The idea here is to pass on useful information relating to RVs and their use as both homes and campers. If you have any useful Hints or Tricks you'd like to share, please email me and I'll include them on this page

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• Keeping Hubcaps On:

John writes:
A.    Materials:
a.    Heavy duty zip ties 24” long, 2 per wheel
b.    Gorilla mounting tape super-stick
c.    Brake cleaning fluid (aerosol)  
d.    Paper toweling
e.    Rubber headed hammer for remounting hubcap
f.     Vice grips to hold zip tie firmly once in place
g.    Scissors to cut zip tie excess once in place of wheel and hubcap where they will act as a fixed mounting point.  Should be as         close to directly opposite of each other as possible.

B.     METHOD
1.    With hubcap disengaged (off)
2.    Select two points on rim and wheel where cap will engage the wheel rim opposite each other.
3.    Clean the wheel and cap rims of grease and brake dust AT those selected contact points.
4.    Cut off about 3” of double stick mounting tape and apply tack side to clean space on wheel rim, running in a 3” line of tape             from outer rim toward inner rim.
NEXT
5.     Run one heavy duty zip tie through vent hole in hubcap into the wheel vent hole opposite, pulling zip through and around             the inside wheel vent hole and out the other side until you can zip the tie through its slot fastening component, just enough             to hold it in place.  DO NOT TIGHTEN IT YET!
NEXT
6.     Re-mount the hubcap as usual.
7.    NOW tighten the Zip ties as firmly as possible and cut off the excess tails.

This should hold hubs on “permanently” (or until you need to cut the zips and pry the hub ).

• Suggestion for boondocking:

Bill writes: I added a 12 volt solenoid valve and a return line from the back (kitchen) of the 5er to the water tank. That, along with a timer and few pushbuttons (doorbell style), allows the cold water in the hot water line to recycle back to the freshwater tank. That “saves” about a pint each time the wife “needs” hot water in the kitchen. She just pushes the button, solenoid opens for 12 seconds, dumps about a quart into the fresh tank, and the water is hot at all the faucets. I added buttons at the other faucets also wired in parallel. Total cost was 25’ of tube, left over solenoid and timer, couple of fittings and some thermostat wire.
 
• A better awning lock for DIYers:

Steve writes: Our awning tried to unroll going down the highway in a heck of a storm.  Anyway, the original lock sucks to begin with and mine had gotten even more into the suck end of the spectrum and allowed it to unroll a bit. No damage but when we got here, I replaced the lock with a new one from the manufacturer.  Anyway, I wasn't satisfied with just that so I went one better and built my own for the other end of the awning.  Check it out at
http://www.dasplace.net/UltrasportMods/UltrasportMods.html#AWNINGLOCK
 
• Current saving 12 volt LED lights:

Frank writes: In the section on Lighting, you mention the high current draw of incandescent lights and suggest fluorescent or halogen lights as an alternative.   I ran across an article the other day that showed how to build a 12 VDC LED light.   The light uses 4 white LEDs mounted  in a soda bottle cap and has only 3 other components.  It draws only 40ma.  Here is the URL for the plans:
www.solorb.com/elect/solarcirc/4ledlit/index.html
There are also plans for a 10 Amp Solar Charge Controller located here:
www.solorb.com/elect/solarcirc/scc2/index.html
and the offer of a kit package for the charger here:
www.cirkits.com/solar/
 
• Easy answer for crank down jacks:

Greg writes: I wanted to pass on a hint.  Our travel trailer has four crank down scissor jacks that are a pain in the you know what!  Before my last trip I went to my Fathers work shop and he helped me make a L shaped piece of iron out of 3/8 stock steel.  It is about three inches long and fits into my cordless drill.  Intead of all that cranking I just use the drill and zip them down in seconds.  I have a serious back injury and it hurts to squat and crank these down after driving all day long.  Now I just put the L shaped gadget in and zip them down!
 
• Don't throw away that old cell phone!

Jim writes: Did you know that an un-subscribed cell phone can still call 911? It's true. The FCC mandates that either of the two wireless cell phone systems (wireless and non-wireless, AT&T vs Cell One, etc.) are required to handle 911 calls of the other system. If the phone isn't subscribed to either, the receiving cell system thinks the phone is subscribed to the competing system. Therefore, it allows the call. So hang on to that old cell phone or purchase one like the Track Fone at Wall Mart ($9.00 on sale) and keep it handy.

