anybody been to "the slabs" or the imperial dam ltva?
Jenny6833A
>I'm looking for a cheap warm place to winter. There are lots of cheap
>places, but I tend to make noise grinding steel and banging on things.
>The info I found on the imperial dam ltva makes it sound like I might
>get kicked out of there for noise... the slabs sound pretty
>interesting but not necessarily safe.
In our experience, Slab City is safe enough. We had no problems and wouldn't
hesitate going there again. However, I don't recall any place there that you
could set up far enough from others to not be a problem with your grinding and
banging. You might not get kicked out, but you'd certainly not be appreciated.
I might add that Slab City isn't really free when you consider the costs of
dumping, hauling water, etc. Overall, Quartzsite is less expensive if you stay
all winter and is better suited to your grinding/banging lifestyle.
:-)
Jenny
Before emailing, remove Clothes
GBinNC
wrote:
>... I don't recall any place there that you
>could set up far enough from others to not be a problem with your grinding and
>banging. You might not get kicked out, but you'd certainly not be appreciated.
That could depend on whether others are allowed to watch the grinding
and banging.
(Oh, wait -- you must have meant -- never mind. Sorry.)
GB in NC
HDinNY
Kinda reminds me of the camping trip we took with Viola's
folks back in '65 <g>. After spending a few days ay a State
park near Niagara Falls, we went south to Allegheny State
Park. It happened to be a July 4th weekend and the
campground was brim full. We spotted his Airstream and our
tent so we sorta had a semi circle around a common campfire.
Went for a walk with Dave, Julie and Grampa. There was a
trailer that had a canvass fold down part in the back. As we
walked along the park road Grampa and I both spotted the
scene through the window of the camper. A guy had a gal on
the bed and was going at it pretty good. We both pointed out
birds on the other side of the road till we were past the
si(gh)t(e). Neither kid saw the action.
HD in NY
GBinNC
>Kinda reminds me of the camping trip we took with Viola's
>folks back in '65 <g>.
You must have been a small child, right? <g>
>We both pointed out
>birds on the other side of the road till we were past the
>si(gh)t(e). Neither kid saw the action.
What? You may have deprived (depriven?) them of a valuable educational
opportunity.
Or maybe not.
GB in NC
HDinNY
snipped
> Or maybe not.
>
> GB in NC
Yep, as they were born in '58 and '61. It was an awesome
sight and the trailer was a'rockin'. This was in early
afternoon. It was not one of our better camping trips <g>.
The park rangers were not in control, just too many people.
Folks had several units on some sites and the booze was
a'flowin'.
HD in NY
BD
"HDinNY" <er...@error.com> wrote in message
news:5tDcb.2797$pP6....@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...
Better not attend the PNWCO then...
<weg>
BD
Jenny6833A
>jenny...@aol.comClothes (Jenny6833A) wrote:
>
>>I might add that Slab City isn't really free when you consider the costs of
>>dumping, hauling water, etc. Overall, Quartzsite is less expensive if you
>stay
>>all winter and is better suited to your grinding/banging lifestyle.
>
>We'll be paying dump/fill costs wherever we are I think. The LTVA's
>charge a fee that covers it as I recall.
Yes. However, if you stay the full period you've paid for, the daily cost is
very low with unlimited use of water and dump facilities.
>Why would Quartzite be more suitable than Imperial Dam? More places
>where you can get out of earshot?
Yes.
>I haven't been to any of the camping areas in western AZ yet, but
>expect to shift our winter headquarters in the next few days.
Your choice.
>Would an a/c be mandatory this time of year? It's been hotter'n
>blazes in Tucson except for the latest monsoon rain.
Quartzsite is lots lower and thus lots hotter.
Jenny6833A
If you're sorry for what you wrote, don't hit the send button. Since you did,
you obviously aren't.
If you truly want to avoid nastiness in this newsgroup, you ought not be nasty
yourself.
:-|
Jenny6833A
>It's my understanding that temps cool down in the fall
>and winter, but it isn't clear to me exactly when that begins.
