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Old 06-20-2008, 09:01 PM   #1
David and Jo-Anna
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Alaska Roads Cause Damage

In doing our research on Alaska, we had heard lots of tales of damage caused by the rough Alaska roads. In the first couple of weeks of traveling up here, we didn't find the roads to be too bad--and we didn't see any significant damage to our Big Sky. In the last several days, however, the roads have gotten rougher--and we're starting to see some damage. Yesterday, after a tough stretch of road around Tok, we found that the clothes rod in the front bedroom closet had broken loose and fallen down--the center support pulled loose, and the clothes rod broke in half as it fell down. The day/night shade next to the dinette table also pulled loose from the wall. In the two days prior to these failures, we had the light fixture over the dinette come loose and a light bulb in the ceiling fan shake loose and fall down. We're also having problems with our Kipor generator--it now won't start. Not sure what is causing this problem.

As we said, we expected to have problems arise, and they aren't ruining our great enjoyment of this wonderful adventure. But I would recommend that people planning a trip up here take some preventive measures. For one thing, I'd suggest replacing those puny screws holding up the center support for the clothes rod with more substantial screws before it all pulls lose and damages the rod itself. Now I'll be looking to put in something more substantial--maybe a solid wooden clothes rod rather than that hollow tube Keystone puts in, and perhaps some type of support rod coming up from the floor.

Anyone come up with a strong way to support that clothes rod? Also, any suggestions on fixing a Kipor that will turn over but just won't start?
 
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Old 06-21-2008, 05:11 AM   #2
DHenry
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Sorry to hear about the damage to the Montana. We came up to Dawson City yesterday and the road was pretty rough also, but it does not sound as bad as the road you were on. Tomorrow we leave for Tok so we will be careful. As far as supporting the rod vertically, my idea would be to get one of the plastic wall brackets for the closet rod and screw it to the floor, place a rod cut to length in it up to the bottom of the horizontal closet rod, then screw the horizontal rod down into the vertical rod. (Does this make sense?).
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Old 06-21-2008, 05:43 AM   #3
exav8tr
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David, I, too, lost my curtain rod in the bedroom. Screws were too flimsy. I replaced with heavier screws and put in about four extra along the length and it has been fine since then....Glad to hear you guys are having a great time!!!!!
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Old 06-21-2008, 06:16 AM   #4
stiles watson
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Just like a lawn mower, the Kipor problem has to be fire, air, or fuel. So check the spark plug, check the air intake filter,etc., and check the fuel line and filter. After that it is back to the troubleshooting manual and/or going online to Kimpor to get help. Are there fuses or switches that might have been over looked? Since I don't own the generator, I can't help with anything beyond basic engine troubleshooting.
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Old 06-21-2008, 06:47 AM   #5
rogue
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David, I'm sue you are doing this, but just in case. You have the fuel cap in the open position (so air gets into the fuel tank, the on off switch to on, the chock to full choke, and the load button off.
Past that its what Stiles said.
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Old 06-21-2008, 08:03 AM   #6
bncinwv
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Make sure the fuel feed switch is turned on. I have missed that a couple of times.
Bingo
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Bingo and Cathy - Our adventures begin in the hills of WV. We are blessed by our 2014 3850FL Big Sky (previous 2011 3750FL and 2007 3400RL) that we pull with a 2007 Chevy Silverado Classic DRW CC dually.
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Old 06-21-2008, 09:11 AM   #7
wswebster
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I'll check out the closet rod now, and hopefully our Kipor will start when we need it to. We're at least a week behind you, we'll cross the border then head to Banff and Jasper next. Safe travels Stacy
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Old 06-21-2008, 10:06 AM   #8
ols1932
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David, our closet rod broke (bent) in 2000, shortly after we began full timing. I was able to repair it by screwing a couple pieces of 1X2 on top of the shelf and then, using some large screw hooks (that I just happened to have available), I screwed these upwards into the two pieces of 1x2 (I had located the 1x2s in strategic places). Then, using some heavy wire, I wrapped around the rod and the screw hooks in both places and then twisted the wire up so that the rod was held tight in a horizontal position. I don't know if this is clear enough, but I think you'll get the idea when you look at it.

It has worked all this time with a lot of rough miles on the rig with no more falling down of the closet rod.

Orv
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Old 06-21-2008, 10:23 AM   #9
bigmurf
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I cut a piece of plywood to lay in the shelf above the rod, then drilled a vertical hole thru the rod and the plywood. I then put a 1/4" bolt thru them (round head on top). This has worked for 4 years now.

Have an AMERICAN generator so I can't help there. g

Hey Orv, hope you are recovering ok.
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Old 06-21-2008, 03:32 PM   #10
bob n pam
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David, our closet rod broke when we first had the Montana, too. Bob replaced it with a metal closet rod from Home Depot and also replaced all of the screws with longer ones. It has held up well for 7 years now.

