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RE: Trying to find a replacement window: 8505-2 (maybe?)
I’m most unsure about the wall thickness, I’ll have to hunt for a place to measure before I pop the old window out.
>> Now sure what you mean you want the same screw holes to line up.
I thought the window would arrive with predrilled holes and I wanted those holes to line up with the existing screw holes in the wall. But I think you’re saying that I’ll be making my own new holes. If that’s the case, then I’ll soon be ready to give it a try.
To measure the wall thickness, take off the inside trim ring (clamp ring). The window should be stuck to the outside wall, but old putty tape may be all dried up and the window fall out too. Have a helper make sure it will not fall out.
Once the trim ring is off, then, using a metal scale, slide it down the side of the rough opening and measure the total wall thickness. There is about 1/8" to 1/4" air space around the window where a metal scale that starts at 0" can slide down past the window and touch the outside flange of the window. You may have to account for the old putty tape on the wall.
And yes, you will cut new screw holes in the new window frame using the clamp ring as a hole template.
If your old window has old dried-up putty tape sealing it to the siding, all that old tape has to come off and be cleaned up on both the frame and the siding. I would "not" use putty tape again to seal it. I would recommend using high-quality commercial steel building butyl tape. If you have a supply house nearby that sells products for pole barns or steel buildings, they most likely will have good butyl tape. 1/8" thick x 1" wide by the roll. I use GSSI (brand) MB-10A butyl tape. There are also other good brands. I would not go to the RV store and ask what they use on windows, odds are high they will give you putty tape. A lower-grade formulation of butyl that trims easily, but does not last very long.
Hope this helps
John
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JBarca
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09/18/23 07:17am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Trying to find a replacement window: 8505-2 (maybe?)
My preference is to be able to find an exact replacement so I can use the same screw holes, but a "close enough" replacement is OK too.
Now sure what you mean you want the same screw holes to line up. A new window unit comes with no screw holes in it. The clamp ring has holes and they use self-drilling screws to mount the new window. The screw cut the new holes in the window unit as they are installed.
This link to a Lippert (LCI) window you posted has never been mounted. I can see the mounting holes in the window frame have never been installed.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266295582241
Also, normally any "new" window comes with a new clamp ring sized to fit a certain thickness of wall. That eBay listing calls out the trim ring (AKA clamp ring) to fit a 2" wall. Some sellers may not sell the trim ring with the window and your old one may not work with the new window pending brand and style. And, while you can buy the new window, it may be sold with the wrong trim ring to fit your wall. You have to watch out and verify.
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JBarca
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09/13/23 08:04am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Trying to find a replacement window: 8505-2 (maybe?)
Lippert bought both the Krino and Hehr window companies. Call their customer service dept; they will make and sell you direct a new window.
A few things about RV windows: You will need these dimensions when you call them as a start.
1. The rough opening in the camper wall. They only use the rough opening. They do not use any other sizing as the flanges, etc., change by the style of the window. You will have to remove your existing clamp ring inside the camper and measure it.
2. You need to measure the total thickness of the wall. Again, back to the rough opening, they make the clamp ring to fit your wall thickness.
3. They want to know if it is a vented window, which means it can open. Would you like the screen to come with it?
4. Color: black seems to be the new thing. The campers I work on are white with all-white frames. Many of the window styles have been discontinued in white.
5. There are also drain holes in the bottom of the frames; the top and bottom are often made differently. Ensure you ask where the drain holes are, as this determines the bottom of the window. It will not be good if you turn a horizontal window vertical to mount in the holes as the drains will not work. And visa-versa do not turn a vertical window horizontally.
6. You will need the radius of the corners of the rough opening. While many newer windows use the same radius, not all are the same.
If you are near Elkhart IN, several RV Surplus places sell new windows. New meaning they bought up overruns etc, the windows have never been mounted. The clamp ring may or may not be with it, or they are for the wrong wall thickness. But, they are cheap, a fraction of the cost. The best is to hunt through their piles and find your own.
If your window is a size Lippert has made before, then the cost can be lower. If your is an odd off size, they can still make it; the cost increases.
Hope this helps
John
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JBarca
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09/13/23 07:55am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Bent axle.
Yes, please report back on the findings. Very curious about this. 1/2" toe out, wow...
