Vladimir

I have ST225/75r15 tires with a load range of D. I have read in this forum that your better off with light truck tires rather than trailer tires. So any recommendations for tires in the size class that are LT rated??

The problem with long-term care insurance is you cannot make money on the policies. There is nothing wrong with getting paid for financial advice, but your MUCH BETTER off understanding basic economics and investing. So companies LEAVE the insurance business either through bankruptcy or other legal techniques to avoid paying on the policies. Really, if folks are concerned about losing ALL their assets in a long-term care situation............... Then discuss if you want another government program. It is a social good. There are sound reasons for transferring your assets to your children, instead of the government. Do you want to pay for it with your tax dollars??

Pretty much describes the places I camp.....EXCEPT I don't pay $20/night and there is usually no one around. I fly-fish and ONLY FLY-FISH lakes. So far this year, haven't camped in a campground next to a lake. AND have not paid for camping, except for this weeks hunting trip. I think your looking for lakeside camping in all the wrong places and seasons. BTW....Forest Service limits camping to 21 days, BLM 14 days, and state agencies normally run in the 14 day limit for dispersed camping.....so monthly is usually one or two weeks too long.

Update on Starlink....but I am still hunting. My friend that I am hunting with ordered his system in Feb. Got it delivered last week. He said he was going to wait to put it up, but I told him my manual had NO WORDS only pictures, so how hard could it be. With a full bottle of wine, and increase in his tremors, he went out to install the dish. It worked. While we are hunting his wife is binge watching TV on Starlink. It met her stamp of approval. I still have the issue of trees on my property, so when I get home will be able to report more on that. I almost took my StarLink system "hunting", but when you transfer to a new cell that is fine if there are slots available. However, when you go back to your "home" cell, that slot might be filled and you will have to wait for another slot. So I decided to not risk it, since it is for my business. Any specific questions folks are interested in...when I get back home in a few days?

I spent over 15 years doing policy analysis for the Forest Service. Really tough decisions, jobs versus owls, etc. etc. The politicians always look for simply solutions that everybody can support. That horse left the barn in 1970. 55 MPH, is such a simple solution to climate change. HALF the CO2 emissions come from transportation. 55 MPH reduces the by 20 PERCENT! That is a HUGE NUMBER particularly since CO2 emissions appear to be cumulative in the environment. IF you believe in climate change we really need to be driving 55 MPH TODAY!!! Actually, 45 MPH, but close enough. The Governor's of Washington, Oregon, and California ALL BELIEVE in man-caused climate change or so they tell us. They have the authority to do it....TODAY. As I mentioned Evans, McCall, and Reagan did it overnight in 1973. BUT when you tell man-caused climate change believers, they are willing to do ANYTHING but drive 55 MPH!! They are willing to save the planet, BUT if it means driving 55 MPH, forget about it!! As somebody that went through all that in policy analysis and got paid for it.....you don't believe in climate change if you are NOT willing to drive 55 MPH. It is that simple.

It is small, the dish is only 23 inches. I do have issues with trees around the location so I searched on how to extend the power and router runs. Here is that link: https://www.reddit.com/r/Starlink/comments/m7it6j/length_of_ethernet_runs/ Worth reading, for the other comments in the thread. Don't know how valid they are!!! The good news is the BETA is over. The bad news is they way StarLink is managing the "cells" it appears that RV'ers are not going to benefit from the end of the BETA. Reading between the lines, the RV version might be limited in scope to deal with the "cell" issue. It is fishing and hunting season, so will put it up in a few days.

