RV Awning Arm Security

I evidently have deformed lag screw holes in the floor frame for the bottom rear bracket where the patio awning is anchored. The original #14 x 2" screws now will not hold because the previous owner opened the awning with the pull strap next to the front upright, NOT with the strap in the middle of the awning, consequently twisting the rear upright and bracket, stripping the lag screws causing the damage. Is the only repair for this damage to drill out the holes in the bracket and install larger lag screws? If so what type of screw should I be looking for (galvanized, zinc coated, stainless?) and what size? #14 is the largest I can find in stores. Could drilling through the inside wall of the floor frame channel and then using a #14 x 2-1/2" lag screws solve the problem? How should I reseal the bracket? J., (Mosinee, WI) 

In all honesty Jay, it would be difficult to provide proper direction without actually viewing firsthand, the damage caused by the misuse. A lot depends solely on how robust the floor structure is on your coach. If there is enough “meat” left in the good wood at the same screw location, then the obvious first attempt would be go to a larger lag screw. A #14 wood screw is significantly smaller than what I term “lag screw.” Take care not to re-drill the holes too large for the newer lag. Going to a longer lag will probably not be advantageous since the thickness of that floor member will rarely be wider than a 2X piece of lumber at best. I would suggest using stainless lag screws, 1/4-inch in diameter, if possible. Zinc-coated would be my second choice. If necessary, you could also go the distance and install 3/8-inch lags though it may be necessary to drill larger holes in the aluminum bracket.

For sealing, I’d use Eternabond double-face sealing tape behind the bracket, but I’d also squirt a bit of silicone sealant into the lag holes before installing each lag. Take care not to get silicone on the surface where the Eternabond tape will stick. Depending on the brand of your motorhome, it may be possible to access the floor void from underneath the coach by cutting an access hole in the bottom of the sub-floor. If this is easily accomplished, consider installing new wooden “cribbing” blocks inside the floor runner. Again, it would take a detailed inspection, but if this is doable, I’d opt for bolts with “T” nuts and lock washers instead of lag screws.

Older Motorhome Fuel Tanks

I have an older, 1982 Pace Arrow I need to know which fuel tank is the MAIN tank; the front or the rear tank? John, (Placerville, CA)

John, the main fuel container on that vintage Fleetwood motorhome is usually the one located between the main frame rails. Typically Pace Arrow had one tank between the rails and one tank located outboard of the main frame on one side or the other. The floor plan dictates the tank locations, however, and if yours has both tanks between the frame rails, look for the tank with the rounded edges, probably the one mounted closest to the rear of the motorhome. The AUX tank usually always had square corners while the main container will have rounded corners and edges. The other way is to locate the electric switchover solenoid valve (usually located inside the front right frame rail), and follow the fuel lines back towards the tanks. The inlet port on that switchover valve that is “in line” with the outlet port is the one fed from the main tank. That said, all the above should help you unless someone has modified the original installation.

Adding a 2nd RV Roof Air Conditioner

I am interested in installing a second air conditioner in my fifth-wheel where the vent currently is located in the bedroom upstairs. I know I have a breaker in the box marked “2nd air conditioner,” but I’m not sure if I can actually install one there. Could you please advise me on what I need to look for to make sure I can install one before I buy.
Jim, (Augusta, GA)

Jim, your coach is apparently pre-wired for that second roof air conditioner as is evidenced by the presence of the second circuit breaker in the panelboard distribution box. If you remove the inside garnish (trim) piece from around the 14-inch roof vent at the ceiling, you should find a hole through one side of the cutout opening. There’s no need to remove the vent itself from the roof for this inspection; you’ll be able to verify this from the inside.

Chances are there is also a flat, blank cover plate near that side of the ceiling right across from the vent opening. Inside that ceiling box you should find pre-installed conductors routed up from near that second circuit breaker. Chances are the Romex is not actually connected to the circuit breaker yet, but it should be evident within the enclosure. Whoever installs that second roof A/C will have to route a short section of Romex cable from that junction box in the ceiling over to the 14-inch rough cutout. The new A/C mounts right over the existing hole where the vent is now. Once you’ve established there are indeed conductors for the air conditioner present in the ceiling, the roof vent can be removed and the air conditioner installed. Another step in the procedure is to connect the Romex to the circuit breaker and the neutral and ground busses in the breaker box. A quick check of the voltage at the new air conditioner should be the final step before firing up that new cooler.

