Stimulus

Quote: Evenbob

How would you know what it's
like to have your own washer
and drier when you've gone
to laundromats all your life.
You don't have to it 'all at once',
you do it a load at a time when
you feel like it. What a concept.

What are you talking about? I've almost always owned a washer/dryer, but I generally prefer laundromats. Like I said, you can let it collect and then get it all done at once. I haven't gone to laundromats, "My whole life," I just prefer to. I think everywhere I've lived for the last fifteen years I have had a washer and dryer. The most recent time I haven't would be my dorm room back in college.

Quote: AZDuffman

You gotta be nuts. You have to sit in the place while your laundry gets done. You have to hope you get a machine and a dryer with no wait. Your life becomes quarters.

Throw mu clothes in and do something else. Throw them in the dryer and do something else. Never have to go out in the rain or snow. If I leave the load in the dryer no worry that some parade float using 3 machines is going to scream at me.

Yeah, I have to sit in the place screwing off on forums, reading the news or watching Youtube videos. Compare that to being at home screwing off on forums, reading the news, or watching Youtube videos. It's awful.

I don't know what laundromats you have been going to, but I'm often the only person in the one I go to at the times I choose to go.

No, it's actually not awful. I get all of the laundry done in less than 1/4th of the time and it gives me the rest of the day to do whatever else.

I don't think I would travel in heavy snow or heavy rain to go to the laundromat, would probably just use the machines at home, in that event.

I think the first time I went to a laundromat on my own is when I was seventeen because our washer broke. My Mom was going to go, but I volunteered.

After that, I kept going even after she got a new washer. This one was right next to a pretty good pizza place, so I'd gather up all of the laundry, grab the Sunday paper (this was before smartphones) and head on down. Get everything in the washer, go order a calzone (which they'd take over to you when it was done) read the paper. Then they would bring the calzone over. At this point, the washers were usually done, so then I'd throw everything in the dryers, continue to read the paper and eat my calzone. Wash hands, fold clothes, out I go.

Where my fiancee and I used to live, there are no good laundromats there, so we always did it at home. Also, the whole place was one floor, so that was more convenient...the washer and dryer were right in the kitchen against one wall. But, mostly because the laundromats in that town sucked.

Where I live now, there's a very good and fairly new laundromat nearby with excellent equipment. I also like the comforter being washed once a week and it doesn't fit into the washer here. Even if it did, you'd have to do two dryer cycles to get it dry. Laundry would be an all day affair.

With the laundromat, I just load up and head down. Everything is washed, dried and I'm back...even including travel time...in under two hours. Using the machines here, I wouldn't even have two loads fully done in that time.

Quote: Mission146

What are you talking about? I've almost always owned a washer/dryer, but I generally prefer laundromats.

Sure you do. Many is the time
I did a load and said, boy, I
wish I could haul this out to
the car, drive to a laundromat,
wait for a machine, get $4
in quarters, sit and watch the
asses of 3 feet wide whales
wander around. Nothing I
like better than washing my
clothes in the same machine
75 other low life's have washed
theirs in.

One thing new to me is the hitch
Old pop-up, just attached it to a 2 inch ball.
I was pretty good at preventing sway myself
This new trailer a little longer and of course heavier
So I got the sway control
They switched out the ball to a bigger size and adjusted the height to fit my RV.
Looks pretty heavy duty where the old one was real simple
They installed "EZ Hitch" sway control
I didn't realize there was some real work to be done every time I hitch and unhitch
To Hitch, of course back up, drop RV on the bigger ball and lock
Now I have to jack up a little higher to install the sway control.
2 real heavy bars attached near the ball I have to lock in.
Then I have a heavy duty tool to use leverage to snap the other side of the bar to each side of the RV tongue
whew.

Quote: terapined

I didn't realize there was some real work to be done every time I hitch and unhitch
.

Just wait till you screw it up and
it breaks, or it breaks on its own.
And you have to have it hauled
somewhere for repairs. Gonna
happen sooner than later, and
more than once. Expensive.
Aggravating. These things
were designed for use a few
times a year, not constant
year round use. You'll see.

