Low Tech RVing

Chinese Generator Shopping?

2008-01-16T14:02:00.001-08:00

With the huge influx of Asian made generators, there's plenty of questions about acquisition, care, and feeding of these little guys. Check out a good source pointed to in our sister blog, RV Boondocking

Wire Connectors--We'll Pass on the Nuts

2008-01-09T10:04:00.001-08:00

If you have an RV and 'fix it yourself,' then you know electrical fixes are a part of life. And of electrical work, putting wires together--making connections--is probably the most common of activities. How do you join your wires?

Unacquainted with the stresses that work on RVs, some unknowingly twist wires together, slap a little electrical tape over the connection and blissfully head off down the road. A little vibration, a little moisture, and that "fix" will soon come apart--possibly with disastrous consequences. Others take a step farther: After twisting the connection together they add a "wire nut," which technically is a trademark name for a "twist on wire connector," although across the pond you'll find such connectors sold under the name "Scru-It." Hey, I don't make the names up, I just report 'em.

In any event, personal experience and advice from professional techs often points up that 'twist on wire connectors' often don't hold up to the rigors of the shaking and baking that an RV puts them to. We've had them fall off, burn out, or otherwise give up the ghost.

What's to be done? Our vote goes to crimp connectors. These are dandy devices, made to join solid or stranded wire to itself, or set up to connect to screws via various forms. In our illustration here, they're refereed to as solderless insulated lugs. In practice, you simply strip the insulation back to the proper length, insert it up into the connector, and crimp the connector tight over the wire. These are virtually flawless connectors, and resist the usual problems in RV wiring systems of vibration, and extremes in temperature.

The problem is when users try to crimp with something other than the proper crimp tool. A pair of pliers, a linesman's tool, a hammer, vice grips--these tools aren't designed to properly crimp a crimp connector, and they will often "part ways" after being connected. Even a cheap crimp tool is better than using an "alternative" tool. But if you really want to splurge, then check out fancy ratcheting crimp tool. Easy on the hands, these characters crimp with uniformity each and every time. They aren't cheap--here's a set that runs almost $80. I'll be sticking with my $5.00 pair for a long time, but whatever fits your pocketbook will go a long way to making solid, dependable electrical connections.

By the way, here's an excellent book on RV electrical work, Managing 12 Volts available through the RV bookstore. Learn all about your RVs 12-volt electrical system including how to upgrade and operate it and troubleshoot problems.

Lug" illustration, courtesy svconline.com

Emergency Repairs: Go a Step Beyond Duct Tape

2008-01-04T15:32:00.000-08:00

We know we may be stepping onto hallowed ground: RVers love their duct tape. It's the greatest thing for on the fly repairs of all kinds. But we found something that you may want to add to your tape deck, if you'll allow it: It's called Waterproofing Repair Tape, made by Nashua, one of the big duct tape producers.

This stuff claims it's so good that it'll stick to almost anything, and it'll do it even underwater. Well, we haven't tried the underwater claim yet, but it is pretty sticky, and it is certainly durable. It goes beyond duct tape in that it's outside cover isn't the venerable gray stuff, but rather silvery metallic, reminiscent of "silver tape" used on fiberglass ducts. There's a backing strip to protect the "business end" of the matter, a butyl sealing adhesive.

We found our "visiting" travel trailer was oozing a bit of a leak through a sidewall. The weather was typically Northwest Winter: Cold, miserable rain, compounded with high winds. No time (or tools) to remove the suspect water heater or the alternative villain, a kaput marker light. Instead, we removed the marker light, tucked the connecting wires back in the sidewall, and cut off a chunk of the Nashua stuff. After rubbing it down well, we'll let it sit out the winter until the weather clears and we can do a "real" repair.

To work around the suspected dried out putty tape around the heater, we cut appropriate lengths of repair tape, pulled the backing off, and wrapped a shield around the outer edges of the water heater. Here some clown had apparently used a silicon containing caulk, which admittedly made the tape have much harder time sticking. We did a double row of repair tape here, and we'll see how it all holds up.

While the repair areas were wet, we decided to take no chances and cautiously wiped the areas down with a dry rag to clear dirt and excess moisture. Time will tell, but we suspect the outer shell of this tape will hold up much better than plain old duct tape.

One are we found the new tape wouldn't stick? Up on the metal roof, around a roof vent. Too much moss, perhaps, but the tape just wouldn't cut it. We opted for a special sealant to chase away the rain.

You'll find Nashua Waterproofing Repair Tape at most of the big box hardware stores in the duct tape row.

Brrr! Take the Chill Out of RV Windows

2007-12-26T10:50:00.000-08:00

When my feet hit the deck this morning in the old RV I knew something was decidedly wrong. Even with a bit of nueropathy, my sensors indicated that this was one COLD Arizona morning. The recording thermometer confirmed it: 24 degrees in Quartzsite. Yes folks, it does sometimes get a wee bit on the chilly side, even in this RV nirvana.

