Here's how I fixed the leak at my refrigerator vent, "the second time."

Being totally frustrated at still having a wet floor under the refrigerator I decided to get serious. I've been chasing leaks on all four slides of our 2006 Montana 3500RL since we bought it in November 2005. The only remaining wet spot is under the refrigerator.

I had just attempted a repair that I had found in one of the forums at the Montana Owners Club (MOC) and thought it had solved the problem. No such luck! It took a few days to get the floor dry after I did the work, and I looked forward to the next rain event to prove my work. We got close to 3 inches of rain in three days here in Oregon and the floor was wet again. What was a good thing was that it took longer than usual for it to get wet and it wasn't as wet as it usually gets. I must be on the right track! As I looked at my previous repair job I noticed that the sealer I had put in place had not totally cured in the two weeks since I put it there. This meant that water had gotten on it and prevented it from curing and since it wasn't cured it allowed rain water through, just not as much or as fast as before.

Today I decided to dig a little deeper than I did last time. I totally removed the outer flange that holds the vent cover in place. This was easy to do since it's held with ten screws. Four in the bottom, four in the top and one on each side. The top picture shows what I found. The outer wall board is dark and wet the full width of the opening. You can also see wet debris stuck to the bottom of the flange in the bottom corner of the picture. This means that a ton of water was getting in there. The top of the flange was dry and dusty meaning that the upper vent is probably not leaking. I had sealed it at the same time I did this one.

To fix this thing for real (I hope) I cleaned and dried everything really well. Then I put a bead of sealer on the aluminum frame under the flange next to the screw holes. I extended this up the sides of the frame a couple of inches too. I also filled the screw holes with sealer. Then I put another bead of sealer on the bottom of the flange and put it back in place. I had made a 1 inch by 21 inch piece of angled aluminum by cutting a strip from a piece of roofing, clamping it between two boards and using a rubber mallet to bend it over like a piece of angle iron. I slid one side of the aluminum under the flange and into the sealer and squeezed it up tight to the vent flange. Then I added more sealer in front of the aluminum and the flange. Once this was well sealed I put all the screws in place. As a touch of "good measure" I put another bead of sealer at the back of my home made metal angle too. Finally re-sealed the outside of vent flange where it comes against
the outside wall.

Since rain water had prevented the sealer from curing last time, I knew I would need to keep the whole project dry for as long as it takes to cure this time. I happened to have a small piece of clear plastic on hand just large enough to cover the entire vent. I used duct tape to hold this in place over the vent. I cut a slit in if for the drain hose.

I don't intend to remove that plastic cover anytime soon so I won't really know if my repair works for awhile. If the floor stays dry while it's on there, I will know that I am on the right track. I'll add a new post to this blog about whether or not the repair worked as soon as I know. That will most likely be next January since we will be leaving our present location and traveling down the Oregon Coast then. I'll have to remove that piece of plastic for sure before we start pulling.

Sewer Valve Project

I'm just starting a sewer valve repair project. Actually I have two repairs to do. The valve on one of my gray tanks is leaking, and I have a crack in the top of the black tank to fix. Stay tuned for my notes about how this works out.

So far I have removed the membrane from the bottom of the trailer and confirmed the leaking valve. Water leaks from the hole where the push rod enters the valve to open and close the blade.

Tomorrow I'll flush the black tank as much as possible and prepare to remove it. When the black tank is out I'll have room to work on the gray valve as the glue dries on the crack repair. Hopefully all works out as planned. Check back to see what happens next.

Replacing a Vent Lid

I had to replace one of the vent lids on our old "93" Komfort fifth wheel today. It was a fairly simple process but required that I climb up on the trailer roof several times. The wind caught the old one during a little storm last weekend.

It was eleven oclock at night when the wind took the vent and I had to make an emergency repair to hold until I could get the parts and make the repair. I remembered that I had a roll of plastic stored in my rig that I could use if I could find a way to attach it to the vent. With everything being wet I knew none of the tape I had on hand would hold. I might need to travel quite a way before I could make the repair so whatever I came up with had to hold in windy conditions.

