This page covers more tips and tricks for Class-B Recreational Vehicles.
We hope you find them useful. Most are written for newer RVs, but there are some tips for older models as well.
If you have material you would like to submit or topics you would like added, please, let us know.
Page Contents:
Tip: Leveling
Tip: Height Measurement
Tip: Insulation
NEW: Installing/Removing RV Cover
Tip: AC temperature Test
TIP: Awnings
Tip: Filling from a Jug
Tip: Parking Option
Tip: Split Vacation
Tip: Long Term Storage
Tip: Water Pump Switch
TIP: Motion Lights
TIP: TV Connection
TIP: Water Tester
TIP: Step Light Switch
TIP: Shower Miser
TIP: Hot Shower Procedure
TIP: Ceiling Fan
TIP: Solar Off When Driving
TIP: Tape spare Fuses to Door
TIP: Traveling to Canada
Coming soon:
Tip: Entertainment System
Tip: Generator
========================================================
Leveling your van RV – The first step in setting up your van RV is finding a level area of the site so your breakfast eggs don’t slide to one side of the pan. With the help of a bubble level, you can jockey the van around to get as close as possible to being level from left to right. If it is still not level, it is time to break out the leveling blocks.
TIP#077: Countertop Level – Some locations to place a bubble level are on the floor, the rear bumper, or a countertop. I prefer using the stovetop so the pans on our induction cooktop won’t wander off while cooking.
(We now use a LevelMate Pro, which displays the level on our cell phone. The distance from level is displayed in inches, so you know how many blocks will be needed.).
Decide if you want the blocks initially positioned in front or back of the wheels. Front-to-back leveling will require more blocks than left-to-right because the wheelbase spacing is longer from front to back.
If you find you need several blocks for leveling, use additional blocks to create a drive-up ramp.
TIP#152: If you’ve used all your blocks and the van is still not level, another option is to lower the high side by digging a depression in the dirt for the tire to drop down into. If you can’t raise the bridge, lower the river. 😉
TIP#028: Cutting a leveling block in half can give you more stacking options.
TIP#244: Bed Level – I really prefer sleeping with my head up a little higher than my feet. If the campsite is a little low in the back, instead of hauling out the leveling blocks, we raise the head of the power couch up a few inches.
TIP#248: Leveling Blocks Other Uses – Leveling blocks have other uses than just leveling the van. A piece of plywood cut to level the protrusions makes a good platform for placing the emergency jack on.
Blocks can also be used when changing oil or inspecting the underside for broken hang straps.
Tipping the van can also help when emptying the tanks.
========================================================
How Tall is your Galleria? There are a couple factors involved instead of just saying it is 10 feet tall. Is it a 4×4? Air bag suspension or Rip-Kit? A Google search shows there are plenty of ways to measure the height. Boxy RVs, like trailers, hook a tape measure on the sharp corner of the roof, measure to the ground, and add the height of the AC. Vans with rounded corners are more difficult. One idea was to find a shop with a garage door that can be lowered to an inch or two above the AC, then measure from the door to ground.
TIP#197: Van Height Measuring – Our method used a ladder, a straight 2x2x6 board, a level, and a tape measure. Set the 2×2 on the AC and hold it level. Measure from the bottom of the 2×2 to the ground. Another is a longer 2×2 centered on the AC, measure each side to ground and average the two measurements. Whatever method you use, I think it will be just under 10 feet, but don’t take my word for it.
TIP#200: Van Height Sticker – Now that you have measured the height of your van, print a label and stick it on the top of your windshield for a quick reference. If you travel into Canada, add a height sticker in metric as well.
If you have an RV GPS, you can program it to avoid low overpasses. The places to watch out for are fast-food drive-thru-type structures.
========================================================
Van Insulation – Staying comfortable in a van RV requires insulation in the walls and ceiling. Some RV manufacturers use all kinds of bogus claims and exaggerations, from phase-change materials (which are NOT an insulation) to cozy wrap sound deadener, which is barely any kind of an insulation either.
