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Are you familiar with Duck Coat Roof Coating??
Someone recommended this product:
Duck Coat Roof Coating
The info on the web page looks promising -- but when I did a search of our archive, I came up empty, which is strange.
If you've used this product on your RV, please feel free to chime in!
Thanks in advance for your advice.
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profdant139
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02/06/23 05:30pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: 1" to 3/8" thread adapter?
You've probably already thought of this, but you might be able to put together a "daisy chain" of reducing bushings. This is an example of one, but the price looks to be very high:
Bushing
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profdant139
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01/31/23 05:00pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: California Redwoods Campground
I don't know if Kamp Klamath is open in March, but it is very well located -- right near Prairie Creek. Lots of hiking in old growth forest. Whales and sea lions can often be seen from the beach near the RV park. The RV park is fine for big rigs and is very quiet -- not located right on the highway.
But the bathrooms are not very nice -- they need upgrading. We use the bathroom in our trailer, so that is not an issue for us -- we've been to this place four or five times over the years.
Here is a link:
Kamp Klamath
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profdant139
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01/15/23 05:27pm |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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RE: Icefields Parkway first week in June
I'm a little late to the dance, but I have to add my two cents here -- my advice is not to be too worried about the snow. We were in the Canadian Rockies in mid-September several years ago, and we saw some snow -- this sunrise shot was taken from our campsite at Peter Lougheed Provincial Park:
https://i.imgur.com/a1Yj2d5l.jpg "border=0"
https://i.imgur.com/m3zZPvb.pngClick For Full-Size Image.
If you hike, bring waterproof knee-length gaiters -- they shed the snow and keep your boots dry. If there is any ice, we also carry microspikes, which are like crampons but much easier to put on and take off.
If you have never been to Banff and Jasper and Lake Louise, you have to see it to believe it. Astonishingly beautiful.
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profdant139
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01/10/23 01:17pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: cheap solar panels
Thanks, piano, for pointing this out -- yes, it might be a scam, but it is worth looking into. As my kids used to say when they were teenagers, "Good lookin' out, dawg!" (I'm not sure where they got that phrase, but it sometimes comes in handy.)
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profdant139
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01/07/23 10:00pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Your Favorite Boondocking Pics
September 2022, along the Nooksack River, near Mt. Baker, in northern Washington:
https://i.imgur.com/0hrpKTal.jpg "border=0"
https://i.imgur.com/m3zZPvb.pngClick For Full-Size Image.
Sept. 2022, Sauk Park Campground, near Marblemount, Washington. This is a "boondocking" campground -- virtually no facilities, other than porta-potties:
https://i.imgur.com/1GNpbtzl.jpg "border=0"
https://i.imgur.com/m3zZPvb.pngClick For Full-Size Image.
October, 2022, near Lee Vining, California:
https://i.imgur.com/V3hE8xvl.jpg "border=0"
https://i.imgur.com/m3zZPvb.pngClick For Full-Size Image.
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profdant139
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12/31/22 05:37pm |
Public Lands, Boondocking and Dry Camping
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RE: Best route from Salem, Oregon to West Valley City, Utah?
I really, really hate to be a naysayer -- I am a great believer in adventure and taking moderate risks.
But.
Towing an old trailer on slippery winter roads as a newbie is not a moderate risk. Ironically, the biggest problem is the Caravan -- I have towed a small trailer with a Caravan, and the vehicle was not suited to long downgrades.
No matter how much I downshifted, the brakes would get hot. The rotors eventually warped.
Taking the van without the trailer would be a lot safer.
You'll have to run the numbers to see if driving is any cheaper than flying.
Good luck, and stay safe.
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profdant139
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12/26/22 10:40am |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Lithium for dummies: need advice in simple terms
This post describes a DIY battery heater -- it is a little too sophisticated (well, actually a lot) for my skills or lack therof. But it looks to be a doable deal for technically-minded folks:
Li Battery Heater DIY
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profdant139
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12/16/22 05:19pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Lithium for dummies: need advice in simple terms
OK, Steve, I'll continue to display my ignorance -- what are double tapped terminals, and why are two terminals better than one? And why a fat terminal vs a skinny one?
