Big Ol' Bug Smacker

More Power To Ya

Tim R. Enright

There will come a time when you want to plug something in and all your outlets in the RV are dead. It could be because of various reasons but, never the less, you are stuck eating cold left over pizza. The microwave just won’t run off the battery.

You may want to go camping at a rustic campsite. It can be less expensive than full-hookups and also tends to be more secluded. More like a true primitive camping experience. If you really want to get away from it all, then go park your RV out on State land somewhere away from everyone. Either way you’re not going to find any place to plug into.

On the other hand you may have just pulled over into a rest area on the interstate. You pop inside your RV, grab a doughnut and wish you could pour yourself a nice piping hot cup of joe. Yet the coffee maker just won’t perk without power.

Maybe the situation is that you just went out into the RV simply because the lights went out in the house and you were in the middle of the big ball game.

These are times when you will be glad you have a generator. I will admit that you won’t use a generator everyday but, it sure is nice to have one when you need it. They sure make life a whole lot easier.

Now that you have determined that you want a generator, you will get to the store only to discover that there is a huge assortment of makes, styles and prices. This is where I am going to need to explain that it is defiantly a case of “You will get what you pay for”. I will tell you up front that you need a generator designed for RVing. Sure you can find a unit that has a lot more power for a lot less money but, like I said “You will get what you pay for”.

What a RV style generator has to offer is ease of operation, low fuel consumption, clean power and above all reduced noise levels. You don’t want to hear people talking behind your back about how noisy your generator is but, then again you won’t be able to hear them above the racket anyway. Guess it would be like bringing a barking dog into a library. You just wouldn’t want to be the one to do it.

You need to determine how much wattage you will need to power the items you will be running in your unit. Keep in mind more power required, the larger the size of the generator. I highly recommend a top brand name manufacturer like Honda or Onan.

Don’t limit your camping possibilities because a place has no power to offer you. Just grab your generator and bring your own power plant.

Article Courtesy of : www.BugSmacker.com : Copyright © 2010

Bathroom Eyes

Tim R. Enright

Today modern campground bathrooms have eyes everywhere. They have them in the lights, in the faucet, in the soap dispenser, in the blow dryer, in the paper towel dispenser, in the room air freshener and even in the toilet. By now I am sure that you have guessed that what I am referring to is those little sensors on these things that turn them on and off.

I am sure that the intentions are good for the use of these things. Personally I like the fact that I don’t need to touch these things in a public bathroom. I have seen far too many people touch the toilet flush handle, the faucet handle, then the towel dispenser handle without ever bothering to touch the soap dispenser. Thus giving the germs on the toilet handle a ride to the bathroom door handle where others can give them a lift on the way out.

I would assume that the little eyes on these things could save energy as well. I know for a fact that people have a tendency to be able to turn things on much better than they can turn them back off. Every light switch in every room my kids have ever been in and out of is proof of this theory.

The problem that I seem to have is that every one of these eyes that I come into contact with seem to be half blind. I have encountered faucets that do not come on until you turn to walk away from them. And what is it with putting the soap dispenser next to the water faucet? Whenever you want soap you get water and whenever you want water you get soap. If there is more than one sink, the water faucet will not come on until you move to the next one. I always seem to leave with wet hands because the towel dispenser doesn’t like me and either won’t give me any towels or one that is only 1 inch long. All of that time, I am totally in the dark because the light went off 30 seconds after I entered the room.

The little eye that annoys me the most is the one on the toilet. It seems to have some kind of sense of humor. If the facility you happen to be in is nice enough to provide you with one of those paper toilet seat cover dispensers, you might as well forget it. After you carefully place the paper on the toilet seat and turn to use it, the eye will see you move and flush the cover down every time. One time it took me 5 attempts and I am sure I could hear the little eyeball laughing every time. I eventually got the best of it by using a small piece of toilet paper, getting it wet (preferably by not dipping it into the toilet) and sticking it right into his beady little eye!

Article Courtesy of : www.BugSmacker.com : Copyright © 2009

What’s the Big Stink About?

Tim R. Enright

Your RV’s black tank can be a stinky subject. Maintenance of this tank is one of the most misunderstood areas of your RV. The black tank is simply used to store your toilet waste. This tank takes a bit more effort to maintain than your grey or fresh water tanks. If maintenance is done properly this tanks will provide you with years of trouble free performance.

