When you purchase, the dealer might walk you through them to make sure they’re working. But they definitely don’t tell you they might not always be in tip-top shape. Or how often they could “hiccup” and stop working. As an RV mechanic, I’ve seen my fair share of broken RV systems. Here are the ones that give people the most headaches.
The water heater is hands down the most worked on piece of RV equipment. When I took delivery of my first rig, the water heater didn’t work at all. I was frustrated and annoyed. After breaking out the manual, I realized this system is actually pretty easy.
Spark: if the electrode is not sparking and the system seems to start like normal, shut off power at the furnace. Then check the connection on the circuit card. Remove the connection and look at the pins, wipe with a soft cloth, then reinstall. Once that’s done, restart the furnace. Air: if the fan will not spin, it may need a little push. If the motor sits for a long period of time it can become stuck, there could be critters, or a nest of some kind. Fuel: you have to remember to turn on the propane. If you run it out of propane and it seems to be broken after refilling, light the burners on the stove. Get the propane moving in the system.
There’s usually one reason for all these failures: a dirty AC unit. Try cleaning the circuit board or the entire unit itself. If that doesn’t work and you’re sure the AC is shot, the best thing to do is get a new one.