Ron Jones

To: Ivan K What is the name of "Marine Shop" you mentioned? Thanks. Always looking to save a buck!

I've been looking at this... https://www.rv-partsplus.com/Accessories - called the Easy Start. I've talked with Rob Lowe - makes sense. I did not take the plunge just yet.

I have a camera that was mounted on my windshield using J/B Weld "ClearWeld" (comes in a small syringe). The camera and holder fell off my windshield today. The rubber? suction cup simply became unstuck. I called J/B and was told that it was likely the heat (I'm in Texas). Anyone recommend a product I could use to stick the suction cup back on. No, I cannot use just the suction alone! Thanks.

No water heater - we had an AquaHot.

I wrote this article a few years ago but it is still applicable. Good Luck. If your fresh water tank develops an odor from algae or bacteria, you will need to clean it—otherwise it will simply get worse. Sorry, there is no quick-fix nor magic cleaner that I know of. Interestingly, one of the major causes of this problem is non-use. Many RVers simply don’t use the water in the tank and, after some time, it will go bad (just like the milk in your fridge). The time it takes for the water to start to go bad (develop odors, taste bad, etc.) is affected by heat (hot weather will enhance bacteria growth), non-use (water just sits in the tank), and filling the tank with “questionable” (untreated) water. Where Does the Water Go? When you hook up your white water hose to the “campground” water connection and your RV and turn the faucet “on,” you will either put water into the fresh water tank OR it will bypass the tank and go directly to the faucets inside the RV. On some “expensive” or “high-end” RVs, there is a switch that allows you to use water from the fresh tank while automatically keeping that tank full. However, this is the exception! On most RVs, it’s water FROM the tank or AROUND the tank. The RVer may park in the campsite, hook up the water, and assume everything is fine. Oddly, it is. The water in the RV will work just fine. The problem is that the water in the fresh water tank is not being used. There is also a common misconception among newer RVers that they can flush their fresh water tank by simply hooking up to any water supply and turning on the faucets inside the RV. The only way to actually use water from your fresh water tank is to have the external water shut off at the external source (campground water faucet) and use the water pump in the RV. So, you cannot simply “flush” their fresh water tank by running fresh water through the system. Disinfecting your Fresh Water Tank There is a definite process to clean your fresh water tank and it’s neither fast nor easy. Sorry! So, for those RVers that think they can just dump a little bleach into their tank and “all is good,” this may be a surprise. Plus, unless you do it thoroughly, the odors and bad taste will likely return. To clean your fresh water tank, use some chlorine bleach, and do this… Drain and flush out the fresh water tank a couple of times. Remove any water purification equipment and water-filter cartridges. Use 1/4-cup of liquid household bleach (sodium hypochlorite) for every 15 gallons of fresh-water tank capacity. It’s easy to mix this in a gallon jug. Pour the solution directly into the fresh water tank. Most RVs have a gravity fill. You can pour it in there. If there is no handy gravity fill, get a short length of water hose, attach the end to your RV water fill connection, and use a funnel in the other end. Pour the bleach solution into the funnel. Fill the tank with fresh water. Drive around—preferably on bumpy roads. You want to cause the bleach solution to slosh all over the inside of the fresh water tank including the inside top of the tank. Just sitting there the bleach won't reach the upper insides of the tank. Turn on the water pump and all faucets to pump the bleach-solution through the system to every hot and cold faucet at every sink, shower-head, into the toilet, water heater, and don’t forget external faucets. You should smell the distinct odor of bleach (chlorine) at every fixture. Close all the faucets and turn off the water pump. Let the bleach solution remain in the system for 2–4 hours. Drain and flush the system. Top off the tank with fresh water and go for another drive (to splash around and wash out the residual bleach). Fill and drain and drive and splash until there is no more bleach odor. NOT An Alternative Solution There is much rumor and myth in the RV world that you can disinfect a fresh water tank using hydrogen peroxide (the stuff you can buy off-the-shelf at the store). The bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide that you likely have in your RV or house won’t do the job—it is not a strong enough solution. Even if you could fill the fresh water tank with the 3% hydrogen peroxide, it wouldn’t do the disinfecting job you need. The higher concentrate required to complete the disinfectant is only sold to authorized recipients—chemical companies, school systems, industry, etc.—and is only available at chemical-supply houses. That concentrate may be as high as 50%—significantly stronger than the off-the-shelf bottle available at your local store. Plus, when using the highly-concentrated solution, there is a specific process required to neutralize the level of hydrogen peroxide after disinfecting to make the tank safe for normal usage. I won’t go into that process here. So, just disregard the rumor about cleaning your fresh water tank with hydrogen peroxide. A Different Solution The most simple and easiest method to avoid having to clean or disinfect the fresh water tank is to use that water regularly. Even if you are hooked up to the campground water supply, get in the habit of using the water from your fresh water tank (shut off the campground faucet and turn on your water pump), and then refill the tank as needed. You do not have to put your hose away to accomplish this. It is the exact same process as camping in freezing weather… you fill up the fresh water tank, disconnect the water hose, okay, you do have to put it away in the winter (to keep it from freezing), and live out of your fresh water tank. When your tank gets low, get out the hose, and fill the tank again. You can do this indefinitely. Since we boondock regularly—we averaged 12 nights per month for the last few years AND have fulltimed going on 20 years now—we normally use the water from the fresh water tank. Therefore, our fresh (on board) water is regularly used up and refilled. Boondocking is sort of an automatic method of forcing you to use that fresh water. The good news is that we have never needed to disinfect the fresh water tank. Use any process that forces you to regularly use the contents of the fresh water tank. Fulltimers and those who do lots of boondocking go for years without experiencing fresh water tank odors or problems. We also never needed to disinfect the tank for over eight years in our previous coach.

