tbutler

Your fuses for most everything in the dash are just under your feet - in the panel you access from outside the coach on the drivers side of the coach. The cover panel has a complete listing of the items and fuse numbers which should guide you to the fuse for the dash heater/air conditioner. At the very least this is the standard location for the automotive fuses (12V) for the last 15 years.

I've never had any problem finding a body shop able to handle a motor home in the paint booth. I've been in several times for paint/body work on basement doors. Ask at a local RV dealer where they get their paint/body work done and they will be able to tell you who in the area has the shop that will work with your rig. Your insurance company might also be able to recommend a shop that will fit your needs - even if they aren't paying the bill. We've been in the First Class Fiberglass shop in St. Peters, Missouri several times. They specialize in boats but also do RV's. Our most recent involved two doors which sustained damage when a lawn mower hit rocks in a campground and peppered the doors with debris. Lots of dimples. They removed the doors, took them to a body shop for the metal work then re-installed them and painted them. It was all done in two days.

We were in Rayne, LA on the 13-14th of October and there was a group of several dozen Blue Birds there. I'll bet they were part of your group on the way to New Orleans. A real pretty sight! It is fun to get together with others who share a common interest.

We've been full timing without any firearms for nine years. No problem. Perhaps we're just lucky. It is good to be cautious at all times, armed or unarmed. We've boondocked at dozens of Wal-Marts, truck stops, highway rest areas, and a few times in a vacant parking lot or on the parking lot of a out of business store. When I feel an area is risky, I'll not go out of the coach except in the morning light to check tires and the condition of the toad. We've been in every state in the US and all of the Canadian Provinces except Newfoundland. Canada of course restricts all firearms. Don't mess with Canada if you are packing!

If you have forced air blown into the basement, I can't imagine you would have a problem there. Does this heated air also reach the waste tanks and their drain? If not, you should remember to provide some heat to the tanks and drains. I would be most concerned about water lines that run near the outside wall of the motor home. Those that are concealed behind walls or in closed cabinets are the most likely affected. Also, the water line to the refrigerator ice maker can be a concern. On really cold nights I'll open the cabinets that have water lines. When connected to a sewer, I'll leave a faucet dripping during the night. If we are dry camping, I'll run each faucet several times during the night just to make sure nothing is frozen. I have a pretty dependable bladder alarm! I try to make sure the ice maker is operating - making ice so it will periodically draw water through that line. I have also added insulation to all the pipes that I can get easy access to and a few that I struggled to get. A couple of cautions. Be very careful with any heat source you add to the motor home. Keep all combustibles well away from any heater or light bulb you use in an unsupervised space. Also, don't block any vents like the venting on the outside of the refrigerator.

It could be that your check valve is stuck open or it could be... Our check valve broke and a piece blocked the valve so it was closed. We weren't getting any hot water. When we got a look at the valve, we decided to remove the offending piece from the valve essentially turning the valve into an open pipe. We were going to replace the valve but its removal was going to destroy the water heater or damage the attachment of the water heater to the motor home. Give the two choices, we decided to simply leave the valve in place knowing it was no longer useful. This works for us because we winterize our coach by driving south to the southern tip of Texas! If we sell the coach before we have to replace the water heater, We'll let the new owner know what the condition of the valve is so they can deal with it. Given what we hear from other owners, seven years is about the life expectancy of the water heater in a full time motor home.

As a retired teacher, I can attest to the fact that the rules and regulations of the State of Texas are in need of some serious proof reading! The heading of the document cited above is a prime example. I'm going to get my class B license in the next week or two as we complete our move to Texas!

Welcome Rick and Nancy, Isn't full timing fun. Sounds like our first year out, see everything and then back home to check with doctors before wintering somewhere really warm! We were in Valley Springs about a month ago, granddaughters, their mom and dad to visit! We spent a month at Gold Strike Village in San Andreas. Getting to know the area better every year! If you have questions, hit the search button (second menu line above) and enter a few key words. There have been a ton of good discussions on the forum so far. Your questions will stimulate more! Glad to have you aboard. We could also use another good regular blogger to remind us all of the excitement of venturing out into the world full time in an RV. Tell us about your summer trips and how everyone handled the trip.

