Black Tank
Which is the best chemical to pour in the black tank? The blue stuff, the green stuff, liquid or powder? The correct answer is Nothing!!!  Most of the chemicals poured in black tanks only kill the good bacteria that is eating the solids and add perfume to make it smell better. Never put detergent or any concoction in the tank or chlorine that will eat the seals. Do not use Lysol, Pinesol or any cleaners. Bacteria in the tank eats the solids turning them into syrup that drains easily. If you have a black tank odor in your RV you have a venting or a seal problem. Fix the problem and do not add any chemicals. If you feel you have to add something use Rid-X or an organic additive that promotes bacteria.

The only time the blank tank dump valve should be open is when you're dumping. The rest of the time keep it closed. If you leave the valve open solids will build up in the black tank while liquids drain out. Eventually you will have a tank full of solids and that is not good.

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  How to Dump Holding Tanks
Allow the black tank to get at least three-quarters full and the gray tank at least half full before dumping. For weekend campers who don't reach those levels you can add more water by holding down the toilet foot pedal and running water in a sink. Pull the black tank lever and let the tank empty then close the lever. Pull the gray tank lever and drain the tank. We usually dump the tanks after taking showers so the gray tank's warm soapy water will clean the sewer hose. After dumping the black tank add a couple of gallons of water so it is not dry and water also helps the bacteria grow.

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  Hooking up Utilities
Check the power outlet for correct wiring because you don't want to burn up expensive items in your RV because some workamper or maintenance boy wired the outlet wrong. Now turn off the circuit breaker, connect your power cord and turn the breaker on. Use a pressure regular at the campground water faucet and connect your water hose. Run water until it is clear before connecting the hose to your RV. Put on disposable rubber gloves and connect your sewer hose and open the gray water tank. Throw the gloves away. I'm amazed at the number of people who reuse the same gloves, often for months, and everything the gloves touch gets soiled. Now wash your hands. (Always connect the sewer hose last. You do not want to work with the sewer hose and then handle the water hose.)

When you break camp disconnect the water hose first, drain it and connect the two ends to keep bugs and dirt out. Place the water hose and regulator in a compartment other than where the sewer hose connects or is stored. Turn off the campground circuit breaker, disconnect the power cord, coil and store it. Put on disposable rubber gloves and drain the holding tanks if needed. Then make sure both holding tank valves are closed before disconnecting the sewer hose. Place the sewer hose in a compartment where it can not infect anything. Throw away the gloves and wash your hands.

The most important things are connect and disconnect the sewer hose last, throw away your soiled gloves, use a water pressure regulator and turn off the circuit breaker before connecting or disconnecting the power cord.

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  Water Hoses
Buy two hoses, a 25-foot and a 50-foot, 3/4 inch diameter hose. Get hoses that are approved for drinking water and not garden type hoses. Be sure you use a water pressure regular to limit pressure to 40- 45 pounds because you do not want to spring a leak in the guts of your RV. Also buy a 50 foot garden hose for washing your RV and to flush out your black tank and sewer hose. NEVER use your drinking water hose to flush your sewer hose. A drinking water hose should be used to supply fresh water to your RV only, should be sealed when not in use and stored away from the sewer hose.

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  Water Filters
Every RV should have two water filters, one to catch dirt and grime and one to purify drinking and cooking water. A sediment filter of 5-10 micron should be mounted in the RV where water enters to prevent dirt from entering the water system. You do not want dirt coming out of your faucets and grinding away your water pump. A second filter, a carbon filter, should be mounted under the sink to condition the water you drink and use for cooking.

Some Dos and Don'ts:

• Do change the sediment filter every three months to prevent bacteria growth.
• Do place the sediment filter in a clear holder so you can check its condition. (We have clogged filters in as little as one day.)
• Do not place a filter in the sun because heat and sun promotes bacteria growth in the filter.
• Do not buy filters at a RV dealer because they charge too much. Buy filters ar Wal*Mart or Home Depot.
• Do not believe a cheap inline filter connected to the campground faucet will filter everything.
• Do not use a paper coated charcoal filter. They are worthless. Use a solid or activated carbon filter. How do you tell the difference other than the label. One is lightweight and cheap and the other is heavy and expensive. Use the good one.
• Do not use a carbon filter to supply your RV. It strips the chlorine and you end up with non-chlorinated water in your RV. (A friend used a carbon filter at the entrance of his motorhome and his fresh water tank and water lines turned green and slimy.)

  Water Heater
Every six months drain the water heater by removing the drain plug. (The drain plug is also the anode rod in the Suburban water heaters.) Use a straightened clothes hanger to loosen the crud inside the water heater and flush it out with a water hose and nozzle. You will be surprised how much crud comes out and your water will smell sweeter. Install a new anode rod if the old one is eaten away. (Suburban water heaters need an anode rod and Atwood water heaters do not.)

Water heaters running on LP should be quiet. If you can hear the flame more than six feet away the water heater's burner needs adjusting, best done by a certified professional.

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  Furnace
Yellow jackets and mud daubers love to build their nests inside furnaces. Install screens over the intake and exhaust openings. Never cover a floor register to block air flow or you'll be buying a new fan motor or furnace before long.

