Introduction to BOG

Submitted: Sunday, Mar 20, 2005 at 07:51
ThreadID: 121854 Views:4722 Replies:3 FollowUps:3
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How refreshing to have such a welcome. By way of introduction, please let me tell you a little about A & P. Recently sold our home in Jolimont, (Subiaco) WA but bought our 20' BT 6 months ago in readiness for my retirement in Feb this year. It's just been sitting there waiting for that to happen so it was our first experience caravanning on our recent 2 week trip to Esperance. A few problems. Firstly water filling - thought there was far more in there than in actuality - then power problems. We have a huge generator mounted up front but there must be either inverter or battery problems because she (Tessy we call her) would not accept the mains charge. Fortunately we were able to come back to our house prior to setting off on the big trip so all these minor hiccups can be sorted out prior to departure.

Can someone please answer a delicate question. Can any other chemicals be used in the Thetford toilets other than those recommended by manufacturers? I've found it a bit on the whiffy side even though not at capacity and we've had a chem toilet in our Kimberley Kamper that didn't get that much on the nose. No snide comments please!

Anyway, it is such a great feeling to know there are others out there who have no doubt experienced all these problems (and many more) so we're not Robinson Crusoe.

We head north 4th April to go round the top end and down the eastern seaboard before finally settling on the Mornington Peninsula in Vic some time early 2006. ThusTessy will be our home for the next year or so - only hope she behaves herself, but with new batteries, a suitable supply of water and a prayer to whomever looks after BT travellers, we'll have a ball.

Cheers
Penny
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Reply By: Motherhen & Rooster - Sunday, Mar 20, 2005 at 10:10

Sunday, Mar 20, 2005 at 10:10
The chemicals topic comes up often on the caravanners forum - worth a look.
Motherhen

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Reply By: Tellem Bugrem - Sunday, Mar 20, 2005 at 15:57

Sunday, Mar 20, 2005 at 15:57
Welcome Alex and Penny
Re water Filling....get a 1m lentgh of 10mm plastic tube, attach a standard male hose fitting to one end so you can connect it to your hose, then shove the plastic tube well down the throat of your filler pipes, then turn on the water. You can install those fancy water tank gauges in each tank or do the KISS job of using a piece of 10mm clear plastic tube on the outside of the chassis......see in my photo album.

We found Bio-Magic was OK for the thetford and will go back to that when we can find a supplier. It's clear and odourless. Might see you on the track in the territory. we are leaving in a couple of hours....Adelaide,Oodnadatta, Red Centre3 Top End Nhulunbuy MT Isa and home by end of June.

Cheers.............Rob and Liz
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Follow Up By: Noosa Fox - Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 03:52

Friday, Mar 25, 2005 at 03:52
In addition the the clear plastic tube that Rob mentioned, I also cut the tank end on an angle so that it goes around the bend the the filler neck easier. In the middle of the plastic tube I also fitted a plastic garden irrigation type in-line tap so that you can regulate the flow of water going into the tank.

As for your electric problems, which you didn't really clarify, if it relates to the BT battery charger not working off your generator, I found that the electronics in the BT chargers sense spikes in the quality of the power being received and the safety switch turns it off. We had to change to a Honda PURE SINE WAVE Invertor type of generator, and now we no longer have any problems.

Look us up later in the year as you travel past Noosa. We left the Mornington Peninsula to live in Noosa and would never sell up to move back.
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Reply By: Bushtracker - Monday, Mar 21, 2005 at 22:40

Monday, Mar 21, 2005 at 22:40
Hello again,
Da Lone Ranger here....

Answered the water filling at the previous Posting... Easy...

On the chemicals, you find one that is not so "whiffy" as you say... They even have some Pine smelling ones in places like K-mart... You find one that suits...

And one more tip, leave the window open in your travels, about an inch, no worries.

Happy Trails
"The Last Stand In Open Country"

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Follow Up By: TripnTaps - Wednesday, Mar 23, 2005 at 00:56

Wednesday, Mar 23, 2005 at 00:56
Hi Steve,
Curious about your tip on leaving the window (take it the en-suite) open about an inch.

On the Hay plains John was overtaking another 4WD with c'van in tow x2 and was pushing it a bit with a B double looming on the horizon (say... around 130 ks between friends) and as you do I checked in the side mirror on our BT to make sure nothing was amiss (just so I didn't have to see the speedo!!!) to see a couple of the windows that apparently hadn't been locked properly doing a good flap..... I would have thought on occassions such as this (I'm not counting .... but they do happen with hubby driving and grunt under the bonnet to spare) wouldn't the window being open be at risk in this scenario or a in a stiff wind?

Just wondering.....

Cheers
Helen

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Follow Up By: Bushtracker - Wednesday, Mar 23, 2005 at 02:59

Wednesday, Mar 23, 2005 at 02:59
Hello Helen,
Look, it could be a problem, but I have been doing it for seven or eight years... Maybe just can get away with it because the window is so small.... But, use your own judgement on the matter, and have a look at it in those conditions.... Obviously the larger window has the same frame, so the larger the window the more precarious it would be... But on the short little ensuite window, I have been getting away with it for years...

Cheers, and hope to see you at Copeton this year,
stg, the "Last Ranger"
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