Skyking8, Can you cite the exact passage that exempts RVs over 26,000 pounds from having a class B in Texas? As I read the law and my contacts with Texas DMV say that a class B is required for a privately owned motor home over 26,000 pounds in Texas. Where do you find this exemption? There is an exemption for private motor homes listed under the Commercial Drivers License section of the law. This exempts us from having to have a Commercial Drivers License. Then in the Drivers License Handbook it states: CLASSIFIED DRIVER LICENSE (Texas Transportation Code, Section 521) The following listed Class A, B, C, and M licenses will be issued to persons who are exempt from obtaining a Commercial Driver License or persons who are not required to obtain a Commercial Driver License: 1. Class A driver license permits a person to drive any vehicle or combination of vehicles with a gross combination weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more, provided the gross vehicle weight rating of the vehicle(s) being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds; including a vehicle included in Class B or Class C, except a motorcycle or moped. 2. Class B driver license permits a person to drive the following vehicles, except a motorcycle or moped: a. a single unit vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more, and any such vehicle towing either a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating that does not exceed 10,000 pounds, or a farm trailer with a gross vehicle weight rating that does not exceed 20,000 pounds; b. a bus with a seating capacity of 24 passengers or more, including the driver; and c. a vehicle included in Class C. It seems clear to me that the above section refers to those exempted from the Commercial Drivers License. That being the case driving a 26,000 pound or greater motor home would require a Class B unless you were towing a 10,000 pound trailer in which case you would need a Class A license.

Gray Mountain, The same applies to Canada, they recognize US states drivers licenses. Be careful though, they may free your captive British Bride!

The above are good if you are staying with your vehicle. If like us you take to trails in remote areas, you might want to include a number of other items. An emergency communicator like the SPOT is at the top of our list. We've never used it and hope not to but it gives us peace of mind with it in our backpack. One caution on SPOT. There have been reports lately of all the people who use this device improperly. It is not to be used for minor problems which you can treat and then evacuate on your own. SPOT is an emergency communicator to be used in life threatening situations where you can not get to help on your own. Second, a small booklet on first aid (studied carefully before you pack it) will be a good guide if you are in an emergency. Sometimes it is difficult to remember everything when you are faced with an emergency. Then it is ABC: Airway, Bleeding, Control Shock. Clearing an airway is pretty much just checking the mouth and knowing the Heimlich maneuver. Stopping bleeding can be done with any item of clothing, a clean rag or with bandages. Loosening clothing and keeping a person warm will help control shock. A space blanket is handy to control shock. We also pack aspirin for anyone suspected of heart attack. A cell phone can be used to call for help if there is phone service and if not, use SPOT if you have it with you. Then there are a host of convenience items, sun block, insect repellent, your favorite anti-itch/insect bite treatment, lip balm, eye drops, headache and allergy medication and an emergency two or three day supply of any prescription medication. Extra food or candy bars should be packed if you have blood sugar issues. Include some matches in a waterproof container and some water treatment tablets and you have a nice survival kit. If you are hiking in bear country, you'll want to check with the locals regarding safety equipment. Canada restricts some bear deterrent products. There may be other hazards specific to any remote area and it is always wise to talk to local outdoors experts before setting out on a trail. We have our first aid kit in a day pack in our toad so it is available when we are out and about with the toad as well as when we are on the trail. Storing it in the toad does require checking and replacing some items that are heat sensitive. We maintain a separate heavier pack for our cross country flying. This one is truly a survival kit designed to allow us to live off the land for several days until help can reach us. Even with SPOT, sometimes rescue personnel are unable to reach an area due to weather or other issues.

Here is a discussion that has a number of references that may help you. Replacing windows in motor homes. Yours is not an uncommon problem. Shaking the double insulated windows can eventually break the seals and they have to be replaced.

For all the household items, I would recommend Iron Horse RV in San Antonio, Texas. It's a long drive from Houston but I think you will find their service to be excellent. The owner is in the shop with you to determine the nature of the problem and work on a solution with you! We've never been disappointed. Like Brett says though, you have to take engine problems to the engine mfg. and transmission problems to the mfg. of that unit. Tire and alignment problems go to those shops. Unfortunately it isn't like your car where you take it to the Chevrolet dealer and they fix it all! Part of the fun of RV'ing is figuring out who fixes what... enjoy.

