Tip of the day from Wingnut0946

[Montana_4560]

First off-- if I have once again posted in the wrong location, I apologize! There isn't really a desiginated "helpful advice" section, and I feel that the "tip of the Day" could benefit everybody considering I will touch on questions and problems I recieve from other members, as well as general issues I experience while I'm in the shop.


Today I will touch on a couple of small but major mantinence items that can prevent tons of headache in the long run-- Water Filter and Water pump low-pressure problems.

First-- One problem that I have confront me over and over again is a traier arriving in the shop with the problem: "Water pressure insfuuicient". Almost every time the cause is the same thing. Dirty water filters. When you baught your RV, and if it was supplied with a water filter, you SHOULD have recieved the documentation on pratically every device, doo-dad, widget, and thingymajig that came on it, at Fun Time we cram all that info into a 3-ring binder as thick as the Dallas/Ft Worth phone book. In the info on the water filter, it will tell the flow rating of the filter, the filter model, how many gallons the filter element can filter before needing to be changed, and a TIME INTERVAL of how often to change the filter, regardless of how few or how many gallons flowed through it. It doesn't matter if you only used your trailer for a three-day vacation, if you ran the water, the filter and element had water run through it. And unless you removed the filter element after use of the trailer, drained and dried it completely, the resivoir that holds the filter element is effectivly a huge can with stagnant water in it, growing hoards of bacteria inside, enough to make ANY college school microbiology teacher cringe. Bacteria by its self won't reduce your water flow (if bacteria buildup alone causes a reduction in your water pressure, I don't want to be the one fixing the problem, ICK!) but it can become extremely unsafe to drink. And this is not something you can just look at and tell "Hey I see a large quantity of harmful amoebas swimming around in my glass of water...". So make sure to keep track of when you put your water filter element in, and periodically check the overall condition of the element. The majority come bright white, and get a brown,dingy yellow or red tint to them as they come to the end of their life. If your water pressure DOES seem to get low, remove the filter element from the filter and run the water with the element removed (but make sure to repalce the element cup back BEFORE connecting the water!) This is the easiest way to find if your filter is reducing the flow.
Water pump pressure problems have a variety of causes. The most common complaint with new first-time RV owners is the simple fact that the common RV water pump doing it's job properly is NOT going to give them the pressure out of the shower head that matches the pressure they have in their state-of-the-art massaging showerhead in their house. The water pressure coming from the city line is pressurized by pumps that would make the pump on a firetruck look like a Dollar Store water pistol. Not to mention those super-tall water towers that look like a gigantic Blow-Pop that help to pressurize the water systems.... But some water pumps are equiped with small screen filter just upstream the pump before the water tank (quite often on the inlet of the pump) that can get clogged with derbis from water hoses, junk from a well, or quite often, plastic shavings that fell into your water tank when the holes were being drilled to run the hose and drain ports for your tank. Fortunately these screen filters are easy to clean out, just shut off the water pressure, the screen filter twists apart, and you can remove the junk out of it. Five minutes and you're done.
You CAN buy high-capacity water pumps for your RV, and they are actually not all that difficult to install, as long as you have SOME working knowledge of positive and negative wires (usually black and red), the understanding of "righty-tighty, lefty-loosie...", and a few other basic rules of tools. And if all else fails, you can usually either read the instructions (products nowadays seem to be getting easier to understand than the poor translations from Tiawaneese I recall from several years back), or you can ALWAYS drop your unit in to your local (or not-so-local) RV service shop and have a professional install it for you. If your unt is still under Warranty, I reccommend the last suggestion, to keep from voiding the warranty. If you perchance aquire water damage from a leaky line after you did a "do-it-yourself" water pump install, the chances of warranty covering it is not good. Even if the leak is nowhere NEAR the pump.

Hopefully this proves to be useful to someone at some point in time, and if you have any questions you'd like to ask drop me a line!
Until Next Time!

[padredw]

Welcome, Wingnut (and neighbor), Thanks for your tips.

on our very first trip in a fifth wheel (we had bought used) our water totally shut off. Not knowing anything about it we took it in to a service center (which charged me accordingly), and all they did was replace the 'screen' on the water pump. Fortunately, I learned my lesson.

There is no telling how long that water had been in the 'fresh' water tank! For sure the filter was completely stopped up.

[Northstar]

Thanks for the tip.

[sreigle]

Wingnut0946, there's a section titled something like Montana Problems and Technical Help that might be a logical place for your tips, if you don't mind putting them there. Your call, of course.

I enjoy reading the tips but you might want to know Montanas do not ocme with a water filter nor is it an option. There is the mesh screen filter on the city water inlet, though. And many of us use aftermarket filters so the advice pertains to those. There might be a screen on the water pump, too, and most likely is. After reading your post I'll have to check that one out. Thanks.

[Montana_4560]

Okay everybody you heard Mr. Reigle, I'm STILL "lost in the woods" as to where to post my listings... but he's lit a beacon of light as of where to go! Starting tomarrow I'll be listing my tidbits of knowledge in "Montana Problems and Technical Help". I'm sure it won't be hard to find me...

Oh and Mr. Reigle-- I have to admit that I have never taken notice that The Montana doesn't come from the factory with a water filter. I work on everything from Montanas, Raptors, and Open Roads all the way down to retro 70's model Winnebagos. I've even had the "privelage" to rebuild a rotted and cloged up black tank and pipes on a vintage 1969 Airstream. The trailer LOOKED nice, but the smell surpassed discription, and not in a good way.
If I was able to recall every last detail about every trailer I worked on, my name would be MR. WIZARD!!! But alas, my mental capacity is not on such a staggering level. So I do what I can!

[Montana_4560]

I have an apology to make-- It was braught to my attention that my last posting in this topic was out of line. I have no intentions of offending ANYONE on this forum, I did not realize how someone else might take the wrong view.
Mr.Reigle-- I am sorry if I came across as trying to butt heads with you, that's not the case. I'm a 26 year old RV tech just getting my career going and you are in the process of enjoying the fruits of yours. What I though might get a smirk also also could come across as offensive, and I didn't think about that possibility. As my mother always reminded me (and should STILL be on me case because I obviously didn't learn), "Me and my big mouth!"

I will be more cautious about how I post things for now on. If in my ignorance I botch up again and say something that one of you don't like, let me know and I will do whatever is possible to make it right. I know I come across as a "smartypants" from time to time, I just like to try to be funny. Everyone likes a good laugh, though I need to be better aware of when and what is approperate. And, of corse, think about what I say before I way it. I have always been prone to the folly of "Open mouth, insert foot...", eventually I'll grow out of that.
Once again I apologise to everyone for being "the bratty kid around the corner who plays his guitar too loud..." (and I admit, I probably DO play my guitar too loud at times, but the closest house around is half a mile away and the cows don't really care how bad it sounds). What I lack in manners and maturity I'll do my best to make up with tech assist!

[sreigle]

Jeramy, I just now saw your reply to my post and your subsequent apology. No apology is necessary but thank you for your thoughtfulness anyhow. I hope I didn't offend you. My intent was to answer your question about where to put the tips and to let you know you might not want to spend a lot of time on tips for something the Montanas don't have. It was intended to be helpful but sometimes when I'm in a hurry maybe it doesn't come across that way.

In any case, your tips no doubt will be helpful to many of us. I appreciate your willingness to share.

By the way, my name is "Steve". "Mr. Reigle" is my father!

[Montana_2005]

I think he must have gotten his tail feathers singed by somone Steve...
Thanks for the advice... Now If I could just figure out how to get the nasty plastic taste out of this park water.....

[sreigle]

Mel, are you using a filter?