Mark… My Words
Dear Mark,
We park our 32' Bounder (purchased in 2005) for a few months in Colorado in the winter. I know nothing about an AC system. What should we do to keep both overhead AC's in good shape through sub–zero temps and blowing snow/dust so that they are ready to go for our spring trip South.
Thanks for the help,
Dave Miller
Hi Dave,
— There really isn't much you have to do to winterize those A/C units, as they are not adversely affected by freezing temperatures. It is a good idea to cover them, and most RV parts stores sell covers to fit the different types of A/C units. Covers help keep any debris out of the units during storage. In the spring, it's a good idea to remove the A/C unit's shroud (the plastic case that covers the unit) and clean out any leaves or other debris that may have accumulated. Before removing the shroud, turn off the power to the unit by either shutting off the breaker, or just unplug the rig from shore power. Make sure that the shroud is in good shape and free of cracks or damage. If you need to replace the shroud, you can buy replacements from the A/C manufacturer or most RV parts sources.
Hi Mark,
I have heard that filling your tires with nitrogen instead of air will add more miles to a gallon of gas. Is this true? Also, nitrogen tires are said to be safer because the tires maintain the same pressure. Is this true? Are there any downsides to using nitrogen?
— There has been a lot of talk recently about the benefits of using Nitrogen in car tires. While there are some possible advantages, I'm of the opinion that the difficulties outweigh the benefits. The most commonly cited benefits are that pure nitrogen does not have water vapor in it, like most compressed air does, and it replaces the smaller oxygen molecules with larger nitrogen molecules, reducing the rate at which the gas diffuses through the tire walls. Supposedly, a tire filled with nitrogen retains proper inflation pressure longer. I believe that any claims that nitrogen improves gas mileage are primarily due to the fact that optimally inflated tires get the best mileage, rather than any magical property of the nitrogen. On the down side, you either have to carry a tank of the stuff around with you, or manage to find tire stores or other businesses that have nitrogen on hand to inflate your tires. Driving around looking for nitrogen probably isn't very high on the list of fun things to do with your RV. Plus, driving on an under–inflated tire until you can find some nitrogen and gas up will likely offset any gains from using it in the first place. You will probably be better off simply checking your tire pressure regularly and using good old air (which is about 78 % nitrogen anyway).
Dear Mark,
I am new to RVing since April of this year and have a minor electrical problem I can't solve on my 2003 Fleetwood Jamboree. I have not taken it to a technician as yet. I keep the RV plugged into an exterior, GFI protected socket at home so I can run the AC and keep the interior below 90 degrees in the summer–I live in Florida. The problem is I get mild electrical shocks if I touch exterior chassis parts of the RV such as wheel covers, hitch, bumpers. Occasionally, when I insert the key into the deadbolt I will also get a mild shock. The shock is worse, but still very mild, in my bare feet and/or if the ground is wet. I have not noticed this effect at campgrounds! I use a heavy duty, 100 foot grounded extension cord. I have inspected all accessible (and some inaccessible) wiring, installed a ground cable from RV to the ground, tried to induce a shock by handling various items such as the water pump, inverter, etc. I have tested the GFI breaker in the house and it was fine. On our last trip, the bathroom GFI tripped but was fine once reset. I have never been shocked anywhere inside the RV.
Any suggestions will be appreciated.
Larry Welsh
Hi Larry,
— You should not be getting any kind of shock from the exterior of your RV. Rather than speculate, especially since this is a serious safety issue, you should have your home's electrical system inspected by a qualified electrician. The fact that you do not experience this problem when using the rig at RV parks makes it seem likely that the problem is in your home's electrical system, rather than the RV, It could be something simple, like a poor connection to ground at the home's meter loop or main panel, or an issue with the circuit that you are plugging the RV into. Regardless, don't take chances… have it looked at by an electrician!
Hi Mark,
I have soft spots on my rubber roof near my air conditioner. I'm being told that the entire roof needs to be pulled back to determine why the soft spots are there (very costly). There is NO leaking inside my trailer, and nothing on the roof to indicate water is getting in between rubber and luan sheeting. I had a Mobile RV Service man analyze my situation who is puzzled. He removed the air conditioning vent from inside the trailer and could not see anything up inside to indicate a leak so he couldn't advise whether the condition would worsen. Can eternabond be used around all my seams, skylights, vents etc. to prevent any further water from reaching these soft spots? Do you have any other suggestions? Or is my only alternative to have the entire roof pealed back to diagnose and repair.
