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RV Doctor ColumnRV Doctor #346 Dear RV Doctor, I am having trouble with the TV reception in my RV. I have been told it is either the antenna head or the powered wall receptacle. How do I tell which is the bad part, other than buying and replacing each part until it works? Mark Clement (Islip, NY)
Mark, the 12-volt power supply of the TV antenna actually sends 12-volts to the power head in the antenna. First, be sure the power supply is turned off; never connect or disconnect the coaxial cable with the power supply turned on. Up on the roof, disconnect the cable at the antenna head. With the power supply turned back on you should be able to measure 12-volts DC between the center conductor and the braided shield on the coaxial cable. If 12-volts DC is not present on the coax, turn the power supply back off and remove the power supply and receptacle from the cabinet to gain access to all the connections. Disconnect the coax lead going to the antenna head and turn the power supply back on. If no voltage is present at the power supply output connection, check the incoming voltage to the power supply. If adequate voltage is coming into the power supply, but no voltage is present at the power supply connection leading to the antenna head, replace the antenna power supply. If you can measure voltage at the connection on the power supply for the antenna head, either the coaxial cable is broken or the antenna head itself is faulty. Turn the power supply back off. Obtain a length of coaxial cable and bypass the existing cable. Run the replacement coax from the output of the power supply, out a window and up to the antenna head. Turn the power supply back on once more. If you have amplified and improved television reception, the existing coaxial cable has an open in the conductor which mandates replacement. If the reception is not improved, replace the antenna head. When replacing the coax, it will be necessary to route the cable from the cabinet which contain the power supply up through the roof and to the antenna head..or you'll have to leave that window open all the time! And be sure to properly seal any cables penetrating the roof.
Dear RV Doctor, I have an older Thetford toilet and the bowl is leaking water. I took it to the repair shop and they claimed there was toilet tissue in the groove. It held water for about a month while it was not in use. Then while camping this weekend the water started draining out again. Any suggestions as to how I may fix this problem without having to take it back to the shop? Betty Smith, (Austin, TX)
Betty, it's actually quite common for Thetford toilets to develop this problem over time. The situation is caused, in most cases, by foreign matter becoming trapped in the groove for the slide blade as your repair shop mentioned. It is possible they did not or could not remove all the debris inside the flushing mechanism groove. In severe cases the mechanism must be removed from the toilet and disassembled, cleaned, lubed and reassembled. Before reverting to that unpleasant extreme, fashion a hook out of a coat hanger or a bent screwdriver that will reach into the groove to scrape out the residue. Take special care not to damage the rubber seals. There is one located above the slide and one below the slide blade. Do this repetitively until no more waste or tissue can be removed. Flush the toilet a few times, then lube the slide with a non-corrosive, petroleum-free lubricant like a Teflon lubricant or something similar. It takes a little bit of determination to remove all the debris. Perhaps your service facility did not exert enough patience the first time around. To check your results, fill the toilet bowl with water and mark the level with a light pencil mark on the inside of the bowl. Simply let it stand for thirty minutes or so and see if any water seeps past the slide blade. If it did, the only recourse is the disassembly procedures I mentioned earlier. Thetford does provide a packaged repair kit for this task which includes all the necessary seals, screws, etc. Unless the plastic slide blade itself or the internal cavity have been physically damaged, disassembling, cleaning and lubing is usually all that is necessary, however unpleasant that may be in and of itself.
Dear RV Doc, my parents recently purchased a used, 1997 motorhome with a Magnetek convertor with a battery charger. All of the circuits on the convertor are working okay. On the charger side, the output stopped the first time they plugged it in at the campground. From what I gather, Mom was listening to the radio while packing the RV before they left. When they got to the campground, the radio would not work. The battery is new. The transformer is putting out over 16-volts on one side and only 8-volts on the other. I don't want to waste anybody's time if this is a lost cause. Where can find some technical info or a like replacement unit? Rob Gibson, (Findlay, OH)
Rob, some older convertor chargers are quite capable of being repaired as long as parts are still available for them. However, in some instances of under-sized convertor outputs, (for the application), or those convertors of lesser quality (components or design), it may be best to upgrade to one of the newer, sophisticated, multi-step chargers. Some of today's designs employ actual computers with special algorhythm principles that can truly satisfy today's high demand for on-board 12-volt power by keeping the battery bank fully charged, without the fear of overcharging. Sadly, many of the earlier charging/convertors used in the RV industry were mediocre at best. Some were under-powered, while others were prone to literally boil the electrolyte out of the batteries. However, before condemning any convertor, I recommend a complete bench test and an internal electrical "check-up," if you will. Like I've mentioned before, some convertors can be repaired quite successfully, so you must be prepared to choose between a repair and a new convertor. Some factors to consider are, how long do you think your parents plan to keep that RV? Are they thinking about a trade anytime soon? Do they want the absolute best of today's technology? Answers to these questions will help decide between a repair of the existing convertor or a new one. But before you can even consider such a choice you must first have the existing convertor analyzed by performing very specific tests and measurements. Unfortunately, without actually viewing the convertor first-hand and performing these diagnostics, I'd just be guessing. I do, however, have a recommendation for you. When it comes to convertor/charger experts in the RV industry, I recommend Master Techs. They are located in Marshall, Michigan, but they receive convertors from all over North America for repair. They have a quick turn-around time, (they ship back to you within 24 - 48 hours), and because of the considerable inventory of spare parts they carry for virtually all brands of convertors. Chances are they will have the convertor tested, repaired and shipped back to you faster than you could secure an appointment at a local RV service facility. Chances are also, that facility would have to order the repair parts from Master Techs anyway; that is if they even do internal convertor repairs at all! Not many shops dig into the innards of a charging convertor. Might as well let the experts do the work correctly the first time. To have your convertor checked out by Master Techs, call toll free 800-848-0558. They will provide all the necessary information to ship your convertor to them.
Dear Gary, one of my group 24 series batteries has gone bad. I would like to replace them with 6-volt, golf cart batteries. I was at the PRVCA Show and attended your battery seminar and I thought you told us we would only need two, 6-volt deep cycle batteries. Can I do this? How many do I need and how do I hook them up? I have a HR Presidential 36'. Everyone I ask tells me I'll need four, 6-volt batteries to replace the current 12-volt batteries. Richard Baker, (New Enterprise, PA)
Richard, your two Group 24 batteries connected in parallel yields approximately 170 combined amps of storage (about 65-amps each). Two Trojan 6-volt batteries wired in series yields about 225 amps at 12-volts. The more batteries you add, obviously the more current you'll be able to store. Four of the same 6-volt batteries wired in a series-parallel configuration, for example, will provide about 450 amp-hours of use. Even if you had two Group 27 batteries in parallel, they would total about 210 amps, still less than two 6-volt golf cart batteries. When wiring two 6-volt batteries in series, the hot lead (from the RV) connects to the positive post of one battery and the negative lead to the negative post of the second battery. A jumper cable interconnects the two batteries between the negative post of the first battery and the positive post of the second battery. Connect the positive cable to the first battery first, then the interconnecting cable second and finally, the ground cable to the second battery last.
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