compartment. I have a very simple trailer that is only used for launching with our golf cart which we always carry on the back of the Volvo. The launching trailer disassembles. The inflatable has worked well other than a PITA assembling and disassembling.

Thank you. PB Blaster is my go-to product but I am willing to give something new a try.

Just wanted to see what they put up for me. Some are claps, others look like a leaf. Have no idea what they mean. Hope everyone is doing well and no Covid. PLEASE GET YOUR VACCINATION if you have not done so. Look for the Moderna 2-shot. Will be at home this summer since Nancy is having rotator cuff surgery on the 6th Rig will be sitting for awhile after that - at least until she can change a tire 😉. I hope to get the blown gasket on #5 of the Volvo exhaust manifold fixed (myself) this summer. Scared of breaking studs!

On the way home from the ECR we were stopped in traffic for a wreck up ahead when a truck pulling a trailer with a fiberglass swimming pool (wide load) scraped the edge of the pool against my passenger side mirror. I was pretty teed off and gave the guy a piece of my mind over the CB. Not thinking any damage was done I neglected to get his ID numbers. When we got to home base I noticed the outside cover was missing. The truck is a 2004 Volvo. The mirrors are the one piece style with the second mirror bolted underneath. The passenger side cover is gone. First question: Does anyone have a spare they would like to sell? Second question: Where is a good place to buy one other than Volvo or on Amazon? Third question: Does anyone happen to have the OEM part number they will share with me? Many thanks in advance for any help you may give.

"IF" you were to build the pneumatic clutch system I did about 8 years ago you could just push a button on the side of the shift lever and the clutch will disengage. Then you would not need to concern yourself about shifting to neutral to ease your leg from the clutch pedal. I use this a lot when sitting at traffic lights as my clutch brake is toast. I still keep my foot on the clutch pedal in case something fails (which it has not) but do not need to apply pressure. I don't think it was ever put in the Resource Guide, but I do still have the pics and write-up.

Thank you Jack. See, I do pay attention to you 🙂.

I will be presenter for this session. It will not cover how to install an inverter in your truck. Rather, this will be an entry level presentation that focus on the types of inverters - what Jack calls "Truck Stop Inverters - actually modified sine wave vs. pure sine wave inverters. Some with a built in transfer switch and battery charger. We will be looking at the economy inverters in the 600 to 2000 watt range rather than the expensive top line offerings such as the Xantrex Freedom line. Much of the presentation will cover how an inverter works, what type of inverter works best, what problems to expect from modified sine wave inverters, what the wave forms look like on an oscilloscope, input (battery) power vs. output power, electrical basics covering DC current and AC current and their different characteristics. Different inverters will be present and working along with an oscilloscope so we can actually see what the output looks like. Hopefully, the presentation will provide basic technical information that will help you in the selection of an inverter. There will be time allowed for Q&A and discussion. My background is in Electrical Engineering, and most importantly, a HDT owner for 12 years with lots of not so successful experiences (and some that actually worked) choosing inverters for my 5'er and Volvo electrical systems. I have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. If you are coming to the ECR I hope you will join us for this session.

So, why are you replacing?

I'm in Mechanicsville (your side of Richmond Metro). I've been running a 2004 Volvo HDT for 12 years - now pulling a 40' fiver with 4 slides and weighing right at 19K loaded. I did all the conversion work myself - outdoors. If you are a DIY type of guy getting the truck to RV motorhome status is not all that hard. I'm sure you have met Pat (Old Sailor) over in Chesapeake by now. He has a Volvo registered in VA and pulls a fiver. Drop me a line or better yet, go to the ECR in Crossville in April. I hope to be there. It will be time well spent and you do not have to own a HDT to attend. They do have some cabins at the campground but don't know if any are available. Several motels/hotels in Crossville.

Jim, I received an email a couple of months back from truckpipesusa.com that most all exhaust parts, clamps, etc. were in short supply due to Covid (I posted this on the forum). Many items they stock were on backorder. You might want to call and check on availability of parts before you get into the problems of order delays. I decided to put my exhaust upgrade on hold until parts (and maybe prices?) were better. Besides, it is cold and wet and mine would be outside work. If you can find what you need in stock somewhere it might be wise to get them before someone else does.

