Lou Schneider
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Everything posted by Lou Schneider
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The link is misspelled. The final "g" is not part of the link.
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Be careful when comparing clamp on ammeters. Not all can measure DC current flowing through the clamp. It's common to find an inexpensive meter that measures AC and DC voltage via it's test leads but will only measure AC current flowing through the clamp. I have and like this one. Note that it specifically says it measures both AC and DC current. Reasonably priced and has a lot of neat features like true RMS AC voltage and current measurements and a built-in NCV (Non-Contact Voltage detector) to help you avoid or trace energized AC circuits. Watch the short videos in the listing to see how these features work. https://www.amazon.com/KAIWEETS-Multimeter-Auto-ranging-Temperature-Capacitance/dp/B07Z398YWF
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Too bad the video is now unavailable - someone made it private. Too graphic?
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You'll also need a one way valve between the accumulator tank and the incoming water line or the higher pressure in the accumulator will just backfeed into the incoming line until it's pressure matches the supply pressure. Your RV has such a valve inside the fresh water inlet, which is why water doesn't come out when you are disconnected from shore water. Even then, you'll only have higher pressure until the accumulator tank is emptied. Usually they only hold a couple of gallons unless you get a larger one designed for a well pump. If it was me, I'd just use the RV's water tank and pump to supplement the shore water pressure when needed.
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Professional Driving School - what's your opinion, Worth it?
Lou Schneider replied to Scott & Kat's topic in HDT
When I attended the CDL driving school, the written test was administered at the local DMV office under the same conditions as a private applicant. Two state driving examiners came to the school's site to administer the pre-trip inspections and driving tests as a matter of convenience instead of having three dozen applicants along with the school's trucks and trailers clogging up the DMV office. The driving test was identical to what would have been administered to a private applicant, in fact a couple of private CDL applicants and their vehicles were accommodated at the same time. -
"Every wire is hot" is a sign of a missing ground. Without a ground all points in the circuit are pulled up to the supply voltage. The test light doesn't draw enough current to replace the ground so it lights up when it sees voltage on the should-be-grounded side of the bulb.
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Professional Driving School - what's your opinion, Worth it?
Lou Schneider replied to Scott & Kat's topic in HDT
Do it! I took a similar 4 week course at a private company when I got my CDL. The regulatory stuff is but a small part of the classroom instruction, most of it is practical knowledge like how to do a pre-trip inspection, how air brakes work and their limitations, how to shift a non-synchronized transmission, how to handle a blowout, defensive driving, etc. Then there's the on the road instruction which is invaluable. They'll likely even arrange for a DMV representative to come in and administer the CDL driving test at the end of the course. BTW, I decided I didn't want to be an over the road driver about midway through but continued to the end to get my Class A license. -
They showed these last January (2022) at the Quartzsite Big Tent. I have a 1997 Safari motorhome with the Chevy 454 gas engine and a pair of Lion Safari UT1300 house batteries. When the Optima starting battery failed due to an internal defect (one of the posts became disconnected internally) in the middle of Nowhere, Nevada they easily started the engine via the Boost switch for the remainder of my trip. I wouldn't recommend them as starting batteries but a pair does work in a pinch.
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What do you want to know?
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F250 trailer wire fault
Lou Schneider replied to The_Real_Santa's topic in Technical Tips and Tricks
Check the connections under the trailer, where the wire from the front branches off to the axles. Not conducting and then breaking through under higher voltage is the classic sign of a corroded connection. The last trailer I owned used regular non-weatherproofed wire nuts where the axle wires fanned off from the main harness and of course the connections became corroded over time. -
See how many all-cash buyers snagged houses in your neighborhood
Lou Schneider replied to RV_'s topic in Other Topics
That's one of the reasons I decided to invest in getting a lot in one of the Escapees co-op parks instead of a mobile home in a commercial park for my retirement. As a co-op the park and all it's amenities are owned and controlled by the members so there's no chance of the land being sold out from underneath. -
It's $180 from the date you buy the permit until the April 15 end of the LTVA season, so whether or not you get the full 6 months depends on when you arrive and leave. If you buy the permit when the LTVAs open on Sept 15 you can actually stay 7 months until April 15th for the $180, if you buy it later in the season (or leave earlier) you'll be charged the same but it will only be good for a shorter term, which raises the monthly cost. Quartzsite and Yuma get hot outside of maybe December to the end of February, if you'll be staying 8 weeks or less it's cheaper to get the renewable $40 for two week permits.
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The Cummins engines in the old London buses would run for multiple millions of miles but were redlined at 1000 RPM. When I rode one in Victoria and the driver would be constantly shifting as soon as the engine got barely above idle.
