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lyman guy Posted on: Oct 15 2018, 09:11 AM





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The new progress looks great. You might consider using CPES, clear penetrating epoxy sealer on everything inside and outside on the frame and sheathing at this point. It is a thin penetrating epoxy that does not let any moisture in. It is used a lot in wood boats, new and restorations. I think the Smith Brothers brand is the best of what is out there. It is a little pricey but will keep any rot at bay for MANY years.
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lyman guy Posted on: Oct 13 2018, 05:12 PM





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That looks great! I built one about 35 years ago, and loved every minuet of doing it. Yours looks a lot better than mine did. Looks like you glued along with the deck screws. Keep the pics coming.
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lyman guy Posted on: Jun 29 2018, 07:15 PM





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I posted something on one of the other TC sites that some of the older "senior" members took exception to, and was called every name in the book, including SideCarFlip. I rarely post anymore on any site because of the "expert" trolls who are just grumpy old men. I read the posts that I want some info on, but don't sign in anymore, and rarely comment. They seem to be content to spank anyone they don't agree with. Sign of the times!
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lyman guy Posted on: May 17 2017, 10:13 AM





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HappiJac's are fine, but have a tendency to rust on the threaded screws and nuts. No stainless steel. We are in the NE, so salt probably plays a role with the rust after a year. Also, if you have them at all loose and go around a corner with the camper leaning, you can lose one of them. I am replacing the one that fell off, but am going to heat and close up the hook at the camper end of the tie down.
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lyman guy Posted on: Mar 4 2017, 08:36 PM





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I have a 2013 livin lite 10', and we are very pleased with the quality of the camper and its components. But I am at a loss on being able to assess the effectiveness of our F250 alternator in charging the battery while we are on the road, and of the built in charge maintainer, which is part of the camper electrical system. This started when the truck stopped charging the camper battery, while traveling last year. We had never had a problem with our truck charging the battery on our 20 year old camper and running the 12 vt refrigerator while traveling. Ended up that there was a "hidden fuse" under the sink that had not been mentioned in any of the manuals we got when we bought the camper.
I have read a whole lot of online experts on the merits of built in trickle chargers in the inverters supplied with campers, and how they just maintain when on shore power. Some experts suggest to supplement the inverters with a more sophisticated and to be honest, more confusing charging set up, while on shore power.
We do not use a microwave, and have led's in all our lights. I would like to be able to trust our truck to maintain the refrigerator while traveling, and to be able to trust the battery to run our furnace for several nights without running the truck. One wrinkle is our electrical corner jacks. I had used our onboard camper battery to raise and lower the camper at the beginning of the trip when we lost the truck being able to charge while traveling. It was a 15 amp 12 vt fuse that had burned out, probably when we were not plugged in, and burned out while we were traveling. But I would like to be able to use the jacks when we are not plugged in, not regularly, but as a backup in case we were stuck somewhere.

I am looking for a certified expert with experience in assessing RV charging systems who is not trying to sell me anything I don't need, but giving me an idea of what I have, should it work, and what I might need for an alternator upgrade in my truck, or a separate charging system when we are plugged in. I am not interested in solar charging systems, but in knowing exactly what I have, and how it should be working.

Can anyone recommend someone they know who is an expert in this, in Vermont or in the New England area? Thanks for any help.
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lyman guy Posted on: Feb 20 2017, 10:44 AM





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You are right about profit over quality. But, if there were enough truck camper purchasers who asked, someone might get the idea that it might be a way to add $ to retail, as an option. Demand might, probably won't, but might give some RV company a lightbulb moment for a more attractive feature for wood framing. I look at both TCM and Mello Mike like Ford and Chevy. Both have their strengths, and the more you read in both sites, the more ammo for being able to make your own decisions. Having worked on truck campers for 30+ years, I have seen pretty much all manufacturers improve on sealing the campers with better materials, and view CPES as just another step in the long road of progress in campers and in wood boats. Just because it is not happening now, doesn't mean it can't happen in the future.
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lyman guy Posted on: Feb 20 2017, 09:24 AM





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Hello. I really love looking at the Mellow Mike and Truck Camper Mag websites. Great information, and they both cover things in their own way. This week there was an article in the Mellow Mike site about using wood over aluminum for framing a truck camper. Having had both wood and metal framed truck campers, I know the plus' and minus's of their use. One thing that I would like to see, perhaps as an option if you are ordering a wood framed one, would be the use of clear penetrating epoxy sealer on the wood frames, as they are being built. Having an old wood boat, I have had experience with the basic CPES like GitRot, and with other more commercially brands. They are not like an thick epoxy, but pretty much like water, which soaks/wicks into the wood, especially on exposed ends. Some boat restorers treat the replacement wood, below the waterline, and then treat the wood like any other wood. And some new construction does everything on the hull and ribs with it. I think that if truck camper manufactures had their wood frames treated, the problem with a leak destroying the wood, when you don't see a leak for a while, would be eliminated. Just a thought.
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