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  Refrigerator
The biggest complaint with RV refrigerators is they don't cool enough. The refrigerator section should be 36-38 degrees and the freezer should drop to zero or below. If your refrigerator does not cool enough on both electric and LP you may have a venting or door seal problem. From outside check the back of the refrigerator for blockage (loose insulation) and from the roof remove the vent and make sure there is nothing blocking the passage. If it cools OK on electric but not on LP you have a dirty burner. Rust from the flue can fall on the burner and block the flame. All you need to do is blow or vacuum the rust away.

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  Batteries (House)
A motorhome has separate batteries, one for starting the engine and the others, house batteries, to run anything that needs 12 volts. A fifthwheel or travel trailer has house batteries only. Most batteries are wet-cells that need to have the water level checked monthly and if the level is low add distilled water to top them off. To clean acid off the batteries use a solution of baking soda and water and rinse the batteries with water. Every few months check the cable connections to made sure they are tight. If acid builds up on the cable connections remove them and clean them with a wire brush or sandpaper and coat each connection with silicon die-electric compound (available at any auto supply store) before re-connecting the cables.

Never discharge the batteries more than 50% (12.2 volts resting) or you will shorten their lives. An engine alternator or standard converter will charge batteries to between 80 and 90%. If you want to fully charge your batteries use a good three-stage charger or an inverter / charger.

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  Solar Panels
A good solar system (solar panels, charge controller, battery banks, inverter) will allow you to live for days without an electric hookup or running your generator. Before investing thousands of dollars in a solar system - study, study, study. You need to know in detail how solar panels, batteries and inverters work. In other words, study until you know as much as the experts; otherwise, you will not be happy. If you buy a couple of solar panels and mount them on your roof, install a cheap charge controller and don't monitor your batteries, you will not be happy - just poorer.

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  Detectors and Alarms
All RVs come with three detectors and alarms - LP, smoke and carbon monoxide. The smoke detector should be mounted high in the living area, the LP detector near the floor near the middle of the RV and the carbon monoxide detector high in the bedroom. The LP detector is connected to the RV batteries and the other detectors can either be connected to the RV batteries or have their own 9-volt batteries. Change the 9-volt batteries "at least" annually and use only alkaline batteries. All detectors have a useful life and should be replaced every few years. Carbon Monoxide alarms must be replaced every five years and when you buy a new one get an Atwood Carbon Monoxide Alarm with a digital readout that is certified for RVs.

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  Generator
More generators die from under use than from over use. If you don't run it at least one hour every month you are destroying it and it won't be there for you when needed. Before starting your generator look around and if there is another RV within 40 feet, ask their permission before firing it up. If you are in a state or national park look around and if there is another RV (or RVs) within 200 feet of you ask permission from each RV owner.

(We have had neighbors start their generators and fill our motorhome with fumes that set off the smoke detector and LP alarm. In a national park without hookups we were enjoying the sounds of birds when a neighbor on each side started the loudest generators we have ever heard, then they both left for the day. Our day was ruined. Next time that happens their generators will not be running when they return.)

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  Converter
A converter changes 110 volts AC electric to 12 volts DC to run 12 volt items in RVs. It also charges the house batteries but 95% of converters do a very inefficient job. A cheap battery charger from Wal*Mart will do a better job. (There are efficient converters on the market if you want to upgrade.)

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  Inverter
An inverter changes 12 volts DC to 110 volts AC to run items that need 110 volts (TV, VCR, satellite receiver, microwave and most 110 volt outlets in the RV). Some RVs have small inverters, 300-600 watts, that run the TV, VCR and satellite receiver only while others have large inverters. A microwave, coffee pot or hair dryer needs an inverter of at least 1500 watts. Of course, the larger the inverter the more house batteries you will need. Most large inverters are also battery chargers with three stages of charging to keep your batteries in tip-top condition.

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  Surge Protectors
There are two reasons to use a surge protector. RVs are getting more complicated with electronics and campground electricity can be terrible. Today's RVs use electronic circuit boards in the water heater, furnace, refrigerator, air conditioners, heat pumps, inverters, converters, microwaves, slideout controls and other items. Most RVs have TVs, VCRs, DVD players, radios, CBs and motorhomes have computers controlling the engine and transmission. Campground electric boxes are wired by workampers, general maintenance people and in one campground where we stayed, by a worker's teenage son. (He got the phases reversed.) Every RV on the same transformer shares power and if the motorhome down the row starts his old generator and puts a surge or spike on the electric line it will be felt by every RV connected to electric.

The above reasons, expensive equipment and poor electric, are why you need surge, spike and under and over voltage protection. We have a Surge Guard built into the motorhome. It protects the motorhome against surges and spikes and if the voltage drops to 102 volts or rises over 132 volts it disconnects the electric. Another advantage, when we connect to campground electric it runs a test and alerts us if something is wrong.

