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RV Gadget: Scissor jacks

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By Chris Dougherty
Certified RV technician

I don’t know about you, but one of the setup chores I don’t really like to do is setting the scissor jacks — especially in the rain, or putting them back up when it’s raining and muddy with pine needles sticking to everything. Now, there’s nothing you can do to fix the problem of messy jack pads, but crouching down and manually cranking them up and down can be a thing of the past with this tool.

Several companies make adapters for scissor jacks that allow you to use your drill to raise and lower them — they are Camco, Atwood, Ultra-Fab and Liftco.

These adaptors include the 3/4-inch hex drive jacks, the T-slot style jacks, and the J-hook style jacks. Most of these are available from Amazon or your favorite RV retailer. Simply insert the bit into your 3/8-inch or 1/2-inch battery-powered drill (with a full charge) and away you go!

Don’t ignore your RV maintenance!

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By Chris Dougherty
Certified RV technician

RV maintenance is something many RVers just completely ignore. We want to change that! I was up on the RV the other day cleaning and treating the roof in preparation for resealing the seams and installing some vent covers (the maintenance will be covered in an upcoming video). The neighbor, who happens to be an RVer, sees me, walks over and says, “Now I’ve seen it all!” When I asked why (and I already knew), he continued that he couldn’t believe that I was scrubbing the roof. I explained all the reasons I was doing it, and I could see a light bulb come on.

This is a common attitude among RVers, I’m sad to say. I see these poor blokes with mushrooms growing out of their walls, all distressed, facing thousands of dollars in losses. This could have been avoided if only they had taken care of their investment.

Folks, even if your rig is new, maintain your roof! I found a multitude of sins on my almost-new roof. I had sealants failing in several spots around vents, and the screws holding the slideout box trim on had come loose, or were never tightened, and appeared to be leaking. There were gaps where trim pieces came together that had never been sealed. Since the coach is a year-and-a-half old and was sitting on the dealer lot all that time with no maintenance, it took a lot of abuse. Since we just got the unit, we’re fixing all the little things that needed fixing. I am determined that this coach will look like new for a long time to come! If you can’t do this yourself, that’s OK  — just plan ahead to have your RV service provider do the work. Please believe me, it’s worth the investment.

Use the GOAL method to back up your RV

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Use the GOAL method to back up your RV

By Russ and Tiña De Maris

 
For many new RVers, the greatest challenge of the new lifestyle is that of backing up the rig. Even experienced RVers can tell you that backing into the campsite is perhaps the most stressful part of the entire trip. With the GOAL method, things can be a bit easier.

get out lookWhat’s your goal? To get the rig SAFELY backed into the campsite with as little fuss as possible. Notice we put safety first. There’s much to be said about that. Fuss is at the other end of the spectrum. Yes, if you’re in a crowded campground we know there’ll be plenty of rubber-neckers who will have nothing better to do than to watch you struggle to get into the site. For most, though, it gets better with practice.

So what’s the GOAL method? You may have guessed, it’s an acronym. Get Out And Look. There’s really no substitute for physically removing yourself from the behind the wheel and walking back and eyeballing your parking situation. Backup cameras are great, a spotting helper can do much, but just eyeing it with your own peepers will do more to help you get a feel for what you’re doing than any other method.

One RVer put it well when he said he backs part-way into the site, hops out, eyeballs, then backs more, and repeats the process. He admitted that it wasn’t as impressive as being able to simply back in the rig in one sweep, but you’re far safer with the multiple visualization method. Don’t just look at what you might hit with your bumper, either. Look UP to catch low hanging branches that might hit the roof or roof-mounted units. Ensure you have room to extend your slide outs, too.

And when using the GOAL system, DON’T succumb to the “Are we there yet?” crowd. Keep the kids strapped in the tow unit, even if you have a spotter working with you. The spotter will be more concerned about keeping an eye on the kids and your chances of hitting something greatly increased.

Use a “memory flag” to remind yourself of dangerous conditions

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By Russ and Tiña De Maris

For RVers, there’s nothing like the heart-stopping feeling you get when you’re happily motoring down the road and another rig pulls up beside you. It’s when they lean out of the passenger window and start gesturing wildly —pointing at something on your rig — and the wind blows their words away. Oh, the adrenaline, and how the imagination kicks in!

