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

[godefroi]

When you can, try and create life long memories for children when you go camping.  When we first started tent camping 16 years ago we used to bring our son, niece's, nephew and sometimes one of their childhood friends.  Whenever we talk to them now as grown ups they still remember the fun things we did camping with them.

Indeed. My mother always kept a notebook in the TT growing up, and she recorded each trip we took, and wrote just a few words about what we did. Not only did it help preserve the memories, it resolved more than one "discussion"!

[fap]

Hi everyone.
  I just found this site yesterday and found some great folks that helped me out with a concern of mine.  I wanted to share a answer that I had learned some time ago.
 Over the years, I have found some discussions regarding the problem with their showers.  If/when one closes the flow control on the shower head, when it's opened you'll get cold water onto yourself until things settle down.  Most, if not all plumbing systems built into motorhomes have a simplified system to help one winterize the unit.  It consists with a three way valve and a spring check valve, both at the water heater so one can bypass the heater while winterizing the system. The spring check valve consumes energy. Let's say 1# of water pressure .  So, for example, when your in the shower you have  35 # of cold water pressure to the shower head and 34 # of hot water pressure  to the shower head. When one closes the flow control on the showerhead the water pressure must equalize causing the cold water to flow through the shower valve and into the hot water piping system until all pressure become equal.  When you turn the flow control on at the shower head the hot water supply is now filled with cold water thus cold shower water for a moment.
    There's  a simple fix.  I removed the spring check valve and replaced it with a full flow ball valve.  No more cold water in the shower when I turn the diverter in the shower back on as the pressure is equal.  It causes me to have to manage two valves instead of one when I winterize the unit, but it that really a concern ?  Try it for yourself.  It will work.

[RLSharp]

When you turn the flow control on at the shower head the hot water supply is now filled with cold water thus cold shower water for a moment.

How do you account for the fact that in our motor home we get hit with extra hot water for a few seconds when we turn our flow control back on at the shower head?

Richard

[Just Lou]

Richard, I'm not ready to say that I agree with Allyn's observations or conclusions, but is your winterizing bypass arrangement a single valve, or multiple valve, system?  The answer will determine the existence and/or the number of check valves at the heater and may have an impact on which has the higher pressure.

I have the single valve system which requires check valves on both the input and the output of the heater.  My shower will run cold for a few seconds when the diverter is reopened, however I've never considered it a problem that required any sort of correction.

[Ned]

Richard, ours does the same thing, sometimes.  With higher water pressure it tends to run hot at first, with low pressure it starts out cold.

[RLSharp]

Richard, I'm not ready to say that I agree with Allyn's observations or conclusions, but is your winterizing bypass arrangement a single valve, or multiple valve, system?

Lou,

I have never winterized my rig, so am not sure what type of winterizing setup I have. On a few occasions we have found that the water is cooler than the shower water. Ned mentioned this in a post below. I do not know whether the water pressure was lower or higher than normal or whether we were on the pump vs. city water when this happened. I would guess that 95%+  of the time the water is hot when the flow control is turned back on. I don't consider it a serious problem, as long as I remember to turn the shower head away from me before turning the flow control back on. 

R

[99WinAdventurer37G]

Tom, a battery that stays in the green under the 100A or so load is more likely to stay usable than one that goes in the red.  The load tester is for finding bad batteries, not predicting future failures.

But to test "a" battery, one would have to disconnect each battery from the group and test each one individually, correct?  Or can you hook the battery tester up to the group of batteries, and if it shows green they are all good?  Then if you get red, then test them all individually?

[PancakeBill]

http://shop.biolitestove.com/BioLite-CampStove_p_15.html

Here we go, a way to prove how green we are.  Clean up campsites, charge our electronics.  PLUS cook dinner.

I may need to buy one.

[PancakeBill]

Back to shower diverter, I don't turn it all the way off, leave a dribble, and yemp stays fine.  Mine does the cold blast,

[RLSharp]

Back to shower diverter, I don't turn it all the way off, leave a dribble, and yemp stays fine.  Mine does the cold blast,

I can't shut my diverter off completely. It dribbles a stream about like a wooden match and does a hot blast. Hot vs. cold must be related to how each individual RV is plumbed, the water pressure, the type of winterizing valve setup, and/or perhaps which direction the RV is headed relative to the North Pole. Once you know that a hot or cold blast is likely, just turn the shower head to the side for a few seconds and live with the results.

R

[mrschwarz]

Would an accumlator in the cold water line solve the cold water blast problem?

[fap]

Hi Richard.  Not every piping system is the same from model to model RV.  Nor does any one answer fit all but often they can be tweaked.  The ideas that I have mentioned are simple basic design protocols. Anytime that I have designed a water piping system, I always have to take into account the pressure within the piping system. Otherwise problems are likely to arise.  I found that for me, the concern was rectified by the adjustments I made to the system in our RV.  For some, there may be no concern.  However, for others it may be.   And yes, our shower diverter also drips when engaged.  They were never intended to be 100% closed.
The accumulator will make no change,  the purpose of the accumulator is to reduce the pressure fluctuations in the water system.

[RLSharp]

The accumulator will make no change,  the purpose of the accumulator is to reduce the pressure fluctuations in the water system.

I agree. I have an accumulator in my system, so I guess I can rule that out--or perhaps it is the culprit! 
 
R

[Mavarick]

My shut off in the head leaks also, small amount so you know water is still on at the main valve (as designed). I also have an accumulator and used to get the cold blast. have to hold your tongue in the other cheek to get it warm I think.
Rich, try turning on your elec water heater and gas heater at same time and see if it makes a difference. By adding the faster recovery, and more volume of hot vs cold I presume, it seems to eliminate the temp change when turning the shower head back on. Curious if it will help or hurt in your case of getting a hot blast.

[Wolf Pack Fan]

http://shop.biolitestove.com/BioLite-CampStove_p_15.html

Here we go, a way to prove how green we are.  Clean up campsites, charge our electronics.  PLUS cook dinner.

I may need to buy one.

Looks like it might power a Delorean Flux Capacitor too.   

[PancakeBill]

Looks like it might power a Delorean Flux Capacitor too.   

I heard after seeing the stove, the producers are considering a sequel to use the concept.

[RLSharp]

Rich, try turning on your elec water heater and gas heater at same time and see if it makes a difference. By adding the faster recovery, and more volume of hot vs cold I presume, it seems to eliminate the temp change when turning the shower head back on. Curious if it will help or hurt in your case of getting a hot blast.

My water heater is propane only, no electric. Sorry I can't do this experiment. BTW, my reasoning would suggest that making the water hotter in my water heater would increase the temperature of my "hot blast" rather than reduce or eliminate it.

R

[Mavarick]

Yea, didnt know you were just gas. I think it,s only effective if you have the "constant temp valve". In ours I think that is what causes most of the trouble.

[Gord N.]

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. 

I am normally 53-54" from king pin to ground.

Bill

Hi Bill:

I like your resourcefullness, but wondered if you knew that RV Stores sell a stick-on level which has a slide built in to it.  You slide to the left (if mounted on the left side of the 5th wheel/trailer and when it hits level, that is the position the truck in hitch are in before disconnecting.  When you unhitch, just lower your undercarridge until the bubble reaches the true level on the gauge.  The sell for about $9.00, I was told by the person on who's trailer I first saw it.  I don't have one but am going to go looking for it.  Your method seems to be just as efficient.

Gord 

[John Canfield]

Take about a half a sheet of 3/4" pressure treated plywood and whack it up into diminishing squares.  My full write-up here.

[PancakeBill]

SO, how did ver 2.0 come out?  Looks like a great idea.  Did you work out a pattern of cuts? 

[John Canfield]

Thanks!

We're on the road for the summer, so V2.0 will have to wait until winter.  I did make a cut sheet and planned out the most efficient use of the sheet of plywood.  You start with the desired dimensions of the bottom pad and the top pad and then plan for each higher layer to be about 2" on each side smaller the the layer below.

[Wolf Pack Fan]

Great looking jack pads!  My compliments on your handy work.  I made some out of 2x4 pieces.  2 layers of 2x4's criss crossed & screwed together.  I put rope on them too.  Makes it a little nicer when it's time to reach under and pull them out.  They work but, I will definitely do the pyramids the next go, which may be sooner than necessary, just because I like your design so much.  I might consider non pressure treated plywood and a can of spray or brush on truck liner to give them more resistance to the elements.

[John Canfield]

Thanks for the kind remarks!  Make the bottom pad as large as practical - the more surface area you have, the less it will sink into soft ground.

[Wolf Pack Fan]

I figure the first thing I'll do when I get around to making them is to measure the depth of the compartment they're going in.  I think you mentioned that.  It's the drivers side rear compartment, where we store the power cord.  I did not measure on the first set, but got lucky and they fit with about 2 inches of space to spare.

[John Canfield]

The compartment where I store the jack pads is about 24" deep so I made the pads 20" square.  They like to be stored flat and not standing on end - they are 'tippy' if stored upright.

[Wolf Pack Fan]

I guess the ancient Egyptians were on to something with the design huh!  The one's they built are still standing and we're still copying their designs.  I've always been a believer of "Don't try to re-invent the wheel"..........................or the pyramid in this case. 

[DinnerDiva]

Back to the shower dispenser.  We have one in our Motorhome that dispenses 3 different things (shampoo, conditioner and shower jel) - again, eliminates soap scum.  I agree - one with removable individual containers is best - wish ours was.  That said, I notice many folks here are using those "shower puffs" - they do drain and rinse well and don't mildew but I think I've found something better.  This thing is made in Japan - I first got one when I was there and then bought them in a Japanese store in Honolulu.  I buy them in quantity whenever I find them in stores.  They are not puffy!  They are called a shower towel but they don't dry you - they scrub you.  They are nubby and at first very scratchy - they exfoliate really well.  They are great because they scrub your back really well.  They rinse well and I just hang drape it over the shower head where it hits the wall and it dries really fast.  Here's a link to it.  You can buy them online.  Beware to buy this brand - Amazon often sends a Chinese knockoff which is inferior so be careful.  http://www.saluxshop.com/ 

[Wolf Pack Fan]

I like the salux little washers.  They seem a bit pricey though at around $5 a piece.  I saw a package of 3 washcloths at Walmart one day, next to the check out stand.  They were maybe a dollar or two for a 3 pack.  Really cheap looking and thin, but had a nice texture to them.  Got them and tried them out and they're great for the mh.  They rinse easy and dry fast.

[TwoTmblwds]

1. Tacky adhesive, blue or white, behind the bottom of clocks, pictures, ect. keeps them on the wall. Under trays or items on tables or shelves keeps them in place when traveling.
2. 3/4 X 3/4" wood strips with the appropriate slots in them screwed under our table with a 9X13" cake pan slid in for small items, table stuff. In a pinch, make a cake!
3. 5mm high brightness LED and a 400 to 1k resistor (Radio Shack) , wire in series with each other and across the switch inputs on the bathroom light (in parallel with the switch). Drill a 3/16" hole in the solid part of the fixture and push led through. when the switch is off, LED will make a nightlight in the bathroom. If the .03 amp use bothers you in the day, wire in another switch in series. Higher resistor values make the LED dimmer and use less power.
4. Our fifth wheel has space above the kitchen cabinets with a decorative rail all around. DW got decorative baskets for up there, we store tablecloths, dishtowels, dried goods, ect. Anything light and heat resistant.
5. Since we rarely use our oven, it makes a great light proof bread box. With the pilot off of course.
6. Replaced the noisy bathroom fan with two 5" computer muffin fans, much quieter and .36 amp draw total.
7. Clear plexiglass strips approx 2" high by the right length to slip upright behind the stiles inside the medicine cabinet. Prevents small bottles from falling out yet you can still see everything.
8. Similar strips glued/screwed across the corner shelves in the shower keep bottles ect, in place. Make sure to leave a space at the bottom for drainage.
9. Winter camping we put the heat shrink type plastic over the screen door, helps keep the draft off the DW.
10. Took the absolutely horrible pull-out couch frame out and replaced it with lift out plywood support panels.
Added a good 12 cu. ft. of storage, exchanged 50# plus of unused torture equipment with things we actually need.
All right that's 10, somebody can surely do 11!