RV Maintenance and Technical Tips - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Mayor · Mayor

We have had much success for the past three years by dumping our black tank, even when thier is very little in it. I know most say fll it up - dump -rinse - and be happy. Your thoughts. Thanks

The Crumps · The Crumps

We have a 37' class A. It has hydraulic jacks and a tag axle which means 8 tires on the ground. Our problem is rocking and shaking. For example, we are parked with the jacks down, on a hard packed gravel site. My husband was walking around in the back of the RV and it shook so much that it spilled my coffee...

BruceandTrisha · BruceandTrisha

Here's the challenge: Our Big Foot camper does not have AC, so we have a very small window unit to use. Problem is, it doesn't have a perfect fit, so sealing up all the gaps requires some creative engineering - hope some of you might have some ideas. Last year, I used heavy plastic and waterproof tape to s...

zapman · zapman

For now I don't want to cover the wheels on our 5th wheel and am wondering if there is a product to spray or wipe on to protect them? I have done research on Armor All and most say not to use it and for long term use they say it is even harmful to the rubber! Thank you for your help.

zapman · zapman

I had a hard time understanding why the mfg says to repack the wheel bearings every year even though I usually put on less than a thousand miles a year on our 30' Cardinal 5th wheel. But after talking to many people who know wheel bearings I decided it needed to be done every year. The last time I used Mobil...

RVPAINTER · RVPAINTER

I understand that slides give more room and are a great addition to full timers. Lately I've been reading a lot about slides failing - leaking being the most common as well as sagging. I'm starting to wonder if the extra room is worth the possible added maintenance issues. It stands to reason that so...

RickandJanice · RickandJanice

With all of the wet weather we have been having in the Midwest and owner Great Lakes area, was wandering what ideas you Any have come up with to keep the jacks on you rig from sinking into the ground. I have seen some rigs use blocks of wood but would like to find something less bulky to use. Have read revie...

The Crumps · The Crumps

We are staying at the ocean in WA state. It is very windy today and we can't get the water heater to stay lit. Do strong winds affect whether the water heater will light or could we have a bigger problem? We are parked directly square against the wind. Beautiful view but feeling the full force of the wi...

2fortheroad · 2fortheroad

We had our Jayco witerized last winter. Sunday I deceided to sanatize the water system getting ready to head to South Dakota for a work-camping gig for the summer. While I thought I was filling the system water started comming out of the belly-pan. I took trailer back too the repair shop and they fo...

The Hensons · The Hensons

So, today was RV prep day. We spent the day loading it up for the summer and cleaning it. In the process, our daughter decided to test out the 12v dash socket as a coin deposit. She started stuffing nickels and pennies in it. I figured out what she was doing and stopped her at 8 cents. I was able to remove the p...

Colorado_Kid · Colorado_Kid

I have the Charge Wizard installed in my RV and I am not sure how it works. There is a green light that flashes every 5 seconds and a button next to it that is marked "Mode". When I turn on my house battery the indicator reads "good" but when I start turning on lights or turn on the furna...

Waggin Tails · Waggin Tails

Does anyone have a cable stretcher? Seriously, my power cable is about 50 feet short of an electrical box located in my back yard. Trailer is parked in front of the house. I can either purchase a couple of 30 feet extension cables or install a 50 amp recepticle about 60 feet away from electrical panel. T...

Pat L · Pat L

Spent the last few days working on our new Mobile Suites and wanted to keep very cool. Outside temp was in the 80's so not very hot. I set the thermostat down to 70* but could only get the temp down to 77*. Not much water running off of the roof. What direction do I go from here. The selling dealer is 190 m...

The Hensons · The Hensons

I have been tracing a leak for sometime in my motorhome. Today, I decided to take a forum member's advice and check the roof a/c bolts (the 4 under the cover from the inside). Wow! I could move them by hand with little effort. So I got tighten happy...later realizing maybe too happy. I know that if I tighte...

mesquite47 · mesquite47

I have a 5er and it seems that when we have to level the trailer ( boards uner one side of the wheels) that the trailer seems to wiggle more when we move around inside. We just use the cheap yellow wheel chocks for the wheels. They seem fine when we are on level ground. Do I need to invest in a better wheel chock...

Sometimes David · Sometimes David

The other night our LP detector suddenly went crazy and woke us at around 4 AM for no reason that I could determine. After 3 rounds of muting and going back to bed just long enough to get back to sleep, I disconnected it. Following morning I read the manual (I only read manuals if I have to) which infor...

charles · charles

Reading the problem that one member had on the pur of a TT or Motor Home when they forgot what was said abt turning on the water pump. On another forum someone suggested the video taping of the walk through instructions. Good Idea. CCC

The Crumps · The Crumps

This may seem like a silly question but where do you go to get air in your tires? We have asked the tire stores and they say they aren't set up to handle big rigs. We don't want to invest in an air compressor so how do we add air? Is a truck stop the best option? We have just started full-timing and need to sta...

