Have fun! Great pic.
Looks great. Enjoy!
Nice spot nice rig best dog
Good pic. Thats a lot of rig for a first RV.
Fun!
Feels good
Congratulations! Many good times and memories ahead! And welcome to the Grand Design family. We own and live in our Reflection 337.
Source: Our first rv and trip.
I was tired of the awkward and uncomfortable carry on long hauls so I Invented a more comfortable way to carry Propane tanks
I would love to know your thoughts!
Uhhh… don’t they already have built-in handles? I’ve never felt the need for anything more than what’s there.
False advertising. You see, the worlds first propane tank handle is actually what this ( the worlds second propane tank handle) is attached to.
What circumstances would require needing to walk a propane tank far enough to justify this?!
lol what? They have built in handles that are rather comfortable to carry any distance I would ever think about.
A solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. I don’t think I’ve ever carried a propane tank more than 50 feet.
The built in handles are quite comfortable I thought
You want to know my thoughts? Ridiculous. Solution looking for a non-existent problem.
Source: New way to carry Propane tanks more comfortably! Yay or Nay?
I found this in the slotted channel on the upper handle side of the door. Extending from the handle to the top of the door but not engaging with the lock mechanism.
Probably for strength and rigidity
Pretty long and rusty, from the looks of it.
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
The USB plug is serviced by 12 volt wiring. You would need to run a new 120v AC wire to add a plug.
Since you don’t already know that, I suggest hiring an electrician to do the work. You don’t want to mess with wiring if you aren’t sure about it.
As in a regular 120v household outlet?
No, this isn’t possible. This is powered by a 12v wire.
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 good.
Cheap, simple, effective.
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.
A few questions. Aren’t there still gaps between the tarp and RV? Can you zoom in on the d ring set up. Great idea btw
Looks great. What’s the coldest temp you might deal with?
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.
Do you drive with it like that?
Source: RV skirt Idea
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.
I cut the magnetic floor register covers from Walmart to size and stuck them on there.
We use these. Easy to put in and take out to clean.
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
Tow Police: do your worst!
Please tell me that is edible.
Gonna need a WDH!
Oh look at that, a little red truck hauling’ a Christmas tree!
Tow police incoming!
Looks awesome. Really nice work.
Source: How’d I do?
I'm looking at purchasing a new genny. My last one, a dual fuel Firman 4000W from Costco had issues in the Alberta cold this month.
I really only need a 3000W but want to run on propane and a remote start would be awesome.
If anyone has any advice or experience with these units please comment.
Thanks in advance!
They’re the exact same. I have the Westinghouse it’s been great love being able to plug my trailer right into it. One of the largest fuel tanks for the wattage too. I didn’t get the DF because i don’t think I’ll ever use propane
They appear to be identical in specs and construction, so I’d go with the one that costs less. My guess is that some company not named Westinghouse or Cummins actually makes both of these.
I ordered the Westinghouse from Amazon and it wouldn’t start no matter what I tried. They refunded it. Bought the onan (which is just onan Cummins in name) and it runs great. It’s super quiet and I love the remote start. It’s got a big fuel tank for a good run time. There’s also some YouTube videos comparing the two and I believe they showed the Westinghouse over volt protection to not work as well as the onan. It’s been awhile since I was researching these specifically.
Edit: https://youtu.be/E8QvyQmEj04?si=cEN4NRRo-6m1QNm6
Hope that helps.
I got the one in the left and it’s been great. Love dual fuel and the remote on/off bc I mounted it on a tongue rack
I have the Cummins. I have used at 10 degrees Fahrenheit to plug in my travel trailer. Works great, other than need to keep the battery on a trickle charger when not using it
I have the Westinghouse. I like the remote control start.
The Westinghouse is pretty awesome! Definitely recommend it.
Source: Does anyone have experience with either of these generators or brands?
Congrats! I used to sell campers and I’d say Jayco is one of the best manufacturers
Lots of fun in your future, congratulations!
Check out ”The Flock” if you are on Facebook. Jayco class C group.
Source: New toy
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.
Looks exactly like my RV battery compartment. Mine only has one battery hooked up. Keystone Alpine?
My converters fan revs up when I turn on bathroom lights, but I don’t get flickering.
Source: Should I be in 12v or 24v?
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
Tryin the decal so it stops peeling and leave it at that
Find or make a big sticker you like. Maybe a big nautical. Here are some more ideas: ☮️ ☯️ ????️
Can’t actually “fix it”
I’d just leave it. Otherwise, you are opening a can of worms.
Is that bird shot? , marine bonds if the holes are completely thru
You could also see if you could get color matching paint to dab in it. Would make it less noticeable, but looks like a hard color pattern to match.
By ignoring it like I do all the other scratches and dings.
Source: How would you fix this?
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?
Looks like residual material from your water heater anode rod.
Drain your water heater
Smell it and let us know.
Calcium
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
Source: What is in my lines?
???? Rv detailing booking for December ????????????
That thing is sharp as hell but I’d hate to be in the south in August with that black
I’d hire ya!
Get you a scaffold my man, works looks good though.
Source: Professional Rv, 5th wheel and Camper Detailing ????
Wow… that’s just $1.5k lower than replacing the roof of my 1700 sq ft house.
I don’t know if that’s a good price or not. Have you gotten any other quotes?
This is but one reason to avoid rubber roofs. They can rip, they all deteriorate due to sun and weather damage, and can be expensive to replace.
BTW, $175 to $200 an hour shop rate is common in my area.
Good luck with your repairs…..
Try Flex Armor. We did a 25 ft Travel Trailer for 1/2 of that cost and has lifetime guarantee and never have to seal anything
I found a soft spot on the roof, the shop said they found a tiny hole by the AC and the decking is wet underneath so the entire roof needs to be replaced.
Our trailer was around 25k new so yeah I’m having a hard time justifying paying for this.
That’s more than I bought my RV for
For what it’s worth, I received a similar quote around $10K from Campers World. Those shop rates are ridiculous and I walked away. I found a guy who worked at a local repair facility and had it done for $1K. My issue was only the rear corner but CW priced it as the entire roof which was overkill.
Can anyone tell me if this is a fair cost to replace a roof on my travel trailer, its a 2020 Winnebago micro minnie 2108fbs?
Their labor rate is $195/hr
Source: Roof replacement cost – $195/hr
If I got this TT inspected and it looked good, would this be a good buy? Or would I be better off buying a new Jayco, travel lite, grand design etc?
Looking to live in it full time for next decade.
Buy the older Lance.
I had a trailer I bought brand new, a 2017 Gulf Stream. I didn’t know what I was doing when I bought it. It was fine for a while (mostly because I didn’t notice stuff that was wrong), but eventually it had issues. Like the bone-dry black water tank effing fell off. The axle wasn’t straight so the tires wore unevenly. Etc. So I dumped it.
I bought a used Lance, older than this one. It’s a 1985 (the model number, not the year), I think. And I paid more than the one you’re looking at costs. And I’m totally happy with it. I think they’re much better built than a newer but cheap trailer. I think the construction quality of most trailers is really, really low.
