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RE: Backing with dinghy connected
Just keep one thing in mind, the tow bar and baseplate are designed for pulling NOT pushing!
Robbie, deceleration is not the same as pushing. Check your psychics book? (and the force is different)
I'd rather not bring psychics into it, I don't think it really matters if anyone has a premonition about it. Physics, on the other hand is different - and I see no difference between braking and pushing, as both will cause an acceleration that puts a compression force on the tow bar.
The way I see it, it's not the pushing aspect that is the issue, it's the potential side forces. Unless the toad's wheels are lined up exactly with the path of travel, side forces will develop. Add in the effect of the caster angle (or the steering axis inclination, if you prefer) and any side forces could be quickly exaggerated as the front wheels tend to turn away from the desired direction of travel. It won't take much error in the steering angle to cause a significant side force in the tow bar, something that the bar is not necessarily designed to handle. (It's designed to apply some side force to the toad, which then causes the front wheels to turn and reduce that side force. But when backing, any side force is likely to cause the wheels to turn such that it increases the side force.)
These side forces are not necessarily reduced by pulling the MH back with the toad, nor are they necessarily reduced by holding the wheel straight as the MH pushes the toad back. Even with someone holding the wheel, they may not be holding it in the exactly correct position, as it might be difficult to judge the side forces on the tow bar, and therefore it can be difficult to minimize those forces.
Is it possible to back up without doing damage? Yes. Is it possible to do significant damage while backing? Yes. Just because it can be done in some situations by some people with some toads, that doesn't mean that it can be done in all situations or by all people or with all toads.
It's a risky behavior. How lucky do you feel? Do it often enough, and the odds say it will be increasingly likely to become an issue. The only way to totally eliminate the odds of a problem happening are to not do it.
The safest option is to not back up with a toad. If you decide you want to try it, it's at your own risk.
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ShapeShifter
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03/16/10 03:21pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Annual Spring Gathering @ Turning Stone, April 30-May1
Great! It'll be good to meet up with some fellow Western New Yorkers there!
The feeling is mutual! I've seen your posts for a while, and realizing we're practically neighbors, I've often wondered if we would meet. I used to work right in the heart of Hamburg, but the office has since moved.
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ShapeShifter
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03/16/10 02:53pm |
Rallies, Shows and Gatherings
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RE: Annual Spring Gathering @ Turning Stone, April 30-May1
Wow, what a surprise, I thought this was going to be the following week. I've got a non-negotiable conflict that next weekend, and was bummed that I was going to miss this, yet again. :(
Of course, now that it's a week earlier, I still have a conflict, but I think I might be able to resolve this one. A month or so ago, I made camping reservations to meet up with some friends. Turns out our agreed-upon meeting spot is at Turning Stone, in sites 601 and 603! What are the odds of that? :C
So we will be there, with our friends from Connecticut who were with us when we hooked up with your group two years ago (the ones who had the Cavalier puppies.)
I will have to check with them to see if they want to change sites to be with the rest of the group. But even if we keep the sites we have, we'll still be very close to you guys. (We'll be about the same distance away as we were two years ago - maybe about 400 feet.)
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ShapeShifter
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03/16/10 02:30pm |
Rallies, Shows and Gatherings
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RE: Mouse over Highlighted Blue pop-ups?
Several of the moderators use the Woodalls portal.I was thinking that would be the portal I try next.
That portal seems to be working pretty good for me, and I am receiving notifications for threads that I have subscribed to while using that portal.
I did get a slew of "invalid security certificate" messages when I first tried to log on, but once logged on, I haven't received any others. I'm not sure what was going on there.
Thanks for your help, looks like I'm back on track (at least until the roll-overs appear on Woodalls...)
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ShapeShifter
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03/16/10 02:17pm |
Forum Technical Support
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RE: Mouse over Highlighted Blue pop-ups?
All email notifications are sent through the RV.Net server.
