tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50596808820617491902024-03-12T21:46:20.647-07:00The Long Hauler: Vintage RV'ingd.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5059680882061749190.post-70649606826568387232023-10-06T16:10:00.000-07:002023-10-06T16:10:10.057-07:00Wow. Just Wow on how time flies! <p> It's been about 2 years since I've posted on this website vs. the UToob video channel and I'm shocked how time passes. </p><p>Since that time, we've gotten new jobs, prepped to finish renovations of the house, looked around for a new house and all that goes with it. RV'ing aside, the drama of finishing our house we lived in for 18 years to put on the market and searching for a place we can go to was.... at the very least: Challenging!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qGSTf0loVvpjMszPiKjgEXGVZLYRGcE-usJnPoMztKZz1kha431ZsMr0Lj3JrqLRRKg3XTnVwa1VjKwio2xo1LeJcFfxpWQvMwMncoAl6ISO-llzMc86YLfZS1ZWw6Xd-PTyl5rBelGP3Dp3BFKRf-5eL9cKkz4zOK21iyPE56rovpHNomSdjPnBwqly/s4608/20230827_131246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="4608" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qGSTf0loVvpjMszPiKjgEXGVZLYRGcE-usJnPoMztKZz1kha431ZsMr0Lj3JrqLRRKg3XTnVwa1VjKwio2xo1LeJcFfxpWQvMwMncoAl6ISO-llzMc86YLfZS1ZWw6Xd-PTyl5rBelGP3Dp3BFKRf-5eL9cKkz4zOK21iyPE56rovpHNomSdjPnBwqly/w403-h227/20230827_131246.jpg" width="403" /></a></div><p>This is a view of our new house, such as it is....it's certainly matching our RV paint scheme: Brown and Antique White. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>d.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5059680882061749190.post-26545467279469103802021-01-03T17:14:00.001-08:002021-01-03T17:14:19.065-08:00Goodbye 2020....Hello 2021! <p>Welcome to 2021! After so much crazy these last 9 months just about everyone is looking forward to a new year. We managed to get at least one road trip to the Myrtle Beach KOA in February before all this happened <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okLnXp0Y3Uo" target="_blank">Myrtle Beach Trip: Part 1 of 2 </a></p><p>Despite a minor transmission issue we knew could happen ( and the driver forgot to put the parts in the glove box...) so Valentine's Day morning was spent waiting for the repair shop to help us out....</p><p>It was a bit cool down there but the place wasn't crowded! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wUNiTJQ8zo" target="_blank">Myrtle Beach Trip: Part 2 of 2</a></p><p>Some things we'd like to do this year:</p><p>1) Travel out West! We've done the repeated I-95 trips to the south and while the Cape Hatteras trip is one the kids DO want to do because we did it in the LH1 the died in FL and the KOA there was really cool. </p><p>2) Get the dashboard monitor and other electronic bits installed. </p><p>3) Replace the old hot water heater and upgrade the plumbing.</p><p>4) Have a somewhat uneventful trip with regards to break-downs or other RV drama.</p><p> Some destinations the kids are asking about are the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Route 66...I don't think we'll be making it all the way to the West Coast until we get more confident regarding the electrical ghosts and stuff like that.</p><p> </p><p>Happy, Safe and Healthy RV'ing Folks!! <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: black;"></span><br /></p>d.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5059680882061749190.post-30284078150431722892020-05-16T11:13:00.003-07:002020-05-16T11:13:44.322-07:00The Shocking Truth...Can't let a good or bad pun go unused here.... We'll as you may have noticed from the UTube channel I crawled under the rig to trace some wires and came across a rather disturbing, shocking if you will, situation.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRZY2X5aOHo" target="_blank">UTube Video of the Shocks</a><br />
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Turns out at some point my new KYB Air shocks busted their upper mounts right off and were just hanging around. Great. Just great. The original shocks were replaced (see my earlier posts on here) and there were no air bags. Just the leaf springs. So, with the right shocks I should have had a great ride and I did!!! I suspect that during one of the trips to the truck shop someone lifted the RV up, dropping the axle and over-extending the shocks. I never heard any noise or hit a big pothole or bump on our trips to cause this. That's my story anyway.....<br />
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So, with that going on I pulled the shocks out, re-welded the mounts (fun that was!!!) and installed new KYB shocks. Also ordered a air-bag kit but the Firestone one turns out is on BACKORDER TILL NOVEMBER!!!<br />
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Okay then! It's onto Air Lift kits then. Same as the front springs so it's somewhat fitting (HA!) that I get the same for the back.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Air Lift 88203 kit for Chevy P30's from 1966 till about 1990. Hope to see this show up soon!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Re-welded shock mounts. Put such a weld bead on there it should never budge! Careful not to set fire to the foam that Tiffin sprays ALL OVER the underside....</td></tr>
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Never a dull moment with this RV! Always a learning experience as long as it's not as extreme as the Tioga.....I'll be posting up a video for this install and the Escape from NY trip in the next week or so! <br />
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As always folks: Safe, Happy and Healthy RV'ing!!!<br />
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<br />d.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5059680882061749190.post-5122696211467624122020-05-16T10:35:00.002-07:002020-05-16T10:35:40.384-07:00Chasing the Ghosts in the MachineHello all from Lockdown Central! It's been 2 months but it seems like 4.... Well, the upgrade work and repairs continue. Had one of those facepalm moments yesterday when tracking down the 110v no-power issue. Forgot about a little grey box under the kitchen sink cabinet. Yep. Transfer switch capacitor is blown. A little part gave up and the switch won't work except on shore power. Will have to remember to check it first (and also remember where it was!!) if this happens.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See that little silver object that looks cracked open (and the clear plastic cover just above and to the right)?? Yep, blown capacitor on the transfer switch! </td></tr>
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So, that should resolve the issue with no genset power! In the mean time I have a new 30 amp genset breaker, new main breaker, GFI outlet.....and I found out what it looks like under the back bed. Need some more sound insulation around the generator and will do that before putting the plywood deck back on.<br />
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I found one of the better deals on-line at: <a href="http://30 amp Transfer Switch" target="_blank"> https://www.adventurerv.net/progressive-dynamics-auto-transfer-switch-relay-system-amp-p-5033.html?osCsid=rs0jsr6ebmf02hdkbg66hl0ap3</a><br />
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With this hopefully having a fix on the way, now it's time to attempt to wrap up the other issues I've found on the RV. While I don't mind fixing old, broken stuff on the RV I DO mind having to replace stuff I replaced already!!! More about that later....<br />
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Be sure to watch my UTube channel! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdgb2L7-3PdFa2TprgsaaVQ/" target="_blank">The Vintage RV'er</a><br />
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Thanks for reading! Safe, Happy and Healthy RV'ing Everyone! <br />
<br />d.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5059680882061749190.post-60009482473303650222020-04-28T16:03:00.000-07:002020-04-28T16:03:29.693-07:00Week 7 of the Stay-at-Home Adventure: Some Thoughts About the FutureIt's been a while and some things I have noticed are how quiet things are even in town. I just remembered that the aircraft traffic is just about at a standstill -- very much like after 9-11 if you recall. I still remember that week after, being at the south shore of Lake Ontario and seeing NO contrails at all in the sky where I was used to seeing the NY/ Toronto/ Montreal/ Chicago air traffic each day. <br />
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Strange I didn't notice that before but I guess it's because 9-11 kind of snuck up on us as a sucker punch type of event. This one is just a lingering, "here we goooooo....." one.<br />
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Work on the RV is progressing but I still have to balance doing that vs. the day job and my second job and not get too far behind on either of those. Glad to have employment because there are some folks that are unemployed and even worse, may not get their old jobs back. So for that I doubly-glad to have a job.<br />
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I've spent some of that time redoing some of my channel and came up with a basic logo for the branding below...<br />