Heat (and cold) is transferred in three ways: by conduction, convection, and radiation.
As an example – Heat a fry pan on a stove and hold your hand 6 inches above it. Much of the heat you feel is radiational heating. Now hold a sheet of aluminum foil between the pan and your hand. The radiational heat is reflected. Just imagine (Don’t do this!) what would happen if the aluminum foil were in the pan and your hand was pressing down in contact with the foil. You would feel high heat and probably get a burned hand. This is conductive heat transfer. Radiational foil only works WHEN THERE IS AN AIR GAP. Foil is a very poor insulator of conductive heat transfer and has an insulation factor of R-1 or less.
The very best insulator is NASA Aerogel, which has an R-value between R-10 and R-30. When you see claims of R-39 “Reflective” from a 0.20-inch-thick bubble wrap with thin foil in the middle, you can bet it is probably not true. Besides, there is no such thing as an R-value for reflective materials. Since the bubble wrap is in direct with the hot metal van skin, it is probably conducting the heat right through the material. After a review of the manufacturer’s claim of R-39, the test engineer admits the numbers are just his “estimate” and not based on any real world testing data.
TIP#066: Door Insulation – Short and sweet… there isn’t any. Say whaaaaat? One of the reasons your van is so difficult to heat and cool is that there is no insulation in any of the doors. It is speculated that manufacturers want to avoid the possibility of the insulation preventing the doors from operating properly. When you start calculating the square foot area of the doors (orange) and the windows (red), windshield, and engine compartment, it’s amazing that you can heat/cool the interior at all.
TIP#068: Windshield Cover – An external windshield cover blocks the heat before it gets inside the RV. We also extended the bottom portion to shade the wipers and keep leaves and twigs out of the hood gap.
TIP#156: Shade – When trying to cool the RV, shade is important. If possible, park under trees and/or extend the awning to shade the side of the van. I always liked the “arm” type awnings because you could tilt them way down to shade the side of the van. It was also much easier to clean them off and angle them for rain runoff.
TIP#159: Window Wrap – One way to reduce interior temperatures is to cover the windows with a reflective film or a perforated wrap. The wrap we used dropped the temperature of the glass by over 20 F degrees.
(RVers at Burning Man cover the outside of their windows with reflective foil.)
TIP#170: Color White – Another important consideration when trying to cool a RV is the color. Obviously, a black van is going to be blazing hot in the summer (advantages change in the winter). If possible, paint the roof white and the air conditioner cover white.
========================================================
Installing/Removing RV Cover:
TIP#284: RV Cover – A cover offers good protection from the elements, harsh sun, and debris from trees. We’ve used covers on our vans to protect them and have had no issues. Some people claim their covers have damaged the paint. Before covering ours, we wash and wax the van.
We have discovered a few tricks when installing and removing the cover. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004QHJ4VO/
1- Roll the sides up before installing or removing the cover.
2 – Lay the cover out on a clean surface where you can roll it up.
3 – We also roll up a pull strap into each end roll. That way, once it is up on the roof to be installed, you can just pull the strap to unroll each end.
4 – Roll from each end to make a double roll. Put a wide tape arrow on the cover so you know which end is the front.
5 – Roll up the cover and fold it in half, and it easily fits back in the bag.
6 – With the cover installed.
To install the cover:
1 – Place the cover up on the roof of the van, making sure it is oriented in the correct direction.
2 – Use the pull straps rolled up in each end to unroll the cover. We use a small broom to help position the cover as needed.
3 – Lower the sides and zip the zippers.
4 – Toss the securing straps under the van, clip them in, and pull tight.
========================================================
Air Conditioner – Sometimes, when you are parked in the middle of Death Valley in midsummer (definitely not recommended), you begin to wonder if the AC is even working. You paid top dollar for the optional insulation, and the perspiration is forming puddles on the floor.
Things to remember:
1- You are in a small metal box.
2 – White exterior is the coolest color.
3 – There is NO insulation in any of the doors.
4 – There’s a lot of glass.
