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Advice Q&A Travel TrailersRV
Advice Q&A Travel Trailers
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This page last updated September 20, 2009 containing letters emailed to Pete from December 28, 2008 - July 25, 2009.
I purchased a 1994 22' Mallard and need to replace the brakes. The problem is it has 10" x 2" brakes and I cannot locate them locally. I was told that I have to replace the axles. There must be someone out there that has parts that I can purchase. I have read that Jacobson trailers use this brake size and emailed them with no response.
Dear John,
You might look locally for a clutch and brake shop that will reline your shoes if that's all you need. You might also check a local trailer parts and see if you can't just buy the backing plate and hub assembly instead of replacing the whole axle.
2003 Komfort Travel trailer, 27' large slide out. The slide out room went out OK but would not come back in, had to manually crank it in. Motor is working, is there a shear pin that I could replace and is it a hard job?
Dear John,
I would say you're just going to have to look and see what happened and go from there.
I have a 1982 25' Glendale trailer. I can't get the pilot light to light on the water heater. I've tried pressing the red pilot button over and over and holding it down while trying to light with a lighter with no luck. I got a piece of wire and stuck it in the pilot hole. Still no luck. Is there anything else I can do or should I call a gas fitter?
Dear Brad,
Check the thermocouple if it's okay. Do a gas pressure test and if the pressure is right, replace the gas valve.
The slide out on my travel trailer skips gears and doesn't pull out evenly! Do you have any suggestions as to what the problem may be?
Dear Vallie,
The room probably needs adjusting to get the gears back in time.
I have a 2008 Keystone Fuzion with 3-slide outs. When I push the switch to put the slide's out the pump will run about 20 seconds and stop. I have to wait about 15 seconds and push it again to start the pump again. Why want the pump run until I release the switch? Is there some adjustment that I can make?
Dear Herbie,
Find out if they are using a slide out controller or just a relay to control the voltage.
The slide out controllers have a potentiometer you can adjust so it will handle a little more amperage before kicking out.
If they are using just a relay you might want to replace it or check and see why it's pulling so many amps.
We have a 2006 Pilgrim travel trailer. Bought in 2006 and have had on a lot so have not had to put the tip outs in/out often. This year we discovered the trailer leaked at the end of one of the tip outs and that it does not go out evenly. Out about 3 inches on one side. It also makes a terrible clunking sound when putting it out/in. The dealer has not been overly helpful and was wondering if you have any suggestions.
Dear Nancy,
I am not familiar with the gearing on the Pilgrim slide out, but it sounds like it just needs to be adjusted to get the room straight and the gears turning in time together.
My 2007 Keystone Zeppelin trailer works on 20 amps but not 30 amps. Most utilities still run, but how would I go about checking what the issue may be. The 30 amps were worked on Memorial weekend this year, but did not on July 4th.
Dear Fran,
I would start by checking the shore power cord first and testing the receptacle it's plugged into.
When turning on lights in bathroom they dim down till you turn on bedroom ceiling light.
Also, furnace will go up and down from high fan to low while running.
Checked all fuses and put in new battery per my camper repair man.
Also, lights in bathroom go bright to dim all the time they are on; camper took a spike, so the previous owner said.
Should I replace convertor or what?
Dear Fran,
I would start cleaning up some ground wires going to battery, converter, etc.; it's a weak ground some place.
The converter could cause the repeated bright to dim, but the lights being dim until you turn another light on is a ground.
I have a 2003 Wildwood with a super slide. My question is this, I have power to the microwave, ac, fridge, lights. But none of the other outlets are working. The slide works correctly as well. None of the breakers are tripped. It is plugged into a 110v connection.
Dear Chad,
Reset your GFI, probably in the bathroom area.
I have a Fleetwood travel trailer that was stored with water at axle height. Do I need to be concerned about any damage?
Dear Shelly,
Yes, pull the wheels and go through the bearings and brakes. You might want to open the under belly and see if the moisture oozed up inside, or if it's dry.
My brother is having problems with his Jayco trailer. When he plugs it in he gets power to all the outlets but the AC, slide outs, refrigerator, and a couple other things are not getting power or at least seem to not be.
We haven't used any type of tester like a voltmeter on anything except for the main power cord that he plugs into and its getting around 120-125 volts. All the breakers and fuses are fine including the in line fuse on the battery cable.
