TXiceman

When we had a house, I kept Sea Foam in all my gas for the yard equipment.  For the Honda EU2000i generators, I keep Sea Foam in then year around..

Ken

Even in Houston area, you need a full time 4-season RV.  If not for the cold, you need a well insulated RV for the summer temperature and humidity.  We see a lot of RVers in the summer suffering  and complaining about being unable to get the inside temperature below 85 degF when the the temperature gets into the 90 degF plus range.  Many wind up sticking a window unit in or one of the portables vented through an window.

Other wise you will need to get full shade to keep it cool.

Ken

I spoke to the mail center earlier in the week and ours still have not arrived.   Beginning to wonder if we will get to vote?

Ken

On 10/6/2020 at 5:44 PM, bigjim said:

Ok Mr know it all of details, I will fess up to actually looking at  my new one and you are correct.🤗

Also, with a Texas LTC, you can open carry or concealed carry.  As you enter an area, you need to see if they have 30.06 (concealed carry) or 30.07 (open carry) signs posted restricting carry on those premises.  The state requires very specific signage be posted.  However, if a business tells you to leave with your firearm, even if is the proper signage is not posted, you are obligated to remove the firearm from the property.

Ken

We travel in our 40 foot 5th wheel and 1 ton dually truck with a Timneh African Gray.  He has a small travel cage that takes up about 1/3 of the trucks back seat.  For the RV we have a regular 24" x 30" powder coated cage for him.  When on the road, we wrap the larger cage in a moving pad and lay it on floor between the slides.

What size works best depends on the size of your RV.

Ken

8 hours ago, 2gypsies said:

Sorry, I meant a truck camper; not a travel trailer.  He wanted small, a bathroom and able to travel on forest roads, sharp turns, etc.  A truck camper would have better clearance than a travel trailer.

He still needs to decide on the truck camper and then decide on the truck to carry it.

Recently we saw a couple with a new truck and camper.  The poor 3/4 ton truck was over loaded.

Ken

45 minutes ago, 2gypsies said:

Get a truck and then a camper for it.

This is backwards.  Get the trailer you want first then buy the truck that is designed to pull it..

Ken

1 hour ago, griffinmike said:

What did the tire mfg/dealer tell you????????

Goodyear was of little help.  All they would say was they THOUGHT it was excessive pressure rise.  

No need to tell me about Boyle's Law or Ideal Gas Laws.  I am a retired mechanical engineer and my career was spent in Applied Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer.

Ken

Chiefneon, we often spend part of the winter in Tomball area.  For the past 7 years the mail service there has gotten worse every year.  I have complained to the to the postmaster in Tomball and Houston, but it falls on deaf ears.  The worst service from Escapees in Livingston, was a Priority One mail that took 13 days.  The mail came into Houston and was sent to California.  Back in Houston it was sent back to Livingston and back to Houston and finally to Tomball to be shown as delivered.  If was finally delivered 2 days later.

As noted previously, we now use the FedEX $6.99 envelope and never use USPS.

Ken

We have had very poor service with the USPS Priority mail and finally started using the Fed EX $6.99 flat rate  envelope.  As long as the mail fits in that one envelope.  We usually get the mail in 2 to 3 business days.

Ken

I have had the full blown flu twice and I never want to have that experience again.  One time I was a day away from the Doctor putting me in the hospital.  Since then I get the flu vaccination every year without fail.  Surer there is still a chance that I can get another strain, but mu odds of not getting a flu is much better than without the vaccination.

I love the clowns that claim they get the flu from the shot.  They do not understand the the vaccination is developed with a killed strain of the flue.

Ken

RandyA, Hay bales are great insulators, however, they are great homes for vermin in the winter or summer.  

Ken

The A/C won't do much for smoke, other than keeping the RV closed up.  It will help moisture removal.  If it is too cool to get the A/C to run much,  just use a small space heater set on low to add some heat to force the A/C to run.

Ken

All depends on how much you want to spend.....Some consider $75.000 as luxury and other $200,000.

Ken

The stuff is not cheap.  

Ken

Best solution is to not go anywhere near the fire areas.  Stay safe and find other places to visit.

Ken

24 minutes ago, GlennWest said:

Well I will change to mini split. I also intend to be in the 35' range. Thinking 18k in center of coach.

I would go  up to 30kBTUH as a minimum for a 35' RV.

Ken

5 hours ago, griffinmike said:

If it bothers you why dont you check  with the tire dealer/manufacturer and find out what the increase should be instead of stirring up the tire expert wannabes>

I called Goodyear and they were useless.  They did not have a clue.

The nitrogen gimmick is exactly that...a gimmick unless you are running a race car or an airplane.  air is 78% nitrogen. and 21% oxygen.  The remainder is water vapor (which is hydrogen and oxygen) and a mixture of other gases.  The amount of water vapor normally introduced into a tire is minimal and will have a very small effect of pressure as temperature increases.

But you add in the unhooking a dinghy and it and the 5er come out equal.  5ers now come with power cord reels, auto levelers, auto satellite antennas, etc.

Ken

I put Goodyear G614 LT235/85R16 tires on the trailer last year.  HitchHiker Champagne 38RLRSB (3 axles)  and we are loaded to a bit over 19,000 lb on the road with 14,700 lb on the axles.  I had Escapees Smart Weigh and all is good on the tire loads.  We start out with 110 PSIG on a 75 degF morning.  After being on the road a couple of hours, the tire pressure is approaching 130 PSIG, especially the side that the sun is on.

When we found the trailer in Chanute, it had load range E Chinese tires and we immediately changed them to Hankook load range G tires.  The Hankook tires would increase 10 to 15 PSIG for the most part starting out at 105 PSIG.

Has anyone else seen such a large increase in tire pressures while on the road?  I have checked tire and hub temperatures and see nothing out of the ordinary.

Ken
 

First what area of the country?  Even a well built 4 season unit is a chore to full time unit in winter can be a tough.

You will do much better on cost and quality with a gently  used 5er.  I would stay away from anything from Thor or Forest River.  That pretty much cuts down the field since they own over 80% of the RV manufacturers in the USA.

Used, I'd look at HitchHiker, Excel, Cameo, DRV (Mobile Suites), Lifestyle, Teton, ....Of these, DRV is the only one currently being built and Thor now owns them.

VanLeigh and Grand Design get fair reviews for new ones.  But if you go new, expect lots of problems the first year or two.

A 4 season trailer is heavy, so yo need to really look at what your truck tow and the pin weights can overload many single rear wheel trucks long before you reach the towing capacity.  The pinweight on a typical 4 season 5er is 20% of the trailers GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating).  DO not believe any of the brochure pin weights.  These are dry weights and for full time use you will be close to GVWR.

Sign up for the Escapees Online RV University and you will learn a lot.

Ken

Glenn, good choice to get farther away.  My worry with the high winds is power outages for days on end.  We have been through hurricanes, ...no power, limited phone service, limited supplies for some for weeks.

Ken

Personally, I'd head for Austin rather than Livingston to get away from the storm.

Stay safe.

Ken

http://www.rvparksupplies.com/p/503020AMPSMPOWER/

Here is a post showing the wiring for a typical RV pedestal.   The 30 amp is usually taken from one side of the 50 amp legs.  Ig a park is wired properly, they will alternate which side carries the 30 amp plug to help balance the laod.

Ken

Three things to check.  Two should be under the bathroom sink area.  A check valve and an anti-siphon valve.  And last is the nozzle in the tank ... It can be plugged.  This require getting the under belly loose  and pulling the nozzle.  It is typically mounted to the tank with a sealant and 2 to 4 screws.

Ken