Part of the chill factor is that old problem of "single glazed" RV windows. Sure, some manufacturers include "storm windows" on their rigs, but by far, most of us just have that single sheet of clear stuff between us and the outside world. What's to do if you've got too much cold coming through the glass? Add your own "storm window" with shrink-fit window insulation. You can buy this stuff at nearly any hardware store or home center.

Besides the window insulation kit you'll also need scissors and a blow dryer. Some RVers say that they use an electric space heater to "shrink" the plastic into place. If you try that trick, start at a considerable distance away from the plastic lest you find the source too hot and burn a hole in your plastic, rather than shrinking it into place.

Here's a little video that shows you the basic principles of installing the stuff. However, instead of sticking the sticky tape away from the window, most of us can stick it directly to the window unit itself. You may need to "work around" problems like window cranks. We might add too, that the video makes it appear that there's a lot of left over wrinkles in the finished product. We're not sure if that's an illusion, or if our "installer" just didn't work long enough on getting the wrinkles out. With effort, your final product will be flat, tight, and highly viewable.

Does This Little Piggy Go "Boom!"?

2007-12-17T18:18:00.000-08:00

It was one of those unfortunate incidents: Somehow the male of the species had let both of the LP cylinders run out--on a cold night--after the LP supplier was closed. The one gallon barbeque tank was about empty--no hope there. Finally, by stretching his imagination (and finding a suitable "height adjuster") the miscreant male managed a house-warming thought: Steal one of the horizontal tanks off the camper and buy time.
After building up to proper height and stretching the LP "pigtail" hose that runs from the regulator down to the tank, it seemed a good idea to "sniff" for an LP leak, since that old pigtail really had to stretch to reach. "BEEEEEEP!" chided the LP leak detector. Sho 'nuf, those old, age-hardened pig tails were both a bit on the leaky side.

What's to do? Pig tails are by nature, time sensitive. Think of it in terms of tires: They may still "look good" but not hold the pressure. Has it been a while since you replaced your LP pig tails? It's an inexpensive and not-too-difficult a fix. A trip down to your RV supplier will fix you up for parts in short order. But what do you want on the "tank" end of the pig tail? With those new "OPD" gas valves, many think that the new "Acme" fittings that spin on the outside thread of the tank valve are just what the doctor ordered. Use your gas sniffer (we think that's best) or soap n dish soap solution to check out the leak-free-ness of your tails. If in doubt, toss the old ones out.

Well, a lot of LP suppliers are having second thoughts. Those new Acme fittings may not be all they're cracked up to be. As we reported last January, some dealers say the Acmes just don't seem to last too long. Our new pig tails came equipped with the "old school" POL fitting (screws into the valve, counter-clockwise) and a quick "handwheel" that allows us to stick it on the tank and tighten it up without a wrench.

The actual changeout is easy: An appropriate size end-wrench will quickly remove the pigtail from the regulator--it threads in the conventional way. Thread on the new fitting and torque it down snug (use a backup wrench on the regulator side to ensure fitness). A pair of 16" pigtails with fittings set us back less than $20. At the price of LP these days, even a little leak can run up a bill in a hurry, not to mention endangering safety if the gas goes where it shouldn't.

Pictured is a new "capped" POL fitting with the dealer supplied hand-wheel.

RV Builder Pumps Tires With Nitrogen--Should You?

2007-12-07T10:38:00.000-08:00

It's a heady season for RV manufacturers: The great Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) trade show is on in Louisville, and everybody wants to show off their stuff. Enter Dutchmen, the maker of fifth wheels and travel trailers by the same name. What's new in the Wooden Shoe? Nitrogen in your tires.

If you remember high school chemistry, you may remember our friend nitrogen, the gas that makes up the majority of earth's atmosphere. While 'plain old air' has been used for years to fill tires, the wrinkle a few years back was to fill tires subjected to a lot of stress with nitrogen. Think race car tires, jet aircraft, etcetera. Why nitrogen?

Plain old "air" molecules are about four times smaller than nitrogen. Because of that, rubber tires slowly "leak" air because the rubber is a bit permeable--the air slowly works its way through the tire pores, if you will. Since the nitrogen molecules are so much bigger, tires tend to lose pressure far more slowly. As a result, the tires run cooler and get better fuel economy. Sounds like "N-inflation" is a shoe in? Hang on, might it lead to a false sense of security? If you don't check your tire pressure as often, will you likewise fail to look your tires over for damage?

Tire permeation isn't the only reducer of tire pressure. Witness a statement from tire maker Michelin, "The existence of several other possible sources of leaks (tire/rim interface, valve, valve/rim interface and the wheel) prevents the guarantee of better pressure maintenance for individuals using nitrogen inflation." The company does not recommend nitrogen inflation, except, "in a high risk environment and/or when the user wants to reduce the consequences of a potential abnormal overheating of the tire-wheel assembly (for example in some aircraft applications)."

