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↓ Episode 162 – RV Maintenance 101: Troubleshooting Your Furnace Like a Pro
25th October 2024 • The Smart RVer Podcast • Eric Stark
00:00:00 00:48:05

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Staying warm while RVing in cold weather is the main focus of this podcast episode, where Eric Stark shares essential tips and insights for those who want to embrace the RV lifestyle during the chillier months. He emphasizes the importance of using proper insulation techniques, such as vent pillows and ensuring that all seals are tight, to keep the cold at bay. Additionally, listeners will learn about the necessity of having multiple heat sources to combat extreme temperatures, including both RV furnaces and electric heaters. The podcast also touches on the importance of maintaining your RV's systems, particularly the furnace, to avoid unexpected breakdowns when temperatures drop. Join Eric and Alexis as they dive into their experiences, offer practical advice, and even reminisce about the joys of bakeries, all while keeping RV enthusiasts informed and prepared for winter adventures. Cold weather RVing can present unique challenges, particularly when it comes to staying warm and comfortable. Eric Stark shares essential tips for RVers who wish to continue their adventures despite the chill. The discussion begins with the importance of insulation, emphasizing that while RVs come with some factory insulation, additional steps must be taken to enhance warmth. Practical solutions include installing vent pillows to block cold drafts and ensuring that all potential air leaks around windows and doors are sealed. Eric also stresses the necessity of dual heating sources, recommending a combination of RV furnaces and electric heaters to maintain a cozy temperature during frigid nights. As temperatures drop, having reliable heating becomes crucial—Eric advises RVers to prepare for the worst-case scenario, especially when temperatures plummet to double digits below zero. By applying these strategies, RV enthusiasts can embrace the winter months without compromising their comfort or safety, allowing them to explore even the coldest regions with confidence.
Takeaways:
  • Staying warm in cold weather while RVing is crucial for comfort and safety.
  • Investing in quality RV parts, like Wago connectors, ensures better performance and longevity.
  • Proper insulation and sealing in your RV can significantly improve heating efficiency.
  • Always check RVs for leaks and functionality before finalizing any purchase or contract.
  • Having multiple heat sources in your RV, such as electric heaters, is highly recommended.
  • Consider using dehumidifiers to reduce moisture and improve comfort during cold weather.
Companies mentioned in this episode:
  • Wago
  • Camco
  • Lippert
  • Barker
  • Wholesale Warranties
Links referenced in this episode:
Chapters:
  • 00:00 - Intro to Cold Weather RVing
  • 04:39 - Staying Warm in Your RV
  • 05:45 - Insulating Your RV for Cold Weather
  • 07:54 - Essential Heating Tips for RV Living
  • 15:27 - Furnace Maintenance and Repair Tips
  • 13:53 - Choosing the Right Warranty for Your RV
  • 38:39 - Exploring Bakeries on the East Coast
  • 47:32 - Conclusion and Next Episode Teaser

Transcripts

Eric Sark:

Staying warm while cold weather, rving, and money saving.

Eric Sark:

Tip number two.

Eric Sark:

And then in the next stop, we're going to talk about bakeries, and Alexis is going to take us back to her childhood and talk about the things that smelled so good back then.

Eric Sark:

At rv envy, we're going to talk about hung jack storage covers.

Eric Sark:

That sounds so lame, but there's more to it.

Eric Sark:

You got to listen to that.

Eric Sark:

You got to have a cover.

Eric Sark:

This is Eric Sark with the smart rver podcast, delivering the smarts.

Eric Sark:

You need to enjoy the freedom of the rv lifestyle without the fear of breaking down.

Eric Sark:

Let's talk everything rv.

Eric Sark:

So today's episode is 162.

Eric Sark:

So let's jump into this.

Eric Sark:

And Alexis, are you ready to go?

Alexis:

I am so ready.

Eric Sark:

So ready.

Eric Sark:

You know when it's podcast Thursday, sometimes it was podcast Tuesday.

Eric Sark:

Yeah, but man, just the energy just goes crazy, huh?

Eric Sark:

I mean, it's just.

Eric Sark:

It's like electricity in the air.

Alexis:

Yes, sir.

Eric Sark:

All right, well, maybe not, but it's pretty cool.

Alexis:

It is.

Eric Sark:

We're fired up.

Eric Sark:

Yes.

Eric Sark:

So one thing I talked about, this has been several episodes back, and I don't know if I ever came back and brought this point out.

Eric Sark:

I got an email about it, and it was.

Eric Sark:

It was in the RV env, and I was talking about the lever connectors for wiring.

Eric Sark:

And I didn't mention a brand called Wago.

Eric Sark:

Wago.

Eric Sark:

And that's the brand you want to use.

Eric Sark:

Stay away from off brands because they're no good.

Eric Sark:

Because part of that was talking about the low quality connectors.

Eric Sark:

But lever connectors for doing wiring, they're.

Eric Sark:

They're awesome.

Eric Sark:

They're so much quicker, easier.

Eric Sark:

But wago w a g o is the brand you want to use.

Eric Sark:

So I want to make sure I got that out there.

Eric Sark:

Someone sent me an email about it.

Eric Sark:

I forget his name made have been Tom, might have been Mike, might have been Bill, Fred, Joe.

Eric Sark:

But I wanted to cover it.

Eric Sark:

So if you're hearing it twice, well, more power to you now, you know, twice as much.

Eric Sark:

Wago waygo, w a g o.

Alexis:

Perfect.

Eric Sark:

And they are awesome little connectors.

Eric Sark:

And another thing, you know, we had a customer the other day call and sent pictures of this brand new class brv they bought.

Eric Sark:

And, you know, it left the factory with water leaks.

Eric Sark:

It leaves the dealership where he bought it from with water leaks.

Eric Sark:

And now he's a thousand miles away from the dealership having to get these water leaks fixed.

Eric Sark:

And one of them is the p one control panel, which has all the levers on it, you know, a lot of the higher end rvs have them, but that's just one of his leaks.

Eric Sark:

And there's other leaks, and everything's compacted in as a class b, you know.

Alexis:

Right.

Eric Sark:

So he's going to be near the factory next month, so he decided he's just going to go back to the factory and let them fix it.

Eric Sark:

Oh, interesting, because this thing's kind of a mess, you know, and it's like, this is a flood.

Eric Sark:

It's not a leak.

Eric Sark:

So this thing never should have left the dealership.

Eric Sark:

So obviously, when they do their pre sales inspection, which they.

Eric Sark:

Oh, yeah, we checked out everything thoroughly.

Eric Sark:

Oh, yeah.

Eric Sark:

This thing leaking water like a.

Eric Sark:

Like Hurricane Helene in Florida.

Eric Sark:

Yeah.

Eric Sark:

So they didn't check the water system at all.

Eric Sark:

So the guy is pretty disappointed, but the manufacturer will take care of him.

Eric Sark:

He's already talked to him about it.

Eric Sark:

They would have paid anybody to fix it, but he's just go back to the factory.

Eric Sark:

So that was a cool thing, you know, but just, you know, when you buy an rv, the point is make sure you see it hooked up to water, power, all these things, and look for leaks and stuff.

