Mark’s RV Garage Episode #6 Released
RV Education 101 releases Episode #6 of the new Internet based RV How-To series titled “Mark’s RV Garage.” The new episode is available for viewing at www.rvconsumer.com and on You Tube
On this episode of Mark’s RV Garage:
* Mark finishes the 12 volt wiring, the roof decking and starts on the interior of the vintage trailer restoration project.
* See what product can add to enjoying the nightlife under your RV patio awning
* Get some tips on how to maximize your RV refrigerators efficiency.
* Discover a great camping destination for the entire family located in New York
* Watch an interview with the creator of a charity called “RV 4 the Cause”
If you missed previous episodes of Mark’s RV Garage they are archived at www.rvconsumer.com for easy retreival and viewing
Episode # 7 will be available for viewing on 02 May 2011.
Happy RV Learning,
Mark Polk
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Mark’s RV Garage Episode #5 Released
April 4, 2011 by Mark Polk · Leave a Comment
RV Education 101 releases Episode #5 of the new Internet based RV How-To series titled “Mark’s RV Garage.” The new episode is available for viewing at www.rvconsumer.com and on You Tube.
On this episode of Mark’s RV Garage:
*Mark & Tyler finish framing the vintage travel trailer and start the rough-in wiring.
* Learn how to protect your RV from power surges and improper campground wiring
* Get some great tips for extending the life of your RV holding tanks and controlling odors
* Get some answers on how to protect your RV awnings
* See what camping tip won the author a free copy of Microsoft Streets & Trips
If you missed previous episodes of Mark’s RV Garage they are archived at www.rvconsumer.com for easy retreival and viewing
Episode # 6 will be available for viewing on 18 April 2011.
Happy RV Learning,
Mark Polk
Rest Assured with a Tire Minder TPMS
July 20, 2010 by Mark Polk · 18 Comments
For everyone who contacted me asking why I haven’t posted to the blog for the last month or so thank you for your concern. We just returned from a 7,200 mile coast to coast RV trip. My youngest son said I always work when we travel in the RV so I promised him I wouldn’t work on this trip. We had a wonderful time and saw lots of this beautiful country along the way. I can’t wait to start planning the next trip.
Prior to leaving on the trip I was really concerned about tires. I think most people have heard stories about an RV that had a tire blowout at one time or another. If the person experiencing the blowout is lucky it will result in little damage and no one will be hurt.
RV Owner Maintenance Mishaps
April 19, 2010 by Mark Polk · 13 Comments
There are lots of things to remember and to maintain on an RV. Sometimes we tend to overlook the simplest maintenance requirements on our RV. As the old saying goes, you can’t see the forest for the trees. These simple oversights can result in costly repair bills to correct the problem too. Let’s take a look at some common RV owner maintenance mishaps.
1) Checking and adding air when the tires are hot. I see it all the time, people checking their tire pressure when the tires are hot. You should always check and inflate tires when the tires are cold, before traveling more than one mile. Hot air expands and will give you a false reading. If the tires are already hot wait several hours before checking and adjusting inflation pressure.
2) Neglecting to periodically check the water level in batteries. 85% of lead acid batteries manufactured in the U.S. die before they should. One of the leading causes for battery failure is overcharging the battery. Overcharging a battery results in severe water loss and plate corrosion. This is a common problem with RV’s. The RV converter has a built in battery charger and most RV owners are under the impression that if you leave the RV plugged in when the RV is in storage it will keep the batteries topped off. While keeping batteries topped off is extremely important the problem is that many, but not all, RV converter chargers provide a constant charge of about 13.5 volts which is too high for fully charged batteries and the electrolyte is boiled off resulting in an early death for the batteries. There have been advances in converter charger technology and many of today’s converter chargers are 3 stage chargers that will prevent batteries from overcharging. Another problem is during times of high battery usage and recharging the electrolyte is boiled off. Periodically checking and adjusting the water level in the batteries can save and extend the life expectancy of the battery. When you add water use mineral free water. Distilled water is best and only fill the battery cell to 1/8 inch below the vent well. Read more
Where is the Spare?
February 9, 2010 by Mark Polk · 29 Comments
Why don’t some RV manufacturers include a spare tire with a new RV? Is it a liability issue or a cost issue? I have heard both sides of the story over the years, and it usually depends on what type of a RV you are talking about.
I have owned three towable RV’s and two motorized RV’s. Two of the towable RV’s came with spare tires when I purchased them and I ordered a spare tire as an option on our Class C motorhome, but I could not get a spare for our Class A motorhome.
It seems ridiculous that you buy an RV, designed for traveling all over the country, and the one thing not included is a spare tire. Let’s try to find out why there’s no spare!
Debunking Portable Air Compressors
November 16, 2009 by Mark Polk · 24 Comments
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.