No...natural climate change is much, much more significant than man-caused climate change. Read this book on climate change in the American west over the past 10,000 years. https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520286009/the-west-without-water The political leadership in this country does NOT believe in man-caused climate change. Not Biden, not Governors Inslee, Brown or Newsom!!! The world ends in seven years according to the climate alarmists. We need to do something NOW! Hey, we can reduce CO2 emissions by 10% TODAY in the US. But wait there is MORE...... 1) It will save the taxpayers tons of money, instead of requiring that tax dollars go to large Corporations to address climate change. 2) The Europeans are so impressed that they are requiring this government mandate to reduce their CO2 emissions. Nothing else worked. This does. You can't fool physics. 3) Wait, there more!!! No Congressional action needed, no public expenditure of funds needed. Best yet, Governors Inslee, Brown, and Newsome....those west coast "climate" Governors have the authority to do it....TODAY. 4) Wait, still skeptical?? Don't want to do something you haven't done before?? Well, you did it for 23 years!!! Yes, unfortunately, that Clinton/Gore Administration removed the FEDERAL regulations and gave the authority back to the states. That happened in 1995, just as the planet started warming. So are you willing to accept the need to change YOUR personal behavior back to 1995 to save the planet?? You might, but are politicians are so SCARED of implementing this regulation to save the planet, they REFUSE to even discuss it!!! SAVE THE PLANET......BRING BACK 55 MPH speed limit. The one thing we can do RIGHT NOW, without legislation. Almost every Governor in this country has the authority to do it. Governors Evans, McCall, and Reagan did it in 1973 to save energy. Today, 55 MPH will go a long way to saving the planet. Yet, none of the "climate" politicians will even discuss it!!! Yep, I will believe in man-caused climate change when I see the 55 MPH signs on the highways.....AGAIN.

Had both types of water beds. It depended on what I was doing in bed as to which I preferred. Never moved a bladder without baffles, but will take your word for it.

Potable water is not an issue. That relates more to how you "manage" your water than the bladder. I don't consider my fresh water tank...potable. We used them in remote fire camps (not the same brand). The shower grey water went into one bladder, but the shower water was supplied by another bladder. The water was pumped into and out of the bladders for moving and disposal. I'd like to hear more about the lack of internal baffles. In my case, it would be pumping from a creek or lake and a short drive, if any, to the trailer.

Yeah, that works real great until the nearest city connection is 40 miles away!!! I have TWO water pumps for filling the water tank from a stream. None of those work well, but then again I have not tried real hard since I do have an outside fill. Best system, while I was working we took several hundred feet of garden hose and ran it up the hillside to a creek. At the end of the garden hose but a plastic milk gallon with the bottom cut out. That worked great. Plus the first guy back into camp got a hot shower!!

Has anybody tried one of these?? https://www.usaberkeyfilters.com/products/aquatank-ii-emergency-water-storage-container/ I have a TWO friends with new RV's that do NOT have an outside water fill. I guess they are designed to be ONLY used in RV parks!!! This looks like a easy cheap solution. You can attach a blow out fixture to one of the hose fixtures and blow out the water out the other fixture. Just like JenandJon recommended!!! Great solution. Does it work??

https://usbackroads.blogspot.com/2012/08/usbackroads-product-yakima-holdup-bike.html

