Newb here with a thousand questions...

[smithbill]

Greetings fellow RV enthusiasts... I THINK I may have the 'source of all things RV' here in irv2.com forums.

My wife and I started with a Class B about 10 years ago, moved to a B+ about 5 years ago and this past June jumped into a Class A. WHAT A JOY!! (what a money pit). I was born with the wrong last name, so we have not owned anything newer than about 15 years old. I'm pretty handy at most things so... I can figure it out and make it work.

This Class A has me buffaloed so - I have a thousand questions. But first... what it is? 2005 National RV Dolphin 6432 - 34' 'Stirling Edition'; Workhorse W22 Chassis with the Chevy Vortec 8.1 coupled to an Allison Transmission.

Now the questions:
1) I assume the stabilizers are hydraulic - and I've seen some motorhomes with their front wheels off the ground... mine seem to labor pretty heavily but don't stop - but then, I tend to not like stressing mechanical things. Are these things bullet-proof? Or am I wise to be cautious?
2) Inverter/generator/shore power - I have all 3. Is there a 'hierarchy' of power usage? I know it would be completely stupid to plug into shore power, fire the generator AND turn on the inverter at the same time - but it seems to me, that there should be some kind of safety measures built in so that they don't burn each other out (I don't plan on 'testing' these safety measures - I just want to know/understand how they work
3) House batteries - does the engine charge the house batteries when it's running? or are they completely separate and dependent on shore power or solar panels (which I do happen to have)
4) BIG ISSUE - we just took it out and got heavily rained upon... discovering there is apparently some kind of moisture leak and resulting damage to the whole back wall (doesn't appear to be impacting the BR slideout). As I said - I'm pretty handy and it looks like I'm going to have to tear up the carpet, and pretty much remove all the rear paneling to evaluate the damage. Wide open question (I know) but any good online resources on how to 'dismantle' RVs from the inside? typical construction techniques? materials?

I know I have more questions but I'll stop for now. I didn't realize that buying a motorhome was also buying a full-time job :( Good think I like the rig!

Bill

[Vortriede]

Originally Posted by smithbill

Now the questions:
1) I assume the stabilizers are hydraulic - and I've seen some motorhomes with their front wheels off the ground... mine seem to labor pretty heavily but don't stop - but then, I tend to not like stressing mechanical things. Are these things bullet-proof? Or am I wise to be cautious?

If they are the same as on my 2007 Seabreeze, they are hydraulic. The docs say not to raise the front wheels off the ground, but it happens. When in that situation, I usually put the front tires up on blocks (like leveling w/o the hydraulic levelers) and then level the thing. Usually, that results in the first step up to the stairs being a doozy, so I carry a folding step for those days.

Originally Posted by smithbill

2) Inverter/generator/shore power - I have all 3. Is there a 'hierarchy' of power usage? I know it would be completely stupid to plug into shore power, fire the generator AND turn on the inverter at the same time - but it seems to me, that there should be some kind of safety measures built in so that they don't burn each other out (I don't plan on 'testing' these safety measures - I just want to know/understand how they work

The inverter is used when you have no other source of 110AC. It converts battery power from your house batteries to 110AC for limited use (usually ~1000 to 2000 watts). The generator converts gasoline (or diesel or propane) into 110AC which is handy if you don't have shore power. And if I have to explain shore power... well ... So, if you have shore power available, use it. If you don't have shore power and you want to charge your phone or maybe watch TV, use the inverter. If you don't have shore power and you want to run your AC or microwave or charge your house batteries (because you watched too much TV using the inverter) use the generator.

Originally Posted by smithbill

3) House batteries - does the engine charge the house batteries when it's running? or are they completely separate and dependent on shore power or solar panels (which I do happen to have)

You have a battery distribution/control system that is made by RV Custom Products. Here is a link to the page on their site that has schematics for it: https://rvcustomproducts.com/130325. There is a link to a Word document on that page that describes how the house and chassis batteries are isolated and charged. I could explain it here, but they do a better job.

