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1

Polls / Re: The perfect poll during this polar vortex weather!

« on: January 28, 2026, 04:00:32 pm »

Wow! Having a long 2900 with 2 slide-outs, managing to keep all systems in operation at 9 to 19 degrees F for a whole week, is an achievement.  Were you able to supplement with shore power and extra electric heaters?  Or were you completely independent?

I like your solution of adding an energy efficient mini 12V computer fan where needed at the most vulnerable area.... smart!

Please remind me what you did to better insulate.  Was that all related to the Ford cab area up front?

Do you have thermal pane windows, or single layer glass for the house?

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Polls / Re: The perfect poll during this polar vortex weather!

« on: January 27, 2026, 08:40:14 am »

I participated in your pole.... very interesting!

I stated in the 20's, but it was only twice, and unexpected during summertime.  Once was at Brainard Lake CO campground at 10,400 feet elevation.  The other time was at Tuolumne Meadows campground, Yosemite NP, at 8,600 feet elevation.  Both had lows in the mid to upper 20's.  Neither campground offered electricity.

We have never intentionally "winter" camped.  Sometimes it is unavoidable during the summer months.

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General Discussion / Re: Why am I “banned from using this forum”?

« on: January 20, 2026, 10:11:20 pm »

Back in 2018 my wife and I travelled to Israel, Egypt, and Greece.  On a few quiet evenings, I decided to go on this PC forum with my phone.  Once I got back to my own house in the USA, this forum got squirrelly, and it was not the only forum.  I learned to never log into any forum when outside the USA.  The same goes for other internet venues.

I am uneasy checking my email when outside the USA for fear that I will mess up something with that critical service.

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General Discussion / Re: Why am I “banned from using this forum”?

« on: January 19, 2026, 08:48:20 am »

That has happened to me on my Windows computer running Windows 8.1 until recently buying a new Windows 11.  This usually worked.

First try rebooting your computer.  If that did not resolve the problem for me, I ran (and still do) a program called CCleaner.  It cleans out all cookies, history, temp files, etc.

I have used CCleaner for well over 12 years at home and at work for maintaining my Windows PC.  I do NOT recommend using the pay-for version, only the FREE version.  I had bought the paid version, in-part to show my appreciation, inspired after Microsoft stopped supporting Windows 8, but it messed up my Windows Office programs.

I LOVE CCleaner.  It restores my computer to a good state if I accidentally download something bad that introduces hidden gremlins.  It removes the corruption nearly every time.

I exclusively use Google Chrome as my browser, and Gmail.  I cannot speak for any other browser and email service, but CCleaner works great for me being 100% Google.

The program has default settings so go through each one in each tab.  Selecting certain ones will clean your logins, your pre-filled credit card number, your pre-filled name, address, phone, email, etc. so methodically set yourself up the way you want one time and it will remain so, even after the regular updates.  The regular updates address new methods of bad people doing bad things.

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General Discussion / Re: TPMS Tire Pressure System

« on: January 13, 2026, 11:37:34 pm »

The miser that I am, I bought THIS TPMS SYSTEM FROM TEMU FOR UNDER $20.  I have yet to install the system, will be doing so before our next big trip out west.

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General Discussion / Original Owners Of A Phoenix Cruiser

« on: December 09, 2025, 11:49:55 am »

How many of us members are the original owner of a Phoenix Cruiser and still own it?

What Model Year?
What Model?

Ron (& Irene) Dittmer here
Model Year 2007
Model 2350

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General Discussion / Re: 3 Different 6V Batteries At Sams Club, November 2025

« on: November 26, 2025, 12:49:10 pm »

I’ve looked at the GC 2’s at Sam's.  Looks to me it requires a modification to the battery tray to fit the 2552.  Don’t know how difficult that is.

Our 2007 PC battery compartment was the first year of two batteries in a slide-out tray on the passenger side mounted below floor level.  I believe it is the same as all subsequent PCs with 12V batteries in a slide-out tray.

Some time over the years, Phoenix changed from two 12V batteries wired-parallel, to two 6V batteries wired-series, but I don't know if 6V batteries are still installed in new PCs today.  Phoenix might have switched back to two 12Vs.... though I could not imagine the logic behind doing so.

Anyway, because 6V batteries are taller than 12Vs, I had to replace the slide-out battery tray with a steel stock plate to gain the extra height required.  The plate I had around the house has a few bends in just the right places for the application.  I cradled the batteries on the plate as shown by CLICKING HERE.

Because I deleted the slide-out tray, I went with sealed AGM batteries as they require zero maintenance.  I arranged the batteries with + and - terminals placed properly for ease of external charging and jumping which also works well with a kill-all disconnect switch that I added more recently.

For reference, CLICK HERE to see pictures of my original 12V batteries in the original slide-out tray.  This photo album was made to show how I added a protective splash shield for the batteries from the rear tires.  I don't know how Phoenix is protecting the batteries from the rear tires today, if they have since done so.

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General Discussion / Re: This Forum Is Finally Working Again

« on: November 26, 2025, 12:01:51 am »

My 12 year old computer died a three weeks ago.  I was running Windows 8 on it.  While waiting for my new computer to arrive, for a short while I was on my wife's old Mac Mini running outdated software.  The PC forum was worse yet, not recognizing my user name.

