Archive for the ‘Repair’ Category

If you are an RVer who wants to do as much of the maintenance and repair work the comes with owning an RV yourself, having a solid understanding of the RV’s electrical systems and a good multimeter are essential.

You can get basic information about your RV’s electrical systems at RVbasics.com. Start with the article: RV Electrical Systems Basics

Below is a YouTube video that shows you how to use a multimeter.



RVBasics email group member, Jim Foreman, found this YouTube video that gives instruction on using the multimeter to check continuity under the hood.

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Whether you have an air conditioner or a heat pump in your RV, here’s a list of things to check before you call for a technician:

• Setting the thermostat on its minimum temperature setting and the fan on low speed in high humidity situations can cause evaporator freeze-up.
• If the air conditioner/heat pump doesn’t run (the fan and/or the compressor), check the AC voltage. Look at the breaker in the electrical panel.
• If the thermostat has no lights showing, it means it is not receiving DC power. The 12-volt DC fuse should be checked.
• When the fan runs and the compressor tries to start but won’t run, check the RV’s power cord, plug and receptacle. If those are in working order, check the AC voltage. Inside your RV connect the leads of a voltmeter to a receptacle and start your air conditioner or heat pump. Once the compressor has been running for two minutes, check your voltage. It must be at least 103.5 volts for the air conditioner to operate.
• If the fan runs, but the compressor cycles on and off and doesn’t cool correctly, it could be poor air flow due to a dirty filter, dirty condenser or a duct leak. Low AC voltage may also be the problem.

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