VAL Digest V2 #214

VAL Digest           Monday, April 11 2005           Volume 02 : Number 214




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Topics in Today's Digest:

[VAL] Cargo Shifting, sort of: Airstream brochure
Re: [VAL] wrong tow vehicle?
[VAL] Re: Romex
Re: [VAL] Re: Romex
Re: [VAL] Re: Romex
[VAL] Parts for a 1980 Caravelle for sale
Re: [VAL] Parts for a 1980 Caravelle for sale
[VAL] GPS for Mac

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Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 07:26:08 -0700
From: Glyn Judson <glynjudson@xxxxxxxxxx.net>
Subject: [VAL] Cargo Shifting, sort of: Airstream brochure

    All,

    Several weeks ago I bought a 1969 Airstream brochure on eBay and shortly
after got an email from a chap asking if I'd be willing to scan a copy for
him and others.    

    I finally got to the scanning yesterday after seeing his email again. So
last night I looked for his email and....... you guessed it, now can't find
it.  So this is a call to that fellow or anyone else for that matter to let
me know your email.  If I get any responses, I'll be glad to forward all
eight scanned pages you.

    This brochure is 8 1/2" X 5 1/2" when completely folded and when
unfolded is one page measuring 17 X 22 and printed on both sides for a total
of eight pages.  One of the pages is two images that read upright when
folded in half that makes up the outer  brochure covers.

    Glyn Judson
    1969 Caravel #508
    Santa Monica CA

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Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 10:32:22 -0500
From: Gerald <geraldj@xxxxxxxxxx.com>
Subject: Re: [VAL] wrong tow vehicle?

Could it be that the wreck was caused by the driver dozing off and
driving the tow vehicle off the road just before the bridge? Not a
matter of tow vehicle control at all, but driver failure. Then would the
hitch have held up a Suburban sized tow vehicle? Or would it have let it
fall to the ground below doing more crunching?

Having knocked down the pole, the tow vehicle didn't jump over the
bridge rail, but ran up the sloped "safety" end. Its clear from the
sides that the tow vehicle was off the road at the beginning of the
guard rail. Had to be to have hit the power pole.

There's lots of stuff in my truck that I expect gravity to keep it off
the windows.

- -- 
Gerald J.
Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer
WBCCI #5623, VAC
All content copyright.

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Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 15:15:24 -0700
From: David Josephson <david@xxxxxxxxxx.com>
Subject: [VAL] Re: Romex

Speaking as another electrical engineer, I think people on this list 
should pay more attention to Gerald, specifically about electrical 
things! I can add a few bits of data to the discussion.

There is no difference between solid and stranded for DC or AC, at least 
any frequency AC that we'll be dealing with. The finer points of skin 
effect aside (stranded wire doesn't have to be Litzendraht to have 
reduced inductance, because it has more exposed surface area even if 
some of the surface area contacts other strands) solid and stranded work 
the same. That said, I used *no* solid wire in my 1971 Tradewind 
restoration; I have seen two connections that failed due to vibration 
work-hardening the copper and leading to a fracture, one potentially 
quite hazardous. There is still some Romex in there and eventually it 
will all come out.

The aluminum sheathed MC cable is available with stranded THHN 
conductors. I think this is overkill for Airstreams though.

The nylon outer jacket of THHN is provided to make it easier to pull in 
conduit. It deteriorates badly in sunlight.

It's hard to accept this, but solder actually weakens the typical joint, 
especially to stranded wire (because it concentrates stresses at the 
points where the solder ends). My trailer goes boondocking quite a bit 
and gets seriously shaken up, so making the connections rugged is 
important. I have not had a failure using properly crimped stranded wire 
with good quality terminals. That last point is very important. Scrimp 
on the wire if you like, but not on the terminals. There are two grades 
typically available -- those with opaque PVC jackets, many of them 
imported (and stamped from plated soft brass), and those from T&B or 
Burndy with see-through jackets (and contacts that are typically hard 
tempered brass, sometimes with a steel or copper insert). The 
transparent jackets are a requirement for use in aircraft; you have to 
be able to inspect the crimp to see that the wire made it out the other 
side, which you can't see in the opaque ones. Use the right size ring 
lugs for the wire you're using and the studs of the terminals on 
switches etc. and you'll not have problems with stray strands. Don't 
attempt to wrap a stranded wire around a terminal screw and expect that 
it will stay put under vibration.