We have an entry level 2013 Wildwood Xlite 221 RBXL, bought used in 2018 for $10K. 26 trips and a couple thousand $ later, we are selling the Xlite and buying and newer Lance – the difference in quality is truly astounding. Lance for the win, high quality lasts. We went and saw a new Lance on the lot – totally convinced.
Source: Would I be better off buying a older Lance or new worse quality travel trailer?
American Coach American Dream.
Oooo… to rich for my blood.
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 ????
Looks nice, I like that bat wing.
Where’d you get it?
Not a novice, but still have lots to learn. Our first camper, I resealed the roof yearly added more lap sealant if needed and such. We bought a 21 Keystone Springdale and I need to re seal the roof as it has been two years. Yes I know I'm late just been busy. It's an Alpha roof, and they say to use their product. I just want to make sure, as I'm not finding much information about it, that this is the correct product. I used Dicor before on the previous camper and they make it so easy to find a product. Alpha calls it a roof coating, but one page said you needed an adhesive before adding the coating. What are yall thoughts before I drop 90 on this product to cover the rood.
@itsronman on Tiktok. Ron the RV roof man has a superior product that looks much better than anything else on the market for all roof systems
Source: Roof Help
Congrats ! Very nice rig – I like the two doors.
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! 🙂
Congrats! Hope you enjoy it!
I’m living in my car, so this looks like ultimate luxury!
Congrats, enjoy the memories!
Woo-hoo!
Part time/full time?
Enjoy!
Does the truck struggle towing it?
(That’s a big rig)
All real new Mexicans love a rainy day!
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.
Beautiful day out there, though!
I love rv camping in the rain!
Hello from San Lorenzo Canyon!
Greetings from Santa Fe!
Photos you can smell
My wife and I are going to Ruidoso NM in the middle of December and plan on staying away from home for about 2 years. How is Ruidoso for winter RVing?
Use?
How many of those can you run in parallel?
I see this one still had the “prep fee”
You saved money! Congrats!
Is it the same dealer, same quote format even?!
30amp 5th wheel ????
Source: Sunset Trail 212RB Update: Bought from another dealer
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.
Cheers!
Congrats! And enjoy man .
Congratulations! Hope you have a great time out and about.
Beauty of a rig! Take care and enjoy!
Congrats!!! On the new adventure….My wife and I have been on the road for 2 years and have been loving every minute of it. Both work virtually
Congratulations. Enjoy!
Congrats hope yall enjoy it, nice rig and truck too those l5p’s are beasts
Source: We picked up our RV today. Can’t wait to hit the road! ????
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.
A sunken sink
When hanging undermount’s you’d use this (or straight up wood) https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/masters-all-round-steel-strapping-to-hang-pipes-1-2-in-x-25-ft-0633641p.html
Can hammock the sink into the cupboards. But what I’d be sure to be aware of is shifting of the pipes again, potentially causing leaks.
Loose lips sink sinks.
Get rid of the undermount and place the sink in the hole from the top. Use mold resistant silicone caulk to secure in place.
It’s a sink. Just replace it. It’ll take 20 minutes. But will cost you a new sink. I just replaced mine for $60 with a black stainless.
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?
Source: My sink collapsed
These aren’t the traditional lady bugs but the invasive Chinese lady beetles that were imported to kill aphids but then grew in stupid numbers in the US and actually bite us and kill lady bugs. You can tell because the spots are symmetrical and they come in varying colors.
Are you in the midwest and currently in staying or living in the rig?
This happened to us in 2022 in Missouri (we live full-time in ours). They came in through the slide seals because they’re looking for a tight space to winter over. Check your seals and windows but they still may come in via your AC vents, etc.
Once they’re in, the only thing you can really do is vacuum them up when you see them and stop the end of the vacuum with paper towel so they can’t get out. They will come out of the nooks and crannies for awhile. If you’re not living in the rig, they’ll probably die off if they can’t get out but you may find them clustered and dead in the tight corners and spaces. Ugh.
They secrete a pheromone that attracts others in droves.
Vacuum them up, and clean all your surfaces…anywhere they’ve been.
It’s about all you can do.
Currently booked out 3 weeks on nothing but huge beautiful rv’s ????????????????♂️
Source: Rv detailing ????
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?
That’s a Lance camper, correct? That’s their proprietary 6-pin connection.
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):
https://www.roadtechmarine.com.au/7-pin-round-trailer-plug/p/PP2054
If you’re in the US, you’ll likely want to change the pigtail for the standard 7 pin that we use.
It’s a GX16 7pin connector
Source: Type of connector
Was able to get them to knock $500 off the freight cost since I'd be driving 11hrs to go get it. Is this a good deal? It's my first camper purchase, so I really don't know what to ask about billing wise
The starter kit, administration fee and prep rv fee is the fluff stuff where the dealership’s trying to make their money.
A “starter kit” usually consists of a water hose and a sewer hose, maybe some chocks, that can all be had for less than $100, possibly even less than $50. So get details about what that kit actually provides, and make your own call if it’s worth it.
Same thing with the Administration fee, find out what that entails. There’s already a separate line item for the plate and title, so what are they charging you for?
And lastly, the “Prep RV” fee. That’s almost 2K right there, so really dig into that one. At some dealers that might be as simple as “wash the RV”. Or they might really be doing a bunch of stuff.
Overall, the charges are probably fine. Given the discount, they’re probably selling the trailer somewhere around cost, so they need to make some money somewhere. Just make sure they’re being honest about it.
I sell rvs… selling a customer a new 2022 now is probally about the meanest thing they could do to you…… thats straight lot rot, probally got to the dealership in 2021, height of covid coaches.
Knock off the 1995 prep or no deal. Prep makes it a no-go deal.
You mention driving 11hrs. Not sure the distance, but my diesel fuel has been a bit over 40 cents per mile while hauling, also consider trailer tires are only rated to 65 MPH so it may take longer to get back home. Driving it back home is good practice in driving with the trailer.
Make sure you have a backup camera. Mine was about an extra grand, installed. They also will have a store with all the essentials, all of which you can order online for probably 1/3 the price.
Also be prepared for everything to break and be warrantied out in the first year. I have needed to return to the dealer (which is out of town) several times. Not feasible if it’s that far away.
Also, consider the warranties they try to sell you, may or may not be needed.
That is an absolutely terrible deal.
It’s a 2022 model. It’s been sitting on their lot for two years. Floorplan has been completely paid out on this unit. The dealer is into this for the cost of their invoice plus whatever floorplan they paid (that they’re never going to get back).
$27,990 + tax would be my OTD price.
Also, is this your unit?
https://www.nationalrvdetroit.com/product/new-2022-crossroads-rv-sunset-trail-212rb-1862459-29
No RV is ever”worth it”. They are all severely depreciating assets and they all require significant maintenance and repairs.
Doesn’t matter if it’s a small travel trailer or a 2 million dollar bus. Only the amount of dollars change.
That being said, only you can decide if the camping experiences and treasured memories are worth the price paid.
In my personal experience, we spent more than $700,000 (over a period of 15 years) from the time the first RV was purchased till the last one was sold. We lived in our motorhome full time for 10 of those years.
So….was it worth it? Absolutely. I wouldn’t trade that experience or those memories or friendships for anything.
Good luck….and happy camping!????
What’s the interest rate, what’s the total interest charged on the loan? Am I blind or is it not mentioned at all? How many payments?
