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General Discussion / Re: A couple of Qs for 2351 4x4 owners

« on: October 13, 2017, 10:16:50 am »

It's a good question. Right now one option that I *love* is Escapees CARE. It's a great service for members who have reached the age where they need to hang up their keys and just need a little extra help. And it's also available to those who need temporary care, like after a hip replacement or something. http://www.escapeescare.org/benefit.php  Who knows if it will still be around in 30 or 40 years though.

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General Discussion / Re: A couple of Qs for 2351 4x4 owners

« on: October 07, 2017, 06:40:11 pm »

Good luck in your search. I dearly wish I could have found a 4x4 PC when I was shopping but I had enough trouble finding a no-slide 2100. (Since it was my first rv there was no way I was going new in case I didn't like it.)  I also primarily boondock and I am in terror of getting stuck after a few near misses. One in Mexico, in fact, where my friend in a B van did get stuck. I full time in my 2100 and it works well for me. I ended up leaving my table down all the time and made up into a full-time bed. Gave me some more storage. I think a 2350 would be great, I'd like to have both a bed and a table, but I also like being a couple feet shorter. It's all a compromise.

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General Discussion / Re: Comparing Michelin tire with Firestone tire

« on: October 07, 2017, 06:30:38 pm »

I'm a little late to the party but right before I went full-time in the summer of 2014 I replaced all 6 Michelins on my 2008 PC2100 as they were 7 years old and everyone said I should. Unfortunately there was a Michelin recall around that time and they were hard to find. The local tire shop sold those TransForce tires to me hard, telling me they were just as good as the Michelins and cheaper. Without the month wait. So I got them. Two and a half years later (Dec 2016) I replaced the two fronts with Michelins as the Firestones were almost bald. I replaced the back four Firestones in January after one of them blew. The place I had do the fronts only had two in stock at the time and I was leaving for Quartzsite. I didn't think the rear duals were in as bad shape. Apparently I was wrong. Thank god for Coach-Net. The mobile tire guy said something to the effect of, well these tires are pretty old when I was complaining about what crappy tires they were. I said, "They're less than three years old!!!!" He said, "There is no way. They must have sold you old tires." I said, "No, I checked the codes....check the codes!" He did and whistled.  My PC was not overloaded, I weigh it pretty often, and I run TPMS so the pressures are good. I put less than 40,000 miles on them. Needless to say, I won't be making that expensive mistake again.

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General Discussion / Re: Upgrading Ford factory radio sterio

« on: October 28, 2016, 08:32:40 pm »

Yeah, I've seen some really bad ones. I seldom drive at night if I can help it, but it  can be dimmed. What I'd like to do at some point is wire it so it's powered by the house batteries. I'd like to be able to use it while I'm parked too.

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General Discussion / Re: Thermostat replacement

« on: October 28, 2016, 08:27:27 pm »

I have the same thermostat as Ron but am having problems with it. The temperature is way off. I have to set it at about 90 to get 75 out of the AC, yet approx 80 will get me about 45 deg on the heat it used to work correctly. . Any ideas what to try?

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General Discussion / Re: Upgrading Ford factory radio sterio

« on: October 28, 2016, 07:53:51 pm »

I changed out the stock stereo in my 2008 PC2100.  I installed a Pioneer DEH-X4700BT and love it. I play audiobooks from a USB stick and stream Spotify from my phone using Bluetooth. It's awesome. I've never done it before but it was not difficult.  I used a Metra 70-1771 Radio Wiring Harness, Metra 99-5802 Dash Kit For Ford/Mazda B-Series 95-Up, and Install Bay CC2218 Crimp Cap Nylon Connector 22/18 Gauge crimps, which made it much easier. I got all of it on Amazon.  I didn't want one of the super complex ones with motorized touch screens, etc, but I did want BT, USB and input jacks. I'd have preferred a unit with less obnoxious led lighting but that seems to be the thing these days, and it was on sale. :-)

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General Discussion / Re: 2100 Jackknife Couch

« on: January 21, 2016, 08:33:48 pm »

Here's a link to a post I did with my solution to the uncomfy couch bed.
http://forum.phoenixusarv.com/index.php/topic,1613.msg12271.html#msg12271

However, I eventually switched over to leaving the dinette made up as a full-time bed. Much nicer not having to stow all the bedding every morning and the storage under the table is awesome. It's only an option if you're fairly short though.

