The Age Old Question, How Many Pounds Of Air Shall I Put In My Tires?

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Well sir, I have never been accused of being terribly smart and politicaly astue, so here I go jumping from the frying pan into the fire on a subject that some have said in the forums is a dead horse and beaten to death. But there is more to the tire pressure story than just when will it fail or blow up. Or how much pressure to ad and when.

We all know that a tire that is under inflated will use more power to make it roll than a properly inflated tire. That is because of these factors:

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Stainless Steel Coach Upgrades

Personalizing, or customizing a motor home, is a relatively popular thing today.  While for many this consists of choosing color schemes and interior swatches if ordering a new coach from the factory, or perhaps locating a unique color graphic on one in the market place, new or used.  Add-ons like chrome exhaust tips, fancy mud flaps and wheel dressing are also popular choices.  At the high end of this craze is customized re-painting and graphical color designs.  But one item, probably in the mid add-on price range, that is in my mind the best bang for the buck, is stainless lower body trim.  This chrome like accent to the rocker panels can provide a striking look to any motor home as well as adding lower body protection from road grime and debris.

The material used is generally a high quality stainless steel.  It can be ordered with a plain flat polished surface or with folded ridges running horizontally.  It is glued to the body with no need for any mechanical fasteners and is normally guaranteed never to come off.  It is also available in various sizes depending on how high you would want the material to be from the bottom edge of the body.  Further personalizing can be selected as to how the entrance steps would be trimmed, if the rear departure lift will be followed or horizontally ran out and additional trim to body contours. 

                                                                                                 

So, where do you get it and how much does it cost?  There are several manufacturers and suppliers in the U.S.   One of the more popular is Summit Products of Johnston, Iowa.  At Summit they design, laser cut, and install a top quality product built to the individual’s needs and wants.  Costs, on say a 40 foot coach, can generally run from under $3,000 to $5,900 or more, all depending on what the owner wishes.   Ridged material can run a bit more than flat as the ridges may require to be angle ground at the basement door edges to provide clearance when opened.  Of course, if you would prefer your coach be stainless trimmed to resemble a Marathon Prevost XL, it can be done, but at a much higher dollar.  The choice is entirely yours.

There are many more options and additional add-ons available from Summit, like fuel door trimmings, interior step faces, jack pads, etc.  In fact there are so many options and variations that can be tailor made, it is reasonable to assume that one could virtually customize their rig to be a one of a kind.  

One consideration when getting this done is the extra basement door weight.  In some cases this may exceed the ability of the existing gas shocks that hold the doors open.  Either larger stronger ones or the addition of an extra one may be required.  In the above picture, an additional shock was added.  These are available from most RV supply houses and possibly also from Summit themselves.

 

So, is there a return on the investment when sale or trade time comes around?  While it is possible that a portion of the original cost may in fact be recovered, it is doubtful.  It may however, sway a buyer when comparing a choice of a similar coach.  Either way, you may have a coach that will uniquely stand out from the others.

 With An Upgrade Idea    -   Lug_Nut    -    Peter Mercer

 

Gas Vs Diesel

Should I buy gas or diesel? This question has fueled many a heated debate over the years. A universal response you could expect to hear to this question goes something like this; diesels cost more than gas, don’t buy a diesel unless you plan to put a bunch of miles on it and keep it for a long time. That’s the only way you can justify the extra cost of a diesel.

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Practical Motor Home Inverter Applications

Two weeks ago week we looked at the type of inverters commonly used in motor homes.  This week we will touch on applications of inverters in our home on wheels.   We will deal with integrated types only, generally these are 2,000 watt output and larger.  We will also focus only at the inverter operation, not the charger function. 

 

The inverter basically takes 12 volt direct current from the batteries and inverts it to 120 volts alternating current, similar to that in your house. 

 

 In doing this, it produces either a M.S.W. (Modified Sine Wave) or a T.S.W. (True Sine Wave) depending on the make and model.  Modified types are the cheaper of the two to produce, and are the ones found currently on the majority of motor homes today.  True sine types are becoming far more popular recently.  This is due to lower prices recently and more sine wave affected electronics that are being introduced into today’s modern coaches.

 

The inverter in a standard configured propane equipped motor home is generally wired to power the following.

• TV’s, receivers and entertainment centers
• Most duplex 120 outlets
• Microwave
• Awnings, if 120 VAC (Such as Gerard)
• Refrigerator (If 120 volt AC)
• Ice maker (If 120 volt AC)

The balance of AC powered loads such as air conditioners, hot water tank, electric stoves and of course, battery chargers only operate on shore power. 