Greg was at the ECR shortly after I made the above post. He has a friend at "Volvo Central" that he called for me with my question. As it turns out, on the Volvo engine EECM major programming changes have to be done by the dealer shop connecting to the main Volvo server. Changes are reviewed by an engineer at Volvo before being allowed. We were told that there were certain features that they would NOT disable or change in the EECM - one of them was the maximum speed limiter. They cited safety and liability issues. Another was the dreaded shut down and spring brake lock-up when the engine overheats, loses oil pressure or air pressure. This so called safety feature was outright scary to me because it could leave you sitting with your brakes locked up in the traffic lane of a 2-lane road with no shoulder to pull off and a blind curve to boot. Another is the "secret" load based torque control which does not show up on a program dump. Again, to keep one from applying full power all at once and breaking something in the process. These issues are not ones the driver can over ride with the esc button on the right stalk. Changing the power from 465 to 500 is a matter of reprogramming the fuel injection at a specific boost pressure. Apparently this may have been done on my engine before I bought the truck as my PC software has shown 500 HP on several hard pull situations. This reading is a "computed value", not something the EECM provides, that takes into account acceleration, load and RPM - maybe more.

Thanks for the info. I just ordered 2 PM3807M13-W struts for $32.00. They accept both PayPal and Amazon Pay as well. I prefer that payment rather than giving out my CC. Much better than $100+ from Volvo.

My PC went haywire over Java Script. I am using Mozilla as my browser. Ultimately, I had to click on a new icon S! and set rvnetwork to a trusted site. I guess it was part of a security update, but before I made the trusted site change I could not even reply to this post!

I am a baby boomer born in 1946. I grew up in Oak Ridge, TN where nuclear energy was what kept the city alive with good paying jobs. Three Mile Island and then president Jimmy Carter killed much of the future for nuclear power plants. I remember well my Dad simply livid when development of the Graphite Reactor was halted. Still, TVA's development of coal fired power plants like Bull Run and Kingston were going full bore. I watched the Clinch River in Anderson and Roane Counties become yet another TVA lake generating hydro power. There was a diversion channel built for cooling steam back to water for Bull Run at Solway Bridge. Our cars were powered by big V8's with carburetors - often more than one. Gas was cheap, leaded and we had an octane race with Esso, Gulf Crest and Sunoco 260 each touting 103 to 110 octane. What made things change? Population. As the number of people in Tennessee, the USA and world increased two or three fold and expected the same energy benefits as everyone else air and water pollution soared and drastic changes were made. TVA's coal fired plants were either converted to natural gas or had to undergo installing "scrubbers" to clean up emissions. I remember when cars with big V8 engines were suddenly not cool anymore and 6 or 4 cylinder Iaccoca boxes became the preferred mode of transportation. I concluded that the era of fast cars and acceleration like our "muscle" cars of the 60's would never be possible. Well, technology proved me wrong. My South Korean built SUV with a 3.8L fuel injected, double over head cam engine, catalytic converter and computer control burning 87 octane unleaded gas gets to 7,000 RPM and 100 mph faster than my 68 Plymouth GTX "Muscle Car" with a 440 V8, 2-Carter AFB 4-BLL carburetors and a 4speed. I never thought it was possible. Dave made this comment and I quote: "All of the proponents of alternative energy say and have said for decades that there needs to be a dramatic reduction in world population and a radical change of lifestyle before there is a CHANCE of meeting our energy needs with sources such as wind or solar. " Now, that isn't going to happen without a huge war, environmental disaster like an asteroid hit, major volcanic eruption (Yellowstone), or plague (Covid?) wiping out not only a considerable number of people but existing infrastructure. The goal of all electric cars and "green energy" is noble as world population (and pollution) continually increase. Unfortunately, people like Ocasio-Cortez and Ed Markey, who have no scientific background are pushing a dream that has no true strategic plan to meet their goals. The technology and money needed to meet a zero carbon goal do not currently exist with our present world population. As soon as our current population starts feeling the inconvenience, loss of existing energy benefits and soaring cost of green energy there will be a massive public outcry that will change the political landscape. If the transportation industry has to go "green" with electric trucks we will first see smaller trucks and smaller loads being moved by more vehicles. The kick back or resistance will be significant as the current trend is toward double or triple trailers and bigger loads which require bigger and more powerful tractors. We have yet to pioneer an all electric 747 airplane - or any passenger aircraft. Locomotives are electric but it takes diesel power to generate the needed electricity. All but a few large ships are diesel and will remain so until nuclear power plants like our Navy is using can be economically used on commercial ships. IMHO, we as RVers using older HDT's will not see legislation that makes us stop our lifestyle or tax them out of reason. We are still a capitalistic society rather than socialistic and I believe we will remain so. The power of the ballot box and profitability of business will trump any lofty goals to eliminate fossil fuels in our lifetime - maybe 75+ years from now but not by 2030. I'm 74 years young. I expect that at best I have 10 more years that I can safely operate a HDT with a 40' fiver (2031) providing I don't die first. I am all ready considering the mobility benefits of a class B+ even though we would lose the space and luxury of our current RV set-up. I just don't see losing our HDT as an issue unless you are 22 years old and just starting out.

