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Old 05-03-2013, 04:24 PM   #1
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New TT owner questions.

We just purchased a 2011 Holiday Rambler 32RLS. According to the build date, it is 2 years, 3 months old right now.

First question involves the EPDM rubber roof.
I just thoroughly cleaned the roof and I noticed what appears to be small black dots all over the entire roof. It appears to be the bottom black layer of the membrane but I am not entirely sure. It is not mildew.
Here's a picture of what I'm talking about:


Here's what the whole thing looks like:





Should I be concerned about the black dots all over the entire roof?
Should I consider coating the EPDM rubber with some kind of roof coating like "liquid roof" or "liquid rubber" to extend it's life? I am constantly battling the black streaks and white chalk down the sides. I assume a fresh roof coat will stop both those problems right?

My second question involves the Battery:

I just replaced the RV/Marine battery last week to the tune of $120 because it would go dead in 20 min's when not plugged into shore power.
I don't want to do that again for a while and Looking through the TT paperwork I found the battery was already replaced once before. The TT is only 2 years old so I want to figure out how I can prolong the battery life so I'm not replacing a battery every year.

First thing I have noticed is that the house charger constantly charges the battery at 13.8v... It never goes into any kind of trickle mode or anything like that. It's Full charge all the time or nothing. Is this normal?
I briefly spoke with a guy in service at Camping World and he says there is something wrong, it should shut off when the battery is full. (By the way, They have found something wrong with everything on my TT so far.) I don't trust them at this point.

I installed a battery "cut off" right at the battery so I can disconnect it from being charged 24/7 but that is only my temporary fix. I want a more permanent solution. I am considering purchasing a "Battery Buddy" computerized charger which charges at 4 or 5 different rates determined by battery condition and charge.... I'm thinking this may prolong the battery life.
I also changed all interior bulbs to LED's to reduce the load on the battery at night when we're not on Shore power.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Sorry for being so long winded but I just want to make sure I do everything right here.... We just sold our 1993 Class "A" M/H for $11,000 It was in excellent mechanical and cosmetic condition all due to my obsessive maintenance regiment and my constant attention to the details. I want to continue this with our new TT with hopes it lasts us for many many years.

Thank you.
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Old 05-03-2013, 09:07 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FX2Crazy View Post
Should I be concerned about the black dots all over the entire roof?
Should I consider coating the EPDM rubber with some kind of roof coating like "liquid roof" or "liquid rubber" to extend it's life?
I would "paint" the entire roof with a fresh coat of EDPM rubber, like this stuff:
https://dicorproducts.com/catalog/ro...-roof-coating/

Note that's part of a two-part roof coating, so don't try to do it without both part of the two-part system.

Quote:
First thing I have noticed is that the house charger constantly charges the battery at 13.8v... It never goes into any kind of trickle mode or anything like that.
Overcharging will kill a good battery in a very short time. I had a 5er like that, and the answer was to never leave the RV plugged in to shore power. Instead, buy a good Battery Tender and plug it in. That will give you 12-volt power in the RV, to run most things you need except 120 VAC microwave and AC

If you want to leave the RV plugged into 120 VAC, then the answer is probably to replace your power supply/inverter/battery charger and maybe fuse/circuit breaker panel with a good one that includes a battery charger similar to a Battery Tender. There are lots of wires to disconnect from the old inverter and fuse panel and wire back up to the new one, so it's time consuming but not difficult to DIY

Or depending on the brand of your power supply/inverter, you might be able to replace just the battery charger part without replacing the entire inverter/power supply. But look for an inverter with battery charger specs that include automatic charging until the battery is almost fully charged, then automatic switches to about 1 to 2 amps "trickle charger" to get it full, then swtches again to a "float" cycle to maintain the full battery without overcharging the battery.
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Old 05-03-2013, 11:38 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SmokeyWren View Post
I would "paint" the entire roof with a fresh coat of EDPM rubber, like this stuff:
https://dicorproducts.com/catalog/ro...-roof-coating/

Note that's part of a two-part roof coating, so don't try to do it without both part of the two-part system.



