hutch4113

Did a quick search on the forum, but got too many results - guessing because of Bob.... . Anyone fish there in Summer? Going to be renting a cottage there, and wanted to get some feedback on what the fishing is like. Couple of suggestions seems to point to Crow Lake (which attaches) as the better location. Anyway please feel free to post and/or PM me. Thanks. Tupe

I did not buy my RAM with the Trailer package, as I did not want the tow mirrors (just wayyyyyy to big for me). However I did get with the Hitch, and Trailer brake. One thing I really like is the built in plugs for the trailer - in particular where RAM put them. They are on top of the bumper, unlike most that put them down by where the Hitch is. I can see these plug ins lasting a long time, as they are actually somewhat protected by where they are located. I also bought it with Air Suspension, which is great when connecting a trailer - lower it down to connect - then it self levels - and I can raise it two inches if I need to.

Starting has been zero issue. I have had it plugged in (has a built in block heater). But a couple of times I did forget - so it sat overnight at -15 or so - started up first try. Generates heat pretty quick (for a diesel). When I plug it in, it is even better. With the -20, I still had heat in a couple of minutes of driving. So far I have no concerns about cold starting.

Good one...lol. That is one thing the Ward article said -- I don't think they got to test the engine with the Aluminum body. To bad they did not go all in, and use a better Transmission. The main reason the Diesel is so good - is the 8 Speed Transmission it is paired with - the two of them together is why it shines. Put it a 5 or 6 speed, and all of a sudden it is no longer as impressive. At any rate - I hate the term "eco" in anything - even the Diesel. But good for both RAM and Ford for trying something different. As for GM - I guess they will get to 2015 sometime...... (and yes that in jest - I don't really prefer one brand over the other - in fact I was anti RAM, until I test drove one).

Some interesting articles from Wards - RE: Engine Tests. 3.0 Diesel - makes the top 10 list again for 2015 -> http://wardsauto.com/wards-10-best-engines/2015-winner-ram-30l-ecodiesel-dohc-v-6 Where is the "Eco" in Boost? http://wardsauto.com/wards-10-best-engines/where-s-eco-ecoboost

I bought mine at Costco - usually get 2 in a pack. You will want another one for Blu Ray - or even for your DVD player. Lots of Tablets\Laptops have HDMI now, so helpful for that. Finally some cameras also have HDMI - same reason.

The Hemi is faster - no question. I test drove both before I bought. But it is really difficult to compare the 2, as the feel is different. The diesel feels like an unstoppable force, particularly when you catch it right. The Hemi is a beast. For that matter the Ecoboost is blast to drive to. The only thing that would make the Diesel better is a few more HP. Like the way it was described to me - Torque = Power -> HP = how fast the power is generated. If the Diesel had maybe 15 to 20 more HP ---- whoo baby. But I think the main point now - is at least there is an option, which did not exist before. It is high time it was done - and all things being equal, RAM did an excellent job - in the short term at least. Time will tell......

The thing with a boosted vehicle is the power is great - but it comes at a price. I traded in a Car that was a turbo - when I just cruised it had great mileage - but what is the fun in that? If I had the Ecoboost Truck - I know my mileage would suck, because of the way I drive. In Truth - there really is no "Eco" in the Boost - unless driving style is changed. Even the Diesel does not get the best mileage if it is driven aggressively. Case in point - the Truck I am driving now, gets about the same mileage as the Car I traded in, when comparing only City driving. It may have something to do with my acceleration from stop lights.... .

The oil change on the Diesel is expensive (Truck). It is about $200 or so, due to the amount of Oil - and it is a particular Synthetic (if you are handy, you can do it yourself for 60 to 80.00). However the Oil change is 16000K, or roughly twice a year depending on how you drive, KM's, etc. There is also DEF - but that is a requirement for all Diesel vehicles. That works out to about $20 a year. At any rate - if you tow - really anything on a regular basis the Diesel wins hands down - against all engines (until you hit the payload limit on the Truck that is.... ). I've seen almost 20MPG towing which is awesome. I like Diesel - so the price point for me was not that big of a deal. The premium when I bought was also not as big. I knew Diesel would be more expensive in the Winter - but cheaper in the Summer (tracking it - it was almost a 6 month split, so it is a wash in my mind). My break even point from fuel savings over the Hemi came out to about 4 years (ran some numbers, based on my driving patterns, KM's, etc. before I purchased). We just did a drive from Kingston to Santee SC in my Truck. 3 Guys, full load in the tailgate. We averaged 27MPG or so - with a pretty heavy foot (mileage drops - pretty much for all vehicles once you go over 100K/hr) - I would say we probably did between 120 -> 135KM/h most of the way. The compliments I got on the vehicle were great - to a tee they thought it was the most comfortable vehicle (not just truck) they had been in, and that it was a great long distance cruiser. No regrets from me on the purchase.

That is interesting. When I purchased, the Engine was only a $2600 option (somewhere around there anyway) over the Hemi. Price has gone up some then.

I will be trying other gas fitters next. I have also sent a request to TSSA for clarification - will probably call them tomorrow to escalate. Right now looks like my $1200 water tank install, is going to be more like $2200 by the time I am finished.

Ya....The more I read, the more I see Reliance does not have a great track record. Never picked them - but when we bought the house, that is who the tank was rented from (had no idea that is how it worked - first home and all...lol). It is Natural Gas.

That is what I think might be the issue - from what I can tell though, the "room" that houses the Furnace/Water Heater is large enough, and has enough combustion air to support the Water Heater.

There is a door, that opens into the Bathroom. It is a sliding door - open it one way, gives access to the Furnace. Open the other way, it is the Water Heater. Both doors stay closed when in general operation - only opened when maintenance is required, etc.

