Second Chance

18 hours ago, sandsys said:

Be prepared for can to be HOT! The induction burner does not heat the can but the food inside it may.

That's backwards. Induction "burners" work by exciting the magnetic/ferrous atoms in the pan or container which then heats the food.

Rob

There are only two days left in March... are you leaving that soon?

Rob

On 3/26/2024 at 1:24 PM, k4rs said:

This will create a real traffic mess.  The last I knew, RV's were prohibited from the tunnels.  695 around the west of Baltimore is quite a bit longer.  I wonder if US-1 / US-40 is a viable alternative.

Safe Travels...

We are long-term at Aberdeen Proving Ground just north of Baltimore off I-95. We always take I-695 west around the west side of Baltimore... it increases our travel time by 20 minutes vs. the other routes. US-1 and US-40 are a maze of stop lights (especially 40 - though we use it for local travel all the time). That would add a lot more time than going around the west loop.

Rob

2 hours ago, Kirk W said:

... The stove top toasters are still available and you must have a really cheap one as we used ours for more than 30 years.

If just for toast, I would vote for this solution (used one for many years of rough camping starting with my dad in the '50s, too).

Rob

25 minutes ago, phoenix2013 said:

Aah, said the (not Apple savvy) ignorant man to himself, the .heic extension, Apple's gift to society since version 11. Pages and pages of helpful hints for the Windows unwashed.

We have one daughter-in-law (a brilliant veterinary oncologist) who doesn't get the image file format thing - in fact , she didn't realize that IOS and Android were "things." When they upgraded their phones and she started sending .HEIC images of the grandkids, I found the "Real HEIC to JPG Converter" on the Microsoft app store and installed it on my laptop. I've had zero issues with doing anything with the JPEGs converted using the app.

Rob

11 hours ago, Ray,IN said:

I found their website;  The sales brochure is here: https://www.cortescampers.com/_files/ugd/6a4159_bebe547f138847f28f698ceb4274dab2.pdf

Everything is one-piece molded fiberglass, even holding tanks, which cannot be replaced as they are part of the "frame", wet bath, and It has a 16G black tank.

Their 16' trailer starts at $40,000 + taxes and fees.

Yikes! I don't see anything in the "Pros" column on that one.

Rob

1 hour ago, jbh said:

Blinking leds are often caused by low voltage, so check that first.

And just as often by failed, poor quality ICs on the LED circuit board. We had to replace almost all of the LED ceiling puck lights in our rig early on due to blinking (voltage was fine per multimeter). I replaced the cheap OEM pucks with better quality ones and haven't had an issue since.

Rob

A little confused, here... you ask about "bulbs" and then mention "pucks." These are two different items.

Rob

Laura and I had both been with our PCPs (and a specialist that Laura saw) in the Augusta, GA/North Augusta, SC, area for quite a while before we went full-time. The three of them were willing to work with us when we hit the road and we only had to go back through the area annually to be seen in person in order to keep our prescriptions current, etc.

As our travel routes changed and we started spending more and more time in Maryland near kids and grandkids, it became less convenient (shall we say a PITA!) to make the dog leg back through Georgia to see the providers we loved (my late wife and I had been with my PCP since I left active duty... that was a long time). Since we're spending most of our time on Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, these days, I did the research and we settled on a new PCP (an internist this time since we're aging - and young enough he won't retire any time soon). His practice is part of the University of Maryland Medical System so there are a lot of connected resources. Laura had been seeing a retina specialist in the area for a couple of years, so it made sense to stick with him (former Johns Hopkins guy). Our new PCP is flexible and will support us should we decide to travel for several months at a time again sometime in the future.

Finally, we are fortunate in that we have Medicare and Tricare For Life - neither of which restrict us to a particular part of the country.

Rob

I'll echo what Kirk said in a slightly more negative tone. My wife found a very good description of extended service plans a while back (they are not warranties, but rather insurance policies with lots of fine print). They are another form of legalized gambling. The company is betting that nothing breaks that would cause them to pay out more than you paid for the policy; you're betting it will. As in all forms of legalized gambling, the house usually wins. Otherwise, these companies wouldn't be in business or make a profit.

Dave Ramsey and Clark Howard have commented on these plans many times, too. The standard seems to be that 80% of extended service plan revenue goes toward commissions and marketing. Only 20% goes toward paying for actual repairs, which means most people are getting a really bad deal. We prefer to set money aside regularly (earning interest) and pay for repairs as they come up.

Rob

Price? Location?

Rob

It's a bit on the pricey side, but this new device seems to tell you the difference between wood studs, PVC pipe, metal studs, etc. It might come in hand for a lot of other things around the RV and/or house:

Walabot DIY 2

Rob

It depends on whether it's a first-time registration with title application or just a registration renewal. I just renewed the registration on our fifth wheel last week. The part of the web site that used to ask you to certify that the vehicle was out of state (and that you would get it inspected within X number of days of returning to the state) has changed to a check box to state that the owner has inspected the vehicle according to such-and-such regulations. I just checked that box (I inspect the RV continuously) and went ahead and completed the registration. I should get the sticker next week.

Rob

2 hours ago, Kirk W said:

What Are the Negatives of YouTube TV?

 

If the OP is using the satellite version of DirecTV, YouTube TV will require the establishment of unlimited data streaming (not cheap these days - and an expense on top of YouTube TV). Also, YouTube TV will only let you change locations twice a year, I believe. I looked into it a while back and decided against it (though we've even packed up our Dish equipment and put it in storage because we're not watching network TV these days).