Eric Sark:

You don't want to buy it.

Eric Sark:

Especially this guy bought it then, you know, in another state, several states away, and then he has to come home and have this problem.

Alexis:

Right.

Eric Sark:

They should have checked, and they probably told him.

Eric Sark:

We did our pre delivery inspection, which is.

Eric Sark:

Yeah, the rv is here.

Eric Sark:

Yep.

Eric Sark:

Mm hmm.

Eric Sark:

Got four tires.

Eric Sark:

You're good to go.

Eric Sark:

Here's the keys.

Eric Sark:

Yeah.

Eric Sark:

You want to check everything before you ever leave that lot, before you ever sign the contract.

Eric Sark:

Check everything.

Eric Sark:

Right.

Eric Sark:

And speaking of before you ever sign the contract, we're going to get to that in just a minute and keep you on pins and needles.

Eric Sark:

Now you.

Eric Sark:

Oh, what's he going to talk about?

Eric Sark:

What's he into?

Eric Sark:

And it's going to be a good thing, not a bad thing, a good thing.

Eric Sark:

It's going to how you can save some money, but we'll get to that in a little bit here.

Eric Sark:

So now let's move on to enjoying the rv life.

Eric Sark:

And today it's going to be about staying warm while rving in cold weather.

Alexis:

That's interesting because that's what we get a lot here.

Alexis:

You know, people ask all the time.

Alexis:

I mean, we live in Montana, so that's an interesting subject.

Alexis:

Right.

Eric Sark:

We do.

Alexis:

So what are, like, the main things we should know?

Alexis:

I'm interested, too.

Eric Sark:

All right, well, don't do it.

Eric Sark:

It's number one.

Eric Sark:

No.

Eric Sark:

Remember that kid was in the other day.

Alexis:

Yes, I do.

Eric Sark:

And he wanted to know how to go hunting in cold weather.

Eric Sark:

So explain, you know, what he really has to do.

Eric Sark:

And he didn't like hearing that because cold weather is either you're winterized or you're not.

Eric Sark:

When it's freezing, water freezes, either winterized or you're not.

Alexis:

Yes.

Eric Sark:

So you can't really have both worlds.

Eric Sark:

It's very complex.

Eric Sark:

But anyways, back to your question, Alexis.

Eric Sark:

So I happen to have a list here that also happens to be on our website@thesmartrver.com.

Eric Sark:

under the rv, enjoying the rv life section and it's staying warm while cold weather rving.

Eric Sark:

So one thing you want to do is to insulate your rv.

Eric Sark:

Now, most are, well, not most.

Eric Sark:

All rvs come insulated at some level from the factory.

Eric Sark:

Some of them are three seasons, which that's funny, a three season rv.

Eric Sark:

Some of them are barely one season, some of them are four seasons.

Eric Sark:

But you can't really add insulation to it in the truest sense.

Eric Sark:

You're not going to open up walls or the ceiling and start packing in insulation.

Eric Sark:

But what you can do is put a like in the vent lids, your skylight, your vents.

Eric Sark:

They make vent stuffers or vent pillows that go in there.

Eric Sark:

So that's going to keep the cold out.

Eric Sark:

And those are a must have if you have a skylight.

Eric Sark:

If you can't find one that fits it, then make something close off that skylight so that cold air doesn't come in there.

Eric Sark:

Check your rv.

Eric Sark:

You know, a lot of rvs have, let's say an outdoor kitchen and they have a wall that comes up and on the other side of that wall or above it around it might be a bunk.

Eric Sark:

So is it really sealed well or is air able to come through there and get into the rv?

Eric Sark:

So you want to check out things that sometimes seem like they would build it right at the factory because they probably didn't it.

Eric Sark:

Now, four season rv, they're a little bit better, but they still have their weak links when it comes to that.

Eric Sark:

Like a compartment door is very thin, right.

Eric Sark:

And so everything past that, is it sealed off?

Eric Sark:

Is it going to be a weak link to keep the rv cool, cold, freezing?

Eric Sark:

You know, so you have to look kind of outside the box or the lines because the manufacturer is not going to do the greatest job.

Eric Sark:

So add where you can do what you can, but be aware that it might not be the best thing when you buy the rv that it might not be insulated the way you think it might be now in an rv, you know, you really can't upgrade a heating system.

Eric Sark:

You know, if you had a 35,000 BtU furnace, you could put in a 40,000.

Eric Sark:

I don't know how much better that would be.

Eric Sark:

Yeah, and the expense, if it'd be worth it.

Eric Sark:

But if you're going to be rving in cold weather or living in your rv in the cold weather, you want to make sure you have at least two heat sources.

Alexis:

Yeah, good point.

Eric Sark:

You know, you want to have your rv furnace and you want to have an electric heater of some kind.

Eric Sark:

You know, you might want to have a catalytic heater.

Eric Sark:

I would have two or three.

Eric Sark:

Really?

Eric Sark:

Because when you get down to like ten degrees minus zero, even electric heaters just struggle to break the chill.

Eric Sark:

If they can even do that.

Eric Sark:

A furnace will help, but sometimes it's just.

Eric Sark:

You're just trying to keep it at 45 degrees.

Alexis:

Right, exactly.

Eric Sark:

And then if you have power constraints, you know, you want to be certain that you have a way to work around that.

Eric Sark:

So be prepared for worst case scenario because it does happen, you know, one night of.

Eric Sark:

-20 yeah.

Eric Sark:

It's going to take your rv quite a while to warm back up.

Eric Sark:

So make sure you're prepared for that.

Alexis:

We have freezing temperatures and people come in and they're cold.

Alexis:

Literally still cold.

Eric Sark:

Right.

Alexis:

Sleeping overnight like that.

Eric Sark:

So, yeah, we see here all the time.

Eric Sark:

They.

Eric Sark:

And they don't listen.

Eric Sark:

They, you know, they.

Eric Sark:

Well, I don't think I need to do that.

Eric Sark:

Oh, yeah, you will.

Eric Sark:

Well, how often does it get?

Eric Sark:

-20 well, it doesn't get -20 very often, but it gets into the, you know, the single digits quite a bit in the winter time.

Eric Sark:

You got to be prepared for that.

Eric Sark:

And don't assume how your heat, your furnace is going to keep up with it.

Alexis:

Right.

Eric Sark:

And rv furnaces break, especially when you're living them, they break more often.

Eric Sark:

So you gotta be prepared for worst case scenario.

Eric Sark:

I mean, it literally could be life and death.

Eric Sark:

It could, you know, and so then also, you know, make sure, as I kind of mention this with the insulation, but make sure everything's sealed up nice and tight.

Eric Sark:

Your compartment doors, your windows, they don't have air leaks.

Eric Sark:

And, you know, windows and rvs are a little harder to deal with.

Eric Sark:

They don't make a lot to, like, insulate them, do things like that.

Eric Sark:

You might have dual pane glass.

Eric Sark:

Not too many rvs do, but you might.

Eric Sark:

But, you know, you can hang thick blankets in front of them, you know, just so that cold air or the cold isn't coming through the glass, you know, because the glass doesn't really insulate.

Eric Sark:

It's just a barrier to keep the outside out.