For what it's worth, I just talked with his "office" (used the phone number from 1nolaguy) and was told that while Jeff did start in Dayton, Ohio, today, they DO NOT do any work up north. This was important to me as I should be in southern and western Ohio in July and need a BR rooftop unit.

Agree that it's early but if possible, we would attend a "Gathering." Ron

Bob - thanks for the reply. No, on the rally and yes to the fulltiming.

Where, on I-85 was that pothole? I'm getting ready to travel that route. Thanks.

I do NOT recommend trying to use a list. It is just too difficult to keep a list current. These properties sell to private investors and cities that have their own rules. I maintained a list for years and at one time sold the "book of lists." So, here's what we do and it works!!! We have stayed at literally thousands of Walmarts and Sam's over our 19 years of fulltiming. A. The day before, look up that Walmart on Google Maps and make sure they have a place to park. B. Capture the store phone number. C. Call the store, ask for Customer Service, and ask if it is okay to park overnight in their lot. Either they know the answer or will find a manager. D. If the answer is "Yes," ask if there is some part of the lot where they prefer you park. If they say yes, you know it's okay. If they say no, thank them and call the next closest Walmart. This process works and it always current. Good luck.

Scotty, I averaged dry camping 140 nights per year for several years - ALWAYS with permission if appropriate. Be interesting to see results.

Not trying to be totally negative but we have searched (numerous times) for some place to boondock around Vicksburg. I finally just gave up and we have stayed in the RV Park closest to I-20. Ameristar I think!!! It was just fine but pricy. Good luck.

I can tell you that we stay AWAY from Dallas traffic. Here's our route... https://tinyurl.com/2jzs5ea4 to Jackson, MS. From there, we head south to Florida. So between DFW and Jackson, ours is a good route. Some things... Mineola, TX has a municipal RV Park downtown. A bit pricy but convenient. Exit 571A off I-20 in Texas is America's Best Smokehouse. We stop there and get Texas BBQ to go for dinner that night. Good food, (great ribs) good sides and salads. Third, Shreveport, LA is ROUGH driving BOTH through the city AND the bypass. Plan to slow down. You can boondock at SOME of the Casinos there but you MUST call and ask. Atlanta is LOTS of traffic. We have made this trip at least 8-10 times. Good luck.

Richard... When we had our Monaco, we installed the SeeLevel system to read the three tanks (Grey, black, and Fresh) - don't remember the model number. We installed TWO of their panels. One went in the bathroom (we had room in the front of the cabinet under the sink) and the other went into the wet bay. We separated the SeeLevel and Aladdin Systems totally. It worked fine. I did NOT do the work so I can't answer the technical questions. Good Luck.

