RE: Rinnai tankless water heater -
RV water heaters are so small that I don't see the advantage of a tankless and wonder why the OP wants one.
It only takes 10 minutes for my tank to heat 8 gallons up to very hot for a shower with outside temps in the 40's. I have an electric element too and have it pre-warmed. In ambient temps around 70°F, it only takes 5 minutes. I only run my propane just before a shower and leave it off all the rest of the time, the electric element heats it enough for the dishes or the occasional need for hot water to wash face or hands.
RE: Leveling
OP didn't give us much info on how steep the slope of the driveway is. I'd like to mention that if they are going to park nose high, that it's very dangerous to try to lift the rear tires off the pavement...if it is pavement. The parking brake is generally on the drive shaft and I wouldn't trust even heavy wood ramps to hold the rig if the slope is nice and smooth, graveled, or overly steep. Better to back in so the front could be raised. Even if that makes access more difficult.
Need more info from OP I guess.
RE: 5Watt solar panel - what else is it good for?
A 5W solar panel is only 0.4 amp in direct sunlight. You need at least 1.5Amp to trickle charge an RV battery. And for many hours, not just during the day.
Many RV manufacturers offer an optional 8W roof mounted solar panel to charge the chassis battery. Those are useless too.
Perhaps you could use it to charge a cell phone.
RE: Crazy steering wobble/shake
Imbalance from left to right? Like if one side of your RV is overloaded and the other side light?
Did this happen with the holding tanks empty? Or full?
I've only had the death wobble twice, both times it was with nearly full holding tanks, grey, black and water. Both times, slowing to a stop caused it to go away. Both times the front end components checked out OK. Now I always dump before driving.
RE: Generator/Electrical
Like mentioned, the number one cause of this symptom is the two breakers on the Genset itself.
Assuming you have a 30Amp rig, the genset's breakers feed a 120V relay, known as a Transfer Switch, the coil of which is wired across the two wires (neutral and hot - N&H). The N&H are also wired to two contacts in a normally open circuit. The shore power N&H are wired to the set of normally closed contacts. The center poles (the movable contacts) are wired to the CB panel of the RV.
So, if you're not getting power from the genset, but you are from shore power, that just means that the Transfer Switch (aka: a relay, 2 pole, double throw, break before make) is not getting power. This can be as simple as the gensets breakers not closed, or a broken wire, or a bad coil in the Transfer switch.
Transfer switches are almost always located VERY NEAR THE BREAKER PANEL. Sometimes alongside, sometime behind. This reduces the length of the heavy gauge wire required. FYI, they are often inside a 4" X 4" metal box screwed to the breaker box.
The transfer switch, to my knowledge, only operates when the genset is producing power and it's getting all the way up to it.
If your breakers on the genset are fine, check the wire nuts inside that metal box on the wall of the genset compartment. You might have an open circuit there. I they are OK, find the transfer switch and again, check connections, if they are OK, check that the coil has continuity (unplug shore power).
RE: Chassis Battery
A 2001 probably has 'adaptive software' computers in both the engine and the tranni...along with the radio memory, and all the other things mentioned here so far. All of which draw from the Chassis battery. That's why you're only getting three days. I wouldn't worry to much as I've seen this issue thousands of times on RV forums. Most just add a Trik-L-Start, or, if they have a 120Vac outlet near the battery compartment, a float charger for $20.
RE: Shocks and oil change
What year is your MH the later model years came with Bilstein's look at your shocks if they are yellow you have Bilsteins and they come with a life time warranty.
Not to sure that's true of the OEM installed Bilsteins. My reading on this and other forums indicates that the OEM installed cheaply made Bilsteins (like nearly all auto manufacturers) and most people didn't get much life out of them.
The after market Bilsteins are highly regarded and much lower cost then the Koni's. I went with Bilsteins and they do have the life time warranty. At that time they were $75 each. Installed them myself in a couple hours...but an impact wrench was very helpful. But could have done it with a breaker bar too.
RE: Shurflow pump won't work
To winterize, I always remove the pump and drain the water out after I blow out the lines. It's necessary, like draining the hot water tank. But mine is easy to get to.
RE: 1982 Pace Arrow
Yes I have pictures but I can't figure out how to make them smaller because when I try to upload them it comes back with the Pictures are to large???
Open a free account at a parking site like Photobucket.com. You can reduce the size there. Or, you can reduce the size locally (on your computer at home) with many free photo editing programs available before trying to upload them here. Even MS's old 'Paint' program will let you shrink them...click on 'Image' then 'Attributes' and enter 800 X 600. Click on 'Pixels'. Save with new name.
RE: Genset issue
Just to bump this up again, I have a question. Is it possible since the generator is being exercised with no load, is it going over the voltage specs.
I don't think so. From my experience, if a generator is over-volting, it's either dirty slip rings or the Voltage Regulator (VR). AND, it's possible dirty connections could cause the VR to think the slip rings are dirty.
Mine runs about 132 volts until I place a load on it. So I guess I am suggesting the OP start the genny and turn on some small loads like fans, lights and maybe the fridge on AC.
Classic symptom of a bad regulator but...check the slip ring resistance and clean all the connectors with good contact spray. IMO.