Rob

1 minute ago, sandsys said:

We used our USAA card to do ATM cash withdrawals in Europe but that was many years ago so things may have changed.

Linda

It's still possible to do that with USAA. The Capital One 360 cards have no foreign transaction or withdrawal fees, so for longer trips like our stay in Ecuador in 2022 it saves us some money. We still carry the USAA cards with us for backup. We'll do the same for Italy next spring.

Rob

22 hours ago, sandsys said:

I would think making occasional deposits would be enough to keep an account active. But, that has nothing to do with the original concern about your address being a PMB. Some are misinterpreting what they are required to do about that which, in turn, provides scares that may have no basis in reality.

Linda

I agree, Linda. This topic came up some time back - I believe regarding one of the big investment outfits closing customers' account because of the PMB thing. It's all about interpretation of the Patriot Act. One person in the thread stated that they would not want their money with an institution that didn't know how to interpret and apply the Patriot Act, anyway. They pretty much expressed my feelings on the subject, too. We have made one exception: Capital One 360 is a good bank to use for a credit card and debit card for international travel. Laura opened an account in her name using her domicile address at the kids' house in Maryland (we're domiciled in different states) because Capital One didn't like my Escapees address. The rest of our regular banking is with USAA... and they're obviously used to people being "all over the map" (literally!).

Rob

10 minutes ago, Chalkie said:

That alone probably makes it worth it. I have tried Edge, Chrome, Brave, Opera and not recently Firefox. I think it is more because I am used to Chrome than anything else. Perhaps I should download Firefox again and give it another look.

The current Firefox looks and feels very much like Chrome did a few years ago. My wife is change-averse when it comes to technology and software - she's doing fine with the switch to Firefox.

Rob

I just ditched Chrome for Firefox on both of our laptops. I got tired of Google making Chrome look more and more like "candy" and objects like tabs and the bookmark bar taking up more space on our 14" laptop screens (and, because of her macular degeneration, my wife keeps the zoom on her screen at a fairly large size, which doesn't help that situation). Firefox is the only one of the "major" browsers that isn't based on Chromium and is one of the better for privacy... i.e. not part of the Google or Microsoft ecosystem and tracking.

OK - rant over.

Rob

13 hours ago, Ray,IN said:

I'd laugh if it wasn't so true. The sad part is, most of congress are lawyers.

While 51% of the senate have law degrees, only 30% of house members do. Of course, education, good sense, and intelligence aren't necessarily directly linked.  

Rob

Thanks, Chalkie. I just read this on another platform as it applies to anyone on Medicare. Thank heaven for Tricare For Life!

Rob

17 hours ago, Traveling Eric said:

Hi, I was just wondering if anyone has any updates on this topic. The last post was in 2019.  I plan to use Escapees in TX as my domicile starting in January, and I'm really concerned about having problem with my credit cards, banks, and brokerages.  I'll be traveling overseas so trying to resolve issues could be problematic to say the least.

Can anyone recommend a particular credit card company, etc. that doesn't have these issues?

I can try using a friend's brick and mortar address, but the whole idea of using a PMB was to not have to trouble a friend.  So it's frustrating, to say the least!

Thanks in advance!

Eric

I may have replied earlier in this thread. We've had zero issues with our Escapees domicile and mail address in Livingston with the following institutions:

USAA (banking and insurance)

Brighthouse Financial (the annuity spin-off of Met Life)

Primerica (investment/financial company)

Vanguard

Medicare

Tricare for Live (health insurance for retired military)

(We did have to use my wife's domicile address with the kids (MD) to open accounts with Capital One 360.)

If a financial institution has a problem with the Escapees setup, it's because they're misinterpreting the regulations... move on and find another institution for your business.

Rob

We did exactly what you're wanting to do. We have the grandfathered unlimited data plan on a prepaid Jetpack. We upgraded from the original Jetpack to the newer 8800L a few years ago. I don't remember if I called and had VZW make the change (while I switched the SIM) or if I did it online myself. Bottom line is that we still have the same plan. We've also changed/upgraded the phone on the same prepaid plan several times. Most recently, I had to have VZW make the switch because the new phones are 5G and required a new SIM. Still the same plan...

Rob

An Apple TV subscription is %6.99/month and gives you access to their full library. Are you sure you're logged into your account?

Rob

15 hours ago, Ray,IN said:

Some states, like TX, do require a non-CDL class B license for over 26K RV though.

That would be a Class B for motor homes over 26,001 lbs. and a Class A Non-Commercial Exempt for towable combinations where the trailer is over 10,000 lbs. and the combination GVWR is over 26,001 lbs.

Rob

6 minutes ago, NDBirdman said:

I looked at both mentioned RVs specs.  I have a won-ton dually, both those are heavier than what I'm rated for.  I don't see a won-ton single rear tire pulling those safely.  For one person, that's a huge camper, even living in it, IMHO.  I'm looking hard at GD toy haulers like the 350/351 Momentum for 2 of us along with a couple pets and an HD Tri-glide.  Even those push my limits, I'd need to watch it going up/down sharp grades.  I plan on installing elec. over hydraulic disk brakes on what we end up with just to be safe.  Being 44-46ft rvs mentioned, might limit campgrounds/resorts availability.

 

Honestly IMHO, if I went with an RV as big/heavy as those 2, I'd be thinking hard about selling my truck and purchasing an HDT to pull those monsters.

The GD fifth wheels (with the exception of the Reflections) have an option that includes 8K axles, 17.5" Cooper H rated tires, and electric-over-hydraulic disc brakes.

Rob