The adventure begins

[Cammalu]

I’m the trash lady. That has a bit of different connotation than Queen... thanks for the promotion though!!

 

[highdesertranger]

I just purchased that same generator this year so far I am impressed. everyone who has been around it raves how quite it is. even when it's running. LOL

they say, whoever they is that the population of the Quartzsite area goes from just over 2,000in the summer, to over 250,000 in the winter. but they are very spread out.

highdesertranger

 

[MG1912]

I thought I'd write a little bit about my experience with black water treatment.  My truck camper has a Thetford cassette toilet with a 4-gallon tank.  When I bought the camper in August, the dealership gave me a free bag of Thetford “Toss In” tank treatment packs.  They are very convenient little pods, sort of like dish or laundry detergent pods.  You pop them into the cassette to treat your black tank.  I didn’t realize, however, that the dealership had given me the “Eco-Smart” toss-ins, which are formaldehyde-free.  Since I had never owned an RV before, I didn’t know what to expect, and I used the “Eco-Smart” toss-ins for three months.  Bottom line:  they don’t work.  They smell nice enough on their own, but they do nothing to tame a black tank.  For a while, I wasn’t even comfortable dumping my cassette anywhere due to the fact that I was essentially carting around untreated waste that had been fermenting in a plastic tank for a week or longer.  When my complementary bag of “Eco-Smart” toss-ins ran out, I went to the store and bought the old style of formaldehyde toss-ins.  They work.  Hurray for formaldehyde!  I know that’s not very “Eco-Smart,” but we’re talking reality.

 

[MG1912]

So I've been totally unplugged from shore power for two weeks now.  I have needed to run the generator three times (2 hours each time), always on rainy days.  When the sun is out, my batteries will recover for the rest of the day.  And these days, I have been going to bed very late, so I am using power (my laptop and one or two of the camper's LED lights, and sometimes even the furnace blower) all night long.  If the sun was especially good, the batteries will be sitting at 13.0 volts when darkness falls and will sit at 12.7 volts by the time I go to sleep.  If the sun was so-so, the batteries will sit at 12.5 or 12.6 by the time I go to sleep the first night, and if the following day is also overcast, then I need to break out the generator for a few hours because the batteries could be run down to 12.4 volts, hours before I want to go to sleep. 

If I am carrying 3 gallons of gas, and my generator can run on eco-boost mode for 9 hours on 1 gallon, then that's a lot of battery-charging potential.  So far, I'm very happy with the generator.  On a side note, everyone has marveled at how quiet the Honda is.  My cousin and her husband cannot hear it running from inside the house and don't even know when I turn it on and off.

 

[highdesertranger]

MG I don't know where you are at but dump stations out here in the west forbid dumping if you use Formaldehyde or many other chemicals. in fact I don't think you can even buy the Formaldehyde based solutions anymore, at least around here. highdesertranger

 

[MG1912]

MG I don't know where you are at but dump stations out here in the west forbid dumping if you use Formaldehyde or many other chemicals.  in fact I don't think you can even buy the Formaldehyde based solutions anymore,  at least around  here. highdesertranger

I checked the package of toss-ins, and the active ingredients are sodium chloride and bronopol, which appears to be a formaldehyde substitute and not actually formaldehyde.  So correction:  I am not currently using formaldehyde tank treatment.  When I get out West, I'll use what you guys use there!

 

[highdesertranger]

thanks for the reply and a more detailed description.

as a side note does any one know is Formaldehyde still legal anywhere? I don't think it is but I am not sure.

I just looked it up, it is illegal in California. but seems to be legal in other places. however it cause havoc in septic systems causing them to fail if Formaldehyde is repeatedly dumped in so most dump stations don't want it.

highdesertranger

 

[MG1912]

So far, I have used my oven to cook simple things like bacon and to reheat food, and it has worked great. Of course, I always use a pan to cook or reheat. But yesterday, I decided to try my hand at a frozen pizza. Per the package instructions, I preheated the propane oven to 400 degrees and placed the frozen pizza directly on the wire rack -- just like I have done hundreds of times in a house oven. A few minutes after placing the pizza in the oven, however, I started to smell something burning (and my smoke alarm did, too), but I figured it was just residue in the oven burning off. My smoke alarm kept going off, so I temporarily disabled it just to get through this pizza.

Well, 10 minutes later, my camper was full of smoke. I shut the oven off, opened all the hatches and doors, and tried to figure out what went wrong. The pizza looked great on the top… but the bottom was a black, charred mess. I did a little research, and it appears that heat is distributed unevenly in a propane RV oven, and with nothing to dissipate the heat coming directly off the propane burners below the cooking area in the oven (such as an aluminum pan), the bottom of the pizza got the full brunt of the heat. I read several reviews of RV owners who said that they keep a pizza stone in their RV ovens all the time, whether they are cooking pizza or not, as the pizza stone helps distribute heat in the oven for all baking and cooking… and, of course, it’s great for pizza. A pizza stone is ordered and on the way!

