DanZemke

Your gut has betrayed you on this one. :-). Rand McNally GPS devices are capable of "software" updates. If you choose to update your device to a new version, that new software could have been hacked to skew the GPS data on your device. But this is extremely unlikely to happen. Why? Because, there are much more lucrative targets for hackers seeking money or chaos.

SuiteSuccess, Out of curiosity, I tried to access Rand McNally's website. Going to https://www.randmcnally.com/ yields a blank page for me. I suspect hackers have disabled several of their internal computers and are demanding Rand McNally to pay them for a code that will restore their system(s). So called, ransomware.

They're describing a problem with their internal (back-end) systems, so your device is extremely unlikely to have been hacked. From their note, they've detected a break-in, but aren't clear on the full scope of its impact yet. I wouldn't worry about. If it they find out more, that could damage you, they're required by law to notify you. Back to worrying about Covid-19 🙂

I don't have any Rand McNally devices. The phrase "some of our computers have been compromised" almost always means their internal business computers have been hacked or an employee has stolen information. But it's also unusual to be that vague about what the potential impact is on you (the person they sent the letter to). Was the anything else beyond boilerplate in the letter email?

Based on your posts, I agree, we should run away.

Yep, the whole purpose of capacitors is to suck up power for later short-term supply of power. There isn't any reasonable/inexpensive way to prevent this. Better to look at your concern from a different point of view. The battery explosion danger is due to hydrogen gas can be emitted during charging. After you've cleaned your connections and want to reconnect your inverter, any hydrogen has dissipated. The spark doesn't matter - there's nothing to ignite.

You've described two symptoms, that may, or may not have a common cause: "The rear passenger side rides a few inches lower than the driver’s side." and "Also, coach “sits down” overnight (airbags deflate) without my dumping air." For the rear passenger side to constantly run a few inches lower than the other side due to an air system problem, there would have to be a big air leak between the leveling valve and the bag (or the bag itself). Suggestion: First thing after stopping in a fairly quiet area, go back and listen for a prominent hiss. If there isn't a big air leak back there, there's probably a mechanical problem. Most likely, something that is preventing the rear passenger side from fully extending (and perhaps lowering). Does it lower, after you've parked for awhile?

You are right. It appears I mistook STARLINK for Starlink. However, for the original question, Starlink's latency appears to be much less that 3G phones. So if those worked for you. Starlink likely will too.

I have not. But Subaru's advertising seems to indicate they're not concerned. Also, Starlink's latency is much less than 3G was. https://www.subaru.com/owners/starlink.html

Here's an interesting short read. It's a twitter thread that starts off with: " There’s a 2007 iPhone moment happening right now, and it’s called Starlink." https://twitter.com/danielgross/status/1323379988121477120

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/11/spacex-starlink-beta-tester-takes-user-terminal-into-forest-gets-120mbps/

No apology needed. I got what I wanted - helpful advice, enabling a better decision. Thanks to you and everyone else.

Honey, I need it protect you. It's much less than a dollar a day for 4 years, and then it's free. It's cheap insurance, but even if it wasn't, you're worth it. 🙂

Ray, I think I'm going to be OK with the 39", 6.3 lb shotgun with its 18.5" barrel. Tried a simulated "test drive" using my photography tripod in my front door hallway. The tripod was set to 39" and weighs 5.7 pounds. I'm sure that a Shockwave would be more maneuverable, but I don't think the 39" length will be a major problem for me in my trailer. Still, I'll do some dry-fire practice, starting from various locations in my 5th wheel, to reduce my risk. However, I realize I won't to be able to avoid all risks: "Mommy, there's an old man running around inside the trailer next to us with a gun!" My secondary concern is legal exposure. The Shockwave appears to be deliberately designed to just barely slip by Federal gun law specs and apparently did not make it past several state's laws. Since it was announced in June of 2018, it probably hasn't faced all the legal challenges it will encounter. If I really lusted for a Shockwave, would that risk have stopped me? No! And if some new laws were enacted to make it illegal, there's a good chance that purchases, prior to the new laws, would be grand-fathered. Still, this smells a bit like the reason I abandoned the idea of buying a pistol. Inconsistent State gun laws, that are unstable. BTW, fun fact, at least for me. Mossberg is about an hour's drive from my house. Best wishes. P.S. In spite of the linked Mossberg press release, it appears the Shockwave was announced in Jan of 2017. https://www.mossberg.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Mossberg-Introduces-590M-Shockwave-Pump-Action.pdf https://www.fflguard.com/articles/state-law-mossberg-shockwave-in-north-carolina/ Click For Full-Size Image.