5 – If it is hot inside, it will take a very long time to remove that heat mass from the interior components.
(Tell me again why you are ‘mobile’ but insist on camping in the heat? Go to Canada!)
TIP#004: AC Cooling Test – How to tell if AC is working –
1 – Using a thermometer, check the air being drawn in at the filter.
2 – Check the temperature of the air coming out of the vents.
If everything is working, you should see about a +20-degree drop in temperature between the two readings.
Circulation from the ProAir and Turbo-II air-conditioners is very poor and a small fan will help get cool air to the front of the van.
TIP#288: ProAir Voltage Check – Trouble shooting the ProAir AC, the compressor may cycle on and off due to low voltage. To check, remove the inside cover and locate the RED and BLACK power wires. Using a volt meter, check the voltage as the AC is running. If the voltage drops below 11.4 volts DC (drawing 60-70 amps), the compressor will shut off. The voltage will probably return to 13-14 VDC ( drawing 5-7 amps) when only the fan is running.
The Turbo-II AC on Gal_2.0 had a gaping hole in the air box that was sucking warm, moist air into the interior. It was originally sealed by a substance they called ” AC Cork Sealant Tape,” which is almost like a very thick tar substance with tiny bits of cork embedded in it. I can only assume this stuff prefers cooler climates instead of hot Florida summers. It had slid down into a lump at the bottom of the AC. We replaced it with AC metal tape and some canned foam. Other AC upgrades mentioned elsewhere: stainless hardware and rivet-nuts and bolts replacing the sheet metal screws; Loctite thread compound; and painted the cover white. (Update – Due to poor performance, we had the Truma 120 VAC air-conditioner installed at Truma in Lakeland, FL, and the van is now cold.
TIP#129: Front Partition – Another option for cooling the RV is to reduce the volume to be cooled by installing an insulated partition hanging between the cab area and the living area.
TIP#175: Circulation Fan – Due to the low airflow output that the AC produces, trying to chill the van’s interior is challenging. It may be helpful to use a fan to circulate the air around. One end will be cooler than the other because of the large amount of thermal mass inside the RV. It is not a problem as long as you are at the cooler end. 😉
TIP#180: Double Cooling – You can double the cooling effort if your RV is equipped to run the roof-mounted air conditioner while you’re driving to “cold-sink” the interior. Turn on the roof AC about 30 minutes before getting to camp. For added comfort, you may keep the engine’s air conditioner running as you set up camp.
========================================================
Awning Cleaning – The armless awnings used on vans have the disadvantage of being difficult to clean because they are so high up and don’t tilt down to sweep them off.
TIP#100: Isopropyl alcohol or turpentine can be used to clean off tree sap. Dish soap and a soft brush can be used to remove dirt and mold. Rinse well and let it air dry entirely.
TIP#116: Make sure there are no leaves or twigs on top when rolling up the awning. A tiny twig or piece of an acorn shell will quickly wear a hole through the awning from road vibration.
Awning Deployment While Driving – There have been a few cases of the awning extending while driving. There is a recall notice to add another module to turn off power when the ignition is on.
Recall – Travato has issued a recall for Carefree awnings due to the motor housing breaking and the awning unfurling while in motion. We are waiting to see if Coachmen considers this important.
TIP#190: There is a relay in the wheel well electrical box that cuts power to the awning when the ignition is on. To locate, start/stop engine while an assistant listens for the clicking of the relay.
TIP#199: If you are concerned about an unexpected awning deployment, another simple solution is to remove the awning fuse or install a combination fuse/switch. Another option some people have added is a Velcro strap around the awning to keep it from extending. (I prefer manually operated awnings!)
TIP#146: Door Step – This device hooks into the door latch loop to provide easy access to look around the roof or perform an emergency rewind of the awning. The step is very sturdy and wide enough for both feet.
TIP#181: Awning Controller – As mentioned elsewhere, our awning BT12 controller was burned out on delivery. The dealer said 6 months, so we bought one on Amazon. On our Galleria, it is located in the rear cabinet, passenger side, behind an end panel. The panel is attached with short staples and will pull off with a little effort. The BT stands for Bluetooth, and you can use an app to control it.
