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General Discussion / Camping in below freezing weather

« on: November 02, 2025, 10:58:47 am »

When my wife and I go camping in below freezing temperatures, we would be concerned about the freshwater tank and associated plumbing freezing.  Not so much anymore.  A couple of weeks ago I removed the plywood under the corner mattress on our PC2351 to install new wiring for a thermostat for the propane furnace.  I did this due to adding a new quieter 15k BTU Houghton AC removing the Dometic which has an integrated controller for the furnace.  In doing so I saw one of the openings for the flexible ducting on the propane furnace was open.  At first I thought it was odd but after a couple of seconds to think about it I realized that it was to keep the freshwater tank from freezing.  In testing the new thermostat, there is significant air that flows through that opening (much less I am sure when the plywood is in place).  It appears to be a very easy and effective way to keep the tank and plumbing from freezing.  Typically when we camp in cold weather and have hook-ups, to save propane we will use a small ceramic heater which does a great job keeping the interior warm.  But when it gets below freezing, we will make a point to use the propane furnace.

By the way, our first impression of the Houghton AC is very good.  The improved sound levels match what they advertised and is a noticeable improvement to the Dometic.  The Houghton has 15k BTU vs the 13.5k BTU which will hopefully give us more cooling on the very hot days. This unit also has a heat pump for when you want to quickly take the chill out of the RV on a cool (not cold) morning.  If anyone wants our low hour Dometic AC and thermostat, let me know as I will give you a great deal.  They work like new, but too loud for us.

JJ

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General Discussion / Re: Is that a Solar Panel?!

« on: September 20, 2022, 06:57:26 pm »

I assume that fellow did not screw down his solar panel.  On one of the RV forums, maybe it was on this forum, I read someone exclusively used an adhesive to avoid drilling holes in his roof.  I would never trust an adhesive alone.

That would sure explain why the solar panel came off the roof so quickly.   The combination of a 75 MPH speed limit, a 25 MPH cross wind, and a hot sunny day to weaken the adhesive was all it took to get this solar panel to lift.

After going through this, I plan on going on the roof of our Phoenix to make sure the fasteners on our vent covers have not loosened over time.

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General Discussion / Re: Is that a Solar Panel?!

« on: September 19, 2022, 10:41:12 pm »

Wow that was close.  Hopefully nobody was injured.

It was too close for comfort.  The speed limit on that stretch of I-80 is 75 MPH so there was not much time to react.  I pulled over to the shoulder after it happened to verify our car did not have any damage.  Others behind us were not as lucky avoiding the solar panel as multiple vehicles pulled over to the shoulder after we did.  It would have been interesting to have had a rear facing camera to see what all happened.  Thankfully no one was injured. 

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General Discussion / Is that a Solar Panel?!

« on: September 19, 2022, 05:10:24 pm »

We were about to pass a motorhome (not a Phoenix Cruiser) on I-80 in Nebraska last week and their solar panel fell off of their roof and into our lane.  Thankfully we were in our car and I was able to avoid hitting it.  We do not have solar panels installed on our Phoenix so I do not know how solar panels are typically attached.  I thought I should post this as some folks might want to check to make sure their solar panels have not started to loosen over time due to vibration.  I have never heard of this happening before so I would guess this is a very rare event.

We have a dashcam installed on our car.  Attached are a few screenshots that I took from the recording. 

If you are interested in seeing the dashcam video, I uploaded it to YouTube.  Here is the link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKp_aslG1bg

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General Discussion / Re: Catalytic Converter Theft Protection

« on: July 17, 2022, 09:22:37 am »

The people that will buy them don’t care what color they are… lol. I know in Virginia, the laws are changing due to all the thefts. Not sure about other states.

You are probably right, but a lot of people are giving it try.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wGrB4_i0_4

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General Discussion / Re: Catalytic Converter Theft Protection

« on: July 17, 2022, 07:33:14 am »

Very impressive!  For an additional layer of deterrent, I have heard some recommend painting the catalytic converter a bright color with very high temperature paint.  The thought is that the paint would make the catalytic converter stand out and harder for a thief to resale. 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CPIMV2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=Tyche-6022-20&th=1

The only deterrent I have done so far is store my RV in a garage with a security system.  But with reports that they are stealing off RVs in Walmart parking lots, I will need to do more. 

Thanks for the post,

JJ

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General Discussion / Re: Mothership & maintenance

« on: June 17, 2022, 09:34:02 pm »

For Liquid Springs, I would go directly to their factory in Lafayette Indiana.  They have a service bay and can lift the whole Phoenix Cruiser up for a complete inspection of the Liquid Springs system.  They also have all the replacement parts in stock if needed.  We were in and out in just a couple of hours and even received a factory tour.

JJ

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General Discussion / Re: Do Liquid Springs Prevent Sag?

« on: January 28, 2022, 03:18:28 am »

At the risk of hijacking this thread. Those of you who have Liquid Springs, what is your maintenance regime? We got a quart bottle of liquid that says Liquid Springs. Then the pamphlet we received says to be serviced by authorized tech only. How often do you do what? Our rig is about a year old so we want to keep things right. Can you go to a local shop or back to the mother ship?