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  Satellite Dish
Some RVers won't travel without a satellite TV system and others wouldn't watch TV if they had one. Satellite dishes come in portable models (mount outside on a tripod) or roof mounted manual, automatic and in-motion automatic models. We had a manual crank up model and it took about one minute to lock on a satellite signal. Now we have an automatic dish and it takes a little longer but all we have to do is press a button. We subscribe to DirecTV and have been happy with their service.

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  Rubber Roof Care
Everybody calls them rubber roofs but actually very few are rubber. There are EPDM roofs, vinyl roofs, Brite-Tek roofs and other materials. The only care needed is cleaning with dish detergent (Dawn, Joy, etc.) and water twice a year and re-caulking as needed. If you use the "rubber roof" cleaners, conditioners or protectants, you will shorten the life of the roof. After all, only you and the birds will know your roof is dirty.

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  Parking and Backing
I'm surprised at the number of people who can't back their RV into a campsite. First, both people should get out and look at the site. Note where the utility hookups are located and especially the sewer cap. Look for tree limbs as many people only look down and not up. Now, discuss exactly where you will park the rig and how you're going to get it there. The spotter should stand at the rear on the driver's side and give big hand signals. (The driver can not see a finger pointing or a head shaking.) If the driver can not see the spotter he / she should stop immediately. After getting parked the driver and spotter should meet outside for a hug and kiss.

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  Weigh Your RV
During a seminar with over 100 RV owners, the attendees were asked how many had weighed their RVs. Only a few hands went up and I could have counted them on my fingers without needing my thumbs. Of course I'm sure you have weighed your RV!!!  Otherwise you would not know if you are overloaded and you wouldn't know the proper air pressure for your tires according to the chart your tire manufacturer gave you. Yes, you do have the manufacturer's RV tire chart???  After an Escapees rally the RV Safety Council (aka A Weigh We Go) weighed many RVs (for a few bucks) and found over 70% were either overloaded or had low tire pressure. Those 70% were pulling out of the rally grounds and driving unsafely and dangerously down the road and they were the ones concerned about safety. Those not concerned snuck out without being weighed. It is estimated about 85% of RVs are unsafe because they are overloaded or have unsafe tires or tire pressures.

So weigh your motorhome and toad or your fifthwheel / travel trailer and truck or van. Then check the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating), GCWR (Gross Capacity Weight Rating) and GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating) on the sticker your manufacturer placed inside your RV. If you are overloaded please pitch some stuff to get rid of weight. Finally, set the air pressure in the tires according to the chart supplied by your tire manufacturer for your weights.

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  Tires
RV tires should be replaced every six years no matter how good they look. (Every tire has its manufactured date stamped on the sidewall - sometimes on the inside.) If you drive on tires older than six years you will have a blowout at a time most inconvenient to you - guaranteed. Check your tire pressures often and keep them inflated to the pressures determined by your weights. RV tires are wax impregnated to prevent sun or dry rot so all they need is a periodic cleaning with soap and water. NEVER use a product with petroleum on your tires to make them shiny because it dries them out and causes them to fail earlier. We use Aerospace 303 Protectant on "both" sides of the tires. If you use the wrong products on your tires you will need to replace them every four or five years.

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  Auxiliary Brakes
If you drive a motorhome you need auxiliary brakes on your toad vehicle. All motorhomes take a long distance to stop and auxiliary brakes will stop you several feet shorter. Some day you will have a panic stop and without auxiliary brakes you will crash, with auxiliary brakes you will only come close to crashing. Never drive without auxiliary brakes. We use a Brake Buddy.

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  Mountain Driving
I have seen it written by uninformed experts and read it on internet bulletin boards - "always go down a mountain in the same gear that got you up the mountain." That is a lot of Bull and practicing that advice can get you killed. How many mountains have the same grade and curves going up one side and down the other? Very few. It is common to find mountains that are 3% going up one side and 7% going down the other side. Near the top of mountains you will see signs warning of steep grades. BEFORE you start down the mountain determine the speed you want to maintain all the way down and start down at that speed. Select a lower gear and downshift at the top of the mountain and use your brakes as little as possible. Never ride (keep pressing) the brake pedal because the brakes will overheat causing total brake failure. If you want to descend at 45 mph, don't touch the foot brake until your speed is 50 mph, then press the brake hard until you slow to 40 mph, let off the pedal and allow your speed to slowly increase to 50 mph at which point you want to press the brake pedal hard and slow to 40 mph again. By doing this the brakes will cool between applications and they will not fail. Of course if you have a diesel engine and exhaust or engine brake use it, but still follow the above braking procedure if needed.

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  Routine Maintenance
Never take your RV to a service facility and say "I want you to do the annual service" or something similar. When you pick it up later you may be charged for an oil and oil filter change, fuel filter, air filter, transmission fluid and filter, antifreeze, chassis lube, air conditioner removal and cleaning, carpet cleaning and dusting the light bulbs. Always give the service facility a written list of items you want serviced and get a written estimate of charges. Don't know what needs to be serviced? See item below.

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  Owners Manuals
Finally, if you have not read the Owners Manuals that came with your RV in the last year get them out and read them in detail. You will learn things you never knew. Yes, it may take a few days to read every word and study every chart but it is the only way to learn how everything works.

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