|
|
RV Doctor ColumnRV Doctor #279 Dear Gary, I have a 1984 Pace Arrow 30-foot motorhome. The ignitors on my furnace and refrigerator have seemed to stop working at the same time. My water heater and stove, however, work fine. The batteries are charged and the propane reads 3/4 full. I have a newer RV refrigerator that has replaced the original one. I was suspecting the LP detector, but ruled that out due to the fact the water heater and stove still work. Is there anything in common with the stove and refrigerator that would cause this? I would appreciate any ideas! Glenn Allberg, (Ojai, CA) Glenn, I guess the first question I would ask is; are you sure it's the ignitors? In other words, is there absolutely no sparking going on at the respective burner assemblies? Or is there some sparking, but no ignition of the LP? The second question would be; has there been regular annual maintenance performed on those two appliances? Keep in mind all LP appliances require yearly service which includes cleaning the orifices, the burners, setting the LP pressure and checking the gap spacing at each ignitor probe assembly. If you can't remember the last time the appliances were serviced, it's probably time now. Other than sharing the same battery system and the same source of LP, the two appliances do not have anything else in common. Start by inspecting the refrigerator burner area - it is the most accessible. Look for any loose wires or cracked ceramic insulators on the ignitor assembly. Cracked or broken insulators will cause the spark to be erratic and have difficulty igniting the incoming fuel. If indeed the burner is dirty or if the unit has been stored for some time, chances are a clean and service procedure is needed at each appliance. Though usually performed by a professional technician, a good RV handyman can do it with the right tools. A service shop will normally charge about two hours labor to perform all the needed tasks for each appliance. Of course there is the chance either the ignitors or the printed circuit board is faulty in both appliances, (let's hope not), and some parts may be required, But without further hands-on tests and a visual inspection I'd just be guessing. And if I had to guess at this point, I'd wager it's the clean and service that is needed. Dear RV Doc, I recently removed my auxiliary batteries to clean the housing. After hooking every thing back up, I find I have no auxiliary power in the coach now. The terminals are all clean and tight. There was none of the unusual arcing when I hooked the terminals up. When the engine is running or when I'm hooked up to shore power there is power in the coach. My generator too is inoperative. The coach is a 1992 Elite. Most of the wiring is located in a housed area inside a panel in the front. Is my symptom indicative of a faulty isolator or a relay? I can't seem to find the isolator either. Do they sometimes mount them somewhere under the coach? Any help would be appreciated. Chuck Green, (Grants Pass, OR) Chuck, Simply removing and reinstalling the batteries will thankfully not cause a solenoid to burn or an isolator to be rendered faulty. It actually sounds like the main battery charge cable from the battery bank to the auxiliary distribution system or the converter was not hooked up after you reinstalled the batteries. I have seen this happen before. The battery cable carrying that much load will be quite sizeable and therefore it will be heavier than regular 10 or 12 gauge wiring. It's quite possible that the cable slipped down behind one of the batteries or fell below a frame member, etc. Look very closely near those batteries just in case. Indeed the isolator could be just about anywhere. A quick phone call to the manufacturer might be in order if there is no mention of it's location in the owner's manual. If, perhaps, the solenoid is at fault and you could not find a disconnected cable, contact me again and I will detail how to troubleshoot the isolator itself. Hello RV Doctor, I have a 1972 Winnebago Brave. The problem is the inside ceiling where it had leaked prior to us buying it. I know nothing about this type of repair. Can you refer me to a book about restoring a 1972 Winnebago Brave? The walls beside the driver and passenger are also rotted and in need of replacement. I also need to redo all the weather stripping in the windows. I believe we have stopped all the leaks on the roof. I bought this real cheap and drove it home! I have put new brakes and tires all around. Now I need to work on the inside. Thanks for any suggestions you may have. Jennifer Preston, (Orange, VA) Hello Jennifer! Structural repairs, such that you have detailed, can be quite an energetic undertaking, even for the pros. Oftentimes, these repairs are compounded by the fact the original manufacturer assembled the unit in a different order during the initial construction - kinda like filming a movie out of sequence. As an example, many interior cabinets are secured through the interior walls from the outside before the exterior siding or laminate is put into place. In many cases, removing, replacing or reinstalling cabinets, after-the-fact, require the technician to cut through the existing mounting screws and then adapting each cabinet for surface mounting. Additionally, most side walls sit on top of the completed floor or sub-floor assembly. When replacing damaged flooring on a completed unit, it is virtually impossible to replace the entire floor. Just as construction techniques differ between manufacturers, so do the repair methods. The greatest asset is having product knowledge about how that unit was built. That's why the good RV body shops are always busy. They have garnered the necessary know-how through experience. Unfortunately there is no basic book that covers all the various techniques. The Woodall's RV Owner's Handbook (800-323-9076), does, however, cover some things such as floor repairs. That's not to say that the average handyperson could not perform some of these repairs. Many major repairs can be facilitated by the RV owner if she has the correct tools, a source of materials, a protected work area out of the weather, justifiable curiosity and a tool box full of patience. In fact, it can be a fun project to retro a damaged RV. (One of my fondest memories is helping my Dad rebuild an old pickup camper back in the middle 60's. We used that camper for hunting trips to the Florida Everglades every year). Interior repairs are probably the easiest to accomplish since many RV handypersons have some basic carpentry experience. Major exterior repairs, however, are a different nut altogether. Just how would the RV owner handle a 30-foot long piece of siding anyway? Special tooling, jigs and other equipment requirements will probably prohibit all but the hardiest of RV handypersons from attempting a major exterior repair. If you attempt the inside stuff, have fun doing it!
|
|
|
[ Home ] [ Ask the RV Doctor ] [ RV Doctor Column ] [ Memorandums ] [ Interesting Articles ] [ Product Spotlight ] [RV Service Technician Training ] [ Seminars ] [ Links ] [ Gary's Bio ]
Send your questions and comments to:
gbunzer@cox.net |
|