*check out the Professor’s new RV Air Conditioner Maintenance DVD in his bookstore*

The Air Conditioner on top of a Recreational Vehicle is one of the most overworked and under serviced appliances on the coach. A few simple procedures will help keep your unit operating at its peak performance.

Efficiency of Your Air Conditioner

Testing the Operation or DELTA T – A simple test with a thermometer will help tell you how your unit is operating.

1. Turn on the air conditioner and allow it to operate for at least 15 to 20 minutes so it can start cool the coach.
2. Take a pocket thermometer and insert into the return air grill of the unit – typically where the air filter is. Let it read for about 5 to 6 minutes. Note this temperature reading
3. Take the thermometer and insert in the air register that is closest to the air conditioner. Let it read for 5 to 6 minutes.
4. Compare the Return Air Temperature with the Discharge Air Temperature – this temperature difference is the efficiency of the unit or the Delta T
5. If the unit is operating properly you should see an approximate difference of temperatures of 14 to 22 degrees F.

Note: If you are in desert area the temperature will be higher as the unit only has to cool the air not strip moisture from the air.

      If you are in an area that has high humidity you will see a lower Delta T or temperature        difference due to the unit stripping the moisture from the air. You will also have a larger    amount of condensation dripping off the coach.

Cleaning the Air Filter(s) – the air filter of the unit is usually a very basic foam or screen type of filter.

*Cleaning is based upon the conditions where you are. More dust – More often

*Full Timers should inspect filter at least every 2 weeks.

Cleaning

1. Remove the filter assembly
2. Take outside of coach and dust off with hand
3. Take a pail of soapy water and dip and clean
4. Rinse with fresh water
5. Allow to dry
6. Before reinstalling the filter(s) inspect the coils that are now exposed. – these coils are the heat exchangers that take the warmer air and strip out the heat and cool it down so it can blown into the coach.
7. If there is dirt and debris – take a damp rag and gently wipe down the coils- CAUTION they will have sharp edges. Be careful not bend the fins.
8. Reinstall the air filter assembly.

 On the Roof

Coil Straightening The outside coils sometimes get bent due to tree limbs or during hail storms. They can be straighten to increase the efficiency of the air conditioning unit.

1. Access the roof of your coach – CAUTION: Always be aware of where you are on the roof of your RV. Find the rafters and step on them and be aware of the sometimes slippery conditions of the roof. – HOW close to the edge are you?
2. Take a fin comb and gently begin to work with a down ward manner straightening the fins. This task is one of patience and requires that you be gentle. This is no place to be a gorilla!!!
3. If you find fins that are excessive attempt to straighten them with a screw driver and needle nose pliers….here again patience and being gentle pays off.
4. As you straighten the coils realize you are opening the air flow path for the heat exchange of the Freon gas that is flowing inside of the tubes. Every inch you can straighten will increase the efficiency of air conditioning unit.

The Professors Law of Air Conditioning that he teaches his students is…..

In order to have cool air inside you must let the hot air out!!!!

It’s our job to help keep your wheels rolling….we’ll see you on down the highway!

Check out the Professor’s New RV Air Conditioner Maintenance DVD by going to his store at

www.MobileRVAcademy.com

“Roady, sometimes my human flushes the toilet while I’m watching my favorite program on television.  When she does, the TV goes off.  I’m desperate, it always happens right at the best part of the show or it makes me miss the end of my story.  What’s going on?”

Well Darla, there appear to be several things going on.

The biggest problem is that your human should never use the bathroom while you’re watching your favorite TV show.  She should be setting attentively at your side. Remember that it won’t hurt her to wait a few minutes until there’s a commercial. Beyond the fact that her wandering off demonstrates a lack of attentiveness, there is a serious problem associated with humans and bathrooms.   They are a strange bunch and will drink almost anything.

I have to watch The Professor like a hawk.   I’ve actually seen him try to drink blue water! It was from a bottle that he keeps beside the sink next to our toothbrush and thankfully he spit it out almost immediately.  He seemed none the worse afterwards, but I have been watching closely for any unmentionable side-effects (here in Texas we call it Carpet Scooting Syndrome).

Controlling your human can be bothersome at times, but it’s critical that humans are never in the bathroom alone!  I can’t stress this enough.  Instead of following her around and watching her every second of the day and night, here are a couple of tips that you might try.

I sometimes lay across The Professor’s lap until his legs fall asleep.  This is pretty effective when you’re in the mood for a long quiet evening, but I can see from your photo that with your svelte build, this might not be possible for you.  Some dogs use the old ‘scratch my belly routine’ but you don’t strike me as that type of girl.  Personally I recommend that you try crying every time your human acts like she wants to get up. When they finally learn (after a week or two of repetition), it might be enough to just wrinkle your brow and pitifully squint your eyes.

