What did you do to your Camper/RV this week?

[Big Dave2]

If you have a camper of any sort and are like me you are probably putzing with stuff almost every week.

We just finally got the camper out of the shed we store it in a little over a week ago so I haven't had time to do much yet but my wife and I did start re-caulking the roof joints. I use Dicor self-leveling white sealant and after cleaning all the old sealant, we go over it all with new stuff. We didn't finish it yet but we will this weekend if it stops raining and dries up. 

Next on the list is to clean and condition the rubber roof and I'm thinking of getting new tires but I'm not sure because I hope to only have this camper a maximum of 2 more seasons.

What have you been doing to your rig?

[Wanderer]

I replaced the seam tape on the tops and corners of my bump outs.  4 inch wide by 25 foot roll all used up.  The original job was shabby and we started getting leaks.  It took a lot of patience working with that SUPER sticky tape.

I have the self leveling sealant and caulk touch ups to do yet.  I didn't plan on reconditioning the roof until I read your post though.  I would suggest to anyone to inspect for punctures or slits in your rubber roofs.  Even small ones let in enough water to start rotting the wood.  I have a 1/8 inch slit that has allowed a fist sized spot to go soft on my roof.  The camper is 6 years old.

Its patched now.

[leech~~]

We bought this www.duckcoat.com at Menard's that workers pretty darn good for rubber roofs. It's a bit spendy but I put it on my pullouts for now after I did all the seams with the Dicor self-leveling sealant chalking. I'm thinking of maybe doing the whole roof some time but have no leaks right now. I joke with all the guys in the campground that by the time I go to sell the thing it will just be a mound of silicon!

[Powerstroke]

Just brought the new camper home! Its sitting in the driveway and we are getting everything loaded for the season. This camper is quite an upgrade for us. The neighbor actually asked for a tour. She called it the Ritz-Carlton of campers. I don't know about that, but its pretty nice. 

My first move will be to pull the 12v batteries and install my two 6v golf cart batteries for better power management when off the pole. After that, I don't have any plans. 

We have a 10-day trip in June coming up to Charleston, SC and the Great Smokies so I should have some ideas by the time we get back. 

[leech~~]

6 hours ago, Powerstroke said:

Just brought the new camper home! Its sitting in the driveway and we are getting everything loaded for the season. This camper is quite an upgrade for us. The neighbor actually asked for a tour. She called it the Ritz-Carlton of campers. I don't know about that, but its pretty nice. 

My first move will be to pull the 12v batteries and install my two 6v golf cart batteries for better power management when off the pole. After that, I don't have any plans. 

We have a 10-day trip in June coming up to Charleston, SC and the Great Smokies so I should have some ideas by the time we get back. 

If I were you I would leave the 12V and put two 12 deep cycles in series. I did that in our last RV and went to Yellow Stone and back using the heater, frig, and Dvd player for the kids and never once ran out of juice.

Edited June 1, 2016 by leech~~

[Moon Lake Refuge]

I have a new camper also(last fall).  Just put in a new stereo and speakers(only spent $30 in the speakers) inside and man what a difference!  Sounds great and we camp at the cabin so no RV park to worry about noise complaints.  Also ran wire from my stereo to inside my outside storage where I put a box of two speakers that I can take out and point towards yard games or the camp fire.  On top of that My awning light blew right away this spring so I replaced that.  RV sits under a tree so going up next week to scrub the roof and awning.  Also this spring I buried my power cable and 3/4 pipe for permenant water, hooked up a macerator pump to pump my black tank 100 foot to our in ground holding tank and am looking into slide jacks to relieve stress on the slides.  Ive also attached an inline water filter at the hose to keep the pipes a little cleaner.

On top of that I need to get all the standard new camper things to put up... TP holder, towel bars, plate and bowl holders... Lots to do yet but have the cabin right outside so just going through a little at a time.

is there a good rv mod discussion here where people post pics of their mods?  Would love to see what others do.  

Edited June 1, 2016 by Moon Lake Refuge
more info

[Big Dave2]

18 hours ago, leech~~ said:

We bought this www.duckcoat.com at Menard's that workers pretty darn good for rubber roofs. It's a bit spendy but I put it on my pullouts for now after I did all the seams with the Dicor self-leveling sealant chalking. I'm thinking of maybe doing the whole roof some time but have no leaks right now. I joke with all the guys in the campground that by the time I go to sell the thing it will just be a mound of silicon!

You're going to put the Duck Coat over the whole roof? Do you have a EPDM roof?

15 hours ago, Powerstroke said:

We have a 10-day trip in June coming up to Charleston, SC and the Great Smokies so I should have some ideas by the time we get back. 

