My name is Joe and my wife is Delores. We currently live in south east Georgia. We are about one year away from full timing as I cannot retire before March 1st of 2015. Anyway, we have a 5th wheel camper and are starting to plan. We will have many questions and hope not to ask too many that have already been asked. I will use the search function and try to learn as much as I can. Thanks to Howard and Linda for a very good site!
Terry and Jo said
12:32 AM Feb 16, 2014
Joe and Delores,
Welcome to the RV Dreams forums. You have definitely found a good source for information. Also, don't be afraid to ask any question about RV's or the RV lifestyle. Even if it is a "familiar" question, each one may have a different perspective that has value for everyone. After all, we are all learning here, even the ones that have been here for some time.
Glad to have you as part of the "family."
Terry
Joe_Camper said
05:41 AM Feb 16, 2014
Thanks for the welcome, Terry. I've enjoyed looking at your blog, especially your refrigerator install. I'm a Mr. Fix-it kind of guy and enjoy seeing how others "did it"! Did you also install an inverter and battery bank to keep the refer running when on the road? Our Cedar Creek came with a residential refer with batteries and inverter. Also, do you have a means of keeping the doors closed when on the road?
I'm currently removing the stove top in our CC and replacing it with a complete range. My wife is not a believer in microwaves with a convection oven and wanted to have a gas oven. At the S&B home, she often cooks with the conventional oven as well as the microwave. This will make the transition from the S&B home to the rolling home easier. So, we will lose one drawer worth of storage space; but will have a happy wife! We all know that a happy wife is a happy life!
el Rojo and Pam said
07:31 AM Feb 16, 2014
Welcome Joe and Delores!
Cindi said
07:46 AM Feb 16, 2014
Welcome Joe and Delores
Terry and Jo said
08:10 AM Feb 16, 2014
Joe,
Sorry, but I'm definitely NOT one of those "Mr. Fix-It" type guys. Well, at least not that I enjoy. There are a number that I can do, but I am a "murderer" with a tape measure. My wife, Jo, won't let me measure anything on any project that she has in mind.
As for the inverter, when we first ordered our Mobile Suites, we ordered the optional inverter with two extra batteries, which gives us a bank of four. We did insist on a pure sine wave inverter to get the cleanest power, so we ended up with a Xantrex SW3000 inverter. After having problems with the original RV fridge, we were EXTREMELY glad that we had ordered the inverter. As for the refrigerator doors when we travel, which isn't very often, when the kitchen slide comes in, it is close enough between the kitchen counter and the fridge to put in a foam block at the freezer door. Then with a French style fridge, we can put something down behind the handle of the freezer that can extend up to the doors of the fridge.
While we do have an oven, Jo doesn't use it much. She has never really liked lighting gas ovens, so she has begun to rely heavily on the convection oven. Being that I can't cook but can appreciate good tasting food (with the stomach to prove it), I can say that she does a very good job.
Terry
VanMar said
08:27 AM Feb 16, 2014
Joe and Delores,
Welcome to the forum. I like the "Y'all" thing.
Vance
Jim and Barb said
08:34 AM Feb 16, 2014
Welcome Joe and Delores,
Hopefully your year goes quick. We are 3 weeks from starting our full time adventure! You will find this site very informative.
Jim
WestWardHo said
11:05 AM Feb 16, 2014
Welcome Joe and Delores! Liked you posting another thread about Luck Mike, I really miss him. Not sure what kind of refrigerator you have but our residential double door Frigidare has an aftermarket angle iron and long screw installed at the top that holds both doors closed. Very important. Ask me how I know!
Sherry
MarkS said
11:44 AM Feb 16, 2014
Welcome aboard, Joe. Yesterday when the po-po was out here doing my vin verification he mentioned that it was legal for the wife to ride in the 5er while being pulled. Now I know how I will keep all those doors and drawers closed while traveling.
"What's that, dear?"
