More camper shenanigans

Stuff that doesn't pertain to PWs and general chit-chat
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DamageWagon
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Re: More camper shenanigans

Post by DamageWagon » Tue Sep 05, 2017 12:01 pm

Ive had quite a few good interactions with LEO's, in LA area of all places. Used to work with them daily when I did command/control/comms stuff. It seemed to me that the ones with a few years on were nice, the ones with a lot of time in tended to either hold you on their good side or on their bad side. I always fell on the god side thankfully. Even driving up through Adelanto (think Compton of the high desert) I stopped at 1:00 am to help a broke down mini van. I didn't have a CCW permit but I holstered anyways and helped the couple out. Was changing their tire for them with my jack when two CHP's walked up, apparently they had called 911 after being run off the road and never mentioned that. I know the cops saw my gun, I don't have a colostomy bag as a tramp stamp. They saw what I was doing and didn't say a single word. Even chatted with one of them about how our sealed gas can laws make no sense, he thought they were the dumbest idea and its CHP that are supposed to enforce those laws.

I think there's a lot more vocalization of these problems now with the current president. At least for me it seems a lot more is coming to the surface.

TwinStick

Re: More camper shenanigans

Post by TwinStick » Tue Sep 05, 2017 5:03 pm

Yeah, I have had great interaction with LEO's in PA. I don't give anyone the business unless I get it first. If they give me the business, I give it right back. I did not give that trooper attitude until he would not answer my question "why was I pulled over ?" Which I asked first. He did not even acknowledge that I was talking to him. He just kept asking me questions but refused to answer the 1 question I asked him. I did not give the DEC attitude until they swamped my boat. I was standing up waving my arms because I thought they were going to run right into me. They had plenty of opportunity to slow down but they did not. Getting stopped 4x in 2 miles of atv trails is also harassment, all by the same agency. How friggin hard is it to give the atver a damn sticker, so everyone else who is there checking can see that I have already been checked ? They don't just look either, they make you stop, turn it off, remove your paperwork from whatever it is in to keep it dry & clean. It's like they just want you to get so fustrated, you just stop doing it. While hunting one day, I got a road block stop by DEC at 4:30am & the one Officer said to me "Oh, a Dodge Power Wagon, we were supposed to get them but they contract was cancelled at the last minute due to fuel mileage issue." They searched my truck, saw my 9 shot combat shotgun. Took it out, checked it for magazine capacity & felt the plug in it that limited it to 4-2 3/4" shells. Then asked in a snotty sarcastic voice "So, why do you hunt deer with a combat shotgun ? Afraid it's gonna shoot back ? I answered them politely & said because it is the only kind you can buy new anymore that will shoot birdshot, buckshot, & the older cheaper deerslugs because it has a smooth barrel with no rifling. Then, even though I was doing nothing wrong, the same 2 Officers tracked me down, in the woods, at 9:30am on Stateland & again, made me show them my license (even though my tag was on my back), unload my gun, give it to them & they checked it out again, & asked me the same stupid question, again. Then, at 3:30pm, they came back again & did the same. Each time, blowing up my hunting spot for 1-2hrs with their loud talking & laughing. At that time, I had the only PW in the entire county. They can't say they didn't remember me.

I have a friend who is a charter boat captain & he refuses to even go on the Niagara River anymore. In one day, while he had paying fishing customers on board, he was stopped & boarded by the Niagara County Sheriff's Dept, the US Coast Guard, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, NY State Police, US Border Patrol & 2 different Canadian agency's . Does that sound reasonable to you ? Because it does not to me. He was ordered to pull in their lines everytime. His customers said they wanted a full refund. He gave it to them under the circumstances & was out $400-$600 in fuel costs. I have no problem with them doing their job, but too many times, the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. Hell, I was a NY State Peace Officer for 28+ years & if i treated a convicted felon the way I have been treated, I would have been fired. There is doing your job & then there is the job going to your head.

TwinStick

Re: More camper shenanigans

Post by TwinStick » Tue Sep 05, 2017 5:34 pm

So, firwood is now uloaded & replaced with 5 bags of charcoal. Hopefully there will be some "legal" wood for sale at a reasonable price there. If not, charcoal fire it will be. Sad.

