Do other Motor home owners understand us? (1 Viewer)

slobadoberbob

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I was yesterday talking on the telephone to two motor home owners, one (motor Romin aka Rick) and another person ..no names to save any blushes he may have) and it became clear that we talk in about things and often it is clear we do not make ourselves clear or the meaning is lost in a post.

There was Rick and I chatting about things in general and he has like us owned a motor home over many many years. Both our memories stretch back over 20 years of having a vehicle.

The other call was with someone who was new to the motor home life and was clear he does not understand all the issues. He is learning and learning fast. I hope he calls again so we can continue to fill in some of the gaps in the knowledge base he has.

But the interesting thing that came out of the conversation was for example he was not fully aware of what an Aires was of how they worked and how you got tokens for them. As we moved on in our conversation he was having learning pains with various parts of his newly aquired vehicle and that was making his life harder than it needed to be. Of course I directed him to certain suppliers and workshops which may assist him better than I can.

Would it not be nice if (you hear me JIM?) if we had a learning tree that would explain a lot of the simple things about owning a motor home. Things we take for granted having used them for many years.

Now I may be an old hand at motor homing and I have owned more than one yank, but I do lean from others on this site. There is a wealth of information out there. We almost need a book, a bit like the dummy's for computer that will introduce (paper or PDF file) which would answer many of the questions without the need for someone to feel uncomfortable in asking or thinking they are asking to many questions.

For me, I am always happy to talk on the telephone to someone that wants info. It is up to him or her to use it or ignore it. Same as I welcome people asking qestions on the forum.

OK we have our mad half hours, and that makes it good for me, but it is also a informative place and that is the best thing as well as making loads of friends.

So come on pitch in and give your views to the world at large...

Bob:Sad:
 

movan

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Hi Bob, I am not sure if there already is a list like you say, but if not then I think it is a brilliant idea.

I have now had my motorhome over two years but only managed to use it regularly for the last six months. I thought I had asked ALL the most stupid questions possible in anticipation of using it on a regular basis but NO I still found simple queries once I started to go out regularly.... This is the first winter I have actually (I think) done everything that should be done to winterise my van.

One problem I do foresee is that everyone has different ideas about what you should do or shouldn't do in different situations ... often I ask a question only to become totally confused because the thread turns into a conflab of different opinions and Oh no, she shouldn[t do that, she should .... Oh yes she should, because .... oh no, she shouldn't ...

..... and I end up totally confused.....:Sad:
 

Terry

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Hi Bob, there are just too many different ways / different vans around to put it all into a one size fits all :RollEyes:
For me I gleam knowledge from reading bits / lots :ROFLMAO: but 2 mins of someone showing me saves me hours of trying to follow written instruction :ROFLMAO:::bigsmile:-
Take this bl---y computer takes me a couple of hours to learn something new, then my mate comes around and says do it like this,click click and click :winky: wasting all my efforts in 2 secs rather than my 2 hours of trying :Doh:
terry

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grumps147

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Would it not be nice if (you hear me JIM?) if we had a learning tree that would explain a lot of the simple things about owning a motor home. Things we take for granted having used them for many years.

So come on pitch in and give your views to the world at large...

Bob:Sad:

Excellent idea.

I understand we all have different vans and needs, but there are lots of common aspects.

A lot of my information comes from using the search feature here, but if there were the capability of getting some common issue outlined then that would be good. Sounds a bit like a mini book is needed, free to paying members???

Not sure how whatever could be done would be implemented on the site?

Common issues I can think of are:

Driving licences, including 5'ers
Insurance
A frames
Generators
solar power
winterising
parking
speed limits, here and overseas

There are lots more.
 

hilldweller

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Would it not be nice if (you hear me JIM?) if we had a learning tree that would explain a lot of the simple things about owning a motor home. Things we take for granted having used them for many years.
Bob:Sad:

We have it it's called FORUM.

Everything is here, the only problem being the lack of application of people in finding life, the universe and everything.

Such people would/will still ask the same old questions no matter how many FAQs were stored.

Week in, week out the same questions are asked and answered except I usually tell people to SEARCH so they can benefit from The Forum properly.

Often the answer is available in seconds by typing their question into google.
 

hilldweller

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Driving licences, including 5'ers
Insurance
A frames
Generators
solar power
winterising
parking
speed limits, here and overseas

There are lots more.

Gas attacks.
Polarity reversal.
Cheap divorces.

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Jaws

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hilldweller + Gramps said:
Driving licences, including 5'ers
Insurance
A frames
Generators
solar power
winterising
parking
speed limits, here and overseas
Gas attacks.
Polarity reversal.
Cheap divorces.

