Newby needs help

[Jeannie_Souza]

Hoping to get some help here on this forum..

just bought my first motorhome.. 1999 Four Winds 5000... 70,000 miles... no generator..

my first question... right now.. I'm plugged in at my home.. not level.. have my fridge (propane or elect..) propped open.. when I'm on the road... and have food to keep cold.. do I put it on propane? I was told.. you have to be level for propane..

my second question.. I have a V10 Triton motor.. am I better off gas wise to drive 55?

Thanks..

[Gene_in_NE]

Jeannie - Congratulations on your purchase. You likely are correct that the house battery does not get overcharged when plugged into 110 volt if the {store/in use} has disconnected the charging circuit to the battery. Normally no light will work in the house as they are all connected to the house battery and you have it disconnected.

Just thought I would share what I did about leveling the fridge. I drove to what looked like a level spot on a parking lot. Took my level and placed it on the top of the slightly open refrigerator door. You can swing it to get a reading on how level the fridge is side to side and front to back.

Move the motorhome if need be to another spot on the lot. When I felt good about how level the fridge was, I placed stick on levels on the driver door and on the face of the dash like these -
Now I just try leveling the motorhome in the parking area by looking at my levels.

[Mich_F]

cencerrita wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
Whether on propane or electric the fridge needs to be level to prevent damage. Damage can happen in as little is 15 minutes.

I added this to my unit: https://www.arprv.com/

Curious to this statement. I have operated electric fridges including at sea in cargo ships with large inclines over the years and the worst that has happened is they cut out. The only difference with a gas operated fridge is that the compressor is not
1. A mechanical compressor as in large fridge plants.
2. An electric heat type of compressor as used in mains power fridges (110/220V).
RV's have a heater compressor that is heated by propane.

So the only problem I can see is that the flame is not vertical providing the best heat source whilst in it's shielded unit.

We park up to suit our shower drainage! So a small incline to the drain is good. At times though a site has been bad and as long as we are not uncomfortable sitting or in bed, then fine. We do a lot of dispersed camping meaning the fridge is on propane and no problems. We do worry sometimes about people who spend ages leveling their RV with wood and not supporting the tires properly which could do them damage.

The following from Woodalls might be of interest to you.

The primary reason for leveling any modern RV is to enable the absorption refrigerator, specifically the low-temperature evaporator coils in the refrigerator, to function properly. Due to the dynamics of the RV absorption refrigerator, the evaporator coils inside the cooling unit must permit the gravity flow of liquid ammonia through a portion of the system. And as any RVer who can spell "RV" will know, liquids simply won't flow uphill. Without getting too steeped into the theory of absorption refrigeration, suffice it to say that it can indeed be costly if the refrigerator is operated off-level. True, newer cooling unit technology incorporated in today's RV refrigerator employs a more vertical approach to evaporator positioning, still the refrigerator must be "relatively" level for optimum operation. Fore and aft as well as side to side leveling remains a concern"

[cencerrita]

pianotuna wrote:
Whether on propane or electric the fridge needs to be level to prevent damage. Damage can happen in as little is 15 minutes.

I added this to my unit: https://www.arprv.com/

Curious to this statement. I have operated electric fridges including at sea in cargo ships with large inclines over the years and the worst that has happened is they cut out. The only difference with a gas operated fridge is that the compressor is not
1. A mechanical compressor as in large fridge plants.
2. An electric heat type of compressor as used in mains power fridges (110/220V).
RV's have a heater compressor that is heated by propane.

So the only problem I can see is that the flame is not vertical providing the best heat source whilst in it's shielded unit.

We park up to suit our shower drainage! So a small incline to the drain is good. At times though a site has been bad and as long as we are not uncomfortable sitting or in bed, then fine. We do a lot of dispersed camping meaning the fridge is on propane and no problems. We do worry sometimes about people who spend ages leveling their RV with wood and not supporting the tires properly which could do them damage.

[pianotuna]

Hi coolmom42,

My disconnect switch is between the batteries and the RV. I.E. the converter will not charge the house battery bank if it is off.

coolmom42 wrote:
Generally a battery disconnect switch disconnects the battery from any load in the RV. The switch does not disconnect the battery from the converter/charger, which continues to charge the battery from the house current. It also supplies power to the 12V system, which allows you to run lights, fridge, and water pump.

[coolmom42]

Generally a battery disconnect switch disconnects the battery from any load in the RV. The switch does not disconnect the battery from the converter/charger, which continues to charge the battery from the house current. It also supplies power to the 12V system, which allows you to run lights, fridge, and water pump.

In theory the converter/charger will quit charging when the batteries are maxed out. But many of the less high-tech versions will continue to "force" charge in which causes the batteries to lose water. Enough of this and they will boil dry and quite often are ruined.

If you can find out the exact brand and model of the converter, and read up on it, that would be good. Quite likely others here have experience with it and can advise you.