Alexis:

Right?

Eric Sark:

So you could hang blankets in front of it.

Eric Sark:

Most rvs are set up where you could do that in such a way they have a valance or something where you could do it.

Eric Sark:

So try that.

Eric Sark:

And then, you know, you want to keep your water system from freezing.

Eric Sark:

That's one of the important things, too.

Eric Sark:

Even with a heated hose, sometimes when the weather gets really cold, you might want to just fill up your water tank and disconnect that hose and put it away until it warms up some more because even heated hoses can freeze or fail, and it might not be made to the temperature that is getting at.

Eric Sark:

So when you buy a heated hose, make sure that it's going below zero, like -20 or if you're, it's -40 then you want -50 you know, it can exceed the ability of the hose.

Eric Sark:

So be prepared for these things.

Eric Sark:

Look ahead a little bit.

Eric Sark:

Talk to people in the area and what they do.

Eric Sark:

Now, obviously, when you're going to bed at night, you're not going to be wearing your clothes and dressing, you know, but, you know, in the rv, you know, you might not be able to get it as warm as you want or it's maybe not economically efficient.

Eric Sark:

So you might want to wear layers of clothes, you know, I mean, you don't want to be all bundled up.

Eric Sark:

You don't want to get to that point and make sure when you go to bed at night, your bedding is dry.

Eric Sark:

You're dry because if things are damp, you'll freeze.

Alexis:

That was a good point.

Alexis:

Keeping the moisture out of there.

Eric Sark:

Right.

Eric Sark:

So keeping the moisture out would be dehumidifiers.

Alexis:

Right.

Eric Sark:

And, you know, Camco and other people make them, and they're just little bowls, basically, with some little crystals that go in there and they suck the moisture out of the air.

Eric Sark:

Or you can get electric dehumidifiers, but they always don't work that great unless you get a real high end one, like an industrial strength, because that moisture in the air makes it colder.

Eric Sark:

And also, like, you know, for a woman, she might go to bed and wake up in the morning, her hair stuck to the walls, frozen to it, you know, or your clothes are frozen because they're moist, you know.

Eric Sark:

So keeping the moisture out of the air makes a huge difference.

Eric Sark:

It also made me recall keeping your propane tanks fuller, you know, half full on the fuller side because the propane is more efficient, so the furnace will work better and it becomes more efficient.

Eric Sark:

So furnaces and rvs put out nice dry heat.

Eric Sark:

That's what you want, dry heat.

Eric Sark:

In fact, furnaces are kind of nice, almost like a fireplace type of heat, at least in rvs.

Eric Sark:

At least some of them, you know, they don't smell, but.

Alexis:

Right.

Eric Sark:

So anyway, that's some basic tips for rving in the colder weather.

Eric Sark:

So you, for more on that, you can go to our website, the smartrver.com, but a lot of it is just keeping everything warm.

Eric Sark:

I didn't really get in too much of the water system because that's kind of a little more complex.

Eric Sark:

But I believe we have some of that on our website.

Eric Sark:

If not, we'll make sure it's there by the time this episode comes out.

Eric Sark:

So having, you know, the water system, you don't want it to freeze.

Eric Sark:

Not only will you lose your water, but obviously things break.

Eric Sark:

And freezing or water problems in the winter time suck.

Eric Sark:

Whether it's inside, outside, it's just harder to do when the water's frozen.

Eric Sark:

Things are frozen.

Eric Sark:

It's just a harder job.

Eric Sark:

So try to avoid that at all costs.

Eric Sark:

You do not want your water to freeze.

Eric Sark:

And buy a good heated hose.

Eric Sark:

Don't go to the jungle online and buy one of these, you know, 10,000 foot -400 degrees heated hoses for $38.

Eric Sark:

They're garbage.

Eric Sark:

Buy a quality one from Camco or pirate, or pirate, whatever it is.

Eric Sark:

So you want to go that route.

Eric Sark:

Okay.

Eric Sark:

Anyway, now we've beaten that dead horse, right?

Eric Sark:

So let's move on to staying on the road.

Eric Sark:

Oh, wait.

Eric Sark:

Okay.

Eric Sark:

I talked about saving money.

Eric Sark:

So if you're buying a new rv and you're thinking about getting an extended warranty when you buy the rv, we're going to have a link in our description to a company.

Eric Sark:

So if you have the podcast or go to our website in the description of this show, there's going to be a link to a company called wholesale warranties.

Eric Sark:

Click that link and I and go to their website.

Eric Sark:

These guys are totally upfront, transparent with their whole, with their warranties, extended warranties.

Eric Sark:

Before you ever sign anything or give them a nickel, you're going to know exactly what they do and don't do.

Eric Sark:

When you go to a dealership, they tell you it does.

Eric Sark:

Oh, yeah, it does that.

Eric Sark:

It does everything.

Eric Sark:

Everything in the.

Eric Sark:

Oh, yeah.

Eric Sark:

Oh, no, no.

Eric Sark:

If, if I hit an elephant walking across the road, he ran away from the bar and Bailey circus.

Eric Sark:

Are you going to cover it?

Eric Sark:

Oh, yeah.

Eric Sark:

Don't, don't worry about it.

Eric Sark:

You know, then the first time you hit an elephant that ran away from the circus, you're not covered.

Alexis:

Exactly.

Eric Sark:

So you got to really be careful.

Eric Sark:

But these guys are totally transparent.

Eric Sark:

So look at our show description or go to our website and look up this show and use the link to wholesale warranties and talk to them.

Eric Sark:

And even if you're going to a dealership to buy the warranty, you don't have to buy it through the dealership.

Eric Sark:

You can buy it through these guys.

Eric Sark:

Not only are the better service, better quality product, but at a lower price.

Eric Sark:

So it saves you money and it's going to save you headaches.

Eric Sark:

Now we're going to go to staying on the road.

Eric Sark:

So we're going to talk about rv furnace repair and maintenance.

Eric Sark:

It's that time of year, everybody.

Alexis:

Yes, it is.

Eric Sark:

So if you're living in your rv, you definitely want to know how to keep your furnace going.

Alexis:

Listen up.

Eric Sark:

If you're putting your rv away for storage or for in storage for the winter time, yeah, you might not care, but springtime, sometimes it still cools down.

Eric Sark:

And here in Montana, seems like everybody's using their furnace year round.

Eric Sark:

Yep.

Eric Sark:

You know, it cools down enough at night to turn on the furnace when you're out camping.

Eric Sark:

So furnace repair and maintenance is very important for an rv and rv.

Eric Sark:

Furnaces do break and sometimes it's not the furnace.

Eric Sark:

It might be the thermostat.

Eric Sark:

It could even be the air conditioner.

Eric Sark:

You know, a lot of rvs, the fur or the thermostat is run through the air conditioner.

Eric Sark:

So there's a circuit board up there and that can fail.

Eric Sark:

That doesn't happen often.

Eric Sark:

But just to give you an idea that the furnace is sometimes controlled by other things and they could be the problem.

Eric Sark:

So the first thing you want to do is kind of isolate the problem.

Eric Sark:

Is it the furnace or the thermostat?

