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Avoiding white-knuckle mountain pass driving

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By Jim Twamley

 

The mountain passes of the Western United States are breathtaking for beauty, but often dangerous for unprepared RVers. If you’re not accustomed to driving or pulling your RV through mountainous terrain you could be in peril. I live in the Western U.S. and have traveled extensively through the Mountain States with every type of RV. Safe-driving technique and proper equipment is a must if you want to arrive at your destination safely.

For all RVs it’s important that brakes and tires be in topnotch condition. When traveling through mountain passes you’ll often encounter high winds. If you’re pulling a travel trailer I highly recommend a load-leveling system with anti-sway control. If you have a diesel truck or a diesel pusher motorhome you absolutely must have a compression braking system. If you don’t have a compression braking system you will burn up your brakes and have repeated white-knuckle experiences.

The biggest safety tip for RV mountain driving is “don’t be in a hurry.” Allowing your rig to gain excess speed on a downhill run is just asking for trouble. When you’re plummeting down a hill in your multi-ton RV, it’s extremely difficult to stay in your lane when you encounter a sharp turn at the bottom. I’ve seen RV rollovers and collisions from this common mistake.

When you are climbing through a mountain pass be sure to stay in the right-hand lane as much as possible. Take your time and don’t overtax your engine — gear down and enjoy the scenery.

Be prepared and drive defensively at all times. Give yourself plenty of room to slow down and stop when following other vehicles. During summer months you may encounter many controlled stops where road construction is being conducted on mountain roads; so if you’re limited on time, be sure to check your route with the various state departments of transportation when you plan your trip.

Finally, be sure you have adequate fuel to make it up and over the mountains because fueling stations are few and far between in mountainous regions.

Adding RV batteries

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gary-736Hey, Doc:
I just recently purchased a used Class A Newmar coach. Where do I find out what rating of battery needs to be used for replacement? The specific gravity on the existing batteries are low and after charging, is not coming up. The batteries are weak after only 8 hours of using a very light load. They are five years old. I have no clue as to what amp-hour I should be using. Rich W. (Virginia Beach, VA)

Hey, Rich:
You can measure the battery cases of your existing batteries to determine the amp-hour rating; most battery suppliers will have a chart indicating the amperage rating based on the physical size of the case. But it’s always been my advice to carry as many batteries as the space and your wallet will allow. You can never have too much battery capacity. Many motorhomes use Group 27 (or larger) batteries for their auxiliary DC power. Some go with 6-volt batteries wired in series. Be sure to have your existing batteries tested properly before condemning them; though at five years, they probably have indeed expired their useful lives.

Put as many Group 27s in there as can fit. You’ll want the highest amperage storage capacity as possible. As an example, two Group 27, 12-volt batteries wired in parallel will equal about 210 amps of storage capacity. Two Trojan T-105, 6-volt batteries wired in series will yield about 225 amps of storage. If you can fit three or more Group 27 12-volt batteries, then go for that. When using 6-volt batteries they must be added in pairs. But do the math….four Group 27s in parallel will provide 420 amps or so, but four T-105s will provide 450 amps total, and with a slightly smaller footprint.

More is usually better! You may also want to consider an upgrade to AGM batteries if you plan on extended dry camping excursions. Lots of options to consider!

Read more from Gary Bunzer at the RVdoctor.com.

#RVD737′ #RVT740

More security for RV bed-lifting gas struts

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By Russ and Tiña De Maris

Many RV beds double as storage units: Pull the mattress board up and down inside, under the mattress, is an open space for hiding stuff. Most of these utilize gas struts or “gas springs,” as they’re sometimes called. Originally popular for keeping hatchbacks open on cars, these clever devices soon found their way into the RV industry.

The problem with gas springs is that if you have just a bit too much weight on the mattress — say a big stack of blankets — or the spring begins to lose it’s strength, life can get a bit complicated. We store our canning equipment and jars under our bed, and at times we have to actually climb under the bed to retrieve items. Imagine that old mattress coming down on top of you.