Louie · Louie

Hi Everyone, This is a great place to get ideas and advice. I saw a thread from last year about my subject but had more questions. I'm looking at purchasing a surge guard (at CW) for my 5th wheel. I was going to get a portable 50amp but now think I ought to have it hard wired inside. What are the advantag...

Sherry · Sherry

How important do you think it is to have both a surge protector and a voltage regulator (transformer) as opposed to just voltage protection (High & low cut offs)? I’m trying to decide if I want to buy Progressive’s EMS-HW30C with surge & voltage protection or get Surge Guard’s separate sur...

The Crumps · The Crumps

We have had a couple of bad leaks - live in WA and rain hasn't been this bad in years. At least we were able to fix them all before going full time. But, we now have some soft spots in our floors. I know we'll eventually have to replace the floor, but I was wondering if the floor might cave in where these soft...

Twister · Twister

All: I am new to this. I have a popup camper. My problem is with my propane system. When I use the gas stove in my camper, sometimes it works, but sometimes, it does not. I know my propane tank is not empty. Any pointers will be greatly appreciated. Twister

CaptainRandy · CaptainRandy

Hi Got an o5 Winnie with a norcold Elect/Propane refig. works great but when I plug it into my outdoor 115VA GFI protected outlet with the frig on it trips the GFI, turn the frig off and everythings hunkey-dorey. The elect part of the frig is nothing more than a heater element that heats the amonia solu...

Louie · Louie

Had read somewhere that one needs to turn off LP gas for frig when re-fueling while travelling. Newbie here. Help!

Mike and Gloria · Mike and Gloria

Mike and I purchased a 2000 Fleetwood Prowler 5th wheel and started living in it 2 weeks ago. The tech at the dealership did our walk through with us and showed us how to do different things. However..... I'm embarrassed to say neither one of us can remember how to turn the water pump on. I've tried pok...

wilbur10 · wilbur10

I'm renovating an older RV and would like to replace damaged roll-up cabinet fronts. Is there a ready source for these items?

Colorado_Kid · Colorado_Kid

I have decided that I will buy 2 Honda 2000 generators with the parallel kit and a Extended Run Fuel Tank. My only concern is driving my RV with gasoline in the Extended Run Fuel Tank and wanted to know how safe it is or is it legal?

Terry and Jo · Terry and Jo

While we had company down from Kansas, Jo and I stayed in the Mobile Suites while her sister and brother-in-law slept in the house. (Yeah, we are down to minimal furniture in the house.) One evening, we had a few dim-outs of the electric in the house where the lights dimmed out and then came back on. Afte...

pitbull · pitbull

Hello Everyone We have a problem with our motorhome. It is a 2008 Damon Outlaw Toy Carrier and it sprung a leak around the hot water tank. I will repair that but the floor has lifted in several areas. Now I am mechanical but not to good on finishing touches. Should I take this to a dealer or can any good floor...

Melstar · Melstar

DH is gone for the day and I'm in Florida in the RV and there was a dip in Electrical.....everything back on....but A/C. Lights on the unit are showing on....remote makes a beeping sound when I press the thermostat....nothing. I've let it "rest" for 1/2 hour to reset....nothing....oh,...