Solids in the black tank are what make maintenance of this tank the most difficult of all the tanks. The solids, which can accumulate in the black tank, tend to plug the drain valve and accumulate along the tank sidewalls quite easily. You should always use proper black tank chemicals to help aid in the decomposing of these solids. If left untreated the tank will build up with sludge. This build up restricts the proper drainage when flushing the tank. Once this sludge builds up on the inside of your tank the odor is extremely difficult to control and may not go away without replacing the tank.

There are several different types of black tank chemicals on the market. Some of them deodorize, some help decompose, while others do both. These additives come in liquid, dry powder and drop-in pouch type. They come in large containers or pre-measured amounts. Do not use common household chemicals. The use of these non-RV products can have adverse effects when used in combination with RV solutions. The Black Tank is definitely not an area of the RV we would like to see explode.

Many people recommend enzyme-based chemicals, which use live bacteria to breakdown and digest the odor causing waste. Other people like the more traditional formaldehyde type chemicals. There has been a lot of controversy on this subject. Formaldehyde has taken a lot of heat in recent years, but from what I have found there is quite a bit of hype with very little substance. Some people state that formaldehyde hinders with the performance of biological sewage treatment systems. I have researched this topic extensively and found that if used properly, formaldehyde will NOT adversely affect these systems. Between the two types, formaldehyde has proven to do a better job in controlling odors and does at least as good a job of breaking down solids.

A couple of times a year you will want to flush your tank. This can be done with a hose attached to a tank cleaning spray wand. You place the wand through the toilet into the tank while holding open the flush valve. The wand allows you to rinse down the tank and sidewalls when draining the tank. If you are lucky enough to have a flushing system built into the tank, then the entire procedure is much easier.

Black Tank additives should be included with a few gallons of water following the draining of your black tank. You want to make sure there is an inch or so of water covering the bottom of the tank prior to reusing it. This liquid layer will help prevent solids from building up on the bottom of the tank and aid in the breakdown process.

Black Tank chemicals need to be replenished every few days or so according to the label to stay effective. Outdoor temperature can also shorten the life span of these additives. This routine should be repeated throughout the entire camping season until you flush your tank and prepare your RV for winter storage.

With just a little extra work on your part, your black tank can do its job without raising a big stink about it.

Article Courtesy of : www.BugSmacker.com : Copyright © 2009

Rack ‘em Up

Tim R. Enright

There are several different types of bike racks on the market which can be used by RVers. Most styles will accommodate at least 2 bicycles. Each of the various racks will have their good and bad points. Allow me to elaborate on some of the more common types.

Hitch Mount Racks are the most common. These mount to your RV or vehicle using a trailer hitch mount. They can be mounted on hitches on the front or rear of your vehicle. Frame Mount, Bumper Mount and Ladder Mount Bike Racks mount to the rear of your RV. There is also a bike rack mount that mounts to the roof of your pop-up camper.

All of the hitches described above have one thing in common. They leave your bike exposed to the weather and the risk of theft. To combat this problem, several manufacturers have developed areas inside of your RV to store and transport your bicycles. Some have storage doors in the side or rear to put your bikes. You could also opt for a Toy Hauler style RV which would not only allow you to transport your bicycles, but your ATVs and motorcycles as well.

Last but not least, you can purchase a folding bicycle. These bikes have quick release clamps that allow you to fold them up for compact storage.

Article Courtesy of : www.BugSmacker.com : Copyright © 2009

RV Germ Warfare

Tim R. Enright

On one side we have the “GERMS” and on the other we have the “RVer”. Germs simply lurk inconspicuously waiting to latch on to any RVer that approaches their borders. RVers on the other hand, have the skills and weapons to wipe-out the nasty critters before they can assemble into any sort of organized, dangerous threat.

Germs that can cause disease or illness include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Germs really do no harm until you come in contact with them, so I will focus on prevention. Germs typically enter the body through the nose, eyes, and mouth; usually transmitted from our own contaminated hands and fingers.

The key to prevention is to create a barrier between your hands and the infectious matter. Caution should be used when coming into contact with anything possibly contaminated. This is where some type of sanitary glove fits the bill. There are many styles and materials to choose from. I recommend a disposable sanitary glove so when you are finished using them, they can just be tossed out.

Another preventive measure is to sanitize your hands following any contact with germs. I have never quite understood people who pass their hands through a faucet of running water and then rub them against a hanging towel. This only makes the germs “wet”. To effectively control the spread of germs you must use soap. When soap is not an option then a bottle of hand sanitizer or antiseptic hand wipes are the next best thing.