As far as knowing what wire is which, color coding is good  but you can 
also label the circuits with a 3M tape that has numbers on it. Assuming 
that you don't have an aircraft shop you can visit that prints the 
circuit name every foot on the wire ;)

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Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 14:45:01 -0700
From: William Kerfoot <wkerfoot@xxxxxxxxxx.rr.com>
Subject: Re: [VAL] Re: Romex

David,

Speaking as a non electrical engineer, who is about to completely 
restore a 1954 Liner which needs new 12V and 120V wiring, what wire do I 
use for both voltages and how do I ask for it so that I come home with 
the proper wire?  Also, do I use conduit or just grommets?

Bill Kerfoot
WBCCI/VAC #5223
1973 Dodge W200 PowerWagon
1977 Lincoln Continental
1979 23' Airstream Safari
and soon a 1954 double door Liner
Orange, CA

http://www.tompatterson.com/gallery/Bill-Beth-1979-Safari

David Josephson wrote:

> Speaking as another electrical engineer, I think people on this list 
> should pay more attention to Gerald, specifically about electrical 
> things! I can add a few bits of data to the discussion.
>
> There is no difference between solid and stranded for DC or AC, at 
> least any frequency AC that we'll be dealing with. The finer points of 
> skin effect aside (stranded wire doesn't have to be Litzendraht to 
> have reduced inductance, because it has more exposed surface area even 
> if some of the surface area contacts other strands) solid and stranded 
> work the same. That said, I used *no* solid wire in my 1971 Tradewind 
> restoration; I have seen two connections that failed due to vibration 
> work-hardening the copper and leading to a fracture, one potentially 
> quite hazardous. There is still some Romex in there and eventually it 
> will all come out.

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Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 18:53:49 -0500
From: Gerald <geraldj@xxxxxxxxxx.com>
Subject: Re: [VAL] Re: Romex

On Sun, 2005-04-10 at 14:45 -0700, William Kerfoot wrote:
> David,
> 
> Speaking as a non electrical engineer, who is about to completely 
> restore a 1954 Liner which needs new 12V and 120V wiring, what wire do I 
> use for both voltages and how do I ask for it so that I come home with 
> the proper wire?  Also, do I use conduit or just grommets?
> 
> Bill Kerfoot
Marine duplex cable seems the best I identified yesterday for the 12
volt circuits. The National Electrical Code allows solid conductor romex
for the 120 volt wiring. I'd prefer stranded wire and crimped
connections but its not available rated for use in walls, RV or
otherwise. So if you do use romex, you need to be sure the wires are
anchored close to the connections and secured more frequently than
required for houses to minimize the motion from travel vibration.
- -- 
Gerald J.
Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer
WBCCI #5623, VAC
All content copyright.

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Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 20:59:42 -0500
From: <wildcrw@xxxxxxxxxx.net>
Subject: [VAL] Parts for a 1980 Caravelle for sale

Having sold the 1980 Caravelle in it's gutted state to a person who didn't
want the guts, we will now offer.......... <insert drum roll>............ GUTS
FOR SALE!!!

Disclaimer:

I can not vouch for the functionality of any of these items. We did not use
any of them before we gutted the trailer. Buy at your own risk. All things
sold as is. Buyer responsible for shipping costs.

I don't know how much any of this stuff is worth, if anything, so if you see
something on the list that you want, make me a reasonable offer.

HERE'S THE LIST:

Frame and hardware for wall mounted bunk bed

Dinette table and mounting hardware

Small folding table w/ hardware. The one that folds down from the counter next
to the door.

brown storage drawers 4ea 22" x 15 3/4" x 6"

Black water tank, it had a crack at the outlet but we had it professionally
mended.

Gaucho bed and hardware w/ triple tambour doors and frame.

Cushions for dinette, and gaucho bed.  Oddly enough, these are in pretty good
shape and don't even smell too weird. Nothing a shot of fabreeze couldn't
cure. The covers are blue w/ a slight pattern and look quite nice.

Shower pan and shower enclosure..some cracks and chips, don't know if it could
be repaired.

