Author Topic: Hints, Tricks and Gadgets/Tools --- small ones. (Read 365950 times)

KodiakRV · « **Reply #60 on:** October 09, 2007, 01:45:27 PM »

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.

Ron · « **Reply #61 on:** October 09, 2007, 03:05:38 PM »

I would not recommend silicone caulk but something like Dicor caulk.

KodiakRV · « **Reply #62 on:** October 09, 2007, 07:07:33 PM »

Quote from: Ron on October 09, 2007, 03:05:38 PM

I would not recommend silicone caulk but something like Dicor caulk.

Definitely, for a roof repair.

My tip was for something small (toothpaste-tube size) and cheap (~$3) that you can carry all the time for emergency leaks and repairs. Another time that I used it was to fix a leak at the seam between two panels in my RV shower.

John From Detroit · « **Reply #63 on:** October 10, 2007, 04:17:18 PM »

There is a product called either Goop or GOO (The original was Shoe Goo IIRC) that comes in a lot of different "Flavors"

Plumbers, Household, Automotive, Sportsman and of course the original "Shoe Goo" for fixing tennis shoe souls. And I suspect other flavors as well.

Not all that strong as an adhesive, but sticks like crazy to most everything (Will eat some plastics) and dries fairly flexable and seals well.. I use a lot of it.

And though it's not all that strong as na adhesive... It is generally strong enough for most jobs. And in fact ideal for many jobs

carson · « **Reply #64 on:** October 11, 2007, 01:14:26 PM »

A small hint/trick this time.

How to repair a broken switch on the indicator control panel (Tank1, tank 2, water, propane, voltage). The activation switch lights up the information. That switch is virtually non-replaceable or impossible to get.

When mine malfunctioned, I did not remove it (it's glued in) but rather added a small push-button switch (N/O) as shown in the image attached. The wires are simply attached to the wires of the broken one. Cost less than a dollar.

carson FL

John From Detroit · « **Reply #65 on:** October 11, 2007, 06:50:21 PM »

I did some thing like that too. Many of the switches on my coach are "indicator/Switches" that is they light up when turned on, This includes the hot water heater switches, the step lock switch and a few others.

Well, of course those tiny bulbs always burn out quickly, so you don't know if the switch is on or off.

I picked up a bunch of LED indicators at an electronics supply, these are the king that have a single led in a plastic tube about a quarter inch, in diamater, leads come out the end, you drill a hold, push it through (leads first) slip a "Speed nut" on the "Back side" (over the leads) and push it up and it's there. Parallels the indicator in the siwthces with BOB's (Burned Out Bulbs) LED should.. Outlast me I suspect.

I just figured out how to solve a "problem" using one of those.. Thanks for making me think of it.

carson · « **Reply #66 on:** October 13, 2007, 10:57:42 AM »

This little hint/trick may be insignificant but was important to me.

(Always remember that my Winnebago is 12 years old, but good)

Re: Furnace floor vents.

There are 3 in my rig, bedroom, galley and near drivers seat. The bedroom one spurred me into action. In the middle of the night for a trip to the loo, I would have to step on that vent with raised ridges ---- ouch.

I found a 'flat-topped' vent (strong plastic, in a local RV shop). The length was close but I had to cut a bit of the bottom insert part off to make it fit in the hole. Voila, my dream came true.

2. The other vents did not bother me for that reason, but they were rather dingy and had rust around the edges. Off they came, a little sandpaper to remove the rust, a cleaning with a degreaser, a good rinse and dry, then a spray paint application with my favorite color - slate gray -

using 'RUST-OLEUM^R. Should be good now, like new, for another 12 years.

A little side hint: If you feed your dog/cat kibbles near the vent, put a mat over it. This was also a good time to vacuum out the air duct and clean it.

carson FL

carson · « **Reply #67 on:** October 15, 2007, 04:44:11 PM »

Having trouble finding a "Truck Scale" weigh station?

I live in a small city and the closest commercial station is 30 miles away. However, I found one (free of charge) at the County sanitary dump station just 4 miles away.

They were able to check total weight, then rear axle only. Subtract one from the other and you get your front axle weight. Make your own adjustment, i.e. 1 or 2 or more people aboard.

Won't bother you with my statistics, but was able to find proper tire inflation for all tires by using the Bridgestone inflation charts. Turned out I need 70 psi all around on my 8R19.5 tires.
Had 1/2 tank of gas and 1/4 tank of water; sort of typical.

carson FL

John From Detroit · « **Reply #68 on:** October 15, 2007, 06:41:47 PM »

Now all you need is right/left side weights cause sometimes you need 70 psi on one side and 80 on the other

Ned · « **Reply #69 on:** October 15, 2007, 07:39:13 PM »

NEVER inflate tires on the same axle to different pressures. Use the pressure for the side with the highest load and set all tires on that axle to the that pressure.