I don’t trust any place that just lists monthly payments without the other details. It’s a way to prey on people, “oh you can afford 300 a month? Cool here’s a vehicle” and people don’t realize it’s like 9 years of 300 payments at 14% yearly interest..
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.
Bro, if that were a product I could buy and just swap…I’d buy 5.
Well done!!
Turn that into a product and you would be rich. Very nice work. I use a countertop dishwasher, but this is a lot nicer.
I would find this much more necessary then having an oven. I use an air fryer far more often then my oven.
This should be standard equipment!
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.
Until now, thanks a lot!
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.
Source: I turned my range and oven into a range and dishwasher.
Why? Just get a collapsible ladder and have a dedicated space for it to go
Sorry to say, but those steps do not look like a good idea.
Fold up, removable, or rear of vehicle would be preferable.
I love seeing the progress on this project, thanks for sharing!
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?
The new gas can spouts that everyone hates? These don’t have that so they are not intended for use with gasoline.
I believe they are not intended for gasoline because of emissions issues.
It is to be California compliant. It doesn’t have auto close or nozzle vent.
I don’t know. I bought a few of the red ones and use them for gas all the time. Haven’t had any issues yet.
So I know this isn’t the VP brand. But these are basically the same things. This one is tractor supply
It doesn’t have the nanny spout so no gas. The liability associated with manufacturing gas containers is nuts. Forced Blitz into bankruptcy
And type of plastic used plays a role in that.
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.
Source: All ready to go!
Congrats!!!! Looks clean. Where to first?
What’s broken, so far?
[deleted]
Just did the same thing early in the summer. Awesome experience for the family
Congrats! We love ours.
Camp close to home the first time so it is close if you forget something. Have fun and may the long time sun shine on you and your family on all of your rv adventures!
Glad to see someone finally making a decision wife I have been looking at different making models for what seems like forever. So many horror stories, but I guess you just gotta try.
Source: Holy crap so pumped! Just bought our first motorhome!
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.
Steel wool does burn. It turns to rust, which is an exothermic reaction.
Fun fact: this is what generates heat in disposable hand warmers.
Aluminum foil only. As said above, steel wool and fire are not good together. Especially inside.
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 .
The screw is getting wet…that is for sure. I can’t see whats on the other side of that pic, so it’s really hard to say what is leaking.
If you think it’s leaking from there…grab some white silicone and seal her up.
Source: Is this normal?
How did you win, tell me more. Is it new?
Just don’t let CW work on it.
Free Camper > The Perfect Camper
Nice GX too
On my last camping trip of the year some junk got stuck in the screen of this faucet and I can’t get it out. The tip doesn’t unscrew like household faucets and CLR and backwashing didn’t do the trick. Looking to replace it. Anyone know who makes it? It’s on a 2021 Coachmen Freedom Express.
FWIW, I’ve googled for hours and not been able to find it
Any 4 ” faucet should work.
Dura is a popular RV faucet brand.
Fyi before replacing take a look at the connection at the supply lines it’s probably different than residential and you may need an adapter.
We have the same camper, I’ll take a look at it next week when we go camp to see if I can figure it out.
It looks like the whole faucet gooseneck unscrews. There appears to be a grip at the base where the goosneck starts. You could try opening and rinsing it that way.
Aside from that you can get a residential faucet and swap with minimal hassle. Alternatively try googling nickel faucets for manufactured homes. They are often cheap, light, and have identical connectors.
Source: Who makes this faucet
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.
Do you ever take the spare out of the passenger seat or just make the wife ride in back?
Stay strapped and keep your stuff locked up.
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.
Seems you have your power figured out. We also have a 2000 watt inverter generator for cloudy day back-up: https://www.championpowerequipment.com/product/100478-2000-watt-inverter/
Have two 5 gallon water bottles for drinking/cooking/coffee water with a battery operated pump on them. https://www.walmart.com/c/kp/5-gallon-electric-water-pump
We also have a couple of 6 gallon jugs to haul water to refill our tank. Got tired of holding them up so I got one of these: https://www.harborfreight.com/12v-dc-transfer-pump-290-gph-63324.html?_br_psugg_q=12+volt+pump Experience says to use a reinforced hose on the suction side of the pump as it will flatten a cheap hose.
To further conserve water I made one of these: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9eBK6xM9ok&t=55s although I used a two gallon sprayer. Also makes showers much more fun.
I’m just here to read the tips.
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.
Source: Any tips for staying at a BLM Long-Term Visitor Area?
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.
Thor brands
Airstream
Heartland
Hymer
Dutchman
Jayco
Keystone
K-z
Crossroads
Redwood
Airstream
CrossRoads RV
Cruiser RV
DRV Luxury Suites
Dutchmen
Entegra Coach
Heartland
Highland Ridge RV
Jayco
Keystone RV Company
K-Z RV
Redwood Residential Vehicles
Starcraft
Thor Motor Coach
Venture RV
MPG
Forest River
Coachmen RV
Dynamax
East to West RV
Forest River RV
Palomino RV
Prime Time Manufacturing
Shasta RV
Winnebago
Newmar
Grand Design
REV group
American Coach
Fleetwood RV
Monaco
Holiday Rambler
Renegade RV
Midwest Automotive Designs
Lance Camper
Independent RV
Allen Camper Manufacturing
Adventurer Manufacturing
Alliance RV
Armadillo Trailer Manufacturing
Bigfoot Industries
Braxton Creek
Capri Camper
Casita Travel Trailers
Chinook RV
Coach House
Eclipse Recreational Vehicles
Escape Trailer Industries
Eveland’s, Inc
Genesis Supreme RV
Gulf Stream Coach
Host Campers
inTech RV
Lazy Daze
Leisure Travel Vans (Triple E Recreational Vehicles)
Little Guy Trailers
New Horizons RV
Northwood Manufacturing
Northern Lite
Northstar
nüCamp RV
Oliver Travel Trailers
Outdoors RV Manufacturing
Pacific Coachworks
Phoenix USA
Pleasure-Way Industries
Roulottes Prolite
Rugged Mountain RV
The RV Factory
Safari Condo
Sunset Park RV
Tiffin Motorhomes
Trail Wagons
Travel Lite RV
VanLeigh RV Tiffin Motorhomes
Here’s to a relaxing weekend
Source: Veterans Day weekend trip
You burn scented candles in there?
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.
I had the same problem. Definitely the candles.
Yes, it is candles.
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.
it’s dirt/grime/smoke/pollution. Keep after it.
I get the appeal of real candles, but DUDE! An RV is a fire hazard just existing, don’t invite disaster
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.
Yes, but can you kick-flip your rig?
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.
Love it!
That is fun!!
Jessup or mob?
This is awesome, great tip because those babies are slick as shit.
Great idea, might steal said idea!
I don’t blame you. Living in an RV these days feels like never ending stress if you don’t have a good place to park it.
Hope you don’t end up like me, did that had a house and property for nearly 4 years and just sold it all and bought a class A to do it all again
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.
Can you explain why?
Nice! Anything you wish you would’ve done that you didn’t get to?
I’m just doing it for a couple of years to buy land and build a house. So congratulations! You’re where I want to be
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.
