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06-07-2015, 08:19 PM
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#1
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Cyber Phrenologist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Southern Crescent
Posts: 1,806
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Rving oxymorons, or just plain silly things that seem to be.
Here are a few counter intuitive rules, or laws, that seem to be in effect when it comes to RVs.
1. RVs are made almost entirely of stuff that will degrade if left outside for any length of time. Your car isn't. But your camper is. Go figure. All these years those vent covers are STILL made of stuff that will dry rot in hot sun in 2years or less. And let's not even talk about decals or lap sealant...
2. RVs are designed by people who have never spent a week in one. This explains why the cabinet that has the water filter canister is screwed shut and the LED in the light switches keeps you awake at night. And why there is a grey tank outlet under your slide out room. And so on.
3. Cars and trucks come with manuals. RVs do not. Sure, you usually get one for the furnace, the fridge, the AC, etc. But you are NOT going to get a manual for the complete unit that might suggest best practice for use and maintenance of the camper. Imagine your car coming with only a manual for the transmission and the alternator.
4. The final assembly point for any RV is the owners backyard. The first thing I had to do to mine was plug up all the drafty leaks and holes so that the AC (or the furnace) could actually handle the load without running all the time. A whole can of Great Stuff. And some foam board. Duct tape. You know...
5. If you don't like to tinker and have no basic knowledge of how to use simple tools, do not get an RV. See above rules.
And there are many more...Feel free to add your own.
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KU4OJ
2008 (or is it 2009?) Rockwood 8280SS - 2022 F-250 7.3L
Lot's of mostly Kenwood radios
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06-07-2015, 08:29 PM
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#2
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Plain Old Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Full Timing in South Louisiana
Posts: 1,938
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Could not agree more. I second the comments and can think of a few more. I can thank the RV industry for all of the training we have received over the years. The more they screw up, the more I learn and fix / make better. We can't bullet proof one, but we dang sure try to.
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John and Rebecca Dickson
Emma-7 / Little John-5 / Iva-1
Full Timing Again, Rev B
2013 Ford F-350 Lariat CC LB PSD
2015 SOB TT - With OC's Awning Poles (#8)
At least in Heaven, RVs will be perfect, and I won't have to keep fixing them.
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06-07-2015, 08:33 PM
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#3
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Plain Old Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Full Timing in South Louisiana
Posts: 1,938
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Reminds me of the industry I work in. Spend 1 billion on a floating drilling rig or ship, spend first 2 years minimum fixing it to where it works right (people who build don't use them), and the manuals are all but 100% correct. Go figure.
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John and Rebecca Dickson
Emma-7 / Little John-5 / Iva-1
Full Timing Again, Rev B
2013 Ford F-350 Lariat CC LB PSD
2015 SOB TT - With OC's Awning Poles (#8)
At least in Heaven, RVs will be perfect, and I won't have to keep fixing them.
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06-07-2015, 11:34 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 212
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Consider the opposite. My son is a mechanical engineer. He has to get it right the first time. Once completed and activated it can not be repaired.
He designs satellites. The nearest service station for a DirectTV satellite is 22,300 miles away.
Don't you wish your RV was designed and manufactured with such care and precision? But, you would not like the price tag!
__________________
Wayne in Coarsegold near Yosemite
2013 Forest River Solera 24R
2014 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
ATV trailer for the following toys
2008 Yamaha WR250R,2009 Honda CRF150F
2008 Polaris Scrambler 500
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06-08-2015, 11:23 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: CT
Posts: 104
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Pretty funny!
__________________
No Longer Newbies
2016 Trips:16 Nights:41
2015 Trips:13 Nights:29
2014 Trips:13 Nights:31
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06-08-2015, 11:23 AM
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#6
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Junior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 14
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Well said! Best post of the month.
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06-08-2015, 11:27 AM
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#7
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 84
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Yeah, but they could still use off the shelf items in their construction, not special RV designs. I was truly amazed when I had to remove an inoperative outlet due to the table support putting pressure on the six outlet adaptor. When I removed it and saw that they use push connections instead of screws to connect the hot and neutral wires, I was flabbergasted! This design is not even UL approved!
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06-08-2015, 11:35 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Komoka Ontario
Posts: 2,680
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Quality and Recreational Vehicle Manufacturer in the same sentence would be an oxymoron.
__________________
"Well that didn't go as expected"
2015 Chev 2500HD Highcountry Duramax
Cedar Creek Silverback 33IK
Donald&Casey cairn terrier
Rest in Peace Mary my darling wife.
Scottish by birth Canadian by time.
