Community Forums

Berniebbop · 03-06-2011, 07:51 PM

Hello to all. On friday evening my wife and i purchase a 1988 coachman catalina. I have a general idea of how things worked but i still need help. None of my electrical outlets work nor will the ac work. But when i switch on the lights they come right on so i dont know y the sockets dont work. I flip the main breaker off then back on but still no luck. I turn the lp gas switch on and i hear hissing and smell a strong odor of gas. Please help thats all for now!!

4Knights · 03-06-2011, 08:01 PM

Welcome to the forum you have come to the right place! Many great helpful folks here.
First have you checked to make sure you are plugged into shore power?(house). If yes then check the breaker in the house is it on? If yes the locate your power plug in the rig. You may have the type that requires you to switch a plug in a compartment to get shore power. My first rig had 2 plugs one provided power from generator and then when we used shore power we had to unplug generator cord and plug in another cord in same compartment. Also check all breakers in the rig. They can be located in the craziest places. Look everywhere to include behind drawers, under the fridge,etc.

Berniebbop · 03-06-2011, 08:13 PM

The simplest things!!! I never thought to plug that in. Wow u r right, there are a lot of helpful folks here and im grateful.

4Knights · 03-06-2011, 08:33 PM

Great! I spent days trying to figure out what everything on my coach is /does and 2 years later I still use a checklist to make sure I don't break something. You need to make sure all your gas is turned off including the oven pilot light . Then retry the lp detector. What does it do?

thelastplace · 03-06-2011, 09:02 PM

I don't mean to sound rude, but did you not do a walk-thru with the previous owner/dealer?
Does the expression 'money pit' mean anything? And the safety implications are enormous. I can't give you any advise on how to fix your problems, but I would consider professional help if it were mine (of course I wouldn't have bought it in the first place).

But the true travelers are they who leave for leaving’s sake
Saying continuously, without knowing why: ‘Let us go on’.
Paraphrased from Baudelaire’s ‘The Journey’

RangeCampMan · 03-06-2011, 09:23 PM

Whoa, big fellas. If you have a gas leak you want to make sure that is taken care of before you start messing with the electricity. I would see what it would cost for a local dealer to do a timed pressure test and a lock out test on your Lp system. You can turn on the LP and go around with a spray bottle of soapy water and spray all of the fittings etc... and look for bubbles. Make sure that you do not use soap that contains chlorine or ammonia as it will corrode copper tubing. You can buy leak detector solution which also works well or even an electronic sniffer. FIND and FIX your gas leak or one day you will forget you have it on and get playing around with the electricity and, well you get the picture. We want you to live to tell us your RVing adventures.

Its Paid For · 03-06-2011, 09:30 PM

You need to start taking and making notes so you can develop SOP's for everything concerning your rig. Then create a complete checklist for everything.

Don't try to remember it all as the minute you have a brainfart you start spending money, and we all have brainfarts with or without SOP's or checklists. But those with checklists have fewer, thus stay less poor than those who wing it 24/7.

The exception are those that have been doing it so long they are a walking checklist. They do exist, and I am not one of them. They will be the ones making fun of my post, because they can.