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Topic: New upgrades added to Grey Ghost. (Read 10 times) previous topic - next topic
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New upgrades added to Grey Ghost.
Yahoo Message Number: 86210
Added some upgrades to the coach.

New photos added to Grey Ghost folder.

Installed the Wave 3 and plumbed it into the propane system.

Added a Honeywell digital thermostat.

Added 4 Sterilite drawers to the front wardrobe.
 Added a Garmin Zumo 550 GPS with XM radio. I got the Zumo because I can transfer it to my motorcycle when out exploring the backroads and trails.
Jota
96 23.5 FL
Re: New upgrades added to Grey Ghost.
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86215
Nice upgrades...
 Regarding the Wave 3, I can't tell how the propane hose fits through the door when you have the cabinet door closed. Did you notch it out? Is the Velcro strong enough to hold the heater while moving?

What model Honeywell thermostat did you use?

Thank you...
Enjoyed viewing your upgrades.

Ellen D.
1986 LD 22'FL
    From: jkam69
 Date: 11/23/2007 11:27:14 AM
 To: lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.com
 Subject: [LD] New upgrades added to Grey Ghost.

Added some upgrades to the coach.

New photos added to Grey Ghost folder.

Installed the Wave 3 and plumbed it into the propane system.

Added a Honeywell digital thermostat.

Added 4 Sterilite drawers to the front wardrobe.
 Added a Garmin Zumo 550 GPS with XM radio. I got the Zumo because I can Transfer it to my motorcycle when out exploring the backroads and Trails.



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: New upgrades added to Grey Ghost.
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86216
Quote
Nice upgrades...

Regarding the Wave 3, I can't tell how the propane hose fits
through the
 
Quote
door when you have the cabinet door closed. Did you notch it out?
Is the

Quote
Velcro strong enough to hold the heater while moving?

What model Honeywell thermostat did you use?

Thank you...
Enjoyed viewing your upgrades.

Ellen D.
1986 LD 22'FL
I just open the door a little to connect the quick connect hose when I want to use it, I didn't want to notch it out.
 I haven't been anywhere yet to see how well the velcro holds, but it takes some pull to remove it so I think it will be OK.

The Honeywell model I used is the RTH221B. The Hunter horizontal mount one recently mentioned here wouldn't fit in my space because of the magazine rack so I needed a vertical one instead.

Thanks, it's a constant work in progress.
Jota
96 23.5 FL
Re: New upgrades added to Grey Ghost
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86222
"I haven't been anywhere yet to see how well the velcro holds [the Wave3 cat heater], but it takes some pull to remove it so I think it will be OK."
 I strongly recommend that you rethink this mounting scheme. The Velcro you used may have plenty of holding strength, but the adhesive that holds it to the vinyl-covered cabinet door is a dangerous weak link.

That cabinet is going to get hot when the heater is running, and Velcro adhesive is notorious for oozing off the wall when hot. In short, there's a good chance that after running for awhile, the "stickum" will let go and your heater will suddenly drop off the door, putting a dangerous strain on its propane hose and couplings. That's a recipe for a propane leak, and maybe a fire.

The Wave 3 heater has screw holes on the back that are designed for mounting it securely. Please--for your own sake, use them. We don't want to read in the paper that you were blown up or burned up!

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: New upgrades added to Grey Ghost
Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86224
Quote
I strongly recommend that you rethink this mounting scheme. The Velcro you used may have plenty of holding strength, but the adhesive that holds it to the vinyl-covered cabinet door is a dangerous weak
link.

Quote
That cabinet is going to get hot when the heater is running, and Velcro adhesive is notorious for oozing off the wall when hot. In short, there's a good chance that after running for awhile, the "stickum" will let go and your heater will suddenly drop off the
door,
 
Quote
putting a dangerous strain on its propane hose and couplings.
That's a

Quote
recipe for a propane leak, and maybe a fire.

The Wave 3 heater has screw holes on the back that are designed for mounting it securely. Please--for your own sake, use them. We don't want to read in the paper that you were blown up or burned up!

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
I hear you loud and clear Andy.

It's just the first rendition and I'll keep my eye on it to see how well that works. If that fails I will probably mount a piece of wood to the door with the velcro and then attach the unit using the 3 screws on the back to the wood. I don't want to drill holes in the door so I'm trying other options.

I have the legs that came with the unit and can mount them anytime and use the heater as a floor unit.
The hose is 10 feet long and gives me options on placement of the heater, something I wanted anyway.

Jay
Jota
96 23.5 FL
Re: New upgrades added to Grey Ghost.
Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86242
Quote
Do NOT depend upon the information in the GPS database for
locations of
 
Quote
backroads and trails.  I spend many hours a week doing volunteer mapping using a combination of GPS and conventional surveying methods trying to correct inaccuracies and mis-information that appears on the USGS 15 minute quadrangle maps (1:24,000 scale) for Angeles National Forest in Southern California.  Trails and roads are often shown with inaccurate locations for a variety of reasons.  The information is often decades out of date.  Features that are "on the ground" are not shown on the maps while features that are shown on the maps are
not "on

Quote
the ground".

Poor maps being digitized by low paid workers (often off shore) and imported to a high tech device (the GPS) can get you in trouble if you let it replace old fasioned low tech common sense.