Tire Age Can Result in Tire Failure
August 3, 2009 by Mark Polk · 35 Comments
Tire failure on RV’s can be extremely dangerous and can cause extensive damage to your RV. There are lots of reasons for tire failure on RV’s, like under inflation, over inflation, overloading and the age of the tires. Today I want to discuss how the age of your RV tires, and exposure to the elements, can lead to tire failure.
RV Tire Tips for Safer RV Trips
May 11, 2009 by Mark Polk · 14 Comments
It seems as though I talk about tire safety all of the time. The reason I do is because tires are an important safety topic concerning RVers that are often times overlooked. Just recently I read a newspaper article that summed up just how overlooked tires, in general, are. The article stated, “The Rubber Manufacturers Association found that 29 million drivers believe that tires require no regular maintenance.” This number might be considered small when compared to our current deficit, but it is quite large when you consider 29 million people are driving around the country on tires they don’t know the condition of.Is your Tire Pressure Gauge Accurate?
March 1, 2009 by Mark Polk · 29 Comments
We often talk about the importance of checking the inflation pressure in tires, but is your tire pressure gauge giving you accurate information? After writing my article titled, “Take the Visual RV Tire Test” I received several emails regarding the accuracy of tire pressure gauges.
Nitrogen Filled Tires. Is It Worth The Bother & Cost?
February 26, 2009 by Lug_Nut · 25 Comments
One of the topics that come up often in the RV community is the use of dry nitrogen in tires. That is, using compressed dry nitrogen instead of regular air. Is there an advantage to this that warrants the cost? I think first we have to understand why, and if, nitrogen works better than normal compressed air in an RV tire application.
Normal dry air contains mainly nitrogen to begin with, in fact about 78% by volume. The balance is around 21% oxygen and 1% argon and mixed miscellaneous gases. Moisture, however, is usually present in this air after it has been compressed. For that purpose, air compressors generally employ a dryer in order to reduce this. But, in normal service station tire fill-ups, you can expect an additional product, vapor or humidity, 1 to 5%. The later being the worst case scenario.
Though we can not see them, the air is made up of molecules. Nitrogen molecules are much larger than those of oxygen. This, in its self, serves as a benefit when used to inflate a tire. More on this later.
Over 99% of tires in use today are tubeless. Tubeless tires expose the rim to the gases that support the tire. Over time these gases and vapor can oxidize or rust the rim surfaces. While such internal damage is slight given the wheel’s life span, it can produce micro metallic pieces or dust. There is a remote possibility that this debris may eventually end up in the tire valve seat. This could occur when air is being expelled such as the quick shot of a tire gauge check or if lowering of pressure is required. I addition, moist air causes oxidization and degradation of the rubber inside the tire. This degradation, however, is slow enough probably to never affect the life of an RV tire.
Have you ever wondered why your tires occasionally need a little air top up? Where does that air go, anyway? It is normal and actually passes through the tire body itself. The smaller molecules of the oxygen make there way out far quicker than the larger nitrogen molecules. Now this does not leak at a measureable rate. Pressure reductions are very subtle, resulting in the need to top up every month or so depending on the tire size, pressure and environment. Using 100% dry nitrogen reduces this leak rate equal to only about one third of that of regular air. This, of course, reduces the need to top up the tire pressure substantially.
Nitrogen also offers the added safety benefit of not supporting combustion. For this reason most aircraft tires are nitrogen filled. This was put in place some years ago following a landing gear fire that was amplified by the oxygen contained in an air filled tire. It contributed to the fatal accident that caused the death of 167 people on board. This feature however, offers little benefit to an RV tire application.
Dry nitrogen does not expand at the same rate of the gases of that of regular air, therefore may tend to increase pressure at a lesser heat to pressure ratio. This in itself, may contribute to a better ride throughout the driving temperature cycle. Additionally, the lack of moisture, or water vapor keeps the gases less conductive to heat transmission, thereby running slightly cooler. A fractional more consistent pressure may be experienced which could result in a smoother, or softer, ride.
Nitrogen is much lighter than air. This would reduce the overall weight to an once or so. Definitely there is no advantage found here for an RV.
Nitrogen fills generally cost about $10 per tire. Costco, for one, supplies a free fill, if requested, with any new tires that are purchased and installed at selected stores. Oh, and yes, you can top up nitrogen filled tires with straight air if needed and no nitrogen is available.
So, is going to nitrogen worth the trouble and cost? In my book it may be very questionable for an RV application. The benefits appear very slim. The reduced tire pressure top up may be well worth it for a commercial unit that runs high mileage twelve months a year. This, however, may offer little change to the short seasonal use of the average recreational vehicle.
Bragging rights can be exercised however. When that guy with the Hemi pulls up beside you at a light, you can say “Nice Hemi, I’m running nitro”.
Okay, I know there are many nitrogen users out there. Let’s hear your take.
Just Airing My Thoughts - Lug_Nut - Peter Mercer
