My last trip in my fifth-wheel was pretty bad and it's been hard to get motivated to go again. The truck overheated and I took it to three different shops along my route. They charged over 300 dollars and never found the cause - it turned out to be a blown head gasket. My front jacks wouldn't extend and I had to cross-wire the leads to the motor to unhook the RV.My 12 volt system quit working so I lost my fridge, electric jacks, and the ability to put my slides in. The campground that I was staying at insisted that I had to leave NOW, despite the fact that I couldn't get the slides in or the jacks to retract. I blew two tires that were less than a year old and it did about 1500 in damage to the RV. I slid off a slick clay road and got stuck at 11 p.m. in a remote part of North Carolina. After all of that, I'm now trying to get the truck and RV fixed so I can take it out and see what else has broken while it sat unused.

:EAll I can say is WOW!Good luck on your next outing.

I don't know if this will help anyone, but the way I finally got my slide to go in and jacks to work is that I bought one of those portable jump starters and connected it to my rig battery. In the future I plan on carrying a portable battery charger - it would do the same thing and also charge the battery if the converter goes out.

wow is right, if you didn't have bad luck, you wouldn't have any luck at all.

mabynack wrote:My last trip in my fifth-wheel was pretty bad and it's been hard to get motivated to go again. The truck overheated and I took it to three different shops along my route. They charged over 300 dollars and never found the cause - it turned out to be a blown head gasket. My front jacks wouldn't extend and I had to cross-wire the leads to the motor to unhook the RV.My 12 volt system quit working so I lost my fridge, electric jacks, and the ability to put my slides in. The campground that I was staying at insisted that I had to leave NOW, despite the fact that I couldn't get the slides in or the jacks to retract. I blew two tires that were less than a year old and it did about 1500 in damage to the RV. I slid off a slick clay road and got stuck at 11 p.m. in a remote part of North Carolina. After all of that, I'm now trying to get the truck and RV fixed so I can take it out and see what else has broken while it sat unused.So other than an otherwise normal eventful day, how do you like RVing?:E

Other than that Mrs. Lincoln how was the play? Wow, things like that happen to RV ers, but not all at once! The way I figure it you should be trouble free for at least 10 years!

Bad Trip | Good Sam Community

schlep1967
Nomad
Dec 19, 2014
mabynack wrote:
BulldawgFan wrote:
schlep1967 wrote:
mabynack wrote:
I don't know if this will help anyone, but the way I finally got my slide to go in and jacks to work is that I bought one of those portable jump starters and connected it to my rig battery. In the future I plan on carrying a portable battery charger - it would do the same thing and also charge the battery if the converter goes out.

The easier way to do this is with jumper cables. Our battery gave out on us this year. Slides barely came in and the trailer would not go up so I could get the truck under it. Turned the truck around and ran jumpers from the truck to the trailer battery. Trailer went right up.

Better yet, just plug in the 7way. You can run slides, operate lighta and other 12 volt stuff as long as the 7way is plugged in, truck running, even if there is no battery hooked to camper at all.

I tried plugging in the 7 way and running the truck, but there still wasn't enough juice to retract the slides or use the jacks.

And this is where a heavy pair of jumper cables comes in. Less resistance and more power getting to the motors.
mabynack
Explorer II
Dec 17, 2014
BulldawgFan wrote:
schlep1967 wrote:
mabynack wrote:
I don't know if this will help anyone, but the way I finally got my slide to go in and jacks to work is that I bought one of those portable jump starters and connected it to my rig battery. In the future I plan on carrying a portable battery charger - it would do the same thing and also charge the battery if the converter goes out.

The easier way to do this is with jumper cables. Our battery gave out on us this year. Slides barely came in and the trailer would not go up so I could get the truck under it. Turned the truck around and ran jumpers from the truck to the trailer battery. Trailer went right up.

Better yet, just plug in the 7way. You can run slides, operate lighta and other 12 volt stuff as long as the 7way is plugged in, truck running, even if there is no battery hooked to camper at all.

I tried plugging in the 7 way and running the truck, but there still wasn't enough juice to retract the slides or use the jacks.
laknox
Nomad
Dec 17, 2014
BulldawgFan wrote:
kohai wrote:
BulldawgFan wrote:
schlep1967 wrote:
mabynack wrote:
I don't know if this will help anyone, but the way I finally got my slide to go in and jacks to work is that I bought one of those portable jump starters and connected it to my rig battery. In the future I plan on carrying a portable battery charger - it would do the same thing and also charge the battery if the converter goes out.