We’ve had the situation come up more than once. One time we’d left the TV antenna in the extended position. On another occasion, the rear door of our truck camper was swinging about wildly. Our cat was clinging to the dinette seat, just inside the door, no doubt watching the passing traffic with some amount of anxiety. But perhaps the worst experience we’ve had was the one where there wasn’t time for anyone to tell us about a disaster in the works: Driver Anonymous had left a camper corner jack down in the “lift” position and drove off on an asphalt parking lot — major body damage was the result there.

Bitter experience makes a fine teacher. We now use the RV equivalent of a string tied around our finger. Whenever something is done with our rig that would make it BAD to drive, we “flag” our steering wheel with a ball bungee. That little “dangerous condition” reminder flag on the steering wheel has saved Driver Anonymous more than once since the Case of the Damaged RV Corner was closed.

When might you find a danger flag useful? ANY TIME something is going to cause you trouble if you move. I confess, years ago we were seen driving down the road towing a shore power cord merrily behind us. Thank heavens it wasn’t the water hose — the electric cord simply unplugged itself and no resultant “Mr. Magoo Hits Fire Plug” images came out of that experience.

Some examples when the reminder would be useful: Extended TV antennas. Stabilizer jacks in the “down” position. Hooked up cords and hoses. Awnings not stowed back in. Incomplete trailer hitchings. Dog tied to the door handle (it happens!).

We also travel with a departure checklist. It really helps to look at it — it’s a list of things to “make sure” of before you pull out of camp. So, it’s those little “short stops” that more often get you in trouble. Like putting down a camper jack to help change the pitch of the camper when dumping the tanks. Just tie that string around your steering wheel. Then all you have to do is remember what on earth you put it there for.

Sewer extension dilemma solved

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By Jim Twamley

RV plumbing is a BIG issue to most RVers. Many travel trailers and 5th wheels have two separate gray water dump valves. Usually one gray tank drains into an exit drain pipe shared with the black water tank, while the additional gray water drain is located elsewhere.

This type of arrangement makes it easier for the RV manufacturer but harder for the end user. If you own a rig like this you need to figure out how to link the two drain pipes externally.

RV stores sell “Y” adapters for this purpose. You can also purchase connectors to assist you with this project.

An avid RVer wrote to us that his Coachmen travel trailer had two separate dump valves — one forward of the wheels and one aft. He opted to make his own “Y” connector using a standard stick-house black pipe “Y” connected to an RV male coupler. He used flashing, caulking and hose clamps to fashion this homemade adapter. Since the location of the sewer hole varies from park to park, he decided to make one end of his hose shorter. Whether the sewer dump hole is forward or aft of his tires he can simply swap the position of the hoses to accommodate the situation.

Steps in coating your RV roof

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Steps in coating your RV roof

By Dicor Corporation

In coating your RV roof, it is important that the whole cleaning and coating procedure be done in one day. For example, when coating EPDM roofing, the cleaner/activator not only cleans the roof surface, it also opens the pores in the EPDM membrane for about five to six hours. Once the cleaner/activator is rinsed off the roof, the roof needs to dry completely. The coating needs to be applied while the pores are open so that the two-coat application embeds itself in the old roofing and bonds with it for a solid, tight seal (we love bonding). Remember, before applying the second coat, be sure the first coat is dry.

Find a day when you can be sure it’s not going to rain. I recommend starting right after the morning dew has dissipated. Then do the step one cleaning procedure and let it dry completely. Then apply two coats of the coating material (remember to let the first coat dry). Then let it sit to dry and set up before the evening dew. I like to see three to four hours of sunlight on the finished job. Lastly, make sure you have covered every inch of the roof and not cut any corners.

Once applied, roof coatings take 24 to 48 hours to fully cure and strengthen their bond with the roof. Refrain from doing anything else with the RV during this time and avoid rain and other hazards as best you can. Factor these things into your planning as well. Remember, with planning and prevention, you can stop bad things happening and enjoy your RV more.

Here’s a good schedule for your roof coating job:

Preparation phase:

• 1 to 2 weeks prior: Do any required lap sealant touch-up and replacement.
• 1 to 2 days prior: Apply any required peel-and-stick patches.