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Kind of a primitive graphic of the top of an old RV and using the colors of my old Allegro (Orange and Brown).<br />
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I've been trying some new things on the videos on the UTube channel and found out about copyright, even if you use what you're told are royalty-free music on the channel. Will have to redo those even though I don't monetize my channel at all. Just don't like doing that to folks. Darn you Windows 10 Video Maker!!!!<br />
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Parts for the next project I hope to get done before we head out on the next Long Haul road trip later this year. The RV has the original (still working to some extent!) Brisk-Air A/C unit on top but she's 33 years old and I can't imagine that efficient.....<br />
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So, if we're going to go there..... Hat tip to Chris on my UTube Channel for reminding me that it's always a good idea to install one of these start capacitors on any large appliance. This buffers the start-up amperage so you don't blow a fuse or drop voltage so much you cause other issues with your RV electrical. This also helps save your appliance by delivering the maximum electrical 'punch' at start up the unit needs to get going. Cheap at about $14 to order and save an expensive appliance like the A/C. <br />
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And where would we be without having to order the $85 internal control panel because it's not included in the purchase of the new rooftop A/C unit. That would just be crazy, wouldn't it??? I guess many who buy the new unit are doing so because the old one crapped out but come on, wouldn't offering a package install deal be a good thing? Unless you are trying to discourage DYI RV owners... <br />
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The last 'bit' is the optional heating coil unit for the Dometic A/C. Now, I have a working furnace but for about $70 I think it's worth having in the RV as the back up, don't you??<br />
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Thanks for reading. If you like to watch stuff, check out the UTube channel by looking my up as: <br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdgb2L7-3PdFa2TprgsaaVQ?view_as=subscriber" target="_blank">Dan the Vintage RV'er </a><br />
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As always..... Happy, Safe and Healthy RV'ing!!d.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5059680882061749190.post-10544565141294176972020-04-23T17:45:00.001-07:002020-04-28T17:16:16.103-07:00That Which Shall Not Be Named.....Projects and Plans for 2020Hey Everyone!<br />
Been focusing on the YouTube channel for a while, getting some projects dun while told to stay home during this period in history. Luckily between my day job and my practice I've managed to stay financially afloat.<br />
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This blog had always been a way to post up photos and get some thoughts out that I hadn't done on the other channel and I'd like to keep some things here in scrapbook format vs. trying to polish up things for UTube.<br />
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Anyway, got lots of things going on now that the LH2 is effectively dry-docked so the Dometic fridge is getting a MAJOR makeover with gaskets, burners, igniters, etc. along with a redo of the enclosure that was rotting away. This series of videos can be found at the UTube channel.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdgb2L7-3PdFa2TprgsaaVQ" target="_blank">The Vintage RV'er</a><br />
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We managed to get a trip on Myrtle Beach, SC in February before all this COVID crap hit the fan. The videos are here and yes, we did encounter some mechanical issues but we fixed em up and kept going!! Lessons learned from past trips.<br />
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This was the trip down in mid February and the camping time down there and trip back is below:<br />
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Can't wait to get the fix-it projects done on the Long Hauler 2 so we can look forward to road trips once this lockdown is lifted.<br />
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Be Safe, Be Well and Stay Healthy!!!<br />
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<br />d.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5059680882061749190.post-50238995423872881072020-03-01T19:39:00.001-08:002020-03-01T19:39:50.589-08:00What's that Sound? Everybody look what's going down!What's going down? My tire wear, that's what going down! I finally committed to buying a set of Centramatic dynamic wheel balancers for the RV.<br />
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Now, what are these things? How can a ring of metal bearings balance out a tire? SCIENCE.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ullnFQD4F1I" target="_blank">Dynamic Wheel Balancing</a><br />
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That's what I've just installed to deal with the crappy lead balancers that fell off the first trip. After a couple of long trips the noise became noticeable to me at highway speeds. Not cool. The video I've posted to YouTube shows the difference in the LH2 after installing these. No more vibrations, rattles of the stove and other items in the RV. Pretty neat!<br />
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Glad to see that this product does what it says it does! For the cost of what, 2 Cooper tires for the RV, I get several benefits for the RV. Check out the install and test drive video below!<br />
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<a href="https://youtu.be/uxkRJ1r0Yrg" target="_blank">The Long Hauler gets Centramatic Balancers!</a><br />
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Next projects are fixing up the electrical, wiper/washers, and rear-end gear swap to get better cruising on the highways!<br />
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Thanks for watching and to all of you out there, Happy and Safe RV'ing! d.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5059680882061749190.post-60885660755856663462020-02-23T19:47:00.001-08:002020-02-23T19:47:31.720-08:00Kick Down! Fixing the TH400 shifting issuesIt seems that the PO did some deletions to the transmission to get rid of the kick-down feature on the RV. Not sure why except some think that it's annoying when you floor the pedal and then the RV shifts down a gear (and on a 3 speed that can be somewhat disconcerting!). When climbing hills or trying to pass something (also up a hill) you may need that kick-down option.<br />
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Now, this later Chevy has the activation switch near the gas pedal (accelerator) instead of a switch and cable setup found on early Chevy's where the switch was near the carburetor. Basically the idea is that once you floor the go pedal, a switch is flipped that allows for activation of a solenoid in the transmission to shift down one gear for the time you have the pedal depressed that far.<br />
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I looked under the dashboard to see what I had near the accelerator and there was that GM kick-down switch! I pushed the pedal down as far as I could with my hand and could not activate that switch. It would take considerable pressure on the pedal by my foot to get that switch to move! First issue found. The other one is making sure the wiring is hooked up to that part of the transmission to allow the voltage to activate the solenoid. Have not checked that yet but I recall a wire hanging loose near there.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the Allegro's setup with the switch set in a way that you have to REALLY punch the gas to get it to move. Purple wire is 12V source and orange goes to the shift terminal on the TH400. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stock photo showing a shiny plug in the place of the terminal lead to activate the shift solenoid that's accessed by dropping the transmission pan. Hope that part is still there and working!!!</td></tr>
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Here are pics of the gas pedal switch, wires and a stock photo showing where the plug should be on the transmission. This plug photo works better showing the location than almost any one with the terminal lead on the dirty and grimy transmissions.<br />
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I'll update this once I get the connections adjusted, including putting a section of hose around the switch post to get it to activate a bit sooner... tip I found on-line!<br />
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d.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5059680882061749190.post-81526288198173820222020-02-20T19:57:00.000-08:002020-02-20T19:57:50.935-08:00The RV Laundry List: What do you fix on your RV?The last Road Trip to Myrtle Beach (a 1600 mile round trip, by the way) helped sort out some issues on the RV. Some of which are:<br />
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1) Vibration due to tire noise and imbalance.<br />