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Photos / Free Camping near the Grand Tetons

« on: December 03, 2015, 03:18:54 pm »

Found this site on freecampsites.net. The views were gorgeous but the bugs were off the charts. I was there in June.

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General Discussion / Re: Full Timing?

« on: November 29, 2015, 11:47:39 am »

I full time in a 21' PC2100 with no slide. My PC has better ground clearance than any Class A or B I've ever seen, and that was important to me.  I changed out my toilet for a composting one and that made a huge difference in water use/dump intervals.

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Photos / Milky Way over PC2100

« on: November 02, 2015, 06:01:15 pm »

Shot at Lees Ferry AZ with a wide angle lens so there is some distortion.

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General Discussion / Re: Macerator not working?

« on: October 22, 2015, 11:14:07 pm »

Mine is NOT controlled by the kill switch. Here's how I know.

My macerate pump wouldn't turn on last month. The day I was arriving at the Balloon Fiesta.  I flipped the switch about 50 times, jiggled wires, peered hopelessly at fuses etc. I finally threw up my hands in disgust and decided I didn't need to deal with it as I wasn't pumping uphill.  I kept sayin, I'll deal with it in December when I'm in FL for a month. So, yesterday morning after a night at the Gallup Walmart, I went in and got coffee. When I came back out, I stood next yo the rig sipping my java and surveying camp Walmart. I noticed a weird noise coming from the older class A on the other side of me. I wondered what it could be.....if it was a genset it sounded odd.  It sounded like....a water pump.  With trepidation I walked around the rear of my rig and realised it was me!! WTF.?? I realised it was the sanicon, and I had water spraying out around the sewer cap like an evil sprinkler. I leapt for the compartment, and of course only one latch will open. The one on the switch side (of course) is jammed. I run back around and hit the Store switch. Nada. Great. Of course the pliers are buried so I grabbed a towel and managed to get it open.  Apparently, during the 50 shades of switch flipping, I ended on on. And a month later it decided to arise from the dead in the Gallup Walmart parking lot. I couldn't believe it. Thank god it was gray water.  Unreal.

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General Discussion / Re: Weighing Your Rig

« on: October 22, 2015, 10:59:28 pm »

While it's not as good as Escapees, which gives you the weight for each corner, closed weigh stations in Oregon leave the scales on so you can just pull in and get the weight on sack axle. Better than not knowing at all. Other states may do the same, I just stumbled across it in Oregon.

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General Discussion / Re: Battery wiring diagram for PC2100 (2008)

« on: October 22, 2015, 10:56:17 pm »

Thanks for the tip, that looks like a good idea. Yep, I have the exposed batteries, which after driving in wet, red mud at Hubbell Trading Post, now have about five pounds of Arizona clinging to them. Really.....who thought that was a good idea?? Thought about a double battery box but it won't fit and I couldn't lift two batteries in a box anyway. When I get the lithiums I will either move them inside, put them in a box, or get something fabricated like you did. I'm just not that handy.  I've been plagued with electrical annoyances for the past month.  Today the solar controller crapped out. It never ends......

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General Discussion / Re: Battery wiring diagram for PC2100 (2008)

« on: October 22, 2015, 09:11:16 pm »

One black goes to the frame ground and the other should go to the inverter negative post.

So for the electrically uninformed (me) does it matter the one black cable now goes to one negative terminal and the other goes to the other one? It will be tough to get in there to fix it and I don't want to if I I don't have to.
 
I have to say, in an otherwise stellar design, someone mst have been hungover when they came up with that battery compartment design. It's already unpleasant to work on them, and the fact that they're slathered in road grime doesn't help. I left the rig for a month plugged in and that was enough to boil the batteries so dry that they took half a gallon of distilled water. We'll, we did spill some but most of it went in the batteries.

And yep, I know I need a new charger with the lithiums....I think I already do anyway.  But the light weight and ability to use almost all the capacity of the batteries makes it a better choice.

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General Discussion / Re: Battery wiring diagram for PC2100 (2008)

« on: October 21, 2015, 09:30:02 pm »

Thanks Ron. What are the 2 black cables for anyway? Never seen two before and it confounds everyone who works on it. :-(. My next batteries will be lithium. I'm done with the lead-acid hassle.