New guy with a pile of questions

[nasfd35]

Hello,
My wife and I are new to the RV experience and so many questions are coming to mind. We just purchased a 30? TT and I?m kinda having the feeling that I should have asked these questions before buying?haha  . We bought a used 1999 Terry Taurus at a great price, brought it home and we?re VERY anxious to use it.
(1) Our property has numerous tree on it and I?m worried and a branch damaging the rubber roof, so I?m assuming it?s best to get a car port type structure for the camper; Yes/No?
(2) The only thing wrong with the camper is the refrigerator. The previous owner bought a dorm fridge to use, but thinks the only thing wrong with the other unit is the element. Does anyone have any idea if the element is the most likely or frequent problem?
(3) The previous owner used air to blow the lines out vs anti freeze. Pros/cons?
(4) Is there anything I?m not thinking about that I should be?
Any help, info and/or advise is welcomed and great appreciated.
Thank you
Mike

 

[donn]

Hello,
My wife and I are new to the RV experience and so many questions are coming to mind. We just purchased a 30? TT and I?m kinda having the feeling that I should have asked these questions before buying?haha  . We bought a used 1999 Terry Taurus at a great price, brought it home and we?re VERY anxious to use it.
(1) Our property has numerous tree on it and I?m worried and a branch damaging the rubber roof, so I?m assuming it?s best to get a car port type structure for the camper; Yes/No?Periodic cleaning and recaulking is the norm.  If you are under trees a roof/cover would sure make it easier to keep clean.
(2) The only thing wrong with the camper is the refrigerator. The previous owner bought a dorm fridge to use, but thinks the only thing wrong with the other unit is the element. Does anyone have any idea if the element is the most likely or frequent problem?Unless you try it you dont know.  The PO could have tried to run it off level causing a bubble.  He could have a cooling unit failure as evident by a yellow film on the back of the refer.  It should also work on gas so you could try that too
(3) The previous owner used air to blow the lines out vs anti freeze. Pros/cons?Nothing wrong with that as long as he used some antifreeze in the toilet and sink p traps
(4) Is there anything I?m not thinking about that I should be?
Any help, info and/or advise is welcomed and great appreciated.
Thank you
Mike

Be very careful in inspecting it for signs of water leaks.  That is generally the biggest killer of wood framed trailers.  To fix wood rot can be very time consuming and/or expensive.

 

[garyb1st]

Welcome to the Forum.  We park our 4 year old trailer under a pine tree and it's not covered.  So far most everything washes off easily.  Just clean it periodically and check the caulking.  I clean mine with dish soap and water.  It might be worthwhile to wash the whole trailer with a reasonable spray to determine if there are any leaks.  Both with the slides in and out.  Just be careful and have someone inside to alert you if waters coming in.  I'd also fill the tanks and check for leaks.  Find a local dump station that's not too far so you can empty them when finished.  Then I'd check the toilet to make sure it operates properly. 

Fill the toilet bowl with some water and let it sit overnight.  The level should be the same. 

Make sure the furnace and water heater work properly.  Make sure the water heater is filled with water before turning it on.   

Have your hitch looked at by an expert.  We had to replace the head, or ball mount, on ours when it was only 3 years old. 

Make sure your trailer brakes and lights are working properly.  We had some work done on the back of our trailer which required removing the tail light.  When they reinstalled it, they put it upside down.  For about a  year our turn signal was not working properly.  It's difficult to change lanes in heavy traffic when folks don't know that's your intent.  It can also be hard when they do. 

Check the DOT date stamp on your tires.  Many RVer's change tires after 5 to 7 years regardless of tread wear. 

Have your propane system checked for leaks. 

Have the axles and springs looked at.  Our axles were bent after three years of use and we had to add an additional leaf spring.     

There's a lot to learn and some lessons can be expensive.  Read the forum.  You'll find answers to most if not all your questions.   

 

[Mavarick]

Hey Mike, welcome to the forum! We were all new at one time so don?t sweat it, when you run into something just ask away and someone will be along to help you out.
(1) I?m a firm believer in protecting an investment so I have a steel carport/bldg to park out MH in. I would worry more about pitch, sap, needles, etc more than a branch but all the same in the long run. If you can swing it a carport or the like it is a good idea. Don?t make it to what you have now, think of what you will have in 10 yrs, a 40? MH maybe?
(2) Many have replaced their Rv fridge with a house style. That?s ok depending on how you Rv. Test the old fridge as Donn suggests so you know for sure. Get the mfr and ser number and look in the library or ask away depending on what you find.
(3) Air is all I use for winterizing but I?m in Wa state and own an air compressor. If I was in AK I might use antifreeze etc. It?s what you feel comfortable with and what the climate is around you. Air is fine if you do it correctly and the pink antifreeze is cheap and safe so either way is ok.
(4) Anything you?re not thinking about? Sure, about a 100 things, that?s why you joined the forum! Seriously, you will learn as you go like all of us. Take it a day at a time and enjoy, it?s not supposed to be another job. No matter what you run into there is someone here that owns the same thing and has run into the same problem. No worries, have fun. Congrats on the TT purchase.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

(1) Our property has numerous tree on it and I?m worried and a branch damaging the rubber roof, so I?m assuming it?s best to get a car port type structure for the camper; Yes/No?

Tree branch damage is a problem only if they are low enough to brush the roof as you move the trailer in and out of the parking spot. Trim them up as needed. Otherwise, the only concern is the accumulation of dirt & debris on the roof and the effects or moisture and rotting vegetation. A roof (port) of some kind is one solution, but an occasional cleaning works too. Hosing it off (if wet) or sweeping when dry is probably sufficient if done every couple of months or whenever there is a build-up. My coach is parked under oak trees and I do it at about 4 months. Used to have to do it more often, but I trimmed off some major limbs a couple years back and that helped a lot.

