Last week my wife complained that the hot water ran out during her shower. I blew her off, thinking it was due to the groundwater getting cold as we hit the fall season. Later, when I noticed my dishwater was only lukewarm, I sheepishly apologized and admitted she was right. Disclaimer: Working with LP gas … Read more
In this video, I locate and replace a faulty brass 1/2″ check valve (one-way valve) in the RV water heater output piping. It turns out the rubber o-ring had split, and the spring was vibrating against the brass casing, making a heck of a racket. I was able to narrow down the problem to the … Read more
I flush out my severely neglected Suburban SW6DE water heater after 2 1/2 years of full-time use. The anode rod is in a sad state with just a tiny bit of material left on it. My electric heater element is coated in calcium deposits. And, the floor of the water heater tank is jammed in … Read more
I’ve seen this tip or variations of it on several RV forums and blogs over the years. You use a remote oven or BBQ thermometer to keep track of the water heater temperature. The temperature probe is placed against the water heaters metal tank. Once the temperature reaches your preferred showering comfort zone, you turn off the … Read more
For a little while now I’ve noticed water dripping from the RV water heater’s outside access panel. Not completely abnormal since the units pressure relief valve does this on occasion. But, recently the flow increased from the odd drips to a constant dribble. I knew something must be up. After some investigation, I pinpointed the … Read more
Every year I drain our Suburban 6 gallon RV water heater for cleaning and maintenance. During this maintenance, I check the anode rod for deterioration, replacing if necessary and thoroughly flush out the inside of the tank with a rinsing wand. See more detailed information, photos and video in this previous post. Because we spend the … Read more
What the Heck is that Noise? A couple days ago I noticed a faint whistling noise every once in a while in the rig. It would come and go apparently at random. Then yesterday it got very loud and it was easy to track it down. Our Suburban SW6DE water heater was singing to us. … Read more
Introduction RV water heater maintenance is pretty straight forward. With a few tools, a warm sunny afternoon and a little know how it’s easy to do it yourself. The main thing we want to do is flush out the sediments and deposits that build up over time in the tank and replace any corrode parts. … Read more
RV Hot Water Electrical Repair – Bad Switch The other morning while breaking camp to head out to the next destination I noticed the electrical on/off switch for my Suburban SW6DE Water Heater was a little stiff and it required a lot of force to turn it off. It is a little rocker switch located … Read more
A couple of little boondocking tips to do with water. First, a quick and easy way to top up gravity fill freshwater tanks using a siphon hose called a FloTool. Second, the way I keep tabs on our water heater temps using a fridge thermometer with its probe stuck under the water heater styrofoam casing. … Read more
A few years ago, a company called Clearsource contacted me and asked for a LYRV review of their dual-stage water filter system. They claimed it was built from the ground up with RVers in mind. The water filter hardware incorporated stainless steel connections and oversize canisters along with a powder-coated steel stand. The unit looked … Read more
Our 2011 Keystone Cougar fifth wheel came with a large 60-gallon fresh water tank. One of the reasons I picked the Cougar was the large tank capacities, I knew we would be doing a load of dry camping. Even with the large fresh water tank we still practice some basic water conservation when out boondocking. With … Read more
Introduction Our Mr. Heater Big Buddy propane heater has been an awesome addition to the rig. We use it a ton, especially when camping off the grid without electrical. The Big Buddy heater uses no electricity and is much more efficient at heating the rig than the regular RV furnace. I hook up the Big … Read more
Big Buddy Indoor Safe Propane Radiant Heater While snowbirding in the US South West last winter we got the chance to do a substantial amount of dry camping out in the desert. I quickly discovered how much juice it took to run the big onboard RV furnace. My wife gets quite cold at night and … Read more
Everyone knows the RV black waste tank can be a stinker, but as veteran RVers know, the kitchen, often called the galley grey tank, can sometimes be worse. Rotting food particles, cooking grease, and restricted flushing action when draining can contribute to a putrid-smelling tank. I find, like my RV, many of the galley tanks … Read more