Overcharging will kill a good battery in a very short time. I had a 5er like that, and the answer was to never leave the RV plugged in to shore power. Instead, buy a good Battery Tender and plug it in. That will give you 12-volt power in the RV, to run most things you need except 120 VAC microwave and AC

If you want to leave the RV plugged into 120 VAC, then the answer is probably to replace your power supply/inverter/battery charger and maybe fuse/circuit breaker panel with a good one that includes a battery charger similar to a Battery Tender. There are lots of wires to disconnect from the old inverter and fuse panel and wire back up to the new one, so it's time consuming but not difficult to DIY

Or depending on the brand of your power supply/inverter, you might be able to replace just the battery charger part without replacing the entire inverter/power supply. But look for an inverter with battery charger specs that include automatic charging until the battery is almost fully charged, then automatic switches to about 1 to 2 amps "trickle charger" to get it full, then swtches again to a "float" cycle to maintain the full battery without overcharging the battery.
Thanks for the info.... I looked at that roof coating at Camping world and the guy there said it has to be re-coated every 2 years .... Is that true?
I'm kinda looking for a more permanent solution? I've been told that Liquid Roof only has to be re-coated every 5 years. Can anyone confirm. Again thanks.

The battery buddy I spoke of does exactly what you described but I'd have to manually plug it in. I've also considered this more permanent solution:
Progressive Dynamics PD9260CV Inteli-Power 9200 Series 60 Amp Converter/Charger with Built-in Charge Wizard : Amazon.com : Automotive

This replaces the the original inverter/charger.

It's a work in progress. I'm in research mode right now trying to determine what are the best products so I appreciate the suggestions. Thanks
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Old 05-04-2013, 08:07 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FX2Crazy View Post
Thanks for the info.... I looked at that roof coating at Camping world and the guy there said it has to be re-coated every 2 years .... Is that true?
I'm kinda looking for a more permanent solution? I've been told that Liquid Roof only has to be re-coated every 5 years. Can anyone confirm.
My 2000 model year Keystone Sprinter 5er is about 12 years old. It has been all over the USA for about 100,000 miles over 10 years, then parked in a "trailer court" and Darling Daughter has been full-timing in it for the last two years. The original EDPM "rubber" roof has never been repaired or painted or coated with anything but washed with soapy water. It still looks good and has never leaked a drop. So I suspect those estimates of two or five year life of the EDPM coatings are extremely conservative.

If you want a more permanent roofing materiel, then check out the Rhino spray-in pickup bedliner coating installed over the rubber roof by some Camping World stores. Most Rhino installers don't have a clue as to how to coat an RV roof, so find an experienced installer such as Camping World before you go the Rhino route. The Rhino bedliner in the '99 F-250 I sold two years ago is still doing a good job over 13 years after installation.

I got too close to an overhanging tree branch and ripped a hole in the EDPM roof on my 2012 TT. I used Dicor patch and EDPM coating to repair the rip. Looks like it did the job. So I'm sorta a fan of Dicor products.

Quote:
Progressive Dynamics PD9260CV Inteli-Power 9200 Series 60 Amp Converter/Charger with Built-in Charge Wizard : Amazon.com : Automotive
I don't claim any expertise when it comes to sizing a converter/charger, but it sounds like a 60-amp box would be overkill for a 30-amp RV. Maybe check with an expert to see if that's the one you need to replace your broken one that has 30-amp input?
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Old 05-04-2013, 08:47 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FX2Crazy;

The battery buddy I spoke of does exactly what you described but I'd have to manually plug it in. I've also considered this more permanent solution:
[URL="http://www.amazon.com/Progressive-Dynamics-PD9260CV-Inteli-Power-Converter/dp/B000GASX9O/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1367644076&sr=8-4&keywords=55+amp+converter+for+rv"
Progressive Dynamics PD9260CV Inteli-Power 9200 Series 60 Amp Converter/Charger with Built-in Charge Wizard : Amazon.com : Automotive[/URL]

This replaces the the original inverter/charger.