A whole lot of which seems to be in the eye of the beholder ( so to speak )

Anyone spouting forth with what they purport to be solid info on a good many of the above is quite likely to fall foul of many many other folk who are just as sure the info THEY have is correct while others are wrong !
 
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slobadoberbob

slobadoberbob

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but you would have to start somewhere

You could start somewhere, even if it was just a short list of say the 10 top issues. Now I do not know how to set up a pole on the site, but whey not have one with as many as possible issues and then vote for say the top 10 and then try and get those covered in more detail? ..what do you think Jim?

At least we would have an idea.. but do remember it is not the seasoned user I am talking about.. it is the new motor home user... so it has to be relevent to that.. like driving licences, towing, touring like what is an Aires, wild camping, etc., etc.,

I am sure Bryan our administrator could work out how to do it?

Bob:thumb:
 

Terry

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I suppose you could do a beginners guide as to things what should be :ROFLMAO:
3 way fridge = work on mains, gas and 12v :thumb: 12v only when engine is running ::bigsmile: not connected to mains or not connected to gas :cry: problems all the way :winky:
terry

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slobadoberbob

slobadoberbob

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getting there this is the idea

I suppose you could do a beginners guide as to things what should be :ROFLMAO:
3 way fridge = work on mains, gas and 12v :thumb: 12v only when engine is running ::bigsmile: not connected to mains or not connected to gas :cry: problems all the way :winky:
terry


Just te right sort of thing Terry.. if you did not know the fridge was a three way or a two way in the Yanks would you understand them.. OK I hear someone say read the instruction book of Brian rubbishing the idea:cry: (but does he not do that to most posts these days? my opinion that is:Blush:).. but we all had to start somewhere and any help is good help.. not saying we all have to agree.. but the principle is ... is there a better way, or I did not know that... What is an Aires???? well we that travel over seas knows that it is a parking area.. but do they all know about Camping Carnets, the speed roundals on the back of the van? Hundreds of issues.

I have a book on my RV that is a book about various items on an American RV.. I look at from time to time.. it is very general, but when the Atwood hotwater boiler did not work, I went to the book and yes there was information about the termo fuse.. but I had somewhere to look and at least see if there was an issue that I could resolve without an expensive garage visit.

Same goes with this idea.. but keep it simple.. it is not for those skeptics like Brian:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO: that have had a camper for ever and forgets he started some place. Being dry and sensless is OK at time.. but to just say google it or look or research... how often has that been the answer when the PC crashes? any help is then welcome without haveing to google it.

Please treat the post as a serious thing in this case.. I know I am asking for the world:ROFLMAO: but I do live in hope.

Bob:whatthe:
 

scotjimland

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Agree with Brian .. it's all here already .. or a Google away

1. people will always prefer a person answer to their particular issue, irrespective if it's been asked a thousand time before.. the same reason you have been talking to a member on the phone.. or by PM .. why not post it for the benefit of all ?

2. there are numerous motorhome Q&As on other forums.. but people don't read and still post the same questions .. see 1

3. self builders are the same.. they could buy the Haynes Manual but much prefer asking on the SBMCC forum ..
 

Terry

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Agree with Brian .. it's all here already .. or a Google away

1. people will always prefer a person answer to their particular issue, irrespective if it's been asked a thousand time before.. the same reason you have been talking to a member on the phone.. or by PM .. why not post it for the benefit of all ?

2. there are numerous motorhome Q&As on other forums.. but people don't read and still post the same questions .. see 1

3. self builders are the same.. they could buy the Haynes Manual but much prefer asking on the SBMCC forum ..

I did neither Jim, the Haynes manual had not been written and I never knew the SBMCC existed :ROFLMAO::thumb: All trial and error :ROFLMAO::winky:
terry

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Jim

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I trialled a Wiki here, but it broke and I could not fix it. This had detailed explanations of all things motorhome and anyone could edit it. It might be worth revisiting, But..

I could also write a beginners guide, using all the information gleaned from this and other forums over the years. (other forums have done the same) The thing is, those guides do not encourage forum participation, people come, they read, they go. Often on those forums that have extensive resources, when newbies do use the forum some smart-arse tells them to look a the beginners guide or RTFFAQ

That is not the purpose of the forum, I don't care if the same newbie question is asked a hundred times. many Funsters started here by asking a question, got a positive friendly response which encouraged further participation, I'm afraid that a really good guide might stifle that.

I am working on a compromise section that will impart a fair bit of information but will essentially link back to the forum and encourage them to ask questions there, we'll see how it goes, it should be in place soon. :Smile:
 
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What Bob wants is a WIKI for motorhomes.