What could be wrong? Are we missing something?
Dear Mark,
No 12 volt power from the battery or power converter. The A/C, refrigerator, slide outs and most lights need 12 volt power to function.
I have 2004 Jayco Talon 36z. The floor has soft spots at back door near rear ramp like floor is rotting out, many other people have same problem and any ideas to repair?
Dear Larry,
I haven't seen any other letters written in regarding rotten floors on the Jayco. All I can say is open it up and see how bad the damage is and what needs to be done to repair it.
I have a 2007 travel trailer. When I have it plugged into the 120volt power supply and run the air conditioner and or the lights the battery dies and everything shuts down. After I charge the battery it all works again until it kills the battery.
I have tried having a battery charger hooked up to it but it still kills the battery and I lose power.
Dear Tom,
Check your power converter output. Sounds like you're using more DC power for the lights and control boards than your battery and charger can keep up with.
Do you need to use a weight distribution hitch on 24 foot travel trailers?
Dear Sherry,
I would say yes, safety should be the first issue.
Love the site, first time user. I recently purchased a 1996 Damon Hornet travel trailer. The unit has been parked since new at a beautiful waterfront site. Last week I hooked up the 12v battery and the accessory lights came on no problem. I hooked the shore power inlet to my generator and everything worked fine also.
The park has no services so I built a battery bank that I plan to recharge with solar/genset hybrid. I was working with the shore power inlet and accidentally plugged the shore power into a 300 watt inverter (hooked to battery bank) instead of the generator. The inverter blew and when I went inside there was smoke coming from the electrical panel. All the breakers were on at the time.
Everything still works when plugged into the generator however I can no longer run accessories from the 12 volt DC system, battery is fine. Not sure what I did, when I try to use DC only all I get is intermittent clinking from the electrical panel.
Dear Matt,
Sounds like you fried your power converter. Check the wiring to it first, you could have burnt a wire off. Look for DC voltage coming in and out of the converter.
Aside from the battery box size, can I upgrade from my current deep cycle 24T battery to a 27T or 31T battery on my 2005 Fleetwood Pioneer 18' travel trailer? Does the smart charger/inverter care that I'm adding capacity?
Dear David,
Yes, you can step up the size of your battery without affecting your converter.
I recently purchased a 1994 Dutchmen Classic 22ft travel trailer. When hooked up to my house, generator, or even my truck all the lights inside work.
However, when I try to run just on the battery nothing works. The battery is charged and I can't find an inline fuse or any type of disconnect that would prevent the battery from working.
Dear Steve,
Start following the wire from the battery inside the trailer, you should find a breaker inline on that wire between the battery and power converter. Some power converters have a fuse on the converter (power distribution board).
I just bought a 31' Puma Palomino. It didn't come with an owner's manual or a battery. What size battery should I put in this, 12 volt or 6 volt?
Also, what size generator do you think I would need to power this rig?
Dear Mario,
12 volt battery, measure your box to determine if you need a 24 or 27 series deep cycle battery. You should have at least a 4kw genset.
I have a 2001 Fleetwood Wilderness, I only have front marker lights no rear marker lights. The brake and turning signals only work on the driver side of the camper. I tested the truck receptacle and everything works coming from the truck. I found the compartment on the camper where the cord comes from to hook up to the truck I tested all the wires in the cord and they all work accordingly, they are spliced in to two separate bundles of wire; one goes to the left side and one to the right side. All wires work accordingly from the splices.
I checked all and cleaned the ground wires, one block on the front that had 4 or 5 grounds and two separate grounds on the back, one on each side of the frame. The only thing I can think of is a mouse or something has chewed a wire. I even checked the breaker box in the camper for blown fuses..Nothing! Any ideas? I'm "BURNT OUT" so to speak.
Dear Dave,
Pull the tail on the rear of the trailer and find out if it's in the wiring or the light. You might have to run a new wire.
Our trailer is no longer getting power while plugged in, to our lights, slide outs, air conditioner, refrigerator, etc. We do however have power to our plug outlets.
Do you know what may cause this to happen as we have checked the breakers and the fuses and all are fine. We do have dead batteries but when plugged in this should not affect the power should it?
Someone said it could be the converter box, is that a possibility?
