Dual 12V Battery Wiring Information

Hi Gang,

I just wanted to touch base on something that has been a re-occurring issue here at the shop as of late. This is where I get most of "rant" material from so why would today be any different?

The issue is we are running into is that there is a widespread mis-understanding about how to correctly wire up a dual battery system. This is not limited to owners but also I have seen dealerships making the same mistake all over the country. Here is the scenario:

The client comes in with a complaint that they are going through batteries fairly quickly and when the batteries are new, they dont seem to last very long compared to their neighbors around them. Nine times out of ten, when we investigate, we find that the batteries are not wired correctly. The problem we are finding is that when the second battery is installed, its not wired into the bank as a part of the complete system. The person doing the installation made the mistake of just adding leads from one battery to the other rather than wiring them in parallel as a "bank" of power. The problem with this type of wiring is that the second battery is not getting charged in the same rate as the first and never fully reaches full charge. The other issue is that one of teh batteries is almost always getting over charged because its bearing the main load of the charge. This type of wiring greatly shortens battery life and does not fully utilize the second battery.

The correct wiring type is called "parallel" wiring and brings both batteries into the system so they charge and discharge at the same rate. This will greatly increase the amount of power available during use while camping as well as prolong the life of the batteries themselves. An example of how to correctly wire batteries in Parallel is shown here at the top corner of the page.

I hope this helps and as always, if you have questions or wish to contact me you can at info@murrietacreekrv.com

Happy Camping!
Michael Kahle
Murrieta Creek RV
www.murrietacreekrv.com

Great Do It Yourself Tip To Add Years To Your Awninig!

Hey Gang,



Heard a great customer tip I wanted to pass along to you that could possibly add years to your vinyl awning fabric and keep it looking great!

A customer told me that they went to a carpet store and picked up one of their cardboard roller tubes that they use to roll carpet onto. These are similar to a toilet paper roller, just much thicker and much longer. They took this roller tube and cut it to the length of the awning and then cut a long channel in the tube. so that he could snap the cardboard roller over the entire length of the awning. Not only does it protect the fabric from yellowing and sun damage but keeps bird poop and tree sap at bay also!

Anther similar tip to protect your windshield wiper blades from an early demise is to go to your local hardware store and pick up some of that foam pipe insulation that is about 2" in diameter and has a small slit down one side from end to end. Simply cut two pieces the same length as your wiper blades and slip over the top of each one. Once in place, they should stay put, look great and a add years to their life expectancy!

We hope these tips work great for you and if you have any suggestions you wish to share, end them in and we will pass them along for others to try! Contact me at info@murrietacreekrv.com

Happy Camping Everyone!

Sincerely,
Michael Kahle
Murrieta Creek RV
951 698 8577
www.murrietacreekrv.com

IMPORTANT: Dometic Refrigerator Recall Information

Good Morning,

Murrieta Creek RV wanted to make sure our customers were aware that there is an ongoing nationwide recall for many RV refrigeration models made by The Dometic Corporation. Until the recall has been completed, there is a small chance the cooling unit could fail causing a potential fire in your RV. Dometic has set up recall centers all over the country to install these recall kits free of charge to you the consumer.

It is important to check your model and serial number to see if your refrigerator is affected by the recall. To check your refrigerator, get your model and serial number off of the information tag located on the inside of your refrigerator. Write down the information and then log into Dometic's official recall information center at: http://www2.dometicusa.com/recall.php Follow the directions there to find out if your refrigerator needs to have the recall kit installed.

If you find your refrigerator is one of the models affected, contact us at (951) 698 8577 to set up an appointment to have your refrigerator recall kit installed as soon as is possible. Murrieta Creek RV is stocking these recall kits and can complete the simple installation while you wait usually within an hour.

If you have any questions about the recall or what is entailed in this repair, feel free to call us at 951 698 8577 .


Sincerely,

Michael Kahle
Murrieta Creek RV
951 698 8577

Sell your RV with "Store and Sell" at Murrieta Creek RV

Greetings and Happy New Year!

Murrieta Creek has unrolled a new program designed to help you sell your RV and save thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars in brokers fees!

The problem with consigning your RV with traditional is that they will need to consign your RV for way below wholesale pricing so that they can sell it at a retail markup to make money.If you owe more than the wholesale value,that means having to cover the difference out of your pocket. In this economy, you deserve to get as much back as you can.

With our simple "Store and Sell", you simply bring your RV in and store it with us at our regular storage rate for your particular size RV space, for a term of 60 days. You set the price that you wish to sell your RV which we recommend should be at fair market value. We then take professional photographs of your unit, place it on our website as well as promote it on other sites and work on getting it sold. As clients inquire about your unit, our on site professional sales staff will demonstrate your vehicle to qualified prospective buyers and work hard to get your RV sold. Once the RV sells, you simply pay the sales person responsible a small commission for their hard work, usually 2-5% of the final selling price.

By working with this program, you have control of the selling price maximizing your return back from the sale and simply put, more cash back into your pocket. There are no upfront fees, no brokers fees and no risk. If after the 60 days your vehicle has not sold and you wish to continue with us, you simply go on a month to month storage rate until it sells or simply cancel with no penalty.

For more information, call us at 951 698 8577 or for directions and more information about us at http://www.murrietacreekrv.com


Michael Kahle
Murrieta Creek RV
951 698 8577
"To us..Its about the camping!"