We have spent some pretty “bad” times in our MH during storms but nothing compared with what’s shown in your screen shot. We have fulltimed for 18 years, travelled extensively in 49 states and all ten Canadian provinces and one of their territories. We have evacuated two times based on tornado warnings (sirens) in Tennessee. Both times we were in a city-owned campground and spent a few hours in their cement-block bathhouse before being “released” and returning to our MH We were “chased” up the East Coast (years ago) by a hurricane. We would drive about 300 miles up the coast during the day and the storm sort of “followed” us every night. We did this from Florida to New Hampshire. We were boondocking one night, the lot was big and almost empty. High winds hit. I moved the coach so it was pointed into the wind and we spent the night. We have spend many nights with ALL four slides IN to help save the slide-toppers and to be able to drive away faster. So far, so good. With all that, neither of us has ever wanted to “test” being in our coach during a hurricane or tornado or even super-high winds. It just doesn’t make sense (to me) to do that. If I was in the area covered by your “warning,” I would move (if possible). These units are not tied down. Although, on the TV news, when they do show damage to an RV park, it seems there are more 5th wheels and travel trailers on their sides than motorhomes. Good luck.

We have had CoachNet for several years with coverage on several RVs during that time. We have used them several times both when we needed a tow and when it could be fixed on the spot but for a variety of reasons. They have done everything for me they were supposed to do and on time. Some others MAY be okay but I do not have that experience. I DO recommend CoachNet. Good Luck.

I've been using the TSD card for about two years. You DO NOT see the discount at the pump. I get an email from TSD (usually the next day) stating actual costs. The one I attached is real. Hope this helps.

I have 8 working Flo-Thru sensors and new batteries for sale. See them here... https://tinyurl.com/shne7uz6 Contact me direct at rej@gte.net

Does anyone know of a source where I can get a replacement 21-foot discharge hose for my Sanicon Turbo? If so, please send me contact info (rej@gte.net) ASAP - Please! Thetford is WAAAAAY behind and expensive ($100.00±). Plus, the quality of the Thetford hose is "iffy." They easily get pinholes and leak. Mine has always been covered by a "braided" cable cover and still developed that leak. It was NEVER even close to anything sharp that could puncture it. I am open to cutting that hose and adding a union but can't find anything that fits. Any help is appreciated.

For Ric W... As I understand it, the only difference between the Flo-Thru and Cap sensors is that you can add air through the sensor (does not have to be removed) with the Flo-Thru still on the tire BUT the batteries do have to be changed occasionally (12+ months). I have tremors and changing batteries is a real chore for me - otherwise, it seems to be a rather simple task. The Flo-Thru sensors do work, sending tire info just fine and allowing me to add or decrease air in the tire with the sensor in place. Hope this helps.

For sale… 8 Flo-thru sensors (that are on my RV now) and 8, new CR 1632 batteries (in original package). This system is in use now and to my knowledge, there is NOTHING wrong with any of them. The official name is… “Wireless Tire Pressure And Temperature Monitoring System” Model No. TM-507RV/SG (a TST product). I’m changing to all Cap sensors. If anyone is interested in ALL 8 at $25.00 each plus shipping, let me know at rej@gte.net or call me (LATE MORNING CENTRAL TIME) at 940-368-0068.

More "Non Help"... I do remember the shop dropping the price to about "half" since they had failed to find the problem previously. I THINK I paid about $500 for the board (with their discount) and if so, that would pretty closely match with what you said.

Try this... My wife remembers this board as the ECM (Electronic Control Module) but I can't verify that. I was NOT in the coach when they replaced it so don't know where it was located.

Reply to Tom Cherry... I don't know how to reply just to you/your question but two problems exist... One, I lost EVERYTHING on my computer a couple of years ago so I have nothing. Two, I am not sure of the name nor location of the place that did this for me. It MAY have been Cummins but not sure today. Sorry. My best recollection is that the replacement board was about 3 x 5 inches and about $1,000.

Had a similar problem with my Dynasty. It would just quit. Driving fast, slow, or idling didn't make any difference. No "fixed interval" discovered. I could restart easily. Cummins about wore out their INSITE trying to find the problem but no luck. It was pure coincidence that a Cummins tech in Anchorage was watching the INSITE, the coach was idling, and the engine just quit (like it had been doing). INSITE showed a problem with the "ignition" and shut down like we had turned "off" the ignition key. BUT, this only showed up on INSITE for a few seconds WHILE IT HAPPENED and would then the code would disappear. (Don't know why.) Cummins changed out a "board" and everything was great. Sorry, don't remember lots of details as this happened in 2018. My point here is this could ONLY be found if it happened with INSITE plugged in, turned on, and watched.