RV 101 - A New World of RV's

Visit Solar For Emergencies

2011-08-18T15:36:00.000-07:00

Quite often I post a comment on Solar for Emergencies and do not think to put the note here. There has been a lot of talk about the new low voltage LED technology lately and if you are trying to save your battery power you will want to try them out. We have a new display at the rear of our store that you will want to see.

In the mean-time, check out Solar for Emergencies blog for some related posts.

Happy RVing!

PS A new RV parts website seems promising: RVing Essentials.

New LED Low Voltage Light Bulbs

2011-07-06T15:29:00.000-07:00

Over the last decade LED light bulbs have had much to be desired when it comes to quality of light. Until recently the nice warm white color of an incandescent bulb for general lighting has not been technically possible. We’ve all seen the blue/purple tint of so-called white bulbs over the years. Until recently, LED bulbs have been perfect for low energy use stop lights and signal lights but they have not been good for general lighting in a house, cabin or RV.

This should be front page news!
That day of bad LED lighting is gone. The new generation of “wafer technology” produces a very pleasant “incandescent like” warm white light drawing about 1/7th the power. This should be front page news but soon everyone will catch on.

The other problem has been cost. A few years ago a low voltage light bulb that produced an eerie bluish-purple light could cost anywhere between $40 to $120 dollars each. Now the cost for a great low voltage bulb runs about $10 to $20 each. Of course, as their popularity grows and they become more common place, the prices will get much lower. Because of the cost many of our customers who rely on battery power when using a recreational vehicle (motor home or travel trailer) are replacing their most used incandescent light bulbs with the new LED bulbs. To save money they plan on replacing their less frequently used incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs as the price drops. Lighting uses a lot of battery power and the “writing on the wall” tells us that LED bulbs will be the standard in the future, both for 120 VAC at home and low voltage bulbs using battery power.

Vegas Trailer Supply carries a wide selection of Low Voltage/Low Wattage bulbs in three distinct white colors – Cool White, Natural White and Warm White. Most are for 12 VDC use but we are told that the 8-30 volt bulbs can be put on a dimmer.

Cool White: This bulb is a bright white bulb with a slight bluish tint to it. Its “color temperature” range is between 6000 - 6500K (K = Kelvin). It has a little more blue color than a cool white (CW) fluorescent tube.

Natural White: This is almost the same color temperature as a cool white fluorescent bulb (4100K) with a rating of 4000 to 4500K. It is a pleasant white that will do for almost any general lighting needs. One brand of LED light bulbs call this color Cool White but the part number has “NW” in it signifying Natural White.

Warm White: This is the color of typical 12 volt DC incandescent bulbs. It gives out a warm white light with a hint of yellow or light tan color. Its temperature range is 3000 to 3500K. This will be the most popular color sold because this is the color most of us are used to.

To replace a bulb, simply note the type of bulb or socket the bulb requires. The most common incandescent bulb is an 1141 bulb and we have several types of bulbs that will replace this single contact socket bulb. Other bulbs have two contact sockets, wedge base, festoon (glass fuse type) or two wire pins. One very popular bulb uses a socket connected to a wire so the flat panel bulb can lay directly on the plastic diffuser of a ceiling light. There is no heat with LED bulbs so this is a great lighting option. Others bulbs have a kit with multiple types of socket connections in the package.

We have a tester near the parts desk at Vegas Trailer Supply so you can see for yourself the color, brightness and amp draw of each type of bulb compared to an incandescent.

Happy illuminating!

LED Low Voltage Light Bulbs are Finally Warm White!

2011-07-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

For nearly ten years I have been testing LED bulbs for low voltage systems as well as 120 VAC for household use. I have never been real happy with these bulbs for general lighting, until now!

A few weeks ago I took home a package of small 12 volt wedge bulbs. I have several LED bulbs in my outdoor pagoda that is hooked up to my small solar system. Wow, was I impressed! These bulbs were bright enough for general lighting and the color is warm like an incandescent bulb.

