1st Rob's Blog - Blog

For clarity, I’m referring to a Electric Powered vehicle that uses a battery to power an electric motor and does not have any auxiliary power source, generator or gas engine – a Pure Electric... [read more]

What about a 2019 Kia Niro EV? Everything changed on one hand and came together on another, in late April 2019. My son, Peter is a Customer Experience Manager at our local Kia... [read more]

Economical transportation is my calling card As any that know me personally, you know that I readily engage with new technology and actively try to be near the forefront of using it. I... [read more]

I’ve pondered this question for several years. With the dramatic climate change events that have ravaged the world recently, I began to search for an answer to the question: What is the RV... [read more]

With my purchase of the Zero SR electric motorcycle in the Spring of 2018 (see previous blog posting for more on this), the big decision was how was I going to transport it to Florida, so that I... [read more]

Early in 2018 my son, Peter told me he was going to buy another motorcycle after many years of not having one. He mimics his dad in many of those life events. Let me explain: When I was... [read more]

I recently read an article in Family RVing (May 2018, Page 40) that listed a number of Specialty Products for RVs . I looked at the list and thought: Wow that is a lot!  ... [read more]

This is the second of two Technical Tips which provides a viable option to converting an RV refrigerator from an absorption to a ‘residential’ refrigerator. In the first article, I presented... [read more]

When you see the name of this new product you wonder: "What is it?” The answer is as simple as deciphering the name: It is a " quick ” way to " band ” (or wrap-up), something " it ”. This... [read more]

With more and more vehicle makers requiring some method of maintaining the battery in a towed vehicle while it is being towed, it seemed like it was a good time to bring this topic forward in a... [read more]

As many are aware, there has been an issue with flat towing some of these vehicles. During certain circumstances, while being flat towed behind a motorhome, these vehicles suddenly begin... [read more]

Blue Ox recently introduced the Ascent ® Towbar made from aircraft grade aluminum weighing in at just 31 pounds (14 kg). It is finished in a beautiful Diamond Vogel metallic powder coat... [read more]

While attending a RV Rally about a year ago, my wife turned on our front (over the dash) TV and heard a loud ‘pop’ sound. The TV did not come on and when I returned to the coach, I tried to... [read more]

While attending a RV Rally recently, a few attendees commented on the failure of their towing systems. Before going into details, I’d like to thank Bob Young of the Mid America Bounders Chapter... [read more]

On a cross country trip this summer, we stopped for the night and discovered that our satellite TV Antenna was not working and that we had no TV reception. We confirmed that the receiver and... [read more]

During a cross-country trip in which we boondocked (or dry camped) many nights, in addition to staying at a selection of RV parks, I reflected upon the equipment we use while RVing. Like many,... [read more]

 In the last Technical Tip, I discussed the towed vehicle selection process, the installation of the baseplate (bracket) and selecting a tow bar. In this article, we’ll look at the some of... [read more]

We recently removed an SMI Air Force One from our 8-year old Saturn Vue and re-installed, after refurbishing it, in our new Buick Envision. The refurbishing involved completely checking out all... [read more]

Most RVers tow a vehicle behind their coach and the convenience of flat towing on all four tires makes using a towbar and baseplate (bracket) the preferred method. That’s not to say that... [read more]

Many RVs are equipped with a combined washer and dryer made by Splendide. Our 2009 American Coach Allegiance 40X has a 2000 series, which has been replaced by the 2100 model in newer RVs where a... [read more]

In Technical Tips #82 to #84, I detailed the process for installing Lithium Batteries in our coach. I wrote a blog update in March, 2015. I thought that it would be good to provide a... [read more]

Many RVer’s occasionally experience a slideout that fails to move when the switch is depressed. We had this situation occur on our last major trip and just as many before have experienced, the... [read more]

With the interest in L.E.D. Strip lighting for RV’s, I am frequently asked how the strip should be powered on coaches equipped with Multiplex light controls. A multiplex control system is... [read more]

In Technical Tip #92, I detailed how we determined that our RV’s Automatic Transfer Switch had failed and that it was contained within an integrated Transfer Switch and Electrical System Protection... [read more]

According to many that chose a newer Jeep Cherokee to flat tow behind their motorhome, one of the reasons they chose the Cherokee was for its simplicity in setting it up to tow. Simply put it in... [read more]

Our RV came equipped from the factory with an integrated Transfer Switch and Electrical System Protection (ESP) unit supplied by TRC... [read more]

Most new cars and light-duty trucks come with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System as standard equipment. Many higher end motorized RV have such a system as standard equipment or as an option.... [read more]

The Background Over the last couple of years, we have received requests for LED strip lighting that can be retrofitted to coaches that do not come factory equipped with LED strips on the... [read more]

Every so often people contact me with information they found useful in repairing their RV and they send it along to me. Such was the case with this set of instructions for servicing and... [read more]

With more and more orphaned RV’s and the many used RV’s that just need a standardized part at a fraction of the cost of a new one, the Used RV Parts business is flourishing. The challenge for... [read more]

