Aluminum Camper Forum

Hi All,

I am in the process of running an underground 30 Amp line to my trailer so I can avoid having my power cord run across my driveway. In Canada, we are required to have a GFCI circuit for outdoor 15 amp circuits so it would seem  logical that the same would apply to a 30 amp circuit.  However, when I was researching this on the web, most of the comments said it was not necessary.  I also went to our local library and looked at the electrical code with no luck.  I'm sure the answer was somewhere in the 1000 page document, I just did not have time to find it!
If anyone can shed some light on this it would be appreciated.

On another note, is it necessary to ground a generator?

Cheers

Mike

After our trip across Canada, we are heading south to Chicago and St. Louis, west to Kansas City, then continuing west through to Portland.  We are considering travelling Highways 80 and 84 to Portland.  I would love to hear of any campground recommendations that are on the outskirts of Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City that are within transit commuting distances.  Also, recommendations for campgrounds along Highways 80 and 84.  The Columbia River Gorge in Oregon is already on our list.

Cheers

Mike

Hi All,

Has anyone replaced the backflow preventor where the fresh water supply hose attaches?  I can't get it apart to install a new one.  I have attached pictures of the front and back of the housing.  Here's the sad part, I did replace this item in 2016 when I pushed the valve (white part in the middle) while the system was under pressure.  I just cant figure it out this time. 

Alternatively, could I purchase an in-line one that might be easier to install?

Cheers

Mike

I was just doing some maintenance on my 2015 21 RBS, checking the bearings, brakes etc.  This project made an assumption (and we all know "assume" means) that I was going to inspect, repack the bearings and confirm that the brakes were in good condition.  As part of my prep for our upcoming trek to the Arctic Ocean I purchased a left and right brake kit along with a spare inner/outer bearing and replacement seals should something go wrong along the way.

For the most part the brakes and bearings were in good shape but the magnets 2 out of 4, so far, showed signs of irregular wear and have scored the drum to the point where I thought I could just get the drums turned and then install new backing plates that come with brakes, magnets all ready to pop in place.  After a few calls it seems not many people even turn the brakes and fewer still who will turn the surface where the magnets make contact so it looks like new drums may be in order. (I guess I really do need to get my mind out of the 70's where we fixed everything from scratch!).

I went to a local axle shop (Dexter recommended) and purchased the above noted parts but they are not Dexter and appear to be from a secondary market.  I am looking into the pricing of Dexter parts now but I suspect they will be quite expensive.
Is the secondary market ok for these parts or should I be sticking with Dexter brand?  Any recommendations would be appreciated. 

Merlin, I noticed from an old post that you may have replaced your manual adjustable brakes with self adjusting ones.  Is that true and is there anything I need to be aware of if I go this route?  I really do hate (and put off) adjusting them.

Cheers

Mike

I have been outside doing some pre-season checkups on my 2015 21RBS and found a few items that caused me concern.

1.  I gave the brake breakaway switch a tug and the whole mechanism came off the trailer.  The head of the screw attaching it to the trailer broke free leaving the rest of the screw in the frame.  The screw used to mount it to the trailer was a thin flat headed screw.  It broke due to corrosion.  The placement of the switch, in my opinion, was poor in the first place so this now gives me the opportunity to mount it in a better spot.  I don't even want to think what would have happened had it come off whilst on the highway!

2.  While cleaning the factory installed awning (Dometic 8273000.401U - Sunchaser) I noticed that the awning appeared lifted on the left side (back of trailer).  Upon closer inspection,  the mounting bracket was bending outwards and upwards due to some friction in the sliding mechanisms of the awning.  I believe, this in turn was putting stress on the mounting screws and may have caused them to bend slightly. After aligning things I checked the screws to see if they were loose by tightening them slightly.  SNAP, and out popped one of the screws.  The attached picture shows it broke at 1-3/8 inches from the head and was corroded at the breaking point.  According to the installation instructions, that screw should be a #14-10x3" screw.  I suspect a shorter one was used and not of good quality. Investigation ongoing!  Again, this could have had a disastrous outcome on the road.