The more I know, the more I realize how much I don't know.
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profdant139
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12/13/22 10:17am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Lithium for dummies: need advice in simple terms
If storage at 50% state of charge is optimal, I guess I can't just put a lithium battery on a shelf in my garage hooked up to a BatteryMinder Plus (which is what I do now with my lead acid dinosaurs). Dumb Question Number 17 -- if I can't leave a lithium battery on a trickle charger, how do I keep it at 50% while it is in storage?
And by "storage," I mean "whenever I'm not actually on a camping trip, the batteries go onto the trickle charger."
Thanks to everyone for your continuing patience with my naive questions -- judging by the little "hit counter" on the welcome screen for this forum, there are a lot of other folks like me who are curious about lithium but aren't sure what to ask.
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profdant139
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12/10/22 05:15pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Lithium for dummies: need advice in simple terms
By the way, if anyone is feeling entrepeneurial (I think that is how it is spelled), there is a need for a sturdy insulated Lithium-compatible battery box that can be mounted on the tongue of a trailer. I have done a fairly good Google search (more than ten minutes!) and have come up empty.
Most of the commercially available boxes are vented, which is not needed for lithium and which defeats the built-in heater that would be needed for cold weather operation.
And in addition to designing and marketing the box, why not come up with an external add-on heater that would go into the box? I think Ultraheat has something that would do the job, with a little modification. If that works, you would not need a high end battery with a built-in heater -- just the box and the external heater.
Almost every problem is a business opportunity! (But not for me -- I'm retired.)
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profdant139
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12/09/22 05:40pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Lithium for dummies: need advice in simple terms
No thanks -- I'm not going to build my own battery. My previous attempts at soldering have all ended up looking like abstract sculpture, and not in a good way. ;)
I might give it a try if I could assemble a battery using duct tape!
It sounds like I'd be better off with a built-in heater. I understand that it would not be strictly necessary to build an insulated battery box, since it's usually in the 25 degree range at night when we camp in the Sierra.
But why not build a cozy box and conserve energy? Is there a downside that I am missing?
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profdant139
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12/09/22 05:26pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Lithium for dummies: need advice in simple terms
Great info -- very thought-provoking. Someone mentioned a generator. I have a Honda 2000 and almost never use it -- I run it at home to keep it tuned up. We camp in search of silence (since we live in the city). So the generator is more for emergencies than for convenience.
I will look into the BB self-heated unit. But I do have a question -- if I insulate the battery box, and we are camping in 25 degree weather (not that cold), I assume that the internal heater will cycle on and off, keeping the battery at 35 degrees, right?
If that is true, then the 1.8 amp draw from the heater will be fairly minimal, since it is not continual.
otrfun, if you have the time, could you tell us more about the DIY heater you made? You mentioned that it has a "Switchable control (thermostat or BMS)." Please forgive my ignorance -- what is a BMS?
Do you have a post or a youtube video describing your setup?
I like the idea of a separate heater that is not built in to the battery. I find that when features are bundled within a high-dollar purchase, one point of failure can trash the whole assembly.
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profdant139
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12/09/22 01:01pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Lithium for dummies: need advice in simple terms
Mordecai, what do you use to monitor whether you are short amps? (Different from a short circus, I think.). ;)
No, seriously, which device will give you an accurate picture of the remaining battery capacity? Using a cheap multimeter, I often check the voltage on my lead acid batteries, on the theory that any reading below 12.1 means that I've got a state of charge less than 50%.
But with lithium batteries, the voltage does not drop, I think. The battery goes from "full" to "dead," if I remember correctly.
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profdant139
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12/08/22 05:59pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Lithium for dummies: need advice in simple terms
Some of the preceding discussion is over my head, so let me bring things back to a more basic level. It looks like I will need an insulated battery box and a heater to keep the lithium battery above freezing. But the heater draws current, of course.
So I would have to budget a reserve of power in order to make sure that the battery is warm enough to accept a charge.