You could replace the gas springs, but if too much weight is a factor, replacing with the original spec springs won’t gain you the lift you need. Replace them with springs having greater lift force will work — until springtime rolls around and you lighten the weight on the mattress and those stronger springs may hold the bed up when it should be down. Or maybe the springs work well enough, but you’d like a little extra security when poking around under the bed.

Here’s an easy fix — an add-on support rod  that will definitely hold the mattress up. Buy a length of 3/4″ PVC pipe from the hardware store. Visualize the pipe as a rod near the open end of the mattress box (opposite the hinges). Using this pipe as a “prop,” you can hold the bed box open easily and safely. But what’s to keep your prop from slipping out? A set of closet rod flanges — one installed on the inside lid of the bed box, the other screwed to the floor — will serve to hold both ends of your new prop rod and keep it from slipping out at the wrong time. Best to find a closet rod flange set where both pieces are completely closed, like the photo, rather than the type with the opening to slide the closet rod down into.  It’s a cheap, quick, and easy fix.

Reduce unwanted power draw on your Dometic RV refrigerator

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By Neal Weber

 

Many of the Dometic refrigerators have a heat strip in the door frame at the top of the refrigerator section. This is intended to reduce the formation of condensation and wetting the seal — but the strips draw 12 watts of battery power when the refrigerator is turned on.

Some Dometic models have a semi-hidden switch to disable this, but many of the models like mine (DM2652LBX) don’t. The strip is wired in parallel with the interior light circuit. Others have snipped the wire behind the light. Since I camp fairly often in damp environments, I like to have a functional heater when on shore power.

There’s an easy solution to the issue — the heater and interior light are wired to the circuit board in back of the fridge through a single spade lug connector. I just disconnect the connection when I’m going to dry camp for more than two nights. This provides an additional benefit: disabling the interior light, keeping the refrigerator 12-volt power draw to an absolute minimum.

Here’s how:
1. Open the exterior refrigerator access cover. Locate the wiring diagram. The diagram on mine is pasted to the burner cover. Disconnect the 120-volt power before proceeding.

2. Find the control board. It is usually under a black cover on the left side of the unit. To remove the cover, loosen the screw on the top and then use a screwdriver in the slots on the side to pop the tabs loose. Be careful not to break any wires or the cover.

3. On the wiring diagram, locate the interior bulb and climate control heating element (not the 120-volt heating element or the fridge won’t cool!) Mine was the one connected to terminal #2. (This is where the screwdriver is pointing in the picture.)

4. Disconnect the spade lug and put it somewhere where it won’t short anything out.

4.a. Optional: Put an SPST switch in-line between the spade connector and the circuit board.

5. Close up the control board cover and restore 120-volt power to the unit. Turn the refrigerator on and make sure the bulb is dark and the area where the strip is doesn’t get warm.

6. Close up the exterior hatch. Make sure the drain hose is routed to the proper place.

Doing this modification reduced the refrigerator draw on my batteries from 1.6 amps to 0.6 amp when the gas valve is open, and 0.2 amp when it is closed. This modifcation saves 24 amp-hours per day when dry camping!

Make your RV screen door a thermal storm door

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By Chuck and Mary Culp

 

Our Keystone fifth wheel always seemed a little dark on those days when it was too cold to open the door and let natural light in through the screen door. Even on hot days, leaving the door open meant letting the air-conditioned air out — a bit much just to let a little natural light in.

The light finally came on for our “need-light-but-not-the-elements” dilemma. First, we attached small squares of stick-on Velcro hook-and-loop tape to the outside of the screen door frame. This gave us attachment points for a material that lets in light but blocks heat and cold: a piece of heavyweight, smoke-colored vinyl. You’ll find this neat material at your local fabric store. Cut the vinyl to fit over the screen door, leaving a cutout for the door-opening slide.

We then attached the vinyl to the outside of the screen door by sticking the matching part of the Velcro to the vinyl and pressing the matching pieces of Velcro together around the door.  Now we can open the door and enjoy the natural light. With this setup we can see what’s going on around us while keeping out the cold or heat, depending on the time of the year.