When looking at the frame behind the rear hangers, look for this. This is in the advanced stages after the frame ratcheted itself down over time, but this lower flange bend is what started my issues after that pothole interstate.
I reinforced the hangers and the lower flange on the outside long ago to remove the I-beam web cracks that can happen with this setup. Mine web never cracked, as I was proactive in reinforcing it. The outside reinforcement helped the outside part of the lower flange resist the deflection, but the inside with where the larger issue started.
The outside of the left rear hanger. The slide room is just above this hanger.
https://live.staticflickr.com/4588/38654197014_f8fce5cf6f_o.jpg width=640
https://live.staticflickr.com/4643/39332345952_916c786f74_o.jpg width=640
The left rear hanger area inside the frame shows a distorted lower flange. This is a problem if yous have any deflection in this area. Put a straight edge on the lower flange and see if it is straight.
https://live.staticflickr.com/4638/27584979019_2d47876191_o.jpg width=640
Using a straight edge across the area
https://live.staticflickr.com/4597/27585133549_7025d02f19_o.jpg width=640
This amount of bump is a problem that will get worse under normal towing in the future.
https://live.staticflickr.com/4646/39332485702_703ba1d989_o.jpg width=640
https://live.staticflickr.com/4685/27585131599_8275f3dc50_o.jpg width=640
I hope this helps and you do not have this bent lower flange issue. Bending that heavy axle toed out that far, something big happened or lots of little to medium hits.
John
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JBarca
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07/11/23 07:07pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Bent axle.
Hi 36guy,
You stated this
Fine, we took it upon ourselves to upgrade the suspension with 6000 lb axles, wet bushings and an EZ flex kit. Two years, a few trips, happy happy. Until, we just returned home from a trip to northern british columbia, and somewhere on the way home around 8 hours from home we bent another axle, driver side rear, toed out 1/2 inch eating the tire after 8 hours. I hit nothing, no marks, nothing to show either on truck tires or the front axle. Rough roads, lotsa frost heaves, some unavoidable surprises, but really no clue as how this has happened.
I looked up that model. Is it this one? https://www.granddesignrv.com/travel-trailers/imagine/2600rb
I know that may be a newer model, but is the floor plan the same and the GVWR of 7,850#?
6,000# axle tubes on a camper that small of a trailer should have been overkill, but the dynamic shock into a camper from potholes and other road hazards at highway speeds has damaged campers before.
Was the axle that was bent the rear axle? You did not state that; I gathered that the front axle was not bent, meaning it has to be the rear axle.
By chance, can you post pics of the following?
- The bent axle tube is trying to show the direction of bending.
- Look at the bottom flange on the I-beam frame behind the front and rear hangers. Look for "any," and I mean any distortion on that bottom flange. If that lower flange has any slight bend, please show that in pics.
- A picture of the axle tube sticker, assuming it has one.
- A general picture of how the hangers are mounted to the lower frame flange.
- Confirm what overall height (top to bottom of flanges) of the I beam main frame rail.
While I can't tell you what you may have hit, I may be able to help with what else may be an issue if you actually bent a 6,000# rated axle tube.
I have 2, 6,000# alxe tubes on my 10,000# loaded camper. ( upgraded them from 5,200#) A pothole-laced interstate in NY started to bend my main frame aft of the rear spring hanger. I had 15 miles of living ..ell traped doing 50 mph on a double-lane highway with a semis whizzing by at 70 mph in the left lane. No place to even pull off until the exit came. What the truck missed, the trailer hit. The tire spacing spread is different between truck and trailer.
In my case, I never bent the axle, but the constant jolting of the potholes started lower flange deflection on the main frame just behind the rear spring hanger. And on an I-beam frame, the flanges take most of the load. Once they are compromised, normal towing deflection will keep bending the frame down. After enough miles, the slide no longer fits in the hole in the side of the camper. The hole in the camper wall opening ends up a parallelogram, and the slide room has 4 square corners. When the parallelogram gets to be too much, the slide will not mechanically fit in the hole without tearing into the slide roof.
Suggest you check your frame now for any slight deflection of the lower flange. It can be reinforced before more damage comes.