Coating day — Don’t begin until roof is completely dry from rain or dew:

• Hour 1: Mask walls and caps with good-quality tape such as Frog Tape, and sweep all loose material off roof.
• Hour 2: Apply cleaner/activator to roof using pump sprayer. Rinse to remove all cleaner/activator and let the roof completely dry.
• Hour 3: Apply first coat of roof coating.
• Hour 4: Let coating completely dry. Dry time may vary with humidity, temperature, time of day, etc.
• Hour 5: Apply second coat of roof coating.
• Hour 6: Allow 3 to 4 hours between coating and sunset and possible onset of dew.
• Hour 7: —
• Hour 8: Allow 3 to 4 hours between coating and sunset and possible onset of dew.
• 24 – 48 hours after coating: Do not use RV while the coating is fully drying.
Use the right tools:
• A power washer with the correct nozzle (use a wider pattern, not a concentrated stream) and a long enough wand is a great tool for cleaning and rinsing your RV roof.
• A medium-nap roller is the best way to apply the coating material.

photo: Dicor Corporation

Planning ahead to stay out of trouble

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By Russ and Tiña De Maris

When you first start RVing, you have new challenges to face. Not the least of them is that you’re probably now dealing with something on wheels that’s far larger than you’ve ever dealt with. Yep, get behind the wheel of a motorhome, or put a trailer behind you, and the whole picture of driving takes a change.

peanuts driverWith that new size comes a new need: Planning ahead with an exit strategy. We don’t mean getting out of the RV lifestyle, but rather, planning ahead to get your RV out of places you might otherwise get stuck in.

Here’s a common scenario: Your tow vehicle is low on fuel. Pulling into “any old gas station,” can get real complicated if you find you don’t have room to turn and pull out from the islands. Another? Driving down a back-country road and it just seems to keep getting narrower and narrower.

Here’s where seasoned RVers can provide advice from experience. Here’s a summation of wisdom learned from life on wheels.

Look ahead: Whether it’s a fueling stop or looking for a place to put up the rig for the night, do your best to look before you pull in. Don’t just see the fuel pump or the fire ring, also look to see how you’ll get out of that location. Eyeball not only for tight corners and obstructions at ground level, look up to check for low lying roof canopies, tree branches, etc.

This same strategy can hold true for pulling into an unknown road. Many RVers are known for pulling up to the side of the road and then setting out ahead on foot to look over unknown ground.

Have more than one source of planning: With techno-advances, plenty of RVers have found a GPS unit to be a great road traveling companion. But don’t solely rely on a GPS, because they’re only as good as their programming. Even GPS systems that can be programned to be on the lookout for low bridges and narrow roads may not be up to date. Keep a weather-eye open for construction signs that warn of danger ahead. Having along paper maps and consulting both these and the GPS can spare you a lot of trouble. Don’t be afraid to stop and ask locals for current information. And be sure to update your GPS software often!

Plan ahead for trouble: Traveling in Washington’s back country had us heading downgrade on a narrow Forest Service road. Coming cautiously on a tight curve, dead ahead we found a pickup pulling a heavily loaded horse trailer. Unfortunately the truck chose that time for a major transmission failure, completely blocking the road. Happily we had practiced getting our rig turned around on narrow spots before. In this case it stood us in good stead, as that narrow road was bordered on one side by a “no go” rock wall, and a steep drop off on the other. It took the navigator to call the “stop!” signal when the back side of the rig was out over open air and the wheels not-quite-touching the road edge. After many back and forth maneuvers we were headed back up hill and the long route to civilization.

If you haven’t learned how to back up your rig and feel comfortable with the process, don’t delay. Find a quiet stretch of roadway or a big empty parking lot and back up, back up, and back up some more. If you get caught on one of those nasty narrowing roads, you may have to back up a long way to get out of trouble.

Prepare yourself mentally as well. We found a few nasty spots in New England where unmarked low overpasses meant we had to literally stop traffic and block it while we managed to get turned around. Yes, you’ll upset some people, but its a lot better than plowing on to your own disaster.

For your generator’s good health — excercise it!

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By Onan Generators

Do diesel generators need exercising like gasoline generators?