Dear Mike,
The converter box would be the first place to look. Leaving it plugged in with a dead battery is a good way to blow the converter.
We recently downsized from a 34ft 5th wheel camper with a Ford F350 to a new KZ Spree 26ft travel trailer (about 5000 lbs dry weight). I pull it with an 08 GMC 1500 Sierra. We have only used the travel trailer twice because the ride is so jerky, unless we are on a new or perfectly smooth road, that we are ready to return the camper.
Is this common with travel trailers or is there something wrong we can fix?
Dear Steve,
Travel trailers can be jerky if you're not hitched up right. My question is maybe you're putting too much stress on the spring bars or your ball mount may not be adjusted properly?
You might take a look at the Roll Gard for your travel trailer if you have leaf springs; it will make a big difference.
We have a '93 Rockwood. Can the AC be converted to the new Freon? The AC needs to be charged and we just don't have the money to pay someone to do it.
Dear Mark,
The new R-22 should be compatible. You might want to do an amp draw test on the compressor before you tap into the system.
How do you check the converter?
Dear Jen,
With a volt meter; read the output at the 12 volt wires. Make sure it has A/C voltage going in and check the fuses if it has fused protection.
I have a 2001 21 ft travel trailer. I must have had a very small leak on the roof at right front corner which cause the ceiling to buckle in that area (about 12" X 12"). No water leak through the ceiling. It just buckled. I put new caulking on the roof (rubber roof) and hopefully will stop the water leak.
In order to define the extent of the damage, I believe that a portion of the ceiling will have to be replaced. Can you tell me if I am to get into something over my head if I decide to fix it myself? It doesn't seem to be too complicated as the ceiling is built in three sections separated by moldings.
Dear Richard,
If you're a good handy man with the extra time on your hands you should be able to do a nice job yourself.
We own a 26ft Wilderness travel trailer. The batteries doesn't seem to hold charge, even after we charge it up. What can be the problem? The batteries are fairly new too, just replaced a 1 1/2 ago.
Dear Veronica,
First, did you keep the electrolyte level up in the batteries and keep them charged to help preserve their life?
Second, what type of batteries are they? Some of the batteries are only good for a couple of years. Try letting the battery sit disconnected after charging to see if it still goes down or if the drain is from your trailer. You can do a hydrometer check on the acid content to get an idea on the condition of the battery.
Need to install a new power plug from breaker box for my 2003 Pilgrim travel trailer. There are only 2 wires coming from breaker box where they had another old trailer wired directly to box. What do I need to do to install to plug my trailer into it?
Dear Sharla,
Get an electrician to wire in the service properly and inspect for correct voltage and be sure that the wire can handle the load.
When plugged into a 30A 120 volt RV outlet, why does the inverter start and stop causing the lights to go bright and dim? This happened on our last camping trip.
Dear Ken,
Battery. Check the electrolyte level and condition of your house battery.
I have a 2000 Mallard trailer 25 ft. We have used this trailer for over 1 1/2 years, we took eight trips last year and did not have a problem. I had it plugged into my house and it was working fine as before.
The other day I lost all power for the electric. I checked the GFI, and all the breakers in the house and the trailer. We were getting a little shock off the trim around the cargo door on the right hand side of the trailer in the front. Would the AC have something to do with this because it was hot and it ran most of the day? I was wondering maybe this was a easy problem before I took it to the dealer and paid a lot to have the issue fixed.
Dear Ron,
Sounds like the transfer switch or power cord or even both. Have it inspected, the hot skin on the trailer could be dangerous.
We have a 1995, 19ft. Prowler travel trailer. The problem we are having is, charging the batteries while plugged into the house. We bought brand new batteries and checked all fuses that we know of. If our new batteries are discharged they will not recharge or operate anything DC while plugged in. This is a new one for us as it has always worked in the past.
Is there a possibility of another fuse or breaker that we don't know about? If so, where would it be? We looked and can't locate it as of yet.
Dear Linda,
Have your power converter tested.
I have a 2000 Aerolite RBH travel trailer with an area of the floor inside of the door that is getting a soft spot in the floor. I need to know if I can replace this area only and if there is any structural members such as joists in the floor of this unit.
I don't want to gut the entire unit, I am only looking to replace the damaged area, which appears to only be at the door itself and is still very strong on both sides of the damaged area which leads me to believe there must be some sort of flooring joints.