Notwithstanding, economics may come into play. A nitrogen tire "fill up," can cost you as much as $10 each. If you're somewhere where nitrogen is unavailable and have a low tire, you can "top off" the tire with ordinary air. But later you'll be advised to have the tire bled out and refilled with nitrogen.

Fluorescent Lights Not So Bright?

2007-12-04T08:13:00.000-08:00

An RVer who was hooked up to shore power reported a sudden "dimness" in his fluorescent lights. Then a short time later, they simply failed to turn on. Meantime, his incandescent lamps were shining away brilliantly. At first he wondered if it might be a ballast or tube issue, but since the problem was afflicting ALL his fluorescent fixtures, he knew something more had to be going on.

Well, RV Tech Detectives, what do you think?

A little probing with a voltmeter on this issue soon pointed out the source of the mystery. Since fluorescents can be adversely affected by a.c. "ripple current," you may find your "flowers" to be wired directly to the house battery. In this case, the house battery bank was 'on it's way out,' and registered less than 9 volts--far below the needed start-up voltage for a fluorescent fixture. The incandescent lighting circuit, however, was drawing plenty of power from the RV power converter and still giving effective light. But switching off the power converter left everything in a grave dimness.

Prescription? Replace that house battery bank!

Alternative Light Bulbs

2007-12-03T11:10:00.000-08:00

Nearly all of us hassle with the issues of RV interior lighting. The typical "incandescent" bulb is a power hog, and not always the most pleasant thing to try and read with. Fluorescent fixtures are much less "expensive" to feed in terms of how much power they use--a real plus for the boondocking set, however they are expensive to purchase.

Some have tried going to halogen bulbs for their reading lights. Halogens put out a pretty fair amount of light--more than than the same "size" and power consumption xenon bulb. However, a xenon bulb will last a whale of a lot longer than the equivalent halogen bulb.

If you do decide to go the halogen bulb route, take care when handling these bulbs. Back in another life, the male specie of this blog team was a movie house projectionist. Our big machines used halogen projector lamps, and replacing them required donning cotton gloves. It seems finger grease causes hot spots to develop on the glass portion of the bulbs, and premature failure is an almost certain result. When handling a halogen bulb, wear cotton gloves or use a CLEAN rag.

What about LED bulbs? They hold a lot of promise: Far less power consumption for the equivalent amount of light. But the problem many RVers report is this: They seem to be extremely sensitive to over-voltage situations and will burn out easily. Since battery charging is inherent in the life of an RVer, higher voltages can be present, and often create all kinds of grief.

Many RVers say they've had good (inexpensive) experiences purchasing xenon and halogen bulbs on eBay. Be careful and check out any potential seller's record before purchasing, and be sure to read the fine print--particularly information on how much you'll spend on "shipping and handling" charges.

Photo: greg westfall on flickr.com

Take Care With Your RV Generator

2007-11-28T10:52:00.000-08:00

Got a "built in" RV generator? Don't have to "plug and unplug" shore power cords when switching from shore power to the genset? Then you have an ATS (automatic transfer switch). They're convenient, indeed, as the rest of us without them have to go outside, typically open a door, and plug the shore power cord into a special receptacle fed by the genset.

However, there are a couple of caveats you need to be aware of: An ATS is not a "perfect" device, and problems can occur. Here's a good rule when firing up the generator when using an ATS. In fact, this is a good rule when firing up any RV generator, ATS or not: Reduce power consumption before firing up the generator. That means, make sure the air conditioner, the microwave oven, the portable electric space heater--any of those "big draw" devices are turned off.

A big surge in electrical current can actually damage an ATS, and in some cases, the genset itself. There have been cases, too, when the ATS somehow wasn't fast enough to isolate the generator from the shore power system--with very nasty and sometimes expensive results. Take the extra moment to reduce your power consumption before you hit the start switch.

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Breathing a Little Fresh Air on Tire Longevity

2007-11-20T14:14:00.000-08:00

RVers depend on their RV tires--and they're an expensive thing to replace. We've often talked about the matter of safety and RV tires, but this time will highlight finances and what you can do to cut costs.

Industry experts, including tire-consuming fleet folks--all agree: "The largest contributing factor [to a tire's life span]," says Pat Martindale, "is air pressure. It was years ago, and it still is today." Martindale is a maintenance guru for Penske Truck Leasing, and recently gave this maxim to Light & Medium Duty Truck magazine.

Similar views are echoed by Michelin North America through their customer engineering support manager, Doug Jones. Jones says that underinflated or overinflated tires simply wear unevenly and prematurely wear out. Underinflation can lead to zipper ruptures along the sidewall that lead to rapid deflation. As little as 10 pounds "under recommended pressure" can cause an increase in tire wear of 7 to 15 percent. Overinflate that big rubber roundie and you can look to see increased wear and tear on the center of the tire tread, a stiffer ride, and a lot less forgiveness when hitting 'road hazards.'

