a woman with questions...

[Floridariz]

Hi there, I haven't been around in quite a while.

We are fulltiming in our 2006 Mountaineer and have a few questions.

First, after some searching, one of my questions was about the toilet not holding water. The SLAM technique saved the day! Thanks!

Ok, here are my questions:

1) Our front bathroom grey tank leaks when it is full. We can catch it usually and dump before full but not always. Can we repair this and if so, how do we go about it? Do we need to replace any of the underbelly...will it dry out? Is this a repair my husb and I can do together (we are a bit un-handy...) or should we call in a pro? Is it necessary to replace the whole tank?

2) Our converter fan runs off and on A LOT and the lights brighten and dim. What can we do to fix this? Again, is the fix doable or should we call in reinforcements?


Thanks!!

[firetrucker]

Can't help you with the gray tank, but the simplest explanation I can think about for the converter is that it's working hard trying to charge the batteries. Have you checked the battery condition lately, and how old are they? Is this something that has just started happening?

If your converter is the two stage instead of the three stage version, it could be overcharging your batteries and shortening their lives. (An IOTA converter can be upgraded to the three stage version, which does a great job of taking care of your batteries).

Do you have lots of things plugged in that require 12 V, or do you use a lot of the 12 V lights? Those lights draw a lot of current.

And, of course, it could be a sign the converter has a problem.

Bob

[Floridariz]

Can you help me understand how I know if something is 12 v? I know the overhead lights are and yes, I can make the pulsing fan basically stop if I turn off those lights. Last night I was up with no lights on and the furnace running and the fan was going on and off.

I remembered a third question! How does one get to the TV?? I can't see how I would be able to remove it out of the cabinet at all. And can't get to the connections. It fits "just right" with no access that I can find...

[Tom S.]

The converter fan running off and on a lot could be indicative of a weak battery(s). Try having the battery checked.

[firetrucker]

Things that run when you aren't plugged into shore power are all 12V. Lights, control circuitry of the refrigerator and furnace, furnace fan, propane sensor, vent fans, water pump. Probably missing a few things, but I'm sure you see where I'm going.

It really does sound like a battery problem, though.

The TV is usually screwed in at the front with long screws. Haven't tried to take it out myself, but there are a lot of people who have, and I'm sure you'll get someone with experience to tell you their story.

Bob

[Floridariz]

The batteries are brand new. What should the volt meter read?

[stiles watson]

Since I don't have a Mountaineer, I may not be of much help.
[1] There should be some screws either in the cabinet above or below your TV cavity (or both).
[2]As to the tank, you will need to drop the belly pan to see if you can locate the leak. If it is a crack on top of the tank, some have used plastic cement or high sealing tape to stop the leak. It may be at the connections, if so, you might want to find you a mobile repair guy to come and do it. Plumbing can be tricky if you haven't done it. Ask other RVers if there is a reliable mobile service around.
[3]On the converter, when our rig was less than 6 months old, the OEM Iota converter crashed and fried several appliances in our rig. The dealer replaced it (along with the appliances) with an Inteli-Power PD9280 from Progressive Dynamics, INC. This is an 80 amp converter with a built-in, 3 stage charger wizard. For two years now we have had good service from it. You can read about it Here

[Bill-N-Donna]

quote:Originally posted by Floridariz
I remembered a third question! How does one get to the TV?? I can't see how I would be able to remove it out of the cabinet at all. And can't get to the connections. It fits "just right" with no access that I can find...

When I removed our TV, which BTW wasn’t an original TV, I had to tilt the set forward in order for it to clear the opening. It wouldn’t slide directly out the front. If that be the case then whoever does it should be very careful, older TV sets can be heavy.

[Floridariz]

There is no tipping. I can't budge it at all! And we can't find any screws either above or below. We cannot figure out how to get this thing out!!

