The all encompassing RV thread

[Texaus 389]

One other rv add that was so nice...propane hookup on outside patio area. Carried a griddle and weberq that just plug right in to that

[utee94 16,078]

1 hour ago, Texaus said:

Only went once, but the matagorda bay nature park was also cool. Kids can do crabbing and shell hunt on beach. The rv spots were literally on the Colorado river delta with gulf. Very cool location

 

 

1 hour ago, troph said:

That sounds pretty choice actually.

It's great, we go there quite often.  It's an LCRA park now, but it was originally an RV resort so it has full 3-point hookups.

[utee94 16,078]

15 minutes ago, Texaus said:

One other rv add that was so nice...propane hookup on outside patio area. Carried a griddle and weberq that just plug right in to that

Yup, I had an extra propane hookup on the curbside of the Airstream for just that reason.  My new RV has an outdoor kitchen with 2-burner stove, sink, and refrigerator, which is a really nice feature. But you could hook up anything you wanted to, using a quick disconnect.  I have some friends that have a propane fire pit they use that way.

[fattyflattie 4,640]

11 hours ago, troph said:

That sounds pretty choice actually.

Check out Goose Island too. Though you might as well wait till October now. 

[Alex Karev 1,057]

Has anyone had any problems with their 12volt converters. I noticed recently that mine had a pretty loud huming noise and was getting really hot and the fridge was not cooling properly. After investigating I noticed the cooling fan on the converter is not working. Planning to order a new one and install myself.

Should I stay with the same size  Amps or go to heavier Amps? 

 

POWER CONVERTER45 with battery charger AMP

ELECTRICAL RATING: Input: 7.8 amps 120 VAC 60HZ Output: 45 amps 12 VDC 12VDC Fuse Block-Max Fuse Size: 20 amp (Average Charge Rate 5 Amps)

Any experience or opinions?

 

 

[Anastasis 23,711]

On 5/19/2020 at 9:32 PM, troph said:

Okay so we are home and I had to take this one at the gas station. Already in love with this thing.

that's a fucking truck right there. 

Edited May 22, 2020 by Anastasis
words are important

[utee94 16,078]

9 hours ago, Alex Karev said:

Has anyone had any problems with their 12volt converters. I noticed recently that mine had a pretty loud huming noise and was getting really hot and the fridge was not cooling properly. After investigating I noticed the cooling fan on the converter is not working. Planning to order a new one and install myself.

Should I stay with the same size  Amps or go to heavier Amps? 

 

POWER CONVERTER45 with battery charger AMP

ELECTRICAL RATING: Input: 7.8 amps 120 VAC 60HZ Output: 45 amps 12 VDC 12VDC Fuse Block-Max Fuse Size: 20 amp (Average Charge Rate 5 Amps)

Any experience or opinions?

 

 

I replaced mine along with much of the electrical system on my first RV.  If you're handy--especially electrically handy-- it's not a big deal.  There are YouTube videos these days that show you how to do it and what you're getting into.

As far as power, if you're not planning on adding anything new, then you can stick with the same size.  If you want room to upgrade, you could go bigger.  But depending on how old your RV is, what its systems were, and what you're wanting to do, in many cases modern 12VDC systems in RVs actually consume less power and require a lower amp rating.  Think, for example, replacing incandescent lights with LEDs, older 3-way refrigerators with new ones, etc.

 

 

[troph 25,128]

Check out Goose Island too. Though you might as well wait till October now. 

First three Texas trips this fall - Guadalupe park (wanna hike up there), goose island and Marfa/big bend to scout for cheap ranchette land. I think we are gonna travel Johnny Cash style with this thing.

[davidg 4,057]

I know! This thread is making me want to rv shop. Dammit

My wife family had a camper when she was growing up progressing from pop ups and a HiLo to finally buying a full size in 2001. They typically spent 2-3 weeks a Garner every summer as their vacation.