That was one of my thoughts, as I can install a grill, that opens out into a different room. Right now I am not sure if it is combustion air that is the problem or not - neither technician could tell me why - other than it is against code....that makes me wonder.

Wondering if anyone can assist, or direct me the right location. The basics - we just finished our basement. Did it the right way, which involved a building permit, inspections, etc. Part of the discussion implemented by US was what to do with the Water Heater and Furnace, as we wanted to enclose them, adjacent to where the bathroom would be. For the Furnace, we replaced with a Direct Vent - and for both replaced the black PVC with White PVC. The enclousure for these units does open to the Bathroom, via a set of sliding doors. This was all documented on our building drawings, permits, and inspected. Fast forward a year after this all being done, the Original Power Vented tank is leaking. So I called Reliance for a support call, and replacement. Technician arrives, and after taking a look says the PV unit must be replaced with a Direct Vent as per "Code" - which of course requires opening up ceilings/walls in our newly finished bathroom. Saying "No" I went to Lowes and purchased a new Tank, and their install service. Technician arrived today - and pretty much said the same thing (though he seems to be more competent - thinks he can do it without damaging anything). What I don't understand is how we went through 3 inspections - from Studs to finished product - made the necessary changes to our HVAC - and somehow I cannot get a tech to just replace the PV Water Tank, which passed inspection. What I think the issue is - is with understanding this part of Gas Code: "7.26.1 A water heater, unless of the direct-vent type, shall not be installed in a bathroom, bedroom, or any enclosure where sleeping accommodation is provided." That is what I have seen quoted on some Gas sites - just the one line above. However -> "A power vent water heater may be installed in an enclosure adjacent to a bedroom or bathroom provided adequate combustion air per clause 8.2.6 is provided to the enclosure. This combustion air supply shall not be supplied from the bedroom or bathroom. A natural draft water heater may be installed in an enclosure that is accessed by a pedestrian door which can be opened from a bathroom or bedroom, provided that the enclosure has a volume equal to or greater than the bathroom or bedroom." Looking online (tssa.org) there is more to it (the above second set of qutoes) - and from my understanding a Power Vent is fine, as long as there is enough Combustion Air. Since the Furnace is Direct Vent - it does not factor into BTU calculations for the space. More frustrated than anything - we did all the right things - asked the right questions - and did all the necessary hard stuff before putting walls up, but it doesn't seem to matter. Thoughts/Comments?

Ya...Doug brought Bananas...he almost got thrown over - but he hadn't given me gas money yet.

So - how did you do? We got skunked. In the water at 9AM (ish) and out at 3. Casting, trolling. Tried buzzbaits, cranks, deep cranks...nothing. We may have marked some fish - right on the bottom.

We are trying Balsam. We can compare notes after...lol. I am not sure on cold water myself, but figured a little slower - but will see what happens.

It will all depend on what you want, and how savy you are RE: technology. The Ipad - just works. Very intuitive, and easy to pick up. Having said that I am not an Apple guy - reason for that is the way they lock down adapters, etc. - have to purchase Apple if you want it to work right. I have two tablets -> last year bought a Nexus 7. This year bought a Galaxy Tab S. Right now the Tab S is the best screen - hands down. It also works great with any other Samsung product you may have - phone, TV (if it is a Smart TV), etc. Another brand to consider is ASUS - they have a very good reputation for all of their products. They are built nice, last a long time, and good value for money. I would recommend set a budget - and then look at the Tablets available in that range.

As many have mentioned, it will greatly depend on the launch you are using - and the size of the boat/weight. Case in point - I have a new Truck - 4 x 4, etc. and have yet to need the 4 x 4. But I have also been launching at well maintained boat launches, where the rear wheels (and/or front) can gain traction. One thing in your search for vehicles. I was towing my Promag 182 Smokercraft with a 2010 Hyundai Veracruz AWD. It would tow it fine, but as I gained experience came to understand that it was not an optimal tow vehicle, for the boat I purchased. It would have been fine for the 16 footer I thought I was going to buy - but the extra 2 feet - not to mention the 8 foot beam changed the equation. So along with the RWD/AWD question - you should also consider weight of what you want to buy - both dry and wet for the boat - but also Tongue weight. There were a couple of launches that were difficult, as the hitch/tongue were low to the ground - and the spare on the trailer would get hung up, as it would hit/drag. The vehicle did not have enough in the backend to hold the tongue up level. I now have a Truck - and it is very noticeable the difference in towing.

I saw that one after I posted. Not sure I can get it though - it is a US mail in rebate, which brings the price down to 799.00. Trying to get more details on it, but it looks like they send you an American Express pre-paid card - going to guess if you don't have a US address, it won't work. Still investigating....

Can you PM me - or post where you are finding that price? Best I can find is $999.00. I want to get one of these, and Body only would be fine, as it is compatible with my current Lenses.

More from my experiments with Adobe Lightroom. Again these were taken with a Canon Rebel T1i - slightly modified with Lightroom. Shots from Banff & Jasper National Park: (Bonus Elk in the Shot) Around Lillolet/Lytton Whistler/Blackcomb Shannon Falls/Squamish

Recently purchased Adobe Lightroom - trying it out as an editing tool on some pictures. These were all taken with a Canon Rebel T1i. Very basic editing - light points (White/Black) and then some vibrancy/clarity/saturation. Tried to keep the pictures "Natural" looking. Tell me what you think: Grey Jay/Whiskey Jack Ducks!!! Butterfly's: Frog - what you lookin at Dolphins (rescued - can see damage to fins) at Vancouver Aquarium. Bird (can't remember what kind this was). Elk - Buck: Elk - Femaile and Baby: