RV Tips

Working in an RV Collision Center, means you see a lot of RVs.

They always show up with at least one adult driver, one adult
passenger, maybe a couple of kids, and, nine times
out of ten, a dog.

Traveling with a four-legged friend should-- and will be-- a pleasant
experience if you follow certain rules:

Put your pooch on a leash BEFORE you open the door. 
Dogs get excited as soon as their home-on-the-road stops
moving, and they want out.

Carry a health certificate issued by your veterinarian that clearly identifies the dog,
its color and markings, and shows that it’s been vaccinated against rabies within
the last three years.

This is a must if you are traveling around Canada. It will also come in handy if your pooch
happens to take a nip at someone.

Adhere to all rules of campsites and parks. That can mean designated areas
for exercise, or leash rules. No one wants to be told to pack up and move on
because their dog misbehaves.

Be prepared to pay an extra charge for your dog. Some campgrounds and RV parks
have an animal fee.

Be respectful of other campers. This means don’t leave landmines for them to step in.

When you leave the coach and can’t take the dog, make sure you leave the vents open. 
Never leave a window open more than an inch, as they make a perfect escape route. 

Leave plenty of water and a couple of puddle pads, just in case. Or, instead of leaving
the dog, consider taking it to be groomed while you’re out.

It’s better than doggie daycare, about the same price, and you get Fido back smelling great.

Give your dog a special place where they can feel safe, but can still see what’s going on. 

This could be a pad or bed, even a dog carrier. They will go to that spot when they
are tired or scared.

Dogs enrich our lives in many ways, and they can be fun to travel with. They don’t 
keep asking over and over again, are we there yet? And they can’t use the toilet,
so that forces us to stop (and smell the roses).

Be safe and enjoy the RV life.

Last month we talked about the types of batteries used in RVs.  Now we  focus on getting the most out of them.  Some terms  should first be explained: The three most basic units in electricity are voltage, current, and resistance.

Voltage is measured in volts, current is measured in amps, and resistance is measured in ohms.  A neat analogy to help understand these terms is a system of plumbing pipes.

The voltage is equivalent to the water pressure (potential), the
current is equivalent to the flow rate (performance), and the resistance is like the pipe size (results), or how much water leaves the end of the pipe. Now comes that moment  when what you learned in your 8th grade algebra class is finally of some use.  12 volts (potential) at 4.583 amps (performance) will light a 55-watt bulb (result) for one hour, or 12 times 4.58 equals 54.996.  Typically, a 55-watt light is one headlamp on a motor home, and the battery supplying the amps is being recharged by the engine-driven alternator. 

An RV’s house batteries, on the other hand, are usually charged by an AC/DC electrical source, like your generator, or when you plug in at the RV park.  There are three basic types of chargers available to the Rver:

The auto chargers you get at Autozone, Sears, etc. These chargers are meant
for emergency charging.  They are constant potential (13 to 14 volts), constant
performance (2 to 6 amps) chargers. Leaving them connected to batteries for long
periods will cause damage.

 --Installed RV converter powered chargers. These chargers are the best bet for
long battery life. They are “taper chargers” with modified potential (13-15
volts initial charge, dropping to 12.5 volts near the end of charging). And they
have modified performance (20-30 amps initial rate, dropping to 1 amp near the
end of charging).

--Float chargers. Some of the higher quality (read expensive) converters have a
built-in  float charge. This requires the RV to always be plugged in and the
converter operating. That’s 60 to 70 watts per hour on your electrical bill. 
Another type of float charger is called “Battery Tender.”  It costs about $50.00
at your auto parts store. This float charger comes with a harness that connects
directly to your battery, with a quick disconnect to the charger. The float
chargers use about 12 watts per hour, and will not over-charge your batteries.
Now that you’re all amped up,  get out there and Enjoy the RV life.

Batteries are generally misunderstood and almost universally
ignored until they fail. The purpose of all batteries is to store
chemical energy and to convert this chemical energy into
electrical energy when the need arises.

There are three types of batteries commonly used in RVs: flooded
lead acid... gel.... nd absorbed glass mat (AGM).

All of these depend on lead acid chemistry. The difference is the
method and the material in which the acid is contained and the grid
or plate material, which is either lead antimony or lead calcium.

The type of battery, the method used to contain the lead acid, and the type of material
used as plates, are basically what determine the battery’s cost.

When a lead-acid battery is discharged, electrolyte and the active material on the plates
of the battery are consumed and produce water and lead sulfate. When a lead-acid battery
is charged, the process is basically reversed.