NOTE: You may notice a screw falling out on the left. This seems to be a common occurrence with the cabinetry in this van. You will also notice the power light on the BT12 is on even though it is in ‘store’ mode, not plugged in; and the inverter is turned off. I will need to look into that one a little more.
RECALL: There have been reports of the awning extending and retracting on its own, and it is now the subject of a recall. We will be adding a power kill switch like we did in our previous van to make sure it’s off!
========================================================
TIP#056: Fill Water from a Jug – If your RV is equipped with a Shower Miser valve, it is possible to use the winterization process to fill the fresh water tank from a jug of water. Set the Shower Miser to DIVERT and insert the antifreeze hose into a jug of water. Set the valves and turn on the water pump. The pump will pull the water from the jug, and the miser will divert the water into the fresh water tank.
========================================================
TIP#120: Water Faucet – Add a water faucet to your water hose to provide quick access to water when there’s only a single faucet at the pedestal. It is also a handy way to release pressure in the hose when disconnecting.
TIP#062: Outdoor Shower – The external shower is perfect for a day at the dog park beach. Other people at the beach will be envious when you shower off, rinse the dog, flush the sand from your flip-flops, and you’re ready to go inside and make a light lunch. After all, that’s why we buy Class-Bs!
========================================================
TIP#043: Parking – One option for parking on regular-size parking spots is to select ones on the lot edge and back in so the rear overhangs into the grass. Otherwise, park farther away and take up two spots.
TIP#122: Parking option in big cities – One trick we’ve used is to use airport long-term parking and use mass transit into the city. The parking fee is usually reasonable, and the long-term lots have plenty of room for vans. We have even left our van there for several days and stayed in a hotel in the heart of town while we Xplor.
TIP#128: Keep a collapsible canvas suitcase-type bag in the van for carrying clothes, etc. into hotels for the night. It avoids dragging a trash bag of clothes through the lobby. If your RV ever ends up in the repair shop for a few days, a hotel is always an option.
========================================================
TIP#150: Split Vacation – When you are on a very long trip with your RV, one option is to pause and return home for awhile. Rather than driving a long distance back home, find an RV storage facility and fly home for a month or two. For example: when traveling from Florida to out west, store the RV, fly home, and resume exploring the west coast at a later date.
TIP#128: That collapsible canvas suitcase mentioned above makes a great carry-on bag.
========================================================
TIP#006: Long Term Storage – When storing your van RV for the winter season, there are a number of steps to keep your van in the best shape. Empty the tanks and winterize the plumbing. Charge the house and chassis batteries. Once the batteries are charged, power off the 12-volt system by switching the USE/STORE switch to STORE mode. Turn off the breaker switches on the power panel. The Sprinter chassis battery can be disconnected from the connector inside the dash located next to the accelerator pedal. (Additional information coming soon.)
========================================================
Aux Water Pump Switch – Our first official outing with our van, we thought our water pump must be possessed by demons. It ran when the firefly pump control was turned off, city water hooked up, and even when the water pump fuse was pulled!!!
TIP#149: We discovered this coach had an auxiliary water pump switch in the rear, driver side that appears to be wired directly to power somewhere, and it must bypass the fuses (a little scary) and firefly system. We flipped the switch off and canceled the appointment with the exorcist, and we are now sleeping a little better. 
(Someday I’d like to add a rear outdoor shower setup, so this switch could come in handy.)
DONE! See rear shower installation.
TIP#135: If your pump is running continuously, you may have the shower miser valve set to BYPASS. In this mode, the valve diverts the hot water into the fresh water tank. If you are connected to city water, it may overfill the fresh water tank and run out on the ground. Other causes could be: air in the system, a broken pipe, or pump adjustment.
Oops: Another oops we made on our very first outing was forgetting to move the water fill valve lever from Fill to City after connecting the hose. It doesn’t take long to overfill the fresh water tank, and it overflowed under the van.
