Q. I have a water heater in my RV. Every year I drain it for storage. When I do, I notice that the anode rod, which is also the drain plug, has been in various stages of deterioration.
Mark says: It’s good to drain the water heater and pay attention to the anode rod. Many people don’t even know it’s there. Anode rods are used in suburban water heaters because they have steel tanks. The anode rod attracts minerals and deposits that could damage the tank lining. These deposits wear down the dipstick instead of damaging the tank. I would replace the dipstick when about 75% has been consumed.
Q. I’d like your thoughts on the pros and cons of towing a trailer behind my F/Wheel because I miss my Harley-Davidson during long winter stays in the South. Are you also aware of the state laws that prohibit this? Thanks in advance for your reply.
Mark says: It’s pretty common for people to tow things like boats and small trailers behind their trailer. Some concerns are the hitch at the rear of the trailer must be able to handle the extra weight and the tow vehicle you are towing with must have a trailer rating capable of towing the full amount of weight. If you exceed the vehicle’s gross combination weight rating, your insurance or vehicle warranty could be voided in the event of an accident or breakdown.
As for the legal issue, here is a link showing each state’s laws for trailer towing. You will notice that one of the criteria is to tow two trailers. The only thing I’m not sure about is if it’s legal to tow two trailers in the state you live in, can you tow that setup across another state’s border and still be legal? You may want to contact the highway patrol and ask that question.
Q. Where can I get instructions on using the microwave/conventional oven in our RV? It was put up to replace the original, but the instructions were lost before we bought the used RV. Until now, the oven has not been used for anything other than heating something.
Mark says: Try to identify the manufacturer of the convection oven and go to their website. Many times they will have owner’s manuals available for download.
Q. I have a 27 foot Dutchman travel trailer that I bought new in 2002. To date I have had 7 flat tires. I now use Goodyear radial tires after having replaced the OE Carlyle tires. My question is this: Do the tires on a trailer require balance and alignment like a car? I find it incredible that he has had so many blowouts.
Mark says: My first thought would be that the tires are overloaded. If you haven’t already done so, take the trailer to a scale where you can weigh each wheel position separately. Compare the weights to the weight rating of the tires when properly inflated.
I’ve heard a lot of people complain about Carlyle tyres, but seven punctures indicate some other type of problem. Balancing the tires doesn’t hurt, but it’s not absolutely necessary. The alignment of a trailer is usually related to the change of one of the axles. If you stop in front and then behind the trailer, check to see if both axles (tires) are aligned with each other. If one tire sticks out more than the other, take it in for a checkup.
I still don’t think this is what is causing the problem. Weigh the wheel positions and try to distribute the weight on the trailer so that none of the tires are overloaded. Another important factor is to make sure you use replacement tires specifically designed for trailers. The sidewalls are designed to withstand twisting and flexing that occurs when turning etc.
Q. I just signed up for your newsletter, hoping to get some useful information as I get involved with RVing again. I sold my 24′ C class and am buying something newer and more efficient, also bigger. I’m leaning towards the Class B+ Phoenix Cruiser, 27′ with 2 slides. It comes as gasoline or diesel. I have been told that the added cost of a diesel engine outweighs any gas mileage benefits unless you maintain the platform for many years. But I also wonder if other things have been taken into account, like the cost of engine maintenance, the cost differential by fuel type (as gasoline prices go up, will diesel increase at the same rate, slower , faster? What about biodiesel? Is there a resale advantage to either?
I haven’t found a discussion of these topics anywhere yet. The dealer I’ve been working with just gave me the above answer…it’s not profitable unless it’s kept for many years.
I am an older single woman looking forward to doing some touring with my dog for the next 2 years or so. I hope that several friends will join for certain stages of the journey. I will appreciate some good guidance.
Mark says: Gas versus diesel is an old and often heated discussion. If I was asked this question several years ago, I would have responded similarly to the seller, because the cost difference was quite significant. Tody’s RVs offer many gasoline models in the same price range as many diesel products. Mainly due to advances in the chassis itself driving prices higher.
What I can tell you is that a diesel will last longer than a gas engine, so if you plan on keeping the RV for a good amount of time, it would be worth the investment. I have no idea what is going to happen with the fuel types or the cost comparison between gasoline and diesel.
As for maintenance, it used to be that a diesel required less, considering there are more filters etc. in a diesel, but nowadays gasoline engines can go well over 100,000 before a tune up, with nothing more than routine oil changes, air filters, etc.
This probably won’t help much. If you want to get other people’s opinions, I recommend you go to the open roads forum and post this same question in the appropriate forum. You will surely get many answers. Here is a link http://www.rv.net/forum/
Q. I am writing to ask which of your DVDs you think would be most helpful to someone who needs help understanding RV electrical systems and learning how to harness them for simple projects like a refrigerator baffle compartment fan, adding a receptacle 12v plug to charge things like cell phone etc.
If it’s not one of their DVDs, if they know of a book, I’d really appreciate the advice. Thanks.
Mark says: I don’t think any of our DVDs are useful in these areas. There are a couple of books that may be useful to you. The RV Handbook and RV Repair and Maintenance. Here is a link where they are available. http://www.trailerlife.com/bookstore/index.cfm?a=d&subcat=1
Q. We have a 2003 23ft. Komfort trailer with an air conditioner, microwave, radio and TV. Could you tell us how to determine what size generator we need for the trailer?
Mark says: The easiest way to determine what size generator you need is to figure out how many watts you plan to use at any given time. I’m including 2 links that will tell you how many watts everything uses and then there’s a link where you can plug those figures in and it will tell you what size generator you’re going to want to get.
http://www.funroads.com/service/loadmngbasics.jhtml
http://www.cumminsonan.com/portable/select/
http://www.cumminsonan.com/rv/select
Q. I have a refrigerator that is freezing. It happened after we thawed it last August. as of May 1st after turning it back on, it still freezes. some help?
Mark says: Here’s a chance. Look inside the refrigerator compartment to the rear and you will see some fins. At one of those ends there will probably be a small piece of plastic. You can slide it up or down on the end. That will control the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment. If it is bumped or moved from its original position, it may freeze in the refrigerator. The problem is that I can’t remember which way to slide it to make it stop freezing. Get a small refrigerator thermometer and experiment with it to see where it should be set. It will take quite a bit of time in each position, so be patient. You want the temperature in the fridge to be around 36 to 37 degrees. Food can start to spoil at 40 degrees.
Hopefully this fixes the problem.
Copyright 2007 by Mark J. Polk owner of RV Education 101
