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Calling 911: |
We have taken some of the most popular topics, and grouped those letters together on separate pages. This is called the "Tips and Letter Archive" page.
There you'll find letters on
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 On-Line: |
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Calling 911:
In Canada, as in the US, it is possible to access 911 from a cell phone that is not currently activated, ie. the phone does not have a number as it has been deactivated by the service provider. Many of us have old cell phones gathering dust as we have moved on to the newer, smaller models or to digital. Recently I noticed in Trailer Life magazine that it is possible in the US to use these outdated phones for 911 use only. I checked with Telus Mobility and we can do this in Canada as well. We now carry an old cell phone with a 12 volt plug-in in each of our vehicles for emergency use only. Murphy’s Law says that the one time you really need your cell phone you won’t have it. This way you always have a backup and the price is right. Check it out! I find your magazine informative and useful. Keep up the good work. Phil Dobson In your Issue, #78, page 6, Joe and Merf of Nevada request a phone number for Hydro Flame Corp in Utah. I have a book, that came with my furnace, which lists pages of contacts all over the continent. They do not give any contact info of their own, so I hope that you have some way to get hold of them. In Utah alone, there are 11 places but perhaps the one they require is: Hydro Flame Corp They may contact me directly if they need any more information. Hope we can both assist them. Margo Saunders Paying for camping in Forestry Campsites: In reference to the article called Road West to Bella Coola, found in your November/December 2000 issue, all Forest Service Campgrounds are no longer free. You are supposed to pay $8 a night, or buy a yearly pass, which is $27 for adults, $22 for seniors. In campgrounds with attendants and garbage pick-up, without a pass it is $10 per night, with a pass $5 per night, collected each night. In reference to the maps being free, they are no longer so. They cost $3 plus $.35 for postage and can be ordered by phone using a credit card. Chilliwack office toll-free is 685-5972, Port Coquitlam 1-877-524-3337 or Vancouver Island 1-800-331-7001. About the $8 per night fee. There are not many visits to the campgrounds by the Forestry Service people, which is why a lot of campers think they can camp for free. The Forestry Service has not put boxes out so you can pay on the honour system. Regarding the free maps. They were free, but in the year 2000, they decided to charge $3.35 for them. They can be ordered from any Forestry Service office or wherever they sell fishing and hunting licenses. Notices regarding the charge are posted at all Forestry Service Campgrounds. You can camp on any Crown Land for free. C .F. Lathem Forestry Camping to Bella Coola - The Road West: I was just sent this article in The RV Times and wanted folks to know that all BC Forestry campsites are not free any more. Regulations came into force in April 1999. Also recreation maps now cost $3.35 each. More information on recreation camping fees can be found at the MOF website: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca Doug Herchmer I have experienced a baffling problem with my two-way gas/110V fridge. For no apparent reason it will ‘kick-out’ from the cooling, and go into ‘check mode’. It doesn’t matter whether I’m on propane or 120V, it does them both. Does anyone out there have any ideas what would cause this, or where I would check? The situation is persistent, but it will run for a long time, then kick out and may not allow a reset – ie, it continues to kick out. I sure need help with this. Gerry Gerry, This has been a common problem for the Dometic fridges for the past nine years of so. I would suggest a tw- part course of action: First remove the burner and make sure there is no residual rust flakes or dust inside the burner tube and that the burner slots are clean. Then reassemble the burner making sure the thermocouple is not touching the bottom of the flue or any other part of the fridge. If this doesn’t solve the problem, and I suspect it may not fully cure it, you will need to replace both the circuit control module and install an upgraded wiring kit to match the new module. The Dometic part numbers are 2932881.01 for the module (approximately $180.00), and 3108702.675 for the wire kit (approximately $32.00). There is a different module available for the three-way fridge to correct the same problem. Hope this solves your erratic fridge operation. Brian Yeates |
RVT 78 page 10 letter by D. Ball:
Concerning Duane Ball’s problem, about the chalky finish on his motorhome, please refer to Motorhome Magazine, March 2000 Issue, Pg. 142, Coach & Chassis by Wes Caughlin. He recommends Dupont "Imron paint" for this problem. He also recommends that it be applied by a qualified professional in a paint booth, or dust free area as this paint "cures" rather than dries. Hope this is of some help. Your Nov/Dec issue is great, keep up the good work!! Ian & Louise Macdonald On our 1983 PaceArrow, the finish was extremely oxidized. I tried a lot of products, but the one which proved to be the best was a product called Meguiars, out of Irvine CA 800-347-5700. It is called Mirror Glaze, and uses numbers to indicate application. You would need number 49 or 52 followed with the wax or one step. Try your normal auto stores or a marina. JohnMcDonald Here is something that might help Duane Ball’s chalky finish problem, page 10, in the Nov/Dec issue, of this magazine. I read this in the Feb. 2000, Motorhome magazine: Try: A) Plow Glow: http://www.poliglowproducts.com B) Star Brite: C) Verlglas: Hope this will help. Ray Smith Every July we spend time with our family camping at Buttle Lake Provincial Campground. Last July the family had been camping ten days before we arrived. Upon arriving we found our red headed, fair skinned, 14 year old grandson, covered with mosquito bites, and bleeding from scratching. In our First-Aid Kit was the Aloe-Aid Soothing Spray, put out by Grace Cosmetics. We sprayed Thomas, and left the bottle on the picnic table for him, and the