Mark… My Words
Dear Mark,
Sometimes when we have to have our fridge on propane, it works for a while and then it won't continue to work and keeps beeping. What am I doing wrong as the propane tank is full? Look forward to hearing back from you.
Thank you in advance,
Cliff
Hi Cliff,
— While a number of different problems can cause the symptoms you mentioned, I suspect that the most likely cause of your problems would be a dirty propane burner on your refrigerator. Over time, carbon and debris build up on the burner assembly, causing intermittent failures/check lights. The burner is really easy to access: just open the outside access panel for the fridge compartment and look for a plate that can be removed at the bottom of the chimney. With this small plate removed you can see the burner and can clean it with a small brush to remove any deposits. Check your refrigerator's manual for more information. If you don't have a manual for your fridge, you can download one at either www.dometic.com or www.norcold.com. The burner should be inspected and cleaned about once a year.
Hi Mark,
I have only 10 and 20 AMP breakers in my home electrical breaker box. My RV is 30 AMP; when at home, I plug the RV service into a 20 AMP outlet to get my electricity to the RV. When I turn on my RV AC, after a while it trips the breaker. What I needed to know is: Can I change one of the 20 AMP breakers over to a 30 AMP breaker in the box without worrying about burning my house down?
Thanks,
Will
Hi Will,
— DO NOT replace a 20A breaker with a 30A breaker! The whole idea behind having the breaker is to protect the wiring from excessive current. That outlet is probably wired with 12ga wire, which is not large enough to safely support a 30A service. Putting in a larger breaker is a lot like using a penny to replace a fuse in the olden days. The resulting over–current condition can indeed cause a fire when the wiring overheats. Have a qualified person add a new 30A breaker and a dedicated 30A circuit for your RV to your home breaker panel.
Dear Mark,
My water heater has died after 18 years of service. I've noticed that there are "on demand" water heaters for RV's. My question is – should I replace my heater with a "normal" unit or go with the on–demand system?
Thanks,
Frank
Hi Frank,
— While it is probably simpler to just replace your existing heater with a similar model, some RVers are opting for tankless, on–demand heaters for their RVs. Like anything, there are pros and cons. I suspect that most folks who buy these heaters do so to get the endless supply of hot water: no more navy showers! As long as you have a fuel supply, they will provide an endless flow of heated water. These heaters also tend to be quite fuel–efficient, as you are only heating the water you are actually using. However, since most tankless heaters use a high–output propane burner to rapidly heat water passing through a heat exchanger, they have some limitations. First, the faster the water passes through the heater, the less heat it picks up. Most heaters require you to limit the flow to get a decent temperature rise. Also, as the water coming in gets colder, the water coming out will not be as hot. These heaters are rated for a set temperature rise at a given flow rate. If the heater is rated for, say, a 50 degree temp rise at a flow of 1.5 gal per minute, then it will raise the temperature of incoming 60 degree water to 110 degrees. If the incoming water is 40 degrees, it will only produce an output temperature of 90 degrees. This is one of the limitations of the design, and if you will be using this heater in a cold climate where the incoming water is frigid, it can be a problem.
The only heater that I'm aware of that is designed to be a drop–in replacement for an existing RV water heater is the RV–500 unit made by Precision Temp. See www.precisiontemp.com for more details on their product line.
Dear Mark,
We are only able to travel in our RV occasionally at this time, and the day before we leave is always so busy getting everything loaded in spite of having a stocked kitchen, bath, etc. When we get home, it always busy again getting clothing, bedding etc., unloaded. Does everyone have this issue or are we doing something wrong?
Sue
Hi Sue,
— It's kind of like eating a Reese's cup… there's no right way or wrong way to RV… you should do it the way that works the best for you. When I bought my first RV, a slide–in pickup camper, the first thing I did was organize a complete set of dishes, cookware, linens, toiletries, cleaning supplies, and utensils that could stay in the camper. The more stuff you keep in there, the less loading and unloading you have to do. I also created a checklist for loading the camper, which really helped to speed up the process. If you do it right, you should be able to load food and clothes and go! When you get home, you can take your time with things like washing towels and linens, and when they are clean, back into the rig they go. If you'd like to see some checklist examples, visit my website at www.ccis.com/home/mnemeth/chklist.htm.
Dear Mark,
We are full timers and I keep forgetting how much bleach I need to put for every gallon of water capacity to sanitize my motorhome plumbing. Also how often I need to do this.
Thank you,
Real
Hi Real,
If you are full–timers, and use your tank all the time you may not need to sanitize it regularly, as the chlorine generally present in city water will keep things in good shape. However, you should sanitize the system anytime it has been unused for an extended period of time, like a few months, or if you suspect that you may have gotten some icky water or notice a smell or discoloration in the water from the tank. Seasonal RVers should sanitize their fresh water tank and plumbing system at the start of each RVing season. To sanitize the tank and the fresh water system, follow your RV manufacturer's instructions or do the following: Prepare a chlorine solution using one gallon of water and 1/4 cup of Clorox or Purex household bleach (5% sodium hypochlorite solution). Pour one gallon of solution into tank for each 15 gallons of tank capacity. Once the bleach solution is in, completely fill the tank with fresh water. Turn on the pump, open each faucet, and let it run until the entire fresh water system is filled with the bleach/water solution. You should be able to smell chlorine strongly at each faucet. Allow it to stand at least four hours, overnight is better. Finally, drain and flush the tank and fresh water system with potable fresh water.
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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.