Here is another another twist for used cell phones: www.andreas.com/faq-cell911.html
 

• Cheap storage possibility:

Sarah writes: I noticed you mentioned the box trailer you bought to store your junk in. I don't know if you care, or if anyone ever asks you, but just in case, I had an alternate solution for this problem. Buy an old schoolbus--they can go $750 and lower for a good old one.  If it sat for a while, it will need a battery and possibly new gas and spark plugs. Often with just a new battery they will start right up.  You could even find a broken down one for really cheap, or for free, and tow it. You can cram a ton of stuff in them. Then you park it in "outdoor storage" (if you don't have a generous relative) at a storage place. Near me the lowest quote I got was $13 a month for a place with on-site management and barb-wire fencing. Buses are pretty easy to break into, so it's best to choose a safe location and don't keep pricey stuff in it.
 
• Installation tip for tank flusher kits:

David Lippincott writes: Here's a suggestion you might add to your plumbing page for installing one of the black water flush kits.  These tanks are usually pretty well hidden - at least mine was.  Couldn't get a drill anywhere near it. Finally went to Home Depot and bought a copper pipe reducer that had the same OD as the fitting.  Heat it up with a torch and melt a hole in the tank.  Worked perfectly and the inside part of the hole stayed in the fitting.  Used a small nail to melt the holes for the screws.  Have to toss the fitting but well worth the buck.
 
• Do it Yourself electric toilet chemical dispenser:

Will R. writes: Here is an idea you can publish on your site for an "electric toilet chemical dispenser" if you want. I took a standard windshield washer bottle I bought from PepBoys that has its own pump motor in it.  I installed it in a side cabinet of my 5th wheel in an area where the sewer pipes pass through to the tank below. I drilled a hole in the 3" PVC soil line pipe below my toilet (in this cabinet) at a location higher then the windshield washer tank was mounted. I then taped and screwed a brass fitting into this hole, that has barbs for installing a hose onto. I hooked the hose from the washer tank up to this fitting after routing it from the tank pump, to a location higher then the tank (to prevent syphon), then to this fitting using hose clamps. I wired a switch in the cabinet for the washer bottle pump.  I put the "potty de-stink liquid" in the washer bottle.  The first time I measured how much liquid it pumps through the brass fitting.  1 oz per second on my application. Now after I dump, I just hit the button for about 4 seconds, then flush the toilet for a couple seconds to get water in it and I am done!  No more spilling that stuff in the bathroom!
 
• Dealing with your RV Refrigerator:

One of the first things that most fulltimers discover is that the refrigerator in your RV was designed for short term usage. It was never meant to run continuously like a house fridge. The biggest problem is that these units are not frost free and often have warm spots inside the refrigerator compartment. Trial and error has taught me some worthwhile tricks for dealing with these problems and I wanted to pass them on.

Your best tool against frost buildup: a cheap little 12V fan. These can be found in junk stores or can be purchased new for just a few bucks. Don't bother to get a really good one... the cheapest all plastic units work just great. I got mine used for $3 at a junk store.
To use the fan, relocate all the items on the top shelf of your fridge to lower shelves. Turn off the fridge. Place the fan where it will blow air directly on the cooling fins in the fridge compartment. Now plug it in and close the door! You may have to open the door occasionally and move the little fan to blow air on a different section of the fins, but after only an hour or so, it will melt off the accumulated frost! If you have a big buildup, after an hour or so you can reach in and slide the chunks of ice off the cooling fins easily. This really works and the best part is that the food in your fridge stays adequately cold while the fridge is off. Total time needed for a full defrost is usually only an hour or so. If you do this regularly, it keeps your fridge working at peak efficiency. Try it, you'll like it! Don't forget to turn the fridge back on when you're done!
To defrost the freezer, turn off the fridge and relocate all the frozen items into the refrigerator compartment. It helps to put the frozen items all together in a bag and, of course, it's a good idea to do this when your stock of frozen stuff is running low.... Now prop the freezer compartment door open and place your trusty little fan to blow air into the freezer. It's amazing how fast this works.... on a warm day, it will only take an hour or so to loosen all the accumulated frost and ice. Plus, there's no chance of damaging the freezer compartment by scraping or by using a heat source like a blow dryer. My little fan has a suction cup that works just great to stick it to the open freezer door. Keep an eye on it so that the melt water doesn't overflow and make a mess! The bag of frozen stuff will keep the food cold in the fridge and won't have time to defrost to any serious extent. After the ice is gone, dry the inside of the freezer compartment, close the door and turn the fridge back on and set it to 'Max'. Once the freezer cools back down, you can move all the frozen items back in. Remember to turn the fridge back down to the normal setting!
To keep the inside of the fridge at a uniform temperature, you can buy one of those little battery powered fridge fans or try this slick little project. If your fridge has a light fixture similar to this, you can cut a small hole and install one of those tiny little fans used to cool computer processors. These fans are about 1.5 inches square and draw less than a tenth of an amp of 12V power.. There's already 12V power available right in the light fixture and it's easy to install a small switch to turn off the fan when the fridge is not in use. The fan blows air out into the fridge compartment and circulates the air nicely, keeping everything uniformly cool inside. Mine has been running nonstop for more than 3 years and continues to work great. These little fans are available from many electronic surplus stores for about $5 - $7 bucks. If you can't find one, try All Electronics Corp. They have an online catalog at www.allelectronics.com

