Technicalfaq

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====What's the difference between an inverter, a converter, and a UPS?* ====

Most RVs come with a converter.  This is a box that converts shore power (ordinary household power - 120 VAC) to 12 VDC suitable for charging batteries.  Converters typically carge at rates of 20 to 50 amps.  The more expensive units have sophisticated moethods of monitoring battery charge state to make sure batries are kept at full charge without overcharging.

To get household power from your batteries you need an inverter - a box that takes battery power at 12VDC and 'inverts' it to 120 VAC.  Many of the cheap units are fine for TVs, laptops, and so on, but will not work well with VCRs, microwaves, and other motor-driven appliances.  Inverters also draw enormous amounts of current.  a 1,000W inverter will draw about 100 amps of current from your batteries.  This will discharge your batteries very quickly.  Also, the cables required to connect them are huge; size '00' is recommended for a 1,000W inverter.  This is a cable about 1/2" in diameter.

A UPS combines both converter and inverter functions.  When shore power is available, it will charge the batteries and pass through household power.  When shore power is not available, it will automatically switch over to batteries and provide household power from batteries.

A UPS can have a high stand-by drain.  The Tripp-Lite that I use draws 2 amps when idle; you need to remember to switch it on and off as you need it.

====Can I use a laptop while driving/traveling?* ====

Sure.  You can either get a small inverter (<$100 for a really good one) and use your existing AC adapter, or buy a 12VDC adapter.  Most newer laptops run on 15VDC; a good car adapter will run you $50 - $70, although I've been able to find them for $25 at http://www.computersurplusoutlet.com .  Less clutter that way.  If you really want a small computer, look at http://www.littlepc.com, http://www.cappuccinopc.com, or http://www.mini-itx.com .  There are some ruggedized versions that are suitable for permanent mounting in a car.

If you're really interested in a custom, built-in computer and entertainment solution, contact me at mailto:yan@seiner.com .  I can provide computer solutions that are built-in, hidden, use touch screens, provide GPS mapping, or do whatever else you need.

A cheap lap desk works fine for the passenger to use a laptop while driving. I use a small inverter plugged into the DC opening on the dashboard when my 3 hours of battery life is used.

====How to sanitize the water tank?* ====

Potable water sustems require periodic maintenance to deliver a consisent flow of fresh water. Depending on use and the environment the system is subject to, sanitizing is recommended prior to storing and before using the water system after a peiod of storage. Systems with new components, or ones that have been subjected to contamination, should also be disinfected as follow:

# Use one of the following methods to determine the amount of common household bleach needed to sanitize the tank.

  a. Multiply "gallons of tank capacity" by 0.13; the result is the ounces of bleach needed to sanitize the tank.

  b. Multiply "Liters of tank capacity" by 1.0; the result is the milliliters of bleach needed to sanitize the tank.

# Mix into solution the proper amount of bleach within a container of water.

# Pour the solution (water/bleach) into the tank and fill the tank with potable water.

# Open all faucets (Hot&Cold) allowing the water to run until the distinct odor of chlorine is detected.

# The standard solution must have four (4) hours of contact time to disinfect completely. Doubling the solution concentration allows for contact time of one (1) hour.

# When the contact time is completed, drain the tank. Refill with potable water and purge the plumbing of all sanitizing solution.  IMPORTANT:  Make sure to flush completely after the required contact time.  Some plastic pipe can be attacked by chlorine and contact times greater than 24 hours can cause pipe failure in the future.  Roy from GTRV.

====Why is our refrigerator NOT keeping things cool?* ====

First check that the water level is over the cells in the batteries. They should be filled about 1/2 inch over the top of the cells. When you look into the cells, the opening has a sort of plastic tube which goes down about 1 inch. It has a slot cut in it.

I believe you should fill it to the bottom of that tube. When the water touches the tube, there is a subtle change in appearance and you can tell it has hit the slot.

However, water level alone is not indicative of level of charge. Get a voltage meter to test. Lights will continue to work when the batteries are too low to run the fridge. The fridge has a low-voltage shut-off.

You can check your coach battery voltage level (at the batteries) with an inexpensive multimeter (about $10), but check them in the morning before starting the engine when you have NOT charged it all night.

Once the key is turned on, you will see the voltage of the starting battery and alternator running even if there is a poor connection.