FIL had a massive heart and passed away a year after buying the new trailer. I spent the next 10 or so years maintaining it and towing it around Texas when MIL and my wife and kids wanted to camp. She finally ended up selling it about 7 years ago and we have been talk periodically about buying one for us ever since.

I told my wife on Thursday that maybe we need to look at getting a trailer to do some traveling and to be able to spend more time up at our ranch and showed her a couple of the models styles I liked. I’m only working 4 days a week right now so I left yesterday to go up to the property and do a few things and then go check on my Dad.

All day long I’m getting text messages with model numbers and floorplans in them asking if I like this one or that one or how much my truck will tow. Biggest concern is how to be able to take a trailer and the boat to the lake at the same time. Oil is at $32, O&G equipment manufacturing has just about stopped and I have a feeling we are going to dump a lot of cash on a “tenement on wheels” in the near future. I guess we could always just live in it if things get really bad, so we’d have that going for us.

[troph 25,128]

My gf said the same thing - I guess we could just live in it if we had to. I said “uh, ok.”

Anyway, here we go...!!



About that Tundra... haha!!

[troph 25,128]

The christening .... made it out here and cooling off before shooting guns, cooking steaks, drinking beer and enjoying a campfire fire.

[Anastasis 23,711]

That's a big motherfucker right there.  Beautiful view.

How did she tow?

[Pato del Muerto 53,420]

Have fun backing her...anywhere. That’s a huge bitch. 

[troph 25,128]

My friend towed us to just north of 183A and got to know the truck then I took over, it was easy. The truck is not in a hurry and so it looks like it’s struggling, its not, it’s yawning.

 

We practiced backing up a bunch that was ... uh fun. Lots of straightening and figuring out how to not twist and turn too much and instead, just straighten and try again, straighten and try again.

 

We decided we would both learn it, gf couldn’t today though because the seat motor needs replacing, we thought just oiling the sliders. Nope. But the part is like $189 and my buddy and gf discussed, they think she can do it on a weekend. Okay.

 

We did almost get stuck getting out here, his property is only accessible by a crude dirt road with a couple of creek crossings - one is now bridged over the other doesn’t really need a bridge but we got caught, used the leveling blocks to make it across. That was fun.

 

Hot as shit right now. Setting up the interior will work on generators and other crap when the sun is going down.

 

Good times.

[Handcruser 2,814]

My friend towed us to just north of 183A and got to know the truck then I took over, it was easy. The truck is not in a hurry and so it looks like it’s struggling, its not, it’s yawning.
 
We practiced backing up a bunch that was ... uh fun. Lots of straightening and figuring out how to not twist and turn too much and instead, just straighten and try again, straighten and try again.
 
We decided we would both learn it, gf couldn’t today though because the seat motor needs replacing, we thought just oiling the sliders. Nope. But the part is like $189 and my buddy and gf discussed, they think she can do it on a weekend. Okay.
 
We did almost get stuck getting out here, his property is only accessible by a crude dirt road with a couple of creek crossings - one is now bridged over the other doesn’t really need a bridge but we got caught, used the leveling blocks to make it across. That was fun.
 
Hot as shit right now. Setting up the interior will work on generators and other crap when the sun is going down.
 
Good times.

Have fun!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[ChickenSandwich 9,933]

49 minutes ago, troph said:

The christening .... made it out here and cooling off before shooting guns, cooking steaks, drinking beer and enjoying a campfire fire.

Nice
 

 

[ChickenSandwich 9,933]

Unleash the beast

 

[davidg 4,057]

My friend towed us to just north of 183A and got to know the truck then I took over, it was easy. The truck is not in a hurry and so it looks like it’s struggling, its not, it’s yawning.
 
We practiced backing up a bunch that was ... uh fun. Lots of straightening and figuring out how to not twist and turn too much and instead, just straighten and try again, straighten and try again.
 
