The Smart RVer: DIY RV Maintenance and Repair

Winegard Transcript:

Hey everybody. This is Eric Stark with Radio Arizona RV. Today's episode is episode number 56 we're going to be talking about Winegard TV Antennas and a little bit about King Satellite Dishes, a particular model of King satellite dish, Winegard Antennas are pretty popular. It's been the RV Antenna staple for decades now, so that's what we're going to discuss. What might be wrong with it when it's not working correctly? When you can't watch that TV show and you're not getting any channels, but first I want to remind everybody to go to RadioArizonaRV.com from there you can find links to our other websites such as sun pro manufacturing and hot boat ropes and Arizona RV parts center. Those websites are where we sell the products that we either make or that we just sell online, so check those out!

Timing: (01:08) I'm would suggest just going to RadioArizonaRV.com and also while you're there at RadioArizonaRV.com sometimes you only hear the show because you're listening to it through iTunes or Google podcast or Stitcher, Spotify, one of those channels, but sometimes on the website there's things there that you don't normally get by just listening to it. You can go look at the website, you can peruse it and learn a little bit more about me. See what's going on. Links to the other websites. As I said, you can sign up for our newsletter. Sometimes in the show notes per for each episode there's things in the show notes that I did not put in the show when I was recording it. Winegard Antenna RVs have them. They've had them for years, decades now.

Timing: (01:51) It's a pretty popular antenna and they've stayed the same over the years. They've changed very little. A handle that works on one today can work on one that's 20 years old. Couple of different style of shafts, but that's about it. And all the RV stores or most of the RV stores carry parts for them. So it's a pretty straightforward antenna, it's stood the test of time, you know, they don't fall apart on the roof. They're not like a super high end looking thing. They're pretty basic, but they actually work pretty darn well. So it's a nice impressive antenna. And what I appreciate too is that Winegard hasn't tried to fix it, you know, or quote unquote fix it. They've left it the same because it's a good design. So they haven't come out with a worse version of it. In other words, I know, let's do this and make it better, which actually makes it worse.

Timing: (02:36) We've all seen that, it doesn't even have to be the RV industry. It could be any industry they do that try to improve and it makes it worse. So now with Winegard Antenna, you know the whole point of the antenna, the TV Antenna and your RV’ing or you're camping. Wherever you're at and you want to watch broadcast television, you want to dial in or tune into the local channels and see what's in the local area or just to get some entertainment, kill some time, whatever it might be. You turn on your TV, you turn on the amplifier to the antenna and you expect to see some sort of TV shows, right? You might have to move the Antenna a little bit, adjust it. Maybe you look outside, see your neighbors antenna and where it's pointing, you kind of adjust yours the same way, you know, so you don't have to spend as much time adjusting it and it doesn't work!

Timing: (03:25) What happened? It worked the last time we were camping, worked yesterday at this other RV park. Why does it work today? Well, the simple thing could be just that it's not tuned in. You don't have it pointing in the right direction, you know, you didn't get it high enough, low enough, whatever it might be. So you might have to mess with the adjustment. And you know, we've had, or I've had people over the years coming into the store and quite often it's the same thing. It's just that my neighbors works, mine doesn't work. I'm not getting any TV channels and I've, you know, set it right where theirs is. We've stood outside, they've even helped me and I just don't seem to get any channels. So I ask them, what have you done to diagnose it, anything. And generally it’s no while we just turned it, moved it, this and that.

Timing: (04:09) So it's got to be the antenna. I just want to get a new antenna. I don't want to screw around with it anymore. You know, so you give him the price of the new antenna, which you know, a complete antenna, you're getting a couple of bucks, you know, you're under 200 but it's still gets right up there and that scares them off. Then they have to replace everything and that really scares them off. And then I always say, well it's probably just a part, you don't need to buy an entire antenna. So we need to narrow down which part it is. And quite often I get resistance there because they don't want to have to do anything and I get it. Sometimes it can be a hassle, but isn't it a hassle to replace parts? You know, you still have to dig into it to replace a part.