The application for which the battery is to be used is of critical importance: engine starting
or house batteries. Although many RVs use the same batteries for both, the tasks are very
different and batteries specifically designed for the application should be used Engine
starting is a relatively easy task for a battery and is usually best accomplished by a battery
constructed with many thin plates.

This allows large amounts of current (amps) to flow readily from the starting motor and
are quickly recharged by an engine-driven alternator with a typical automotive type regulator.
 
House batteries-- the batteries that supply power to your electronics, lighting,  pumps and
other appliances in your RV-- are a different matter entirely. These batteries are required to
supply power over long periods of time. For these applications, thick plate “deep-cycle”
batteries are in order.

These batteries are designed to allow deep discharge (up to 50% of rated capacity) and
can be recharged many times. 

Although batteries claiming to be “deep-cycles” vary widely, a general rule is that top quality
flooded lead-acid types will give the longest cycle life, followed by AGMs and gels. 
Four years is the average life cycle of RV house batteries.

Next month we will discuss charging methods and maintaining your RV batteries.

Enjoy the RV life, and be safe. 

RVers spend a lot of their time on tires;  some, moving down the highway and some, parked in a campsite. So the more we know about our tires, the better off we are.

Every tire manufactured for sale in the U.S. has a required Department of Transportation (DOT) number imprinted on at least one of its sidewalls. That number begins with the letters "DOT" and may contain up to 12 additional numbers and letters. Tires produced after January 1, 2000, have a 4-digit code at the end of the DOT number. The first 2 digits represent the week of production and the last 2 digits represent the year of production. So, 2700 indicates the tire was produced in the 27th week of the year 2000.

Why is it important to know when our tires are manufactured? Because most RV tires need to be replaced long before all the tread is worn off. Tire manufacturers recommend replacing tires five to seven years old.

Ozone is the biggest natural cause of tire failure. Ozone is a gas that causes  rubber to become brittle, resulting in surface cracks, which become deeper over time. Keeping your tires clean minimizes ozone damage. Tire manufacturers do not recommend any type of cleaners other than soap and water. 

High temperatures and ultraviolet light accelerate the aging process. Covering tires when not in use will prolong their life. Long-term tire storage, or storage of seasonal use recreational vehicles, requires special preparations. RVs should be raised on blocks, so weight is removed from the tires. If blocking is not possible, tire pressure should be increased 20-25% from what’s normally required. Special care should be taken to avoid prolonged tire contact with petroleum-based substances like oils, fuels and asphalt.

The RV should be moved every three months to prevent flat spotting and ozone cracking. Flat spotting, which occurs on vehicles not moved for six or more months,  could cause early tire failure.

Think about it. If your engine fails, you roll to a stop on the side of the road and you can call a tow truck. If your tires fail, someone else may have to call an ambulance for you.

Be safe on the road and enjoy the RV life.

Tires are what allow us to move our RV from one place to another. Tire failure is one thing that can happen to an RV that puts our lives at risk. There are two things we can do to minimize that risk. 

First, is proper selection and application.  Choosing the right tires for our motorhome, fifth wheel or trailer is easy. We use the tires installed by the RV manufacturer. However, while the tires may be adequate, they may not provide a sufficient margin of safety if the RV is loaded to the maximum GVWR. To know if your tires are the right ones for your RV, it's important to compare the fully loaded weight of your RV to the weight rating of the tires. Most manufacturers have these charts on their websites. 

Most of us don’t weigh everything that we load into our RVs, so having tires with a higher weight rating may be really cheap insurance.

Second, is maintenance; keeping your RV tires inflated to the proper pressure is the most important thing you can do to ensure their long life. Follow the guidelines in your RV owner's manual, if you have one. If you don't have an owner’s manual, get one. Most RVs manufactured within the last ten years will have a placard somewhere inside the RV listing the GVWR. 

The maximum pressure allowed for a tire is embossed on the sidewall. That's the maximum pressure when the tire is cold. It's okay for it to be over that by as much as 10 psi if the tire pressure is checked while hot.  Running a tire in an over-pressurized condition will cause uneven tread wear.      

 Running a tire in an under-pressurized condition will also cause uneven tread wear and can cause damage to the tire sidewalls. Keep in mind that a tire can lose pressure, and as little as 5 psi can make a difference in the load-carrying capacity of a tire. So it's especially important to check your tire pressure before taking your rig on that trip.