KodiakRV · « **Reply #70 on:** October 15, 2007, 08:09:54 PM »

Quote from: carson on October 15, 2007, 04:44:11 PM

Having trouble finding a "Truck Scale" weigh station?

I live in a small city and the closest commercial station is 30 miles away. However, I found one (free of charge) at the County sanitary dump station just 4 miles away.
...

Through our Yellow Pages, I found a moving company nearby that will weigh my rig for around $7. Gives a printout of front and rear axle weights.

Ron · « **Reply #71 on:** October 15, 2007, 09:01:06 PM »

Quote from: John In Detroit on October 15, 2007, 06:41:47 PM

Now all you need is right/left side weights cause sometimes you need 70 psi on one side and 80 on the other

NO NO NO NEVER EVER inflate your tires to different pressures on the same axle. Do as Ned said inflate all tires on the same axle to the pressure required for the heaviest side as determined from the tire manufacturer inflation charts for your tire.

Buddy Tott · « **Reply #72 on:** October 16, 2007, 01:17:40 AM »

A rubber shower door seal, which is designed to fit under a typical glass shower door, works great as a gasket between the metal rim of a typical MH stove-top and counter. One seal, cut in half, is enough for both sides of the cook-top. It works great to stop the obvious rattle(s) and also prevents liquid/spillage from the counter surface seeping under the rim of the stove-top. There is just enough room to pry up the rim and slide the rubber under. Sold at most hardware stores for about $2.

BT

carson · « **Reply #73 on:** October 18, 2007, 01:47:04 PM »

This little trick is for RV owners using "Front Suspension Air Cylinders" sometimes called airbags.

If you don't already have remote valve stems via extension hoses, this may be of interest to you.

I have a P30 chassis and crawling underneath to check the pressure is virtually impossible.
The following images show my installation of the hoses and valves to a very accessible and secure spot.

Image 1) Location of valve - wide shot
Image 2) Valve - up close
Image 3) Pump used to check and inflate. (A hand operated hi-pressure pump available at bike-shops).

I installed Firestone bags and the hoses were part of the kit.

carson FL 91.0F 32.8C

Tom · « **Reply #74 on:** October 18, 2007, 02:28:10 PM »

Nice job Carson. I did something similar when we had a Pace Arrow with the P30 chassis and air bags on the front. Sure beats crawling under the coach to inflate the bags.

carson · « **Reply #75 on:** October 20, 2007, 03:29:00 PM »

Windshield wiper washers.....are they dribbling or spraying?

Maybe a little tune-up is required, especially if you have been using plain water instead of "Washer Fluid" for some time.

Algae builds up in the reservoir and will clog the pump and lines. (I know from experience-- my local Auto dealer wanted big bucks to fix it; 1-2 hours labor). Here is what to do:

Use a garden hose with a spray nozzle feeding lots of hi-pressure water into the tank. Let it overflow for some time. I actually used a spray wand aka black tank wand to make sure all corners would be covered.

Next, drain via a siphon hose, to about half full. Add one cup of Household Bleach (watch your eyes) and stir, then let sit for 10 or more minutes.

Engage washers once or twice, rinse windshield with hose while doing that. Then use the hose and spray technique again by overflowing, to fully remove all dirty water from the reservoir.

Next, drain the tank fully (siphon out) and refill with fresh water and run wiper washer again for a reasonable time.

Final step is to drain again and refill the reservoir with the proper "Wiper Washer Fluid".

Call it Preventive Maintenance.

carson FL.

ArdraF · « **Reply #76 on:** October 20, 2007, 03:51:44 PM »

Quote

Algae builds up in the reservoir and will clog the pump and lines.

Not only algae builds up, but also minerals like calcium if you live in an area where the water has a high mineral content. Calcium clogs up everything - irrigation pipes, house water pipes, shower and faucet heads, swimming pool pipes, etc.

ArdraF

carson · « **Reply #77 on:** October 20, 2007, 04:01:56 PM »

AdraF, maybe a heavy dose of Vinegar may help, using the same procedure with a longer timespan for letting it soak.

carson FL

ArdraF · « **Reply #78 on:** October 20, 2007, 05:28:41 PM »

Carson, you'd go through barrels of vinegar!

Calcium of 500 ppm is considered high. Ours is over 900 ppm and it ruins everything. Our house water softener system has a backflushing feature that is wonderful and helps keep the main pipes relatively free of buildup.

ArdraF

carson · « **Reply #79 on:** October 20, 2007, 06:07:13 PM »

Sounds like you have the cut the water with a knife.

I hope you are not using it in your windshield washer tank.

carson

Ron · « **Reply #80 on:** October 20, 2007, 07:18:22 PM »

Quote from: carson on October 20, 2007, 06:07:13 PM

Sounds like you have the cut the water with a knife.
I hope you are not using it in your windshield washer tank.

carson

Learned a long time ago to only use windshield washer fluid in that winshield washer tank.