This may be a deal killer because we are almost always away from the trailer during daylight hours, hiking or snow-shoeing or skiing. So we would not be in a position to monitor the battery and the solar charger in real time, to make sure that we are not damaging the system and that there is enough juice to run the fridge, etc.
Hmmm. We may not be ideal candidates for lithium, until they work out the temperature issues. That is really too bad. But I am not ready to give up on snow camping.
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profdant139
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12/08/22 10:21am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Trip report: Four weeks in the Northwest
What's next?? That depends on some family medical issues. But if all goes well, maybe Canyonlands in February.
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profdant139
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12/08/22 10:00am |
Public Lands, Boondocking and Dry Camping
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RE: Lithium for dummies: need advice in simple terms
So many great posts -- thanks!!!
A few thoughts -- first, here is a link to Housted's great Power Point:
Solar 101
Second, it sounds like I will have to replace my old WFCO converter/charger, right? That's probably a good idea, anyway, given that WFCO units don't have a great reputation.
Third, it is true that most of my charging is from my solar panel (120 watts). Most of our snow camping tends to be in Utah and the Sierra, so we usually get lots of sun. But assuming that I go with lithium batteries, I will want to make sure that the software in the battery prevents charging when it is below 32 degrees.
Fourth, someone mentioned that most folks have their batteries in warm environments. Right now, I don't -- my lead acid units are on the tongue of the trailer, inside waterproof plastic boxes. Very cold!
So I would have to heat the boxes and insulate them. That sounds like a fun project! Maybe put the batteries inside a YETI cooler??
There is no way I can put the batteries inside -- the interior of our trailer measures 11 feet by 7 feet (77 square feet), and that includes the bathroom, the sink, the stove, the fridge, all cabinets, the table and the bed (which are the same thing).
Plus me and my wife. Thank heavens she is both short and slender, because I am neither.
It's sure cozy in there. But I don't even have room for a AAA battery, never mind a LiFePo!! ;)
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profdant139
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12/06/22 06:07pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Lithium for dummies: need advice in simple terms
Great point about the absence of out-gassing -- I did not know that, and it would make it possible to bring the battery inside.
If only I had some extra room! Very tiny trailer -- 12 foot box, believe it or not.
Keep those comments coming -- thanks to all of you!
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profdant139
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12/05/22 09:52pm |
Tech Issues
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Lithium for dummies: need advice in simple terms
I have been torturing myself, trying to develop some sort of a decision tree to see if I should convert to lithium batteries. I have searched the archive for a "lithium for dummies" thread and have come up empty. (If I'm wrong, I am sure someone will let me know! ;) )
So that is what I am humbly asking for -- is there a really easy to understand site or article that explains or compares lithium batteries to lead/acid batteries for RV use and then guides the shopper through the steps needed to come to a conclusion?
Or maybe this thread can serve as a resource for those of us (like me) who do not have technical backgrounds?
In any event, here are my particular questions:
Aside from the obvious cost difference (which may or may not be a deal killer), my three biggest concerns are weight, capacity, and cold weather charging.
Weight: I am in my eighth decade (!) and am having trouble lifting a group 31 lead acid battery without hurting my back. It looks like lithium is a clear winner on that issue.
Capacity: I'm satisfied with the capacity of a group 31 -- it's nominally at 110 amp/hours, which means I can get about 55 amp/hours from the battery without risk of damage to the battery. Am I correct in concluding that if I were to get a lithium battery with 100 amp/hour capacity, I could use almost all of that capacity?
Cold weather: What does one do about charging a lithium battery when camping in sub-freezing weather? We really like snow camping -- is that a deal killer? We are almost never subjected to temps below ten degrees. And the daytime usually warms up to around 30 or so.
Thanks in advance for your help and advice -- and on behalf of all of us dummies, thanks for keeping it as simple as you can!
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profdant139
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12/05/22 05:36pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Trip report: Four weeks in the Northwest
Thanks for all of the kind words! It is fun to put the blog posts together -- it is our attempt to capture the experience of a long camping trip.
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profdant139
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12/04/22 09:34pm |
Public Lands, Boondocking and Dry Camping
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