Randyretired

I often see people wanting to use a HDT for a daily driver but I would hate it. Lifting groceries for instance and parking can be a problem. The HDT will likely turn sharper so that helps some. Short trips can cause extra wear and the fuel economy if you drive much is not great. We carry a Subaru Crosstek with a small sleeper and our truck is 30'. Loading and unloading the car was easy when we started but hauling ramps around is a little more work these days. We tend to stay in an area for awhile so I don't do it often. Towing with the HDT is great and effortless.

There are state specific rules that can restrict vehicles that are legal in the state it is registered. For instance towing RV doubles is legal in my home state but not legal in many others. The legal length of RV's varies by state and the home state rules do not apply. How this affects this California rule I don't know but it isn't as cut and dry as some seem to believe.

Different opinions on this and I will add mine. I hate driving my HDT as a daily driver. Waiting for it to build air for a short drive seems like a waste. I also don't like to drive that big of a vehicle in traffic and parking it. Our HDT is comfortable but the new pickups do not seem to be much less comfortable. Compared to my old 99 power stroke the HDT is a lot better but compared to a 2022 350 I don't notice a big diffence especially with moderate loads. Since this is just my opinion I would suggest you ride in an HDT if possible. Maybe a couple of different brands also as I like my Volvo but didn't like a Freightliner I had.

Our mountain place is no where near where Maps shows it. Whenever I give instructions I have to emphatically state that or people will go where Maps shows. Where Maps shows is behind a locked gate. Even though I gave directions to a contractor he followed Maps and the gate was open so he drove on in. When he tried to leave the gate was locked. Spent a few hours before someone came by and let him out. No cell service.

Solar is used to charge the batteries period. While many of us add more that we call solar such as inverters solar is simply a battery charger. Like other battery chargers it can function in the background providing energy to the batteries and or the load. Solar charge controllers limit the amount of power to allow the batteries to charge but not overcharge. This is accomplished by voltage control. Yes solar can be added without changing anything else. It will work in conjunction with converters and inverter/chargers. Meaning if you have solar the RV can be connected to shore power without any special considerations as long as all of the chargers do not provide more amperage than the batteries are rated for. For instance supplying 200 amps of charging to a single 100ah battery will likely cause significant battery damage. There are various solar charge controllers available but I recommend a MPPT charge controller. Within the parameters of this type of controller it will change the voltage from higher voltage solar panels to match the batteries voltage. These also maximize the power from the panels and use smart charging to charge but not overcharge the batteries. With the additional power supplied to the batteries many add inverters to provide 120VAC or even 240VAC to power power appliances. More batteries can be added to provide power after the sun sets. Solar of course does not mean unlimited power. A larger solar system can provide more power than a smaller system. More batteries can provide more power after the sun sets. With the additional power provided by solar safety concerns are essential. Proper wiring and fusing are critical.

I also rolled over to an IRA but it is quite modest. I walked away from a management position in a large company at the age of 36. Worked for my self after that. Most of our investments are not in retirement accounts. In any case the accounts are all self directed. I have apps that allow me to buy, sell and so on. Of course if I were to move my market investments, capitol gaines taxes would be due so that doesn't happen often. Because of that tax planning must be considered before any moves. The majority of our funds are in mutual funds and most are index funds with really low costs.

I self direct our investments. I started some years ago and used small amounts to try some different things. I even tried options. My experience has been that index funds perform well over time and are simple. I spend very little time managing our investments and I invest long term. I don't chase short term investments. Unlike many our largest investments are not in tax deferred accounts (long story) so I try to manage our taxes. This of course has some limitations. If we were to move a large portion of some of our accounts the tax consequences would be significant. We also have some real-estate investments that are for our enjoyment and maybe some profit. We have durable power of attorney documents in place for when one and both pass or are no longer competent. I tried some advisors but self management worked best for us. Everyone's investment tolerance is different. These posts reminded me I should again discuss my investment preferences with the loved ones on those documents.

I like investing in some specific categories of stocks with a small portion of our portfolio. Usually I can find a mutual fund that does that. I like to spread my investments in a number of stocks and avoid the research involved in individual stock picking. If there is an index fund for that category I usually check that out. My individual stock picking has had variable results.

