Brand new to owning an RV, I’m not a full-time just a part-time. I do live in New York and we get snow and I know that I need a cover but I have not gotten one yet. However, it did snow, am I supposed to do anything about this or is this OK? And almost new RV so all the seals and everything have been inspected and passed. And also it’s been winterized already.
I’ve left my trailers out over the winter for years without a single problem. Getting two more feet of snow is not uncommon here. I do check my seals before storing it and when I take it out. Always have to do a few seals before storing, but in the spring the roof has always been fine.
New England here. It depends on the type of snow. Light and fluffy? Sweep it off every so often. The heavy stuff or higher amounts? Clear it. The late 3′ snowstorm last March collapsed my RV before I could wade out to rake it.
Long time seasonal camper here. Get it off the jacks. Frost heave is a trailer’s worst nightmare. Seen more friends pop silicone and create leaks all blocked up nicely. Chock the wheels and use the tongue Jack only.
We get many snow falls/melts here in Nova Scotia. Keep trailer angled towards the sun, not level, and that will help with snow melt and keeping freeze/thaws away from your gutters and other seams
Definitely need to be getting it off at some regular intervals. It can handle snow ok for awhile and can even help insulate. The issue is once it melts/freezes water/ice can open cracks and before you know it you got a leak and water damage.
I’m a flat roofer for 13 years. Make sure all pipes curbs and skylights are thoroughly sealed around the flanges. Remove old sealant of signs of deterioration and clean using a solvent . Seal with a good quality polyurethane caulking. . membrane roofs are made to keep water out completely but problems do arise when water sits on them for extended periods. Check for leaks when the snow starts to thaw.
We moved into the RV full time while we are getting our new home constructed. It’s been 5 days and I’ve noticed this steady dripping from the blue hose. The ground is getting pretty soaked from all this. The red hose has a tiny drip now and then.
It’s a 2017 Keystone Bullet if that matters at all. Connected to city water. Please help!
They should be capped or turned off. Those are the low point drain lines. Those are used to drain your hot and cold water when you winterize. You’re leaking perfectly good water on the ground.
I could be mistaken here but I also suspect that you are hooked to a water input that is pushing an increased level of pressure to your RV. City water pressure should be dampened down with a pressure coupler/regulator. When you turn off the water to your RV does the leak stop/slow? Hard to imagine that both the hot water and cold water valves are failing simultaneously.
Overkill? If you’re living off grid I don’t think you can have too much power. It’s maybe not esthetically pleasing, but I bet it’s getting the job done.
I refuse to be associated with CW, so this only felt right. I know it is a mutual feeling to a majority out there; on that note, I figured I’d spread the dopamine. Haha.
No this isn’t another newbie horror story. This was fully anticipated. Inevitable. The mfers are the only ones who’d bargain with me in on the unit we wanted in the end.
My wife, son, 2 cats and I sold everything in the last 6 months and went FT in the beginning of November – we love it! Besides the 2 issues on delivery: dead battery and missing window screen, we beat CW 1-0, as far as I’m concerned.
Anyways, just wanted to share. Also, I want to shout out this sub for all the help and insight along the way. It has made our first ‘launch’ successful and we feel like we are setup with everything we need for the winter. We’re in the southwest though..suckers ????
Cheers and happy holidays!
TL;DR: Screw CampingWorld and thank YOU to this community for helping us get on our feet for our first FT adventure!
I didn’t buy from CW but still pulled off all the dealer advertising as soon as I got home. I do the same with cars. Want me to advertise? Pay me the current rate.
We have this plug in our living room. I am wondering if it possible to change to this a regular outlet without causing issues? I can't seem to find anything posted about if this can be done or not
Hey yall, with winter here (my first as a full timer) it was getting Chilly and i'm ballin on a budget. RV skirts are a total scam for some heavy duty poly cut to fit?
So i went back and forth between various things. Ultimately I installed 1″ foam board under my RV and glued pvc board to it to protect it whilebtowing. That wasnt enough to block the chill so I ordered a 30″x6″ tarp, cut it down the middle and wrapped it around the base of my RV. I added D rings to ziptie to the RV. I do need to go through and caulk the D rings but that's a project for another day.
looks like it’ll do the job… maybe toss a space heater under there on the lowest setting for the really cold days to help prevent freeze… also, get a heated hose if you don’t already have that in your arsenal
That’s great, until the wind blows. If you don’t have the bottom weighed down somehow get yourself some PVC pipes cut to size, fill them with sand and form a frame around the base.
What year is your Flagstaff trailer? I had a 2003 that had the same profile and exterior look as yours, two doors and all. Seven years of summer vacations. Take care.
The simplest way to deal with these is just to unscrew the cover and vacuum out occasionally. Then you vacuum in each direction of the line a little bit, so it pulls dust/debris out in each direction.
When NOT in use, I cover mine from underneath with aluminum foil. Unscrew & pull vent out of the floor, fold the foil around the bottom and up around the sides; screw it back in.
I live in Florida now and only used the furnace while in Texas during a frosting winter. I take the screws and vents out, using my shop vac to suck out the dirt. Wash and dry the vents, replacing them, then cover with two lines of the clears packing tape. I do this a couple of times year, the tape changes a bit as the floor gets washed. That simple.
As someone that lives with two shiba inus a cat and a wife that all shed ???? I just remove the vent cover and vacuum it out, in the summer just throw those magnetic covers over them
We evaluated the Epoch RV Battery 12V 300Ah with Bluetooth, self-heating, and Victron communications as our primary off-road power source. This the perfect 12 DC power solution for those who have large RVs with residential appliances and the need to operate when no campground power is available. The Epoch RV Battery 12V 300Ah is a strong contender for those who camp off-grid and need the extra amperage to extend these stays for those days when solar production is a challenge.
