RV Doctor - Is There An Easy Way to Access RV’s Water Lines?

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our E-mail Digest or RSS Feed. We will then send you the stories that are posted each day in an e-mail digest. We use a service called Feedburner for delivery of these emails. You will receive an e-mail from Feedburner after you subscribe and you must click on that email to activate your subscription. Thanks for visiting and enjoy all the information! RV.Net Blog AdminDear RV Doctor, I have a water leak that looks like it is coming from under the tub when I turned the hot water tank bypass off. Is there an easy way to access the water lines without destroying the inside of the bathroom? I think the damage is caused from mice chewing a hole in the water line. Please help! - Joe Linneman, (Wentzville, MO) Read more Tell a Friend Read More →

RV Doctor - Trouble-Shooting an Emergency Start Switch

Dear RV Doc, My emergency start switch is not working on my Fleetwood motorhome. Can you provide trouble shooting steps? - Ron Berube, (Endicott, NY) Read more Tell a Friend Read More →

Extended-Stay Maintenance Checks

Normally when you plan a trip in your RV you conduct some type of pre-trip checks to make sure the RV is properly prepared for travel. When it’s time to leave the campground you perform these checks again for the return trip. But what happens when you find that perfect campground or RV Park and stay put for extended periods of time? Do you conduct routine maintenance checks on the RV to make sure it is in a safe and operable condition while it’s parked? Most likely you do, but if not here are some extended-stay maintenance checks to consider performing. Read more Tell a Friend Read More →

New Converter and Charge Wizard upgrade!

Progressive Dynamics Converter 9160 and Charge Wizard Project After getting tired of adding water to my batteries and them never getting an actual full charge I decided on a change. After research I found that many 5′ers and travel trailers come with a “less expensive” basic converters. Many do not manage the charge to your batteries well in that when you are plugged in they constantly charge your batteries and never give them an actual full charge. In addition the constant charge means you have to often check and ad water to the batteries. With the Progressive Dynamics 9160 Converter combined with the Charge Wizard you get great DC power management along with proper battery charging and maintenance resulting in a managed charge to your batteries and less water loss. The install went pretty smooth and here is a link on such a project. A must see! The Charge Wizard is fantastic and you can read more on it here. Below are some pics of what I bought and installed. The new reconditioned converter and new charge Wizard were approx. $225 delivered to my door. This along with 2 new Trojan SCS 150 batteries I have plenty of power (over 200 amp hours) and my batteries are well maintained. Batteries were approx. $120 each. The batteries are fully charged in about 2 hours with my Honda 2000 generator. What a big difference in battery and power management! A couple years ago I spent nearly 6 weeks on a dry camping trip to test everything while I was dealing with a family... Read more

Factory Service May Be The Answer

The Lug_Nut view. Motorized recreational vehicles are not a daily driver, and in general are used infrequently, usually only for vacations or a weekend get-away.  In fact, the average RV in the United States travels about 4,500 miles per year.   Many times mechanical issues can spoil or cancel an otherwise great trip.  Unlike an automobile, you can not just rent a like unit or get a loaner while the vehicle is being repaired.  You then become dependant on how fast the issues can be addressed and fixed.  So you take it to your local dealer and hope they can get right on it.  You have a slide problem, a refrigerator that stopped cooling and an awning that has a bent arm.  As a general rule most dealers assign one technician to work on your rig.   Even if they start on the unit that day, usually not much is done except the diagnostic part of the issues.  Next there are parts that are usually required.  Again, unlike an automobile dealer that generally stocks most parts, the RV dealer does not.  This is due to the vast number of parts, assemblies and components that go into making these vehicles.  So, you may well be further delayed while the needed pieces are located, shipped and received. Okay, on day three the parts have arrived.  Hopefully the technician is free to get them installed.  Most of this day is lost in receiving the items, rescheduling the tech and preparing the install.  Sometimes the parts received are not correct or are not complete and require... Read more

RV Doctor - How Do I Install a Replacement Powered Vent?

