Good info and tips guys, I will say with the power cord, if your coach/RV has a 50' fixed hardwired cord, the voltage drop is the same pulled out 10' or 40'. Let's use 120 volts; The voltage drop would be around for a 6-AWG wire; Voltage drop 0.044, Voltage drop percentage 0.037%, and Voltage at the end will be (119.95). Now if you would pull all 50' out and let it sit in the sun in a coil, there will be a very slight drop, but very minimal.
I always turn my LP off when driving. I almost blew up a gas station in Ventura a few years ago. I had pulled over about thirty minutes prior because I realized I had forgotten to pick up the dog's bowls. I accidentally hit one of the valves on the stove while picking the bowls up and putting them in the sink. Thirty minutes later I was filling up in Downtown Ventura, and had to use the restroom. Fortunately the restroom was occupied, so I decided to use the bathroom in my trailer. As soon as I opened the door an overwhelming odor of LP hit me. The unit was filled with gas, and it probably wouldn't have taken much to ignite it. I quickly opened all the windows and got back on the road to air the unit out. It isn't really necessary to run the gas while driving. The frig will act as a cooler as long as you open it as little as possible. I've driven as long as eight hours with it turned off, and I've never had any food defrost or spoil.
It has always been recommended to me that extension cords be unrolled all the way due to the unsafe buildup of heat in a coiled cord which can cause a fire. I don't see why this would not also apply to a 50 amp cable.
We bought a little circulating fan in the fridge and some ice packs in there on travel days. If you have your food cold when you put it in the can and ice packs will keep everything cold for a good 8 hours.
Regarding the power cords hitting the ground I think you were 100% correct and would like to add the fact that out here in the west we have ants and other creepy Crawley critters that like to crawl up those cords into the couch by keeping them off the ground it’s out of their reach most of the time!
Seven of the 8 dumb things you outlined I have avoided because I knew about them. The one I didn’t was keeping the motorhome level when stored. I don’t store my coach for more than 2 months at a time and haven’t leveled it because the storage facility its in is decent but, I know it’s not perfectly level. I haven’t had any issues but tomorrow morning I’m heading to my coach to level it! Thanks for the info! PS - I believe you already mentioned this on another video a while ago but I think the 9th dumb thing is not to oil key components in your RV. As an example, the steps need to be oiled all the time and particularly when the RV is stored. Most folks I know oil the joints that allow the steps to extend and retract which is important but they don’t realize that the motor for the steps is attached to a bar that moves the steps joints. There are lubrication points along that bar that have to be lubricated. If they're not lubricated the steps can get stuck or even damage the motor. Other elements that should be lubricated include slides particularly Schwintech slides and rubber seals. That’s my 2 cents!
I disagree with your power cord being plugged in 5' or 50'... The length is the length whether it's pulled out 50' or wrapped up in the storage wheel the cord is still 50'! If you are saying heat my reduce voltage, inside the storage bay gets quite warm also.. The only issue I see with the cord being pulled all the way out is it's ugly to look at for your neighbors!
I agree. If heat is an issue it would be better to have your power cord extended to stay cool in fresh air. Instead of coiled up on the reel. Some of us are a little more primitive. If it's really warm I run my generator and roof air. Dash air has issues and could never cool the entire coach. But those "bus fans" do wonders. As does a cold bottle of water. They make some awesome dash air cooling systems that work pretty well. Without compressors or refrigerant. Just go have fun.
I can't do this on my Airstream, unfortunately:, but I do remember Todd advising to tuck the power cord under the trailer out of the sun. I thought this was a great tip. I just finished Fundamentals and start the inspection course later this month. Another great video, thanks. Happy New Year to you both~
Good tip on the fire extinguisher, also look for recalls on them. On the 7 pin there is/are anti corrosion sprays you can treat it to help prevent corrosion. Hot skin can be a problem. However you can protect yourself with a surg guard that cuts power off if there is a problem. Some of the cheap ones detect the problem like low voltage but won't shut down the power. The same thing with checking the pedestal with a meter. You can test right now but what about latter or when you are sleeping? I have seen parks loose capacity when more people check in and put more demand on the system. One of the main benefits of "exercising" the generator is to drive moisture out of the windings. This prevents corrosion. You are absolutely right I have been told by Cummins that most of the problems with generators come from lack of use.
Some dielectric grease on the 7 pin will help slow down the corrosion. Also a connector with indicator lights will help with troubleshooting should your lights not work one day.