  We’re Giving Seminars at the Hamilton Spring RV Expo!   If you have not had a chance to hear and experience one of our seminars before then you are in for a treat... [read more]

A question, RVers frequently ask in the fall when planning to store their coaches over the winter, is: What is the best way to store my RV’s batteries? Generally speaking, it is always... [read more]

I have included a series of photos in a PDF file that you can refer to as you read this blog posting. Shade Repair Photos   It should add some clarity to a number of... [read more]

Replacing a Side View Camera   There are a number of situations where the side view cameras on our RV’s fail and need to be replaced. While these cameras can be physically damaged... [read more]

Over the last few months, I have consistently noticed that the left rear turn signal on our 2009 RV has been operating intermittently. Each time it was turned on, it might or might not,... [read more]

Blue Ox recently introduced a new towbar, the Avail®. This tow bar is finished in a beautiful bronze finish with gold lettering and covered with a Bronze colored cover (additional cost).... [read more]

Many RV owners of Tow Vehicle Braking Systems prefer to have a Notification Light on the dash of their RV to warn them that the Brake in the Towed Vehicle is ‘ON”. This light is more likely... [read more]

In July 2014, we installed a 300AH Lithium-Ion "SMART™ Battery” in our RV, replacing all 4 Coach 6 Volt AGM batteries. We also had to upgrade the Inverter to the current "software” which... [read more]

Horst Miracle Probes that make conventional RV tank monitoring systems read accurately, are available once again. When the original inventor shuttered his company, it looked like these... [read more]

Happy New Year and safe travels in 2015. We’ve got great news for those who are looking at converting their RV to L.E.D. lighting this year. Our second book: The ABC’s of L.E.D.s has... [read more]

We’re Giving Seminars at the Hamilton RV Expo!   If you have not had a chance to experience one of our seminars before, then you are in for a treat (at least I think so).... [read more]

  Introduction:   In the TechTips #82 & 83, I covered the process we went through in making the decision to replace our Coach Batteries with a Lithium-Ion one and the... [read more]

Introduction:   In the TechTip #82, I covered the process I went through in making the decision to replace our Coach Batteries with a Lithium-Ion one. We left off with a picture of... [read more]

Introduction:   With the advances in Battery Technology and the proliferation of battery powered gadgets in addition to partial or fully electric vehicles, one may wonder: "Could I... [read more]

I receive many questions from RVers that are investigating whether they can repair the Day-Night blinds in their RV. We sell the United Blind First Aid Kit for blinds, however many want... [read more]

We’re Giving Seminars at the Hamilton RV Expo!   If you have not had a chance to experience one of our seminars before, then you are in for a treat (at least I think... [read more]

I frequently receive questions about using a vehicle’s power outlet to supply power to Braking Systems. Most "Box-style” systems require a dedicated power supply, terminating in a receptacle... [read more]

As towing and braking systems have evolved to be mainstays of the RV experience, maintenance of these systems becomes part of the regimen of using the towbars and braking systems. Towing... [read more]

As towing and braking systems have evolved to be mainstays of the RV experience, maintenance of these systems becomes part of the regimen of using the towbars and braking systems. Braking... [read more]

I walked around a campground on this May Victoria Day (Canada) long weekend and noticed a number of new RVer’s enjoying their first weekend in their "new to them” RV. I remember many years ago... [read more]

Sometimes it seems that it takes a long time to get a RV out of storage and ready for a season of RVing. From my experience, and that of many others, proper preparation before storage reduces... [read more]

With my last post I spent a lot of it dealing with items that relate to motorized RV’s. This Blog Posting will cover both motorized and non-motorized RV’s interior systems. So far we have... [read more]

In my last posting I walked through some exterior items to look at after a long, cold winter. Let’s turn to the inside next. While I am biased, many RVers have found our book:  ” All the... [read more]

It looks like the long and cold winter is finally behind us. For those living in "snow country”, we no longer need to worry about digging out our RV, however if it was stored outside this past... [read more]

With all of the extreme winter weather this year, many are planning to get away if a break in the weather appears. It is always best not to drive a RV in the winter for a number of reasons, one... [read more]

    Case Study 2   Dead Chassis Batteries   The second case involved a RV that had experienced "dead” Chassis/Starting batteries even though all batteries... [read more]

Lubricant Analysis   Introduction:   Lubricant analysis is a new service option available to RVers now. Many large vehicle fleet operators have taken advantage of... [read more]

Battery Issues / Charging Issues (Part 3)     Note: It is important to note that all batteries in a battery bank should always be replaced with identical batteries of... [read more]

Battery Issues / Charging Issues (Part 2)   Charging Systems:     The typical Battery Charging Control system on newer RVs will give priority charging to... [read more]

Battery Issues / Charging Issues (Part 1)  Introduction: Battery related problems can manifest themselves in many ways in a modern (motorized) RV. Chassis and Coach systems... [read more]

With the recent cold weather, furnaces and water heaters often will not start. In cold weather, the quality of the electrical connections can determine whether you will have heat or hot water.... [read more]