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06-08-2015, 11:40 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Weatherford, TX
Posts: 977
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__________________
J & D in Lovely Weatherford, TX
2016 Jayco White Hawk 28DSBH TT
2014 Ram 2500 Crew Cab 4X4 6.7L Cummins
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06-08-2015, 11:41 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 212
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Quote:
Originally Posted by glfillion
Yeah, but they could still use off the shelf items in their construction, not special RV designs. I was truly amazed when I had to remove an inoperative outlet due to the table support putting pressure on the six outlet adaptor. When I removed it and saw that they use push connections instead of screws to connect the hot and neutral wires, I was flabbergasted! This design is not even UL approved!
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I do not think that UL approval is required. I think they must meet RVIA.
__________________
Wayne in Coarsegold near Yosemite
2013 Forest River Solera 24R
2014 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
ATV trailer for the following toys
2008 Yamaha WR250R,2009 Honda CRF150F
2008 Polaris Scrambler 500
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06-08-2015, 11:43 AM
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#11
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Boss Ox & Drovergirl
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: N.E. Ohio Snow Belt
Posts: 1,341
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DDC
Quality and Recreational Vehicle Manufacturer in the same sentence would be an oxymoron.
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But which is the Oxy, which is the Moron?
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Mark, Vicki, & Scout THE dog
2015 Hemisphere 282RK
2016 GMC 3500HD Duramax dually
1992 Goldwing Aspencade
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06-08-2015, 11:43 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 153
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Great post! Unfortunately it is so true!
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06-08-2015, 12:10 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 316
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Totally agree with all posts. In my fiver, the water filter is under the sink behind a backer board that is screwed to braces. I have to empty everything under the sink, unscrew the backer board and then try to unscrew the filter cover (which is still full of water) and try and twist it out over pipes without spilling water all over the place. Not to mention working in a space that is about 24" x 24". Great for smurfs but not the rest of us. Thanks for letting me vent.
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Marcel & Jenne
Kemptville, ON
2014 Rockwood 8282WS
2015 Ford F150 Eco-Boost
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06-08-2015, 12:33 PM
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#14
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 43
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Do not agree. I have owned 4 MH . 3 Winnebago and 1 used FR .All came with manuals including engine Operation generator operation. Everything for coach.
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06-08-2015, 12:33 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Napa Valley, CA
Posts: 513
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Rv'ing is best when its maintenance/customization is also a hobby. The basic product can be revised, updated and repaired to one's own specs, which is part of the fun of being an owner for me.
__________________
2015 Rockwood A128S
2010 Rockwood 2604
2014 Ford F-250 CC SB 2WD
2008 Toyota Sequoia 2WD
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06-08-2015, 12:57 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: South central, PA
Posts: 184
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You nailed it (unfortunately)!
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06-08-2015, 12:57 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Franklin, TN
Posts: 746
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I have a friend with a party barge and we laugh at each other as we compare notes on who spends the most time and money on maintenance. Every trip out opens up new opportunities for repair or mods. All in all both turn out to be very enjoyable hobbies! Have built a lot of enjoyable memories with over 170 camping in 3.5 years in the Marriot on wheels. Just glad I know enough to repair a lot of things and have this forum to learn and ask the things I do not know! My dream is to go into CW without leaving a chunk of cash, if not me DW.
__________________
2020 Georgetown 31L, Safe T steering, Sumo springs, Onan Geny
2015 GMC Canyon 4X4 TOAD w/Blue Ox tow plates, InvisiBrake
Pepper 🌶 PomChi rescue 545 nights as our camping buddy
Days camped in FR 2011-12 = 77, 13-14 = 98, 15-16 = 129
17 = 81, 18 = 44, 19 = 83, 20= 45, 21 = 76, 22 = 57, 23 = 42
Retired :
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06-08-2015, 01:19 PM
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#18
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jkoenig24
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Box Elder, SD (formerly NY)
Posts: 953
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I have to agree too. The designers at Dynamax obviously aced their decorator courses but, have never USED the products they make look so pretty. In my DX3-37RB, it was actually built using 1/8" FIBERBOARD as the support for dresser drawers. The first drawer slides came loose on the third trip (I'm surprised it made it that long).
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06-08-2015, 02:54 PM
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#19
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Junior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 10
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Rv oxymorons, continued
How about the number of people a camper will sleep? Always take the number that is advertised and then divide by two! My husband says our camper will sleep six as long as he is not one of them! Ha!
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06-08-2015, 03:22 PM
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#20
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Anacortesians
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Anacortes, WA
Posts: 1,166
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Our '02 Georgetown came with an "Owners' Manual". It was so vague and non-specific to our particular model, it was only good for firelighter.
__________________
Frank and Eileen
No longer RVers or FR owners
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