Eric Sark:

I'm not going to get into the air conditioner.

Eric Sark:

That's a whole different animal and we don't have the time for it.

Eric Sark:

So we're just going to stick with the furnace and the thermostat.

Eric Sark:

So you want to differentiate between the two the thermostat bad or is the furnace bad?

Eric Sark:

And all you have to do is go to the furnace or the thermostat and jump the wires.

Eric Sark:

If you have a three wire system like in some of the dometics, I would just go to the furnace, take the two blue wires from the furnace and tie them together.

Eric Sark:

If the furnace starts, then your thermostat.

Eric Sark:

If the furnace doesn't start, then the problem is in the furnace.

Eric Sark:

Okay, so now I guess we should get into some furnace facts first here, just so we're kind of understanding.

Eric Sark:

The rv furnace.

Eric Sark:

I mean, you got one in your rv, obviously, so you know everything about it, right?

Eric Sark:

Okay.

Eric Sark:

So you do want to make sure it works.

Eric Sark:

This is something that when you start having problems with it, don't delay.

Eric Sark:

The problems aren't going to go away.

Eric Sark:

A squeaky motor is just going to get worse.

Eric Sark:

Then you're going to be replacing it or it's going to fail on you.

Eric Sark:

While you're out camping, the bearings are going to seize up or the motor will seize up and stop working.

Eric Sark:

No motor, no tiki, right?

Eric Sark:

So you want ticky, you want to stay warm.

Eric Sark:

So now, a furnace is something that a lot of rvers can repair themselves.

Eric Sark:

And you're the smart rver listening to this show.

Eric Sark:

So you're a do it yourselfer type of guy or gal.

Eric Sark:

So you have the tools, you have the ability.

Eric Sark:

It's part of your skill set.

Eric Sark:

If it's not part of your skill set, that's fine, just take it to a service center and get it done.

Eric Sark:

But knowing that there's a problem, and so that's part of learning this stuff, too, or hearing it, it helps even the people that maybe don't have that mechanical skill set to be a little more in tune to what's going on.

Eric Sark:

You know, I've said this before.

Eric Sark:

I listen to the show on, on an AM radio station in LA 640.

Eric Sark:

I think it was about gardening.

Eric Sark:

Every Saturday morning I listened to it.

Eric Sark:

I'm not into gardening.

Eric Sark:

Could care less.

Eric Sark:

But, you know, for the last, I don't know, 40 years, 30 years, I pulled little rabbits out of my hat when it comes to doing things out in the yard from that show.

Eric Sark:

So who knows what rabbit you might pull out of your hat?

Eric Sark:

And then if your family doesn't know, they all.

Eric Sark:

Look how cool dad is.

Eric Sark:

He just fixed the furnace, man, like, check him out.

Eric Sark:

We didn't think he could do it, but he did it.

Eric Sark:

So.

Eric Sark:

So, you know, there's basic things keeping the furnace clean.

Eric Sark:

If you have pets in the rv, generally there's a vent in front of the furnace, a grill of some kind.

Eric Sark:

You can pull that out, vacuum around the furnace, get all that pet hair, dander, whatever out of there.

Eric Sark:

I mean, it's going to be different for every rv, depending how the furnace is located, what you have for pets, you know, what your kids are like, if they're throwing stuff everywhere, pillow fights, feathers flying, who knows?

Eric Sark:

So you want to do that.

Eric Sark:

That's basic maintenance.

Eric Sark:

That's about all you can do.

Eric Sark:

And don't ever put a filter on an rv furnace.

Eric Sark:

They're not made for filters, so a filter is out of the question.

Eric Sark:

So now let's get back to the basics of the furnace.

Eric Sark:

You know, before you ever start thinking the furnace is at fault, make sure that you have propane going to the furnace or at least to the rv.

Eric Sark:

So turn on the stove, see if the water heater works.

Eric Sark:

If those things work, you're good on the propane side.

Eric Sark:

And even the propane regulator would probably be good because those other things are working.

Eric Sark:

Now, a furnace sucks more volume of propane, but more than likely it'll be okay.

Eric Sark:

So make sure you have propane.

Eric Sark:

The tank's turned on all that stuff.

Eric Sark:

And make sure that it's above half or the more that's in it, the better it works.

Eric Sark:

Now, also make sure you have plenty of battery power.

Eric Sark:

So if you're plugged into shore power, generally, that's going to solve that problem.

Eric Sark:

If you're not on shore power, make sure your batteries are charged up and they're in good shape.

Eric Sark:

You want at least twelve and a half volts.

Eric Sark:

The furnace will not work at a certain point, so you want twelve and a half volts.

Eric Sark:

So if your batteries are good, you got propane.

Eric Sark:

Okay?

Eric Sark:

Now you start digging into it.

Eric Sark:

And, you know, generally furnaces don't have manual shut off valves for propane.

Eric Sark:

Sometimes you see one here or there, some might add one, you know, if you have it.

Eric Sark:

I mean, I don't know why you'd turn it off, but you'd know if you did.

Eric Sark:

So check the valve if you have one.

Eric Sark:

You know, some dometic Atwood hydroflame furnaces have an on off switch on them suburbans, you know, that switch, it typically is always on in some furnaces.

Eric Sark:

You can't even get to it to turn it off.

Eric Sark:

So be aware of that.

Eric Sark:

So, like, if you're reaching around on, let's say, an Atwood furnace and you're got your arm into, it'd be the, I don't know what you call it, the front of the back.

Eric Sark:

The side is closest to the outside of the RV.

Alexis:

Mm hmm.

Eric Sark:

There's a switch in there so you could inadvertently turn it off and not even know it.

Alexis:

Gotcha.

Eric Sark:

So being, you know, have that in mind.

Eric Sark:

There's a switch on on most furnaces, an on off switch or off reset.

Eric Sark:

It's just an on off switch.

Eric Sark:

Sometimes it says reset.

Eric Sark:

So those are the basics.

Eric Sark:

Okay.

Eric Sark:

Now, if you have power, you have propane, then the furnace should work.

Eric Sark:

So if you turn the thermostat on and the blower starts blowing, you know, maybe it's not igniting, but it's blowing, that means your thermostat's working.

Eric Sark:

So the thermostat's not an issue.

Eric Sark:

So get that out of your head now go to the furnace now.

Eric Sark:

And sometimes you have to have a person inside flipping the thermostat while someone's outside to listen.

Eric Sark:

Sometimes you can't hear the spark, but you can hear the flame when it ignites, you hear it, it gets louder, sounds like a small jet.

Eric Sark:

It has a rumble to it.

Eric Sark:

And when you hear that, if it does that, then it's lighting, or if it only does for a few seconds, and it lit for a few seconds.

Eric Sark:

So things are working to a degree.

Eric Sark:

So there's all different problems where the furnace, you know, the blower might not come on.

Eric Sark:

Now, it could be the thermostat, but it could be a bad blower motor, too.

Eric Sark:

So that goes back into checking the thermostat and bypassing it.

Eric Sark:

In a blower motor, it could have 12 volts going to it, but it's just not turning.

Eric Sark:

It's just gone bad.

Eric Sark:

Sometimes they seize up.