Epoch RV Battery 12V 300Ah Evaluation
We put the Epoch RV Battery 12V 300Ah to the test using our Montana 5th wheel as a real-world environment powering a large GE residential refrigerator, lights, TV, and slides over an extended period of time without any means to charge the battery. Our efforts were to simulate a long tow lasting 10 hours, an over night stay, and then continuing to the next destination for another 7 hours. We relied on the Epoch RV Battery 12V 300Ah only, with no provisions for solar, campground, or the 7-pin connection to our truck for charging power.
Over the evaluation period, we used both the iOS Epoch LI-Ion Bluetooth app for iPhones and our Victron Smart Shunt monitor the performance of the battery. As a check and balance between both monitoring platforms, we found the reporting to be within a percentage point of remaining capacity and available voltage.
Epoch RV Battery 12V 300Ah Results
With the battery at full charge, the evaluation for the Epoch RV Battery 12V 300Ah exceeded our expectations. We ran our test over 31 hours and at the end of two days, we still had 26 percent, one quarter of the battery capacity remaining.
Recharging the battery with our Progressive Dynamics 75 amp charger took around 3 hours. The shortest time when have experience with any of the batteries we’ve tested to date.
With the batteries heavy duty construction, metal case, low temperature disconnect, internal heating, 11 year warranty, and much more, this is a perfect solution for our 12V power needs.
Epoch RV Battery 12V 300Ah Specifications
LiFePO4 Chemistry – Deep Cycle Battery
Epoch RV Battery 12V 300Ah HEATED – Internal heating allows for charging in sub-zero conditions
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel?
Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Just noticing that this has been in 12v configuration. My inverter sometimes gets loud /overloaded so I took a look at the batteries. I am on shore power.
1.) should this be in 24v?
2.) should the battery disconnect be off or on?
12v and the disconnect should be in the on position. Only turn it off when you are storing the camper unplugged. Are you sure you are referring to the inverter and not the converter? The inverter shouldn’t be doing any work when plugged into shore power.
I hate to replace the decal because I would have to break the seal around the edges. Thought about covering with a little diamond plate, looking for suggestions
This keeps gunking up the aerators on all of my faucets and shower. I use a camco water filter coming into my camper. What is it and how to I get rid of it?
I have a Floe system on to blow out the lines after use. Does anyone know if I’m supposed to bypass the water heater when I use this? And if I’m not bypassing it today, could this be part of my problem? I’m definitely changing the anode rod yearly
We’ve camped in it for 3 years. One leak where we installed the batwing but we’ve repaired that. I wish it was lifted a little and maybe a tad bigger. We like it though ????
Been doing it 23 years. My biggest advice, keep a checklist on your phone. One for setting up. One for breaking camp. One for supplies. A shareable list with your spouse is even better. You WILL forget something. Some unimportant. Some important.
At first I thought your truck was a Taco and I was really surprised it could haul something that big lol. Congrats on your new rig and your adventures to come! 🙂
Might want to pull in that awning. My parents lost an awning to rain – not wind, just rain. The rain managed to pool on the fabric, and when my dad went out to try to get it to drain off, the roller snapped in half.
With the extensors on your awning, the damage could be a lot more expensive.
Hiking Duke Creek Falls and Biking Smithgall Woods State Park in Helen, GA
We had several weeks of great weather in North Georgia to go out and experience the hills and trails. This week I visited two popular spots, Dukes Creek Falls for a hike to a series of beautiful waterfalls and Smithgall Woods State Park to bike over 5 miles in this amazing conservation area.
Duke Creek Falls
Dukes Creek Falls is located on Russell-Brasstown National Scenic Highway a few minutes outside of Helen, GA and 20 minutes from Leisure Acres Campground. This was one of our shorter hikes we experienced this year providing great views of the surrounding mountains, vibrant Fall foliage, and the series of waterfalls at the end of the trail did not disappoint.
The trail is well walked and offers a number of short steps and wooden walkways along the trail and at the bottom to observe the waterfalls. The walk is gradual, well maintained, and did not contain any obstacles to navigate. There were several spot along the trail where we could stop and see the mountains with this year’s Fall canopy rich in yellows, oranges and reds. As we walked the trail, we were able to view Dukes Creek and teased with a number of small cascading flows along the rock formations as a hint to what we would find at the end of the trail.
Reaching the bottom of the trail, we were greeted with a number of waterfalls. One was a small stream starting several hundreds hundreds of feet above and gracefully flowing down the mountain side to the stream below. Continuing along the observation deck, a series of falls flowed over a large rock formation. The waterfalls and the cascading steam below gave a beautiful show with the hills and Fall foliage in the background.
The hike back to the top took around 30 minutes and took moderate effort. At the top, is another view of the mountain vistas in the distance capping off this hike in the North Georgia mountains.
Smithgall Woods State Park
Leaving Dukes Creek Falls and heading back to the campground, we stopped at Smithgall Woods State Park located at 61 Tsalaki Trail next to Helen, GA.
Smithgall Woods is a Conservation Area consisting of 5,664 acres as a protected wilderness area. It contains old growth forests, trout streams, and abundance of wildlife. The area is named for Charles A. Smithgall Jr., a Georgia publisher and philanthropist who sold the property to the state in 1994 for half its appraised value. During his time of ownership, he had teams restock streams and plant thousands of trees to restore the natural beauty.