RV thanks for the info. I did follow up with a Canadian source in Kelowna. The following is their care and feeding instructions for the batteries. They do mention that the "two-year warranty" requires full documentation records of their charging and discharging. That sounds a bit concerning about the warranty as well as the care and feeding. They are priced about the same as lithium. This is the link to the company: http://azimuthsolarproducts.com/ Getting the Most Out of Your Silicon Dioxide Batteries/Optimizing Your Silicon Dioxide Batteries: Silicon dioxide batteries, AKA Lead Crystal or SiO2 batteries are designed to provide dependable power in conditions that would ruin most other battery types. They can outperform lead-acid and lithium batteries at high and low temperature extremes, charge faster than lead-acid, and don’t off-gas, or require maintenance. All that said, they still perform their best under certain conditions... “Bulk” or “Absorption” Charging: These charge at the higher range of charging voltages for typical lead- acid batteries 14.4V – 14.7V, with 14.6V being the optimal voltage suggested by the manufacturer. Most charge controllers and vehicle alternators reach 14.4V, or just above. Some battery settings on charge controllers, such as “Flooded” or “Gel” may not reach that high, so charging could be slower and inefficient. “Sealed” “Lithium” and “Custom/User Defined” settings usually have higher available voltages and can allow for user adjustment. Maximum/Optimal Charging Current is 25% of Ah capacity. This is usually expressed as a 0.25C, C/4, or a 4-hour Charge Rate from 100% discharge. Charging at lower current is fine, but these batteries actually charge more efficiently at the maximum rate, as the higher current helps lower charging resistance of the electrolyte. This also minimizes run time for generators, and reduces fuel use, and also reduces RV and boat docking time for grid power AC charging, so you can cut your waiting time by almost half. “Float” Charging voltage range is 13.5V - 13.8V. When fully charged, these batteries have a shelf-life of up to 2 years, so float charging may not be necessary in circumstances where fuel conservation and charging from a generator is limited. Regular lead acid, lithium, and especially nickel-iron batteries require much more frequent float charge “top-ups”. “Equalization or De-sulphation” charge settings are not necessary for these batteries. This function on multi-stage chargers should be turned off, or if it is 14.7V or less, it can be left as another Bulk charging cycle for the batteries. When the battery is fully charged, there is often an initial "surface charge" voltage generally starting at around 13.5V with no load, and will stabilize at around 13.05V after 4-6hrs. Or you can run a small load on the battery for a brief period to dissipate the surface charge for a more accurate voltmeter reading. This is common behavior with most lead-acid batteries as well. The State of Charge vs Voltage chart (attached) is for zero to minimal load on the batteries, if there is a load on the batteries, then the voltage readings will be lower. This should help you fine-tune your charging and monitoring systems to optimize the performance of your battery.

READ this book....it is published by University of California Press. The author BELIEVES in man-caused climate change. BUT it is a climate history of the west over the past 10,000 years. Natural climate change that is the focus of this book. https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520286009/the-west-without-water The last 100 years in the West have been much wetter and milder than historical. IF we are back to NORMAL, not good news for California and the southwest.

See link on cold temperatures and Tesla Powerwall. https://forums.tesla.com/discussion/91781/powerwall-2-does-not-like-cold-temperatures?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=pmd_Pz5JMHjGs2gbNUMAuICyW5L.8SEom.KJ3IXLQIku8Dk-1632957728-0-gqNtZGzNAmWjcnBszQal It is a serious issue with lithium. I just bought one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Jackery-Portable-Explorer-Generator-Optional/dp/B082TMBYR6 Nice unit....doesn't CHARGE below 32 F. It is common to lithium batteries.

When I bought my off-grid house 25 years ago I paid close attention to solar, hydrogen, fuel cells, gas turbines, batteries, etc. etc. Barron's had a great article in 1997, how within a couple of years I would have a gas turbine providing electricity to my off-grid house and than five years after that a fuel cell. Well, twenty-five years later, it is still solar panels with lead batteries!!! I am NOW pretty confident that when I die, there will be solar panels with lead batteries at my off-grid house!!! Even Lithium batteries need to be heated to be charged at less than 32 degrees. Oh wait, just read an article in the WSJ that new batteries running on sodium will be available next year and they are NOT cold sensitive. Any bets that it will happen??

Yes, you can use hydrogen in cars. But it will be a fuel cell powering the car. https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/5-fast-facts-about-hydrogen-and-fuel-cells I really don't understand why fuel cells have fallen off the face of the earth. They work and totally non-polluting. Because of Federal tax subsidies to Industrial Wind and Solar companies, the local government owned utilities in the Pacific Northwest have to PAY the corporations to take ELECTRICITY primarily in the spring during smolt migration. They are now exploring using the "unwanted" electricity to make hydrogen. That is TOTALLY GREEN HYDGROGEN. If is pans out they could start making hydrogen and stop selling electricity to western Washington and Oregon and California utilities. The wheel is still in spin on renewables, and where it stops nobody knows right now. But wind, solar, and batteries could end up being yesterday's news.