Man you have got to feel like you are living in the wild in a motor home! Don't get lost in the bathroom! Salute to you!

After our lower door fell off!, I rigged it back into place then had to shim it with washers - like Brian said, no more problems. The door fell off because we lost a screw in the bottom of the hinge. You can only see this screw when the door is open and you have to be laying under the open door (cool job). Check to be sure the screw is in place and then shim as necessary. Good luck!

We've been towing our Trailblazer for 8 years using the auxiliary braking system from Roadmaster. We have had no problems with it. It works off the coach air so it is proportional braking that is not affected by the engine/jake brake as are many inertial systems. The Patriot system is an inertial system. That is any time it senses that the coach/toad are slowing it will apply the brakes in the toad. It has no way to tell if you have your foot on the brake in the coach or if you have activated the engine or jake brake. If you use your engine or jake brake to slow the coach on a long mountain grade, your car brakes will be applied at the same time. In effect you will be using your car to assist in slowing the motor home while you are using just the engine or jake brake to slow the motor home. I would not use such a system with an engine or jake brake. It will result in excessive brake wear on your car. We changed coaches about 18 months after getting our system installed. It took less than 2 hours in the shop to get it installed and working on the new coach. Ours is complete with breakaway system.

Read the discussion Brett cites above carefully. Get advice from your own attorney in Missouri regarding any complications and liabilities related to Missouri. Remember that anyone from Montana who is promoting this is selling something. Do not take their word, attorney or otherwise, as fact. Caveat emptor!

You are welcome! It was just one of those things. Unlike today's army, I could go home after a year and not have to return. One year was a long time to be away from family. I can't imagine the sacrifice that goes with repeated tours of duty overseas as our troops face today. It did give me a new sense of the value of life and an appreciation of peace. For years I marveled at the peace of sitting outside in the evening and living in a land of peace with no real threat to your life. I don't think about it as often as I used to but it is still true. In most places in the US, there is no gunfire at night, no flares, no incoming rockets. Life is good here. Life is short - get it while you can!

