How do I find an owner’s manual for a used RV ?
The bad news is you probably can’t. The good news is most of the owners’ manuals for early models consisted of nothing more than the collection of manuals that came with the appliances and components when they were installed at the factory. If you have a newer model RV, perhaps within the last five years or less, contact customer support for the manufacturer of your RV, if they are still in business.
If they have gone out of business, simply write down the make and model number of the appliance or component in which you are interested, or all of them, if you are putting together your own manual and go the component manufacturers web site or search the Internet. Most manuals are available on line and can be printed on your home computer. If you have a great deal of patience, we don’t, you can even burn them to disc or keep them in a file in your laptop.
What about buying RV parts or entire RVs on Internet auctions sites?
There are words used to describe those foolhardy enough to buy an RV without seeing it, none of them appropriate to use in public. Having seen and worked on a number of RVs purchased on better known sites, the word from this end is be very careful. In my experience, if they are any good, their prices are no cheaper than what you could negotiate on any dealer’s lot. If they are not any good, which is far and away the most common case, you do not want them anyway.
The same warning goes for buying parts via auction sites, but with a slightly different twist. Most manufacturers make parts for RVs as well as many other applications. Some of the parts being sold look very similar to those used in RVs, but they are not approved for RV use and may operate differently or not operate at all. There are also many parts being sold as new without boxes, manuals, or warranty cards. Whether you have a warranty with these purchases is anybody’s guess. Be extremely cautious if someone claims not to know the details about where something came from or how it is used. Statements like those are usually dead giveaways the seller is either lying or knows nothing about what they are selling. In most cases, I could provide a new-in-the-box part for the same price or less than the winning bid!
How do I test my propane leak detector?
The short answer is, most detectors can not be reliably tested. Some detectors even come with directions noting attempted testing will void the detector warranty. The reason you can not simply spray propane or butane at the detector is straight forward. Detectors are designed to sample what is called “parts per million”. If you spray hair spray or something which uses butane as a propellant at the detector and it goes off, it tells you only it will detect a 100% concentration. In most cases, you would already be on fire with that high a concentration.
Propane detectors are to be replaced every five years or according to the date sticker on their face. Carbon monoxide detectors also have a five year life span and smoke detectors have a ten year life span. No detector can be repaired.
Can I use a pressure washer on the rubber roof of my RV?
The short answer is “yes”, provided you are careful. Rubber roofs are really quite durable, but look better if they are clean. Cleaning only requires soap and water and there is little to be gained by using other cleaning agents. Naturally there will always be those who want everything, including the roof, spic and span. The key to using a pressure washer on an RV is not to use too much pressure, use a pin point spray, or hold the sprayer too close to the roof.
Most electric washers are fine. Be especially careful if using one of the heavy duty gasoline engined power sprayers. If it is strong enough to blow holes in wood siding, it is certainly able to do the same in the rubber on an RV’s roof. Happy cleaning!
I have heard the batteries in my RV are important to almost everything in the RV, why?
What you have been told is spot on and there is no way I can over-emphasize how important the batteries in your RV are. The house systems in every RV depend on 12-volt power and some systems will not work without a good battery (for example some slide-outs), even when plugged in to the shoreline. I have found many RVers have a difficult time understanding what components require battery power and which require the RV to be plugged in. It is perhaps easier to say the systems that do not require batteries.
As a rule, anything other than the entertainment system and the microwave, including any air conditioner with a thermostat on the wall, needs the batteries. That is because the controls all work on 12 volts. When plugged in, the converter can handle most of the 12-volt loads, however, when loads peak the battery comes off the bench and provides the additional power.
Simply put, when things don’t work, check the batteries and fuses first!
What do the terms Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and Combined Vehicle Weight Rating Mean?
The gross vehicle weight rating is the amount of weight your vehicle can carry and safely stop. The rating applies only to the vehicle itself and can not be parceled out to anything that is being towed, unless that weight rests directly on the vehicle that is doing the towing. In other words, if your motor home or truck is not fully loaded, you can not apply the unused weight to calculate braking for the “toad”. The tow vehicle is certified to stop its own weight and the same thing holds true for the toad e.g. if your state law says all trailers over 3,000 pounds must have a supplemental braking system, you must have a supplemental braking system in your trailer. The weight of your tow vehicle is irrelevant.
The combined vehicle weight simply spells out how much a tow vehicle is able to move down the road. It has nothing to do with braking ability. When towing, every component involved in the process has a rating including the hitch and each of its components, as well as the brake controller. You also can not arbitrarily put a hitch with a higher rating on a motor home or tow vehicle to increase its tow capacity. In some cases, particularly on class C motor homes where frames have been extended, a heavier load on the extension may cause damage. Just think 0f everything as part of a system and do your research before making changes!