Just started Fulltiming and have a few questions from the experts

[K-Star]

We are new fulltimers (actually since May)

For those who have been FT'ing for a while now, do you do any special preventative maintenance on items such as:

<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>Refrigerator<LI>heater<LI>A/C<LI>water pump/water system (other than replacing filter)<LI>anything else I missed[/list]
Now that we are fulltiming we [obviously] are using the `fridge, HVAC & water system MUCH, MUCH, MUCH more that we ever have before.

Also, since we are pretty much stationary, black tank maintenance. We took a trip earlier in October and I did the ice cube/water thing in the black tank. I thought I was doing a great job flushing the tank (refilling the tank and draining again & then using the quickie flush and waiting for water to run clear) but the ice cubes loosened a lot more stuff). What tips do you have here?

[K-Star]

We are new fulltimers (actually since May)

For those who have been FT'ing for a while now, do you do any special preventative maintenance on items such as:

<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>Refrigerator<LI>heater<LI>A/C<LI>water pump/water system (other than replacing filter)<LI>anything else I missed[/list]
Now that we are fulltiming we [obviously] are using the `fridge, HVAC & water system MUCH, MUCH, MUCH more that we ever have before.

Also, since we are pretty much stationary, black tank maintenance. We took a trip earlier in October and I did the ice cube/water thing in the black tank. I thought I was doing a great job flushing the tank (refilling the tank and draining again & then using the quickie flush and waiting for water to run clear) but the ice cubes loosened a lot more stuff). What tips do you have here?

[Route 66]

Nothing special on any of your items.

I keep the filters clean on the heater & A/C.

I have never put anything in the black tank, such as ice cubes, or treatments. I do use plenty of water on each flush.

[Moder2]

I can't really say that we do anything different, but some things more often.

Yes, all appliances are used more heavily, so they will require more maintenance.

Fridge, ours has been trouble free so far (Knock on wood) though I do have to get that recall taken care of, you will find any maintenance that you have to go to a dealer or repair place because a MAJOR pain since you live in it. Most dealer want it left overnight/long times... The one here in CA wanted us to drop it off, then conceded to just "Drive by so we can get the numbers" I told them I would give them the numbers they needed that I wasn't unhooking and driving 25 miles without the problem being solved, She hung up on me... Ugh.

I do regularly defrost, and vacuum the back out. That's really about it...

The furnaces I try to pull once a year and clean up. Make sure your vents are unobstructed and vacuum what you can. Inspect and leak check the propane lines. I normally do this just before winter... Which reminds me I gotta get on that!

A/C, I am a fanatic about changing the filter. and Yes, I use the good ones, we do have a cat and they plug up remarkably fast. I use the 3M filtrete ones in the purple wrapper, and they are about $15.00, the red ones work well too,and are a bit less money.

I try to blow out the cobwebs and whatever I can reach at least twice a year, but the basement A/C is hard to really access anything on without pulling it out.

Water system... I leave my tank full, in case of emergency or whatnot. I do dump it once a month and tend to go a bit heavy on the chlorine I put into it, not too heavy, but enough I smell it. I wish I had a Hose connection on the drain valve, I would recycle that water somehow, if nothing else for wash water or flushing the black tank. I know it's wasteful, but that is the price one pays for being prepared I guess.

I change my whole house filter about every 3 months, and the Everpure once a year unless it gets really slow. When I dump my freshwater I also check the strainer, and clean that off if needed. I did change to the Surflow Sensor 5.7 pump recently (Wanted to for a long time, but couldn't justify it until I burnt up my old pump) The old pump finally started getting flaky (Well, it works most of the time, so I have a spare now). The new pump is much better, and highly recommend it.

