Too old to park

[wildmanbaker]

Originally Posted by R.Wold

A Honda 2kw worked fine for the AC on a 2017 Forest River 28’ TT. Just speaking from experience, to illustrate the long term utility of such equipment.

But AC isn’t the problem here anyway. She just needs enough juice to run the air handler in the furnace, hence the balance of my last post here.

I understand “beget” the verb, but not sure about the noun use....



No idea how this pertains to this thread...

It should have been Bigot, but auto correct is set to overrule. I stand by my statement about the 2k invertor generators. Just because one will start an AC, doesn't mean one should do this on a regulator basis, as it is not good for the generator, or the AC. But hey, its your equipment, I have no money in it. The best of luck to you and the OP.

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by winniman

I would move fixing the generator to the top of the list, and buy a couple quality batteries. Solar is very expensive. If your plan is to buy another rv in the future, having a running generator is a big plus when it comes time to sell it. You can buy plenty of generator time for the cost of a solar set up. It would take years to recoup the initial installation costs. Its not going to happen if you plan on selling the rv in a couple years. Solar set ups quite often still need a back up generator to run ACs and microwaves, as well as for charging when the sun doesn't shine for days. Good luck on your choices.

I was thinking the same while reading the replies.
IMO it is very unlikely he will be able to dry camp for extended periods without a genset; even with the roof covered with solar panels and 10-12 count battery bank, approximately a $12,000 investment that could never be recouped.

[HoneyBadger]

I suspect the OP doesn't have a lot of resources, but a catalytic propane heater is the best item for conserving propane, no open flame. The on-board furnace is a battery and fuel hog.

You will have to make sure a window is cracked to allow for enough O2 for the heater (CO is not the issue, usually) so not the best choice in sub-zero weather, but works great in moderately low temps.

Reflectix (mylar bubble wrap) taped to the windows is an excellent insulator for hot or cold; a roll costs about $25. Even ordinary bubblewrap will work.

What kind of gennie do you have now? Is it the gas motor or the generator part that's not functioning? Its not hopeless; you may very well be able to fix it yourself; this outfit is super helpful in figuring out gennie problems

The negativity is deep and wide in this thread, but y'all do what you have to.

[Ken Thompson]

Originally Posted by NovaPrime

This is rambly and I apologize in advance. I'm panicking.

My partner and I are making the transition to full-timer life. Right now we have a 1996 Rexhall RexAir in relatively good repair that we're trying to fix up to be able to boondock - we're based out of Nevada, so, lots of BLM land - but until then we need a place to park and live.

I'm having some issues making the transition to solar, but we need power to have heat, and it's frickin cold here right now! Our generator is bust, and I was planning on removing it to make room for a bigger battery bank anyway. I have some very minor cosmetic issues, but mostly I just need a new paint job, which is expensive.

The big issue, however, is that there are three RV parks in Carson City area, and the two I stayed at back in the day when my parents and I were "trailer trash" are both refusing me for having a rig that's "too old". The other one, a friend of mine works at, and she became persona non grata, so suddenly last time I stayed there, there were leaks of fluid (there weren't, and it was raining the whole time, but okay) that the manager apparently saw.

Moochdocking is a gray legal area here, but right now I've been given... A few hours, at most, to be parked on the street in front of my sister's house. The RV needs hookups right now to perform for us. It's cold.

Does anyone have any recommendations or ideas?

Our long-term goal is to save up money and fix my credit up so I can buy a newer rig and hit the road, but this was given to me by a friend who upgraded. The only thing I can think of is trying to find one of those propane heaters and buy a propane tank, but that doesn't give us showers, or fresh water, or the ability to charge our phones, or the ability for either of us to work from home (partner is a disabled veteran, currently trying to get disability rating, but cannot do traditional work). I'm actively scared!

