RV_

We got creamed last week. On July 4th we got golf-ball size hail at ~1pm and marble size at ~6pm, then on the 7th of July we got hit again with same size hail again. It was pouring rain hard at the same time. I was not running out to get a sample to photograph until it was safe and they melted by 1/3 by then. We are insured and can afford our deductible easily but no necessarily happily. We have damaged roofs, shed roof and even the hail resistant roof it had put on in the big 2017 hailstorm the previous owner had replaced then. Damaged windows, screens, siding, wood privacy fence, and even damaged wood trim and bent the A/C grille and rain gutters on the shed.I have never seen hail like this, let alone three hailstorms in the same week. I put some in the freezer but they are not nearly as large as when they first fell from the rain. Still big enough to do that damage. The grass is about 8" tall and not cut recently because we are xeriscaping and getting rid of the sod and water bill. Melted but still big Gas fireplace exhaust. All windows in back are damaged frames but the glass is fine??? No more plastic gutters on the shed The dead sod has holes all over it and inch and a half and 2" deep. Lots more. Our tree was shredded and we cleaned up yesterday Thank goodness I changed my mind about self insuring and switched from USAA insurance. This was golf ball and ping pong ball size, they had baseball sized hail in other areas near our city and in Security. Hope we don't go through that size ever. This was bad enough.

No but that was not the topic. You can Google it and find we have enough here in the US. I just did.

As well they make RV specific mattresses. They are a tad bit shorter and we used them for both of our rigs one with a BR slide like yours and the other did not. I am 6" tall and a stomach sleeper so for me I prefer my get hanging over for comfort. If I needed the longer mattress your solution is exceptional engineering. Thanks for the videos and great pics.

I did a lot of volunteering to help with repairs when were full time for seven years. This manual is out of print now and mine was loaned out and stolen. (Not returning a book because you haven't read or use it yet, after a year is theft.) That was before I made a policy to never lend my few remaining analog books and manuals. The RV stoves, furnaces, water heater, refrigerators, electrics etc are pretty much the same now as then in most rigs. https://www.ebay.com/itm/256050917081?var=0&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338590836&toolid=10044&customid=2411c873572c191fb62eacd879982f3c For most that book is all you will need if you are handy. For specifics for your model it can help you decide if it is a repair you want to DIY or hire out. Most particular model service manuals are available online if your model is not covered.

👍👍💯

Retirees with a retiree ID card and base access earned having this done free of additional charge at the base legal office. You can also buy software that does it legally for each state. If you live in Louisiana since all states are based in English common law except Louisiana which is based in French law, and want to do it yourself make sure the software includes Louisiana. It is cheaper to have an existing last will and testament and living wills looked over by an attorney rather than having an attorney write it from scratch. However military attorneys do have to write them daily for active duty troops and retirees for all states, and especially the state where the base/post is located. Have all your details like who you want to get what, and how you plan to handle online accounts and social media. I keep a flash drive that is only connected to my computers when I need a password or link to a website I am a member of like here. That way they can go on and announce our deaths and any funerals or other details we ask for or they choose and never goes on a government computer. I have two notarized copies made but the executor needs a notarized and signed original copy. If you are on the road or traveling on vacation it may be wise to have the emergency numbers for your executor and any family not executors you want notified in order.on your phones and carry an original copy with you if you choose. Some are dictated by local state law in the state in which your estate will be probated. We have personal experience with how greedy and dishonest family members can be in a succession. Fortunately we were in charge and made sure all got an even share and ignored the petty hidden things. In our two experiences the ones with ethical issues had neither the money nor the ability to hire a lawyer or pursue it. Both parents died intestate (No wills) with large real estate holdings and cash in the bank. In the large asset case Lynn had the power of Attorney as executor. You can avoid all that by preparing now with an eye to making it easier on your loved ones that survive you.

We too have Last wills and living wills. Our youngest son is our executor and we have defined everything so he does not have to be the bad or good guy. We have again gathered too much stuff since coming off the road. I started last year and am slowly selling everything we don't use daily so my son does not have to deal with it. Just sorting is too much to pass on as a chore. Folks don't really want wood furniture or antiques so we will sell those too, save a few the kids and G'kids might like. Lynda ran estate sales for about five years and I got to see what they walked into before they cleaned and organized. They have to clean and organize everything and call in appraisers etc. then set it up and conduct it. I was usually saddened by seeing the unusable old stuff, not antiques. The biggest thing to do is realize they are going to throw out or give away 90% of it. I am not counting videos and analog family pics - they stay and they can split them up, throw them out. They key is to ask if they want anything before you start clearing out. Part of doing estate sales for the elderly involved arranging for them to move into smaller quarters usually assisted living unless they have memory issues and need memory, medical care or both. If the fates cause me to lose my love of my life first I will not need any of the "stuff" here and will either move into a deluxe motorhome or perhaps a smaller place. So I am keeping only what I need to live in and maintain this house to lessen the burden on our kids.

