Tire Warranties. Wet Hoses. Genny. Vents. Awning Tips. RV Fridge. HWH Jacks. Batteries. Propane Tanks. Doc Holliday. X-rays.

 

For “tRaVersing Thursday” or RV Day:

The truth about tire warranties

“Our tire expert writes: "Recently saw a post where someone stated emphatically, and incorrectly, that tire company ABC only covered their tires from date of a manufacture. So in an effort to set the record straight I decided to pull together some information. I am providing links and only a brief summary of the length of time a tire may be covered. As you will see the time does vary and in many cases the clock doesn't start ticking until the date of sale BUT you will need to keep your proof or purchase.”   Read more.

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Wet weather? Avoid a mess picking up hoses and electrical cords

“With summer past us and more wet and nasty weather on the way, here's a tip to make life easier when breaking camp. You know what happens: You're at a hookup site and your power cord and water hose are lying on that old, nasty, muddy ground. Do you and the "better half" flip a coin to see who has to go outside and get muddied up wrapping up those 'RV umbilical cords'? No problem, no more! Learn why.”

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Generator runs out of gas way too fast

Dear Gary,

“For years we've had trouble keeping our generator running. It just seemed to "run out of gas." Our mechanic first installed a new gas line to the gas tank, then discovered that virtually no gas was coming out of the tube leading to the generator. He now proposes to lower the gas tank to look inside the tank to try and discover why it cannot suck any more gas out of the tank. What do you believe might be the problem? What suggestions do you have for fixing the problem? --Joe P.

Read Gary's response, it has some other interesting info about gennys.

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Bill's Hints

Generators
"Air conditioners make a great load for the generator when you are giving it your monthly "run," even in the winter." From Trailers Made Easy.

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Random RV Thought
"If the factory-installed roof vent over your holding tanks is not covered with a screen (many are not), insects may build nests there, blocking the vent. That could prove a very stinky situation because of the trapped air inside your RV.”

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Eight Awesome Awning Tips

“Awnings are wonderful.  They not only keep your RV cooler, they extend your camping space.  It's really important that you keep your awning in tip-top shape while you travel, so follow these eight awesome awning tips to learn how to properly care for your cover and extend the life of your awning.

1. At the start of each camping season, make sure the top and bottom bracket screws are tight.
2. If the lift handle is hard to operate, spray it with silicone spray.  You may have to repeat this process periodically.  You may also need to spray the bottom bracket release tab and rafter and support arms.
3. One of the secrets to a long life for your awning is to keep it clean.  Follow the instructions for your type of awning.
4. If you get water streaking or experience seeping behind your awning rail, inspect the rail for loose screws or peeled sealant.
5. To avoid water pooling, lower one end of the awning for proper water run off.
6. For ease of operation on hardware, rub candle wax on all sliding surfaces.
7. If you're expecting heavy or prolonged wind or rain or if you will be leaving the awning unattended, it's best to roll it up. Damage as a result of weather is not covered by most warranties.
8. Finally, make sure the awning is extended high enough before opening the entry door.”

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RV Refrigerator Maintenance Checklist

“You've made the investment in a quality refrigerator for your RV.  Now you need to learn what you can do to keep it running for the life of your RV.  Some maintenance can be done yourself, but others require a service technician.

 
Maintenance Checklist For the Do It Yourselfer

1. Be sure to check the burner flame for proper appearance. The flame should be light blue. If it has a yellow tip, this means it is burning incorrectly and should be serviced by a qualified technician. Check to be sure there is no spider web, insect nest, soot or rust on or around the burner. If there is, knock it off with a small screwdriver and clean the area with compressed air or by blowing through a soda straw.
2. For proper ventilation, keep the area behind your refrigerator clear. Check the upper and lower vents and the area between those openings for any obstructions such as a bird nest.
3. Check all connections in the LP gas system (at the back of your refrigerator) for gas leaks by applying a non-corrosive commercial leak detector solution to all connections.  Do not use a flame to check for leaks. The appearance of bubbles indicates a leak and should be repaired immediately by a qualified service technician familiar with LP gas.

Maintenance Checklist to Be Performed By a Qualified Service Person at Least Once a Year

1. Check the 12-volt battery system and wiring. Battery problems can adversely affect your refrigerator causing intermittent operation or dim interior lighting. The technician should look at the battery terminals, electrolyte level, amount of charge, etc. A normal operating voltage is 10.5 to 13.5 volts DC.
2. Finally, be sure the technician takes a look at the gas pressure, checks for gas leaks, cleans the flue tube and burner jet and checks the LP gas safety shutoff.”

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Why Is My RV Refrigerator Different Than the One at Home?

“Obviously, the refrigerator in an RV is smaller than your unit at home because of space considerations. Plus, an absorption refrigerator operates differently and requires different maintenance guidelines. An absorption refrigerator, as used in RVs, is a continuous cooling unit with no moving parts. Unlike your refrigerator at home, it has no compressor, which means silent operation.

