No Longer An RV'er Wannabe...

[RonBoyd]

How about my "caulk" question?

Good question.

 

[REWahoo]

Help!!! What brand of silicone caulk is best for exterior use that money can buy?

Silicone caulk isn't highly recommended by many RV maintenance types since it does not stick to itself. This means if your caulking application doesn't quite do the job you must remove ALL the silicone before re-caulking - and you will eventually need to do so at some point. Can be a real PITA.

I use an adhesive caulk such as Polyseamseal (Lowes, Home Depot) or Proflex (Camping World) on my side seams and around windows - not for the roof.

BTW, be sure to seal only around the sides and top of your windows, not the bottom where most have weep holes to vent moisture.

And what are other uses of butyl putty tape?

Don't have a clue - I usually stick with padded handcuffs...

 

[Nords]

Did you look under the front passenger seat?

[*snort*] Yeah right, that'd be the first place I'd look for a tire jack. Sure.

It must be like learning how to drive all over again. Only with more sewage.

 

[NW-Bound]

Here is another thing I found about this RV, when going over everything carefully.

The propane gas leak detector mounted low near the stove did not have its indicator on. So, I pulled it and looked at the wiring. It has one black wire for ground, and two red wires for 12V. The "sticky" label in the back said it should be wired to two sources of 12V (read house and car engine batteries) for safety reasons. Great! I have more confidence in the ability of this industry to come up with safe designs.

But why wasn't the indicator light on? A check with a voltmeter showed both red wires were dead. After taking out my wire tracer, and spending 45 min, I found that those wires went under the floor, then to the power panel under the dinette seat. OK, there are some inline fuses here, but they aren't blown. Then where do they go next?

Nope, they weren't wired to the fuse and breaker panel, but went under the floor again. After some more tracing, I found where they went. Can you guess?

They were both wired to the control relay that connected the house battery to the engine alternator. They only got power when the RV engine was running!

Could you believe that? A propane gas leak detector with its dual redundant power leads for safety got totally miswired. Was the wiring rerouted wrongly by the previous owner, or by an earlier mechanic? If so, why? Or did it leave the factory like this? What do you think?

 

[REWahoo]

[*snort*] Yeah right, that'd be the first place I'd look for a tire jack. Sure.
It must be like learning how to drive all over again. Only with more sewage.

Ahem...

The reason for my question is many Class C's are built on a Ford chassis and my Ford F-150 has the jack mounted under the passenger seat - right above the sewage tank!

 

[REWahoo]

Could you believe that? A propane gas leak detector with its dual redundant power leads for safety got totally miswired. Was the wiring rerouted wrongly by the previous owner, or by an earlier mechanic? If so, why? Or did it leave the factory like this? What do you think?

I suspect wiring for operating the leak detector while boondocking was an upgrade option the original owner didn't spring for.

BTW, did you notice a warning label on your leak detector saying the unit should be replaced every five years?

 

[NW-Bound]

I suspect wiring for operating the leak detector while boondocking was an upgrade option the original owner didn't spring for.

It did not get power with the house battery, nor the car battery, nor the generator, nor the external shore power. Only when the engine was running!

About replacing it, no there was no warning label. But as it was hardly ever powered up, it should be good as new, right?

 

[audreyh1]

I was able to get my gas leak detector to go off by simmering wine on the stove. (I was making poached pears). Just in case you needed to test it.

Audrey

 

[NW-Bound]

One poached pear coming up...

How about another question? Found 4 bottles of different car waxes in my garage cabinet. As I stopped waxing my cars 15 (20?) years ago, the fact that there's still some liquid in 2 of them is simply astounding, given the "dry heat" of AZ. The fiberglass wall of the RV looks dull, compared to the painted surfaces of my cars, so I thought about giving it a nice treatment (I know, I know, I shouldn't be giving all my attention to the new toy and ignoring the old ones).

Here's my question. The instructions on the wax containers all say "Good for fiberglass. Do not use on vinyl decals and plastics". So, any of you RV'ers out there with cheapo decal graphics and not painted-on fancy designs, what do you use for waxing, if you do that all all?

 

[REWahoo]

Here's my question. The instructions on the wax containers all say "Good for fiberglass. Do not use on vinyl decals and plastics". So, any of you RV'ers out there with cheapo decal graphics and not painted-on fancy designs, what do you use for waxing, if you do that all all?

Although I've tried a couple of products, I've had little luck in using any sort of wax to brighten up the dull "gel coat" fiberglass finish. I tried Nu-Finish ("wax") and Gel-Gloss (fiberglass polish) and while neither harmed my "cheapo decal graphics", neither did much in the way of shining the fiberglass surface.

I hear this stuff does a really good job but it is pricey and I haven't given it a try.

