It’s a beautiful day outside! Why don’t we open all the windows and door and let in some fresh air?

One of the largest openings in an RV is the entry door. Most RVs are equipped with a screen door inside the hard exterior door. On days with nice weather the exterior door can be opened and pushed back against the RV leaving the screen door in place to keep any bugs out. Some RVs come from the manufacturer with a latch to hold the door open. Others – ours included – do not include such a latch. This can be a problem on windy days as the wind will try to blow the door closed.

While there are several products available in the RV industry to solve this problem, I couldn’t find one that was durable (metal), attractive, and that did not require more screw holes into the RV. It would also be great if the latch could be disengaged from inside the RV.

We had used a magnetic latch to help hold the master bedroom door open. We both really like how that had worked out, so I began searching for something similar.

Because the two parts are magnetic installation is pretty simple. We cleaned the door where we planned to install the “button” part of the latch with alcohol to ensure the tape would bond well. Then we cleaned the latch with alcohol as well.

We applied the VHB tape to the screw side of the latch. We had to use two pieces to cover the entire surface, then trimmed the tape around the shape of the latch so that it would not show when stuck to the RV. Then we removed the red backing from the tape on the “button” side of the latch and stuck it to the door in the spot we cleaned earlier.

To find the location of the other half of the latch we let the magnet hold the other half of the latch, then opened the door to see where it would strike on the wall. After cleaning the wall with alcohol in that location we VHB taped the other half to the wall.

We think the installation turned out pretty well. And the door side looks like a doorbell button, which has already provided entertainment value.

_{This post may contain affiliate links from which we may earn a small commission at no additional expense to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.}

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Bubbles in the Wallpaper

We don’t recall exactly when Brittany noticed that the wallpaper on the rear wall had began to bubble, but we knew that it most likely meant a water leak. The bubbles were appearing at the outer edge of the rear wall on both sides of the large window in the area between the Edison style lights on the wall and where the outlets are located.

We became concerned because pictures of this type of bubbling we had seen on the internet. The owners of the RVs in the photos almost always found mold under the wall paneling. We knew that we had to get into the wall to assess the damage.

Teardown

Removing Cabinetry

We began by removing our shelf/desk unit and the factory installed side tables. These side tables were installed next to the jack-knife couch that we removed to install our workstations. We kept the side tables and cabinets because they were there and they offered storage space. They weren’t holding up well at all though. The cabinet on the service side had recently broken under the load of the items stored in the cabinet. Thankfully the shore power cord hidden inside the cabinet was not damaged.

Next we removed the upper cabinet unit. Most of the screws holding the upper cabinet in place are visible within the cabinet. They are the square drive screws which are screwed into the walls and ceiling. But there are more screws hidden in the floor of the cabinet which hold the bottom of the cabinet to the wall. To access these we carefully removed the bottom paneling of the upper cabinet unit to gain access to the screws.

The upper cabinet is exactly as wide as the inside of the RV. This makes removing the cabinet tricky. We carefully lowered the cabinet and moved it into the long vertical side windows. This allows just enough space to tilt and turn the cabinet and remove it from the work area. (We don’t have pictures of this because it took both of us to handle the cabinet.)

All that was left at this point was to remove the various bits of corner trim. remove the trim strips and the wall paneling. Be careful when handling the trim strips. The ends of the staples are SHARP!

Removing Wallboard

The wallboard is attached with the same narrow crown staples used to attach everything else. We began removing it by slicing the tape covering the joint in the middle of the wall. Then we pried at the seam until the staples either pulled loose or pulled through the wallboard. Note that we never intended to reuse the wallboard, based on the mold assumption.

The wallboard pulls away easily at the top and where they meet in the middle (watch out for staples!). At the bottom the wallboard extends below the floor, and the wallboard is sandwiched between the rear and side walls of the RV at the outside edges. There did not seem to be a way to remove this material without removing the entire rear wall from the RV. We opted to use an undercut saw instead, and carefully slit the wallboard along the floor and outside walls.

By removing most of the screws in three sides of the window frame we were able to leave the window in place in the wall. The removed and loosened screws allowed us to pull the frame back enough to pull the wall board out from behind the window frame.