Anybody want to trade a 21 foot Escape for a 19 foot Casita??? They are both nice trailers. The Casita is fine for one person and a small dog. To make it work you need to get boxes, little ones, bigger ones, and medium size ones and store them in the tow vehicle. It also makes sense to get a screen house so in good weather for additional living space. It adds to the expense, but one can get a basic four-wheel camper for the truck that tows the tab. Buy the dinette option and you can a additional queen bed and a separate workspace to boot. Lots of additional storage room in the four-camper. I like small trailers when towing and they are ok for living out of in the back country. I have a 31 foot fifth wheel but it just sits on a RV lot since it is such a pain to tow. The mistake I made was buying the 5th wheel first thinking I could get it into the back country areas. I think starting small and moving up is a better strategy. At some point, you will find the perfect size. BUT if you want to be out in the boonies on Forest Service and BLM land start small.

I have never had a satellite dish after I sold my C-Band dish. Traveling it is the crank up antenna first. Pickings are getting slim there as many of the translator stations have gone off the air. We do have cable TV at the sticks house and they offer a free service where you can stream almost all of their channels for free while traveling. That works well. Except for the smoke and mirrors games played by Verizon. I tried to talk my home Escapees park into offering the streaming service at the park, but the young techies live in the park instead of traveling!!

It is unfortunate about the insurrection....downtown Portland use to be a wonderful place. I went there on business for three decades. You do want to take I-205 to bypass downtown. I assume you will head east on I-84 and then 12 to Lewiston. Here are some postings on things to do and camping spots along the route once you hit the dry side. Don't forget to visit the wineries in Walla Walla....remember the Napa Valley is the Walla Walla of California. https://usbackroads.blogspot.com/2010/11/maryhill-state-park-goldendale.html https://usbackroads.blogspot.com/2010/08/texas-rapids-snake-river-starbuck.html If you have never been over Highway 12 to Montana that is worth the trip. See latter section about Highway 12. https://usbackroads.blogspot.com/2015/12/usbackroads-destinatiion-palisades.html

There has been a HUGE influx of tech people into "desirable" rural areas. They have plenty of funds to support community broadband, however, there are huge areas of the country where there is not enough capitol to finance or build out broadband without Federal government help. I live in a "infected" county. The county does own two dams on the Columbia River and sells the excess electricity. The electrical sales generated enough funds to spend 125 million dollars of county funds to build a county broadband system that reaches 70% of county residents. It would be helpful to have funds to build out the system. However, there are parts of the country that really need the help. The Great Plains, the Indian Reservations, rural Montana, New Mexico, etc. MicroSoft has offered to "help" my county. Yeah, it is really popular with remote MicroSoft employees. But most of the county has had high speed broadband for over two decades now. If you want to do remote work here, get StarLinks or move to a area served by the county broadband system. Hopefully, the Federal government will recognize that other areas should get priority.

I never said that!! But Starlink and Musk have had plenty of public funds. This country needs a broadband policy that provides broadband to the American people. We are going on 25 years plus on the goal and billions of dollars later and are getting no closer to this goal. Just build it, like the Interstate Highway System, and put it in public ownership. I think the Corporations have failed.