Here's data for Yuma. Quartzsite is just a tad cooler.
Click here: Weather Underground: Average High/Low Temperatures for KNYL
http://www.wunderground.com/NORMS/DisplayNORMS.asp?AirportCode=KNYL&SafeCi
tyName=Quartzsite&StateCode=AZ&Units=none&IATA=NYL
> I'm in
>favor of going out and buying a rooftop a/c for our old Tioga mh, the
>wife is in favor of waiting to see how bad it is first.
What do you plan to power it with? There ain't no hookups in LTVAs.
>Not clear how
>far I'd have to drive to get to a place that sells one for retail
>instead of inflated middle-of-nowhere prices.
Prices in Quartzsite for RV equipment are very competitive from November thru
March -- and often big bargains if you pick some RV pro from Montana or Idaho
who escapes to Quartzsite for the winter. Stay away from those in fancy
buildings. Investigate those who have set up shop in a shack, a tent, or some
parking lot.
>Slightly different topic, what about cellphone or wireless internet
>access in Quartzsite? I have the sprintpcs wireless broadband card
>and their coverage map says Quartzsite *might* be covered but it said
>the same thing about Benson and there was no coverage at all there.
I answered that (as best I'm able) in your other thread.
:-)
Lone Haranguer
mts wrote:
>
> Understood. It's my understanding that temps cool down in the fall
> and winter, but it isn't clear to me exactly when that begins.
Here is some climate info.
http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?azquar
Maybe you could buy a cheapo WalMart window unit AC? I saw some
antelope hunters in
Colorado last fall that had a $90 special to cool a little "doghouse" on
a trailer they were
using as a cooler for the antelope meat.
LZ
Guess Who?
What exactly is it that you do, that creates such a godawful racket?
Don
GBinNC
wrote:
>>(Oh, wait -- you must have meant -- never mind. Sorry.)
>>
>>GB in NC
>If you're sorry for what you wrote, don't hit the send button. Since you did,
>you obviously aren't.
Apparently the sarcasm was too subtle for you.
GB in NC
Bob Thomas
news:cfd6nvk8dcv76hfqu...@4ax.com...
> jenny...@aol.comClothes (Jenny6833A) wrote:
>
> >mts m...@ren-prod-inc.com says
> ...snip
> >>Would an a/c be mandatory this time of year? It's been hotter'n
> >>blazes in Tucson except for the latest monsoon rain.
> >
> >Quartzsite is lots lower and thus lots hotter.
> >
> >:-)
> >
> >Jenny
>
> favor of going out and buying a rooftop a/c for our old Tioga mh, the
> far I'd have to drive to get to a place that sells one for retail
> through hell to seal up the Tioga's leaking roof, I'm not so
> enthusiastic about cutting a hole in it for an a/c that I'm jumping up
> and down with glee at the prospect. Any info you can offer would be
> appreciated.
>
If your Tioga is so old, why pop 6 to 8 hundred bucks for an RV A/C when you
can hang a window unit on it for maybe 100 to 150?? In addition, the window
unit will use far less electricity??
cheers
bob
Tom Marik
You will have to wean them off the <g>s slowly.
Tom M
Neon John
AFAIK, there is no such thing as an RV window unit. He's talking about a
conventional residential window unit.
Just went down that path with my new concession trailer so I can offer some
experience.
The first and maybe biggest problem is that I could not find a 120volt powered
window unit any larger than 12k btu. RV units are commonly available in 15k
btu and sometimes larger. 12k is just barely enough for the concession
trailer but I didn't have the option of using an RV unit.
RV ACs are designed with low inrush compressors. Window units are not. This
has a major impact on generator usage. The 4kw Onan in my mom's MH will not
reliably start this window unit when the weather is in the 90s. Sometimes the
compressor starts and sometimes it doesn't. It puts a pretty good whack on my
8kw genny I use for the trailer. This genny starts it OK but you can really
hear it labor for a few seconds.