When my refrigerator was not working well, I found that the connection from the alternator had burnt up from doing heavy deep cycle charges. It was not burnt through, but very little current would pass from the alternator to the batteries. They were almost always low. Check the connections and make sure everything is tight and nothing looks burnt or corroded. Mine has a terminal junction panel located just outside the rear batteries across the furnace. It is screwed into the box surrounding the batteries/furnace/watertank compartment. It was covered by a flap of material.

I was able to confirm the problem was low batteries, caused by poor charging, by plugging into A/C. If I plugged in overnight, the fridge would come on and be ice cold after a few hours.

If the coach battery(s) are below 11 volts, you have a problem with either the batteries, or charging them.

You might have something turned on that you are not thinking about, although I can leave low power items running for 2-3 days without running down my batteries too far with 2 6 volt Trojan T145s.

Compiled from posts by Terry Henderson and Tom Funke (July 2004)

====Where can I find out information about battery life?* ====

Check these links for information about batteries.

 http://bart.ccis.com/home/mnemeth/12volt/12volt.htm

 http://www.batteryfaq.org

Since we generally camp without hook-ups, battery life and recharging is very important to us. We ordered our Westy with the extra battery, so we have two Trojan 105 6 volt batteries connected in series to give 12 volts. We have found that we completely discharge the batteries after sitting for about 3 days(refrigerator, primarily), so unless you are moving every night or so and are traveling several hours to build up the batteries, you need an overnight electrical hook-up to recharge or a generator. I ruled out solar since we normally camp in a shaded area. And traveling from one campground to another in a National Park such as the Smokies will not sufficiently recharge the batteries.

We chose to go with the Honda 1000i generator....it is super quiet, runs 8 hours on a tank of fuel(1 gallon), and stores nicely under the bed with minimal modifications. I installed a digital voltmeter readout(directly from the batteries) under the heater thermostat which is on the galley wall by the microwave compartment. Now I know that when I hit 11.8 to 11.9 volts(fully charged is 12.6+), I either need to travel or use the generator. Not that I will ever use it this way, but I also discovered that the Honda generator will also run just the 5000 BTU air conditioner by itself(plugged directly into the generator).

====Can I use my Westy when it's freezing?* ====

Sure. See these detailed instructions from Carl A. for winterizing your Westy: Winterizing

And these thoughts on heating your Westy:  HeatingTheWesty

====What bike rack to use with my Westy?* ====

Here's some random thoughts on bike racks: BicycleRacks

====Why might someone consider a Diesel?* ====

Longevity - 300,000 to 500,000 miles.
If you expect to drive 30k-50k miles per year, the Westy can
still last 10 years.

Economy with a power. If you need power to potentially tow
(anything) a diesel will get better milage than a V10 gas engine
- 19 highway, 15 city (as measured over 60,000 miles in 18 mo)

The "Symphony of the Diesel" sounds cool :-)
- I would give credit where it's due, but I can not remember
  where I read the phrase "Symphony of the Diesel".

====What does it mean when my Carbon Monoxide battery is chirping?* ====

It may mean that the batteries are low or they may be some build up of CO2 in your garage if you have it parked in the garage with the door closed. I found this to be the case. I take it out when we are not using it. It stops chirping when it is out of the garage. It does not chirp when traveling in the van.

====How do I check the interior lights?* ====

Lights  Try master switch between sunvisors first, check fuses in converter at back of van. You should hear a 'clunk' when turning ignition switch from off to ignition position. This is the auxilliary battery charge circuit solenoid under the hood adjacent to the power distribution box on the driver's side completing circuit between main and auxilliary batteries. Check also for loose connections to this solenoid, the 50amp cicuit breaker close to it and from the dist.box. If there is no clunk, check that there is a relay in the trailer tow position inside the dist.box (look in Ford owner's manual for it's position). The smallest terminal on the solenoid will have an ignition source wire that is connected to a Ford provided wire loom connector. The 2 larger terminals go to either main or auxilliary batteries through 50amp circuitbreakers that are within 18" of the respective batteries. Check also for loose wire connections in the vicinity of the auxilliary batteries (just try to wiggle terminal connections, tighten until they don't wiggle only). These include battery, circuit breaker and fuse holder connections. Always keep an eye out for corrosion.