That's why I started here. Gratitude for all the help we received when we were noobs before and after the forums went up~ 1999/2000. I still pay it forward. Here or elsewhere. Life is too short to feed the trolls. Or let them drag us down to their level on the Internet. I'd like to add my thanks to our founders the Petersons for their love and kindness and hope they spread here and wherever they went. Kay reinforced the good and camaraderie and brought out the best in us. I appreciate those still here who still do. I'll keep passing that along as long as I breathe. We each have much to be grateful for in this group. We live the dream for however long, and if we are lucky, make some real friends in the process. SKP hugs! Safe Travels!

Well said.

Metal that you park under is the only one I would do.

Colorado Springs my neighbor had his Motorhome water heater ingniter cleaned and gap adjusted, new Check valve, re-installed temp and ECO sensors for tank water temps that were hanging loose. Total cost including coming to his house, parts was $189 total I think or a little less.

Good points all. Bye.

Gary, Toyoda, the ex CEO, resigned in disgrace after putting Toyota further behind than all the other ICE engine companies. Just two years ago they were doing this: " 7/27/2021 - Toyota has been lobbying governments to water-down emissions standards or oppose fossil-fuel vehicle phaseouts, according to a New York Times report. In the last four years, Toyota's political contributions to US politicians and PACs have more than doubled. Those contributions have gotten the company into hot water, too. By donating to congresspeople who oppose tighter emissions limits, the company funded lawmakers who objected to certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election. Though Toyota had promised to stop doing so in January, it was caught making donations to the controversial legislators as recently as last month. Toyota has also begun to wage a campaign of FUD—fear, uncertainty, and doubt—to cast EVs as unreliable and undesirable. "If we are to make dramatic progress in electrification, it will require overcoming tremendous challenges, including refueling infrastructure, battery availability, consumer acceptance, and affordability," Robert Wimmer, director of energy and environmental research at Toyota Motor North America, told the Senate in March. Growth curves While such FUD may have worked in the past when EVs were expensive and charging networks were sparse, it's less effective today and will probably be moot in a few years. Consumers aren't fooled, either. According to recent surveys, somewhere between 30 and 40 percent of consumers say their next purchase will be an EV. Some are following through with their decision sooner than later—plug-in vehicle sales in the US have more than doubled over the last year, compared with just 29 percent growth for the rest of the market." Source: https://arstechnica.com/cars/2021/07/toyota-bet-wrong-on-evs-so-now-its-lobbying-to-slow-the-transition/ I really tried to find another brand for Lynn's new car soon. None had any Frunk at all in the 35-60k price range. As well they had little to no storage in the back under the cargo area and no deep storage on both sides of the rear hatch like in our Model Y. I keep saying this, as a research task, not as an attempt to get others to buy any EV, Tesla or otherwise. Tesla is all about speed and handling as a sporty car. Others may want only two wheel drive or less range if they live and work in a big city. Some want comfort over a harder more responsive suspension. I have no issue with that. I have fun test driving every new EV that comes here, but am very disappointed in the other brands playing catch up. BTW Mercedes signed on for the TESLA connectors and bought rights to our charging system. Life's for living. Have fun!

https://www.votervoice.net/iframes/AFSA/newsletters/48793

I have been getting the newsletters from these guys for a few years. I do still build some systems for me. Might be interesting to some folks. They broke the story that Surface devices were getting user upgradeable SSDs and I did. Here's their story. Great resource and free! Excerpt: "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… Just kidding. Actually, it was more like the early 2000s and it happened in Yosemite Hall Tower 1 at Cal Poly. Kyle and Luke were frustrated by the lack of repair information available online. Kyle’s Apple G3 iBook was broken and they had no idea how to even diagnose the problem because Apple didn’t include repair documentation with the device. Even when they were able to get some information on how to fix the laptop, Apple was already one step ahead issuing take-down notices. So even if you could get your hands on the information, chances were, it wouldn’t be available for long. So fixing your stuff could leave you in big trouble. Can you imagine starting a repair and only being able to get part way through because you lost access to the remaining steps? Although they pushed through and figured out how to fix it without any official documentation, they found themselves thinking about all the other people who had ever found themselves in a similar situation. They also grew concerned over the idea that paying for something didn’t mean that you actually owned it. At $1,600 a pop (not including taxes) and now worth $2,637.94 in today’s market, the G3 was quite an investment, you’d think you’d be able to crack it open and fix it if something went wrong. And while the G3 is discontinued, the regular practice of restricting access to repair documentation has not. This spurred an internal drive for Kyle and Luke to share their experience and encourage others to fix their own stuff. " More and a good read here: https://www.ifixit.com/News/77531/history-of-ifixits-community?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20+years+of+open-source+repair&utm_campaign=US+Promo_Community+Month+Kick-Off&vgo_ee=RnjcY%2FsXh6ekkOh7eJ7yum09ttZbmJzT1WBwVsPD3f41rVg%3D%3AbJ2fT8%2Fc8cax5bFC0CXFBGm9BzjU2Lz4

