PPL Motor Homes

Archive for the ‘RV Repair & Maintenance’ Category

Carbon Monoxide (CO) can be a potential hazzard if the concentration builds up in your RV.

1. CO is an invisible, ordorless and poisonous gas. CO can be produced from your LP appliances such as furnaces, gas stoves, propone heaters and even laterns.  Poor maintenance, venting problems or inadequate air flow can all cause dangerours levels of CO to build up in your RV.

2. It goes without saying that you should always maintain all LP or fuel burning appliances.

3. Since CO is invisible and odorless, it is important to have certified CO alarms installed in your RV. Also, it is essential that CO alarms be replaced every 5 years because the sensor will become ineffective over time.

4. You should also know the symptoms of CO poisoning. These symptoms are similar to the flu which are nausea, headache, burning eyes, confusion and frowsiness. One big difference is that there is no fever. If someone in the RV has these symptoms, it is imperative to get everyone, including pets, outside to fresh air immediately and call 911 or the local fire department.

The above infomation was adapted from information from the Techincal Standards and Safety Authority.

PPL Motor Homes provides a whole range of  CO detectors and alarms. The most popular models are the Safe-T-Alert Carbon Moxide Detectors.   If you have any questions about CO Detectors and Alarms you can call PPL’s RV Parts Superstore.

Did you know you have to do maintenance on your RV air conditioner? I knew about changing filters on our home unit and having annual check ups, but had no idea there were a few simple maintenance tips that could help extend the life of our RV air conditioner.  In a recent seminar presented by Terry Cooper, the RV Professor, and hosted by PPL, I learned some important information that I want to pass on to all RV owners. When you take off the cover on your roof AC unit, you need to look at the small vents on the side. These are referred to as ‘fins” and when they are crimped, bent or dirty it reduces the air intake of the unit and, of course, will then reduce the efficiency of your AC. Simply straightening these fins with a fin comb can make a world of difference on how well your AC unit performs. Then, if you take the time to spray these intake coils with Envirochem Air Conditioner Coil Cleaner, the dirt and lint will wash away without the use of special pressure sprayers. You’ll be surprised how much dirt and dust will build up on your roof. Use this cleaner regularly and you will prolong the life of your AC unit.

If you haven’t attended one of Terry Cooper’s seminars at PPL Motor Homes, then you’ve missed out on so much valuable information. Terry Cooper, The RV Professor, is a high profile Master Certified RVDA/RVIA Recreational Vehicle Service Technician experienced in program development and training of RV technicians. He has taught for several years at Texas State Technical College and brings his RV knowledge here to PPL customers once a month. From LP Systems, winterizing your RV and electrical systems to everything you want to know about RV Air conditioning, I promise everyone leaves here with more knowledge than when they came in. These free monthly seminars are fun and informative for the new RV enthusiast and even the seasoned RV owner. His next seminar is scheduled for Saturday, March 20th at 11am in the PPL Training Center where he will provide valuable information on LP systems in the RV. Make plans to learn more about your RV.

Toilets are not the most glamorous thing to talk about in our RV, but I think we have a solution to a water leak problem in our toilet.  The toilet bowl simply would not hold water for more than a few minutes so I did some research.  After being told everything from replace gaskets to replace toilet, I found a handy inexpensive solution.  Put on your rubber gloves and grab an old toothbrush and start scrubbing.  I used Thetford’s Aqua Clean and cleaned the gasket around the ball shape closure.  Now it closes tight and no more water leak.  I was told by a fellow camper that this can be caused by a hard water build up or even tissue that dries on the gasket.  No matter what caused it, this product and a little elbow grease solved the drip.

The Winegard Wingman HD TV upgrade is a great way to improve your RV TV watching experience and take full advantage of HD TV.  That is why the new Wingman HDTV upgrade is one of Earl’s  must have gadgets for your RV. This is a New Winegard RV product that is designed to provide you with the ultimate DTV/HD TV experience. When installed on your Winegard Sensar antenna, the Wingman can increase db gain up to 100% on DTV channels. For quick installation, only 4 simple snap-on screws are needed. If your TV signal is weak, why not give the Winegard Wingman a try.

Earl Showing Winegard Wingman

We used our Protective extended warranty last week for the first time and it was terrific. No, we didn’t break down and we didn’t have a flat or a blow out. We actually called the concierge service to find a campground near Austin. They directed us to a couple of parks and even called ahead to see if reservations were available. A few calls back and forth and we were set to pull in an hour later. Awesome! I can’t imagine how good they will be if we really have a mechanical breakdown.

OK, another trip and another helpful hint proved to work.  When you talk to RV owners it is always interesting to hear all of their “home remedies” and quick fix solutions and, of course, we have to try a few of them.  I recently read that a great way to clean your black water holding tank is by filling with 10-15 gallons of water and ½ box of Calgon Bath Spa (for us old timers, we recall the “Calgon, take me away” commercials).  We did this right before we left for a 4 hour drive and then emptied the tank at the campsite.  It’s amazing how well it works and the RV had a clean fresh smell.  Looks like it worked so I wanted to share this idea with others.

Your RV Refrigerator no longer cools and you need to take action.  A key decision is whether to repair the refrigerator or simply replace it with a whole new unit.

One of the keys is whether or not you smelled ammonia. RV Refrigerator cooling units are based on a closed ammonia cycle. Smelling ammonia before your refrigerator has stopped working is indicative of a leak in the cooling unit.  Although it is possible to replace a cooling unit, many in the industry do not recommend doing so. The replacement cooling units are generally rebuilt and some will not hold up. This means you may have to deal with a refrigerator that will stop working again. This could be especially painful if this occurs while you are on vacation. This is why most  recommend to replace the unit and not attempt to repair if you smelled ammonia prior to the refrigerator quit cooling.

Also, if the unit is more than 10 years old and you suspect a major problem, replacing rather than repairing may be your best option. RV repair parts and labor are expensive and a repair may not include much of a warranty. You can check out the prices of new units at PPL’s RV Refrigerator Page or you can order Norcold and Dometic Refrigerator Repair parts online. PPL’s Refrigerator Repair parts page has a good part lookup system that includes exploded views of your refrigerator model whether it is a Dometic or a Norcold.

Checking and maintaining fluid level in your RV (or auto) batteries can be cumbersome when they are located in tight places. No matter where they are, a tidy way to add water is to use a Turkey Baster. It will reach into those tight places without a lot of sloppy spillage. If you batteries are really low, simply remove the rubber bulb from the baster and place a small, clean funnel in the top and pour the water in. This takes a small bit of manual dexterity, but it can be done and still get into those tight places.

Your RV Roof Air Conditioner has quit working and you are wondering what to do?  A key decision is whether to repair the AC or simply replace the unit.

If you suspect that your roof air conditioner has lost its freon or the compressor is not working, you should consider replacing instead of repairing. In most cases,  replacement will be a better deal for you under the above conditions considering the new unit warranty and the cost of most repairs.  One reason for this is that the market for new replacement RV Air Conditioners is very competitive and prices of new units are attractive. Check out prices at PPL’s RV Air Conditioners page. Also, RV repair parts and labor is expensive and this also makes replacement a better option than repair.  If your AC is less than 5 to 8 years old and the problem could be minor, then repair would be a good option.