We decided we would both learn it, gf couldn’t today though because the seat motor needs replacing, we thought just oiling the sliders. Nope. But the part is like $189 and my buddy and gf discussed, they think she can do it on a weekend. Okay.
 
We did almost get stuck getting out here, his property is only accessible by a crude dirt road with a couple of creek crossings - one is now bridged over the other doesn’t really need a bridge but we got caught, used the leveling blocks to make it across. That was fun.
 
Hot as shit right now. Setting up the interior will work on generators and other crap when the sun is going down.
 
Good times.

What generator did you end up with?

[troph 25,128]

I fucking asked the sales guy to take that unleashed puma off and he just looked at me like he thought I was kidding. I wasn’t. Super gay.

[ChickenSandwich 9,933]

Horse shit Troph. It’s awesome. 

[ChickenSandwich 9,933]

Got to get to spend a summer or two in an American Eagle tour bus crossing the country. Had Eagles, mountains, trees and lakes on the sides and back. 
 

 Wish it had a Puma though. 

Damn thing was better than any hotel motel. 

Edited May 23, 2020 by ChickenSandwich

[Pato del Muerto 53,420]

Have to pronounce it pyuma though for full effect

[Chewbacca 7,828]

Have to pronounce it pyuma though for full effect

Just like Principal Skinner, right?

[davidg 4,057]

Too bad it’s not a Class A, then you could have called it the Mountain Pussy Wagon

[Texaus 389]

I like the puma art! I kinda have a puma shoe fetish though. Get you some puma suedes to go with the rv

[Texaus 389]

And I see you got they lynx levelers... they make a cap for them when used as a jack stand support.

[Texaus 389]

Dp

[Pato del Muerto 53,420]

Oh I’m sure there’s puma Swede in there from time to time

[utee94 16,078]

My wife had one strict rule for our new RV-- no pictures of woodland creatures on it.

 

But your Puma looks nice, Troph.

[troph 25,128]

My wife had one strict rule for our new RV-- no pictures of woodland creatures on it.

 

But your Puma looks nice, Troph.

I tried. They said taking the puma off would impact the resale value. I thought who in the wide world of sports would be upset it was gone?!

 

In an equal world we would rather have this ... https://www.camperclinic2.com/inv/2020-Airstream-Flying-Cloud-30RB-Camper-Clinic-II-C29180/

 

But (1) it would be 3x as expensive, (2) have half the room, and (3) 1/3 of the beds.

 

There has to be a niche in the market for airstream style but with the size of the swirls (what she and her airstream rally group called them).

 

I think after Colorado we will be able to call it the mountain pussy trailer for sure. So at least there’s that. And I probably will get some puma tennis shoes just to own it. I mean it is an artistic piece so why not be proud of it? But damn it’s awful - I deserve all the shit people give us about it.

[TwiceHorn 32,045]

You could get some of these, since you are kind of a motorsports gal,

Or, if you want more normal looking, these

I actually own these and they're quite comfy.  I broke my collarbone last year and tying shoes was a PITA/impossible for about a month, so I needed some slip on sockshoes.  The Pumas were the best deal on the intergoogles and I have enjoyed them.  They don't have the cats paw swoosh, but say Puma loud and proud on the heel, as you can see.

[ChickenSandwich 9,933]

Those will look great with a Puma Suit 

 

[troph 25,128]

Thinking maybe we go this route instead of the pumas...

[TwiceHorn 32,045]

1 hour ago, ChickenSandwich said:

Those will look great with a Puma Suit 

 

Pumas dont have stripes, mang.

[utee94 16,078]

I have a pair of these that I break out for F1 raceday in Austin:

[utee94 16,078]

22 hours ago, troph said:

I tried. They said taking the puma off would impact the resale value. I thought who in the wide world of sports would be upset it was gone?!

 

In an equal world we would rather have this ... https://www.camperclinic2.com/inv/2020-Airstream-Flying-Cloud-30RB-Camper-Clinic-II-C29180/

 

But (1) it would be 3x as expensive, (2) have half the room, and (3) 1/3 of the beds.