In the past the bulbs have always had a blue or light purple hue. You know what I mean. Even the recent bulbs I bought from Sam's Club for the house has a bright white light with a slight blue tint. It has been getting better as technology improves, but I have never been totally happy. Of course the cost has been coming down too, so we can all save more electricity as we gradually replace our energy guzzling incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs. If they last half as long as the manufacture claims then the higher cost will be worth it.

I was soo impressed that our store (Vegas Trailer Supply) is carrying a complete line of them. It looks like the retail cost will be about $10 - $20 bucks a bulb, but that is way lower than the $30 - $60 a few years ago. I expect them to go down in price as they become more popular.

The bulb I tested was the wedge base bulb called the T10 - Warm white - 12v - 1.2 watt - 100 lumens - Labeled "Green Long Life" made by Ming's Mark Inc. in China. There was no warning about touching the small yellow wafers on the bulb so I used a soft cloth when handling the bulb so no fingerprints (oil) got on the bulb surface. I figured that it wouldn't hurt to be safe.

I am going to recommend this line to all of my RV and Solar friends who want so save their battery power. We are also carrying another line called "Next Wave LED" and they test just as well. These bulbs draw 1/7th the electricity as a regular incandescent so they are perfect for the RV'r living off 12 VDC and those with solar power for their cabins or homes off the grid.

Finally, a low energy LED bulb that works for general lighting! I will publish more in the near future as these bulbs are fantastic. We are actually having trouble keeping some of them in stock as they are becoming very popular. Stop in to Vegas Trailer Supply and check out the working display to see the light output and color of these fantastic low voltage light bulbs.

It's a good day.

Part-time Position at RV Parts Store in Las Vegas

2011-04-08T11:37:00.000-07:00

Vegas Trailer Supply has an immediate part-time opening for an experienced RV parts & accessories sales person. The applicant needs to have a minimum one year experience selling RV parts and accessories at an RV parts store or dealership. Those with low voltage electrical and RV plumbing experience who own or live in an RV (or travel trailer) will be considered.

Pay is based on experience. This part-time opportunity could work into a full-time position for the right person.

Benefits are available after 90 days of full-time work. They include ½ of employee’s health care premium (including eye glasses and dental), 4 - 6 hour sick days per year, one week (5 - 8 hour days) paid vacation after one year full-time employment, 6 paid holidays per year.

Your resume is your initial application. We will contact you for further interviews and applications as needed. Please do not send your resume if you do not have the minimum one year experience selling RV parts & accessories or the equivalent RV knowledge.

Please send resume to: Manager, Vegas Trailer Supply, 3076 E Fremont St., Las Vegas, NV 89104. You may also bring in your resume to our store on Boulder Highway or email it to: jobs@vegastrailer.com. Emails will not be answered unless we choose to set up an interview with you.

Part-time Ecommerce Web Assistant

2010-12-10T12:07:00.000-08:00

A part-time job opportunity for a web development college student is available at Vegas Trailer Supply.

We are an RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parts and Accessories supply store. We have been in business since 1954 supplying Southern Nevada residents and visitors with parts and service for their motor-homes and travel trailers. We specialize in solar products for RV’s and cabins as well as things like Lodge cast-iron cookware, RV appliances and accessories, hardware, electrical and plumbing supplies.

We are creating an online store with a template package to start and anticipate moving to a more custom web site. Applicants should have a basic knowledge (or can learn fast) of online merchant clearing house set-up, shipping module set up, basic product data entry, domain hosting & transfer, then later we anticipate a need for basic HTML programming including CSS functions. Additional experience in paypal and ebay procedures a plus.

Our current web site is http://vegastrailer.com but the online store would be hosted on another domain. We will start the online store with the godaddy.com templates and import the data files to a more powerful e-commerce program at a later date. Much of the data will be available in an excel or comma-delimited file so the applicant can help with importing/exporting data or website design functions at their home location after setup is complete.