2) Removal of washer hoses for wipers by PO<br />
3) Running the 454 engine at 3K+ for the trip to keep at highway speeds.<br />
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Those are the major issues we encountered on our last trip. The first one is going to be mitigated by a company called Centramatic. This company builds dynamic balancing rings that fit on the tire hubs and counteract the imbalance of the tires at all times.<br />
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Their website can be found here: <a href="http://www.centramatic.com/">www.centramatic.com</a><br />
I bought two sets, one for the front steering wheels and one for the drive wheels. We shall see how it improves the ride. Any reduction in vibration during our trips will be welcome.<br />
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The second issue will have to be dealt with by getting new hoses and nozzles for the wipers. The pump and tank are sitting under the hood, awaiting reconnection. Based on the this last trip with the salt and spray build-up on the windshield, I can't wait for a fix.<br />
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The last issue has been a matter of debate. Do you pay 3K for a Gear Vendors unit to get you overdrive and some mid gears you don't really need? Do you pay 2K for an R700 4 speed tranny to get overdrive and different gears for the shifts? Or, do you decide to get new rear end gears without disturbing RV owners and have a shop slip in the new 3.73 gears to replace the 4.10 ones you have now and drop cruising rpm by 300-400 rpm? <br />
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This may require both. I've ordered the dynamic balancers and am working on a shop that will do the read end swap. Stay tuned!<br /><br />d.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5059680882061749190.post-34268229448720651292020-02-11T19:35:00.001-08:002020-02-11T19:35:59.831-08:00Wintertime RV tasksIt's winter for all intents and purposes here in Western NY. For RV's that means checking out systems, keeping batteries topped up and making sure that all the things that work in above-freezing temps are protected for the next camping season.<br />
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Check out my UTube channel for all the latest videos of me attempting to keep the rig in good shape while working 2 jobs.<br />
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Here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdgb2L7-3PdFa2TprgsaaVQ?view_as=subscriber" target="_blank">The Vintage RV'er Channel</a><br />
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After a close call with the better-half deciding that it would be best to sell the Long Hauler, we've decided to plan some extra trips with the kids and really just kick back and enjoy the experience (okay, the "experience" has been mechanical break-downs, leaving the last RV in Floriday and driving back in a rented van....) so we have come PTSD issues to work out each time we head out on the road.<br />
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The next trip is back to one of our old stomping grounds during the ill-fated road trip with the LH1. Myrtle Beach.<br />
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Here's the map:<br />
<a href="https://goo.gl/maps/sEv8zciuSBmcUH9C8" target="_blank">2020 Trip Map to Myrtle Beach</a><br />
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I'm checking off items on my to-do list such as re-clamping the sway bar link (done!), changing the oil (will do tomorrow am....) and other stuff to make sure the experience is as drama-free as possible.<br />
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Good night all! Happy and Safe RV'ing! d.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5059680882061749190.post-38997552051844694612019-09-01T19:58:00.001-07:002019-09-26T21:09:31.097-07:00Figuring out MPG/ KPL and all that stuff....With a rig as big as our Allegro, the issue of fuel economy comes up on almost every trip. With gas over $3US per gallon any increase in efficiency is welcome.<br />
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Okay, I spent some time and money rebuilding the carb and on the trip up to the 1000 Islands the economy seemed to be pretty good. Nearly 10 mpg is nothing to sneeze at. On the trip back the mpg decidedly took a steep dip down back into the old 6.5 mpg range.<br />
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Well.... there may be a reason for that. I just moved the RV around in the driveway and spotted quite the trail along the pavement. So much so that I tracked it down and felt that it might even be a safety hazard. I did find a leak right after the Carter fuel pump and the cracked hose was spraying gas all over the LP tank!!!! No kidding! I took a picture of it.<br />
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The yellow oval shows the hose and on the left is the actual spray while the pump is working!!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Carter fuel pump on order to replace the original one above. Brackets and all. </td></tr>
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Since the pump is likely original (33 years young) and the associated connectors, I decided to just order and replace the pump and hoses.<br />
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Here are pics of the parts on order. A YouTube vid will be available for the install.<br />
View the later video of the fuel pump, filter and line replacement this weekend. Got a decent boost of performance with this work duns!<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7QCZqd2Cm8" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7QCZqd2Cm8" target="_blank">Replaced Fuel Pump and lines....</a><br />
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UPDATE: After driving the RV and working on getting the ONAN to start remotely again with the cheap carb replacement I had an incident last evening that could have ended in disaster. What I thought was the fuel flow needle valve managed to vibrate loose and come completely out of the carb. This was in reality just a brass bolt plug at the base of the carb (no fuel flow allowed I guess) and when performing my regular start-up for the genset it managed to just come out and land on the genset. This allowed a substantial amount of fuel to spill out onto the genset, all over the genset exhaust on onto the ground. Luckily I smelled the gas and shut the genset down. I felt around where I could see the fuel leaking and realized that bolt had fallen out! I new O ring, copper crush washer and Red Locktite solved this issue.<br />
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Be safe out there and always check, test and keep an eye on your RV systems!! You can never be sure when old, original parts will give out. Glad this happened in the driveway and not on the road.<br />
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UPDate: I've done a couple of shorter trips in the RV. The last one was about 40 miles and I averaged about 9 MPG on this one. I would say that the conditions have improved over the last trip with the leaky fuel lines. If this is something to look for the tank could have 576 miles per fill up in the future. Not betting on it but it's a goal worth going for!<br />
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<br />d.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5059680882061749190.post-59645044767167305922019-08-13T18:12:00.001-07:002019-08-13T18:12:29.424-07:00Months later in 2019 and a Long delayed trip....The Summer of 2019 has just about ended and we've had little opportunity to take the LH2 out for a trip this season. What with the carburetor issue, now mostly resolved so she's running well but maybe not at top form as she could be, and some other minor stuff to deal with; we are ready to head out-of-country this time! Or so we think. video of that effort on the re-install of the rebuilt carb is below:<br />
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It will be interesting to see how the MPG improves on this trip vs. the big road trip of the holiday season. Remember we got about 6.7 mpg on the Florida trip including the daily driving to and from the parks that time and running the generator pretty much the entire time to keep the fridge, a/c and tv going.<br />
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One of the latest upgrades was to redo the marker lights and correct for some uninstalled side signal lights as well as tweaking the shift indicator switch I had to swap out in FL because of a no-start issue on the road that panicked the DW and me, too!<br />
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Video of this marker light work can be seen on this link:<br />
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I've been focusing on the YouTube channel much more over the past few months and nearly forgot about the blogsite, so my apologies for those looking for new posts here. It's been far too long but as a lame excuse, we haven't taken a trip in the LH2 since the last trip blog..... </div>