I keep a small spool of nylon string in my tool bag and I found that a couple of wraps tied tightly seemed to hold pretty well. It was difficult to put in place though as it was dark, raining, and blowing at the same time. The picture at left shows the plastic in place and moisture from condensation condensed inside. I had planned to put the pieces of broken vent on top to hold things in place as we traveled but I found that my temporary repair held really well with out it.

We stopped at Camping World as we were leaving Portland, Or. on Highway 84, but found that they didn't have the lid I needed. They told me that the store in Wilsonville had several of these in stock. After a quick trip to Wilsonville we were on our way again with all the parts needed to make my repairs. One part I had to get was the mechanical arm that lifts the vent. One small plastic part on the original had broken make it unusable. This part was about eight dollars while the vent lid was about twenty two dollars.

It was a little tricky to put the new lift arm parts in place because the holes didn't line up with the original ones. I was able to bolt the new parts in place successfully though and make the new parts work as well as the original ones. Putting the lid on the top was a snap. It simply slid on the original lit support with no problems. The only assembly required to the lid is to but the lift arm in place and it requires two screws included with the kit.


As I worked I bumped the old fan from time to time and found that it is so old that it kept crumbling apart whenever it was touched. I'll need to buy a new one next time I'm in a place where they sell them. Probably Wal-Mart.

This was a really easy fix. The hardest part being that I had to climb up on the roof a few times.

RV Vents

Well we're once again sitting out another Holiday storm here on the Oregon Coast. The wind is howling, trees are whipping around and every now and then buckets of rain begin dumping down on our rig. We're using our old 93 Komfort at the moment. We came over to the Oregon Coast to enjoy our 40 year class reunion and it was wonderful time. We had planned to be back to our other rig in NE Oregon by now but events, I call them "sequences" have prevented that for the time being.

Late last night as this storm hit I went out and began to "button things up" for the blow. I put the awning in, folded all the chairs and placed them under the fifth wheel overhang and generally checked to be sure all would be well. This trailer has a couple of leaks I am chasing so while I am concerned and looking for these, I will just need to hope for the best now. Not much needs to be done inside the rig. Just lower the two vents and the windows need to be closed.

We had both vents down when the storm hit but one of them was not quite all the way down tight. When the full force of the storm hit, it seemed to be mostly in the form of strong wind gusts and heavy showers of short duration. As I sat inside and listened to the storm I could hear the vent cover over the tub rattle so got up to check it out. I found that the vent was closed but that the crank that lifted it didn't work. I could turn the handle freely but the lid didn't move. It was about 11:00 oclock PM by then and I made a note to check it again in daylight, and went to bed. In less than five minutes a very strong gust of wind hit the trailer from the rear. It literally ripped the that lid off the vent and blew it away. I later found it in three pieces about 30 feet from the rig. The mechanism that lifts and lowers the lid is nowhere to be found.

As I grumbled and cussed my luck I began trying to figure out how I could temporarily patch this 16 inch hole in my roof and at least try to retain some of the heat inside the rig. Since the hole is over the shower tub, the rain coming in wouldn't really hurt anything while I worked on it.

The rim around the vent hole is not very condusive to tying things to and since everything is wet my duct tape won't work either. And I needed something to cover the hole with that I could somehow fasten in place. That's when I remembered that I had a roll of heavy plastic in a box in one of the storage compartments.

I don't recall where this plastic came from or how long I've had it. Every time I saw it as I was digging around for whatever, I wondered about it.

I used the one piece of the original lid I still had as a guide and I cut a piece of this plastic large enough to cover the vent hole. Then I remembered that I had a small spool of really strong nylon string in one of my tool bags. I carry a heavy nylon rain poncho behind the seat in my truck for emergencies like this too. I put this on, collected my plastic and my string and climbed up on the roof. The rain and wind had eased a little but I was careful not to let the wind grab my plastic. I couldn't hold my flashlight and use both hands for this project so I had to make do with the light coming up from inside the rig. It took me about 15 minutes to finally get the plastic tied in place so it would hold until morning.

