Community Forums

Owhiwa · 12-19-2016, 03:43 PM

Hi everyone. Ava here from NZ. We still haven't been able to take delivery of our 1994 Rexair - the certifier is giving us grief!

He wants all the seat belts removed, including driver and passenger. (better to have none, than what is in there evidently - something to do with the anchoring not being to the chassis). He also thinks the jack-knife sofas could collapse in an accident, caused by the seat belts going through them.

The wipers are back to front and headlights had to be replaced at a cost of $500 each.

The worst thing he's hit us with, is that the windows may all have to be replaced as they aren't "safety" glass. (He thinks). In NZ safety glass is required and carries a small blue built in symbol showing this.

This will be very expensive.

Does anyone know if the lounge/bedroom windows are ordinary glass or something different and do they shatter into shards or small pieces? i.e. are they safety glass of some sort?

We're tearing our hair out with this compliance process and getting very stressed.

Please help with any info you can give us.

buzz57 · 12-19-2016, 05:21 PM

All of the glass in North American RV's are safety glass all the way round. Everything. Most if not all will have a DOT (department of transportation) number on them. I think your certifier needs an education. The anchoring locations in rv's are certified for all North American roads and meet all rules of the road. Find another guy, this one will get you hurt!

Mr_D · 12-19-2016, 05:25 PM

Depends on what type of "safety glass" is needed. The windshield is laminated with two sheets of glass and a plastic sheet between them, the side windows are heat treated so when they break the glass is broken into small pieces.

Badlands Bob · 12-19-2016, 08:04 PM

All safety glass in U.S. vehicles is marked AS1 for windshields and AS2 for side and rear windows. The AS1 indicates laminated safety glass and the AS2 indicates that it will shatter into little cubes when broken. The safety class codes will be etched into the corner of each piece of glass along with the manufacturer's name and a date code (month/year).

Mudfrog · 12-20-2016, 08:57 AM

Being a 94 model, i would just about guarantee that the glass and seatbelts met national safety codes at the time. No doubt codes have changed since then but i don't think that would matter anyway. The coach would be in a grandfathered state and should pass unless there were evident problems with those existing items.

But i reread your post and see that you're in "NZ". I'm guessing New Zealand so all bets are off since i was at first thinking you were here in the States.

Owhiwa · 12-20-2016, 12:00 PM

Thank you very much for your responses everyone.

That is one less worry, though it appears we have to have NZ's safety symbol etched into every window as well.

NZ must be the most over-regulated country on this earth!

I would have thought twice had I known what we were in for at this end.

Hopefully, when we're sitting lakeside having breakfast it will all be worthwhile.

Love the coach - the USA manufacturers certainly know how to fit these things out, with every bell and whistle.

It has just arrived at our house with one wheel bay cover missing, which must have come off during delivery.

Can anyone point me in the direction of spare parts for this model, or even a salvage business?

cpaulsen · 12-21-2016, 05:43 AM

Your certifier needs to go back to school and get re-certified!

Gary RVRoamer · 12-21-2016, 09:36 AM

I expect that "certifier" knows his business well enough, but he is probably not familiar with US built vehicles or motorhomes in general.

Unfortunately, the Rexhall company is sort of in limbo (not officially in production anymore) and you may not be able to obtain official descriptions of the glass and other components from them. However, you can perhaps get copies of US vehicle safety certifications and convince the certifier that the vehicle was certified to US standards of 1994.

Port cities in most countries have companies that specialize in getting imported vehicles through the legal hoops. It may be worth your while to hire one of them to get the paperwork done. They generally know the answers to the questions and how to explain them to the authorities.

Owhiwa · 12-28-2016, 03:41 PM

Hi all - hope everyone had a great Christmas!

We have a new challenge - can someone please direct us to which tank is the fresh water one?

Over Christmas the water has been used and now there is a strong odour of rotten eggs coming from the tank when the tap is turned on.

We suspect there may be sludge at the bottom, but don't know how to clean it out.

Oh for a manual!

RPreeb · 12-28-2016, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Owhiwa

Hi all - hope everyone had a great Christmas!

We have a new challenge - can someone please direct us to which tank is the fresh water one?

Over Christmas the water has been used and now there is a strong odour of rotten eggs coming from the tank when the tap is turned on.

We suspect there may be sludge at the bottom, but don't know how to clean it out.

Oh for a manual!

The rotten egg smell usually comes from the hot water.

RCCFleetwood · 12-28-2016, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Owhiwa

Hi all - hope everyone had a great Christmas!

We have a new challenge - can someone please direct us to which tank is the fresh water one?

Over Christmas the water has been used and now there is a strong odour of rotten eggs coming from the tank when the tap is turned on.

We suspect there may be sludge at the bottom, but don't know how to clean it out.

Oh for a manual!

Can you get this in NZ?...

Walex TOI-61776 Elemonate Grey Water Deodorizer and Cleaner
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They also make Holding Tank Deodorizer...

Walex BIOTROPBG Holding Tank Deodorizer and Waste Digester
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I tried some last summer, and like the scent of both. Seemed to work MUCH better than the blue liquid we had for our holding tank.

Melmoses · 12-29-2016, 08:14 AM

As stated the rotten egg smell comes from the hot water tank. If the brand is Suburban then you need to pull out the anode rod (hex plug on the bottom area when the cover is removed). Flush out the water tank- they make a tool for this which is a wand that you stick in the hole where the anode rod was removed). Then replace the anode with one made for Suburban hot water heaters. Wand and anode can be ordered on the internet. I order mine on Amazon. Also wise to order some Happy Camper. This is put in the black water tank thru the toilet. It's the best thing for digesting waste and no awful odors! I also put some on my grey water tank thru the kitchen sink to help with grease and odor.

For the fresh water tank you can use bleach and water mixture run thru the tank to wash it out. Use 1/2 cup bleach per 10 gallons water. Fill the tank, let it sit for a while then drain the tank. Run another full tank of plain water and drain. Then you should be fine.

If you have a water filter housing where your water entry is, you might very well need to replace that filter. They can cause odors and need to be replaced about every 3 months depending on the water source. These are normally 10" filters. I buy mine at www.rvwaterfilterstore.com. 5 micron filters allow goid water flow while catching crud.