I am still trying to put recent events in perspective. We attended a rally in Prattville, Alabama, recently. The rally was sponsored by Monaco RV, a subsidiary of Navistar. The focus of the rally was the Navistar/Monaco LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) Tournament at Capitol Hill in Prattville. We arrived on Wednesday, the 6th of October and set up "camp" with our friends Bill and Laura. Over 100 motor homes were parked at the entrance to the golf course during the event. Thursday morning we caught the shuttle to the course, walking distance from our coaches, but if you are going to walk a golf course, saving a few steps really helps. As we waited for the shuttle a volunteer visited with us asking us questions and we in turn asked him questions. It turns out they were still in need of volunteers. So, being spontaneous, we volunteered to help with the tournament. Twenty minutes later, we, Louise and I, were standing on the 9th green with our signs to silence the audience. Our friend, Bill, was on the 7th tee. We were marshals for the duration of the tournament. Soon the first of the ladies were hitting onto the green. As a rank amateur at golf, I was amazed to see the balls clustered around the flag. These ladies definitely were expert golfers. By noon I was pulled off the 9th green and sent to the twelfth tee. I had a chance to see the ladies hit their tee shots. Being the sole marshal on the tee box gave me a chance to talk with the ladies, occasionally. My day ended when the last of the players had cleared the 12th tee. Louise on the 9th green was still working. There were two starting flights that would conclude at the 9th and 18th tees about the same time. Louise got an early release from her position, as the supervisor took over sole responsibility for the green for the last few groups of the day. The next morning, Friday, started at 6:30 a.m. I got to watch the last group from the previous day putt out on the 9th green before we started the next round of the tournament. Today I would be on the 9th tee. All day, through the entire group of 160 ladies, I watched them tee off. The leader in the tournament was 7 strokes under par after the first day. Today, she would add an additional 5 strokes to finish at 12 under par after 36 holes. I would leave the 9th tee at 6:30 p.m. Louise had spent the day with a friend. She made up a plate of food for me from the buffet at the rally. After two days, the number of golfers is cut in half. To make the cut in this tournament, ladies had to be two under par! Those who were one under or at par or above were sent home! So now the field was smaller. Our day would be shorter. On Saturday we started at 8:00 a.m. and finished about 3:00 p.m. Louise took over the 9th tee while I was a spotter on the 9th hole. Stationed on a knoll overlooking the bend in the dog leg ninth hole, I was responsible for watching the drives off the tee to see where they landed. If any balls went astray, I would help to find them. With 76 of the best players on the tee, not one went astray. Louise helped by signaling the direction of each ball as it left the tee. As the day ended Saturday, the leader was 17 under par. Before the end of her round she was 20 under par but had several bogeys in the last three holes. Was this an indication of the direction the final day of the tournament would take? The leader was now tied for first place with another lady also at 17 under par. We enjoyed a thank-you dinner for all volunteers and headed home to our motor home, ready for a good night's rest. Sunday morning arrived and we were again on the job at 8:00 a.m. Today I would be on the 9th green, while Louise staffed the 9th tee. In groups of two, the ladies put their approach shots onto the green and then putted out. There were excellent shots onto the green and the occasional stray shot. The leaders were in the final groups and the excitement and crowds built with each passing group. The leader came to the green. After going -7, -5 and -5 in previous days, she now was even par after eight holes. Her approach shot put her quite a distance from the cup. A long putt put her closer but here was still a 7-foot putt to be made to par the hole -- it missed by just a few inches. One more hit and she was in the hole but 1 over par for the day! She finished the day at 17 under par, the same as she started the day. One lady was 18 under par and the winner finished at 19 under par after making a birdie on the 17 hole. Katherine Hull from Australia would claim the $193,xxx prize for first place and we were there to see it all. By the end of the tournament we were completely exhausted. We never dreamed we would be able to watch the tournament from such an intimate viewpoint. This was a bucket list experience that we didn't even imagine we could do! We had watched the best women golfers in the world play golf. There were ladies from five continents in the tournament. If you love golf and have a chance to visit an LPGA tournament, go, you won't be disappointed.

I have gone through this with our 2004 Windsor several years ago. Here is my post giving some details of what I did. If you are comfortable with mechanical/woodworking, you might be able to do the same. I'm no expert but got these results... Replacing analog TV with flat screen digital TV.

I've met tire people who were very informed and knew what they were doing. I've also met people who think they know what they are doing and aren't about to learn anything new. My most recent event occurred two days ago. We had a flat tire on the outer rear, passenger side. We were in a construction area with cones set well over the center line so the right side of the coach was running on the shoulder. The Pressure Pro alarm sounded and indicated a pressure of 92 pounds, my normal is 105 on the duals. By the time I got to the shoulder it was 73 pounds. I stepped out of the coach and heard the hissing from the door. When I looked at the tire there was a cargo hook with some trailing webbing hanging from the outside rear tire. Long story short, the tire was ruined and a temporary tire, not the correct size, was installed. I spent Monday calling around for 300 miles checking to find the newest tires I could. I eventually located some tires just over a year old. They were about 150 miles from where we were so we set out to get two new tires. When I arrived, I was pleased to find the tires were just three months old, dated 3010, the 30th week of 2010. I specified the where and how I wanted them mounted. The worker who mounted the tires had his own ideas about how things would be done. We discussed several issues. He didn't know how to properly assess the roundness of the tire. I let him know that I knew he was fudging the results. He fussed that he was trying to get finished before they closed. Then he demonstrated his complete ignorance of the use of a torque wrench, putting the lugs on with an air wrench to the point where the torque wrench wouldn't move them at all. This from a shop that should have been more professional with their approach. Unfortunately, this experience is more the norm than the exception. In reality if you have taken a tire safety course from the RV Safety Institute you know more about tires than most salesmen or installers. The job pays poorly and there is little incentive to improve your knowledge. If the boss just wants tire out the door ASAP, you take short cuts. We ended up returning to the shop shortly after they closed. There was a ticking sound as we drove and it was speed related. The installer was called back to work. When I explained, he said, "They're tires, tires don't tick." After some investigation it was determined that the weights installed on the inside of the front rims were impacting the wheel/brake housing as they rotated over the top of the wheel. The weights had to be moved and the wheels installed again. It turns out that tires do tick! So who is credible when it comes to tires? You have to be your own expert. Read, study, learn as much as you can - it is a matter of self defense. Let the buyer beware!

