We've a new Born Free... And a new problem!

[marstrings]

Hello from the English people.
We've just bought a 1997 Born Free 24 RB President.
We've driven 600 miles.
About 550 miles ago, one of our number, when unhitching the electrical hookup, thought that the best thing to do would be to leave the fifty foot cable on the ground at the campsite.

We have checked at our local Wal-Mart and they don't stock the cable we need (it has a special plug at the RV end, and the prongs have an L-shaped one). Where can we buy a new one, before one of our number kills the other one of our number?

Please help. This is potentially life-or-death (and if not, only because the One Who Left The Cable Behind is planning to flee Nebraska before sunrise).

Kind regards,
Martin (Who Did Not Leave The Cable) and Strings (Who Did).

[bcope01]

Martin & Strings, what you need is a Locking RV 30-Amp Cordset (manufactured by Marinco) available from Camping World as Catalog Item # 28233 for $68 (ouch!). It is 25' long, which I am sure was the length of yours before you stretched it.

Check it out here: http://tinyurl.com/4p9ku8

You may also be able to find one in a marine/boat supplies store.

Bill

[David and Susan Bratt]

It may be quicker to go to a Camping World. There is one in Council Bluffs, Iowa and several around Denver depending on which way you are headed. Who need lots of electricity anyway.

[marstrings]

We're in North Platte, Nebraska at the moment and headed to Denver today, so, if we can't find one here, we'll be able to pick one up in Denver.

Many thanks guys.
Martin.

[David and Susan Bratt]

It is a good idea to learn that "once all the way around the vehicle before leaving" rule. We actually have a checklist, too. Happy travels.

[Roger H]

North Platte Nebraska. Escape. Quickly! I spent a year there one night.

I can't give any advice not already given about your cord. I just wanted you to know you have an instant fan here. Wow. Great stuff! Thanks for the link in your signature! Headed back to Iowa any time soon? I read your blog. I'll have you know I was here the whole time. You apparently just didn't look hard enough!

Roger

[marstrings]

It is a good idea to learn that "once all the way around the vehicle before leaving" rule. We actually have a checklist, too. Happy travels.

To be precise - we didn't forget to check round - I've seen that 'once round' rule and we do follow it. What happened was Strings detached the cord from the motorhome, but left the cable attached to the mains supply; she didn't stow it.

So, no damage done except to her ego and our cooectove pockets :0)

[marstrings]

North Platte Nebraska. Escape. Quickly! I spent a year there one night.

I can't give any advice not already given about your cord. I just wanted you to know you have an instant fan here. Wow. Great stuff! Thanks for the link in your signature! Headed back to Iowa any time soon? I read your blog. I'll have you know I was here the whole time. You apparently just didn't look hard enough!

Roger

Hi Roger. Glad you clicked the link and liked our music. Sorry that we've been heading away from you! This evening we have arrived in Colorado (about half-way between Denver and Co. Springs).

If you or anybody you know are into hosting house concerts, we would be very happy to play for you. In fact, do you know of anyone in the Colorado area who would be into that?

We are intending on staying out in the US for a year (if the money holds out).

Best wishes,
Martin and Strings.

[Roger H]

Point of order for connecting and disconnecting the power cord at campgrounds... getting knocked on your... well... you know... by a 30 amp electrical arc isn't any fun. First, throw the breaker on the power box on the post. That should kill the circuit and minimize the arcing hazard from the outlet to the cord when you unplug it. 30 amps of potential is a lot of electricity. Then, unplug it from the power box. THEN, coil the cord as you go closer to the moho, then unplug it from the moho. The last step is to store it and it never gets put on the ground.

Taking those steps in that order insures (hopefully) that you're not handling a charged electrical cord, and then unless you lay it down for some reason, you're not as apt to forget it.

On the house concerts, I can set you up probably a dozen of 'em here in Iowa, and a half-dozen more in California... not so much Colorado though. I'm afraid I don't know a soul there anymore!

Please come back this way at some point! Iowa is one of the best kept secrets in the U.S. While it doesn't have the ocean vistas or the majestic views of the Colorado Rockies, it has a beauty all its own. Ask any bicyclist who has or rides RAGBRAI http://www.ragbrai.org/. We are an overnight stop this year http://www.tiptonragbrai.com.

The Born Free factory is, of course, in Humboldt in northwest Iowa, and there are Born Free owners all over the state, and most of the county park campgrounds have water and electric sites for less than $10/night. In many of them, you may be the only RV in the park during weeknights! I-80 from Des Moines to Council Bluffs isn't terribly representative of most of the state, by the way (UNLIKE Nebraska... <chuckle>)

Here's where I live: http://www.tiptoniowa.org

We'd love to host some home concerts here! As a matter of fact, I can put you in touch with the entertainment coordinator for RAGBRAI for Tipton. We're expecting about 20,000 visitors in our town of 3,155 folks on Friday July 25, 2008. What better way to introduce yourselves to 20,000 new friends and fans?

Roger

[iowaride]

Roger is right on about the beauty of Iowa being revealed by RAGBRAI as it crisscrosses the state. This year we will celebrate our 30th ride across the state. The one thing our Born Free won't do is drive itself from over night town to over night town, so we still tent with the multitudes. If you were to offer a concert, we would certainly make sure to attend.

