Oh, the weather outside is frightful But the fire is so delightful And since we've no place to go Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow It would help if you didn't face any frightful RV repairs this coming year, so we have some simple tips.

Second, keeping up on your RV's roof maintenance is vital to ensure your RV has a long life. The roof is the heart of your RV, and if it fails, it can be fatal. So, we offer free roof inspections to help you avoid a problem. We can inspect your roof anytime Monday-Friday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. It is always helpful if you call us to ensure our technicians are available.

We will give you a quote for any repairs your roof may need, or we will show you the products and give you some tips on how to use them if you would like to do it yourself. Also, mention this post, and we will provide you with 10% off your repairs or any roof-related product you purchase.

First, to avoid plumbing problems due to freezing temps this winter. We recommend you use a compressor with a fitting that we stock in the store (see the picture). It screws into your city water fill. Set the compressor at 55 psi, and while pressurizing the system, have someone open each faucet one by one and depress the toilet pedal or hand flush to blow all the excess water out of the system.

Ask RV Supply Center Thursday

We usually answer questions related to recreational vehicles. But considering the season, here is a question that needs answering.

Who is Jesus?

You may not know it, but this is the most critical question you will consider in your life. It has eternal ramifications. Let us begin to answer the question with an undeniable reality.

The world is a broken place. When we say the world, we are talking about human beings. Every human being knows that they are not the person they should be. The word of God describes this problem as falling short of the glory of God and not obeying God's law.

Man's fallenness is directly connected to Adam representing the human race in the garden, and when he sinned, we sinned in him. Adam violated God's command to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

The result of Adam's sin was the corruption of his own life and the lives of all his posterity. Thus, death spread to all mankind because of the imputed guilt of Adam's sin.

God did not leave Adam in this hopeless estate but promised him that his offspring through Eve would crush the head of the serpent who had deceived her. Thus, God promised from the earliest moment of history to send a Redeemer, who would be born of a woman under the law, to redeem His people from the bondage of sin, restoring our relationship with God, the Father.

The fall season is an excellent time to tackle various things that must be maintained on your RV. The roof is one of those things that will only give you a problem once it is too late. If you have an EPDM or TPO rubber roof, it will need some yearly maintenance. Those roofs need to be cleaned and have a UV protection applied.

Your roof can be cleaned with a mild dish soap, gentle cleaner, and a sponge mop. You do not want to use any brush or abrasive device. You do not want to exfoliate the roof because this causes it to wear prematurely and causes excess chalking.

Also, you want to avoid using a pressure washer or making any twisting turns with your feet when you are on your roof. Either of these can cause your roof to wrinkle or tear in the worst case.

We sell various products that clean and protect your roof in the same process. Or, if you have used your cleaner, we have a Protect-All product that gives you UV protection. The price for a gallon is around $49, and depending on the length of your RV, it will provide you with two treatments.

We are constantly working to take the hassle out of owning your RV and make your travel adventures more enjoyable. So we offer free roof inspections. We will either show you the products you need or give you an estimate for our service department to take care of your roof.

Question: Are Dog Bone or Puck electrical adapters safe to use?

Answer: First, let's answer the question of what a dog bone or puck adaptor is and what function they serve. These electrical adapters allow you to connect to a power outlet that provides less power than your RV needs but gives you some reduced electrical functions. The adapters will usually allow you to charge your batteries. However, on some 50 amp RVs reduced with a puck adapter for a 110v outlet, it will not allow any power into the RV.

The 50 amp dog bone adapter has two power connections, a ground and a neutral. When you reduce it with the dog bone to a 30 amp connection, the two power connections are reduced into one, with the other two being ground and neutral. The effect of this reduction is that you only have 30 amps of power available. The power reduction means you cannot run both A/C's simultaneously; you will only be able to run one. In addition, you will not be able to run your A/C and microwave simultaneously.

There are some dangers to running on an adapter. There are times when you draw more power than the adapter can handle, but it will not trip a breaker, and it will cause the adapter to melt. If this happens, it could cause a fire. So, you want to ensure you only run the amount of power through your adapter it is rated to handle; anything else can cause a problem.

I am sure that most of you reading this don't remember the TV series "Get Smart." The lead character played a parody of a secret agent. His name was Maxwell Smart. And he was anything but smart; one of his catchphrases was "missed by that much" while holding his finger close together. While Agent Smart was not smart, we have a Tech Tip for you, which is a Smart Plug.

It is a smart change to make to your RV because the current twist lock plugs are often a fire hazard. The reason for this is the curvature of the connector, the small contact surface area, and the way the connection is made. The connection relies on a small dimple to run either 30 or 50 amps through. Once that connection loses its tension and becomes loose, it becomes hot, and as it grows worse, it will eventually melt the head.

The Smart Plug has a spring-loaded connector with 47% more surface connection area.

The Smart Plug is the solution to your shore power connection melting.

Here is a list of features:

• Straight-in, single-step operation means no more twisting or fiddling with locking rings

• Plug shape takes the guesswork out of connecting, so it's simple to use, even in the dark

  more

Question:

I bought a new 5th wheel and wanted to know what needs regular maintenance?