Also curious, if you were on 3,500# alxes and went to 6,000# axles, did you change the brake drums? 3,500# and 4,400# axles can have 10" brakes. 5,200# and 6,000# axles have 12" brakes. If by odd chance, you have 10" brakes on an actual so-called 6,000# axle, something does not add up. They are not normally made that way; the bearings and spindles are all different.
I am trying to learn from your misfortune.
Hope this helps
John
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JBarca
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07/10/23 09:59pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Water pump short cycling, how to fix
The above reply by wa8xym describes the loss of air cushion in your water heater and where my thought process was headed on your pump issue. When the air cushion is lost, the freshwater system is jammed full of water with no room for heat expansion when the water is heated. When the heater starts up, the pressure can build close to 150 psi and trip the safety relief valve to weep off the excess expansion pressure. If this happens, you can see calcium and mineral buildup on the relief valve discharge port from the weeping. This high pressure will drop off instantly when a faucet is opened as that action burps the system.
Even when the system is cold, if and when the air pocket is gone, even without heating the water, the pump has to hit a dead-end filled system and can trip the pressure switch on the pump.
Is your water heater a Suburban or an Atwood? The Atwood is easy to put a drain valve on; the Suburban, which uses an anode in the drain port, makes it complex to add a drain valve. Even Atwood/Domentic discusses the air cushion loss and relief valve weeping in the heater instructions of the more modern heaters. Your 2004 manual may or may not mention it. Finally, the new Dometic redesigned water heater instructions talk about adding an expansion tank to cure the issues. They did not supply the expansion tank, they tell you to add it.
This is an age-old issue in the RV industry. If they would add an expansion tank from day one, the problem would not exist until the bladder leaked in the accumulator then there is no expansion left once again
Hope this helps and let us know how this comes out. Check your relief valve on the water heater for mineral buildup also.
John
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JBarca
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06/26/23 12:41pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Dometic duo therm fan issue
It would help if you can provide the brand and model of the new control control board.
Are you trying to use the old Tstat with the new control board?
We need to know which Tstat, brand and model you are tying to use?
A 1997 Dometic if it is a ducted air system, with a remote T stat, it could be a bi metal T stat. Pending that t stat and vintage, there was no 12 VDC power at the control box as the older control box had an on board transformer and created its own control voltage. This could be why you have no 12 VDC at the air box area. The next generation Dometic ducted air system was what they called an analog system control board and the RV manufacture had to bring 12 VDC to the air box area to power up the control system
If you have a non ducted system, that is a mechanical control and no remote TStat.
We need more info on what you have now and trying to hook up to help better.
Hope this helps
John
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JBarca
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06/25/23 06:19pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Dometic fridge RM2652 tripping thermal sensor
Ok a rebuilt cooling unit it is. Will the rebuilt units that come with new flue have the place for the thermal breaker? Or do you have to make the spot. Thanks
Usually, none of the sheet metal covers come with a new cooling unit. You reuse all the old sheet metal covers and in this case, the boiler tube insulation cover. You can double-check with the place you are buying them from.
This may help. The last cooling unit I bought was from RVCool. I believe they are no longer in business, they sold the business to someone else, not sure I recall who. This is what they shipped for an RM2652; it was a new cooling coil. It was a well-built unit, in my view. And you had to return your old core to them.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52972984061_55026d9469_b.jpg width=640
This may help; this was their install video. This can give you a feel for what is involved. After the 2 adds, the screen will be black for a few seconds until the words and people start showing up. https://youtu.be/L8kBX9LzIJo
Hope this helps
John
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JBarca
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06/13/23 07:00pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Dometic fridge RM2652 tripping thermal sensor
Well I had the camper plugged in out in my shop since last November after last camping with the fridge on. The propane was on also. So I wonder if the unit had leaked out some. Then when the storm took out our electricity the burner kicked on and caught the tube inside on fire. Wonder if that could have burnt some of that stuff up maybe clogging that tube up some. Then when electricity came back on it got to hot and thermal fuse popped out. Just an idea. Thanks
I'm not sure about the fire part, I have never seen the fluid burning outside to know what it looks like when burning. I have only had to deal with cleaning up the mess of leaked-out fluid when installing a new cooling unit.