[Rondo]

Paula-- On my 2980 the TV is held in with at least one long screw that is coming in from the righthand side of the TV as you look at it from the front. The screw is under a button cover (that's what I call them) that is in the wall or hallway to the right of the TV. It covers up the screw and there may be more of these button covers around the unit also!
The batteries don't have to be old for the converter to be over charging them. Infact, the over charging will make them old fast! If you don't have a three phase converter it will over charge the batteries and make them to go dry thus causing the fan to run more because it is trying cool the converter that is trying to charge a non chargable or weak battery. Check the fluid in the batteries and make sure it is up to the recommended level (just above the plates or just below the battery filler caps). If the batteries are low, fill them with "distilled" water and put them on a charger to charge or if the charger has a regenerating setting that may help also.
The tank problem I can't help you with but there are plenty of threads on this very same subject if you go into the Search engine at the top of this page and key in tank leak or variations of that. There will be more that will come along, I'm sure, that can help with this leak deal!
Keep us informed on all the problems and if you got them taken care of!

[firetrucker]

For the TV, take a long, thin knife and slide it around the edges. If there are screws there, that should locate them.

The battery voltage depends on whether it's being charged or on how much it's discharged. Here's a link to an awful lot of informtion about batteries, but towards the bottom there's a table of voltages that will be helpful. Battery FAQ

If the batteries are new, double check that the connections are solid. One way to check is to measure the voltage from the battery terminal itself to the clamp on that terminal when the battery is under load. It should be zero, but if the connection is not good, it will read up to as much as the battery voltage, depending on how bad the connection is. Don't forget to check both terminals.

Bob

[deadeye]

I took a TV out of my 2955 Model Montana. You really have to look hard to find the screws. There were 4 of them and the TV was really heavy to lift out. They are sometimes recessed or embeded in the wood as they are put in with power screw drivers at the factory. If there is a cabinet above or below the TV, open the doors, drawers or whatever and start looking in the bottom of the above cabinet and the top of the below cabinet. The screws will not be a phillips or straight screw. They are the "Double D" type screwdriver head on them, like the screws that are on the outside of the camper if you want to see one up close. They won't be white color like the ones on the outside. I replaced my TV with a flat screen SONY and bolted the base down with 1/4 - 20 bolts on the back side........ Can't help you much on your tank leak, but I would think it would be quite a task to find the leak if you don't have the manpower or tools to lift the tank out.....On the batteries, start first by checking the water. If you are leaving the camper plugged in, they will need checked about every month just to add water. There is one more thing that draws a lot of 12v power off of your batteries that hasn't been mentioned. On the TV, there is probably a power supply for the antenna. It will have a RED light on it and is located in or around the TV compartment. Punch the little button to make the light go off when you are not using it. You don't need the power supply when you are hooked to cable at a campground. Only when you are using the crank up antenna..... Others may have things to add on this subject..... JB

[SlickWillie]

You most likely have a GFCO converter. The fan runs on demand, so it will cycle with 12 volt usage. Our lights have always dimmed at times. I really don't think the quality of this converter is as good as some others on the market. Also, on the Good Friendship Company website, I have failed to find any mention of the smart charger being available for these converters.

If the underbelly on your Mountaineer is like ours, it is one piece. If you try to start lowering it from the rear, it may have to be cut all the way across, as it is probably tucked under the fiberglass on the rear. Our dealer cut ours, and just put some screws thru the plastic membrane. I went back and put a 1" strip of thin aluminum across it and screwed it up thru that.

You've got good advice on the TV removal. Ours has three screws up thru the TV case from underneath the shelf it sets on. There are two right behind the horizontal piece below the TV, and one farther back. The way these units are built, yours may or may not be installed as ours is.

[alandaudrey]

In the Nov 2009 trailer Life Mag they recommend a product for tank repairs. It is called "Seal-N-Place Plastic Tank Repair Kit". It's available on-line at www.shoprvparts.com/product.do?no=12573F.

Or, they suggest having the tank plastic welded.

[Art-n-Marge]

The link provided by alanaudrey did not provide the information - the website said something about the "product not being available". Did anyone else have the problem?

However if you go to the www.shoprvparts.com and do a search in their web page for "tank repair" and several options will show up including the one mentioned by alandaudrey.

I like that site a lot. I was finally able to locate a small storage door so I can create addtional storage for my extra sewer hoses. That site is now in my "favorites".

[Floridariz]

Thanks all! I will be trying out all of your suggestions today and will report back!