I've got a ScanGauge on my dash. It connects to the OBD-II port on my van and can display all the computer readings. I don't know what a lot of them are, but I do like the MPG readout and also the one that shows trans fluid temp...especially since I'm towing a boat/trailer that's 11,000#.
So I see I'm getting about 6mpg at 55mph. That's not good seeing as I have 2000 miles to go. And what's worse is that even on slight hills she downshifts to maintain speed and then gets about 3mpg. So I put her on 52 mph and see a good 1+ MPG improvement, but the hills are still killing me.
I set one of the fields on my GPS to Vertical Speed. It tells me when I'm going uphill and can let up on the gas to keep her from downshifting. I now have figured out that when I'm running 1,600rpm (at 8mpg) that when she downshifts to 2,100, the MPG's drop to 5+. I don't have a lot of luck with the Vertical Speed indicator to prevent shifting. Further experimenting shows anything under 2,000 rpm is best.
I got to messing with the ScanGuage and found a field called LOD. It seemed to indicate engine load and was a pretty good indicator of when the shift would occur. It reads between about 15 and 99. Anytime it read above 93, it would downshift. This seemed pretty consistent, and as I kept a steady foot on the gas going uphill, I could see the numbers climb until they reached 93 and then she'd downshift and run up over 2 grand and I'd lose 2mpg.
I then carefully watched this LOD readout, and as it approached 93 I'd let up on the gas. Sure enough, she'd hold off shifting, and even though my speed dropped, my MPG's didn't.
After doing this for about 200 miles, several things came to light.
1 - I regained the lost art of non-cruise control driving. I could accomplish what I wanted by the sound and feel of the van.
2 - The van seemed to learn as well. I could now take the LOD reading to 99 and even keep it there and she wouldn't downshift unless the road got steeper or I stabbed the throttle..
3 - Due to my now second nature ability to keep her from downshifting, I'd occasionally find myself going 30 mph up hills on the interstate where the minimum is 40. Simple solution was to set the cruise control at 42 mph and while I was daydreaming with my foot letting up, she'd downshift on her own to maintain 40, but at that speed the downshift only puts her at 1,900, and I'm still getting my 8mpg.
Funny, I used to be interested in how fast I could go but today being a retired old dart pulling a Big Big Duck, I'm more interested in how slow I'm allowed to go.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Merlin - Just Like Me
We took Big Duck to the lake for 4 days/nights. There were always 3 other boats along, sometimes 5.
The banks are so steep we parallel park and we can easily step off the boat onto the beach.
Merlin comes and goes at will, always jumping off to welcome other boaters as they arrive and wet nosing anyone in sight to encourage a pet.
We were all on the beach for a community dinner, and Merlin had to say "Hello" to each and every person, one at a time.
He settled at my feet during the meal and I learned he likes freshly fried Hush Puppies, french fried catfish and BBQ'd wings. Mer never gets sick from these tidbits; he is very polite and conservative about what he eats. He's been known to turn up his nose at raw hamburger. After the sun set and the fire was going, Mer made his way thru the crowd, often settling at the feet of folks who were 2 handed petters and occasionally taking a scrap offered from an empty plate. It's not unusual for him to politely take a handout as it's offered, but then drop it a few feet away.
Then Merlin disappeared. I wasn't worried because he always stays close, so rather than call him I went off to see what he was up to.
What I discovered was Merlin cuddled up in the bow of our boat. He had gone home after partying and put himself to bed. Bless his little puppydog heart.
The banks are so steep we parallel park and we can easily step off the boat onto the beach.
Merlin comes and goes at will, always jumping off to welcome other boaters as they arrive and wet nosing anyone in sight to encourage a pet.
We were all on the beach for a community dinner, and Merlin had to say "Hello" to each and every person, one at a time.
He settled at my feet during the meal and I learned he likes freshly fried Hush Puppies, french fried catfish and BBQ'd wings. Mer never gets sick from these tidbits; he is very polite and conservative about what he eats. He's been known to turn up his nose at raw hamburger. After the sun set and the fire was going, Mer made his way thru the crowd, often settling at the feet of folks who were 2 handed petters and occasionally taking a scrap offered from an empty plate. It's not unusual for him to politely take a handout as it's offered, but then drop it a few feet away.