Thanks for the tips. On our maiden voyage to Florida last March, our CO2 detector went off during the night while boondocking. I quickly shut off the propane tank. The detector continued to sound off an alarm though, so I had to cut the wires to remove the power. Luckily I had a bought a multiple gas leak detector went we got the coach because I didn't know there was one already installed below the kitchen cabinets. This detector was designed for a house requiring 110v AC. I had a Stanley Jump starter which had a 110v AC inverter, so I used it to power the new detector., turned on the propane again and we were fine with heat and no alarm. I replaced the built in detector after our voyage ended and we have been fine ever since.
👍👍. The part about the Generator, I learned back 1976 when I was working at a hospital in the maintenance department, twice a month we had start up the emergency generators, encase the power went out ( I know that my example is on a larger scale). Before we started them up we had to let all of the staff know so that they wouldn’t get startled when the lights off then came back on under generator power for about a hour. Talk about wonderful music hearing the Detroit Diesels doing their thang. When it came time to do routine maintenance there was no scrimping. You were talking about your power cord and protector(s) & test meters when you get to an RV park to make sure there’s no surprises, it would be wise to put a lock on your power cord at the box or anywhere you can so it won’t leave in the middle of the night or when you’re away site seeing. The reason I’m saying this is because our son had a 50’ 50 amp cord stolen two years ago. Thank you for the great information, some I knew, some I know.👍👍👍👍
This may be a little bit of overkill but because I am a navy brat my father was a fighter pilot we keep a complete log of our generator exercise, battery service and of course engine and oil service. Thomyt
Great RV primer, MJ and Izzy, good stuff to know! There is a lot we all need to know before we become RV'ers, this info should be required learning before heading out on the road. You've probably already touched on maintenance of holding tanks, grey, black and fresh water. But I've learned it is not a good idea to completely drain the black tank, best to leave 10 - 15% clean water in it so that any remaining solid deposits (hopefully mostly purged by flushing the tank) don't harden. Also, sanitizing the fresh water tank from time to time is vital, follow the manufacturers instructions.
Great video: If you have the excess power cord coiled up, you basically are creating inductive resistance, like the coils in a transformer. Leaving it coiled up may not be helping like you think. For maintaining the generator, I always use full synthetic for a couple of reasons, 1) It does not degrade over time like dino oil. The acids from combustion get in the oil. If it is dino oil, it will break down and loose viscosity over time. Full synthetic will not break down. This is especially important for RVs who may be very part time. 2) Oil is cheap and you only need 2 qts. Why not put in really good oil. This also applies you your motorhome engine oil.
Third comment: your power cord on the coach is 30 or 40 feet long. Doesn't matter how much you pull out of the hole the electricity is still flowing through the whole length. The conductors are sized to carry your full current, plus some. Since you have a multi meter, check voltage at an outlet when you have an appliance running. You should still have 120V.
Great video. One thing that I have seen is people leaving their steps out while driving. Even on motorhomes. The powered steps are suppose to automatically retract when the engine is started, but if that safety feature fails the steps will just say out.
Power cord - I follow Their advice about having the least amount of electrical cord out, but the reasoning is different. Dirt and mud gets on the cable, I use a rag to wipe the cord to keep the dirt from getting in the rig. The amount of voltage drop is the same and has no bearing on this decision. Only if I have to add an extension cord, then it will have some drop, so keep extensions off the line and use only as needed. Comment on coiling the cable and having induction heating. Short answer, not a problem. In this cable the magnetic fields get canceled out.
fire extinguisher... never even looked at it. first thing I did after viewing the video was go look at the date on the fire extinguisher in my home kitchen: made in 03, good for 12 years... I know what I will be bying tomorrow.... Thank you and Happy New Year to you guys!
I don't agree closing your propane on the road, I need it to run my fridge ! Using your hydraulic jacks to level the rv while in storage is not a great idea, use blocks under your wheels instead !
As long as you know the risk you take going down the road with your propane on. Who said we used our jacks to level in the off season? Where did we say that on the video?
I would tell everyone to go visit an RV junk yard. If you had any doubts about how dangerous the propane can be they will be eliminated quickly. We went looking for parts and 80% plus were there due to fires where their propane tanks were.
Don’t agree with your propane usage comment. Shutting off when traveling ??? Getting your meat, beverages, right before your setting camp, not practical by 90% of Rv users. A small tube of dielectric grease is great to protect any electrical connection that is used outdoors. 7 pin cable (Walmart, Lowes,Home Depot).
@7:41 generator oil level. The oil level on the dipstick is not that sensitive to tilt. Certainly not the amount of tilt that your motorhome will see. Furthermore the oil cut off is based on pressure, not the amount of oil in the crankcase.