Let me know if you’re successful in keeping your human out of the bathroom when she isn’t supposed to be in there. There are other, less pleasant methods of controlling humans, but they should only be used as a last resort.

Also, I conferred with the Texas RV Professor about your TV issue. He says that

 It’s either a low battery issue or power relay problem.

I just look at him with that “Yep, You got that one right” look on my face when he comes up with these off the wall solutions.

He said that the TV was using all the power from a low battery and when the water pump comes on it pulls down the battery power.  The TV sees the low power as a brown out condition and shuts down….but like I said earlier…that Blue water does strange things to these humans.

Thank you for writing me and I really enjoyed the photo (nice bow!).  I’m sending you a bottle of Roady’s Toilet Water as a token of my appreciation.  It’s not blue and is best served with something fragrant found beside the road.

FEMA Travel Trailer Air Conditioner Service

Roady says.."I'm not Woofing!"

“You’re excited…the tail’s a waggin! You’ve purchased your FEMA trailer at the local auction or dealership and you got an outstanding price!  That’s GREAT!  Now, you get it home and find out that a couple of your appliances don’t work. That’s not so great!  That will make you tuck your tail and run.”

“Did you really SAVE a lot of money when now……your gonna have to replace  some major appliances?  Well, I tell you ….Don’t replace them, fix them yourself and I’m not just woofing.”

“You can get my Professor, TERRY COOPER, who is a Master Certified Technician, to stand beside you to trouble shoot  with you… by taking you step-by-step through the getting it right process. It’s like having a Master Certified Technician looking over your shoulder…getting ‘er done.”

“Yep…it’s true.  My Professor has been working hard to put together some super DVDs on 4 major appliances. These DVDs cover all the trouble shooting techniques, repairs and he has a few tricks up his sleeve so you can give new life to your unit’s appliances. Here’s the names of each DVD:  1) Water Heaters  2) Furnaces  3)Air/Conditioners   4) Refrigerators.”

“I’ll take some of the credit because I worked hard too…laying at my Professor’s feet as he guided Ken Greening on trouble shooting his newly acquired auction FEMA trailer.  You will find that these DVD’s are just what YOU need to get your tail waggin … once again.”

“So, this is all you have to do. Click on the link below and it will take you right to the Professor’s store where he has lots of DVD’s to choose from.  Look for the ones that has FEMA on them. You might need just one…or all 4 but whatever you do…don’t wait. The Professor will get your tail wagging again, that’s for sure.”

“Oh, by the way…the Professor has a video right here on this page for you to listen to…which gives you more information about these DVDs. Go ahead! Take a look.”

Here’s your link: http://www.shop.everythingrvtv.com/RV-Maintenance-Educational-DVDS-DIY-Repair_c4.htm

“Remember: This is….Roady the RV Dog.  We’ll see you on down the highway!”

“I’m just very excited,” said Cooper. “It’s all about family, friends and food.”The Coopers own and operate the Mobile RV Academy, an online RV maintenance academy. A portion of the book sales will be donated to the Texas RV Association to further RV Maintenance Education, she said.The cookbook, to be published by us later this year, will boast recipes that are easy and quick to prepare, especially for the avid RVer.“We would love to have recipes from every RV association across the country,” said Cooper. It also will contain tips on maintaining your RV from Cooper’s husband, Terry, nationally known as the Texas RV Professor. He also is an instructor at TSTC Waco. The book, with its official RVIA endorsement, will offer tidbits of RV history and photos of early RVs featured at the RVIA website.“We are happy to offer our endorsement and allow the book to be called the ‘official’ RV Centennial cookbook,” said Bernadette Murphy, RVIA communications director. “Thank you for your work on behalf of the RV Centennial!” The national organization launched its centennial celebration earlier this year with a special website that chronicles the history of RVing in America.TSTC Publishing was established in 2004 and is the publishing arm of the Texas State Technical College System. TSTC Publishing is a leading provider of high-end technical instructional materials and related information to institutions of higher education and private industry. For more information on the RV Centennial Cookbook, please contact LadyEcooper@MobileRVAcademy.com

Sheila – Marketing Manager TSTC Publishing Dept.

Has there been someone on your staff you have been watching and they show promise? Do you have a sharp young man or lady that would make a great RV technician if you could just get them some training?

 Here is your chance to develop their skills and talents that will help grow your business.

 Hi, I am Terry Cooper, a Master Certified RV Technician and recipient of the RVIA Scholastic Achievement Award.