I spoke with Jill this morning. The cause of death has yet to be known but they are doing an autopsy. I will let her know that people in this group are equally saddened. Her two daughters are now with her so family is present. The thing she asked more than anything was that we pray for her and her family, which I assured her was something already happening. No other details at this time. If any one wishes his address for a card please send me a PM. I do not want to put that information out for the entire world. BTW, his "handle" here was toyhauler.

"Santa"Dave passed away today (2/4/2021). Death was not expected. Dave was one of those very special, make or fix anything guys always ready to help anyone needing his assistance. Dave had not been active of this forum thread for the past two years so some new comers may not know him. I do know every one who attended the National HDT Rallys knew Dave. He had a red White-Volvo with a Cedar Creek trailer. A Gold Wing was loaded on the back of his truck. His white hair and beard gave him the Santa persona. During the Christmas holiday season he often played the role of Santa in a red suit to the delight of hundreds of children. Dave was responsible for getting me out of a pick up and into a HDT in 2009. It is difficult to learn that he is gone. I have no other details.

Ahaaa........ not a real good picture but there is "something" on the top of the pole. Looks like a rectangular box about 2"x2". My take is the guy was using it for a Sirrius/XM satellite antenna. I do something very similar for radio in our trailer. I often need to relocate my antenna due to overhead obstructions.

No, I wasn't born yet when the Wright brothers were at Kitty Hawk. I also wasn't around when Henry Ford made the Model T. But, I did grow up in Oak Ridge, TN in the shadow of the US Atomic Energy Commission, K-25, Y-12 and X-10 where many good ideas for future nuclear power generation were conceived. My father was an engineer for "The Manhattan Project" - a top secret seemingly impossible goal. But we had a plan and money not to mention a dire need to develop nuclear capabilities. It appears to me that you did not fully understand what was in my post, or the underlying implications. The old saying "a chain is only as strong as its weakest link" rings true in this all-electric car plan. BTW, I did point out that technology would have to change tremendously to meet this lofty goal - along with public opinion against the systems needed to deliver the required power. I only brought out some of the barriers that would need to be overcome to make it work - there are many more than I cited. Not an insurmountable goal, but one that will take more than what is on the surface. Not to toot my horn, but electricity, electronics, power generation and distribution were the focus of my lifelong career. Vision has always been one of my more appreciated strong points. My doing the seemingly impossible was commonplace knowledge among my peers. I was (and remain) a strong advocate of strategic and realistic planning. I finished up my career as a respected professor that taught Electrical Engineering at the University Level. While I probably won't be alive to see this transition to zero carbon emission come to fruition, for the sake of my grandchildren and the damaging atmospheric changes to our planet from carbon emissions, I pray it will be fulfilled. As far as the problems with our power grid, which still depend upon inefficient inductive transformers, sub-stations and mechanical (analog) switching networks that are susceptible to solar flares and terrorist intervention, it will take many trillions of dollars to bring it up to par for this new generation of electric vehicles - a band-aid approach will only work in the short term. A total rebuild of the grid will become necessary. We need to do the same to our highways, bridges, dams, waste water systems as well as other infrastructure systems at the same time. We can add to this the concept that the Green New Deal advocates upgrading the energy efficiency of every home and building in the US to make them more energy efficient - a noble goal, but how and who pays for it and where is the workable plan? I'm not against electric cars and near zero carbon elimination, I only question how to fulfill the plans for how to implement them. It seems to me that the media has convinced a short sighted public that we can have a bucket of KFC before we even have the egg. Too many people see it as simply plug and play within our existing infrastructure. The prevailing mindset is to put a solar panel on your roof or a wind generator on a pole and bingo - you are there. A plan of implementation with the needed funding has yet to be developed. This is what leaves me scratching my head every time I hear or read about "the all electric car" scenario. Electric cars may be attractively economical now with tax credits and avoidance of soaring fuel taxes, new battery and electric motor technology, along with moving the source of carbon pollution to a more distant location (out of our cities) - but that simply cannot last as the numbers rise. GM is a profit motivated corporation. They could care less about jobs. If the public and government want electric cars they will not be left behind as stocks and profitability rise for other manufacturers of electric vehicles. "Maybe" doesn't make it happen. Its "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" - that is until you hit a torpedo.

Consider getting a Ham Radio license and doing something like this. Technician class is enough.

No argument there.