other kids to use. We left for home six days later, and not one of the kids had a mosquito bite. The mosquitoes were still hanging about, but were repelled by the Aloe Vera in the spray. Also great for sunburns, and burns. The cost is $23. Maureen Glowasky Thank you for printing my letter in the November/December issue of The RV Times, page 6, called Battery Charging. But there is one crucial part that apparently got gobbled up in the digital abyss of your computer?? Regarding the new generation Balmar MC612 regulator I was describing, not only does it do nothing for the first 30 seconds, allowing the engine and belt to warm up, but in addition to only loading down 50% at that time, it ramps up to a full blown bulk charge shortly after. The actual current will vary depending on temperature, engine revs, etc., but will certainly charge a battery much more quickly than a single stage regulator. It is fully programmable to accommodate different types of batteries other than lead/acid, and can even be set up for an equalization charge. Tom E. Alexander I wonder if anyone could provide any help in choosing a Canadian-made 5th wheel. My choice would be to buy a Canadian product since I am Canadian, however, in order to build up a certain knowledge of our products, I would like to find on the internet or in a magazine, some articles evaluating the Canadian built RVs; and in order not to be biased, the articles should not be sponsored by the RV companies I can comment on, that in the USA there is the RVCG. In Canada, I called our consumer Association of Canada, and was told that the only magazine dealing with Canadian RV matters is published in Quebec, and the title is PROTEJEZ VOUS (I apologize if the spelling is wrong), I understand that the article is in French, and being in French, most likely it will be promoting Quebec products only. According to the little information I was able to gather, I am inclined to consider the Triple E 5th 6’11" with no slide out room. Does anybody own this rig, is he/she happy with it, and willing to provide an educated comment on its consistency, structure, insulation, functionality etc? I am in love with the Canadian north, and plan to spend most of my vacations there doing dry camping or, if not dry, with very limited facilities. Does anyone have any special suggestions, beside to have a generator available? I really would appreciate assistance in the above choice. Galeazzo Banzoni |
Previous Issues' Letters:
I have a 1998 Class A motorhome with a Ford 460 engine and four speed automatic transmission that includes overdrive. I understand that these transmissions are not very reliable, and can break down anytime after 25,000 miles. There is a Transgo Performance Shift Kit E4OD on the market that is supposed to eliminate any problems by having the driver control shifts, having short, firm shifts and holding first, second and third gears to any RPM. Does it eliminate all automatic shifts? Have readers heard or experienced the above shift kit? I would like to get some feedback or anything helpful on this subject. Josef Kriz We enjoy The RV Times very much: We do not like those long detailed, several part stories. Your trip information was so excellent, I hope more people follow that format, see (The RV Times issue 77). We are interested in trips taken, but only the route taken, interest at stops that could require more time and RV park info. Miles traveled, gas and diesel costs and park costs. The trip summery you added at the end of page 5 expressed your enjoyment, made it a pleasure to read and also describes how we would like to hit the road. I guess it is not my place to suggest that trip letters not exceed xxx number of words per story. We would like to see more problem solving letters, even more detailed trip stories. Some short summer trip point of interest suggestions. On a different note, I would like to recommend the Laser show at Coulee Dam, in Washington. It takes place summer months, and only in the evening. You sit outside so take a warm jacket and blanket to sit on. It is awesome. I. Morrie First to say we just love The RV Times!!! Very useful info. As a first time RVer, we are starting to plan next winter in Arizona. We would like some information on the ‘best’ route to take from Vancouver, BC. A route that doesn’t have a lot of "high" passes and narrow roads. If we could avoid the major cities like Los Angeles and San Fransico, it would be great. Do any of your readers have any advise? When is the latest one should leave Vancouver, and when is the earliest to return, so as to avoid snow? Any other helpful hints to make it an enjoyable time? Vicki Dreger Cottonwood helps fridge problems: I want to put in a plug for Cottonwood RV Sales of Chilliwack. We stopped there three years ago to look at some 5th wheels but we chose to buy a bigger camper instead, a 1996 Elkhorn 10 ft. We had an 8-ft Slumber Queen when we stopped. We were having trouble with the fridge when it was on propane. The Cottonwood serviceman came out and told us to first clean the pipe to the burner, which I did and the fridge worked excellently after that. On the Elkhorn camper, everything worked perfectly while parked in the carport. Plugged in on 110AC at the lake, it was a different story. We proceeded to convert the fridge to propane off DC then the trouble started. The circuit board on the Dometic fridge went bezerk, flashing everything, doing all but what it was supposed to do. We finally got it started on propane and went to bed. In the morning, nothing worked. Our new battery was dead. No fridge. We eventually got the battery charged by our generator, which we were fortunate to have with us. The weekend was an endurance test. Upon arriving home, I phoned Cottonwood and told the serviceman my troubles. He informed me that the two fluorescent lights I have in the camper have to go as they get old and effect the circuit board in the fridge. I replaced them with bulbs and the fridge has worked perfectly since. I phoned Fleetwood who built the camper and they knew about it, but no guarantee. Anyway, I hope this helps others as Cottonwood helped us. Sheila, we very much enjoy your magazine. Keep up the good work! Ron & Alice Waters You have the best magazine on RVing. Ken Flanders |
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