I really can't see any big difference in power consumption once running. My
window unit has a little higher SEER rating than the RV AC I have but not
enough to matter.
A window unit is not designed to manage the condensate with any significant
tilt. An RV unit will. If my window unit is even a degree off level with
the rear high, water runs out the front of the unit. It's a good name brand
(Fedders) so it's not that it's cheaply made or anything. A window unit
simply doesn't have to deal with that problem. I've mounted mine at a fairly
steep down-angle. It looks somewhat funny but the water drips out the back as
it is supposed to.
A window unit is not designed for continuous vibration. I've seen instances
where the constant vibration from travel caused the internal plumbing inside
the can of the hermetic compressor to fatigue and fail. An RV compressor is
designed for that kind of service.
For equal cooling capacity the prices are not that much different. New, this
unit I have was around $350. Add another hundred plus some careful shopping
and you have yourself an RV AC.
John
On Thu, 25 Sep 2003 17:36:37 -0600, mts <m...@ren-prod-inc.comNOSPAM> wrote:
>"Bob Thomas" <rob...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>>If your Tioga is so old, why pop 6 to 8 hundred bucks for an RV A/C when you
>>can hang a window unit on it for maybe 100 to 150?? In addition, the window
>>unit will use far less electricity??
>
>Good question... I really know nothing about window units for RVs and
>wasn't aware of their existence. Any good places or search keywords
>to learn more about RV window units?
---
John De Armond
johngdDO...@bellsouth.net
http://bellsouthpwp.net/j/o/johngd/
Cleveland, Occupied TN
Bob Thomas
news:6sr7nvs0pb23iamqm...@4ax.com...
> let's start a new thread...
>
> AFAIK, there is no such thing as an RV window unit. He's talking about a
> conventional residential window unit.
>
neither is an old Tioga.
cheers
bob
Harry Everhart
> > conventional residential window unit.
> >
> Yes. Most who use them take them off for travel. They ain't purty, but
> neither is an old Tioga.
In 1977 - I had a Scamp Travel Trailer. We took it on a cross country
trip. In Indiana on a really humid day - I went to a K Mart and bought a
"GE Carry Cool" for $125. It fit perfectly into one of the little
windows. We stuff a little polyurethane foam in the cracks. It worked
great through Nevada, Arizona, Utah, etc.
Guess Who?
the time in the desert, and doesn't take much juice.
Don
Bob Thomas
> "Bob Thomas" <rob...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> >"Neon John" <johngdDO...@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
> >news:6sr7nvs0pb23iamqm...@4ax.com...
> >> let's start a new thread...
> >>
> >> AFAIK, there is no such thing as an RV window unit. He's talking about
a
> >> conventional residential window unit.
> >>
> >Yes. Most who use them take them off for travel. They ain't purty, but
> >neither is an old Tioga.
> >
> >cheers
> >
> >bob
>
> pretty as a junkyard dog to us!
Grin. My aplogies.
(Spending a couple weeks completely
> resealing the roof and dealing with the cheap plastic moldings they
> used at the roof corners has given me some emotional commitment to the
> thing that was lacking before, go figure... about 3 days of Tucson
> monsoon rain, slow and steadily unrelenting, and nary a leak).
Someone suggested a swamp cooler. They are pretty damned good as long as
the humidity is very low. During the monsoon season in Arizona, they don't
work worth crap.
Never having done this, I cannot speak to Neon's reports that he noticed no
difference in electricity in window unit vs. RV A/C. What I do know is
about a dozen full timers in Buckeye, Az, who have added window units to
use vice their roof top RV units. ALL say they did it because of the
difference in electricity costs and that the difference was significant.
Me? I dunno. Your mileage may differ. A window unit for a small RV costs
a Helluva lot less, and this would avoid your concerns about roof leaks,
strength, etc.
cheers
bob
Neon John
>Neon John <johngdDO...@bellsouth.net> wrote:
>Saw a portable air conditioner, not sure where I could put the thing
>because of its size, either when in use or not in use, and it was over
>$300 which makes it silly to consider when a good rooftop unit can be
>had for well under $700 and might actually do the job decently.