Appliance Burnout on RV Inverter Power

Do you have any information on a coffee maker that does not short out or burn out when the inverter is used? We have gone through six coffee makers in three years of full-timing in our motorhome. It burns up when shutting off the 50-amp power and operating on the inverter when on the road. I have a Newmar with a 2000-watt inverter and a 7500-watt generator. The inverter is a Xantrex, which was installed by Newmar at the factory when the rig was built. I just installed four new Trojan 6-volt deep cycle batteries. R., (Spring Lake, MI)

Ron, two words; iced tea. I think I’d give up on coffee at the rate you’re going through coffee makers! Just joking! But I’d focus on the inverter itself since you do not have a problem while on generator or shore power. If the coffee makers were the issue, you’d be having the same problems regardless of the power source.

To start, be sure all the connections for the positive and negative battery terminals, the remote panel, the incoming and outgoing AC conductors, etc., are all clean and tight at the inverter. Those terminal blocks with the small screw clamps can sometimes vibrate loose. Loose connections will always present problems, or at least opportunities for eventual problems.

One other item to check – and this is a common problem with some of the lighter loads that may be put on that inverter; be sure another load is on at the same time. There’s an internal function inside the inverter called the “search sense threshold.” If the inverter’s search sense threshold is set too high or too low, it could cause erratic output voltages, especially when the inverter is powering a relatively light load, such as a coffee maker. Measure the output voltage of the inverter with a light (small) AC load applied to help stabilize the output reading. 

If the voltage output at the coffee maker receptacle is upwards of 129 or more RMS volts AC, I would suggest calling the Xantrex customer service line and see if any firmware upgrades are available for your model. As improvements to the algorhythms are effectuated, the upgrade will update your older unit. Contact them at: 800-670-0707. I hope this, at least, points you in the right direction. It’s not easy trying to diagnose long distance like this. I often wish my VOM leads were a little longer!

UPDATE!
Once the above question was first published, I received more than a couple of rebuttals to my response to Ron. It seems I completely missed an obvious condition relative to his question. I totally missed the fact that Ron's inverter might not be a true sine wave inverter. I have long recommended the use of a true sine wave inverter and simply assumed his was one of them. The output waveform of Ron's inverter is apparently a modified sine wave, or as some people identify it, a modified square wave output. Many light, non-resistive loads like coffee makers, electric blankets, portable power tool chargers, etc., are not appropriate to be powered by a modified square wave DC to AC inverter. In fact many small appliances are labeled as such. The fact that some coffee makers like Ron's are not, leads to the confusion and the common burnout issue with some of them.

Most low load devices, like coffee makers, clocks and electric blankets that employ electronics or are outfitted with a timer or a clock of some sort will likely not operate correctly when powered by a square wave inverter. One reader, Gene Arnott, pointed out that he has had success with at least one model of Black & Decker coffee maker; one that does not contain electronics. This, after burning through a handful of Mr. Coffee machines.

Another reader, Alfred Oxton, has a Craftsman 19-volt power tool that has a warning tag on the charger cord that specifically says to not use that charger with a DC to AC inverter.

Xantrex states in their manual that the best devices powered by an inverter be of the "resistive load" type. Here's their reasoning: "These are the loads that the inverter finds the simplest and most efficient to drive. Voltage and current are in phase, or, in this case, in step with one another. Resistive loads usually generate heat in order to accomplish their tasks. Toasters, coffee pots and incandescent lights are typical resistive loads. Larger resistive loads—such as electric stoves and water heaters—are usually impractical to run off an inverter. Even if the inverter could accommodate the load, the size of battery bank required would be impractical." 

So many thanks to Gene, Alfred, John Leitch, Bernie Dobrin and Dan & Carylin Larson for their input and sharp eyes! Bottom line, be aware of the output waveform of your inverter and also check the specifications and limitations of any device being powered by that inverter output.

