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RE: 1976 GMC Coachmen leprechaun Rebuld
Get hold of THESE guys.
(scroll down for menu)
THEY know ALL there is to know about GMC Motor Homes
Tim
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Healeyman
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09/05/10 02:17pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Small Class C and Toad
We have a 22ft classC have never towed , can go and park almost anywhere.
I have no desire to tow, if I did, I would have a fiver!
Sea Dog,
I was just like you. In our first 3 years retired, we traveled in 42 states and 6 Canadian Provinces without a towed. We too parked almost anywhere including next to The Viet Nam Wall in DC and 1/2 block from the Liberty Bell in Philly.
The operative word there is "almost". We found that there were some places that, even with our 22 footer, we just couldn't or didn't want to go (like some low overhead bridges and to the top of Pikes Peak).
In year 4, we bought the Miata, specifically to tow. It TOTALLY changed the way we travel. We have now pulled tthe Miata over 30,000 miles and will not go back to being without a towed.
Tim
http://www.ntahc.org/2007/0002.JPG
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Healeyman
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08/16/10 09:34pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Small Class C and Toad
I have towed our Miata (2,500#) over 30,000 miles with our 1999 Four Winds. It has a 350 Chevy engine. You should do fine.
Tim
http://www.ntahc.org/2007/0002.JPG
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Healeyman
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08/15/10 07:09am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: 1973 VW Beetle
should the speedometer cable be disconnected before towing
Why bother? I'd bet that your '73 VW Beetle has depreciated about as far as it is going to. I doubt that another 50,000 rolling miles is going to effect your future resale value.
It's probably already worth more in parts than it is as a whole car.
Tim
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Healeyman
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07/15/10 01:01pm |
Dinghy Towing
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RE: Wiring a Toad for Signals & Clearance Lights
make sure the car is relatively clean and don't stick the magnets down on gritty dirt.
I tear/cut a piece of paper towel into about 4" squares, then take 1 square and gently wipe the area where the light will be.
I then turn that square of towel over (dirty side up-clean side down) and put the light on it.
The lights have never moved and no scratches from the hard plastic bottom of the lights. I use a clean towel square every time I restick the lights.
If you are really fastidious, you could use a drinking glass or coffee cup and a razor blade on a cutting board to make neat little circles.
You could make a dozen or two at a time and keep them in a plastic bag with the lights. Sort of your own "Lighting Kit".
Tim
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Healeyman
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07/14/10 09:29am |
Dinghy Towing
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RE: Anyone replaced a waste tank valve? Cost?
A couple of years ago, a road-gator took out ALL of the waste plumbing under my driver's rear corner.
I got new valves, fittings, and large dia. tube at Camping World and replaced everything myself for about $55.
B4 I got under there, I took it to a car wash and REALLY washed out that back corner!
Tim
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Healeyman
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07/08/10 09:51pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: rv water pump
That's strange... I get better pressure and flow from the on-board pump than I do from the Park's water line.
I guess that I ought to clean/replace all the filters.
Tim
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Healeyman
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07/06/10 10:25pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Upgrading to larger fresh water tank
could a larger fresh water tank be added?
Sure... Given enough time and money, nearly any problem can be solved (except plugging the leak!)
I built and mounted a 40 gallon auxillary fuel tank between my rear frame rails (between the hitch and the rear end). I'd expect that a water tank could be mounted there if there is no other place.
It would be a good idea to make sure that your fresh water supply does not exceed your black and grey reservoirs. Friends & family don't always what "Full" means.
Tim
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Healeyman
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07/06/10 10:22pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: TX TO MOUNT RUSHMORE ROUTE?
does anyone have a good route
You need to take a towed, if possible. There are LOTS of roads that a big RV won't get through (2 tall & wide).
HERE is the route that we took up there from D-FW in 2007.
PM me if you want more route detail. Don't have any reccomendations for RV parks. Blue flags were overnight stops, but we NEVER make reservations and after over 100 trips, they all run together.