Even when the subscription is created while visiting another portal? Hmmm... if that's the case, then there's something else going on (or quite possibly I'm losing my mind? :S )
Occasionally, I get a PM notification from another portal, I assumed it was because the member was logged into that portal when the message was sent. That's what made me think that perhaps the emails would be sent from the portal where the subscription was entered. But then again, it could just as easily be operator error on my part, or maybe I've just lost track of which subscriptions I've entered where...
Several of the moderators use the Woodalls portal.
I was thinking that would be the portal I try next.
Thank for your help. (And your patience!) :C
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ShapeShifter
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03/15/10 08:06pm |
Forum Technical Support
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RE: Mouse over Highlighted Blue pop-ups?
You have read the thread? You do know that the ads appear on only the RV.Net portal, for the time being. You do know that Administrator posted how to stop the pop-ups form appearing on the RV.Net portal. A member posted another way to prevent the ads from appearing. If I found them obnoxious, I would avail myself of one of the methods for not seeing the ads.
tom
Boy, it must be nice to live in a world where everything is cut-and-dried, and the simple solutions work every time and for everyone. :B
I've done the little trick of following the Kontera link and disabling it. It worked -- for a week. So I re-did it, and it worked again -- for a day. Then I did it again, and it no longer works at all.
But that's not really my complaint. My big issue with this is that I do most of my browsing of this forum on my smart phone. It used to work quite well (except for an occasional issue with posting, which we've discussed before.) But now, with these ads, it's become quite troublesome. The extra content for the ads takes longer to download, and takes up memory. Now, when browsing RV.net, every page I try to load takes longer, and then my phone complains that the page is too large to be displayed (because of the extra ad content.) I can't click on one of the ads to bring up the opt-out screen, because the page never fully loaded completely.
So then I sent the opt-out link from my computer to my phone, and successfully followed it, but while that might (sometimes -- see above) stop the ads from being displayed, they don't stop them from being downloaded, so I still have the page too large errors.
Editing the hosts file is a great way to nip this in the bud, but some computers (like my phone) don't have a hosts file. So that doesn't work.
I can turn off JavaScript, but there are sites I visit where it's needed. But even if I turned it off, that still doesn't prevent the ads from being downloaded, taking up time, taking up space, preventing the page from fully loading, and costing additional megabytes against my cellular bill.
Ok, so that leaves using other portals. I've started to test out the other portals, and I don't get the page too big errors there. But I also am not receiving any email notifications when I subscribe to a thread. I'm guessing that the notifications are being sent by the domain hosting the portal, and perhaps my ISP is blocking mail from that domain (because it thinks it's spam?) So I will keep trying other portals until I find one whose mail actually gets through. But Admin's comments that they are testing things on RV.net before going live system-wide makes me wonder how long it will be before the other portals cause me the same grief that RV.net causes for me, and then all portables will be equally problematical.
I understand the reasoning behind the ads. I understand the need for revenue. But all I can say is I sure hope that those ads are raking in the big bucks for the site, so that they are worth the aggravation it's causing the users.
There has been a lot of complaining going on in a lot of threads ever since this started. And I'll guess that it's a pretty safe bet that those complaints are only the tip of the iceberg, and that there are many more frustrated users who are either living in silent frustration, or have simply moved on and left the forum.
This is not a personal attack to you, or to anyone else for that matter. I'm just frustrated at the situation, and frustrated by people who are saying that it's so easy to deal with it. Not everybody is using mainstream software and systems, and not everybody can simply ignore it. And the condescending comments by several people in this thread don't help -- not everybody is an idiot that can't read and can't help themselves. (I do this sort of thing for a living, and I can explain the internal details of how and why each of the suggestions in this thread should work, and yet I can't make them work on my phone. :R )
Between the side-bar "tips" (really, they're mostly ads) and now these roll-over ads, this forum is getting really slow and frustrating on a phone. The side-bar ads are particularly frustrating, not only because they slow things down, but on the phone's browser they appear between the thread title and the first post, causing a lot of extra scrolling fora small screen.
Can I safely assume that this only works with IE?
I run FireFox and I don't have that host.txt file.
No, it is part of the operating system, and should work with every application. That technique is NOT specific to IE or any application.
