When we got our "new to us" Dutchmen last year, the water heater only worked on electric due to the pilot light not working. Main burner would light, but no go on the pilot. So after unhooking the slightly corroded assembly and gas was present out of the valve fitting, told me what I figured: pipe assembly was corroded/ plugged up! Neighbor from across the street walked over after I brought the trailer home yesterday. Talked for a few, and mentioned the pilot light trauma. After talking a bit more, he moseyed home. Maybe 15 minutes had past, and he walks up with a box, "Look what I found for you"! Opened it up, and there was a pilot light assembly, main burner tube, electric heating element, and a valve unit!Now we have hot water on gas when needed!Anyone else have a similar story, or one that you helped a fellow neighbor rv'er?

I was helping a buddy at work once - his refrigerator would not run properly on gas. It as a tiny 4 cubic foot one on a A-Liner type trailer. So the flame looked really small, but who knows? It was about 1/2 the capacity as mine in my Bounder motorhome. SO I took apart the gas lines, found some white stuff inside the gas tube that basically fell apart. I was worried, how would I get that back into the tube, and I never saw anything like that in a catalog before. So I put it back together and it lit fine, had a healthy flame, and ran good! It was only later that I finally guessed that the white stuff inside the gas line probably was a spider web, and eggs. Spiders typically like to nest near a methane pit (Pile of doggy doo) and the propane line is a fine substitute in many cases. This only blocked about 40% of the gas flow, and it still lit up. Just did not perform right.Anyway he got it fixed for free, only cost him a lunch the following week.Fred.

I was talking to an owner of a 2 year old 5W that was on a site next to us in TN C.G.He mentioned that the kitchen slide does not go all the way in and he was called to the factory to get it fixed.I offered my help, removed the kitchen drawers and "dived" into the gap at the bottom.I found a hug flashlight on the floor with the technician name on it ,must have been forgotten when the 5W was built up.Now nothing stopped the slide to go all the way. No big deal but it is a great feeling to help when ever it is possible.

danoren wrote:I was talking to an owner of a 2 year old 5W that was on a site next to us in TN C.G.He mentioned that the kitchen slide does not go all the way in and he was called to the factory to get it fixed.I offered my help, removed the kitchen drawers and "dived" into the gap at the bottom.I found a hug flashlight on the floor with the technician name on it ,must have been forgotten when the 5W was built up.Now nothing stopped the slide to go all the way. No big deal but it is a great feeling to help when ever it is possible.Did the guy offer to give you the tech's flashlight after he got done cursing him? :@

When we were in Canada I had a leveling jack that would not retract.Several neighbors in the campground helped me with the problem.Most RVers always seem to be willing to help other RVers.

Skid Row Joe wrote:danoren wrote:I was talking to an owner of a 2 year old 5W that was on a site next to us in TN C.G.He mentioned that the kitchen slide does not go all the way in and he was called to the factory to get it fixed.I offered my help, removed the kitchen drawers and "dived" into the gap at the bottom.I found a hug flashlight on the floor with the technician name on it ,must have been forgotten when the 5W was built up.Now nothing stopped the slide to go all the way. No big deal but it is a great feeling to help when ever it is possible.Did the guy offer to give you the tech's flashlight after he got done cursing him? :@He took it to the factory on his next visit.

Awesome Neighbor! | Good Sam Community

11 Replies

fallsrider
Explorer
Jun 04, 2014
Fortunately, I've had very little go wrong so far on the road or in CGs. And I haven't had the opportunity to help anyone else, either.

My Dad did help me solve an electrical problem once. DW, daughter and I left Asheville, NC towing our then popup. It was cold and rainy, raining on almost the whole trip to Charleston, SC New Year's weekend. When we got to the CG, we raised the roof to find everything dripping with water. I first thought the roof seal had leaked horribly, until I realized even the bottoms of all surfaces were wet. Condensation. Warmer, humid Charleston air hitting those cold surfaces.

