Trouble Shooting
Awnings: Leave the awning at an angle so rain can flow off of it easily; water accumulating on the awning will damage it. Some campers have knobs you can loosen to lower one side and some you simply pull down on the arm.
Some awnings can roll up backwards. If they do not unroll when pressing Extend, try pressing Retract to see if that is the case. If it still won’t unroll, check the fuse in the fusebox.
Battery: If you are not plugged in to a power source, you can use the battery for lights and the furnace; use the wall mounted gauge to check battery levels. You will need to plug in to a generator to keep the battery from draining. We recommend running the generator for a couple of hours while getting ready in the morning and again in the evening.
Do not run the battery low- that will result in a dead battery. You will not be able to power the AC or microwave using the battery; you have to run the refrigerator and water heater on propane if relying on the battery.
Freezing Weather: If the temperature will drop below 32F overnight, turn off the water to the camper and remove the water hose at both ends. If freezing temps last longer than 12 hours or drop below 25F, turn off the water heater and drain it, and drain the water lines outside where it is marked “Low Point Drains.” Failure to do so will cause the lines to freeze and burst.
Pests: Avoid leaving food and trash inside or around the camper. If your campsite has ants, sprinkle or spray ant killer around the tires, stabilizers, front jack, and any hose or wire running to the camper and/ or use ant bait inside the camper.
Power: Using too much electrical equipment at once (eg. AC, electric water heater, hair dryer, microwave) may overload the system and blow a breaker. To see if you have lost AC power, check to see if the microwave has numbers on it. If you don’t have numbers on the microwave, you have lost power. Check the breaker at the campsite’s power pole first, then the main breaker panel in the camper. If you have numbers on the microwave, but the outlets don’t work, check the GFCI in the bathroom and the outlet breaker on the panel.
Propane: On campers with more than one tank: if one tank runs out you simply remove the cover on the front of the camper, shut off the empty tank, switch the selector to point to the full tank, and open the full tank. After that, it may be helpful to light the stove for a few seconds to bleed air out of the propane lines. Of course, please be careful when using propane, it is highly flammable.
Stove: It may take a moment for the stove to light if there is air in the propane line. Always run the fan while using the stove and make sure the vent flaps outside can open; there may be a small black lever over the outside of the fan flaps. .
Thermostat: The HVAC thermostat works like your home. You can turn the fan to low, high or auto (runs only when the AC is on). Set the AC and heat temperature to your desired setting. If the thermostat is blank, check to see if you have power using the instructions above.
Toilets: If the toilet is “full” when you try to flush and you can see solid waste and toilet paper, either the black tank is full or you don’t have enough water in the tank. (It should take roughly a week to fill the black tank unless you have a lot of people using the toilet.) If you are on full hook ups and you left the black tank open, close the valve. You have drained the liquids and left behind the solids in a “poop pyramid” directly under the toilet. Add a couple of gallons of water to the black tank through the toilet and let it sit overnight. (You may have to move the solids with a stick.) Hopefully the solid waste will break down and you will be able to use the toilet.
Oven: Turn the oven to “Pilot” and press and hold the knob down for 30 seconds. Start turning the spark knob until the pilot light is lit. Continue to hold the knob down on pilot for a few more seconds and then you can turn the oven to the desired temperature. Make sure to use the stove fan when running the oven and make sure the vent flaps outside can open; there may be a small black lever over the outside of the fan flaps.
Outdoor stove: To use the propane stove in the outdoor kitchen, first find the propane hose. Connect one end under the camper and make sure the other end is connected to the stove or grill. There is a propane valve under the camper and possibly also behind the stove; turn it on and off each time you use the stove to prevent a propane leak.
Water: Always use the water pressure reducer that we will supply when connecting to a water source. If you are using the fresh water tank, make sure the pump is turned on. The pump will operate automatically when you turn on a faucet. The fresh water capacity is 40 gallons. Fill the fresh water tank in the outside compartment. Do not drink from the fresh water tank.
Water Heater: The water heater can be on electric power or propane. The LP (propane) switch is usually on the control board or in the bathroom. The electric switch may be on the control board or the water heater itself. (Always use electric if you are plugged in to a power source.) If the water is not hot, check to make sure you have power using the instructions above. Check to see if you have propane by trying to light the stove. The hot water heater must be turned off if there is no water supply; it will burn up the water heater if it runs while empty.
Waste Holding Tanks: This is the part we get the most questions about!
Keep an eye on your gauges, but understand that the black water gauges frequently misread the tank as more full than it is because of debris on the sensors. If the grey water tank fills up, it will back up into the shower; dump it immediately because it will start to stink.
If you are staying one weekend without full hookups:
You should not have to worry about the black water tank.
If you are boondocking and using the fresh water tank and don’t add additional water, you should not have to empty the grey water tank.
If you are hooked to water and using it frequently, you will have to dump the grey water tank.
If you are staying one week without full hookups:
You may not have to dump the black water tank unless you have a lot of guests.
You will have to dump the grey water tank; we recommend emptying the tank daily.
If you are staying more than one week without full hookups:
You will have to dump the black water tank.
You will have to dump the grey water tank; we recommend emptying the tank daily.
*You can rent a “tote tank” to empty the grey water tank, or let the grey water drip overnight by cracking open the grey water valve. Caution: you are responsible for making sure this is not prohibited and responsible for any resulting fines.
With full hookups:
Keep the black tank closed unless you are in the process of draining it. See Toilets above.
Make sure there is water in your grey tank before you dump the black tank. Dump the black tank first and then use the water in the grey tank to flush the sewer hose after draining the black tank.
If you have to haul the waste water to a dump station using a tank tote:
Make sure to open the vent on the tote before you open the valve on the camper so the air can escape the tote as the water enters.
Make sure to keep the tote pipe held up high so waste doesn’t come out when putting on or taking off the lid.
Strap or tie the tank to your vehicle’s hitch so the handle doesn’t bounce off while driving to the dump station.