Timing: (04:48) And I find myself sometimes looking at something like, do I really want to mess with this? Is this what I want to do today or this afternoon? I don't have time for this. You know, I'll figure out something else. It's only because I don't want to dig into it. But the reality is we have to dig into it. If you're doing it yourself, just get past it! Just say, I'm past that. I'm just going to dig into stuff from now on. If it needs to be, don't just do it on everything. An antenna when it's not working properly, you're going to have to do some tests and they're not really that hard. It might mean getting up on the roof. It's going to mean taking the plate where the amplifier is inside the RV off the wall. Those are some things you're going have to do.

Timing: (05:30) But the diagnosing part is pretty straightforward. It's not that complex and it makes it even easier if you have an RV store in the area where you can just go buy the defective part. So that simplifies it. So now hopefully you're motivated. Next time you have a problem, you're going to dig into it, right? No more sitting there on the fence. So I don't want to mess with that anymore. Got an RV parts store nearby, then that makes life even better. So what you're going to need is a test light or a voltmeter. And as I've said in the past, voltmeters are a better way to go. But a test light will work in this. Sometimes in an RV application it's hard to find a ground for a test light to work, it's not impossible. It just sometimes a little more difficult whereas a volt meter, it's much easier to do.

Timing: (06:16) So use whichever you're more comfortable with. But then give my last episode, I said just buy a voltmeter. And you know, I found one a couple of months ago, I got it a hardware store. I just wanted it as a backup because I always seem to have my voltmeter at the wrong place. So I figured if I get two, I got it covered and it was $59 and it's a pretty good one. It's not super high end, but it's not just a low end piece of junk. It's a decent voltmeter. It does 12 volts, 110 volts actually goes up to 300 volts. So you can use it at any volt range, you just have to put it on the right setting and it has amps and ohms, all that good stuff. So get yourself a voltmeter. You don't have to spend $59 you can spend 25 bucks if you want, but get a voltmeter.

Timing: (06:58) Okay, I’m going to quit harping on that too and it just needs to stop doesn't it? Okay. So you're going to need to need to check a couple things for voltage and that's how simple it is on a Winegard Antenna. Yeah. You have the head assembly, which is up on the roof and that has a circuit board inside of it. Then you have the amplifier inside the RV. That's where you generally turn on the switch where your TV's hooked up to it. That switch then turns on a light and the light shows you that it's on. So that means the amplifier is on. It doesn't mean it’s working it just means it's on. So if you're not getting any stations, not any TV stations, the first thing to do is just pull the amplifier out of the wall, take the two screws off the plate, you're going to pull it out, you're going to see some wires and co-ax cable, and there's a 12 volt wire going to, it should be obvious.

Timing: (07:49) It's going to be red, more than likely, possibly white, and you're going to check it for voltage. If you have 12 volts at the amplifier, then your amplifier is more than likely good. Now there's a little circuit board there and that's basically the amplifier. So now what you're going to want to do, turn the amplifier off. Always make sure it's on for testing. Before working on it turn it off and you're going to disconnect the co-ax cable that goes to the antenna and it'll be marked. It'll say A or Antenna or something. This can indicate that it's going up to the antenna on the roof, so you're going to disconnect that co-ax cable and then you're going to turn your amplifier on and make sure that you have 12 volts coming out of the co-ax port where the coax cable goes in the center contact. If you have 12 volts there, turn it off and connect the cable backup.

Timing: (08:39) Then you go up to the roof and you disconnect the co-ax cable from the antenna and you do the same thing. Turn the amplifier on first. You have your voltmeter up on the roof and you check to see if you have 12 volts going through the co-ax cable. If you have 12 volts going through the co-ax cable then everything below the roof is good. So what that's going to indicate is that more than likely the head on the antenna is bad. It has a circuit board in there. You can't just replace the circuit board. You have to replace the entire antenna ahead. They're under 100 bucks. Most RV stores have them in stock, I think is four screws to replace it. And the co-ax cable is pretty straightforward, pretty simple. And why you're up there as a good time to check your roof for other problems if you want to, if you're not rushed or stressed out.

