Go For It! Repair or Replace it Yourself..You Can Do It

[Beentherefixedt]

Consider this post a "Call to Arms" so to speak to encourage anyone to undertake their own RV repairs, modifications and maintenance. I read so many posts here asking if this or that can be taken on by the owner. In most cases it can be with no problem.

Of course I realize that due to age or physical limitations some may not be able to do this. But it doesnt hurt to educate yourself as much as possible to avoid being taken advantage of by RV dealers and repair facilities.

Anyone can do just about anything to their own RV.

There are two electrical systems 12 volt DC and 120 Volt AC.

There is a propane system for the stove, Furnace and the water heater (most units)

Then there is the plumbing system with Two systems interior to that, the onboard system using the water pump and fresh water tank and the outside supply.

These systems are very basic in most cases and familiar to many of us from our houses. Those that may be unfamiliar are still not complicated and can be mastered with reading the manual and doing some minimal online research.

In my case I have done the following on my 34 foot Gulfstream trailer.

Installed all new flooring incl. "floating type" in the bathroom and entry.

Replaced Kitchen sink with larger better (standard household models) SST double sink and faucet

Tore out my bathroom vanity, sink etc and replaced with a new one, Tiled the backsplash and counter and new medicine cabinet/mirror.

Re-wired my pigtail, getting rid of those horrible plastic twist nuts and terminated each wire with ring lugs (marine type with heat shrink), installed a distribution box and power dist. strip.

Replaced the old corroded inline 50 amp fuse in the pigtail with a marine grade 50 amp fuse and water resistant box.

Cut my Power cord off (I had the type that had to be pushed in and out) Added a marine grade Marinco receptacle mounted in a weather proof box wired to a dist. box in my bathroom and installed a new plug on the end of my cord...freeing my cord and making hookup much easier, surer and safer.

Repaired and adjusted my main living area slide

Tore out the living area dinette and sofa, moved some interior storage areas, created a table and chair dining table area and added to recliners essentially reversing the floorplan of the original.

Put down all new commercial grade carpeting in my main slide and living area.

Removed and recovered all of the window surrounds in the main living area.

Replaced both 12 v and 120AC light fixtures in the main living area.

Tore out the upper bunk of my small slide area and added matching cabinets I bought from Home Depot above the lower bunk.

Insulated the complete underside of the trailer as well as all outside storage areas with Owens Corning Pink Foamular insulation covered over with White Plastic version of that commonly used under most RV's.

Removed my Furnace cleaned and re mounted it properly. (It was not installed correctly at the factory so that much of the air didnt make it into the duct system.)

And the biggest job of all...I found some old rot in the floor of my small slide (I bought this trailer used) It was all dry rot. I replaced the slide floor and fit in new framing where necessary. This entailed removing the outside skin and replacing removing the old floor and replacing.

Now none of these were done in a garage and only the slide repair was done at my house. All else has been done on the road.

So you too can do this stuff. HOnestly...give it a try

[campigloo]

Toadtoes it’s not you. I know from personal experience that tape measures are chronic liars.

[toedtoes]

The problem is that you are basing your point on YOUR OWN perception that it is not difficult and that anyone can do it.

Other people look at that same work and see it entirely different.

Like I stated before, I have problems with measuring and cutting. If the work requires that, then I don't do it myself. Because I know that my inability makes that work far more difficult than it is for someone else. You argue that I just need to dig in and do it because it's easy. After 50+ years, I can tell you it's not easy for me and will result in more headache, effort, and cost than if I just have someone else do it from the start.

Also, a lot a folks will recommend a newbie unfamiliar with the systems to have someone else fix it because that way they can ask questions and often get hands on help. That's how I learned most of what I do myself - by asking a knowledgeable person to do it and watching them work.

Or the person is in a fix and needs the repair asap and doesn't have time to "go to youtube and learn".

Or the person doesn't have an understanding of the system and the responder suspects it might be a lot more complicated than a simple fix and so recommends going to a pro.

I would suggest that you post your recommendation to "do it yourself" on those threads, let others recommend "taking it to a pro", and let the OP decide for themselves which way to go.

[Beentherefixedt]

There is one argument posed here that keeps getting repeated in one form or another and that is this: That not everyone can learn to do these things or that not everyone is capable because they don't have a "Basic" knowledge of electricity or mechanics.

This argument is curious. NO ONE was born with these skills everyone who has them learned them. Anyone with the reading and computer skills to be reading this forum is capable of opening a book or going online to learn to do simple diagnosing and repair tasks whether it be for their home or RV.

