Just got the RV- getting ready for my first BM.

Gabriel B · Post by **Gabriel B** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 11:24 am

Hey everyone- Gabriel from San Jose here. I've been wanting to go for years, and just got my $300 rv that should have the bugs worked out by the time BM comes around. I'm looking forward to reading the boards and corresponding with you all. The videos and pictures I've seen are really inspiring, and all my friends that have gone have nothing but amazing stories and input. Cheers! Gabe

Da Mule · Post by **Da Mule** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 11:28 am

welcome to eplaya, Gabriel!

Daddy-O · Post by **Daddy-O** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 12:29 pm

Wow a $300.00 RV. That is one hell of a deal. Are you sure it will make it? It is a hard drive going over the hill from Sac to Reno.

Gabriel B · Post by **Gabriel B** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 12:54 pm

I hope so- amazingly it only has 44k miles on it. :)

Daddy-O · Post by **Daddy-O** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:02 pm

If you run across another deal like that please let me know. You must be a lucky person. Enjoy the ride, enjoy the burn, welcome and be sure to read everything you can.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 4:02 pm

Trailer Life has some good books on rv maintenance.
Watch for old tires that look good, but aren't.

Gabriel B · Post by **Gabriel B** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 4:06 pm

Thanks Gyre, just got the trailor life rv maintenance book in the mail yesterday- also replaced a fully treaded tire already. Next is the leaky roof and gastank. Hesitant to spend any more money til I pass smog tho.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 4:30 pm

Schnee-Morehead for sealants for rvs.
Polyurethane is recommended for metal.
Lap things whenever possible.

They have several books.
Most of the technical ones are worth having.

mojo · Post by **mojo** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 5:15 pm

Welcome!

My bestest hint for RV use on the playa is to turn OFF your water pump if you have an on-board toilet. We keep a container of grey water from dishes and use it SPARINGLY to flush the toilet (although we work pretty hard to use only the porta - potties). Otherwise, your prescious fresh water literally goes down the drain.

An inexpensive RV is just the thing for out there. Even if the systems don't work, as long as it gets you there, it will make for a great rolling rigid tent. Be prepared with lanterns, stove, etc. just in case.

2nd best hint is use blue painter's tape and tape around all the window sills after you get there or you will have little dunes inside after a dust storm.

Post by **Elderberry** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 5:16 pm

Hey there, Welcome to eplaya!

JK

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 5:27 pm

It's worth changing to 12v fluorescents too.

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 5:49 pm

I also had great luck with taping reflective mylar on the outside of the west facing windows..........I think it helped keep the trailer cooler.

gaminwench · Post by **gaminwench** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:21 pm

I always duct tape old towels to cover the floor, and also tape ALL of the seams on the vehicle...

Simon of the Playa · Post by **Simon of the Playa** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 6:15 am

shit, for 300$ i would just abandon that fucker in Reno on the way home....

someone will steal it.

take one of the free courtesy buses the casinos run back and forth to sacramento from there.

Hook up with an old lady, who has won some cash, and have her buy you a motorcycle to get home from there....

But Hey, that's just the way I would do it.

ibdave · Post by **ibdave** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 1:23 pm

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fusea ... rum/22.cfm

http://BurningRV.tribe.net/?_click_path ... f98daf4%5D

Lots of great tips..

beyond that, YOU MUST CHANGE TO NEW TIRES.. MUST cuz I don't want you stuck in the middle of the road keeping me from getting there...

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 4:00 pm

Don't be fooled by what seems like low miles on an old RV. It's not like a car, it spends it's entire life weighing a shitload. 44k is a lot on an RV. Most RV transmissions are toast by 44k. They also spend a lot of time sitting, and that can be worse than if they have more mileage but were driven regularly.

I'm not saying a dirt-cheap RV isn't a great BM rig. It IS a great BM rig. I'm just cautioning you that reliability is the most important thing and there are a lot of things you need to do in order to make it and not end up stranded.

ibdave is right about the tires. Forget whether they have tread on them, that's not what blows them - it's age and dryness and sidewall cracks.
Make sure the radiator is in good shape as well as the transmission. Those are the biggest killers of old RVs. I've gone to BM in plenty of older rigs and I'd never go without replacing those, no matter what it costs. Breaking down and missing the event is worse.