As to the generator, we have a Honda, so no help there.

Pam
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Old 06-21-2008, 06:43 PM   #11
DHenry
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I checked my closet rod after reading about yours and on Sharon's side the screws were just about out of the bracket that holds it up. I put in longer screws until I can bolt it on. We will be going to Chicken and on to Tok tomorrow.
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Old 06-21-2008, 07:03 PM   #12
rogue
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Do you know the story behind the name of the town called Chicken? The guy who wanted to name the town, wanted to call it the name of the state bird "Ptarmigan", only he could not spell it. He could spell Chicken, so thats how it got that name.

At least thats the story I've been told and I'm sticking to it.
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Old 06-22-2008, 01:19 AM   #13
rlwhit
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David, I have learned that the oil level is very critcal in generators. Mine will not start if the oil level is down just a little bit. The large one for the house is the same way.
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Old 06-22-2008, 04:27 AM   #14
exav8tr
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David, Seems I remember reading on the forum here about a shut-off switch that is in the oil pan on the Kipors and sometimes it gets set the wrong way. Someone said the way to fix this was to drop the unit on the ground, only about three or four inches high. Hopefully someone who posted this originally will come on and give you more advice.....
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Old 06-22-2008, 08:39 AM   #15
8.1al
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Since we are fulltiming our closet is stuffed and our closet rod has come down on 2 occaisions. I was comtemplating replacing the screws that fasten to the bottom of the shelf with bolts. After observing what holds the shelf up I decided it would just be a matter of time till the whole works came down so I did somewhat as Doug suggested, working with what I had on hand, a piece of 1 1/2" pvc. I cut one end with a hole saw to fit around the rod and then cut the other end to length with a tight fit. I finished this up with a screw through the pvc and into the rod. I don't think the rod will ever come down again but now Nila's mad because I put the rod right in the middle and now she can't push her clothes over into my space.
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Old 06-22-2008, 09:28 AM   #16
David and Jo-Anna
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Doug--glad to hear that you caught the problem with your closet rod before it failed. Now the question is--what's going to come loose next? LOL!!
My proposed solution is to get one of those PVC "T" connections and a one-inch wooden closet rod/dowel. I'll cut the rod in half and connect the two halves together with the "T" connector. I'll then run another wooden rod from the "T" connector to the floor to help support the clothes rod. I'll then try to find a pair of hooks to support each half of the clothes rod in the middle, to provide extra support. If I can't find the right size hooks, I may try Orv's approach of using eyelets and wire.
As for the generator, I'm still trying to figure out what's going wrong--and the manual is no help at all. I seem to be getting fuel to the cylinder, and I've certainly got the fuel switch turned on. The only problem I've found so far is that the choke sticks--is there any way that a stuck choke could have caused a problem? I want to check out the spark plug to see if it's OK, and to check the compression, but I don't have a spark plug socket that will fit this size plug--I'll have to look for a socket when we get to Anchorage--there isn't even a hardware store here in Valdez.
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Old 06-22-2008, 10:33 AM   #17
simonsrf
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David, (Jo-Anna)

Did you try what rlwhit suggested?

It doesn't take much loss of oil for it to NOT start, or at least that is the deal with the Honda generators.

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Old 06-22-2008, 09:25 PM   #18
David and Jo-Anna
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Dick and Robbie--I checked the oil--it's at the high end of being full. Wish that were the problem.

I suspect that the problem relates to all the bouncing that the generator has experienced on the rough Alaska roads. Either something came loose (I haven't found anything yet) or the bouncing did something internally to screw up operation of the generator. Just not sure what adverse effect the bouncing around could have caused.
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Old 07-01-2008, 01:22 PM   #19
richfaa
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David..Did you maybe leave the fuel switch 'on" between using the generator. We found that we have to turn the fuel switch off and let the generator run out of fuel or it Will not start the next time... I think it floods the carburetor. Purge the fuel out of the carb and see what happens.
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Old 07-01-2008, 04:15 PM   #20
David and Jo-Anna
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Rich--Until recently, I did not as a matter of regular practice shut off the fuel valve and purge the fuel line before shutting off the generator--I didn't realize I should do that until I saw your post last month on my thread. I've started doing that since then, but it seems to take quite some time after I shut the valve before the generator starts revving up and down and then finally quits. Is that the way it's supposed to behave? Also, it usually has taken me a long time cranking the generator before it starts. Is that likely related to my failure to purge the fuel line?

With regard to the starting problem I had, the fix was to change out the spark plug. The old one was still showing a spark, but there was lots of carbon deposited on the bottom of the plug. I figured that the cause of this problem was the sticky choke--that the choke had started to stick in the open position and flood the carburetor and cause the carbon buildup. Maybe my failure to purge the fuel line was also a contributor to that problem.
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