I'll bet that you do have that file, but it might have a different name or be in a different place. I've seen it called "hosts" or "lmhosts" (with no extension.) On my system, it's "C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts"
Here's a site that explains the whole process in quite some detail: http://someonewhocares.org/hosts/
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ShapeShifter
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03/15/10 05:32pm |
Forum Technical Support
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RE: Walmart Parking Lot Courtesy?
One other thing to keep in mind is if a motorhome is pulling a toad 4 wheels down it is not possible to back up into a spot which of course can cause problems.
Very true. But it only takes a few seconds to disconnect the toad. :W
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ShapeShifter
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03/12/10 05:50am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Where does the dinghy track when towed?
My suggestion is to go to a big parking lot, drive through a puddle, and then make a turn. The wet tire tracks will show you exactly how the toad tracks.
On my toad, when I start a tight turn, the front wheels of the toad initially tracks a foot outside of the MH tracks. Then it settles down to where the front tracks behind the MH, and the rear wheels track a tire's width inside of the MH tires. This is different than they way others have describe their setups.
All setups are different, the only way to know how yours will track is to check it yourself.
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ShapeShifter
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03/11/10 05:46pm |
Dinghy Towing
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RE: Exceeding Weight Ratings / State Inspection Stickers
In NY you would hve to be over 80,000 or over on your tires to get a ticket.
What about over 20,000 on an axle? That's the other number that comes up often.
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ShapeShifter
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03/11/10 01:58pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Dish Network
one more thing. if we have a hd receiver in the house and our sat. is not hd, will we be able to use our hd reciever from our house in our TT and not get hd?
thanks
The simple answer is yes -- the HD receiver will work with a non-HD dish, but of course you won't get the HD channels. I do this all the time because my portable dish does not pick up the HD satellite. Similarly, an HD receiver can drive a SD TV, and will down-convert the HD to SD, but of course, you won't see true HD on it.
Now for the full answer -- the devil is in the details. While it can work, not all combinations of receivers and dishes/domes are viable. Most will work, but a few combinations can be troublesome, as mentioned by Jason.
Knowing just what kind of dish/dome you are planning on using in the RV, and whether you are considering a single or dual tuner receiver or DVR, will go a long way for us to say how well it may work.
I've struggled with many of the compatibility issues involved with RVs and Dish Network, so like Jason, I can also answer many of your questions (but he has more experience, so if we disagree on something, I would listen to Jason rather than me! ;) )
With just a little bit of discussion, I'm sure we can work out a setup that will do just exactly what you want.
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ShapeShifter
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03/08/10 07:19am |
Technology Corner
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RE: New RV Television Show coming
more than likely she knows nothing about RV'ing but studied the rigs before airing.
Or simply read from a script that someone else prepared? :@
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ShapeShifter
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03/07/10 11:37am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: 30 Amp Extension Cord
I carry a 25' 50 amp extension cord, three 25' 30 amp extension cords, a 50' heavy 20 amp cord, and a 25' heavy 20 amp cord. Also, all the adapters to be able use them. There are times when I've had to use them all, and even borrow a cord to complete the chain. But that is generally at dog shows, where you often have to be creative to connect to the limited amount of power they sometimes supply. (When I end up using all of my 30 amp cords, it's usually on a 15 or 20 amp circuit, so I have no worries about overloading that long length -- there are already limitations on the total power. I could just use 20 amp cords, but then there is a chance of overloading them.)
Sticking to "real" campgrounds and RV parks, I've only needed one or two extensions at two places: a NY state park in the Finger Lakes region where there was one pedestal for every two (wide) sites, and an Ontario provincial park where the pedestal was all the way at the back of a very deep site.
One can usually get by without extension cords. And there are times that if you have one it can be helpful even if not absolutely necessary (to avoid that hanging "jump rope" effect then the pedestal is barely in reach.) Unless a person is the type to always stay at a commercial resort with predictably placed power, I think an extension is a good idea, if there is room for it. But don't skimp and get a cheap skinny one, because as already pointed out by others, there may be voltage drop issues.
