Hi, Tedd:
With enough money and patience, anything is possible. However, it can be very expensive to add a slide to an RV that was not designed for one. Slides also add considerable weight, so if your coach is already close to GVWR (the maximum legal weight), adding a slide may not be possible. For pricing information, check out one of the many bus conversion specialists. They do this sort of thing all the time. Here are a couple of websites to get you started.
www.BusCustomer.com
http://busconversion101.com/slide_outs.htm
Also, stop by Bus Nut www.busnut.com and check out their resources. Many people add slides when they convert a bus to an RV, so there will be a lot of good information available.
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Hi, Mark;
We recently purchased a 2007 Class-C and neither (of two) TVs is digital.  We plan on upgrading to digital, but will we still need a converter box for both TVs?  On the flip side, we subscribe to Dish at our home base.  What would be the most economical and simple installation to take advantage of using our Dish receiver in the RV, and how do we connect all the wires, etc? Thanks for your input.
Mike

Hi, Mike:
If you replace the old TVs with new ones that are digital-ready, you won’t need those converter boxes at all. In fact, that is probably the easiest way to cope with the digital transition: Just bite the bullet and get new TVs. Most of the converter boxes work just fine but add yet another component to find a place for and yet another remote control to the ever growing pile. As for the satellite-TV question, some RVers simply pick up a used dish at a garage sale or on eBay and use that for their RV. A single LNB dish from either DirecTV or Dish Network will work with your receiver, and a used one should only set you back $10 to $20. A simple tripod mount for the dish can be either fabricated or purchased, and the satellite receiver in your home can be temporarily relocated to your RV. For more info on how it all plays together, check out the satellite TV article on my website at http://www.ccis.com/home/mnemeth/sat.htm. One last suggestion: Be sure to get a handheld satellite meter to help you realign the dish when you set it up. They are commonly referred to as “marriage savers,” and the name is very appropriate! Here’s a good deal on one:
http://www.sat-sales.com/proddetail.php?prod=sat_finder95  An added advantage to going with satellite TV is that you don’t need to upgrade your televisions. The older analog TVs work fine with satellite receivers.
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Hi, Mark:
I have a travel trailer with a rubber roof. There are a couple of spots, one about 4 inches by 16 inches and another one about half that size that have come loose from the roof structure. It looks like a bubble. Should something be done about it, or is it okay as is? Thanks for your time and knowledge,
Jim

Hi, Jim:
In general, if the bubbles (delaminated areas) are small, on the order of a few inches across, they will not affect the roof’s integrity. You just need to watch them to be sure they are not getting larger. Attempting to cut or puncture the bubbles and re-glue them or caulk them is not recommended. If the membrane is intact, you are better off leaving small bubbles or ripples alone. If the de-laminated area is large, or the membrane is discolored, the membrane may have been damaged by application of an improper cleaner. It is critical that no petroleum-based solvents, harsh abrasives or citric-based cleaners be used on rubber roofs. Petroleum-based solvents are especially damaging. They can penetrate the membrane and dissolve the adhesive underneath. You should only use a mild soap and water solution to clean the roof or use a cleaning product specifically designed for rubber roofs. It sounds like you are on the borderline between bubbles you can ignore and bubbles you need to worry about. For now, keep an eye on it, and if the bubbles get larger or you see new bubbles appearing, you may need to have the roof evaluated by a professional.
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Mark:
We have a Komfort RV 5th-wheel trailer. We recently went on a weekend trip and noticed a slight but constant dripping of water when the hose line was hooked up to the intake. The leak came from the rear right corner of the RV.  The water intake is located in the rear middle of the RV. When we returned home, I checked the problem and it occurred again. I attached a pressure control valve and limited the pressure to 40 pounds. It still had a slight leak. Do you have any suggestions as to where it might be leaking and how I might fix the leak? Thanks,
Ruben