You dually runners, listen up: Pressure between two tires in a dual set should not differ by more than 5 pounds. If the difference is bigger than that, one tire will be larger than the other, and the smaller one won't roll nor deflect as it should.

Photo: kearnj on flickr.com

Caring for Your RV Slideout

2007-11-14T13:14:00.000-08:00

How do you keep your slideout happy? A little bit of maintenance and forethought will go a long way to making sure your RV experience doesn't get unhappy when your slideout room won't slide like it should.

First, when opening or closing a slideout room, check the floor. Sand, grit, or other "foreign" substances can get under the slideout and scratch the flooring. Doesn't make Mama happy, and if she ain't happy--well, you know the rest. Likewise, before retracting the slideout, check up topside. Branches, leaves, bird nests, all manner of odd things can wind up on the outside of your slideout, even if you have a retracting slideout awning. If this "junk" gets trapped in the retraction process, you can be in a world of hurt.

Read and follow the instructions provided with your rig. Some hydraulic slide mechanism builders suggest you keep the extend/retract button pushed for a few seconds after the slide has made the full travel--somehow keeping the hydraulic system pressurized. Others simply tell you to get off the button when the room is in or out. Others are "death" on changing room movement direction unless the slideout has gone full cycle. In other words, if you're in the middle of retracting the room and change your mind, they don't want you to try and extend the room until after you've retracted it all the way.

In terms of periodic maintenance, seals certainly need to be looked after. Seals can dry out, leaving you without protection from the elements. What does your manufacturer recommend? There are some commercial nostrums available, but we'd suggest you be careful of something that contains silicone. We've been on this lectern before, silicone can dry rubber out.

What about the slide mechanism? Here's where things can get contrary. Nearly everyone agrees that slides should be lubricated regularly, it's just what lube to use is where it gets dicey. One prominent RV technician says you should never use a "wet" lube like WD-40. He feels that the lube may well attract dust and dirt to the mechanism. Others suggest using silicon sprays. Ach! Again, what's your manufacturer recommend? If you're under warranty, best to use what they call for in case you develop a problem that they'll need to fix.

Hydraulic reservoirs should be checked regularly. If they're low, you'll need to find out why. Is there a system leak? Follow the lines from the hydraulic fluid reservoir through the pump, and out to the actuating cylinders. If you need to 'filler'up' then again, be sure to use what the factory calls for. Some slideouts call for transmission fluid, others specialty hydraulic fluids. Know what you need before you pour!

Finally, this golden rule applies to ALL types of slideouts. KEEP THE BATTERY CHARGED! There's nothing more difficult than being in the middle of nowhere and having that slide refuse to go back in because your battery is low or kaput. Cranking that slideout back in by hand is a long, and slow process.

Fix Plastic Plumbing Problems--It's a Snap!

2007-11-08T14:27:00.000-08:00

It started out like a "B Grade" horror movie: Water was spotted on the floor near the shower. "Hey," says I, "Looks like we need to get a better tub mat. There's water on the floor here." Of course the reply had to be, "Not me, Big Boy. I completely towel off before I get out of the shower."

A little later that morning the disconcerting report came: "Hey! There's water squishing up from between the flooring pieces in front of the refrigerator!" A quick check revealed that we had more than a problem, Houston, we had a major plumbing leak. A closer examination revealed that the plastic fitting leading out of the water pump had cracked through, and water was making its way under the "Pergo" type flooring and squishing up wherever pressure was applied.

Our fulltime unit is a circa 1980's fifth wheel equipped with that nasty old gray plastic plumbing tubing that caused so much trouble a few years ago. Happily, a fix isn't all that difficult, and since there's so much of it out there, fittings aren't too hard to find. Maybe you can learn from our repair.

First, cut the water off--turn off the pump, or if you're connected, the 'city water' supply. While the tubing can be cut with a real sharp knife, or with a fine toothed hack saw, the best tool for the job is a PVC tubing cutter. You can pick one up at the big box hardware store for about ten bucks. Just be careful and don't get too close to the fitting like I did--some have metal sleeves inside the tubing and it'll chew the dickens out of your new tubing cutter blades in a hurry. Cut off the fitting (or open up the offending portion of tubing) squarely. If you use alternative tools, make sure you "clean up" any burrs with sandpaper.

A quick trip to Quartzsite's finest hardware store--Herb's--set me up with a new water pump elbow. Tubing replacement fittings built for the job are plastic, and a have a coupler wherever the fitting meets up with tubing. Remove the coupler, slide it down over the tubing, and shove the fitting down into the tubing with a twisting motion until it "seats" down all the way to the neck of the fitting. Now screw the coupler onto the threaded portion of the fitting and hand tighten. After you hit the "hand tightened" point, give it a little more torque--up to one-third more turn and the fitting's in place.

Turn your water pressure back on and check the job. It's a snap!

P.U. Proboscis Asks: Ammonia In My Reefer?