Originally Posted by smithbill

4) BIG ISSUE - we just took it out and got heavily rained upon... discovering there is apparently some kind of moisture leak and resulting damage to the whole back wall (doesn't appear to be impacting the BR slideout). As I said - I'm pretty handy and it looks like I'm going to have to tear up the carpet, and pretty much remove all the rear paneling to evaluate the damage. Wide open question (I know) but any good online resources on how to 'dismantle' RVs from the inside? typical construction techniques? materials?

Ok... out of my comfort zone on this one. There but for the grace of God go I. Good luck.

Originally Posted by smithbill

I know I have more questions but I'll stop for now. I didn't realize that buying a motorhome was also buying a full-time job :( Good think I like the rig!

Bill

It has been truthfully said that a boat is a hole in the water that you poor money into. Well, a motorhome is a hole in the pavement IMHO, but I love mine!!!

Hope this helps,
Eric

[Scooter]

Post your VIN here. Sometimes the date of chassis mfr is different than the date of your motor home. Might make a difference to some sharp people on this forum...but not YT. Buy a Progressive Industries EMS-50 to ward off electrical problems. You might consider an extended service contract at this time....your 2005 is on the edge of insurance companies cut off date to issue a policy.

[smithbill]

Scooter - here is my VIN: 5B4MP67G933375364

And I don't know where my head was - this is a 2004 (not a 2005 as stated).

I would also point out that I'm an electronic engineer - so I'm well familiar with inverters and the flow of electricity (I think I may have actually done some work for Xantrex in Vancouver, BC MANY many years ago). What I am not sure of is... is there some kind of 'idiot' protection so that if I am dumb enough to run 2 or more power sources at once or more likely - I somehow forget to disconnect shore power before I fire the generator (or vice versa)... or bump the inverter switch when connected to shore power... am I in trouble? I have a fire extinguisher - but I would rather not have to test it - if you get my meaning.

Thanks everyone. More questions to come!!

Bill

[CamJam1]

I also have a 2004, a 6320, but mine is the Heritage Edition, meaning tacky gold fixtures instead of silver. Other than colors and upholstery and ours being two feet shorter, our rigs are likely close to identical. We've owned ours for a year and a half now and love it. Just finished a 1,500 mile trip to Colorado and back last week.

The inverter only powers the TV outlet in the entertainment cabinet. That old 27" TV draws a lot of power though and I just replaced mine with a 32" LED TV for about $100. The old TV and mounting base weighed over 100 lbs and the new one weighs 8 lbs!

There's an automatic transfer switch in the rear driver's side bay to take care of switching between shore power, generator and battery operation. There's also a 30/50A switch in that bay. The basement a/c (actually a heat pump) has two compressors, but only one works in the 30A position. You need both in anything but mild weather. Being a heat pump it will both heat and cool, but you also have a gas furnace to supplement the heat pump in cold weather. When we were in Colorado last week I would let the heat pump provide heat overnight and switch to gas to really warm up the coach first thing in the morning.

Any questions you have feel free to ask. I've learned a lot about mine in the last 18 months.

[Coloradodude]

First thing I would do is fix the leak.. I had no leaks on my motorhome when I bought it, but first thing I did was install Eternabond tape over every joint on the roof. Still have no leaks..See below

https://www.amazon.com/EternaBond-Mo...46852067&psc=1

[ByeTheWay]

Originally Posted by smithbill

Now the questions:
1) I assume the stabilizers are hydraulic - and I've seen some motorhomes with their front wheels off the ground... mine seem to labor pretty heavily but don't stop - but then, I tend to not like stressing mechanical things. Are these things bullet-proof? Or am I wise to be cautious?
So how do you change a tire without getting the wheels off the ground? But you need to check this out for your rig to be certain there are no issues.



2) Inverter/generator/shore power - I have all 3. Is there a 'hierarchy' of power usage? I know it would be completely stupid to plug into shore power, fire the generator AND turn on the inverter at the same time - but it seems to me, that there should be some kind of safety measures built in so that they don't burn each other out (I don't plan on 'testing' these safety measures - I just want to know/understand how they work
All depends on how it is wired. Example: when I had my solar installed I was asked if I wanted the switch over to be automatic or manual. I chose automatic.