I have thousands of plots of how the GPS determined coordinates move around while I am standing still do to the limited sky down in canyons and do to the GPS signal bouncing off of trees, rocks, and other objects.

I have walked and plotted a couple of hundred miles of mountain roads and trails and I am amazed at the descrepencies that I find.

Terry Tanner
Terry.

I've been using a GPS for over 10 years now on my dualsport motorcycles. I spent 4 years travelling the world by motorbike and have been to some very remote places. I learned a long time ago to trust my GPS only so much when it comes to the info it provides.
 I am a surveyor by trade, learned to navigate by map and compass many years ago and always have some good paper maps or a gazetteer when I'm out and about in the back country.
 What amazes me is how many people lack common sense. You can't teach it, you either have it or you don't. I'm blessed with having plenty.

Jay
Jota
96 23.5 FL
Re: New upgrades added to Grey Ghost.
Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86245
"Terry Tanner"  wrote: "I have walked and plotted a couple of hundred miles of mountain roads and trails and I am amazed at the descrepencies that I find." --- Terry, have you found any "discrepancies" in the map information and/or GPS points in the Benchmark "Road and Recreation" atlases?

Joan
2003 TK has a new home
Re: New upgrades added to Grey Ghost. - GPS
Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86247
Hi Joan,

No because I have not had occasion to look there.
I concentrate on the Angeles National Forest.
I have found errors
Re: New upgrades added to Grey Ghost.
Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86249
Quote
Added some upgrades to the coach.
 Added a Garmin Zumo 550 GPS with XM radio. I got the Zumo because I can transfer it to my motorcycle when out exploring the backroads and trails.
Can you plug in an external GPS antenna to the Zumo and if so what type of connector does it take? Also does that single external antenna also work for the XM?
 If the GPS antenna doesn't work for the XM do you have to use another antenna for the radio?
Re: New upgrades added to Grey Ghost.
Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86263
- learned a long time ago to
 
Quote
trust my GPS only so much when it comes to the info it provides.

What amazes me is how many people lack common sense. You can't teach it, you either have it or you don't. I'm blessed with having plenty.

Jay
Another example of trusting a gps totally: my daughter and her family were returning to Portland, OR after a visit with us here in Concord, CA.  Their gps, a Tom Tom Go, never routed them to use a bypass from I-5 to the Bay Area.  They added about 100 miles to their trip and, on the way home, had to deal with bumper-to-bumper traffic all the way to Sacramento.

I thought I taught my daughter to use a paper map - she has been on enough road trips with us to know how to do this.
 Just goes to prove again: don't always trust the gps.  Make sure you have a paper map as a back-up.

Roz, the W
Re: New upgrades added to Grey Ghost.
Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86266
Quote
Can you plug in an external GPS antenna to the Zumo and if so what type of connector does it take? Also does that single external antenna also work for the XM?
 If the GPS antenna doesn't work for the XM do you have to use another antenna for the radio?
Jim.
 You can plug an external antenna into the Zumo, Garmin sells one, it uses a small BNC type connector. The Zumo replaces a Garmin 276c and I had an external antenna on that as it didn't have great reception in the coach. The Zumo so far without an external antenna has excellent reception so I don't think I'll need one.
 For XM, there is a separate antenna that needs to be mounted to receive the XM broadcast, it isn't included and is expensive at approx. $200.

The Zumo has a cradle it mounts into that contains the wiring for everything. Power, XM antenna and audio out, which I have running into the stereo with a cassette adapter. Eventually I'll replace the old stereo with a new one with built in audio for things like an iPod or XM.

This makes it easy to remove and stash away when leaving the coach.
Also the Zumo comes with a motorcycle cradle so I can transfer the unit easily without messing with the wiring.
Jota
96 23.5 FL
Re: Garmin Zumo with XM radio
Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86269
"For XM, there is a separate antenna that needs to be mounted to receive the XM broadcast, it isn't included and is expensive at approx. $200"
 I thought there must be a typo there, since XM roof antennas sell for around $20, until I looked this up on Garmin's site. Yes, their GXM-30A "smart" antenna lists for an insanely expensive $250!

It's pretty obvious that this is no mere antenna, but a complete XM receiver designed to be controlled form the GPS. Presumably they separated the functions in order to keep the cost of the GPS units down. But heck, you can buy a standalone XM receiver for well under a hundred bucks! Garmin is gouging outrageously on this item.

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
 
Re: Garmin Zumo with XM radio
Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 86282
Quote
I thought there must be a typo there, since XM roof antennas sell for around $20, until I looked this up on Garmin's site. Yes, their GXM-30A "smart" antenna lists for an insanely expensive $250!

It's pretty obvious that this is no mere antenna, but a complete XM receiver designed to be controlled form the GPS. Presumably they separated the functions in order to keep the cost of the GPS units down. But heck, you can buy a standalone XM receiver for well under a hundred bucks! Garmin is gouging outrageously on this item.

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Andy.
 Garmin does sell it separate to keep the cost down and also some that want the Zumo for motorcycle use don't need or want XM.

I knew there were much cheaper solutions to the XM part, but having it all in one unit is nice.
 another nice feature of the Zumo is Bluetooth. It will pair up with a bluetooth phone so you can make and take calls hands free, another plus. With the Garmin paired up to my phone I can look up a POI (point of interst) such as a hardware store and use the Garmin to call that number. Makes for finding things on the road easier.

Jay
Jota
96 23.5 FL