Dear Gary,
I dropped a plastic flashlight into the toilet and it went straight down the pipe to where I could’t see it. I was using a flashlight to determine what might be causing a backup in my black water holding tank. Now I apparently have two problems. I can backflush the tank with the attachment on the drain and also force water down the toilet from that end to eventually get things cleaned out. The pipes are all glued and therefore not easily removed to get to the possible plug. Do you have any ideas how I might be able to extricate a plastic flashlight which is probably lodged in a 45-degree turn going into the black water tank? –Sherman Thompson

Dear Sherman,
I’m guessing the drop of the flashlight went straight into the tank itself. Most configurations have the toilet positioned directly over the tank with a straight pipe into it. There are a few floor plans which mandate an elbow turn, but unless that was one big, honkin’ flashlight, it still probably entered the tank. The good news is that all holding tanks must be removable. Though drain pipes may be cemented, the assembly can easily be cut apart if necessary. The termination valves are usually bolted so it may be possible to simply unbolt the valve assembly, remove the toilet and flange from above, then remove the attaching brackets to drop the tank. Obviously it’s best to flush the tank as adequately as possible first. Once the tank is down, you should be able to manipulate the flashlight to the three-inch outlet opening and retrieve it. Though a hassle and not very pleasant a task, it is doable and not that bad a situation. Once dropped, you can then, more easily, inspect the tank to determine the cause of the first blockage. Oh, and be sure to change those batteries!

Gary Bunzer, The RV Doctor is the author of technical articles, troubleshooting tips, installation guides and owner’s manuals for RV owners, suppliers and manufacturers. He is the host of RV Roadtrips, the DIY Network cable television show. He is one of the RV industry’s most sought after speakers and the host of the popular DVD, Do It Yourself RV Care.

Dear RV Doctor,
A squirrel decided to take up residence in our Fleetwood motorhome. The little bugger didn’t make it and neither did our screens that he tried to chew his way through. My husband is having a heck of a time trying to remove the screens in order to repair them himself. Is there a secret to popping out the screens? Please help before my husband shoots every moving squirrel on the property! – June Hart

Dear June,
Normally the screens simply lift up and out. There should be two small, plastic clips attached to the bottom and top of the screen frame which glide on the extruded aluminum frame of the window. It might be necessary to carefully bend the center of each vertical side of the screen frame as you exert pressure to remove the it. Replace any broken clips if you find any. They are available from any well-stocked RV parts center. Additionally, to thwart future efforts of the wildlife, replace the fiberglass material with aluminum screening.

Gary Bunzer, The RV Doctor is the author of technical articles, troubleshooting tips, installation guides and owner’s manuals for RV owners, suppliers and manufacturers. He is the host of RV Roadtrips, the DIY Network cable television show. He is one of the RV industry’s most sought after speakers and the host of the popular DVD, Do It Yourself RV Care.

Dear RV Doctor,
I recently read an article you wrote regarding tire damage by ultraviolet rays; it was very informative. I was talking to another RVer recently who told me that wiping the sidewalls with transmission fluid will help prevent sidewall cracks due to ultraviolet rays. My question to you is can this be possible? He claims that the properties of transmission fluid and the tires are very similar and that’s why it works. I would appreciate your comments on this since I just purchased six new tires for my rig after the originals were so cracked that I felt it would be dangerous to drive on them. – Carlo Coppola

Dear Carlo,
Negative on the tranny fluid. This will cause the tires to dry out excessively. As the oil evaporates it will deplete all the natural surface waxes blended in during manufacture. Avoid any product that contains petroleum-based or silicone substances. There are some nice products available in the aftermarket that can block UV rays and protect against ozone damage, but they typically will leave the tires with a dull sheen rather than the nice shiny surface most people like; plus they are probably less expensive. Cover the tires when not in use. The flexing and bending they receive while driving will bring the waxes back to the surface.

Gary Bunzer, The RV Doctor is the author of technical articles, troubleshooting tips, installation guides and owner’s manuals for RV owners, suppliers and manufacturers. He is the host of RV Roadtrips, the DIY Network cable television show. He is one of the RV industry’s most sought after speakers and the host of the popular DVD, Do It Yourself RV Care.

While gas prices continue to skyrocket out of control, the age-old question keeps coming up: Which should I fill up with, regular or premium? We had an RVer swear they got better mileage out of their tow vehicle burning premium than when running regular. Just how does this shake out?

As far as “efficiency” and your wallet are concerned it’s simple: If your rig says it REQUIRES the more expensive “high test,” then you’re stuck. If not, dollar for dollar, gallon for gallon, you’re better off economically to pump the regular.

And is there much difference between brands? Despite the hype, in the US gasoline refiners still have to meet federal standards on formulation. The experts still tell us that the off-brands burn just as well as the higher-priced name brands.

What’s the ticket to better economy? The usual recommendations: Keep the tires inflated properly (saves you tire blow outs, too). Don’t carry excess weight–for example, keep the gray water tank empty and the fresh water tank limited, unless you’re headed someplace where water isn’t available. Toss out the rock collection and the excess tools if possible. Keep the engine tuned up, the air cleaner clean. Go easy on the accelerator–pretend there’s an egg between your foot and the pedal.

And yes, it really DOES save money to keep the speed down–wind resistance to a big motorhome or trailer can put huge stresses on your fuel economy.

photo: iotae on flickr.com

Dear RV Doctor,
We recently bought a twenty-something-year old Field & Stream motorhome. On our maiden voyage we plugged into shore power at the RV park and had 120-volt AC electric from all the outlets in the coach just like it should. When we started the generator it appeared to run properly but we had no power from the outlets like we did before. Do you have any ideas what could cause this problem? Is it possible for the generator to run but not to produce electricity?

Bill Cockins,
Palm Desert, California

Bill,
Yes it is possible for the generator to seemingly be running well with no output present at any of the receptacles. There are a few reasons for this, including a tripped main output breaker on the generator set itself, or a tripped breaker at the main distribution panel box inside the coach. But my guess is you simply need to plug the shoreline cord into a 30-amp generator output receptacle located in or near the shoreline cord compartment. Your coach was probably produced before the proliferation of the automatic transfer switch, the device that switches from shoreline power automatically when the generator is started. Back then, in order to have 120-volts AC in the coach, the RVer had to plug the shoreline cord somewhere; either into the campground receptacle or the generator receptacle. Look inside the shoreline cord box with a flashlight and see if you can find a typical 30-amp receptacle. Look closely, it could be secured anywhere inside the box. There may even be a metal cover over it. If indeed the shoreline cord is already plugged in and a breaker is tripping, you then have another search to perform - locating the short that is causing the breaker to trip. If this is the case, let me know exactly which breaker is tripping and we’ll take it from there.

Gary Bunzer, The RV Doctor is the author of technical articles, troubleshooting tips, installation guides and owner’s manuals for RV owners, suppliers and manufacturers. He is the host of RV Roadtrips, the DIY Network cable television show. He is one of the RV industry’s most sought after speakers and the host of the popular DVD, Do It Yourself RV Care.