We've been on the road this summer, MO to CO and CA and then the entire southern tier of states with the exception of Florida. Flying J is in a state of confusion as best I can tell. We purchased propane last week and got no discount. Some places our fuel ticket lists a discount. One clerk told me the discount was figured in the price of the fuel on the pump, e.g. the credit card at cash price. I have to take my RV discount card in to the desk to get the discount. I haven't been able to run it at a single pump this summer. This card is only a year or so old, it should be working but the pumps I've used won't read it. The price edge that Flying J always had seems to have disappeared. I assume that was a special contract they had with a supplier and the bankruptcy ended that deal. I'm still a Flying J customer and will stay with them because of the RV islands, the dump station, the propane and cash price for credit purchases. This confusion will pass eventually. There are sometimes local suppliers that offer competitive prices and, like Ward says, this would be a good place to post some of those local sources that the rest of us may not know about. For myself, I have mentioned this source before. In Missouri on I-70, exit 203, Foristell, Mr. Fuel has prices that are now usually somewhat lower than the Flying J at exit 188 in Warrenton and they do not penalize credit cards so credit cards are same as cash. The truck pumps are easily accessed. I haven't been through the regular pumps but smaller motor homes might make it through them with no problem. There is truck parking but it is all back in parking, no pull through spots. I make it a habit to check fuel prices on the Flying J web site which gives me a good comparison of prices from state to state. I bought fuel in Mississippi yesterday and will take on more fuel near Houston tomorrow. Those are the cheapest locations for diesel along our route of travel. I wish there were a way to filter out the Pilot locations from the Flying J listings but now they are all together. It makes a much larger list but it is harder to pick out the Flying J locations.

Has it been doing this all along? Is this a change in behavior? If this heater is new to you or has been doing this all along, perhaps we should look at problems other than the water heater. It could be that you need to use a pressure adjuster to lower your use of water or perhaps your shower has had the flow restriction device removed. You certainly get a more vigorous shower without a flow restriction device but you use a lot more water and that means a lot more hot water. If you are new to RV'ing, perhaps you are expecting to take the same kind of showers you do at home and RV's simply are not set up to provide that kind of shower. Do you have to turn the hot water to a higher setting to compensate for lower hot water temperature? Perhaps the water heater isn't heating the water as hot as it was before. It could be a failing heating unit or an accumulation of calcium/iron buildup on the heating element. It could also be a failing thermostat. Another possibility is that it could be caused by a colder incoming water temperature which will require adding more hot water to compensate for the colder water coming to the shower. That would also bring in colder water to the hot water heater and cool that tank down faster. Help us diagnose the problem by providing some background and a little more information.

Like Herman, we don't have an all electric coach but we're getting there not by choice. Our refrigerator is unable to maintain temperature on gas so we have to run it on gas full time. I may replace the refrigerator soon but don't know if I'll stay with a gas/electric or just go straight electric. We have gas heat, water heating and gas range. First, I would say you are likely looking at a bank of 6 to 8 6V batteries instead of the usual 2 to 4. We have 4 with a 3K inverter and they need recharging in about 6 hours when running the refrigerator. Our batteries are just a few weeks old. Our inverter has auto start - it has never worked properly. We replaced an older inverter several years ago. It had auto start and was a dream. The auto start function on that unit died after about 4 years so we replaced it with a new larger inverter. That was a mistake in this case because we have never had a properly functioning auto start with this inverter. When it works right your batteries will be kept charged with no problems. The generator starts and stops on its own. I calculate my cost for running my 7.5 KW Onan to be about $3 per hour including fuel and maintenance. That is some really expensive electricity. I far prefer being plugged in. One day in a park, plugged in saves me about $36 in generator run time so staying in a park really pays for itself.