[j-d]

Usually... When you coach is plugged into "shore tie" (a power pedestal in a campground, and many of us have installed an RV outlet at home), the Converter/Charger will go ON, unless you turn the 120 VAC breaker that supplies it Off. But, if you turn your Battery Switch Off, none of your 12 VDC stuff will work. Lights, furnace, A/C if it has a wall thermostat, fridge. Usually when you're using the coach, appliances are running, lights go on, you play the radio, etc. That keeps the Converter/Charger from overcharging your Coach (aka House) battery. It's when you leave it plugged in and NOT in use, that the battery-boiling issue can surface. Our older coach (1984) had it BAD. The one we have now (2002) doesn't have anything special in that department, but it does NOT boil the battery.
You need to turn that Battery Switch OFF if you aren't using the coach and don't have it plugged in. There are "parasitic loads" like the LPG leak detector that'll run the battery down in a few days.
Get your mechanic to tell you what kind of Tire Valves you have. Rubber ones aren't a very good choice. They're kinda sorta OK if you don't attach extenders or adapters to them, though. Problem is, with just ordinary valves, it can be hard to check and inflate your rear dual tires. Camping World sells Borg Dually Valves, which I have. They require a tire shop (or possibly your mechanic) to install but worth weight in gold. If your new tires have new valves AND you don't attach anything to them but the caps, you're OK for awhile. The long-term answer to this is valves like Dually. Just be sure you or somebody you go to, can check the pressures.

[Jeannie_Souza]

Thank you all so very much... all kind words and good advise... I'm about to depart on my first adventure... leaving Old Town Florida will take the 129 route to the Barnyard RV park.. Lexington, SC... then the following day... to visit with friends in WV... lucky me.. they have a RV park ... so hope to learn allot there also... From there to Virginia where my children live...

Now Cloud driver.. you mentioned checking my house battery if I'm plugged in at the house... I thought I was disconnected from the house battery when plugged in... there's a switch at the door... if I unplug from my house current.. I have to hit that switch to be connected to the house battery.. does that sound right to you?

Bordercollie.. after seeing your comments.. I think I'll take he RV down to my mechanic .. who takes care of my car... he also works on RV's.. I can have him check my tire pressure.. the tires are new... I have all the maintenance records on the RV... oil was just changed 500 miles ago..

[CloudDriver]

All good advice above. I'll just add that our class C with the V10 averages 9.6 mpg. I usually drive 55-60.

You mentioned that the RV is plugged in when in the driveway. Some converters, which convert 120 volt AC to 12 volt DC, have too high a "float" voltage output for continuous battery charging and can boil the water out of the house batteries. If you are plugged in at home all the time, it would be a good idea to keep an eye on the water level in the batteries on a monthly basis and top them off with distilled water as needed. If you find after a few months that the batteries don't need water added, you probably have one of the newer converters that don't have this issue.

[j-d]

While we talk about Fridge, Understand that though the actual cooling is 120 Volts AC **or** LP Gas, it must ALWAYS have 12 Volts DC (your coach battery and converter) to control its operation.

[naturist]

Congratulations and welcome to the scrum! Best wishes for many years of joyous camping in your new (to you) MH.

[Bordercollie]

Expect to get 7-9 mpg and be pleasantly surprised if you ever get 10mpg on flat lands with tail winds at 55mph. RV's are heavy and have a lot of rolling resistance and are not streamlined. Have tires inflated to proper pressure, usually 65-70 psi in front and 75-80 psi in rear duals. Have tires inspected and make sure that your tires are less than five years old by date codes on each tire and that they don't have sidewall cracks. A tire coming apart or blowout can result in loss of control and damage to things under the RV due to whipping steel belt. Have brakes and engine cooling system checked and serviced as needed. Brake fluid should be flushed and changed every couple of years to prevent brake fade on long downgrades. Front flex brake lines may need replacement, can rupture inside causing sudden pull to right or left . Safe vehicle and safe driving are most important.


Good luck with new adventure/hobby.

[Coach-man]

The fridge, when in use, whether on electric or propane needs to be level, within 3 to 5 degrees! Of course the closer to true level the better. I have always traveled with fridge on, as stated you are moving and the fluid gets josseled around as you drive. As far as "the sweet spot" to drive at, you will find it by driving! Each rig, including how much is stored inside will be a little bit different. One thing to keep in mind is the V10 likes to rev. I had one years ago and it was a little scary until I just accepted the beast. 55 on an interstate is a good place to start.

[pianotuna]

Whether on propane or electric the fridge needs to be level to prevent damage. Damage can happen in as little is 15 minutes.

I added this to my unit: https://www.arprv.com/

[j-d]

Welcome, Jeannie!

For the fridge - Propped open between uses is good. Just be sure it's OFF. What Bumpy said above is correct. Underway, the fridge passes "through level" a lot of the time, but stopped, should be level or close to it. Some say "If you're comfortable, the fridge will be comfortable too," but I've seen too many cockeyed rigs on campsites to endorse that message. I consider the FRIDGE the VIP Customer when leveling. Get your coach level someplace. Then check level several places. The Fridge may not be mounted true to the rest of the coach. Ours is, but the Stove isn't. Hard to fry the perfect Sunny Side Up Egg.

Once you find the Sweet Spot for leveling, you need check only there. Do this in the HOUSE, not the Cockpit. You'll be surprised how much the chassis twists, making the cockpit level when the house isn't. Side to side I mean...

EDIT: Forgot the V10 part. MPG is probably best right where it drops into Overdrive, around 45. While 55-60 is good, I'll say you may want to run a little faster if the terrain is hilly. Not mountains, just hills. Reason: With the engine spooled up to a little higher RPM it may not downshift from OD to Third as much. I used to try to hold a steady 58. Then I tried steady 62. Still a fair amount of downshifting. The cruise on these is way too touchy. Of late, I find I'm happier driving without cruise and trying to stay between 60 and 65, trying to work with the hills. Or, in FL, the OverPasses!

[Bumpyroad]

if you are moving the refer gets jostled enough so level doesn't matter much. but if you stop for lunch, etc. try to get it level.
and 55-60 is a good place to keep a V10.
bumpy