Vicky
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Re: A/C Strange Behavior
I crawled on the travel trailer roof all the time, but being four years older and having an extremely tall fifth wheel tells me to have someone else on the roof checking things out. :) Long story but.......the dealer had to put a new roof on and install a new ac after we bought the unit and it's been under cover since then so I couldn't imagine any damage being done. Daughter doesn't cook often so son-in-law will get up there for a good, home-cooked meal. Before reading on this forum about the ac duct work, I discovered the vent caps extended so far into the vent that they almost touched the top of the duct. DUH..! Ours was a high-end, expensive rig when it was new and it's hard to imagine that "error" in engineering! I'm in the process of cutting them all down and taping everything. I would encourage everyone to check theirs, first thing, if they're not pleased with the ac functioning. Thanks for responses...especially nice to hear from at least one person who's seen the same thing and doesn't think I'm crazy when trying to explain it! And thanks to all the people who take the time and patience to answer questions and share experiences.362Views0likes0CommentsRe: A/C Strange Behavior
It's so immediate....within less than a second of the unit shutting down, the splash happens and the water runs over the side. There isn't a second for anything to melt. So far, I can't find anything to indicate this is affecting the ac, it's just strange. I've never seen it on any other campers we've ever been around.362Views0likes0CommentsA/C Strange Behavior
We're having overall problems with ac (only 2 years old) cooling like it should and I've read of the many hints and suggestions on this website. I'm planning a major investigation when we get back to the camper and hope some of the ideas work...especially with the duct work. We continue to have a strange behavior when the ac shuts off. Unit throws water on and over the street side of the camper. Water splashes and runs down the outside wall and window. This happened with the old ac as well as this newer one. Water runs down the gutters and off the back rails as it should but we still get the splash and water down the wall for a few seconds. Any ideas what is causing this? My husband is pretty much totally handicapped so I've done any/all maintenance, repair and replacement work up to the ac area and I'm lost. Thanks for any help.977Views0likes9Comments2004 Excel 32SKW
As if searching for years for your own camper wasn't bad enough, our daughter and son-in-law have asked us to help find them a starter fifth wheel. We need help with a 2004 Excel 32SKW. Before we travel several hundred miles to look at the unit (supposedly in pristine condition), we need to determine if son-in-law can stand up in the bathroom and bedroom areas. He is 6'3". After hours of searching, I find one description that indicates the bedroom/bathroom height is only 6'; however, you can clearly see there is a step from the bathroom area to the actual bed area. Can anyone help us know if this man can stand tall in at least the bathroom area? Thanks for any help.557Views0likes1CommentRe: Break-In
Thanks to all who've offered advice. Park owners are putting up more trail cams as we speak and they're installing another security light close to our camper. I want very badly to stay there (with my personal protection) because I, too think they will return but I really can't stand the thought of staying in it until much is thrown away (like the mattress) and everything is scoured and disinfected. I can't do that right now due to distance, weather and handicapped husband who shouldn't spend too much time home alone. I'm waiting a couple of days to see if Sheriff will look further in the case. Maybe he will show more interest than his deputies since it appears someone was hiding out from someone, possibly law enforcement and he did a physical "makeover" while in the trailer. There is much physical evidence, to include clothing, but no one died so it doesn't rank up there for priorities. My discussion with deputies included a reminder there might be a lot more campers that were used in the area but it won't be known until this spring when owners return for their lake time. I'm hoping to have the stomach to go back in a couple of days and begin the ugly tasks. I will use the advice given and hope I will soon stop shaking in rage. Thanks again!498Views0likes0CommentsBreak-In