<br />d.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5059680882061749190.post-54043327457595453532019-01-30T16:09:00.000-08:002019-01-30T16:09:00.703-08:00RV Long Haul UPGradesAfter getting back from our 3K+ road trip to FL the Gear Vendors overdrive unit is looking more and more attractive. Not just from the MPG improvement at highway cruise but with the hill-climbing issues of do you do 3rd gear or scream the engine in 2nd when going up hills? Oh the fun of it all! Driving through PA and VA with the 2 lane roads going over as many hills as possible and around a curve to boot left me wanting a better way to drive than going 40mph in second. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rear end ring and pinion swaps may work for smaller vehicles not towing anything. </td></tr>
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Okay, for folks looking into this upgrade take note. 1) I looked at swapping out the rear end to a lower ratio from 4.10 to something like 3.73 to get the highway cruising. Cost was about $900 for parts/ labor. However, the swap would also leave me with the risk of NOT being able to tow anything ever and also stressing the transmission on hill-climbing anyway due to the shift in rear end ratio... OK 2)installing a rebuilt 700R4 transmission. Cost? About $1600 to get the tranny, install and fitting it in with possible driveshaft alteration. Now, this also means my shifter would need alteration to deal with the 4 vs. 3 speed automatic. Likely would never be able to manually select 1st gear. Also, the 700R has a tendency to blow up on heavy duty installs. 3) install a Gear Vendor overdrive unit for about $3400. Holy cow! So it's double the most expensive option so what the heck??<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swap a 4 speed and all is good, right? Maybe not if it's not rated for heavy duty...</td></tr>
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I'll tell you why this is not as crazy as it seems. OK, it is crazy but when you want a bit more for your money you look a bit closer.<br />
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What do you want to accomplish? Better mpg on the highway on long trips? A way to hill climb without frying your engine or tranny? When cruising you are not stressing out your engine at 3K rpms all day long. A better way to control shifting for just about any road condition without having to depend on the 3 speeds and kick-down alone? Something else to fiddle with and occupy your time while driving your rig? Come on, if you could drop a 5 or 6 speed manual into your old class A you would seriously consider it. I would if my arms were longer.....<br />
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I have looked into the Gear Vendor unit needed for our RV and it's not a motor home one due to the Chevy chassis we have. That saves a few hundred on the costs. The install involves taking off the transmission rear housing, installing an adapter along with the overdrive unit, then altering the driveshaft to fit. If you understand basic mechanics and have some help this can be done.<br />
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So, you've decided to go for it. What is the basic payback on this unit? Well, that depends on how much traveling you do and where. If you just look at mileage savings (they say this unit improves mpg by 23%) then from a fuel cost it would take the LH2 (getting 6.5mpg) getting close to 8 mpg and with the size fuel tank (64 gallons) that would figure to about 100 extra miles per tank. So, instead of going 416 miles on a full tank you could go 516 miles. With about $2.30 gallon you spend about $150 a tank full. So much MATH! If you took our trip to FL at 3200 miles total that's like 6 tanks vs. 7.7 tanks or about 1.7 tanks of gas for a total of $225. The more costly the gas, the quicker the payback. I spent an average of 2.60 gallon on the trip.<br />
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A unit like this would take about 12 trips to pay for itself just on gas savings alone. Seems like a crazy expense but when you look at the wear and tear on an engine that has to run at 3K rpm for a long trip without it then it's not so bad.<br />
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As with any upgrade the cost vs. the benefits may not be as easy to figure out and sometimes its really up to how you use your RV or plan to use it that my make that decision.<br />
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Happy and Safe RV'ing all!d.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5059680882061749190.post-13401188324941626002019-01-03T18:07:00.001-08:002020-02-11T19:37:34.280-08:00We Made It!! Road Trip 2.0 Recap!Alrighty Folks! We pulled into the home base this late afternoon, just about on schedule and a day early to boot! I'll be crunching all the numbers to right now the basics are this:<br />
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Total miles logged: 3,243.4 miles.<br />
Total gallons of gas consumed: 495.8<br />
Average MPG: 6.54<br />
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That's about 10 days in a really nice hotel for one room and we normally need two rooms for the entire family so this actually worked out. Not as well as I'd like it to be but that is for another upgrade project.<br />
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Two options going forward are the Gear Vendor's overdrive unit and/or a retrofit EFI unit to replace the carb. Each and both are being looked into.<br />
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We arrived in FL at our KOA and set out over the next two days to see EPCOT and Universal in marathon days of walking and ride taking. So much walking and waiting at the rides. Ticket prices were insane but they get people like us to pay...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This ride averaged 50 mins wait. Too much for the crew after a long day at EPCOT. Guess we'll never know what tomorrow will be like....</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of one of the EPCOT lakes before we make our tour of the countries. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Universal the next day. Harry Potter world in Daigon Alley. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gringott's Bank with the dragon strapped to the top. Where is PETA when you need them??</td></tr>
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Now, here are some pics of the trip back home with some descriptions for each. The walking tour of the St. Augustine Colonial Quarter was interesting. St. George Street and the "original" city area was great to walk through and experience. The kids got to walk all around the fort but couldn't get inside because of the govt shutdown but still it was pretty cool.<br />
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We decided after heading down to the outlaws for a visit that we would squeeze in one last mini-vacation stop before doing the big drive up the east coast back home. That was St. Augustine for New Years and I have to thank the folks at the St. Augustine KOA for making that happen on such short notice. We wound up with 2 nights there at an event that some told me they reserved 6 months in advance. Dumb luck or just redemption for the bad events of 2015 but I'll take it....<br />
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This is just part of the 30 plus minute fireworks/ music show at the 16th Street pier around 8:30 pm. Great crowd and lots of vendors there to feed you. There were bounce houses for the kids but don't expect a full carnival setup with rides. Still good to get to with buses provided by the city from local parking areas and malls. Glad to have experienced it first-hand for 2019. A really good way to come back from being stranded in a broken RV in 2015 I can tell you! The City really kept the peace with a good law enforcement presence and making sure everyone knew what was OK and not.<br />
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The trip back north after that consisted of a 11 hour drive up as far north as we could until we parked overnite at a Pilot truck stop north of Rocky Mount NC then headed to see family MD. Over-nighting there and then the 7 hour drive back home. <br />
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Glad to have worked out the remaining bugs in the RV and see how she runs over 3K miles and 2 weeks of travel.<br />
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Now we will have to plan another road trip out West! Happy Vintage RV'ing everyone! Stay tuned and be safe out there!<br />
<br />d.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5059680882061749190.post-37785040992694475892018-12-30T18:51:00.001-08:002018-12-30T18:52:04.148-08:00Heading back North: squeezing in a mini New-Year's vaca....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;">Hello everyone! We're on our way back from the outlaws and are working our way north from Florida back up the east coast. We decided to try and make a short stop in St. Augustine for New Years. The folks at the St. Augustine KOA were really cool in helping us find a spot to camp on such short notice. </td><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hEhdFyTQyJQ/XCl3Vh_S0-I/AAAAAAAAVsg/rARPFPyY4VsX-qAsRpYoqSNUlC-0kgKZgCLcBGAs/s320/20181230_131646%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a quick pic at one of two fast food stops before heading into St. Augustine. Heaven forbid we just skip the burger and fries!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We made it to another KOA! Carburetor issues seem to be the main focus of the day... both on the Onan and the 454. </td></tr>