Timing: (09:23) So then you put on your new head hook everything back up and it should work. So that's pretty much it. That's pretty straight forward. You know, how can’t you go wrong with that? That's not that complex of a repair job for an antenna. And over the years, I mean, I've heard hundreds and hundreds of people complaining about problems and they just don't want to get into the repair of it. So it's either the amplifier or the head. So if you have 12 volts going to the antenna head, but it's not working, more than likely the antenna head is bad. So you replace that. If you don't have 12 volts going up there, you replace the amplifier. You can't just get the circuit board, you buy the whole plate with the co-ax connector on it, little switch and everything, you know, I think they're 50 $60 maybe 70 depending where you buy it at.

Timing: (10:11) So they're not over the top expensive. And that saves you all the hassle of replacing the entire antenna. That is a pretty basic repair. Basic tools. You know, the hardest part is just going up on the roof to check things. That's kind of a hassle. You've got to get a ladder out, but it's not the end of the world, especially have someone inside to help you do this, you know, to turn the switch on and off for testing purposes. So put everything back together and you should be good to go. And then when you're in the RV park and someone else has the same problem, they're knocking on your door, Hey, I'm, I'm not getting any broadcast stations. Can you help me out? How'd you get your antenna adjusted? You know, you can walk them through it, but maybe they have a problem that you can help them diagnose.

King Satellite Bonus - Listen to the Episode starting @ 10:50

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RV Maintenance Tips for the DIY!

In Episode 56 I explain the importance of understanding how your Power Awning can be retracted in an emergency. The emergency is usually when you want to leave in your RV and the Power Awning won’t come in. That poses a real problem. I break it down by the awning manufacturer. This applies Only to 12 volt RV Power Awnings.

Dometic/A&E 9100 and Weatherpro Awnings are the same when it comes to retracting them if the motor has failed. The process to override the motor and bring the awning in is the most effective if the awning is fully extended. There is a reason for this being necessary. The awning roller tube has three grooves in it and one of them is for a Pull Strap to be inserted to enable you to be able to control how the awning retracts. You should have the Pull Strap, if not you will need to purchase one from any RV Parts Store and you can use any Pull Strap for a Dometic/A&E Manual Awning. A Carefree pull strap will work as well.

The 9100 or Weatherpro awning will need to be extended for you to insert the pull strap into the available groove on the Roller Tube. The rear of left end of the roller tube has a Torsion Assembly with a spring on it used for tensioning. You need to be aware of that so you understand how the awning operates. Before you do the next step you should have a person holding the awning pull strap to keep the awning from retracting out of control. After the strap is attached you will loosen the Hex Head Screw on the 12 volt motor that is located on the front of the awning, also called the right side. With the screw loose you can walk the awning towards the RV. To lock the awning in the closed position tighten the screw on the motor, the same screw you loosened to retract the awning.

Dometic/A&E Power Awning Instructions

Carefree of Colorado have their own unique spin on retracting an awning with 12 volt drive motor problems. It doesn’t appear that there is a simple solution to retracting a Carefree power awning with a bad motor. If there isn’t 12 volts going to the motor it is a little easier to work with. In this podcast I explain the process to manually override and a couple models of their awnings but not all of them. Carefree has about 8 different power awnings on RV’s. Carefree just can’t help themselves when it comes to reinventing their own awnings. Not all of their awnings are available at the retail level, some only come on new units and they are referred to as OEM models. Currently they have 4 Vertical Arm Awnings, 3 Lateral Arm Awnings and 1 Box Awning. Although, they are similar in how to override them, they are all a little bit different. Usually with a little know how you can overcome an obstacle just by a little examination of the motor and how it is attached. That is why I am including a link to Carefree’s website for you to download your manual and get a much better understanding.