I will say that the controls' stack safety sensor (thermal disk switch) is not auto-resettable. You have to push the button to reset it. The controls do not care if you are on gas or electric; the sensor will trip the same. It might trip faster on gas, but if it tripped when you were on electric and the power went out, the gas would not fire off as the safety switch would have been tripped already. If, by coincidence, the gas did fire off and the switch got tripped, it would shut the gas down, never to come back again. If a burning glob fell, it should have landed on the gas burner tube, and you did not report the burner tube had any large glob in it. The system may have started leaking over the winter, but once they start leaking, they are not cooling right, and the safety should have tripped sooner or later.
Your post is a good learning one, for me, anyway. The cooling coil unit I had to replace failed overnight and never tripped the safety sensor. The fridge was on in my shop as the camper was there for water damage repair. When I walked in the following morning, the shop smelt like a big ammonia bottle. In this case, the fluid leak was a big one, it let out the coolant quickly, made a big mess, a big stink, and I caught it before the system tripped the safety sensor. The fridge temp could have been satisfied and not called for cooling.
John
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JBarca
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06/13/23 02:55pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Dometic fridge RM2652 tripping thermal sensor
John, Thanks for the photos and information. Well I have had it plugged in for 6 hours. All of the lower pipes I can reach 6 thru 12 on your diagram are still cold to the touch. So there is no movement in the cooling unit is this correct? The flue is so hot all I can do is tap it with my finger with out get burned or blistered. I am pretty sure it is not working at all. I got a feeling I am going to be ordering a cooling unit. I know it takes a long time for it to start cooling down inside fridge and freezer but it should start circulating in 6 hours correct? Just as a note after 6 hours the temp in the freezer and fridge did not drop at all. Thanks
Hi,
As you see from my data, point 10 on the cooling unit started at 53F, and approx 1 1/2 hours later, point 10 was close to 106F on a working fridge with only 1 gallon of ambient temp water inside the fridge.
At approx 5 1/2" hrs later from starting, the yogurt cup of water in the freezer was frozen solid. The cup is about 1 1/2" deep water.
The above readings are from cycling on and off of the electric heating element from the control system.
If you have been on for 6 hours non-stop heating element and point 10 is still cold, well, the fluid is not circulating.
Point 1, which is the sleeve of the electric element, gets up into the 600 to 700F degree area. The boiler tube with moving fluid, I suspect, is less but still very hot and could be in the 450 - 550 range. The metal shield over the insulation gets convection heating, which is where the thermal disk switch sensor is mounted and shuts the system down. I am not sure what setpoint that trips at.
It could also have partially blocked flow internally and just now starting to leak. If the fridge is run off level for a good period of time or multiple smaller amounts of time, the fluid gets burnt and starts clogging until there is no flow. It's an accumulative issue that once the fluid is burnt, that area will never get better unless the coil is cleaned out during a rebuild.
Again, curious about what Doug will say, but the test so far does not look good; your cooling unit is not working and very possibly leaking.
I will say this, if you change the cooling unit, plan on changing the electric element at the same time. They are not that expensive, and they do go bad over time, they short out inside the element and trip any GFIC the camper is ever plugged into.
John
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JBarca
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06/13/23 02:39pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Dometic fridge RM2652 tripping thermal sensor
Curious about Doug's response to your last pics. Here are my thoughts.
Stop poking at the baffle; you have very little rust in the burner tube, and poking at it can damage or, worse, unhook the baffle from the draw rod. There does not look like any evidence of mud daubers' nests.
The yellow in the burner tube and the glob under it doesn't look good. As you heat the boiler tube with the electric element, the metal expands, and any thin crack in a weld or fatigued joint can start to open, allowing the coolant to start to leak. You may be at the start of the cooling unit failure.
Do you smell any ammonia type of scent when the unit is heating?
Doug has seen more of these failures than I have, and he has the 24-hour full-on electric element test he can report better on than I can.
These pics are of an actual 2004 RM2652 undergoing restoration for water damage, and I service the appliances. They may help you understand what is going on behind the burner insulation. This fridge is a working one, not a failed one.
I did tests to see what the boiler area and the cooling coil temps were at to see what normal is supposed to be.