I know you are supposed to let the genny warm up before placing loads on it, but most start up with at least the converter being on. It might be a simple experiment.
Warm up isn't really necessary for most generators. The engine spins up to speed, the control system has a delay in it to prevent applying the voltage to any load after it measures the AC voltage, 108-130V, and the Hz, 58Hz-62Hz, if outside these ranges, it's suppose to shut down. If it's outside these ranges and doesn't shut down, it's almost always the VR.
RE: Genset issue
The fault code description applies when cranking the generator. It's incomplete as it doesn't mention what the code means after it's been running for a while.
What I think it MAY be is dirty slip rings. Take a 1/2" X 12" long square stick and glue some sand paper on one end. Locate the air slots on the end of the generator and with a flashlight, locate the two slip rings. Start the engine and rest the sandpaper on each slip ring in turn as the engine spins. This cleans the slip rings and brings the resistance back down to normal range.
If it still stalls after running two minutes, then it's probably the voltage regulator.
Other causes for this symptom (but a different code than you're getting) is low oil level. Check that anyway...just to be sure.
RE: Bathroom flood - What did I do wrong?
Empty tanks. An installed clear plastic union at the tank outlet would help. Open a tank valve, one at a time. Run the sink water, if it drains into the black tank, you'll get flow, and you'll know.
RE: Bathroom flood - What did I do wrong?
If you're sure that the black tank was empty when you turned on the flush valve, I'd think that the flush head inside the tank is aimed at the vent pipe. Sometimes the factory won't bother to weld the vent stack, or, they've been known to leave the vent stack with disconnected unions.
Other then that idea, I'm at a loss of what might have happened.
RE: If you were a Snowbird, where would you stay?
I like the Big River, CA area parks. Near to Parker, AZ for shopping. There are many parks along the Colorado to winter at. From north of Lake Havasue on south. Lots of parks to choose from.
Also like to winter in Mexico. Mild days, warm nights. In Mazatlan, usually. Also stay in San Carlos but the shopping is a little difficult as I don't have a toad. The bus does go right by the nearest Walmart though. Low cost meds available too. Viva Mexico!
RE: One HWH Jack does not go down - right front
Before you try to replace the spring, check your manual for the recommended lubricant to use on the jack shafts. In my case it's ATF. Wiping down the shaft with ATF will often help the spring retract the jack fully.
RE: LP Gas Odor question
Do you have a pilot light? If so, I'd think that during a cold spell, when there was very little propane left in the tank, the pilot light went out because of low pressure. Then during the day, when it's warm enough for vapors of propane to vent out the pilot light tube you get a whiff. It's noticeable but does not often cause the LP leak detector to sound.
If you have electric igniters, well, then it's probably the grey tank smell coming up through dried out P traps.
Just saw your last post...kinda sounds like a venting battery.
RE: Samsung Refer Install Over Propane Heater (Height Issues)
Worked for many years in the appliance repair industry and one of the things we knew would shorten the life of a refer was lack of air flow around and above the refer. Most refer manufacturers spec the open space required.
What specs are there for air space around the Samsung? It looks to me like you don't have enough air space at the bottom front, the sides, and the top. But then I don't have Samsung's installation manual in front of me.
Then, I wonder about that top rail of the louvered grill that's placed in front of the drip pan access? Seems to me that it might block a lot of air movement over the pan under the refer. That pan holds the drip water from the defrost cycle. The grill the refer comes with allows air to evaporate the water quickly because of the heat from the compressor, which convection vents up the sides and the back, and in most homes, over the top of the refer into the kitchen (which is why the top of a refer should be open - usually with a 2" air space). In your remodel, does that air escape out the original refer roof vent?
Just curious about air flow around the refer...but other then that, it's a beautiful job!
RE: AUX battery start switch engages but no juice ...
The genset supplies 120V. That goes to your converter, which coverts it to 12V to charge, in most cases, only your house batteries. So, yes, what you're seeing is normal for 10's of thousands of RVs. The optional Trik-L-Start, or a float charger ($20) plugged into AC will keep the chassis (starting) battery topped off.
But...when you're storing the rig, consider just disconnect the grounds from your battery banks. After you've serviced, watered, and charged them up.
RE: PEX plumbing question
Pex-b is now the most common, and has better specs then Pex-a. You'll find the 'b' at Home Depot and the like.
1. PEX-B, for example, can withhold higher pressure than PEX-A.
2. PEX-B, on the average, performs 30-40% better in chlorine testing than PEX-A and PEX-C.
I have the older Pex in my rig and had the pipes under the sink freeze and burst. Replaced with the new Pex-b and wow, is that stuff easy to work with.
You can cut it with a standard pipe cutter (instead of buying that cutting tool), there are plenty of twist on couplers that fit on the old Pex and couple to the new so that's easy. You don't need a crimp tool either.
The new Pex can be bent around a 90° turn too (using a plastic clamping device). The old Pex had to have copper 90° and crimps.
I'm a big fan of the new Pex.
RE: TV Conversion
Kiwi-too. Great job but I don't see where your stereo has vent holes. I'd think you'd need some for a stereo amplifier. Or is the top of the cabinet open?
