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Tips & Tricks!

Tips and Tricks from the experts!

Smelly water? No, really smelly water - like sulfur smell? Most likely it's coming from the water heater, but possibly fresh tank as well. 
The cause of this varies with the source of your water and the temperature outside. Stagnant/standing water and heat/no circulation = yuck! 
 
Here is our suggestion:
 
1. Turn off and then DRAIN YOUR WATER HEATER COMPLETELY and put plug back in
2. Drain fresh water tank 
3. Add some bleach to where you fill your fresh tank (depending on the size of the fresh water tank) 1-3 cups. 
4. Fill fresh water tank, if smell is really bad only fill it about 1/3 - 1/2 full
5. Drive around and let the water slosh around in the tank.
6. Now go in and run all faucets on the hot side, then the cold.
7. Drain water heater and fresh tank again and refill. 
 
Generator cranks but won't start?
The first thing to check is that your gas tank is above 1/4 of a tank.  Generators have automatic shut offs at 1/4 of a tank.
 
A mental note for you regarding your rooftop A/C and extremely hot temperatures. 
A RV rooftop air conditioner only cools 20-25 degrees below the ambient temperature. So hopefully you already know the drill, turn it on early in the morning for it to catch up, keep all blinds shut, open main and window awnings for the maximum amount of shade, do not cook indoors, and clean or replace the air filter when needed. Oh! and keep kiddos from going in and out and in and out.... =)
 
Sewage smell in camper?
First of all this all depends on how long it's been since you've dumped your tanks and what the temperatures are outside.  But, the toilets are designed to hold water just like at home.  If when you flush there is water in the bowl and you come back in a bit and the water is gone, it's more than likely the shutter that opens and closes when you flush is not sealing all the way allowing the smell to escape.  Toilet paper and gunk may be built up and caught preventing it from sealing completely. You can try pouring some dishwashing detergent to soak then scrub it good with toilet brush. If that doesn't work try a product called Drain Valve Lubricant and use it every so often.  The best way to prevent this is do not let the slider shut until the toilet paper is gone all the way into tank.
While we are hitting on the smell issue, one thing we see a lot of rookies do is leave their dump valves open when they are at a campsite with full sewage hookups. This is a NO NO.  The holding tanks are designed on a slant so when you dump your tanks it is a gravity thing. In theory... if you leave your sewage valve open, all your liquids run out and the solids stay creating a mound...well you surely get the point by now. It's always easier to dump a fuller holding tank than a not so full one. After dumping tank always try to go inside and hold the toilet valve for a bit to get a final rinse. - and always pull sewage valve first, then the gray tank, this will clean out the T area.




Southwest RV (513)- 738-4588