I agree that not everyone can learn to do Brain Surgery from a book or YouTube But be serious. Anyone who picks up the book I recommended above can diagnose and repair virtually any system on their RV.

Now they will probably not be able to diagnose a fault on a printed circuit card in their furnace or Refrigerator BUT they could with help from other sources isolate the problem TO THAT part, remove it and replace it with a new one, instead of being told by the RV dealer that they need a NEW REFRIGERATOR or furnace. And this is an extreme example. Most will be far far simpler.

Barring those with serious physical or mental challenges really anyone can if they so choose teach themselves, seek advice and help and perform the vast majority of common repairs to their RV.

I guess I just have more confidence in my fellow man to have the ability to learn and apply that knowledge than some here.

[FlatBroke]

Beenthere, where is your link to sell me something? 🙂

[Beentherefixedt]

toedtoes wrote:

Beentherefixedthat wrote:

toedtoes wrote:
Not everyone gets that type of stuff. While it may seem easy to you, for someone else it's all greek.

With all due respect it is this kind of thinking I am trying to quash. It may be Greek to some yes, but even Greek can be learned. and in this case it is just not anywhere as difficult as the real Greek.

That's a great desire, but not everyone can learn to do everything and some don't want to learn to do certain things or they know how but don't want to do those things.

Why is it so important to push people to do their own work? I get it if someone comes here and says "I want to do this myself, but need help", or "RV ownership is too expensive with all these repair costs", and responding that it is easy to do yourself, but this thread is more of a demand that everyone do it themselves and that is presumptuous.

With all due respect; Demand? I defy you to find any language in my posts demanding anything. There is a big difference and not a subtle one either, between a demand and ENCOURAGEMENT. I am simply encouraging others to take that step and Do It Yourself by highlighting that these systems are not as complicated as they may think they are.

Apparently you have missed the very many posts over years here where people are URGED not to tackle a given job lest they screw up their RV and the Sky will fall...I am simply trying to counter so much negativity about this subject.

In another post you wrote about me "pushing people" to do their own repairs, that maybe they don't want to...

Again, to be sure I am clear, if there is any pushing going on it's pushback against the perception that your RV is complicated and hard to work on. I am certainly not pushing anyone to do something they don't want to do. And again if you disagree please quote the language from my posts you are basing that on.

I think this is the key difference between us; I have more confidence in the innate intelligence of my fellow man to know when they read my post here that they are perfectly able to decide for themselves what to do.

[Range_Maggot_Bo]

I carry most of all the basic tools needed to do most repairs. No, I do not enjoy doing it myself. If I could afford it, I would not do one single repair myself. I would pay somebody to do it and be perfectly happy, as long as I didn't have to wait for it.

[goducks10]

Like the saying goes. 'You need to be rich or handy to own an RV'. I'm not rich or poor but I love tinkering on stuff. Have my whole life. I don't mind fixing stuff. As long as it's not every trip:). Beats the heck out of having your RV sitting at the dealers lot logged jammed for weeks or longer with a problem that takes minutes to a few hours to fix.

[CincyGus]

I'm not sure if it's a gene or not but I think environment/experience comes into play and I also think everyone's brain is just wired to excel at different things.

My Dad had no "fix it" skill at all. I have an uncle on my mom's side that did most of the remodeling/fix it work around our house for a good meal and some beers while dad would assist and be the gopher. I learned a ton from him as a teen about construction, electrical and a little plumbing. Enough to have me grow an interest in it. So I'm the guy for our family to work on things when something broke. An I can usually fix it after a little investigation into how it's supposed to work, why it isn't and how can I repair it.

Youtube is helpful in many instances.

That said, I'm clearly a left side of the brain guy. Logical, Reasoning, Math, Science, Language, etc.

That Right side stuff (Art/Music talents, Imagination, etc.), That stuff is like DAVID COPPERFIELD MAGIC to me. When I see someone talented in those areas I'm in awe because I am as inept at that as they may be at fixing my stereo's broken ground wire. My stick figures still look like they did when I was 7.

[T18skyguy]

I think there is a genetic fix it gene. Some have and some do not. Not saying that someone without it can't learn, but if you have the knack it just comes much more easily. My dad built our house single handed, so I inherited that skill from him. But I also come from a long line of engineer's. Hand me a broken car I fix it. Ask me to decorate a living room in a tasteful manner, impossible for me.