========================================================
TIP#023: Motion Light – One of the things we discovered right away was how much we disliked having to turn on the FireFly touch panel just to turn on a light in the middle of the night. It is a blinding experience. Instead, we installed a couple of battery-powered, motion-activated LED lights and added a tiny piece of red tape to filter the white light to red. (Red doesn’t mess up your night vision.)
Another suggestion is to add solar-powered outdoor motion lights, and mount them using business-card magnets glued to the base, and place them on the outside of the van when parked.
The magnets are sticky-backed business card magnets, 3.5×2 inches.
========================================================
TV, Antenna and Cable
Many Class-C manufacturers are installing “omni-directional” antennas. There are two main suppliers of these antennas: King and Wingard.
Neither of these antennas works very well. The advantage of Omni antennas is that they don’t need to be pointed in the direction of the TV transmitter towers like the older batwing-style antennas and don’t require a hole through the roof to turn them. This is also a disadvantage since they receive noise from 360 degrees around and lack directional filtering. The compact size also makes them less sensitive, and the distance to the transmitter is drastically reduced.
For example: Our area has over 84 channels, and the Omni only picks up 22. Of those received, only half are actually viewable, while the others are heavily pixelated. Another shortcoming is that their small size means they seldom receive the lower VHF channels 2-13.
Roof-mounted RV antennas contain an amplifier circuit in the head of the antenna. It is powered by the power booster, usually mounted on the wall near the TV.
A pushbutton switch turns on the power as indicated by a green LED light. 12-volts DC is sent through the coax cable from the power booster to the antenna head amplifier.
TIP#285: Over-The-Air TV
There are a few steps to follow when operating the TV using the roof mounted Omni antenna.
1 – Check that the coax cable is connected from the antenna booster “TV” connection to the back of the TV set.
2 – Turn on the booster push-button power switch so the green LED light is on.
3 – Plug in the power for the TV and turn it on.
Note: The TV installed in our Galleria is an 18-volt TV. Coachmen has modified them to operate on 12 volts DC by adding a power step-up circuit to convert the 12 volts to 18 volts.
4 – Select the TV set-up option or press the “TV” button on the remote to select signal input.
5 – Go to the “setup” menu (a gear symbol on the remote) and select Channel Scan. It should scan for 2-3 minutes. You don’t need to scan cable and satellite if you are just using the antenna.
6 – When completed, select “exit” on the remote and see what channels are available. Good Luck!
TIP#286: Cable TV Hookup – Many campgrounds, like KOA, have a cable TV connection available on the power pedestal. You will need a coax cable long enough to connect from the pedestal to the cable connector in the water box.
Inside the RV, the TV antenna amplifier power will remain OFF when using cable. (The amplifier is only needed when using the roof antenna.)
The coax wire from the antenna amplifier remains connected to the TV connector.
Turn on the TV, and go to the menu settings and select CABLE input.
You will need to run a channel scan for the TV to log the available channels. There may be digital as well as analog channels. (Digital may be the best quality.) You will need to run a scan each time you move to another campground.
TIP#058: To simplify connecting the campground cable TV to the RV, install a push-on adapter on the cable ends to make it easier than screwing on the cable connections.
A few trouble shooting steps:
1 – Does the green light on the booster come on? If so, the power booster is operating.
2 – Is the TV working? Can you see the setup menu? When you have a DVD in the stereo, does it play the movie?
3- Is the TV coax cable properly connected from the TV coax connector to the wall power booster coax connector labeled “TV”?
4 – Test the TV coax – Disconnect both ends of the cable.
-Shorted: Using a meter set to 100 ohms resistance, check for short by measuring from the center conductor to the outer connector. If it reads 0-20 ohms, the cable is shorted and needs to be replaced.
– Broken wire: Short out one end of the cable by connecting the center wire to the outer metal threaded portion of the cable using a jumper wire or sticking a bit of aluminum foil in the end; using the ohm meter, check the other end of the cable by measuring from the center wire to the outer metal threaded portion. If 0-20 ohms cable is OK.