Eric Sark:

Sometimes they just quit working.

Eric Sark:

It might still spin.

Eric Sark:

So you have to dig into them a little bit.

Eric Sark:

And some furnaces, you can work on them.

Eric Sark:

In the RV, if it's a hydroflame, an atwood, a dometic, they are set up.

Eric Sark:

Not every one of them, but some of them are installed at the factory.

Eric Sark:

So you can access most of the components from the outside of the rV, which is kind of nice in some ways, but on those furnaces, you still can't get to the limit.

Eric Sark:

Switch.

Eric Sark:

You got to pull the furnace out in most cases, because unless it's installed just so.

Eric Sark:

Yeah, but, you know, typically for me, I just pull the furnace out.

Eric Sark:

It's easier just to pull it out, throw it on a bench, hook it up to a battery and a propane tank, and away you go.

Eric Sark:

And, you know, even if you don't have propane, you can at least see if the.

Eric Sark:

It's.

Eric Sark:

The blower's coming on, it's sparking, maybe the blower's not coming on.

Eric Sark:

So that's your big issue.

Eric Sark:

Maybe the rotor is bad, so you don't need propane for that.

Eric Sark:

You just need 12 volts.

Eric Sark:

But if you had propane to hook up to it to get it running on a bench.

Eric Sark:

Sometimes that's easier.

Eric Sark:

The rv, sometimes it's awkward to work on them.

Eric Sark:

For me, I'm six foot three inches tall, so I actually have to sit in a chair to be down at the furnace level to be able to see in it, you know.

Eric Sark:

But now if you're only like 2ft.

Eric Sark:

No, I'm not going to say it.

Eric Sark:

If you're very short, that's real easy.

Eric Sark:

But anyway, so.

Eric Sark:

And you know, taking a furnace out really is not a big deal.

Eric Sark:

It's a few wires, propane hose, a few screws, and you pull that sucker out.

Eric Sark:

Generally you don't have to take the vent out on the side, you know, on the outside, you know, you leave all that there.

Eric Sark:

Dometics, atwoods, hydro flames, if they have a door on the outside, there's a few more screws, but they're pretty simple.

Eric Sark:

You know, it's not a massive thing.

Eric Sark:

So that gives you the basics, kind of getting you started there.

Eric Sark:

Now, we don't have time to cover all of the scenarios, but keep this in mind.

Eric Sark:

Most of the furnaces on the blower motor, somewhere when you have it in front of you, there's a sticker and it has a diagnostic chart on it and the circuit board has a light on it.

Eric Sark:

And so the light will blink, like one time, two times fast, three times fast.

Eric Sark:

And that gives you an idea of what could be wrong.

Eric Sark:

Like one blank, could be airflow issues, or is it five?

Eric Sark:

I forget, but the label says so and so then, okay, airflow.

Eric Sark:

So could that be the sail switch?

Eric Sark:

Could there be debris in the burner chamber inside the rv?

Eric Sark:

Sometimes they get built up with dust and dirt.

Eric Sark:

They get so filthy they just don't work right.

Eric Sark:

Or even a bug or two in the bur.

Eric Sark:

Not the burner chamber, but the burner itself, where your flame is.

Eric Sark:

A bug in there can actually throw the propane off so it doesn't stay lit.

Eric Sark:

So little things like that.

Eric Sark:

But basically, you know, I'm going to have this on our website so you guys can read it and follow it.

Eric Sark:

Most furnaces work the same.

Eric Sark:

They have power that goes in, the motor starts spinning up and it gets to a certain rpm and the sail switch, which you can't see, you can see the outside or the backside of it where the wires connect.

Eric Sark:

But the sail itself is in the same compartment as the blower motor and fan.

Eric Sark:

So the air blows the sail switch, it depresses the switch.

Eric Sark:

Get it?

Eric Sark:

Sail switch, and then when that happens, it tells the circuit board, hey, everything's cool here.

Eric Sark:

So if you want to start letting propane into the gas valve and start sparking, go ahead and do it.

Eric Sark:

So there's built in safety nets.

Eric Sark:

So when.

Eric Sark:

If something goes wrong that first doesn't keep dumping gas into the chamber, if, like, let's say, the blower quits working out this flame with no fan blowing the heat, you know, turn into a bomb.

Eric Sark:

So there's little safety things built in.

Eric Sark:

You can't overheat the furnace.

Eric Sark:

Typically, they have two switches for that.

Eric Sark:

Which one's the limit switch?

Eric Sark:

One's the sail switch.

Eric Sark:

So it goes through this sequence, and almost all furnaces are the same.

Eric Sark:

The only difference is, sometimes the power goes through the limit switch before it goes to the sail switch.

Eric Sark:

In some brands, it goes through the sail switch before it goes to the limit switch.

Eric Sark:

But either way, it's going to make a circle there.

Eric Sark:

And both of those the limit switch and the sail switch.

Eric Sark:

If you're suspect of it, let's say you don't have a voltmeter handy, which I say time and time again, you gotta have a voltmeter at least now to check ohms and volts.

Eric Sark:

1220 and 110 volts.

Eric Sark:

If you got that, you're probably pretty good.

Eric Sark:

Alexis, how often do I walk around here with a test light?

Alexis:

All the time.

Eric Sark:

No test light.

Alexis:

Oh, never.

Eric Sark:

Never.

Eric Sark:

How often do I walk on here with a volt meter?

Eric Sark:

All the time.

Eric Sark:

So I, you know, I have a test light.

Eric Sark:

I don't even know where it is.

Eric Sark:

I keep one in our.

Eric Sark:

Each one of our cars, just for an emergency sake.

Eric Sark:

But when I travel, I bring a volt meter.

Eric Sark:

So you gotta have a volt meter.

Eric Sark:

So anyways, if you don't have a volt meter or a test light, you can always just jump the sail switch and the limit switch, not, you know, not together.

Eric Sark:

So the sail switch, you just pull each wire off and put a wire between the two of them.

Eric Sark:

It replaces the sail switch.

Eric Sark:

Now, before you do that, you can put in one wire, but turn the furnace on first, and when it's on the workbench, you just take the two blue wires and tie them together.

Eric Sark:

And that by that acts like the thermostat, so that's a permanent on.

Eric Sark:

It won't turn off that way.

Eric Sark:

So you do that and then put the jumper lead into the other wire for the sail switch.

Eric Sark:

And then everything will start working normally, and it'll help you diagnose the problem.

Eric Sark:

If the sail switch is bad, and you bypass it, then the furnace will light up.

Eric Sark:

And the same with the limit switch.

Eric Sark:

If it's bad, you bypass it, the furnace will light up and stay lit.

Eric Sark:

So those are some basic little tests.

Eric Sark:

And also, when you take a furnace out, if the sail switch is one that's hard to get to, especially if you're near it, and maybe you have it apart, put a new one in that way, it's just done out of the way.

Eric Sark:

Little bits of dust and dirt can ruin a sail switch.

Eric Sark:

Now, if you have an Atwood dometic hydroflame furnace where it's accessible from the outside, you know, there's generally two screws holding on.

Eric Sark:

You're just very visible.

