Is Your RV Safety Detector Sounding?
Here’s what to do Recreation Vehicles are equipped with up to three types of safety detectors, depending on the size and design of the RV, as mandated in the NFPA 1192 standards. For your safety, these detectors must be in place and operational so they can notify you if there is a problem. Unfortunately, false […]
This is Why to Certify RV Technicians
I met a dealership employee who turns wrenches on RVs some time ago who told me about how he has many years in the business, is self-taught, and doesn’t have time for this “training crap.” It’s all about getting billable hours, he told me. Among the dealers he worked for was a company that emphasized […]
Surging Cable
Using an RV surge protector is essential in protecting your RV and your personal property from dangerous voltage spikes that can cause the “magic” smoke to come out of everything! However, the coax cable for TV and satellite TV is often overlooked and can lead to all the same damage as if the spike came […]
Heat Wave RVing
Any Questions? (Gratuitous 80’s PSA reference) In all seriousness, RVs can have comfort issues in both hot and cold temperature extremes. Since so much of North America is sweltering, I thought it would be a good time to discuss the upper side of extreme temperature RVing. During high heat and humidity, RVs are happier than […]
Want to Ride in your Trailer or Truck?
On April 10th, 2024, Fox News online reported a physician who was killed when she was ejected from a moving Airstream trailer. The full article can be seen here. According to the New York State Police, “Monika I. Woroniecka age 58, along with other family members were riding in the trailer for the last 20 minutes of […]
Trailer Suspension – the Weak Shackle
In this competitive environment, it is not uncommon for a manufacturer to make product choices to cut costs when the consumer doesn’t care or notice out of sight or mind, as they say. In the case of many travel trailers and some fifth wheels, the suspension components are the least expensive available. If you only […]
Are RV Roof Coatings Worth the Money?
RV roofs don’t last forever. This motorhome’s EPDM roof from the 1990’s had to be replaced. Photo: C.Dougherty Having a good roof over your head is essential when traveling. RV roofs don’t last forever. This motorhome’s EPDM roof from the 1990’s had to be replaced. Photo: C.Dougherty This ignored roof on a seasonal trailer was dissolved through […]
RV Tech Tools – Screw Gun
This section will discuss valuable tools for anyone working on an RV. These are unsponsored reviews of tools I or others have used in the trade. When I started doing carpentry back in the 1980s, I remember one of the first power tools I ever bought was a Skil drywall screw gun, and I have […]
Spring Cleaning Opening Tips
One would think leaving the RV parked in one spot for the season would mean it wouldn’t get dirty. The RV PHD Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Nope. In fact, being closed up and exposed to all kinds of detritus, […]
Stabilizing vs. Leveling
Unfortunately, RVers are getting confused about something that can cause serious damage to their RVs or even cause injury and death. Confusing stabilizing an RV vs. leveling an RV. The RV PHD Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Just because you […]