====What are all the GTRV alarms and how do I check them?* ====

LPG detector This will alarm different ways, has a memory, and does have a low battery alarm. It runs off the auxilliary battery(s). You or a female (they typically have better senses of smell) will definitely smell leaking propane gas. Other gases can also set off both the lpg or co detectors. (Aerosols, solvents, adhesives, etc.) Make sure you read it's instruction manual.

CO detector All of the above applies, but CO has no smell and the detector has it's own battery. Co detectors are commonly set off by neighboring vehicle and diesel trucks in particular.

Smoke alarm There are two kinds - an ionization (the more common) and a photoelectric.   When smoke enters a photoelectric alarm, light from a pulsating light source in reflected off the smoke particles onto a light sensor, triggering the alarm. When smoke enters an ionization alarm, ionized air molecules attach to the smoke particles and reduce the ionizing current, triggering the alarm. Photoelectric smoke alarms generally respond faster to smoldering smoke conditions and ionization smoke alarms generally respond faster to flaming fire conditions.  For this reason, ionization alarms can be set off by cooking in an enclosed space.  I've replaced my false-alarm-prone ionization alarm with a photoelectric and have not had a false alarm since.  Photoelectrics tend to be harder to find and more expensive.

====Why do the smoke and CO alarm batteries have problems in the Winter?* ====

In extreme cold, Alkaline batteries do not perform well. As an alternative try Lithium batteries such as

 Energizer Lithium AA and

 9 Volt Lithium Ultralife Batteries

I found the AAs at the local drug store. Here are some web sites:

http://www.batterymart.com/battery.mv?p=EVR-L91BP-2

http://www.cyberguys.com/templates/searchdetail.asp?T1=141+0215

The lithiums are good to -40F, and are supposed to have 2-6x the capacity of Alkaline batteries.

====My propane alarm is beeping; what do I do?* ====

Some propane alarms are hyper-sensitive and prone to false alarms.  They will alarm on after-shave, perfume, vehicle exhaust, or cooking odors (really.)

Although propane dectors are designed to detect propane as the primary gas, they do detect other hydrocarbons but at a much different parts-per-million (ppm) level. The sensor may be more or less sensitive to these gases. (response from Safe_T-Alert President in article in Highways, Good Sam magazine, july 2004, page 26)

LP gas (and most gas intended for the consumer market) has a strong odor to it.  I am told that this is a chemical added to make the smell unique and bad.  You can smell LP gas long before it gets to dangerous concentrations.  If your alarm goes off, monitor your LP gas gauge or shut off your tank.  Even with a slow leak, you will see the LP gas gauge drop over time.  If the alarm goes off even with the main valve shut off, your alarm is too sensitive or just doesn't work too well.  An alarm that goes off for no reason is as bad (or worse) than no alarm; you will get used to the alarm and when it goes off for real won't respond.

Here's a comment from the list: I had that problem last winter and found that the batteries were so low that was the problem with the beep-beep.  Once I plugged the van in, all was fine.

If you have the Atwood "Protector", the best way to stop it from beeping is to chuck it. Those things are apparently paranoid sensitive, leading to many, many false alarms. Mine would alarm on high humidity. Another tip is to leave a window open in the van when parked in the garage to keep air circulating. That turns off my chirping.

I replaced mine recently with a Safe-T-Alert surface mount unit. It's similar to http://www.campingworld.com/browse/skus/index.cfm?skunum=15692 , but it looks like I might have a more cosmetically pleasing "newer" model than that picture.

The swap is easy; the old unit unscrews, you disconnect the wires, reconnect the new unit's wires (red to red, black to black) and screw it in place.

If you need to stop it in the meantime, pulling the 3 amp fuse in the converter should disable it.

====How can I improve the ride and handling?* ====

Springs support a vehicle. Shocks control the bounce. It's the same on a Honda Civic and a 48 foot Class A Coach.

If you think there's a problem with your vehicle, before changing anything, load it up with everything you'd take on your longest Tour, including your In-laws. :-)

If you don't have access to a good Frame/Suspension Shop, go to a Weigh Station or a Truck Stop. You need to measure the weight on each axle.

If an axle is asked to carry more weight than its spring is designed for, the only solution is to replace the spring with one that will. Don't make the shock do the work of a spring. It will wear out instantly, and cost more in the long term. With the proper springs, you might not have to change the shocks.