@@EndlessRVing I believe if an engine shuts off due to low oil pressure then damage will have already been done. If its low enough not to be pulled into the pump, no oil circulating in engine.
Another great informative video . When I worked in the coal mines we had tags and you had to use a nail or something like that to mark each month that you have check the fire exterminator . Always make sure the indicator is in the green and sign your name. In the coal mines one working can make a difference of staying alive or not.
Crappy roads in IND??? Never noticed. LOL Service tech at my dealership told me to run the generator at least one hour a WEEK. He said too low of usage hours is cause for warranty work not to be covered.
Nice topic on voltage drop!!! In the electrical world it's 10 percent voltage drop or voltage spike You get below or above your asking for problems with motors and blowing breakers...
I enjoy your channel (usually). But when someone posts a comment that doesn't agree with your opinion, it's not automatically "crap". If its respectfully presented without malice, it's a different view on a matter. That's all.
I like this information Izzy and Mj! It’s great to know as everyone should know this and be taught it and showed it before they become rvers. I know from camping before and I relearned with watching your videos. These are all very good things to learn by. Thank you Izzy and MJ.
MJ, thanks for sharing some free tips you've learned from your classes. Both of you did a FANTASTIC job at telling me how dumb I've been . . . LOL 😆😂😜 -Todd
Second comment: but a can of contact cleaner and a tube of dielectric grease at an auto parts store. Spray your 8 pin connector pins, let it dry, then put a can of the grease on each put and the center ground. Do the same on the truck side. Keeps corrosion down
Excellent advice and recommendations! The getting electrocuted by the RV door was new to me... keeping only as much supply line needed to plug in and off the ground... THANK YOU!
Some good tips. Especially the exercising your generator tip. BTW...Cummins owns Onan. Sorry my last post got removed when other similar ones didn't. Don't start a conversation and then remove comments. Still love ya. Even with the hillbilly intro music. Safe travels. Had snow here yesterday. 66 degrees the day before and 71 the day before that. Multimeters are a must. And even a simple 12 volt test probe. Spring is just around the corner. Safe travels.
Wow, I love the close ups of Kellie cooking. Just love it. You know what I love,? Kellies hands and nails are always spotless. Her pots and pans and cooking surface always spotless. Love you guys and so looking forward to my own journey and continuing to watch yours. I have learnt so much from you . We have started watching all of your videos from day one. Wow love it. Happy New Years guys.
What do you do if you need to heat a class-a and need the propane on to fuel the furnace? The dash heat in a class-a will not keep a 40’ Coach warm for example if you have passengers.
@@EndlessRVing Disagree here too. Propane is the must fuel efficient mode for your fridge. Having it on is no different than your gas/diesel tank. However some bridge/tunnels require that the propane be off. And even an inspection before crossing. Get everything cold and add frozen water bottles to keep it cool. You won't be off for long.
When I follow Step 2 and turn off the propane while traveling, then follow Step 8 and run the generator for example like Izzy said while driving down the road, will the generator then be providing the power my refrig needs to keep the food cold?
First off, why are you still in NJ? As a retired Fed and former resident of Ocean County and currently living in TX, we visited NJ this past October/November staying in Jackson Twp. The bills we got for tolls on the NJT, the Delaware Bridge and GSP totaled over $250! The tolls were reasonable but the added administrative fees were crazy. Anyway, great vid and good information. Had a class A before going to a 5th wheel and love the 5th wheel so much more. Haven't shakened the extinguishers yet but will next time out and will add that to the monthly maintenance plan.
@@EndlessRVing stay safe my friend. We would love to welcome you to the free South, Texas. (After a while you get use to it and you start talking like the natives)
I agree 100% about not having propane on turing travel. I plan on putting a 500 watt inverter for the heating element on the fridge while traveling in my motorhome. The element draws about 350 watts. While on shore power I will plug fridge into the original power receptacle. I'm hoping for success on my experiment.
I lost a boat by fire to a fire extinguisher that had a needle that was pointing in the green range. You have to pay attention to the expiration date. My boat caught fire I grabbed the fire extinguisher pulled the pen squeeze the trigger and just a puff. I took the neck out and tried to shake the powder on the fire. When I ran out of powder I took the bottle and stuck it into the river and then tried to use water. Finally boat on fire I started it up and drove it to my doc where I then grabbed the garden hose.
@@EndlessRVing Small boat. It was the 17 ft bowrider with a ford 5.0 V8. I had the false security of thinking that I was in the green so I didn't bother to look at the date. To me that means the gauge isn't very useful. It got stuck where it had been when it was new when the propellant leaked out the gauge stayed in the green. It's all about the date.