My new computer running Windows 11, has been in service for a week now and everything has been working perfectly from day one.  I wonder if some of my original trouble was related to Windows 8, and made worse on an old Mac with outdated software.

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General Discussion / Re: 3 Different 6V Batteries At Sams Club, November 2025

« on: November 25, 2025, 11:56:46 pm »

I’m wondering if it might be regional.

I thought the same because nothing showed up on-line for locations in the Chicago area.  But then I decided to check every area Sam's Club that I happened to be in for another reason, and to my surprise, I found plenty of 6Vs just 20 minutes from home.

I advise to stop in at any Sam's Club you drive by and see what they have.  Pay no attention to what is stated on-line.

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General Discussion / Re: 3 Different 6V Batteries At Sams Club, November 2025

« on: November 22, 2025, 04:47:53 pm »

Searching on the Sam's Club website a few months ago, it said the AGMs were NOT AVAILABLE in my area, but there they were at the Elgin IL location.  Maybe they just got in.  As shown, they are fully stocked.


The Sam's Club in the other direction, 40 minutes apart, in Crystal Lake IL, they carry only the cheaper of the two FLAs.  So there is inconsistency between adjacent Sam's Clubs.  It may be best to actually go into each store in your area and set eyes on their stock of 6V golf car batteries.  Maybe a phone call will suffice.

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General Discussion / 3 Different 6V Batteries At Sams Club, November 2025

« on: November 22, 2025, 11:39:38 am »

Just FYI....

At our local Sam's Club in Elgin, IL on Randall Road.
I found these 3 different 6V batteries for sale, November/2025.

I have a pair of AGMs supporting our house operation in our PC for 10 years now.  They are great and they are affordable.

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General Discussion / This Forum Is Finally Working Again

« on: October 18, 2025, 09:42:56 am »

I have informed Phoenix when this forum goes down for lengthy periods.  The owner of Phoenix, Tina Cooper, told me that GoDaddy hosts the Phoenix forum, and that Phoenix has no influence.  It sounds like the forum will be down frequently because GoDaddy does not expand what is needed to meet the ever increasing demand of its customers.

If you need a host for personal or business use, DON'T consider GoDaddy.

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General Discussion / Re: Batteries brands vs cost vs efficiency

« on: October 02, 2025, 12:04:37 am »

Joseph asks
>Trojan T105-AES 6V AGM 207 amp hr has a DOD 0 % rating of 1200 cycles . $500-545.00. Each..  Three year warranty.

Those batteries only list for $200 ea and I saw this offer: https://advantagebatteries.com/shop/trojan-t105-6v-battery/ for $166 (All in FL) but I bet someone could meet their price.
My T105's are over 7 years old and still going strong.
I monitor the state of charge and try never to go down less than 50% charged.
I don't mind adding water about every 45 days.

That works for PC owners who had 6V batteries when the rig was new because the battery compartment accommodates taller 6V batteries.  But for people like us who originally had 12V batteries in a lower profile compartment, changing to taller 6V batteries required me to delete the tray to gain the height which makes sealed AGMs the only practical option because you can't inspect fluid levels with the tray deleted.  CLICK HERE to see pictures of my 12V to 6V AGM conversion.

14

General Discussion / Re: Alternative Fridge?

« on: August 28, 2025, 05:59:26 pm »

I’m waiting to hear from my doc on how to go forward on new cancer diagnosis.  Seems once you have cancer (4 years now) you’re constantly chasing it.

Sorry to hear of your health history.

I am in a similar situation.  As of October of last year, after chemo was completed, I am supposedly in remission from stage 4 DLBCL (diffuse large B cell non-Hodgkins lymphoma).  I go in next month for another round of quarterly bloodwork and biannual CAT scan to make sure it has not returned.  In the mean time, I continue to recover from the chemo treatments.  I can't yet go hiking like I used to, still limited to casual walks on flat surfaces.  But the hardest challenge for me is avoiding sugar and starch to starve potential returning cancer.

There we go, changing the subject again, ha, ha.

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General Discussion / Re: Alternative Fridge?

« on: August 28, 2025, 08:45:05 am »

My Black & Decker charger pictured, has these 5 modes.... 4, 10, 20, 40 amp, and Start.

During trips, to shorten generator run times, I set my B&D charger to 20 amps.  I worry that 40 amps is too hard on the pair of batteries.  I am comfortable with 10 amps per battery.  The 40 amp setting is handy for emergency use.

Decades ago now, my original Ford chassis battery was showing signs of weakness when we headed out for a wedding about 350 miles from home.  On the way back home, the battery completely died in a rest area.  To get the V10 chassis engine started, it took the Onan generator running, jumper cables from the house batteries, and my battery charger at the 40 amp setting, to start the V10 engine.  So there was just that one time where 40 amps was extremely handy.

I could not get the charger's Start Mode to work.  Maybe I wasn't working it right.  Maybe the unrecoverable battery prevented it from contributing.

Sorry for drifting off topic.  At least you started this thread and the drifting from it.