This job has extremely flexible hours with a minimum of 10 hours per week to start. We can work around your schedule. Hours can be lengthened or shortened according to your changing schedule.

A resume would help for your initial application.

Contact:

Michael Little, Store Manager

Vegas Trailer Supply
3076 E Fremont Street
Las Vegas, NV 89104

702 457-4265

Solar Living & RV101 Seminars - Parts Person Needed

2010-09-24T12:27:00.000-07:00

Seminars
We are revamping our solar living and RV101 seminars to start a new series of seminars and demonstrations. If you would like to be on our mail/email list to be notified of future seminars please stop in to Vegas Trailer Supply and sign up.

Employment - RV Parts Sales
We are accepting resume's for a full-time position on our sales floor selling RV parts and accessories. There is a minimum of one year experience with preference given to those with more than one year experience. This is an entry level job right now but it can turn into a management job for the right person.

Your resume is your application. If you have one please drop it by. If you don't, then make one and drop it by. We are not considering those who want to fill out an employment application. After looking at your resume we will call those we feel have the experience needed for the position.

Thanks, Have a good day!

Bulb (Lamp) Talk

2010-08-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

Most of us call them bulbs, but electricians call them lamps. I usually call them bulbs, even today.

Fluorescent bulb life is shortened by turning on and off repeatedly and operating for short periods. They also don't like to be turned on in very cold weather. On those frigid days it may help to turn on your furnace to let the light warm up before turning on the fluorescent lights. (Good luck finding your way to the thermostat in the dark.)

As an example: The ideal temperature for T8 bulbs is 77 degrees F and T5 bulbs like 95 degrees F. for longest life. Darn, now we got to worry about the likes and dislikes of our lights? Whew.

F15T8 bulbs are 18" and draw 15 watts of power
F13T5 bulbs are 21" and draw 13 watts of power
F8T5 bulbs are 12" and draw 8 watts of power

"CW" could be at the end of these numbers and means the bulbs emit a "cool white" color.

One candle power is equal to 12.57 lumens.

Don't touch the halogen light bulb when installing. It's life may be shortened by the oil on your skin.

We carry a variety of bulbs at Vegas Trailer Supply. A very popular bulb right now is our 800 lumen Compact Fluorescent (CFL) medium base screw-in 12 VDC bulb. It's light output is equivalent to a 60 watt incandescent bulb. The price has dropped in half in the last year.

Happy illuminating,

Replacing RV Vent Lid

2010-08-11T12:45:00.000-07:00

Often people come in to our store and tell us what make, model and year of their RV and want us to tell them what type of vent they have on their roof. Well, our crystal ball is broken most of the time so you have to tell us what you have.

When replacing a vent lid the most important thing you can do is look at the hinge. Most crank up vents are roughly 14 by 14 inches and there are many brands and they all have different hinges. Take a close look at the hinge and then come in to our store and identify what type you have.

We carry just about everything that is made but sometimes you just can't replace the lid so you have to replace the entire vent with new crank, screen, trim, etc.

Don't forget the putty tape for under the roof flange and two coatings of roof coat over the roof flange when done installing the new vent.

There are larger sizes of vents but these are usually escape hatches. Measure the cut-out size and, you guessed it, take a look at the hinge. YOU will have to tell US what type you have.

Happy Venting,

RV Converters (110 VAC to 12 VDC)

2010-08-07T10:22:00.000-07:00

Older converters will limit battery life because they charge slowly and keep charging after the battery bank is full. Batteries that are kept on a charge after they are full will gas too fast and dry up.

Longer battery life can be expected with newer converters that have 3 or 4 stage chargers. These types of converter/chargers will charge with a higher bulk charge when the batteries are low and then change to an absorption mode to top off the battery then go into a float charge to maintain the proper voltage.