This is the raw cooling coil out in the open.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50937362081_994f26d040_b.jpg width=640
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50936675303_0743047097_b.jpg width=640
Here is the operation test. The fridge is running under its control system, and I recorded readings at the l location until the unit cycled off the electric element.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50936674693_967dc3b5b1_b.jpg width=640
Here is location 1, the steel sleeve the electric element is in.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50936674713_7d9522b49f_b.jpg width=640
Here is the first set of data.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50937530511_15c7613a3b_b.jpg width=640
The second test with more data. I had a cup of water in the freezer and a gallon jug in the fridge as a load for the refrigerator to work on. The remote thermometer is inside the fridge
compartment
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50937361961_155deb3b03_b.jpg width=640
Hope this helps
John
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JBarca
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06/13/23 11:40am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Dometic fridge RM2652 tripping thermal sensor
You replaced the fridge, ok that explains why you have only the one thermal disk switch on the stack and no heat shields and the thermal fuse behind the burner stack.
Yes, just check the serial number.
I have seen just the one thermal disk switches show up on RM2652’s made in 2006. It may have been they tired a partial fix to layer find out they needed the entire recall kit. They extended the recall to include newer models. It is explained in the Dometic link.
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JBarca
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06/12/23 12:05pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Dometic fridge RM2652 tripping thermal sensor
Here are some pics of an actual failed RM2652 as a comparison
NOTE: This fridge had the recall done to it.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/40878154953_75d466b5e9_o.jpg width=640
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47844925661_4b8bf32c1a_o.jpg width=640
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/32900984237_4488e6ef7d_o.jpg width=640
The fridge was removed and underwent dismantling for repair.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47844925621_664f52bc01_o.jpg width=640
Your pics do not show the normal heavy yellow. But, look up where the gas burner and the flame goes up the flue tube to see if there is yellow residue in that area.
Also, your 1999 RM2652 does not appear to have the recall done. I do not see the heat shield of the other thermal fuse. There is still an active recall on this model fridge. Check your fridge serial number in this Dometic recall link. https://www.dometic.com/en-us/outdoor/lp/refrigerator-recall
If yours is in the recall, contact any authorized Dometic repair place; they should be able to do this. Since so much time has passed, they may have to order the recall kit, and it may take a few months to make this if Dometic is out of them.
Hope this helps
John
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JBarca
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06/12/23 11:02am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Window Repair
For the future, I researched this and came up with Parbond by Parr Technologies. The Air Stream folks use this on their front windows, or at least they did a few years ago when I needed to change out a leaking door window. This will flow and seal in the small channels between the glass, plastic trim, and fiberglass door surface. It comes in clear, so no issues with the color match. It does not harden and stays flexible.
I bought mine at the time from PPL Motorhomes in TX. They are out of stock right now, but this place on Amazon is selling it. With inflation, the cost is double what I paid in 2019.
https://www.amazon.com/Par-Bond-Sealant-Clear-Parr/dp/B007HRX62S
Here it is on the PPL site, you pay the freight here. https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/maintenance-hardware/rv-roofs-epdm-rubber-roof-repairs/sealants-and-caulks/parbond-tube-clear_38-8722
I tried to find it directly on the Parr website, but I can't find the right URL for them. I know Edge Adhesives bought them in 2012, but I am unsure if Edge is now selling under their website.
The Parbond is good stuff.
John
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JBarca
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06/11/23 07:49am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Tire Advice
Snip..
I can't agree with you there, I have been looking at st vs lt tires for 4 years now trying to decide which would be better for my 5th wheel. yes, there are different tread patterns, but the one common Theam of them is the lack of aggressive outside lugs which bite in and resist side movement like LT tires have. this enables ST tires to handle more lateral movment without increased resistance.
plus, another plus for the st tire is they are generally made of different rubber compounds that make them stronger than the equivalent LT tire based on a simular volume of air. Another side benefit of these is they generaly have a lower rolling resistance which equates to a fraction better fuel milage.
the other thing I have found also is to switch to a LT tire the closest thing in size to what I now have (235/80R16 ST) is a 235/85R16 . by switching to this I lose 500lbs (aprox) of capacity per tire.
