Al F
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Posts posted by Al F
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5 hours ago, masterdrago said:
If you do spend time in the Big Bend area, make sure to drive the beautiful road (170) out towards Presidio. And make sure to make the trip back as it gets close to sunset (the golden hour). The colors and views are very much worth the drive.
5 hours ago, agesilaus said:That is thru the State Park
SR-170 goes through a tiny bit of Big Bend State Park, the part along the Rio Grande River. The drive is pretty, especially the "big hill" a short (about 3/4 mile) 14% grade going up and back down.
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On 12/9/2020 at 11:11 AM, pjstough said:
The problem with going to five day delivery is that the mail doesnt stop. During normal times of the year the amount of mail received in a post office is two days mail, Sunday and Monday. Go to five day delivery would exacerbate that, and add the holiday season and it gets crazy.
The private corporations delivering packages seem to deal with the Saturday non-delivery problem you mention in the quote above. Makes me wonder why USPS can't deal with it as well.
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13 hours ago, kb0zke said:
We visited BB a couple of years ago. We ended up staying some distance away, since it was Christmas time and we thought we'd be able to talk to our children. NO cell service in BB for the most part. Also, at that time there were few campgrounds with hookups.
Do plan on spending a fair amount of time there, though. We spent three days and that wasn't enough. We'll be back.
The only place inside the park with hookups is the concession operated place in RGV (Rio Grande Village). It is a asphalt parking lot with hookups and the parking places spaced very close together.
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15 hours ago, Randyretired said:
I like your setup. It sounds like it fits your use. I just ordered 16 200 amp hr cells and we have 2,000 watts of solar. I installed a 18 cu ft residential refrigerator last winter when our RV fridge quit. I was pleasantly surprised to see it only uses about a thousand watt hours a day. Right now we have 6 golf cart batteries but I wanted more capacity. The solar kept up with our mini split during the day and easily charged the batteries but by morning our batteries would be 50% soc or less if we weren't careful. Looking around yesterday I found Aliexpress had a special on the 16 new grade A cells for $1437. That seemed like a good price so I bought it. Hopefully that will meet our storage needs.
Scrolling down in the link you provided (copied below) I find a 200AH battery made up of 4 -- 200AH cells with busbars and screws included for $1427. It does state that it is 16 pieces, but the image looks like 12 of the pieces are possibly the busbars and screws. https://m.aliexpress.com/item/4001295281066.html?trace=wwwdetail2mobilesitedetail&spm=a2g0s.12269583.0.0.4e3471b5Z4GpVH
Do you see the same thing I see or is there another link with the 800AH for $1427?
Additionally, scrolling down farther is a 200AH battery for $880. The ad specifies 8 pieces, but it image looks like the 8 pieces are 8 CALB cells of 100AH each for a total of 200AH.
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4 hours ago, Randyretired said:
I also am trying to figure how much my new lithium phosphate battery pack will provide. It seems when figuring in the Puekert effect and the inefficient solar charging of lead acid batteries it seems as if less capacity is needed for lithium phosphate. I am wondering if others have experience with this? Additionally, my experience is that lead acid batteries years old will have lost a significant amount of capacity.
I guess you could say that with LiFePO4 you could get by with less capacity. I have not thought about it that way.
We use about 75-150AH in a day. In Jan 2016 I bought a 400AH lithium battery kit from Starlight Solar and built our battery pack. At the same time I installed 650 watts of solar. This has served us very well and is continuing to work well. The 650 watts is from a pair of 325 watt residential solar panels that maxed out the roof space on our then 29' Class A. I have since moved the system to our 36' Class A and have room for a 3rd large panel. If I ever install a residential fridge I'll add the panel and install another 200AH of lithium.
One of the great benefits of lithium is that they never need to be charged to 100% for long life. When I had golf cart batteries there was always the need to get them back to 100% every 5-7 days to keep them from sulfating.
I feel the lithium batteries paid for themselves on our 2016 trip to Alaska. We spend 138 days from the time we crossed into Canada and then back into the lower 48. We only had elect hookups for 2 nights and only ran the generator for about 2 hours one day because of multiple days of heavy cloud cover. Our batteries did not charge from the engine alternator. No need for RV Parks at $35-$50/night. I figured we saved over $3000 in RV Park fees.