Eric Sark:

Then I wouldn't worry about it so much.

Eric Sark:

You know, you can access it anytime.

Eric Sark:

And you could carry a spare sail switches if you wanted to.

Eric Sark:

You just have to keep it someplace where it's not going to get ruined.

Eric Sark:

They're kind of delicate in their own little way, like something like an awning fabric.

Eric Sark:

You know what, it's not on an rv.

Eric Sark:

Those things are a nightmare.

Eric Sark:

They tear, they scratch super easy.

Eric Sark:

But when they're on the rv up.

Eric Sark:

Just noticed something here.

Eric Sark:

All right, so we got a little technical glitch, but we're going to keep on going.

Eric Sark:

Um, but when they're on the rv, they're very strong and powerful.

Eric Sark:

So sail switches, circuit boards can be like that.

Eric Sark:

You know, a circuit board floating around in a cupboard could be horrible, right?

Eric Sark:

And, you know, circuit boards fail on furnaces quite a bit.

Eric Sark:

Sail switches do.

Eric Sark:

Those are probably the two bigger things that we replace the most of, sail switches and circuit boards.

Eric Sark:

But I don't know, I'd carry a spare circuit board, a sail switch, probably, you know, especially if you had yours out and you bought one to replace it and you got a spare.

Eric Sark:

That way you can match it up, make sure it's the same, because some furnaces have different parts based on the serial number.

Eric Sark:

So a sail switch for, let's say, an Atwood AFMD, whatever, might work on the one model of it, but not another model with a different serial number.

Eric Sark:

So you just need to be aware of that.

Eric Sark:

And serial numbers sometimes are very good to give or have available when you're going to get a part for your furnace.

Eric Sark:

And sometimes, even with a serial number, a model number, you still can't figure it out.

Eric Sark:

So matching them up is good.

Eric Sark:

Like with blower motor, sometimes there's three for it.

Eric Sark:

You can't figure out the serial number, what they're asking for.

Eric Sark:

Those would be one of three, you know, and I wouldn't carry a spare blower motor unless you're going to the ends of the earth somewhere.

Eric Sark:

So, you know, it's, it's a sequence, and that's what's important that you understand.

Eric Sark:

It's not so much the parts themselves, but it's the sequence of how the power works.

Eric Sark:

And understanding that sequence will help you to walk through the diagnosis.

Eric Sark:

And when you got power going everywhere, except maybe the gas valve, when it starts to, the spark starts igniting or sparking, but it doesn't ignite.

Eric Sark:

So is the gas valve opening okay?

Eric Sark:

Is it, is it could be the sail switch, could it be the gas valve or the circuit board?

Eric Sark:

Circuit boards can be tested, and that's part of the operation.

Eric Sark:

They test them for gas valve and spark, and that's it.

Eric Sark:

But that's usually enough to diagnose it.

Eric Sark:

So if the circuit board is good and the sail switch is good, more than likely the gas valve is going to be bad.

Eric Sark:

All this can be done with a voltmeter testing for power and a gas valve.

Eric Sark:

If you're pretty sure it's it, you can take the power off of it and hook up 12 volts to each side of it.

Eric Sark:

There's two solenoids that are driven by magnets, and you can tap 12 volts to each one, one at a time and see if it works.

Eric Sark:

Sometimes one might work very weekly.

Eric Sark:

If you have your finger on there, you feel it, it doesn't have a lot of oomph, and the other one will, like, just slam into place.

Eric Sark:

Well, the first one's probably going bad.

Eric Sark:

Yeah, and maybe not completely failed.

Eric Sark:

And also, keep in mind, sometimes these magnets will, they'll open the gas valve and then they'll go for a little bit and they lose their strength, and the magnet will shut, or shut the solenoid off, or allow the solenoid to shut the gauss valve off.

Eric Sark:

So that happens too, and it's not that common, but it does happen.

Eric Sark:

We just had one in here the other day when the furnace was freezing cold.

Eric Sark:

It wouldn't work at all.

Eric Sark:

Got a little warmer, and the gas valve was still up a little longer, but then it was still shut off.

Eric Sark:

Put a new gas valve with new solenoids on it, problem went away.

Eric Sark:

So that's an odd scenario.

Eric Sark:

It happens in refrigerators too.

Eric Sark:

Seems like with norcols more than dometics, so.

Eric Sark:

But generally, gas valves are pretty straightforward.

Eric Sark:

They work or they don't, and gas valves, from my experience, don't go bad.

Eric Sark:

Nearly as often as other parts like circuit boards and sail switches.

Eric Sark:

So, like I said, we'll have this on the website.

Eric Sark:

A little more information, like reading it makes it easier too.

Eric Sark:

So reading through the sequence and understanding it.

Eric Sark:

And then if you, you know, find out your model number of your furnace, download the manual for it from the manufacturer's website.

Eric Sark:

And a lot of times they have in the manual or a separate one, how to diagnose your furnace if it fails.

Eric Sark:

And those are handy because they generally show the sequence as well, along with a wiring diagram.

Eric Sark:

Wiring diagrams.

Eric Sark:

Sometimes you have to understand them, but they help you.

Eric Sark:

Like maybe, oh, just to see how things are going, where this should be, what color that wire is, because they're pretty accurate as far as the wire colors and stuff, too.

Eric Sark:

It's not like a lot of these chinese diagrams that are tell you it's a blue wire and it's actually pink.

Eric Sark:

You know, they're pretty accurate.

Eric Sark:

Even with our black and white pictures, it still helps quite a bit.

Eric Sark:

And it helps you to go into with your eyes wide open.

Eric Sark:

So you're not blindly trying to fix the furnace because, you know, so many people just buy parts and they throw them at the furnace.

Eric Sark:

It's got to be the circuit board because that's the easiest thing.

Eric Sark:

They throw that in there.

Eric Sark:

It's not it.

Eric Sark:

There's a couple hundred bucks down the drain.

Eric Sark:

If they bought a dinosaur board, you know, because you can't return it, then they buy something else.

Eric Sark:

Something else.

Eric Sark:

It's.

Eric Sark:

It's silly.

Eric Sark:

You don't need to do that, right.

Eric Sark:

You know, and if you bought a sales switch, it doesn't fix.

Eric Sark:

And that's not the end of the world.

Eric Sark:

It's just the timeout doing it.

Eric Sark:

But if you can get it on the workbench, sometimes it's just that much easier.

Eric Sark:

You know, if you can work on it on the side of your rv, the door opens up and you can get to it that way.

Eric Sark:

That's great if it works for you.

Eric Sark:

Like I said, they're sometimes not that much harder to take out.

Eric Sark:

And just put on a workbench, hooking up a propane tank.

Eric Sark:

You can use one of your tanks on your rv, depending on how it's configured.

Eric Sark:

You know, you can.

Eric Sark:

If you had a quick connect on the side of it, you can plug right into there with another fitting, go to the furnace and plug off the line.

Eric Sark:

The furnace line you disconnected with the three eight male flare plug.

Eric Sark:

By the way, furnaces uses three eight male flare fittings on them.

Eric Sark:

So making your line.

Eric Sark:

That's what you want on one end and whatever you can do on the other end to get your tank.

