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

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John From Detroit said:
They actually make that commercially,  Plus there are some "Power Shot" type products, compressed gas same theory.

And there is a rubber bladder like thing that comes in 3 sizes, you shove it in the pipe after you open the pipe up,, I've blown some serious clogs out with those.  Most hardwares will have them.
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It seems to me like a reasonable thing to produce commercially, but I have never found one anywhere. Can you link me?

I did see the rubber bladder thing, but as a rule water is much more powerful than air.  150psi from my compressor didn't clear my clog.  The hose did though.
 
John From Detroit said:
They actually make that commercially,  Plus there are some "Power Shot" type products, compressed gas same theory.

And there is a rubber bladder like thing that comes in 3 sizes, you shove it in the pipe after you open the pipe up,, I've blown some serious clogs out with those.  Most hardwares will have them.
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I used a canned pressure clog remover on an old house with PB piping.  It looked like an aerosol can with a cap that looked like half of a racquetball with a hole in it.  When you placed the ball part in the sink you pressed down and that shot a blast into the sink to clean the clog.  Instead, it shattered my pipes and I had quite a mess, and much plumbing work to do.  Apparently those pipes were involved in a lawsuit and were no longer made.  They told me I should replace full runs of that grey pipe wherever I found it.

I don't know if the plastic pipes in MH's are made of the same material.  They look just like PVC pipes as they are all white, but other than color, they looked the same as my "water explosion" experience.  I'm very careful now when trying to clear clogs.  I like to use plastic snakes whenever practical.
 
99WinAdventurer37G said:
I don't know if the plastic pipes in MH's are made of the same material.  They look just like PVC pipes as they are all white, but other than color, they looked the same as my "water explosion" experience.
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Good bit of advice there.  If you have white plastic plumbing they are certainly less capable of handling pressure than the black ABS plumbing being used in the more recently manufactured and/or higher end RV's.  Whoever started putting PVC in RV's in the first place did not think that decision through, which is why so many are black ABS now.  That being said, if there was some sort of flaw in those pipes (given the lawsuit you mentioned, and likely a recall) I would be more likely to blame the "explosion" on that instead of the canned air.  Even standard schedule 10 white PVC ought to be able to hold whatever pressure a can like that could hold.  Though I certainly understand your hesitation to implement the method again in the future if it's avoidable, and I suppose the good side of using air instead of water may be that in the event of a burst you may be left with less water to clean up.
 
Afraid I can not link to one as It has been a long time since I saw one, but basically it was a stiffer than you'd expect plunger with a hose adapter in place of the handle.

I prefer a straight plunger since it is the SUCTION that clears the clog in most cases, not the pressure.
 
I suppose this is what is being suggested.
  see here >>>>  http://tinyurl.com/mh7ybwc  at ACE Hardware

 
I think my screw on application is much better than the rubber bladder idea.
 
Great ideas. We just traded in our  1978 mini MH for a new 2015 TT.  When we first got our mini MH, we had trouble with spiders getting in the furnace and clogging it up with their nests.  Someone suggested to us to get a dog flea collar and set it next to where the gas goes into the hot water heater. We also put one where the gas goes into the frigerator.  We never had another problem with the furnace after that.  I didn't see that tip in here but maybe the newer trailers don't have that problem anymore. 
 
Drastically increase your hot water capacity for less that $20!

While reading a thread on boon docking, I learned about a trick seasoned boon dockers use to conserve water. Basically, it's a re-circulation valve between the hot water line and the fresh tank, for the purpose of not wasting those several seconds of cold water that comes out of your tap before the hot water kicks in.

Using this extremely simple trick I have increased my hot water capacity to over 85 gallons, which is only limited there by the capacity of my fresh tank (75) and my hot water heater (10).  I just finished a half hour long hot shower that only ended because I drained the tank.  

What I did:

My water pump is located beneath the kitchen sink, as is the fill tube for my fresh tank.  Yes, this setup makes this easier, but if yours is in a different spot it is still possible it just may require a little extra effort running the tubing.  First I tee'd into the fill tube and then tee'd into the cold water line, connected the two with tubing and put a ball valve in the middle as an easy way to fill the fresh tank via the city water connection from inside the RV. If your rig already has this capability you may wish to skip that step. Then I tee'd into the hot water line and led it to the tee in the fill tube as well, again with a ball valve in the middle.  Now, with your fresh tank filled, your city water OFF, and your pump ON, open the ball valve on the hot line dumping your hot water tank directly into the fresh tank.  This takes the chill off the water in your fresh tank.  After only two circulations I obtained a temperature of 90?F in my fresh tank.  The "trick" behind it is that the warmer the water is going into your hot water tank as you empty it, the less energy and time it takes to heat that water to the optimum temperature, as well as the less it cools down the hot water already in your tank.

I just had my first long, hot shower in a long time in which I did not have to rinse off in cool or cold water, and even had time to shave and otherwise just enjoy the shower!

Do NOT over do it.  90? or so should be safe for any holding tank, but I am not responsible if you over do it and melt a hole in your fresh tank.
 
Some rv's come with a recirc pump,, it hooks to the farthest point in the water system (usually the shower) and the water heater INLET, and very slowly pumps water around the loop (it is a very small pump) just enough to keep the lines warm.

The flip side is that it costs you fuel (propane or electricity) to keep those pipes warm, and electricity to run the pump.
 
John From Detroit said:
The flip side is that it costs you fuel (propane or electricity) to keep those pipes warm, and electricity to run the pump.
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Exactly. Since mine is a manual recirc, no extra electricity to speak of (water pump runs a tad extra, negligible). But those recirc pumps do nothing to increase your hot water capacity like mine does.
 
Yup, I used to have a Window A/C that ran fine on a Genrac 1000 (Traditional generator not inverter but enclosed so it is quiet) wish I still had that genreac. Still own it but it grew legs and wandered off.. I think I know who's but can not point the law at him till I prove it.

But there are not as many options for Roof air

I know when one of my 13.5 K BTU Carriers went blewey (Major catastrophic failure of top unit) I replaced it with a 15K BTU (And glad am I that I did that now that I'm stuck in the sunny south)  Checked the applique to see how much more power it needs compared to the old one.... Both the same 13.5 amps  More cool, Same power YIPPIE.
 
I use the "air bags" that come when items are shipped, for instance from Amazon, to keep food, cans, jars, etc. in the fridge from sliding around.  Before I leave, I pack the fridge with the bags, then when I get to my destination, I pull them out and store them till I'm ready to leave then put them back in the fridge.
 
I use an indoor/outdoor thermometer, the kind with the readout at one end of the wire and the sensor on the other end, to see how cold my fridge is.  I just put the sensor over the door so the end is inside and leave the readout hanging on the outside of the door.  Keeps me from looking inside to check to see if it's cold or even too cold!
 
I keep a couple spare gaskets for my sewer hose.  I unknowingly lost mine which made the next time at the dump station "interesting."
 
What a great idea.  Can use in the cabinets also.  We use amazon alot and have the "pillows" for our grandsons to pop.  Think I will start keeping them for the trailer.  Thanks for that tip!
 
Here is another idea - dont drive like a yahoo ond there wont be a problem lol just kidding sorry i couldnt resist BUT here is another idea pack the fridge full of food and it wont move THEN eat all the food before you come home and the fridge will be empty lol - im just kidding
 
Just roll up a towel and do the same thing, put towel back in drawer when done. Nothing to store, you already have towels on board.
 
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