Topic		Started By	Replies	Views	Last Post
	Black tank dump (Preview) We have had much success for the past three years by dumping our black tank, even when thier is very little in it. I know most say fll it up - dump -rinse - and be happy. Your thoughts. Thanks	Mayor	5	1320	08:24 AM May 30, 2011 by Mayor
	Rockin' and shakin' (Preview) We have a 37' class A. It has hydraulic jacks and a tag axle which means 8 tires on the ground. Our problem is rocking and shaking. For example, we are parked with the jacks down, on a hard packed gravel site. My husband was walking around in the back of the RV and it shook so much that it spilled my coffee...	The Crumps	10	2582	09:26 AM May 27, 2011 by The Crumps
	Using a window AC - Solutions? (Preview) Here's the challenge: Our Big Foot camper does not have AC, so we have a very small window unit to use. Problem is, it doesn't have a perfect fit, so sealing up all the gaps requires some creative engineering - hope some of you might have some ideas. Last year, I used heavy plastic and waterproof tape to s...	BruceandTrisha	10	13039	05:11 AM May 26, 2011 by BruceandTrisha
	How to protect tires from UV rays without covering (Preview) For now I don't want to cover the wheels on our 5th wheel and am wondering if there is a product to spray or wipe on to protect them? I have done research on Armor All and most say not to use it and for long term use they say it is even harmful to the rubber! Thank you for your help.	zapman	7	15553	02:06 PM May 24, 2011 by mcphelps7
	Problem with synthetic wheel bearing grease (Preview) I had a hard time understanding why the mfg says to repack the wheel bearings every year even though I usually put on less than a thousand miles a year on our 30' Cardinal 5th wheel. But after talking to many people who know wheel bearings I decided it needed to be done every year. The last time I used Mobil...	zapman	2	4309	03:43 PM May 22, 2011 by zapman
	SLIDES (Preview) I understand that slides give more room and are a great addition to full timers. Lately I've been reading a lot about slides failing - leaking being the most common as well as sagging. I'm starting to wonder if the extra room is worth the possible added maintenance issues. It stands to reason that so...	RVPAINTER	20	4204	09:26 AM May 18, 2011 by RVPAINTER
	Jack Pads (Preview) With all of the wet weather we have been having in the Midwest and owner Great Lakes area, was wandering what ideas you Any have come up with to keep the jacks on you rig from sinking into the ground. I have seen some rigs use blocks of wood but would like to find something less bulky to use. Have read revie...	RickandJanice	3	1855	07:58 PM May 16, 2011 by charles
	water heater problems (Preview) We are staying at the ocean in WA state. It is very windy today and we can't get the water heater to stay lit. Do strong winds affect whether the water heater will light or could we have a bigger problem? We are parked directly square against the wind. Beautiful view but feeling the full force of the wi...	The Crumps	5	2682	07:58 PM May 16, 2011 by 53 Merc
	Hidden Water Filter (Preview) We had our Jayco witerized last winter. Sunday I deceided to sanatize the water system getting ready to head to South Dakota for a work-camping gig for the summer. While I thought I was filling the system water started comming out of the belly-pan. I took trailer back too the repair shop and they fo...	2fortheroad	1	1104	03:16 PM May 15, 2011 by RickandJanice
	12V dash sockets also piggy banks? (Preview) So, today was RV prep day. We spent the day loading it up for the summer and cleaning it. In the process, our daughter decided to test out the 12v dash socket as a coin deposit. She started stuffing nickels and pennies in it. I figured out what she was doing and stopped her at 8 cents. I was able to remove the p...	The Hensons	4	1209	06:58 AM May 14, 2011 by LifeBeganInaWinnebago
	Inteli Power 9100 Charge Wizard (Preview) I have the Charge Wizard installed in my RV and I am not sure how it works. There is a green light that flashes every 5 seconds and a button next to it that is marked "Mode". When I turn on my house battery the indicator reads "good" but when I start turning on lights or turn on the furna...	Colorado_Kid	3	6806	12:49 PM May 9, 2011 by Colorado_Kid
	Length of Electrical Hookup (Preview) Does anyone have a cable stretcher? Seriously, my power cable is about 50 feet short of an electrical box located in my back yard. Trailer is parked in front of the house. I can either purchase a couple of 30 feet extension cables or install a 50 amp recepticle about 60 feet away from electrical panel. T...	Waggin Tails	7	1597	07:42 PM May 8, 2011 by Waggin Tails
	AC Not Cooling As Should (Preview) Spent the last few days working on our new Mobile Suites and wanted to keep very cool. Outside temp was in the 80's so not very hot. I set the thermostat down to 70* but could only get the temp down to 77*. Not much water running off of the roof. What direction do I go from here. The selling dealer is 190 m...	Pat L	6	6902	04:46 PM May 6, 2011 by sand38
	roof a/c bolts...how tight? (Preview) I have been tracing a leak for sometime in my motorhome. Today, I decided to take a forum member's advice and check the roof a/c bolts (the 4 under the cover from the inside). Wow! I could move them by hand with little effort. So I got tighten happy...later realizing maybe too happy. I know that if I tighte...	The Hensons	3	2331	08:45 PM May 5, 2011 by 53 Merc
