HOW TO AVOID PROBLEMS WITH A BAD CAMPSITE POWER OUTLET

 

 This article applies to any Roadtrek, motorhome, RV, or Travel Trailer. All plug into a campground power box pretty much the same way, 

You get to a campground and are going to plug into the 30 amp outlet in the power box at the camp sit. What if that outlet does not work and you wait to later to plug in and then find this out. I do the following to avoid any problems before it is too late the get the campground to do something about this or move you to another site.  

I carry a plug in polarity tester (inexpensive sold in Home Depot, Lowes, etc. I also have a 30 amp plug to 15/20 amp adapter. And I have a 110/120 volt AC plug in meter. The meter was hard to find and what I found was expensive, so I bought a "KILL-A-WATT" meter (brand name) in Home Depot which is less expensive and  it  has a setting to just check voltage. 

After we check in at a campground we go to the site with the Roadtrek and I test the 30 amp outlet. The polarity tester plug goes into the 15/20 amp socket on the adapter and the 30 amp end is plugged into the 30 amp socket --- I never plug in with the breaker above the 30 amp outlet in the campsite box ON, that is a lot of current to get a shock from --- once plugged in I flip the breaker to on and the polarity tester lights up to show that the outlet is working correctly or not. Polarity problems are common in campgrounds. 

With the polarity OK. The breaker switch goes off, I set the Kill-A-Watt meter to read voltage and unplug the polarity tester and plug the Kill-A-Watt meter into the 15/20 amp side of the adapter still plugged into the 30 amp outlet. I flip the breaker on and read the voltage. I look to see that the voltage is correct and within the correct range. 

Any problems and I would go right back to the office, tell them there is a problem with the 30 amp outlet in the site and they either go right now and fix it or put us in a different site. Just in case I also have a 50 amp plug to 30 amp adapter - and if the 50 amp outlet in the box works - then I can plug the Roadtrek into it with the adapter - a 50 amp adapter has no connections to the additional lugs on the 50 amp plug and only puts 30 amps into the Roadtrek. 

I will say that we have only once in all the years found a campsite with a bad outlet and when we went to the office they apologized and moved us to a different campsite that was just as well located as the first.   

Usually we get into a campsite too early to waste the rest of the day in the camp site and we then head out to do some exploring in the Roadtrek and when we get back later I plug in the Roadtrek with our EMS unit -I never plug the Roadtrek in without the protection of the EMS unit that we have.

This article will tell you all about EMS units.  If I was buying a new EMS unit today I would buy the Progressive Industries 30 amp portable unit. This is why -  the Surge Guard works very well - never had a problem with it BUT if there was an actual SURGE - not an out of range voltage but a lightening type of surge - the surge board inside the Surge Guard would be destroyed - as are most such boards in just surge protector units. So you throw the whole thing away and have to buy a new one. The Progressive Industries EMS unit has a replaceable Surge board inside. You can buy as spare and if there was a surge all you have to do is open the screws that hold the case together - pull out the burned out board - and push the new board into place - close the case and you are already to plug in again.

https://roadtrek190popular.blogspot.com/2016/09/an-ems-unit-for-your-rv.html

 

 

REMOVING THE SCREEN ON THE FANTASTIC FAN

 There are times that the screen on the Fantastic Fan on the ceiling of the Roadtrek needs to be removed.  The screen seems very fragile when  taking it off the fan base, but if you are careful and follow this simple process it is easy. 

Why would you need to do this?  When the fan lid is opened the support arm that opens the fan lid when you turn the knob pushes a switch that will let the fan turn on. If the lid is closed the fan will not turn on. The lid must be at least 1/3 open for the fan to turn on. What controls this is a small switch that when the support arm passes the switch turns that little switch on and the fan can then be turned on. There are times when that switch gets stuck and the fan will not go on. Rather than having to go up to the roof of the Roadtrek outside and work on the fan with the lid open - by taking the fan screen off - you have access to all that you need to get to when fixing this. 

 

 In the photo above you will see a bump out on the plastic frame of the fan screen. There is a small opening under the bump out that you can get a finger tip into. 

 1. Put a finger tip into the opening below the bump out and gently pull down. That part of the fan screen frame will come down a small amount.

2. Move your finger around between the screen and the fan case gently around the entire circle of the screen.  Don't pull it down - that can damage. Go all around the entire screen frame separating it from the fan base. The screen will then come off and into your hands. 

THE SCREEN IS NOW OFF!   😃

With it off you can work within the frame. Just push the blade around and out of your way to get to what you need to get to. 

Taking it off means you are going to have to put it back on!

 All you have to do is reverse what you did to take it off. 

1. Put the screen up into the hole  and at the bump out push that edge up into the opening so that the edge of the screen is on the base of the fan. 

2. Again gently - go around the edge of the screen frame and push it back on all around the edge. It will snap into place as you go. 

 THAT IS IT! 

 At one point the fan in our Roadtrek was not working. It would not turn on even when the lid was fully open. I figured that the fan would have to replaced or I would have to take it to an RV shop to get it fixed.  I read about the little switch and decided that I could see if I could fix it.  That was when I saw how to remove the screen without breaking it - and I was reading posts on forums about how easily they break.  Turns out the support arm was hard opening and was missing the little switch. I lubed the support arm joints with a silicone gel lubricant (Dielectric grease) from a tube -  put on a cotton swap to apply it and straightened the support arm to do its job with the switch. No need to go on the roof. No need to take it to be fixed or replaced - saving some money.