Need a hobby? Buy a new RV.
I am sure glad that Boeing builds planes and Winnebago doesn't. My second new Winnebago is just like the first: A DIY project. I have never seen so many missing, stripped out or miss-aligned screws. ...
Forum Discussion
Since I fully expected the usual deficiencies, I knew beforehand that I would have to tidy-up the factory build. It looks like the list of things that will be done as warranty work will be fairly small. In a short time, everything should be ship shape and I will only have to deal with the usual stuff that happens when you have a house on wheels.
Did I mention the toilet? I was a little apprehensive at first. A fancy electronic porcelain throne with push buttons that glow in the dark. I am used to the usual plastic contraption that has a door that opens and everything falls straight down into the holding tank. This new Thetford toilet experience is like what happens when you are on a plane or a cruise ship. There is a certain elegance in simplicity. I have reviewed the diagrams of what makes this contraption function and it is a long way from the outhouse that I am familiar with when I was a kid. We'll see how it holds up in the long run. One of the coolest features is how you can push the buttons and it empties the bowl before you hit the road, although I am not sure that the water would slosh around too much. On second thought, the in dash GPS backseat driver was telling me to slow down; I will empty the bowl. And, that on demand tankless water heater is neat stuff too. I love gadgets. This is better than the plumbing in my house.
I figured out the layout of the 1,000 Watt inverter system and which 120 Volt outlets are served by it. I see that the TV is a standard 120 Volt unit and not he usual 12 Volt RV one. The TV outlet is indeed behind the inverter so that when working off the battery, the inverter will have to be turned on. That brings up another question. I more familiar with the various inverters that I carry around and the built-in unit is new to me. When I was working on the wiring, I had all the 120 Volt and 12 Volt circuits off except for select 120 Volt outlets so I could use a drop-light. The circuit that runs through the inverter was active, but it was turned off. A cooling fan cycled on and off occasionally. Again, the inverter control switch was off and the 120 Volts was only pass-through. Why the cooling fan? The inverter works fine. I load tested it to near maximum output. Wow; what a way to kill your coach battery in a hurry.
Did I mention the toilet? I was a little apprehensive at first. A fancy electronic porcelain throne with push buttons that glow in the dark. I am used to the usual plastic contraption that has a door that opens and everything falls straight down into the holding tank. This new Thetford toilet experience is like what happens when you are on a plane or a cruise ship. There is a certain elegance in simplicity. I have reviewed the diagrams of what makes this contraption function and it is a long way from the outhouse that I am familiar with when I was a kid. We'll see how it holds up in the long run. One of the coolest features is how you can push the buttons and it empties the bowl before you hit the road, although I am not sure that the water would slosh around too much. On second thought, the in dash GPS backseat driver was telling me to slow down; I will empty the bowl. And, that on demand tankless water heater is neat stuff too. I love gadgets. This is better than the plumbing in my house.
I figured out the layout of the 1,000 Watt inverter system and which 120 Volt outlets are served by it. I see that the TV is a standard 120 Volt unit and not he usual 12 Volt RV one. The TV outlet is indeed behind the inverter so that when working off the battery, the inverter will have to be turned on. That brings up another question. I more familiar with the various inverters that I carry around and the built-in unit is new to me. When I was working on the wiring, I had all the 120 Volt and 12 Volt circuits off except for select 120 Volt outlets so I could use a drop-light. The circuit that runs through the inverter was active, but it was turned off. A cooling fan cycled on and off occasionally. Again, the inverter control switch was off and the 120 Volts was only pass-through. Why the cooling fan? The inverter works fine. I load tested it to near maximum output. Wow; what a way to kill your coach battery in a hurry.