If the spring is of torsion bar or coil design, it needs to be replaced. If it is a Leaf Spring, a good Frame/Suspension shop can take it apart and change the leaves to carry your load.

3/4 ton trucks provide more benefits over a 1/2 ton, than heavier springs.  The E-150 is a 1/2 ton truck.  The E-250 is a 3/4 ton truck.  The E-350 is a 1 ton truck.

Overall longevity of a 3/4 ton is longer because if its heavier components. Front End Parts, Transmissions, Drive Shaft, U-Joints, Axles, Rear End, Frame, Brakes, and more...

Bottom Line; a 1/2 ton truck is a Full-Size car in a truck body. Three/quarter ton trucks are real trucks.

The price difference between 1/2 & 3/4 ton models was very small, and the 3/4 ton was a much better value for your hard earned, or not, dollar. :-))))))

====What are some suspension mods available?* ====

*IMPORTANT: No matter what you do, you cannot legally increase the load carrying capacity of your chassis.  In other words, if Ford says you can carry 7,000# and tow 5,000#, that's it.  Nothing you do will raise those limits.  This is important in that if you're involved in an accident, and your vehicle is deemed overloaded, nasty things could happen to you.  Your axles, transmission, and other running gear is the same.  Overloading the vehicle can lead to broken axles, blown transmissions, failed steering, and other failures that are very expensive to fix and downright dangerous.

Helper springs will raise the back of the vehicle if it's sagging.  They are an install-and-forget solution.  If you want adjustability, see air bags below.  Hellwig makes some for the E chassis vans.  I'm not sure when you should use the medium duty v. the heavy duty springs; this is probably a question for the Hellwig engineers.

http://www.hellwigproducts.com/helpersprings/medium_ford.html
http://www.hellwigproducts.com/helpersprings/heavy_ford.html

Anti-sway bars reduce body roll (that tipping feeling as the top of the van rolls to the outside in turns.)  Most factory anti-sway bars are undersized to offer a smooth ride.  My E-150 doesn't come with a rear anti-sway bar and the front bar is very small.  Hellwig makes a series of anti-sway bars for the E chassis vans.

http://www.hellwigproducts.com/antiswaybars/vans_ford.html

If you want an adjustable rear suspension, check out Firestone Industrial's air bag suspension:

http://www.ride-rite.com/Ride-Rite.htm

All you need is a compressor and you can dial-in the amount of rear suspension help.  The air bags do much the same job as the Hellwig helper springs, but because you can vary the air pressure in them you can adjust the ride.  This might be nice if you alternate between driving the van empty and fully loaded.

I've heard that the expected life on the air bags is 3-5 years.  I have no evidence to back this up, but it does make sense that rubber will wear and those air bags are under a lot of pressure.  If you want a lifetime solution, get helper springs.  If anyone has any real data on the life of air bags, please let me know.

Shock absorbers control bounce.  Most factory suspensions are tuned to offer a smooth ride using lightly loaded vehicles.  Factory shocks tend to be undersized and wear out quickly if used with heavily loaded vehicles.  Worn shocks contribute to excessive bouncing, body roll, and poor handling.  As shocks fail very gradually over time, it's difficult to tell when they need to be replaced.  If you have had your van for more than 50,000 miles, or drive a lot off-road or on poor surfaces, it's probably time to replace your shocks.

Rancho probably makes the standard 'stiff' shock, the RS5000: http://www.gorancho.com/products/shocks2.stm#RS5000 .  This may be stiffer than most people like.  The RS9000 is adjustable (and considerably more expensive). http://www.gorancho.com/FlashRS9000X.stm .  There are other good shocks out there; some are adjustable and some are not.

Pretty much any decent after-market shock will be better than the factory shock that came with the vehicle.

====What's the required maintenance on a water heater?* ====

The water heater manufacturer recommends that you replace the anode once each year. Of course, they are selling anodes. I just checked mine after 1 year and 10 months of service, and it needed to be replaced. At around $10 if you do it yourself, it is good insurance against corrosion in your tank. Easy to do, just be sure to let the pressure off the tank before screwing out the old anode. While you have it out, be sure to wash out the tank....mine had plenty of sediment and corrosion by products in it from the anode. I used a hose pipe and flushed it out good from where the anode screws in to the tank.