Are you pulling the camper to Charleston? That sounds like an awesome trip!

[leech~~]

5 minutes ago, Big Dave2 said:

You're going to put the Duck Coat over the whole roof? Do you have a EPDM roof?

Yep. Lots of folks at our campground have used it. You have to make sure to put it on in a few light coats at a time so it does not buckle. Here's a little of their product clams.

The White Roof Coating that Stands Up to Ponding Water

Duck Coat is a white, highly elastomeric, thermoplastic rubber coating that provides a waterproof sealant over flat roofs. Duck Coat is formulated to hold up to ponding water conditions on flat roofs. Duck Coat can be installed on most roofing substrates including Built-Up Roofing (BUR), Metal, Concrete, EPDM Rubber, TPO, APP, Modified Bitumen, Polyurethane Foam, PVC, Asphalt, Wood and more. Duck Coat can be applied in cooler temperatures as low as 35 ºF. Duck Coat helps extend the life of the roof and reduce building energy costs by increasing solar reflectance. Wet, freshly applied Duck Coat will not wash off even if rain occurs immediately after application.

Advantages

• Highly Elastic - Withstands Roof Contractions & Expansions
• Superior Tensile Strength - Forms a Tough Rubber Membrane
• Highly Reflective Finish - Lowers Energy Costs
• Can be Applied in Cooler Temperatures - as Low as 35 ºF
• Freshly Applied Coating Unnaffected by Rain or Dew - No Wash-Off    

Edited June 1, 2016 by leech~~

[Big Dave2]

5 minutes ago, leech~~ said:

Yep. Lots of folks at our campground have used it. You have to make sure to put it on in a few light coats at a time so it does not buckle.

I could have used that stuff on my last camper. This one I am attempting to keep the roof in better condition.

8 hours ago, Moon Lake Refuge said:

I have a new camper also(last fall).  Just put in a new stereo and speakers(only spent $30 in the speakers) inside and man what a difference!  Sounds great and we camp at the cabin so no RV park to worry about noise complaints.  Also ran wire from my stereo to inside my outside storage where I put a box of two speakers that I can take out and point towards yard games or the camp fire.  

What stereo and speakers did you buy?

Quote

is there a good rv mod discussion here where people post pics of their mods?  Would love to see what others do.  

I don't recall a thread like that. I don't think there are enough RV owners here to make a decent mods thread but we could try it. I get my ideas from RV dot net.

 

Edited June 1, 2016 by Big Dave2

[Big Dave2]

We finished caulking the roof this weekend. Ended up using 6 tubes of Dicor and we will still need a couple more. I need to replace both of the plumbing vents up on the roof.

[DonBo]

Sold it

 

[Moon Lake Refuge]

14 hours ago, Big Dave2 said:

I could have used that stuff on my last camper. This one I am attempting to keep the roof in better condition.

What stereo and speakers did you buy?

I don't recall a thread like that. I don't think there are enough RV owners here to make a decent mods thread but we could try it. I get my ideas from RV dot net.

 

jensen jwm6a for the deck and it sounds great, has a phone app where you can bluetooth in and control everything from the app.  Has a little larger footprint so I had to cut it out but looks good now.  Also has a few more inputs than my last, has HDMI, and a digital audio input.  For the speakers I just did a $30 dollar pair from walmart, nothing to fancy there as I dont plan on blasting it inside, but they sound great.  Also ran wire for the below speakers for outside and I can hear them just about anywhere on our one acre lot when they are blasting.  I might try and find a cheap powered sub or throw in a real small amp and sub under my couch.  Nothing crazy but since I'm always plugged in I don't have to worry much about battery draw.

[Big Dave2]

Yesterday I mounted the flat screen TV permanently on the wall, installed a new shower head and hung a toothbrush holder to the wall. Next up is to replace the 2 plumbing vents up on the roof as soon as it cools down.

[leech~~]

Been doing a lot of work on the camper this spring so this weekend. I'm replacing a full bottle of Rum with a 3/4 full one!

[Powerstroke]

On the battery discussion, I am using the same 6v batteries I had on my old camper. I actually pulled them prior to the sale because they were such an investment. The two large 6v batteries have ~ 230 a/hr of power storage which means about 115 a/hrs of useful power. Even the largest 12v I can get in the space will be 100 a/hr batteries. So, its pretty much gives me a half to whole day of extra battery storage over a 12v setup. Unless something catastrophic happens to one battery there is very little risk and all reward. Lots of info on the net regarding the upgrade. Its a great option for those who don't have a large battery storage like the 5th wheels where 3-4 batteries could be used. 