Carefree of Colorado Awning Instructions:

Altitude Power Awnings

Eclipse Power Awnings

Travel'r Power Awnings

All Other Carefree Power Awnings

Solera has got this figured out! On the Front arm where the motor lives there is a rubber plug in the motor cover. You pop the plug out and run the awning in or out by using a 7/16” socket on a cordless drill and pull the trigger. It goes kind of slow but, it is a life saver compared to Dometic and Carefree of Colorado. There is no reason to see a manual on how to perform this procedure, it is really that simple!

I highly recommend that you perform the manual override on your awning to become familiar with it so you can save your own hide when the fails or to assist a fellow RV’er. The Dometic/A&E and Carefree certainly are good awnings they just aren’t as friendly when the motor fails the day you want to pack up and leave.

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In Episode 54 I have Keith Bernard on the show and we discuss water filters for RV's. Keith is an expert in this field and is the owner of Clear 2O water filtration systems. I have always been a firm believer in filtered water and I have often brought bottled water with me on trips in my RV, not any more. I will do it the easy way and filter my water with Clear 2O water filters. I have not come across such a useful product that does what I really want it to do, filter my water so I can drink it.

The following are the questions that we covered in the interview. 1.     Why is clean water so important in your RV?

2.     What are the different types of filtration available for the RV (in-line filters, countertop, water pitchers, etc.)? What are the pros and cons of each?

3.     How does the RVer ultimately decide what solution is best for them? Is it based on how often they use their RV, what they’re using the water for, or some other parameters?

4.     Your filtration systems use solid-block carbon. Why is that a more effective medium than granulated carbon?

5.     It’s just as important to have a filtration system that leaves in the good minerals as it is one that takes out the bad ones, correct?

6.     Would you recommend the same filtration solutions to the occasional RVer as you would the serious, full-time RVer? By the same token, would you recommend different solutions based on the size of the RV?

7.     You’ve just come out with a new Dual Canister System for RVs. Tell us about it and what benefits it brings to the serious RVer. 

8.     You’re competing in the marketplace with some pretty big players. How have you been successful against this kind of competition?

9.     A little off the topic of RVs, but with the crisis a few years back in Flint, Mi and the recent one in Newark, NJ, it seems that many of our water supplies are not as safe as we thought. In fact, studies have shown that some supplies can make you sick, even if they meet legal health standards. How bad is our nation’s water?

Episode 53 (part 2) is all About Go Power Solar and as an added bonus Mark Spillsbury from Go Power Solar is my guest. Go Power Solar has been in the RV Solar Panel game for about 23 years making Go Power one of the first Solar companies to become a main stream solar supplier for the RV Industry. Go Power Solar is certainly the industry leader making them the King of the Solar Category!

Mark has been with Go Power for about 21 years and is one of their resident experts and he knows their products inside and out. Not only does he understand Go Power products he has an unbelievable knowledge of solar in general. Mark also likes to RV and that certainly gives him and Go Power much deeper insight into the needs of the RV'er be it full time or a weekend warrior. As most of you know I push the products I believe in and I have been sold on Go Power for about 21 years.

Rather than trying to pack everything into one episode I am splitting this into 2 episodes and of course you can go to Go Powers website to do your own research beyond what we discussed. The following are the main points discussed in Episode 53 (part 2). These 2 episodes (52 & 53) take the confusion out of Solar and how you can benefit by using it.

• What do I do if I have a technical problem?
• How do I trouble shoot a problem?
• How do I calculate how many panels I need?
• What kind of batteries would work for solar?
• Is lithium better than AGM/Lead Acid? If so, why/why not?
• What kind of maintenance is needed for my solar system and batteries
• Where can I buy Go Power! products? @ Arizona RV Parts Center
• Is there somewhere I can learn more about solar on my own?