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On the road up from south Florida we experienced the same surging of the engine while cruising on the highway. At the same time, the Onan was continually shutting down so I pulled into a rest area to adjust the Onan's carb and on the way back onto the highway the engine nearly conked out from all the hesitation and backfiring. Nearly all at once, the exhaust barked out a couple of times and she came to life. Drove very well and the vacuum gauge showed a jump of at least 5-6 pounds from what we were getting prior to the blow out. My last math showed we also got about 7.5 mpg compared to the dismal 5.3 mpg on the way down with the carb issues not resolved. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical lineup of campers and RV's when we visit. We're the oldest rig in the place. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beach at St. Augustine near the KOA was just a 3/4 mile walk away. Great day at the end of the year to hit the beach. 80F degrees out and the water was pretty chilly! New Years Festival on the pier tomorrow evening. </td></tr>
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Hope everyone had a good Christmas and best wishes for a Happy New Years in 2019! Thanks for reading and be sure to check out the videos on the YouTube channel under The Vintage RV'er. </div>
<br />d.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5059680882061749190.post-27144508813886101572018-12-24T17:51:00.001-08:002018-12-24T17:51:37.347-08:00Road Trip 2.0: Three Days on the Road....Hello all from Sunny Florida because we managed to make it down here! We spent Saturday heading down and overnighted in a Flying J in VA. That was a cold night! Glad to have the heater working on that night.<br />
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Second day had us heading down into SC were we stopped near Lake Santee, nice KOA there right off I-95. We had much nicer weather and the sunset was wonderful after a somewhat stressful day of stopping for gas only to have the rig do a "click, no-start" right after filling up! Nothing like turning the key and having NOTHING happen.... A battery swap, checking wires, etc. and finally she came back to life for the rest of the trip. Needless to say, I didn't shut her down until we parked at the campground. Next morning, the same. A jump start later we were off for day three.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second evening after that no-start. Glad to have the warmer weather and scenery....</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pulled into Apopka about 20 mins before closing time on Christmas Eve! Glad to have made it! Again, oldest rig in the place!</td></tr>
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If you haven't read the old blog from 2015 where we wound up stranded in FL, you may not appreciate the almost PTSD reaction (would not say it was that because I don't want to insult anyone) from listening to any noise, or blip, anything that could signal a breakdown. The engine hesitation was the newest thing happening but I believe it's due to water in the gas from taking the last fuel from that one station the day before.<br />
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Hoping for better results tomorrow am! The no-start issue appears to be a worn neutral safety switch, fiddling with the gearshift appears to solve the issue. One is available nearby for pick up, so hope that a simple swap later will correct that issue.<br />
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Happy RV'ing All and Merry Christmas and Happy New Years from the Vintage RV'er! Check out the YouTube Channel for video versions of this blog.<br />
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<br />d.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5059680882061749190.post-20912200669275980132018-12-20T20:47:00.001-08:002018-12-21T11:40:55.064-08:00The Weather Outside is Frightful....I've been watching the weather the last few days, just like a flight controller making sure that all systems are go and the conditions are right to launch. Looks like we will just squeak through a narrow window of weather....<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just love seeing this stuff on the web....</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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So I have the destination plugged in for weather and it shows severe thunderstorms in the morning. What???? It's as if Mother Nature has about had it at the end of 2018.<br />
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Okay. so I'm supposed to feel soooo confident driving down into this? Hey, I'm all about into having fun but I lived in FL for 3 years and wasn't so thrilled about the severe weather back in the '80's.<br />
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I guess we will just make sure we drive safely and do what we can to make it to Orlando next week.... d.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5059680882061749190.post-55895414083701184452018-12-17T16:33:00.002-08:002018-12-17T16:33:33.377-08:00T-minus 5 days and Counting! Road Trip 2.0It's just past the middle of December and a couple of big snow events later since the November post. The snow is gone again and I've been busy getting the RV ready to go on the road.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">November snowstorm. About 11 inches that day. Will be glad to have a break from Winter!</td></tr>
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The trip plans are about the same and I'd like to avoid any really big hills on the way down. Don't know if that's going to be possible but will try.<br />
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This blog took a back seat to the YouTube channel the last couple of months, showing the repair and upgrade work being done to get the LH 2 ready to go. Furnace, genset both gave me issues that are now resolved.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along with a fixed furnace and genset is a new set of wheel bling for the road trip! Just like the original ones!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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You can watch the progress here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/drlong08" target="_blank">TheVintageRV'er YouTube Channel</a><br />
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I'll be posting videos of the trip starting Saturday or Sunday (Dec 22-23) if all works as intended. Day 2 is going to be the BIG part of the trip from MD to SC but hope that's on more flat terrain. <br />
<br />d.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5059680882061749190.post-36626223338666168692018-11-07T15:26:00.001-08:002018-11-09T16:17:02.692-08:00Planning Road Trip 2.0.....<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wSvvlLoxHyg/W-NyyRBwvyI/AAAAAAAAVf8/EgP_SMGs0GENt2Yxqmym2Ouzl_lBsBA2wCLcBGAs/s1600/Screenshot_2018-11-07%2BGoogle%2BMaps.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="536" height="298" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wSvvlLoxHyg/W-NyyRBwvyI/AAAAAAAAVf8/EgP_SMGs0GENt2Yxqmym2Ouzl_lBsBA2wCLcBGAs/s400/Screenshot_2018-11-07%2BGoogle%2BMaps.png" width="400" /></a>Here we go! The plans are in motion to do a trip down to Universal Studios Florida ( Yes, the same state that the LH 1 was left over in Daytona). There are a couple of things I want to modify and get set for the trip. One is that rear end swap to what I believe will be a 3:21 ratio and to check out the genset so we can make sure all is up and running during the entire trip.<br />
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Big challenge is find a shop that will do it without me pulling the rear axle off to hand to them.<br />
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I have to admit doing this trip gives me a bit of the willies only because I really don't want a repeat of what happened in 2015. Hard to believe it's been just over 3 years since that insanity. Planning on taking a couple of days to get down there, maybe 3 just to not push things too much.<br />
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More details as the date gets closer! Happy RV'ing all!<br />
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UPDATE:<br />