Yes, regular exercise helps lubricate the seals and engine components and keeps carbon from building up. Regular exercise also heats up the generator windings and removes or expels excess moisture. In sets equipped with brushes, exercising helps prevent corrosion buildup on the slip rings.

How often should I run my gasoline generator to keep it in good condition?

It may seem strange that not using a machine could cause performance problems, but with RV generators that’s exactly the case. Regular “exercise” is an important part of keeping your generator healthy. Lack of use can cause moisture buildup and fuel system damage that makes it run poorly. In fact, in as little as 30 days, the fuel in gasoline-powered generators can begin to break down into gums and varnishes that clog the fuel system. Fuel varnishing results in hard starting and surging. (A surging generator never settles at a stable operating speed.)

To prevent such problems, we recommend running gasoline generators at a minimum of 50 percent capacity (for example, 2000-watts, or one air conditioner for a 4000-watt set) for two hours at least once every four weeks. A long two-hour exercise period is preferable to several short periods.

RV maintenance – first things first

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By Steve Savage, Mobility RV Service

If you have a towable RV — a travel trailer or fifth wheel — you just might be thinking about making a list of things to do so it’s ready to hit the road at any time. If you find yourself in that category, I would suggest you start with the roof and the wheel bearings. Why start there, you might ask. Because those two things are neglected more than any other.

To do the roof, it is almost imperative you get up on it, so if that is something you might not be comfortable with, hire it done. First off is simply inspecting the roof. It’s a bit nicer if first you use a pressure washer — electric, not high-powered gas — and, along with a long-handled brush and detergent, get the dirt off everything. If your rig has been sitting uncovered, dirt on the roof is a given.

Once it is clean, check all the caulking, paying particular attention to where the front and rear caps join the roof along with any skylights, as those areas tend to be the most problematic. Patch any tears in the rubber membrane. Renew caulking around the vents, if necessary, and if there has been an area that has been a repetitive problem, do not simply slather on more caulk. Get all the old caulk up and fix the problem, then re-caulk. You cannot buy the caulk for the roof at Lowe’s or Home Depot. I recommend Dicor self-leveling caulk. (And no, I did not get paid for that recommendation. I use Dicor exclusively because it is good stuff.)

Once you have the roof done, if you haven’t lubed the wheel bearings in a couple of years, do that next. I know they are a pain — I don’t like doing bearings either — but the job is not a difficult one. There are several how-tos on YouTube demonstrating wheel bearing service. You have to clean and pack the inner and outer bearings — which means you will need a seal puller to get the rear bearing out. That tool can be found at any automotive store and is not expensive. You will also need a new seal for each wheel and you can get those at an RV dealer or service center, but take the old one along as they come in different sizes.

Clean the bearings and hubs, then repack with wheel bearing grease and reassemble everything. Once you have the hub back on, tighten the lock nut until the wheel just begins to spin less freely, then back off the nut a 1/4 to 1/2 turn and retighten it finger-tight only. That should leave the hub turning freely. Now, putting one hand on the top and one hand on the bottom of the hub, you should just barely rock it. I think the actual measurement is only about five-thousands of an inch, so it is very slight. Again, for more information, reference the Internet, or if you are not comfortable with this step, have it done at a dealership or service center.

The taper bearings that you will find in your hub do not need to be preloaded as once they are going down the road they will heat up and expand, eliminating the slop you left in during reassemble.  If you preload the bearings, your hubs will run hot, as will also be the case if you fail to lube them, ultimately destroying the bearing. Smoking a hub on the road is a surefire way to ruin a vacation, so don’t procrastinate here!

Once you have these two steps done, you can do all the fun things you would rather be doing to make your rig look nice — a wash, maybe a wax and so on. If you are like me and basically would rather camp than service your RV, remember you do not have to do everything at one time. For example, do the bearings on one side one day and the other the next. Your RV will love you for it!! 🙂

photo courtesy picserver.org

Hitch your trailer without help with magnetic hitch alignment kit

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hitch737Are you sometimes frustrated that you have to distract your co-pilot just to hook up your trailer? If you could do it yourself — every time — wouldn’t that be a great skill to master? Luckily it doesn’t take great skill to master the one-person hitch-up.