Why pay travel expenses, hotel bills and have your technician away from the shop and their family for 2 to 3 days at some off site training location.

Now you can have your technicians take their training via a live 2 way interactive Webinar from your location.

These Webinars will be held on Saturday mornings from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM starting May 8, 2010 for a period of 5 weeks, for a total of 10 hours (May 8^th, 15^th, 22^nd, 29^th and June 5^th).

The student will be able to access these live classes via a computer whether it is at your shop, their home or some designated location you chose.

Your technician will be able to raise their hand to ask questions, talk and interact with the Professor just like they would if they were sitting in a classroom at some tech training center.

Each course will have the following:

• Skills Evaluation Exam – 125 questions in the format of a Pre-Test (a $100 value)
• 10 hours of online instruction via a 2 way internet connected webinar
• 5 sessions of at least 2 hours in length
• Lecture and discussion of various electrical topics
• Downloadable handouts in pdf format
• Homework – hands on assignments
• Quizzes and Video segments to view
• Copy of the Professor’s DVD “Know Your RV – A Guided Tour of a 5^th wheel and Travel Trailer”
• Post Test
• Access to recorded material for up to 30 days after course completion
• Certificate of Completion from the Mobile RV Academy

RV Electrical Systems for the RV Technician Course Overview

Session 1 – Saturday,  May 8, 2010 – 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Overview of the 3 RV Electrical Systems

• What is electricity? Where does it come from?
• Learn about the 3 electrical systems found in today’s RV
• Voltage, Resistance and Current, the 3 items that make up the electrical systems
• Ohm’s Law, Watts Law and
• The difference between AC voltage and DC voltage.

Session 2 – Saturday,  May 15, 2010 – 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

DC Voltage

• What is DC voltage and where does it come from?
• Converters  are more than just fancy battery chargers
• Why you need a fully functional battery to properly operate your appliances, water pump, slide outs and other devices.
• Fuses and DC protective devices.
• Going Green – Solar panels and wind generators – what they can and cannot do for you

Session 3 – Saturday,  May 22, 2010 –  8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

AC Voltage

• What is AC voltage and where does it come from?
• Why you need AC voltage for the air conditioning, microwave and heating element of your water heater.
• Shore (pedestal) power and generators
• Inverters – the other AC voltage source
• 30 amps vs 50 amps, why bother and what do they mean?

Session 4 – Saturday,  May 29, 2010 – 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Electrical Capstone Materials

• Calculating power consumption and power conservation
• Replacing a defective circuit breaker
• GFCI testing and troubleshooting
• Monitoring AC voltage from the pedestal
• Why you need to restrict the usage a 30 to 15 amp reducer

Session 5 – Saturday,  June 5, 2010 – 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Advanced Troubleshooting Techniques

• Safe testing procedures to live by.
• Learning to use your Volt Ohm Amp Meter.
• How to use an Amp Clamp meter to test for current flow.
• Procedures on conducting a Hot Skin Test
• How to troubleshoot and sectionalize an electrical circuit.
• How to locate, test and replace a defective circuit breaker or fuse.
• Down and dirty troubleshooting techniques to save you time and make you money.

Live discussion of troubleshooting issues that the students have encountered will be an ongoing process during these sessions.

10 hours of online instruction via a 2 way internet connected webinars are priced at

$697 each student

To Register click on Mobile RV Academy  or contact professor@MobileRVAcademy.com or call 254 715-7388

Equipment and Supplies necessary to take the course:

• Internet connection – you will be given a link to access for the interactive 2 way Webinars.
• Computer with at least Windows XP software – recommend each student have own system.
• Headset- 1 per student with microphone (similar to Logitech Pro, approximate cost $40)
• Inexpensive multi-meter for testing of electrical circuits (we will provide 1 for each student)
• Notepad, pens and pencils
• Willingness to learn

If you are in the area for the upcoming RV Shows, please come by and see Terry Cooper – America’s RV Expert doing RV Technical Seminars at the following locations.

• July  3th, 2010 – PPL Motor Homes in Houston, Texas
• September 12-16th, 2010 Escapades Goshen,  Indiana

 If you would like Terry Cooper to do technical seminars and promote your dealership or event, contact us at LadyEcooper@MobilerRVAcademy.com

February 23, 2010 Waco, TX - It was a historical day as Terry and I met with Mark Long, Publisher of TSTC Publishing where I signed the contract for the making of the Centennial RV Cookbook – Celebrating 100 Years of RVing History.

Mark and his staff at the Publishing Department have been terrific to work with. Sheila Boggess, Marketing Manager; Wes Lowe, Sales Manager; Melanie Department Secretary; Grace Arsiaga, Editor.