I'll need to fix this well enough so I can travel and eventually replace it. My plan is to tape the three pieces of the original lid together then tape them in place over my plastic as a protective barrier to the wind. I don't know if it will work or not but it's all I can do for now. Today is Sunday of Labor Day weekend and I doubt that much outside help is available. I'll add photo's of this in my next post.

RV Fireplace repair

If you electric fireplace looses it's flame, here's the process to bring it back.

You will need a few tools. I like to use this little Popular Mechanics tool kit that I received free from someplace. I don't remember the promotion that it came from but it is probably the handiest took kit I own.
The two parts of the kit I will use for this project are the extension and the square bit shown here in the corner of the kit. This bit fits almost every screw in my trailer, so it get used a lot.


The first thing I need to do is remove the decorative wooden plugs that hide the four screws holding the trim molding in place.

I found that the knife blade on my Leatherman tool works well for removing the wooded plugs. I just place the edge of the blade against the plug and give it a little twist. The plugs pry out easily and I don't leave visible marks marks on the trim or the plug.

I like to use a little Black and Decker battery powered screw driver for work like this. The screws are long and the electric screw driver makes removing them much faster. Any screw driver will work though so long as you can use a square bit that fits the screws.

Once all the screws have been removed just set the trim molding aside where it is out of the way and won't be damaged by falling or by someone stepping on it.

Next you need to remove the smoked glass from the front of the fireplace. It is held in place with a single screw and a bracket. Remove these and set them aside. Next just tip the top of the glass toward you and lift it up and out. Set it aside in a safe place too.

Once the glass is removed you can lift the foam log replicas out and as with the trim and glass, set it aside in a safe place.

When I removed all these items from my fireplace I discovered that it was totally full of dust. I also removed the mirror from behind the logs but found that it was unnecessary to do that. You can clean everything that needs cleaning without removing anything else except the light bulbs. I used a vacuum with the brush attachment for most of the work then wiped everything out with a cloth. I cleaned the logs too. They were very dusty.

My fireplace has six clear, 60 watt bulbs inside. I bought a package of six bulbs at Walmart for $3.78. There are two bulbs located at the top and four at the bottom of the fireplace. The four bottom bulbs are the ones that make your fireplace look like it is really burning. Light from these bulbs reflect off of a long foil or silver colored reflector that is designed for that purpose. The reflector is placed behind the mirror inside the fireplace where you can't see it.

The two bulbs at the top of the fireplace illuminate the top of your logs to help make it look real. These lights can be adjusted to give a bright or low light effect to suite your mood.

Before reassembling the fireplace it's a good idea to clean the mirror and front glass. I use a few paper shop towels (I love these things) and any good glass cleaner.

I also take a second to turn the fireplace on to make sure that everything is working properly.

Reassemble the fireplace in reverse order from how you disassembled it. Then sit back and enjoy it!


I hope you found this article helpful. Be sure to visit our Road Notes Blog to find learn about new campgrounds and other travel notes as we move about. You can find it at http://dwainanddebbiesroadnotes.blogspot.com.

Spring Shackle Bushings

Well the project is finally completed. What should have taken one day actually took five. Mostly because I had to order and wait for parts. During the process I learned that the replacement bushings for the spring eyes, (left) are a different size than the replacement bushings for the equalizer (below). I had ordered bushings from NAPA auto parts (that came in the very next day) for all the bushings not knowing I would need smaller ones for the equalizer. this required another trip to town to buy six smaller ones. I also discovered that the straps that connect the spring eye to the equalizer were badly worn. (See worn parts picture at bottom) I purchased new straps too. I checked the holes in the equalizer carefully to make sure they were not elongated. Some of these were slightly worn where the bolts had worn through the bushings but were still OK to use for now. I think if I do this project again, I'll take the equalizers to a machine shop with a couple of new bushings and have the holes reamed to match the large size bushing. That way I'll only need to buy one size next time. It will also prevent buying a new equalizer if the bushing holes become too elongated for the smaller size bushing