Some microwave models can be damaged if used to cook using a modified wave inverter.  This damage can result in causing the efficiency to drop substantially after continued use.  While wiring the inverter to the microwave outlet is normal, which at least keeps the clock on time, it may be wise to run the generator for any microwave cooking while boondocking.  This applies to M.S.W. inverters, but is not applicable to T.S.W. installations.  Additionally, some models of modern residential refrigerators may be susceptible to modified sine wave inverter current.  The issue is control board related.   This primarily affects newer all electric coaches.  These really require a true sine wave inverter to assure trouble free operation.

Inverters in conventional propane equipped motor coaches are generally turned off when not required, particularly if dry camping.  This is due to a continuing draw, albeit light, of electric current, even if all loads are off.  First, there is a search mode that essentially searches for a load, even in stand-by mode.  Secondly, TV’s, microwave readouts and many modern receivers use power in the “off” mode.  The TV’s and receivers remain on stand-by to be instant “on”.

Inverters in all electric coaches are generally always left on.  This is required as the refrigerator, if it is a residential type, is 120 volt AC only.  Inverters can be left on even when connected to shore power.  Once connected, the unit shuts down the inverter and operates as a charger and will automatically take over in the event of a power disruption.

Now, as if the inverter/charger didn’t do enough, there are models available with a built-in automatic generator starting board.   These will automatically start and stop the generator as required to keep the batteries within operating voltage range.  Additionally, the auto start can be wired to the air conditioning thermostat and provide instant start should the temperature within the coach rise above a user preset value.  Once the temperature is within the set temperature range, it will automatically shut the generator down until the next event.

If you have never had a coach with an inverter/charger, you don’t know what you are missing.  The convenience of having household power without the need for continually running the genset, is well worth the costs involved.  If you already have an inverter equipped coach, you probably wouldn’t have a coach without one again.

 With A Current Alternate View      -       Lug_Nut

 

Innovative Future Fuel Savings For Motor Homes

Through the years we have seen motor home manufacturers continue to up the bar with new and innovative ideas. These ideas and new features have attracted buyers, both new to the lifestyle and those trading up. But, unlike the auto industry, no one quoted expected fuel mileage, or in many cases, cared, for that matter. That may be soon to change. You can just imagine the potential buyers now. Even though they are not expecting an economic fuel consumption figure, there will be more people than ever asking “How many miles per gallon”.

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Crazy RV Swap?

Call Me Crazy!

After our Door County adventure last week and after getting our trailer home, I called our dealer, House of Camping in Bridgeview Illinois about two problems I had and needed them fixed. While on the phone with my dealer, I asked him if he still had another model we had looked at. Perhaps I should rewind a bit on this so you all can be on the same page as me.

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Hot Weather Preventive Maintenance

When I was in the military I was in charge of some very large fleet maintenance operations. As a maintenance officer a term that was near and dear to me was preventive maintenance. Preventive maintenance is maintenance you perform on your vehicle before a problem exists. These checks are designed to prevent or identify potential problems that could lead to mechanical breakdown, malfunction or failure of a component or system. Preventive maintenance consists of cleaning, inspecting, lubricating, adjusting and servicing your vehicle. In the military there were preventive maintenance checks that the vehicle operator was responsible for and preventive maintenance checks that different echelons of maintenance personnel performed.

Since my days in the military I continue to perform preventive maintenance on my automobiles and the RV. For the most part I would classify these checks as operator level preventive maintenance checks, that almost anyone is capable of performing. Don’t confuse this with scheduled maintenance. Scheduled or routine maintenance is performed in intervals normally based on time, mileage or hours. Scheduled maintenance is designed to keep your vehicles in top operating condition and prevent untimely breakdowns and repairs.

Note: It is absolutely essential that you read your owner’s manual and warranty information in regards to who is responsible for what when it comes to scheduled maintenance. Scheduled maintenance that is required by the manufacturer and not performed can void your warranty.

With the hot weather upon us I thought it appropriate to list some simple preventive maintenance checks you can make on your automobile or RV before heading out on a trip. Read more

Choosing An Inverter/Charger

So far as motorized recreational vehicles, there are two duty types of inverters used. Stand alone and integrated inverter/chargers. Stand alone units are relatively low wattage output units that are individually wired to operate a single load like a television and perhaps a satellite receiver. The inverter/charger is an integrated part of the electrical and charging system of the unit. The inverter in this case serves two purposes. First it is the main battery charger, at least while either an outside source or generator is supplying AC power. Secondly, it is an inverter that supplies AC power when none is available. Once AC power is absent, the inverter automatically takes over, providing it is in the armed mode state. It is normally wired to operate necessary functions within reasonable wattage like T.V’s, receivers, duplex outlets, refrigerators (if an all electric coach), ice makers and perhaps microwaves.