I took the bike to ride along 5 miles of trails. The bike trails were a mix of paved and gravel roads where I experienced the beautiful hardwood trees in their fall colors along with the streams and wildlife. We didn’t have time to enjoy the many trails in the park during this trip, but the bike ride didn’t disappoint.
I hope you have an opportunity to visit these sites in the future. They are easy to hike and bike and there’s so much to see in these nature wonderlands.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel?
Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life!
Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the Subscribe to our newsletter form located at the bottom of this page and click subscribe.
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Congrats for sure but let’s slow down there Mr. Smileypants Happyguy!
I know your RV looks ready and the salesman told you it’s a high quality, defect free work of art and insisted you get it on the road immediately.
There’s a reason he wants you to get it on the road. In fact, he’s praying right now that you get it far, far away for your first few weeks.
It’s for when (not if) things start falling off and/or discovered inoperable, defective, deficient, missing or downright wrong, you’re too far away to beat him up. Or at least far enough away for the drive to calm you from a Felony assault to a misdemeanor Texas ass whooping.
Take that beautiful rig just a few miles up the road and use it.
Exercise everything, open everything, close everything, turn on everything, work everything. Do it in dry camp, wet camp, hooked up, under tow, level and unlevel. Live in it, fix what you can, list what you can’t and enjoy the short road to the shop versus the stranded in the Mojave surrounded by fire ants…..
TLDR: You don’t need to drive 1,000 miles to find the factory bugs. Stay near the house and commit to flight prepping for the first few trips, versus giddy for holiday. That mindset makes the “interruptions in enjoyment” more tolerable.
So my sink randomly collapsed tonight. It still empties the water through the pipe and it appears everything is still connected plumbing wise. The soonest I'll be able to have this worked on is february at camping world (Arent warranties great?)
So is there a way I can fix this myself? Like if I put gorilla glue around the edges and prop it up?
Or call a mobile tech perhaps?
There should be clips under your cabinet part of your sink that holds it in place. Put your sink back up there. Spin the keepers back around, and tighten the dog shit out of them.
Ok so here is my plan. Unless someone says not to. I’ve got a pair of skis I can use to prop it up, and I’ll put gorilla glue around the rim a d just prop it up. Anyone e object to this?
I’m purchasing a Cabover trailer and I am having problems find the right adapter for the connector. This have 7 pins which I’m familiar with but it has a space in the top middle and I just can’t find anything that can fit into that. Can someone help me with a point in the right direction?
The only place I could find one like that was on an Australian site, but even it doesn’t completely match (the notch extends outward from the barrel, not inward, and is on the opposite side):
I couldn’t find any DIYs on this so I had to wing it. The drain line was the most difficult, and I didn’t think about winterizing. But it turned out great.
So did you actually change the oven to a dish washer or did you find one the right size and somehow Frankenstein the stove top onto it? You had to punch a hole in your grey tank? Holy crap dude, what type of wizard are you?!
Wow, I pulled my oven out, put in a new counter top with a nice 2 burner cooktop. Then put a Ninja XL in the space below. And I was really proud of myself.
This is absolutely ingenious. Like someone else said, patent this and you could become very rich. It’s mind-blowing this is the first time we’ve all seen something like this.
What is up with these jugs. Even the Red ones say that it isn’t for gas. On the racing jug website? Like wtf? I get color coding on jugs like blue for water, yellow for diesel. But shouldn’t red be ok for gas?
We have had a water heater in our Sportsmobile Sprinter for 9 years. Used it maybe once. We don’t use hook ups since we mostly camp off grid and I can’t remember to turn the hot water on when we are driving. Been thinking about pulling it out and using the space for something else.
There’s no way to test it so it’s a gamble. Looks like a very old style with no electronics so the chances of it working are pretty good. I have a newer style with an electronics board that crapped out. I ended up buying an entire new water heater for not too much more than just a new electronics board.
I'm having a palmetto bug issue and while trying to address the problem I'm looking to see if I can close the areas around the burners because I'm pretty certain these are avenues used to access the counter. I'm wondering, given that the steel wool is metal it and aluminum foil won't catch on fire, and the propane and flame come out the top, would it be okay to close this area off? I also have a Camco range cover which I will be closing.
I just opened up the camper from the off-season which in Florida is the summer, so while I started off with a disadvantage as they've had six months to go to town. I'm launching the counter offensive.
So, we’ve got a Thor Class C, a 2018, recently purchased from an RV dealer second hand. Noticed this gap, it’s on the backside of the coach wall, at the top of the B-Pillar where the cab meets the coach and the overhead bunk starts, right next to the driver door. There is no gap on the passenger side. Can anyone with a class C chime in and tell me if theirs has this strange gap. My gut is telling me it’s a manufactuerer defect, wall piece was cut wrong at the factory and they used it anyway, been letting in water and moisture for 5 years before our ownership? Slight delamination also occurring on the outer wall right at this corner. Or am I crazy and it’s built with an illogical “vent” where water is least likely to consistently penetrate the walls.
That’s just some minor water damage at this point. Nothing to do with a manufacturer defect. As far as normal… it’s super common due to lack of maintenance. Unless it bothers you, just reseal the area and make sure there is not more water intrusion .
Over the summer, my wife and I bought a 2016 Winnebago Minnie Winnie 25B to go full-time in. We’ve been heading down the west coast for the past few months, looking for a spot to stay for the winter. Then we came across the BLM long term visitor areas, and thought that would be perfect! We’re only a few minutes from town and have easy access to everything we need supply-wise.
We both work from home, so we went for it and got a Starlink internet setup. Hotspots can work, but we wanted to have that extra freedom and safety to have coverage in even super remote locations.
