Poor Engine Performance

Ok, so I have an electric fuel pump...now what. Well it builds too much pressure and fuel begins to leak out of the carb. I added an electronic fuel pressure gauge to be able to watch what the pressure was doing, still waiting for the pressure regulator to come in. After reading a post to the Travco digest, I was directed to a link of a site with info on the Carter Thermoquad carb. Good timing as I wanted to see what the correct port for the vacuum advance was. Pretty sure I need to replace the spark plugs, wires and reset the timing. I would like to go faster than 10 MPH up certain hills on the pig trail.

Ditching Over-Priced Cox Cable! Saving $600+/year

Warning: Not a Travco related post.
We have dropped our cable as a cost-saving measure, and WOW, we should have done this long ago. I never had cable for myself, but Amanda had it when we got married, so we kept it. $50+ a month, $600+ dollars a year, for at least 3 years! Digital over-the-air TV is incredible! We still have cable internet of course, and with an antenna, we have ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CW and when I get a bigger antenna and put up the pole and rotor I already have, we should be able to get more.

So save some money and DITCH CABLE! (use the money saved to buy a new flat-screen with digital tuner for your Travco!)

Fuel System Fixes

As the Memorial Day Weekend approaches, I decided that today would be a good day to check and make sure the engine started, as last time I tried to start the 440 for Benjamin, we had no luck. So trying again today, it would try to start with spray start, but not stay running. When triggering the accelerator pump on the carb, I would not see any fuel squirting in. So I checked the filter (I have a big one that is really for a fuel injection set-up) and it had no restrictions. So, with the filter disconnected, I cranked the engine, and still no fuel. The generator would start and run, and the tank has only one pickup line (I could see the fuel flowing in the filter when the generator was running) so I knew that there was enough fuel in the tank and at least the pick-up was not plugged. Calling around for a fuel pump, there were none to be had locally, but I could have one in the morning. Why don't they keep parts in stock for a 30+ year old carb? (LOL) Instead, I decided to purchase an in-stock electric in-line fuel pump and pre-filter. I installed them and bypassed the mechanical pump (to be removed when I can get to it). The engine started and ran fine after fuel filled the carb bowls, so I closed the cover and started clean-up.


Note the filter on the right is the PRE-filter to the pump. (left is toward the front)

After a while I started smelling gasoline in the cabin. Upon opening the engine cover, the problem became apparent. There was A LOT of gasoline leaking out of the gasket on the left side of the carb. If I had taken it out on a test trip, chances are it would have caught fire.

Ok, so it is time to rebuild the carb now! I already had the kit, so I removed the carb (lots of built-up pressure remaining in the lines now, hmm, may need a pressure regulator or better yet, a high pressure cut-out for the pump?)....The carb is clean now, just waiting on the two new carb bowl floats on order to arrive on Thursday morning. Let up hope that the new rebuild can handle the pressure, if not, I will have to resort to the measures listed above.

Upcoming Trip

Well, Memorial Day is coming up and I plan to take the Travco out down by the Mulberry River to enjoy some camping with friends. Fun, fun, fun!

I have replaced the door latch with a locking handle, so the door will have two locks instead of only the deadbolt. I also plan to add a receiver hitch to the front under the bumper (if I can get a good deal on one) so I can carry a hitch-haul on the front for a 4-wheeler or firewood, while towing a truck or trailer from the rear. I have so much firewood now (ice storm and so many downed trees) that I darn well could have a very big-ol' bonfire at the campsite!

I have purchased one 12v compact fluorescent bulb with a stardard medium base from hwy62rv.com and am in the process of adding a new 12VDC circuit. With this new circuit I will be changing the 120VAC track lights over both counters (where the dinette and couch would be) with 12V CF lights. Basically 60W incandescent output from 15W, without the need for a source of 120VAC. So to add the circuit, I am in the process of mapping-out the 12VDC system and making changes to remove interior 12VDC loads to use the Perko battery selector switch output instead of being directly connected to the coach battery. This will allow me to use the house battery (four deep-cycles) for all of the loads and keep me from worrying about draining the coach(engine starting) battery. Basically, I will run a new 6AWG cable to the front circuit breakers to supply separate power to those loads I want to shed from the coach battery. Only driving related loads will be supplied by the coach battery. I will then add a new switch at the door to control the new front 12VDC track lighting. For now, the other 120VAC lights in the galley and bedroom will remain as is, with their 120VAC LED bulbs. Later I will change them over to 12V as well, so only the microwave and A/C (or other toys) will need 120VAC. Later, I will convert the 120VAC LED bulbs I have to 12V and use them instead of the CFs for added energy savings.

When someday the RV gods drop an AC inverter/battery charger on my lap, I will connect it to the House batteries directly (through a 150A breaker) to supply power to the 120VAC systems, and charge the batteries through a isolation set-up when connected to the grid. Don't forget my 40W solar panels that are connected to the DC mains to offset usage by the fridge and charge the batteries when in full sun.

Fuel Economy?

I recently returned from a ~1400 mile round-trip to Louisiana and have the MPG calculations for the trip down south, pulling a compact pickup truck (Ranger) with a 4-wheeler in the back of the truck, traveling an average speed of 65MPH. Well, I got 6MPG with the 440-3 and the 3-speed 727-3 transmission. I have 16" 6-lug rims with 7.50x16LT load D tires. On the return trip, I aired-up the tires to 65psi, on the pickup truck to 35psi, and tried to drive 60MPH. I have to fill the tank on the beast back-up to get the return trip MPG, but my guess is about 7MPG. I know it gets 8MPG if I am not towing something and driving 55-60MPH.