FWIW, I have a couple of the GE portable units. One I use to spot cool my
dishwasher dude so that I don't have to AC the whole washroom. The other I
use to spot cool me in the bed at night so I don't have to cool the whole
place.
They work good for those purposes but they're not so hot for general air
conditioning. The problem is, while the hot condenser exhaust air is
discharged through a hose to the outside, the condenser cooling air is taken
from the room. IOW, the unit is pumping out cold air just about as fast as it
is making it. If the unit had two hoses, one for condenser inlet and the
other for condenser outlet, it would be a GREAT idea.
John
Roadwarrior
wrote:
>"Bob Thomas" <rob...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>>If your Tioga is so old, why pop 6 to 8 hundred bucks for an RV A/C when you
>>can hang a window unit on it for maybe 100 to 150?? In addition, the window
>>unit will use far less electricity??
>
>Good question... I really know nothing about window units for RVs and
>wasn't aware of their existence. Any good places or search keywords
>to learn more about RV window units?
I can't help with window units, but have you considered one or more of
the 120 volt units the Carl A has in his class B. (You might need two,
since I seem to recall that they are about 6,000 BTUs each.) I don't
think they stick out very far, and you might permanently mount them on
the back of your rig blowing through holes which you cut in the
wall(into the bedroom?) to avoid knocking down hitchhikers and traffic
cops.
--RW
Roadwarrior
wrote:
...
>I'm not really sure how many BTUs we need. The Fedder window-unit
>that claims 5250 BTU says it'll cool rooms up to 10x15 feet. I figure
>the area we need to cool is about 7x17 feet at most, which is fewer sf
>than the Fedder claims. There may be a difference because it's a mh
>not a house, but I don't know how to evaluate that.
Not surprisingly, the important variables include:
- outside temp
- (desired) inside temp
- insulation (expressed as R-rating)
- heat load (sun on walls and through windows, cooking, etc.)
The square foot guesses accompanying new units are a rough stab at
those things, plus the usual sales hype.
There are some experienced heating/air-conditioning people on RORT who
can elaborate far beyond my knowledge, all of which I have
brain-dumped above. But the bottom line is that you will have to make
a wild guess, perhaps based on the BTU ratings of common RV air
conditioners. That will roll up all of the thermodynamics mumbo-jumbo
suggested above.
>What's the best place to find out more about the units "Carl A" has,
>website someplace or just a google groups?
Carl has a GREAT web site at http://sky.prohosting.com/chainfl/.
(Allow a few hours to hitch hike along on his travels.) He describes
his air conditioner somewhere there, perhaps in an "about my rig"
page. Carl visits RORT frequently when not traveling, so maybe he will
jump in, or you might want to ping him, since he could have filtered
this thread (not interested in nominal subject, the Slabs.) I'm sure
his email contact info is on his site.
Google Groups will have many posts on the Subject "Carl A's Air
Coditioner" (keep the misspelling) and others.
Chris Bryant is always a great source of practical info.
--RW
Bob Thomas
> "Bob Thomas" <rob...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> > A window unit for a small RV costs
> >a Helluva lot less, and this would avoid your concerns about roof leaks,
> >strength, etc.
>
> *for* small RV's, just conventional hang-out-a-foot-or-more house
> units.
OK, I was insufficiently clear. I should have said "A window unit being
used to cool a small RV...."
If there was something 3-6" deep that seemed practical I'd
> probably be all over it, but I'm not finding that. It takes a lot
> less effort to spend the night sweating than pulling a window a/c off
> and putting it back on every few days, methinks.
Your choice. It may be less trouble that having a less than good condition
roof cave in on you. It may cost a bit more than hanging it on a window,
but I've seen applications where someone pierced the side of the rig for the
A/C unit and even had slides so he could push it in and out. Shouldn't be
too difficult, "do it yourself".
Otoh our time in the
> RV has been oddly mixed, three months on our place in CO followed by a
> few days here and there, soon to be followed by something or other
> else. I guess I'll probably stay confused until it smacks me upside
> the head that what I need to do is x, y, or z. <g>
If you're going to stay in one (hot) place for a while, you can also get
some wood and build a stand to support the A/C unit. You can always stow
the stand up on the roof. This way you'd avoid stress on the side of the
motorhome. Getting the thing shrouded is a simple matter of cardboard and
duct tape.
I did this on a 31 foot cabin cruiser moored at Portage de Souix, MO.
several years ago. I had forgotten that when I said I'd never done anything
like this. It worked fine.
cheers
bob
D.J. Osborn
>
> >Carl has a GREAT web site at http://sky.prohosting.com/chainfl/.
> >(Allow a few hours to hitch hike along on his travels.) He describes
> >his air conditioner somewhere there, perhaps in an "about my rig"
> >page.
>
> Indeed he does. The ac is described as a "Panasonic 6,000 BTU" and
> I'll see what I can find out about it and possible siblings from
> Panasonic -- here I thought they just made electronic stuff. Thanks.
I'd be surprised if that would do the job on the hottest days. It might be
acceptable on moderate days, but in many cases you'll probably need two.
--
D.J., N8DO; FMCA 147762
davidjosborn at sbcglobal dot net
Lone Haranguer
Bob Thomas wrote:
>
> Someone suggested a swamp cooler. They are pretty damned good as long as
> the humidity is very low. During the monsoon season in Arizona, they don't
> work worth crap.
However from October to the following July the air is usually quite dry
and most homes use the evaporative coolers when they need cooling.
Residents tell me the evaporative cooler is MUCH cheaper to run than an
air conditioner. All that is turning is a small motor to drive a
squirrel cage fan, no compressor.
> Never having done this, I cannot speak to Neon's reports that he noticed no
> difference in electricity in window unit vs. RV A/C. What I do know is
> about a dozen full timers in Buckeye, Az, who have added window units to
> use vice their roof top RV units. ALL say they did it because of the
> difference in electricity costs and that the difference was significant.
The only evaporative cooler I've seen that was designed for RVs was a
small (but adequate) unit designed to run on 12 volts. The people said
it did the job quite well. I imagine a stand could be improvised to use
a standard one as a window unit. You see quite a few of these hanging
on the side of mobile homes.
>
> Me? I dunno. Your mileage may differ. A window unit for a small RV costs
> a Helluva lot less, and this would avoid your concerns about roof leaks,
> strength, etc
If you are going to spend several months in one spot, a small window
unit would be quite practical.
LZ
> cheers
>
> bob
Doomaz
powered
> window unit any larger than 12k btu. RV units are commonly available in
15k
> btu and sometimes larger. 12k is just barely enough for the concession
> trailer but I didn't have the option of using an RV unit.
Not sure where you looked but a 10 second search on the internet turned up
this for 110 vac:
Airtemp B7D18E2A 17,300 btu
Carrier XCA141D 13,800
Crosley CA15WCL 14,500
Fedders A7D18E2A 17,300
Frigidaire FAS155M1A 15,100
LG LW1500PR 15,000
Panasonic CWC141NU 13,500
That's about 25% of what I'm seeing just on one page. From what I am seeing
17,300 is near the max for a 110vac unit.
TBFisher
> The first and maybe biggest problem is that I could not find a 120volt
powered
> window unit any larger than 12k btu. RV units are commonly available in
15k
> btu and sometimes larger. 12k is just barely enough for the concession
> trailer but I didn't have the option of using an RV unit.
>
John, check out the Fedders A7D18E2A model at 17,300Btu/hr
http://www.fedders.com/catalog/appliances/roomac/
Tom Fisher
Doomaz
"TBFisher" <tbfi...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:2kGdb.2226$FF6...@newssvr23.news.prodigy.com...
Previous messages 2 days ago already pointed out 7 of them, including that
one.