When we started RVing back in 2005, one of our biggest concerns was dealing with things that may go wrong with the RV. We knew from the beginning (and we make sure our RVing "students" know) that RVs break and repair needs are a consistently frustrating part of the lifestyle.
With our house, Linda had a handyman that came over periodically to fix stuff or take on a project that she wanted done. I didn't learn to fix stuff, didn't care to fix stuff, and any attempt to try to get me to fix stuff or fulfill one of her home improvement whims often turned into the most heated arguments of our marriage. So, when we sold the house to start full-time RVing, Linda wanted the handyman to buy an RV and follow us around the country.
In our almost 14 years of living in an RV, however, I've learned that I can do more than I thought, but it doesn't come naturally to me. Linda is the more mechanically minded of the two of us, while my strengths are figuring out ways to earn a living, travel planning, research, and numbers.
What we have figured out is that while she will just dive right into a project, I need time. I need time to research, contemplate, and figure out the process of fixing something so that I have the confidence to get the job done (without making it worse). So, having come to terms with that dynamic, I can fix things on my own, and we are able to work together much better to tackle issues.
We have gotten to the point of not being afraid to take on most problems we encounter in our RV through the help of our RVing mentors, watching and learning from gracious mobile RV techs, learning how RV systems work over our numerous years of experience (the basics of the systems in the house-part of RVs are pretty much the same in all types of units), and, more recently, the plethora of do-it-yourself (DIY) YouTube videos.
These past couple of days are cases in point.
Replacing The Water Pump
On yet another cold evening here in Arizona where the temperatures were going to dip below freezing, I disconnected our water hook-up and drained our hose with the plan of using the fresh water in our tank overnight. Well, we turned on our water pump and .... nothing. We could hear it try to engage, but it was suddenly deceased.
We checked electrical connections and didn't find anything loose. And having experienced dead water pumps twice before in our fifth wheel, we were pretty sure we were going to need a replacement pump.
Our water pump in the Winnebago Aspect 27K is located under our bed, and there is a rectangular access hole in the plywood bed platform. So, I stuck my phone down in there and took a picture of the pump label to get the model number - Shurflo 4008-101-F65. Pentair Shurflo dominates the RV water pump market, so finding replacement pumps is easy.
However, when I went to their website, I couldn't find our exact model number. In the Revolution 4008 Series they show the 4008-101-E65 which is the replacement for the OEM 4008-101-A65. But in doing a little further investigation, I found this statement:
"The F65 is the same as the E65 except that the F65 has a special wire connector that the RV Manufacturer wants to make their installation easier."
So, it looks like the F65 may be a model Winnebago and some other manufacturers use that is a little easier to connect although the E65 would work and is more readily available. Still, I like easier, so I ordered the F65 directly from Winnebago (as that model was out of stock at other sources).
Though I installed the last two pumps on our fifth wheel myself, we tag-teamed this one as access to the pump was a little more difficult. That being said, the replacement was fairly easy as are most things in an RV .... IF you can access the area you need AND you have the proper tools. Of course, access is often the biggest problem rather than the repair itself.
Rather than removing the mattress completely from the bed platform, by taking out several screws we were able to remove one section of plywood from the platform and used it to prop up the mattress. This gave us pretty good access to the pump and enough room to work. A well-placed light, Linda's crafting light, helped.
I turned the water off at the spigot outside, and we drained the lines inside the RV. We grabbed a towel to mop up the small amount of water that would seep out of the pipes when we disconnected the old pump.
I disconnected the pump wires from the 12-volt source. Due to the special wire connector on the F65, that was easy. Then I disconnected the pump from the plumbing system. The pump sits between the fresh water tank and the supply line to the the plumbing fixtures inside the RV. The connections from the RV plumbing to the pump are hand-tightened, threaded plastic fittings, so no tools were necessary to unscrew those.
To complete the removal of the old pump, we just had to remove the four screws securing the pump to a mounting board. That was the hardest part because access to the screws was awkward, but we managed.
Now, on the side of the old pump that connected to the fresh water tank, there was a stainless steel mesh strainer in a plastic case which keeps debris that might be in the fresh tank from getting into the pump. Our new pump didn't include the strainer, so I unscrewed it from the old pump and screwed it into the proper side of the new pump.
At that point, I connected the pump to the plumbing and snapped in the electric connection to make sure the pump was working before we went to the trouble of mounting it. Success! The F65 with its special connector pretty much makes the installation plug-and-play - no wire cutting or splicing necessary.