Part of the biggest issue is dealers generaly put the cheapest tires on the rv's they can get so the weight of the rv is just covered by the tires and sometimes it is less as they assume the hitch weight as not being a load on the tires in some cases. for instance, my 5th wheel came with 10 ply loadmax tires so what I have found the best thing to do would be to just stay the same size in a st tire but go up to a 12ply or even a 14 ply if your rims can handle the higher air pressure requirements. I know a lot of people go to 14 ply then just run them at 90 which is probably fine, but they will run hotter than if they were at 110. When they design LT tires, they have less stiff sidewall and softer compounds, so they handle impacts from road hazards better (ie. potholes) and don't transfer it to the vehicle as much. This is great for a truck, but the downside is less carrying capacity for the same size of tires and more flexible side walls, and better tread grip. When combined with the more agressive tread patterens (usually the addition of shoulder lugs and deeper tread and such) this causes them to grip harder in tight turns which increases the lateral stresses on the belt layers.
the main issue is instead of looking at quality ST tires we are usually talking about switching from China bombs to LT, which ya, that is probably an improvement, but we should really be looking at actually weighing our setups (because we all know how accurate that tally plate is ;) ) and going with a quality ST tire that has the extra carrying capacity to cover our rigs and some breathing room
Hi Stircrazy,
I agree with much of your post; the lack of extra reserve capacity in the tire in a tandem or triple axle trailer setup is an issue direct from some of the RV manufacturers.
And I agree to upgrade a load range to gain more capacity, but not airing up the tire to the max sidewall cold pressure does not give you the full benefit of the upgrade. If you are going to upgrade, you need the extra pressure to gain the benefit to help ward off interply shear.
I may learn something new in this next area, so please explain your thinking. I "thought" I understood you are saying the LT tires with a more aggressive outer tread do not allow the LT tire to slip as much as an ST tire in a turn. Did I paraphrase that correctly? If so, help me understand how you came to that conclusion. Here are my thoughts on why I cannot connect the dots on the tread pattern to hard surface road slip in a dry setting.
I believe we both agree on the friction of the tire tread determines tire slip on the pavement between the tire and the road.
Friction is the main part of the slip equation, and there are only a few ways to change friction on a hard surface road to the tire. Again, I am talking hard surface road, not loose gravel, snow or dirt, mud, etc.
Here is my take based on the friction formulas. To change the friction between the hard surface road and the tire tread contacting the road, these two main variables must change.
1. The weight of the camper pressing down on the road
2. The coefficient of friction between the road surface and the tire tread
There is no variable for tread pattern or contact patch area of the tire in the friction force formulas.
Please help me see your point where the tread pattern changes friction between the tire and the road surface.
I agree with wet, slimy roads, tire rubber compounds, temperature, and the makeup of the road surface. etc. are factors in changing the friction coefficient. Just not sure how the tread pattern on a clean and dry road surface changes the fiction.
On your quest to sort out ST to LT on your camper, yes, sizing is an issue in some cases in finding LT tires rated in the right capacity. I went through the same issue when I had my first set of ST tire failures. I was on 15" ST225/75R15's load range D on a 10,000# loaded camper. After I sorted out what made the ST tires fail, I had 2 choices, upsize to Load range E in ST or jump to 16" and go LT load range E. I ended up going 16" LT load range E. I had to deal with vertical clearance between the top of the tire and the bottom of the camper clearance. I had to modify the suspension setup to get this extra clearance, I could do the work myself, and I'm glad I did. In my case, tire width was not the issue, but vertical clearance. If you want more on this, I did posts over the years on RV.net of each issue and how to overcome it; let me know, and I'll dig them up. And, I went with a highway tread pattern, not AT or other. I did not see any need other than the highway tread pattern in an "on-road" trailer setting.
John
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JBarca
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06/11/23 07:27am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Tire Advice
Looking over your new tire list and reviewing the Goodyear, here are some comments to consider.
On the Goodyear that had the blowout, I'm assuming you are referring to the Endurance trailer tire? If so, the ST22575R15 tires were in an E load range, with a Load index 117. Correct me if I have stated this wrong.
Here are some questions to ask yourself.
Something caused that tire to have a blowout; why? What is the DOT date code on the tires on the camper now? Assuming you bought all four simultaneously, they should be close. You are after the date of manufacture, not the date you installed them.
What tire pressure do you run those tires at?
Do you make a lot of hard 90 or 180 turns with the camper on a hard surface at your home/storage place every time you come and go to a campout?
