Where is the Spare?

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RV Doctor – Slideout Catching on Linoleum – Can I Replace It and How?

Dear RV Doc, The kitchen area in my motorhome is linoleum and the rest carpet. The factory replaced the linoleum once under warranty due to buckling and fracture. This was caused from the kitchen slideout roller coming across the linoleum when the slideout was moved in for transporting. Now, six years later the linoleum is doing the same thing and curling at the edges under the kitchen slideout causing the slideout to catch the edges when moving in and out especially in cold weather. I must replace the linoleum again as it is damaged from the above explanation. If I replace with linoleum again is it a good idea to glue it down? The factory did not do so either originally or with the replacement. I am also thinking of maybe going to a floating laminate flooring which might be better to resolve my problem. What is your opinion? How difficult is it to remove that kitchen slideout to properly get the new flooring under the slideout? I contacted the factory for information but received no answer whatsoever. Your opinion and help would be greatly appreciated. - Larry Reeves, (Metamora, IL) Answer: Larry, I’m not fully convinced every single factory actually glues the complete floor area due to the time and effort involved. If the edge of the linoleum is exposed to the slideout floor it is bound to start catching and peeling eventually regardless of how it is fastened. A properly designed slideout should have a wedge of Teflon or other low friction material running along its entire... Read more

Who is that driving the motorhome?

Over the weekend we started planning for an RV trip we are taking later this summer. It’s about 6,000 miles roundtrip. We are on somewhat of a timeline and I wanted an idea on average of how many miles we would travel each day, based on our schedule. It seems like more often than not we are on a tight schedule, forcing us to put in more miles per day than I would like. I want this trip to be more leisurely when it comes to how many hours you are behind the wheel each day. Admittedly I am one of those people who likes to do all of the driving myself. I just feel better if I know I am behind the wheel. I know my wife, Dawn, is a competent driver (she even has her CDL) but I still prefer to do the driving. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is extremely important that both individuals are capable of driving or towing the RV. You never know when your wife or husband will need to drive the RV and they should feel comfortable and confident in doing so. As we were planning the trip it brought back a memory of a past trip we took in the RV. We were stopped in traffic because of an accident, and had sat in the same spot without moving for at least 30 minutes. I told Dawn that I was going to run back and use the bathroom and if traffic started moving to just get behind the wheel and drive. The boys were in the back bedroom playing X Box. The motorhome started moving about the same time that I came out of the bathroom. Both boys looked up at me with their eyes wide open and... Read more

Extended Warranties: How To Protect Your Investment

Last week we looked at the cost effectiveness of extended warranties.  This week we will discuss what the vehicle owner is responsible for during such a warranty. If you elect to purchase an extended warranty on your RV, you need to protect that investment.  This requires regular maintenance at the frequency rate recommended by the manufacturer.  It also requires you to have the documents confirming the service was carried out.  So, keep all these receipts in a safe place so you can produce them if ever needed.  This maintenance file is also good to have when selling your RV down the road. Additionally, you are expected to operate the vehicle within its specifications and take the necessary steps that may be required once a failure has occurred.  For example, if on a motorized RV the oil pressure alarm sounds, you must stop the vehicle and engine immediately.  Damage caused by the engine operating any duration after the failure may not be covered by the warranty.  Say you saw a service station a mile down the highway and you decided to try to nurse it the extra mile.  If the oil pressure is low, not just a sensor failure, the crank bearings and the cylinder walls and more may be damaged. There are two ways the warranty shop can tell that the engine was run after the oil pressure ceased.  First, by inspecting the internal parts in the motor.  Secondly the ECM (Engine Control Module) records all engine events and would probably show that the oil pressure was low... Read more

Extended Warranties. Are They Worth It?

So, what exactly is an extended warranty? It is a warranty on a portion or all of a product that starts when the original manufacturer’s warranty expires.  It, as in the original, has a term, usually stated in months.  Additionally there may be other qualifying components such as a maximum mileage or operating hours.  Like the original warranty, it covers repairs or replacements of items that fail, but excludes normal wear, abuse or failure due to lack of maintenance. Extended warranties are offered now on many consumer purchases on vehicles worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to a seven dollar electronic accessory.  There are manufacturer, dealer and independent extended warranties available.   These additional warranties, however, come with a price.  Is this extra cost worth it? Well, of course there is no simple answer to this.  While there are many variables, even the same item may support such a need for one person’s application, but not for another’s.  However, making the right choice requires more than just knowing the cost.  You have to know what the service contract includes in full detail. First, who is the company that is offering this?  Generally they would fall into one of the three categories below. Manufacturer: While this is probably the best warranty package, it is generally the most expensive.  Service is usually throughout the country using their dealer network. Dealer: Normally more price competitive, but may be limited to a single point... Read more

Why Filter your RV Drinking Water?

 Over the years I have written numerous articles about water filtration, water quality and sanitizing your RV water system. There are lots of reasons to be concerned about the water we drink, especially when it comes to RV’s. When you travel in your RV and stop at different destinations on a regular basis you don’t know anything about the quality of the water you are using or drinking. It seems like every day you hear more and more about what is in the water we drink and how it can impact our health. I have always been an advocate for filtering the water in our RV and I am always on the lookout for the best possible method for filtering water.   Read more  Read More →

Inspecting your RV for Water Damage

I received a question from a concerned RVer the other day that went something like this; “My neighbor just paid an expensive repair bill for water damage on his RV and I would like to know what I can do to prevent this same thing from happening to me?” Read more  Read More →

Debunking Portable Air Compressors

I think most RVers understand the importance of maintaining proper tire inflation pressure. The problem is if you wait until you’re on the road to check tire pressure the tires are too hot for correct evaluation. Checking the inflation pressure when you stop to refuel doesn’t make sense; you will get higher pressure readings and if you let air out the tires they are underinflated when they are cold. Another problem is when you are at the campground, and you want to check the tire pressure, there is no available air support to do it. Read more  Read More →

RV Educated? Calculating Propane Usage

 Did you ever plan an RV trip to a remote area and wonder how long the LP gas in your LP cylinders or LP tank would last? If so there is a way there is a way to roughly calculate propane usage.  Read more  Read More →

RV Service: A View From The Other Side

All the RV forums and discussions relating to service issues are always from the point of view of the RV owner.  Not that there is anything wrong with that as they are the customer and did pay the big bucks.  But, what would it be like from the view on the other side of the service window? Read more  Read More →

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