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57 minutes ago, LindaH said:
I've thought about doing the same thing because I really dislike this tankless water heater! While I've learned to live with it, I would NEVER have another one.
Would you be willing to let me know about how much it cost to replace the tankless with a tank (we'd probably only get a 6-gallon which has been more than sufficient in past RVs)? You can PM me if you like.
I did the work myself so no labor involved. The new Atwood 10 gallon gas/elect water heater was $540 on Amazon. I bought the 10 gallon instead of the 6 gallon because that was the original size in the RV.
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On 11/22/2020 at 10:43 PM, LindaH said:
Water pressure at all faucets is good.
We always run off the water pump from the tank even when we're in an RV park, which is rare.
The heater stays on the entire time...we can hear it running for awhile afterward, just like it does when using hot water at a faucet.
Both hot and cold are turned off at the outside shower.
We bought a new-to-us RV in 2018 that had a tankless water heater. I think it was the same brand water heater that you have. It did the same thing yours does. (turns on when toilet flushed) Note, that the toilet water flush has no flow restrictor like sink faucets do. So flushing the toilet causes a bigger water surge than the sinks do. That may be what causes the water heater flow detector to trigger the gas flame.
We also boondock/dry camp a lot and also, as you do, only run our water system off the water pump and fresh water tank even when we have water hookups available.
A second problem we found is that since we dry camp/boondock a lot we tend to only turn on the sink faucets a tiny bit to limit the amount of water we use. That tends to fluctuate the water flow because the water pumps runs very slow and speeds up as the water pressure drops. We have a variable speed water pump, so it doesn't turn off and on, but it sure does slow down and speed up under low flow conditions.
The low water flow would cause the water heater to turn off the flame and the water heater would run its cool down cycle for probably 20-30 seconds (note: no gas flame to heat water).
Bottom line I yanked out the piece-of-junk tankless water heater and installed the regular 10 gallon tank water heater that was originally in the RV.
It only takes about 15 minutes on gas only to get the water in the water heater tank hot enough for washing dishes or shower. Once it is hot it stays warm for quite a while. If we have electric hookups I turn on both the gas & electric for about 10 minutes to get the water hot.
I think the tankless water heaters are only good for folks who have unlimited water/sewer access and can let the water run a full flow until you no longer need the water.
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On 11/26/2020 at 1:53 PM, 2gypsies said:
I'd be interested in knowing where they park that big rig for a month.
Two places inside BBNP come to mind for a very large RV. Hannold Draw a few miles N of Panther Junction and Government Springs at the start of Grapevine Hills Rd. Also possibly K-Bar #2.
However there is a 14 day limit for each back country campsite. Also in the peak visitor months of winter there is 14 day stay limit for the park. So unless it is October or April I'm not sure how they spend a month inside the park.
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Veronica Monet, When you have a few minutes, please give us an update on how your RV travels went.
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Can you wait a year or so before buying? If so, it is quite possible the market will be flooded with used RV's once the epidemic is pretty much over and people want to go back to their old method of travel. RV'ing is not for everyone.
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To replace 1200AH of lead acid battery with lithium, I would recommend 700-800AH of lithium. Some of this depends on how you use your lead acid batteries. If you most always take them down to 50% before charging, then the 700-800AH is best. If you only discharge to 25-40% then 600AH of lithium should work fine.
Yes you can take lithium down to 10% SOC, however you will get longer battery life if you only take the battery down to 30% or 20% SOC. I equate this to, yes I can drive my truck at max acceleration, RPM's, braking, etc, but I will get longer life by not pushing it so hard.
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About temperature control of the lithium batteries. Keep in mind it is the internal battery temperature of the battery, NOT the outside air temp that dictates the charging of the batteries. Additionally there is some heat generated when discharging (using) the battery and charging the battery. This helps keep the battery internal temp above freezing.
If the batteries are installed in a compartment protected from the outside air it has to get pretty darn cold outside for quite a while to get the battery internal temp below freezing. Install a remote temperature thermometer in the battery compartment to monitor the temp.