Then Merlin disappeared. I wasn't worried because he always stays close, so rather than call him I went off to see what he was up to.
What I discovered was Merlin cuddled up in the bow of our boat. He had gone home after partying and put himself to bed. Bless his little puppydog heart.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Trailering Big Duck
When we brought Big Duck home to SC from Lake Mead -- over 2,000 miles, we averaged 10 mpg pulling with a full sized Ford Van w/ V10 (6.8l) motor. We never went over 55mph.
Even after towing various trailers over 60,000 miles w/ over 100,000 miles on the van, I still have the original brake pads all around. Much of the need to stop depends on the need to go fast. I haven't had the Duck on a scale, but I'm guessing wet on the trailer she's about 9,000 lbs. She's exceptionally well behaved behind the van even without the weight distributing hitch or anti sway (that's the way we brought her home). I don't expect to go 70 mph uphill for miles over the mountain passes - I stay in the right lane, put her at about 3,000 rpm and take whatever speed she offers.
So far, we've splashed Big Duck at 7 different ramps...never a traction problem, especially considering all that tongue weight on the back end of the van. For me, the overhead of a 4X4 just doesn't make sense, especially considering the Trailer Assist I have with my Boat US membership - they'll send a truck if I ever have trouble at the ramp. We do need a floating dock at the ramp because my wife is handicapped and can't help...I splash and recover solo.
Even after towing various trailers over 60,000 miles w/ over 100,000 miles on the van, I still have the original brake pads all around. Much of the need to stop depends on the need to go fast. I haven't had the Duck on a scale, but I'm guessing wet on the trailer she's about 9,000 lbs. She's exceptionally well behaved behind the van even without the weight distributing hitch or anti sway (that's the way we brought her home). I don't expect to go 70 mph uphill for miles over the mountain passes - I stay in the right lane, put her at about 3,000 rpm and take whatever speed she offers.
So far, we've splashed Big Duck at 7 different ramps...never a traction problem, especially considering all that tongue weight on the back end of the van. For me, the overhead of a 4X4 just doesn't make sense, especially considering the Trailer Assist I have with my Boat US membership - they'll send a truck if I ever have trouble at the ramp. We do need a floating dock at the ramp because my wife is handicapped and can't help...I splash and recover solo.
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| Lake Keowee - SC |
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| St Johns River - Deland FL |
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| Lake Murray - SC |
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| Lake Jocassee - SC. I can't do this one without help. |
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Aquamatic Propellers
First off, I'm no expert but I have learned a few things as a first time Aquamatic owner behind my 1972 houseboat.
Aquamatics came with counter rotating props but this can be easily changed - odds are though you'll take a counter rotating prop.
You'll need to find out whether you need a short hub or long hub propeller. This is the short hub dimension.
Aquamatic Prop Mounting Hardware
After you decide which hub size you need, you'll find a Solas propeller here for considerably less than a OEM prop. It's where I get mine...but they don't seem to carry the short hub model anymore.
iBoats Aquamatic Propellers
If your boat is considered a speedy model, a 17 or higher pitch may be in order; heavy boats will likely take a 13 or 15 pitch.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Freezers, Refrigerators, Coolers & Chinese Thermometers
I've been doing some eutectic experimentation to see how long I can go by using a small chest freezer ($160 f/ Walmart) as a cooler. We often take the trailerable houseboat out for 2 to 5 days at a time. Ice not only can be expensive, but can also be a pain in the neck getting replentished. The idea was to plug in the small chest freezer installed on the back of the boat and freeze 5 gallons of water into a brick. Then when we head out, unplug the freezer and use it as a cooler.
Well, this endeavor proved totally successful. The frozen brick would keep things inside the chest cool for 6 days. The trouble is that while the brick is near 32°, the temps can vary inside the chest up to 40°.
I want the max temp in the chest/cooler to be no higher than 36°. This means I need to freeze a solution that has a lower freezing temp than 32. The idea is to introduce salt into the brick so the melting temperature is about 28° or so?