Quote: terapined

One thing new to me is the hitch
Old pop-up, just attached it to a 2 inch ball.
I was pretty good at preventing sway myself
This new trailer a little longer and of course heavier

I think you will discover that you don't have enough truck for that trailer to haul this : https://coachmenrv.com/travel-trailers/apex-nano/194BHS/4931

IIRC, you said you have a heavy half or something like that? That trailer empty and dry lists 4800 lbs. Add 400 lbs. of water and 800 pounds of your stuff, food/beverage stereo etc., doesn't take long to get 800, that puts the trailer weight at 3 tons. It can be done, but a pita. If you love this truck, that much, you would do yourself a favor and put airbags on it before heading down the open road.

Quote:

So I got the sway control

I don't think you did? It sounds like what you got was the load leveler, with either the 10k or 12k bars? Still a class 4 hitch, which was always big enough for me, but now they have class 5, sheesh.

Quote:

They switched out the ball to a bigger size and adjusted the height to fit my RV.
Looks pretty heavy duty where the old one was real simple

2 5/16 is standard, but some have different shanks for the ball. If you have to get another one, get the thickest shank, that's for shear strength during a panic stop, I think they are 20k or 30k shear? There was some cheapo balls being sold that had like a 1" shank.

Quote:

They installed "EZ Hitch" sway control

The standard heavy lift bars are for load leveling, they also sell an anti sway device to stop the end of the trailer from fish tailing. The load levelers stop the ball and load from porpoising, or levels the truck and trailer if you have a suspension that is not up to the task. Air bags probably fix it, but there's about a grand. Ching ching. Going down the road, you will see people that aren't rigged properly, with their headlights pointing toward the sky.

Quote:

I didn't realize there was some real work to be done every time I hitch and unhitch
To Hitch, of course back up, drop RV on the bigger ball and lock
Now I have to jack up a little higher to install the sway control.
2 real heavy bars attached near the ball I have to lock in.
Then I have a heavy duty tool to use leverage to snap the other side of the bar to each side of the RV tongue
whew.

The links you take up on the chain will always be the same, when you figure how many to take up. Usually around 5 or so links? The standard ball height from a flat surface was 17 1/2 from the ground to the top of the ball, again, iianm? Things probably changed when I wasn't looking.

When you figure out how many links you want to take up, if you leave the stem of your crank lifting some of the tongue weight, it's easy to toggle the the mechanism past center. Use a block so you never have to crank all the way up and down, or install an electric hitch, those are nice. Make sure you take it all the way up.

It's easy to mistake those L shaped bars for being all the way in, when they really aren't. You'll see. There is a left and right.

I'm guessing there is a battery sitting on the tongue somewhere that has a cable that goes to the truck, which operates the breaks in a "break-a-way" situation?

Figure that length out and where to attach it on the hitch or truck somewhere, [ with carabiners?] to short, and a tight turn may operate the brakes. heh heh. And of course, don't skimp on the break away chain, hook that up like you mean it. I've had more than one friend have the trailers come off the balls and end up dragging the trailer by that chain until they could get it stopped.

The ball, is also part of the "ground return" of the electric system, I like to spritz the ball before taking off with wd-40, it helps with the electric connection and helps stop the "creaking" noise when turning. Make sure the lock is all the way locked on the ball. And I like using a giant cotter key on that, or a padlock. Speaking of padlocks, I've had 3 of those shafts stolen, I finally went to a lockable pin that keeps the shaft pinned to the truck. WD 40 is your friend, there's always dirt and mud spraying into everything down there. Got mud flaps? No limit to the little expenses.

Quote: petroglyph

INo limit to the little expenses.

An RV is like owning a boat, the drain
on your bank account is never ending.
The old saying that the best day of your
life is when you buy and sell your boat
is the same with an RV.

Quote: Evenbob

Quote: terapined

I didn't realize there was some real work to be done every time I hitch and unhitch

6 months from now, he'll be saying: "I didn't realize there were so many druggies and perverts in RV parks" 🤣

Quote: Evenbob

Quote: rxwine

Cool. Even though I may never get an RV. (keep thinking about it though).

Do it. Life's lessons are always
learned the hard way. lol

lol

Gee, how come I'm not surprised that he's attracted to RVs like the guy above?? 😂😂

Quote: DRich

I am very lazy and so is my wife.

Reminds me of when I thought of buying 365 pair of underwear and just doing laundry on NYE to be set for the year. You must have a ton of clothes.