2007-10-31T11:23:00.000-07:00

"Dear Low Tech RVing: When I open my RV refrigerator door, I about get knocked over by a strong ammonia odor. I only use 'Simple Green' to clean my fridge. Is there a problem here?"--P.U. Proboscis"

Ah, another sad story from someone like P.U. Odors and RV refrigerators aren't uncommon, happily most are related to failure to take last month's supply of forgotten leftovers out and pitch them. Sad to say, sometimes RVers returning from a trip have actually forgotten to remove food from the traveling fridge, and after a while, the memories of the happy meals shared on the road turn into a nightmare. A good cleaning out may not always cure the problem. Some have found that commercial "pet odor" removing concoctions (found at pet stores) applied liberally to the inside of the fridge will actually remove even those "unforgettable" rotten food odors.

But the strong smell of ammonia in the RV fridge, that's another story. RV reefers don't work like the ones back home. Instead of using a compressor motor (highly energy consumptive) a combination of ammonia, hydrogen, and water is heated by a burner (or small electric element) and through the magic of science and technology, remove heat from the refrigerator box. Sadly, if the cooling system which seals this trinity of chemicals in matrimony is breached, well, all sorts of refrigerator hell break loose. If you smell the strong odor of ammonia around your RV refrigerator, its cooling unit is most likely kaput.

Kaput cooling units can be conquered with replacements, and yes, if you are very handy with tools you may be able to do-it-yourself. If you feel hesitant, most RV repair firms can do it for you. However, the consensus among RV techie types is this: If your RV refer is older than 10 years, it's probably just better to replace the whole unit as after all, other things can go gunny bag too. New refrigerators come with warranties. Not that a 12 or 14 hundred dollar payout makes you feel good. If your RV isn't moving much, i.e. you spend all your time in an RV park with available electricity, you might consider replacing the confounded chiller with a small "apartment size" refrigerator unit. Sears has them for about $350.

Photo: JasonRogers on Flickr.com

Appliance Electronic Control Boards

2007-10-22T16:12:00.000-07:00

Perhaps some of the most mysterious of RV technical issues surrounds electronically controlled appliances. 'Back in the old days,' as some of us recall, we didn't have fancy control boards on refrigerators, furnaces, and water heaters. Of course, 'back in the old days,' a lot of us had to go outside in the cold or heat to light off those selfsame appliances.

Nowadays, the trouble is, when things start getting "buggy," it can be difficult to track down the problem. Not long ago one of our 3-way refrigerators, which had been a straight-A student, suddenly went rebellious on us. Sitting on a hot parking lot just outside of Old Mexico, our refrigerator stopped being a chill box, and the threat of global warming parked itself right in the middle of our kitchen. Only by turning on the generator and resorting to "shore power," would we get any chill in the box. Gas didn't light, and DC simply knocked all the low voltage power out throughout the rig. We cut our time in the field short and headed back to base camp.

In a safe harbor with another working 'fridge available, we started down through the diagnostics process. The whole works pointed to a control board failure--or so it seemed. We contacted an RV refrigeration supplier who opined that it 'sounded like' a board too, but he couldn't really be sure without running tests on it. Too bad he was 1,500 miles away. Finally, we called the horse's mouth--or should we say, the Dinosaur's mouth.

Yep, when campfire talk comes around the appliance control board problems, the name that probably gets mentioned the most is Dinosaur. Built by a seemingly obscure company, in an equally obscure town (OK, maybe not real obscure, Lincoln City, Oregon), Dinosaur boards are the leading word in replacement control boards. The Dino-folks build replacement boards for just about every RV appliance (and generator) application there is. We called in and immediately tied into one of Dinosaur's tech fellows. After an initial discussion of the problem, the technician asked if we wouldn't mind checking a couple of things "in situ," right on the back of the refrigerator. Thanks to cell phone portability, the Dino-tech walked us through a series of tests with a digital multi-tester that soon assured us that in fact, our refrigerator control board was ready for the scrap pile.

To his credit in addition to making a suggestion for a given Dinosaur board, the technician did suggest we could try an OEM replacement board. Maybe there was a bit of tongue-in-cheek here, because the old "pudding covered" board out of the back of our 'fridge was "out of production" from the reefer maker. That's a common complaint among RVers: Seems like a lot of the control boards aren't "replaceable" with OEM boards--it's a case of "Well, we'd be happy to direct you to a dealer where you can by a new refrigerator, furnace, water heater, etc.

Bottom line: We got a new refrigerator control board, and after it was installed, everything was as happy as could be. The new DINO board even had a function our OEM didn't have--the ability to fine-tune how "cold" or "warm" we wanted our refrig to run. Our advice? Got a board problem? Contact the Dinosaur folks without delay. Dinosaur Electronics can be reached by phone at 541-994-4344 8 am-5 pm Monday through Friday, Pacific time. They also maintain a web-based "customer help form," where you can enter and e-mail technical help requests.

