Recent content by Calson

More than once I have passed a semi with double trailers going 60 mph and an hour later having made a fuel stop I have found myself encountering the same rig. Slower with fewer fuel stops can reduce overall trip time.

Best to get a small stainless steel percolator. Takes less space than a kettle. We use the microwave when at an RV park or campsite with shore power but otherwise it is the propane cooktop. The handle design is important in terms of a compact percolator for storing when not in use and there...

Two batteries that need to be replaced and that will cost about $300 in total and so not a big deal. Worst case the alternator or relay may need to be replaced and a rebuilt alternator is not terrible expensive either.

That is why when using NiMh 1.4v batteries I had problems as even at 100% they provide 1.4 volts and with an electronic device that uses 4 AA batteries there is a loss of 0.4 volts on day one. Does not take much to get them down to the point there the electronics fail to function properly. But...

Even the 1400 Watt space heaters will have multiple heat setting so you can draw less power. I like the ceramic ones that have temperature sensors and auto shut off.

I would not use electric heating unless hooked up to shore power. Otherwise use the furnace. RV's are so small that very little air needs to be heated and very little fuel is used.

Fortunately the solar charge controller and the Xantrex inverter/charger already had settings or charge profiles for lithium phosphate batteries so only the setting needed to be changed. I also added a Precision Circuits lithium BIM between that controls current from the chassis batteries to the...

Not recommened by who exactly and how long ago? There are pulse type battery chargers that will desulphate an AGM type battery, and the trick is to do a very low rate of charge to allow any gas to vent out.

Lithionics is headquartered in Clearwater Florida and I found them to be exceptionally helpful and quick to respond to emails and phone calls when I was research installing their 125AH lithium phosate batteries. The have a 125AH battery as compared to the other companies 100AH lithium batteries...

I have used the propane fueled heater in the camper. The cubic feet of space is so tiny that very little fuel is needed to keep the temperature at 66 degrees inside. We spent two weeks in subzero conditions and with the fridge running off the propane as well as the furnace and using the propane...

Under the current circumstances with deman far outstripping supply I would post on Craigslist and RVtrader. I would also weigh the $5,000 or more cost for sales tax on buying another RV against what else you could do to resolve your concerns over having the bicycles stored outside the RV. For...

The hoses are plastic and able to expand if the water becomes frozen. My prior RV had no insulation for the water pipes and one time when we spent several days where the temperatures day and night were in the teens the water became frozen to the point where the water pump was struggling. We...

I would invest in a portable battery charger with a desulphating setting and then remove and individually charge each battery. Sulphating is common with batteries that may sit for a month or longer without any load being applied. Often they can be restored with a modern battery charger.

When evaluating solar panel output I look at how long it will take to get the batteries back to 100% SOC. If it takes 4 hours or 5 hours or even 6 hours, this is seldom of any consequence. I would expect that a single MPPT controller processing 12 volt and 24 volt inputs would be reducing the...

With the right coffee and the right grind the percolator makes as good a cup of coffee as nearly any other coffee maker. Having a good burr mill coffee grinder is a good investment if you like good coffee. I paid $150 for a Baratza Encore connical burr coffee grinder in 2012 and it is still...