Been talking to shops and they all have the same concern: if you drastically drop the rear end ratio then you may find you can climb hills that well (uh, have you driven my RV????). I'm not going to tow anything with this RV so I figured it wasn't as big a deal but the more I think of it the more concerned I get. Hey, Pennsylvania has lots of hills and I wind up driving through there a lot. Once you swap the rears you're done -- you're stuck with that ratio no matter what. With an overdrive kit (look them up, not cheap!) you can set it up to go into overdrive in any gear, effectively being able to split gears and with a 3 speed you can simulate 6 gears. Too much for what I'm trying to do and for the same price I could get a totally reconditioned 700R4 transmission (4 speed, overdrive) that gets me cruising speed without cutting the driveshaft or messing with the rear end.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_gkDCTS6-9o/W-Yg8TST3GI/AAAAAAAAVgg/nHJZ3nui5JEDfidOFRHVCcrhOAPkpEK1gCLcBGAs/s1600/700r4_transmission-300x300_thumbnail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="250" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_gkDCTS6-9o/W-Yg8TST3GI/AAAAAAAAVgg/nHJZ3nui5JEDfidOFRHVCcrhOAPkpEK1gCLcBGAs/s400/700r4_transmission-300x300_thumbnail.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A GM 700R4 4 speed transmission unit. This has a final drive of 0.70 which would make a 4.10 rear end act like a 3.20 rear end, boosting cruising efficiency. </td></tr>
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I see websites that say doing this may increase highway mpg 20-30%. Now that may just be overly-optimistic but when you're talking going from 6 mpg to over 7 mpg that saves you about $100 in gas on one 1,200 mile trip to Floriday -- one way. After 6 or 7 trips you've paid for the transmission. Not bad. d.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5059680882061749190.post-80136552266631243152018-08-16T17:18:00.000-07:002018-08-16T17:18:07.614-07:00Getting to know you..We made it back from Lake George and I immediately drove the RV into the<a href="http://www.parmenterinc.com/" target="_blank"> Paramete</a><a href="http://www.parmenterinc.com/" target="_blank">r</a> shop to have them check the brakes. This was after I had them do an alignment for me at really short notice. Got me in and out on time for the trip. After a check of the system they said it was "immaculate" so my fears that some previous owner goofed up my brakes was put to rest.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5ma31WtEqow/W3YQ22A4Z9I/AAAAAAAAU94/minFzhQXZko5inI-XvOOGksUQ67D50XPgCLcBGAs/s1600/yga-24465_hk_ml.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="250" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5ma31WtEqow/W3YQ22A4Z9I/AAAAAAAAU94/minFzhQXZko5inI-XvOOGksUQ67D50XPgCLcBGAs/s400/yga-24465_hk_ml.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ring and pinion: what makes your RV go in the back. Be kind to it at all times.</td></tr>
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Now, with that positive result I gave the go ahead to prep for the rear end gear swap. I've debated on this a long time since the first year of trips and wanting to travel further but not at 5MPG. The RV gets up to speed just fine but the engine RPM is about 3200 at 65mph so that's not really in the optimal range to run a big block 454. I'd love to be in the 1800-2600 range but will settle for a bit on the higher range of that scale.<br />
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The RV has for some reason a 4.10 rear end. That gets me the 3200 RPM at highway speed and I'm happy to know that other Allegros were equipped with 4.88 rear ends (holy cow! that puts you at about 3800 RPM at highway speed! YIKES!). No thank you! At $3 plus a gallon I need to find ways to reduce my fuel consumption at cruise and I'm not expecting to tow anything with this RV.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xZ_DfZradNk/W3YRgFszAQI/AAAAAAAAU-A/l2wwIRIam1wtBcyQ_427Prz6CvUTiuzagCLcBGAs/s1600/gas-pump-regular-premium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="640" height="141" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xZ_DfZradNk/W3YRgFszAQI/AAAAAAAAU-A/l2wwIRIam1wtBcyQ_427Prz6CvUTiuzagCLcBGAs/s320/gas-pump-regular-premium.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obviously sometime early last year with the under $3/gallon for 93. </td></tr>
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After researching on the interwebs I thought I found a 3.55 set but that's only available in the 8.5" diameter set, not the 10.5" set in the RV. The one I found is a 3.42 ratio which would drop the cruising RPM's down to about 2500 or so. Not bad.<br />
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While I don't think that this is the way to substantially increase my mileage, I figure it can't hurt on the long trips we're planning next year and at $300.00 a tank full it's worth it to get the MPG up from 5 to somewhere around 8 or so with this and some adjustments on the timing.That's saving about 60% and each tank full is about 85 gallons or about $305.00 per tank. If you can stretch your mileage out from 5 to 8 mpg then you go from 425 miles/tank to 680 miles/tank. Going cross country at about 3000 miles you would go from filling the tank over 7 times to 4.5 times or a savings of $763 over the trip. You just paid for the swap in one cross country trip then some.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VQ5kgK6QF4k/W3YTW3WAAII/AAAAAAAAU-M/IWJsbNORMAE-aJ8LBmkI0oaBwLqpKciggCLcBGAs/s1600/10crfq1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="1306" height="172" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VQ5kgK6QF4k/W3YTW3WAAII/AAAAAAAAU-M/IWJsbNORMAE-aJ8LBmkI0oaBwLqpKciggCLcBGAs/s400/10crfq1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By the way, if you are running way past half on the temp gauge, below half on the oil pressure and just showing nothin on the amp gauge (not to mention below E on the gas...) you are in some serious trouble.....</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I will be updating everyone on the swap work in the next week or so after we get back and plan the next trip once the swap is done.<br />
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Save RV'ing Everyone!!d.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5059680882061749190.post-39835330646044800902018-08-13T19:15:00.002-07:002018-08-13T19:15:59.990-07:00Road Trip 2018: Lake George! Having fun but at the same time evaulating the repairs of others....Alright folks! After having the LH2 visit two shops to get the timing and belts replaced and then the alignment done we got on the road late on Friday. We were supposed to head out at 9 am but due to the extended visits at the repair shops we didn't hit the bunk ceiling project until late afternoon on Thursday and wrapped it up in true Long Hauler style minutes prior to departure!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TShkj79OPSg/W3IqcByCMoI/AAAAAAAAU8k/nabZWw0ZZGYW0wPz7qcq-nt2S55z-BDSQCKgBGAs/s1600/20180809_184431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TShkj79OPSg/W3IqcByCMoI/AAAAAAAAU8k/nabZWw0ZZGYW0wPz7qcq-nt2S55z-BDSQCKgBGAs/s640/20180809_184431.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Ugh! Nasty water damage over 30 years removed and stripped out. Getting ready for new materials after sealing the roof up. </u></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fjfLPq8F5H0/W3Iqn0NFJtI/AAAAAAAAU8o/-pe5B1s4fw8haDGMr23HxKUcjWE1ckx6ACKgBGAs/s1600/20180810_090410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fjfLPq8F5H0/W3Iqn0NFJtI/AAAAAAAAU8o/-pe5B1s4fw8haDGMr23HxKUcjWE1ckx6ACKgBGAs/s400/20180810_090410.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using maple plywood to make new panels in the RV at the bunk. Make patterns out of sheets of plotter paper and go from there....never mind the other vehicle projects in the background.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r6OoriRc25U/W3Iqn2n8IsI/AAAAAAAAU8o/HDW-I1ry8SwCCvfMiVS7SLFciJGin0zzgCKgBGAs/s1600/20180810_090437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r6OoriRc25U/W3Iqn2n8IsI/AAAAAAAAU8o/HDW-I1ry8SwCCvfMiVS7SLFciJGin0zzgCKgBGAs/s640/20180810_090437.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foam bubble insulation with aluminum finish used with spray adhesive to fill the gaps in the frame and skin. Up to 4 layers were used. FRP panel was installed on the curved part and it fit GREAT!!</td></tr>
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With the bunk area redone and finished off to usable status we got things prepped to get on the road. The hardest part was getting the bunk panel back into this area and onto the metal angles! Such a puzzle piece to fit back in! We did do it after a couple of tries.<br />
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Okay, bunk back together and all the stuff for the trip placed into the RV and we're on our way to Lake George! After getting in several hours later, we managed to get our stuff set and on the trolley to catch our boat ride....before that we ate at "Slices", pizza place right on the corner near the Steamboats in the center of the Village. Outdoor seating on the upper floor was nice to view the amusement park next door and be above the traffic. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CqhPuV3hijI/W3IsIG1GYaI/AAAAAAAAU80/_ZWfbra-9VE-Xxb6Ca2Owxag_tRB3FekwCKgBGAs/s1600/20180810_175323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CqhPuV3hijI/W3IsIG1GYaI/AAAAAAAAU80/_ZWfbra-9VE-Xxb6Ca2Owxag_tRB3FekwCKgBGAs/s640/20180810_175323.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Minnie-Ha-Ha Steamboat. A great paddle-wheel boat tour. Right in Lake George Village, Steamboat Row. </td></tr>
