Bad Timing! Preparing our RV Crossing into Canada (internet, food, pets, bear spray)

[@FMTFXE22]

It’s the receptacle. The copper contacts on the receptacle are probably out of position in relation to your blade, so it’s causing arching.

[@stanmarion550]

Regarding your power plug that got burned, it's highly likely that the pedestal receptacle was already burned and created a poor connection to your plug. I suggest using Dielectric grease on you plug prongs, pushing in and pulling out a few times when you connect to a pedestal. This will partially clean the connections and hopefully make a better connection.

[@IreneIronTravels]

Good to know! Thanks for the tip!

[@lindsaywhite4502]

​@@IreneIronTravels I'm pretty sure it's the surge protector circuit in the watchdog. They don't last forever.

[@kenhelmers2603]

Too funny! You two are so great to watch. Thanks for sharing

[@jwaytwells]

Regarding the fried 30 amp adapter. As oxidation builds up, this adds resistance to the equation. As the resistance increases, the voltage decreases. That means the amps must increase to maintain the load (watts). This produces heat, which tends to grow worse geometrically because the heat produces more oxidation, which creates more resistance. I now use a product called Deoxit contact cleaner. I've plugged into a pedestal and seen a voltage of 107. After spraying both the plug and the outlet, the voltage was around 120 volts. This doesn't work if it is fried, so I have to spray regularly.

[@IreneIronTravels]

Thanks for that info! It's always good to hear other people's tips and tricks for RVing.

[@AJGUNNER]

Hope you HAD/HAVE fun, we are a nice bunch, and CANADA is Gods gift to the Planet.

[@IreneIronTravels]

Thank you!

[@ShawnPatterson402]

Hopefully your border crossing was just fine. I did lose 9 eggs at our last crossing "canada to US" a few weeks ago. Thought I was up to speed on what was and was not permissable to cross with, but I guess I wasn't. No inspection thankfully (nothing to hide but it can be time consuming), but did have to change breakfast plans for the next morning.. That burnt electrical plug is a lot more scary. Continued safe travels.....

[@jvillez9105]

When you plug into pedestal check to make sure it is tight. They get over used and wear out. I sometimes switch to the 50 amp adapter if thirty is bad. I have even had a park replace the plug it was so bad. Burnt up a plug once now I always am checking to see if it’s good.

[@TravelSmallLiveBig]

A tour sounds like a decent way to go! I would have never thought of that, but yikes the planning is so insanely time consuming. I like the meat inventory & info on the packaging. I might have taken those slightly used pickles...

[@IreneIronTravels]

Yes, it's a fun way to travel for sure! Get your pickles here....slightly used pickles!

[@johnrork2467]

Starlink is silly easy. We leave the router plugged in by our bed and slip about 2’ of cable inside the slide out gasket. A flagpole buddy on the ladder and in 5 minutes max we have our starlink up and running and ZERO need to climb on the roof.

[@JamesC-df6px]

We have had this same issue with burned prongs on our 30a plug. It is almost always a bad / worn outlet with a loose connection on the pedestal.

[@carmancloud]

I am such a lazy planner - I basically just pick a direction and go. I briefly freaked out in the Yukon Territory when my map didn’t connect but I just reminded myself that we used to drive without maps all the time. I opened up my compass and just winged it. Honestly, it was a lot of fun!

[@IreneIronTravels]

That's the best way to travel! Planning takes soooo much time!!!

[@carmancloud]

@@IreneIronTravelsOne of the advantages of a small rig is I can have that luxery. I sure am jealous of your kitchen though!!!!

[@lallen4245]

Pickles are OK to cross the border. We checked about bear spray and it’s also fine to cross both ways but pepper spray is not. Pretty much we take no fruit, no veggies.

[@KerazieValerie]

We mounted our starlink on the roof and used it while traveling.... but it's the latest one and different. But worked fantastic on covering dead zones while traveling to Arizona.

[@tractorbob2745]

Get the rubber caps to protect the Starlink cable ends. If it you get them in the dirt they're toast. I never unplug the dish end of the cord, I just unplug the router from the 120v, then unplug that end of the cable, wind it up and throw the dish on the bed for travel. For mounting, I use a Flagpole Buddy that's lets you get it up on the roof without climbing the ladder.

[@IreneIronTravels]

Great idea, thanks for the tip!

[@redforeman-404]

I have the opposite problem with the power post. I have a 30A camper and it seems half the 30A sockets on the post are either burnt up or have weak breakers that trip too soon. If the post has 50A I will automatically use a dogbone before plugging directly into a sketchy 30A socket.

[@dalehunt1383]

The outlet at the park is worn out. Too many in and outs.......if there can be...😉

[@jcontonio]

We converted our Starlink to run on 12v with a Yaosheng up converter hooked to our own router (Peplink). Everything is permanently installed except for the Dishy. Makes it a little easier to use / setup.