Black tank, rarely do I use any chemical. When I do, it is in REALLY HOT weather when/if it smells. I try to remember to empty my ice bucket before we go on a drive, and when I can I flush it good with the flusher hookup. We average about 10-12 days on 60 gallons of black water, and I do think it is important to let it fill before you dump. When flushing the black tank, I refill with the flusher, and the valve closed. Yes, you gotta watch it or you could have a mess. The flusher doesn't seem to do as well just letting in run on it's own with the valve open... I do similar with the gray water, I know most people leave the valve open and just let it run. I close mine and drain it every day or so. I feel it limits any sludge build up and then I always have water to flush my hose out after I dump the black tank.
The best thing for any holding tank is LOTS of water.

Some things are harder full-timing, since some campgrounds frown on you doing your own maintained. I try to keep things low key, but do most of what I can. A lot of the reasoning is because it is so difficult to find reliable dealers an the time they want the unit for in my view is normally unacceptable.


Hope that helps some?

John

[K-Star]

thanks all. i'll keep up my normal routine adjusted accordingly for full time living.

[capt7383]

Not to change the subject though I guess I'm gonna. How do you like that f450? We are thinking of retiring in two years and like yourself get about a 35 - 38 ft fiver. Any suggestions on the F450 as far as upgrades.

[Jackm]

As a full-timer, its not that you need to things differently, you just need to do them more diligently (and sometimes more often). I’ll explain what I’m talking about.

Full-timers put more wear and tear on some of their systems so you have to pay attention to the following:

Check for water leaks near your water pump and your furnace. Long-term leaks can do some serious damage (read: expensive).

Lubricate your steps at least twice a year – especially if you travel a lot.

Keep surface rust at bay. If you stay in places that have a lot of moisture, you’ll find it everywhere. Look for bubbling and/or peeling paint under your compartment doors and underneath your RV (on the chassis). Use a putty knife to scrape the paint away and then apply a liquid rust remover. Then spray with a primer. Then, give it a few coats of the final color.

Flush out you water heater with a hose and one of those special flushing nozzles. Try to aim the spray along the bottom since this is where all the salts will be found. This is especially important if you’re staying in places that have comparatively hard water (like Arizona or Florida).

Spray the seals on your slides and your basement compartments with a protective sealant. Otherwise, they’ll dry out and begin to crack. Anther expensive replacement job avoided.

Blow-outs and sidewall cracks are avoidable to a point. Consequently, if you keep your tires inflated to the right levels, you’ll be doing everybody a favor.

Follow the maintenance schedule for your engine and your chassis diligently. Always use synthetic oil since it reduces wear.

Maintain the proper fluids in your engine. It beats the alternative.

A few times a year, walk around your RV with the engine running and look for drips or weird sounds. Most people ignore leaks until they are a real problem.

Tighten the screws on everything you can get your hands on. You’ll be amazed at how loose some of them get form vibration.
If you notice that a screw or a bolt is rusting badly, take it to Lowes or Home Depot to see if they have a stainless steel replacement. Otherwise, it’ll only be a matter of time before something falls off.

If something breaks, fix it as soon as possible. Even the little things. Experienced full-timers will tell you that the repair list gets pretty long pretty fast if you don’t stay on top of things.

Keep your tanks in good shape. They’re not septic tanks, they’re storage tanks. So don’t waste money on products that are designed for septic tanks. EnviroChem is the only product that seems to work while keeping the valves lubricated. The rest seem outright useless.

Bleach your water tank once a year. The ratio is one quarter cup of bleach for every 15 gallons of water. Leave it overnight and then empty, refill, and flush your system with fresh water. Some folks add baking soda (to the rinse water) to neutralize the chlorine odor, but it goes away on its own.

Change your AC filters as needed. In hot climates, I have to clean them every five day.

Replace your wiper blades once a year. As a full-timer, you don’t want to deal with driving down the road half blind. In the meantime, clean the rubber on your wiper blades with an all-purpose household cleaner. It will make a huge difference.

Keep extra light bulbs handy (Especially the more popular sizes). They will burn out and it’s nice to have one on hand.

Hope this help. We’ve been full-timers for a long time and learned most of these things the hard way.

Jack