 Next month, we’ll talk about when tires need to be replaced, as well as the “care and feeding” of tires.

 Be safe on the road and enjoy the RV life.

You’ve done your homework and have found pictures of RV graphics that appeal to you. You’ve narrowed it down to three or four colors you really like. The next step: finding a paint shop that can make your dream a reality.  And finding one that specializes in painting RVs is going to take a little more homework.

If you let your fingers do the walking, you’ll find that the Yellow Pages have hundreds of auto body paint shops listed, but only a handful of them mention RVs.  The ones that do mention RVs will most likely not have a building large enough to fit an RV, let alone a paint booth big enough to paint in. Take heart; there are shops out there that have the building and the equipment to do the job right, and it’s worth the effort to find them.

 Let’s assume that you’ve found the right shop. You’ve met the staff and inspected the facility.  You’re now ready to get down to basics.  The shop should take scaled pictures of your coach and overlay the graphics you selected and insert your colors. This can take two or more trips to the shop to finalize your new paint job. 

Next, comes the contract.  This needs to be detailed. It should include the graphics and samples of the colors chosen. It should include any body work or modifications to the exterior. There should be a performance schedule included, and a product and workmanship guarantee. 

The paint job consists of a number of steps:

The tear down, where all external parts are removed from the coach. Parts that cannot be removed are covered. Old graphics and paint are removed.

-The RV is then moved into the paint booth and primer is applied where necessary, followed by the base coat, the individual graphic colors, and the clear coat. 

-The RV is then moved out of the paint booth and allowed to cure fully. It’s color sanded and polished.  After a final cleaning, it’s ready to be returned to the customer.

A quality, full-body paint job is very labor intensive. On average,  labor is 80-90% of the cost of a paint job. Selecting the right paint and body shop is the best first move.

Last month, I started a series of articles on “Looking Good”. We finished the first installment with the promise of looking at what a Full Body Paint job should address.

The definition of a full body paint job usually means that 90% of the color on an RV is created with paint. The balance will usually be vinyl decals describing the RV and/or its accessories.

For the most part, RV manufacturers in the United States use water-based paints to provide their customers with full body paint options on newly manufactured RVs. In southern California, the AQMD requires all paint and body shops to use  water-based paints in the repair and repainting of  vehicles.

A typical application of paint on an RV would be: a primer coat, a base coat and a top coat, also called clear coat.  The primer helps the base coat to adhere to the RV.  The primer is a petroleum-based product. The base coat provides the tint or color. This base coat is water-based and has a flat finish. The top coat or clear coat is petroleum-based. This top coat is the glossy finish that we see in the final product. The top coat also provides the ultraviolet blocks that keep the base coat from yellowing or fading.

You’ll notice that of the three steps in the application of paint, only one is water-based. The AQMD has decided that reducing the pollutants of a typical paint job by one third is sufficient enough to give the process the name “water-based” paint. Now you have a working knowledge of what full body paint means.  The first step in repainting your RV is selecting the pallet or colors. Remember, first  impressions do matter.

Next is the graphics. Graphics is a term that describes how the colors are arranged on the RV. The graphics are also important in first impressions. You should consider how both the colors and graphics will represent you for the next six or seven years.

If you have decided that it’s time to repaint the RV, do some homework.  If you find a picture of something you like, save it. The more examples you have of what you like will help the paint shop give you what you really want.

Next month, the “Process”.

Have you noticed that trailers age more gracefully than motor homes?  It doesn’t make any difference whether you have a 20-foot camping trailer or a 30-foot fifth wheel. For the most part, all come out of the factory white with some vinyl graphics to add color. If you wash and wax them regularly, a 1999 looks pretty much the same as a 2009.

Motor homes, on the other hand, fall victim to annual design changes.  Flat-nosed boxes on wheels are becoming more streamlined. Windshields were always two pieces of glass;  now one-piece windshields are the designer’s choice.   And a single slide-out used to be a big selling point;  now,  if you don’t have at least three, you are just not with it.

However, the single thing that dates a motor home the most is the paint!  When you pull into the RV park for the night, do you think the other coach owners are comparing their coach to yours? Are they counting the number of pop-outs? Wondering how many LCD TVs you have?  Nope.  The first thing that runs through their minds is, “ How old do you think that motor home is?”  or,  “When did Fleetwood go to full body paint?”

The average RVer can’t afford to buy new every three to four years. And why should they?  Most motor homes don’t get driven a ton of miles a year. Most are kept in good condition. And, when you find something that does everything you want, takes you everywhere you want to go, should you care what it looks like?