[@IreneIronTravels]

Nice! The next gen 2 Insty Connect will also pair with Starlink...... I might have to try that one out. Thanks!!

[@davidgrittmann2144]

I have no plans on going to canada any time soon, and yet, here I am, mentally doing a full inventory of what's in my fridge and freezer.....

[@IreneIronTravels]

You can't be TOO prepared right!!!??

[@Rtd_astro]

Love Mt Dessert island, bar harbor, Winter harbor has a nice rv site on the peninsula, darkest night skies I even was under

[@danrodgers6762]

Ell it now end of season up here in southern Ontario.I am just about a half an hour from Niagara Falls . Hope you enjoyed visiting our country and were well treated

[@IreneIronTravels]

We sure did! Thanks for the warm welcome!

[@davidoverholt251]

Well, back up power pins for the RV!!!

[@grayfox9911]

I hope you had a good time in Canada. I've never been there either. I'd like to go someday.... Take care!

[@IreneIronTravels]

You should! Thank you!!!!

[@Its_ashleyirene]

The way I cackled at “adult toy “ lol

[@IreneIronTravels]

Ha! It was VERY unexpected!!!

[@buzzward812]

Why do you remove the cable from the dish end? Much easier to disconnect it from the router end.

[@chrisdenning9816]

Going in to Canada in the early 70’s was easy, but coming back into the US, in a VW bus, was a little tougher. There was an inspection. All good. Hope you had fun. Thanks

[@IreneIronTravels]

Oh wow!

[@chrisdenning9816]

@@IreneIronTravels it would be great to meet you if you make it to SW Arizona.

[@bobmiller9058]

just seeing this mid october, We were in Canada just after you got there. Went to Nova Scotia, The magdelline islands and Prince Edward Island, the Sagueney River and Quebec. Loved every minute Toured via a large ship.

[@davidoverholt251]

Chris, you need a great raincoat, and slacks, and boots if you are going up and through Canada, and into Alaska!

[@SEANRMZ]

Hope u guys enjoy Canada. For the SL, I leave my dish extension always plugged, wrap the extension when traveling. SL, also changed there service to in motion for the gen 2 and 3. So mount your dishy to the top of the rv and now you can use it on the go. I would try to bump down the Mplus2 to 25amps on a 30amp supply. I even bring it down 20amps. You never really know with the camp ground grid. sean from Montreal

[@IreneIronTravels]

Thanks for all the great tips, Sean!

[@RyanMDoyle]

Not sure why Americans are soooo afraid of Canada.

[@jstan2588]

+1 dielectric grease

[@Malember]

Good catch on getting the lighter DJI batteries for your drone. On the plus side, you are also now set up for many parts of the world (as the 250g limit is widely used), including most of Europe. Tip: Remember local insurance requirements may still be needed. On the minus side, the lighter battery means slightly shorter flight times, and you could also practice in different wind conditions if you wanted to, as the drones' weight is one of many factors that can affect how it flies. Have fun!

[@1957ShutterBug]

In addition to insurance regs, there are certification requirements to research. In Canada, non citizens have to pass written & practical tests prior to flight ops. That applies to drones of all sizes flown first any purpose including recreational. If flying commercially in Canada, US pilots must provide a copy of their 107 ticket.

[@norm4907]

I believe if you have a 50A entrance it feeds 120v on each leg. Thirty feeds only one leg which may be overheating. Check out Todd’s Tech Tuesdays.

[@camrodger8638]

We have a Husky watertight container from Home Depot that fits the Starlink perfectly. The box is red, and the cover is clear. We leave the cable attached to the antenna, and a cable end protector on the other end. The connector cover is from Amazon and is dirt cheap. The connectors are the most fragile part of the entire system. We cross the border several times a year, and have received more grief from the American customs than the Canadian customs officers. We attempt to cross with as little food as possible, and purchase the food on the other side. British Columbia is the most beautiful part of Canada, especially northern BC and Vancouver Island. Cross back to the US from Victoria to Port Angeles, WA and down the Washington/Oregon coast. Have a wonderful trip.

[@IreneIronTravels]

Thanks for the info!!

[@Mudbug2000]

Oh my goodness!!! Geez no frigging way. Lived in Seattle for one year on temp assignment-Crossed border, had a meal-drove back. That was enough for me-too close not to do it before I left! Check that box!😂

[@olebloom1641]

As a high school kid my friends and I ended up going to Canada by accident. Snowmobiling across Lake Superior when a whiteout sprung up and we turned left instead of going straight and bingo Canada. lol. Decades ago and no one cared.