3) House batteries - does the engine charge the house batteries when it's running? or are they completely separate and dependent on shore power or solar panels (which I do happen to have) All that I've had charge both, house and chassis. Currently I removed my chassis batteries and start from the house batteries, which allows me more house capacity. I have 672ah.
4) BIG ISSUE - we just took it out and got heavily rained upon... discovering there is apparently some kind of moisture leak and resulting damage to the whole back wall (doesn't appear to be impacting the BR slideout). As I said - I'm pretty handy and it looks like I'm going to have to tear up the carpet, and pretty much remove all the rear paneling to evaluate the damage. Wide open question (I know) but any good online resources on how to 'dismantle' RVs from the inside? typical construction techniques? materials? The leak is probably from the roof. I'd address the roof prior to tearing out anything inside, test with a water hose. If there is no visible damage, open it up enough to dry out. It is always harder to replace than tear out.

I know I have more questions but I'll stop for now. I didn't realize that buying a motorhome was also buying a full-time job :( Good think I like the rig!
It is like owning a swimming pool.
Bill

Just got a message my answer is too short? Guess you can't change fonts and answer within a quote, or your not suppose to.

[TJHUB]

Congrats on your class A purchase. You've already received some good information, but I can add to it:

1. The stabilizers are hydraulic, and it seems 90% of the campsites I end up on are sloped enough I often have the front wheels off the ground or barely touching. The key is to minimize this, and never lift the rear wheels off the ground. It is important to raise the front first as this will minimize the lift required to level the coach for both front and rear. Personally, I have no issue lifting the front wheels off the ground. The axle and wheels don't really weight all that much, so no big deal. What I do worry about is the front stabilizers are not very large in diameter, and I've seen posts where they can bend in wind storms if extended too far. I carry enough wood blocks to help minimize the extension needed to level. Of course the other negative to raising the front (or rear) too high is the steps will be a long way from the ground. I too have a folding step to use, and I always seem to need it.

2. The power thing is really simple. As you've stated, if plugged into shore power, no need for the generator. There is an auto-transfer switch to handle anything you do. And as for the inverter, as stated it really only powers the TV circuits and it too has an auto-transfer switch so that if it sees power from shore or generator, it will bypass the inverter.

3. The charging system will first charge the chassis battery when running the engine. Once the chassis batter reaches full charge, it will then charge the house batteries.

4. You need to address this ASAP! If it's just the back wall getting damaged, then it almost has to be leaking in the roof seam between the fiberglass roof and the rear cap. Mine was not leaking, but clearly in poor and unmaintained conditioned. I actually redid my entire roof with all new vents, fans, and recaulked and used Eternabond tape over everything as well. You could flip my rig on its roof in the water and it'll float for 10 years! I can't think of any way possible I'd have a leak again. Also, there is really nothing to maintain except for cleaning until that tape goes bad.

I've dug into a lot of my coach, but I've never dug into a wall...yet. It wont' be difficult. There are lots of posts and pics out there showing the typical construction of these things.

Good luck with everything, and be sure to share what you do if you can. It might help one of us in the future.

[smithbill]

Originally Posted by TJHUB

Congrats on your class A purchase. You've already received some good information, but I can add to it:

1. The stabilizers are hydraulic, and it seems 90% of the campsites I end up on are sloped enough I often have the front wheels off the ground or barely touching. The key is to minimize this, and never lift the rear wheels off the ground. It is important to raise the front first as this will minimize the lift required to level the coach for both front and rear. Personally, I have no issue lifting the front wheels off the ground. The axle and wheels don't really weight all that much, so no big deal. What I do worry about is the front stabilizers are not very large in diameter, and I've seen posts where they can bend in wind storms if extended too far. I carry enough wood blocks to help minimize the extension needed to level. Of course the other negative to raising the front (or rear) too high is the steps will be a long way from the ground. I too have a folding step to use, and I always seem to need it.

Excellent info... great to know

2. The power thing is really simple. As you've stated, if plugged into shore power, no need for the generator. There is an auto-transfer switch to handle anything you do. And as for the inverter, as stated it really only powers the TV circuits and it too has an auto-transfer switch so that if it sees power from shore or generator, it will bypass the inverter.