We also have 2x400W portable solar panels to plug into as well as 2x110W panels for a smaller solar generator that we run small electronics from. We’re able to run our fridge and everything on solar during the day, and it gets cold enough at night that we can just flip the fridge off, but with dogs and blankets it’s not so cold that we need to run the furnace. Cooking is done over the fire pit outside. Our water heater is propane only, and we try to just flip that on as needed.
Any other tips or suggestions for desert boondocking?
We stay in the Quartzsite LTVA each winter for a month or more. We enjoy it. However do not under any circumstances leave your dog in a pen unless you are right there with them. Don’t even walk inside for a glass of water! Coyotes take numerous unattended dogs every year. Make sure you don’t camp in a wash, and be very careful driving in them – lots of sand. The place gets absolutely crazy in January, and even Starlink might have trouble managing the congestion. Some people head to the Imperial Dam LTVA near Yuma to get away during the crowds, and crowds there will be! Don’t plan on eating out or making a quick trip to the grocery store during the RV show or the QIA Pow Wow (a rock and gem show with vendors from all over the world). There are lots of activities in town. We participate in the OHV group, and I like the quilt guild too. Very active rock, jewelry, crafts, and art groups too.
ETA the LTVAs are pretty safe. The free areas right near town are less safe. Criminals like a quick getaway and to blend into crowds. Scadden Wash is near town and right on the highway – bad combo. Dome Rock area seems to get some crime each winter too. While no place is crime free, long termers get to know each other and look after each other. This is our 8th season, and I have never been tempted to get out the guns except for target practice fun.
Have you looked at a watermiser? It is a valve you plumb in to put a “recirculate” on your shower. With my instant hot water I just flip it to recirculate, let it warm up, then you can take warm, military style showers. My trailer has a small tank but this efficiency has let me go a week or so before needing water.
Converting your fridge to a 12v compressor type will save you so much electricity. I converted mine last week and wow, what a difference. It only draws about 84 watts, about 1/3 of what the gas absorption 120v used.
This is my list of stay away from brands. Any brand that pays workers by the piece will have problems. If you are getting in to RVS these days you better be handy.
We are always on the lookout for innovative power solutions for the RV traveler. We have looked at both power stations and lithium batteries as sources when campground power isn’t available. Today we are evaluating the Time USB 230Ah LifePO4 Battery due to it’s large capacity and value pricing. We also wanted to take this opportunity to go a step farther providing a power station environment using the battery along with a 14.4V 20 Amp battery charger and DC Battery Outlet also provided by Time USB. This solution supplies battery power to the RV along with charging and outlets to power DC and USB devices at a very affordable price.
Why Lithium Batteries Vs Lead Acid Batteries
Over the last 18 months we have become big fans of lithium batteries. We’re not long term boondockers, but we often tow our 5th wheel for extended periods or have overnight stops where pedestal power may not be available. The power offered by lithium over lead acid batteries makes a substantial difference in these instances.
Many RVs, our Montana 5th wheel included, come from the factory with Group 27 lead acid batteries. These batteries have been a main stay in the industry providing reliable power for the 12V DC devices and lighting found in most motorized and pull behind RVs.
The downside of lead acid batteries has been their weight and capacity. Most 100 Amp Group 27 lead acid batteries are capable of providing 50 amps of usable power. This is the result of the damage that can occur when discharging a lead acid battery below 12V DC which is one half or 50 remaining amps in the battery. To achieve 100 amps of usable power, two Group 27 batteries are used, configured in parallel.
Using a Lithium battery such as the Time USB 230Ah LifePO4 Battery, we can provide 4 times the amp hour capacity found in two Group 27 lead acid batteries with less than half of the weight. This increase in available amps is the result of the LifePO4 cells that make up the 12V battery and the battery management system (BMS) limiting the discharge to 10% without damaging the battery cells.
Time USB 230Ah LifePO4 Battery Specifications
12.8V Nominal voltage
230Ah Capacity
50A BMS board
2944Wh energy
1920 Max. power
150A Max. current
44lb battery weight
19 x 6.7 x 9.5 in Dimensions (L*W*H)
15000 Cycles & 10-year Service Life
There is a temperature issue to consider with the Time USB 230Ah LifePO4 Battery and other lithium batteries that do not have low temperature protection. These LifePO4 batteries cannot be charged below 32 degrees Fahrenheit or the battery cells will experience permanent damage.
Evaluating the Time USB 230Ah LifePO4 Battery
Charging the Battery We started our test with a fully charged battery. As part of the evaluation, we used the 14.4V 20 amp charger provided by Time USB. This is a cost effective charger that was simple to use with a status LED glowing red while charging and green when complete. We started the charge late in the afternoon and it was complete the following morning to start our battery evaluation.
Real World Battery Test Our process to evaluate RV batteries is to place in a real operating environment where devices and lighting in our Montana 5th wheel are powered as we tow and use the RV. In the evaluation we use the Time USB 230Ah LifePO4 Battery without any external power from our F-350 Super Duty, the solar panel, or 110V pedestal power. Our effort was to determine how the battery would perform over an extended period of time in an actual use environment with no external charging.
Our evaluation lasted over 25 hours running a large 110V AC 3-door GE residential refrigerator through a 2000 watt DC to AC inverter. We also operated 12V LED lights throughout the 5th wheel along with constant demands from various devices such as thermostats, 12V to USB chargers, etc.
Battery Test Results At the end of the 25 hours of use, we still had an estimated 35% of battery capacity available. This exceeded our expectations for this battery, but we had one more device to evaluate – the Time USB DC Battery Socket Outlet.