- Nova

Fix or buy a new generator. Solar is very expensive, and never pays for itself. The solar cronies will swear that they will, but in real life, solar is still not a replacement option. The solar people defend it because they have wasted so much money on it, they are trying to justify the huge expense. Buy the biggest, best batteries that will fit in their area, and take care of them.

[dans1999f-53]

Can't blame perks for having standards, I appreciate them

[GOODFUNGUY]

Originally Posted by dans1999f-53

can't blame perks for having standards, i appreciate them

appears to me you are on some sort of fixed income. You will not be able to save money fast enough to repair that with limited money. You say it needs a generator, body work. Generator even one from harbor freight will be $500+ and a paint job a gift would be $10,000. Leave that dog in a kennel and move on.
Putting lip stick on a pig,you still have a pig..

[RVJocko]

if your dream is to live the RV Lifestyle, then don't let people discourage you. there is a lot of good information in this thread, as well as some sarcasm and useless info.
if you can do most of the work yourselves, then you can chip away at it while living your dream. Ebay is a good source for new and used RV parts.
Now I would say that the solution to your heat problem is just drive that thing to southern AZ or some other place that's warm in the winter - lots of places near phx that do not have age restrictions, and there is always Quartzsite AZ BLM land. and for the more adventurous, there is Mexico - you can also get your RV painted down there.
As for fixing things.
If you haven't done so yet, coat the roof with an rv roof coating - roof leaks kill RV's so keep ahead of this
Fix built in generator, this one is all set up to run while you are driving and power everything in the RV - if it can't be fixed look for a used one (lots of RV junkyards across the country) last resort is the stand alone type - get one that can be stored in one of your basements. I would get at least 3KW inverter style (they use less fuel) so you can start and run an AC unit
Then Batteries - you can charge with engine or generator or Engine at first
Then Inverter/charger - so you can run 120 volt appliances on batteries
Then Solar so you can charge batteries without generator or engine.
Good luck in your endevours

[BOSTONBERNIE]

The sad thing about your situation you are throwing good money after bad. Worst than that your old RV will continue to cost you more and more... you will no sooner fix one thing and another will pop up for sure. I am with many sell it, make that you starting lump.... save an invest in one you can afford.I hope things turn around for You and Yours.

[Don Juane]

Sounds like you are facing a bunch of dilemmas there. Let’s see if we can provide some help. First the technical dilemma. But you can’t talk technical before you figure a bunch of the social dilemma part out. So socially are you going to boondock mostly and hopefully away from everyone while battling for space to seek out your own adventure? If so, then don’t give that generator away just yet and forget stocking up on batteries because you need a way to keep batteries charged and the ones who tell you that can be accomplished with a cheap solar setup quite often forget there are cloudy days and for those you need the generator. You’ll also need a 14.4-14.8 boost-charge converter to even charge the battery bank unless you want to for example charge the batteries for 3 days with the stock converter for your circa 90’s power supply which will be required to even make up for one rainy-day use of them (if you said “you can’t get there from here, then you are right”. And forget replacing the fridge when it goes out with an electric one (only for weekend warriors with their 2-year ago made reservations for “Wonderous National Park” coming up soon and who wouldn’t think of running without a power pole in the plan). Also forget your Buddy or Wave XYZ, or whatever miracle propane heater you plan on, or you will be wringing water out of your underwear and sandwich bags all winter long. For this either use the propane furnace with maybe an aux tank or a Chinese Diesel heater and a source to keep your tank full. Both require a little battery power as do entertainment electronics, so budget those into the plan as well.

So there you have the perfect boondocking setup which is at least a couple of golf cart batteries (GC2’s), 200W of solar or all that you can afford on your roof (a 500W bank putting out 5A on a rainy day is always better than a 200W putting out 2A), a 14.4VDC to 14.8VDC boost voltage from a modern converter rated 40A or more, and either propane for the furnace or diesel for Espar or cheap Chinese (requires 40 hours of youtube video on how to repair them and a box of spare parts).