"Folgers" P-Trap Solution May Help Tank Stink

2007-10-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

For those whose RV is connected to a drain most of the time, you probably keep your gray water valve open. At times a smelly little problem arises: Sewer gases can come back up the sewer hose, into your gray tank, and slow migrate their way up the through the tank and out the roof vent. At times those same evil essences can somehow re-infiltrate your RV with a negative impact on your olfactory organs.

Worse still, if there are any "vague" connections in your gray water venting system, those nasty little essences can also make their creeping way out, carrying not just the odor of gray water (as bad as that is) but with a direct connection to the city sewer (or local septic system) that REALLY horrific scent of black water can invade your premises.

What to do? Enter the Folgers P-Trap solution: If you leave your sewer hose connected and the dump valve open, stick a P-trap between the sewer and you. Simply obtain a coffee can (or a large rock, and make a bend in your sewer hose, as illustrated in the photo here. Gray water will advance over the bend, but the water trapped in the hose on the "rig side" of the coffee can will prevent the odoriferous fumes from crossing over.

Mind you, when you dump your black water you'll want to temporarily remove the coffee can to allow a free-flow of black water, etal, to make the trip down the sewer unimpeded.

The Moral of the Vanishing Trailer

2007-10-08T14:47:00.000-07:00

A Deming, New Mexico man's experience may lead to enhanced security views for some in the RV community. It seems his travel trailer "vanished" from New Mexico, and somehow reappeared over in Safford, Arizona.

Police got a call from the trailer's owner, telling them he'd located his missing trailer in an RV park in Safford. Local police turned out and questioned the trailer's occupants and pieced together a story--and an arrest. Apparently the suspect needed a 'nicer place for himself, girlfriend, and their baby' to live, so he paid a fellow he knew in Deming to steal a trailer for him. Interesting approach to housing, but police are working out the details of prosecution.

Inexpensive "hitch locks" that prevent a trailer's hitch from locking down on a tow vehicle ball can make a would-be theif think twice about running off with your trailer. Here's one from the Camping World site. For less than a $40 investment, it'll save a lot of worry. Security locks are available for your fifth wheel, too.

Photo courtesy Camping World

Ultra Low Sulfer Diesel Could Lead to Problems

2007-10-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

ULSD (ultra-low-sulfer-diesel fuel) is thoroughly in the fuel pipeline across the nation. Early on there were complaints from some that the formulation caused fuel system leaks in some rigs, as lower levels of aromatics was blamed for shrinking some engine seals.

Another issue that you might run up against is raised by a chemist with Power Service Products, a fuel additive manufacturer. The chemist, David Forester, is quoted in the September 2007 issue of Light & Medium Truck magazine, speaking out on concerns about ULSD's water-carrying ability. Apparently the "old" higher sulfur containing diesel had a greater affinity for carrying water, while the new ULSD, does not.

"When fuels reduce their ability to carry water, they tend to shed it more quickly. [Water] builds up on the bottom more quickly. The separation of water leads to a variety of increased issues," says Forester. What kind of issues? During warm months, diesel fuel contaminated with microbes can serve as a great growth medium. Sulfur tends to act as a poison to microbes, but with less sulfur in diesel, the microbes can thrive.

As colder weather marches in, the inability of ULSD fuel to carry water may rear its head in iced up fuel filters. Forester adds, "Once they get below 30 degrees Fahrenheit, the solubility of water in fuel is almost nonexistent. So if there is any water present in the fuel at those temperatures, it will freeze. You'll see ice crystals build up on filters."

What to do? A couple of schools of thought exist: Both suggest the use of fuel additives; some say they won't allow water to remain in the fuel--and say the water is then pulled out of the system by the engine's fuel/water separator. The other school says their products encapsulate the water and let it run harmlessly through the engine. We've not seen solid evidence yet pointing to either one being superior. Some diesel additives also claim to be antimicrobial. Happy shopping!

Inexpensive Do-it-Yourself Wind Turbine for Your RV

2007-09-30T16:15:00.001-07:00

We love wind power for RVing--used it for years. When we boondock the desert or the beach--or any other area with a good source of wind, we run up our wind turbine and let it complement our solar panels. Still, commercial wind turbine systems aren't altogether inexpensive. But hang on, if you're handy with a few tools and can scrounge a bit, you may be able to build yourself a 100-watt wind turbine inexpensively.

The heart-and-soul of this little machine is a recycled treadmill motor; the designers suggest you may be able to scrap one out of a freebie treadmill; we think you'll be likely to find a used one on a nearby Craiglist sale. In any event, the little treadmill motors put out a lot of juice for a small number of revolutions.

The next question we had was: What about blades? The basic "propeller" as some call it, is generally a three blade operation. On our commercial turbine a set of blades sets us back nearly $100. Not so here, the blades are built out of a chunk of PVC drain pipe. Gimme a break! This obviously isn't rocket science.

Check out the website of the good folks of Vela Creations. They offer a FREE detailed manual on how to build your own Chispito Wind Generator with pretty much common tools and cheap parts.