Inspecting and Repairing RV Water Intrusion

After the wallboard was removed it was easy to see where the water had been coming in, and where it had been running to. We were relieved to find no visible mold on any of the wood! While there were wet areas along both outside seams, we were grateful that we had gotten to the problem before mold had set in. We sprayed the whole area down with vinegar to kill any mold we couldn’t see.

We dried the area with fans and ran a dehumidifier during that time as well. We did not have a moisture meter, but we waited 24 hours after the wall was dry to touch and sight to apply the paint. We used a spray paint because we didn’t want to re-dampen the wall any more than necessary.

After the paint was dry it was time to start putting everything back together. But before that could happen we had to pull what felt like a thousand staples out of the wall. Don’t forget the staples under the window frame.

Replacement Wallboard

We used 4×8 sheets of 1/5 inch hardwood plywood underlayment from Home Depot to replace the factory installed wallboard. It is the same thickness as the factory installed material, but seems to be much stronger material. The new sheeting resisted breaking much more than the factory panel.

We used the old wall panels as templates to cut out the new panels. Since we weren’t going to wallpaper this wall, we determined which side of the panel we wanted to be visible, then placed the old panel on top of it. Using a marker we traced around the old panel’s outline and openings, then cut out the shape using a our trusty Ryobi jigsaw.

After the pieces were cut out we used our narrow crown stapler and 1″ staples to attach the new panel to the wall. Since the new panel doesn’t extend out to the last member of the wall we put extra staples in the 2×6 blocks on either side.

Staining the Panels

After the pieces were installed the family helped get the panels stained. We used BAER water based stain and poly. We would normally stain outside, but there was a chance of rain in the forecast. It didn’t rain, but we didn’t want to take the chance of having to scrap a panel.

Results

We think it turned out pretty well.

But what about the leak?

We were worried that the leak was coming from the roof, but after seeing where the water was we were able to identify the actual point of entry. The rearmost vertical corner trim on the outside of the RV was not sealed well. I had assumed that these were sealed with what I had though was an epoxy. I thought that what I was seeing on the seam was the epoxy having squished out from behind the trim. I was obviously mistaken.

What I was seeing was not squished out epoxy. What I was seeing was what Forest River considered “good enough” to seal this seam. Whatever sealant was used is not silicone, nor is it non-sag dicor. It behaves more like the hot glue we found sealing the front cap lights in the RV. Whatever it is, it is not good at its job, and there wasn’t enough of it applied in the first place.

We resealed this seam on both sides with GE Advanced silicone. We used a lot, because we do not want to do this again.

Products featured in this post

_{This post may contain affiliate links from which we may earn a small commission at no additional expense to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.}

Product Image	Product Description
	Zinsser 287512 Molding Blocking Spray Primer, 13 oz, White
	Ryobi ZRP360 ONE Plus 18V Cordless Lithium-Ion 1-1/2 in. Narrow Crown Stapler (Bare Tool) (Renewed)
	Ryobi P343 18V One+ Cordless Oscillating Multi-Tool (Bare tool)
	DEWALT DNS18100-2 0.75″ Narrow Crown Staple
	GE Advanced Silicone Window & Door Sealant Black, 10.1 oz, 1, Cartridge

The post Repairing RV Water Intrusion appeared first on Metaphysical Family.

When we purchased our Forest River Sabre 36BBHQ we were underwhelmed with the CCC (Cargo Carrying Capacity) of the rig. In factory configuration the RV is only rated to carry 2,472 pounds. This sounds like a lot, but it goes quickly. Even though we only have 49 gallons of fresh water capacity, a full fresh tank is ~400 pounds of weight. This leaves just 2,000 pounds for food, clothes, tools, etc, and that assumes empty waste tanks.

Each Forest River RV is weighed at the manufacturing facility prior to shipping. A label identifying the unloaded vehicle weight of the actual unit and the cargo carrying capacity is applied to every Forest River RV prior to leaving our facilities.

https://forestriverinc.com/rvs/fifth-wheels/sabre/36BHQ/3192

According to the sticker installed at the factory, the RV must not be loaded heavier than 2785 pounds.