I think my wiring has been modified... I had to use the inverter today for a couple hours and I was getting power from the electrical plug under the dining area - I also know that the first time I turned it on - I had the AC 'on' and it fired up on the inverter (I stopped it immediately of course)

3. The charging system will first charge the chassis battery when running the engine. Once the chassis batter reaches full charge, it will then charge the house batteries.

Also great to know - I have brand new house batteries (4x 6V golf cart batteries from Sam's Club). I have 3 ~2'x3' Solar panels on the top so I'm not sure where all the house batteries are getting charge from. I'm going to install an ammeter inline with a remote readout so I can see which way the power is running at any given moment.

4. You need to address this ASAP! If it's just the back wall getting damaged, then it almost has to be leaking in the roof seam between the fiberglass roof and the rear cap. Mine was not leaking, but clearly in poor and unmaintained conditioned. I actually redid my entire roof with all new vents, fans, and recaulked and used Eternabond tape over everything as well. You could flip my rig on its roof in the water and it'll float for 10 years! I can't think of any way possible I'd have a leak again. Also, there is really nothing to maintain except for cleaning until that tape goes bad.

Fortunately - my coach is kept in a covered carport (good to have friends with ranches) and now I have a tarp for when it's out. I have some travel plans until the end of November so this will likely be a winter/spring project - but yes... it WILL be done and it WILL be done 'right' (I'm quite handy at fixing things). Thanks for the tip on the tape... I'm going to research that further.

I've dug into a lot of my coach, but I've never dug into a wall...yet. It wont' be difficult. There are lots of posts and pics out there showing the typical construction of these things.

Good luck with everything, and be sure to share what you do if you can. It might help one of us in the future.

(you're right - one has to add some text at the very end of the message for this forum to figure out it's a message)

[smithbill]

Originally Posted by CamJam1

I also have a 2004, a 6320, but mine is the Heritage Edition, meaning tacky gold fixtures instead of silver. Other than colors and upholstery and ours being two feet shorter, our rigs are likely close to identical. We've owned ours for a year and a half now and love it. Just finished a 1,500 mile trip to Colorado and back last week.

The inverter only powers the TV outlet in the entertainment cabinet. That old 27" TV draws a lot of power though and I just replaced mine with a 32" LED TV for about $100. The old TV and mounting base weighed over 100 lbs and the new one weighs 8 lbs!

As I mentioned in another response - I think my wiring has been heavily modified - my inverter will run the AC if I want (NOT a good idea - I know)

There's an automatic transfer switch in the rear driver's side bay to take care of switching between shore power, generator and battery operation. There's also a 30/50A switch in that bay. The basement a/c (actually a heat pump) has two compressors, but only one works in the 30A position. You need both in anything but mild weather. Being a heat pump it will both heat and cool, but you also have a gas furnace to supplement the heat pump in cold weather. When we were in Colorado last week I would let the heat pump provide heat overnight and switch to gas to really warm up the coach first thing in the morning.

Good to know about that switch - I saw it under there and had no idea what it was for. Another question about that - I bought a 15A - 50A adapter just so I could power and cool my fridge in advance of a trip. But the outlet I have access to is GFI and as soon as I plug it in - it trips. Would that 30A/50A switch need to be 'switched'? I have GFI outlets all over the place in the coach and they are fine - so I don't think I have some major electrical 'leak'.

As for the AC/Heat Pump... long story short - the original unit was replaced before I took delivery but it wasn't cooling enough. So he took the unit out of the 'basement' and mounted it on the roof. I'm not altogether unhappy with that, and it does work. I now have a unit mounted in the main part (above the kitchen) that vents throughout the coach and another AC unit in the bedroom. My only heat is via the propane furnace which is also okay.

Any questions you have feel free to ask. I've learned a lot about mine in the last 18 months.

Thanks for all the input and help. You 'seasoned' owners are a WEALTH of great info.

[Solo_RV_Guy]

Originally Posted by smithbill

(you're right - one has to add some text at the very end of the message for this forum to figure out it's a message)

It's the 'reply inside the quote' that fools the software.