Click Here for Go Power Solar's Website  or Call Them @ 1-866-247-6527 - They are a very friendly company that can help answer your questions.

To Purchase Go Power Solar with Free Shipping Check Out Arizona RV Parts Center!

The post Go Power Solar Panels & Inverters Part 2 appeared first on Radio Arizona RV.

Episode 52 (part 1) is all About Go Power Solar and as an added bonus Mark Spillsbury from Go Power Solar is my guest. Go Power Solar has been in the RV Solar Panel game for about 23 years making Go Power one of the first Solar companies to become a main stream solar supplier for the RV Industry. Go Power Solar is certainly the industry leader making them the King of the Solar Category!

Mark has been with Go Power for about 21 years and is one of their resident experts and he knows their products inside and out. Not only does he understand Go Power products he has an unbelievable knowledge of solar in general. Mark also likes to RV and that certainly gives him and Go Power much deeper insight into the needs of the RV'er be it full time or a weekend warrior. As most of you know I push the products I believe in and I have been sold on Go Power for about 21 years.

Rather than trying to pack everything into one episode I am splitting this into 2 episodes and of course you can go to Go Powers website to do your own research beyond what we discussed. The following are the main points discussed in Episode 52 (part 1). These 2 episodes (52 & 53) take the confusion out of Solar and how you can benefit by using it.

• Can Solar run my RV?
• Will Solar power my inverter?
• Will Solar replace my generator?
• Is installing Solar something I could do myself versus taking my RV to a shop?
• Will I have to put holes in my roof?
• What makes Go Power better than the other brands?
• What is Go Power’s warranty?

Click Here for Go Power Solar's Website  or Call Them @ 1-866-247-6527 - They are a very friendly company that can help answer your questions.

To Purchase Go Power Solar with Free Shipping Check Out Arizona RV Parts Center!

The post Go Power Solar Panels & Inverters Part 1 appeared first on Radio Arizona RV.

In Episode 51 I go over the essential maintenance steps that every RV'er needs to do to get ready for Winter if they live where it snows and or freezes. Even if you don't need to do an official winterizing project for the winter season this is still a good time check for leaks and potential problems.

Fresh Water: The starting point could be with the fresh water system and making sure it is drained of water. You will want to make sure to include the Water Heater and Fresh Water Tank(s). Some RV'ers prefer to blow the water out of the lines with a simple tool that screws into the city water hookup that uses compressed air to clear the line of water. This works very good and is inexpensive to do. Compressed air, a little bit of your time and a 5 dollar blow out plug! The other way to winterize the fresh water system uses RV Antifreeze that you run through the Fresh water system. RV Antifreeze won't freeze (read label for freeze points) and it is a food grade product so it is 100% safe to use in the RV Fresh Water System. Either way works very good. Some RV'ers take no chances at all and do both. They blow out the water lines and then add RV Antifreeze just to make sure. Keep in mind that toilets and ice makers have water valves that can freeze and making sure they are prepped is a must.

Holding Tanks: Make sure to drain the holding tanks as well. This should be done after every use but sometimes we forget or put it off for various reasons. Make sure the sewer hose is drained and clear of water as well. A sewer hose would almost always be dry but, you never know?

RV Covers: Many RV'ers prefer to cover their RV for Winter Storage and this is a good idea because it adds a layer of protection against the problems that come from exposure to moisture. I have even heard of some putting a tarp on the roof before the cover goes on and this can really add another layer of protection. As we know water finds it way into the RV through the tiniest cracks and crevices. In some areas and conditions you can't do too much!

On the Roof: Climb up on the roof and look over the entire roof. Keep in mind the roof is what protects everything underneath it. Check all of the seams, stanchions, vent bases, antenna bases, plumbing vents, solar panel mounts and anything else that is mounted to the roof. In most cases if there needs to be any resealing you can use Dicor Lap Sealant for these repairs.