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ShapeShifter
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03/07/10 08:19am |
Beginning RVing
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RE: New RV Television Show coming
Aren't these type of shows meant for the uninitiated to RVing.
Bingo! That does indeed appear to be the target audience.
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ShapeShifter
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03/06/10 04:38pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: audio systems in motorhomes are awful
I would much rather have DASH speakers so I could hear the blasted thing when driving
Agreed!
My thoughts right now are to put in a basic AM/FM/CD/iPod head unit in the dash, and feed a new pair of dash mounted speakers. That will take care of driving. (Although it might work out better to put down-firing speakers up where the headliner meets the windshield rather than in/on the dash -- better not for practicality, if not sound.)
Then, for the surround sound, a basic home-theater-in-a-box with a DVD player, and drive the house speakers with that.
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ShapeShifter
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03/05/10 02:33pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: audio systems in motorhomes are awful
Like many, I'm totally disgusted by the stock surround system in my MH. After cursing at it the first few trips, and trying to make some adjustments to the awful simulated surround sound processor/amp, I've given up, and we keep it turned off and listen to everything through the TV's built in speakers. (Talk about desperation, but as poor as they are, they sound much better than the surround sound system.)
My needs are not great. I don't consider myself an audiophile: I don't have a trained ear, and I may not be able to tell the difference between various high-end systems, but I can recognize junk when I hear it. My home setup is a mid-range Yamaha RX-V1600 receiver, feeding Polk Audio RM-6700 mini satellite speakers and a PSW350 powered 12" sub. While not high-end by a long shot, it keeps me satisfied.
All this discussion about how awful the stock systems may be is all well and good... but does anyone have solid suggestions on how to improve things? Given that space is always a concern in a MH, does anyone have specific recommendations for systems that give reasonable sound with minimal equipment intrusion?
Right now, I have the awful Magnadyne head unit, feeding an AMC XSA simulator/amplifier, which drives small cube speakers angling from the ceiling. If I could come up with something small, which used the existing speaker cutouts in the ceiling, that approached maybe 50% to 75% of the home system's performance, I'd be happy. (Actually, if the only improvement was that it doesn't hurt my ears, I'd be happy!)
My feeble searches for components or systems haven't found anything exciting yet. Any suggestions on where I should look?
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ShapeShifter
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03/05/10 06:30am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Solution to outside refrigerator vent panel retainer
I'm not sure how you figure 1000% markup, but I can only dream of getting a markup like that.
I would guess that he's talking about the markup over the entire supply chain, including manufacturing, not just the final retailer.
so those sell for $3.49 each- from my best source they are $2.47 each.
Considering that there is probably no more than 2 or 3 cents worth of plastic in those latches, I think you've pretty much made his point about the 1000% markup.
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ShapeShifter
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03/05/10 05:25am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Speedometer or GPS
I would think GPS is more accurate. It's not affected by tire pressure, etc..
How does tire pressure affect the accuracy of a speedometer ?
Tim
This is making me think (which is dangerous). My first response is "of course a different tire pressure changes the circumference of the tire, which would change the revolutions or turns of the tire, which would change the speedometer reading". But now I am wondering if lower tire pressure would actually change the "circumference" of a tire? I know low tire pressure causes more "rolling resistance" (hence lowering your miles-per-gallon), but does it really change speedometer readings?
There must be some change as pressure changes, as that's what is measured by some of the factory tire pressure monitor systems. Some systems use pressure monitors in the tires, others just use the ABS sensors and measure the relative speeds of the wheels. When one tire is low, it will have a different number of ABS sensor pulses per second than the other tires. The computer picks up on this difference and declares that the pressure in that tire is low. This isn't the most accurate method, but it's cheap (because there are no additional sensors) so that's why it's used on some cars.
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ShapeShifter
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03/04/10 06:40am |
Technology Corner
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RE: 12-volt DC DVR?
Hmmmm...question: I know these VCR/DVD/HD-receivers/DVR's all plug into 110VAC....but they do NOT run on A/C...inside they all have transformers that drop the voltage down and then a regulator makes it all into DC voltage, but I'm not sure what voltage. I know most IC circuits run on 5VDC.
