Hints, Tricks and Gadgets/Tools --- small ones.

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
On The Go said:
Regarding the smoke alarm, I removed old one and replaced with a First Alert smoke detector I got a Lowe?s.  Has a 10 year battery.  Placed one in kitchen area and one in bedroom.  No worries for 10 years ?????

You sure it's a ten year battery, or a ten year warranty?  I just got a new one also (for the stick house), and both it and the old one had a ten year warranty, but regular 9V batteries.
 
edjunior said:
You sure it's a ten year battery, or a ten year warranty?  I just got a new one also (for the stick house), and both it and the old one had a ten year warranty, but regular 9V batteries.

It's always been recommended to change the batteries every year.
 
glen54737 said:
The latest ones have both a 10 year warranty and battery you are supposed to change the whole thing every 10 years

You are right. Here is one of them:

https://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-PR710-Photoelectric-10-Year/dp/B00ON6M532/ref=sr_1_5?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI85fL2P205QIVzJyzCh1N8wDnEAAYAiAAEgLoA_D_BwE&hvadid=338683810225&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9012405&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t2&hvqmt=e&hvrand=15410977068705932040&hvtargid=aud-647846986441%3Akwd-323219624394&hydadcr=1423_9902113&keywords=first+alert+smoke+detector&qid=1571923055&sr=8-5
 
Rene T said:
It's always been recommended to change the batteries every year.

No 10 year battery, you replace whole unit after 10 years.  Top of box will tell you 10 battery.  Note: they still sell the regular ones with replacement batteries so make sure you check carton.  Also have hard wired version.
 
Well I'll be chigger-bit.  Sure enough.  My wife got the one we just replaced.  If I would have been there and seen the 10 year unit, I would have gotten that.  Oh well, until next time.
 
I got a couple of new gadgets. For father's day, I got a Milwaukee cordless shop vac. It can inflate a queen sized air bed in about a minute and has enough power to suck up water if there is a leak.

I also picked up a Ridgid 18v air compressor. I no longer have a use for a regular pancake compressor. I bought it for some home projects using a brad nailer, but it also comes in handy for filling tires and winterizing. I no longer need 100 feet of hose from my garage to the other side of the house.

Between the two, I never use my old AC/DC/Batt B&D inflator that I previously mentioned for anything.
 
cerd said:
I got a couple of new gadgets. For father's day, I got a Milwaukee cordless shop vac. It can inflate a queen sized air bed in about a minute and has enough power to suck up water if there is a leak.

I also picked up a Ridgid 18v air compressor. I no longer have a use for a regular pancake compressor. I bought it for some home projects using a brad nailer, but it also comes in handy for filling tires and winterizing. I no longer need 100 feet of hose from my garage to the other side of the house.

Between the two, I never use my old AC/DC/Batt B&D inflator that I previously mentioned for anything.
Who knew?
Adding to my wishlist for Santa.  ;D
 
Most know that the rear tube doesn't work at all for stowing the sewer hose with the connectors attached. I for one just use a large plastic tub and stow it in the pass thru.
That leaves the tub empty.

An item I bring is an aluminum 6' step ladder to be able to reach the release awning lock lever and to remove the velcro straps. I stowed the ladder inside the coach then take it out and place under the RV at the campground. 

Thinking that there had to be a better way of transporting the bulky ladder without having to load and unload it in the coach.  About a couple of years ago I stumbled across this 6' aluminum folding compact step ladder that neatly folds and it fits inside the rear bumper tube perfectly. Thought I'd share.


https://www.amazon.com/GP-Logistics-SLDS6-Ladder/dp/B002PNMMOC/ref=pd_lpo_60_t_1/130-8090763-1846458?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B002PNMMOC&pd_rd_r=e8fd3b15-851b-4d61-9371-5a3971392a0f&pd_rd_w=vmuEW&pd_rd_wg=n6vE7&pf_rd_p=7b36d496-f366-4631-94d3-61b87b52511b&pf_rd_r=333TH67G1CYZKTXYJH93&psc=1&refRID=333TH67G1CYZKTXYJH93
 
edjunior said:
Our method of testing the smoke alarm is to pop a couple of pieces of bread in the toaster without the AC or vents running.  May not work in a larger rig, but it sure works good in ours!!