Answer:

Regular maintenance is essential for the best performance and life of the appliances and RV systems. Listed below are our suggestions for maintenance.

Monthly:

• Check the water level in lead-acid batteries.

• Check the tire pressure.

Yearly:

• Clean and service the A/C.

• Clean and service the water heater.

• Repack bearings and inspect running gear.

• Inspect roof.

• LP pressure check.

• Check the operation, and replace the batteries of the LP Detector, CO2 Detector, Smoke Alarm.

• Service and test the RV batteries.

• Lube the slides and check the slide seals.

• Inspect the coupler and lubricate.

• Sanitize the freshwater system.

• Check the power cord head.

• Check the 7-way trailer plug and clean it with an electrical contact cleaner.

• Check the awning and slide-topper operation and clean the fabric.

  more

Patio awnings are a great way to make instant shade, and they are easy to use, but there are a few tips that will keep you from prematurely destroying your awning.

First, never leave your awning out at night or when you are going to be away from the RV. While awnings provide excellent shade, they also are the perfect sail. One strong gust of wind and your awning will fly away, ripping the awning, damaging the hardware, or damaging the RV itself by pulling the mounts out of the side wall of the RV.

Second, you don't want to roll your awning up wet; you want to let it completely dry first. If you must roll it up wet, you will want to open it up and let it dry out entirely on the first sunny day. If it has been put away wet and you notice that you have some mildew forming on the fabric. You can take a 50/50% hydrogen peroxide mixed with water and spray it on the fabric, letting it set for a few minutes, then take a soft bristle brush, agitate the solution, and rinse.

Once again, let the fabric thoroughly dry before rolling it up. Also, you will want to test the solution on a corner of your awning before applying it to see if it will change the fabric's color.

Follow these simple tips, and you will enjoy sitting in the shade of your awning for many years. If you need a new vinyl fabric, we have several options at a reasonable price, and we can have the new fabric installed in a few days. Give us a call today.

Question: I am having difficulty getting my Weight Distribution Hitch's bar released from the hitch. Do you have any suggestions?

Answer: Remember the song "Try A Little Harder."

Don't worry try a little harder

Girl really wants you man

Don't you see you gotta give her all the lovin' that she needs

Gotta try

Try it one more time

Gotta try, try it one more time

Don't you worry try a little harder

This may be true when you are chasing down a wife, but it is not true when uncoupling your Weight Distribution Hitch. You don't want to work harder, but smarter.

Here are some hints on making this process easy. First, you want to put a block or support under the foot pad at least six inches in height. Leave the trailer attached to the tow vehicle with the hitch pin still in place. Wait to remove the hitch pin or release the coupler until the process is complete and the wheels are chocked.

Next, raise the tongue jack until the tension bars are loose and easily removed. The trailer has not been raised high enough if the tension bar takes any force to release. Once the tension is released, rotate the tension bar 90%, unclip, and remove. Repeat the process for the other side.

There is a time when spending a little extra money is a waste and other times when you pay a little more, but you get a better product that you will only have to buy once.

Wheel chocks fall into this category. The standard brightly colored plastic wheel chock is as cheap as dirt, but in all honesty, you get better performance from a mound of dirt. They sell for around $5-7 dollars. The problem with these plastic chocks is that they are easy to drive over and do not stay in place. They are so light that a strong wind will blow them away.

The solution is some heavy-duty rubber wheel chocks. They will stay wherever you put them, and you will have difficulty running over them. They will chock your wheels, staying in place. The rubber chock costs more money in the $30-40 range, but you will only ever replace them if you lose them, and they will actually work as a chock.

We stock a couple of options for these heavy-duty rubber chocks. Come by and take a look and compare them to the plastic chocks.

We give you information that takes the hassle out of RV'ing and makes your adventures more enjoyable.

Question: Is there any maintenance I need to do on my scissor jacks, and is there any way to make cranking them up and down easier?

Answer: Yes, it is best, at least once a quarter, to spray the gear mechanism with brake cleaner to remove road grime and any old lubricant. After wiping off the excess cleaner, spray a liberal coat of white lithium grease. Then, operate each jack to enable the lubricant to penetrate the mechanism.

We have a ‘yes’ on the second question as well. Your jacks will take one of two different adapters that will go on a power drill that allows you to extend and retract the scissor jacks quickly. One of the adapters is a hook, and the other is a socket. So, you will need to identify which one your jacks will use. See the picture of the adapters to help you identify the adapter you need. Both of these are typically in stock.

We always look for ways to take the hassle out of RV'ing and make your travel adventures more enjoyable. If you want a question answered, we would love to hear from you. Just email your questions to josh@4rvfun.com

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair."

― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

Question: I am getting ready to buy a used RV, and I know that looking at the roof is essential; what are the trouble signs I am looking for to avoid buying an RV that needs significant repairs?