My 2 cents? When we started these forums as they are today, ~23 years ago we gave virtual SKP hugs and real ones in the parks. The early days for me were filled with encouragement and camaraderie. SKPs helped me get started. I felt I owed passing it on. Today it is a minefield compared to then. I only find it tolerable today after blocking some folks. We used to care more for each other than today. Sign of the times. I'll keep posting informative and factual posts for the 30 or so friends I still have here. I enjoy tracking this transition to EVs. Lots of opportunities. We used to be a major resource. Even the "clique" here is falling apart. I don't have time like before. And yes I'm getting older. I think I'm going to not write my website and pay for it anymore. I'll still be here when friends look to visit or ask questions I might be able to help with.or a new member posts and got answers but no welcomes on their first posts. We hit our peak when Mark Nemeth was running the forums. It's been going downhill ever since in my opinion. Still lots of great folks here. Maybe we can be grateful for our adventures past, present and yet to come. SKP hugz!

Me 2.

The Japanese automaker says it will soon be able to manufacture a solid-state pack that can charge in 10 minutes. Excerpt: "Toyota claims it has made a technological breakthrough that will eventually lead to a solid-state battery capable of delivering up to 745 miles (1,199 kilometers) of range, all while completely recharging in 10 minutes, according to The Guardian, quoting Keiji Kaita, president of the company’s research and development center for carbon neutrality. The Japanese car manufacturer said yesterday that it had simplified production of the material used to make both solid-state and liquid-based batteries, which will allow it to halve the weight, size, and cost of the packs that end up in vehicles. “For both our liquid and our solid-state batteries, we are aiming to drastically change the situation where current batteries are too big, heavy, and expensive,” said Kaita. “In terms of potential, we will aim to halve all of these factors.” Solid-state batteries are seen as the logical next step in the development of EVs, as they are considered safer and more reliable than lithium-ion cells that use a liquid-based electrolyte, but at the same time, they’re much more expensive and harder to manufacture. Several startups such as Solid Power, QuantumScape, Factorial, and StoreDot have been working to make solid-state batteries more affordable and easier to produce, but as of today, their products haven’t been fitted to any new EV sold on the market. Now, however, Toyota says it believes it could simplify the manufacturing process, potentially making solid-state batteries easier to produce than lithium-ion ones. Last month, the Japanese automaker – which is seen by many EV enthusiasts as a laggard when it comes to fully electrifying its lineup – unveiled a massive plan to change its focus from ICE vehicles to EVs, all while keeping hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and hydrogen-powered vehicles alive. As part of its plan, it wants to build an all-new EV-only architecture that will spawn a raft of new vehicles from 2026, including a US-made three-row SUV that will reportedly go into production in 2025 with batteries sourced from North Carolina. Furthermore, the car group estimates that it will be able to make an advanced solid-state battery that’s capable of offering over 900 miles (1,448 km) of range after 2028, thanks in part to lighter, less complicated cars that have fewer components. Source with all kinds of links and more: https://insideevs.com/news/675517/toyota-battery-breakthrough-745-miles-range/

