seeking advice: 4+ accessory repairs on a 19 year old RV

[401nailhead]

ok, this is a lot for me to ask, but I know some folks will be there for me, as time permits. We bought the 1996 Coachmen RV van two weeks ago in a somewhat competitive as-is/great price rush, so I knew we would have a few repairs and upgrades to consider.

The 19 year old Coachmen Chevy van is new to us. I have at least some repair sense, having old cars for many years, but RVs and their accessories and appliances are new to us.

Here are the things I am working on; any advice will be appreciated; thanks in advance:

-older vent fan on roof, doesn't work, doesn't look that great, probably needs re-sealed; I just went ahead and purchased the standard fantastic-fan, I'll figure out the installation from online info and videos. Curious if this has its own 12v fuse?

-carbon monoxide and propane sensors (long, narrow individual styles mounted over and under each other) - look original - were disconnected. I connected them today, both go on, one tests well, other questionable on test (no alarm). Online info says replace after 5 years. These are likely as old as the van. They are expensive I see, but life is precious. Any confirmation that it is time to replace? run, don't walk to buy replacements?

-trying to figure why the gas water heater seems to heat whenever the coach power is on, whether or not the heater switch is on - could this be a broken switch, always on (even though it is a gas heater)? Does it decide on its own to ignite? Today I was not sure it turned itself on, but previous says I think it did.

-3 way refrigerator trips the breaker within about 60 seconds or less every time on 120 power when plugged in, but works fine long term on 12V when plugged in or van running. Have not tested on gas yet, but 120 power trips the breaker again and again

-microwave runs 3 to 5 seconds then stops. On low power it ran 8 seconds maybe. It is not tripping a breaker, just stops running (and clock starts flashing as if power went out). I thought it was tripping breaker at first, but now realize it is just stopping, and I just need to re-set clock. I assume I need a microwave repair, or replacement, but want to figure out which. Nothing suspected in coach, or breaker box (I don't think?).

-last item is just general water-proofing, leak sealing. I figure, just look for moisture or wetness after rain, remove old sealant as needed, use new sealant as needed.

thanks again for any advice, sorry to have the long list, but figured I would throw it all on the table.

God Bless America, the open road, and the freedom of RV's!

[Almot]

Replace MW if possible. There is nothing RV-specific about it. Any brand/model will do, as long as it fits into your trim - or look around for another trim kit. I didn't even know that there still exist MW repair shops. With everything made in China on cheap, I thought this sector has already disappeared.

[401nailhead]

Thanks everyone for the great answers, examples, and especially the safety info. Here are the updates, from following the advice:

took the microwave out of its cabinet, and plugged into outside power source. Has the same quirks, and I will now run it by a local repair shop that has very affordable estimates/diagnosis. Will have fixed or replace if needed. I will still test the outlet as well, just as a precaution.

Will check the 120 V refrigerator heat element. Have not had time yet, but watched a couple videos, and will check the manual over the weekend.

Will look for a replacement switch for the water heater.

Even though the replacement vent/fan is on order, I figured I would look into why the current fan was not operating, in case it gives me insight into the wiring condition. Now I see the answers, the fuse question on the fan was trivial, but I wasn't sure when I asked.

I'll get the sensors/alarms replaced as a priority. I will probably go with basic battery power models immediately, then make a decision on replacing flush mounted built-in models.

As soon as I have clear, dry weekend day free, I will launch a major campaign to check all caulking and sealing, and re-seal as needed. This will be a priority. The Dicor lap joint compound is coming in the mail soon.

Thanks again to everyone; I will probably look back on my questions in a year and think how simple and basic they were, but everyone has to start somewhere, and this is my initial starting point.

[Almot]

BFL13 wrote:
... I asked why they had all these combined LP and CO detectors for sale, and where should they go? He shrugged, and said personally, he would have two different ones so the LP could be at floor level and the CO higher.

He is right. 2 separate is better, because LP is heavy. Separate CO detectors start from $20.

[opnspaces]

BFL13 wrote:


I asked at my usual RV shop what level the CO detector should be at and he thought up high, so I asked why they had all these combined LP and CO detectors for sale, and where should they go? He shrugged, and said personally, he would have two different ones so the LP could be at floor level and the CO higher. I have no clue what is the correct answer on that, but that is what we now have. The previous CO up high and the new LP alarm down low.

LPG is heavier than air so the detector is mounted low.

CO is slightly lighter than air, but the difference is so miniscule that the usual recommendation is to mount around mid wall. Follow the directions that come with the new detector for your safety.

[opnspaces]

401nailhead wrote:
ok, this is a lot for me to ask, but I know some folks will be there for me, as time permits. We bought the 1996 Coachmen RV van two weeks ago in a somewhat competitive as-is/great price rush, so I knew we would have a few repairs and upgrades to consider.

The 19 year old Coachmen Chevy van is new to us. I have at least some repair sense, having old cars for many years, but RVs and their accessories and appliances are new to us.

Here are the things I am working on; any advice will be appreciated; thanks in advance:

-older vent fan on roof, doesn't work, doesn't look that great, probably needs re-sealed; I just went ahead and purchased the standard fantastic-fan, I'll figure out the installation from online info and videos. Curious if this has its own 12v fuse? The old fan likely had a fuse. Easy test would be to ground the power wire for a half second and see if a fuse pops. Don't leave it grounded long though in case it's not fused.