5v is getting old, the current standard is 3.3v, and 1.8v ICs are starting to take over. But that's not the only power needed in a DVR. There is also 5V and 12V for the hard drive, and the receiver sends 18 to 22 volts out to the dish to power the LNB. So, to bypass the AC supply you will have to generate a variety of voltages, some of which will be a step up from 12 volts.
I make my living working with electronics, and I'm not afraid to hack and modify some of them. But a DVR is valuable and complicated enough that I won't take on that challenge.
If it were me, I would get a small inverter for the DVR, one that's rated around 50% to 100% higher than the wattage rating of the DVR. A small inverter will be a relatively low draw, and it will likely save a lot of future headaches.
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ShapeShifter
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03/04/10 06:23am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Brake Checks
I'm sure a lot more people do it than you realize, as it's not always obvious. But I'm also sure there are a lot of people who completely ignore it.
As part of setting up camp, I need to dump the air suspension. The fastest way to do that is to feather the brakes to release the air, and then when the tank pressure is low I can hit the switch to release the air from the air bags. Well, the first part of this is just like the test for the safety systems -- while doing it, I watch that the low air alarm comes on, and for the parking brake to be applied at low pressure.
When breaking camp, I have to pump up the air tanks. At this point, I'm watching that the pressure builds quickly, and stops properly. When ready to pull out, I do a tug test against the parking brake and then the service brake, holding the service brake to check for pressure drops.
I do this abbreviated test each day, but standing at another site, you'd probably never know it. I do a full out brake check back at home (about 97% of my trips are simple weekend out-and-back trips, so not a lot of travel days go by between full checks.)
Someone else mentioned about not seeing people check tire pressures. I check mine every morning, and constantly while driving. But you won't see me putting a gauge to the tires at the campsite, because my tire monitor does it for me. You will see me walking around the rig and visually looking at the tires, jacks, slides, doors, widows, compartment doors, etc. before pulling out, but half the time you might not realize what I'm doing. At home, I do put a gauge to the tires, and top them off when needed, but I don't normally do that in camp unless the monitor or visual inspection shows that something might not be right.
Another poster asked about checking the brake lights on their 5er. If it has standard wiring, the brake, turn, and hazard lights are all the same filament in the same bulb, powered by the same wire. If one function works, you can be pretty sure the trailer plug is making a good connection, the bulb is good, and the wiring is intact. That doesn't mean that there can't be a failure inside the TV wiring, but that is a rare occurrence compared to a burned out bulb or loose/corroded trailer plug. To check the lights on my toad or utility trailer, I turn on the parking lights and hit the four-way hazard flashers. A quick walk-around shows that the clearance lights are on, and the tail lights alternate from bright to dim. That's good enough for me to know all of the circuits are working (and I'm surprised how many times I thought the plug was in tight when it wasn't -- the light check has turned out to be a very worthwhile step.)
BTW, I also do a brake check of the toad's brakes before pulling out -- after doing the tug check on the MH's brakes, I release the MH parking brake, put it in gear, manually activate the toad's brakes using the control box in the cab, and release the MH brakes. I can feel the resistance of the toad's brakes, and then release the toad brakes and feel them release. Just by watching me from outside, you wouldn't know I was doing that, either. (I do the same when pulling my little utility trailer.)
Remember, just because YOU didn't see obvious signs of pre-departure checks, doesn't mean that they're never being done.
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ShapeShifter
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03/04/10 06:17am |
Beginning RVing
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RE: New RV Television Show coming
I saw the first episode on Friday, it was on at about 10 or 11 pm.
Are you sure it was the same show? There are no "episodes" of this particular show. It is not a series, it's a single hour-long show produced once a year to highlight new rigs and accessories.
Click on the link in the first post, and select the "Videos" button. There are several excerpts from the show that you can watch on-line. Was that the show you saw?
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ShapeShifter
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03/03/10 03:57pm |
General RVing Issues
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