There are two output configurations available, M.S.W. (Modified Sine Wave) and T.S.W. (True Sine Wave). All smaller or cheaper inverters are M.S.W. Most motor home inverters are also currently M.S.W. The exception of this would be higher end units and newer all electric coaches, most of which are equipped with T.S.W. output inverters. So what are the operational differences?

M.S.W. gets it name from exactly what it sounds like. It is a modified look-a-like wave. However it is more “square” than the smooth sweeping frequency lines that are created with a true sine wave. These inverters are cheaper to buy but function well in most applications. There are however, loads it does not work with or properly with. Those loads are, but are not limited to, many small power chargers, electronic boards found in many appliances, most microwaves, 120 volt A.C. powered clocks and full featured cappuccino makers. Some of these will not operate and some may be damaged over time with continued use.

T.S.W. power resembles that of home supplied hydro. It is capable of operating any like voltage load providing it does not exceed its output capacity. These units are now to a price level making them the best choice for future use.

So, if you are ordering a new coach, or replacing or upgrading to an inverter charger, should this be a “must have”? In my opinion, it is. The benefits far out weigh the now small price difference. If you own a coach that has a M.S.W. inverter charger, like most do, don’t worry. Your coach was equipped to exist with such a wave form and should do fine. But, just remember, if you were to order a new rig or ever it has to be replaced, go T.S.W. You won’t regret it.

On Sunday the 13th of july, we will be looking at “Practical RV Inverter Applications”.  I sure hope you can join us.

 Just Reading The Sines - Lug_Nut  -  Peter Mercer

How to Check for a Blown Fuse

It’s all relative!

In several posts we have talked about measuring voltage with reference to a fixed point, or relative to a fixed point. This is an essential concept to understand if you are going to use a voltmeter to measure any kind of voltage. I used the analogy of a distance from home. While we have compared voltage in the past with pressure, in this case we compare it to distance from a fixed point. Both comparisons work, but in this case it is easier to understand the distance comparison.

Let’s look at a practical example of this to better understand why we do it. A very common component in an electrical system is a fuse.

Fuses work to protect electrical circuits by “blowing” if they experience an overcurrent situation, meaning more amps flow through the fuse than the fuse is rated for. When this happens, the fuse “opens” and current can no longer flow because of the open circuit. The fuse now has infinite resistance. Our job is to use our multimeter to find the blown fuse. In order to do this the easiest check is with a voltmeter. I have reasons for saying this and we will talk more about this later, for now, just accept this concept too. In order to check for a blown fuse, you should pick a spot that is your “anchor” or starting point. Typically in an RV electrical system, and when checking for a blown fuse in the 12 volt DC system, the anchor point is “ground“. Ground in an RV is usually the frame of the vehicle. This is because the negative post of the RV battery is connected directly to the frame. Connect one of your meter leads to ground. Again, this may be easier said than done because there is a lot more plastic in RVs than there is metal. I usually try to find a big bolt that holds large metal pieces together. After you connect one meter lead to ground you are ready to check voltages. Find a fuse holder with a fuse in it and check the voltage on each pin of the fuse. You should EXPECT to read somewhere around 12 volts DC at each pin. Now remove the fuse from the fuse holder. This simulates a blown fuse. Now when you check both pins of the fuse holder, you will find that one pin will have the expected 12 volts DC, but the other pin will read 0 volts DC. This is exactly the check you will make to find a blown fuse.
Take time to practice this technique and we will talk more about it later. Until then, have fun camping.

Larry

Today’s Roof Air Conditioner Choices

Air conditioning is something that many of us have come to expect, whether it is in a house, car, office or RV. In many cases it is no longer an option as it once was. That is the case with most, if not all, motor homes and trailers today. While there are also manufacturers that mount the A/C units in the basement, we will only deal today with roof mounted. There are, and may be, configuration choices with options when it comes to ordering a new rig or replacement A/C unit. The selection may include the number of units, output capacity, heat strips, heat pumps, height profile, air ducted and possibly the thermostat control type. While many of these will probably not be a choice when purchasing a new rig, it is possible that a couple may, particularly if you are ordering a factory build. Let’s look at these choices.

Number of Units: Single A/C units are standard on Class “C” and “B” coaches, most trailers and shorter, entry level class “A” coaches. Larger class “A” coaches usually come standard with two units. The largest group of class “A’s”, 42′ to 45′, generally come standard with three A/C units.

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