Do we need more stickies?

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I'm noticing that as we get more and more new people here (I'm all in favor of that, btw.) we seem to keep answering the same questions over and over again.

I'm wondering if we need to put a few stickies with the basics in some of these subforums?

For instance, In the Electrical subforum, I could see one sticky devoted to batteries, one sticky devoted to charging from the alternator (diodes vs solenoids vs manual switches), and one sticky devoted to the fundamentals of solar power.  Sternwake, if he were willing, would be the obvious candidate for authoring them, although a couple of others here seem just as knowledgeable about solar.

I was just looking for an old thread about electrical tips and tricks that was buried, which is what set this off.

We might also do a sticky somewhere on roadside assistance, pros and cons of the different services.

Probably some of you people could suggest a few other stickies I haven't thought of.

What say you, people?

Regards
John

 

[GotSmart]

I am in training with Renogy, and one basic concept is that everyone has different needs.  Someone in Washington gets 1/2 as much solar input (or less) as someone in Quartzite.  

That detail has been missed in just about every thread I have seen.  

I agree that each subject needs a few stickies to cover the basics.  but we also need to encourage people to come on here and ask questions to have their own separate situation covered.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

No matter how many stickies or how easy it is to search the site people will still post the same questions over and over.

 

[GotSmart]

No matter how many stickies or how easy it is to search the site people will still post the same questions over and over.

But with a sticky, it makes it easier to send them to where the right answer is.

 

[ainley53]

John, thanks for an EXCELLENT suggestion. As a new guy on the block, I have read everything on Cheap RV Living except the Forums. I'm working my way through them but there are THOUSANDS of threads and many more pages of replies to each thread. Such is the case of popularity. The point I want to stress is that a lot of the people who find this site for the first time are like me. WE ARE NEW TO THIS and therefore uneducated in what to do and/or how to do it. While it's possible to read all the threads and all the replies, that takes a lot of time which the majority of us "newbies" do not have. Most of us have a very limited amount of time to prepare or are already living in our vehicles. I dare say the are very few who are planning ahead long term to live in their vehicles as "a retirement plan". So for us "newbies" it's critical to find answers ASAP! A lot of you guys have been on here for a while and this site has become a source of entertainment and communication between friends for y'all. Which is great. I hope the someday be one of those. But please don't forget why this site was created. TO HELP OTHERS. So, yes having subsets for very specific topics would be VERY USEFUL. A list of basic "what to do" and "how to do" would be wonderful. A training guide of sorts.

I mean, come on guys, YOU ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE "BEEN THERE, DONE THAT". And isn't that what even you experienced guys do? If you don't know, you post a thread and ASK. Who else can us "newbies" turn to for help if not you experienced "nomads of the road".

There is no such thing as "common sense". All knowledge is learned. Just a thought.

David, a dumbass "newbie"

 

[Almost There]

I'd say yes to stickies!

Another forum that I frequent has a substantial number of stickies in each category. They are wonderful for newbies but also for the rest of us too.

It's actually the hammock forum that I refer people to a lot. When I wanted to build my own hammock, everything I needed to learn was right there...minimal searching necessary and I found I didn't have to reinvent the wheel to get what I wanted done.

When I get to the electrical part of the build, having stickies that I can find easily that answer a whole bunch of my questions (and there will be LOTS) will save me having to have y'all rehash the same stuff.

And yes, aiming people to go read a set of stickies in a friendly helpful manner rather than typing out the same things repeatedly is wonderful!

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Ok...maybe stickys are a better idea than I thought at first.
I usually go to the "Today's Posts" anyway

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

normally i agree, but in essence these sticky topics are covered in a lot of bobs articles, which are available at the top of every page right?
I guess it wouildnt hurt to have a FAQ for each forum if people are ignoring the articles, but they probably ignjore the faq too.

 

[LeeRevell]

I support the stickies concept too. I use them on other forum sites. And how many times do we tell newbies to 'search for the thread', when it would be a lot easier for us and them to point them to the appropriate stickie.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

normally i agree, but in essence these sticky topics are covered in a lot of bobs articles, which are available at the top of every page right?
I guess it wouildnt hurt to have a FAQ for each forum if people are ignoring the articles, but they probably ignjore the faq too.

The stickies could also contain links to some of Bob's blog posts, where appropriate.  I seem to recall one he did on wiring in an aftermarket fuse box, for example.