Source: After 14 months I’m saying goodbye to the RV life. Bought a house and sold the RV
You can’t just “get an adapter” you need a 220v electric service. Or you need a dryer that’s specifically 120v
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
Source: Switch to WFCO with “Auto Detection” … is it working?
Moved from an SUV to a truck recently. Is this too nose down or is it inconsequential?
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?
Looks fine to me
Looks fine, best way to know for sure is to raise it up, do you get closer to level or nose up. Nose up is much worse than sightly nose down
You good Fam.
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!
(/s you are fine, my dude, have fun)
Good to go!
Edit: love that truck….silver too!
What year, size and model is that bush whacker?
Source: Is this too nose down?
Assuming you have an absorption fridge and assuming it’s for fans in the fridge vent to help push air out and boost performance
Source: So the first two are self explanatory. What is “refrig vent” supposed to do? On a 2012 A-Liner.
Its the dryness from the furnace. Humidifier will help.
Get tested for sleep apnea.
Antihistamine. Benadryl works wonders.
You may be breathing through your mouth, not your nose. You won’t know, because you are asleep.
You could wear a winter facemask or wrap a scarf over your nose and mouth.
If you have sleep apnea and health insurance, you might be able to get a cpap machine with a humidifier
You might try making a tent over your bed. Blankets suspended over your bed to trap warm air and protect you from drafts.
Dome tent would work. 30 dollar kids fort type from Ikea.
Are you able to plug in a humidifier?
I use a Mr Buddy propane and it adds comfortable humidity to the dry cold.
That’s cool, where’d you get it? … Oh, wait, just noticed your username.
Source: Custom Camper Ornament
Paint.
Just spray clean with a degreaser, make sure temps aren’t too cold, and use a good primer before paint.
I just painted mine and what a difference! I just used a adhesion primer. I only needed about half a gallon to prime my entire 21 ft rv!
We painted and it turned out great! Used Zinsser primer after scraping/ sanding some loose wallpaper then regular interior paint. I have read here that people feels it diminishes resale values, though. (Our trailer was basically a gut job anyway so paint was the least of the modifications we did!)
All that is is painted vinyl. Feel free to repaint, I’m sure you could even wallpaper without an issue.
We sanded all the walls to give a bit of texture for the paint to stick too (hindsight it wasnt needed and a ton of work), we used Benjamin Moore Scuff-X primer (left it as primer cause we wanted the Base White color as our main color and used a different one for accent) after a year of living out of it, I worked remotely we climbed and hiked basically every day and are hard on stuff its still flawless, I tried to scratch it in a few spots and held up better then anything else did (nails and wood falling apart and needing fixed and even our floor was banged up) but the paint kept on keeping on, we wiped down the walls once a week cause white shows everything but the biggest suggestion I can give is… TAPE EVERYTHING and triple check before painting (we used a paint gun, 90% prep, 10% work)
That isn’t wallpaper so don’t try to take it off. You can paint it, but be aware that it is a lot of work, and it may hurt your resale value if the RV isn’t really old or extremely ugly already. Basically people get suspicious of covered up water damage when people paint the walls. If you think you might be selling in the next few years take lots of comprehensive pictures before you paint just in case buyers seem hesitant.
Source: Aside from re-wallpapering, is there any way to modernize the color of the walls?
Yep. Connect the wires. Polarity doesn’t matter. Verify everything works before setting off.
As someone else mentioned, the brake magnets don’t care about polarity, so just connect the ground and the positive to whatever wires you want.
The little hanging box is the connector that the magnet wires previously attached to. You won’t likely be able to re-use it so just cut it off.
Make sure these connectors are reasonably watertight and solid – they have a very rough life under there.
You could get away with using a Wago connector in a pinch. Waterproofing is your issue though.
Waterproof butt connector if you can get a good crimp.
I would recommend removing these wires from inside the axel too, the plastic insulation wears out and eventually shorts the whole brake system.
This is as an extra protection.
I’d look at the other side or maybe the one in front and hook it up as they are.
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
Google / Amazon 50amp rv cord. It’ll have 4 prongs vs 3 on a 30amp cord.
I have a camco brand cord, it seems nice quality and no issues so far.
50 amp cord
Source: Rv Plug Question.
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).
Source: Do I need Load Equalizer Hitch?
I am upgrading my CBE DS300 based system with a Renogy dual input DC/DC + MPPT charger controller and replacing my CBE CB510 AC charger with a 20A smart lithium charger.
I have studied the DS300 manual closely and have done a fair bit of googling and reading about integrating a DC/DC (B2B) charger to DS300 based systems, and think I have gleaned a sufficient understanding of how the DS300 works and what must be done to integrate the new components, but am still unsure about the ultimate correctness of my planned modifications of and connections to the DS300.
My goal is to remove entirely all charging related behavior from the DS300, both charging the leisure battery from the alternator or AC charger as well as trickle charging the starting battery from the AC charger. However, I want to retain as much of the existing stock behavior of the DS300, e.g. relating to step retraction, 3-way fridge control, display of starter battery voltage in the panel, etc.
My understanding is that if resistor R37 is removed, the parallel battery relay will be disabled and the starter battery and leisure battery bank will never be connected in parallel. In addition, if the AC charger signal “S” connection is never connected, the DS300 will never attempt to trickle charge the starter battery.
In order to ensure that the new charger controller will be able to accurately monitor the voltage of the starter battery without being affected by the DS300 in any way, I intend to install a 50A DC blocking diode, which should block all current from the DS300 towards the charger controller while still allowing the DS300 to sense and display the voltage of the starter battery.
In order to ensure that the DS300 does not attempt to charge the leisure battery from the alternator input, I will install an inline 1A blade fuse. If the parallel battery relay truly is reliably disabled, there should never be any significant current being pulled from the starter battery / alternator by the DS300 so the fuse should always remain entact.
The ignition signal connection will be left connected as it is now, so that the DS300 knows when the engine is running.
With the above modifications and connections, the DS300 functions affected by when the engine is started/running, e.g. controlling the step retraction, fridge switchover, etc. should continue to function as before.
Am I misunderstanding or missing something, such that the above configuration will not achieve my goals? Any suggestions how better to meet my goals?
Thanks.
I am also wondering whether it would be reasonable to install a high current blocking diode such as the following on the positive lead from the battery bank to the DS300 input, to block any attempt by the DS300 to charge the leisure battery bank from the alternator input:
Source: Need sanity check on dual input DC/DC + MPPT charger upgrade with existing CBE DS300
Hi! We are a tent family (myself, my husband, and 3 boys) but are looking to upgrade to a pop up to get the extra space of a camper but still somewhat have the feel of tent camping. We are currently looking at a 2017 Coachman Clipper LS 128LS. Before we go any further with it, does anyone have any insight as to the good, bad, or ugly of this specific model of pop up? Photo is the exact one we are considering…. Thanks!
No feedback on that specific model, but for the money (and depending on what you tow with), I would suggest the Rockwood HW 277. A lot more room while maintaining the tent feel you’re going for.
We had a pop up for a year with 3 little kids. The benefit is having a place to sleep and stay warm comfortably, with ease.