OK. Back to the drawing board.
bjoyce said
11:53 AM Feb 16, 2014
We use 18" Gear Ties (like huge twist ties, available at Home Depot, etc.) to keep our side-by-side residential fridge closed while traveling. We do have a 2000 watt pure sinewave inverter/charger. A U-shaped piece of plywood covered in cloth will keep a French Door fridge closed, example at http://normansonthehorizon.blogspot.com/2012/09/samsung-refrigerator-door-lock.html. You might have to install something into the wall for a top or bottom freezer unit.
Edit: If you do not already have an inverter, a good place to get one is http://www.donrowe.com/. Get a Kill-A-Watt (http://www.p3international.com/products/p4400.html), about $20 from Amazon, to find out how big the inverter needs to be. Plug the fridge into it for a week or two to catch any defrost cycles or ice maker cycles, if applicable. Mount the inverter by the batteries and run the 120 volt electric wiring to the back of the fridge.
-- Edited by bjoyce on Sunday 16th of February 2014 11:59:49 AM
Joe_Camper said
12:39 PM Feb 16, 2014
Thanks for the welcome y'all! Our refer has a threaded screw and knob that screws into the frame between the freezer door and refer door and holds both doors closed. I also have a 1000 watt inverter and 4 large batteries to take care of the refer on the road. I was curious about Terry and Jo's because I assumed it was purely residential whereas mine is probably produced especially for RVs. Disclaimer: I might not know what I am saying! LOL!
I see some of you are getting real close to being full timers. We are really excited about it!
jrzygrl64 said
02:14 PM Feb 16, 2014
Welcome to the forum - hope to meet up with you sometime on the road!
Millie said
10:54 AM Feb 17, 2014
Welcome, Joe Camper!
...I'm the site idiot that drops-in once in a while!
Millie said
11:07 AM Feb 17, 2014
Joe_Camper wrote:
...cannot retire before March 1st of 2015.
I'm waiting for the same thing, Joe!
...November, 2015, for me.
Terry and Jo said
04:29 PM Feb 17, 2014
Joe_Camper wrote:
I was curious about Terry and Jo's because I assumed it was purely residential whereas mine is probably produced especially for RVs.
Yes, our Samsung RF197ACPN is definitely a residential refrigerator. We even bought ours through Best Buy, so absolutely not related to buying from an "RV source." I can't say about your coach, but I think most residential fridges are truly residential ones.
Terry
Joe_Camper said
04:51 PM Feb 17, 2014
Terry and Jo wrote:
Joe_Camper wrote:
I was curious about Terry and Jo's because I assumed it was purely residential whereas mine is probably produced especially for RVs.
I can't say about your coach, but I think most residential fridges are truly residential ones.
Terry
I've wondered about that, Terry. I suppose Cedar Creek could have drilled and tapped a hole in the refer frame and supplied us with a threaded rod and knob. It would be easy enough to do. Otherwise, our refer looks like any other residential model.
Thanks for the welcome Millie and jrzygrl64!
MarkS said
10:08 AM Feb 19, 2014
Ours is a fridgidaire residential and has the screw at the top. I haven't looked to see how it was done.
BiggarView said
10:48 AM Feb 19, 2014
Welcome aboard Joe & Delores.
Joe_Camper wrote:
I see some of you are getting real close to being full timers. We are really excited about it!
We are excited too, but in the RV world, we haven't even made it to the minor leagues yet. There a quite a few here that are in the on deck circle , while many more are already out on the field. Our timing puts us a few years behind you but with all we will learn from the great folks here we hope to be well prepared for our adventure when that time comes. One thing I have learned is not to worry about asking too many questions. New information comes out all the time so even an old questions frequently have new answers... so go ahead ask away, we get to learn too!!!
Hey Y'all!
My name is Joe and my wife is Delores. We currently live in south east Georgia. We are about one year away from full timing as I cannot retire before March 1st of 2015. Anyway, we have a 5th wheel camper and are starting to plan. We will have many questions and hope not to ask too many that have already been asked. I will use the search function and try to learn as much as I can. Thanks to Howard and Linda for a very good site!