This actually came into play with our setup on this trip due to the design of the new camper. The new versions were spec'd with a residential fridge. It is an awesome upgrade and completely worth it, IF, and I mean only IF you will have AC power. The fridge draws 80-100 amps a day. Needless to say a generator would be required for any type of boondocking. 

 

Yes we did tow it all the way to Charleston, SC. We took 2-days to get there and it was awesome. The Ecoboost F150 handled the 9k pound load well and averaged 7.8 - 9.6 mpg. I generally kept it 65-70mph which seems to be a sweet spot with the truck. 60 gets better mileage, but the truck drops a gear really quick at the hills, but if I keep it 65-68mph, it powers through the hills better and anecdotally I think the mileage ends of being a wash by not downshifting on the hills. 

Spent a weekend on the beach and then drove back a bit and stayed a week on the North Carolina side of the Great Smokies. Awesome trip!

[Big Dave2]

I ended up putting my foot right through the tub while taking a shower this weekend in the travel trailer  I had to remove the shower surround and the bathtub and I ordered another one that should be here in a few days. While I was at it I decided to buy a high profile toilet as well. I will be supporting the tub much better than it was previously!

I also fixed one of my scissor jacks that was not lifting up when you crank it and fixed the re-lighter on my water heater so I don't have to light it by hand any more.

[Big Dave2]

I finished the bathroom remodel last Friday complete with new tub and new high profile toilet. 

[leech~~]

Got up on the roof and cleaned all the branches and sticks off from the last bad storm, cleaned out the clogged rain rails, sprayed the AC unit cover down with Black Streak remover and scrubbed it. All nice and clean!

Looks like after last night in the Brainerd area, I'll be back up there again this weekend!

 

[Big Dave2]

I made 2 sets of these wheel chocks today.

[leech~~]

Been doing a lot of clean up top to bottom. What's your list of cleaners and what do you use it on?

Black Streak Remover- AC unit cover, camper sides right along the top edge where the trees drop sap and craap, lots of other places top side.

Krud Kutter- one of my fav's for cleaning just about everything. Lawn chairs, golf cart seats, picnic table, garden hoses and winder.

Dawn dish soap- rubber roof & awning.

[Powerstroke]

Nothing new on my upgrade list although I had a punch list of warranty items that needed to be addressed by the dealer. This new camper is becoming less and less of the dream rig it was supposed to be. I shouldn't be too negative about it, but the wife and I are learning exactly what we want in a camper and this one might be a little overboard .The good news is it will be relatively easy to sell in a year or two. .

Until then, I'm actually keeping the upgrades to a minimum. I have grand plans for an off-grid trailer with solar panels. I sitll may make a portable setup for keeping it powered up at the hunting land etc. It still a beautiful camper and has been great this summer. 

[Big Dave2]

12 hours ago, Powerstroke said:

Nothing new on my upgrade list although I had a punch list of warranty items that needed to be addressed by the dealer. This new camper is becoming less and less of the dream rig it was supposed to be. I shouldn't be too negative about it, but the wife and I are learning exactly what we want in a camper and this one might be a little overboard .The good news is it will be relatively easy to sell in a year or two. .

Until then, I'm actually keeping the upgrades to a minimum. I have grand plans for an off-grid trailer with solar panels. I sitll may make a portable setup for keeping it powered up at the hunting land etc. It still a beautiful camper and has been great this summer. 

Keep us posted on the solar power setup, I may soon have a reason to do something like that as well.

[Moon Lake Refuge]

With ice crapping out already I'm already looking to summer.  First on the list this year is my front door.  When you open it with the awning out it scrapes on the bottom of the awning and I always figured we would wear a hole in it sooner or later.  Well turns out there is a little bracket you can mount to the top with a roller ball on it to catch the awning.  That'll be my first fix this year.  Second is to bury black pipe from the rv 100 feet over to the holding tank.  I wont have a good slope but the pump should push it through no problem.  Just hoping once winter comes again that my compressor will have enough juice to pump out 100 feet of potentially sloping line.

[Powerstroke]

I checked on the beast yesterday since its being stored fairly close to the path of the Princeton tornado. Not close enough that I thought there would be tornado damage, but it is parked near trees. Fortunately no trees down around the camper. I decided to open her up and found quite a mess. The &%#$%& mice have been having a field day. Fortunately I put some traps in there that contain poison and there were several dead mice in the garbage can. 

A little sweeping and wipe down had it looking nice again. It will need a good cleaning this spring to avoid the plague. I sure wish I had a better method to keep the mice out. 

[leech~~]

We got a FB message from someone in our camp ground that a tree was on our camper. We did a speed run up to Brainerd to check on it. Not to bad just a bent over pine from the Nov, snow storm. Cut the end off it for now so it doesn't beat on the paint or awning. No mice or leaks on the quick check.