Have you weighed the camper, axle by axle, and ideally, each wheel position?
What tire load range did Skyline place on the camper? With an 8,800 GVWR sounds like you already took a jump to E load range from what may have been a D load range by Skyline.
Comments on what may have happened.
There is a term called "interply shear" that happens on tandem axle trailers in turns. In a turn on a tandem or triple axle trailers, the tire tread and tire internals are getting stressed from the high friction between the road and the tire, when the tread does not slip on the road. The tire has to withstand this effect. Look this topic up on the web, it happens and is more aggravated by low air pressure, overloading, lots of hard turns, and tire age, to name a few.
Something caused your tire to blow out; think through what may have happened and why so you can correct it in the future. If you are low on pressure, that is a problem. The only way to lower the risk of interply shear that is practical, is more reserve load capacity per the loaded tire. This reserve capacity is above the stated rating on the tire. Some tire experts (I'm not one of them, but I had to deal with his) suggest 20% extra reserve tire capacity over the heaviest loaded wheel.
If you already jumped to E load range over the factory D load range, you could gain more reserve load capacity, but you will only get the increased reserve capacity from increased air pressure in the E load range tires. Suggest running them at the max cold side wall stated pressure on a trailer.
Was there a series of big potholes on a trip sometime? Potholes at 50 to 60 mph are bad news to a trailer tire, especially if the pressure is not at max. Damage internally can start that then takes a long time to rear its ugly head with a blowout.
There is a common trend on tandem or triple axle trailers when one tire blows out. The tires are at or close to or at full load capacity all the time. When the blowout happens, the other tires on that side go into overload. Now they have taken a hit of internal damage. It is common that those other tires can fail prematurely as time goes on. All of your fears about changing them now are a good concern. You are at increased risk if the damaged tires are not changed.
Having lived through the trailer damage that can occur when the tread flys off, the camper repair cost can outweigh the tire cost. Do you want the risk of simultaneously dealing with camper damage on top of new tire costs?
Not sure if you have a TPM (tire pressure monitor) on the camper; if not, consider adding one in the future.
I also noticed in your list of new tires; the Carlises were not at the 113 load index and not the 117 load index of the others. To give the Carlises a fighting chance, go with the 117 load index.
Try and figure out what caused your blowout and how to prevent it for the next time.
Hope this helps
John
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JBarca
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06/03/23 07:17am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Komfort 274TS Receptacle Issues
You said "all" your receptacles are dead.
Is the display on the microwave working? The microwave is plugged into a separate receptacle, typically is "not" on a GFIC, and has its own circuit breaker.
If the microwave display is lit up, then this helps tell that the 120 VAC shore is getting into the camper. If not, you may have an issue inside the power converter box not allowing the 120 VAC shore power to get to the branch circuits after you confirm the GFIC's are working.
As was stated, the kitchen receptacle can have its own GFIC, and the bathroom can have its own GFIC. If they are tripped, all circuits downstream of the bath and kitchen can also be dead, except the microwave, which may be on its separate circuit. Check them.
As to your power converter board getting hot and changing colors, this issue should be checked out by an electrical person trained in doing this. The power converter can go bad, more so as they get older. Odds are, the 120 VAC receptacle issue is not part of your power converter issue. They are separate topics.
Hope this helps
John
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JBarca
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06/02/23 09:56am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Mystery leak
I may be able to help, but we need more to give more specific help for your camper.
A few questions to start the discussion.
1. Make, year, and model of the camper so we can look up the floor plan to add context to your wording.
2. Does the camper have fiberglass or corrugated aluminum siding?
3. Are the wall studs, floor joists, and ceiling framing (rafters) made from wood or metal?
4. You stated this
You press down on it and its hollow underneath. Its right up against the wall in the front bedroom and probably comes in three or four inches.
Which wall shows the floor damage, the front wall, left side wall, right side wall? Left is the driver's side wall or non-door side wall.
5. Do you know if the walls, ceiling, and floor have fiberglass batt or solid foam block insulation?
6. Do you know what type of roof membrane you have?
7. Any chance of pictures of the inside damage and the outside of the camper showing the outer walls, floor to roof?
Pending the answers to the above, there are ways to investigate where the leak or, more likely, leaks are coming from and how far they have spread before tearing into the camper for repair. I have successfully used a moisture meter (many, many times) to scan the camper and see inside the walls, ceiling, floors, and roof. I'm willing to share how to do this, but we need more information to help better fit your situation.
