Guides & troubleshooting

Every RV runs both systems side by side. Knowing which is which changes what you can actually run off-grid.

50-amp service isn’t “more current on one wire” — it’s a fundamentally different hookup. Here’s what that means for what you can actually run.

Newer RVs increasingly run lighting, slides, awnings, and leveling through a single digital network instead of dozens of dedicated switches and relays.

Frame shore-power, 12V drain, and converter symptoms before you start swapping parts — then know when metered mobile diagnostics beat DIY.

The cheapest insurance policy in the entire RV, and one of the most skipped. Campground pedestal wiring varies wildly in age and quality.

DIY conversions have the widest range of electrical problems we see — because every build is different. Here’s how to think through a fault when there’s no factory wiring…

In low-voltage DC systems, voltage drop — not fire-safety ampacity — is usually what actually governs wire size. This chart covers both.

REFERENCE 25-00 · BATTERIES & ENERGY STORAGE Reference charging voltages for 12V nominal lead-acid (flooded/AGM) and LiFePO4 battery banks.

An inverter converts your battery bank’s DC power to the AC power your appliances need — and the type, size, and features matter more than the brand name on the box.

A BMS is not optional decoration. It opens for a reason: voltage, current, temperature, or cell imbalance. Resetting without diagnosis invites a repeat trip.

Non-Victron 12V converter and inverter-charger brands — charge stages, common hardware failures, and fault codes for the three most common systems in stock RVs.

An undersized inverter trips constantly. An oversized one wastes standby power every hour of every day. Size it to what you actually run.

The sticker price isn’t the real comparison. Cost per usable cycle is. A lead-acid or AGM bank you can only draw down to 50% without shortening its life; lithium you can draw…

Solar, battery, and inverter sizing all come from the same starting point: what you actually run, and for how long. Work it out here first. For each device: watts × hours used…

Diagnose solar and house-bank problems by chemistry — LiFePO4 vs AGM, charge-controller stages, array faults, and when a system installed by a Victron Energy Certified Installer beats guesswork.

As a Victron Energy Certified Installer, we live in MultiPlus, Quattro, and SmartSolar systems daily. Read the alarm in VictronConnect or on the device first — then use…

The “best” solar panel depends entirely on your roof space, mounting preference, and how the rig actually gets used — rigid, flexible, and portable panels each solve a…

Both keep your panels from overcharging the battery. Only one of them actually gets full value out of your panels. Here’s the difference, in numbers.

Most solar installs fail the owner not because the panels are bad, but because the system was sized to the roof instead of the actual daily power draw. Here’s how to size it…

How to compare packs before you spend — source page, not duplicated here.

RV OWNER’S FIELD GUIDE · CONNECTIVITY & SAFETY Backup cameras and tire pressure monitoring systems get bundled into a lot of install jobs because they solve two of the biggest…

Serious travelers rarely trust a single WAN. Cellular is fast and low-latency near towers; Starlink keeps you online where towers disappear; campground Wi-Fi can be a useful…

Satellite internet changed remote work on the road — but the RV-specific plan, mounting choice, and power draw have to match how you actually travel. United Mobile RV installs…

A cell booster does not create signal out of nothing — it amplifies whatever weak signal already reaches your roof antenna. Install it wrong and you can end up with worse…

Starlink, weBoost, and Peplink installs as a system on the main-site wireless landing.

A quick field reference for new owners — order and etiquette matter more than gear branding. Legal dump only; leave the pad cleaner than you found it.

The demand pump is one of the most-replaced parts on an RV — and one of the most often replaced unnecessarily. Find the leak, air path, or strainer issue before you buy another…

Bad sensor readings, odor, and sticky solids make up most sanitation calls. Almost all of it comes down to water volume, treatment honesty, and never dumping illegal.

Low pressure, a pump that won’t stop running, no hot water, or a sulfur smell — most RV plumbing complaints trace back to one of a handful of causes. Here’s how to narrow it down.

Worth doing at the start of every season, after storage, or any time the tank sat with stagnant water. The goal is a clean system you will actually drink from — not a chemistry…

“Black tank always reads full” is one of the most common complaints — and it is rarely the monitor panel electronics dying first. Fouling and probe type drive most false readings.

Cassette vs permanent black-tank is a real tradeoff on vans and smaller rigs. Seals and winter care matter more than brand slogans.

Campground and well water quality varies wildly on the corridor. Match filter roles to the problem you actually have — sediment, taste/chemicals, or microbial risk — instead of…

Most corridor coaches run Atwood/Dometic or Suburban-style heaters on LP, electric, or both. Start with fuel, power, and water path — not a made-up fault matrix.

Reference values from NFPA 1192 (Standard on Recreational Vehicles) practice for regulator output pressure and the timed pressure-drop test.

LP gas problems are safety-sensitive by nature. Here’s how to tell a routine fix from something that needs a professional immediately — plus the regulator, tank, and detector…

LP gas and carbon monoxide faults are not “sort it out tomorrow” projects. Detectors, ventilation, and leak response come before convenience.

Most kits are built around what is convenient to sell. Build yours around what you actually reach for on a shoulder — visibility first, then the tools that get you to a shop…

RV OWNER’S FIELD GUIDE · CONNECTIVITY & SAFETY RV fires spread fast in a small, fuel- and propane-adjacent space — the margin between a contained incident and a total loss is…

The other major rooftop AC brand alongside Dometic — different control board, different common faults.