 

[highdesertranger]

yep that is what I was going to suggest. a pizza stone.

on a side note I have been making home made pizza in my portable smoker, it's the bomb. I never have found a frozen pizza brand that I liked, even the ones that some people rave about.

highdesertranger

 

[bullfrog]

It just tastes better cause your super hungry after all that work on your trailer! LOL!!!

 

[user 22017]

I've read that pizza stones even allow you to make pizzas in the cheap Coleman ovens. Amazon sells a square stone that fits perfectly in them.

I agree about frozen pizzas. And I've tried about every brand. Anyway, I'm going to try homemade pizza in the Coleman... it's all I can afford for an oven.

 

[MG1912]

I never have found a frozen pizza brand that I liked,  even the ones that some people rave about.

highdesertranger

I have low standards. 


On an unrelated note, my screen door latch stopped working today.  It didn’t appear broken, but it wasn’t staying latched, and the handle was moving loosely with no tension, which -- to me -- meant a spring problem.  I uninstalled the latch and took it apart, and sure enough – a broken spring.  Unfortunately, I can’t find just the spring online (which would probably cost 5 cents), even though this is apparently a common part and a common problem.  I’ve read that some people have jury rigged their own spring… to varying degrees of success.  I just want the OEM spring, but it seems you have to buy the whole latch. 

 

[bullfrog]

Is that a plastic latch? If it is go ahead and buy a new one as the old one will probably break the first time you try to shut the main door with it not completely closed.

 

[highdesertranger]

some hardware stores have a very good selection of springs. industrial supply stores even some Ace and True Value stores have excellent selections. highdesertranger

 

[ckelly78z]

Tractor supply, and Menards have an extensive selection of tiny specialized hardware bits (usually in slide out drawers in a big cabinet). Ask an associate if unsure where.

 

[MG1912]

I've got a new latch coming, and I'll stop by a camping mega-store later today to see if they've got spare springs.

On an unrelated note, I thought I'd write a little bit about my experience using propane. Before I started living in my truck camper, I had read online -- on this forum and on others -- that some people’s 20-pound propane tanks were lasting them for months, or even entire seasons, before needing to be replaced. That has not been the case for me. When it is “cold” here in southern Georgia (“cold” being relative… let’s say around the 40’s at night), I have run the propane RV furnace in the evenings -- turning it off before I go to sleep, of course. It doesn’t run constantly when it is on -- rather, it kicks on for a few minutes to bring the temperature up, and then it kicks off again. It generally does this once or twice per hour when it is keeping the camper warm. I turn the hot water heater on a few times a week for 20 minutes or so to get the 6-gallon, insulated hot water tank ready for a shower and some dishes. I turn it off afterward. I use the propane stove daily, and these days, I use the oven a few times per week. Also, the Dometic fridge/freezer runs on propane, and it is in service 24/7; I have read that absorption fridges are very efficient with propane, but I don’t know exactly how efficient mine is. In any case, a 20-pound bottle of propane under the above conditions will last me two weeks or so before needing to be refilled/replaced.

 

[highdesertranger]

that sounds about right 20 pounds in 2 weeks. I don't know what year your truck camper(TC) is but older propane refrigerators and furnaces were not very efficient. in fact the older fridges sucked up propane like you wouldn't believe, especially in hot weather. highdesertranger

 

[B and C]

My 2000 Roadtreks fridge is 4.3 cubic feet and the propane flame is less than most pilot lights I've seen. The burner has a few slits (5?) that the blue flame burns on. This flame is about a 1/4" to 3/8" tall.

IIRC, a 20 pound tank holds 5 gallons of propane so your usage sounds about right to me. I have a 12 gallon tank that holds 10 gallons and it will last about a month with use similar to yours including the furnace. The hot water heater can burn through a lot if left on until it cuts off at its' set temperature (120+ ?). To conserve propane water heater use, I got an oven thermometer with remote probe. I stuck the probe between the tank and its' insulation. I set the alarm on the thermometer at 100 degrees. When the alarm goes off, I turn the water heater off. To use any hot water, I don't need to waste water by mixing in cold until I get the right temperature and I haven't wasted propane making the water hotter than it needs to be for my use. I save the cold water coming out of the hot water side in my coffee carafe for later use (waste not, want not) I usually cook two meals a day on the stovetop and don't have a propane oven. I don't have any other propane saving tips.

People going a month or longer maybe don't have all the appliances you have and may cook using the little 1 pound bottles. You need to look at peoples use that have rigs similar to yours for comparison.

I would look at all the burners to make sure you have a blue flame with as little yellow in it as you can get. Most burners have an adjustable air inlet that can be adjusted to get the flame blue.

 

[MG1912]

I went to an RV supply store and bought a new latch, but I just lifted the new spring and installed it in my old latch, as it was already a perfect fit.  I'll keep the new latch as a spare.