Dear Troy,
Open it up from the bottom first so you can see the construction.
I have a 2006 Four Winds 29ft. travel trailer. When I try to extend the slide out it just buzzes and will not move. I can hold the button down while sliding it manually and sometimes it will start working, other times it doesn't.
Dear Tony,
Check your battery voltage at the slide out motor to see if it's the battery voltage or a bad motor.
I have a 29 ft Terry travel trailer and I am wondering is there any way to raise it to get more ground clearance so it won't drag?
Dear Mike,
Yes, you can cut the spring shackles off the frame, weld in a channel to get the lift you want; then weld the shackles back in place.
I would advise stepping up the tire and wheel size also.
Took the 2004 Prowler out 3 weeks ago everything worked fine.
Took it out this last week and could not get the batteries to keep a charge. Had two fully charged batteries when we left. But within 3 hrs, both were dead. Even when we plugged the trailer into the truck the batteries would not charge. We could not get power to the trailer.
Also, fridge would not start with just the propane. Furnace would come on even when it was shut right off. Do you have any suggestions?
Dear Connie,
The charging system is in the power converter and only works when plugged into shore power. When plugged into your truck it's charging off of your truck's power.
Check your charge line on your truck and look for a breaker or in-line fuse on the hot line going from the battery into the trailer.
I have a 2005 Salem 29 foot with a double tip out. I tried to put the tip out but it stops about 3 inches from being all the way out (switch clicks and will not push the tip out any further).
Is there a way to set the switch or bar so that the tip out can be extended the 3 extra inches required?
Dear Paula,
It's possible you have a voltage adjustment on the slide out controller so you can increase the voltage limit before the controller kicks out.
I have a 30' 2005 Thoroughbred by Palomino. When I tried to put the slide out it stopped about 3 inches short of extending all the way. Could it be a fuse for the slide?
I have checked all the breakers and fuses I can find, they are all fine and everything else in the trailer works. It won't come in or out now. Could it be the switch itself.
Dear Craig,
It could be the switch or a fuse, try locating a slide out control module.
I have Intell power converter in a 2000 Jayco. I can't hear the converter buzz, and the lights drain the battery in 2 hours, is the converter bad?
Dear David,
Test the D/C output and look for a tripped breaker or in-line fuse between the converter and battery.
I have been given a 21' 1984 Prowler Regal by Fleetwood travel trailer. When I received it there were no batteries. There are two trays on the front frame of the trailer. I have been told that it was probably a dual 6 volt battery system and there are wires for to batteries. Can I use one 12 volt battery and attach both sets of wires to the one battery? Is there a benefit to running two 6 volt batteries?
Dear Kevin,
Yes, you can use one 12 volt and just the main battery terminals. The benefit of two six volts is they have a larger storage capacity so they will hold their charge longer when dry camping.
I have a 2003 Fleetwood Wilderness model #285RLS. My tow vehicle is a Ford F250. I am not very good around electricity and 12 volt systems. None of the trailer running lights, turn signals, or brake lights work. My electric brakes do work. I have check my truck with a neighbors trailer and all his lights work so I know it is not the truck.
All fuses in the trailer control box are good. All bulbs are good.
An interesting thing is my propane detector was making a constant on then off buzzing sound. Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz. never stops. So I replaced it and the new one does the same. Could this be a short? And might it have something to do with the lights not working. Where do start to look?
Dear Steve,
Start looking where the wires from your pig tail connect to the trailer.
We have a 2006 Sandpiper trailer and was wondering about the water pressure. We have never had very good water pressure it comes out real good about the first minute or so, then drops pressure really bad. We travel a lot and it happens everywhere we go. Any suggestions?
Dear Jackie,
Try cleaning the aerators on the faucets.
Does the pressure change noticeably when using the water pump instead of the city water hookup? There could be a problem with the city water hook up.
I have a travel trailer with electro hydraulic slide outs. When fully retracted in they bleed back out approximately one inch, they won't stay in.
Dear Joe,
Sounds like a retract solenoid leaking off and letting the room creep out. The solenoid can be replaced.
I have a 2006 31 Ft. Copper Canyon (Springdale I think), that has dual slides. The slides will extend, but when I hit the switch to retract, I hear what I assume is a relay clicking but the motor will not run. Is there a relay that could be bad and if so, can I replace it myself?