If the weather is pleasant enough that we want outside air to come in through the screen, we separate the Velcro spots and remove the vinyl, rolling it up and storing until it’s needed again.  You could use clear vinyl, but we chose smoke-colored vinyl so that when we have the door open, we have some privacy.  People on the outside can’t see in, although we can see out very well.  Plus, the darker vinyl helps block the heat from the sun if we have the door open on a hot day.

Need a new RV water heater? Try this HOT option

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By Jim Twamley

 

We have a standard RV six-gallon electric/propane water heater in our motorhome. It works great and we use it most of the time on the electric setting. The only time we run it on propane is when we overnight at a Walmart or at a boondocking campsite. The six-gallon capacity is not large enough for two people to take a shower in quick succession unless you take a “Navy shower.” Forget about washing dishes just before or after taking a shower because the hot water is gone.

If you primarily camp with electric hookups and don’t mind running your generator during your shower while dry camping, then an Ariston mini-tank electric point-of-use water heater may be just right for you.

The guy parked next to me has a Titanium 5th wheel and he did this replacement on his RV. He says it was easy to install and now he never runs out of hot water when he takes a long shower. You can purchase these units at Home Depot for around $200.00, which is much cheaper than a standard RV water heater.

These units are small and will fit nicely where your current RV water heater is located. Since the water lines are already there, it makes for an easy installation. My friend put his unit inside a plastic bucket in the event the pressure valve were to open, allowing water to escape. He insulated the exterior heater access compartment door and sealed it with silicon caulking.

If you hook the unit into your generator system, you can easily use it while boondocking.

Silence that noisy water pump

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By Russ and Tiña De Maris
If your water pump reminds you of a jackhammer on a New York City street, you are not alone. A noisy water pump is one of the most common complaints of RV owners. There are several things that can be done to quiet it. The first step is to find the pump. Water pumps are usually tucked away in a cabinet at floor level somewhere; the noise should lead you to it.

Once the water pump has been located, check that the screws holding the pump to the floor are tight. Most water pumps are mounted on a small platform or on rubber mounts and are secured to the floor with three or four screws. The platform or mounts are supposed to keep the pump from vibrating against the floor. Check the mounts to make sure that they are not cracked, worn, or missing. The pump itself cannot be insulated because the electric motor needs air circulation to keep it cool. Covering the pump may cause the motor to overheat and fail.

Next, trace the cold water line from the pump to the faucets. If it passes through a cabinet wall or is routed along a cabinet wall, the vibration of the water line may be turning the cabinets into a sounding board and amplifying the vibration and noise just like a musical instrument. Get some lengths of foam pipe insulation the correct size to fit the pipe and put it around the pipes in those places that touch or pass through the side of a cabinet. Water pipes that touch the drainpipe under a sink or shower can also create quite a racket, so put insulation in those places, too. Wrap a piece of duct tape around both ends of each piece of insulation to keep it in place.

It may take some contortions on your part to get the insulation around the water lines, since they are often routed behind drawers and at the back of cabinets. Once it is in place, the foam insulation should absorb much of the vibration of the water lines and keep the cabinets from singing.

What to do about a very loud water pump?

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Dear RV Doctor:
gary-736We have a new 27-foot travel trailer RV. The first time we used it the water pump was very loud. What can we do to quiet it down? —Kim H., Cheyenne, WY 

Dear Kim:
The first thing you can do is check to see how the pump is actually anchored to the RV. Is it securely mounted on a non-vibrating surface? Most are installed flat on the floor or the bottom of a wet bay. Also, be sure the rubber isolators are in good shape. Yours probably are since you state it’s a brand new coach. Next make sure none of the fresh water tubing is hitting against any surface, floor, wall, partition, etc. You may need a flashlight to view the tubing as it leaves the output port of the pump. Some manufacturers may be lacking in their securing of the tubing as it is routed throughout the coach.