Answer: The song you don't want to sing after buying a used RV is "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head." While you may like the song, you want to avoid experiencing it in your RV. Here are some tips that might help you avoid the wrong kind of music.

First, you are looking for any sealant that is cracking or is starting to peel. Second, you want to look at the terminal moldings at the RV's rear and front edge, especially each corner. These flex points are susceptible to cracking the sealant and letting water inside. Also, you are looking for soft spots on the roof where water has penetrated and begun destroying the wood. If you find any, only purchase that RV if you get a hefty discount. Roof repairs are expensive.

Second, go inside the RV and look in each corner for signs of water penetration. If you see ripples in the wallpaper or sagging of the roof header, you know water has seeped into the RV. Or if you notice any staining or discoloration, you have an RV that has a problem and probably want to pass on the purchase. Also, if the RV has a musty smell, you probably have an existing leak or it has leaked in the past.

I am buying a new RV, and I am considering having a washer/dryer combo installed. Is it worth the money?

The short answer is no. Here are the reasons why.

First, the capacity of the combo washer/dryer, or even a stack-able unit, is very limited. You cannot wash your bed sheets, and you can only wash a couple of towels at a time, depending on their size. So while a washer/dryer combo may sound convenient, there are some things you cannot wash. And for those you can, you're going to be doing multiple loads.

Second, they use a lot of water. If you have hook-ups, this is not a big problem - but a complete non-starter for any boondocking.

Third, combine the small load capacity with the extended cycle times of a small combo unit, and you will do nothing but wash clothes on your vacation.

Fourth, they don't even get your clothes all that clean.

Fifth and finally, they are expensive to repair. From the cost of parts to the cost of labor, they are expensive to maintain because often the unit has to be removed from its cubby to diagnose and repair.

So from our experience and input from customers who have washer/dryer or stackable units, it is not worth the cost.

Most of your RVs today come with an electric awning, and that electric awning comes with a rain shed feature. The rain shed feature uses a gas-charged shock, allowing the awning to dip in the corners to shed excess water. But you probably don't know that you may be causing those shocks to fail prematurely.

Most people love the convenience of the electric awning and think you need to press the button and start enjoying the shade. But there is one more step you want to take:

• Extend your awning about two feet.

• Pause for about five seconds.

• Extend it the rest of the way.

The pause allows your gas-charged struts to take in air slowly, preventing premature damage to the seal which causes the struts to fail. When you retract your awning, you need to reverse this process, allowing the struts time to discharge slowly.

If you take the time and pause when extending or retracting your awning, you will extend the life of your struts, giving your awning its rain shed ability. Extending your awning, and the fabric sags for a second and then snaps in place, is a sign that your struts have a blown seal and need to be replaced.

Strumming my pain with his fingers

Singing my life with his words

Killing me softly with his song

Did you know your converter is probably killing your batteries with its song? Most of the time, you are only enjoying part of the lifespan of your batteries. They die a premature death. You probably never suspected that your smart RV converter is killing your batteries before their time. But it is true all RV converters, even the smart ones, are taking years of life off your batteries. There are several ways they kill your batteries prematurely. First, the smart converters never really shut down; they are always charging. Second, they don't monitor the temperature of your batteries—this causes gassing in your batteries, killing them before their time. Third, they are not smart enough to efficiently charge your lithium batteries.

If you have an Inverter/Charger with a temperature probe, your batteries have a better chance of surviving their entire life span.

However, we have the perfect solution that will save the life of your batteries, therefore saving you money and the hassle of underperforming batteries. Batteries don't die suddenly; it is a slow process over time. So before they die, you will battle the issue of not having as much power as you think you should. The solution is a battery charger made by Victron.

Does it take a lot of effort to crank your tongue jack? There are a few different issues that can cause this problem.

Question:

I have a Class A Motorhome, and I was returning home from a trip, and a Semi in front of me kicked up a rock that hit my windshield and cracked it. Do you know of anyone that replaces Class A windshields?

The bad news about Motorhomes is that they are notorious for handling problems, and they, at times, can be dangerous to drive because of those inherent problems. The good news is that most of those problems are fixable. For instance, one of the common problems is what is called tail wagging the dog. The tail wagging the dog is the sensation you get when the coach seems to have a mind of its own; you steer the wheel back and forth, and the rear half steers the coach.

We can fix this problem by adding a Rear Trac Bar. The Trac Bar will significantly improve vehicle stability and give the driver more control over the vehicle, thus increasing safety. It prevents the side-to-side motion of the RV, making your RV driving hassle-free and more enjoyable. There are many more Motorhome handling problems that we can solve. The tail wagging the dog is one of the most common.

Call us today and set up an appointment for a free consultation. We will listen to your RV’s handling concerns and give you an assessment of your suspension and devise a solution that takes the hassle out of owning your RV and makes your travel adventures more enjoyable.

Spring has sprung. However unsettled the weather is now, we know that shortly temperatures will rise. The appliances that you will want to make sure that they perform at their optimum levels before the summer are your refrigerator and your air conditioner. We recommend that both appliances be serviced yearly for the best cooling in the summer heat.