Our new-to-us, winterized fifth wheel was broken into during the past month and I need help understanding how the person(s) did it. Our trailer is on a permanent site in a small, rural area park. Park owners are very consciencious but our unit backs up to several miles of wooded area. Park owners noticed fridge vent cover was off and left on top of the camper. I gave them permission to enter the trailer and they reported it looked like a tornado went through it. I drove to the camper to find a gut-wrenching mess. It was apparent someone was, at some point, living in our trailer...probably just during the late night-early morning hours. Windows were covered from the inside so no light would show to the outside. One tv is missing and the other plus a dvd player were on the couch as if they were going to come back and take them also. I could give a thousand more gory details especially about the bathroom stool, but I'll get to my questions. The lock on the door did not appear to have been tampered with but the screen to one of the small rear windows was carefully cut around the frame.Obviously that screen is inside the actual window. I thought that window couldn't be opened from the outside without structural damage and it is so small, I question how anyone but a child could get through it. Are the locks on campers easily "picked"? Is there a way to jimmy the windows to get them to release? The windows are the typical ones where you must squeeze two buttons/knobs inward together and lift at the same time to get them open. Sheriff's deputies weren't even going to make a report for my insurance until I really pushed them because there was no "forced entry". Second question involves pipes and plumbing. Incoming water was shut off but the slime-balls brought a gallon of water in the trailer and, among other things, shaved a beard and brushed their teeth in the bathroom sink. Am I right in assuming anything they put down the sink drains went directly to the holding tank and doesn't pose quite the freezing danger as if there was incoming fresh water in all the lines. Along those same lines, I need to deal with the literal mess in the toilet stool. Can I bring water in the trailer with a hose and use it to drain the stool, then run a lot of water into the holding tank and drain it again without worrying about freezing issues after I leave the trailer. I'm sorry for the long post but I truly need help dealing with this. I should tell you there is something about this horror that is hysterically funny and each time I want to cry, I think about it. After I winterized the camper and just before I left, I put down 3-4 of the insect glue boards all over the trailer and the two-legged animal who came in our trailer stepped on at least two of them. There are pieces of the glue boards stuck all over the trailer where he had to pull them off. Even his rubber gloves he had on were wadded up in a ball with the glue all over them. He got alcohol out of the medicine pack and used it and cotton balls to try to get the stuff off. I just wish I had been there!!!!5.2KViews0likes23CommentsRe: Roof Rot
Thanks to all who have responded. I will be pursuing the dealership to remove the (new) AC and let me see within the mounting and I will do the recommended inspection by removing the interior housing for the AC. Somehow I don't think I'm going to get that far due to other circumstances. We bought this unit with the verbal and written word that the roof was in good shape...no leaks, no water damage. We'll see how the dealership chooses to honor that contract. I just want to be educated if/when they try to deny a roof replacement. An independent rv tech strongly discouraged anyone from walking on the roof for fear they would fall through it and be injured. Please continue to send me your thoughts and things I can do to help me understand what I need to do next.377Views0likes0CommentsRoof Rot
I will spare you hours and hours of details and ask this simple question. How do you tell if a fifth wheel roof is rotted? We suspect the wood on which the AC is mounted has rotted, resulting in water from the ac to go inside and run to lowest points...between the roof and ceiling, instead of over the roof and into the gutters. Is there such thing as "soft roof construction" where the roof feels soft/mushy to pressure but isn't damaged? Should the roof feel very firm under pressure, over the whole surface area of it? I know it would help to know what kind of construction was used on the trailer....I'm getting that as I write...but I don't have it now. Now to the bigger question. What do I require a dealer to do to prove the roof isn't rotted? Like I said, there are a thousand details but, bottom line, how do I prove most of the roof is rotted?1.9KViews0likes9CommentsA/C Condensation
I've searched and can't find this topic but we need information and solution. During hot, humid weather A/C condensation builds on ductwork and drips on ceiling then runs to lowest point. You can hear the water dripping on the ceiling throughout the fifth wheel. This has resulted in rotting wood on floors and sidewalls. Is the condensation normal? If not, what needs to be done? Is this ductwork supposed to be wrapped with anything to prevent the condensation build-up? I've read all about reducing moisture in camper, opening vent for cooking, de-humidifier, etc.; however, this just happens any time AC is on. Obviously this is an intolerable situation and can't continue but we don't know the steps to correct situation. Thanks for any help you might give.1.7KViews0likes6Comments
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