Because of its operation, it's important to keep your absorption refrigerator level. When your RV is going to be stationary for a period of time, it's a good idea to level it so your refrigerator can operate properly. A good rule to remember is that if you can comfortably walk around your RV with no inclines or wobbling, the unit is level enough for your refrigerator too.

Leveling is not critical when your vehicle is moving. The rolling and pitching movement of a mobile RV help to keep the unit operating efficiently.”

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HWH jack failing to completely retract?

“I just purchased a 2004 Newmar motorhome in May, and I am having trouble with the left rear jack failing to completely retract? I took it back to the dealer and he replaced the jack that was not retracting. Since the front passenger jack starting doing the same thing and they have yet to find the problem. I have checked the fluid level and with everything retracted, it shows full. Any suggestions? Thank you for your time & effort.” George H.

“Hi George, sorry to hear about your problem. I believe your system to be made by HWH. There are a couple of possibilities. First, does the pump run when the down arrow is pressed? If it does, then you have a control issue. Here’s a test… on the pump body are some valves. Open the valve release nut (small valve) 4 1/2 complete turns or the valve release T-handle (large valve) for the line to that jack approximately 5 full turns counterclockwise. (Make sure you are not under your coach!) If the jack retracts, the problem is most likely a control issue. If the jack still doesn’t retract, then your problem is the hose, the velocity valve if it has one, a check valve (if it has one), or the jack itself.
If the coach is up on the jack, you will have to support the coach frame with appropriate sized jack stands and a hydraulic jack – Under no circumstances should you crawl under the coach without properly supporting the frame of the coach. Once supported, slowly start to unscrew the hose connection to the jack. Hydraulic fluid will come out, so make sure you have something down on the ground to catch the fluid. If the jack doesn’t retract at this point, replace the jack. If it does, then the valve would be next, in my opinion, then the hose. If there is no velocity valve, then it could be a check valve or solenoid valve, depending on the system, and I would recommend calling the technical service department at HWH at that point.”    From: http://www.rvdoctor.com/2001/11/friends-of-gary-chris.html

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RV Battery Overcharging

Posted by RV Doctor

“I tow a 22-foot travel trailer and we do most of our camping in provincial parks here in Ontario. Most of the time we are hooked up to electricity full time. Does it hurt the RV batteries if you are always hooked up to electricity and the batteries are always being charged? What about during those times we store the trailer? It almost seems after I have the batteries for about a year they don't last as long as when I first got them. Every once in a while we go to parks which don't have electrical hook-ups. I do carry two batteries.”  Reinhardt, (Windsor, ONT)

RV Doctor’s answer at: http://www.rvdoctor.com/2010/05/rv-battery-overcharging.html

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Propane tank Re-certification and Transportation.

Cylinder Certification and Recertification

“Cylinders are subject to recertification (also known as requalification) twelve years from their date of manufacture and every five years after that. For example, a cylinder manufactured in January of 2000 will have to be recertified in January of 2012 meaning if you take your bottle to the propane company in April of 2012 to be refilled, it will have to be requalified by authorized personnel before it can be filled. The recertification process is simple and does not take too long to complete. Think of cylinder recertification as an inspection similar to that of your car. A vehicle has to be inspected annually so that it may continue to operate safely on the road. Similarly, a propane cylinder must be inspected so that it may continue to operate safely in LP Gas service.

Transporting Cylinders 

Propane bottles are usually transported in the back of a truck and more often than not, they are unsecured and free to roll around. Transporting unsupported bottles exposes them to potential damage such as dents and possible harm to the valve. Ensure that cylinders are secured prior to transporting them.

In the case of a 20 pound or 30 pound bottle, a milk crate can be used to keep cylinders upright and protected from most damaging effects of transportation.”  More at: http://www.propane101.com/propanecylinders.htm

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What about recertification of the large horizontal RV propane tanks?

Here is RV doctor’s answer: http://www.rvdoctor.com/2012/06/propane-container-re-certification.html

“ASME tanks on the other hand, are permanently mounted horizontal tanks found in most motorhomes. To refill them you must take the motorhome to a propane filling station. The ASME tanks do not require recertification. They should still be inspected periodically for rust and dents. Eventually they may need to be replaced.”      More at: http://www.your-rv-lifestyle.com/propane-inspection.html

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On This Day:

Doc Holliday dies of tuberculosis, Nov 8, 1887:

“On this day, Doc Holliday--gunslinger, gambler, and occasional dentist--dies from tuberculosis.

Though he was perhaps most famous for his participation in the shootout at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, John Henry "Doc" Holliday earned his bad reputation well before that famous feud. Born in Georgia, Holliday was raised in the tradition of the southern gentleman. He earned his nickname when he graduated from the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery in 1872. However, shortly after embarking on a respectable career as a dentist in Atlanta, he developed a bad cough. Doctors diagnosed tuberculosis and advised a move to a more arid climate, so Holliday moved his practice to Dallas, Texas.