Pressing the bushings into the holes in the equalizer was more challenging than in the spring eyes. The bushings were slightly larger than the holes which allowed for a very tight fit. I greased the outside of each bushing when I discovered that the first one I installed stopped about 1/32 of an inch short. The rest of the bushings all went in fairly easily after that.
I had discussed this when I bought the new smaller bushings with the guy who owns the repair shop but didn't get any information from him.

Here you can see some of the tools and the worn out bushings and straps that I replaced. Virtually all of the bushings were worn out. some very badly. Two of the straps were badly worn too. This was because they had not been properly tightened at the factory. There were actually several instances of this. I used a four inch lag bolt and a large socket to remove the old bushings from the spring eyes. It would not fit though the hole in the equalizers so I used needle nosed plyers and the knife in my leatherman to remove those. I just put the lag bolt through the bushing in the spring eye, then though the bolt with a washer and nut behind the socket. Tightening the bolt pulled the bushing into the socket and out of the spring eye. To install new bushings in the spring eyes and in the equalizer, I put a large fender washer on the bolt, then the bushing. Then I put the bolt through the hole and added a heavy fender washer and bolt on the back side. I had to take time to get the bushings properly started and greased in the equalizers as these were a very tight fit and hard to start. The spring eyes were no problem. Once again I just tightened the nut on the bolt to pull the bushing into the holes. If the bushing didn't go all the way in I trimmed them with my knife. I had a couple that did this but they had gone in far enough that I didn't need to replace them.

The most challenging part of this was working under the trailer and moving my jacks around. I used two hydrolic jacks to lift the trailer and set in on blocks. I also used the same jacks to raise and lower the axles as I adjusted them when putting the bolts back into the holes. and re-assembling the suspension system. I also used a come-along for some minor horizontal adjustments where needed. In my case I re-bushed the two ends of the spring first and re-attached them before dis-assembling the others. This kept things in line pretty well and I didn't have problems later trying to re-align everything. Once I did this I let the axles down on blocks and the equalizers went totally slack. That meant that I could do all five bushings at once and totally remove the equalizer to work on it. It went back easily except for the last strap. on both sides the last strap didn't want to align properly so the bolt would go through as it should. I had to work on this quite awhile by trying different tactics until they finally fit. On one side the problem was that the spring had twisted slightly. On the other I simply couldn't quite the the strap hole to align. I finally just tightened the nut until it popped into place.

My total bill for parts came to about $23.00 dollars but required three 32 mile round trips to town. It took me about eight or nine actual work hours to do the work. Since we were still occupying the trailer as I did this I had to do one side while working under the slides. It kept me in the shade, and since I was sitting most of the time it wasn't too bad. Removing and re-installing the tires was the hardest part here.

I checked the brakes as I removed the wheels and decided against replacing them. My Dexter manual states that if they are 1/16 inch or less, they should be replaced. Mine were well over that so I'll save that project until next year. My bearing all looked good too but my drums all have been very hot at one time or another. Also I forgot to check the electric magnets that make the brakes work so I need to do that next time too.

The only thing left for me to do now is torque all the lug nuts to the proper setting (120ftlbs) and tighten the bolts on the first side of the spring shackles again. I learned more about this as I did the second side so I will go back and do it again just to be sure everything is right.

I this helps you if you decide to do this project. I did it in an old horse pasture because that's the only place I had available at the time. I would recommend doing it on a harder surface if you can.

RV Suspension bushing repair

A few days ago I noticed that one of my tires on my Montana is not wearing evenly. When I think about all the potential causes my mind begins to spin and I constantly see dollar signs floating away into the air.