To confuse the matter further, there is another sticker which indicates that each axle is rated at 6160 pounds.

This confused us as we had eight lug axles, which usually indicates at least a 7,000 pound axle. A quick check under the rig indicates that it does indeed have two Lippert 7,000 pound axles under it.

We emailed Forest River’s service department to determine why there was an 1800 pound discrepancy between the stickers on the side of the RV and the equipment installed under it. This is the response we received from Chad Cook, Forest River’s service contact:

We had always planned to upgrade the tires on the RV so that we could take advantage of the extra ~1800 pounds of carry capacity, but we assumed that we had plenty of time to schedule the upgrade.

Then we met another full time family at Patton Pond in Ellsworth, Maine. They told us of their experience with the two blow outs (on two different RVs!) that they had endured in less than a year of being on the road. We discussed our RV, and that it still had the factory tires installed. The tires installed at the factory were rated at 3500 pounds (load range E) each at 80PSI cold, which is where we had been running them. When we weighed the rig at launch we were still under the 6160 pounds per axle, but talking with this family made us decide to get the tires replaced sooner than later.

It’s a good thing that we did.

This is one of two tires that had bulges in the sidewall. This is a blowout waiting for an opportunity. We probably would have lost this tire on the next move day.

Enter the appropriately named Necessary Auto Sales & Tires in Kennebunk, Maine.

They not only had the necessary tires for our RV – and they were necessary – they even opened the shop on Sunday to install the tires during our move day. If you are ever in the Kennebunk, Maine area and in need of tires, give Bob and Carrol at Necessary Auto Sales & Tires a call.

We bought four “G” rated 14 ply “Trailer King” tires rated at over 4000 pounds per tire @ 110 PSI cold. These tires also come from China (most if not all tires do in 2022), but they are made to more exacting QA standards than the “Castle Rock” brand tires installed on most RVs at the factory. Any tire can fail, but we do not feel like we are just waiting for the inevitable blow out after having the new tires installed.

UPDATE: We have had several people ask us how we know that our wheels are rated for these higher pressure tires and the weight they can carry. We answer these questions with the following pictures. RV wheels typically have the PSI rating as well as their weight capacity cast into the back side of the wheel itself. Ours are rated for 110PSI and 4080 pounds per wheel. The wheels are capable of carrying more than the axles are rated for, so we feel like we are well within the limits of tires, wheels and axles.

The RV manufacturers seem to think it is perfectly fine to install these cheap “China bomb” RV tires to save a few dollars per unit. They apparently do not care if the tires blow out causing damage to life and property.

We feel differently. Tires are probably the single most important safety device installed on your RV and truck. This is not the place to go cheap. The manufacturers can and should do better.

#rvlife #chinabomb #forestriver #sabre #36BHQ

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Appearing in this episode of “What’s wrong with the RV today” is the black tank roof vent.

I discovered this while doing our T-24 move day inspection on the roof. When I first saw what had happened I began running through the worst-case scenarios for what could have caused the black tank vent pipe to suddenly have gotten about a half an inch taller.

Had we run over something that pushed the black tank up? No, that didn’t seem likely.

Had the roof of the RV suddenly fallen? This didn’t seem plausible either, especially since this vent pipe runs through a wall, which would (should?) support the roof at this point.

Crawling into the basement revealed that the pipe had always been in a bind in the basement, and in fact still is. The pipe was too long when it was installed, but was forced into place anyway. Apparently the 2000 miles from Missouri to Maine had been enough to shift it around enough to force it up and pop the vent cap off.

My solution was to trim the pipe down and reinstall the vent cap. All is well again … until the next T-24.

If we were reliant upon RV service centers for repairs, I am sure that we would positively hate this RV.

#rvlife, #forestriver, #sabre

The post It’s always something appeared first on Metaphysical Family.

The Best Laid Plans

A person may plan his path, but Adonai directs his steps. — Proverbs 16:9 (CJB)

Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans — John Lennon

When we purchased our RV in September of last year we had already made up our minds to leave our “sticks and bricks” house behind to live in the RV full time. What we didn’t know is how long that process would take.