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A great tour of the lake from a steamboat on a wonderful Summer evening. Despite that this was the "Pirate Cruise" with the constant "arrgh" voice over, the trip was pretty nice. The boat was built in the 1960's but uses steam technology to drive the paddle wheel. Up in the Finger Lakes we had similar boats but they were side wheelers. It would be cool to see some pop up in our neck of the woods again. You can ride a "steamboat" on Canandaigua Lake for lunch and dinner cruises.<br />
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Here's a sample pic of what we used to have on Seneca Lake:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gkRNNiqX-7Q/W3IwOd625WI/AAAAAAAAU9A/tLM3YRS7dIwvZQ3AJLqUW3s_Q15FmcibgCLcBGAs/s1600/seneca1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="900" height="404" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gkRNNiqX-7Q/W3IwOd625WI/AAAAAAAAU9A/tLM3YRS7dIwvZQ3AJLqUW3s_Q15FmcibgCLcBGAs/s640/seneca1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was one of several side wheel steamboats on Seneca and other Finger Lakes back in the last century. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HCDXakWJHo8/W3IsIEh5f9I/AAAAAAAAU80/L7c2c4l1azYjSluBB8ZXyH11Sxmztnm4ACKgBGAs/s1600/20180810_194238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HCDXakWJHo8/W3IsIEh5f9I/AAAAAAAAU80/L7c2c4l1azYjSluBB8ZXyH11Sxmztnm4ACKgBGAs/s640/20180810_194238.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Lake George that evening from the Minnie-Ha-Ha heading north. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8zxbkEIt_kE/W3IsILNfByI/AAAAAAAAU80/82np2QMTg4wR13-odKBHK6-3-Fj99cQ-ACKgBGAs/s1600/20180810_194302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8zxbkEIt_kE/W3IsILNfByI/AAAAAAAAU80/82np2QMTg4wR13-odKBHK6-3-Fj99cQ-ACKgBGAs/s640/20180810_194302.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the first deck of the lake. </td></tr>
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The lake cruises were about $80 for a family of 6 and lasted about 90 minutes. Great for the kids to experience a boat ride and not too stressful for the parents.<br />
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The Lake George RV Park is situated just off the main Route 9 road and has a lot right on the park for kids and adults to enjoy. For the nightly rate of about $109 you do get a really well maintained park, professional staff, on-site spray park, trolleys, theatres, arcades, and more. While it's a bit more than I've paid on other campgrounds I cannot compare this one to the others. No contest. The only thing I had reservations about was that there were so many other campers nearby. Even with that, ALL the campers were considerate and we never had any noise issues. That's a BIG credit to the park for keeping so many sites consistent with park rules.<br />
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Here's a link to their site: <a href="http://www.lakegeorgervpark.com/">http://www.lakegeorgervpark.com/</a><br />
It's no BS on what's there. Here are some shots of the place from our trip.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d87-zQHlHxE/W3IzYStUs4I/AAAAAAAAU9M/vuLP7NaHbZkBuh19rzbFwTR6xzp0TIXUQCKgBGAs/s1600/20180810_165054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d87-zQHlHxE/W3IzYStUs4I/AAAAAAAAU9M/vuLP7NaHbZkBuh19rzbFwTR6xzp0TIXUQCKgBGAs/s400/20180810_165054.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> One of many playgrounds on site at the Lake George RV park.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BhJuQ13wEh8/W3IzYbGm-PI/AAAAAAAAU9M/WHArpXZPsOEb8IHZo2c4NQj351LmUJm1wCKgBGAs/s1600/20180811_151854.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BhJuQ13wEh8/W3IzYbGm-PI/AAAAAAAAU9M/WHArpXZPsOEb8IHZo2c4NQj351LmUJm1wCKgBGAs/s640/20180811_151854.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting settled in on Cedar Lane in the Lake George RV Park. A drive through site that would accommodate just about any size rig. Electric, water and septic right there with a REAL level area to park. Kids noticed that campfires were located so we couldn't see other camper's fires, which was nice to make it feel like we had our own campsite. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NqVt8VjXHuA/W3IzYcz-FiI/AAAAAAAAU9M/MmWyxuepDdANou5wO-bx_IbiPX5Q2IwTgCKgBGAs/s1600/20180811_165138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NqVt8VjXHuA/W3IzYcz-FiI/AAAAAAAAU9M/MmWyxuepDdANou5wO-bx_IbiPX5Q2IwTgCKgBGAs/s640/20180811_165138.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fishing for Bass in the park's pond. Canada Geese looking on as we try and get a bite. </td></tr>
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After a couple of days at Lake George it was time to head back home. I have to say that with what happened to the Tioga I still deal with PTSD when driving the rig. It's like flying an old plane that will do the job as long as you listen for any noise, keep checking the gauges and have your mind on a high level a alert the entire time you are on the road. There develops a certain level of "feel" for the old gal as she does her thing and any unusual shudder or squeak sets you thinking about what job you have in store to get it fixed.<br />
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Surrendering to others to fix things can be a mixed bag. While I like to think that people who make a living fixing rigs like mine have a special talent for doing so, my paranoid nature constantly questions the results. The timing issues with the new distributor still don't appear to be fully corrected. Is this the fault of the shop I sent her to? Maybe. She still runs a bit rough and I am not totally satisfied that its been tuned as well as it could be. Backfires, hesitation on acceleration, etc. is not what I expect from a well-adjusted carb and distributor. Anyway, more of this later.<br />
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The bigger deal is the brakes. No ones fault on this one but I bet the brakes have NOT been dealt with since the rig was new off the line in Detroit in 1986. With only 48K miles on her now, the brakes should still be in good shape... right. After 30 years it's time to get all the bits checked out. On the return trip I experienced some squeaking, shuddering on braking (bad shudders that got me to downshift to slow down!) that leads me to believe I have some brakes that are not releasing completely upon hitting the 'go' pedal. There's not much more upsetting than to try and stop and feel as if your rig is saying, "aww, heck no. This ain't happenin' right now as fast as you want it!"<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JTDnQkgSxgY/W3I7KLCM3SI/AAAAAAAAU9Y/g9pYk-LuMpAw51EbFcwiq_IghHpc6cQrQCKgBGAs/s1600/20180812_125820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JTDnQkgSxgY/W3I7KLCM3SI/AAAAAAAAU9Y/g9pYk-LuMpAw51EbFcwiq_IghHpc6cQrQCKgBGAs/s640/20180812_125820.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the "text stop" to eat lunch and see what the heck was going on with the shuddering brakes. </td></tr>
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We stopped at a "NYS text stop" to eat lunch and it let me inspect the rig a bit for the braking issue. I have to say that one wheel location smelled like burnt brake pads. We made it back no issues but she is in the shop right now to get looked at. Brakes are like the parachutes of the flying set: better have them right than maybe right. Maybe can gets you killed. <br />
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As always, more later!!<br />
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<br />d.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5059680882061749190.post-80679581405674028842018-08-09T12:46:00.001-07:002018-08-09T12:46:28.990-07:00Late in the Game: Getting set for 2018 camping season!I have to say that with the kids getting older, one going off to college this Fall, all the kids camps and everything else has left little time for us to head out to the great outdoors in the RV. Well we have committed to travel before our #1 heads off and the two trips will be Lake George and Letchworth (the Grand Canyon of the East!). Not too far away but far enough that it's not home.<br />
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Before that can happen I've sent the LH2 off to not one but two shops to get the timing reset after installing a new distributor and get new belts on the lady to stop all the squealing. The second shop is a truck shop that has a Hunter alignment machine so I'm not pulling the steering wheel far left to keep the rig on track (more on this on a future post, some mods and part replacement in store).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bCIbWJIGV-8/W2yX2laEKBI/AAAAAAAAUyA/5RoVW_mnvZIH6GKKGowZs8Kw4jfM_UccQCLcBGAs/s1600/20180728_131608%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bCIbWJIGV-8/W2yX2laEKBI/AAAAAAAAUyA/5RoVW_mnvZIH6GKKGowZs8Kw4jfM_UccQCLcBGAs/s400/20180728_131608%255B1%255D.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out with the old and not yet in with the new! Okay, got it in and now it needs tweaking...</td></tr>