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hilldweller

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Brian rubbishing the idea:cry: (but does he not do that to most posts these days? my opinion that is:Blush:).
Bob:whatthe:

On the forums there are millions who know only how to type "Very well done Welcome That was great"

And then there are a few who give a reasoned view after actually reading the post.

So in my humble opinion if that equates to "rubbishing most posts" then my logic says the post was rubbish in the first place, though of course I would never use such a term.

Your knowledge tree - you think it's simple ? No way is it simple. Even two identical MHs can have subtle differences. I think FRIDGE came up. The combinations are huge. Old gas/mains/12V with or without automatic selection. More modern compressor fridges, they can run 12V off the leisure battery. Faults, old ones like to be level. Some automatically light, others go tick tick tick.

So in my opinion, it's a fine idea but way beyond what Jim or Bryan would be willing to provide. If people can't use search or google then the knowledge tree would be similarly complex and would also not be used.

A knowledge tree with certified SOUND data would be totally brilliant.
 

Snowbird

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I trialled a Wiki here, but it broke and I could not fix it. This had detailed explanations of all things motorhome and anyone could edit it. It might be worth revisiting, But..

I could also write a beginners guide, using all the information gleaned from this and other forums over the years. (other forums have done the same) The thing is, those guides do not encourage forum participation, people come, they read, they go. Often on those forums that have extensive resources, when newbies do use the forum some smart-arse tells them to look a the beginners guide or RTFFAQ

That is not the purpose of the forum, I don't care if the same newbie question is asked a hundred times. many Funsters started here by asking a question, got a positive friendly response which encouraged further participation, I'm afraid that a really good guide might stifle that.

I am working on a compromise section that will impart a fair bit of information but will essentially link back to the forum and encourage them to ask questions there, we'll see how it goes, it should be in place soon. :Smile:
I agree with Jim on this one.Questions asked give people confidence to ask further questions and become involved with the forum and hopfully attend meets later,after they feel they have got to know people through asking questions on the forum.Without questions,regardless of how mundane there would be no forum.
 

ArenqueRojo

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there are numerous motorhome Q&As on other forums.. but people don't read and still post the same questions

Not sure I agree with that.
The same suggestion was made "in another place" and many of us contributed.
What made it better than the normal flow of forum info was that each main contributor put up their article for "peer review" and was then able to edit their article until all the comments had been taken into account.
This provided an article virtually clear of controversy or omission. Something I, for one, could never have done alone!:Blush:
My particular bit was the Reverse Polarity which I also put up on my own sharing site, Link Removed and I note that it has been downloaded 48 times in the year...

Strangely, the thing that caused a problem in the whole excercise was the question of who owned the copyright(s) to the finished articles:Eeek:
Don't think that was ever resolved and so the knowledge lies in a sort of purdah - there but not massively advertised.:Sad:

Personally I learned a lot from others and enjoyed the process to boot::bigsmile:

Patrick

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Jaws

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A basically good idea but pretty hard to implement and a bugger to maintain ..
I think perhaps the time it would take for Jim to keep on top of it might be a fairly large issue !

But as someone who runs a n other forum, I would absolutely confirm that the average user really does not search a forum, nor read FAQs for an answer, finding it easier to ask the same question(s) as have been asked so many many times before

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hilldweller

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when newbies do use the forum some smart-arse tells them to look a the beginners guide or RTFFAQ

Oh dear, that would be me then.

Just feed people an answer and folk know that answer ( assuming it's good advice which often isn't the case ). Tell people how to research the answer and they can find it any time any place.

A mix of the two is always on offer here anyway. Combined often with points scoring which must confuse the hell out of newbies.
 
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slobadoberbob

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Bruised ego

Oh dear, that would be me then.

.

A mix of the two is always on offer here anyway. Combined often with points scoring which must confuse the hell out of newbies.


I think Brian it is a case of more buised ego. The legal system of the UK is adverserial ..hence two opposing views. i.e Jim has one view he believes in and I have another... leaving out Hildweller' views for the moment. In Europe the legal system is inquisitorial .. that being that the magistrate enquires and the police obtain facts. i.e it is illegal by virture of what it may be in Euope unless the law says it is legal.. if you follow me.

In the UK we have common law and black letter law (statute law from government).

Regardless what any of us think or want to beleive it all comes down to what is termed as a jury question and the law will some day apply the regulations already on the books plus the up coming 2014 regulations which will one day hit us... and boy they will do. But law is boring to most of us until it has an effect on us personally.