Our “sticks and bricks” house is a ~3200 sq/ft split level house built in the 1980’s. We had been living in the house for just longer than four years when we made the decision to leave it, and we had been busy acquiring “stuff” the entire four years.

By October we had made pretty respectable progress on the top floor of the house, but packing came to halt so that visiting family could use the house rather than have to spend money for a hotel or Air B&B. Family would be in and out through the Christmas holiday, but the top floor of the house was otherwise packed. (Or so we thought.)

Meanwhile the basement had become the “staging area” (read: dumping ground) for the items which had been upstairs, but needed to be sold, donated or otherwise removed from the house. Sam’s office was in the basement, as well as Sam’s other office — the garage.

After the holidays had come and gone there was nothing left for us to do but finish getting rid of what we didn’t want, and to pack the few things that we wanted to keep. We expected to be done and on the road by the end of January.

And then a few things happened.

On New Years Eve our son fell while playing and bit a hole completely through his bottom lip. It was only a flesh wound, but it certainly was exciting at the time!

A few days later Sam came down with the flu. Then Brittany caught it, and then the kids caught it. It would be two weeks before everyone was over the funk and able to get back to the task of packing up the house.

And then the winter weather came. And it came in a big way. The first cold blast froze the water pipes in the galley (that’s what RVers call the kitchen). Nothing froze to the point of bursting pipes or fittings, but there was no water in the galley that day.

Determined to never have that happen again over temps in the low 20’s we set out to winterize the RV. We insulated everything, added pipe insulation, added tank heaters and closed everything back up. There will be a separate detailed post about the winterizing efforts, which was not without challenges.

Before the next cold snap the following week we had to take the belly of the rig apart again due to the tank heaters having failed (yep, all of them!). We installed the replacement set to be ready for the cold. The cold came, and the tank heaters failed … again. However we were able to keep water flowing through temperatures in the Fahrenheit teens.

Between these cold periods we were able to liquidate most of the furniture out of the house. Only the dining room table and chair set remained when the most recent cold weather was forecast. Initial forecasts informed us to expect up to one inch of ice followed by up to two feet of snow and negative temperatures in the overnights. Yikes!

What do you do when you live in an RV, the weather is forecasting negative temps and snow, and you are unable to just leave for warmer climates? You put the skirting on your RV. What do you do if you don’t have skirting? You get on making it. Quickly.

So while we didn’t get out of the “sticks and bricks” in January the way we had wanted to, we did learn just about everything there is to know about this particular RV and winter time. The biggest takeaway is this: Sabre’s “Polar Shield” package is a marketing gimmick. It will not protect your RV from even slightly winter weather.

Coming Up

We have posts in the works for the following topics.

• Winterizing an RV – Between the frame rails
• Winterizing an RV – Skirting in an emergency
• Winterizing an RV – Everywhere else
• RV Tank Heaters – Which brand will fail when you need them most
• Spendide Washer/Dryer – Installation and usage impressions
• RV Upgrades – Some of the interior RV upgrades we have added
• RV Solar – How we decided to implement solar power on our RV
• Hard-wired Networking – Because wireless networks are not great

Check back for updates on these topic and more as our adventure continues. Until then!

The post Marooned in Missouri appeared first on Metaphysical Family.

Fall is well upon us here in the Ozarks and with it came the rain. And this particular day it was raining rather hard.

The family was running around doing some last minute cleaning before my mother arrived from out of town. While tidying up the RV I noticed that the Nugget (best kids toy ever!) in the kids room was wet. At first I thought that one of the kids had spilled something in there, but of course neither of them knew why it was wet so I continued my investigation.

Soon I realized that not only was the Nugget wet, but so was the entire left side of the bunk room slide! I felt a rush of panic set in as I started to clear the area. Sam pulled up the carpet on that side to assess the situation a thankfully it appeared that we had caught the leak early. Not only that, but the Nugget had acted as a giant sponge to lift the water away from the floor.

Coincidentally (or was it?), our new Hevillo Dehumidifier was delivered today, but while reading the instructions we learned that the unit had to sit upright, unplugged, for 24 hours before it could be safely turned on. While we waited for the sitting period to elapse we did our best to blot up what water was there and put a couple of fans on the area to help it dry.