Even if I bought the outrageously expensive shit firewood they sell at gas stations by me, I would STILL have to have the form filled out, even though it says right on the firewood "Certified Bug Free" "Kiln dried @ 160+*F for 75 minutes or more", they can still fine you if you don't have this form with you & filled out: http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forest ... sscert.pdf

So, I wonder how long it will be before they ban charcoal fires at State Parks ? Forcing you to buy their outrageously expensive cheap wood bundles that contain quick burning & resin popping pine ?

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Re: More camper shenanigans

Post by verdesardog » Tue Sep 05, 2017 8:46 pm

I recently converted a small smoky joe charcoal BBQ gril into a "campfire in a can" with lava rock and cermaic log looking pieces so that I can now have a camp fire even in fire ban periods. California included!
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TwinStick

Re: More camper shenanigans

Post by TwinStick » Tue Sep 05, 2017 11:45 pm

I have looked at those. I have this already: https://www.madeinamericastore.com/the- ... -8134.html It would be easy enough to make this into one of them, I just need a round burner & a way to bolt it in. Hmmmm, :idea: now that you mention that, I have a turkey fryer burner that does have a threaded stud & nut on the very bottom of it ! That just might be an easy-peasy thing to make up & work ? I am NOT very fond of the burning propane smell though. Still, might be a good standby set up --- until they ban the transport of extra 20# propane tanks ! :lol:

Did you guys know that it is illegal to transport a refilled 1 lb disposable propane canister ?

:rockon: Verdesardog :rockon:

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Re: More camper shenanigans

Post by verdesardog » Wed Sep 06, 2017 9:51 am

Wow! that grill would be the prefect candidate for a"fire in a can" idea.
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TwinStick

Re: More camper shenanigans

Post by TwinStick » Mon Sep 11, 2017 5:56 pm

Ok, just got back from the trip. Everything went great. Got 9.9 mpg going there with the wind, on the h-way. Got 9.0 mpg on the way back, into the wind & 1/2 way on 2ndary roads & 1/2 on h-way. Truck used 1/4 qt of oil after we got home (due to the high rpms pulling all the hills on Rt 20). Kept it around 60 mph. Rear diff stayed around 175*F. Camper hubs were much better too, stayed around 100*f, as did the trucks. They had some firewood there @ $5 per small bundle. We bought 4 bundles. Used 1 bag of charcoal & 1 bundle of wood each night. Nice park. Pics are uploading, stand by.
Last edited by TwinStick on Mon Sep 11, 2017 9:56 pm, edited 2 times in total.

TwinStick

Re: More camper shenanigans

Post by TwinStick » Mon Sep 11, 2017 7:11 pm

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TwinStick

Re: More camper shenanigans

Post by TwinStick » Wed Oct 04, 2017 8:58 pm

So, after a few camping trips with the wife not sleeping well, my investigation started. Turns out, because our camper was so well made, in America, apparently by meth heads, that the head of the bed was about an inch or 2 lower than the foot of the bed, even when the camper is dead level. So, we spent the last 3 days removing the bed platform, modifying it, strengthening it, adding 3 pairs of hinges in addition to the cheap factory hinges (to access the storage space underneath the bed). Now the head of the bed is slightly higher than the foot of the bed, by about 2", when the camper is dead level. Quite a project. Hoping this helps her sleep better. When the spouse don't sleep, no one is happy. Camper is winterized & ready for the cold.

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Re: More camper shenanigans

Post by Retired BLM Rig » Thu Oct 05, 2017 2:01 am

TwinStick wrote:Camper is winterized & ready for the cold.
I once lived in a town that had the local fairgrounds for the county and they would rent out the empty exhibition buildings during the winter months to local residence to store their RV's for an extremely reasonable price. IDK if you have anything like that where you live, but it might save you from having anymore unexpected surprises in the springtime when you open up your camper. Just a thought. :patriot:

TwinStick

Re: More camper shenanigans

Post by TwinStick » Thu Oct 05, 2017 10:23 am

Good idea.........but , Yeah, don't think i would be down for that around here. All farming communities. They store grain & hay at the fairgrounds for the following season sometimes, which = rodents by the hundreds. :lol:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWVw-j8eYSk

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Re: More camper shenanigans

Post by olyelr » Tue Oct 10, 2017 12:21 am

Holy shit thats an insanely large amount of mice!
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:patriot:

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Re: More camper shenanigans

Post by TwinStick » Thu Jun 21, 2018 11:39 pm

Just got back from another camping trip. Went to Ithaca NY. Stayed at Robert H Freeman State Park. Got there fine, got to site & :wtf: , I had to put it in there sideways with the road. Murphy's Law came with us. The only way I could put the camper into the spot was to jack-knife it in. Trucks front tires were in the ditch. Then, come to find out the :angry: Power pole was 80' away. My cord is only 30'. Went back to office. They had a 50' 30amp extension cord they let me borrow-that was cool. I told them that they should label those sites "unique & add that we need to bring a 50' 30 amp extension with us---I just got lucky because they only had the 1 e-cord but there were 3 sites like that. Go back, get set up. I wasn't sure I could even use the awning because we were so close to the road. Wife says lets try it & see. I press the button on the fancy electric awning to extend it--------nothing, nada, zip. :excited: :wtf: :angry: Well, no awning. Then the next door neighbors friggin beagle starts barking. Really...really.... what kind of inconsiderate :angry: M-F'er brings a beagle that constantly barks, to a public campgrounds (where people go to relax) & just lets it bark all friggin day ? Anyways, our daughter & a couple of her friends also camped there in their tent at a different site. We had fun, made the best of it. They did some hiking with the wife. She was sore as hell the next day. I did a 2 mile hike with them the next day. Now I am sore as hell. So, day after the hike, I am sitting at the picnic table, eating dinner & I look at the truck & think....was my exhaust pipe that turned down before ? Nope---it was not, grabbed onto it & lifted & it was a swingin' free. Yes sir, completely broke off at rear of muffler. So, after dinner I crawled under to inspect. Muffler is also shot & just barely hanging on...hangers were almost rusted through. So, daughter took me to Tractor supply for some fence wire & to Harbor Freight for some cutters & pliers. Spent the rest of the night wiring the shit out of everything, so if it did let go, it wouldn't fall off & be run over by the camper & do even more damage. Other than that,Truck did great. Averaged 8.7 mpg with the air on. Stayed around 65-68 mph on the way down, rear diff temp was reading around 170*F. Went around 70-75 on the way back, rear diff temp was 185-190*F. I also noticed that my camper wheel bearings stay around 105*F at 65 mph but it jumped to 150*F when I bumped it up to 70-75 mph. I repacked them myself, both inner & outer, with high quality blue Valvoline full synthetic wheel bearing grease. Exhaust stayed on all the way home. There is a new T-409 Stainless Steel one on the way to my door.

Got home & began my investigation of the awning fail. No blown fuses. Watched some you-tube video's on it. Went to camper store to get new switch & a new sewer cap. Ours cracked right at one of the hold-on tabs but it did hold all the way home. While there I jaw-jacked with one of the service workers, showed him pics & he told me just how to do it. The switches are known to go bad eventually, so he said it is good to have one on hand anyways-even if the one in there now is good. So, $20 later & I am on my way home. Get home, get the ladder out & get to it. So, it goes slick, now that I know how to do it. Manually extend ( a 7/16" deep well socked on my Ridgid impact driver) the awning out enough to get a screw driver in behind it. Get it apart & WHOA :excited: WASPS !!! I did manage to successfully stay on the ladder & maintain a somewhat dignified level of calmness under the circumstances, while I calmly told the wife to grab the hornet spray. Wasps all dead, I took a peek around the front of motor & gears. I could not believe that such a small wasps nest stopped it from working. Literally one about as big as a quarter & another about the size of a nickel. Cleaned em out, Fluid Filmed up all the gears real good, wifey hit the button & presto---it works again. I am a happy man. Some of those video's were saying $1000+ to have a camper place repair a non-working elec awning. No motor or gears on the other end but I took the cover off just the same for inspection. WHOA !!!!!!!!!!!!! MANY more wasps & much bigger nests. More hornet spray, all dead. Fluid Film & closed it up. Works like a champ. The bonus is: I know wasps/bees hate the smell/feel of Fluid Film & do not like it on their feet either. So, hopefully no more wasps in there.