Joe and Delores,
Welcome to the RV Dreams forums. You have definitely found a good source for information. Also, don't be afraid to ask any question about RV's or the RV lifestyle. Even if it is a "familiar" question, each one may have a different perspective that has value for everyone. After all, we are all learning here, even the ones that have been here for some time.
Glad to have you as part of the "family."
Terry
I'm currently removing the stove top in our CC and replacing it with a complete range. My wife is not a believer in microwaves with a convection oven and wanted to have a gas oven. At the S&B home, she often cooks with the conventional oven as well as the microwave. This will make the transition from the S&B home to the rolling home easier. So, we will lose one drawer worth of storage space; but will have a happy wife! We all know that a happy wife is a happy life!
Joe,
Sorry, but I'm definitely NOT one of those "Mr. Fix-It" type guys. Well, at least not that I enjoy. There are a number that I can do, but I am a "murderer" with a tape measure. My wife, Jo, won't let me measure anything on any project that she has in mind.
As for the inverter, when we first ordered our Mobile Suites, we ordered the optional inverter with two extra batteries, which gives us a bank of four. We did insist on a pure sine wave inverter to get the cleanest power, so we ended up with a Xantrex SW3000 inverter. After having problems with the original RV fridge, we were EXTREMELY glad that we had ordered the inverter. As for the refrigerator doors when we travel, which isn't very often, when the kitchen slide comes in, it is close enough between the kitchen counter and the fridge to put in a foam block at the freezer door. Then with a French style fridge, we can put something down behind the handle of the freezer that can extend up to the doors of the fridge.
While we do have an oven, Jo doesn't use it much. She has never really liked lighting gas ovens, so she has begun to rely heavily on the convection oven. Being that I can't cook but can appreciate good tasting food (with the stomach to prove it), I can say that she does a very good job.
Terry
Joe and Delores,
Welcome to the forum. I like the "Y'all" thing.
Vance
Hopefully your year goes quick. We are 3 weeks from starting our full time adventure! You will find this site very informative.
Jim
Sherry
"What's that, dear?"
OK. Back to the drawing board.
We use 18" Gear Ties (like huge twist ties, available at Home Depot, etc.) to keep our side-by-side residential fridge closed while traveling. We do have a 2000 watt pure sinewave inverter/charger. A U-shaped piece of plywood covered in cloth will keep a French Door fridge closed, example at http://normansonthehorizon.blogspot.com/2012/09/samsung-refrigerator-door-lock.html. You might have to install something into the wall for a top or bottom freezer unit.
Edit: If you do not already have an inverter, a good place to get one is http://www.donrowe.com/. Get a Kill-A-Watt (http://www.p3international.com/products/p4400.html), about $20 from Amazon, to find out how big the inverter needs to be. Plug the fridge into it for a week or two to catch any defrost cycles or ice maker cycles, if applicable. Mount the inverter by the batteries and run the 120 volt electric wiring to the back of the fridge.
-- Edited by bjoyce on Sunday 16th of February 2014 11:59:49 AM
I see some of you are getting real close to being full timers. We are really excited about it!
Welcome, Joe Camper!
...I'm the site idiot that drops-in once in a while!
I'm waiting for the same thing, Joe!
...November, 2015, for me.
Yes, our Samsung RF197ACPN is definitely a residential refrigerator. We even bought ours through Best Buy, so absolutely not related to buying from an "RV source." I can't say about your coach, but I think most residential fridges are truly residential ones.
Terry
I've wondered about that, Terry. I suppose Cedar Creek could have drilled and tapped a hole in the refer frame and supplied us with a threaded rod and knob. It would be easy enough to do. Otherwise, our refer looks like any other residential model.
Thanks for the welcome Millie and jrzygrl64!
We are excited too, but in the RV world, we haven't even made it to the minor leagues yet.
There a quite a few here that are in the on deck circle 
, while many more are already out on the field.
Our timing puts us a few years behind you but with all we will learn from the great folks here we hope to be well prepared for our adventure when that time comes. 
One thing I have learned is not to worry about asking too many questions. New information comes out all the time so even an old questions frequently have new answers... so go ahead ask away, we get to learn too!!!