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 10:06 pm

yeah, it might even be worth the super AAA membership. It'll tow you quite a ways, IIRC, about 250 miles, to the destination you choose........

and, bring a tow strap......someone might be willing to help.......

good luck

pinemom · Post by **pinemom** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 8:04 am

Welcome home, Gabriel!

Bearings!!!!!! VERY VERY IMPORTANT!!! Now go check your bearings!!!!!!!

We built a trailer last year, thing seemed ok at first lookie lue.....then we pulled the bearings...one side was just fine, the other COMPLETELY blown out! Fused so to speak! Took all 4 apart and just replaced them all!

Its like a security blanket in your peace of mind. and its way to cheap to NOT DO IT!
Bad bearing can cause roll overs..that bad side...locks up...no rolly on tires...no rolly equals whole rig flipping then going rolly down the embankment!!!!

Oh, and if you do change the lighting...use LED instead of 12 v....it wont run your batteries down as fast as 12V!!! Not to mention bulbs wont go bad!EVER!

Steven bradford · Post by **Steven bradford** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 12:15 pm

We also got a 30 year old free rv last year. It was actually in very good shape overall. BUT.

Tires. Replace them, unless you have proof that they're less than 6 years old. We replaced the two worst ones, and put the two new ones on the front. Bad idea. In our first sixty mile trip, one of the four rears blew out. This not only blew a hole in the floor in the back, but also blew a hole in the black water tank. This was neither a fun nor cheap repair.

If it's a gas engine, then 44k cna be a lot of miles. What really matters is how many hill climbs, and how hard/fast the previous owners tried to go up those hills. If you got this RV on the west coast, it probably has quite a bit of hills on it.

If it's diesel, then 44k is just getting broken in.

All in all, it worked out great but we ended up spending a lot on it, without really doing any engine or transmission work. Tires, brakes all around, fixing the charging system (which took almost a year to diagnose) and lots of little things to prep it for a 1600 mile round trip. It did work great. And we know have a great RV for burns and regionals and anything else.

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 12:19 pm

there's something to be said for getting a cheap rig, that needs fixin........
When you fix it, you know what you have.........

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 7:02 pm

pinemom wrote: Bad bearing can cause roll overs..that bad side...locks up...no rolly on tires...no rolly equals whole rig flipping then going rolly down the embankment!!!!

There's always a few wrecks on the road to the Burn. We should be more thoughtful.

Gabriel B · Post by **Gabriel B** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 9:04 am

OMG so much feedback.... Thanks guys. I've logged 240 miles on it already, and I think I got a good runner for the most part. After replacing one of the faucets and putting in a new toilet, the plumbing is working too. Somebody already put fluorescent fixtures in... however getting them to work has been another story. I do agree as I go along.... as I fix everything, I do know what I got. It's already been a headache at times, I have some busted knuckles already... but the journey is the fun part... right? LOL Next is fixing the leaky roof and putting in some laminate floor..... Cheers all!

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 9:16 am

Gabriel B wrote:OMG so much feedback.... Thanks guys. I've logged 240 miles on it already, and I think I got a good runner for the most part. After replacing one of the faucets and putting in a new toilet, the plumbing is working too. Somebody already put fluorescent fixtures in... however getting them to work has been another story. I do agree as I go along.... as I fix everything, I do know what I got. It's already been a headache at times, I have some busted knuckles already... but the journey is the fun part... right? LOL Next is fixing the leaky roof and putting in some laminate floor..... Cheers all!

See if you have 12 volts to them.
See if they are 12 volt fixtures or only run on ac or on an inverter.

Change the bulb.
Use name brand bulbs.

See what make fixture they are.
Crappy ones barely run at full voltage.
Good ones run down to 4-5 vdc.
Better ones run in cool temperatures.

The only advantage LEDs have is they run well in cold, but not well in heat.
LEDs are a good choice if you aren't using light over 75 lumens or need focused light, or especially if you are using them only in the cold and need lower voltage power- 5-8 volts dc.

You might always have bad ballasts.

U-Lite-It makes usa made ballasts.
There are some others up to 40 watts.

Email me (not pm) if you need more specific help.

wedeliver · Post by **wedeliver** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 9:41 am

For Rv roof repair try Snow Seal from these people.

http://www.amesresearch.com/roof_coatin ... awodIXLe0w