Some converters now have another stage that automatically equalizes the cells periodically.

These newer converters allow you to run your gas generator less by charging batteries quicker.

RV Inverters (12 VDC to 120 VAC)

2010-08-06T12:37:00.000-07:00

There are many types of inverters. I’ve always recommended using the smallest inverter that will do the job. Most inverters say that they have a surge rating approximately twice the output rating but we’ve found that you can’t rely upon this for most start-up applications. For many electronic or motor loads the inverter should be rated at three to four times the constant wattage (amperage) of the appliance.

If you are in need of a better converter and an inverter you may want to consider a higher end inverter with a built-in converter and 4-way battery charger. These high-end units come with excellent inverters and better converters/battery chargers than what came with your RV.

Sine wave inverters provide a cleaner form of electricity but the units are considerably more expensive. Because they provide a better wave of electricity they also draw slightly less power, which could be important for those relying on generator or solar battery charging.

Happy Inverting.

RV Refrigerators Don’t Like Summer

2010-08-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

RV fridges work overtime in Vegas. Does your RV absorption refrigerator act like a heater instead of a cooler? Is your milk going sour too fast?

Summer heat doesn’t sit too well with RV refrigerators. The heat makes absorption refrigerators appear to be very lazy, when actually they use heat to make cold and they are working overtime. There are a few things that you can do that will help cool it down a few more degrees in this desert heat.

Cool the same?
Does it cool the same on both gas and electric? If one cools better than the other, then perhaps an adjustment or two will help. A cleanout by our technician may also make the burner work better. A new propane tank regulator often is an inexpensive cure. See our RV repair service center.

Keep it level
Make sure your refrigerator is level. Sometimes leveling the coach does not mean the refrigerator is level. Use a round bubble level in the freezer compartment to check the level. Remember, you must also keep it level if you are operating on electric (115v). An RV absorption refrigerator cooling unit does not have a compressor and operates on the same “heat” principle whether operating on gas or electric.

Insulated properly?
Does your insulation around the box have any air gaps? Check around each side and top of your refrigerator to make sure that no hot air from the back side can get through. Make sure your insulation is tight all around the top and sides of the box. Hot air allowed in these areas will make the inside temperature several degrees hotter.

Obstructions in the exhaust?
Check the exhaust passageway for obstructions. Many times a piece of insulation or a bird’s nest will obstruct the hot air from escaping rapidly out the vent.

A small exhaust fan may help
Install a small exterior fan on the back. Moving air up the back of the cooling unit may make it operate more efficiently. A great place to install it is just below the coils towards the bottom and back of the refrigerator with the fan blowing upwards. For larger refrigerators, an area where a fan works well is at the top of the vent on the roof. The rain cap has to be taken off and the fan installed pointing up. This helps exhaust the unwanted heat collecting at the back of the refrigerator. Getting that heat out faster helps the cooling unit dissipate heat faster.

Get in the shade
If you are parked with the back cooling unit facing the sun then try to arrange your RV so that it is in the shade. Because it makes heat to cool, the added heat of the sun won’t let the poor thing keep up.

Tight door seal?
Is your door seal tight? Take a slip of paper or a stiff dollar bill and close the door on it. Pull it out while the door is closed. If you feel no resistance then the seal is not tight. On new fridges sometimes a slight “tweaking” of the door will help the door seal all around. A new seal costs a lot and many sizes are not available at any cost. Try getting a new latch or installing a frig-i-lok. The frig-i-lok can be adjusted so the door closes tighter. Pick one up soon, we stock single door and two door latches.

Small interior fan
Try putting one of the small battery operated fans near the crisper in the bottom of the inside of the refrigerator. This moves the air around past the cold fins. The fan also helps even out the temperature. Many RV’rs say it helps noticeably on hot days.

