Our RV Life

Saturday, September 13, 2014

First roof leak found

Well, today we found our first roof leak. Chad asked me if I'd found any leaks. I hadn't seen any. Then, a few minutes later, I was sitting at the computer & a drop of water hit my head. Sure enough, there's a roof leak in the cabinet above me.

Looks like someone has put silicone on this leak before, but it didn't fix the problem.

I'm not even certain where this wire runs to. This side of the RV is the side that none of the lights work on (just in the front). We think a mouse probably chewed through the wires.

Friday, September 12, 2014

Mechanical work needed

The next step - work on the engine....

Fortunately, no motor replacements needed here. But, before we take off, we want to make sure we are not going to have a break down...we hope. This is a Chevy 454 Big block engine which can be accessed from the front & also inside.

For maintenance, we are replacing the water pump, alternator, fan clutch, thermostat (controls the engine temperature), hoses, & belts; flushing & cleaning the radiator, and an oil change.
Also, adding a transmission oil cooler. The radiator had a leak when everything was put back together, so as a temporary fix, Chad put Bar's Leaks PLT11 Pelletized Radiator Stop Leak - 11 oz. in it & put Dap 08641 Clear Silicone Sealant 9.8-Ounce around the joint.
The engine was idling high. Chad noticed that the choke & fast idle we're stuck, so he cleaned the linkages & played with the adjustment. Now it idles around 1100 rpm. (It was 1800 rpm.)

Access to water pump & alternator

Inside engine access. (picture taken after the air cleaner was removed)

Working in the rain

Chad moved the oil fill location so we can fill it from inside - much more convenient. Also eliminated a 3 foot long pipe,

Removed the AC compressor (didn't work anymore) & bracket and other metal that's not needed, really cleans up the engine bay.

Using pulley harmonic installer to kit to install the harmonic damper.


Timing chain

Our RV Life becomes a Construction Zone after moving in

In an effort to prepare for the cold winters we have in NY, we decided to add Reflectix BP24025 24-Inch by 25-Feet Bubble Pack Insulation to the windows. We have two layers on the 3 bedroom windows. It's not too bad - kinda looks like solar panels on the outside. This week we also made curtains to cover it up, so you can't even tell the insulation is there from the inside. We used blackout curtains which will also help insulate. This will not only help keep it warmer in the winter, but cooler in the summer. Also, gives us a nice dark area for sleeping.

Insulation

New curtains

Lots of other repairs have been taking place, keeping us in a construction zone. We installed a new hot water heater this week. It has a 6 gallon tank, which is bigger than our old one. Also, installed a new furnace . Just started using it first thing in the morning because it's already getting fairly cold at night.

Also, Chad's dad made us new trim pieces which we installed in certain areas.

New trim piece under the refrigerator

We also added weather stripping around both doors.
We want to drink our water, so we are using a hose for fresh water, and a RV water filter that filters the water before it enters the tank. We also bought a Culligan FM-15RA Advanced Faucet Filter Kit. And, we filter our drinking water through a PUR CR-6000 7-Cup Water Filtration Pitcher. Hopefully that will be safe enough. : )

We also bought a mini vacuum cleaner this week & a mini dehumidifier . We hope that it will help with moisture. Although, not sure if it's a good one because it is now in the bathroom and hasn't pulled out much water at all. Yeah - going to send that back.

Last week was our first dumping experience. We totally didn't know what we needed! The first time we went to the camping store we bought a sewer hose - didn't know we needed a sewer kit with all the fittings. Then, we couldn't find any fittings to go with the hose we bought. LOL So, we ended up buying a new sewer kit . We bought RhinoExtreme because it's supposed to be heavy duty. It seems good so far. However, we didn't have enough hose for the first dump. So, we bought an extension sewer kit which should arrive tomorrow.

The bathroom fan didn't work, so Chad ran a new wire from the bathroom switch that didn't appear to do anything. Now, it works great!

Also added some power strips in some key locations.

Officially moved in - August 29, 2014

Friday, August 29th we were completely moved in. We weren't able to sleep in it the 1st night, though, because we were still doing work under the bed. Saturday was our 1st night. The tub and tub surround had some cracks so we couldn't take showers in it just yet. We did get that all sealed up with Dap 08641 Clear Silicone Sealant 9.8-Ounce & put a piece of plastic floor runner with tread on the floor of the tub. So, after about a week we were able to take showers.

After moving in, we also discovered that the hot water heater wasn't working quite right. It wouldn't automatically shut off like it should. It would either not light or stay lit too long and start leaking water out.

We are parked temporarily in the driveway of Chad's parents' house. All of Chad's tools are here as well, so it's more convenient.

We truly are rednecks. Lol.

Saving Space in the RV

We weren't sure how all our stuff would fit in the RV. But, the cabinets are surprisingly large. There is only a tiny bit of storage under the bed. But, that works out fine since it is very difficult to get to. Here are the ideas we used to make more space.