Camco’s Magnetic Hitch Alignment Kit is designed for one-person hook-up on the first try every time. Easily visible balls take the guesswork out of linking up your hitch.

Attach one guide to the tow vehicle and one to the trailer. Guides extend to 50 inches for easy viewing, and a swivel base allows the guides to be positioned directly above hitch and receiver.

This system works with virtually any tow vehicle and any trailer: gooseneck trailers, fifth wheel trailers, horse trailers and boat trailers.

Features

  • One-person hook-up on the first try every time.
  • Guides extend to 50″ for easy viewing.
  • Takes guesswork out of lining up your hitch.
  • Attach one guide to tow vehicle and one to trailer.
  • System works with virtually any tow vehicle and trailer.

    You can find the Camco Magnetic Hitch on Amazon for about $15.

Do-it-yourself back-up camera install?

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Do-it-yourself back-up camera install?

By Ted Choat with Russ and Tiña De Maris

Ted, who claims to be 148 years old, writes, “Anything labeled ‘easier’ gets my vote.” So he set out to install a rearview (back-up) camera on his travel trailer. By the time you’re 148, you’ll be happy to have the experiences of others to guide you to avoid making boo-boos. Ted says he’s a sadder-but-wiser guy now that he’s installed his back-up cam, and says if he had it all to do over again …

Don’t drill another whole in your RV skin to run wires for the camera. Just get out your ladder and crawl up to where the rear marker lights are located. Yank off the center marker light cover and tap the wires for power and ground. Yes, you’ll need to have your running lights going when you want to see out the back-up camera, but you won’t need to poke holes in the rig, and it’ll cut down on the amount of wiring to be done, too.

While you’re up there, you’ll most likely find that the lights are mounted on a backing plate. That’s a great place to mount your camera because it will give the whole installation a bit of steadiness. Mount it on the metal siding and you’ll likely have a peculiar bit of vibration making its way into your monitor — it’s that shaky camera. If you mount the cam to the backing plate, hey hey! Vibrations are cut way down.

Still another advantage to Ted’s installation? If and when you remove the back up camera, you’ll have fewer holes to “fill.”

Keep an eye out — back!

New RVer asks: What do camp site length restrictions mean?

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New RVer asks: What do camp site length restrictions mean?

By Russ and Tiña De Maris

“We are transitioning from tent camping to towing a travel trailer this year. We will be towing a 19.5′ travel trailer with a 19′ pickup truck. The overall length being approximately 38.5′. Does the RV length limit listed for a campground (especially national parks) include the tow vehicle and the travel trailer?”

Here’s a question that sadly, often has more than one answer. Really, what does “site length” or “length restriction” mean in a campground or RV park listing? There’s no universal definition, but we can give you some ideas.

roomy space
Loads of room in this site.

When “site length” is listed, it often means the number of feet for the RV unit to park in. For our questioner, his “combination” length is almost 39 feet. If the site length listed was 40 feet, surely he’d fit. But there’s more at play here. Many RV sites have a “stopping block” at the end of the parking pad that prevents the rig from backing up any farther. In many cases where we’ve traveled, there’s actually space behind the stop block. If we back our trailer right up to the stop block, we have another ten feet or so that overhangs the block, provided there aren’t trees or other obstructions behind the block.

Here’s a snippit from the campground information page at Yosemite National Park. “Many more sites exist in Yosemite Valley and elsewhere in Yosemite that can take RVs up to 35 feet or trailers up to 24 feet.” What’s the difference here? Same site, two different lengths? The differentiation might be more clearly made by saying “motorhomes up to 35 feet,” while the trailer length itself could be 24 feet, while the balance of the space is allowed for the tow unit. On the other hand, in some cases this problem applies, “Please note that many campsites have different maximum lengths for RVs and trailers. This is because many of the campsites are back-in sites with limited turning radius.”

In some cases you may find you can get a longer trailer into a site than you might think, provided you can unhitch and park your tow vehicle elsewhere in the same site, or in a different vehicle parking location.

Best advice? Call ahead wherever possible and ask just what the limitations really mean. Yosemite warns visitors, ” If you reserve a site for equipment other than what you bring, and the site can’t accommodate your RV or trailer, we will not be able to find a different campsite for you.”

photo: bodycoach2 on flickr.com

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