-carbon monoxide and propane sensors (long, narrow individual styles mounted over and under each other) - look original - were disconnected. I connected them today, both go on, one tests well, other questionable on test (no alarm). Online info says replace after 5 years. These are likely as old as the van. They are expensive I see, but life is precious. Any confirmation that it is time to replace? run, don't walk to buy replacements? They should both be replaced.

-trying to figure why the gas water heater seems to heat whenever the coach power is on, whether or not the heater switch is on - could this be a broken switch, always on (even though it is a gas heater)? Does it decide on its own to ignite? Today I was not sure it turned itself on, but previous says I think it did.Sorry I would be guessing on this.

-3 way refrigerator trips the breaker within about 60 seconds or less every time on 120 power when plugged in, but works fine long term on 12V when plugged in or van running. Have not tested on gas yet, but 120 power trips the breaker again and again. Probably a bad ac heater, I don't know if they are repairable but I would see if I could figure it out if it was mine.

-microwave runs 3 to 5 seconds then stops. On low power it ran 8 seconds maybe. It is not tripping a breaker, just stops running (and clock starts flashing as if power went out). I thought it was tripping breaker at first, but now realize it is just stopping, and I just need to re-set clock. I assume I need a microwave repair, or replacement, but want to figure out which. Nothing suspected in coach, or breaker box (I don't think?). well it's either the microwave or the wiring. Can you find the microwave plug (look in the cabinets next to it), unplug it and plug it into a heavy duty extension cord to your house. Now see how it works.

-last item is just general water-proofing, leak sealing. I figure, just look for moisture or wetness after rain, remove old sealant as needed, use new sealant as needed. reseal anything that looks cracked or is lifting off the surface.

thanks again for any advice, sorry to have the long list, but figured I would throw it all on the table.

God Bless America, the open road, and the freedom of RV's!

[sonora]

The 2 new Fantastic Fans I just installed have built in fuses. They are 4 amp slow blow ones and VERY easy to access and replace when needed.

[Almot]

Detectors are not that expensive. Saw $39 gas/Co combo detector on Amazon. Or buy 2 separate detectors.

Fan with its own fuse? I would be surprised. It draws max 3A, I don't know if standard size blade fuses even come that small. You'll wire it into lights wiring of bedroom or living room and it will be fused on the same 15A-20A fuse that is already there. Replace lights with LED and total draw with fan will be less than without fan before.

[DrewE]

For the CO alarm, there's no real need to get an RV-specific unit. A (battery-powered) household one will do just as well and is a lot less expensive.

The microwave could be the microwave itself, or the wiring to the microwave outlet being loose/high resistance. To test, you'd need to pull the microwave out to get access to its outlet, and watch the voltage at the outlet when you start it up. If the voltage droops when it is cooking, you have a wiring problem, probably a bad connection at either the outlet or the electrical panel. Assuming it's the typical insulation displacement sort of RV outlet, I'd be tempted to replace it with a good quality household one (in a box); the RV type aren't really ideal for high current applications.

If it's the microwave, it's probably not cost effective to repair unless it's a very nice microwave or specialized in some way or you're skilled at such repairs. Microwaves can be quite dangerous to work on if you're not familiar with them; the magnetron power supply has an output in the kilovolt range and can supply a significant amount of current, making it potentially lethal.

I agree with the comments about sealing. Inspect all the caulking and replace/cover over any that looks at all questionable. For the roof, Dicor self-leveling lap joint compound is the standard and works quite well. Avoid silicone entirely.

[BFL13]

Just finished (I hope) restoring a 1981 truck camper, so I feel your pain.

I got a new LP alarm that is main TC battery powered, and installed it at floor level. ( There was none before) There was a CO alarm powered by AA batteries mounted at eye-level a previous owner had put in.

I asked at my usual RV shop what level the CO detector should be at and he thought up high, so I asked why they had all these combined LP and CO detectors for sale, and where should they go? He shrugged, and said personally, he would have two different ones so the LP could be at floor level and the CO higher. I have no clue what is the correct answer on that, but that is what we now have. The previous CO up high and the new LP alarm down low.

Had to toss the old three way fridge. It blew GFCI on 120 and would only do pilot on gas--no prime flame. Rusty parts, too much trouble. Gave it a good try, no joy. Yanked it ( 1981 3.6 Dometic) out and got a 3.2, 120v fridge instead. (Have a big inverter and enough battery and solar for that when off grid)

The water heater is old time, gas only, but works so kept that.

The 1981 furnace lights ok, but don't know yet if it maintains the set room temperature. We have a 120v heater if needed, but that will really hurt the battery bank if we have to use it off grid despite the solar.

Anyway, you are in for a lot of work, but it can come out right if you keep at it 🙂

[401nailhead]

Thanks n7bsn. Very helpful. I will start looking into these part replacements immediately.

[n7bsn]

Replace the detectors, no detector lasts 19 years (not even the ones in your home)

Replace all the sealant, you might miss some that is leaking to a hidden area.

The 120 refer "heater" is bad, replace.

There should be a power switch (12V) for the water-heater, if the heater always starts, the switch if bad.