Dear Tim,
I am not sure what type of slide mechanism they are using, electric or hydraulic; so I am not going to make any suggestions that could cause further damage. You will have to investigate it a little more to find out what's clicking and check your battery voltage.
I'm in the process of changing out the rear bunk reading lights on my 2007 Jayco travel trailer. The replacement 12 volt lights I purchased each have one white wire and one black (ground) wire for connections. Existing wiring on the trailer is 2 white and 2 black wires. If I try to tie in the 2 existing black ground wires I blow the 15 amp fuse. Why the additional black and white wires?
Dear Mike,
The black wires are positive, the white wires are ground.
I have a "Aluma Lite 92" 26 ft. trailer. When I plug in the power 30a the battery doesn't charge and the fridge goes out. Could this be caused by a bad converter?
I have checked all breakers and fuses, all ok. The battery charges when I hook it up to truck. Can you tell me if the converter has a fuse? It's a Magnetic power converter "3240".
Dear Paul,
Some of the converters have a fuse on the panel but it sounds like the battery charge circuit of the converter has failed.
We de winterized our 2007 Prowler and now the water in the kitchen sink foams. How do we get this to stop? Could it be the purifier under the sink?
Dear Lisa,
Yes, you might need a new filter. You might also want to flush your water heater and check your anode rod.
I have a 1993 Coachman and a problem with the electrical. When I turn on the microwave it sounds like its running at half power. The air conditioner just makes some clicking sounds, and the lights go dim while turning on the air conditioner. I did have a lot of extension cord.
Could that be the problem?
Dear Rick,
Yes, your extension cords could be the problem. Get a volt meter and plug into a wall outlet of the RV so you can see the voltage when you turn on a load.
Under 107 volts is harmful to the appliances and could cause a fire.
Removed my 2-batteries from our 2006 Ultralite Zeppelin travel trailer to charge and now not sure how to reconnect them.
Dear Jack,
Black or red wires positive, white wires negative.
We have recently bought a used Skamper Prime by Thor and it has not manual with it. When we bought it, we failed to notice where they put the leveling jacks, can you tell me where they go?
There is not a special place marked on the frame for them. I have looked under the camper also for a support spot too.
Please let me know where we are to put the leveling jacks.
Dear Nancy,
There is no specific place made for them. Look for a place on the frame rail with a cross support.
I have a 1992 Avalon travel trailer that I have on a permanent site. Can I disconnect my converter to save on the electricity? If so, how do I do this?
Dear Cheri,
You will lose all of your 12 volt lighting and accessories unless you keep a charged battery on it at all times; which would require keeping a battery charger hooked to it; which would defeat the purpose of unhooking your converter.
So I guess the answer is "no".
The converter in our travel trailer is out. The trailer is being used as an away from home only. We use it once or twice a month (parked). We have 120 supply on our land. A friend said we can hook a small battery charger to the battery and it will do the job of giving the 12 volts. Is this o.k.?
Dear Darril,
Yes, if you're not using too much 12 volt power. It could cause erratic operation of the refrigerator, furnace, etc.
I have a 2004 Prowler travel trailer and my batteries seem to discharge too quickly. With both batteries fully charged and running minimal lights the batteries will discharge overnight. The only thing that is running is the fridge.
I even went so far as to pull all of the fuses except for the fuse for the fridge and the batteries still discharged overnight. Could this be a bad converter?
Dear Robert,
I think I would test the batteries first. But, if they are going dead over night while plugged into shore power you also need to test the converter and look for a short.
I have a 2002 30' Tahoe travel trailer. The breaker blew the other day because of a heater I had plugged in that was drawing too much power. I had it figured out that I could turn the other heater off while I used the microwave etc., but this time it blew, and I tested the wall socket and have no power going to GFCI side of the trailer.
I recently replaced the breaker, and no luck. The previous week there was a strong plastic smell in the electrical panel, which led me to melted wires. I fixed them, and the breaker, but it still is not working. Do you have any ideas on where this problem could be, or how to fix it?
Dear Travis,
It's probably a bad GFI outlet, or you melted the wire between the breaker and the outlet.