There are several common sources of germs around the campsite. One source of contamination comes from the misuse of black tank waste. There are many diseases that are spread through contact with human waste (cholera, dysentery, hepatitis, measles, polio, typhoid fever, amoeba, giardia, hookworm, pinworm, roundworm, tapeworm, trichina worm) are a few that come to mind. When handling black tank hoses and valves you should always wear gloves. When you close the valve, tip the drain hose below the valve to catch any spillage that may continue to flow. After you have finished draining the tank, rinse the drain hose and drain area with water. Do not use the same hose you use to connect to your RV for fresh water. The idea is to isolate clean from dirty.

The water supply (city water connection) to your RV can also be a source of germs. Most people don’t think of it, but before you go ahead and hook your hose to your campsite water hydrant, you may want to give it a once over with some bleach or disinfectant spray. In most campgrounds that I visit, I have noticed a few dogs. To a dog, a hydrant serves a totally different purpose.

Prior to using your fresh water holding tank it is advisable that you disinfect it. Sanitize the tank with chlorine bleach or an RV product made specifically made for this purpose.  Always use cleaners according to the specifications in you manual.

Another typical area for germs is in the galley. Your RV kitchen can be a playground for cross contamination of foods. You should always be careful when handling uncooked foods prior to handling anything that will make its way to the table. After you have handled uncooked meats wash your hands. Avoiding this practice will just allow the germs to hitch-a-ride to the dinner table.

Some may say that this entire approach to germs is obsessive over-kill and fringes on paranoia at its max. You may think that such compulsive behavior is truly unnecessary. I am just attempting to provide you with some of the weapons you can use to win this war. It is up to you if you choose to fight or not.

As with any battle, prevention is always the key to success. It is much more difficult to recover from an attack than to stop the advancement of the threat. Once you end up fighting the germs on your own battlefield (or in other words you get sick), you will come to realize it would have been much easier to wipe the enemy out at the source.

Article Courtesy of : www.BugSmacker.com : Copyright © 2009

Stop! If you can

Tim R. Enright

This spring we went on a trip to Maine and I wish I knew then what I know now about trailer brakes. If I had, the trip would have been a whole lot easier. I knew that my trailer brakes were not what they used to be, but I did not know why.

Before we left on our trip, I purchased a new brake controller. The old one was manufactured by Tekonsha, who makes a very fine product. It was a less expensive model that just had lights to display brake activity and I wanted to upgrade it. I bought another Tekonsha model; I purchased a Prodigy and am still very pleased with it.

This, however, did not correct my braking problem entirely. With the new model of brake controller I can now see the actual amount of voltage I am applying to the brakes. The controller is almost set to the max. This informs me that I also have worn brakes. In fact, upon disassembling the brakes, I found that my drums were worn as well as the brakes. This is due to excessive voltage being applied to the trailer brakes.

RV trailers come with electric and hydraulic braking systems. The most common is electric brakes and that is what I will be discussing here. These brakes work somewhat like the drum brakes on a car or truck.

I will apologize in advance for getting somewhat technical but, here is how the whole process works.

The brake system contains a shoe that when the brakes are applied is forced outward against the wheel drum which is rotating with the tire. This is where the electric trailer brake system becomes slightly different. When you apply the brake in the tow vehicle, the brake controller sends voltage to the trailer braking system. This voltage causes an electric magnet to try to attach itself to the spinning drum. This magnet has a lever that forces the brake shoes out against the rotating drum. The more voltage from the brake controller, the more magnetism to the magnet and the harder the brake magnet tries to attach to the rotating drum. This causes the brake shoes to stop the rotating drum. If everything works then the trailer comes to a halt.

The entire repair process is actually quite simple.  I will not go into the repair in detail. There is plenty of information out on the web. One such site is www.dexteraxle.com. I do want to mention that it is much easier to just buy what are called the “backing plates”. The backing plate will provide you with the brake shoes, the magnet and all of the other brake components all in one assembly. This part goes on with just 4 bolts.

The last thing I would like to stress is that you need to adjust the brake tension with the brake adjusting tool.  Do this before you use the trailer again and also every year afterwards. This will allow the brakes the clearance needed to work well.

Article Courtesy of : www.BugSmacker.com : Copyright © 2007

I have not been happy with the way my trailer brakes have been working. I tried replacing my brake controller and I still did not get the stopping power I was looking for. So today I purchased 4 new electric trailer brake backing plates and drums. These along with my new brake controller will give me a totally new braking system.

Please take a look at my article on trailer brakes for more information on what I have learned along the way.