If the original installation appears solid, there are two aftermarket products that may help. One is a “Silencing Kit” produced by SHURflo. Scroll part way down this page. It is applicable to any water pump, by the way. Any RV parts department can order this kit for you; part #94-591-01. I’m assuming your fresh water piping system consists of PEX tubing. For an optimum installation, it’s best to have a double loop of flexible water hose connected directly to the pump before it is connected to the semi-rigid PEX tubing (unlike the photo to the left). Not all manufacturers do this, unfortunately. But adding the SHURflo “Silencing Kit” performs the same function.

If that doesn’t work, you may require an in-line accumulator (further down on the same page above). It simply installs in the cold water system, downstream of the pump. The accumulator is charged with a cushion of air and acts like a shock absorber while the pump is operating. All water pumps create a vibration when operating, so controlling the amplified effects of that can be minimized with either product.

Read more from Gary Bunzer at the RVdoctor.com.

#rvd737, #rvt742

Keep your traveling laptop safe

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Keep your traveling laptop safe

By Russ and Tiña De Maris

 

Laptop computers are some of the best friends an RVer can have. We have more or less instant communication with friends via email, access to our bank accounts and bill-paying services, and a host of information about whatever we might need in our lives as travelers.

computer securityBut laptops, and other computers, are certainly an attraction to thieves. Here are some tips to help keep your computing experience happy and safe.

Keep your data safe: If you keep sensitive information on your laptop, make sure if your computer falls into the wrong hands that at least the information is secure. If you have Windows XP Professional, you already have a way of encrypting your data to make it impossible to read without the encryption code. Or get data encryption software and use it — you can “search” (e.g., Google or Bing) for more information on this kind of software. When using public Wi-Fi networks, many experts recommend you don’t transmit any sensitive data (including credit card numbers or bank account information) — but if you must, BE SURE the little “padlock” symbol shows on your web browser, and that the URL (address) of the website begins with https (for “secured”).

Use a strong password: Don’t use your name, your kid’s name, dog’s name, etc., as a password. Repeated numbers or letters are a sure-enough “breakable” password. Some folks use a phrase they can remember, like “My dog has fleas,” and string it together without spaces: “Mydoghasfleas” is the resulting password. Using symbols (%@&!) in your password makes it much tougher to break. And of course, the longer the better. Afraid you’ll forget it? Then write it down on paper — just keep the paper safe.

Backup your system: Lost or stolen, your data’s no good if you don’t have it. Use a data backup system — the Windows XP operating system has one. Back up frequently, and back up to something OTHER than your computer. Data files might be backed up to a small “thumb drive,” or the whole hard drive to a backup system — find them at Costco or Sam’s Club inexpensively. And keep that backup drive safe, too. A lost thumb drive with unencrypted information could be an identity thief’s dream.

Guard it: Don’t leave your laptop in the toad car or the RV in plain sight. Hide it in the trunk or stick it in a closet. If you travel on a plane with your laptop, don’t put it in the overhead storage compartment — keep it with you at your seat, right in front of you.

Use bicycle water bottle racks for rattle-free holders

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By Greg Illes

I’ve been using bike bottle racks for a variety of purposes for several years now. They’re cheap, solid, rattle-free, easy to install, and they fit a surprising number of different objects that you typically find in and around an RV. Also, once installed, they look tidy and neat whether empty or full.

Currently, I have a wasp spray can, a fire extinguisher, some bear spray, and yes, even a few water bottles, happily parked in these handy little racks.

For stuff that’s taller than a standard water bottle, like the big wasp spray products and the small-size fire extinguishers, you’ll need to cut off the top strut of the bottle rack. Since this projection is just to keep the bottle from bouncing out while riding the bike, it can usually be dispensed with.

Find a handy place to mount the rack, make sure you have room to insert and extract its contents, and then just use two short screws to fasten it to the wall or cabinet. (If you change your mind later on, those two small screw holes are easy to fill and make disappear.)

Once you start using this trick, you’ll probably think of a surprising number of ideas. Why have a nighttime glass of water to knock over in the dark when you can have a secure bedside water bottle instead? Run out of cup holders up front? A couple of bottle racks will extend your ability to “stock” a variety of drinks while underway. Do you like to use solvent in your windshield washer, but hate carrying a giant bottle of the stuff? Put a bottle of concentrate in a behind-the-hood bottle rack, and it will always be there when you top off your reservoir.