It all started as we prepared to depart from a one-night stay at a campground on Matagorda Bay in Texas. We couldn't resist a morning walk along the seawall in Palacios. When we returned I completed most of the outside work while Louise cooked breakfast. French toast was delicious and welcome on this cool coastal morning. We were just beginning to clean up the kitchen when Louise reached for the refrigerator door to put something away. She pulled the right-hand door on the two-door Norcold 1200LRIM just as she had hundreds of times before. This time the door came off the refrigerator and dropped to the floor! The bottom of a bottle of wine broke from the bottle. A plastic container of tea dropped to the floor and the lid popped off. A variety of other jars and bottles rattled on the floor with the trays that contained them. Louise stood there in shock - holding the door and just looking at this completely unexpected mess on the floor. I finally took the door from Louise's hands and placed it on the floor out of the way. We used half a roll of paper towels to clean up the liquids and rinsed the other containers before putting them back in the half-open refrigerator. As Louise continued with the cleanup I began to analyze the door and the hinge on the refrigerator. How had this unimaginable mess occurred? My post-crash analysis showed a piece of plastic about 2 inches long by 3/8 inch that was held in place by two screws with a metal plate of similar dimensions backing the plastic. Further analysis showed a screw hole in the bottom of the door - but no screw. We had lost a key screw in the door and the door had been hanging by the plastic for who-knows-how-long. When the plastic failed, there was nothing to hold the door on the lower hinge. The upper hinge is simply a pin on the refrigerator that inserts into a hole in the door. Since the pin is inserted from above, the entire weight of the door rests on the lower hinge. When the lower hinge fails, the door falls and "down will come cradle, baby and all!" So if you have this model of refrigerator, get down on the floor and look up under the hinge to see that the screw that anchors the door to the hinge is still in place. Without it, the door will eventually fail. I found that I could put the door on the upper hinge and, with the lower hinge in the open position, the hinge supported the door while the vertical section pinned the door against the refrigerator. The door doesn't open normally, but we can reach around to get anything stored on the right side of the refrigerator. A healthy application of Gorilla Tape made sure that the door didn't move off the lower hinge. There was one small glitch: The door kept dropping out of its latch, which sets off a beeping alarm. Louise can't stand to listen to the beep, so I got a few washers to insert under the door to lift it about 3/16 inch and that did the trick. No more beeping. We traveled non-stop for about six hours before arriving at Rayne, Louisiana, just before sunset. This is a place of special memories for us. We purchased our current motor home at a rally at Rayne. There is a convention center with hundreds of RV hookups. We were told to stop by any time the facilities weren't in use and stay overnight or for a few days. Sure enough, the convention center was completely empty. We pulled in, followed shortly by another motor home. We talked briefly with them. We were looking for 50A, they were happy with 30A. We went on to look for our spot. We arrived at a point where a turn was going to be difficult, so I elected to drive through the dump station. We were almost back to the main road when, WHOA! I hit the brakes. There, resting on the windshield right at eye level was an electrical wire, a single cord of insulated wire supported by and wound around a bare metal wire. It was twilight and I felt lucky to have even spotted it in time to stop. It would likely have cracked the windshield or even worse if it slipped off the windshield onto the front cap of the motor home. I put Louise into the drivers seat and went outside to assess the situation. We could unhook the car, 20 minutes, and then hook up the car in the morning, another 30 minutes. Or I could find something to raise the wire above the motor home. One option was to get on the roof and walk the wire down the roof as we passed under. Then I thought of the wash brush. With its extended handle and a rubber covered handle, I thought it would work. We started off and I had to shout instructions through the window to tell Louise if there was a problem. After a short trial, I moved to the other side of the coach and used a radio to communicate with Louise. We eased our way along without a hitch, over the satellite dome, the front air conditioner, fan vents and sewer vent. Finally the back air conditioner and the ladder and we were free! We found a place to hook up and plugged in. In about 30 minutes a city employee showed up to collect our camping fee. Water, electric and a dump station for $20 a night. I told the employee about the low-hanging wire. We had encountered more than our usual challenges in a single day on the road. The refrigerator was working, maybe better than before. The encounter with the wire hadn't damaged the motor home - or me. We slept well that night. The next morning, the electrical company was out with a truck and secured the line. We were on down I-10 headed for Montgomery, Alabama, and our next adventure.