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1 hour ago, Jinx & Wayne said:
Well, I'm stumped. Monday I received the the ball replacement kit from Dura and installed it. It took a matter of minutes. And then nothing had changed. I was considering my next step when - lo and behold - the water flow was back to normal this morning.
I have a couple of thoughts. One, my re-build was slightly out of alignment. Two, something was partially blocking the line and broke loose. Three, my plumbing system shares the same sense of humor as my GPS (routing through residential streets when towing is a big favorite of the GPS). Four, none of the above.
I'm going to make more coffee now. I will admire the water flow and resist the urge to claim credit for it.
Just think of it like we do our smart phones and other computers. Just turn then off and back on and it starts working again. 😁
In your case, taking it apart and putting it back together again is what it needed.
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20 hours ago, 2gypsies said:
In Google Maps all you do is 'add a destination' & it will re-route you as to where you want to go. Most often you then have to move your destinations up or down to get you stops in the correct order.
Thanks. Now I know.
I have always used Delorme Street Atlas to plan my routes. It is a little outdated since 2015 is the last update, but it works well. Very easy to insert stops and find the mileage between stops.
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2 hours ago, Jinx & Wayne said:
I've spoken to Canadian RV friends who tell me that their health insurance won't cover travel to the US because it is non-essential travel.
I have read in a couple of blogs that Canadian health insurance doesn't cover them while in the USA in all the years they have been coming to the USA as snowbirds. They always buy a separate health insurance policy for the time they are in the USA.
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7 hours ago, Janis said:
Hello Everyone,
My husband and I are newbies and will be taking our first trip to Livingston, TX.
I was wondering if there is a place on here to map our trip if we want to make a couple of stops on the way?
Thanks in advance and happy camping
Do you want a map showing which highways to take, or did you want places to stay along the way?
Google Maps can be used to map a starting point to your destination, however I find it difficult to make it pick out stops along the way.
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20 minutes ago, Darryl&Rita said:
Thanks, Al. Already heard of this option, but given the extra expense, we'll pass.
And for you, double the expense. The HDT (heavy duty truck) and the 5th wheel would need to be trucked across the border. 🙁
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Attention Canadians: Here is how to get your RV into the USA so you can spend the winter here: 🙂
QuoteWith land crossing the U.S./Canada border closed to all except “essential” traffic, you’d think there won’t be any Canadian licensed RVs in “snowbird country’ this year. Think again. While RVers making snowbird trips aren’t classed “essential,” that doesn’t mean their rigs can’t cross the border. A commercial truck driver is classed an “essential worker,” so if a Canadian-tagged RV is loaded onto a commercial truck, it MAY be allowed across the border. There are a couple of provisos: The owner of the RV MUST be in the U.S. when the rig is hauled across the border, and if the border patrol agent is in a foul mood, he can simply declare the RV as non-essential and turn it back. Despite these uncertainties, one outfit, US Canada Auto Transport, says it’s transporting hundreds of RVs out of Canada and into Seattle, where their Canadian owners are waiting for them – having legally flown across the border.
This quote was taken from the RVTravel.com website that was in the Sunday 11/15/2020 News Release article:
rvtravel.com/rvt-974b/?popupally_stop=subscriber&vgo_ee=I%2F3NKUjI7%2FSpoNipJSw3n3wFoqDlMHNmyq65fGLdufk%3D
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The following have lots in info about free or low cost spots to park or camp at:
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2 minutes ago, Jinx & Wayne said:
New problem cropped up two days ago. Water flow in the kitchen sink began to fade. Today we arrived in Bushnell and the kitchen is a trickle. Pressure at CG faucet is normal. Bathroom flow is good. Shower flow is good. There are no visible kinks in the line to the kitchen. I'm assuming there is a blockage in the kitchen line. Does anyone have suggestions for troubleshooting this one?
Unscrew the aerator on the end of the faucet head and see if it is clogged.
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53 minutes ago, Ray,IN said:
Washington State Governor just announced travel restrictions, California has nearly the same restrictions.
Maybe that is why they are renting a RV to go to Washington. To be able to quarantine while they are there.