Things I’d consider:
How much work is it to get them set up for sleep? Ours had a king (us), queen (shared), and fold down sofa (twin size). Still had the table for kids to use, so we didn’t have to set up or tear down every morning and evening.
Unless you get tarps/gizmos and insulation sheets, it’ll be just as bright, noisy, and cold as a tent.
Our fridge was near the back so we couldn’t access it when closed, so we never used it
What’s your tow capacity? I ask because we had a 2008 Rockwood that had a great setup for 5 and was ~2600. Had a toilet and shower as well.
Get a hybrid instead… you still get the tent feel, but gain the amenities of an inside shower, toilet, bigger fridge etc.
here’s a jayco model for reference:https://www.jayco.com/rvs/travel-trailers/2021-jay-feather/x17z/
Source: First pop up
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!!!
Sorry if these questions are dumb.
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.
This short video walks you through all the steps of winterizing. https://youtu.be/e8SY7P8Fm5I
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.
Thank you for all of this info!
I did just do the city line. Anti freeze came out that’s good.
So fresh water and black tank wash should be good
Too then! I appreciate all the help.
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
Source: Winterizing question! 3 year owner, first time winterizer 🙂
Hey guys, this is a simple yet convenient deal. I have a few portable power stations. They seem to do pretty well but I’m frequently left with not enough juice from these small packs. I have a 100wh and a 300wh. Although I do use solar panels from time to time, I realized that the MPPT input accepts a wide range of voltage. I got a Milwaukee adaptor plate that came with a switch and a fuse holder, as well as an 8mm barrel connector. A 12ah M18 battery should, in theory, hold about 216WH. I have a fair amount of large Milwaukee batteries, so I charge these up before a trip.
When you clip a battery into the adaptor and plug it into a power station, it’ll start to charge at about 60w. Neat! Make sure you fuse it according to your wiring. I have 14awg so I put a 10a fuse in to be safe.
If you’re a boondocking weekend warrior or tent camper, this is a 5 minute project that can extend the life of your power banks for about 15-20 bucks.
Since your power bank only has USB out I feel that something like this would be more efficient. Much less energy loss with the various conversions
Source: Made an adaptor to top up power stations with Milwaukee batteries
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.
External solar connection
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.
If you really want a manual, just Google your model and manual.
https://forestriverinc.help/#/primetimerv/guide/2023/2827-avenger/browse
Solar port
most likely a Zamp solar port… from what I recall, zamp switched the positive and negative, so test that before using
I just got a Primetime Avenger with no manual too. I also just got my shoes on so I can go out and see if I have the same thing!
My forest river ibex didn’t either. I use Forest River Owners guide app. You can download and print manuals
Source: So my brand new travel trailer did not come with a manual. Can anyone let me know what this is?
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?
Look next to the entry door for the model number.
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.
Source: Take 2: Please critique my LifePO4 + Solar upgrade plans
I dropped off my RV (2015 Forest River Avenger) for winterization ($65/mo) and storage ($85/mo). I then received this estimate for “maintenance” which I was in no way prepared for. I just bought this RV in June. It had been stored outside in weather ranging from 30 F – 90 F with good amounts of direct sun. Is this expected maintenance? Is this fair pricing? Thank you in advance.
Seams reasonably priced to me. Time , setup, scrape loose, clean. Touch up !
Kinda what would be expected but that stuff is simple stuff that needs to be done every year
All depends on location. I work at a dealership, we charge $249hr.
Yes it’s fair. Be happy you got out for less than $1000
That’s practically free ????
OP are you climbing your happy ass up there to do this? What is your time worth to drive to store and order the correct sealant, drive to the storage with ladder in tow, pull out RV so you can see, look for those spots, fumble around with sealant and rags and ladders, get the spots, clean up, put up RV, stow ladder and drive back home and clean yourself up…
Is it worth $200? That’s the only question you need to ask. Some people would pay a grand all day long to not do this and risk a fall and other shit, others wouldn’t pay more than $40 so they’d have to do it themselves because they’re very cheap (nothing wrong with that) so what’s your comfort level?
The price for touching up the sealant seems fair, depending on the average shop rates around you.
What doesn’t seem fair is some of the other stuff you mentioned. From your description, it doesn’t sound like you authorized this work to be performed, so they shouldn’t just be doing it and charging you.
And I really hope that $65/mo for winterization is a typo and you meant it as a single $65 fee. If they were charging you $65 per month for winterizing, then that WOULD be a rip-off. Even a single $65 is kind of a rip-off considering how easy it is to do yourself, but it would be in-line with their shop rate since you’re having them do it. 65 basically works out to 20 minutes at 2.90 a minute (about the same as their shop rate) and $6 for the antifreeze.
Source: First RV, storing and having dealer winterize… they found a few fixes. Is this fairly priced?
Is that trailer made of balsa wood?
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.
Tire and axle weight ratings as well as engine power. It’s a fun video though that makes its rounds periodically.
Hell yeah let’s put that kingpin right above our heads lol
That’s pretty cool, not so sure that it is very safe though.
Ok ngl with a heavily reinforced roof, it’s kinda cool. Spread the weight over both axles (note mid engine preferred).
Source: Why not?
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.
Off topic but how much would this entire setup cost ? Installation and diy prices would be appreciated as well
Source: Take 2: Please critique my LifePO4 + Solar upgrade plans
Boo Boo, I legitimately thought it was a picanick basket on wheels.
If that’s a COIVD camper, are we sure it didn’t come from the factory like that?
Seriously, though, I’ve never seen a bear, especially a black bear! go after a hard-sided camper like that.
Source: BEARS IN NORTH CAROLINA!!!
Source: I built/rebuilt a fiberglass Land and Sea and River RV
Hey Guys
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
Any direction would be great
Thanks so much
According to this brochure:
https://library.rvusa.com/brochure/04Suncruiserbro.pdf
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.
https://www.winnebago.com/owners/owner-resources/guides-and-diagrams
Really hard to tell what we’re looking at. Can you draw a diagram maybe?
its the same on both sides, but this is the ‘busier’ of the two because of the wiring. anyways, the seller didn’t exactly disclose that missing chunk of rubber or w/e, but its sold as is/where is, so y’know. anyways, i’m not exactly into paying rv dealership prices, so how do i seal this properly? it let a fucking ton of dust in from the dirt roads on the way home. the bright square at the top of the pic is the interior of the trailer.
But some wiper & bulb seals and install them. Here’s a top quality source, though they are expensive: https://www.steelerubber.com/camper-rv/slide-outs
It’s hard to tell, but since you mentioned rubber seal, I’m assuming the seals on the slide could use a replacement. Steelrubber.com should have you covered.
Source: bought a trailer with a slide out! its missing a gasket though .. how do i fix this
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.
Mopeka makes a sonar bluetooth device you can install on the bottom.
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$
The gauge isn’t wrong.
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.
Total weight – tare weight / 4 = total gallons.
I’ve never used a gauge before but that sucks if you paid 40 bucks and it’s low…
If you can find a place to refill that bottle it’s a lot cheaper!
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.
Source: New to propane gauges, reads low on new pre-filled propane tank / swap
Hi!
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.
Source: Starlink experiences?
I’ve searched the internet without finding any similar issues. I haven’t found anyone with this terrible buzzing.