We then mounted the pump using the same holes in the mounting board. Again, that was the hardest part. Once it was in place, we tested it again. Back in business, and it's a good thing because temps were predicted to be in the mid-20s overnight, and I would be disconnecting the "city" water again.
Now that we know it was in fact the old pump that was the problem (and not some other hard-to-find electrical issue), and we have demonstrated we can install one ourselves, we'll order a second one. An extra water pump is the one back-up part that we always try to carry, and I should have already had one on hand. We definitely will have a back-up before we go to Alaska.
If you need to replace your RV water pump, there are several videos on YouTube - the process is pretty much the same, but the locations of the pump are all over the place with varying levels of accessibility. Some are mounted vertically on a wall, some are mounted horizontally on a wall, and some are mounted flat on a floor. Some are accessed from the interior of the RV and some are accessed from the exterior. But, if you are lucky, one of the video publishers might have your same RV or at least have a water pump in a similar location as yours.
Replacing Power Window Regulator & Motor in Jeep
About the same time the water pump went out, the rear power window on our Jeep stopped working. We had to use Gorilla tape to hold the window in place. These older Jeep Liberty models are notorious for the power window regulators failing. In two we owned previously, we had to have one regulator/motor in each replaced and we had a dealer do it at a cost of $400 - $500 each time.
Well, last spring, the driver's side window in our current 2003 Jeep failed, and Linda was determined to learn how to fix this problem ourselves. She found exactly what we needed at 1A Auto online. They have upgraded window regulators and motors that are better than the OEM parts, AND they have how-to videos on the process for installing them.
So, we bought the part, watched the video a couple times, and though I was still a bit skeptical, Linda was sure we could do it. Going slowly, we followed the video step-by-step. We had a little bit of a struggle, and it took us about two hours, but we did it and it only cost us about $50 and our time.
If not for RVing and figuring out many of our own repairs, we never would have attempted such a thing, and this time, we confidently ordered the part.
I got the package from the office here at the RV park, and an hour later, we had the new regulator/motor installed and working. Here is the video from A1 that helped us.
These are just two recent examples of how two people with no maintenance/repair training, have learned to fix stuff on our own saving hundreds of dollars and several trips to service centers. And it's all due to RVing.
Coming Soon! Fix It Yourself RV Course
Now, just as I was about to post this entry, it just so happens that I got an email from Liz Wilcox over The Virtual Campground. She and here husband, Ed, a certified RV technician and Army vet, are launching a new "Fix It Yourself" course this month.
It's designed to assist RVers with common RV repairs and to teach basic maintenance to help avoid some of those repairs in the future.
Here is their YouTube "teaser/trailer".
Some details are still being worked out, but the current plan is to do a limited launch of the course for a week in March, get feedback, make tweaks if necessary, and then do a full launch in April.
I know I'm looking forward to checking it out. If you would like to be on the "waiting list" to learn more, just click here and complete the simple form: "Fix It Yourself" RV Course Waiting List.
That's it for now. We've got a few other things to report soon, including the next entry in our Alaska Planning series.
If there is one true-ism in the RV world: stuff breaks. If one is not willing to fix somewhat "relatively" minor stuff on a recurring basis, as just part of the life, don't get into RVing.
No matter how much, or little, one pays for an RV they:
1) break
2) leak
3) cost $$$ to have repaired if one can't DIY
4) break at the most inconvenient moments.
ALL RV's do all of these with some regularity. They are not like cars nor houses that one sort of assumes work most of the time without issues.
"Ask me how I know this" to steal a quote line.
Posted by: Bill | Saturday, March 02, 2019 at 10:16 AM
You are absolutely right that things will Definitely break in any RV and learning to make your own repairs is a must otherwise you won't be RVing very long.
Be Safe and Enjoy the Dream.
It's about time.
Posted by: Rick Rousseau | Saturday, March 02, 2019 at 12:30 PM
What? you didn't have a spare water pump on board? That was one of the important take-aways I got from the RV dreams rally, and I of course have my spare on board!
I'm teasing, I know this rig is new to you, and you're just catching up with everything.
Question is: did you by TWO pumps so that you'd still have a spare? ;-)
Please tell Linda: I got a bigger inverter now, so I can use my toaster!
Posted by: Cinn | Sunday, March 03, 2019 at 07:48 PM
Cinn,
LOL. We wanted to be sure the new pump was the correct one. Now that we know, the back-up pump is ordered and should be arriving soon - before the Boondocking Rally later this month. :)
Posted by: Howard | Monday, March 04, 2019 at 10:39 AM