Eric Sark:

So you got options there.

Eric Sark:

Battery power is easy.

Eric Sark:

You know, you could even jump into the battery on your trailer if you had to.

Eric Sark:

You can make up some wires.

Eric Sark:

So that's not that hard.

Eric Sark:

It's just a little ingenuity.

Eric Sark:

And if you're a do it yourself or that stuff becomes that much easier and you'll use it again, your furnace won't last forever.

Eric Sark:

It's going to break again.

Eric Sark:

And heck, maybe you'll become the furnace repair guy in the neighborhood.

Eric Sark:

Who knows, right?

Eric Sark:

Yeah, you know, the furnace repair guy.

Eric Sark:

All right.

Eric Sark:

So like I said, I'll have more of this on our info, on our information, on our website for everybody.

Eric Sark:

So you can read it, follow along better, but that kind of runs through it gives you an idea, builds up that confidence.

Eric Sark:

You're the smart rver.

Eric Sark:

You got to be able to do the stuff yourself.

Eric Sark:

You don't want a neighborhood laughing at you.

Eric Sark:

You want to laugh at them, right?

Eric Sark:

All right.

Eric Sark:

So now, along with repairs, quite often, we go to YouTube.

Eric Sark:

Now, we don't have a lot of repair specific videos.

Eric Sark:

We have a lot of videos to help you make good purchase decisions.

Eric Sark:

But you probably go to YouTube to find out how to repair your furnace.

Eric Sark:

And you probably get it wrong.

Eric Sark:

Well, they get it wrong and teach you how to do it wrong.

Eric Sark:

Sometimes they get it right.

Eric Sark:

But while you're there, check out our YouTube channel.

Eric Sark:

We're trying to build it up.

Eric Sark:

We want to have 10,000 subscribers by the end of the year.

Eric Sark:

We're a ways away from that.

Eric Sark:

So we need you to have your dog, subscribe your cat.

Eric Sark:

If you got a gopher in the yard, say, hey, gopher, come here.

Eric Sark:

Come on in for a minute.

Eric Sark:

We're not going to kill you.

Eric Sark:

Subscribe.

Eric Sark:

Yeah, after he subscribes, you can kill him.

Eric Sark:

But get that subscription first.

Eric Sark:

If you have children, get.

Eric Sark:

Get a Gmail account in their name.

Eric Sark:

Don't tell them about it.

Eric Sark:

Just do it and subscribe.

Alexis:

You're gonna need one anyway.

Eric Sark:

Well, yeah, but, you know, this is for important business purposes.

Eric Sark:

So in other words, we want everybody in the world to subscribe.

Eric Sark:

You know, when you go to your doctor, log into his computer, subscribe him.

Eric Sark:

If you're buying a new rv and the financing guy leaves, get on his computer, subscribe with his email.

Eric Sark:

You know, he's priority logged into his Gmail account.

Eric Sark:

You don't even have to do anything.

Eric Sark:

Just subscribe.

Eric Sark:

Just go to YouTube.

Eric Sark:

Our channel.

Eric Sark:

Subscribe.

Eric Sark:

So go to YouTube, the smart rver, and subscribe.

Eric Sark:

So we appreciate that.

Eric Sark:

We really like it and appreciate what you guys do for us to support the show.

Eric Sark:

All right, now we're going to go to the next stop and Alexis is going to reminisce for a moment as we talk about bakeries on the eastern seaboard.

Alexis:

Here we go.

Alexis:

Okay.

Alexis:

Dim the lights, start the music, light the fire.

Alexis:

It's story time.

Alexis:

You know, when I was a kid, one of my favorite memories, truly was when my dad would spring me from school, because sometimes he would, don't tell my mom.

Alexis:

Hopefully she's not listening.

Alexis:

She probably is.

Alexis:

And we'd go to series Bakery downtown.

Alexis:

And just the smell, when you'd walk in, it was warm and it smelled good.

Alexis:

And I would always get a.

Alexis:

Just a hot cup of cocoa and a nice big cinnamon roll.

Alexis:

It was my favorite thing ever.

Alexis:

And I still remember how it tastes.

Alexis:

It was so, so good.

Alexis:

Sugary.

Alexis:

Of course, kids love that.

Alexis:

I still love that.

Alexis:

You know, it doesn't do me any favors now that I'm older, but it was so, so fun and yeah, I love it.

Eric Sark:

So when you are looking for our next, next stop, you were thinking about bakeries.

Eric Sark:

And so you found that the ten best bakeries on the east, and a.

Alexis:

Lot of them are in New York, kind of in the same vicinity.

Alexis:

But we've got a few listed here.

Alexis:

They'll be on the website, too, but just a few.

Alexis:

One of them is Mike's pastry in Boston.

Alexis:

It's been there since:

Alexis:

There's a lot of history that goes with these bakeries.

Alexis:

They have cannolis.

Alexis:

I mean, come on.

Alexis:

And it's just a neat atmosphere.

Alexis:

A lot of other things.

Alexis:

Of course, you know what you expect when you go to a bakery.

Alexis:

There's bread's bakery, which is pretty famous.

Alexis:

It's in Union Square in New York City.

Alexis:

So that's kind of a famous one.

Alexis:

But it's known for its chocolate babka, which is a really good european type pastry.

Alexis:

So I don't know that I've ever had babka, but I would try it.

Eric Sark:

You know, I've always wondered about that because that's in an episode of Seinfeld.

Eric Sark:

Isn't that funny how all things go back to Seinfeld?

Alexis:

Love it.

Eric Sark:

I love it.

Eric Sark:

Man, what a genius show.

Eric Sark:

Yep.

Alexis:

And there's a couple other bakeries in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and Vermont and Maine.

Alexis:

So if you're looking for kind of like a bakery tour, which I think would be actually really fun, you know, because all these states are pretty close to each other.

Eric Sark:

Right.

Alexis:

You could kind of do that if you're.

Alexis:

If you're in that area or going to be there for a while.

Eric Sark:

Hit.

Alexis:

Hit the big bakery.

Eric Sark:

Yeah.

Eric Sark:

You know, it's fun.

Alexis:

Take a picture.

Eric Sark:

It's like another hobby, right?

Alexis:

Yeah.

Eric Sark:

Instead of hopping, because almost everywhere you go, there's gonna be a bakery of some kind.

Alexis:

Yeah.

Alexis:

Your heart doctor might not love it, but.

Eric Sark:

Nah, but, you know, you don't have to buy something horrible every time.

Alexis:

That's true.

Eric Sark:

That's bad.

Eric Sark:

Don't.

Eric Sark:

You can buy some bread.

Alexis:

Yeah.

Eric Sark:

You know, or you could buy stuff and send it to your friends so they get all fat and have heart problems and everything else.

Alexis:

You know, one thing I think, too, is some of these are family, you know.

Alexis:

So if you can get the story if you're there, how fun would that be to kind of understand, you know, where they're coming from and.

Eric Sark:

Right.

Eric Sark:

You know, it's amazing, too, some of these bakeries become so popular that people from everywhere go there.

Eric Sark:

You know, they.

Eric Sark:

Oh, yeah, we got to go to the bakery, whatever it might be.