I disagree. The comment most appropriate was in the video, that this country has screwed up broadband deployment. And it was done by the officials we elected to public office. Here is a perspective from the process on the "ground" as they say in Washington, DC. It is no surprise that the Indian tribe is in Washington state, which is one of the hostile states for municipal internet. I live in a county where in the late 1990's the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) DIRECTED the county owned utilities in eastern Washington to lay fiber optic lines between their facilities and the BPA offices in Portland, Oregon. The Northwest power grid is controlled by the Federal government through the Bonneville Power Administration. Anyway the county PUD employees as they were laying the fiber optic lines noticed that they were going past schools, local government offices, hospitals, and others that could use high-speed internet. Since the county PUD was already providing electricity, water, sewer, and other public services it wasn't long before the decision was made to lay the fiber optic lines to the owners of those lines.....the taxpayers of the county. Then it hit the fan. It seems those telecommunication companies, while not wanting to provide broadband to eastern Washington also did NOT want the local county government doing it!! So the political party of big government based in western Washington said that "there are some things government should NOT do....like provide internet services". That is the quote from the Governor of Washington. The quote by the Speaker of the House from the political party of small government based in eastern Washington said " it is OUR government and we can do what we want with it". The political compromise was that the local counties could provide wholesale internet to county residents but not retail internet, even though they provided retail electricity, water, and other services. Those counties that owned dams on the Columbia River moved into the 21st century. The other counties were left behind. It gets worse with the National Broadband plan. In 2010, the Federal government set up a program to provide high speed broadband services to communities. At this point, the county provided high speed broadband to about 70% of county residents. It was expensive to build, at that point the county had invested in broadband 125 MILLION DOLLARS for 75,000 county residents. Some of which are to young to even type the password on a keyboard!! The county applied for a Federal grant to connect remaining county residents to the fiber optic system. The Federal grant was in the neighborhood of 25 MILLION DOLLARS. The county utility district did an analysis of the terms and conditions by the Federal government and discovered that it was more cost-efficient to turn the money BACK to the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT and build out the remainder of the system without Federal HELP!!! Think about that. The Federal government gives you 25 MILLION DOLLARS, but it is going to cost you MORE to accept the money. Is that similar to receiving a email from Nigeria??? That really was not a surprise since the former Governor of Washington State was the Cabinet Secretary responsible for the program. The broadband policy in this country is a real mess and getting worse. I might be with FDR on this one. Set up a RURAL BROADBAND AGENCY similar to the RURAL ELECTRICFICATION AGENCY and just lay fiber optics lines throughout this country. Give first option to the county governments to operate the system within county lines. Otherwise, sell it to the telecom's. Full disclosure, I have had fiber-optic broadband for 20 years now and I have on order Starlink for my off-grid, off-ALL-TELECOMMUNICATION service for my second home in the county that is without electricity or broadband. Do I trust StarLink?? Nope, well as little as I trust ATT, Verizon, Sprint, and Ziply Fiber. But I must say, my trust comes as close to ZERO as possible as I learned in math class. I will do fine no matter what....I cannot say the same for those in the "middle of somewhere" in the western US. I would give first priority to those areas that are NOT infected by "urban covid refugees".

California imports ONE-THIRD of its electricity. Currently the impact on the fires is negligible. California state government has mismanaged its electrical system for decades. The incompetence is stunning. Here is the minute by minute grid operations in California: http://www.caiso.com/todaysoutlook/pages/supply.aspx And since California is dependent on adjacent states for its electricity here is the Northwest Grid and its operations: https://transmission.bpa.gov/Business/Operations/Wind/baltwg3.aspx Check out that amount of electricity being sent to California on the inter-tie. Somewhere there is a similar web site for the southwest and its contribution to California electrical demands, but I haven't searched it out. Back in the early 1990's the Forest Service got sued by the Earth Justice League (Sierra Club) and I got to learn a LOT about the BPA grid in the northwest. Tried to keep current, but when it is no longer your job to keep up with the grid I probably am missing some changes in the grid operation. I own a solar house and think solar/wind is frankly a dead end for generating electricity, except for the space station and off-grid homes. On a per acre basis both wind and solar are environmental disasters!!! BUT California persists and it could actually make it work if they pave Paradise with solar panels (sorry, Joni Mitchell) AND build lots, and lots and lots of natural gas generating plants to make up for the cloudy and still days. Watch the two web sites for demand and generation by source for a couple of months. It will be an education.

I would buy a electric car since electricity is so cheap in my area. Our second home, that we run as a vacation rental is 30 miles from our primary home. That is really the place I need to access at ALL times of the year. So here is my criteria for buying a electric vehicle. 125 miles on a charge at ZERO degrees temperature. 8,000 foot of elevation gain over those 125 miles. Four-wheel drive and a ground clearance of over 8 inches. My friend paid 125,000 for a Tesla, I will pay 20,000 net after the Federal subsidy. Nothing even comes close to meeting the 125 mile standard with 8,000 foot of elevation gain at ZERO degrees. Lithium-ion batteries are great for low-land California and Florida. They don't do that well in mountains and cold weather.