Newbie

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bornnorm
Posts: 161
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2018 7:43 pm

Re: Newbie

Post by bornnorm »

We bought the Scion xB on Monday. We absolutely like this car of course we love our Odyssey, a very comfortable car but with the Scion you feel so much more connected to driving. Though it's about half the volume of the Odyssey the Scion is really spacious. Not that we'll probably rarely use the rear seat, it comfortably accommodates adults.

On my first drive home it averaged 42 mpg, yikes the highest I've ever had. Yesterday we had an appointment with our Hygienist, she commented that she just sold an xB, it had 270,000 miles on it.

Now to get it ready for towing.
Norm Milliard
'93 Born Free 21' RB
'06 Scion xB
Escapee, Full timer
bornnorm
Posts: 161
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2018 7:43 pm

Re: Newbie

Post by bornnorm »

Converting the Sion to a toad.

Today I removed the front bumper, thank you, You Tube. I've decided to use a fixed Tow Bar the order of $100 though I have access to a sliding tow bar. The issue was the base plate for the sliding tow bar for the Scion was $500 and is more difficult to install.

Today the mud flaps came for the dualies, 20x24" with metal inserts, $68.

Installed the TV. It hangs from the ladder bar on two coat hooks. The coat hooks are mounted on a small piece of 1/4" plywood; the plywood screws in to the mounting holes on the back of the TV. I tested it with an Amazon Firestick. The Firestick was running off our park's Wi-Fi system.

To support Wi-Fi I bought a Netgear WiFi Range Extender EX2700, $32. This devices is easy to use. Just get near the Wi-Fi source and push a button and wait for the green light and it automatically connects. It should be here shortly.

In addition to Netgear we both have phones that can serve as hotspots. We use TMobile because it gives us service in Canada with unlimited data for 2 months.

Today our Temperature and Pressure sensors arrived for the Scion. It is a wireless system and will let us know what's happening while we tow the Scion.. One aspect that is sometimes not recognized is the sensors report rising temperature which can indicate a locked brake before it's too late. 2920
Norm Milliard
'93 Born Free 21' RB
'06 Scion xB
Escapee, Full timer
bornnorm
Posts: 161
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2018 7:43 pm

Re: Newbie

Post by bornnorm »

Good Pressure Sensor Experience.
I installed my Zeepin Pressure Sensors on the Scion. Immediately one of the alarms sounded saying the pressure was down on the right rear tire. It read 13 pounds. Immediately I thought there must be a bad sensor. It was not the sensor, pressure was low in that tire. (Unfortunately I had not checked the pressure since I bought the car.

I've now gone around and set all 4 tires to 29 pounds, the factory spec.

One nice feature of this unit is that it is solar powered though they do supply a charging cord.

The only poor part of the device is the manual. The font is smaller than I can read. I've asked fr a downloadable version of the manual. At $53, this is the lowest I've ever paid for a unit like this. 2948

Norm
Norm Milliard
'93 Born Free 21' RB
'06 Scion xB
Escapee, Full timer
bornnorm
Posts: 161
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2018 7:43 pm

Re: Newbie

Post by bornnorm »

More Pressure Sensor Info.

I just remoted the controller/receiver for the Pressure Sensor to the dash of the Born Free. So far the receiver detects the sensors from the Toads tires.
Norm Milliard
'93 Born Free 21' RB
'06 Scion xB
Escapee, Full timer
User avatar
Dallas Baillio
Posts: 1181
Joined: Sun Jul 02, 2006 10:52 pm

Re: Newbie

Post by Dallas Baillio »

On my car, and on my BF, after I have set the pressure monitors to the recommended I add a couple of extra lbs to offset external temperature drops. Tire pressure drops relative to ambient temperture. By doing this, I avoid having to check pressure unecessarily if only a temp change has caused the drop in pressure .
Dallas Baillio
2001 26RSB
Born Free Leap'n Lions RV Club Member
bornnorm
Posts: 161
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2018 7:43 pm

Re: Newbie

Post by bornnorm »

Good Morning Dallas.
In the past when towing a trailer I kept the trailer tires at near max pressure (50psi) to stiffen the sidewalls and the rear tow vehicles higher than the fronts, again for stiffening the side walls.

We are frequently driving thru a large temperature variation from FL to NFLD in early May. The temperature differential can be 50F. As a result on the tip north I adjusted the tire pressure a couple of times. I expect that I will be doing the same with the new setup though I don't think it will be as critical since the towed vehicle is a very small part of the system while with the trailer they were much closer, the trailer representing 43% of the system's weight.

Ginny monitors the pressure and temperature looking for unexpected change. She's a very attentive navigator and never doses while I drive. When we started maps were really foreign to her but now always has one on her lap. (Interestingly the first owner visited all the lower 48. We found all her individual maps from the early 1990's under the couch, from the times when you could get maps from every state and AAA.)