Jim wanted to know the need to p.m or telephone. Well for a start Jim I had an interesting conversation of nearly 1 1/2 hours about motor homes and various issues relating to American RV's and not euroboxes.. the issues ranged from my experiance about Aires and where you get the coins from to water supply on the way to Spain in the winter at said Aires. To fitting Sterling Invertors and solar power to genny info.. plus of course batteries and chargers, door locks and selonoids.. now you try and get that into a p.m or in a post. So sometimes I will invite a fellow motor home owner to call me on the telephone via a p.m.

He can then either take note or ignore the info as he wishes.. no axe to grind one way or other.

I also talk to a couple of other RV owners on the phone once a week or so.. just about RV's and American cars or anything else we wish to.. we even use text sometimes.. that is friendship Jim that came from our contact on this forum.. so I am thankful for that very much. we do email out side the p.m as well.

But going back to Brian aka Hilldweller... the point I was making was that some people want the info and not some glib response. But I accept that the mention of point scoring is very valid and acknowledge that I can be as guilty of that as any of you out there. The differance is I will say so and acknowledge I do it. I am not perfect (all the time:ROFLMAO:) and will say so. I am always open to hearing the other side of the coin, but I expect others to also consider my views equally. It is then for that person to decide how they feel about an issue. If you want to run the red light that is your choice. If you want to be over lenght in Spain again that is your choice...I do not live or want to live your life in this matter.. it is for each and everyone to decide where they draw the line in the sand.... We live thank goodness in a demoracy where we can decide if we cross that line or not. It is just that I decide not to cross it. I may not agree with the regulations but I have to live within them for now.

So stop all getting up set over a simple debate... not worth it. Have your say by all means.. I want to hear your views good and bad, but not the flippent ones that do not add to the debate. - i.e paint drying with a video..come on Jim you can do better than that I hope.

Bob:Eeek:
 

scotjimland

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I want to hear your views good and bad, but not the flippent ones that do not add to the debate. - i.e paint drying with a video..come on Jim you can do better than that I hope.

Bob:Eeek:

The point that JJ made on the other thread about paint drying is because it's all been debated ad infinitum .. ok, relatively new members may not have done, so maybe I should just have ignored it and let you get on with it..

It is a FUN forum so the vid was just that .. a piece of fun.. sorry if you felt it crass.

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slobadoberbob

slobadoberbob

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stop sulking Jim

The point that JJ made on the other thread about paint drying is because it's all been debated ad infinitum .. ok, relatively new members may not have done, so maybe I should just have ignored it and let you get on with it..

It is a FUN forum so the vid was just that .. a piece of fun.. sorry if you felt it crass.


I enjoy your videos.. I always look at them.. even paint drying.. just was making a flippant remark..sorry:Blush: see I can say that word as well.. but do not tell Sue:ROFLMAO:she will never let me hear the last of it.

Bob:winky:
 

hilldweller

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My particular bit was the Reverse Polarity which I also put up on my own sharing site, Link Removed and I note that it has been downloaded 48 times in the year...
Patrick

Damned good effort too.

Just to simplify it a bit I'd have left the paragraph out on RCDs as not needed.

That very debate on here took several hundred posts, much point scoring and a whole load of grumpiness.

You were wise to do that one, little room for differences across vans and countries.

I wonder who ended up with fridges, heating and charging systems ??

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hilldweller

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I think Brian it is a case of more buised ego. The legal system of the UK is adverserial .
Bob:Eeek:

Testosterone and bored old men, recipe for trouble.

Did I bruise your ego telling the gent with the mickey mouse trickle charger to ignore your message because you hadn't read his post properly ?

Well that's me, blunt northerner and I assume we are friends in here. I wouldn't insult you with a smarmy "oh Bob I think his problem is a trifle different to the solution you supplied which was a bloody good solution I might add". To a friend you say, "ignore him, he should have gone to spec savers".

Now how far does that oddball problem come down your knowledge tree, I've never seen that problem in all of my 3 years on these MH forums.
 

haganap

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Testosterone and bored old men, recipe for trouble.
:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO: now that was good.


Did I bruise your ego telling the gent with the mickey mouse trickle charger to ignore your message because you hadn't read his post properly ?

Well that's me, blunt northerner and I assume we are friends in here. I wouldn't insult you with a smarmy "oh Bob I think his problem is a trifle different to the solution you supplied which was a bloody good solution I might add". To a friend you say, "ignore him, he should have gone to spec savers".

Now how far does that oddball problem come down your knowledge tree, I've never seen that problem in all of my 3 years on these MH forums.


personally Brian, I wouldn't change your wit for the world, you are that Blunt Northen man we love to hate but just can't but laugh......::bigsmile:::bigsmile:
 

jhorsf

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Just my opinion but if it aint broke dont try to fix it:thumb:
I agree with Jim a big part of this forum is to ask questions or give opinions/answers

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