Dometic runs more RV rooftop AC units, fridges, and awnings on the road than any other brand. Here’s the real fault reference for the three systems that generate the most…

Norcold’s absorption fridges fail differently than Dometic’s — different codes, different common causes. Here’s what to check before calling it a lost cause.

Suburban and Atwood forced-air furnaces — the ducted heating system, not the water heater sharing the same brand name. This isolates the fault to ignition, not the blower motor.

Built-in RV microwave/convection combos have a few failure patterns that are worth checking before assuming the unit is dead.

Combines space heating and water heating in one unit — increasingly common in van builds, and not well documented outside Europe. Here’s what to check.

Wind is the number one cause of awning damage, and it’s largely preventable.

Powered awnings add convenience and a few new failure points. Here’s how to isolate them.

Two different jobs that get confused constantly — resealing seams and penetrations, and coating the whole roof. Here’s the difference.

Most RV roof failures start at penetrations and lap seals, not because someone picked the “wrong” membrane brand on a forum.

Water damage is the silent killer of RVs — by the time you see a stain, it’s usually been sitting in the substrate for months. What to check, how to identify your roof…

A roof vent fan is one of the highest-value van build upgrades — and one of the easiest installs to turn into a future leak if the sealing isn’t done right.

Before you condemn a Schwintek motor or a hydraulic jack pack, prove battery voltage at the controller and follow the manufacturer procedure for your exact system. Wrong manual…

A leaking slide-out is almost always a seal problem, an alignment problem, or both — here’s how to tell which.

A well-maintained roof doesn’t help if the leak is coming in around a window instead.

Leveling is not only about sleep. An unlevel rig changes how an absorption fridge cools, how slides seat and seal, and where water sits on the roof. Choose complexity you are…

Tire choice on an RV or trailer isn’t just about brand — it’s about matching the tire’s category, load range, and speed rating to how the vehicle is actually built and used.

A brake controller only works if power, ground, and the blue brake output are clean. Intermittent trailer brakes are often a connection problem, not a “bad module.”

Class A/C gas chassis and diesel pushers accumulate calendar time faster than highway miles. Follow the VIN’s OEM schedule, catch known patterns early, and measure on-site — do…

Flat-towing a car behind a motorhome needs three things working together: a vehicle the maker says can flat-tow, a proper base plate and tow bar, and supplemental braking. Skip…

Fifth-wheel hitches put pin weight over the truck bed — into the frame when installed correctly. Fixed vs sliding, jaw care, and hardware checks matter more than a bumper-pull…

Ratings exist to keep axles, tires, and frames inside their design. Mixing up GVWR with cargo capacity is how rigs leave the lot already overweight.

Trailers and coaches often sit in sun and heat. Sidewall aging and date codes matter as much as tread depth — sometimes more.

The number stamped on the sidewall is pressure at maximum load capacity — not automatically the right PSI for your measured axle weight. Use a scale ticket plus the tire…

Corridor miles punish underinflation and weak trailer brakes. Treat tires, brakes, and TPMS together — not as separate shopping lists.

GVWR stickers are not a substitute for a real scale ticket. Axle overload, soft tires, and mystery handling often start with “we thought we were under.”

A weight distribution hitch that is installed but not adjusted correctly gives you none of the stability it promises. Setup is measured ride height and bar tension — not…

Manufacturer-specific fault codes, no-start diagnostics, and service intervals for the generators most RVers actually own — built-in Cummins Onan gensets and portable Honda…

A generator that won’t start, won’t stay running, or won’t produce power is one of the most common calls we get — and one of the most preventable. Here’s how to think through it.

RV OWNER’S FIELD GUIDE · SEASONAL, TRAVEL & MICHIGAN-SPECIFIC The Upper Peninsula is one of the most scenic RV drives in the Midwest, and one of the most remote, with…

Stuff worth buying and installing yourself -- picked for reliability and value, not just whatever ranks first. Where a job needs certified hands (sealed refrigerant, gas lines,…

Independent PPI before you buy — moisture meter, electrical load tests, roof/seals, and the costly finds a dealer walkthrough misses.

RV OWNER’S FIELD GUIDE · SEASONAL & TRAVEL A rig parked for the off-season isn’t just idle — it’s a target for rodents looking for shelter, batteries that drain and degrade…

A quick reference for what to check each season, with links to the full guide for anything that needs more depth. This page won’t repeat what’s already covered elsewhere — it…

RV OWNER’S FIELD GUIDE · SEASONAL, TRAVEL & MICHIGAN-SPECIFIC De-winterizing is winterizing in reverse, plus a full damage check — a rig that sat through a Michigan winter…

Relevant reading before a Michigan winter, a U.P. run, or any cold-weather leg of a trip — most RVs are not built for it out of the box.

Protect PEX, traps, and the water heater before freeze damage turns into spring archaeology. Blow-out vs antifreeze, bypass position, and when mobile winterize makes sense on…

REFERENCE 45-00 · DIAGNOSTICS & FAULT CODES The first two brand indexes in an ongoing fault-code reference — more brands (Norcold, Lippert, Suburban/Atwood, Progressive…

Lug nuts, suspension U-bolts, and hanger/shackle bolts — the fasteners most responsible for a wheel or axle failure on the road. Covers travel trailers and fifth wheels through…

Job form. PDF download — not a Field Guide.

Estimate template. PDF download — not a Field Guide.

Invoice template. PDF download — not a Field Guide.

Work authorization and liability waiver. PDF download — not a Field Guide.

Liability waiver. PDF download — not a Field Guide.