NOTE: This post is something I wrote back in May 2015, and was published on the Escapees HDT Forum. Here it is with a few minor updates. Still my most-used electronic driving aid! After adding a Volvo hood-mounted mirror, I still wasn’t quite happy with how well I could see my front right corner. I…
Author: Dave
Step Covers from a Door Mat
This short write-up about making custom step covers goes back to something I did years ago on my first RV, and quickly duplicated after getting my current one. The Problem Inevitably, dirt gets tracked in. In a campsite with grass, a paved site or patio, or good gravel, it’s not too bad. But sandy and/or…
My Trusty Toastmaster 1B14 Toaster
When I first started RVing, a little over 11 years ago, I bought a new toaster. It wasn’t fancy–a two slice Toastmaster bought for about $20. It worked fairly well, from 2006 until 2013. But it failed, and the circuit board with the timer wasn’t repairable. It was a throwaway appliance, made in China. Grandma’s…
Water Misters, Part 2: How Much Money Can I Save?
The water misters can make the air conditioner perform better, but does it make sense to use them? Of course, if you’re in a campground with unmetered water and electricity, there are no immediate savings other than comfort. Electricity is one of the bigger costs in operating an RV park though, so we all pay…
Lithium Batteries and Upgrading the 12V DC Power System
Last fall, I wrote about installing a PC power supply to power the remaining 12V DC loads in my RV, but that’s getting replaced with a DC-DC converter. The power supply did the job it was supposed to, without fail. But there are a few drawbacks with it: The power supply converts AC power from…
Great Plate Disaster of 2017
One of those age-old questions of seasoned RVers–not necessarily old ones–is what kinds of plates and other dishes to travel with. I can’t count how many times someone has asked how I pack glass dishes, and I’ve always had a simple answer: I don’t. They just sit in the cabinet where they always do, with…
Power Adapters 101: What power adapter is safe to use?
Just about every RVer has a few power adapters, often referred to as “dogbones,” to make sure that they can connect to whatever power is available to them–this post will go over which power adapter types are safe to use, and which ones you might want to carry. Circuit Protection The job of a circuit…
Using Water Misters to Save Electricity and Keep Cool
It’s that time of year again–temperatures are rising and the non-fulltimers are out in force. Depending on where you’re camping, that may mean managing your power use on a limited hook-up, listening to the air conditioner run non-stop, and possibly still being hot inside in the afternoon sun. We can improve on that with a…
Electrical Myths, Part 2: Showing Heater Current doesn’t go up when Supply Voltage Drops
Last time, we talked rather abstractly about why a space heater doesn’t draw more power when supply voltage drops. This time, we’re going to talk about it with a real space heater, current and voltage measurements, and a short, poorly produced video (I made it, so I can say so). More pictures and fewer formulas…
Electrical Myths, Part 1: My Space Heater’s Plug Gets Hot
Since it’s still winter time, let’s start with one dealing with using a space heater: My RV’s wiring isn’t big enough to handle a space heater. If I plug one in, the heater’s plug gets hot. I should blame the campground, then open the box and hose it down to cool it off. Ok, that…