 

[brewer12345]

I have the cheapo graphics on my low rent trailer. I use a wax & wash (at the same time; yes I am lazy) specifically sold for use on RVs. For the one bottle I use every 3 years, I do not care if they overcharge me by $5.

And on the jack question, my trailer came without one. I had to buy what I needed separately.

 

[NW-Bound]

Thanks for the answers. No, I do not expect my new toy to outshine my unwaxed cars (modern auto paints are amazing), but want the coat to be a bit waxy so that I can simply hose it off now and then. Surfed the Web about the Alcan highway last night. All paved and not that much of an adventure like 50 or even 30 years ago, but can be dusty and muddy in places.

Back on the wax, just got back from outside, after trying 2 of the half-dried-out bottles on just a couple of square feet. That gel coat actually showed a bit of shine. One of the bottles even claimed to be some kind of resin, and good on vinyl decal too.

Man oh man, many square feet left. On a class A, you might as well own some scaffolding (remember the ones I rented to do exterior staining , if you want to do any maintenance work.

 

[nwsteve]

NW

One poached pear coming up...

How about another question? Found 4 bottles of different car waxes in my garage cabinet. As I stopped waxing my cars 15 (20?) years ago, the fact that there's still some liquid in 2 of them is simply astounding, given the "dry heat" of AZ. The fiberglass wall of the RV looks dull, compared to the painted surfaces of my cars, so I thought about giving it a nice treatment
I decent luck on restoring my first (experienced) RV with a 3M fiberglass wax sold for boat surfaces. Got it at Walmart without having to sell an arm or leg.
NWsteve

 

[audreyh1]

We have full body paint on the sides. Fiberglass roof. We use UV treatment for the roof including plastics (like airconditioner covers, etc.) and slide topper fabric - Aerospace 303 treatment or Protectal. A lot of folks use marine type fiberglass cleaners/treatment on their RVs.

Audrey

 

[Westernskies]

And what are other uses of butyl putty tape (that I paid $20 for a roll)?

I paid $3.10 for a roll at a mobile home repair business in Apache Junction...needed it to seal bolted flange connections on my new chimney shrouds. I have 40' of the 50' roll left it you want it...

 

[NW-Bound]

ARGHHH! You know how to bring tears to a frugal guy's eyes!

I did not know where to buy it, so ordered it online. Half the cost was for shipping & handling.

Hey, there are supposedly an old type and a new type of butyl tapes, as I have read, and also hinted by the installer in the video above. Who is to say your roll wasn't imported and of inferior quality, while my roll costing 3 times more isn't the type used by the US Navy to seal submarine hulls and NASA to patch space rockets?

But I guess I will never find out how well it can work on my leaky windows, as I couldn't pry them off.

 

[RonBoyd]

But I guess I will never find out how well it can work on my leaky windows, as I couldn't pry them off.

Okay, so you perked my curiosity. There, of course, has to be a way to remove the windows. It would not make sense to manufacture them as a "permanent" fixture -- a window would break and need fixing; probably happens somewhere hundreds of times a year. Your failure is most likely caused by a lack of knowledge. I would call your local Glass Company (Windshield Repair and Auto Glass Replacement - Safelite AutoGlass ?) and simply ask how it's done. Actually, the worst case would be for them to come out and show you how to do it -- i.e., charge for a single window. I suggested Safelite because I have found them to be extremely helpful (read "free advice") in cases such as this.

 

[Westernskies]

But I guess I will never find out how well it can work on my leaky windows, as I couldn't pry them off.

NW Bound, looks like you might want to head up north with a can of acetone, a roll of paper towels and a very sharp putty knife-

"I found the best way to remove butyl was in very cold weather. It hardens up enough that scraping with a razor dipped in solvent gets most of it off."

"…Once butyl sees a solvent it turns into a liquid"

SOURCE:

Butyl Tape vs Polysulfide Caulk on Rebedding - Page 2 - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

.........................................................
And I'm sure my $3.10 roll of butyl tape was certified for use by the Chinese Space Program...

 

[NW-Bound]

Okay, so you perked my curiosity. There, of course, has to be a way to remove the windows. It would not make sense to manufacture them as a "permanent" fixture...

I am sure there is a way to remove them. But I just didn't know how, nor had time to surf the Web for info. One thing for sure was that it just didn't "fall off" like the guy in the youtube video demonstrated. And using brute force is certainly not the way to do it.

Butyl Tape vs Polysulfide Caulk on Rebedding - Page 2 - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

I read a bit of that thread, and will go back to read it all. Surely, boats would have even more of a problem with water leaks through windows than RVs, and these guys should know a lot about this stuff.