I like the continuous sensors a lot better than the ones that come in today's vehicle that appear only when there's already a problem.
Norm Milliard
'93 Born Free 21' RB
'06 Scion xB
Escapee, Full timer
BobnGail
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2016 6:26 pm

Re: Newbie

Post by BobnGail »

Norm, could you share info on the mud flaps you purchased? Ours are looking sad...
Bob n Gail
2005 26RB
Oxford MS
bornnorm
Posts: 161
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2018 7:43 pm

Re: Newbie

Post by bornnorm »

Lund EX-935F-99 Mud Flaps for 1999-2018 Ford F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550

I bought them from Amazon. have not mounted them yet because it looks like I'll have to take of at least the passenger side tires, at least that seems the case on our 21' BF.

I'm happy to provide information on anything we've bought or done.

By the way next is the addition of stripes to the tow vehicle.
Norm Milliard
'93 Born Free 21' RB
'06 Scion xB
Escapee, Full timer
bornnorm
Posts: 161
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2018 7:43 pm

Re: Newbie

Post by bornnorm »

My Born Free has a Magnatek converter. What manufacturer and newer models use?

I've been considering the WFCO (WF8945), a 45 amp converter.
Norm Milliard
'93 Born Free 21' RB
'06 Scion xB
Escapee, Full timer
bornnorm
Posts: 161
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2018 7:43 pm

Re: Newbie

Post by bornnorm »

A Relative Day.
Just returned and only a little time before the Patriots. I installed an AC line from the AC outlet near the Antenna booster up into the overcab storage area. It's a heavy flat cable that snakes up the first passenger's side cabinet into the overhead cabinet where I'll install a four socket box. The 3 wire stranded cable is substantial and capable of handling 20 amps though I's be surprised it it pulls more than 1 amp.

This outlet is for powering our TV, the small power supply for our Amazon Firestick and for powering our night clock, actually our Samsung Note 8 running a clock app.

A little task but a good feeling to get something done on the BF today. 3920.


I will parallel this route with the output of the antenna booster's cable.
Norm Milliard
'93 Born Free 21' RB
'06 Scion xB
Escapee, Full timer
bornnorm
Posts: 161
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2018 7:43 pm

Re: Newbie

Post by bornnorm »

Gloss White Cabinets.
I have a neighbor who considered purchasing a Born Free and did not because all the cabinet doors discolor with age. Of course after 26 years mine are an extreme case. I decided to do something about it and started by painting the water heater gloss white and moved on to one cabinet door seeking my wife's approval (My friend says "Happy wife, happy life".)

She liked the white and now they are all gloss white. I recognize they are whiter than the fiberglass of the body but they look good.

Yesterday I tried a stripe on the tow vehicle and Ginny liked it.

Today was a big step, we began both loading the trailer, figuring out where everything goes. Kind of fun and exciting.
Norm Milliard
'93 Born Free 21' RB
'06 Scion xB
Escapee, Full timer
bornnorm
Posts: 161
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2018 7:43 pm

Re: Newbie

Post by bornnorm »

The unsolved.

On our trip from Maine to Florida we only had one fumble. Normally we drive about 150 miles a day however anxious to get home, on the final day we drove about 270 miles. We we're down to about half a tank of gas and the BF started coughing like it wasn't getting gas. It reminded me of vapor lock but it did not seem to be vapor lock. We made it to a gas station and put in 10 gallons of gas and it ran perfectly fine for the rest of the trip.

I felt it was the amount of gas. Sort of like the fuel pump needed that much gas to work effectively. Am I alone with this experience? I'm considering having the fuel pump replaced before we leave. 3147

We had the same engine/transmission combination on our Bounder motorhome, our first RV. In that case it was a blazing day in Florida, definitely was vapor lock.
Norm Milliard
'93 Born Free 21' RB
'06 Scion xB
Escapee, Full timer
perleys
Posts: 117
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2015 3:45 pm

Re: Newbie

Post by perleys »

Hey Norm, can you post a pic of your white cabinets? I would love to see them!
bornnorm
Posts: 161
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2018 7:43 pm

Re: Newbie

Post by bornnorm »

Yes I'll post a picture. Probably tomorrow. It's a rain day right now. Actually I'm supposed to run a Pickleball Tournament today and lightening is filling the sky.

Age does effect the surfaces differently after 26 years, the truck, the fiberglass shell and the cabinet doors. I think the white has helped but also the addition of the really bright turquoise and gold stripes, but particularly the turquoise catch the eye.

Color is important. I once worked for a company that based upon color printing. At trade shows we wore really loud multi-colored ties. Women would stop me and comment, asking where they could get a tie like that for their male husband or friend..saying men don't wear enough color...who knew?

When I was in politics my mentor said "Do 1 thing wrong and 999 right, and they remember the 1 not the 999, similarly for color, it leaps out at you.
Norm Milliard
'93 Born Free 21' RB
'06 Scion xB
Escapee, Full timer
bornnorm
Posts: 161
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2018 7:43 pm

Re: Newbie

Post by bornnorm »

Installed two new headlights in our 2006 Scion xB. To install them you need to take of the front bumper and since the lens were dulled and the bumper was off to install the tow bar, I spent $85 for two new headlights and replaced them.

Tomorrow i"ll install the tow bar. That will pit us very close to being ready to go.
Norm Milliard
'93 Born Free 21' RB
'06 Scion xB
Escapee, Full timer
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