ArdraF · « **Reply #81 on:** October 20, 2007, 07:23:54 PM »

Quote

Sounds like you have the cut the water with a knife. I hope you are not using it in your windshield washer tank.

Yup! Nope!

ArdraF

carson · « **Reply #82 on:** November 10, 2007, 01:00:29 PM »

Time to rejuvenate this little topic.

Judging by the huge amount of readers (1936) I find it hard to believe that we have run out of ideas. I have a bunch more myself but feel that I have been hogging the topic.

This is supposed to be a fun topic with any and all little ideas welcome.

Take a few precious moments and post your experience, especially to help out the Newbies.

I promise, no one is going to snicker.

carson FL 73.0F (The most beautiful day of the year sofar).

P.S.: don't worry about duplication, makes an affirmative statement.

Kenneth · « **Reply #83 on:** November 10, 2007, 05:26:25 PM »

Velcro, amazing stuff ! Use it in the medicine cabinet , spice cabinets, be creative

you would be surprised how much more room there is on the bottom of those shelves for small items. Need a place to store your electronic remotes, slap some Velcro on the back ,mount a strip to the inside of a cabinet....tada !

Tom · « **Reply #84 on:** December 31, 2007, 02:44:21 PM »

Quote from: Tom on October 06, 2007, 03:07:04 PM

At some point along the way (maybe multiple points) I'll capture the bones and put them in the library.

It took me a while to get around to it, but here's a first cut at organizing this collection of RVing Quick Tips. It's still a work in progress (I have more tips to add ~~and haven't yet included the photos~~), but we now have a framework to build on. When time permits, I'll scour the message boards and extract other candidates for inclusion.

Haven't decided if it will stay here, or if I'll put it in the library. If it stays here, I'll add a button in the toolbar.

A big thanks to Carson for starting this topic and to all the contributors for their tips. Meanwhile, if anyone has a tip to pass along, no matter how small, feel free to respond to this topic.

Edit: Photo links added.

Edit: I also put a copy in the library here pending a decision on final location.

rmw1990 · « **Reply #85 on:** January 02, 2008, 10:21:41 AM »

When we don't have full hook-ups I keep a dishpan in the sink to wash dishes then dump the dirty dish water into the black tank. Puts more water into the black tank and keeps the gray from filling so fast.

Another way to keep from filling the gray so fast is to wash dishes outside(IF allowed--I would ask first).

De-Flappers are also a very handy gadget.

We use our TT to go to calf shows 3 times per year and EVERY time it seems there will be a storm. I use empty cardboard beer flats to put in the cabinet near the door to set our dirty shoes on since we can't leave them outside due to rain and wind. Keeps the mud/dirt off the floor and keeps the boots out of the way.

hoochonwheels · « **Reply #86 on:** January 06, 2008, 01:42:37 PM »

Check the rangehood fan baffle over the cooktop. If it is stuck open or not there you lose heat and cool air through them.

hoochonwheels · « **Reply #87 on:** January 06, 2008, 01:53:05 PM »

The Velcro idea works. I used some thin Luan board and devised several dividers that can be moved according to the gear needed for each trip. Especially in the pantry. I used Velcro to hold the shelf divders in place at whatever spacing that was needed. They lay flat when all the space is used.

Mike Goad · « **Reply #88 on:** January 08, 2008, 02:49:08 PM »

On the first day of our seven week trip out north and west in August and September, we discovered after we got to the campground that some of the cabinet doors had come open. The highways and interstate going across north-east Oklahoma, from Ft. Smith to Tulsa and then over to I-35 and up into Kansas, were probably the culprit, with contents inside the cabinets moving back and forth causing the doors to open. I'm sure there are a lot of solutions for this out there. Ours was to partially make our camper kid-proof.

We visited a Walmart in Wichita, Kansas, and, in the baby department, I found

a device that hooks over two knobs of opposing doors and then slides together.
an inside the cabinet latch that has to be un-latched after the door is partially open

Between the two of these, small bungee cords, storage containers in the cabinets to restrain the contents and redistribution of heavier items to other locations, we didn't run into any further problems. We just had to make it part of our "rigging for the road" routine.

That trip to Walmart was interesting in a way when Karen asked for $100 back in change, by mistake, when she used the debit card.

I'll try to get some pictures of those kid-proofing devices on here.

Bo Walker · « **Reply #89 on:** January 19, 2008, 11:50:55 AM »

Hey you all, this is my first post so I might be misplacing it.
Carson, September the 18th you mentioned in your post the front air bags having the valve stems extended for easier access.
I have a 34 foot 96 Winnebago Adventurer similar to your MH.
I replaced the coil springs and removed the air bags and have never need the bags again. I installed heavier coil springs than the factory ones. The coach is higher on the front end and handles much better.

News:

Author Topic: Hints, Tricks and Gadgets/Tools --- small ones. (Read 365950 times)