At this point, I am thinking I will just scrape and clean off the silicone caulk that the previous owner did, then reseal with a water-based caulk like REW suggested. I was able to see some spots where the existing silicon caulk has developed a crack. So, I am going to try this easier solution first, now that the window removal does not appear to be so easy.

And by the way, the new butyl tape is said to be good on RV rubber roof of EPDM, whereas people usually use Eternabond tape for repair.

 

[NW-Bound]

By the way, in googling for solutions to class C window leaks, I found an account of a hapless RV owner who found his spanking new RV leaking on a rainy drive home from the dealer. He kept bringing it back to the dealer, who kept "fixing" it one way or another to no avail. Finally, his warranty expired, at which point the dealer told him "tough luck".

Of course the owner was furious, and told everybody about it. He even ordered a spare tire cover with the phrase "This RV brand sucks" to badmouth the manufacturer on his travel.

 

[haha]

Goodness RW, how did you fill your days before you made this purchase?

Ha

 

[NW-Bound]

Ha, are you talking to me, NW and not RW?

I guess I was just sitting around looking really, really sad.

 

[haha]

Ha, are you talking to me, NW and not RW?

I guess I was just sitting around looking really, really sad.

Yes, I have been drinking an expensive single malt, something that I dont get much opportunity to do, and I must have thought that you were Rawanda Westbound, instead of Northwest bound.

Ha

 

[DonaldBradley]

Congrats on becoming the owner of mammoth! Do post few snaps. Full time RV is something which often comes to my mind, but haven’t had a chance to explore this option.

 

[NW-Bound]

It has been 4 months since I bought this RV! And we have made just one short 2-night trip to Parker, AZ to "test the water". And we loved it!

The original plan is that by this time, we should already be on the road. If not somewhere in the Pacific NW, then perhaps Idaho, or Yellowstone NP. So many places to go, it may not matter where the road takes us.

Alas, things do not work out, due to my having to serve as a juror in a 5-week criminal court case. And now, my house is being repaired. And I need to do a bit of w*rk to replace the money I used to buy those cheap, cheap stocks.

I have repeatedly threatened to go to Alaska, but I never intended to do it this year. Need some serious RV boondocking time under my belt first. And again, there are so many places, so many NPs we can visit.

So, I don't know when we can go. My w*rk may push it out a couple of months from now, meaning towards September, or the end of summer.

I have been trying to use the time to do some preparations and mods on the RV. Nothing major, but just to add to the convenience.

1) I have reported on the backup camera and monitor being the 1st thing I added.

2) Then, I added the vent covers, which would allow the vents to stay open, rain or shine. It really helps hot air to escape from inside the RV when parked under this brutal AZ sun. I removed the chintzy stock vent fans and added the "de rigueur" Fantastic Fans.

3) The EPDM rubber roof still looked OK, but with the harsh AZ sun, I gave it a bit more protection by applying a Dicor coat.

4) I added a tap to the RV propane tank line, so that we will be able to cook or grill with a portable burner outside the RV, without having to carry an external propane tank.

5) I added a steel strap to support the 2-battery box under the RV door step; the weld joints attaching this box to the RV chassis already showed signs of stress. This, after only 25K miles, is a sign of poor workmanship.

6) I ripped out the chintzy cabling inside this battery box, and installed my own hand-built cables, using marine grade #2-gauge wires and battery lugs. The lugs are soldered, not crimped connections like the factory ones that already developed high resistance. I put in 150A fuses, one for each battery. I needed this heavy-duty wiring to support the inverter that I was going to install.

7) The RV did not come with an inverter. I just installed a 2KW pure sine ware inverter. A 200A shunt resistor permanently mounted inside the battery box allowed me to check the current drawn. When powering the microwave, it draws a respectable 160A, and the wiring did not get hot. At such current, the 2-battery bank may be good for only 1/2 hr, but I only intend to use it to make coffee in the morning, or to use the microwave during short day stops or during night boondocking, without having to fire up the generator.

8) I bought a small 10W solar panel, whose purpose is to keep the battery bank maintained while parked, unused. I do not intend to boondock for long, hence do not look into larger solar panels like some boondocking full-timers have used.
​

The following is next on my list.

9) I will replace some of the lights with LED lights to stretch the battery power some. Want to preserve some of that juice to run the coffee maker in the morning, ya know?

10) I will buy and self-install towing brackets for my toad. Yes, we will use a toad to do sight-seeing, from the RV as the base. And of course, I will do the tow-light wiring on the toad.

11) I am designing my own battery monitor, to do what these off-the-shelf Xantrex thingys do. All it takes is a microcontroller, LCD display, A/D converter, a bit of analog circuit, a bit of software. Of course it is simpler just to buy, but what else do I do all day?
​

When I am done with these, I will think of something else to add.