Caution!
DON’T take out your valuable refrigerator and turn it upside down. This is an old wives’ tale, and usually does more harm than good to the cooling unit---and to your pocketbook. I am told that even on new refrigerators the factory won’t guarantee the temperature to get below fifty degrees if it is above 90 degrees outside. Most refrigerators will do better than that, however. Sometimes it’s just not a cool situation to operate your RV fridge in the desert heat. Try some of these tips and your milk may stay cooler a little longer.

Have a cool summer.

Replacing or Fixing Anything

2010-08-04T10:43:00.001-07:00

First, please understand this most important sentence: In the RV industry, there is no such thing as ‘standard’!

All RV’s are different, even the same make, year, size and model vehicle will have different appliances, accessories and parts. There is no data base to see what the manufacture installed on your vehicle on the particular day that it rolled out of the factory. Even the manufacture will not know what they installed that day. This goes for every item on your vehicle, whether it is plumbing, appliances, door knobs, vents, electrical, lights, etc. Manuals for your particular vehicle are generally not available, and if they are they are so generic that the information contained is not very useful.

The important thing is that you look very close at the part needed then accurately describe to our sales associate what YOU need. Unfortunately we can not tell you what you have!

We always recommend that each RV owner keep all paperwork, manuals, etc. with the exact make, model and serial number of the appliance or accessory written on the papers. This is often kept in a file or loose-leaf for easy reference. Most operation manuals are generic in nature, describing basic operations and installation of several different models. When seeking a specific part you need to know the exact make and model of the appliance. Often the same make and model underwent changes so a serial and production number may also be needed to accurately find the part you need.

Sometimes the part or accessory needed is not readily apparent. In this case you might want to take a digital picture (take several if possible) and bring it in to us. This does not always work because often different models look identical. If a manufacture used one brand and model of appliance or accessory then ran out of the brand during production, they get another brand and install it without any reserve. To sum it up, everything on your RV is not standard, even if you feel that it is. There is no computer than can look up what you have. It is not like the auto industry, it is more like “what the builder put in your house that day”.

Waste Tank Quick-Tip

2010-07-31T10:46:00.000-07:00

If you use a formaldehyde tank chemical it is a good idea to treat your tank to an occasional dose of bacterial, and/or enzyme treatment.

Before treatment, clean out your tank with fresh water, possibly using a wand down the toilet like the one pictured above.

This will get rid of the chemicals that could interfere with the enzyme or bacterial action that cleans out your tank.

***Make sure you always keep your dump valve closed, especially on the black water tank. Open it only when dumping the tank. Failure to comply is not an option!

Always use RV toilet paper. Regular TP can ruin the seals in your toilet and dump valves.

Happy Dumping!

RV Toilet Quick-Tip

2010-07-31T10:31:00.000-07:00

Occasionally spray 100% silicone or dry lube on flush ball seal. Replacement seals are rather expensive.

Make sure to winterize the toilet water valve with RV Anti-freeze before cold weather. Valves are expensive.

Only use RV toilet paper. This is very important, not just sales hype. Don't ever use household TP.

Trade that plastic hand spray with one of our new solid brass RV toilet hand spray kits.

See ya.

RV 12 VDC Pump Tech Tip

2010-07-31T10:07:00.000-07:00

We will publish longer, more detailed versions of these tips but want to get them on-line now so they may be of help to you.

Always use an approved strainer on the inlet side of your pump.

Most installations that have rigid plastic pipe need flex lines (pump silencing kit) on the inlet and outlet of the pump for smoother operation and longer pump life.

Parts are available for the ShurFlo 2088 series but we have found it safer to replace the entire pump or pump head.

An Intellitec pump controller is available to reduce the larger wire runs between switches and pumps. A momentary switch with smaller wires can be used to turn on and off the pump.

Periodically sanitize your pump. Lack of sanitizing is the number one reason for premature pump failure and poor performance.