• A better holding tank sensor:

This little item is a real winner! I was skeptical when I bought it, but it has performed very well. It's called the Acu-Gage Tank Level Monitoring System. The system monitors up to four nonmetallic tanks. Systems that us in-tank probes often fail due to clogged or corroded sensors. These sensors mount on the outside and actually read through the tank wall. Installation is pretty easy and in most cases you can use the existing wiring from your old tank sensors to hook this baby up. The panel requires 2 3/8"Hx 5 1/2"W cutout. I'm very impressed with the accuracy and repeatability of the sensors. Plus, they work perfectly all the time... no more false readings due to sludge or yuck in the tanks. The kit includes a 1/4"W x 2 3/4" metal panel, four tank sensors, wire nuts, connectors, foil, special adhesive, fuse holder, and illustrated instructions. To install it, you glue a couple of foil strips onto the outside of the plastic tank, attach the sensor module with stickum and hook up the wires. The panel can be mounted just about anywhere due to it's small size. A simple calibration procedure is then used to set the unit up for your tanks. I highly recommend this unit if you like knowing how full your holding tanks REALLY are. Available from Camper's Choice or Camping World catalogs.

• Keep those books in one place:

Here's a cheap and simple solution to keeping those reference books in order. A couple of inexpensive plastic magazine files attached to the inside of a cabinet works great! I attached them with a couple of screws, but velcro or double-sided sticky tape would work too. Simple and effective... Keeps the books undamaged and right where you can reach them!

• Cheap solution for greywater tank build-up:

After a couple years of continuous use, my greywater tank started draining real slow.... about the same time, the kitchen sink also started draining real slow. I pulled the sink trap apart and found a greasy white build-up almost blocking the pipe.... probably composed of soap scum and grease and oil. I'm really careful about putting any grease down the sink, but some is gonna go down there no matter what you do. It was easy to clean out the sink drain, but how am I gonna clean the crud out of the greywater tank? I went looking at a local RV supplier and the only thing that I could find was a bottle of stuff that was supposed to "clean tank probes". It was pretty expensive, about $15, and I wasn't sure it would do the job, so I got to talking to one of the RV service guys. He suggested a product made by Liquid Plumber that is a build-up remover. Sure enough, I found some at the local grocery and it was only a few bucks. The label said it was designed to break down greasy build-up... hey, sounds like just the thing! I started with an empty tank, poured the whole bottle down the drain and followed it with about 5 gallons of hot water. Then I hit the road and drove all day. That night when I parked, I didn't open the greywater dump valve. I just let it stay in the tank and let the tank fill up for a day or so with normal greywater. When the tank was mostly full, I dumped it and it seems to drain normally again. Yay! After the tank emptied, I closed the valve and poured some TST down the drain with a little water to lubricate the dump valve seals. Obviously, there is some risk in using a chemical in your holding tanks that wasn't specifically designed for RVs.  The label on the jug said it was safe for all types of pipes and septic systems. It worked well for me but YMMV.... Use at your own risk.

• Make a sewer hose support: For the do-it-yourselfer... pick up a length of 3" thinwall PVC pipe (commonly used for septic systems and drainage) down at the local building supply. Cut it in half the long way. (I borrowed a circular saw to do mine). Add a hanger and a short length of chain attached to the underside of your RV directly above the sewer outlet. Taa-Daaa! That's it! Mine cost me a grand total of $3 and an hour of my time. The 2 pieces of pipe are 7' long and can be overlapped as needed to reach  up to almost 14 feet. I also made a sewer hose storage using some 4" thinwall PVC and a couple of standard threaded sewer fittings. It holds both a 10' and a 20' hose and won't rust like your bumper storage. Also a cheap and easy project! Email for more info.





• Insulate your windows: Here's a tip for those of us who can't always make it as far south as we'd like for the winter. The biggest heat leak in the rig are those windows! A single-glazed window has an R-value of approximately nil and most RV windows don't really seal very well. If you've been noticing cold drafts in the rig as the temperature falls, then this is just the thing! Several companies make a heat-shrinkable clear film that is used along with double-sided sticky tape to create temporary "storm windows" for your existing windows. This stuff is perfect for RVs, as it weighs nothing and is easily adaptable to fit whatever kind of windows you have. Here's an easy 5-step procedure....
 