It's a work in progress. I'm in research mode right now trying to determine what are the best products so I appreciate the suggestions. Thanks
I have the charger/converter setup you are talking about (don't think it has that much charge cap). I put that and a set of 6V golf cart batteries in about 2000. They are still doing fine, are plugged in most of the time and rarely need to add water. The charge wizard is great. Our TT has the rubber roof and has some black spots and it is a 1997 model.
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Old 05-04-2013, 11:08 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SmokeyWren View Post
My 2000 model year Keystone Sprinter 5er is about 12 years old. It has been all over the USA for about 100,000 miles over 10 years, then parked in a "trailer court" and Darling Daughter has been full-timing in it for the last two years. The original EDPM "rubber" roof has never been repaired or painted or coated with anything but washed with soapy water. It still looks good and has never leaked a drop. So I suspect those estimates of two or five year life of the EDPM coatings are extremely conservative.

If you want a more permanent roofing materiel, then check out the Rhino spray-in pickup bedliner coating installed over the rubber roof by some Camping World stores. Most Rhino installers don't have a clue as to how to coat an RV roof, so find an experienced installer such as Camping World before you go the Rhino route. The Rhino bedliner in the '99 F-250 I sold two years ago is still doing a good job over 13 years after installation.

I got too close to an overhanging tree branch and ripped a hole in the EDPM roof on my 2012 TT. I used Dicor patch and EDPM coating to repair the rip. Looks like it did the job. So I'm sorta a fan of Dicor products.

I don't claim any expertise when it comes to sizing a converter/charger, but it sounds like a 60-amp box would be overkill for a 30-amp RV. Maybe check with an expert to see if that's the one you need to replace your broken one that has 30-amp input?
Thanks for the reply,

I guess I am more trying to determine if those black dots all over my roof are normal for a 2 yr old roof? I don't want to re-coat the roof if it isn't absolutely necessary but on the same note I don't want to neglect it if the black dots are not normal....

As for the converter/charger. My OEM installed converter/charger is 55amp so going to a 60amp is not much of an increase. I currently have the Parallax Electronic 7100 Series.

Unless I am misunderstanding it, the 30 amp reference your talking about is the AC supply to the Trailer... The 30amps is the maximum supplied to the trailer through the shore power cord.

The output of the converter is a separate thing.


Quote:
Originally Posted by CD View Post
I have the charger/converter setup you are talking about (don't think it has that much charge cap). I put that and a set of 6V golf cart batteries in about 2000. They are still doing fine, are plugged in most of the time and rarely need to add water. The charge wizard is great. Our TT has the rubber roof and has some black spots and it is a 1997 model.
Thank you, I've read some really good things about the Charge Wizard.

I leave ours plugged in all the time in the back yard so I can leave the A/C on. The humidity is really high here and if I don't leave the A/C on it will begin to stink inside. I added the battery disconnect to prevent the battery from being overcharged. It's just a pain in the butt remembering to hook the battery up every week or so to keep it charged.

I'm going to seriously consider that Charge Wizard.
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Old 05-04-2013, 02:52 PM   #7
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Could it be tree sap? The trees on my property do that to my car - doesn't seem to affect the TT or TV, so I suspect for me it is a finish issue. Cleans up with Scrubbing Bubbles, though. Might ask your manufacturer if you can put that on your roof.
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Old 05-07-2013, 08:36 PM   #8
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Could it be tree sap? The trees on my property do that to my car - doesn't seem to affect the TT or TV, so I suspect for me it is a finish issue. Cleans up with Scrubbing Bubbles, though. Might ask your manufacturer if you can put that on your roof.

I have no idea what it is... I have no trees anywhere near where I keep it parked .

The original owner kept it in a warehouse where he works when they weren't using it.

I inquired at Camping world and (as usual) they tried to sell me a bunch of stuff from a new roof to a roof "treatment"

I'm really beginning to dislike Camping World, they always badger me to buy something.
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