:cheers:

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Re: More camper shenanigans

Post by RustyPW » Fri Jun 22, 2018 12:59 am

You had a fun day like I did. :lol: For the last 2 years. Everytime I unwinterized the motorhome in the spring. I've been having problems with the hot water. My tank is both electric and propane. No issue with either getting the water hot. What the problem is after you turn on the hot water at the sink. The water will be hot for a minute or so. Then goes cold. Traced the issue to the mixing valve on the hot water tank. The way the system works is.The hot water tank heats to and stays at 180F. When you want hot water. The hot water goes through the mixing valve and gets mixed with cold water. There is an adjustment on the valve that you can set what temp you want at the sink. The problem is that scale from sitting empty builds up inside the valve gumming up the works. So today, I spent about 4 hours tearing the valve apart and cleaning the inside of it. Now I have hot water anytime. :rockon: I like it when a plan comes together. :lol:
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TwinStick

Re: More camper shenanigans

Post by TwinStick » Thu Jun 28, 2018 7:20 pm

:secret: Got my HD shackle kit with greasable bolts & my never fail bushings for the camper today. Factory shackles are about 3/16" thick at MOST. These are 1/2" thick. Will install as time/weather permits.

:cheers:

TwinStick

Re: More camper shenanigans

Post by TwinStick » Thu Jul 12, 2018 12:45 am

Shackles are on, bronze bushings came with them (to replace the just about worn through in less than 1000 miles white plastic bushings, so thin you could see through some spots). I realized they had no bushing around the top shackle bolt, it really didn't need one but it was useless to have a grease-able bolt there........ :idea: A quick trip to HD & i bought some black pipe, cut it to length & wah-lah, now I can grease it as well. Exhaust is on. My wife now has a new appreciation for my DIY projects----she helped me in the 95* heat, for 2 days, putting it on, hahahaha :lol: Ended up cutting off the 3" rusted part of rear tail pipe & re-using the stock piece. Only part that was rusted was where it broke. SS from cat back. Parts said Dyno-Max or Dyno-Flow on them, can't remember which. Truck sounds really good when it gets to 3k & over. Towing the camper again next week. Going fairly local for a week.

:cheers:

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Re: More camper shenanigans

Post by RustyPW » Thu Jul 12, 2018 5:34 pm

Just wait until your toilet won't hold water and you have to replace the gasket at the ball. :roll:
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My build thread. http://forum.powerwagonregistry.org/vie ... =13&t=2826 :cash: :cash:

Moab '09, '10, '12, '14.
Rausch Creek - Summer '10, Spring-Fall '11, Spring '12, Summer '13, Summer '14, Summer '15, Summer '16, Summer '17, Summer '18, Summer '20, Summer '22,
AOAA Summer '19.

Russ
NRA - Benefactor, Golden Eagle. :lockedandloaded:

TwinStick

Re: More camper shenanigans

Post by TwinStick » Sat Jul 21, 2018 4:39 pm

You must have a fancy toilet. Mine is just a slide lever, flat plastic with rubber seal. I am sure they are all a PITA to replace though. Toilet work is never fun. :roll:

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Re: More camper shenanigans

Post by RustyPW » Sat Jul 21, 2018 9:16 pm

TwinStick wrote:
Sat Jul 21, 2018 4:39 pm
You must have a fancy toilet. Mine is just a slide lever, flat plastic with rubber seal. I am sure they are all a PITA to replace though. Toilet work is never fun. :roll:
Got my parts in the other day. So today, I torn the toilet apart. New rubber seal, flush ball, and base gasket. Took about hour and a half to do. It now holds water, and no more smell. :rockon: The old flush ball had 3 long scratches in it. Those were allowing water to leak out under the seal. And the seal seen better days. Think I know what happen. The wifey uses soft scrub pad with a handle. The instructions that came with the toilet said don't use soft scrub, and some other products. :doh:
PWOC #53
2008 POWER WAGON RC

My build thread. http://forum.powerwagonregistry.org/vie ... =13&t=2826 :cash: :cash:

Moab '09, '10, '12, '14.
Rausch Creek - Summer '10, Spring-Fall '11, Spring '12, Summer '13, Summer '14, Summer '15, Summer '16, Summer '17, Summer '18, Summer '20, Summer '22,
AOAA Summer '19.

Russ
NRA - Benefactor, Golden Eagle. :lockedandloaded:

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