Buy the stuff. It's available at most home supply stores and hardware stores.	Apply the sticky tape onto the metal frame around the window.	Place the clear plastic film loosely over the window and stick it to the tape.

Shrink it to remove the wrinkles, etc. They say to use a hair dryer, but a small electric heater works fine, too.  .	Trim the excess film away and you're done!

I applied this film to several of my windows, and the difference is amazing! There are no more cold drafts, even on windy nights and it takes a lot less energy to keep the rig warm. Also, the condensation problem has been eliminated on the treated windows. This stuff is great! Check it out for yourself if you're going to be in the cold this winter...
 
• Fix your own flats! After my experience with the flat tire on the truck, I decided to add one of these radial tire repair kits to my tools. They are quite inexpensive, and you can fix the tire without removing it from the vehicle in most cases. Definitely a good investment, even if you never need to use it! Available for a few bucks at Wal-Mart or just about any auto parts store.





• Keep all those chunks out of your holding tank: This is an item that must have been designed with RVers in mind! It's a little stainless steel screen that fits into your kitchen sink drain. It catches all the food particles and scraps that would normally go down the drain, and then you can dump them in the trash. Works like a charm and will probably extend the life of your greywater tank and dump valve. You can find them at kitchen specialty shops and some hardware stores. It would be equally great for anyone who doesn't have a garbage disposall in their kitchen sink.





• Cheap hot water.... You'd be amazed how well you can heat the water in your RV using only the pilot light on your hot water heater! Light it when you park, and leave the gas valve in the "Pilot" position. By morning, your water will be plenty hot! Try it! Those with newfangled electronic ignition water heaters need not apply....

 
• Better Batteries.... If your rig has a pair of standard automotive or marine type deep cycle 12 volt batteries wired in parallel, you may want to consider replacing them with a pair of 6 volt golf cart batteries wired in series. The golf cart batteries are larger, have a somewhat higher energy density (more amp hours) and are designed to tolerate a much deeper discharge than the 12 volters. This translates to a much longer life.... golf cart batteries almost always last more than 5 years if you take care of them. See The 12 volt Side of Life for more information.

 
• Greywater transfer.... Ever notice how the Greywater tank fills up in a hurry when dry camping, but the Blackwater tank never gets very full? I plumbed in a water pump to move greywater from the greywater tank to the blackwater tank. I used a standard RV Shure-flo pump with a strainer on the inlet. It picks up the greywater from about 1/2 way up the side of the grey tank, and pumps it to a fitting on the blackwater tank vent pipe about 1 foot above the black tank. This guarantees that blackwater can't be siphoned back into the grey tank. I have used this pump often since I set it up, and it works like a champ. It really extends your stay, especially if you have a city water hookup, but no sewer at the campsite. Click here for more info and pictures.

 
• Crank up solar panel.... My solar panel is mounted on the rig's roof, and I wanted to have some ability to orient it towards the sun, as doing so increases the output significantly. The trick I came up with was to use a standard RV type, crank-up TV antenna base to manually elevate the hinged panel. It's weather-proof, and fairly inexpensive. It works great, and can be placed in any position. I find it's a big help whenever I'm parked with the nose of the rig facing either south or north. See the pictures below.

• Move That Air! Invest in a "Fan-tastic fan" for your RV. It's a high performance roof vent fan assembly that replaces one of your existing crank-up roof vents. This is a real winner, because it moves huge quantities of air, either in or out, of your rig. I use mine to provide cooling airflow when I don't want to use the A/C. It's an upgrade well worth the $, and the fans are available in most RV stores and catalogs

• Get the right light for the job! A company called Sunnex makes a 12v Halogen goose-neck lamp that's perfect for supplying just the right light for reading, working, hobbies, you name it. The lamps will accept a 10w or 20w halogen bulb, and there are a variety of options available. The lamps can be positioned easily to just the right angle for whatever it is you're doing. I use them for reading, and with a 10w bulb, they only draw 3/4 amp and provide a bright white light. You can scope them out on the web at www.sunnex.com