Regards
John

 

[cyndi]

I'm neither for or against this but we've talked about this before. Stickies are great. Here's the issues.

Technology is fluid and constantly changing. that would require stickies being updated.

Newbies, asking the same questions over and over brings new technology to older threads and revives older threads with new opinions

People will ask questions, no matter what. As an example I belong to the freecampsites.net facebook group. The web page and description is right at the top of the page. It's the first thing you see when you open the page. Guess what the most often asked question is? Sometimes a dozen times in a day! And someone types the link over and over again, even though it's at the top of the page.

 

[SternWake]

I don't know about others, but Stickies on many forums are just something I scroll(ed) through without ever looking at them.

People will always ask the same questions over and over, because they simply think their situation is unique and that nobody has ever faced the same scenario before. Some people also just want others to do the work for them rather than do a search and filter through the results.

Sometimes the search functions are pretty poor too on forums, with millions of results that have little to do with the search parameters. Often a newbie has no idea of what to search for either.

I am tired of typing the same things over and over, and would sometimes just prefer to link to another thread, but I usually do not remember exactly where I wrote the same things before.

I waste too much time on this Damn laptop anyway.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

I'm neither for or against this but we've talked about this before. Stickies are great. Here's the issues.

Technology is fluid and constantly changing. that would require stickies being updated.

Newbies, asking the same questions over and over brings new technology to older threads and revives older threads with new opinions

People will ask questions, no matter what. As an example I belong to the freecampsites.net facebook group. The web page and description is right at the top of the page. It's the first thing you see when you open the page. Guess what the most often asked question is? Sometimes a dozen times in a day! And someone types the link over and over again, even though it's at the top of the page.

i laugh at this all the time. 'Thanks for adding me! can someone tell me where to find free campsites? If only there was a website out there, with maybe a map, that listed them. oh and broken down by state. someone here should start that!' lol

 

[akrvbob]

I knew there was a reason we kept all you guys around--you're pretty smart!!!

I think it's a brilliant idea and I endorse it wholeheartedly. I know many of us have typed thousands of words on the same topics and questions, and this seems like a perfect solution.

I'm in favor of making the topics very narrow and specific, otherwise we tend to wander around. Here is my proposal for basic stickies on electrical.

1) Should I buy AGM or flooded batteries? How would I vent flooded?
2) Should I buy 6 volt or 12 volt?
3) How do I charge off my vans alternator?
4) How much solar do I need? What brand should I buy?
5) What kind of solar controller should I buy PWM or MPPT. Which brand?
6) What size of inverter should I buy? Should I get a PSW or MSW?

Those are just ideas I'm throwing out there, I'd like to hear your opinions. One problem I can see right away is that is a LOT of stickies. Too many?

The stickies need to be lean and to the point. I may edit them to keep them that way.

Differing opinions are always welcome, just give a good explanation of your viewpoint.

I'd strongly suggest we save ourselves a lot of re-typing and cut and paste old posts.

After we do electrical, we'll do other topics, although not many are as confusing to newcomers.

I may copy the thread and use it on the rest of the website. By posting to a sticky you are giving me your permission to do that.

Bob

 

[Almost There]

That list sounds like a great start!

I have a few others in mind that after I contemplate them a bit more, I'll put forward for consideration although 'choosing wire sizes' comes to mind immediately!!

If you want to see a website that has a lot of stickies but are well managed despite the immense usage take a look at hammockforums.net. Some of them are even locked because they are an article that was written specifically for the stickie.

 

[Brian_and_Jesse]

The quicker we can zone in on specific material the better it will be for everyone.

I've spent many hours reading Bob's posts on solar... everything, and gone to other sites to compare products based on what I've learned here.

To say that I'm grateful for the time and effort poured into these subjects by all who contribute would be grossly understating.

We're all specialists in one area or another, or perhaps even a few, but we're all also ignorant about loads of topics, and we always will be, as nobody on Earth knows everything about everything.

We are all of us both teachers and students all our lives, and I, for one, love to learn. At the moment, I'm attempting to understand photovoltaics thoroughly, and while I'm still nowhere near an expert, I've learned so much from Bob and the rest of you.

Thanks again, and yes, stickies with links are a great idea in my humble opinion.

Shalom,

Jesse.

 

[GotSmart]

I may copy the thread and use it on the rest of the website. By posting to a sticky you are giving me your permission to do that.

Bob

By posting on this site, everyone is giving permission for you to use anything they post. (Fine print)

  But that is what you are about Bob, and why so many are willing to do what they can.  