My research into the causes for odd tire wear doesn't show the kind I have. When I looked at the book that came in my packet of manuals and instructions for the trailer, there is a page that shows examples and causes. Mine isn't listed. I did recall though that about two years ago, a Montana Technician had advised me to tighten all the bolts on my suspension system to prevent premature wear on the shackle bushings. I did this but it seems that they have worn out anyway.

So far I've talked to an auto parts supply store about parts, checked the internet, and talked to a guy at an RV repair store in my area. The auto parts store can order anything I need. I just need to provide measurements. The internet shows a couple of kits that will work in my situation. Again I need to get measurements and make sure of what I have so I know what I need. The guy at the local repair shop took me to a bin and said here's what you need. The bin contained a bunch of plastic tubes. He said, "are yours white or black?" I said I didn't know! He said they will either be white ones or black ones, then he yelled to someone at the other side of the store and said "Hey Marge, we need to order more white bushings."

The internet and the auto store will have bronze bushings which is a better solution. I'll probably go with the plastic ones on this go around though since that's what's already in my rig. The guy at the repair shop warned me to check the holes the bushings to into for wear. He said they need to be round. If they are elongated then I will need to replace the part with the holes in them.

This will be a continuing sage for awhile as I can't get right to the work as I normally would. We are hosting a family reunion this weekend at our property so I have other duties to perform. My rig is also parked at the edge of our pasture which doesn't make for solid support in lifting a 12 to 14 thousand pound trailer. This is where I will need to perform the work though so hang on for more details. I intend to learn whether I have white or black plastic bushings today. My two grandsons age 11 and 13 are here and I'm sure they will be glad to help. I'll shoot some digital pictures of the tire, suspension system and bushings if I can and post them in the next blog. I expect to get to the actual repair work sometime next week.

What tools and equipment do I need in my RV

I carry lots of tools. They add weight but as a full timer I don't have a shop back home to go to when I have a project to do.

All my tools are placed on the left side of the trailer where my dump valves and other " trailer business" type stuff is. I carry a two drawer tool box in my rig. This is also where I keep the wrench for lowering the rear stabilizers and the one for lowering the spare tire and so on.

Inside my tool box I have a large assortment of adjustable wrenches, a 3/8drive socket set, vehicle and household multi-testers, cutting tools, screwdrivers, and so on. I also carry a small Dremel tool set, a battery charger, and one of those Black and Decker battery powered kits that includes a drill, saw and other tools. I have a small block plane, dovetail saw, and a little handsaw with four changeable blades. I haven't seen one of these for sale in years and don't know if you can even get them anymore but mine is really handy. Because I occasionally modify some of the features of my trailer, I also carry a hole saw kit for when I need to knock a hole in the side of my rig for another accessory or something. (See a previous post about make the rig suit your needs.)

A couple of other essential items for me include my 18 gauge DeWalt Brad Nailer and a small Campbell air compressor. The brad nailer is the same size the factory uses to tack trim and a lot of other parts of your rig together and I often state I could rebuild my rig with mine if I had to.

I have several large Rubber Maid tubs that I store other stuff in. One contains all my spare sewer hose and connectors. Another holds all the extra electronic items I might need like television cables, junction boxes, switches, and so on. Two other large tubs hold caulking and sealers that I use for emergency leak repair, and other misc. items that I might need and usually do. One final tub holds all the various cans of cleaner, lubricant, paint, polish, soap, and stuff for washing the truck and trailer and providing maintenance as needed.

I have one small plastic container with all the fresh water connectors and what not too. It's just large enough to put a couple of new water filter cartridges in for use later.

That's about the size of it. I can fix my roof, make minor repairs to my truck, build small things out of wood, and generally handle about anything that comes along if I have to. Owning and living in an RV full time isn't much different than owning a house. You still need to be able to make repairs or do maintenance from time to time. Some folks can afford to pay someone else to work on their rig. I prefer to do it myself unless it's beyond my ability.