Dehumidifier 2000 Sq. Ft HEVILLO 40 Pint Dehumidifiers for Home Basements, with Continuous Drain Hose for Medium to Large Room, 0.66 Gallon Water Tank Capacity, Intelligent Humidity Control

After the rain let up, Sam went outside to inspect the exterior of the bunk room slide. Almost immediately he was able to locate a pencil size hole in the silicone right were we were having water intrusion. Being the handy gentleman that he is; he had some silicone on hand was able to fix the problem.

Update: October 23rd 2021

We were having another rainy day here in the Ozarks and while doing some tidying up and preparing for our adventure to Lost Valley Lake Resort I noticed that there was a small puddle of water on the floor near the right side of the kitchen slide. I tried soaking the water up, but realized that this wasn’t just a spill. Water was actively dripping in from the corner of the slide.

We shoved a towel under the corner of the slide to soak up what we could, pointed a fan down the length of the slide, and kept a dry towel at hand to swap out with the wet ones. Thankfully, our Hevillo Dehumidifier was up and running and was able to keep the air moisture level steady.

Again, we had caught this leak early and we were able to remove the water as soon as the leak happened. Now we are just playing the waiting game for the weather to clear up so we can identify the intrusion point for this leak and fix the problem.

It is recommended to check the silicone seals on your RV at least once a quarter, but being as this rig has been out of the factory for less than three months we were not expecting to need to perform this maintenance yet and certainly did not expect to already see failures to the extent which we have.

In the video below Sam shows a few examples of the failure points we have had and how he fixed them with GE Advanced Silicone. He also performed our first silicone seal check and re-applied the silicone as necessary.

GE Sealants & Adhesives GE5000 Advanced Silicone 2 Window & Door Sealant, 10.1oz, Clear This silicone is rain ready in 30 minutes which is great for when you find a leak just before a rain storm!

The post A Leak in our Boat appeared first on Metaphysical Family.

To that end, many RVers will have a travel day checklist, or checklists.

On our first trip we used checklists inspired by the folks at Changing Lanes, but because our rig is different than theirs, the checklists were quickly modified to better suit our rig and situation.

We keep our checklists in Microsoft’s “To-Do”, and then use the Android app on our phones with the lists shared between us.

RV Move Day Checklist

T24 – 24 (ish) Hours Before Move Day

• Wash TRUCK (at least windshield and side mirrors)
• Check Radios / charge if needed
• Fuel Truck
• Fill fresh tank – How far until our next hookup decides how much water to bring on
• Sweep slide tops and inspect roof
• Check Truck tire inflation and do visual inspection
• Check RV tire inflation and do visual inspection
• Inspect RV wheels and suspension
• Torque Rig Wheels
• Inspect hitch bolts and connectors, including hitch head retaining pins

T12 – Night Before Move Day

• Dump / Flush Black Tank
• Treat Black Tank (water + happy camper)
• Dump grey tanks (AFTER showers, dishes, etc)
• Treat Grey Tanks (5 gal water + 1 cup water softener + dawn)
• Secure outside items. (rug, chairs, etc)
• Plan route and fuel (plan for fuel, rest stops, etc)

T0 – Move Day Morning

• RV Move Day (Hookup) Tue, December 7, 2021Bedroom secure (closet door latched, laundry door closed)
• Bedroom windows closed
• Strap Bedroom TV
• Bedroom A/C and lights off
• Bedroom slide in – Lift the mattress! (our mattress is longer than the OEM mattress)
• Bathroom shower secure (everything off shelves, shower door locked open)
• Bathroom secure (vent closed, counter items stowed, bathroom door latched closed)
• Hall window blind up.
• One-Control Items off (water pump, ALL Lights)
• Water Heater Turned Off (inside AND outside)
• Main A/C and lights off
• Windows closed / blinds up
• Living room secure (refrigerator doors shut and strapped, carpet stowed, chairs secured with padding, all drawers and cabinets closed)
• Pantry door latched
• Strap Living Room TV
• Desks Secured (folded down)
• Desk Chairs Secured (Strapped against back wall/desk)
• Slides: one last check for obstacles inside and out
• Slides: Retract with door, vent, or window open for air flow
• Secure main entrance (stow steps, lock door, secure hand hold)
• Stow Generator (if deployed)
• Propane – shut off both valves
• Secure Electrical and plumbing (water hose, power cord, sewer hose)

