Hello,
Over the years of reading a lot of great "fixes" and "how to" on here, I thought it might be nice to take that info and put it all in one thread. I have a few I have found very helpful and some I didn't know that I put together and will post here.
Figured when new people join the forum and are asking for help we could refer them to here. If you have a good fix, information about a good repair shop, or read something that you think might help someone, please post it here.
We can all help the Newbies and some of us Oldies need this info too.
Parts:______________________________________
Try "Colaw RV Salvage" they have parts for almost everything I have needed. It's a great resource. Don't bother with the website because in a word it "sucks," call them then email a photo of what you need. They will check and get back to you
HWH leveling systems:__________________________________
If you have questions/problems with your HWH system, contact Paul at AZPETE on the Irv2 forum. He works for HWH and can answer your questions. His email is
pfmaddox@att.net and his phone number is 602-549-3638. He is a Commercial Member and has posted that his phone is always on, and if not answered, leave a message.
He has helped other on this forum and I am sure he can help you
Antifreeze:_______________________________________ __
There are 2 kinds of RV antifreeze on the market. One is a blend of ethanol, water and propylene glycol. Label usually states good to -50. The other is just propylene glycol and states good to -75. I would guess you bought the former and the alcohol has separated some component of the propylene glycol out of suspension.
I always get the pure propylene glycol stuff for 2 reasons. The most important being that it will not dry out seals and make plastic components of the plumbing system brittle like alcohol can. Second, the alcohol stuff is real hard to rinse out and makes your plumbing taste terrible for quite a while.
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It is very important first to remember your hot water heater does not like RV antifreeze so put a bypass kit on the hot water heater before you start flushing the system. Turn the propane off.
Next one of the best ways to flush RV antifreeze into the system is to pour it into your fresh water tank open up all the faucets and then turn the fresh water pump on. This will circulate the antifreeze through your whole plumbing system. Make sure all water is drained from your holding tanks first. About a quarter gallon of antifreeze in each tank should be enough to protect them through the winter. Don't forget both holding tanks need antifreeze. So pour some down the toilet too. Leave faucet knobs open when the camper is not in use.
Winterizing your RV_________________________
Put some tire covers on to protect them from the elements. Some bungie cords should keep them from blowing away in the wind. Last. Don't forget the obvious. Go to your local RV parts store and get a air conditioner cover for your roof top air conditioner to protect it and keep the winter slime from corroding AC parts.
Electronic Boards :________________________
Dinosaur Electronics: Dinosaur Electronics Company Information
Can't figure out water system. Water heater won’t light. Pump doesn’t stay on. running off fresh water tank. Tried with 12v batt switch off and on. Tried 110 switch off and on. I am lost!!
Is your propane leak detector turned on??? Should be near the floor in the kitchen area. If it isn't on, the refrigerator, furnace, and water heater will not light.
Squeaky Door Latch: ____________________________
A while back someone posted an idea on how to stop the entry door from constantly squeaking. His suggestion was to place tape such as black electrical tape around door striker (post that door latches to). Well after a year of trying to silence the door I tried this method and WOW! It worked.
Black tank cleaning: ____________________________
I mix 1 gallon of water with 1 cup of Calgon bath salts and ½ cup of Dawn dish soap, mix well. Pour down the toilet after you have emptied your tanks. Fill with another 5 gallons of water and while driving to the next CG (campground), the movement of the RV going down the road is swishing the mixture around cleaning and loosening the stuff left in your tank.
You can also use this for the grey tank if you get an odor from it.
I do this every trip. Water is necessary to keep the contents of the black tank from getting hard and plugging the tank up. Use plenty of water! Before winterizing the rig, we use this mixture, go for a drive and then completely fill the tank before emptying. The full tank will take everything out with it.
Sway from other vehicles passing my RV: _____________________
Bernoulli's principle applies. As a truck approaches, air that is trapped between the truck's trailer and your TT is compressed. That pushes your TT to the right. As the truck's trailer passes, that compressed air must accelerate, reducing its pressure and causing the TT to pull to the left. It happens to motorhomes, too.
More subtle is the difference between semi-trailers. Full-box trailers generate the most push, and flatbeds the least, if they have small or no loads on them. The "wall" of a full-box trailer (that faces your TT) will build up more pressure on approach and a higher suction on passing, whereas the pressure from a flatbed trailer never really builds up because it "leaks" to the driver's side of the semi.
After HD added anti sway bars and replacing the shocks on my class C, this was really reduced.
Hope you find this info as informative as I did. Lynne
Linear Mode