You are much more knowledgeable about guns than I am. I currently plan to take a more simplistic approach. Go with a basic, widely available shotgun and ammo. I was intrigued by Ray's encouragement to look into the Mossberg 590 Shockwave, presumably because of its short length. TShort length was the primary reason I switched my intended gun purchase from a shotgun to a pistol about a year ago. But the pistol grip on the Shockwave is much different than the shotguns I've used. And I thought it would be awkward, and less effective for me, if I ever needed to use it in an emergency. So my current (and hopefully last) pick is a Mossberg 590 that is a foot longer than the Shockwave. The retail price of the two shotguns is the same. Personal preference. https://www.mossberg.com/product/590-7-shot-50778/ https://www.mossberg.com/product/590-shockwave-6-shot-50659/

Thanks everyone, for all of your advice. It's caused me to reset my perspective. Today, I was finger printed for my gun license (it covers hand-guns and long-guns). As an aside, I've also chosen to switch my preferred gun type from a pistol back to a shotgun. I underestimated the complexity, and byzantine maze of laws, about handguns. Would getting a CCW reduce the complexity for many States? Sure, but it wouldn't for many of the States I want to spend time in (all of my relatives live in California). Choosing a shotgun, instead of a pistol, seems to be a much more pragmatic path for me. As Ray said about shotguns: "Possessing one eliminates nearly all of the hurdles one must pass when possessing a handgun and crossing state lines." Thank you Ray!

No, it has nothing to do with reciprocity laws. I'll be transferring a licensed firearm from one home location to another home location. The separation of firearm and ammunition is only required for transport between locations. When I arrive at my new home, I'm allowed to have a home-based loaded pistol in all 48 states.

I'm not trying to argue. But I don't understand what problem, for a licensed gun, I could avoid by having a CCW.

I genuinely don't understand why many folks seem to be nudging me towards getting a CCW. I had that same feeling in the NRA course I took last Sunday. They promoted the Utah permit. My guess is that it's about socially joining the "CCW team". But I have no intention, or desire, to carry a gun, outside of my house (5th wheel). Am I missing a concrete benefit of a CCW for me? Not trying to argue, just trying to better understand.

Thanks to all for the helpful information. Based on your recommendations, and a bit more research, I've made a few changes to my evolving personal gun transport "rule book". I will keep my ammunition and gun in separate locked boxes in my trailer during transport and will not be traveling in New York City , Washington DC. After I get my CT pistol permit, I will buy a gun in CT and it will not leave CT, until I change my domicile to South Dakota. At which point I will get a SD gun permit. I was not able to find any law that requires disassembly of a firearm before transit. Lots of internet chatter about it, but the closest I could find was someone saying that some states (unspecified) have a statement about disassembly in their hunting license regulations. I would appreciate a response, if anyone has a specific citation, or even a specific State that mandates disassembly for transport. Kirk - good suggestion. I have the 2019 version of the Traveler's Guide you suggested, which is good enough for me at this point. I've chosen not to keep track of gun laws, in every state, that I intend to visit. As Admiral Grace Hopper said: "It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission". It seems to me, that if I follow the practices I've described, my downside risk is minimal. And I am willing to take that chance, in return for a significant simplification of my life. So is my mind made up? Pretty much, but if you think I'm wrong (for me, not others), please tell me. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In addition to the book "Travelers Guide to the Firearm Laws of the Fifty States", Here are a few links that I found useful and others may also: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/926A https://handgunlaw.us/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_the_United_States_by_state https://sdsos.gov/general-services/concealed-pistol-permits/map.aspx https://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/firearms/pdf/cfl2016.pdf https://www.nj.gov/oag/njsp/firearms/transport-firearm.shtml

Keeping a pistol in my 5th wheel across all lower 48 states My desire is simple. I want a pistol for "home protection" only. I'm not interested in open or concealed carry. My desire is to keep the pistol in a locked box, permanently connected to my trailer frame. The pistol will not be loaded during transport. The locked box will also contain a few loaded magazines. I just finished an NRA Basic Pistol Course and submitted my application for a Connecticut Pistol License (with its embedded Federal check). The instructor for the NRA course raised some flags about my ability to freely travel state to state. He used California as an example of a particularly strict state. But all of my relatives still live in California, and I would like to continue to visit them via RV (with the gun inside) instead of by air. My impression is that, when I receive a Connecticut pistol permit and purchase a Glock with 10 cartridge magazines, I'll be good to go for visiting any of the lower 48 States. I've spent a few hours researching CT, SD and CA gun regulations and did not any find significant concerns. I'm not seeking legal advice. I am seeking a sniff test, from folks more knowledgeable than I, about gun restrictions for RVers. I'm OK accepting some risk, but there doesn't appear to me, to be much on this. What are my risks, if any?

Yeah, but brown organics can condition the leather for a softer ride. 😀

In retrospect, my post sounds like a lecture. That was not what I intended. I agree with your sentiment ++ Best wishes.

I agree with your point about self-promotion. Economists might describe the exploitation like this (from WikiPedia): "The tragedy of the commons is a situation in a shared-resource system where individual users, acting independently according to their own self-interest, behave contrary to the common good of all users by depleting or spoiling the shared resource through their collective action." As you observed, the Travel Log forum is unique - feedback is prohibited. Like junk mail or spam, folks will eventually ignore him, stop clicking on his links, and hopefully he'll contribute, or go away. That's not an unreasonable approach IMO.

Paul, It seems you're new here. It's not unusual for people to struggle with there first few posts. I have to admit, I had no idea what "108pcd" meant but was able to find this page which educated me: https://www.roadkillcustoms.com/wheel-bolt-pattern-cross-reference/4x108-wheel-bolt-pattern-4x108mm-4x4.25-inches/ If you have your owners manual, information about the wheels and tire should be in it. I'm not sure which trailer you have. Is it the the "ultralight 28" a Forest River Rockwood Ultralight 28 foot fifth wheel? And if so what year?