It shorted out one of the receptacles, so the GFCI kept tripping. Dad helped me trace it to the outlet in the fridge compartment, which we dried out with a hair dryer. Problem fixed.
opnspaces
Navigator III
Jun 03, 2014
My idea of being a good neighbor is treating everyone like part of my extended family so I'm like this as ofter as I can be. It's kind of fun to see the neighbor struggling on something and walk up and hand them a replacement part out of the blue.

Like in the past I was a technician at a auto dealership and still have a few extra parts around for a Camry that I sold. The other day I noticed a Camry in the parking garage at work that has a broken power antenna that is replaced with a coat hanger. As soon as I saw it I thought about the complete extra one that I had on the shelf in my garage at home. Then I remembered I had already given it to another co-worker a few years ago and even installed it for them. But if I still had the part I would have already set the box on their windshield with my phone extension and a note to call me if they needed help installing it.
BubbaChris
Explorer
Jun 03, 2014
On our second trip I noticed the guy 2 spaces over has an Andersen WD hitch, so I was looking to get his input (since I have one and I'm new to all this).

I popped out to chat when it looked like they were all hooked up to leave. Turns our this TT was new to them and they had a much smaller one before. I wasn't able to get much input on the WD hitch, but I was able to tell him his television antenna was still up. Their prior trailer didn't have TV, so cranking the antenna back down wasn't on his checklist (yet).
Need-A-Vacation
Explorer
Jun 02, 2014
Some great stories!
dee74
Explorer
May 31, 2014
Last week when I was camping I saw a fifth wheel leaking a bunch of water from the hot water heater area. Being new to the rv scene I was not sure what to do. The neighboring campers started pounding on the door but no one was around. I saw them ask several people about who was camping there but no one seemed to know. The two guys took it upon themselves to just get to work and fix the problem. The next thing I knew they were disconnecting everything, grabbing tool boxes and spare parts, and within 30 minutes had everything fixed. The campers did not return until late that night, if it had not been for a couple of good people with the ability to fix the problem, this could have been a much more severe problem.
JiminDenver
Explorer II
May 31, 2014
On our first trip out with our original trailer that had no tanks, we found the hand pump red tagged. We boiled and filtered the water as suggested but the dog would not touch it. A neighbor asked us why we were packing up and after hearing why, gave us a gallon of good water for the dog.
danoren
Explorer
May 31, 2014
Skid Row Joe wrote:
danoren wrote:
I was talking to an owner of a 2 year old 5W that was on a site next to us in TN C.G.
He mentioned that the kitchen slide does not go all the way in and he was called to the factory to get it fixed.
I offered my help, removed the kitchen drawers and "dived" into the gap at the bottom.
I found a hug flashlight on the floor with the technician name on it ,must have been forgotten when the 5W was built up.
Now nothing stopped the slide to go all the way.
No big deal but it is a great feeling to help when ever it is possible.

Did the guy offer to give you the tech's flashlight after he got done cursing him? :@

He took it to the factory on his next visit.
gbopp
Explorer
May 31, 2014
When we were in Canada I had a leveling jack that would not retract.

Several neighbors in the campground helped me with the problem.

Most RVers always seem to be willing to help other RVers.
Skid_Row_Joe
Explorer
May 31, 2014
danoren wrote:
I was talking to an owner of a 2 year old 5W that was on a site next to us in TN C.G.
He mentioned that the kitchen slide does not go all the way in and he was called to the factory to get it fixed.
I offered my help, removed the kitchen drawers and "dived" into the gap at the bottom.
I found a hug flashlight on the floor with the technician name on it ,must have been forgotten when the 5W was built up.
Now nothing stopped the slide to go all the way.
No big deal but it is a great feeling to help when ever it is possible.

Did the guy offer to give you the tech's flashlight after he got done cursing him? :@
danoren
Explorer
May 31, 2014
I was talking to an owner of a 2 year old 5W that was on a site next to us in TN C.G.
He mentioned that the kitchen slide does not go all the way in and he was called to the factory to get it fixed.
I offered my help, removed the kitchen drawers and "dived" into the gap at the bottom.
I found a hug flashlight on the floor with the technician name on it ,must have been forgotten when the 5W was built up.
Now nothing stopped the slide to go all the way.
No big deal but it is a great feeling to help when ever it is possible.

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Awesome Neighbor!

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