RV ruminations.

[cowboywildbill]

When we had the Mercedes, I had to learn German cuss words !

[DickWells]

Bill. I don't know much about German, concerning car language, but I just remembered a funny little thing I learned from owning SAABs. The start position on the ignition was called FART! Just naturally came to mind, after reading yous and DM's posts.
I think the Mennonites who wire RV's just string wire without regard to any stsndard of uniformity, even among units of a particular model. I know I've found fuses and breakers mis-marked on the panel covers of brand new trailers.
Found out early- on, that most new trailers hit the road needing alignment. Toe, caster, and camber have all been off on several trailers that Ive been involved with. My little Wells Cargo 18 ft.trailer that carries the Miato has been a welcome exception. Tracks great and hasn't shown any undue tire wear and it's always loaded to just about max.

[Yukon6.2]

I bought a 1970 MCI bus that has been converted.Po's spent a small fortune on this bus and i picked it up for a song.
I have found a couple of bits of wiring diagrams,and was dreading trying to decipher the wiring. I guess that had i bought a newer fancy factory RV i would not be any better off.
This ole girl is going to be my spring project if time allows.I am hoping to get it functional and cleaned up enough to park it somewhere for the summer and rent it out as summer accommodations till i am free enough to road trip.

[DickWells]

Betcha gonna love your new RV. No better feeling than something you've put a bit of youself into.
Been using my phone for all my posting lately, and have to apologize for the many typos. Note the Miato in my previous post. Usually it's a's and s's, but it seems like anything can happen. I'm bad enough on the laptop, but just plane awful on the phone, with my farmer's fingers.

[arveetek]

I've been in the RV business going on 24 years now (parts & service). Do you know what RV stands for? Ruined Vacation

I have found a couple of bits of wiring diagrams,and was dreading trying to decipher the wiring. I guess that had i bought a newer fancy factory RV i would not be any better off.

There are very, very few RV manufacturers who actually produce a wiring diagram, plumbing schematic, etc. Winnebago and Airstream are two who seem to know what they are doing. Almost every other RV builder simply assembles their rigs from components they got the best deal on that day. It is not uncommon for an RV to be less than a year old, and already have parts that are no longer available, since most RV builders don't actually build anything in their factories; they simply assemble them from parts supplied by other vendors. Those vendors come and go, and there might be running changes on the assembly line, and then the OEM doesn't log that change anywhere, and it's anyone's best guess what part they actually used on that rig.

I had a customer come into our Keystone and Forest River dealership asking for a plumbing schematic for his 10 year old coach. He got rather upset because he assumed I was lying to him that we didn't have access to anything like that. He assumed that as a dealer, we should have that kind of information. I sure wish we did! Keystone is getting much, much better, using color coded wiring and such, but that only applies to recently built units.

Oftentimes when I need to order a part, I have to take a picture of the item and then email the OEM and say, "Send me this!" Then I cross my fingers, since there is a 50/50 chance they will still send me the wrong item after waiting 4 - 6 weeks.

If you want a specific non-appliance part for an RV built more than 10 to 15 years ago.... good luck. It's either unavailable, or the OEM didn't have computer systems keeping track of what they built! Or that OEM has been purchased by another company, and all records were lost. Can you imagine walking into a Chevy dealership and asking for a widget for your 2009 2500HD, only to be told it's been discontinued and is no longer available?

I still love the RV lifestyle, but the industry as a whole has a got a LONG way to go to keep up with consumer demands and expectations. It's gotten so bad, I'm really contemplating getting out of the industry altogether, since every day leads to a new frustration.

Casey

[Bigshankhank]

I don't like to resurrect dead threads but this one made me chuckle as I am restoring a 1984 Champion Rv with a 6.2 in it. I did manage to find the wiring diagram, which was literally drawn by hand. I did manage to scan it and add colors to all of the lines in an effort to make it easier to use, but yeah when I stumbled upon it in the bundle of paperwork the PO gave me with the van I almost burst out laughing.

[DieselDavy]

My daughter's in-laws own a business that create wiring harnesses for high end motor homes. She works in the engineering dept. They send a separate thumb drive containing the schematic for each wiring harness shipped. Allegedly, the thumb drive goes with the finished product. She says they used to send paper schematics.

[cowboywildbill]

I've been in the RV business going on 24 years now (parts & service). Do you know what RV stands for? Ruined Vacation






There are very, very few RV manufacturers who actually produce a wiring diagram, plumbing schematic, etc. Winnebago and Airstream are two who seem to know what they are doing. Almost every other RV builder simply assembles their rigs from components they got the best deal on that day. It is not uncommon for an RV to be less than a year old, and already have parts that are no longer available, since most RV builders don't actually build anything in their factories; they simply assemble them from parts supplied by other vendors. Those vendors come and go, and there might be running changes on the assembly line, and then the OEM doesn't log that change anywhere, and it's anyone's best guess what part they actually used on that rig.

I had a customer come into our Keystone and Forest River dealership asking for a plumbing schematic for his 10 year old coach. He got rather upset because he assumed I was lying to him that we didn't have access to anything like that. He assumed that as a dealer, we should have that kind of information. I sure wish we did! Keystone is getting much, much better, using color coded wiring and such, but that only applies to recently built units.

Oftentimes when I need to order a part, I have to take a picture of the item and then email the OEM and say, "Send me this!" Then I cross my fingers, since there is a 50/50 chance they will still send me the wrong item after waiting 4 - 6 weeks.

If you want a specific non-appliance part for an RV built more than 10 to 15 years ago.... good luck. It's either unavailable, or the OEM didn't have computer systems keeping track of what they built! Or that OEM has been purchased by another company, and all records were lost. Can you imagine walking into a Chevy dealership and asking for a widget for your 2009 2500HD, only to be told it's been discontinued and is no longer available?

I still love the RV lifestyle, but the industry as a whole has a got a LONG way to go to keep up with consumer demands and expectations. It's gotten so bad, I'm really contemplating getting out of the industry altogether, since every day leads to a new frustration.

Casey

Amen! I worked for an RV dealer part time for about 4 years. Doing repairs you name it wiring hitches etc.
And also pulled new units from the Fleet wood Manufacturing plant in Winchester,VA back to the dealer.
Watching the trailers being put together is an experience. Workmanship was lacking in my opinion. Just seemed like putting out as many units in a certain time frame was all that mattered, miss some screws "NO big deal". LOL In my opinion they ain't built with care like I would if it was mine, "Just saying"
As for wiring, you are spot on. I have had two or three of my own trailers that had gremlins in the electrical system especially in the 12 volt system which is most of the wiring. Things like intermittent grounds and such, things that drive you crazy trying to figure out. And not to mention that most of the wiring is put into the panels and walls before they are attached, making it fun to snake a new wire later.