I have a 2007 Jayco Jay Flight. The grey water tank valve doesn't open all the way to drain. It opens some when I turn the handle a few turns and pull it, but never opens like the black valve. What might be the problem?
Dear Ken,
You might try lubricating with chemicals and flushing the tank before replacing the valve.
I have an '86 Kit Road Ranger travel trailer. The turn signals will not match up with my 2000 Dodge Ram. It has a five or six pin connector on the front of the trailer that goes to the pickup.
The issue: I have brake lights. I have running lights all around the trailer. I have right turn signal and plate lights however, I have no left signal. I have checked all the connections and they seem to be solid, and I am wondering if I might have one of my wires grounded.
Dear David,
Disconnect the plug and check for left turn output from the truck. Then plug it back in and check for the signal just behind the plug to see if the plug is matching up or if the problem is in the trailer wiring or the light.
I have a 1999 Prowler with front and rear doors, the aluminum skin (siding), above both doors, left side rear right side front door is cracking. How do I go about replacing this long section of skin (siding)?
I also have an awning. Does that have to come off along with both doors to do the job right? Where do I get the aluminum skin (siding)?
Dear Brian,
Yes, the awning and doors will need to be removed and any windows that might interfere. Then it's just like aluminum siding stapled into the wood and slip locked together. You should be able to work the panels so you don't have to remove the whole sidewall.
2005 Timberlodge Adventure Manufacturing 12 volt system works fine but when I plug in 110 cord into outlet in my garage it trips the GFI circuit in the garage. I can't find any loose wires and everything else seems to be OK.
What could the problem be?
Dear Tom,
Garage plug wired wrong, too long of an extension cord, low voltage or a short in the trailer's AC circuit.
We just purchased a 2009 Weekend Warrior 23' toy hauler. We have it plugged in to keep a charge on it while parked. My wife works from home with our two year old son. She sometimes needs a place to plug a laptop in outside and do conference calls from the trailer. When the generator is running all the outlets work, but as soon as we turn the generator off the outlets stop working.
I have checked the breakers and the circuit box why do we not have power to the outlets when it is just plugged in.
Dear Travis,
I would start by testing the transfer switch (power in and out).
I was wondering if you knew what could cause my Aljo trailer to do this. I plug it in to charge the batteries but they won't charge unless I use a charger. Another thing that is strange is when I plug in, the water pump won't work if the battery is dead.
I used to be able to charge the batteries by plugging into an electrical outlet. Please help. Do you think I might have a short or a fuse out?
Dear Kim,
Have your power converter tested.
The fan on the converter fan comes on for 5 seconds, then goes off for 10 seconds. Do I have problem with the converter? Will this cycling damage anything?
Dear Marvin,
It's normal but check the electrolyte level and condition of your battery. The converter might be working harder than it needs to be.
I have a 2000 Sunnybrook 27' travel trailer with one slider. I am ready to buy new tires. Can I or should I buy radial tires?
Dear Ernie,
Yes, a radial trailer rated tire.
I have a 1999 Prowler 26 ft. travel trailer with two doors, the rear door now has a stress fracture on the upper left hand corner. How do I go about repairing this crack and stopping any rain from coming in?
The refrigerator is located in the rear. I am going to spray foam in this crack but that will not last. Do I remove the outside skin and make this repair, or is it a structural?
Dear Brian,
Is the crack in the sidewall or door?
A good body man can cut it out and repair it without removing the side wall.
You might want to get some information on Filon repair.
I have an '05 Outback travel trailer and was wondering where I could find the hot water valve on it? There is no hot water to any of the faucets. The books that came with don't say a thing.
Also, do you have to run the propane and the generator at the same time for the furnace to warm up?
Dear Lori,
The bypass valve should be at the back of the hot water tank or close to it.
You need a 12 volt power source for the furnace to operate on propane, so you shouldn't have to run the genset.
We have a 2006 Springdale. The AC has been going out when a certain light switch is flipped and will stay inoperable for hours or days at a time. The lights on that switch also stay out with the AC. We have changed the battery and checked all breakers and fuses. The dealer has not been much help in correcting the problem. Any idea what could be causing this?
Dear Brooke,
A loose or shorted circuit to that switch. It should be easy to trace it back to the problem area from that switch.