As the transition to electric vehicles accelerates we have a friendly country that can supplty what we had to go to Russia and China for, the minerals to make batteries. These guys will be in production by 2028. Excerpt: "A huge phosphate rock deposit discovered in Norway contains enough minerals to meet the global demand for batteries and solar panels for the next 100 years, according to the mining company that controls it. Norge Mining said up to 70 billion tonnes of the non-renewable resource may have been uncovered in south-western Norway, alongside deposits of other strategic minerals like titanium and vanadium. Phosphate rock contains high concentrates of phosphorus, which is a key component for building green technologies but currently faces significant supply issues. Phosphorus was first discovered in 1669 by German scientist Hennig Brandt, who was searching for the philosopher’s stone. While it proved ineffective in turning ordinary metals into gold, it has become an essential component in lithium-iron phosphate batteries in electric cars, as well as for solar panels and computer chips. Russia previously controlled the world’s largest ultra-pure phosphate rock deposits, with the European Union warning that these “critical raw materials” have a high supply risk. The EU is currently almost entirely dependent on imports of phosphate rock from the rest of the world, according to a report from The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, with China, Iraq and Syria also home to large deposits. The report, which was published before the discovery of the massive Norwegian deposit, warned that the EU should be “concerned about phosphate rock shortages”. An article in the scientific journal Nature last year warned of imminent supply disruptions of phosphorus, citing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent economic sanctions as a potential cause of market volatility. The global economy consumes an estimated 50 million tonnes of phosphorus each year, with scientists warning earlier this year that the planet could face a “phosphogeddon” if supply trends continue. “The buyers’ market is becoming increasingly crowded by limited trade – due to political instability in several source countries, as well as international sanctions imposed on others,” Norge Mining noted in a June blog post. “This is forcing importers to fear an impending crisis.” Source with much more: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/massive-mineral-deposit-discovery-could-040602239.html

Dupe

Excerpt: "It has been a mostly great year for investors playing the S&P 500, provided they owned a small group of tech stocks. But it's been a pretty ho-hum year for the rest of the index, which has been dominated by some big-name laggards. "Part of it, in our view, is the average stocks better reflect some of the broader macroeconomic uncertainty and significant increase in the Fed funds rates over the past year," Truist co-chief investment officer Keith Lerner tells Yahoo Finance. Powered mostly by hype around new generative AI technology, seven stocks have fueled most of the S&P 500's 15% year-to-date advance, according to data from Howard Silverblatt, senior index analyst at S&P Dow Jones Indices. Another view from Goldman Sachs (chart below): 15 of the biggest companies have driven 86% of the S&P 500's return year-to-date. Nvidia (AI hype) and Meta (cost-cutting and AI hype) have led the charge for the S&P 500 with respective gains of 180% and 133%. Tesla shares are up 109% (AI hype and strong EV demand). Apple is up 46% on optimism around some pricey new VR goggles. Amazon is oddly up 52% despite not announcing anything on the AI front and continuing to have poor quarters. And Microsoft and Alphabet have traded blows on AI developments, in the process driving respective stock price gains of 39% and 34%. "These stocks have benefited from coming into the year in an oversold position, the excitement around AI, and earnings revision trends that have turned higher," Lerner says. "Also, even if the economy slows as we expect, it’s likely that companies will continue to spend on tech, or fear of being left behind. That should be good for tech earnings on a relative basis." But non-tech companies haven't fared quite as well. CVS Health is down 26%, Moderna is off 34% and VF Corp is down 31%. Will the rest of the S&P 500 finally draw more interest from investors in the second half of the year? Pros like Lerner and BMO's Brian Belski expect a modest broadening out of the market's rally as investors seek out bargains and bet on no rate hikes in 2024. "The bogeyman of narrow market breadth has started to broaden out and is a trend we expect will continue," says Belski. Here are three relative laggards from the S&P 500 this year that could gain favor on the Street. BUY #1: AT&T Year to Date Performance: -13% AT&T (T) has had a challenging first half of the year as declining subscriber growth, softer-than-expected sales and disappointing free cash flow levels kept investors away from the telecom giant. But despite those headwinds, David Sekera, chief US market strategist at Morningstar, told Yahoo Finance that AT&T is a top pick. "AT&T is at the intersection of being a deep value play," Sekera said. "Fundamentally, it’s in a relatively strong position. We rate the company with a narrow economic moat, which means it has long-term structural cost advantages." Added positive: AT&T's CFO Pascal Desroches told Yahoo Finance Live that key parts of the business have begun to turn the corner. BUY #2: OCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM Year to Date Performance: -8% Occidental Petroleum (OXY), the Houston-based oil company backed by billionaire investor Warren Buffett, has surprisingly been left in the dust. Shares are off more than 8% year to date amid lingering worries of softening oil demand against a backdrop of sluggish global economic growth. And the oil producer is not alone. The S&P 500's Energy Select Sector (XLE) is down 10% year to date following the sector's massive 57.6% gain last year. Occidental’s largest shareholder, Buffett has protected the stock from the worst of this year's energy sector sell-off. He boosted his stake in the company to above 25% after buying 2.1 million more shares worth about $123 million. So, as Warren Buffett doubles down on Occidental, Portfolio Wealth Advisors CEO Lee Munson sees an opportunity to bet on the ‘beaten up’ stock too. "Back in 2019 they bought Anadarko – which means they own half the Permian Basin," Munson told Yahoo Finance Live. "The Permian is the crown jewel. It’s cheap to extract, and once you pump it all out you can frack it to draw blood from a stone – printing money… I love that they have cheap production." BUY #3: CISCO Year to Date Performance: +7% A challenging macroeconomic environment has left Cisco (CSCO) shares far behind its tech peers and the broader S&P 500. The stock's 7% gain so far this year pales in comparison to the Nasdaq 100 Index’s (^NDX) 36% surge. Investors have overlooked the maker of computer networking equipment amid concern clients are cutting back on IT spending. Orders declined 23% in its most recent quarter. New Constructs CEO David Trainer told Yahoo Finance he sees the recent underperformance of Cisco as a buying opportunity, given "terrific fundamentals with a return on invested capital (ROIC) at 15%." Trainer added: "The stock also boasts an attractive valuation that implies just 4% profit growth over the next decade. We think the company will do closer to 9% or 10% growth in profits." Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/3-stocks-that-could-still-light-up-2023-just-like-july-4-fireworks-192126419.html