About this time in my experiment, my thermometers, both of them, failed. I ordered 4 new remote bulb thermometers on eBay. It took a couple weeks to get the shipment from China, but at $1.80 each including shipping I didn't mind the wait. Because these thermometers only read in Centigrade, I made up a little chart to show what the Fahrenheit reading would be. In the process of placing one of these thermometers in the freezer, it got away from me and ended up in a puddle of brine that had spilled from the brick.
I figured the thermometer was trashed, but rinsed it in the sink to see if there was any hope of revival. I'll be darned if the little thermometer didn't come back to life, and was now reading in Fahrenheit, complete with the proper temp and an 'F' on the display. The 'F' readings reverted back to 'C' when the unit dried out.
I eBayed a note to the seller with my findings and a request about how to make the 'F' readings permanent. They advised me that the unit would only read in 'C', but a previous buyer converted it to 'F' with the addition of 'an accessory'. They eMailed me a photo showing which traces on the circuit board needed to be connected in order to get an 'F' reading, but they insisted that the procedure had not been verified. Well, not surprisingly, it does work - a well placed drop of solder is all it takes.
Now on to see how much salt it takes in the 5 gallon container to keep the chest at 38° or lower without freezing my beer.
I also got a remote line thermostat on eBay. With this unit, I can set the freezer thermostat to max cool and put the remote thermostat bulb inside the freezer. Then I connect the freezer power cord to the remote line thermostat and can have the freezer chest maintain any refrigerator temp I desire. I've experimented enough to know that this works to maintain any chosen temp in the freezer but this requires constant 120vac power.
The final step is to determine how much generator run time is necessary to maintain a refrigerator temp (of about 38°) in the chest. I have found a 120vac hour meter on eBay that I can wire into the line thermostat circuit to the determine power/generator run time. Once this is determined, I will know how long I will need to run the generator to keep the freezer at refrigerator temps. Then we'll see what the effect of including the brine brick will have on the runtime.
Freezer/Refrigerator Findings
Well, this endeavor proved totally successful. The frozen brick would keep things inside the chest cool for 6 days. The trouble is that while the brick is near 32°, the temps can vary inside the chest up to 40°.
I want the max temp in the chest/cooler to be no higher than 36°. This means I need to freeze a solution that has a lower freezing temp than 32. The idea is to introduce salt into the brick so the melting temperature is about 28° or so?
About this time in my experiment, my thermometers, both of them, failed. I ordered 4 new remote bulb thermometers on eBay. It took a couple weeks to get the shipment from China, but at $1.80 each including shipping I didn't mind the wait. Because these thermometers only read in Centigrade, I made up a little chart to show what the Fahrenheit reading would be. In the process of placing one of these thermometers in the freezer, it got away from me and ended up in a puddle of brine that had spilled from the brick.
I figured the thermometer was trashed, but rinsed it in the sink to see if there was any hope of revival. I'll be darned if the little thermometer didn't come back to life, and was now reading in Fahrenheit, complete with the proper temp and an 'F' on the display. The 'F' readings reverted back to 'C' when the unit dried out.
I eBayed a note to the seller with my findings and a request about how to make the 'F' readings permanent. They advised me that the unit would only read in 'C', but a previous buyer converted it to 'F' with the addition of 'an accessory'. They eMailed me a photo showing which traces on the circuit board needed to be connected in order to get an 'F' reading, but they insisted that the procedure had not been verified. Well, not surprisingly, it does work - a well placed drop of solder is all it takes.
Now on to see how much salt it takes in the 5 gallon container to keep the chest at 38° or lower without freezing my beer.
I also got a remote line thermostat on eBay. With this unit, I can set the freezer thermostat to max cool and put the remote thermostat bulb inside the freezer. Then I connect the freezer power cord to the remote line thermostat and can have the freezer chest maintain any refrigerator temp I desire. I've experimented enough to know that this works to maintain any chosen temp in the freezer but this requires constant 120vac power.
The final step is to determine how much generator run time is necessary to maintain a refrigerator temp (of about 38°) in the chest. I have found a 120vac hour meter on eBay that I can wire into the line thermostat circuit to the determine power/generator run time. Once this is determined, I will know how long I will need to run the generator to keep the freezer at refrigerator temps. Then we'll see what the effect of including the brine brick will have on the runtime.