The furnace kicks in, then IGNITES. The heat starts blowing… everything works. For about 30-60 seconds. Then it shuts off, and them it starts making the noise in the video.
I’m going to clean the sail switch, but the issues that causes don’t quite match up, so I don’t have high hopes.
Has anyone here had a similar issue?
That’s odd. Here are some things to look at. But it sounds like a squeal from the birdcage.
https://youtu.be/9cu1UvVcQ-o?si=qtUb2iq4dTMigCsE
I’ve seen this happen several times, and it was always the fuse in the fuse panel. Those “auto resetting” fuses are junk. If your furnace fuse is a large black one, replace it with a regular 15A fuse and give it another go.
Sail switch was pristine
Not sure about the buzzing, but we had a similar issue a couple of years ago where the furnace would light and run for less than a minute, then turn off.
In our case it was a hole in the burner, but in my research there is a thermal overload sensor that could be bad, or it could be the control board.
Remove the igniter wire and re test, sounds like arcing possibly? May also be a faulty board?
Source: Furnace not working
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!!!!!!!!
Cheers and happy camping!
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 …
Ugh… Lol
Well, nows a good time to contemplate replacing the toilet if that is on the bucket list. ????
Guppy what a perfect name for that cutie!
For the low price of $80k, you can have one too!
/s for those who need it.
But seriously, Airstreams are super nice but man do you pay for them.
Needs tandem axles.
Need more truck.
Source: Cute little Airstream
TL/DR: 1/2ton Yukon XL on way out. Need new TV preferably 3/4ton capacity that seats at least 6 if not 8. Good options at budget of $10k?
Looking to change my tow vehicle. My current 2012 Yukon XL (with towing package) had 258K miles and I feel is at the point the next time I need more than an oil change it will be costly and I’m not wanting to sink more into it. It’s also at its maximum for our trailer (6200lb-6400lb) when loaded with about 750lb on tounge. Scaled it an I’m within weight limits and payload. Just really close on rear axel limit.
Not changing trailer but kids are growing which adds to payload in truck. 2 adults, 4 kids and lab retriever in truck rest in trailer.
What else is there to tow with as I plan to spend till next spring looking for the right fit. And hopefully 10k as budget.
Options I see are
1) another standard 1/2ton Yukon XL/Suburban but I’m still at same limits. Feels like at times the tail tries to wag the dog so to speak. Would that improve with a 3/4ton
2) 3/4 ton suburban – but tend to be harder to find fleet vehicles and at budget price
3) Ford Excursion is 3/4 ton correct? But they are all 20yr old. How are they holding up?
4) any good full size van options? Ford E250/350? Chevy? Nissan? I don’t know much about vans yet. Looking as my wife isn’t opposed.
5) 3/4 crew cab truck but kid rides middle front seat and dog in kennel in bed. Not desirable
We have a Honda minivan as my wife’s daily with the kids. My Yukon xL has been our TV, my daily driver and family road trip vehicle (not with trailer to SD, Florida and UP MI from central WI). My daily commute is now 5 miles/12min in town with new job vs 25miles last 5 years I was doing in Yukon. It would be nice to long road trip (about once a year) in something larger and more comfortable than minivan but it can be done in Honda minivan.
It might not help with your drivability concerns, though it won’t make it worse, but it’s probably worth checking numbers on some newer 1/2 ton SUVs. You may gain a fair amount of head room on your max towing and payload compared to a 2012.
Edit: I missed the $10k budget. Unlikely you’ll find much newer than 2012 without more than 250k miles for that budget.
My vote is actually two vehicles. One for peeps and pups, and something appropriate to tow the trailer.
Limited research, but the Express 2500/3500 should be in the running. The 6.0L gas engine, from what I’ve seen, is highly regarded. In 2010 they put the 6 speed auto transmission in there and that should help with towing. Quick search seems to indicate you might be able to find one in the $10k price range.
In this market $10k is going to be a tough find for anything. Vans are likely to be less desirable so might be your best bet. I’d probably look at Chevrolet. From my limited knowledge it seems the drivetrain is the best given your options.
Older Excursions with the 7.3 PS are highly sought after and you’d likely not find one worth the cost. Maybe, but unlikely.
My initial gut says go for the 1 ton passenger van. Lots of interior space for people and cargo.
Sometimes older E350/Express 3500 vans are fairly cheap and low mileage.
I would downsize the trailer to something lighter, so you don’t need as expensive of a tow vehicle.
Two vehicles, you can’t get much for that budget.
Put 10k into the yukon and have the fam ride in the minivan
Source: Tow Vehicle Question
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..
Very cool. Thanks for sharing.
DOG/10
what I was thinking was “it’s you’re”
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.
I just run an xbox.
One day I’ll grow up and get to use command lines.
Neat. Do you boondock at all or on shore power all the time? If you do boondock how are you powering it?
Awesome!! And a cute dog. You have it all!
Source: Saw the post about a gaming pc in an rv. Here’s my simple setup. R14 Ryzen 5800 3060Ti
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.
Thank you so much, Redditors, for being my knights in shining armors!
Yes, #1 is why I did not buy this brand.
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.
I would add a disconnect on the solar PV (+) side. It’ll make maintenance easier.
Yeah, looks good. I’d add a switch to disconnect the panels and another to disconnect the batteries altogether.
Also, do you not have an inverter? 400Ahrs is a massive amount of battery for a non-inverter setup. The DC things are typically pretty small loads so it would be hard to use a real amount of that energy. Especially considering you have 500W watts of solar.
We have a 21’ TT with 200Ahrs of capacity and 600w of solar. In a normal night we’ll use at most 20Ahrs. This is easily recharged within an hour of sunrise in full sun and even is a forest with spotty direct sun we’ll easily recover our daily usage.
you should double the panels – otherwise you’re not going to be able to charge that 400ah of batteries a lot of days
Your wire gauges look light, but it depends on the length of the wire runs. For instance the 6mm from the panels to the controller I’d up to 10mm if the distance is more than 3m (total of the positive and negative lines). The 10mm it also depends, if the controller is right next to the battery it’s fine, if it’s across the RV need to check the distance.
Starting at the panels, 3 is really awkward as parallel isn’t a great choice but usually necessary with an odd number like that paired with that controller. I would try and fit 4 smaller panels and wire them in 2s2p. Get your voltage up so you can charge earlier and later in the day will make a big difference with some shade tolerance.
All that battery and no inverter is a huge waste. If you don’t want an inverter you may as well just throw one 200 watt panel on the roof and use one 100 ah lithium battery. The house DC load will not be very demanding.
We used to full time in a 25ft Sprinter chassis class c as well and we had 400 watts of solar (two 200 watt panels in series) and 200 ah of lithium batteries and a cheap 2000 watt CNBOU inverter and it powered everything for us including laptops and tv watching in the evening. Only needed the generator after a few cloudy days.
The best advice I can give is to get a Victron battery shunt and Victron charge controller. Knowing exactly how many watts you are harvesting and how much you use your battery in amps just by looking at your phone is a game changer.
As for the cabling, I have no idea what AWG translate to MM, but you will want a solar disconnect and if you add an inverter you’ll want a battery disconnect before that inverter. If you stick with that awkward parallel solar setup you shouldn’t need inline fuses for the panels due to the low voltages you will be using.