 

There has to be a niche in the market for airstream style but with the size of the swirls (what she and her airstream rally group called them).

 

I think after Colorado we will be able to call it the mountain pussy trailer for sure. So at least there’s that. And I probably will get some puma tennis shoes just to own it. I mean it is an artistic piece so why not be proud of it? But damn it’s awful - I deserve all the shit people give us about it.

Yeah, I had an Airstream for ten years.  I love them and will have another someday, but it just wasn't practical enough.

It was vintage so the storage wasn't quite as efficient as a modern one, but with the curved roof and limited floorplans, there's only so much you can do.  It was no longer working for our family and I'm happy to be in a modern, more practical trailer for the time being.

But someday I'll likely end up back with something like this:

 

 

[G650 14,432]

Airstream or gtfo

[utee94 16,078]

38 minutes ago, G650 said:

Airstream or gtfo

Word.

Here's my '63 Overlander set up at City Park in Austin several years back.

And here she is at the beach alongside my buddy's 1972 Winnebago.

And this was our UT tailgate setup for several years:

 

[G650 14,432]

7 minutes ago, utee94 said:

Word.

Here's my '63 Overlander set up at City Park in Austin several years back.

And here she is at the beach alongside my buddy's 1972 Winnebago.

And this was our UT tailgate setup for several years:

 

That is damn badass. Love it.

[cabowabo 4,650]

Would be a lot cooler with some wolves and maybe a Native American mixed in, but a Puma is ok I guess.

[troph 25,128]

Ok serious business question... I can’t seem to find this fuse on amazon... what am I missing? I searched 12v30a fuse and nada...

[Anastasis 23,711]

just search 30 amp?

[dingleberryswitzer 2,724]

Some of you RV and sports fans might enjoy this book.  Despite being about Alabama it's pretty good read.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Rammer-Jammer-Yellow-Hammer-Journey-ebook/dp/B000FC1W5K#mediaMatrix_secondary_view_div_1590423157057

 

There's a quote in there I remember, something like " no matter how big an RV is, it's still only meant for 2 people "

 

And then some old timers I met told me "you need a foot of trailer/rv for every year of marriage, take a look at all those 30 and 40 footers over there. 

Edited May 25, 2020 by dingleberryswitzer

[troph 25,128]

Running list of purchases, a bit disorganized I’ll tweak as we go and finish. Here’s what we have so far:

 

 

Obtained:

 

Kitchen mat

Door mats

Outdoor rug

Outdoor couch and two arm chairs

Coffee table

22 inch gas griddle

14 inch ceramic grill/smoker

Bath mat

Night lights bedroom

Pint glasses

Table

Broom and dust pan

Mop

String lights

First aid kit

Batteries

Rechargeable double A battery

zip ties

Work gloves

Hard core out door scissors

Tv / serving Trays

Duct tape

Electrical tape

Silicon tape

Small axe

Two whiskey glasses

Fuses

- 1

- 7.5

- 15

- 20

- 25

- 12V30A

Electrical repair starter kit

Road side emergency kit

Rubber Seal conditioner

Shower and sink strainers

Twine

Rope

Outdoor bins

Indoor bins

Ice trays

Wd40

Shop towels

Outdoor scissors

Jumper cables

Goo gone

Air compressor

Board games

Chess

Step stool

Tire pressure gauge

Road side emergency kit

Cast iron

Walkie talkies

Solar device charger

Weather radio

Battery powered candles

Whiffle ball set

Footballs

Slam ball set

Frisbees

Toss / horse shoes type game

Heavy duty scissors

Mood lighting bedroom

Shop towels

White bins for cabinets

Black tape to cover lights

Swifter

Extension cords

Utility knife

Insect repellant

Sunscreen

Outdoor trash can

Tupperware

Pots and pans

Chip clips

Rolling pin

Pizza cutter

Mixing bowls

Mini blender (ninja)