We usually stick to KOA or a Good Sam.
Tim
http://www.themorans.org/themorans/familystuff/Tim&Sherry/RVstuff/2007-PacificNorthwest/0002.jpg
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Healeyman
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07/05/10 07:11pm |
Family Camping
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RE: Recommendations for monthly wireless computer service
I call Verizon when we leave and have them turn on the data plan, then either get it all on my cell phone or cable tether my phone to my laptop,
I call and have it turned off when we get back.
Works fine.
Tim
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Healeyman
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07/04/10 07:41pm |
Technology Corner
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RE: How many tow behind their Class C? What and weight?
Does anyone tow a Mazda Miata?
I have towed a 2000 5-speed Miata over 30,000 miles in the past 4 years. The Miata is great to tow and even greater as you come zipping into the RV park with the top down and get admiring looks from others climbing out of their Saturns and Jeeps.
I have helped over a dozen others to tow their Miatas and am very familiar with what needs to be done and with sources of tow equipment.
PM me with any questions. I'll be glad to help.
Tim
http://www.ntahc.org/2007/0002.JPG
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Healeyman
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07/03/10 08:05am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Child car seats and a Class C
you removed the cushions underneath didn't you?
Hi MikeAK
Yes both the back and seat cushions were removed for
1) the additional space. The girls sat farther back and lower.
2) for carseat stability, so they didn't rock side to side.
My wife, daughter, her twins and I were returning from Seattle to Dallas. Daughters husband had flown back to retun to work.
While driving, we put the removed cushions in the overhead bunk and during the night, we put the car seats in the drivers and pass seats.
Wife and I slept in the overhead, twins in the booth and daughter on the lay down & pull out couch.
Our C is only 22', but the kids were small so we had pleanty of room.
HERE are pics of the rest of the trip.
I hope removing the cushions works for you. It sure worked for us.
Tim
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Healeyman
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07/01/10 07:30pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Child car seats and a Class C
What do you do with car seats ????
Here are our grandtwins (Zzzzzing) in our 22" Class C.
Having only 2 of them, we removed the cushions from the booth and strapped their car seats down with the factory provided seat belts as they would be in the back seat of a car.
Later in the trip, we did lower the table so they could play at stops. They were always in their seats while moving.
I agree with mikeak if we had had a 3rd.
Tim
http://www.themorans.org/themorans/familystuff/Tim&Sherry/RVstuff/2003PacificNorthwest/Zzzzz1.JPG
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Healeyman
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07/01/10 12:04pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Sirius Sat Car Antenna...Car Kit Antenna
Has anyone heard of these antenna failures?
I've had Sirius for over 5 years and move my reciever and antenna among 4 different cars. In that time, I have had 3 antennas go bad.
The problem is that the antenna wire is not just a wire. It is a co-axial cable. The central conductor is a VERY thin wire covered by insulation covered by a VERY thin and fragile metallic foil sheild covered by a black plastic jacket.
The metallic foil sheild is VERY succeptable to damage and breaking, especially if the antenna wire is bent sharply from side to side.
Without special tools, this co-ax cable is nearly impossible to splice back together.
The antennas are pretty much all the same and I've had good luck finding antennas on Ebay and Craigslist. I have bought several by buying the whole used system for $10-$15 which is FAR cheaper than buying just the antenna from most sources.
Tim
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Healeyman
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07/01/10 08:58am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Streets-Trips ?
Can't figure out how to put in only destination address-just like real GPS. Seems like it needs a start address before it will get directions. Extra work and often don't know where we are-address wise that is.
In my experience, All GPS units and computer mapping programs use From-To software.
When activated, the dash GPS looks to the sky to find out where it is or will plot from where it last was. They then inventory their database to select the best route within the user requirements.
UNLESS you have a GPS module attached to your computer using S&T you must tell S&T where the start point is. IF you have a GPS module attached, S&T will know where it is just as the dash mounted GPS does.
I've been using S&T for 8 years and one advantage is you are able to start from a point other than where you are. The dash mounted GPS ALWAYS uses the current location (or last known location) as the start point.