I received my pizza stone today.  Here is what it looks like in my oven.  It is a 13" stone.  I have not used it yet.

 

[MG1912]

Yesterday, I finally started on my journey proper.  I drove about five hours from Georgia to Mississippi.  Today, I drove another five hours from Mississippi to Texas, and I am heading west.  It feels good to finally be underway!

Yesterday was the coldest night I have yet experienced in the truck camper.  It dipped to below 30 on the Mississippi coast.  I ran the furnace until I went to bed and slept without the heat on.  As previously mentioned, when the furnace is on, it doesn’t run constantly.  The four-season insulated camper holds the heat well, so the furnace only kicks on for a few minutes and then kicks off.  It comes back on after 30 minutes or an hour or so, depending on the weather.  In this way, it doesn’t drain the batteries down too bad.  I slept in my wool long johns, with two pairs of wool socks on.  For covers, I had a sheet, my wool blanket, the Rumpl down blanket, and then my down comforter on top.  I was snug as a bug in a rug. 

Living like this has definitely changed my perspective on things like the weather and my use of water and electricity.  I sometimes drive by houses at night that have a ton of lights on, including outside flood lights, and I marvel at the amount of “waste.”  I never noticed that sort of thing before.  This morning, I woke up and opened the skylight blind above my bed and could have cried at the beautiful sight of a blue sky and blasting sun.  I have become a sun-worshipper, like the ancient Egyptians -- I looked at my Zamp controller and saw it bulking the batteries at 14.4 volts, and I could have gotten on my knees and praised the mighty sun.

I no longer have nightmares about slamming into a low bridge or rolling my rig.  I am now confident driving, having driven about 4,000 miles with the camper on, and I know what it can and can’t do.  I now know that I categorically do not need any further suspension modifications.  The Rancho shocks, Torklift Upper StableLoads, Torklift FastGuns, and the stock Ford springs and sway bar are taming the ride just fine.  I am confident taking corners, accelerating, etc.  I have even gotten quite a bit of off-road practice with my rig, as my cousin’s “driveway” in Georgia is a two-mile, unpaved catastrophe that looks like the surface of mars in dry weather, and like a Canadian lake district in wet weather.  Slow and steady gets it done.  I have not yet driven on sand or through heavy mud.

I am very happy with the permanent phone base and the Boss head unit I mentioned in my first posts in this thread.  It was a solid call to install those.  Now when I get a phone call while driving, the phone connects to the head unit via Bluetooth automatically and lets me take the call hands-free.  For those of you who have been using Bluetooth for a while, that might not sound crazy, but I have always done things in the cheap and low-tech way, and I have always had old cars.  Taking a phone call while driving used to be a nightmare:  I’d have the phone stuck to the windshield with a suction cup (or sticking in an A/C vent with one of those flimsy phone holders), and then I’d have to find the button to answer the call, put my head next to the phone and shout, and try to hit the “speaker” button on the phone… all while driving and trying not to knock the phone off its flimsy perch in the process.  And assuming I nailed all those steps, I had to be sure to complete them all before the caller hung up.  Those days are over.

The truck has been a brick.  I will say now that there is absolutely nothing more important for a nomad than a reliable vehicle.  It’s the difference between traveling with constant worry (hell) and with peace of mind (heaven).  I know a lot of folks wouldn’t spend the kind of money I have in this truck, and it’s not even an “expensive” or new model, relatively-speaking.  But it is reliable, and that is absolutely priceless. 

My truck drinks diesel like it’s Kool-Aid, though -- although to her credit, she is carrying a 4,000 pound payload that is not very aerodynamic.  Getting 12 miles per gallon, with diesel at $2.70 to $3.00, means my five-hour drive from Georgia to Mississippi yesterday -- and then my five-hour drive from Mississippi to Texas today -- cost about $70 for each leg.  Can’t do that every day…

The camper has been great.  So far, no leaks or system failures, knock wood.  Like most (maybe all?) Northstar campers, it is a four-season camper with insulation throughout.  It holds the heat from the furnace well and has been comfortable to live in.  I sleep like a baby on the very comfy Cirrus foam mattress and Froli springs.  The camper is also surprisingly capable of serving as a social venue.  I have had up to 10 people in it, believe it or not.  Four or five people on the floor level sitting around the dinette, and four or five people sitting Indian-style in the cab over!  People think it’s a hoot.

Oh, and I finally tried the pizza stone out.  It works!  Not perfectly, but it works.  The heat coming off of the bottom element in the oven must be like a jet engine because, once again, the pizza was perfect on top, but was just slightly burnt on the bottom… and it was sitting on the pizza stone the whole time, which means the heat went straight through the stone!  But the pizza stone definitely helped.  No smoke, no charred mess.

Next steps for me are spending some time with friends in the Hill Country in Texas before heading west.  Hope to see you folks at RTR.