OK, so you do care.  Most factory paint jobs are good for about seven to ten years depending on how well they are maintained. So it might be about the time when you should be concerned about the finish on your coach. Does it look dull?  Can you see paint starting to peel?  Are the vinyl graphics fading,  cracking  or peeling? If you answered yes to any of these questions, and you plan on keeping the coach for another two or three years, then it’s time to repaint.

Painting your coach will add resale value to it, as well as turn heads everywhere you go.  The first option we’ll look at is a full-body paint. This means removing any vinyl graphics that are on the coach, as well as removing the clear coat and base coat.  The clear coat is a 3-mil. thick layer of clear paint with ultraviolet blockers mixed in.  The base coat is a 2-mil. thick water base paint that contains the toners. Toners are what give the base material  color.

Over the next couple of issues, we’ll go through the different processes available to make your motor home a show stopper. We’ll even throw in some before and after pictures. Stay tuned!

We’re into the summer months and it’s hot out there. Everybody is making plans and heading out. What better time to talk about ICE?
 

No, I’m not talking about the frozen water kind of ICE. I am referring to the ICE that stands for:  In Case of Emergency.
 

Let’s assume you have been driving for a couple of hours, when-- kaboom!-- you are sideswiped by an eighteen-wheeler. Your RV is on its back in a ditch and you are out cold. Medical help arrives, and the only thing they know about you is what is on your driver’s license. They don’t know if you are taking medications. They don’t know if you are allergic to any drugs. And, they don’t know who to call to get that information. When treating an unconscious victim, medical personnel are handcuffed without information about you...
 

So what can we do to help them help us? First, almost everybody today has a cell phone. Program your cell phone with the last name ICE and the first name Doctor, and add his telephone number. You can do this for everybody you want notified if you are hurt and can’t speak for yourself. Just remember to use ICE as the last name. Emergency personnel are trained to look for quick-dial numbers on cell phones, and they will look for ICE numbers.
 

Second, on heavy paper, print your name, address, home phone number, and the list of names and telephone numbers you want notified In Case of an Emergency. List all of the medications you are taking. Provide a brief medical history. Include the same information for anyone who usually travels with you (spouse, mother in-law, etc.). You can use both sides of the paper.
 

Next, trim the paper to as small a size as possible, take it to a place like Kinkos and have copies made for each of your vehicles and have them laminate them in plastic. Have them make a reduced copy-- about the size of a driver’s license-- that you can carry on your person.   I recommend that every member of your family do the same thing. The information you provide emergency personnel becomes more important the older you are and the more medications you are taking.
 

The RV lifestyle usually means being out and about. Having copies of your medical record is always a plus in any emergency room. 
 

Be safe and have fun.

Anyone who spends time in an RV has already taken care of those things that keep them on the road.  Batteries, tires, tune-ups, headlights, tail-lights and wiper blades have been checked and are good to go.  Setting up a budget to keep your RV up-to-date and

user-friendly will enhance the  RV lifestyle.
 

Last month, we concluded “Breaking Out, Pt . 1” with a good night’s sleep on a new mattress. We’re going to continue this month inside the RV with some additional suggestions.
 

For those older RVs that have CRT tube type TVs, a switch to an LCD flat screen is a  good move. First, the demand on the electrical system is much lighter, especially when you are running on batteries at night in a campground without electrical hook-ups. 
 

Second, they weigh at least 60% less than older TVs. Third, they take up 75% less space. And last, but not the least of benefits, they almost always have multiple inputs for  DVD, Blu-Ray, VHS,  games, and back-up cameras.
 

As most RVs are designed around sitting space as opposed to standing space, sofas and chairs see a lot of use and are areas for consideration in any update plan. Now the bad news: sofas and chairs made for your house are usually way too heavy for your RV.  And the really bad news:  even if you could find one that you really like, you probably couldn’t fit it through the RV door!  So you have to look for units designed specifically for RVs. And ‘designed specifically’  usually means expensive.  
 

However, in today’s economy, good deals are out there if you do a little searching. 
 

The captain’s chair-- or driver’s seat-- is one area you don’t want to skimp on. The older we get, the more we value comfort and support.   If you get one that swivels around and becomes part of the living area, you are killing two birds with one chair.
 

The key idea behind all of this is, if we plan an RV update in steps, we can minimize the sticker shock significantly.
 

Next month, I’ll tackle the kitchen area. I’m sure you’ll like my wife’s thoughts on that.