	tire chocks ? stablity rocking issues? (Preview) I have a 5er and it seems that when we have to level the trailer ( boards uner one side of the wheels) that the trailer seems to wiggle more when we move around inside. We just use the cheap yellow wheel chocks for the wheels. They seem fine when we are on level ground. Do I need to invest in a better wheel chock...	mesquite47	6	4080	07:31 PM May 4, 2011 by GSF63
	LP detector recommendations?? (Preview) The other night our LP detector suddenly went crazy and woke us at around 4 AM for no reason that I could determine. After 3 rounds of muting and going back to bed just long enough to get back to sleep, I disconnected it. Following morning I read the manual (I only read manuals if I have* to*) which infor...	Sometimes David	3	1048	12:50 PM May 3, 2011 by Bill Adams
	VIDEO TAPE THE NEW PURCHASE WALK THROUGH (Preview) Reading the problem that one member had on the pur of a TT or Motor Home when they forgot what was said abt turning on the water pump. On another forum someone suggested the video taping of the walk through instructions. Good Idea. CCC	charles	0	950	09:12 PM May 2, 2011 by charles
	putting air in tires (Preview) This may seem like a silly question but where do you go to get air in your tires? We have asked the tire stores and they say they aren't set up to handle big rigs. We don't want to invest in an air compressor so how do we add air? Is a truck stop the best option? We have just started full-timing and need to sta...	The Crumps	14	5548	09:00 AM May 2, 2011 by The Crumps
	Voltage regulator/surge protectors (Preview) Hi Everyone, This is a great place to get ideas and advice. I saw a thread from last year about my subject but had more questions. I'm looking at purchasing a surge guard (at CW) for my 5th wheel. I was going to get a portable 50amp but now think I ought to have it hard wired inside. What are the advantag...	Louie	7	2772	08:05 AM Apr 29, 2011 by TxYellowRose
	Voltage regulator or protection?? (Preview) How important do you think it is to have both a surge protector and a voltage regulator (transformer) as opposed to just voltage protection (High & low cut offs)? I’m trying to decide if I want to buy Progressive’s EMS-HW30C with surge & voltage protection or get Surge Guard’s separate sur...	Sherry	25	16154	08:03 AM Apr 29, 2011 by TxYellowRose
	Soft floor (Preview) We have had a couple of bad leaks - live in WA and rain hasn't been this bad in years. At least we were able to fix them all before going full time. But, we now have some soft spots in our floors. I know we'll eventually have to replace the floor, but I was wondering if the floor might cave in where these soft...	The Crumps	5	2622	01:52 PM Apr 26, 2011 by RVPAINTER
	Propane Problem (Preview) All: I am new to this. I have a popup camper. My problem is with my propane system. When I use the gas stove in my camper, sometimes it works, but sometimes, it does not. I know my propane tank is not empty. Any pointers will be greatly appreciated. Twister	Twister	7	8457	06:01 PM Apr 20, 2011 by Twister
	GFI Tripping (Preview) Hi Got an o5 Winnie with a norcold Elect/Propane refig. works great but when I plug it into my outdoor 115VA GFI protected outlet with the frig on it trips the GFI, turn the frig off and everythings hunkey-dorey. The elect part of the frig is nothing more than a heater element that heats the amonia solu...	CaptainRandy	7	5469	11:32 AM Apr 17, 2011 by Bill and Linda
	APPLIANCE/LP SAFETY (Preview) Had read somewhere that one needs to turn off LP gas for frig when re-fueling while travelling. Newbie here. Help!	Louie	8	1617	09:24 AM Apr 17, 2011 by NorCal Dan
	Switch for Water Pump Help (Preview) Mike and I purchased a 2000 Fleetwood Prowler 5th wheel and started living in it 2 weeks ago. The tech at the dealership did our walk through with us and showed us how to do different things. However..... I'm embarrassed to say neither one of us can remember how to turn the water pump on. I've tried pok...	Mike and Gloria	10	5598	09:56 AM Apr 15, 2011 by The Bear II
	Renovation (Preview) I'm renovating an older RV and would like to replace damaged roll-up cabinet fronts. Is there a ready source for these items?	wilbur10	2	1386	06:58 PM Apr 14, 2011 by Terry and Jo
	Gasoline Storage (Preview) I have decided that I will buy 2 Honda 2000 generators with the parallel kit and a Extended Run Fuel Tank. My only concern is driving my RV with gasoline in the Extended Run Fuel Tank and wanted to know how safe it is or is it legal?	Colorado_Kid	1	1410	07:48 AM Apr 14, 2011 by 53 Merc
	Electrical Transfer Switch is Buzzing (Preview) While we had company down from Kansas, Jo and I stayed in the Mobile Suites while her sister and brother-in-law slept in the house. (Yeah, we are down to minimal furniture in the house.) One evening, we had a few dim-outs of the electric in the house where the lights dimmed out and then came back on. Afte...	Terry and Jo	4	4489	07:51 AM Apr 9, 2011 by Terry and Jo
	Flooring in Motorhome (Preview) Hello Everyone We have a problem with our motorhome. It is a 2008 Damon Outlaw Toy Carrier and it sprung a leak around the hot water tank. I will repair that but the floor has lifted in several areas. Now I am mechanical but not to good on finishing touches. Should I take this to a dealer or can any good floor...	pitbull	2	1561	06:45 AM Apr 8, 2011 by pitbull
	Help!! (Preview) DH is gone for the day and I'm in Florida in the RV and there was a dip in Electrical.....everything back on....but A/C. Lights on the unit are showing on....remote makes a beeping sound when I press the thermostat....nothing. I've let it "rest" for 1/2 hour to reset....nothing....oh,...	Melstar	2	1352	04:35 PM Apr 4, 2011 by RVRon
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