The easier way to do this is with jumper cables. Our battery gave out on us this year. Slides barely came in and the trailer would not go up so I could get the truck under it. Turned the truck around and ran jumpers from the truck to the trailer battery. Trailer went right up.

Better yet, just plug in the 7way. You can run slides, operate lighta and other 12 volt stuff as long as the 7way is plugged in, truck running, even if there is no battery hooked to camper at all.

IF the battery disconnect is closed. If it's open, no juice gets to the batteries.

Lyle

Does the trailer battery charge when the 7 way is connected and I'm driving down the road?

Yes it does, or should.
BulldawgFan
Explorer
Dec 17, 2014
kohai wrote:
BulldawgFan wrote:
schlep1967 wrote:
mabynack wrote:
I don't know if this will help anyone, but the way I finally got my slide to go in and jacks to work is that I bought one of those portable jump starters and connected it to my rig battery. In the future I plan on carrying a portable battery charger - it would do the same thing and also charge the battery if the converter goes out.

The easier way to do this is with jumper cables. Our battery gave out on us this year. Slides barely came in and the trailer would not go up so I could get the truck under it. Turned the truck around and ran jumpers from the truck to the trailer battery. Trailer went right up.

Better yet, just plug in the 7way. You can run slides, operate lighta and other 12 volt stuff as long as the 7way is plugged in, truck running, even if there is no battery hooked to camper at all.

Does the trailer battery charge when the 7 way is connected and I'm driving down the road?

Yes it does, or should.
kohai
Explorer
Dec 17, 2014
BulldawgFan wrote:
schlep1967 wrote:
mabynack wrote:
I don't know if this will help anyone, but the way I finally got my slide to go in and jacks to work is that I bought one of those portable jump starters and connected it to my rig battery. In the future I plan on carrying a portable battery charger - it would do the same thing and also charge the battery if the converter goes out.

The easier way to do this is with jumper cables. Our battery gave out on us this year. Slides barely came in and the trailer would not go up so I could get the truck under it. Turned the truck around and ran jumpers from the truck to the trailer battery. Trailer went right up.

Better yet, just plug in the 7way. You can run slides, operate lighta and other 12 volt stuff as long as the 7way is plugged in, truck running, even if there is no battery hooked to camper at all.

Does the trailer battery charge when the 7 way is connected and I'm driving down the road?
BulldawgFan
Explorer
Dec 16, 2014
schlep1967 wrote:
mabynack wrote:
I don't know if this will help anyone, but the way I finally got my slide to go in and jacks to work is that I bought one of those portable jump starters and connected it to my rig battery. In the future I plan on carrying a portable battery charger - it would do the same thing and also charge the battery if the converter goes out.

The easier way to do this is with jumper cables. Our battery gave out on us this year. Slides barely came in and the trailer would not go up so I could get the truck under it. Turned the truck around and ran jumpers from the truck to the trailer battery. Trailer went right up.

Better yet, just plug in the 7way. You can run slides, operate lighta and other 12 volt stuff as long as the 7way is plugged in, truck running, even if there is no battery hooked to camper at all.
Dave_H_M
Explorer II
Dec 16, 2014
Whoah, with a little efort, I think we could make a country western song out of that. :R

Sounds like you are going to hang in there and give it the ole college try.

hang in there. good luck on your efforts.
oldtrojan66
Explorer
Dec 15, 2014
I'm curious about the campground also. I would think they might have offered to have the next guy in line for the site, move to an alternate, if he was willing. I would like to think most people, when advised of the circumstances, would be helpful. OP you had a really rough time. We had one, also, but not to the tune of what other posters have spent. I had some studs break off a cracked hub. Most of my frustration was in running all over, on a week-end of course. You have to be really specific about all the specs for a new hub, if you're on the phone. I had two places tell me they had replacement parts, only to find out when I got there, the parts would not work. UUGGGHHH! Hate it when that happens. Hope the rest of your camping experiences are positive.
laknox
Nomad
Dec 15, 2014
mabynack wrote:
Here's a follow-up. I parked my RV for a year and half and finally took it out last week for a quick shake-down. I stayed at a park about 8 miles from home for a week. The rig worked fine except for a slight leak in the roof in the front closet. My daughter is going to use it in two weeks and hopefully everything will work. She's only going about 60 miles down the road.

Before I take it on the road next time I plan on buying four new tires and replacing the awning.

I'd get that roof leak fixed =before= the tires. That's probably more expensive to fix, in the long run, than bad tires. Glad you got things straightened out. Would still like to know which CG to avoid in NC.

Lyle
3_dog_nights
Explorer
Dec 15, 2014
Need to know the name of the campground that "insisted" you leave.

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