After our first 3000 miles we made an appointment and took our PC2351 to the Liquid Springs factory in Lafayette Indiana (just a 3 hour drive for us).  They checked all the torques and made sure everything was good.  I don't know if it is typical, but they were done in about 1 hour and did not charge us for the service.  We even received a factory tour, they have a very impressive modern facility. 

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General Discussion / Re: Entry door latch failure

« on: November 17, 2021, 09:01:01 am »

Have you seen the Tri-Mark repair kit from latchfix.com. It is 47.50 and repairs the lock for good. No more broken latch issues. A year ago I bought a new door lock assembly from PC because the original broke. That lock is acting just like the original did before it broke, its like you have to pull on the handle till it reaches the end of its travel before the bolt of the door lock assembly moves far enough to disengage from the striker plate on the door frame.  This is because one of the integral rods of the bolt assembly is broke allowing the other rod to flex, and the bolt is made out of pot metal. So it will be broken completely again before long.

I saved the original door lock assembly and just purchased the repair kit to fix that one and install it (I guess that makes me a hoarder). The guy that made the repair kit did a great job, its out of stainless steel and easy to install. The bolt should never break again, everything else will wear out around it before the bolt breaks. If you are wondering I am not sponsored to support this repair kit, its just an honest review. So if you just want to repair the Tri-Mark 060-1650 get the kit you can't go wrong...

Thank you for this post.  I checked my latch and it was not magnetic so I ordered the repair kit knowing it was just a matter of time before I would need it.  I usually follow the adage, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", but this time I went ahead and replaced the latch.  When I opened up the original latch I saw a significant amount of metal shavings which leads me to believe something was wearing or someone did a lousy job of cleaning it during manufacturing.  Once I got the old latch out it was an easy install.  I added some grease in key spots to help lubricate the moving parts.  It works great.

Thanks again,

JJ

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General Discussion / Re: Top wood trim for slide pushed out

« on: October 30, 2021, 06:59:39 pm »

JJCRUISER how big is the slide on your PC? Is it similar size to the 2552? Interesting that PC used 500:1 motors. Appreciate the information.
Very Respectfully
Lance

I am not real familiar with the 2552, but based on the floor plan diagrams for the 2552 and 2351 on the Phoenix Product tab, it appears the slides are the same.

JJ

Attached is a photo of one of my slide motors. 

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General Discussion / Re: Top wood trim for slide pushed out

« on: October 30, 2021, 06:40:03 pm »

JJCRUISER how big is the slide on your PC? Is it similar size to the 2552? Interesting that PC used 500:1 motors. Appreciate the information.
Very Respectfully
Lance

I am not real familiar with the 2552, but based on the floor plan diagrams for the 2552 and 2351 on the Phoenix Product tab, it appears the slides are the same.

JJ

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General Discussion / Re: Top wood trim for slide pushed out

« on: October 30, 2021, 02:12:22 pm »

 
I have the 500:1 motors in my 2351.  It is also my understanding that the wood trim is key when stopping the slide when it is fully extended.  So far my trim frame is fine, but I would not mind if it had a few more screws holding it in place.  The spacing on the center most set of screws is a bit over 12 inches with the two outer most having a spacing of about 19 inches.

JJ

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General Discussion / Re: Lights or Sensor on awning arms

« on: October 04, 2021, 12:51:00 pm »

At the end of each awning arm on my 2552 there is an 8 inch element that looks like a strip of LED lights.  What are they?  Lights or a sensor for the automatic rewind or something else?  Curious.

On my 2351, I have a module on the top of the front awning arm.  It is the vibration sensor for the automatic rewind in case it gets too windy.  Below is a photo.   The LED lights on my awning runs the entire length of the awning next to the RV. 

JJ

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General Discussion / Re: Best place to sell a toad??

« on: September 18, 2021, 08:36:55 am »

JJ cruiser - you still selling your CRV?   If so could you please email me info?  I’m looking for an older model reliable toad to pull behind my 3100.  Tha ms

Hi Phil,  Our CRV is not for sell yet.  We are still looking at options for our next toad.  Our CRV is still in great shape and has been an excellent toad so we might just keep it for a while. 

Thanks,

JJ

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General Discussion / Re: What do you do while camping

« on: August 23, 2021, 02:13:10 pm »

Hi all, I hope this is in the right place for this type of discussion.  I am curious as to what people do for entertainment / activities while camping.  Let me start off with a small caveat.  We are not new to camping, but we are new to the class B+ style of RVing and we are not currently set up with a TOAD / boat / kayak, etc., so activities are limited. We used to camp with our travel trailer.  We are working on Kayak’s and a TOAD though.
Currently, we go hiking when / where applicable and go for walks with our Boxer dog, play cards, watch movies and relax, but that is about it. 
So, what do you do while camping with such limitability such as mine?  Not being able to drive around and such.
Thanks for your input.

We do a lot of the same things you mentioned (hikes with our pups, biking, movies, reading, playing cards, cooking on the camp fire, renting a boat for the day, relaxing in a hammock, etc.). We also have been known to camp within walking distance to amusement parks like Holiday World in southern Indiana or at Fort Wilderness resort at Disney World in Orlando.  But a big part for us is exploring new areas.  We often pick an area that is new to us, set up camp for a few days, and explore up to a 100 mile radius with the vehicle we tow.  It really opens up the options on places to go, places to eat, and things to do.