Ok here’s the comment you knew you were going to get. It’s not dumb to leave your propane open while driving down the road. As many RV mechanics have told me they’re designed for that, however the dumb part is not maintaining those tanks & equipment, making sure the valve is in good operating condition and check your connections & hoses regularly. Poor maintenance is dangerous! By the way calling people dumb isn’t nice. Lol just kidding I’m not that sensitive.
Great video! #1, Great! Also, check your extinguisher manufacturer and model number and do search for recall. I just found out ours was recalled just before we traded it off. #4. I’m an electrical design engineer, not sure of what you were trying to say. My opinions. Leaving the cord inside the coach can be good or bad depending on the temperature. If leaving the cord inside and tightly coiled in hot weather can be very bad. Tightly coiled will not allow heat dissipation which causes the insulation to deteriorate. Your comment on voltage drop is confusing. The length of the cord is the length of the cord. So resistance will be the same inside or outside the RV. Voltage drop is caused by resistance mostly and very very slightly by some heat. If you have enough heat to cause voltage drop, you would have smoking conductors and be near a fire condition. #7. I had not thought of the reverse polarity energizing the metal skin and parts of an RV. I will have to ponder that one to figure out how it is possible. It probably is, but I will have to figure out where neutral connects to metal. Maybe you can tell me where this happens. Thanks for the video! Respectfully, Kevin
Great tips guys. MJ, congrats on completing your inspector certification. On a side note, I noticed Nellie has a black windshield screen. What brand is it, and is it easy to install? Dan
Hey Guys. I question, as did Jim, about Indiana roads!! I do not understand the idea of using the shortest amount of electrical cord from the coach to the panel. It is still going through 50ft of cable. I thought your reason was going to be for critters from climbing up the cord into the coach when I noticed it off the ground. I would rather have it on the ground and not trip over it when it is covered by snow here in Indiana!! Good tips. Happy New Year. Tom
The reason for less cord exposed is for high temp days. The very high temps in direct sunlight may cause a voltage drop in the cord. Is it a guarantee, no but it can happen and one should be aware of it.
And don't do the Four Stupids! 1. Don't go to stupid places 2. Don't do stupid things 3. Don't be with stupid people 4. Don't do things at stupid times Of course Chris Rock illustrates many of these better than anyone's list... ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-uj0mtxXEGE8.html
@@EndlessRVing i bought it a few months ago. Haven't had it off the drive yet.or turned on the heater or fridge. Will be checking that all out in the spring. What do I need to get to be sure it is level when I am using it? Is there an easy way to get it on blocks?
Question for both of you- watched your “8 dumb things” video- very well done and informative. In boating we’re cautioned against having power cords coiled while plugged in - you can create an “induction coil” and start a fire- is there any danger of this if your cord is on a reel in a compartment?
I would think the rv cord is no different than say a power tool extension cord (ie. like a 16 gauge), where the idiot labels (lol, sorry that’s what I call the tags) always say uncoil/ unreel cord before use, so why would an rv cord be any different? (Literal question, Not being facetious). And TT rv cords typically all are 30ft. So I don’t understand Izzy’s #4 about use only what you need?
It’s the amount of current flowing that could create a problem. A single power tool used small current; running 2 A/C’s etc will draw a lot of amperage
Thank you! Would you recommend most RVers take a class such as MJ did? Not the full certified Inspector class but something that teaches one about all these things RVers need to know.
yes this is a perfect at home one **To learn how to repair 80% of the problems on your RV purchase the NRTVA home study course here: rvtechcourse.com/?ref=endlessrving
you two work SO hard to produce beneficial, quality content on such a frequent basis. you are awesome! So well organized and well-spoken. Impressed with MJ's expanded tech knowledge.
Where in Jersey are you (about) I'm is South Jersey and own a 2012 Newmar Mountain Aire, 4336... Very hard to find service centers and a good detailer that does big RV's in New Jersey, wondering if you found a local detailer!
@@EndlessRVing I use to detail mine, takes forever now and I can't walk for 3 days after! haha I'm hoping to get my coach cut and buffed, then have it ceramic coated down in Florida next month.. Very pricey but worth it!
Thanks Guys, trying to soak up all the information I can, pushing the video to my brother and sister in law, they're learning how to run their Class A...
Your forgot #9! The 9th dumb thing RV’ers do is not to subscribe to your channel and hit the notification bell! 🔔. Now that’s an obvious one, but hey, forgetting to subscribe and hit that bell for your channel can lead to a dangerous increase in dumbness. 🤪