Check the vent lids to make sure they are not brittle and ready to fall apart or have already fallen apart. To replace your vent lids you will need to know which hinge the lid has on it to get a replacement. For the record, the common vent that is called a 14 x 14 all have lids that are almost identical in size, the hinge is what determines which lid you need. Do the same with the Escape Hatch if the lid needs to be replaced except with escape hatches the lid dimensions help in determining which lid will fit.

I highly recommend adding Vent Covers made by Maxxair or Camco to help keep the 14" vents covered and protected from the elements. Not only do they extend the life of the lids they will also allow you to leave the vent lid open without the fear of rain or other things such as dirt/dust from easily entering into the RV. I have Maxxair covers on my RV and I have never worried about the lids being open anytime of the year. I also recommend that you use vent stuffers as well. The add some thermal protection for the RV in hot or cold conditions. The are probably more valuable in the summer time.

Thoroughly check the entire roof and everything on it for potential leaks and repair as needed. Only use products for the roof that are made for RV roofs. Sometimes RV'ers use products that are not made for RV's and the potential to ruin the roof is great. Check everything on the roof and the roof edges and make sure to take your time and seal/repair every potential leak.

For more details on Maintaining Rubber Roofs Check Out the 3 Part Podcast about Roofs.

On the Ground: Now that we are off the roof you will need to check everything else for potential leaks. That would include clearance lights, compartment doors, water entries, range vents, cable hatches, windows, specialty trim and anything else that has the potential to cause water damage. Be suspect of any possible leak. It could be years before the damage rears it's ugly head and now it is a repair job and not just a simple maintenance step.

Batteries: There is much debate on how to maintain batteries while in storage and in order to cut through the minutia I went to Interstate Batteries to get the straight scoop. I also found a really good resource online as well. This link will take you to the podcast I did just on batteries.  Listen Now to Episode 44 about Battery Storage.

Tires: Keep the tires aired up to the maximum tire pressure that is recommended by the manufacturer of the tire.

For tips about tire maintenance Click Here!

Wrapping it Up For Winter: The last thing to do is determine if there are any repairs that need to be done now or can wait. If any need to be done make a list and do them now or wait and keep the list in the RV for springtime. A repair that could wait could be an Awning Fabric that is going bad and you your not going to be using it and it can wait until spring time. The main thing is to have your list made out and either knock the jobs out now or wait. If you wait and are having a service center do the work keep in mind that they can be really busy in the spring with long waiting periods to get your RV in to repair it. Plan for this in advance.

The post How to Get Your RV Ready for Winter Storage appeared first on Radio Arizona RV.

Episode 50 was produced out of frustration that companies make products that in my opinion are a dis-service to the RV Community and a frustration to the end user or the RV'er. As I said this is my opinion! The subject matter for today's episode is a RV Awning Fabric that I will call Brand X, I choose not to call the company out in this episode. The pictures say a mouthful about the fabric.

I will only recommend 3 brands that I feel meet the standards that make a good fabric. Solera by Lippert, A&E by Dometic, Carefree of Colorado. These 3 stand far above Brand X when it comes to quality and ease of installation with accurate instructions. I have never seen instructions such as Brand X, they sabotage an A&E installation for sure. I have installed 1000's of RV Awning Fabrics and have never seen a fabric like this!

The point of the episode is not just about RV Awning Fabrics and making good purchases, it is a principle that can be applied to anything you purchase for your RV or anything in general. Do your research and don't purchase by price, make your purchases based on quality and price. Sometimes a better product is not always the highest price! But sometimes the cheapest price is the lowest quality!

Listen to Episode 50 to learn more about a poor quality fabric and how to make great purchase decisions.

To Learn More About the RV Awning Fabrics we Recommend Click Here!

The post ↓ Making Good Purchases and Not Throwing Away Cash! appeared first on Radio Arizona RV.