Archive for February, 2009

RV Travel trailers and fifth wheels are equipped with a break-away switch design to apply full power to the trailer brakes should the trailer detach from the hitch and ‘break away’ from the tow vehicle.

On a travel trailer the break-away switch is mounted somewhere on the a-frame. On a fifth wheel it’s mounted near the pin-box.

The the placement of the switch means it is exposed to the elements… especially on a travel trailer… and should be inspected regularly to insure proper operation.

A good time to check the break-away switch is when you are de-winterizing or otherwise getting the trailer ready for the RVing season.

Pull the pin from the housing and inspect for dirt and/or moisture. Spray a little contact cleaner into the housing to clean the contacts. Check the cable attached to the pin for weak or abraded areas and replace if necessary.

To check for proper operation of the switch jack one of the trailer wheels off the ground and spin it. While it is spinning pull the pin from the switch. If the wheel stops firmly the switch is working.

When hitching up pay attention to where and how you connect the break-away switch cable the the tow vehicle.

The cable should NOT be connected to the hitch but rather to some secure part of the tow vehicle. Make sure there is enough slack in the cable to allow for turns and make sure it cannot be snagged.

Once I spotted a fifth wheel rig parked at a gas station. It was parked in the approach to the gas pumps and the RVer was checking under the hood.

I stopped to see if I could help and the RVer said that he had just started the turn into the pumps when the brakes on the fifth wheel locked up. He wasn’t sure what was wrong but had ERS on the way.

While I was talking with him I noticed the pin had been pulled out of the break-away switch. The cable had somehow gotten snagged and when the RVer made the sharp turn to line up for the pumps the pin pulled out.

The RVer was a little embarrassed but relieved that it wasn’t a serious problem.
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“RV Electrical Systems: A Basic Guide to Troubleshooting, Repairing and Improvement” covers both AC and DC electrical systems and is another must have. Excellent 12 volt coverage and the best source on 120 volt AC systems. If it’s not covered in this book, you can probably get along without it. The authors go into extraordinary detail without getting into engineering “lingo” and they tell you things nobody else does, and those things many authors assume you already know — that you don’t. RV Electrical Systems is available at Amazon.
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De-winterizing your RV’s fresh water system involves removing all traces of the RV antifreeze used to protect the water system.

• Put several gallons of water into the fresh water tank.
• Turn on the on-board water pump, and open a cold water tap. Allow the water to flow for several minutes.
• Connect the water hose to your city water supply inlet. Turn on the supply.
• Open all cold water taps one by one and allow the water to flow for several minutes.
• Flush the toilet several times.
• Open the water heater bypass and fill the water heater with fresh water. Allow a few gallons to flow through the water heater by running water through all the hot water faucets one faucet at a time.

If you stored your RV over the winter the propane gas system may develop some air in the lines. When taking your RV out storage it’s a good idea to purge the air and check that everything is working properly. You should preform the following check well in advance of your planned vacation to allow time for any repairs.

• Open the propane cylinder valves.
• Light one of the stovetop burners. This purges the most of the air from the system and is a visual check that propane is present.
• Once the stove burner flame is steady, light all burners and check for a consistent blue flame. Turn off the stove burners and light the oven. It should burn with a blue flame. Turn off the oven.
• Check the water heater, furnace and refrigerator. Make sure the refrigerator and water heater are set to operate on propane as you check for proper operation.

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“RV Electrical Systems: A Basic Guide to Troubleshooting, Repairing and Improvement” covers both AC and DC electrical systems and is another must have. Excellent 12 volt coverage and the best source on 120 volt AC systems. If it’s not covered in this book, you can probably get along without it. The authors go into extraordinary detail without getting into engineering “lingo” and they tell you things nobody else does, and those things many authors assume you already know — that you don’t. RV Electrical Systems is available at Amazon.

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