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You should be able to pry off the plastic cover to reveal the keyhole. Or unlock the rear hatch to gain entry. Much longer explanation here: https://www.justanswer.co.uk/car/848ih-can-t-unlock-smart-car-2003-city-cabrio-using-key.html
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Here in Pahrump, NV Saddle West Hotel/Casino/RV Park posts their monthly RV rate on their marquee. Last year it was $499 a month, now it's $699. There are about a dozen other RV parks in town with similar rates. Pahrump is on the other side of the Spring Mtns an hour due west of Las Vegas via NV 160, a 4 lane divided highway. Escapees Co-op parks can also provide an affordable home base. I have a space in the Pair-A-Dice SKP park. Although Escapees Inc. helped start it, the park is a non-profit co-op owned and operated by Escapees members who purchased a share in the co-op. This gives them use of their space on a year round basis along with travelling Escapees who are welcome to stay when spaces are vacant. When I bought in 5 years ago the cost was $7k plus another $3k in depreciated improvements made by previous lot holders - things like landscaping, finishing off the interior of the storage building, etc. Now the buy-in is $10k plus improvements. These will be returned to me if/when I decide to leave and the park resells my membership. Owning a share in the park lets me qualify for NV residency for things like voting, drivers license, vehicle registration, etc. NV does not have a state income tax, taxes on tourist activities and casino profits are enough to fill the state coffers. An annual fee covers the other costs (good well water, septic, trash pickup, maintenance of the common areas and taxes), Currently it's $1200 a year payable quarterly. The only other expense is the actual metered electricity I use when I'm there which is in the range of $50-90 a month. Other Escapees co-op parks operate in a similar fashion although the amounts and amenities vary from one park to the next. Most of them have waiting lists so membership transfers and refunds can be accomplished quickly.
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The flooding south of Sacramento is coming from the Consumnes River. It's a designate "Wild and Free" river without any dams along it's length. There have been several proposed over the years but they have been shouted down. I guess we're seeing just how wild it can be.
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Up for Bid, 1974 tractor/ trailer...got to see
Lou Schneider replied to stevekk's topic in General RV Information
I've seen this before, the article date is August 26, 2021 so I doubt the auction is still going on. -
Battery Manufacturing Is Creating Lots & Lots & Lots Of Jobs
Lou Schneider replied to RV_'s topic in Finances and Investing
Silicon, not silicone. The first is the second most abundant element in Earth's crust and used to make transistors and solar cells. The second is the goo used as a sealant. -
Overloaded RAM truck snapped in HALF...comments??
Lou Schneider replied to Vladimir's topic in General RV Information
Apparently it was caused by a high center of gravity directly over the rear axle repeatedly flexing the frame up and down as the CofG shifted back and forth going over bumps, etc. Metal fatigue set in at the cab/bed junction where neither body piece is stiffening the frame. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci9jADPmVj0 -
Overloaded RAM truck snapped in HALF...comments??
Lou Schneider replied to Vladimir's topic in General RV Information
The fact that the frame failed by snapping up instead of down says, at least at the moment of failure, the camper's center of gravity was behind the rear axle. Probably by a substantial amount. -
Solar Panels Go Perfectly With Pickup Truck Tonneau Covers
Lou Schneider replied to RV_'s topic in Other Topics
Then perhaps the headline on the press release shouldn't say One Step Closer To The Solar Powered Pickup Truck Of The Future when it's physically impossible to reach that stated goal. -
Solar Panels Go Perfectly With Pickup Truck Tonneau Covers
Lou Schneider replied to RV_'s topic in Other Topics
Solar insolation averages 1000 watts per square meter. This means even one of the 30% ultra efficient solar panels will only capture 300 watts per square meter under ideal conditions. I'll leave it as an exercise to figure out how many square meters of solar panels you'll need to recharge a 60-100 KwH battery pack in a reasonable amount of time compared to the area on a tonneau cover or even on the roof of an RV. -
You have to remember that the SKP Co-op parks including the Florida SKP Resort were built and paid for by the co-op that owns them. Escapees, Inc. doesn't have any skin in the park, it's owned by the co-op and it's membership. The buy-in fee to join the co-op includes the right to use a specified lot on an unlimited basis. This is in direct contrast to Escapees Parks (formerly Rainbow Parks) that are owned and operated by the Escapees organization. All of the co-ops welcome visiting Escapees on a space available basis. But it's only fair that a co-op member should be able to re-claim his lot at any time, including if they return earlier than planned because their circumstances changed.