Grease Fittings for Trailer Axle Bearings?

2007-09-22T14:46:00.000-07:00

A friend of ours who's an RV newbie spent a weekend on a busy beach, loaded with RVers. He was having problems with his rig, and like we've all experienced, lots of RV folks were happy to lend him a hand. In a conversation with one, the subject of axle bearing maintenance came up. By the time Mike got home, he was "sold" on the idea of using a boat trailer axle bearing grease system--the kind where you simply pump lube through a zerk fitting, as opposed to hand packing the grease. Think of the savings on maintenance!

Well, those systems aren't all that they're cracked up to be, particularly for RV applications. Bearing Buddy systems are designed for sealed marine applications. The trouble with squirting grease into an RV axle is you don't really have a handle on how much grease is already in there. Push in too much, where will it go? Out into the wheel area, likely onto the brakes, and whoopsie doo, on your next 7% downgrade you'll find out just how mixing grease and trailer brakes is a really BAD idea.

Enter Dexter's "E-Z Lube" system. Dexter builds axles used on a lot of RVs, and some of them have the "E-Z" system--specially designed, it allows the owner to pump grease through the axle spindles and into the bearings. But many RVers who have the system complain they can't pump enough grease to get the old grease out; others say they fear blowing out the rear seals; still others say their RV maintenance guys fear the same problems that are posed by Bearing Buddy system: Grease on the brakes.

There's much to be said for hand-packing your axle bearings: It forces you to take the wheels off the axles, giving you the opportunity to inspect your brakes, brake magnets, and associated hardware. Like one RVer says, "I figure those eight wheel bearings are supporting over 11,000 lbs of very valuable RV and equipment... one afternoon a year [to hand pack the bearings] is a small price to pay."

Yes, it's true that there are RVers who really love their EZ Lube systems, and haven't had any problems with them. We'd add, "at least not yet." I don't know how much I'd want to gamble all my stuff on it.

Diagram courtesy Dexter Axles

"Paint Your Wagon," Maybe, But Leave the Tires Alone

2007-09-18T13:01:00.001-07:00

It's the kind of thing that might appeal to the Imelda Marcos among the RV set: Those nice tires we keep under our trailers, tow vehicles, or motorhomes. Everybody likes those "shoes" to look good. But how do you best do it?

A few days ago we heard about an RVer who was told one of the best ways to keep his rig's tires looking good was to give them a good "paint" of transmission fluid. Whoa! "Oh, yeah, shines 'em right up!" Maybe so, but it's an awful expensive exercise tire "makeup." Tires are pretty peculiar beasts, and like the man says, you've got an awful lot riding on them to be making mistakes. Painting your tires with transmission fluid is a definite way to wind up paying dearly. The oil in tranny fluid will cause them to rapidly deteriorate, with possible disastrous consequences.

OK, how about some of those nice silicon containing spray on potions? Years ago we were in the upholstery repair trade--fixing vinyl seats in restaurants and on car lots. A lot of folks got snookered into spraying "Armor All" on their seats. Made them shiny and slick, and it brought us a lot of business because the stuff dried the material out, and cracks are a result of drying out. Tires are somewhat the same: Tire makers put chemicals into their tires to keep them from drying out. Put oils or other chemicals on them to make 'em look nice, but counteract the internal chemicals, the tire dries out, cracks, and pretty soon they deteriorate.

We attended a training seminar at an Escapee's RV convention a couple of years back. The featured speaker was "retired from the tire industry." His advice? When you're sitting put in one place for a while, COVER the tires to keep the UV rays off them. Don't put ANYTHING on them to "treat them." If you don't like how they look, then wash them with soapy water and rinse them off. His years of insider experience taught the lesson, there's nothing on the market that you can spray on or paint on that will preserve them, and most will actually do harm.

Viking courtesy www.phillipmartin.info

Air Pressure Gauges: Dial Me Up or Stick it to Me?

2007-09-14T12:42:00.000-07:00

We've often "lectured" on the necessity to caring properly for your tires. 'Take care of your tires and they'll take care of you!' has been our mantra. A major part of caring for those rubber donuts is making sure you've got sufficient air pressure. How do you test yours?

Some folks rely on "built in" gauge on the hose down at the gas station. You may have noticed that those gauges have been becoming fewer and fewer as the days roll along. And even when the hose does have a gauge, after having been slapped around like a TV wrestler, they tend to get a bit punch drunk and don't give reliable information.

Some folks like the "put it in your shirt pocket," "stick" style air gauge. They may have a point, but we've found the "stick" type aren't always accurate, and often have the drawback of having fewer "graduations," making it difficult to ensure what the pressure is within less than five pounds. Here's another case of spending a few more bucks, but spending it wisely. The "dial" type air gauges are more accurate, and usually read down to the precise pound of pressure.

If you spring for the dial style, do take good care of it. Dropping it on the pavement can cause irepairable damage. We carefully put ours away in the "glove box" (who--other than snobs maybe--drive with gloves these days?) when not in use.