I followed this RV for about 5 miles. No license plate. I just want to know what happened.
Guessing he went under something that had almost, but not quite, enough clearance. Enough to trash his A/C cover, but maybe not enough to trash the A/C under it.
I bet he has no clue that it even happened. And he’s gonna have some very polite haha words when he gets to his parking spot.
Aunt Edna!
No plate could be a trailer on the way to the dealer. They definitely hit a branch or something unforgiving.
“Honey! That huge branch looks low.” “Nah, we’re fine….” Crrrrruuuunnnnch
Probably an “I told you so..” in there somewhere.
While driving cross country, I think in Wyoming, I was trailing a 5th wheel driving in heavy winds. AC unit’s cover got completely ripped off by the wind. Was pretty terrifying as I was following directly behind….. luckily the wind was so strong it blew the damn thing directly perpendicular despite traveling at 70mph!!
Couldn’t believe it at the time. That was before I got into campers myself. Never driven in 60+mph winds before either.
Source: I feel like mistakes were made and I want to know the story.
Really considering it. Should I get it?
It looks immaculate. But look very very closely.
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
I need to know the 0-60 time of this thing.
Don’t do it.
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.
Wish you the best with your apprenticeship.
LS swap?
Source: ‘86 Toyota Dolphin
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.
I have a similar setup but choose to run panels in serial. I went that way to make connections easier and cables smaller.
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.
What we are looking for probably don’t exist but we’re going to the RV expo at Camper World tomorrow to see.
We have a family of 5 with 3 kiddos (2 are teens). Wifey don’t want a pop-up so based on what I’ve seen, maybe nothing available for us. But I’m still hopeful that someone may have better suggestions.
Our totally body weight is about 700lbs including our dog. We usually pack lightweight.
All these acronyms are confusing the heck out of me.. so I’ve attached the sticker on our odyssey door for reference.
We want a lightweight trailer with hardship and bathroom that can be towed by our odyssey. Is that too much to ask? ????
Your wife has just given you an excuse to by a full size pickup.
OP, be careful at the dealer, they’ll tell you that your van can tow way more than it can.
I towed that exact trailer with a 2015 Odyssey for a year. The Odyssey towed it surprisingly well however it was asking an awful lot of our minivan. Anything happens while driving, someone cuts you off etc, I felt we would easily lose control. It’s not that it didn’t feel stable, I was just using our minivan for something it was never designed to do. Also, the owners manual specifically prohibited the use of a weight distribution hitch. So any sway and there was nothing back there to help you.
4600lbs curb weight + 700lbs people +126lbs full tank of gas + 100lbs aftermarket class 3 hitch + 300lbs tongue weight (on a 2500lb trailer) is dangerously close to your 6000lbs gvwr. Make sure everybody uses the bathroom first ????
This is what we have. It’s about a light as a five-person capable camper can get:
https://www.kz-rv.com/products/sportsmen-classic-travel-trailers/181BH.html.
The dinette converts to a bed at night. If your third kiddo is pretty small, you could maybe do this. And/or oust the teens to their own tent.
That sticker doesn’t tell us everything though. It indicates GVWR of 6019lbs but it doesn’t indicate how much your Odyssey weighs. To get the available payload (how much weigh you can load on the van), you need to subtract the actual van weight from the GWVR. That’s usually a separate sticker, or you can take the van to a scale.
Internet seems to suggest Odyssey curb weight is usually around 4500lbs, leaving ~1500 lbs of payload. That seems high to me (higher than a lot of half ton trucks nowadays) but maybe it’s possible. If your family is 700 lbs and your payload is really in the 1500 range, 800 lbs left over should be plenty for the hitch weight of a small trailer.
Personally even if I could get past payload — which is usually one of the biggest hurdles — I’d be worried about other things. I’m pretty sure you will need to look into adding a transmission cooler. And I don’t think the Odyssey’s design allows for a weight distribution hitch, so it may be a pretty miserable towing experience.
Man, for a minivan and a family of five, a pop-up is about it, IMO.
We loved our pop-up, for what it’s worth. And miss it. Simple. Low maintenance. Got rid of it because we do so much road trip camping. But if we did more local (mountain/beach in CA) camping in fair weather where we aren’t moving around as much, we would’ve kept it.
Honda Odyssey Owner here.
They can tow, but have lots of restrictions that change the tow weight. With the factory hitch and 2 people riding in the front seats it is 3500lbs if the towable has breaks. Adding each additional person drops the tow capacity by 150-200 lbs. That is assuming they all sit in the middle row. Putting someone in the third row drops the tow capacity 1000lbs. This means that you’d really need to put any luggage in the TT and not weigh down your trunk as well.
There are is a chart for the 2018-2020 here https://letstowthat.com/honda-odyssey-towing-capacities/ I believe the elite/touring units have the same 10 speed transmission that is in the 2023 so the tow weight adjustments should be pretty spot on.
We buy, fix, use, and sell motorhomes and I’ve been eyeing something towable for in between units, but the only thing that would fit the bill for a sizeable family is a pop-up, and even some of those are too heavy.
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.
Bought this system on Amazon. What should I use to seal around then once I install? Also, has anyone here used this system?
Thanks!
Source: Camera system
Still had some water in the grey 2 line when it froze up this week, still just waiting for the break next week to finish the skirting and add the winter doodads (new shorter sewer hose and extended valve handle)!
Silver lining is that it was the gray tank. Could’ve been a lot smellier and a lot grosser.
Curious, what am I looking at? It doesn’t freeze where I live. What happened?
Hey folks! It’s been several years since I’ve had one but recently purchased a newer 2018 model this year and after I go on my Veterans Day camping trip I’m looking to winterize. Living out here in the PNW (Pacific Northwest) so we get a ton of rain and on top of it- snow.
I initially thought it was a no-brainer to get a cover for it. Now, not entirely sure. What about covering the wheels? What are your thoughts? Thanks!
Picture for reference
I’ve never been a supporter of covers given how ill fitting they are, how difficult they are to use and how quickly they rip and tear. They have a tendency to rub on the finish if they don’t fit right. I do think covering your tires is a good idea. Amazon has tire covers for cheap.
Definitely cover wheels. As for the rest, grab popcorn and sit back and watch all the pro and con cover comments come in.
I’ve done both with my class A. Kept it uncovered last year, covered the year before. Live in upstate NY, plenty of cold and snow. I will say I do have a proper RV cover. It is vented with mesh panels on the sides, has soft lining, plenty of ties to make it form fitting and a waterproof cover.
If you get a cover you can use tennis balls to stick on places that will tear/wear through the cover. Even then if no wind protection it’ll rub through. I personally went cheap with a cover bc I knew it wouldn’t last long. But I have no overhead protection where I store so I figure better than nothing. 100% get tire covers though, as others have said.
I have been told. If it’s not a proper RV cover. Don’t bother covering it at all. Cover the tires. UV wrecks tires.
Also in the pnw. Advice here was no fabric cover, because it will just hold in moisture and accelerate mold , etc. just maintain the roof and seals and it should be ok. getting it under a roof is beneficial.
Squirrels get under them. They are somewhat abrasive in steady wind. The general consensus at our camp ground is they are more trouble than they are worth. Many of the people that advised us against them have been at the campground 30+ years.