It is remotely possible they won't totally stay away from others 🙂, but it sure makes it easier to be socially distant if you have your own place to be at night or part of the day.
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7 hours ago, Veronica Monet said:
So if I am driving 45 to 50 mph in a 65 mph zone, and the road has only one lane for each direction of traffic, what is the safest way to allow others to pass? I am worried about pulling over onto the shoulder. Advice?
IF the road has a 65 mph speed limit and the road is straight and fairly level, there should not be a reason to drive that slow. On good roads I'll drive at about 60mph. I seldom drive at 65 or higher. Of course I am not trying to cover 500 mile in a day, unless it is all on interstates for the full day. I try to avoid that unless there is a very good reason for us to make that many miles in a day.
In Oregon and probably CA you won't find any 65mph speed limits on 101. The max will be 55. Lots of the time the curves and many towns will have you at 45 or slower.
The thrust of the "average speed for a days travel" is not that you will drive slow when the speed limit is 65. It is that the roads, curves, up and down hills, speed limits in towns and stop lights will limit your daily average for the day at much slower than you would think.
Going up steeper climbs and especially down a long steep highway, you drive at the speed the RV drives well and you are comfortable with. You don't worry about the people behind you. You DO drive in the right hand lane on a multi lane hwy and when a passing lane comes up, you stay to the right.
Going down a steep highway, you slow way down at the top, maybe 40 mph, turn on the tow haul mode and let the engine braking keep your speed down so you don't keep your foot on the brake peddle. If the tow/haul doesn't keep your speed down, you slow down and manually down shift so your speed doesn't increase quickly or preferably increase at all. NOTE: This works just as well in a car or truck to gear down to keep your speed down and your foot off of the brake peddle.
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You are planning on leaving on Tuesday 11/24, so I assume you plan on being in Seattle by the next evening, Wednesday 11/25 so you will be there before Thanksgiving day.
Keep in mind that driving a RV is not as easy as driving a car/truck/van. It typically takes longer and is more tiring.
At 734 miles going straight up I-5 that is not a really too bad a drive in an RV with a stop overnight along the way. Google Maps shows a drive of about 12 hours.
Going over to US-101 via CA-20 and then back to I-5 on US-199 from Crescent City, CA to Grants Pass, OR is 875 miles. Google Maps show a drive of a little less than 16 hours hours.
Going over to US-101 via CA-20 and then back to I-5 on on OR-38 from Reedsport to I-5 is 903 miles and about 16.5 hours.
I believe the above times are driving times at the speed limit and don't take into account stops along the way.
In my opinion and experience, driving on all interstate, including stops for fuel, food and bathroom breaks it is really pushing it to average more than 55 miles per hour for a full days travel.
Going up US-101 and then on US-199 to Grants Pass, you will probably average 45 mph and maybe as slow as 40 mph for the drive from Grass Valley to Grants Pass.
If you continue up US-101 in Oregon you will most likely average less than 45 mph and maybe even less than 40 mph for the time in Oregon.
There is always the possibility of traffic and road construction problems as well. If you hit the Portland area in rush hour traffic before 9am or after 3pm you may be stuck in traffic for quite a while. Also the drive on Wednesday will be slower because of the holiday traffic.
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Do you see a good signal on satellite 129? If so then I would think that possibly the Billings, MT locals are not really CONUS.
Why not just switch to Phoenix locals or San Diego? Note that the Phoenix spot beam is marginal in Yuma, but San Diego has a strong signal. We used both when we were in the area in 2017.
BTW here is a map for the Billings, MT locals spot beam:
Well I guess I won't attach an image. Size of file is much too large.
Anyways the Billings spot beam shows as local to MT and WY.
Here is a link to an old listing for the Billings local channels: https://www.satelliteguys.us/retired/index.php?search=dnall&sub=true&market=Billings, MT
cataract surgery
in Health Issues and Medical Insurance
Posted
How much of an up charge were the toric lenses? My wife had cataract surgery about 5-7 years ago and they really pushed the extra charge lenses. However as I remember they were darn expensive, maybe like $1000. Medicare covered the base lenses but nothing on the special lenses. She said no to the lenses.