Hope this helps,
John
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JBarca
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05/31/23 10:05pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: No gas to stove only
https://a.co/d/frDLD0F
That's the link for the one I ordered.
I was around 5 to 7k feet for most of my trip, and when we noticed it not working, we were back around 3k feet and are now at sea level at home.
I should have the new one in a few days to know if it works.
Thanks for reporting back on this. That appears to be the same Seven Universe R60 stove regulator that Atwood started using, just with the Suburban part number. Both Atwood/Dometic and Suburban have used that stove regulator for some time. I had "issues" with them regulating at all. They would pass through whatever the upstream line pressure was—no step-down feature. I bought 6 of them, 3 for clients campers and 3 for stock. I tried to report the issue to Dometietc, but they would not even listen; I was willing to send them new ones unopened to test; they wanted nothing to do with it. No one else was complaining, so they wrote me off. See here for pics of the R60 regulator I bought the 6 of them. http://forums.goodsamclub.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/30325772/gotomsg/30327828.cfm#30327828
That same regulator has been reported and tested to give issues above 4,500 ft elevation. See this thread below where the poster had these issues, he tried to work with Dometic, and they stated the stove is not rated to work above 4,500 ft. ??? The poster did not give up and tracked the issue down to the main tank regulator to increase the set point to 11.5 " WC and get a reliable tank regulator that would not drop below the 11.5 " WC and not go above 14 WC. See here for that RV net post, this will drop you into where the problem starts to get sorted out, and he posted the fix, and now it all works at all the elevations he camps at.
http://forums.goodsamclub.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/30325772/gotomsg/30330637.cfm#30330637
When you get your new regulator, before installing it, I suggest this. Test it on the end of your hose like you did your existing regulator. You may have more issues than just this stove regulator if it does not work. And even if it does work, hang onto that old regulator until you get back up above 4,500 ft to ensure the new one works correctly.
My issue here at 500 ft elevation was the R60 would not step the pressure down; in your case, it will not pass pressure. But you went through a large elevation change, and it appears you are on a rubber hose gas line camper setup. Is this correct?
Not sure how old your camper is; rubber LP gas line over time can leach oil into the hose, and that oil can mess with certain small orifices if it gets large enough in volume. The longer the hose, the worse the problem. I am unsure what chemical reaction occurs between a rubber hose and LP gas, but the oil formation is well documented. I did no not like seeing the RV industry starting to change from black iron main gas lines with soft copper pigtails to the appliances to now using all rubber hoses from the main tank regulator to the appliances. On the older campers, there was only about 3 to 4 feet of flex hose from the main tank regulator to the black iron 1/2" sch 40 main gas pipe. This older setup had limited rubber, and the oil issue did not show up so much. We will see how this plays out long-term on having that much rubber hose in a camper.
Curious about how your new regulator will work. Please report back.
John
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JBarca
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05/31/23 06:29pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: No gas to stove only
Pulled the hose off the regulator and gas flowed out of it. Disconnected the regulator from the stove and put it back on the hose and no gas came out. Looks like I found the culprit?
55 bucks on Amazon for this little guy.
GRH60. LpG 10" WC
Hi,
Can you tell us the brand name of the stove regulator you found on Amazon or a link to it? I searched under that part number, and it does not show up. I may not be searching for it correctly.
You reported the stove regulator was closed/blocked, not passing gas on your end of the hose test. This is not a common thing if I understood your test correctly. I have not "yet" seen this failed closed issue on a stove regulator other than when there were elevation issues above 5,000 feet. The camper travels lower in the 4,500 ft elevation and under, and the regulator starts working again. That issue I learned about. But not a purely stuck closed regulator that is normally open with no gas attached to it.
What elevation are you at now, and what was it when it worked at camp for you earlier? These elevation issues do not show up here on the east coast, but west coast folks have reported them.
May learn something new about your regulator failure and I am trying to understand it. The learning never stops.
Thanks
John
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JBarca
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05/30/23 05:41pm |
Tech Issues
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