Dumping RV Holding Tanks

I just completed reading your handout on holding tanks and odor control; very informative! My wife and I are new to the RVing world and we are excited about it but a little apprehensive at the same time. We have many questions, most we don't even know to ask yet! One question on the holding tanks, after reading your article, maybe I missed it, but if we only camp one or two weekends a month for a couple of days each time, do we still wait until the black and grey tanks are at least 3/4 full before we dump? That might mean that our coach would sit in storage maybe two to three weeks at a time with waste in the tanks. Is that okay? Another question on the fresh water tank, would I drain both this tank and the hot water heater after each weekend trip if the RV just sits there? Roger, (Topeka, KS) 

Roger, you should really avoid having that waste lying dormant in the tanks during the weeks between trips, especially in the solid waste tank. If you’re only using the RV on the weekends and it remains less than 3/4 full, simply add more fresh water so that the total capacity of the black holding tank is at least that full prior to evacuating. Dump each tank after every weekend trip. Here’s the reasoning; in order to maximize the flushing velocity, it’s necessary to have the tank filled or almost full. A partially filled black tank can develop tank blockages if there is not enough force to flush out all the contents. This isn’t normally a concern for the gray tank. Just simply evacuate it normally after emptying the black tank. And be sure to run fresh water down through the toilet after draining the tanks to rinse the sewer hose, the valves and the connections. 

The polyethylene water tank and the water heater will not suffer any ill affects during storage periods of less than month if you choose to leave them full of water. But you be the judge; if the water smells odd or tastes stale, then you may have to drain and refill after each use. As you are probably aware, it all depends on the quality of the water you put in there to begin with, right? Many motorhome owners prefer to dump all the tanks, including the fresh water to avoid the added weight while driving.

By the way, the December 2010 and January 2011 issues of Family Motor Coaching Magazine feature an in-depth, two-part article on Waste Management. Be sure to check them out! I go into great detail in all areas of waste containment, odor control and preventive maintenance, including information regarding new products and processes.

RV Faucets and Fixtures

I own an older motorhome and the bathroom and kitchen water fixtures are beginning to tarnish. They still work okay, but I want to replace them to be more in-line with our interior wishes. What is the difference, if any, between an RV fixture and a standard home fixture? If I upgrade to a higher grade fixture to get what I want, will there be any performance issues within the motorhome?
Ron, (Evington, VA)

Ron, you should have no problems whatsoever replacing the faucets in the motorhome with a higher grade of aftermarket faucet. The hole spacings are the same in RVs as they are in home applications for both lavatory and kitchen sets. The only negative would be the added weight of heavy brass faucets compared to the lighter (and cheaper) plastic faucet assemblies’ common to many motorhomes. But still, that would be a minimal consideration at best. Any of the big box stores will have a plethora of choices to peruse, (too many in my opinion), and all will work in the motorhome. Just be sure you have the correct fittings to adapt to the existing water supply tubing in the coach. Typically, the faucet kit will come with the needed adapters.

Propane On While Driving an RV - Oh Boy!

Should I turn off the propane to my refrigerator when driving down the road? Should I turn off the propane at the tank at all times while driving? What about the food in the freezer? Can you tell me what is right for safety? Gerri & Oscar, (Hershey, PA) 

Gerri and Oscar, you must really want me to get a bucket load of mail into my inbox! Okay, I’m a glutton for punishment, so I’ll bite. There are two schools of thought concerning running down the road with the LP container open and the refrigerator on; one is that it is safe and permissible IF you are absolutely sure the entire propane system is set up properly and completely leak-free. Understanding, of course, the propane system does contain built-in safeguards in the event of a collision. However there are certain LP restrictions concerning some tunnels, turnpikes, ferries and bridges, etc. It may still be illegal to travel with appliances operating, so you must check your route and determine if there are any restrictions in the areas you will be driving. There may even be some state or municipality-imposed regulation. But according to the proponents in this camp, as long as the RV has been maintained properly; that is, all components cleaned and serviced regularly, the LP system inspected and adjusted properly, the entire system checked regularly for leaks, etc., then as long as there are no local restrictions, go for it. After all, it IS a self-contained motorhome! Right?

The second school of thought is, why? There really is no need to run the refrigerator on LP while physically driving down the road. As long as the refrigerator is already cooled and the contents in the freezer already frozen, with properly sealing door gaskets, nothing will spoil or melt during the course of a normal day driving down the road. Even if you occasionally open the door to grab a quick soda, the interior of the refrigerator will stay cool enough over the course of a one-day’s drive. When you stop that night, open the LP container (or plug into shore power), and start the refrigerator. Of course, some RV absorption refrigerators are equipped with a DC heating element so keeping the refrigerator cooled by battery power is totally acceptable while driving. The problem is, many RVers are not aware of the many facets of propane safety as it relates to RV preventive maintenance. So if I’m driving my RV down the road, I just may have my LP container open and the refrigerator fired up, but as I pass other RVers, I’m hoping they do not!