For more information please stop by Vegas Trailer Supply, 3076 E Fremont Street, Las Vegas, NV 89104 or call 702 457-4265. You can also visit vegastrailer.com.

There is also some good battery information for RV users at our solar site: SolarForEmergencies.com.

Most of this information that relates to RV users will be brought over to this site soon. Stay tuned!

All the best my friend.

Rules for Efficient RV Air Conditioning

2010-07-31T09:19:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the new RV101 blog. More and more people are living in vehicles designed for recreational use. This can be a challenge. We hope to help you on your journey.

The points discussed below are important and can mean the difference between comfortable living or damage that could cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

Here in Las Vegas, on the first hot day of every year we get roughly 15-20 calls about RV air conditioners not working properly. Sometimes it is the air conditioner, but mostly is a lack of proper voltage and/or amperage getting to the unit.

NEVER operate your RV air conditioner when your RV is plugged into a standard 15 amp house-type receptacle. Each air conditioner needs a full 20 amp service so you need to plug your 30 amp plug into a full 30 amp service for one air conditioner or your 50 amp plug into a full 50 amp service to operate two AC’s.

If you need to run your RV AC’s at home then you will need to get a qualified, licensed electrician to install a full 30 or 50 amp RV service pedestal or weatherproof receptacle near your intended RV parking space. This is important because every installation has technical questions (like voltage loss, conduit requirements, heat build-up, long wire runs, proper wire type and size, etc) that can only be addressed by qualified electricians.

Plugging your RV into a 15 amp household receptacle with a “temporary” adapter is for temporary use to run low wattage appliances, a couple of lights or to get your absorption refrigerator cold. Actually there are times that even this can be dangerous; If your batteries are low and your converter wants to charge them up fast when you plug in, then you could be in a situation where too much amperage is trying to go through the adapter. There may be other situations where adapters can be dangerous.

DO NOT make the mistake of plugging into a dryer or welder receptacle. Most 30-60 amp receptacles at home are wired with two legs of 110 VAC which, if connected, would destroy most electrical appliances on your RV. The RV 30 amp receptacle has one hot (110v), one neutral and one ground.

Do Not use extension cords of any kind on your RV when operating your air conditioner. Any extension cord will lower the voltage getting to your RV. Lower voltage means higher amperage (not cool). This rule also includes 30 or 50 amp extension cords. Ideally RV power supply cords should not be longer than 21 feet but almost all of them are 25 feet from the RV factory. If you can do it, you may want to shorten your supply cord for optimum operation of your RV.

Make sure the male plug and female receptacle of your RV service pedestal are clean. Carbon build-up will limit the amperage and/or voltage getting to your RV. You may have to replace the male plug if it has carbon build-up.

Keep your power supply cord (shore line) out of the sun and preferably not coiled up. Both of these conditions produce heat and heat limits voltage, which increases current (amperage), creating more heat… admit it, you can’t win!

Make sure your generator is operating correctly and make sure it is powerful enough to power your RV. Suggested wattage for one AC is 4000+ watts and 2 AC’s should have a minimum of a 5000 watt generator.

Often park voltage can be low on hot high demand days. Check voltage at the park pedestal.

On hot days when it is 130 degrees inside your coach it is suggested that you ventilate as much hot air as you can before turning on the air conditioner. Each pass of air through the AC coils only lowers the temperature about 20 degrees, so 130 in is 110 out. We get calls saying that the air coming out of the cool side of the vent is too hot, but it could be a normal condition.

Condenser coils on the roof should be cleaned periodically to eliminate build-up of sand, dirt and leaves. Make sure the fins are not bent which restricts cooling air flow. See your owner’s manual for details. If your air conditioner still does not operate properly you may want to bring your RV in to our service department for a check out.

Happy RV’ing,
Mike, Manager,
Vegas Trailer Supply

PS I use words like “qualified” and “licensed” because over the years I have seen work by those who call themselves “electricians” and in at least two cases their work could have caused death.