Hi, Ruben:
Based on your description of the problem, I suspect that you are looking at a leak in the fresh-water supply plumbing. The first thing I would do is disconnect the hose from the city water inlet. Then, I’d put some water in the fresh water tank, turn on the RV’s 12V water pump and open every faucet long enough to purge out any air in the system. Make sure all faucets are closed, then see if the pump continues to cycle on and off with no faucet open. The pump works on a pressure switch, so if the pump does run or cycle, you have a leak somewhere in the fresh-water supply plumbing. That means it’s time to get out your flashlight and visually inspect all of the plumbing lines that you can see or can gain access to. You may need to look inside cabinets and compartments to find the actual leak. However, if the pump does not cycle at all, then it is fairly safe to assume that the fresh-water supply plumbing is intact. That said, you should start looking for other possible sources for the water. The water you see dripping could be coming from the sink or tub drain plumbing, your holding tanks, the fresh water tank, or could even be caused by a small leak right at the city water connection that is running aft to the rear of the trailer before dripping. Once you find the leak, most RV plumbing can be repaired using standard plumbing parts available from any home improvement store.
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Hi, Mark:
When I apply the brakes in my tow vehicle, the brakes on the trailer grab, and I feel the trailer jerk against the tow vehicle.  I have a new Holiday Rambler Mintaro, but I had the same experience with my old travel trailer, a Fleetwood Prowler.  Could this be a problem with the brake controller?
Rick

Hi, Rick:
There are several things that may be happening. If you only notice the jerky behavior the first few times you stop after the trailer has set for a while, it may be nothing more than a thin layer of rust on the inside of the drums. The rust will briefly make the brakes “grabby” but quickly wears off with repeated stops. If the problem continues as you travel, the brake controller may be incorrectly installed or set too “high,” causing it to over-apply your trailer brakes. Most controllers have an installation and adjustment procedure you will need to follow to get them properly set up and adjusted. Once the controller is properly installed and adjusted correctly, the jerking should be minimized. It may never go completely away, however, due to the way electric trailer brakes operate. The trailer brakes, by design, tend to be more effective at slower speeds. That can lead to jerky stops from slow speeds even with the controller turned way down. If you turn the controller down far enough to eliminate the jerking, you will have hardly any braking effort at all at highway speeds. It’s kind of a catch-22. The best thing to do is aim for a compromise. Start by following the adjustment procedure in your manual, and then do a little test-driving. Try some stops from different speeds, and tweak the controller to the setting that seems to provide the best performance over your whole speed range. If you can’t locate your manual, try an online search using the manufacturer’s name to find their corporate website. Most sites have downloadable manuals for a wide range of brake controller models.
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Mark Nemeth has been involved with all things RV for more than ten years, including almost 5 years on the road as a fulltimer. Nowadays, Mark is parked for a while and works on staff for the Escapees RV club as technical advisor, consumer affairs director, and instructor in the Escapees RVer's Boot Camp program.

Founded in 1978, the Escapees RV Club provides a total support network for Rvers that includes a wide variety of opportunities for fun, adventure, and education. CHAPTERS There are 51 chapters across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico that offer local luncheons and rallies within 150 miles of home. Everyone is welcome to attend. HOPs Theme–related outings and adventures held across the country. ESCAPADES Five–day events, Escapades offer over 60 seminars and workshops to educate, entertain, and enhance the fun and use of RVs. PARKS Our RV park system offers short–term, long–term, and home–base parking options. MAIL SERVICE The best mail–forwarding service in the country. Members can personalize their mail delivery receiving only the mail they want when they want. PLUS MUCH MORE! A complete listing of all Escapees events, and a comprehensive list of member benefits is found at www.escapees.com.

Some content previously printed in Escapees magazine, published by the Escapees RV Club. All material provided by Mark Nemeth, Escapees Magazine Technical Advisor and Boot Camp Instructor. For more information about the Escapees RV Club, please visit www.escapees.com or call 888–757–2582.

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Please remember, material will be edited. Because of the large volume of material and correspondence submitted, individual replies will not be possible, nor can we acknowledge receipt of your material. Selected questions will be answered in future issues of the Woodall's Wisdom newsletter in the Mark, My Words column. The Mark, My Words column also appears in Escapees magazine, a bi–monthly publication of the Escapees RV Club. For more information visit www.escapees.com/magazine

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