We have had a Trail Cruiser for less than a year. Several months ago, we noticed mold on the wood piece under the mattress. The people at the dealership didn't have an answer. Now, there is a water leak somewhere about the roof. We think there is possibly widespread mold.
What are our rights in dealing with this problem?
Dear Keith,
If it's a warranty issue and you have documentation of addressing it with the dealership, you have the right to have it repaired.
Problem is, they (manufacturer), will determine how detailed the repair will be and if they want to take a stand on maybe calling you "negligent" in caring for it. So, in the end, you will have to just trust that it's been repaired.
I never got a chance to winterize my 24 ft. Trail-Lite camper. We get a ton of snow and low teen temperatures where I live. Is it too late to do anything now and what can I expect to have happen to the trailer in the Spring?
Dear Mike,
I would say it's probably too late. Just keep your fingers crossed and hope that you didn't break the holding tank, several water lines, hot water heater and the toilet.
I have an '05 Wildwood travel trailer. The outlets, microwave and 120 volt stuff works, but overhead lights and refrigerator went dim and stopped working, even while plugged in. Does this sound like converter problems?
Dear Len,
Yes.
I have a 2003 Fleetwood Prowler. I washed it the other day and now I seem to have shorted something out, somewhere?
All fuses look fine in fuse box, but my trailer will only run on battery power, or if it is hooked up to my truck with it running. Plugging it in does nothing. Where should I begin my search?
Dear Daniel,
Check your A/C breakers and your battery.
The slide out on the '95 Cardinal trailer has a leak. How can we remove the slide out further to fix the floor? We have disconnected the cylinder and disconnected the cable system. Now we want to know what to do next.
We have removed everything in trailer so now what would stop it from going out further than it is supposed to? Have tractor and or fork lift. Are either of those necessary to hold slide from falling off? Looks like support bars are long enough to prevent that.
Dear Brian,
I would use the fork lift to remove the slide.
Once the fabric is off from the inside and the rams are disconnected it should slide right out.
1990 Coachmen Catalina 34' with slideout.
1. How do I light the hot water heater? 2. The slider only goes out halfway.
Dear Dean,
It should be electronic spark with a switch inside controlling it.
You will have to trouble shoot the slider and see if it's low voltage or something binding, or just what is going on.
Can I disconnect the batteries in my travel trailer and run the 12 volt house lights off of the converter alone?
Dear Serfino,
Yes, but it's hard on the converter and PC boards on the appliances.
We just bought a '95 Cobra Sierra trailer. The slider wasn't working when we originally looked at it. There was no blown circuit breakers and it was connected to shore power at the time. The owner agreed to fix it and after we left he changed the RV battery and said that now the slider works fine. Shouldn't the slider work even with a bad RV battery if it's connected to shore power?
Dear Lee,
Very questionable. It needs the battery to operate properly. Without enough voltage to the control module or motor it won't operate and depending on wiring the converter circuit by itself may not supply the voltage.
We have an 2007 Gulf Stream Mako travel trailer. The one slide we have does not retract fully, goes in most of the way but does not "settle" down flat.
The trailer is in Texas, the place in Florida where we bought it was no help. Tried to do it manually with rod but no luck. Am I missing a step?
Dear Gary,
Some of the units will not go in flat. What's important is that it goes in far enough for the seal to make contact so it doesn't leak.
If the room works good in and out and does not leak, you might want to leave well enough alone.
I have a 2007 38' Coachman travel trailer. The problem we are having is the 12 volt system. At first it would flicker off and on at random intervals, then began pulsing about every 2 seconds off and on. Disconnected battery still continued. Now it is staying off more than on. All AC power works fine and power source is good. The trailer has not been moved we live in it year round, only vibration is from washing machine. 15 amp breaker next to converter breaker trips sometimes when running electrical heaters, but not all the time like it would if I was drawing to much amperage.
Is it possible for the converter to cycle like that, or could I have a short between the two breakers sitting next to each other?
Dear Chris,
I would suspect the power converter or a loose wire at the converter or fuse panel.
I have a Coachman Velocity 22RS and when I turned on the water pump for the first time since winterizing it last year, the water pump pumps water out of the pressurized city water connection (outside). I had the trailer winterized and do not know exactly how they did it.
Dear Coy,
Sounds like the check valve is stuck open. A new city water fill valve with check valve can easily be installed for a very reasonable price.
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