Bathroom sink and undersink cabinet assembly yellow floweredy pattern

Medicine chest, off white w/ tambour door. In fairly good shape. 11" x 21" x
5"

Aqua magic toilet beige and light yellow.

Fold up bathroom mirror

Shower handle, metal hose and mounting hardware.

refrigerator vent hood curved plastic thingy. It's cracked,  not too horribly
but definitely cracked.

Folding accordion door and track it runs on, brown, 74" ax 34 "

Overhead storage bin from kitchen area 75" long has the cutouts for fridge
vent and range hood

Stoves:

1. Magic chef 4 burner stove we/ oven 21 1/2" wide ax 22" tall ax 20" deep.
silver coloured. Has some corrosion and rust around burner pans (not too bad)
the oven looks good. We have the cover thing that goes on it. It's not
attached right now, the handle is broken.

2. Magic chef 3 burner stove w/ oven 21 1/2" wide x 17" tall x 20" deep

Plastic trim that fits in the metal bars along the side of the trailer the
skinny stuff. Orange. Aprox 20 yards x 5/8" Still very nice and flexible, no
cracks.

2 double tambour doors w/ frame from under the dinette.

Thermx Mark II A catalytic heater.

Humphry products propane lantern model N3T. Missing globe.

Furnace

Bowen water heaters with tanks attached--2

tank for Bowen water heater without water heater- 1

Overhead fan assembly--2

fan covers:
all aluminum--1
aluminum w/ plastic insert--2 (plastic is broken)

Screen for fan--1

Roll of PVC covered aluminum. Dark beige colour 24" x aprox 10 feet. one piece
cut out of the corner aprox 4"x6"

If you have any questions please ask, as long as the question does not consist
of "does __(fill in blank)___ work?". As previously stated, I don't know if
any of this stuff works, I never even got a chance to try it.

I can send pictures of anything you might want a picture of.


Becky

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Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 20:58:14 -0700
From: Joann Wheatley <jwheatle@xxxxxxxxxx.edu>
Subject: Re: [VAL] Parts for a 1980 Caravelle for sale

And a fine lot of guts they are!
Jo Ann
On Apr 2005, at 6:59 PM, <wildcrw@xxxxxxxxxx.net> wrote:

> Having sold the 1980 Caravelle in it's gutted state to a person who 
> didn't
> want the guts, we will now offer.......... <insert drum 
> roll>............ GUTS
> FOR SALE!!!

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Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 21:19:28 -0700
From: Stan Nicholson <stan@xxxxxxxxxx.ucsb.edu>
Subject: [VAL] GPS for Mac

Dick -

Just got back from a rally, and as far as I can tell, nobody's yet 
responded to your inquiry. Yes, there is a pretty capable GPS 
solution for the Mac, called Route 66. The home page for the european 
company that produces it is:

http://www.66.com/route66/index.php

You may have to search around the site a little; the site and the 
number of products have expanded quite a bit since I bought the 
USA/Canada version right after it came out. To find places that sell 
it, perhaps the web site has links, or you can Google for "Route 66 
Mac GPS".

Oh, and it really works pretty well. It won't give (or hear) voice 
directions, but it does a nice job of letting you plot any route, and 
then showing real-time on your Mac laptop screen just where you are 
and what's coming up. The interface isn't fabulous -- a month ago I 
finally stumbled across the way to have the map at any scale display 
every campground in its database, and/or every hospital, water park, 
auto repair shop, etc. Well worth the forty bucks just for 
entertainment value, and I've found it invaluable for such things as 
finding a motel when driving without the trailer: search for, say, 
Motel 6 & Flagstaff, and pick one (the address and phone number show 
right up), and it'll plot directions from wherever you are to that 
address. No different in function than several products, including 
built-in systems in lots of new vehicles, but it does work well on a 
Mac.

Happy traveling,

Stan
- ------------------------------

Date: Fri, 8 Apr 2005 13:47:25 -0500
From: Dick Harrold <harrold@xxxxxxxxxx.edu>
Subject: Re: [VAL] Aistream factory aerial view?  URL link here

Okay, here's a map/GPS question.  I have a Garmin aTrex Legend which I
use frequently when traveling.  The problem is, all map transfer
programs I've seen to date are limited to Windows machines.  Are there
any programs out there for the Mac?

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End of VAL Digest V2 #214
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