Bought a New Class A RV today

[Hugh R]

Took the marine duty to Pep Boys today, they load tested it and it was dead. I drove 50 miles to the dealer, he knew I was coming. He had said that he'd have to load test it and then send a request to Coachmen, which means I'd have to drive down again in a few days. (Gas/mileage/time; almost worth it to just buy a new one locally). Anyway, they called Coachmen and they agreed to give me a new Interstate Marine Duty on the spot, after looking at the Pep Boys load test failure printout. Which is great, because if I decide I want a 2nd battery I can get a matching one with the same cold cranking amps. The first one was some generic only sold in the mid-west.

[911boost]

I will have to look up the new Interstate's I got midway through last year. My travel trailer uses two of them, and they have great warranties. They were some new Marine/RV battery they had just started selling.

I haven't ever tried one of those things, but I do know my GFCI's work in my trailer. Could it be wired differntly due to the generator?

Bill

[GWN7]

My RV has 3 batteries (granted its a tad older than yours). One for starting and two to supply the 12v system. They have a isolator between them so the starting battery is never drained from the two supplying the 12v. There is also a button to dump power from the 12v supply batteries into the starting system if needed. If I want 110v I have to fire up the generator.

You should look into putting a isolator between the batteries so your never left dead on the road.

[Hugh R]

Originally Posted by BSiple

I haven't ever tried one of those things, but I do know my GFCI's work in my trailer. Could it be wired differntly due to the generator?

Bill

Deleted, the mis wiring is in my house, not the unit. So nevermind.

[cstreit]

Originally Posted by Hugh R

Yes, I have that now with my current trailer. Especially since it doesn't come with a spare or a jack, nor a convenient place to really store them. .

FYI I got service in the middle of nowhere at 11PM calling the 800 number on the Ford Chassis book that came with mine.. Had a new tire mounted and on my way for a mere $700 and 4 hours wait time... Captive Audience what what?

[Hugh R]

Originally Posted by GWN7

My RV has 3 batteries (granted its a tad older than yours). One for starting and two to supply the 12v system. They have a isolator between them so the starting battery is never drained from the two supplying the 12v. There is also a button to dump power from the 12v supply batteries into the starting system if needed. If I want 110v I have to fire up the generator.

You should look into putting a isolator between the batteries so your never left dead on the road.

I "think" my unit has that. It has a battery boost button on the dash to fire up the engine with the Marine Duty Battery as an override.

[Hugh R]

Backed it in over the weekend, it doesn't quite fit. I'm going to have a neighbor with a backhoe excavate out the area to the left rear of the unit, so I can get it further in. I'm also going to take the right side gate and move it about 2 feet uphill to maximize my use of the paved area. I rotated the basketball net 90 degrees to make sure we don't hit it. I don't shoot hoops anyway. It was there when I bought the house.

I figure a couple of yards of dirt. I called Waste Management and they want $700 for a 20 yard dumpster for dirt. So we'll dump it in the bed of my son's Tacoma and haul it out to the back 18 acres and dump it. In a moment of lucidness, I called DigAlert to cover my ass.

I think I'll offer my neighbor a C-note for his troubles, even though I'm sure he'd do it for free. Next step after that is to look into a stand alone awning type of thing to put over it. Six to eight posts in concrete with a canvas top and a front and rear camo curtain for sun protection and to make it less visible. I already shut off the lawn sprinklers where its going to sit its ass end.

[herr_oberst]

Wow! Thread the needle! (And do you have to mow that 45 degree grade?!)

[Hugh R]

Yeah tight. I have the hired help weed wack it in May. I have about 200' deep of that wild grass that gets wacked to a nub for about 1,000 feet of circumference around the developed part of the yard, the rest of the 18 acres I let grow wild. . I used to do it myself, now I pay someone a few hundred $ to do it. My property is canyons and hills with a few hundred Oak trees and Southern California brush. I insure the house for about $300/sq. ft. I am stupid for living where I live, but I love it. I get a brush fire that seriously threatens my house about once every five years.

