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RV Doctor ColumnRV Doctor #349 Dear RV Doctor, we just purchased an RV with an Onan Marquis generator. We went to change the oil for the first time and after warming up the generator we could not get the oil to drain any faster than a drop at a time. We opened up the drain valve and unscrewed the filler cap. Other than that we're not sure what to do. Kandie Nield, (Hagerstown, MD)
Kandie, I hate to be the one to ask this, but are you absolutely sure the crankcase is not simply empty or very low on oil now? I'd suggest pouring in about a half a quart, leaving the drain valve open and see if the new oil immediately drains. If it does so, that generator was quite low on oil when you went to change it. If the new oil, however, does not drain normally, then you apparently have a blockage inside the crankcase or in the drain valve itself. You can try using a flashlight and mirror to see if any blockage is visible. If not, it may necessitate having the generator removed from the coach and the oil pan removed for a thorough cleaning. But first pour a quart of cleaning solvent or very light oil into the crankcase and stir it around with a screwdriver reaching through the dipstick/cap cover. Perhaps that will dislodge or dilute any sludge blocking the drain opening. You may even try to snake a flexible wire up through the drain valve in case the blockage is only located there. Be sure to flush it thoroughly and to fully drain everything in the crankcase before adding fresh oil. Don't forget to replace the oil filter as well!
Dear Gary, my motorhome awning mounting holes up at the awning rail are stripped. I don't know how the roof is constructed behind this rail. Do you recommend just installing larger lag bolts or do you have a better idea. Right now, 1/4" x 3" lag bolts are installed. Sal Lugo, (Wurtsboro, NY)
Sal, most motorhomes are reinforced in those areas where awnings are typically installed. A wooden support is usually built into the wall (and near the floor line) to accept the awning mounting screws. If your lags are simply stripped, try removing the upper brackets and plugging the existing holes with a 1/4-inch wooden dowel. Apply some carpenter's glue to the dowel before you hammer it in. Be sure it fits snug. If it appears loose, wedge some shims in alongside the dowel. Trim off any portion of the dowel that sticks out. After the glue sets, simply reinstall the same lag screws after drilling 1/8-inch pilot holes. Seal the open holes with silicone before installing the awning bracket. If your internal framing consists of aluminum or steel studs instead of wood supports, you may have success simply going to a larger, 5/16" lag screw as you've suggested. You'll have to drill the holes in the mounting assemblies larger to accommodate a larger lag. If the sidewall/roof area is not beefed up or properly supported internally, it may be necessary to "bolt through" the entire sidewall. This can be accomplished by fabricating a 6-inch square aluminum plate with holes drilled to match the spacing of the mounting holes in the upper awning bracket. The plate should be about 3/16-inch thick. Hopefully it will be hidden inside a cabinet. Instead of lag screws, it will be necessary to use 1/4-inch bolts, nuts and washers; long enough to pass through the awning bracket, the sidewall and the interior plate. Not the most aesthetic fix, but effective. Hope this helps!
Dear Doc, like many people, we do a lot of dry camping. And one of the most important resources when dry camping is the water tank capacities. Unfortunately the new RV we just purchased only has a 50-gallon fresh water storage capacity. Not enough for a long weekend with our three kids. I've been told I can add an additional tank to increase that capacity. I've even found a site that sells RV water tanks of various sizes at reasonable prices. However, I have no idea how you would go about "linking" the new tank to the existing tank so I would only need one filler spout and one pump. Do you have any suggestions as to how I might do this? Dave Chittum, (Newhall, CA)
Dave, installing a second fresh water storage tank is indeed doable, however, I usually recommend a separate fill to accommodate faster filling. It can be done with a single fill by linking the two tanks together with an approved fresh water tubing. Both tanks must be on the same level and be the same height in order to get by with one fill spout. You'll need to connect a water line, the larger the better, at the bottom of each tank and a vent line at the top of each tank, linking the tanks together. Some tanks have auxiliary threaded fittings already installed, but additional fittings can be welded on or spun on by any properly equipped RV shop. There are even two-piece fittings available that simply require a hole drilled in the tank to install. Leave the pump where it is and let gravity do the work of equalizing the levels in each tank. Remember, water seeks its own level, so if they are connected together at the top and bottom, they will drain together as water is pumped through the system. They will also fill at the same time, though it may take more time for the levels to equalize during the filling process. You'll only need barbed fittings and simple hose clamps since the new fittings will not be pressurized. Only those fittings located downstream of the water pump will be under any pressure other than static pressure. The hardest part will be routing the fresh water tubing between each tank. But it will indeed provide additional fresh water storage. Don't forget, the new tank will also require its own drain valve and fitting as well.
Dear RV Doctor, my refrigerator only works on AC and LP. When on the go is it okay to use the LP function, or should I use the generator and run the refrigerator on AC? Or neither, and use ice only? I know you get a large volume of email, but I'm 78 years old and I may not have a lot of time left for you to answer! Any advice would be helpful. Sonny Tissiere, (Warren Grove, NJ)
Oh Sonny, I'm sure you will have plenty of time left to use that motorhome! But there are a few lines of reasoning about operating the refrigerator while driving down the road. Some say as long as all the components are operating correctly and there are no LP leaks anywhere in the system, and you turn it off when you refuel, then it is perfectly safe to operate the unit on LP. Others say to run the generator and power the refrigerator with 120-volt AC. Others say, if the refrigerator and its contents are already cooled, simply turn the refrigerator off when driving and refrain from opening the door. Most everything will still stay cold until you stop for the day and then activate the refrigerator. I don't think anyone recommends putting a block of ice in there. Obviously there are varying risks to running the unit on LP while driving and a noise/fuel factor for running the generator while going down the road. The safest option obviously is to pre-cool the refrigerator and turn it off while driving. Personally, knowing the integrity of all my components, I'd probably choose to operate on the LP function most of the time while driving.
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