Tim
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Healeyman
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06/30/10 07:25am |
Technology Corner
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RE: I thought I was ready.....
I eliminated the double post - Tun
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Healeyman
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06/26/10 05:51pm |
Dinghy Towing
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RE: I thought I was ready.....
OK, now I'm happy...Maine, here I come!!!
CONGRATULATIONS ! ! !
You will find that the steep part of the learning curve that was so intimidating will now flatten out and in a week or so you will be an old pro at flat towing.
Just stay alert, be continually aware of your surroundings, and be leery about driving into any places that you can't drive out of.
Enjoy Maine. Don't miss Arcadia National Park, Bar Harbor and L.L.Bean in Freport, ME. It IS an experience.
Tim
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Healeyman
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06/26/10 05:46pm |
Dinghy Towing
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RE: I thought I was ready.....
The paradoxical steering situation Healyman describes happened to us with our Tercel toad but not our Mighty Max pickup toad.
j-d,
Many modern cars, especially front wheel drive and/or cars with Macpherson struts have little or no caster built into the front wheel and axle design. The caster is often designed in the suspension instead of into the steering.
Caster is what makes the front wheels of a grocery cart track through a turn. Caster is also what normally makes a car want return to tracking straight ahead after a sharp turn.
I suspect that your pick up is rear wheel drive and as such may just have more wheel straightening caster in the front end design and alignment.
That is likely why it happened to one and not the other.
Tim
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Healeyman
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06/26/10 01:45pm |
Dinghy Towing
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RE: I thought I was ready.....
I've towed trailers (boats and things) many, many times and it was a snap. But this, this is a whole 'nuther animal. Gotta learn it by Tuesday......
Yep... Towing trailers is not like towing 4 down. Trailers only have 1-2 closely spaced axles and a car has an articulated front end.
First, make sure that your steering wheel is not locking up. Go through the routine that others have suggested. Then grab the s/wheel and FIRMLY turn it left and right.
If your wheel does not lock up, you won't have a problem as long as you are mindful of how you make your turns. Give your towed as much forward roll into a turn as possible.
Another trick to see what is going on is IF you have a back-up camera that works while driving forward and you can see the Tracker, tie a white rag or something bright to the top of the Tracker's steering wheel. Observe the movement of the steering wheel as you motor through a vareity of turns.
That should give you some insight as to how much lead you need to give the Tracker in order for it to follow you.
Once you get this minor learning curve flattened out, I think that you will be MUCH happier towing 4 down than on a dolly !
Tim
http://www.ntahc.org/2007/0002.JPG
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Healeyman
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06/26/10 07:21am |
Dinghy Towing
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RE: I thought I was ready.....
The Tracker's front wheels were pitched to make a left turn, not a right turn. What could I have done wrong?
Maybe nothing... Your Trackers steering wheel may have indeed locked up. Others have talked extensively to that.
I'll adress how the wheels got to the left when you were making a right turn.
If one has a LOT of RV rear wheel-to-hitch overhang distance, one thing that you should always do is to make sure that you do not make sharp turns from a dead stop or with a short roll-to-turn distance.
The reason is because when you turn sharply RIGHT, the rear of the RV and hitch pivot on the RV's REAR tires and swing sharply LEFT.
If your turn is sharp and slow, two things might happen.
1) the front wheels of the towed may be dragged sideways because the caster built into the front wheels of the towed may not have enough time/distance to allow the towed front wheels to turn left before they turn right to follow the RV.
2) the front wheels of the towed will turn left to follow the rear of the RV before they turn right to continue to follow the RV.
Your Tracker's wheels might have been in the left turning mode when the steering wheel locked. If the steering wheel was not locked, you probably didn't have a problem. The Tracker was just following the rear end of the RV.
Just make sure that you do not make sharp turns from a stop or with a slow, short, roll.
Tim
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Healeyman
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06/25/10 10:35pm |
Dinghy Towing
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