3.  My toilet was wobbling.  Upon investigation, I determined the floor flange was broken.  Finding a replacement flange proved difficult.  I did find one, but the alignment was off due to the poor installation of the original. Also, the new flange only had 4 mounting holes. Normally, that would be enough....but, because the aluminum decking planks that form the floor are relatively thin and have an I-beam type (for lack of a better term) construction for strength, when self tapping screws are driven into the floor to secure the flange, and by chance, hit the "I" portion of the beam, they deflect and go in crooked.  Needless to say, two screws were crooked (during construction) and one of them was broken, probably due to too much torque.  An additional two screws had been driven in to the point of shredding the aluminum floor.   In the end, I had to re-use the old flange by rotating it 90 degrees.  In the meantime I will think about how to address the issue should it break a second time.

4.  I am worried as to what I will find next!!

So, this was a long story of frustration.  Due to the potential dangerous outcomes that could have occurred (Items 1 and 2) I thought it important to share.  I have been researching types of screws and bolts, stainless, aluminum, etc. as well as strengths and coatings to prevent corrosion but this is proving to be rather arduous.  If anyone has experienced these problems and can provide solutions or ideas it would be greatly appreciated.   Merlin, you had mentioned a coating that may assist in preventing corrosion (Tough Gel?)  Can you provide a picture of the product? 

Cheers everyone.

Hi All,
I have a Skyworth tv that came with our 21 RBS and am looking to replace it for a number of reasons.
1.  Remote is broken
2.  Sound is poor (very tinny)
3.  It just seems cheap.  This may sound shallow but ....

I had a quick look on the ole web and saw a 32 inch Furrion and a Jensen but was wondering if anyone has purchased a new tv or could provide advice.  We are getting ready to go on a 3 month excursion to the Arctic Ocean, Yukon, NWT and Alaska.  I'm sure there will be times where we just want to sit back and relax while the rain comes down. 

A few things I am looking for;

1.  Bluetooth so we can place a speaker closer to us in case the TV speaker is unable to be heard due to aircon/rain or other noise, whatever that may be!!!.
2.  Smart TV functionality so we can link it to our phones to play material we have downloaded prior to trip, i.e. Netflix etc,
3.  Ideas from all of the experts in the LivinLite world!!!

Cheers

Mike

After 15 months of waiting for the Mach 8 Hush Kit I have been informed that I will probably never see it.  Apparently the fellow who makes these for Perfect Casita is not responding to the many requests for this product.  The response I received was to buy a new A/C unit.  Well, that's not going to happen!  Does anyone have a kit for sale or know of anyone else building these devices?  I did purchase the new "D" style blade and this made a big difference.

It seems like a pretty simple device to replicate if you are electronically inclined.  There is probably some good money to be made considering the demand based on the comments from the lady I spoke with this morning at Orbital Machine Works.  She says it is a hot item on the Perfect Casita forum.

Hi,

Does anyone have experience with the weigh safe brand of trailer hitches?  Also, after looking at their website, it doesn't appear that there is a place for a WD system or antisway bar hookup.  Now this could be supplied by a different hookup but it did make me wonder if it is even necessary when the hitch weight is in the 10-15% range.

Cheers

Mike

I now have 4 clearance lights that have failed.  I recall seeing one out on our last trip but today there are 4.   There is 12.8 Volts at each light so I am at a loss as to why these lights have gone out.  On the first light I uncovered it was full of aluminum shavings.  It seems that they drilled the holes after installing the fixture...go figure!  The leds and board appear to be well sealed so the aluminum shavings are probably not the issue.  I did see that 1 of the 2 "bulbs" on the fixture was very faint and then went out after being moved.  Water? I did wash and wax the trailer last week.  The silicone sealant peeled off with great ease (why do they do this?) so it could be that these are just crappy lights and need to be replaced.

Is 12.8 volts too much for an LED?  I understand LEDs require a regulated voltage of 12 volts so I am wondering if this could be a potential (excuse the pun) problem.
When the trailer is plugged into my tow vehicle is the power being directed to the converter (regulated??) or directly to the circuit for the clearance lights, or is this a non-issue?

I did see another post where the problem was the junction box on the tongue.  I don't think I have that problem and if I did I would suspect the whole series of lights in that circuit would be out.

If anyone could shed some light (sorry) on this it would be appreciated.

Cheers

Mike

I was noticing today that my solar panel and inverter both have a fuse situated very close to the battery.  It made me wonder why the main wiring harness was not fused at the battery as well.  Should it be?  Given some of the poor practices in construction (QC) and the potential for a short in an aluminum structure it made me wonder.

Cheers

Mike

Hi All,

Took me a while to move over to the new forum.  I was also formerly known as (FKA) mrt on a forum that disappeared last month.  By the way, who won the last contest?

Mike