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RV Doctor ColumnRV Doctor #311 Dear RV Doctor, we have a Coleman roof-mounted air conditioner on a 1972 Dodge mini-motorhome. The air conditioner works great but sometimes it leaks inside on hot days. We believe we have checked everything, yet it still leaks on those hot days. M. Sapp, (Willis, TX) Mary, there are basically two possibilities; one, either the seal between the roof and the bottom of the air conditioning unit has lost its elasticity or two, it's actually condensation dripping inside the RV. Or both. It's quite common for roof air conditioners to produce lots of moisture in the form of condensation. The moisture that is removed from inside the RV must be relocated to the roof of the RV where it usually evaporates. On very hot and humid days, well over 35% of the energy used by the roof air conditioner is for moisture removal. On those types of days quite a bit of water may collect in the pan of the air conditioner. If the drain holes through the pan are clogged with debris or leaves, the moisture may drip back into the RV, especially if that same unit has a deteriorated gasket seal. It's very possible the seal has deteriorated to the point of needing replacement, especially if that same seal has been in place since 1972! Obtain a new 14-inch seal from Camping World. It doesn't matter which brand of air conditioner, they all require the same size seal. The unit will have to be removed and remounted when replacing the seal. Also be sure to clear any debris from the drain holes in the air conditioner pan. It will be necessary to remove the exterior shroud to examine the drain holes. This should eliminate the moisture from entering the RV. Be sure to check the other roof seams while up there. Dear Gary, I just purchase a used Ford Phoenix Class B camper van with a diesel engine. The deep cycle house battery will not charge up while the engine is running. It will charge up while on shore power. I traced the wiring from the deep cycle battery to a device that is cone shape with two terminal posts on top and one on the bottom. The top post that the deep cycle battery is connected has no voltage with the engine running but the other top post does. There is another terminal post at the bottom that shows no voltage with the engine off but does when it is running which leads me to believe this is the alternator connection. This device looks like it is a battery separator but I not sure of this. I am assuming that the two top terminals are to connect the two batteries but I can only trace the wire going to the deep cycle battery. My questions are does this sound like a battery connector and could it be bad since I only detect 12-volts on one top post and do not detect 12-volts on the other top post that the deep cycle battery connects to. Should I replace this device or do you have any other suggestions? D. Smith, (Charleston, SC) Douglas, indeed it sounds like you are correctly describing a dual battery isolator, though the "cone" shape throws me slightly. Your description of the terminals is exactly how an isolator with a burned out diode on the auxiliary circuit would respond to testing. On that bottom terminal that is "off" with the engine not running....is the voltage in the 14-volt range when the engine is idling? If so, that indeed is the alternator output. Also, with the engine running, the voltage should increase on that other terminal as well. Probably time to pick up a replacement at your closest Camping World store. Be sure the replacement isolator is rated for more than the output capability of the alternator. It must be "sized" correctly to eliminate the possibility of more blown diodes. Dear RV Doctor, we have had a problem with our 2000 Itasca having a sewer smell. The sewer gas build-up is so strong that we had to leave and go to a motel in the middle of the night and it also sets off the LP gas detector. We dumped, flushed, added extra chemicals, bleached, and everything that we could think of. Do you have any suggestions for us? S. Hicks, (Colusa, CA) Shirley, holding tank odors can indeed be exasperating. One important thing to check on your unit; remove the roof vent caps, (many simply twist off), for each holding tank from on top of the RV. Look for an oversized hole drilled through the roof ..... one that is way too large for the actual diameter of the pipe. I have found that, oftentimes, builders drill or cut such an oversized hole to make it easier to install the plumbing. It is imperative that you seal this gap around the pipe to prevent odors from escaping the pipe, bouncing off the underside of the vent covers and back down into the actual ceiling of the RV. Trapped holding tank odors will simply permeate through the RV and maintain a presence since the gasses will continue to be manufactured in the tank. For improving upon the design elements of something as nondescript as a sewer vent, you may want to take a look at a product on the market called the RV 360. Visit them at: www.rv-360.com. And rather than masking odors from the holding tanks, I recommend using a biological additive, one that employs live bacteria to literally eliminate the odor-causing molecules themselves. Many suppliers have now produced such an enzyme-based additive. Avoid using any "chemical" in the holding tanks, especially those that contain formaldehyde. Detergents and some ammonia products may damage seals in the termination valves. Contrary to what even I have expounded in the past, also avoid home brews. Realize suppliers spend lots of money on R&D, so why risk the integrity of the RV waste system for the sake of a few dollars. Once you switch over to the live "bugs," use of other types of deodorants and/or detergents will kill the good bacteria and defeat the purpose. As for evacuating the tanks, many RVers completely close the black water tank and evacuate when it approaches full capacity while leaving the gray water valve fully open so bath and kitchen water freely drains the entire time. The drawback to this method is that obnoxious odors can and will proliferate and emanate from the gray tank quite rapidly. I support the method of keeping both container valves fully closed and evacuating each when almost full and using the live bacteria additive in each tank. This will also help eliminate erratic monitor panel readings from the gray tank in most instances. Dear RV Doctor, when installing a new awning fabric, which I can do, how many turns of the springs do you suggest to get proper roll out and retraction. I have an older Carefree awning that is 182" long. I realize the need for safety when working with the springs. I have checked with two dealers including the one I am buying the fabric from but they can't or won't give me a solid answer. They want to do it for me at a steep labor cost. Everything about it is simple; the spring tension is my only concern. R. Hinch, (Camp Point, IL) Roger, it depends on the age of the torsion assemblies and if you add the windings while the awning is in the travel position or the extended position. Here's the recommended number of turns, but keep in mind, the older the assembly the more likely you'll have to add one or two more. Extended - 17 turns Travel Position - 9 turns The trick is to get the awning to roll up fully and completely without slamming back against the coach. This will damage the assembly and create a pinch hazard. Be very careful adding the windings. One slip and your knuckles will dislike you immensely. Keep in mind this is for your particular 15-footer only.
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