Repairs and Upgrades

way2roll wrote:
People learn by doing, and often doing comes out of necessity - either stranded or financially driven - or both and of course some just like to do it. I fall in the financial driver slot fueled by necessity. Now, if I ever came into a lot of money, like lotto money, rest assured I would simply pay people to work on my Prevost while I have lunch and a beer in the cabana. Some folks who have a lot of money still like to do their own stuff. Hats off to you. I think in my younger years I also felt that way. Now that I am older, I am fine using my credit card as a primary tool. But - and this is important - I still could if I needed to on most things. Some stuff is still better left to the experts. The issue is finding an expert.

Well put.

Al

lenr wrote:


One of the reasons that I feel compfortable purchasing 175 miles from home is that I can fix the simple stuff.

I never minded buying a long way from home, any dealer of your manufacturer can address a warranty issue no matter where you are.

In this day and age, many products are manufactured as throw away products. They aren't designed to be repaired. When they fail, you throw them away and buy a complete new unit. To the manufacturers, it's simply cheaper that way. To the person who owns the assembly, it may not be if they can fix it themselves. That said I've always prided myself in being able to identify the actual component in an assembly that failed, then cheaply source/repair that part and put the assembly back in service. Knowing when to do that takes experience and it's not always worth my time or a good idea. The times that so called "experts" assured me that "You need a new one" is just laughable, but, . . . . . . that's the world we live in.

Chum lee

Mobile RV techs that I have experienced in IN and FL have been quite competent. Lucky maybe. But, they're just people--good ones and bad ones. Best way that I have found to find good ones, is ask the campground hosts.

When the repairman fixes it's done--when it fix (if I can fix it), it's done right. Sometimes it's even over-done. Even when we can't fix it, those of us who are handy have a better idea of where to go for professional help.

One of the reasons that I feel compfortable purchasing 175 miles from home is that I can fix the simple stuff.

In an older MH it is rarely repair and replace. Secondly if something fails why just replace it with the same type of part that failed. Case in point broken plastic parts get replaced with steel, Al or wood. Parts that fail all the time like the Trimark door assemblies I replaced the Zinc alloy latch with steel. When my Kwikee steps would not work do to a bad controller, they no longer sell a control board for a 23 year old MH and Kwikee wanted me to but a whole step assembly. After some research I found a relay burned out and replaced it for $3:49. There are a lot of people on this forum that provide incite on how to fix complicated problems with RV systems.

RustyMacIntosh wrote:
I saw the cops rousting out a nice pusher diesel motorhome parked way out at the outer limit of the parking lot at a Walmart.....Wallys used to be the place to spend the night, but in Cal the homeless have squatted to the degree I guess Wally has put the kibosh on staying overnight.

I found hotels to be the best place to hide out in. Large hotels where you can get lost in the shuffle. You can get a nites rest, sponge off their WIFI and get a breakfast too....

On my Bounder, the only part I have never been able to figure out is the momentary water pump switches. I get nada at the pump. I jumped the pump with wires leading into the bathroom where I have a small riding lawn mower battery. If I need water, we connect to the battery,

I did change that intelligent box above the pump, the interesting thing is the neg was live and the pos was cold when testing the power to the box.

The red was cold, but the white with red stripe noted as NEG on the little box, was live...had power there.

Rusty, if one of the momentary switches is stuck in the closed position, the water pump controller will not change state.

Schematic

Richard

It has been a busy year with all the traveling. This is what I did. Removed everything from the slide and replaced with vinyl plank and regular furniture. Looking for other furniture, but it works for us. Added USB ports (From Amazon), swapped the 28" TV that was changed by the previous owner to a 40", and changed the backsplash. The photo of the slide shows the old light fixture that was replaced.

I do as much as I can. Around here no one to do the inside work. The chassis work is done by a place that does commercial trucks and they don't do everything. The local RV shop does their best.

Still looking for an ABS module that has been discontinued by the manufacturer and need the slide adjusted.. Trying to figure out why an 120v outlet in the BR wont work...

If it is not one thing it is another. Have fun and keep RVing.....

way2roll wrote:
People learn by doing, and often doing comes out of necessity - either stranded or financially driven - or both and of course some just like to do it. I fall in the financial driver slot fueled by necessity. Now, if I ever came into a lot of money, like lotto money, rest assured I would simply pay people to work on my Prevost while I have lunch and a beer in the cabana. Some folks who have a lot of money still like to do their own stuff. Hats off to you. I think in my younger years I also felt that way. Now that I am older, I am fine using my credit card as a primary tool. But - and this is important - I still could if I needed to on most things. Some stuff is still better left to the experts. The issue is finding an expert.

Ditto. dreamer.

People learn by doing, and often doing comes out of necessity - either stranded or financially driven - or both and of course some just like to do it. I fall in the financial driver slot fueled by necessity. Now, if I ever came into a lot of money, like lotto money, rest assured I would simply pay people to work on my Prevost while I have lunch and a beer in the cabana. Some folks who have a lot of money still like to do their own stuff. Hats off to you. I think in my younger years I also felt that way. Now that I am older, I am fine using my credit card as a primary tool. But - and this is important - I still could if I needed to on most things. Some stuff is still better left to the experts. The issue is finding an expert.