Hello Gary, This is my first question for the RV Doctor. I just purchased a replacement powered vent for the bathroom of my rubber roofed Class A motorhome. I’m handy with tools and want to replace it myself. I know there is extra sealant applied around the existing exterior flange. The existing vent is a fan type also, so I won’t have to run power. I concerned about the sealant and I sure don’t want to damage the rubber roof while trying to get the old vent off. I know I need butyl putty tape and screws. Could you walk me through the procedure? - Richard Craig, (Middleburg, PA) Answer: Richard, when working with anything attached to the rubber roof, it’s paramount that the sealant you use be applicable and compatible with EPDM roofing. Any well-stocked RV supply store will have the correct sealant. I do recommend using Eternabond under the flanges of the new vent. But first, to remove the old vent, you’ll need to dig around each mounting screw to expose the head. Read more Tell a Friend Read More →

After-Trip RV Maintenance and Storage – Part 2 – Bernice’s Tips

As a continuation of my post last week, here are some additional tips and tricks that you can use after an RV trip to keep your rig looking its best and to maximize your efficiency. If you cover your RV, protect the cover from sharp corners by adding suitable padding at those places. Tighten the cover tie-downs snugly with rope but so as not to put excessive strain on the tie-down eyelets, which will cause them to tear away from the materials around them. Every so often disconnect the battery terminals and clean them. Corroded battery terminals can keep your engine from starting or operating properly. Sometime on the trip home, it’s time to start your “To Do” list of tasks for when you get home. The list will keep you focused and prevent you from trying to do everything at once. At the top of the list should come calls to friends and family to let them know you are home safely. The laundry will wait. Unloading the RV will be easier if you organize as much as possible before you get home. The last morning on the road, change the sheets on the bed and gather towels and other laundry in a big plastic trash bag or pillow case. Fill plastic grocery bags or tote bags with newspapers, trip brochures, cosmetics, and audiotapes so these and other loose items will be ready to carry into the house. Sometimes after a long period of disuse, and RV’s furnace won’t start because its microprocessor board needs to be reset. Try... Read more

GM truck handling upgrades

For those of you that follow my posts, you may have noticed that I have been gone from RV.Net for a while. For reasons both personal and professional, I haven’t had the time to sit down and write anything, and for that, I apologize. The good news is that business has been picking up at Henderson’s Line-Up and SuperSteer, and we have a lot of exciting news to share. First and foremost, we are in the process of developing a new website that is much easier to navigate and will feature our own blog page, where you can come in, sign on and post questions or comments (I’ll still be posting here, too).  The new site will also feature an e-store, where you can purchase our products directly. The site is literally days away at this point, and as soon as it is up and running, I’ll be sure and let you know. We also have our new catalogs in, and a supplement that covers our product line designed specifically for trucks. These will be available for free download when the site is completed, but in the mean time you are welcome to call and ask for one, and we’ll mail one out. The new supplement has many new products in it, such as our SS 28559 tie rod for ‘01-current GM 2500 and 3500 series trucks (shown here). The stock tie rod in these applications has a tendency to bend or even break under extreme conditions, such has heavy loading, off-road driving, or both. Our new tie rod offers numerous improvements to the stock part. First and foremost, it is a full... Read more

RV Play & Learn Crossword Puzzle

Hi I am Dawn, Mark’s wife. Mark is not able to post this week, so I thought for his article this week, I would post a fun RV Play & Learn crossword puzzle that Mark put together:  This play and learn crossword puzzle is “RV Generators by Mark Polk” Have fun, play and learn.   Happy Camping, Mark Polk RV Education 101 RV University Tell a Friend Read More →

RV Doctor - Propane Furnace Won’t Light When Cold Outside

Dear RV Doc, I have a 2001 Suburban propane furnace in my pop up camper that will not light when it is cold ( 45 degrees or less) outside. I have checked the battery and have sufficient power. The fan comes on but the ignitor never tries to ignite. When the outside temp is above 50, it will start right up. Also, once it starts once, it will re-start without fail as long as the unit is not allowed to cool. Could this be the sail switch or control board? Obviously the thermocouple works as it lights when warm. - Reed Meredith, (Mt. Crested Butte, CO) Read more Tell a Friend Read More →

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