Using the Time USB DC Battery Socket Outlet The Time USB DC Battery Socket Outlet was inexpensive yet a convent way to have a number of power connections supporting a wide variety of options. It took minutes to mount the outlet on a wall and connect to the battery with the supplied cable. The unit has a LED power display to show the current state of the battery along with a 12V cigarette style accessory outlet, 2 – USB 2.4A, 2 – QC 3.0 USB, and 2 – USB C connections.
We tested the Outlet with a 55 Quart 12V chest style refrigerator and all of the USB connections using a cell phone. Each device powered or charged with no issues.
Final Thoughts
The Time USB 230Ah LifePO4 Battery performed well and gave an affordable solution to extend our travels using a single lithium battery. In our use with the addition of our solar charging, we will be able to extend our time in towing and overnight night stays where pedestal power isn’t available and the use of a gas generator isn’t convenient.
Out thanks to Time USB for providing the Time USB 230Ah LifePO4 Battery, charger and socket outlet for our evaluation.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel?
Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life!
Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the Subscribe to our newsletter form located at the bottom of this page and click subscribe.
Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).
That’s soot – I wouldn’t burn real candles in an RV for a lot of reasons. Buy the best simulated electric candles you can with flicker and a scent plug in and get rid of the candles.
If you don’t burn candles, having soot like this would worry me.
Personally, I like real candles. I like the light, I like the smell, I like the way it makes a drink and meal look, and I like the look in the bedroom.
Soot streaks on walls and the ceiling are just part of the ambiance.
Super toxic breathing all those hydrocarbons. None of the fragrances are required to be identified. Not even real fragrances. Try a potpourri pot to kill the RV odor. An open flame in a camper is just crazy dangerous.
This is an outstanding idea! And here I was gonna get deck stair tape from Lowe’s, like a chump.
My only nit (after browsing for almost thirty whole seconds) is that board tape graphics are oriented for boards, not steps. Well, just gotta find the right design I guess. Definitely gonna though. Might still go with hazard stripes, but not from lack of options.
Congratulations on the upgrade. The only reason I stay in a trailer is I can’t stand the neighbor at my house. I pay $400 a month lot space and have cool neighbors. My mom and her husband live in the house and keep it up. If you find a decent neighborhood with good neighbors it’s priceless.
Good for you. I really like my camper, but I like having my house to go home to every day. 11 acres and a pond with no neighbors makes it worth it. Hell, we go camping just to meet people.
This is a screenshot of a week of battery states of charge (blue) and voltage (Orange). I can see the 3 days with my old converter where the state of charge dipped to 87-90% each day (while being plugged in btw!) then the. Day I installed the WFCO-AD, I unplugged and drained the batteries down to about 68%, and since that day I’ve been able to keep my batteries at 100% consistently, but the voltage drops each day.
Does this mean my auto detection in the new converter is working? I’m not so great at deciphering the meaning of these BMV monitors
Maybe just a bit. Probably fine unless you start adding more cargo. Maybe consider flipping the receiver hitch over so it provides an inch or two of lift rather than drop?
Holy gosh, my dude! No WDH and you’re yanking that anchor with a short bed half ton? It’s a menace and a disaster waiting to happen! The semi’s are gonna blow you off the highway while that tail shakes your dog apart!
Forgot to take a picture of the plug itself so.i can make sure I have the right one. I took this picture. It is a 2022 palomino puma. If anyone is able to help me make sure I get the correct cord that would be great
I have a '21 Ram 2500 4×4 with the 6.7 Cummins diesel. I just picked up a 2014 Palomino Canyon Cat 21 TUC. Empty weight is listed at 5100 lbs and I towed it home yesterday with just my regular hitch.
The seller gave me his load equalizer hitch set up that he used with his half ton, but I didn't notice any issues towing.
Do I need the load equalizer hitch to tow a 21', 5500 lb trailer? It's a toy hauler, so I will be hauling a 400 lb Mule 4010 in the back on occasion, but compared to some of the trailers I see on here, mine is nothing. Would it pull better with the equalizer hitch or not notice a difference. (I hate towing rv's, so I'd like it to pull as smoothly as possible).
Hello guys and gals! This community has been a wonderful wealth of knowledge and now I need a bit more!
I have winterized my whole camper except 3 places which is really confusing me… when I picked up the camper a few years back, the guy explains it all to me and I took good notes. I never asked questions before because I didn’t know what to ask and I would typically take my camper in for winterizing amongst other ‘warrantied repairs’ every year. This is the first year I’m doing it myself.
I have a fresh water pump and bypass on board (see picture) so I shut the freshwater line and open the ‘antifreeze line’ (A) and pump through each faucet and low point etc (bypassed water heater…yes drained that too). All is well and pink. What I don’t understand is the below!!!
1) how do I ‘winterize’ the city water line?(from outside camper) Do I just pour antifreeze down it? I don’t have a hand pump.
2) same question above for the black wash line. It’s on the outside but I’m unsure how to winterize that?
3) I released all freshwater from freshwater tank, but the line that goes from freshwater tank to the freshwater bypass line/antifreeze line’ needs winterizing too no? How do I get that and the freshwater tank winterized? I feel when I shut the bypass off, everything before it (to the downward left from arrows) won’t get antifreeze. Am I right in thinking that way?
4) same kind of question as number 3. When I bypass the water heater, there is a cold and hot line going TO the hot water heater obviously, but pumping antifreeze will winterize those too right? Like the liquid will find it’s way to the shut off point and go backwards as it’s blocked yes?
4) see picture one again. Am I supposed to leave the water bypass line closed all winter and then open again in spring? When I use city water, should that bypass be closed? Or open?
Other than that I think I got everything… I appreciate everyone’s help!!!