Freezer/Refrigerator Findings
Monday, July 16, 2012
James Island - Charleston SC
My daughter's husband would be out of town for a week, so we planned a camping outing in Big Duck with her and our 2 year old grandson. An on the water outing was suggested, but I'm pushing 70 and I knew that the 2 year old and 2 dogs would make things difficult enough without putting the boat in the water.
The 200 mile trip down was uneventful.
We arrived late afternoon and our camp site was available. There are only a few pull thru sites, but the park is very well laid out and the back in slots are straightforward and easy. There's 30-50 amp and water at every site and most of them are well shaded. As far as I know, there's no cable TV or phone, but there is free wifi.
You won't find a nicer RV park anywhere. The workers we encountered were extremely knowledgeable and sincerely friendly. The grounds are very well maintained. The restrooms/showers were clean and well stocked. The washing machines and dryers were in good working order. The small store has the essentials. There's an off leash dog park with doggie beach.
There's a fishing area. There's a full blown water park right next door, but there's also an on site play pool and well equipped kiddie playground.
There's shuttles to Charleston and Folly Beach. There's on site additional parking and a primitive area and even cottages. The park is locked up at night...you need a code to get back in. There's simply nothing missing.
James Island Park
And speaking of playgrounds, the inside of Big Duck is a playground for Packy and for us it's a playpen that allows him full reign without being able to get into trouble.
Of course, a 2 year old can take a lot out of you, and make you dog tired...
And, even though we never put Big Duck in the water, we still managed to take out her propeller.
The cable holding the outdrive up snapped and the drive dropped into the down position on I26 on the way back. A road angel cut in front of us and pointed to the shoulder as he pulled off the road - we just kept on going past him. He caught up to us again, blew his horn and made the same gesture, again pulling onto the shoulder. This time we pulled in behind him, almost plowing into him as he stopped abruptly. He came quickly to the drivers side of the van and exclaimed that he saw the cable snap and the drive fall and that as far as he could tell, nothing had yet come in contact with the road. Then he quickly left.
I went to look and he was right. Nothing had touched the road...until I pulled off onto the shoulder and the passenger side tires on the trailer sank into the gravel...that's when the prop, and only the prop got to know the pavement. And I just got this prop back from the re-builder, it had never seen the water.
This trip was a fabulous experience. It showed us that Big Duck now sheds rain, keeping the inside dry even in a downpour. All systems performed well. It was the first occasion to shower aboard and we found the hot water shower to be exceptionally accommodating. Even with the 3 of us for 3 days/nights, the holding tank didn't fill up and the water tank didn't run dry. I am well above the comfort level required to venture off to Lake Powell. And you know, that cable could have let go on our way to Powell, causing a total disaster rather than just an $80 propeller repair.
The 200 mile trip down was uneventful.
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| 'Packy' in his car-seat, w/ Merlin (right) and Kasey (left) ready to hit the road. |
There's a fishing area. There's a full blown water park right next door, but there's also an on site play pool and well equipped kiddie playground.
James Island Park
And speaking of playgrounds, the inside of Big Duck is a playground for Packy and for us it's a playpen that allows him full reign without being able to get into trouble.
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| Packy looking out the playground/playpen window. |
And, even though we never put Big Duck in the water, we still managed to take out her propeller.
I went to look and he was right. Nothing had touched the road...until I pulled off onto the shoulder and the passenger side tires on the trailer sank into the gravel...that's when the prop, and only the prop got to know the pavement. And I just got this prop back from the re-builder, it had never seen the water.
This trip was a fabulous experience. It showed us that Big Duck now sheds rain, keeping the inside dry even in a downpour. All systems performed well. It was the first occasion to shower aboard and we found the hot water shower to be exceptionally accommodating. Even with the 3 of us for 3 days/nights, the holding tank didn't fill up and the water tank didn't run dry. I am well above the comfort level required to venture off to Lake Powell. And you know, that cable could have let go on our way to Powell, causing a total disaster rather than just an $80 propeller repair.
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