Tech Tips: Winterizing Your RV

Greetings everyone!

Its that time of year where many of us start camping in cooler temps. An RV is a great way to get out and enjoy all kinds of winter activities from snow boarding, skiing, snow shoeing or just playing in the snow. The concern is that cooler temperatures can cause severe damage to your RV's water system if certain steps are not taken to protect it even if it has an "Artic package" or sealed under belly.

Most RV's fresh water tanks are located on the interior of the RV either in a cabinet or under the bed area. As long as the interior of the cabin is kept above freezing, the interior fresh water system will be fine. The main concern and focus should be on protecting your holding tanks. If exposed to freezing temps, ice can form in the tanks causing damage to valves and plumbing and even the tanks in severe cases. If you are planning a trip to the snow, follow a few of these simple procedures to protect your RV from damage.

First,to help protect your fresh water system, maintain the interior temperature at all times during your stay. Keeping the interior temps above the freezing point will protect your lines, fittings and water tanks from freeze damage. Secondly, keep your water heater on at all times. The warm water will protect the warm lines and the residual heat from the lines will warm the cold water lines.

The best protection of your holdings tanks is not to use them at all. Empty them prior to your trip and keep them dry and empty during your stay. If you must use them, use them sparingly and use a product like Artic Ban or Freeze Ban in your tanks. This type of Antifreeze is non toxic and safe for the environment and will help protect your tanks from freezing.

If you are planning on storing your unit for any length of time un-attended, you must do a complete winterization. If these proceedures are not followed you run serious risk of damage to your RV's water systems which can cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars in damage.

To properly winterize your RV first make sure all fresh water hookups are turnd off and no water is flowing into the unit. Then drain all of the water system by turing on all interior water faucets and fixtures with the pump in the on position. Run them until the fresh water is exhausted.

Next, install a blow out plug which attatches to your city water connection and allows air to be blown throught the water system to completely drain water from the lines. Do this again with all of the onboard water faucets and fixtures in the open position. Once complete, close all taps. If you have low point drains underneath, make sure to take the time to completely drain these out as well.

Next, drain the water heater by removing the drain plug or annode rod which is located at the lowest point on the side of the water heater tank inside the exterior access door. If you have a water heater bypass valve, turn the valves into the "bypass" position now. Then pour the required amount of Freeze Ban or Artic Ban directly into the frest water tank through your water fill. The next step is to circulate the anti freeze through the water lines by turning on each faucet, starting with the one closest to the tank and working your way down until the antifreeze comes out of each faucet. let about 1 cup of antifreeze come out of each faucet before turning the faucet off. Next run your toilet flush mechanism until you see the fluid coming out of the flush jets.

Make sure both grey and black tanks are completely drained and empty.Then take approximately 1 cup of antifreeze and pour it into the drain of each sink to make sure the traps each have antifreeze in them. make sure to include the shower or tub drain as well. Next put approoximately 1/2 gallon into the bottom of your black tank directly through the toilet and another 1/2 gallon through one of the drains to make sure if there is any water left in your holding tanks, it is protected from freezing.

Guess what? Your done! By following these steps your rig should be completely protected from freeze damage until next spring when you take it out of moth balls and plan your next trip. It may seem like alot to do but it will save your hard earned cash for something fun like camping rather than at the repair shop!

Happy Camping!
Michael Kahle
Murrieta Creek RV
951 698 8577

A complete photo documentary of a recent Weekend Warrior repair.

Your Insurance Company and the Importance of Regular Maintenece.

Hello again everyone!

I ran into a situation again that I thought I would bring to everyone attention because it is happening more frequently and affects the insurance coverage for your RV.

As you are probably aware, we have been repairing severely water damaged vehicles in particular the Weekend Warrior brands as of late. In most cases, the customers insurance has picked up the tab for these repairs because repairs can be extensive and expensive. I am starting to see a trend emerging that I have not seen in a while from the insurance companies that could greatly affect your coverage of these types of repairs.

This last week we took in a 1998 Weekend Warrior with severe damage to the front end from water intrusion. We completed the estimate and contacted the adjuster to come and inspect the damage of which they did the next day. The adjuster asked if we had been the repair shop for this customer and if there were service records showing regular roof maintenance for his RV. This particular customer was new to us so I was not able to provide proof of maintenance for them. Later that day in speaking with the owner, he mentioned he had been asked the same question by the adjuster and also had no records to show. As it turned out, his repairs were declined by his insurance company because he did not have proof of regular maintenance by a professional RV repair facility.

I bring this to your attention because I am seeing this more and more and brings another strong reason to have regular maintenance done to your RV, minimally a seasonal inspection so you have something to show your insurance if an issue arises. Lets face it, insurance companies are looking for any excuse to deny your claim. The best insurance to protect yourself is to get your RV inspected regularly and keep on top of your manufacturers reccomended maintenance schedule. This will give them no wiggle room when you need them most.

To schedule a free documented RV roof and exterior seal inspection or any other needed maintenance to your RV contact our shop anytime at 951 698 8577. Insure yourself against your insurance company and those dreaded words: Not Covered!

Happy Camping!

Michael Kahle
Murrieta Creek RV
951 698 8577
info@murrietacreekrv.com