As mentioned by bb0730, you pop off the screen and press the little button in the middle until pink squirts out. Stand to the side, it will spray pretty far, not just trickle. I learnt that lesson the hard way the first time I did it.
You don’t need to winterize the black tank flush line, it doesn’t hold water, but if you’re really concerned, if you have an outside shower or spray port, you can connect it to the black tank flush and then pump pink through it like that. But like I said, it doesn’t hold water so whatever you pump will just end up in the tank anyway.
2b) Speaking of which, make sure you ran antifreeze through your spray port if you have one. You might remember the outside shower since it has handles like the taps inside, but the spray ports get overlooked.
The water in the line from the freshwater to the pump should have fallen out by gravity, so again, no need to winterize it.
When you bypass your hot water, there isn’t a long run between the bypass and the hot water tank. When you drained your hot water tank, gravity should have drained out whatever was in the little 2-3 inches of line that was there.
Your call on when to switch it, either now or in the spring. Just make sure to note it, and to do it the same way every year so you don’t get confused in the spring, trying to remember whether you did or didn’t flip in the preceding fall.
Bonus: Also don’t forget about the toilet. That’s another one people tend to miss, again, possibly due to the lack of handles.
For the city water line: there’s a back-flow preventer at the inlet. Remove the small filter screen from the city water inlet. With the pump pressurized, you can press in that back-flow preventer with a finger or a screw driver and pink will come out of the city water inlet.
I used a compresser and red pop, so I was a little less worried about the line between the pump and the fresh water tank, but…from my understanding, if there WAS any water in that small line and it DID freeze, because water expands when it freezes, it would expand into the large space of the fresh water tank. We did detatch that small line and blow through it and there was no water in there at all.
SOME people put red-pop in the fresh tank and pump it through the system that way, but some complain of the subtle taste it leaves.
For the line to the hot water tank after the bypass: with the pump pressurized with red-pop, I crack open those bypass lines very quickly to allow a splash of water into those lines. I’ll flush out the hot water tank in the spring for the small amounts of pink in there.
Disclaimer: I’m also relatively new at this and even vet campers will get it professionally done so they have peace of mind.
Do yourself a favour. Go buy the fitting that enables you to to hook up your air compressor to your city water connection. This allows you to hook up 30-40PSI air pressure and blow out all the lines prior to introducing antifreeze. It’s a cheap part and guarantees your antifreeze won’t be diluted. Also, make sure to pour antifreeze down your sink drains and toilet. Also, DONT FORGET THE OUTSIDE SHOWER if you have one and don’t forget to flush the toilet to get antifreeze through the toilet plumbing as well. A TON of people forget the last 2 items.
Purchase a 12v bilge pump and fill a bucket with your antifreeze. Cut a piece of garden hose that will spin on to your city connection. Attach hose to pump and turn it on. You can do the entire RV like this
Just got a '23 Primetime Avenger Le. No manual so I have no idea what is what. This is right up front with all the other wiring. I'm thinking solar maybe? It's supposed to be solar ready.
SAE electrical connector. You could plug in a portable solar panel into that or even a standard battery charger, but be sure the connector is properly connected to battery bank before you try to charge.
I have a neighbor who has what looks like a tiny toy hauler RV. I haven’t met them yet as they appear to be gone whenever I’m home otherwise I’d talk to them. The RV says Sunset Creek by Sunnybrook. It’s a bumper pull, and I’ve looked at floor plans but can’t seem to find this make or model with this large pop out door. Anyone familiar with this model?
One of the fun activities I enjoy when we travel to the mountains are all the great trails to hike. On this years trip to North Georgia I wanted to find trails that I haven’t experienced and if water falls were in the mix then even better. In this video I share Raven Cliff Falls in Helen, GA. It’s the peak of Fall and the scenery if spectacular.
Hiking Raven Cliff Falls
A short drive from the campground and minutes from Helen is Raven Cliff Falls located off 3000 Richard Russell Hwy, Helen, GA. The trail to the falls follows Dodd Creek and offers a wide variety of scenery.
Most trail maps rate the trail as moderate and I agree. I found the trail to be well hiked, easy to follow with a few easy creek crossing. The area that had the most difficulty was at the end along the steep cliffs.
There were a number of smaller waterfalls along the trail that were easy to access and provided a great location for photos. At the end are very large and shear granite cliffs where the highest waterfalls are located. Unfortunately, there has been little rain over the past few weeks when and the falls were not very prominent. But, the lack of water did not detract from the beauty of the area.
I hiked mid week and it wasn’t crowded, but weekends during the popular seasons can be very busy. This was a fun hike that took most of the morning. Great views along the way and opportunities for great views across the seasons.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel?
Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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A Beetle from that era would have a 1300cc engine, and would barely be able to hit 60mph with a tailwind. Tugging that trailer in a parking lot wouldn’t be difficult because it had good torque in first gear – excellent torque if it had the reduction gear boxes from a Kombi, but no way that’s going anywhere on the freeway.
Having said all of that, I love air cooled VW’s, and would absolutely love to have one of these. I’d also love an old air cooled Westfalia camper van.
Based on all of the great feedback and suggestions I received from my previous plan, I have revised my installation plan as shown above.
Is there anything else I should still do differently / add / remove / whatever?
Thanks.
I have a 2004 SunCruiser that was inherited from a close family friend. Only 12k miles and 100 hours or so on the generator. I've taken it to burning man and a few other things and it's been a blessing.
The A/C broke at the Burn and ive been trying to look into exactly what unit it uses to figure out my best path forward on repair. I found the product manual online (RV may have one but I can't find the copy inside) but I'm clearly missing the section that discusses the model it uses to cool. I know it's a central system and not overhead
This model year uses a Coleman Mach central air system, located somewhere in your basement. You’ll need to find the unit, probably by following air ducts, and grab the model number off it. I couldn’t find any information about what models were in use and installed at that time.
