[rheavn]

Sounds like time to take it easy. Get well soon and back on the road when recovered.

[Flick]

Clarke you need to take advantage of this healing time to broaden your "to do list" on the coach for when you finally make it down to Tom's new place in AZ. I think his place might become the official Newell Guru's Garage Mahal by the sounds of it.

[prairieschooner]

that's a heck of a way to stick around so that we can get out to see you guys! I'll try to make it in a week or so.

[whatsnewell]

that's a heck of a way to stick around so that we can get out to see you guys! I'll try to make it in a week or so.

Steve, we will be here until just after March 1st....

[whatsnewell]

Recovery is going smoothly....got the 13 staples removed a week ago, an we are set to be on the road again as of March 3rd.....we will hook up the trailer Monday morning and drive directly to the tire shop to have two new steerer tires installed, and a new 8D battery to replace the one that went bad.....the one Elaine and I were moving when I injured myself.....then it's south and east to visit Tom and Darlene....YAY!

[prairieschooner]

Clarke, I bought my Starting Batteries from NAPA and sure was glad that I did. There was a problem with one of them boiling over when we were at Parker before Christmas. The guys at the NAPA store in Parker were wonderful! they replaced both of them for us but even better they even delivered them so that we didn't need to deal with that hassle.
Our DDs require the Cranking Amps of 2 size 8D Batteries (maybe because of the 40W Oil?). Anyway be sure that you get the higher grade if you go Flooded Lead Acid ours are the 1400 CCA and it sure makes a difference!
Sorry we weren't able to get together but now with the weather coming we just loaded up on groceries and are staying home until it is over....it is a real bitch trying to get up here in a snow storm!

[whatsnewell]

The bad battery is a house battery (Interstate) that was over 5 years old.....replacing it with another Interstate 8D.....have had good experience with them.

[prairieschooner]

hard to argue with success.....but do yourself a favor and discuss their 6 Volt Golf Cart Batteries. Two of them equal one size 8D and they are much easier to move around. Size 8D is about 130 Lb. and a 6 Volt is about 65 Lb. they fit in our Battery Trays although need a small amount of blocking.

[whatsnewell]

hard to argue with success.....but do yourself a favor and discuss their 6 Volt Golf Cart Batteries. Two of them equal one size 8D and they are much easier to move around. Size 8D is about 130 Lb. and a 6 Volt is about 65 Lb. they fit in our Battery Trays although need a small amount of blocking.

I have considered switching to 6 volt, but decided that I would wait until lithium batteries came down in price and then convert over to lithium like Forest has done. I will have to modify the house battery compartment for the new configuration either way, so will just do it when I can switch over to lithium. Lithium will actually work better with my solar setup, but there will be costs to switch over the inverter/conterter/charging system needed to properly monitor and charge a lithium battery bank, so am saving my dimes and nickels toward that end. For now I will just replace the one 8D battery for $140 and "rock on".

[Chester Stone]

Clarke, you may want to read my previously posts on golf cart batteries. I replace six 8D starter batteries used for the house with twelve 6 volt golf cart batteries which I purchased at Costco for $90 each. I then installed automatic watering, and this is so very much cheaper and perhaps more reliable than other solutions. The company I worked for was a major producer of lithium in all forms and I am familiar with the explosive nature of lithium in liquid and foil configurations. I trust the golf cart batteries, but there will have to be a lot more experience with lithium before I would trust it. Just one man's opinion.