Another Newbie with 0 Knowledge about RVing
So I picked up a used 1997 Fleetwood Tioga T29Z that only had 27,000 miles on it, it was the only older Class C that I had seen which had 4 bunks in the back room instead of one queen bed, seemed kind...
Forum Discussion
efiguero wrote:
So I picked up a used 1997 Fleetwood Tioga T29Z that only had 27,000 miles on it, it was the only older Class C that I had seen which had 4 bunks in the back room instead of one queen bed, seemed kind of rare. I have been reading all through this forum and I think there is just a ton of info that I am getting overwhelmed so I figured I would just ask my questions and hope to get answers or directed to a thread with the correct answers. First off, I seem to have two issues with the Motorhome, the first is the Generator (Onan Microlite 4000) will not start, it turns over, but it does not seem to be getting fuel. So It could be a fuel filter, Fuel Pump, or Carburetor I assume. The second is the fridge, the previous owner told me that it is an electric/Propane fridge, but that the electric portion never worked since he had it, but the propane did so he never bothered to fix it. With that said, here are my questions.
1. Is there a check list of what I need to do get the living quarters ready? Not a check list of what to pack but, how to get it all working. For example, it is parked in front of my house, now what? I read through all the manual, but it is vague and does not give you a how to step guide on how to get started. Do I have to turn certain things on first in a specific order to get everything working? Note, since the gen is not working at the moment, I was told I could plug in Motorhome to our house, but not to run it very long (Less than an hour and a half maybe), especially the AC, and not the microwave and AC at the same time. Plug it in. Then start turning things on until you learn how and what operates what. DO NOT turn on the water heater until you have water in the system.
The refer will take up to about 24 hours to be cold, and operates from propane gas and 120VAC. But it also needs 12VDC for control voltage. So you will need a decent house battery.
2. For me to test the fridge, other than having the RV plugged in to get power to it, and me turning on the propane, is there something else I need to do to ensure the propane is making it to the fridge and the rest of the appliances? Depending on refer model it may or may not automatically switch from gas to electric based on how your setup. Plugged into 120VAC you can turn the refer on and wait 24 hours to see if it is cold. With propane on and a full water system or connected to city water you can test out the water systems including lighting off the water heater.
3. Is there a main power switch that kills power to the whole unit? Kind of like an on and off switch to the whole living quaters?It is possible you have a battery disconnect switch. It is also possible you do not. If you have one it will be a rather large switch with a removable red key. Normally fairly visible somewhere between the converter and the battery
4. I have a red rocker switch below the steering wheel to the right, what could that be for?No clue? does it have a removable key? If so that is the battery disconnect.
5. I have located my Black and Gray tanks and where they are to be emptied, is there a location to empty my Fresh Water tanks?Look under the coach. You should see a plastic tube with a valve on it. That will be the tank drain.
6. Lastly, do you guys trust your local RV dealers to do service on your RVs? The reason I ask is it seems the majority of the RV dealers in my area (Austin, Texas) seem to have way more bad reviews than good ones. I mean, in my searching I have yet to find one with consistent good reviews. Is this normal in the RV industry?NO! Since I have been turning wrenches for over 30 years I simply do all of my own work. Cheaper and I know how the job was done.
Anyhow, I have a ton of more questions, but Let me get these out of the way first.
Questions are easy to answer. I would suggest that before you ask any more questions that you also search using the function at the top of the page. Most of the time they will have been answered already.
Also, I have to assume that you bought this private party? It might be a good idea to locate a local dealer and pay the service department a couple hundred dollars to go through the RV and teach you about each system. Things like sanitizing the potable water system, while easy can be a daunting task for the first time.