[Hugh R]

They weed wack this stuff every May.

[Zeke]

Hope you compact that soil and spread some chipped stone. Better yet would be to buy some scrap steel plates for under your jacks.

[Hugh R]

The tires and jacks will be on the pavement. Eight feet of RV hangs over the back end into the grassy area. I want to keep the self leveling jacks "shiny" we it'll rest on the tires for now, with a monthly movement of a foot or so to keep the tires round. My old trailer I would jack up to keep the weight off of the tires with the scissors jacks.

[Hugh R]

A little backhoe work from a neighbor and it fits right in.






Going to look into some free standing awning, with posts cemented into the ground next. Perhaps a camo front and rear curtain for privacy and to minimize sun damage.

[tevake]

Nice home for your UNIT there Hugh, well really a very nice home place for you too!
Love the back yard deck and pool area. Looks like a stream bed just behind those, does it flow in big rains? Really green for SoCal.

I'm wondering if you should check into metal skinned RV port. Would really stand up to the sun and protect the unit much better. Once you are up there replacing the canvas top you for the first and second time you will be wondering if you should have looked at a more lasting material. Don't ask me how I know.

Cheers Richard

[herr_oberst]

Looks like you have a doghouse now, for when Mrs. Hugh has had just about enough of your shenanigans.

[Hugh R]

Thanks, yes Richard, its actually an engineered stream to control rain from the canyons behind me. It flows to a flood control basin near my house. I will look into a metal awning. That is a good idea.

Zeke, yes I will look into compacting and some chipped stone. I just wanted to see if it would fit after taking 2-3 cubic yards of dirt out.

[Hugh R]

So over the weekend I got inner and outer tire valve extenders for the rears so I could check the TP. I couldn't hardly get to the rear inner tire valves. I'm glad I did. I checked the TP of all six tires today and they were set at 100 PSI. The book says to weight the front and rear at a truck scale and adjust according to Goodyear's website spec. I haven't weighted it yet, but 82 PSI is the Mfgr's nominal PSI. So I adjusted all 6 to about 85 PSI (as a start, I can easily let more air out). And I drove it a few miles. What a difference in hardness of the ride. It now drives closer to a car.

[Hugh R]

Update:

Bought a Hi-Def wireless transmitter/receiver for the two TVs so I can watch my DISH TV on both TVs without running additional wiring.

Installed a Wi-Fi transmitter/receiver gizmo so it transmits TV sound to the House stereo system and house speakers without running additional wiring.

Bought a 30' 50 Amp extension cord and had a 50 Amp breaker installed at the panel so I can power the Beast from the driveway, not just from where I park it.

Figured out I had a sewer cleanout adjacent to the front garden hose which I can easily reach with the gray/black water dump tank hose, so no more trips on the way home to Camping World and sitting in line to use their dump station.

Been to Paso Robles, Half Moon Bay, Solvang, Carpenteria State Beach and this weekend going to Jalama Beach State Park.

Took it to a truck scales and weighted the front half, the whole thing and then the back half. Rearranged junk to try and get within a few hundred pounds on the front and rear axles. Adjusted the tire pressure to what Goodyear recommends for the tires; its starting to drive more like a van than a truck.

Haven't bought the tire pressure monitoring system, but I've taken my IR laser thermometer with me and aimed it at the tires when I stop to check for excess heat. Seems to work well.

I've had the wifey walk around and see what was rattling in the cupboards while I was driving and quiet them down with dish towels, etc.

Haven't stuffed it or scratched it YET. I think I get about 12 MPG, but haven't filled the 80 gallon gas tank yet.

[Joeaksa]

Dammit Hugh.... you are making me want one more and more with every post!

Am seriously thinking of selling the house in a few years, buying what you have and traveling for a while.

[Tobra]

Can you take that thing to DL Bliss State Park? It is very pretty there.