5 – Remove the booster and check that the antenna coax is connected to the correct connector on the backside. It’s easy to get them mixed up, especially if they’re not labeled.
6 – Remove the antenna head. It is held on by a single screw under the flying saucer. Using a DC volt meter, check for 12-volts in the coax cable when the power is on at the booster.
7 – If you don’t see 12 volts, check the coax using the above testing procedure.
8 – If the TV antenna works but not the cable hookup, check the “cable TV” wire using the above testing to make sure it is the “cable TV” wire.
9 – Check the Satellite cable the same way and label it if needed.
========================================================
TIP#169: Water Tester – When it is time to refill your fresh water tank, it’s good to know the water quality. A simple tester can tell you how pure the water is.
========================================================
TIP#059: Exterior Step Light – The rear courtesy light and outside step light for the sliding door are controlled by the Sprinter overhead dash control panel.
The switch on the rear courtesy light also controls the step light.
========================================================
TIP#095: Shower Miser – Many newer model RVs have a water-saving feature called a Shower Miser. In simple terms, it diverts water back into the fresh water tank until the hot water gets to the shower faucet. You will only need to set it to DIVERT for about 30-45 seconds, then switch it to the SHOWER position. All this assumes the Truma water heater has been on long enough to heat the water (30-40 minutes on gas, longer on electric).
NOTE: Some labels installed by coachmen were printed backwards from the actual lever positions. Contact them for a new label if yours is backwards.
========================================================
TIP#287: Hot Water Shower Procedure –
1 – City water connected and turned ON or water pump ON
2 – Propane turned ON and set the Truma hot water heater to MIX BOOST
3 – Wait approximately 30 minutes for the water to heat up
4 – Check the temperature at the kitchen faucet
5 – Get into the shower and close the curtain
6 – Move the Shower Miser lever to DIVERT for 30 seconds
7 – Move the Shower Miser lever to SHOWER
8 – Turn on the shower and set to a comfortable temperature
9 – Rinse and switch OFF the water at the shower head while applying soap
10 – Turn shower head back ON and rinse off
Water Pressure – You may notice adjusting to get a comfortable temperature at the shower is a little difficult. This is due to the incorrect placement of a pressure reducer. It lowers the pressure of the water going into the water heater but not the cold water. The result can be hot water pressure at 30 psi and cold water pressure at 45 psi. The higher pressure always wins.
Extended Shower Time – To get the maximum hot shower time, set the water heater to BOOST. This heats the water to xxx degrees.
========================================================
TIP#053: Ceiling Fan – The Fantastic Fan can be used as a ceiling fan to circulate the air (a little bit). With the fan running, press the dome button to close the cover. The fan will continue to run with the cover closed. Some van owners have purchased a new remote and report that their fans can rotate in the other direction to draw air in. This may work even better as a circulating fan.
========================================================
TIP#229: Solar Off When Driving – There has been some debate about whether the solar panels should be off when driving. The solar panels can increase the voltage detected at the house battery, making the auxiliary alternator controller believe the battery is more fully charged than it actually is. Because of the higher voltage detected, the controller reduces the alternator’s output current, slowing the charging of the battery and may prevent the battery from receiving a full charge.
========================================================
TIP#247: Emergency Fuses – When a fuse blows, it usually happens at the most inconvenient time, like in the middle of the night. To speed up the replacement process, tape an assortment of fuses inside the fuse panel door.
========================================================
TIP#270: Traveling to Canada – Here are a few tips from our first trip across the border to Canada:
- Canada is Metric: Know the height of your van and convert it to meters. Place a sticker on the top of your windshield in easy view with the height in feet and meters.
- Fuel is in liters. Make a cheat sheet of how many liters your fuel tank is when 1/4, 1/2, and full so there are no surprises at the pump.
- Border towns accept US dollars as well as Canadian “loonies.” If you pay in US dollars, your change will be in Canadian dollars.
- Sales tax in Canada is 15%, so things can be surprisingly expensive.
- Using your US cell phone may include $$ roaming charges.