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You can check out the video of swapping out the old distributor with the new one on my YouTube channel. What fun! Thought I had it all figured out but I know enough to be dangerous. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WoweMInHmQc/W2yYIadYDjI/AAAAAAAAUyI/DsrI0Ubq2xMKgGZrVRgoPaRjnUauX0CjQCLcBGAs/s1600/20180808_162145%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WoweMInHmQc/W2yYIadYDjI/AAAAAAAAUyI/DsrI0Ubq2xMKgGZrVRgoPaRjnUauX0CjQCLcBGAs/s400/20180808_162145%255B1%255D.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right by the NYS Thruway at exit 42. Good folks here for RV's.</td></tr>
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Went from Robson's in Waterloo with new belts and timing fixed to Parmenter, Inc. just south of the Thruway to get the wheels aligned. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aPW6Rlddq1s/W2yYQ9Y3NqI/AAAAAAAAUyM/hsedhtkUtxoCS6MePOdMzLcfenbA3LXsQCLcBGAs/s1600/20180808_162137%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aPW6Rlddq1s/W2yYQ9Y3NqI/AAAAAAAAUyM/hsedhtkUtxoCS6MePOdMzLcfenbA3LXsQCLcBGAs/s400/20180808_162137%255B1%255D.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting in line for an alignment.....think that my rig looks nicer.</td></tr>
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Next thing to do is to fix up my daughter's bunk area. The ceiling was shot in the back and we are going to fix that up so it doesn't look like a scary, dark spot. More on that later once I get the RV back.<br />
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Happy and Safe Camping Everyone!!<br />
The Vintage RV'er. d.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5059680882061749190.post-72514711387572815392018-06-13T17:20:00.000-07:002018-06-13T17:20:08.456-07:00Bringing back that Shine!!All of us vintage RV owners know that at some point the exterior finish, exposed to all sorts of weather and temperatures and UV rays tends to age and in the case of aluminum paneled RV's (which I think have it made over fiberglass panel RV's!!) the paint and coatings get chalky and dull. Now that's not so bad but when the white portions start to run down over the darker color trim bands that's when things start to look a bit used.<br />
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What to do? You can clean it and clean it but at some point those aluminum panels will wear down the paint coating and you're left with a repaint. At this stage we have an Allegro that is not there yet but showing signs that a good go over is needed.<br />
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I'll share with you my technique to clean, prep and clearcoat my RV. The supplies consist of a set of cleaners to kill off the algae that grows on our rigs, cleans of the debris and also helps strip off the oxidized layers of the color coat. Now, you don't want to strip all the coat off, just enough that you get rid of the grime, algae and other foreign materials. The clear coating will help bond and preserve the remaining base coat.<br />
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Unless you like the military drab look on your classic RV, then get ready to bring back the shine!!<br />
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Steps I took to restore the finish (fiberglass and aluminum were separate).<br />
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Fiberglass:<br />
1) take glass cleaner (Castle Glass cleaner or similar ammonia based cleaner, spray on) and cover the area to be treated.<br />
2) use 4 O steel wool (0000 on the package) to rub off the oxidation without leaving marks on the fiberglass. I have NOT used power sanders because I don't believe they allow the control you need to stop before you sand too much off.<br />
3) Respray with glass cleaner and use a clean rag to remove all residual dust.<br />
4) Look over the panel to see that you got off any over sprayed paint, oxidation and other discoloration where you could.<br />
5) Spray a light coat of clear coat over the area. It's really tempting to over spray now because you can see the improvement right away but with clear coat it will drip even more than paint. Keep with several light coats. You should not have to sand between coats unless you get a bad drip. Heck, I've over sprayed knowing the coat would just drip down and run off the bottom of the panel.<br />
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Aluminum:<br />
1) Glass cleaner sprayed over area and wipe off with rags. You may need chlorine based cleaners to kill off the algae that grows in the seams but DONT MIX these as you will get a version of ammonium chloride!!! I believe that is mustard gas.<br />
2) use rubbing compound and rags and apply the compound to the rags, rubbing most of the compound on the area to be cleaned. Let it dry for a minute and start rubbing, using the compound as your abrasive to get off specks of bugs, paint chips, stains, oxidation, etc. from the panel.<br />
3) use glass cleaner to spray and wipe off the areas with a rag or paper towel to remove all the compound.<br />
4) Spray clear coating on the panel over several coats to get the even shine with a smooth finish.<br />
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Here are a few pics of the work being done on the fiberglass front and aluminium sides.<br />
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d.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5059680882061749190.post-32679214203806477092018-06-08T18:15:00.001-07:002018-06-08T18:15:09.632-07:00Dometic Fridge Recall: FYI.Hey Everyone!<br />
Just thought I'd pass a couple of links to you so you are up to date on some of the appliances residing in your RV. One is the Dometic 2 way fridge (LP gas, electric) that may have an issue with coolant leaks and some small fire issues.<br />
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This is the link for you to check out what has been a lengthy recall on the product. Check it out and have your model number and serial number (found on the inside of the fridge door in most cases) ready to input and the site will tell you if your fridge is one of the units needing work. The retrofit consists mainly of adding a "secondary burner shield" to the bottom part of the unit. This allows more shielding and has a thermoswitch that allows shut off of gas to the burner in case it detects more heat than allowable.<br />
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Link: <a href="http://67.238.126.140/">http://67.238.126.140/</a> this is an IP address that takes you right to the Dometic USA site.<br />
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If you cannot find a repair shop you can buy the recall kit online. This will require you to perform the work yourself or find an RV shop that is willing to do it. The RV shop should be doing this for free since they will be reimbursed for the time by Dometic. In any case, here is the kit with instructions and all parts:<br />
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<a href="https://www.ebay.com/i/201196946668?chn=ps">https://www.ebay.com/i/201196946668?chn=ps</a><br />
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This may not be available for long so be sure to verify it. I bought one and it was just fine.<br />
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Be Safe out there!!<br />
The Vintage RV'er. d.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5059680882061749190.post-27666458856124422332018-05-23T17:10:00.000-07:002018-05-23T17:10:59.052-07:00Memorial Weekend 2018: oil change on Onan....Hello everyone!<br />
I have only put about 20-30 hours max on the Onan since we had it but the oil has not been changed in over a year. Yep, there is a reason you don't go by miles/hours alone. Upon pulling the dipstick I could see it was low. Not dangerously low but low nonetheless.<br />
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So, pull out some 10W30 and then.... how much oil does this thing take anyway??? IDK. You would think I would remember this from the last oil change but come on!<br />
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went onto the interwebs and found the actual manual. I only have the parts lists and dealer service listing. Gotta get this downloaded somehow.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yep, 3.5 quarts to do the job. Glad I checked!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a Fram eazy off filter for a BMW 325i from the eighties. Perfect fit. $6.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New oil in the genset! Nice and clear as compared to the black sludgy oil drained out. Not 30 hours on the genset but time takes it's toll. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yikes!!! Only about 2 quarts drained out on this change. Good thing I had new oil and filter. Will have to keep an eye on the oil consumption. Manual says, "check daily" no kidding....</td></tr>
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In any case, 3.5 quarts did the job. Full up and filter, too. I use filters for a E30 BMW (the 6 cylinder M20B25 engine) and this fits PERFECT. So this should mean I'm all set for this Summer's trips around the area! Glad so much as come together and systems not working at all for years are now sorted out and ready to go. Thanks for reading!!d.r. longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12399084887628885784noreply@blogger.com0