The way I cook the smoke alarm acts as a cooking timer... ;D
 
Tom said:
Good point Carson. We had the opposite problem at our prior house. The thermostat for the downstairs was in the hallway and it received direct sunlight every morning, so the a/c would kick in and freeze us out. When I eventually figured it out, I put a small shade over the thermostat.
We had a mid-carriage TV under a ceiling mounted "china cabinet." Our front A/C thermostat was mounted on the end of the cabinet's side. When we watched TV, the heat from the TV would go up - hit the bottom of the cabinet - travel along the bottom and then snake up and artificially warm up the thermostat... poor/conflicting placement... I built a temporary cardboard diverter to channel the heat away from the thermostat - and eventually we moved the TV across from our sofa where we could watch it without having to turn our heads constantly.
 
Domo said:
When we watched TV, the heat from the TV would go up - hit the bottom of the cabinet - travel along the bottom and then snake up and artificially warm up the thermostat... poor/conflicting placement

On these same lines but not sure if it?s true. I heard that a guy found a cool way of turning off his furnace at night and turn it on in the morning. He mounted a light activated night light under his thermostat for his furnace. At night the light would automatically come on when it got dark in the room and the heat from the bulb would rise into the thermostat and the furnace would shut off. In the morning, the light would turn off and because it was now cool in the room, the furnace would start.
 
The sensor for our front heat/a/c is right over where we have the coffee maker.  When we used to have an old fashioned Mr. Coffee, the heat from the burner would cause us to have to really crank the thermostat to keep warm.  Since we switched to a Keurig(which doesn't generate as much heat)our thermostat can be set much closer to the desired temp.
 
I 've found it does not vary much if the sites are fairly level...1-2 inches. I had one site that dropped off under the pin and it was 4" over normal.
 
Keep a fresh unopened tube of silicone caulk in your RV for small emergency leak repairs. We were sitting in a driving rain the other day and noticed water coming in through the window over the kitchen counter. You could see a tiny bit of daylight at the top-middle where the sliding section closes and locks. We had never had it happen before since the awning is usually out on that side. This day it was too windy to have the awning out.

After the rain quit, I pulled a picnic table up to the side of the MH and stood on it to caulk the top of the window frame and fill the little gap in the frame joint with my tube of silicone. I recommend that once you open a tube, you buy another tube and keep it as a spare since the opened one's contents will eventually get hard (cure) over the next few months. I recommend clear since it will be the least noticable over the widest range of colors to be repaired.

I also carry a roll of Eternabond tape for more significant (roof) leak repair.

Given my required use of a picnic table above, I suppose another tip would be to carry a 3-4 step ladder, if you have the room & weight available.
Biggest problem with silicone is you won't ever be able to seal that spot again. Even more silicone will stick. Plus, it's almost impossible to remove. There are many seal and peel products out there. You can remove when you have time to do a permanent repair with Geocell or similar product.
 
I used not silicone but a produt called GOOP. very sticky.
Also for some leaks a product called Seal All. I've sealed a canvas tent IN THE RAIN with that stuff and it worked. It's basically old fashion Duco Model airplane glue
 
I used not silicone but a produt called GOOP. very sticky.
Also for some leaks a product called Seal All. I've sealed a canvas tent IN THE RAIN with that stuff and it worked. It's basically old fashion Duco Model airplane glue
I used to hate that Duco(Duro?)stuff. Came in a tube with a large opening and I ended up ruining the canopy's on several airplane models. Then my dad found me some stuff that came with a brush, like nail polish. Had much better success with that.
But that Goop is the cat's meow if you need to stick a piece of trim back on the interior of the coach and not have to worry about it coming off again.
 
Back
Top Bottom