By all accounts, Holliday was a competent dentist with a successful practice. Unfortunately, cards interested him more than teeth, and he earned a reputation as a skilled poker and faro player. In 1875, Dallas police arrested Holliday for participating in a shootout. Thereafter, the once upstanding doctor began drifting between the booming Wild West towns of Denver, Cheyenne, Deadwood, and Dodge City, making his living at card tables and aggravating his tuberculosis with heavy drinking and late nights.

Holliday was famously friendly with Wyatt Earp, who believed that Holliday saved his life during a fight with cowboys. For his part, Holliday was a loyal friend to Earp, and stood by him during the 1881 shootout at the O.K. Corral and the bloody feud that followed.

In 1882, Holliday fled Arizona and returned to the life of a western drifter, gambler, and gunslinger. By 1887, his hard living had caught up to him, forcing him to seek treatment for his tuberculosis at a sanitarium in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. He died in his bed at only 36 years old.”

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German scientist discovers X-rays, Nov 8, 1895:

“On this day in 1895, physicist Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen (1845-1923) becomes the first person to observe X-rays, a significant scientific advancement that would ultimately benefit a variety of fields, most of all medicine, by making the invisible visible. Rontgen's discovery occurred accidentally in his Wurzburg, Germany, lab, where he was testing whether cathode rays could pass through glass when he noticed a glow coming from a nearby chemically coated screen. He dubbed the rays that caused this glow X-rays because of their unknown nature.

X-rays are electromagnetic energy waves that act similarly to light rays, but at wavelengths approximately 1,000 times shorter than those of light. Rontgen holed up in his lab and conducted a series of experiments to better understand his discovery. He learned that X-rays penetrate human flesh but not higher-density substances such as bone or lead and that they can be photographed.

Rontgen's discovery was labeled a medical miracle and X-rays soon became an important diagnostic tool in medicine, allowing doctors to see inside the human body for the first time without surgery. In 1897, X-rays were first used on a military battlefield, during the Balkan War, to find bullets and broken bones inside patients.

Scientists were quick to realize the benefits of X-rays, but slower to comprehend the harmful effects of radiation. Initially, it was believed X-rays passed through flesh as harmlessly as light. However, within several years, researchers began to report cases of burns and skin damage after exposure to X-rays, and in 1904, Thomas Edison's assistant, Clarence Dally, who had worked extensively with X-rays, died of skin cancer. Dally's death caused some scientists to begin taking the risks of radiation more seriously, but they still weren't fully understood.

During the 1930s, 40s and 50s, in fact, many American shoe stores featured shoe-fitting fluoroscopes that used to X-rays to enable customers to see the bones in their feet; it wasn't until the 1950s that this practice was determined to be risky business. Wilhelm Rontgen received numerous accolades for his work, including the first Nobel Prize in physics in 1901, yet he remained modest and never tried to patent his discovery. Today, X-ray technology is widely used in medicine, material analysis and devices such as airport security scanners.”

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Yesterday:

Little Prissy has grown to 1¼ lb, and plays with her favorite stuffed toy like it is a sibling.  I can’t let her run loose out of her cage until she has had her first vaccinations, so she tries to play with Misty through the bars. She is so cute, but lonely. 

It was time to go shopping, and Jay wanted to go with me, so Misty and I went to get him.  We stopped at our local great big Krogers, as Jay needed to buy a money order at our bank inside the store.  I was glad we stopped there as I can buy some things that they don’t have at the other Krogers.  I was buying quinoa, as they have this big array of containers where you can buy dry foods and cereals by the lb, which is cheaper than buying it in a box.  You put a bag under the spout, pull a lever, and the food drops into the bag.  Then you put the bag on a scale, enter the item number, and it spits out a label.  I also got some almonds and cashews for making nut butters.  Jay bought some chocolate covered nuts and raisins.

After dropping off Jay’s money order at the water company, we headed to St. Marks thrift shop.  I had bought some shoes there last week, and  I had put some of their insoles in them to make them fit better, but she hadn’t charged me for them.  So I paid for them, and Jay bought some neat boots.  At another thrift shop he found some really expensive new hiking boots that were a bit too large, so he went back out to the van to get my insoles, and then they were comfy, so he bought the boots for a tenth of their MSRP.   Jay is always buying shoes, I don’t know what he does with them all!

We went to Walmart to return the camera that didn’t work, so he bought some insoles the right size.  The reason the camera didn’t work was that it needed AA batteries and a memory card, not included.  If I had bought them, too, it wasn’t a bargain, and I have my camera which has a built-in battery working now.

We stopped at the Krogers at the north end of Conroe, as I think they have a better selection of fresh veggies, so we were gone quite a while.  I am glad that I had left little Miss Priss with plenty of food to last her during the day.