I usually invest for the long term and almost never make changes for short term anomalies. The only time I am concerned about daily market prices is when I am selling. Then I try to start watching the market 6 months to one year in advance to try and sell at a better time. Earlier this year I sold some index shares but I would like to sell a little more. The market isn't cooperating lately so I may need to wait for awhile or try to figure if tax wise I can wait into the new year. In any case I am not expecting a shut down to last that long or affect prices long term. JMO

I have a gooseneck trailer that I use to move my backhoe and skidsteer for my personal use. We are in Colorado and have never been bothered. The HDT is registered as a recreational truck. There was a roadside stop and weigh setup along the highway and as I went around a DOT officer stepped to get a look at us. When he saw the plates he just waved. I also have a gooseneck dump trailer. Never been bothered. A few years ago I hauled 15,000 pounds of hay. I stopped at the weigh and check station. They flagged us in. I went in and told them the hay was for my Granddaughter. That caused immediate interest. When I showed a receipt for the hay with my name on it the officer said then this is your hay for your use. He said it twice. I agreed and that ended the stop.

We are not fulltime and doing my own maintenance is one reason. We are long timers staying in our RV for months at a time. I have an HDT and carry more than just a few tools. Doing maintenance is sometimes frowned upon in campgrounds but we prefer to boondock.

The Tesla power walls are very useful and seem to function well. In our RV we have what you might describe as a power wall. It uses LifeP04 batteries and functions much like a Tesla power wall. We have roughly 18kwh of batteries and the equipment to use that power. When in a campground if the power goes out our system will seamlessly switch to solar and batteries. We primarily boondock and use our system for that. Our system is basic and fits our needs. Victron and some other vendors provide equipment that will do more than ours. There are some newer RV's that have power wall equivalent equipment and large solar arrays right from the factory. Tesla power walls could also be used for this function but so far Tesla isn't typically used.

To think that using these power walls will have any measurable or perceived benefit during days of overload isn't reality. Per the article the average power wall is 5kwh. When compared to the average daily home usage in Texas of more than 39kwh and the few power walls available it is like using an eye dropper to fill the ocean. It is a stretch to suggest it is worthwhile news and to use it to open with derogatory remarks as if this will make a difference is way beyond.

A number of my extended family attended a function just recently and most of them got covid. It is going around.

Our 5th wheel is older and I have made quite a few modifications. We mostly boondock. The ones that made the biggest difference are solar, 1400ah @12v LifeP04 batteries, mini split and a residential refrigerator. I also have an HDT that has 100 gallon waste and fresh water tanks.

The magic 26,000 pound weight is not usually a problem with RV's. Many RV's exceed that, sometimes by a lot but do not require a CDL.

12.8v is not high enough to provide much charging into a lithium battery. By the time lithium batteries are down to 12.8v there is less than 20% SOC. Given enough time 12.8v will charge a lithium battery to around 17%. It may take days to reach that charge. When my lithium batteries drop to a resting 13v I am looking for the generator.

I understand your situation. We are not fulltimers but we have experienced vehicle problems while on the road. It has always taken longer than I imagined to get back on the road and it is frustrating. One of our times was in Richfield. It does sound as if you have things moving forward. Hope you are back on the road soon. We are in the high country just east of Grand Junction at our mountain property.

Sorry to hear about all of this. Seems when it rains it pours. I wonder if they could provide an estimate to repair the problem. If the problem is just a sensor maybe ??? that wouldn't be horribly expensive. Also if a sensor fixes it maybe that wouldn't be an ongoing problem. In any case I think more information might lead you to a decision. Hope this works out.

That ^

This was an excellent write up in its day but needs to be updated.

I think health plays a big part of when to give up RVing. We still spend a lot of time in our RV but health problems have slowed our travel considerably. We are not full time but we only travel to 2 places now and that may be just one soon. After that we may stop completely.

The two six volt batteries depending on size are around 200ah. With lead acid it is recommended to only use half of the capacity for longevity. This means you truly only have 100ah. 2 LifeP04 batteries with 200ah will provide 400ah total if you use all of it. Using all of the capacity isn't usually recommended. For one you don't want to wake up to a dead battery. The BMS will cutoff and some are not easy to restart. So I plan on 80%. This would be 320ah or roughly 3 times the battery power you now have. Before I would purchase a new charger I would measure the voltages the old charger produces. My old converter will charge to 14v. That is nearly a full charge and is a full charge given some time. Different manufacturers have different recommendations so you might see what the new batteries require. LifeP04 do not need to be fully charged often like lead acid. In fact the batteries will last slightly longer if not fully charged. Long term if not fully charged there might be some balance issues but it all depends on how the BMS is setup. Again check with the manufacturer to see what is needed.

Crosstrek on the bed of the truck. Carried at an angle with the nose of the car over the short sleeper. Sometimes carry a small RZR across the bed under the front of the car with the roll bar removed.

You had a post on this on 11/22 about grounding the panels. Yes I think grounding the panels to the RV ground/ frame should work.