Every time I hear or read about electric cars replacing gasoline fueled cars I have to stop and scratch my head. Energy can neither be created or destroyed - it can only be converted. A standard measurement of power is the watt. Electrically, volts x amps = watts. The watt represents the amount of work that can be done according to universal measurement standards. The amount of power available from one gallon of gasoline is equivalent to 36.6 KWh. That is 36.6 x 1000 for one hour - or 36,600 watts for one hour. Expressed another way, 33.6KWh at 240 volts is 152 amp hours. If you needed to convert from 12 volts (13.6) to 240 volts and supply 152 amps of current with a big arse inverter your batteries would need to be able to supply approximately 2,700 amps. Can you even imagine the number of batteries and the size of the supply cable if you wanted this in your RV? Knowing how many cars are on the road and the sorry shape our national power grid is in how in the HE(double toothpicks) are we going to supply the needed power to recharge all these electric cars? Add to this - the current thinking is to do away with fossil fuels at power generating plants, the aversion to nuclear power, the hesitancy to dam rivers for hydro power, and the public outcry against huge electrical transmission towers and lines. If anyone believes we can replace or expand our current power demand with the existing technology we have for wind and solar, let alone the trillions of kilowatts that will be needed to keep these electric vehicles running simply has to have their head in the sand.

You know Glen, if you own your own land, zoning allows and you are willing to do interior finishing steel shipping containers can make some really nice homes (if done right). I visited a friend who owns one on Watts Bar Lake in Tennessee year-before-last that was amazing. They had used two 40' containers side-by-side, and a 24' sideways on the end (832 sq. ft.), insulated and sheet rock inside, windows and doors cut in, repainted outside. Nice screen porch and patio. A very nice setup for a lesser investment - and structurally very sound. Manufactured (pre-fab) housing has come a long way as well. My youngest son bought one from a company in North Carolina, the company put in the foundation on his lot then delivered and set the house in place. He had to provide the septic, water and power to the house. Beautiful home with no hint of being manufactured. He saved thousands over a stick built house and got to move in 10 weeks earlier.

FYI I had a reservation at Deer Run for the cancelled rally last year. Rather than lose part of my reservation fee Deer Run agreed to "roll over" my deposit for this year's rally. Yes, they kept my money for a year, but I did not lose any of it. If Carl should need to cancel the rally this year or I find I cannot attend I will ask to roll over my deposit once again for 2022 - or any other time I want to chill out by their lake. Others may want to consider the same if circumstances cause a reservation to be cancelled..... that is if their policy has not been changed with the new ownership. It doesn't hurt to ask.

A virus is not a living organism. It does not have a cellular structure. It cannot replicate or sustain itself outside of a host for any extended period of time. No matter if it is the common cold, flu or any other of millions of known virus strains, science has proven time and time again that it is "best" spread among the susceptible populations by either direct contact where the virus is moved into the body by a contaminated surface touching an opening (i.e. mouth, nose, eyes, genitalia, open cuts or sores.) or through moisture expelled from an infected individual by talking, sneezing, coughing, spitting, singing, etc.). A face mask worn by both an infected individual and one not-infected is a two way filter for body fluids expelled through the mouth or nose. Isolation of infected individuals from non-infected individuals so that the virus cannot find a new host in order to replicate is the best known way to "kill off" the spread of a virus (we have effectively done this in hospitals for decades). Isolation, even mandated lock-downs, no matter how unpleasant they may be, how damning they seem to our "rights" or how damaging to our economy they may seem, are scientifically know to be more effective than "herd immunity" or vaccinations in reducing the spread of a virus. No matter how much inconvenience social distancing, wearing masks, quarantine, testing and sanitizing may seem they are insignificant compared to the death of individuals susceptible to the virus and secondary complications. Anyone who says different probably also believes the moon is made of green cheese. As for arguing with statistics such as the populations of California vs. Florida you cannot do that in isolation as a single factor giving irrefutable proof. If you believe in that kind of statistics I can prove to you that putting sand in your engine oil will extend the interval between needed oil changes.

Not that I was aware of. He did have a big (heavy) military style generator mounted on the very back Oh, I found this on-line. This dude put the ball hitch on the rear of his fiver and pulled it backwards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT6Hd9mS79g&feature=youtu.be This one is pretty cool too: https://intheditch.com/FW2_ITD1253.php OK - enough of OT from me. Just getting stir crazy cooped up inside out in the boonies this winter (Home - Covid avoidance). Missing Florida but getting a lot done in my shop. My next winter project is replacing the rear hydraulic pump inside my 1955 Massey-Ferguson TO35. That one is going to be messy.