• Bugs, Bugs, Bugs! I have found out painfully that the only way to not have a home full of ants is to practice prevention. That means spraying ant killer around everything that touches the ground, Jacks, wheels, water hose and power line. I've also learned to avoid parking where branches from trees are touching the sides and roof of the rig, and I even got burned once by leaning my walking stick up against the side of the rig. Them little anties are QUICK! Sometimes only needing a few hours to find your kitchen. I've found that spraying the hubs of the wheels as shown is easier than spraying around the base of the tires, and it still works even after you have moved. Direct the spray onto the brake drums through the slots in the rims as shown. 
• GPS receiver mounting: I found that my DeLorme tripmate works great when mounted just under the plastic dome of a roof vent. The plastic does not interfere with the receiver, and it (usually) provides the receiver with an unobstructed view of the sky. Those of you in motorhomes may want to give this a try. Velcro, double-sided sticky tape or Silicon rubber can be used to attach the receiver to the vent hardware. You get the idea.... If you don't know about the Tripmate, you should check it out. It's one neat piece of equipment, and mine has kept me from getting lost a couple of times! See www.delorme.com for more info.
• Cheap Satellite dish tripod: When traveling with an 18" satellite dish, a very functional tripod mount can be made for under $20. Cruise to your local Radio Shack and buy a standard roof mount antenna tripod, then stop off at the local builders supply and pick up a 4' or so piece of 1 1/4" PVC water pipe. It works great, and folds up for storage.
• Inexpensive computer stand : I finally got around to building a fixture in the truck to carry my laptop computer. Now I can use my Tripmate GPS while I'm driving. The stand is made from a piece of pre-fab shelf material and the laptop is secured using velcro. I wanted something to support the screen, so I adapted a couple of shelf brackets. The setup works really well, and being attached to the seat helps give the laptop a softer ride.


 
• Inexpensive expansion tank for the rig: I have been having problems with my water heater.... No, it heats water OK, but when it does, I have to keep a close eye on it or the pressure builds up until the relief valve lets go and water runs down the side of the trailer. After reading about using an expansion tank to fix this problem, and pricing the Shur-Flo tank in several RV sources, I found a cheaper answer. I went to a local Home Depot, and for $35 I bought a 2 gallon water heater expansion tank. I found room for the tank behind a drawer under the dinette seat. Add a brass fitting or two, a stainless flex hose and a standard PVC compression tee and it looks like this:

Probably the neatest thing about using an expansion tank is the way your water system works: I pre-charged the tank with 30psi and then turned on the pump. The pump ran for 30 or 40 seconds and filled the tank. Then, you can use the water for a surprisingly long time before the pump runs again. The water pressure is higher and more consistent, and I find that I can flush the toilet several times and wash my hands, etc. before the expansion tank is emptied. My water heater no longer gives me any problems. As an added benefit, the tank takes care of another minor problem: the fresh water pump is directly under the living room couch which makes into a bed. It was always an annoyance for anyone sleeping there whenever someone would get up at night and flush the toilet. The pump would give them a head massage. With this setup, that won't be a problem any more.
 
• Keep an eye on your refrigerator: Several camping supply places sell a refrigerator temperature monitor but they are kind of pricey.... Another solution is to purchase an inside/outside thermometer designed for automobile use at a local auto parts store. They are a bit cheaper and some come with a "Freeze Alert" function that is designed to warn drivers that ice may be forming on the road. This is a great option for the RVer, as you can set it to warn you if the food in your fridge is about to freeze! Most units also offer a memory function that remembers the highest and lowest temperatures the unit has sensed since it's last reset. Shop around and see what you can find.





• Cheap floor protection: My RV is carpeted throughout, and the wear and tear of fulltime use will soon wear out the carpet in high traffic areas. My solution is to pick up small carpet samples to use as rugs. You can usually find them at flea markets and such for around a buck a piece. It's usually possible to find a good match in color, and at that price just toss them when they wear out or become excessively soiled!

• Replacing that old converter with an inverter/charger: Most of the stock converters in older rigs are poor battery chargers. Using them as your only source of battery charging will probably shorten the life of your coach batteries, as they are incapable of fully charging your batteries. I wanted a 3 stage battery charger and it just so happens that Heart Interface makes a line of inverter/chargers that fill the bill nicely. It's the "Freedom" line, and they offer inverter sizes from 750 watts up to (I believe) 2500 watts. All the inverters have built-in 3 stage chargers and fully automatic load switching. Just install it and forget it. For more info, you can contact Heart direct at 800-446-6180. I installed and wired my Freedom 7 in a couple of afternoons... it's not a hard job for anyone with basic electrical skills, and the installation manual is very clear. The system works great, and runs everything that I might want to use while dry camping... TV, Satellite system, VCR, small kitchen appliances, battery chargers, tools, you name it. I would have liked to get one big enough to run the microwave, but the small size of my battery bank, and the even smaller size of my cash bank, decided me on the smaller unit. Here are some shots of the installation... the manual calls for 6 gauge wire and a 100A fuse at the battery. You can see these in the first picture.