Sharon Harrington (iowaride)
East coast of Iowa
2002 24RB 7.3 Powerstroke

[George Boley]

Martin & Strings,
What you have received is all good advise, however in the short run you need to do something quick. Born Free utilizes a marine (boat) shore tie cable. These can be purchased at any marine hardware store. Or you can make up a cable by visiting your local electrical supply store and buying a 30 amp TWIST LOCK plug and cord suitable to handle 30 amps with a range type recepticle on the other end. This will get you out of the woods until you can get what you want. This avenue isn't cheap either,but it will work.

Happy Trails, George B.

[marstrings]

Hi Roger

Good advice on the power cord. I hadn't really thought about the possible shock hazard. And doing things in that order will hopefully mean we don't have to buy too many more cords :0)

By the way, I used to be a very keen cyclist when I was a kid and one of the things I want to do this year is get back to it. I'm sooo unfit at the moment. We're looking to get a couple of cheap pedal bikes and a bike rack to put on the back of the RV. Would you have any recommendations? We are on quite a tight budget though. Would a $100 bike from Wal-Mart hold up for a year?

As for the house concerts, are you serious? I think we should talk! Maybe take it off-list so as not to bore everyone else though. My email is mlg_at_ukonline_dot_co_dot_uk

Give me a quick email to that addy and we can start talking.

All the best,
Martin.

Point of order for connecting and disconnecting the power cord at campgrounds... getting knocked on your... well... you know... by a 30 amp electrical arc isn't any fun. First, throw the breaker on the power box on the post. That should kill the circuit and minimize the arcing hazard from the outlet to the cord when you unplug it. 30 amps of potential is a lot of electricity. Then, unplug it from the power box. THEN, coil the cord as you go closer to the moho, then unplug it from the moho. The last step is to store it and it never gets put on the ground.

Taking those steps in that order insures (hopefully) that you're not handling a charged electrical cord, and then unless you lay it down for some reason, you're not as apt to forget it.

On the house concerts, I can set you up probably a dozen of 'em here in Iowa, and a half-dozen more in California... not so much Colorado though. I'm afraid I don't know a soul there anymore!

Please come back this way at some point! Iowa is one of the best kept secrets in the U.S. While it doesn't have the ocean vistas or the majestic views of the Colorado Rockies, it has a beauty all its own. Ask any bicyclist who has or rides RAGBRAI http://www.ragbrai.org/. We are an overnight stop this year http://www.tiptonragbrai.com.

The Born Free factory is, of course, in Humboldt in northwest Iowa, and there are Born Free owners all over the state, and most of the county park campgrounds have water and electric sites for less than $10/night. In many of them, you may be the only RV in the park during weeknights! I-80 from Des Moines to Council Bluffs isn't terribly representative of most of the state, by the way (UNLIKE Nebraska... <chuckle>)

Here's where I live: http://www.tiptoniowa.org

We'd love to host some home concerts here! As a matter of fact, I can put you in touch with the entertainment coordinator for RAGBRAI for Tipton. We're expecting about 20,000 visitors in our town of 3,155 folks on Friday July 25, 2008. What better way to introduce yourselves to 20,000 new friends and fans?

Roger

[marstrings]

Hi George

Thanks for the advice. We're having to make do with our generator for the moment. We got kind of snowed in at Castle Rock campground. Still, not to worry, this LPG stuff seems to be magic gas, we've hardly made a dent in the tank yet :0)

The forecast for tomorrow is for an improvement in the weather, so we'll zip off to Colo Springs' Camping Worldthen.

M&S

Martin & Strings,
What you have received is all good advise, however in the short run you need to do something quick. Born Free utilizes a marine (boat) shore tie cable. These can be purchased at any marine hardware store. Or you can make up a cable by visiting your local electrical supply store and buying a 30 amp TWIST LOCK plug and cord suitable to handle 30 amps with a range type recepticle on the other end. This will get you out of the woods until you can get what you want. This avenue isn't cheap either,but it will work.

Happy Trails, George B.

[Roger H]

Hi Roger

We're looking to get a couple of cheap pedal bikes and a bike rack to put on the back of the RV. Would you have any recommendations? We are on quite a tight budget though. Would a $100 bike from Wal-Mart hold up for a year?

Give me a quick email to that addy and we can start talking.

All the best,
Martin.

Don't do it. $100 department store bikes are hard to ride, will rust, and will end up just taking up space because you won't enjoy them. You're much better off spending $200 and buying a couple of used bikes that are a few years old but have better componentry on them. You'll actually find a better bike fun to ride rather than work.

Check craigslist.org for bikes... there are always deals to be had:

http://denver.craigslist.org/bik/

I'll get an email off to you in the morning!

Roger

[David and Susan Bratt]

While you are at Camping Wrold check out the folding Dahon bikes. We have a couple of the less expensive ones that fold up and will fit under the couch from the outside. We can also put them in heavy plastic storage bags and put them in the overhead bed that we use for storage. Then you don't have to put more weight on the back and worry about weather or security.