[@ipcamper9940]

Aaron, at least it was the adapter that got charred, and not your main cable. Twice, I have hooked up to a 30A receptacle, to find that the receptacle was loose and the power would flicker if the cable was jigged. I am guessing that receptacle was worn out and not making good contact with the plug.

[@IreneIronTravels]

Oh yeah! The main cord are expensive to replace too!! I do make sure the plug sits tight in the receptacle....but sometimes they move!

[@danrambow7721]

If RV Parks have low power (voltage in the 106-112 range) which we have seen plenty of, keeping wattage constant, the amps you are drawing to increase. Simple Ohms Law calculation. So even if you think you are pulling less than 30 amps, you may not be, which can cause charring in those 30amp rated plugs and power poles. And you are right, when everyone in the park is running a/c, the park power can go down. Just another thing to watch when living in an RV.

[@IreneIronTravels]

Yes, you are right, we have seen some low voltage parks!

[@biggarfish]

I’ve read that you can bring bear spray across if you say you have it for protection from wildlife.

[@IreneIronTravels]

Yes, it looks like bear spray is ok. We were just trying to say no to all the questions at the border! Ha ha!

[@buzzward812]

The 30 amp plug was probably overheated because the contacts in the electrical panel were worn out and not firmly making contact with your plug. Hence, the poor electrical contact resulted in heat burning your plug. That’s a pretty common occurrence in camp grounds.

[@IreneIronTravels]

Thanks for that insight! I’ll be sure to take a closer look at the contacts.

[@jydr2461]

What tonneau cover do you have on your truck?

[@theman9491]

I would bet your 30 amp fried plug is due to a faulty pedestal receptacle. This can cause a sneak current that may or may not surge past the protection and fry various components down line. Imagine enough little micro lighting strikes to melt the plug around the blade. I would keep an eye on your electrical system.

[@davidnestico932]

We like Fantasy RV Tours. Expensive, but they take care of everything. I’d like to know how you like them

[@okinawadonkichi]

In-Motion is now included in the Roam package. In case you didn't know!

[@IreneIronTravels]

Oh wow! Is that new? I'll give it to them for always improving...... ( and raising the price...lol)

[@okinawadonkichi]

Yes, they added it a month or two ago! And yeah, the pricing is a bit steep. But then I just remember what HughesNet charges and used to charge and I am good.👍

[@IreneIronTravels]

@okinawadonkichi that’s good to know! If I had Starlink permanently mounted and setup… we’d probably use it more when needed!

[@snowbirdlady7221]

Bear spray is OK. The strangest thing I was asked after exiting the ferry onto Vancouver Island was "are you meeting anyone?" Solo female traveler here. She asked me this 4 different times in between asking other questions. Plus, asked me once if I was visiting family or friends. No, no, no, no, no. I think she was in training.....

[@franklohr3345]

We were allowed to have bear spray, but not pepper spray.

[@davidoverholt251]

Well, I am thinking for emergencies in your travels, a Satelite Phone (for emergencies) is a consideration!

[@MaryCummingsSinko]

We cross into the United States very frequently...we can't bring the same items that you're talking about into the States..fresh eggs, fresh chicken are no nos right now...

[@IreneIronTravels]

Oh yeah! It's always a bummer to have to ditch things at the border.

[@missouritravelers]

Back when i was in the service a carload of us went to canada all we needed was our military id 46 years ago the only thing i remember was being at the boarder check point early the next day we were told please dont return to canada we had alot of explaining to the first shirt

[@davidoverholt251]

Yep, I am happy you two are happy, but I think they still have hard maps or hard map Atlas for sale! I would not be going into another Country without a good map! Just saying that Canada is beautiful, but crossing the border to and fro!

[@IreneIronTravels]

Hard maps are a good idea!!!! Thanks!!

[@brucegustafson6943]

I can’t believe being from Minnesota that you never went up over the border to Canada. Enjoy Canada!

[@IreneIronTravels]

I know! And I went to school in Ely!

[@donaldpouliot167]

Hmmm, surprised to hear your Verizon would not work in Canada ours did no problem. I caught that you had TMobile phones maybe that was the issue with the Verizon router?

[@IreneIronTravels]

We have an older Verizon data only unlimited plan that didn't work at all in Canada. I read Verizon phones can work... and maybe newer data plan...??

[@tedbolles]

Well it is a combination of cheap connectors, poor outlets,loose or just worn out , low voltage and hi amp draw,plugs need to be clean and tight,most the campground I've been in the plugs almost fall out of the outlet.