Edit: Winnebago provides extensive documentation (comparatively) about their products, you may get some use out of the diagrams on the owners page, especially wiring diagrams.
Just bought a new propane gauge and swapped for a new full propane 20lbs, now ive put this gauge on it and it reads almost low gas ? Propane is now extremely costly paying 40bucks for 20lbs/7.7kg and now it says its not even filled?
The fun part about LP is, its a liquid. When it boils off it doesnt matter if you have 20lbs or 200lbs the pressure is constant until you run out of liquid. If you want to know how much lp you have a scale works best.
Pour warm water down the side of the propane tank, then run your hand down where you poured the water. When it gets colder that how much propane you have left.
Most prefilled only go to 15 instead of 20 pounds, and they charge way to much. Find a place that fills and charges by the gallon. Should be between 10 and 15$
Prefilled propane tanks are the worst deal in propane. That tank you purchased has at best 4 gallons of propane inside. The tank will take 5 gallons and still have space for expansion. That’s the way the tank was engineered.
Companies like Blue Rhino fill with 4 gallons instead of 5 for your “safety”. The reality is they do it for their profits. You think you bought a tank with 20# of propane, but you got 1gallon less and paid a substantial amount for at best 16#.
Skeptical? You can verify the accuracy of the gauge by weighing the propane tank. Put the tank on a scale and record the weight. Deduct the tare weight of the tank, stamped on the collar and that’s the weight of propane. Usually propane is 4 lbs per gallon.
Those gauges work poorly at best, especially if it is cold. Also, prefilled tanks usually are only 50% full. I usually do the swap when I have a shity tank I want to replace.
Are there many people using starlink in their campervan?
What are your experiences for power usage? Do you run it with an inverter or some 12v mod?
My van has a fiberglass roof so I actually mounted it on the inside. Only when it rains the link is quickly gone. Running directly from 12V with some DCDC converters
I use a 300 watt inverter to power mine. I turn it off when sleeping. In my opinion, 12 volt conversion is not worth it. I have 770 watts of solar and 400 ah of lithium batteries.
Well my valve was leaking so I took it apart to put in a new one and I was dumb and didn't watch a video before and now I'm furious about how much of an idiot I was …..getting over it . It says right on the pedal to not remove it…..can't you read it….
From what I can't tell my 15 min job will take me hours now…
Any advice before I remove the toilet to try and assemble the pedal back on?
Lesson learned I think, going to try and find a video first 🙂
DO NOT REMOVE THE PEDAL WHEN REPLACING THE VALVE!!!!!!!!
In case anyone does come across this you can reach in the toilet to hold the end while you screw the pedal on….
So it sort of works now but my sealGasket doesn’t hold water, changed to a new one and the pedal just feels weak and still doesn’t retain water.
So I guess I have more research to do but my toilet works… mostly and at least doesn’t leak water but now I don’t have the water to keep the toilet from letting the smells out …
I know what your thinking, is temp an issue? It is not at all, not for me anyway. However the pc has an AIO, I live at 7,500 ft so our summers don’t get too brutal and the ac sits directly above the pc. I know what else your thinking and yes, he’s a good boy..
I don’t do any super heavy gaming in my RV (but we aren’t full timers either), mostly family fun games like Overcooked, Mario Party, and some other games. So I have a Minisforum mini PC with a Ryzen 6900HX connected to a 42″ LG C2 OLED. It works really well, takes up practically zero space and sips power.
First of all, thank you to everybody who responded on my last post, and helped me realize that this was the best option for my situation.
I have 4 lithium batteries, and will be replacing my WF9865 with a WF9865-AD auto detecting/ lithium compatible converter.
Many have said it’s a super simple project, however the YouTube videos I’m seeing are indicating (without elaborating, of course!) a few things that seem critical that I need guidance on.
1: lithium batteries need to be fully discharged in order for the auto detection to work? Does that mean I need to unplug from shore power (probably overnight) and drain the batteries till they’re dead? Then install the new converter?
2: torque… a few YouTubers indicate torquing the cables to spec was important… but never showed that step… is it really that critical or can i just tighten it a bit more than “finger tight”?
Thank you so much, Redditors, for being my knights in shining armors!
I would recommend returning that converter and getting a different one. I have this exact converter and will be replacing it this off-season. It never puts out more than about 15 amps no matter what charge my batteries have (last time took over 24 hours to charge my 200ah LFP from 18% SOC to 100% SOC). I have seen many other complaints in my various browsings of Reddit and forums. This can easily be replaced with another brand (Progressive Dynamics, Boondocker, etc). Best of luck if you decide to keep it.
Make sure it has the 6 lug nut rear end. The 5 lug were prone to fail not always but it’s a safety hazard. Also really check for water damage. The things almost 40 years old and a lot can happen in that time. I had one with the 22r engine and it’s not a powerful engine so don’t expect to go anywhere fast or up mountains in any other lane than the truck lane
That looks clean, but first check the roof!!!! Also, is it a 4 cylinder or a 6? Usually, the rear door means it has a rear kitchen. It looks like the rear is a 6lug, but make sure if you count five that a deal breaker unless you got the skills to swap out the whole diff. How many miles and what’s the price ?
Those are nice little rigs. I looked at one for $2K in nice condition. Everything worked. There was too much oil seepage and I did not feel like having to rebuild an engine. Then there is the weak axle hub thing mentioned here if you have the low end hub or whatever. If it is cheap enough, it might be fine for local use or just a limited trip out West where you can plan the low power mountain climbs around traffic.