👍

The Android version is limited but this tablet is fast enough to overcome all but the limited - non-availability of Play store Apps. However I don't need them anyway. I may jail break it to get better browsers because I hate their native browser Silk. In this tablet Silk is usable so I will get more familiar with it and see. I just ordered a bumper case for it with built in screen protector (removable) so this is a keeper for content use only. We have MS Surface tablets, a Pro 7 and a Go 2 each with pens and type-covers for serious work while traveling and as living room tablets. So I never used any if my Fire tablets for productivity, but I did buy keyboards for them and also use the combo KBs and touch-pad devices for them. I tried them and they they all work on this new Max 11 too. Heck they work on my phone and all our Windows and Android devices. Wired and wireless. Here's the PC Mag review and they rated it excellent: https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/amazon-fire-max-11

PAlor, Back to your original question. DirecTV is easy as you can stream Sling TV for $35 a month and we have that, but are about to drop it because we no longer watch cable channels. OTA TV (Over The Air broadcast TV) has 50 channels or more and in HD for about half. Crystal clear reception these days. Over The Air broadcast TV here now has a 24 hour news channel which was the only reason we had Sling TV. If you in a city area with cheap reliable broadband, or are you rural with no to slow broadband? If in near a major city OTA (over the air TV) is likely available in HD for all the major networks free after you buy your $40 antenna and ~$50 distribution amp. In cities the OTA is there most folks just never set it up. We have line of sight to the broadcast antennas here because they are on top of Cheyenne mountain. Our phones are through an MVNO US Mobile (Hot Spot extra and not worth it) which is grandfathered at $61 for all three unlimited lines. One line is for our LTE Tablets, the unlimited isn't (75GB then slows) and works in both the Pro 7+LTE and Go2 LTE tablets we have. Their prices have gone up since we got it after a fail trying T-Mobile, and new customers have to pay about Verizon prices now. It depends where you are. If in a city you can test your OTA cheaply trying one of these. https://www.ebay.com/itm/325323468091?hash=item4bbeca2d3b:g:UasAAOSw3ihjDdJ~&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA0PfVYnvzzW%2FDQVEZkDNZnGxft7qzhilSQ2oZkQmEx%2FTvEXw8%2BMmpsX%2FXq51W5iWb6utuJWJhMEW%2BtCTzb3%2BPG364IBuFnsqPx8eMotMbgny7VqK4GPcOCax8H%2Fxg6H5g7SnSpnAiBzdavq%2BahwaA4aR1lKgjbQOX%2BpzjszIcak1if2Ls6U%2F9yDf1bAOAuNWbdljKtWQEDLKjd4S0AAnYB6XQ%2BMC10yfseS6eymJ4ytEs8uXkexkOBMyX6Y28luZQ6Fdu1Xzoxn8e6SzkpiApzEI%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR_7-tKKkYg I have two of those one on each of my desktop systems hooked up to Hauppauge Win TV HVR 995Q TV tuners to Windows computers devices but they would work directly on regular TVs too. Many times these will not have enough amplification to bring in all OTA channels or even one depending on your surroundings. Sometimes only an outdoor antenna and a bigger amp is needed. I use these to feed our TVs: Amp - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001222256/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Antenna - https://www.amazon.com/GE-Outdoor-Supports-Included-Resistant/dp/B01MYMVPVX/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1SP3927RMO1K0&keywords=digital+antenna+outdoor&qid=1688496038&s=electronics&sprefix=digital+antenna%2Celectronics%2C114&sr=1-5 Is that what you wanted to know as a future cable cutter like us? Sometimes in the boonies no OTA will work.

👍👍