Protect Your Investment: Box That Battery

2007-09-09T12:31:00.000-07:00

If a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, a battery in the box is worth at least two in the junk pile. Eh? If your rig doesn't provide "inside storage" for your house batteries, leaving them out in the weather, unprotected can be most unprofitable. A lot of older travel trailers have the house battery sit up near the hitch, well exposed to the elements.

What could the problem be? Exposure to the elements just ain't the greatest thing from the electrics. First, battery terminal connectors will oxidize at a much faster rate. Oxidized connectors make for resistance to electrical flow, and that's a real problem when you're trying to charge your battery--you want the best flow possible.

Next, as in the case of our battery illustrated here, road debris, tree leaves and needles, et al, can take up residence on the top of the battery. Add a little water and you have the makings for electrical current leakage. Yes, for real, a small amount of juice can begin to flow from the battery posts across the medium you're growing on the battery. Even small amounts can add up, reducing the available amount of juice for your use, and eventually killing off the battery.

So take the big plunge: Invest in a battery box to protect your leaded investment. For less than $10 a pop you too can liberate your 'lectrics from the fear of exposure.

Shake, Rattle, and Roll: Tighten Those Air Conditioner Bolts

2007-09-07T12:16:00.000-07:00

As Federal Highway Administration funds get tight, the condition of America's roads reflects this budgetary bulimia: Potholes and rough roads abound, and you and your RV are the recipients. Those washboard workouts are not only hard on your dentures, but your RV gets thoroughly rattled as well.

One area not often thought about: The RV air conditioner. Sitting up there on the roof, all by its little lonesome, the AC unit is subject to vibration and rattle like everything else. And buried under the "inside cover" are four bolts that hold all that machinery tight on the roof. Those bolts, sadly enough, can get shaken (not stirred) by rough roads and vibration from running. In time they can loosen, and may first make you aware of the situation by allowing the passage of precipitation from the roof to fall into your rig. Not a happy situation!

What's to do? Remove the inside housing of your air conditioner and carefully check the tension of the four bolts that hold the unit in place. Torque them down carefully and live without rain another day. After weeks of frustration, and long days with the rig covered with a blue tarp, the light came on: We torqued ours and a couple of days later, Maw Nature put it to the test: Rain, rain, rain, all night long, and not a drop inside. Now the family RV tech feels like an old fool, but at least he's a dry old fool.

Air Bed Leaks Leave You Flat? Find the Hole!

2007-09-04T12:05:00.000-07:00

It must've been about 1:00 in the morning. The "better half" elbowed my ribs and asked pointedly, "Have you hit bottom yet?" My groaning bones should have been all the answer I needed to make. Our "quick and dirty" solution to a worn out RV mattress had been a pump-up "air bed" with a couple of inches of memory foam. At that moment, the memory foam was the only thing keeping us completely from the ravages of old age on a hard board.

In our "regular" rig we have a commercially build air bed, not the off-the-shelf in Walmart variety that folks keep in their closet for when company comes. Don't get us wrong, there's really nothing wrong with "toss it in the closet" air beds, they work pretty well, but they are subject to easy puncture. How do you find that rotten leak?

Next day, we lugged the offending mattress outside, pumped it up with air, and squirted it thoroughly with soap bubbles picked up at ToysRUs. Yes, we could probably have used dish soap in water, but we happened to have a couple of bottles of the bubble makers hanging around from an earlier project. Using the soap bubbles can speed up the finding process considerably over the old "try and stick your ear down and hear it" method.

Sure enough, there was a small poke hole at the corner of the mattress. And no, it wasn't in the area where the cat had tried to hide in the bed. Mission accomplished. Sleep will be easier.

High Tech Propane Leak Finder Beats Bubbles

2007-09-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

We all face it: With LP gas such a major supplier of energy in our rigs, sooner or later you'll have to deal with a gas leak. Left "unfixed" as quick as you can say, "Hindenberg!" your dream rig can go up in smoke, taking you with it.

For years the industry standard for leak detection was a bath of soapy water. Paint our pour a stiff solution of dish soap and water on a suspect fitting, and if it bubbles, you found it. Well, technology has its "one upmanship." How about an electronic gas leak detector? A whole lot less mess, and certainly sensitive, we've found "Pocket Air Check" put out by a midwest firm just the thing.

For those with older truck campers, you're still probably using the old style "POL" fitting propane tanks. When you refill these tanks, you have to be extremely careful about firmly tightening the fittings--the least bit of looseness can lead to a leak.
We keep our Pocket Air Check detector handy, and more than once have found the fellows who've tightened the fittings haven't done such a good job.

The detector does more though: Just turn it on, and run it along any gas line or fitting, holding it a quarter inch away. If a bit of gas is found, both an audible alarm and an LED light warn you of the danger. Not expensive either, Camping World sells them for less than $25, an inexpensive way to a lot more safety.