Log In | Register
Skip to main content
Topic: Our first "trip" with the new "old" LD (Read 6 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Our first "trip" with the new "old" LD
Yahoo Message Number: 19699
We took advantage of Frank's three day weekend (he has every other Friday off) and brought our 1989 Lazy Daze 26.5 Mid Bath home and prepared it for it's first overnighter at O'Neill Regional Park, located less than 10 miles from our home in south Orange County, California, to check it out and make sure everything was in good working order.
We store it in Laguna Hills.  We've had it two weeks stored there and when we went on Friday to get it, it wouldn't start. The engine battery was dead!  Couldn't figure out if we'd left anything on that would deplete the battery, but decided we hadn't after reading our manual which says that everything in the coach runs off the deep cycle battery.  Had to return home to retrieve the jumper cables and go back for the MH.  Won't make that mistake again!  Figure the battery just may be old.
Got the MH home and plugged her into the electricity at home and switched on the refrigerator.  The freezer cooled first (I remember our trailer doing the same thing), but the frig took a lot longer to chill than we thought it would.  Would probably be wise to bring the MH home the night before so the frig will be cold enough when it was time to fill it.  But, boy did it get cold eventually.  Had to turn the dial to normal from Max.  Any suggestions? It got very cold during the night and I made the executive decision to crank up the heater to 65 degrees because my nose was cold and I don't like sleeping under the covers.  Frank turned it back down because he doesn't like it running during the night.  Besides, we don't have a carbon monoxide detector yet, something I think the MH should come equipped with, so will have to invest in one.
Everything worked beautifully on the MH.  Can't quite figure out the best place to store everything.  SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE MOST APPRECIATED! Of course we forgot some essentials, like syrup for our pancakes and the graham crackers/chocolate for our smores! I drove the MH home, in the dark, when we left.  Piece of cake.  It handles beautifully!  Only "problem" is trying to get used to using the side mirrors alone when changing lanes because you can't look over your shoulder.  Would have smashed into a couple of vehicles if I hadn't used the inset mirror on the bottom of the side mirror.
Most importantly, we're trying to get the MH equipped with everything we need and the only things we would have to gather at home is our clothing and food, so it will be less time consuming when packing up to go.  I've designated some clothing, shoes, etc. as MH attire. Any Suggestions? Kindest Regards, Pamela
Re: Our first "trip" with the new "old" LD
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 19703
Quote
first overnighter at O'Neill Regional Park, located less than 10 miles from our home in south Orange County, California, to check it out and make sure everything was in good working order.
We store it in Laguna Hills.
Pamela,

We must nearly be neighbors.  We live in Rancho Santa Margarita, adjacent to O'Neil Park, but store our LD in Irvine.  The LD Manual gives you a list of suggested items to add to the inventory in the LD.  One of my favorite things was buying new dishes and pots and pans etc. at Wal Mart in Foothill Ranch.  That way we don't have to transfer things out of the home kitchen to use the LD.

Because the storage bins in the lounge area are long, things could easily move around.  To prevent that, I bought a variety of sizes of plastic bins (they look like minature laundry baskets) at Wall Mart.
They hold smaller items from moving around, plus you can take down the whole basket to look for items, if you are vertically challenged like I am, and can't see the inside of the cabinet.

Enjoy the new "baby".

Cindy
Cindy Beck
2004 MB Blue/White, Honda CRV
Corona, CA
Re: Our first "trip" with the new "old" LD
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 19709
Quote
when we went on Friday to get it, it wouldn't start. The engine battery was dead!  Couldn't figure out if we'd left anything on that would deplete the battery, but decided we hadn't after reading our manual which says that everything in the coach runs off the deep cycle battery.
...but usually not so in the cab. CB, if so equipped, dash stereo, and cab light usually are on the chassis battery. Many rewire this oversight to prevent the problem you had. Still, the battery could be marginal.

Quote
Got the MH home and plugged her into the electricity at home and switched on the refrigerator.  The freezer cooled first (I remember our trailer doing the same thing), but the frig took a lot longer to chill than we thought it would.  Would probably be wise to bring the MH home the night before so the frig will be cold enough when it was time to fill it.  But, boy did it get cold eventually.  Had to turn the dial to normal from Max.  Any suggestions?
Check the condition of the door gasket - all around. Expect 4-5 hrs before the fridge gets to 40 degrees, if it starts at 70. The time is much less if you fill it with prechilled items after about 1 hr running.

Quote
It got very cold during the night and I made the executive decision to crank up the heater to 65 degrees because my nose was cold and I
don't
 
Quote
like sleeping under the covers.  Frank turned it back down because he doesn't like it running during the night.  Besides, we don't have a carbon monoxide detector yet, something I think the MH should come equipped with, so will have to invest in one.
As far as I'm aware, no manufacturer provided the CO detector in '89.
Interior leaks with a heat-exchange furnace such as yours are extremely rare, though. Just remember not to leave any window open near the furnace or water heater exhaust ports.

Steve
2004 FL
2013 Honda Fit
Re: Our first "trip" with the new "old" LD
Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 19727
Oh, I almost forgot!  The smoke detector went off when I was making pancakes and eggs!  I had the vent going AND the window behind the stove open and it still managed to trigger the alarm!  Go figure.......
Re: Our first "trip" with the new "old" LD
Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 19743
Quote
Got the MH home and plugged her into the electricity at home and switched on the refrigerator.  The freezer cooled first (I remember our trailer doing the same thing), but the frig took a lot longer to chill than we thought it would.  Would probably be wise to bring the MH home the night before so the frig will be cold enough when it was time to fill it.  But, boy did it get cold eventually.  Had to turn the dial to normal from Max.  Any suggestions?
We usually do allow some time for it to chill before loading, but I found that using one of those cheap fridge fans from CW seems to speed up the chilling process.

Laurie
Laurie - 2018 RB
Re: Our first "trip" with the new "old" LD
Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 19750
Laurie,

We also frequently use frozen water bottles from our house to speed up the initial cool down and reduce the load on the LD refrigerator/freezer during startup.

Barry
Re: Our first "trip" with the new "old" LD
Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 19817
--- In lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.com, "fpdavies2003"

We don't have a LD, but hope to soon. We have a truck camper and when I know we are leaving on a trip I freeze everything that I can that is safe to! I freeze juice boxes, which then thaw over the next day or two. I freeze cheese, bread, all our meat (with marinade in the bag if that makes me happy...) etc. I also keep a few large blue ice in the freezer and when I turn on the camper frig I throw those in while I am getting other things ready. Then when I am ready to load the frig the blue ice comes out and back to the house frig. It seems to speed up the cooling process. I noticed someone else froze water bottles. I do that too! We then use the frozen water bottles on our long motorcycle rides in the summer.  Good luck!
 
Our first "trip" with the new "old" LD
Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 19721
We have a 89 26.5 RB. In regard to your 89's engine battery being low and unable to start. The problem is not likely to be due to the CB or dash radio. Both are fused from the "house" batteries. The fuses are located under the hood near the battery isolator on the right side. They are the 2 side by side "in line" fuses.  Tom.