I lost the cover to the generator on the return trip, so I will need to have a new one manufactured soon... add it to the list. I did get to try-out the new custom mattress, and it was not to bad (not a pillow top for sure!). The custom sheets came in, I need to wash them and put them on for my next trip. I discovered that West Marine has the water heater I would like to replace (or add in series to) my water heater. It is 120VAC with a heat exchanger for the engine coolant. So, as you drive down the road, you heat the water...I also want to connect the generator coolant (through a series of valves) to allow the generator to heat the water as well. I hate to waste "all" that heat! Also, in the process, I can add an air heat-exchanger to allow the rear of the cabin to be heated from the engine or generator heat as well. I have also toyed with the idea of installing an electric fan for the 440's radiator and eliminate the radiator on the generator to reduce weight, but the return would be only in the fun of making the change, not much weight savings there after the piping and such.

I also see that West Marine has some LED dome lights, I have one dome light that needs replacing (cracked lens), so I could use their "economy" LED dome light in place of the drivers dome light, as it has a switch to use white or red LEDs for the light... cool!

On the trip I discovered that the seal on the input of the rear differential is leaking fluid, the transmission is leaking fluid from everywhere (probably the "front seal" ...where the torque converter goes in), the RR brake slave cylinder is leaking brake fluid, the LF brake hose was rubbing a hole in itself against the tire, and there is a water leak in the floor when I take a shower...whew! Hey, at least the roof is not leaking, now THAT would be bad. I will start with the brake items and go from there, hopefully before my next real trip.

Power Restored, Generator Info

(Pics from Ice Storm)
Power was finally restored yesterday about 3pm, which makes it exactly 8 days w/o power. Here are the tallies from the experience:
The generator ran 192 hours (8 days, 24/8, haha)
It used 90 Gallons of Gasoline.
.46 GPH consumption average.
At $1.79 per gallon, that is $161.10 (ignoring the .9 cents)
Prep. was $126.00 for 8AWG SO flex cable, $32 for electrical plugs.
Maintenance was $8 for spark plugs, $17 for a fan belt.
Total of $344, or $43 per day.
It will be cheaper if it ever happens again, as the materials have been "paid for." Although, let us hope it doesn't!!!!

I am very pleased with its performance, but for our almost all electric house (the furnace is gas), we needed more oomph than 6.5KW. I am thinking 10KW would be nice, with no concerns except when running the clothes drier, but 13KW or 16KW would be grand! Of course, I would not have that in the Travco, just for the house. A solar water heater would also relieve some of the load as would a Natural Gas on-demand water heater.

Another thought, over the course of 8 days, filling the tank with gasoline and the transportation of such, gets a little old and smelly. The exhaust is smelly, and the gasoline on your hands from the filling is smelly. So, a propane and Nat. gas kit would be a nice addition to the genny.

Ice Storm in Arkansas

We were hit by an Ice Storm here in Northwest Arkansas and lost cable/internet around 2pm and power around 3pm on Tuesday (1-27-2009). Well, let me tell you how nice it is to have a Travco with a heavy-duty Kohler 6.5Kw Genny to keep everything as it should be. Especially nice is the big gas tank, so filling is just once a day, but could be every other day actually. We are consuming about .5 gallon an hour, which is about $25 a day (we run it 24hrs/day). Hey, sure beats paying for a hotel, or staying with friends, or freezing. When we get broadband again, I will post pics/video of the damage to the trees, etc. The Travco did end up with a 2" hole in the roof from one branch. Better than a window, for sure.

We still are without any services except natural gas and water.

Laundry is fun, haha. The Travco has its "generator's windings full" just with the electric water heater, washing machine (w/water heat) and the rest of the house. So the electric drier must be run from a second generator, but what sucks is that the drier load is more than the circuit breaker on the 2nd genny will allow. So 7 mins on,*trip* 7 off, reset breaker. But, when you are outside cutting wood, it does not take much to go press the reset button every now and then. I am just glad we have what we have, we know quite a few people without power still, and many in apartments, tough luck if they tried to run a genny, huh? (tomorrow is the 6th day now). Many of the nearby schools still do not have power. I am also glad to have the 2nd genny when the fan-belt broke on the Travco's Kohler genny.

So, stock-piling gasoline was not such a bad idea after all. One local gas station was w/o power, and the other was constantly running out of gas, and had long lines! I know someone who had to drive 2 hours out and 2 back just to get kerosene to heat his house, as all sources nearby were w/o stock.

So, I have only had my Travco since last May, so the day the bad weather started its way here, I high-tailed it up to the hardware stores to get supplies I needed to connect the Travco to the house. The power cord I have for the Travco is 120V 30 amp, and I bought a 53' 240V 4 conductor cord and plugs and the receptacle to connect it to. I had it all connected and ready about 20 minutes before we lost power, WHEW! Close one! I had to drive 40 miles away to get the 8AWG 4 conductor flex cord to connect between the plugs, but it was time and money well spent.

OK, enough already! Supposedly we will have power by noon tomorrow (Monday), so about 5.75 days on the genny, 138 Hrs that is. Time to change the oil!