[drsteve]

The idea that anyone can do anything by watching a YouTube vid is iffy at best. Now, a person who possesses basic knowledge of electricity, plumbing, and mechanical principles, and has some basic
tools and the ability to use them, can fix just about anything on an RV. But someone with zero knowledge and zero experience?

Nope.

[toedtoes]

Beentherefixedthat wrote:

It is sad that there are some here that continue to cling like grim death to this old idea that you need an RV dealer or a so called RV expert to fix these things.

No one is saying that you NEED a dealer or expert to do the repair, but rather that they PREFER to let a dealer or expert do the repairs.

There's a huge difference there for whatever reason the person has for that preference.

Again, it's great that you want people to know it's easy to do yourself, but that doesn't mean they have to do it themselves. It's their choice.

[toedtoes]

Beentherefixedthat wrote:

toedtoes wrote:
Not everyone gets that type of stuff. While it may seem easy to you, for someone else it's all greek.

With all due respect it is this kind of thinking I am trying to quash. It may be Greek to some yes, but even Greek can be learned. and in this case it is just not anywhere as difficult as the real Greek.

That's a great desire, but not everyone can learn to do everything and some don't want to learn to do certain things or they know how but don't want to do those things.

Why is it so important to push people to do their own work? I get it if someone comes here and says "I want to do this myself, but need help", or "RV ownership is too expensive with all these repair costs", and responding that it is easy to do yourself, but this thread is more of a demand that everyone do it themselves and that is presumptuous.

[Matt_Colie]

Beentherefixedthat wrote:

One of the VERY best repair manuals for RV type systems is:

Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual: How to Maintain, Repair, and Improve Your Boat's Essential Systems

Now while this is aimed at boats the systems are basically the same. The thing about this book is that it has THE BEST step by step instructions to diagnose and fix virtually any problem with plumbing, electrical and mechanical issues...even down to repairing your water pump. While there are books similar to this for RV's none of them I have looked at are not nearly as detailed or comprehensive.

I just had to jump back in here....
For many years, I made most of my living working on boats. I have also worked on the RVs of many of my client owners. I only worked on RVs of people that were already clients. Why is a two beer story.

When asked many times about how I could do both, my smart-assed answer was ....
The only difference between Boats and RVs in that water can leak OUT of an RV.

Some of the boats even did have gas systems. It was CNG not LP, but gas none the less.

Oh, and from Way Above, the typical MH has three electrical systems:
- Hotel or House 12VDC
- House of Hotel 120VAC
- Main Engine 12 or 24VDC
But they are all still just electrics and diagnose the same way.

Matt

[Beentherefixedt]

drsteve wrote:

Beentherefixedthat wrote:

The point I was trying to make was that in fact you do NOT need to know what you are doing.

Famous last words...

You seem to be a master of taking me out of context. My very next line was:

"These systems (Most of them) are simple and can be mastered by almost anyone with a little research or just diving in."

There is almost nothing in an RV that requires an expert to fix. And instead of trying to instill fear in people about tackling these problems my goal is to let them know the CAN do it.

It is sad that there are some here that continue to cling like grim death to this old idea that you need an RV dealer or a so called RV expert to fix these things.

theoldwizard1 wrote:

What bothers me most is some kind of electrical problem where the OP simply says "XYZ does not work". There is no way to diagnosis that except use a Ouija Board, which is not very accurate.

I think I am reading you correctly here. But if not please let me know...There is no electrical problem I can think of in the usual RV that cannot be diagnosed pretty quickly and easily. Now it might take the novice longer for sure. Now I agree that if you have a problem "within" your converter you are probably not going to fix that. But you can isolate the problem to the converter...get a new one and install it yourself.

One of the VERY best repair manuals for RV type systems is:

Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual: How to Maintain, Repair, and Improve Your Boat's Essential Systems

Now while this is aimed at boats the systems are basically the same. The thing about this book is that it has THE BEST step by step instructions to diagnose and fix virtually any problem with plumbing, electrical and mechanical issues...even down to repairing your water pump. While there are books similar to this for RV's none of them I have looked at are not nearly as detailed or comprehensive.

[Beentherefixedt]

toedtoes wrote:
Not everyone gets that type of stuff. While it may seem easy to you, for someone else it's all greek.

With all due respect it is this kind of thinking I am trying to quash. It may be Greek to some yes, but even Greek can be learned. and in this case it is just not anywhere as difficult as the real Greek.