(2) The only thing wrong with the camper is the refrigerator. The previous owner bought a dorm fridge to use, but thinks the only thing wrong with the other unit is the element. Does anyone have any idea if the element is the most likely or frequent problem?

Could be, but you haven't described the symptoms. The heater element is a factor only in electric mode, so does it work ok on LP gas? Does it get partially cool in either mode? Or does just plain not work at all? Is there any smell of ammonia or yellow powder inside the fridge or behind the outside access panel?

(3) The previous owner used air to blow the lines out vs anti freeze. Pros/cons?

It's a Ford/Chevy kind of thing, with vocal adherents to both. And even if you blow out the lines (like I do), you still need antifreeze solution in the drain traps, toilet bowl and a bit on the holding tanks. See the RV Forum Library for winterizing instructions, or use SEARCH to find and read the numerous previous discussions about  "winterize" or "winterizing".

 

[Mopar1973Man]

1. As for my RV it parked next to a Blue Spruce in the yard. There is no branches above it for the winter time. But come summer time I move it to the back yard under the huge maple tree to shield it from the suns rays. Don't need to cook the RV.

2. (Letting the other pros jump on this one)

3. I'm also a air only user to for winterizing. I see temps as low as -25*F some winters so not to risk cheap anti-freeze turning solid. Air won't freeze and cause damages if it does there is other serious problems to worry about.

4. Personally I would set it right up in the yard. Water it up, charge the batteries and do a dry run without hook ups. This way you learn right in your very own yard. Opps I forgot my favorite pillow. Or dang we used too much power batteries ran low quick. This give you a chance to learn about you new RV in a controlled environment. So if anything does go wrong get it from the house or just go home. 

 

[John From Detroit]

Are you sure there are no branches above the RV... I see snow laden limbs from high up coming down (or rather I used to) all the time.

Back when I shoveled snow I used the Air method too, used pink only in drain traps and toilets, the theory being flushing them out is not a problem come spring.  Flushing water lines is.

My line on air is:  If the air freezes.. I won't be worrying about the pipes.


By the way, the pink stuff does indeed freeze in the winter, either solid or nearly solid, the thing is that of all the products, elements and compounds in this world EXACTLY one expands as it freezes.. PINK stuff... Is not it.  (Water is) and it is that expansion that does the damage.  Still I consider the dry method better.


Better yet, if you can do it, is the "S" method, which is the one I use now.. S-outh for the winter.

 

[nasfd35]

Thank you donn, garyB1st, Mavarick, Gary RV Roamer, Mopar1973Man and John From Detroit for the info, ideas and well wishes.

Wow, lots of information and questions to cover, so here we go??

I definitely plan on trimming the branches back that will be in contact with the camper, but the branches I?m concerned about are of the falling kind. I have a nice dent in my fender from one of the branches. The other concern is damage from UV rays.

The previous owner told me the fridge isn?t getting cold. I comes on in gas or electric mode, but doesn?t get cold. It?s a Domestic Caravan Refrigerator RM2652.

Many great comments about winterizing the lines. Ya?ll gave me plenty to think about.

Garyb1st?.That?s a great list of things to consider. Thank You.

Mopar1973Man?.Thanks for the tip about setting it up in the driveway. That sounds like a great thing to do on my next three days off.

 

[Redman]

John from Detroit:
A bit of trivia for your perusal, there are alloys of two metal that expand when solidifying (freezing). Gallium and bismuth are the culprits and the most common use in exploiting this property was old hot cast type-this property kept the type face crisp rather than a slumping surface if only contracting metals were used.

More than you really wanted to know.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

You can download a Service Manual for your Dometic RM2652 here:
http://gasrefrigeration.net/dom_techdata/26121_2852SM.PDF

 

[JCZ]

Mike I've been on this and other RV forums for a couple of months and I spend time reading every day.  Most of my bigger questions have been answered but there are still things I learn that didn't even occur to me....just by reading these forums.  I have to say that this one is one of my favorites......a lot of all around information instead of just geared towards a specific type of RV.

I keep my trailer at an indoor RV storage, but I never read about anybody that uses indoor storage.  There must be a couple hundred RVs in that building plus that many boats, too.  It's a full service storage, called "Valet Service".....they will dump your tanks, fill your fresh water tank, wash your RV, etc. if you want them to.....that's all included with the $127 a month.  Of course I think they'll never do a good enough job, I'd rather do it myself.  But I have talked to some of the other RV owners and they say that the place does a great job.

It's nice....it's behind a locked gate (you have a code for the gate so that you can drop it any time, 24 hrs. a day).  You call during business hours and ask them to put your RV out on the pad then you pick it up when your ready....even if it's after hours.  The same goes for dropping it off.  If you want any of the other services (they're all included in the monthly fee) you just let them know when you call or when you drop it off.

As far as the operations and maintenance of the vehicle while on the road.....I've learned most of it here.  So far, no major issues.  I do the leveling and all the outside hook ups myself so that I can stay focused and stick to my sequence.

Living here in Nor Cal, we go out often so it's used pretty much year around but we do have an all seasons trailer (heated holding tanks, thermopane windows, awning over slide out, enclosed underbelly, all plumbing ran through heated space under the floor, etc.) and we're very happy with our choice for our first RV.

I just wished that somebody had mentioned that it's very possible to get the same make and model that's still new but two or three years old at a greatly reduced price!  A lesson learned in hind sight.  Here's an example of what I'm talking about..... a $12k savings.....    http://www.cordeliarv.com/inventory/view/3533971/2011-Fox%20Mountain-245RKS  Of course I'd want to change the tires immediatly but still a huge savings on a new RV.