Shot glass

Cork screw

Wine glasses

Cups

Flatware

Silverware

Steak knives

Kitchen knives

Spices

Coffee pot

Cutting board

Oven mit

Wisk

Kitchen Utensils

Ziplocks

Paper plates

Dish soap

Scrubbing sponges

Aluminum foil

Trash bags

Kleenex

Plastic grocery bags

Paper towels

Seat back organizers (for truck ride)

Double AA batteries

Triple A batteries

Towels

Linens

 

Still to purchase or bring:

 

Tylenol

Aloe Vera

Ibuprofen

Benadryl

Topical Benadryl

Zyrtec D

Body wash

Shampoo/conditioner

Tools

Socket set

Screw driver set

Cordless drill

Hammer

Longer water hose (garden hose)

Fire pit

Take insta pot ?

All purpose cleaner

Sewer line / gray water line

Tape measure

Torch for lighting fires

Electric fire starter

Portable ice maker

Hammock

Power plug converter (30amp) etc

Correct socket size for all tires

Pint glasses

Pillows

Wood blocks

Speakers

Throw blankets - 2

Sticky for cushions

Diesel oil

Transmission fluid

Window wipers

Window wiper fluid

Coolant

Queen mattress replacement

Mattress toppers

Toilet paper

Water

Swifer

[troph 25,128]

Some of you RV and sports fans might enjoy this book.  Despite being about Alabama it's pretty good read.
 
https://www.amazon.com/Rammer-Jammer-Yellow-Hammer-Journey-ebook/dp/B000FC1W5K#mediaMatrix_secondary_view_div_1590423157057
 
There's a quote in there I remember, something like " no matter how big an RV is, it's still only meant for 2 people "
 
And then some old timers I met told me "you need a foot of trailer/rv for every year of marriage, take a look at all those 30 and 40 footers over there. 

This will be our second trip with kids, hence the bunkhouse / separate room / separate egress-ingress / separate TV set up.

[Atxracer 798]

On 5/19/2020 at 9:32 PM, troph said:

Okay so we are home and I had to take this one at the gas station. Already in love with this thing

Just a heads up, others may know more but I am pretty sure that is one of the models that is super easy to break in.  If it is the same as one of my old ones,  my front locks got busted through several times back in the day with a simple screwdriver (still have one from one of the crooks). Would suck to be stranded sans truck. I eventually replaced the front handles with the ones without a keyhole like in the back.  This was in Houston though, fwiw.  

[utee94 16,078]

That;s a long list of both purchased and yet to be so I might have missed it.

 

Do you have:

White freshwater RV hose?

Y for water hose (so you can direct one line into RV and still have an open spigot outside for a normal hose)?

Stinky slinky? (aka dump hose)

[troph 25,128]

We have a white water hose didn’t put that on the list. Will get a Y splitter that’s good.

We have shitter enzymes and shitter hoses yes.

We have a water pressure regulator too.

We have an LP line as well.

[troph 25,128]

Just a heads up, others may know more but I am pretty sure that is one of the models that is super easy to break in.  If it is the same as one of my old ones,  my front locks got busted through several times back in the day with a simple screwdriver (still have one from one of the crooks). Would suck to be stranded sans truck. I eventually replaced the front handles with the ones without a keyhole like in the back.  This was in Houston though, fwiw.  

Yes this is true. My buddy mentioned that just yesterday so we will retro fit next time at the shop (soon).

[Pato del Muerto 53,420]

I didn’t see leveling blocks or wheel chocks on either list.  Fix-a-flat?  Does the pyuma have a receiver hitch on the back to accept an accessory like a bike holder or such?  If so, stuff that plugs in there?  
we have some battery powered led lanterns as well as flashlights. 
Rope and carabiners? (Not the cheapies but real climbing ones that can handle real weight) good for hanging food up away from bears and can be used for rescue type things as well. And learn to tie a figure 8 on a bight, and a butterfly.