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Advice Q&A Travel TrailersRV
Advice Q&A Travel Trailers
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Below are questions and answers to RV Advice that
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This page last updated December 31, 2008 containing letters emailed to Pete from August 28th - December 10th.
I have a 2001 Salem SMT27FKSS with an hydraulic slide out. When we extend it out or retract it in and let go of the "in/out" switch, the pump will run in short bursts for a while on its own without anyone touching the switch. Is the switch or a relay bad?
Dear Ken,
Sounds more like the relay to me; but I would start trouble shooting at the switch.
I have a 1992 Shasta. 21'.
Occasional buzzing sound underneath bed near fuse box. Pull out supply to parks power and reinsert usually stops it.
Toaster has to be pushed down twice for it to toast. Works OK in nearby trailers.
Outside power outlets don't work. Related problem?
I have been told that it could be a ground problem, converter problem or both. How do I check it? I've been trying to find an answer since last year.
Dear Ron,
First, check your breakers and GFI to see why the outside power outlets don't work.
Then verify your buzzing noise is coming from the converter or the transfer switch.
If it's the converter, is it the fan kicking in to cool it down, or the transformer buzzing?
The fan kicking in occasionally is normal.
I own a 2000 37' Forest Salem trailer with one slide. I want to add on to the trailer. Is it possible to remove the slide?
Dear Charles,
Yes, it's possible to unbolt the slide from the rails and slide it out.
I have a 2005 Pilgrim 23 footer with no lights or fridge and my slide out will not move. I checked the fuses in the breaker panel located inside and found no tripped breakers and found all fuses to be fine but still no power to the lights, fridge or slide out even after charging the batteries for two days.
Is there another breaker panel I don't know about? Does the converter have a fuse I need to check? How do I check the charging system?
Dear Ralph,
Sounds like you have a breaker tripped or a battery disconnect turned off between the battery and converter.
You can use a volt meter at the battery to test the charging system.
Bought a KZ Coyote 22 foot hybrid in July 2008, brand new. Parked it in a campground for the summer. Noticed the screen door wouldn't latch and a gap developed between the front corner molding and fiberglass skin in August. Covered it with duct tape until returning in September to determine repair.
Why did this occur?
Warranty covered replacing with wider molding. Should I be concerned that the corners are not flush and they just covered it up?
Dear Betsy,
I would be more concerned of rot or structural damage if it spread apart.
I have two 12 volt group 27 batteries in my travel trailer that need replacing. Would I be better off with 6 volt deep cell of a kind, such as golf cart type or the 12 volt type?
Dear Jim,
I would say stick with the 12 volts. Usually the six volt batteries won't fit your battery box.
1997 Jayco travel trailer. How can I tell if my converter box doesn't work?
Dear Paul,
Plug in the converter to AC and check for DC output.
I need to replace the seal around the slide out on my 32' Jayco travel trailer. Is this something I can do myself?
If so, does the slider need to be in or out when the new seal is installed and is any special tools or knowledge required to make this repair?
Dear William,
Depends on which seal you're replacing as to the need of the room being in or out.
You should be able to do it yourself. A lot of the seals are held on with double face tape made on the seal.
I have a 2003 Pioneer travel trailer. I disconnected the batteries for storage. I am about to take it out again, so I re-connected the batteries, ran the power cord to the trailer, found I have no interior lights, wall sockets are hot and microwave is hot. Checked all fuses, they are good. Also checked GFI circuits, they are good.
I do not know where the power converter is to check it. I don't what else to check. Have any ideas?
Dear Steve,
Check the battery connections to make sure they are right and check for a fuse in the positive battery lead cable.
I have a 1987 16' Nomad travel trailer with a Duo Therm heater. When the weather cools below freezing the heater will not work. The fan comes on but the burner fails to light. On my last hunting trip the pilot light went out also and would not re-light. The stove oven pilot was on but the burner there refused to light.
When the temperature rises above freezing everything works as it should. Wonder if there may be water in my tank that is freezing? The stove top burners light but seem to be burning lower than usual.
Dear Gerald,
I would test the LP regulator, sounds like low pressure.
We just purchased a 1995 Aljo and would like to know how to hook up the cable for the TV. The previous owner never had a TV and doesn't know how to do this. We found the cable outlet inside the camper but can't find where to attach the cable on the outside of the camper.
Dear Kimberly,
Check around your shore power cord for the cable hook up. If there's no hook up outside you would have to install one or run a cable wire out the window.
I have a 1997 Sportsmaster travel trailer. When the trailer is plugged in to an electrical outlet the ice box works fine, but when we convert over to the gas and unplug from the electrical outlet, the battery beeps and the ice box does not work.
Does the ice box also run off the battery and not just the gas?
Dear Janet,
Yes, it needs 12 volts to operate on gas or electric. The power converter is probably supplying the 12 volts while plugged into electric. Check your battery.
We have a 2008 30U Jay Feather Ultra Lite Weight trailer. It rocks really bad even with the stable bars down, and the trailer sets up too high to use the little portable jacks. What can we do to make it not rock so much?
Dear Rayleen,
Maybe add another set of ball jacks about midway on the frame.
I have a 2003 Prowler, 29 ft, when I hook the power cord up, only a couple breakers produce power, one to my plug general purpose, and my microwave, the others do not have power and will not charge my battery or operate air conditioner, refrigerator, etc. Sometimes it will start working and I have full power, sometimes everything works except my general for charging/overhead lighting.
Any ideas of what can cause this? Bad power inverter?
Dear Mark,
I would check the output at the breakers and check the connections at the power converter.
I have an '88 26' Fleetwood Wilderness trailer. None of the rear parking lights are working; the fronts work fine. I'm assuming the power is supplied to the rear via splice connection. The main harness goes up into the splash cover under the floor at the front of the camper. I can't see where it goes from there. Any idea where it is?
Dear Larry,
No, you will have to open it up in the front or pull a tail light to see if the wires are running through the roof or along the floor line.
We recently bought a 1993 Dutchman 30ft. We are having problems with the electrical. When ever we plug into power after a couple of days the ground wire is melted. We have changed the cord cap twice.
Please tell us, could it be the converter? Or could there be a ground somewhere in the trailer that is causing this?
I wasn't going to buy a converter if it could just be a ground some place else. We just had the upper unit of the AC replaced and it keeps tripping. Could this be caused by the ground wire melting also?
We are afraid this trailer will catch on fire while we are gone sometime.
Dear Michele,
Sounds like a short or continuity problem, maybe wires cross at the plug. Are you plugging into a good power source?
Have it checked before a fire or someone gets shocked touching the trailer.
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