Eric Sark:

So check them out.

Eric Sark:

These are all, you know, they're in the same general area.

Eric Sark:

One of them was a little farther away, but they're on the east.

Eric Sark:

East coast of the United States.

Alexis:

Yeah, just do it.

Alexis:

Be fun.

Eric Sark:

Yeah.

Eric Sark:

Virginia, I think, was the farthest one south there, but, yeah.

Eric Sark:

So check them out.

Eric Sark:

You know, bakeries are cool.

Eric Sark:

And, you know, it seems like food is always good.

Eric Sark:

You know, we remember, you know, a lot of bakeries.

Eric Sark:

You know, maybe donuts are like, the sweet stuff isn't their extreme specialty.

Eric Sark:

It's breads.

Eric Sark:

Right?

Eric Sark:

Cheese bread, jalapeno bread.

Eric Sark:

You know, the bread so good, you put up more bread in it.

Eric Sark:

Yeah, bread.

Eric Sark:

Bread sandwich, you know.

Eric Sark:

Yeah.

Eric Sark:

So check out the bakeries.

Alexis:

Yes, do it.

Eric Sark:

And then, you know, every time you're in a bakery, you can think of Alexis in her childhood stuff in her face with, you know, cinnamon rolls.

Alexis:

Okay.

Alexis:

I told my favorite.

Alexis:

What do you.

Alexis:

Your favorite pastry of all time, like, you would just eat no matter what.

Eric Sark:

You know, it used to be cream filled donuts from Dunkin donut.

Alexis:

I love it.

Eric Sark:

When I was a kid, I grew up in Torrance, California.

Eric Sark:

There's a Dunkin donuts there.

Eric Sark:

And to my knowledge, that was the only Dunkin donuts on the face of the earth because they were not on the west coast.

Eric Sark:

Yeah, it was an east coast brand, but they had the best cream filled donut.

Eric Sark:

older, I remember this is in:

Eric Sark:

Somewhere in there.

Eric Sark:

I went to:

Eric Sark:

And I'm gonna get a cream filled donut.

Eric Sark:

Yeah, I got one, had a few bites and chucked it.

Eric Sark:

It just wasn't the same.

Eric Sark:

Like, what was I thinking?

Eric Sark:

This thing sucks, you know, but, you know, that was then.

Eric Sark:

Now, I don't know.

Eric Sark:

Maple bars are probably the best.

Alexis:

Yeah, here we go.

Eric Sark:

But, yeah, so anyway, all right, now we're really going on here.

Alexis:

So we are.

Eric Sark:

All right, so let's hit the rv envy.

Eric Sark:

And here we go with rv envy.

Eric Sark:

You know, it doesn't always have to be something great and fantastic.

Eric Sark:

And I've said that before because, you know, tongue jack storage covers, how exciting are they?

Eric Sark:

You know, like, you pack up the kids and the wife and.

Eric Sark:

Okay, we're gonna go buy a tongue jack cover today, guys.

Eric Sark:

Oh, really, dad?

Eric Sark:

Are we?

Eric Sark:

Are we?

Eric Sark:

Yeah, yeah, we're gonna go to the rv store and, man, we're just gonna.

Eric Sark:

We're gonna do it.

Eric Sark:

You know, I've got the money set aside.

Eric Sark:

I've been saving up.

Eric Sark:

No, we don't do that.

Eric Sark:

No, it's a tongue jack cover.

Eric Sark:

Who cares, right?

Eric Sark:

Well, you know, with electric jacks anymore, they're not the best quality.

Eric Sark:

Some brands have everything exposed.

Eric Sark:

They have little touch pads that are exposed to the elements, the sun, the weather, and they don't last.

Eric Sark:

And, you know, it kind of took me a while to kind of put two and two together because really, I'm not the guy to buy covers for a lot of stuff.

Eric Sark:

You know, whatever.

Eric Sark:

I let the sun do it, it's going to do.

Eric Sark:

But these tongue jacks, you can't always buy parts for them, and it's kind of a hassle.

Eric Sark:

So you buy a cover or make a cover.

Eric Sark:

If you buy one, great.

Eric Sark:

If you make something, it doesn't matter as long as it keeps the sun and the water off of it.

Eric Sark:

It's going to extend the life of that tongue jack.

Eric Sark:

You know, Barker makes really good ones that are more waterproof.

Eric Sark:

Lippert has tried theirs.

Eric Sark:

Theirs aren't so good for the elements.

Eric Sark:

They're nice looking and all, but we sell more lippert parts than we do anything else.

Eric Sark:

Now, lippers aren't a lot of trailers, though, so I got to give them that.

Eric Sark:

But I would get a cover for the tongue jack, electric tongue jack, or make one and the same with a manual tongue jack, you know, because they're pretty basic.

Eric Sark:

It's just gears.

Eric Sark:

They seem to last forever.

Eric Sark:

But if you put a cover over it, it keeps the water out, you know, and it keeps some of the dirt out.

Eric Sark:

So it's going to work better and those gears are going to last longer.

Eric Sark:

And then, you know, a lot of them have zerk fittings on them, grease them or spray something in there, do something to maintain them.

Eric Sark:

It's going to help, but that cover will make a difference.

Eric Sark:

It doesn't have to be anything fancy, just something to keep it dry and dry and dry keeps the dust out.

Eric Sark:

So that's it.

Eric Sark:

Cover that tongue jack, whether it's manual or electric, and it's going to extend the life, especially if it's an electric one light.

Eric Sark:

All right, so one last final shout out here to go to YouTube and check out the smart rver channel and subscribe.

Eric Sark:

Now, we're going to leave that alone until the next episode, which is going to be episode 163.

Eric Sark:

Now, we have not developed that one yet or produced it because we're going to wait because that comes out November 8 and we want to see if the world is still in existence after the elections.

Alexis:

Oh, boy.

Eric Sark:

Yeah, we hear that the world's no longer gonna be here.

Eric Sark:

I don't know.

Eric Sark:

So we're just gonna play it by ear.

Eric Sark:

Okay.

Eric Sark:

You know, we're kind of neutral on all this, but we just want to wait and see what happens, see if some great epiphany hits us, you know?

Eric Sark:

So anyways, well, you might be living in your rv by then.

Eric Sark:

If the world comes to crashes to the pieces like some of the experts are saying, we'll see.

Eric Sark:

All right, so hopefully we, we see that or hear from you or you hear us, something like that.

Eric Sark:

Either way, ever how that works, if there's an Internet, who knows?

Eric Sark:

I mean, it's really hard to say.

Eric Sark:

So we've had a great show today.

Eric Sark:

We've covered some grounds, some great little points for everybody.

Eric Sark:

I want to thank Alexis for sharing her childhood bad eating habits with us.

Eric Sark:

Maybe next we can get into a little psychology to help her out.

Eric Sark:

Some beyond help.

Eric Sark:

All right, so, everybody, this is Eric Stark with the Smart RVR podcast.

Eric Sark:

And thank you so much for coming by.

Eric Sark:

It's been great hanging out with you.

Eric Sark:

So if I don't see on the road, let's connect at the smartrver.com.

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