I think there is a bias her for massive power and huge trailers here but I would grab that in a minute if I knew the mechanicals were in good condition.
It is a Toyota and looked easy to work on. My friend had a Dodge Falcon and I hated working on that thing.
I eventually ended up buying new 17 foot coach to pull with my 3.6 Subaru outback. Overall it is not a powerful or fast rig so I keep it slow and plan around traffic.
Since you’re using an MPPT charge controller, you can wire the panels in series instead of parallel and reduce line losses and also maybe reduce the wire size from the panels to the charge controller.
Newbie to solar here, so is this just and AC to DC system to run DC things only? I don’t see the inverter or know how you get AC? My solar guy is trying to get me to switch over as many things as I can to DC power by ditching the power bricks for tv, computer, etc.. and I am still trying to wrap my head around it all.
Having tried that controller I’d recommend getting a Victron instead. It’s really not user friendly and their support is lacking. Mine didn’t work well at all.
I just wish the B’s were more affordable. It makes no sense to spend that much money when I could get a much nicer, roomier C class for the same money.
Regardless of which class of motorized RV you decide to go with, I strongly advise you to avoid any and all Thor products. I’ve been RVing for close to twenty years and I fancy myself pretty knowledgeable on the motorized variety. All motorhome brands have their issues, but Thor owners consistently report issues far above the norm.
Not sure why the mixed comments
RV antifreeze will actually freeze. It’s common and normal
It’s temp rating is BURST point or point that it expands.
Also wanted to add that nearly all ice makers have a way to force cycle them so you can purge without waiting for pink cubes. Find the manual for your machine will save you bunch of time.
I mean, I just push the button, wait as it dumps the air bags, lowers the rams, does it’s little wiggle dance, turns the yellow (uneven) lights to green (even), and clicks off.
I mean, I just push the button, wait as it dumps the air bags, lowers the rams, does it’s little wiggle dance, turns the yellow (uneven) lights to green (even), and clicks off.
Joan and I enjoy wandering around North Georgia. This area has been one of our favorite RV destinations for the last 10 years. And this year continues to amaze us as we return to some past destinations and as well as discovering new places never visited.
Crane Creek Vineyards
In this video below, we start at Crane Creek Vineyards located in Young Harris, GA. We missed this vineyard last year and on this trip went to the Farm House tasting room located at the base of the vineyard. This was a first usually going to the top of the vineyard to the newer Stone House. The Farm House was built in 1901 and still retrains much of the old charm. Located at the bottom section of the vineyard, covered sitting areas have been added along with seating along the edge near the vines.
We visited on this crisp Fall day enjoying this years wine vintages along with excellent Barbecue from the food truck. Crane Creek Vineyards is pet friendly and Joan and I were entertained by a number of the fur babies who visited. This was a great start this years wandering around North Georgia.
Blue Ridge Honey Company – North Georgia
Located a few miles south of Clayton, GA on US 441, is Blue Ridge Honey Company. This is one of those places we pass often when I suggest to Joan that we need to check out. Embarrassed to say how many times we have said that over the years of our North Georgia travels. Finally, we stopped and were not disappointed.
Blue Ridge Honey Co. is a family business with bee yards located in Northeast Georgia, Western North Carolina and South Georgia. Something that impressed us was the quality of the honey. Their honey is pure, natural and raw. They do not pasteurize or micro filter the honey. And the results were proof. We sampled each variety from the often found clover and wildflower to more unique types of blueberry, black sage, and more. You may be asking what was our favorite? All of them!!!
Aside from tasting the honey, we were able to see the production area, a live hive (safely behind glass) and many other products made from beeswax and honey.
Jumpin Goat Coffee Roasters
A few minutes from the campground is Jumpin Goat Coffee Roasters located at 2404 Helen Highway in Cleveland GA. Pulling off the highway and continuing up the hillside driveway, we were greeted with one of the most stunning views in Cleveland. The cafe and roaster is located on a ridge overlooking gentle rolling hills with an amazing presentation of Mt Yonah in the background.
Walking to the cafe, I was greeted with the wonderful aroma of fresh roasted beans and seeing the smoke rolling along the side of the building, Inside the cafe, the friendly staff welcomed me and I couldn’t wait to have a fresh brewed coffee. I treated myself to a delicious Americana and returned outside to enjoy the views.
Before I returned to the campground, I couldn’t leave without purchasing a number of their excellent coffees and gazing at the incredible views one more time.
We’ll be in this area for a while and looking forward to sharing this years adventures as we continue our wandering around North Georgia.
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel?
Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
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Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
In this video below, we start at Crane Creek Vineyards located in Young Harris, GA. We missed this vineyard last year and on this trip went to the Farm House tasting room located at the base of the vineyard. This was a first usually going to the top of the vineyard to the newer Stone House. The Farm House was built in 1901 and still retrains much of the old charm. Located at the bottom section of the vineyard, covered sitting areas have been added along with seating along the edge near the vines.
Located a few miles south of Clayton, GA on US 441, is Blue Ridge Honey Company. This is one of those places we pass often when I suggest to Joan that we need to check out. Embarrassed to say how many times we have said that over the years of our North Georgia travels. Finally, we stopped and were not disappointed.
A few minutes from the campground is Jumpin Goat Coffee Roasters located at 2404 Helen Highway in Cleveland GA. Pulling off the highway and continuing up the hillside driveway, we were greeted with one of the most stunning views in Cleveland. The cafe and roaster is located on a ridge overlooking gentle rolling hills with an amazing presentation of Mt Yonah in the background.