[@brianshackett5753]

Were you folks in Wells South Dakota on 10/14/24? Brian

[@stever6986]

You mentioned that you haven't used your Starlink in a while (I know you use InstyConnect, as I do and I love it!), but it also doesn't appear, based on your videos, that you've used your generator much since you purchased it. I'm curious if you have used it much and if you have any report on the longevity/reliability of the brand you purchased? I'm interested because I saw your original video about it and its one of the only dual-fuel generators with remote start, but I can't find much info about the operating history of that particular brand of generator and I'm also not sure how long they've been producing that model (or small generators in general).

[@IreneIronTravels]

We specifically got the generator for the 2 weeks of boondocking in late summer Texas while filming RV Unplugged for the dogs. We really didn’t use much it at all after that and which is horrible for generators of course! So after a year it didn’t start… but it turned out to be a sticky carb spring which after lubing it fired right up. So I think it’s a good gen for the price and features it has. So we re homed it to someone that would use it.

[@stever6986]

@@IreneIronTravels Thanks!

[@lordTowle]

probably the park plug was not tight on your plug.

[@IreneIronTravels]

It could have juggled loose for sure....we were there for 3 weeks.... But I do make sure they plug sits tight at first! Thanks!!!

[@joshlindsay2639]

Yeah…. When it becomes super hard to recycle or dispose of certain things, the trash can it is.

[@RyanMDoyle]

Another neat trick is to tell the border services agent you have pepper spray but had no safe way to dispose of it. They will take it from you and dispose of it. If you hide the fact that you bring something like pepper spray or other prohibited weapons, then you're into trouble.

[@twisterbret]

OMG close the frig door!! lol

[@IreneIronTravels]

Ha ha! I remember hearing that a million times as a kid!!

[@johnthorpe6333]

Well Chris I would have taken the pickles. But then again, I know KZbin you. 😁

[@IreneIronTravels]

Ha ha! Yes, someone probably would have taken them from her!

[@floridastate4604]

dont you guys get home sick after being OTR for all those months , after 2 month i gotta get home

[@IreneIronTravels]

I hear ya! It takes us about 12 months. 😊

[@donaldlajeunesse1455]

Wow three months ago???

[@IreneIronTravels]

Yup! Filming a 5000 mile 5 month trip from Key's to Canada will do that to ya! Thanks for watching!

[@rosatraveller3874]

👍🏻

[@jmichaelmalone]

There’s a market for recycled Adult Toys? Who knew? 😊

[@IreneIronTravels]

Ha ha ha ba ha!!!

[@lindasteller]

I'd have zero kg of meat. I'm vegan. I'll be going to Canada on my way to Alaska next year.

[@IreneIronTravels]

Awesome, sounds like a great trip planed!

[@tomeggert1693]

Whenever you're pulling a continuous load you can only use 80% so that would mean you should limit your amps to 24.

[@IreneIronTravels]

Yes good point! I have heard of that rule. The Victron Multiplus inverter also does a percentage of it.... so it doesn't quite do the full amount you set it to.

[@californiahikingadventures2249]

Get rid of bear spray? Just find a really aggressive bear 🤷

[@danrandall794]

Ready, set----GO. Always remember to follow all the rules when you are in a foreign country. I tried when I went to Canada and failed. After I crossed the border there was a billboard that said drink Canada dry. I gave it my best shot but didn't get it done. Sorry, old joke. I remember years ago in Calgary they were in the hockey playoffs and Calgary ran out of beer. Enjoy your trip and looking forward to watching.

[@IreneIronTravels]

Ah haha Dan! Good one!

[@DavidUpton-l8b]

I think Canada uses 347v service instead of US 120v / 240v. Posting this before the end of the video, but how did you cope with this? Some kind of transformer?

[@IreneIronTravels]

It was all 120v that we saw up there. But their grids were very weak in remote areas and we saw as low as 105v!!

[@lawrenceconstantine7735]

It's not worth a comment.

[@PhilMarshall-b4k]

What a pain in ass. The hell with Canada!

[@RyanMDoyle]

Perfect.

[@seancasey2444]

You guys are like 4 months behind we're in the middle of October and this video is in the beginning of July you guys are falling way behind.

[@gzone11ify]

To be safer, having a buffer of a time-lapse between videos is the way to go. Lots of crazies out there....

[@IreneIronTravels]

Yup! Filming a 5000 mile 5 month trip from Key's to Canada will do that to ya! Thanks for watching!

[@bertkelly7650]

Star link aside. The hell with Elon.

[@wizardpain2737]

Goodness, Harris donations for advertising? Gimme a break.

[@christopherberthiaume914]

Why bother going to Canada? I can't think of any good reason.

[@Rick-x8h]

I wonder if Canadian rv folks have to go through all the crap we do. We’ve been rv’ing almost 30 years part time but I trucked over the road for 39 years. I spent lots of time in all of Canada. No more. Hate to be rude but I hate Canada with a passion. I don’t get why they want to rv in the continental U.S. .