Now the social part. Realize that the ‘Merkun dream is just that, a dream. Remember that while driving your RV in the social circles, it turns out to be no more than a very expensive car which just like in real life, limits where you are allowed and how you are viewed and if you are accepted into social circles. Too old and shabby and you will be banned from some RV parks or at best it will determine how wide of a circle people walk away from you when you park (not too close they say – you may be homeless and therefore of questionable morals). Still that’s the main reason I’d stick to boondocking, or else you might try giving your old buggy a paint job or just give up and go on the payment plan pouring over all that entire SS check into the bank like most of your neighbors and park in the highest status parks available. You can then feel you have arrived (not sure where) but you can at least park in a small slot like everyone else and enjoy the power to “live the dream” maybe cozy’d up there in that small room with a frozen dinner while your feet dangle in front of an electric heater or blasting AC with the TV blaring away in the background while attached to a satellite dish while you're entertained by your favorite reality show. The possibilities are endless! (Did I say “endless”???)

[Eds]

You can get a 3,500 W generator from tractor supply, or similar for less than $400. They are simple to operate, start easy, only drawback is that they are a bit noisy so put it downwind. It will run your AC.

Do not attempt to repair the built in generator, parts are expensive and nobody knows how to fix them, plus you can probably sell it for a couple of hundred bucks as it is ( I just Sold a faulty one for $400)

No leaks is awesome, just change oil and drive it easily and it’ll probably last.

I can sympathize with your current situation, you have the right idea

[Deafpilot]

Originally Posted by NovaPrime

Hi, everyone. Thanks for all of the advice. Info on the RV -

It's in good shape. Around 30k miles, good tires, clean, no roof or wall leaks, etc. I had a few plumbing issues but those were cheaply and easily fixed (just a piece of old PVC). Now we're just upgrading it. The biggest issue is the generator, because it was not very economical when it worked. After posting this thread, I was thinking I would like to replace it flat-out with a slightly smaller, better genny, and then also have space for more batteries. Being in Nevada, a good battery bank and solar setup would be awesome for a good chunk of the year (I have the initial setup, I just need to finish installing it).

I am currently looking for a full-time job, and my partner is a disabled vet going through the process of getting army disability. I work about ten hours a week at Gamestop for $8 an hour, and I do DoorDash and Instacart.

If I had the money for housing, we wouldn't be in the RV right now. But I do want to fix it up, as both a project, and because when I DO get a better RV (the ultimate goal), I want to have it all fixed up for my nephew.

I think my main goal right now is gonna be the new genny and fixing the minor cosmetic issues (including a new paint job, but I can do that myself. Thanks, Dad, for leaving me all of your tools when you died, and teaching me handyman work!). The glass is in great shape, and I think the "looking like a meth dealer" comment above was spot-on. She's neat and clean, but her paint is faded and she has some minor dings.

I learned that many places, like the Gold Dust West, if you show up in an older RV, they might inspect it and allow you to stay if you look good and aren't leaking.

Short-term, I'mma look for a plug-in genny if I DoorDash enough.

Hi, I like your comment. I have older motorhome too, 1995 Thor Residency. Th milages is 41000. Yes, it's plenty of maintenance, as I'm enjoying the replacement or improvements. Also other thing, my motorhome is residing at another area in the high desert. It gets strong wind, extreme heat in summer and colder in winter, my motorhome is getting beat-up. That area has no cover/carport over the motorhome. Other covers/hangars are for ultralight trikes only. Around my motorhome, I see around me are my friends(pilots) who owns older rv, too.

You need to weigh pros and cons for being one of the older rv enthusiasts. See how it goes from there.

[BruceDeville]

Originally Posted by NovaPrime

This is rambly and I apologize in advance. I'm panicking.

My partner and I are making the transition to full-timer life. Right now we have a 1996 Rexhall RexAir in relatively good repair that we're trying to fix up to be able to boondock - we're based out of Nevada, so, lots of BLM land - but until then we need a place to park and live.

It is understandable that a little panic set in during a major life change.

Forget about those that have a ten year rule, or similar age restriction. Usually, in my opinion they are just bunch of people thinking how important they are.

My choice is always a Corps of Engineer park, state park or local government owned. Unfortunately these are usually rural in nature and that may be a problem in your transition.

A second choice is to find a park that caters to short time full timers. That is those whose work requires them to travel. Examples or contract medical, construction, consulting etc. These are not the resort style places, but have full hookups.

Lastly you may try some company with a large area that needs a "night watchman". I have three friends that parks for free, full hook ups and a small salary just to be "eyes" on site. It is not full time, but he contracts to be on site, in his/her RV 5 nights a week.

Reconsider you generator issue. Check the hour meter on the generator. Any RV Generator should be good for 2000 hours. If it has set up for some years, then some seals and gaskets with need attention, but mostly I have been able to do those sort of things for under $500. It get cold at night. Avoid replacing with noisy construction grade generators.

All of this is good free opinion.

[Don Juane]

A Honda EU2200i will serve all needs except a whole-camper AC unit (would supply a small one but who wants it running 24-7) and if you need the AC, it's time to find a pole or to move to a cooler climate. The 2200 is not cheap at around $1000 but fairly dependable. Most of the generators that sit in these things simply have gummed up carbs incidentally so if you can clean a carb you can generally get them going again. Nothing more really than working on a lawn mower. Run it up on ramps and then use an ATV lift from Harbor Freight to lower it to work on if necessary. My '84 is still running and all I've ever done is clean the carb and install an electronic ignition. If you are good with a set of points, a file and dwell meter then you don't even need the new style ignition. Still if your idea is to run the generator to keep an AC unit going, then seek out Plan B with due diligence, as it is impractical and will require a tank of propane per day to keep it going (can't remember the gas consumption, maybe 10 gallons a day - it's been too long). Still being boxed up in the RV during summer with the AC vibrating your shorts off is not the most pleasant experience you can have in these things.

[Deafpilot]

Originally Posted by NovaPrime

This is rambly and I apologize in advance. I'm panicking.

My partner and I are making the transition to full-timer life. Right now we have a 1996 Rexhall RexAir in relatively good repair that we're trying to fix up to be able to boondock - we're based out of Nevada, so, lots of BLM land - but until then we need a place to park and live.

I'm having some issues making the transition to solar, but we need power to have heat, and it's frickin cold here right now! Our generator is bust, and I was planning on removing it to make room for a bigger battery bank anyway. I have some very minor cosmetic issues, but mostly I just need a new paint job, which is expensive.

The big issue, however, is that there are three RV parks in Carson City area, and the two I stayed at back in the day when my parents and I were "trailer trash" are both refusing me for having a rig that's "too old". The other one, a friend of mine works at, and she became persona non grata, so suddenly last time I stayed there, there were leaks of fluid (there weren't, and it was raining the whole time, but okay) that the manager apparently saw.

Moochdocking is a gray legal area here, but right now I've been given... A few hours, at most, to be parked on the street in front of my sister's house. The RV needs hookups right now to perform for us. It's cold.

Does anyone have any recommendations or ideas?

Our long-term goal is to save up money and fix my credit up so I can buy a newer rig and hit the road, but this was given to me by a friend who upgraded. The only thing I can think of is trying to find one of those propane heaters and buy a propane tank, but that doesn't give us showers, or fresh water, or the ability to charge our phones, or the ability for either of us to work from home (partner is a disabled veteran, currently trying to get disability rating, but cannot do traditional work). I'm actively scared!

- Nova

There's another way with older rv. Fallon, NV is a place that you'll find them do repair, etc for a good price. Many residents are retired boon docking, are willing to do works for reasonable price. Where I fly, pilots help each others on aircrafts and also rvs.