T0 – Hitch List

• T-24, T-12, T-0 Checklists Complete
• RIG – Slides and awnings IN
• RIG – Stairs and hand rail STOWED.
• RIG – Forward Bay Closed and Latched
• RIG – Pin Lock Removed
• RIG – Jacks / Stabilizers to TOW HEIGHT
• TRUCK – TPMS ON
• TRUCK – Tailgate DOWN
• TRUCK – Back ALMOST to pin-box
• TRUCK – OPEN Hitch Latch
• RIG – Adjust Kingpin height to proper hitch height of truck.
• TRUCK – Back truck into Kingpin
• TRUCK – Visually check KINGPIN JAWS ARE LOCKED
• TRUCK – Connect umbilical cord and breakaway cable.
• RIG – Lower Rig with Front landing gear to pull test height (front jacks 1″ off the ground)
• TRUCK – Tow/Haul Mode
• TRUCK – Mirrors EXTENDED
• TRUCK – PULL TEST (manually engage trailer brakes and try to pull away SLOWLY)
• TRUCK – Check that trailer brakes are adjusted and trailer is recognized by truck’s towing system.
• TRUCK – Set parking brake.
• TRUCK – CLOSE TAILGATE
• RIG – Retract ALL landing gear
• RIG – Remove and stow wheel chocks and landing gear blocks.
• RIG – Check and close all storage doors and lock.
• TRUCK – Lights on / Rear Camera working
• TRUCK – Validate TPMS reads all 6 tires and validate pressure / temperature
• TRUCK / RIG – Verify all lights are operable (signals, brake, reverse)
• TRUCK / RIG – Full Walkaround
• TRUCK – Reset Trip Meter
• GO!

The post RV Move Day Checklist appeared first on Metaphysical Family.

Our 2022 Forest River Sabre 36BHQ came from the factory with illuminated light switches. This is actually a really great feature. The illuminated switches are quickly and easily located in the dark of night.

Blue Light Sensitivity

The problem is that Forest River installed blue switches. We do not know the reason Forest River chose blue light switches (perhaps because ours is the cobalt edition?), but we do know that blue light makes it hard for some persons to sleep.

The lady of the house inquired about changing the color of the lights in the switches. This isn’t possible because the LED inside the switch is white shining through whatever color plastic the switch is made from. A blue switch lights up blue, a red switch lights up red. But I was sure that we could change the color of the plastic by replacing RV light switches.

All of the lights in our RV are 12V DC. All of the light switches in our RV are automotive style normally open rocker switches, with an LED inside. When wired with 12V and ground (two wires) the LED inside the switch will illuminate when the switch is turned on. When wired with a 12V to the extra pin on the switch (three wires), the LED inside the switch will be illuminated all the time. This is what gives us the light up switch that’s easy to locate in the dark.

Replacing RV Light Switches

Replacing the switches is a snap (heh).

1. Gently remove the snap on cover plate from the switch
2. Remove the screws holding the switch plate to the wall
3. Depress the retaining tabs on the top and bottom of the switch, pushing the switch out of the mounting plate.
4. Slide the mounting plate down the wires and out of the way.
5. Locate the polarity markings on both switches
6. Optional: Take a picture of the wires for reference before proceeding
7. Carefully move the wires from the old switch to the new switch. Move only one wire at a time to prevent mistakes.
8. Make sure the switch illuminates, and functions. If it doesn’t, go to your fuse box and replace the fuse that you’ve blown.
9. Slide the mounting plate back down the wires and install the new switch into the mounting plate.
10. Re-attach the mounting plate to the wall using the screws you removed earlier
11. Snap face plate back on switch mounting plate
12. Enjoy your new red light switch

Products in this post

RV Designer S247, Rocker Switch, 10 Amp, Illuminated On / Off, SPST, Black w/ Red, DC Electrical

The post Replacing RV Light Switches – Blue Light Special appeared first on Metaphysical Family.