Joyce
Hi Joyce,
— Roof leaks in RVs are unfortunately fairly common. After all, an RV moves and flexes a lot, and all seams and sealers are subjected to a lot of stress. The hardest part is finding the source of the leak. Water can travel a long way from the point of entry and pool in a low spot or saturate part of the structure of the RV without ever appearing as a visible leak in the interior. If the roof around the A/C unit is soft, I'm inclined to suspect the worst: that there is a long standing small leak up there somewhere that has saturated part of the roof structure and caused the wood to rot. You didn't mention the age of the unit, but such problems generally take a year or two to develop. Once the wood is rotted, preventing new water from reaching it doesn't solve the problem. It should not be necessary to peel large sections of the roof initially to investigate. I'd start by completely removing the A/C unit from the roof vent and inspecting the surrounding area and the gasket under the unit. If water has been coming in there, it should be fairly obvious. A close inspection of all sealant and seams on the whole roof should also be done, looking for any obvious cracks or holes. Inside, if there are light fixtures or vents in the ceiling near the soft area, remove some of the screws that secure them to the ceiling. If the screws are rusty, it proves there is water up there. If any signs of water entry are found, the next step will unfortunately be to peel part of the roofing to expose the damaged area and repair it. If you cannot find any signs of water entry at all, then monitor the extent of the soft area for a while and see if it gets any worse, or seems to be spreading. If it doesn't, it may not be an ongoing problem, or may be caused by something other than a water leak.
Hi Mark,
We had the misfortune of the power going off while we were away for 3 weeks, with the fridge and freezer full. You can guess the rest. We can not afford a new fridge and insurance won't cover it. Any ideas? Help!
Regards,
John
Hi John,
— Over the years, I have heard a number of remedies for this, and I'll list the ones I can remember here for you. My suggestion is try them all (not necessarily at the same time!) and see if anything helps. If not, your only choice may be replacing the fridge. I know that in some very severe cases, nothing is able to completely remove the odor. One thing that I have found effective at removing lingering odors is air, and lots of it. Leaving the fridge open with a fan blowing into it for weeks (or months) may help reduce the odor.
Here are some ideas:
- Spray straight white vinegar inside the fridge several times a day for several days, and put wadded up newspaper in the unit, changing each time you spray the vinegar. Leave doors closed.
- Purchase a small ozone generator and put it in the unit with the door closed. Let it work for several days, checking every few hours.
- Put a scoop of ground coffee in a filter (use 2 or 3 if you like), then shut the doors and leave it closed for a day or two.
- Put a handful of charcoal briquettes on a paper plate, leave it inside fridge for a day, and replace with new briquettes as needed.
- Spray the inside down with a strong bleach and water solution, getting into all cracks and crevices. Let it sit before rinsing.
I hope that one of those helps! I heard from a friend that after Hurricane Katrina, they were able to salvage their food–spoiled freezers by sheer persistence, using these methods in succession over a period of a week or more, so if it doesn't completely fix it the first day, don't lose hope! Please, let me know if any of these remedies work for you, and if readers have any suggestions, please submit them to me. If I get enough, I'll list them in a future column! This seems to happen more often than you might expect!
Deear Mark,
We have a 2002 Class A motorhome. In checking the water level of the coach batteries, I noted that the 2 six volt batteries were connected in the middle by a short connecting wire. This was connected to one batteries positive side and the other batteries negative side. How can this work? In my experience with automotive starting batteries, if you cross pos. & neg. poles you get a shower of sparks. I know that sooner or later I will have to replace these batteries. I like to do my own service work whenever possible, but was wondering the proper way of replacing these batteries?
Thank you,
John
Hi John,
— It's normal for your 6V batteries to be hooked up that way. Since RVs run on 12V, you have to hook the two 6V batteries in series to make 12V. The positive post of the first battery is hooked to the RVs +12V cable, then its negative post is hooked to the second battery's Positive post. The second battery's negative post is hooked to the RV's –12V cable. This completes the circuit with the two batteries in series. See the diagrams below for the wiring differences between two 12V batteries in parallel and two 6V batteries in series.
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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.
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.
