Incorrect Type of Antifreeze
Dear RV Doctor:
We just bought a motorhome and discovered that the previous owners put automotive antifreeze instead of RV antifreeze in the fresh-water tank when they winterized it. How can we flush the system to get rid of the antifreeze?
Ron McKinney
Kansas City, Missouri
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s entirely possible that you will need to replace all of the contaminated water system tubing with new PEX tubing. Plastic tubing, plastic tanks, and rubber seals throughout the system can absorb the poisonous chemicals in the automotive antifreeze. If the previous owners caught the problem right away and immediately flushed, drained, and chlorinated the system, there might be a slight chance the tubing can be salvaged by strong doses of liquid bleach. But if the automotive antifreeze stayed in the piping system over the course of a winter, I just wouldn’t take the chance.
Unfortunately, in a situation such as yours, replacing of all the fresh-water components that may have been subjected to the poison — water pump, tank, water heater, and all tubing lines — is necessary. Sometimes such an occurrence is covered under the owner’s insurance policy, which is where I recommend you begin. I would discourage you from using the fresh-water system unless repeated flushings eliminate all contaminants, which would have to be verified through proper chemical testing. If your motorhome is equipped with the older, gray polybutylene tubing, chances are it will have to be replaced. It’s a doable job but probably will be costly. Remarkably, this happens more often than you’d think.
If you decide not to replace the tubing, I recommend that you start by properly chlorinating the system and having the fresh water tested for contamination before using the system for cooking, drinking, or washing.
Incorrect Battery Wiring
Dear RV Doctor:
My husband had to leave our RV in the woods because the starter, dash, and motor are dead. Here’s what happened. After recharging the battery, because it was low, he put it back in the motorhome, started the coach, and the battery began to boil. He pulled off the cables and the ground cable hit the body of the RV, producing a spark. This caused the battery to catch on fire. He immediately pulled the battery out and was able to get a new battery. Since installing the new battery, nothing in the front part of the motorhome works. The starter doesn’t even click, the dash lights are out, and the chassis switch to the coach doesn’t work. He is at a loss about what to do. He doesn’t know if a relay was damaged or if the entire electrical system was affected. The rest of the coach’s electrical components, such as the refrigerator, lights, water pump, etc., work fine. Help!
Pat Hill
I do believe it’s possible that your husband installed the charged battery with reversed polarity — hot to ground, ground to hot. When the engine started, that miswired battery was likely put into a parallel charging circuit with the RV battery. The RV battery bank was wired correctly, since all the house circuits were working. Hopefully, he just blew the fuses or tripped the breakers for the chassis electrical, but to be sure, I’d recommend that an RV electrician test all of the components. If you’re lucky, the blown fuses and tripped circuit breakers will be evident, and simply replacing or resetting them may allow you to start the coach and get it out of the woods. The worst case is that some relays may be damaged and it might not be possible to start the engine. But it would take someone with some electrical expertise, along with a voltmeter and ohmmeter, to properly diagnose it. Start by checking all the automotive fuses and circuit breakers.
Incorrect Growth
Dear RV Doctor:
We have a motorhome with a fiberglass exterior that we had in for service for the SealTech inspection you mentioned in the “Pinpointing Water Entry” letter in the June 2013 “House Calls” column. I highly recommend this, since we lost two units to water damage. The outside fiberglass is covered with black, and the window and door gaskets have black spots. The dealer said it is mold and that it could penetrate through the fiberglass and into the interior. Does this really need to be cleaned or is it a cosmetic issue? Should we just clean it with soap and water and hope for the best? Does it need to be waxed after cleaning? We use the RV a lot and are not particularly concerned about dirt. I know that the gaskets will never be pure white, but how bad is this mold problem?
Jim Glass
Plant City, Florida
Mold forming on fiberglass is relatively rare, but, by all means, not the end of the world. Without seeing some good photos, I’ll only offer the following that will be sure to help, regardless of how severe your exterior surface might be. Start by completely washing the coach, then use Protect All’s Fiberglass Oxidation Remover and Color Restorer. It contains an abrasive that will effectively remove a thin layer of the gel coat on the fiberglass along with any mold that has grown in the oxidation and dirt. It WILL be necessary to apply a wax and buff the surface after using the Protect All product. Work in small sections and follow the instructions explicitly, and you should be just fine. If the siding of your motorhome is made of Filon, follow cleaning instructions provided by the manufacturer.
To remove mold from the window and door trim, grab some rubber gloves, a sponge, and some household bleach. Working outdoors or in a well-ventilated area, pour enough full-strength bleach onto the sponge just to dampen it, not so it’s dripping, and wipe the affected trim. Wait 10 to 15 minutes and rinse with cold water. This procedure may have to be repeated several times. After the cleaned areas have dried, treat the trim areas with clear silicone spray or a vinyl/rubber protection spray.
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