Greg Illes is a retired systems engineer who loves thinking up RV upgrades and modifications. When he’s not working on his motorhome, he’s traveling in it. You can follow his blog at www.divver-city.com/blog.

Tools and techniques for a great campfire

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Tools and techniques for a great campfire


By Greg Illes

Everyone loves a crackling fire. The Africans of the 13th century had a Swahili phrase for “dreaming the fire,” an exquisite encapsulation of the mood around a campfire. Here are some tips for making your own flickering camp delight.

Techniques
A quality fire needs dry wood and ventilation. Make up a stockpile of multiple wood sizes from pencil-thick through finger size, broomstick, axe-handle, and 4x4s.

Always stack the smallest sizes first, into either a teepee or tic-tac-toe arrangement. Allow lots of air around the wood for good combustion.

Starting
Anyone can get a blaze going with a splash of charcoal-starter — but where’s the art in that? Dream-like satisfaction comes with primitive methods. Some folks will insist that they start their fire with only a match and shaved wood; others might fall back to a Bic lighter and a wax/wood starter pellet. I’ve seen purists use flint and steel! You choose.

Big wood needs big heat to burn with a good flame. A 4×4 won’t burn over the heat from pencils — it will only smoke up the campsite. Don’t put the big logs on until you have real heat and coals.

Tools
A very handy tool is the “Fireside Friend” by Estwing (Home Depot, Amazon, Sears). This combination maul/hatchet is fantastic for splitting wood into smaller diameters. For very large wood, use a regular splitting wedge.

Typically, a poker of some kind is very useful in managing a fire. A pair of very long tongs works for repositioning a log or coals.

Safety
Common sense but worth repeating:
·    Use safety glasses and gloves when chopping or splitting.
·    NEVER pour any kind of fuel onto a burning fire.
·    Don’t leave fire burning or smoldering when you go to bed.
·    Put it out, really OUT. Push your fingers into the dead coals to be sure.

Happy dreaming ….

Greg Illes is a retired systems engineer who loves thinking up RV upgrades and modifications. When he’s not working on his motorhome, he’s traveling in it. You can follow his blog at www.divver-city.com/blog.

Who makes the best RV?

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Who makes the best RV?

By Steve Savage, Mobility RV Service

 

Given that I spend a good deal of time working on RVs, I’m often asked who makes the best of “whatever category RV a person might be seeking.” Not an easy question to answer as I do not believe there is a single answer. There are, however, some things to consider — the most important of which is price.

Simply put, you never get the same things in an entry-level RV you find in a high-end one. There really is a reason some things cost more than others, and an entry-level product, regardless of manufacturer, is intended to be sold based on price, not quality. In my experience, it may look good when new but the “new” is short-lived.

For example, the shine quickly fades on the exterior as the gel coat is very thin. The carpet quickly looks matted down, and the cushions in the furniture sag and look worn out almost overnight. The reason, of course, is because they are made as cheaply as possible in order to meet an impossibly low price point. The same things hold true of axles, frames, sidewall construction, and all the things folks either cannot see or do not know how to assess. Manufacturers, by the way, acknowledge in private that their more expensive products wear much better and require much less maintenance than their entry-level models for these exact reasons.

For occasional seasonal use, entry-level products do just fine. They also are not a bad choice if the owner is willing to perform regular maintenance. For serious campers, however, I question the wisdom of buying at the lowest price points.

How do you tell quality? You start off by doing plenty of shopping so you know what you are seeing. With some practice you’ll be able to tell thick versus thin gel coat and the quality of slide seals, and know the difference between photographed vinyl finish on woodwork versus real wood.

In the end, you’ll quickly discover there are real differences between manufacturers and product lines. When you are able to tell the difference, you are ready to buy. Until then, getting taken in by an inferior product is never far away. By the way, you really are much better off buying a high-end pre-owned product than an entry-level model off the dealer’s lot. If you can, try to stay within five years of the current date to be up-to-date with technology.

Happy Hunting!

photo courtesy Columbus RV Show

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