Monthly Archives: November 2016
More Stuff We Use and Abuse . .
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Here’s some more things that Jan and I use in our RV life.
The FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer is on of her favorites. She regularly cooks up a big batch of ground beef in her electric skillet, and then seals and freezes it in 1 pound bags. She also does the same after poaching a bunch of chicken breasts to use later for soup.
FoodSaver Vacuum Sealing System
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I always both of these replacement fuel filters for the Cummins 350 ISC diesel in our coach. And I’ve had to replace the 1022 fine particle filter twice while we’ve been on the road.
Fleetguard Fuel/Water Sep FS1242
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For the first several years we were on the road I went through several different brands of dually valve stem extensions with little luck. They would last for a couple of months and then start leaking. But I put a set of these on 4 years ago and not a leak since.
Pacific Dualies 7″ Braided Stainless Steel Valve Stem Extensions
Seems like where ever we park I need to hook up a second hose to use the pressure washer or do something else. So I always install one of these before I hook up shore water. That way I’m always prepared.
Nelson High Flow Dual Outlet Kink-Free Flex Hose Adapter
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Jan and I each have one of these LED rechargeable Book Lights. I use one on my laptop to see the keyboard at night.
Book Light Clip on Table Light
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I have this as a standby waste tank valve. If either my Black or Gray tank valves malfunctions and stays open, this one connects to the waste tank output between the rig and your sewer hose.
Valterra 3″ Waste Valve Twist On
Everyone should have one of these Kill A Watt Electrical Monitors. It lets you check you voltage, line frequency, amps, or watts used. Know much power every appliance in your rig consumes.
P3 International P4400 Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor
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Well, I was up at 4am this morning, out the door at 4:30 and on the gate by 4:50. This gate doesn’t require any logging at all. I just stop each vehicle, be sure they’re where they’re supposed to be, give them the rules, and send them on their way. So not bad.
But tomorrow back up at 4am.
Thought for the Day:
(Trust me. It’s hilarious)
“أسوء تعذيب فى العالم هو الشخص المُصر على الكلام بينما أنت مُثقل بالهموم , ترغب فى أن تبقى صامتاً وأن تصغى لأفكارك.” ― Ahmed Khaled Toufiq
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The Prime Directive . . .
Several of our blog readers noted that the detailed specifications for the Porter-Cable 150 psi Air Compressor that I mentioned yesterday say the unit is ‘Gas Powered’.
It’s not. It is 120VAC.
Also tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 18th, Amazon is discounting their normally $99 Prime membership fee down to $79 for one day only.
Here’s what they say:
In anticipation of the launch of the Amazon Original Series The Grand Tour, Amazon is offering a limited time promotion—new members can sign up for Amazon Prime for just $79, a 20% savings on the first year’s annual membership fee. The first episode of The Grand Tour will premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, November 18, and the one-day discount will be available starting Friday at 12:00am ET and ending at 11:59pm PT.
Go Here for the Discount Price:
Note that this discount price is for individual memberships only, and not for gift memberships or renewals.
Following up on yesterday’s blog, here are some products that we use and recommend:
I mentioned several times how much we like our Zero-G RV water hose. It never kinks and stows away easily , even when it’s 40 degrees outside. Although it is flexible, it’s not expandable, and has a canvas-like feel, like a fire hose. Well Recommended.
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Although I just got this a few days ago, so far I really like it. After charging it up, I used it to power my phone for a 24 hour period with plenty of juice left over. Check it out.
PowerCore 13000 Portable Phone Charger
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My friend Nick Russell turned me on to these. It’s a pen, an automotive glass breaker, and possibly a weapon. At least according to Nick’s Black Friday murder mystery from 2015.
Tactical Pen and Glass Breaker
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You’ve heard me sing the praises of Strike-Hold numerous times over the last few years for good reason. It’s great for resurrecting flakey electrical connections of any type. Just a single squirt into a phone or Kindle connection will work wonders. And like WD-40 it will displace moisture, but unlike WD-40 it is also a real dry lubricant made originally for military firearms.
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I replaced our 8 year old Shurflo water pump this past May with this new one. The old one started leaking and then quit turning on. This new one is much quieter and has better pressure. So far, so good.
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We started using these 900 lumen LED flashlights on our frack gate up near Carthage, TX last year. They’re the brightest ones around for the price, and are fully focusable. They also have a flash mode that is blinding. We’ve got about six of them scattered round the rig.
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Over the last year I’ve replaced almost al the fluorescent tubes in our rig with these LED strips. The only ones I haven’t replaced are the ones in the two 18” fixtures in the bedroom. I already have the strips, but I’m waiting for one or more tubes to die.
The two links below detail how two strips will replace two 18” tubes and six strips will replace two 4’ tubes.
https://ourrvadventures.com/2015/12/cooking-for-christmas/
https://ourrvadventures.com/2015/11/grey-friday-2/
These Mighty Mules are the best vehicle alarms we’ve found. And we’ve been through a bunch of different ones, believe me.
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What makes them pretty much false-alarm-proof is the fact that they only sense large pieces of metal moving through their magnetic field. So no cows setting off the alarms.
Unless of course it looks like this bison taken near Glacier National Park.
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This is one of Jan’s favorites. The keys light up in your choice of 6 different colors. Great for computing at night when you’ve only got the light from the monitor to work by.
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Several years ago I replaced the original Xantrex/Heart Interface Source Manager Power Converter/Transfer Switch/Inverter combo unit that originally came with our rig. First the transfer switch died, and then the power converter followed it into oblivion.
So I replace the 4’ long, 18” wide, 18” high, 80# unit with two boxes the size of a shoebox
Progressive Dynamics 50 Amp Transfer Switch
PowerMax 55 Amp Power Converter
I didn’t worry about replacing the inverter since we almost never boondock anymore, and when we do, we just run the generator. But if I had it would have been another shoebox-sized unit.
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I use these modules to monitor the 12 VDC and 120 VAC systems in the rig. They’re cheap and easy to install.
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For dinner tonight Jan whipped up a delicious batch of her Pasta e Fagioli soup. Very spicy and very good.
So we’re set for the next couple of days of good eatin’.
I’m going to bed about 10pm tonight since I’ve got to be up at 4pm to be on the road by 4:30 to be at my gate by 5pm. And that goes for the next three days.
Yuck!
Thought for the Day:
“I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.” ― Edgar Allan Poe
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