As far as I am concerned, anything I post is yours.  

PROST.

 

[Brian_and_Jesse]

I may copy the thread and use it on the rest of the website. By posting to a sticky you are giving me your permission to do that.

Bob

By posting on this site, everyone is giving permission for you to use anything they post. (Fine print)

  But that is what you are about Bob, and why so many are willing to do what they can.  

As far as I am concerned, anything I post is yours.  

PROST.

I'll second that, Bob!

(Goodness, GS - we *agree* about something today! )

Peace,

Jesse.

 

[wayne49]

The stickies could also contain links to some of Bob's blog posts, where appropriate.  I seem to recall one he did on wiring in an aftermarket fuse box, for example.

Regards
John

I appreciate Bob's blog posts. I recently reviewed the electrical and solar posts.

The ithe blog's recommendations are slightly outdated when compared to Bob's recent forum posts.

The stickies could be general rule of thumb with pointers to searching for more current information sources.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

OK, I'll put my money where my mouth is.  Bob, if you think this is appropriate, please feel free to edit this post and move it wherever you think appropriate as a sticky.  Or, if you prefer, feel free to edit it and use it as a guest post on your blog, and then maybe make a stick that's a pointer to THAT.

Finding Public scales to weigh your vehicle:

Certified Public Scales Locator

CAT Scales Locator

(Be sure to see the How To Weigh Section on the CAT Scales site!)


Your vehicle’s Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) is the actual weight of the vehicle, all fluids, all passengers, and all cargo as you are driving down the street. The only way you can know your GVW is by weighing it on a scale when it is fully loaded.  

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is the maximum amount of weight the vehicle can carry. Your Gross Vehicle Weight will change as you load and unload cargo, add another passenger, refill the empty gas tank, and so on.  Your Gross Vehicle Weight RATING never changes, and your actual Gross Vehicle Weight should NEVER exceed your Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.

There is a sticker, usually on the driver’s door or the pillar by the driver’s door that lists what the factory considers the GVWR.
This figure is arrived at based on the strength of the frame or unibody, the weight carrying capacity of the springs, the strength of the front and rear axles, the maximum amount of weight the brakes are considered capable of stopping safely in a reasonable distance, and so on.

This figure does NOT include the weight of any trailer you are pulling. It DOES include the tongue weight of your trailer (or its fifth wheel equivalent) which is why it’s necessary to know your trailer’s actual tongue weight once you have it loaded.

For more info on this, see:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/towing/towing-capacity/vehicle/gvwr.htm
 
The Gross Combined Weight (GCW) is the actual combined weight of the vehicle and trailer.  The Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) is the maximum amount the factory says your vehicle is designed to handle when pulling a trailer.  You won’t find this on a sticker, you’ll need to contact your vehicle’s manufacturer or research it on the Internet.

For more info, see:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/towing/towing-capacity/vehicle/gcwr.htm


In addition to your GVWR, the sticker on your front door will also list the Gross Axle Weight Ratings (GAWR) for both your front and rear axles.  It is a good idea to weigh each axle separately on a scale (CAT scales do this automatically) to make sure you haven’t got too much weight on either the front or rear of your vehicle.

For example, I’ve got a 1999 Jeep Cherokee.  The sticker on the door tells me that the GVWR is 4900 lbs., the Front GAWR is 2500 lbs. and the Rear GAWR is 2700 lbs.  Notice how 2500 + 2700 = 5200, but the GVWR is only 4900?  As we said, there are other factors involved is determining the GVWR.

For more info, see:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/towing/towing-capacity/vehicle/gawr.htm
 
Finally, take a look at your tires.  On the sidewall will be listed a Load Range, the maximum cold inflation pressure, and the maximum amount of weight that tire can carry at that maximum air pressure.

If you have Load Range C tires, with, say a maximum weight rating of 2800 lbs. each on the back of a pickup with a camper on it, and you weigh the back axle and come up with a weight of 6200 lbs., you’ve got big problems! 

Assuming your Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating is happy with 6200lbs., 2800 + 2800 = 5600.  You’re 600 lbs. overweight as far as your TIRES are concerned! Those tires are at extreme risk of having a blowout as you drive merrily down the highway!

You will need to replace them with something like Load Range E tires with a maximum weight of 3300 lbs. a tire.  That will get your tire capacity up to 6600lbs, or 400 lbs. more than your actual weight.