A nice RV cover (mine is soft inside and made of a tyvek material outside) can sure as heck help, but the quality and fitment of it matter for sure ($600> usually)
Source: Travel Trailer covers?
My freezer doesn't get anywhere close to -50. Maybe I haven't noticed in the past but I shouldn't have cubes should I?
RV antifreeze will freeze but it does not expand when it freezes.
Run it straight. Don’t dilute. Remaining moisture in the pipes will dilute it.
If they are mushy, you’re okay. As stated elsewhere in this thread, the stuff freezes but it doesn’t expand.
Blended. It is probably in the range of 25% antifreeze / 75% water.
Maybe shed some light on your winterization process, hard to know what you did.
But yes it appears you have diluted your antifreeze with water.
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.
Source: Winterizing
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.
Perfectly level, every 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.
Perfectly level, every time. ????
Is there any way to fix this?
Replacing the switch is probably your best bet.
Its unlikely that it’s an issue with the wiring, but check the ground wire for connection. It’s the only thing that could be an issue if everything else works.
Sometimes those lights just burn out.
I think recpro usually makes them, but if you pop it out it should have some part info on it
Cabin light switch* sorry forgot to add a word.
Do your lights have a center button on them that allows you to turn them off and on by hand? If they are turned on this way the switch may not have any effect
Source: Light on the cabin switch shut off but everything still works?
I have a WF-9865 converter, it struggles to charge my lithium batteries as this one is not made for lithium.
I hear progressive dynamics is higher quality. Which model of PD converter should i get??
In my battery bank I have 4×100 aH lithium batteries in tandem with 2 lead acid batteries with a dc-dc Victron, and a 2000w inverter
I put in the PD converter into my WF-9855 and it works great! There is a jumper on the main board you have to move over one slot for LiOn, but it is super easy – maybe a 10 second job?
This is what you need: https://www.etrailer.com/p-PD9270.html
Why switch brands and not just switch to a Lithium aware converter? I’ve got a Progressive Dynamics lithium converter and it just holds at 14.5 volts, which isn’t great. I’m currently considering switching to a wfco call inverter that detects the battery type automatically.
Source: Considering upgrading my converter- anyone upgraded from WFCO to Progressive Dynamics?
That is normal. It isn’t even 50% gone yet. They typically start wearing at the threads first. Very few actually break off. They are made from magnesium but there will be a steel rod down the centre. They are cheap so it isn’t going to break the bank off you decide to change it.
It won’t break off. But keep in mind the cheaper ones will disintegrate at a faster rate. You can find them as cheap as 10 bucks but you may want to get the 15-20 dollar rods as their a higher quality.
That bad boy has another season in it easy. Looks to be about 85-90% intact still.
Anybody saying “swap it out” doesn’t know how these things work. This thing has probably 75% of its material left. Where I’m at, I get 4-5 seasons out of magnesium anodes.
Replace it, they are available on Amazon for about $10.
This one looks like it could break off inside the tank, and you don’t want that.
Yes replace, this one has done its job.
Replace it for sure! And as others said, I always have a spare, and I replace mine at the beginning of every season.
My 2000 Jayco Eagle has the weather stripping pulling from the corners allowing water and air to get in while open. Is there a quick way to seal this up. Does not have to be pretty, and I may just spray foam it for a temporary seal.
Also please ignore the other weather stripping that is pulling off-its for another issue of the slide letting water in while it is closed. With age comes issues I suppose…
Source: How seal weather stripping for slide-out pulling from corners?
I want to replace my factory stabilizers (low quality and some even retract with pressure). Is there a reason to install them on an angle like they are (and not parallel with or perpendicular to the frame)? Angled seems to minimize contact, but maybe there’s a reason I’m not aware of. I also don’t want to assume how the factory did it was the best.
As long as you can reach them to use them and all the fasteners are in the frame. I can see in the picture that the side facing us is held on by one bolt. I typically like more than that attached. I use self tapping screws so I don’t have to drill.
Parallel to the frame would make them harder to use. Perpendicular is ideal. Possibly at an angle so the pre drilled holes hit the outer flange of the I-beam instead of the main middle part? Looks like there are enough holes that you wouldn’t need to angle them though.
Source: Reason to angle stabilizers?
What typically goes wrong with these things? The display is stone dead suddenly
Loss of power to it. Check 12v supply. Download the manual for the thermostat and follow the troubleshooting guide. Unusual for the problem to be the actual thermostat.https://www.gulfstreamcoach.com/media/uploads/1/11534_Duo-Therm-Comfort-Control-Manual.pdf
Does it have a battery?
Source: Yikes! Thermostat Quit Working!
If I can't what can I do to make the electric wiring and system a improvementof what it is now. It's a 1978 Toyota motor home(the 20 Amp is for the ac and the 15 is for the outlets).
You can add another breaker, but you’ll need to pull more wires.
You will probably need to rewire from the box through the shore power plug. You will need to up that part to 50 amps
Sure if you know what you are doing.
Looking for a parts number list for a Dometic Heki 2 Roof Hatch 960mm x 655mm.
In particular I'm looking for the part number for the plastic dome itself, item 1 in the illustration, not the whole assembly.
Call dometic
What else do you all do to store your RV for the winter outside of winterizing the water lines?
What do you do with your batteries?
Do you store it outside?
Etc.
Primary is the water lines / tanks, water heater. That includes a good 2 hour flush of the black tank at the last camp of the season. After that (in no particular order other than as they come to me):
There’s probably more I do, but I’m working off memory here…. This hits most of it though.
I always used the air conditioner to winterize our motorhome.
Simple process……
Store outside in NY State, gets pretty cold.
I have a Class A and the last 3 years I have:
Make sure ALL food or food products is out. Last year we missed a thing of pistachio nuts and something got into them. Found shells everywhere. This year I am also putting out some mouse/rodent repellent that I got at an RV show.
Clean/get towels and sheets out.
Blow out airlines with compressor the run antifreeze into system and dump down the traps. I also dump a gallon into the toilet/black tank. Also keep a good amount in the toilet to keep the seals lubricated/wet.
Batteries: In the past I have stored it both covered and uncovered. If storing covered I remove all batteries. If leaving uncovered I only remove chassis battery. House batteries have a solar panel that keeps house batteries charged.
If uncovered I will go check on it once or twice a month, if not too cold start generator and run the AC on heat mode for a bit to put a load on the generator.
Source: Winterizing
Probably a very common issue and solution but just figured I’d ask on here. Attached is a picture of my freezer door over the last few weeks. I tried turning it off and letting it thaw but it came back after a week or so
You have a door gasket that is not sealing properly . This allows room air (which contains humidity) to hit the cold surface , causing the formation of ice . These are not frost free , but this is an abnormally fast accumulation .
turn the thermostat down. mine goes up to 5 i keep it at 2 usually.
That comes with the territory, I’m afraid. These units are not frost free.
Defrost it when it becomes unmanageable, just turn it off and leave the door open with a fan on it. It’ll get wet real quick so be prepared to bail!
The door seal isn’t sealing. Good way to tell is to close a dollar bill in it and if you can slide the bill out easily then that’s the issue
Source: Freezer icing up
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