Another thing that added to excitement of that day was…we received 6 inches of snow in Waco that very day. Wow, I don’t ever recall receiving that much snow in Central Texas, even when I was growing up there in Rockdale (70 miles south of Waco) all those years. It was just wonderful and could not have been any better…oh wait…but it did get better!

Terry took me to lunch at Cracker Barrel. (My favorite place to eat) Sitting by the window, enjoying each other’s company and watching the snow fall. Now that was a perfect day.

By Evada Cooper ( Lady E )

Update: April 21, 2010 

The RV Centennial Cookbook – Celebrating 100 Years of RV History  was officially endorsed by the National Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA)

Tails From the Highway!

Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve written. I just haven’t been myself lately.  Once I heard from my good friend, Chuck, I wanted to share the exchange.

He wrote:

Roady,

Something weird is happening.  Sometimes when Harold and I are pulling our travel trailer, there’s this horrible screeching and screaming noise that comes from behind the truck.  It seems to be cyclical and it seems to be worse when we slow down.  Harold doesn’t really seem to notice, but I promise you it’s there!  What’s going on?

                                                                                       Chuck

“Chuck,” I replied. “There are two possible explanations for your problem.

The first is your trailer brakes are sticking. This is the least likely explanation, but I’m obligated to mention it because the Texas RV Professor thinks that’s the problem and talks about it in his Webinars and his Did You Know Tech Tips at the MobileRVAcademy.com.

The second, and most likely, explanation is you have a chicken infestation in your trailer.  I know what you’re thinking. You’re asking yourself how I could know this so quickly. 

Let me tell you about what happened to me recently …

One evening not too long ago, the Professor and I went to visit the professor’s brother, Pete, on his farm.  After I sat around in the living room with the humans for a while, I got bored and hungry.  So I went to the pantry and had a snack of cookies and chips. I really wanted some cheese doodles and I looked everywhere, but there weren’t any, not even on the top shelf (that’s where the Professor usually puts them).  After four or five minutes of searching, I gave up and made a nice bed out of some rolls of paper towels.  I grabbed a can of soda from the pile on the floor and was quietly licking the leaks from the bite marks when Pete yanked the door open.  He immediately started having a fit! He was pointing and yelling for the Professor, shouting something incoherent about his wife and when she got home.

I have to say right here I had no idea she wouldn’t want me sleeping in the pantry (it must be some sort of rural custom).  I always try to be a good houseguest, so if I’d known she was so particular about her personal space, I certainly wouldn’t have encroached.

Needless to say, the Professor and I were both very embarrassed.  I went to the back door and offered to go outside, thinking it might defuse the situation somewhat if I got as far away from her pantry as possible. The Professor opened the door (oh, for opposable thumbs!), and I crept off into the night in disgrace.

It seemed prudent to go to a small building just outside the yard. The door was kind of small, about Pekinese-sized, but I managed to squeeze through. It was quiet and dark, which was a relief after all the commotion in the house. I stood inside the door for a moment, just catching my breath and letting my eyes adjust to the dark.

I hadn’t been inside more than five seconds when I heard a strange noise. A squawky kind of “brrrr-auck” sound.  Then it happened again.  It was closer! That crazy noise sounded again, but now to my side! There were two of them, maybe more! I still couldn’t see very well, but I could discern a shadowy movement coming at me. It wasn’t very large, but it was coming fast and the noise it gave was horrifying… a long screech of indignation and fury!

Suddenly, the sides of the shadow exploded outwards and the beast tripled in size! It was almost upon me and I could only tuck, duck, and roll as it launched itself at my face!  Immediately, another attacked from the side. Then another!

What had seemed like a safe haven only seconds before had suddenly become a den of terror.  All I could do was hunker down while being flayed by talons and beaks.

All the while the ear-splitting screeching and squalling continued, compounding my disorientation. I wasn’t able to defend myself, and truthfully, I don’t know what defense would have been possible. The attacks were relentless. I would detect movement and a split second later one of the creatures would attack. I was flogged, first from one direction and then the other. As soon as a beast seemed to tire in its abuses, another would rally from the other side, or the rear, or even from above (yes, they appeared to be able to fly or leap!).  Sometimes it seemed as if eight or ten of them were upon me simultaneously. It was terrifying.

It’s hard to know exactly how long it lasted, but I do know eventually they seemed to tire.  I tried to stand, thoughts of escape whirling in my brain as I staggered toward the door.  But my way was blocked, and the attack began again immediately, with more ferocity.  I knew then I was lost.

To make a long story short, I spent the entire night with those fiends looming over me.  At one point, one of the larger ones jumped up onto my back.  I twitched under the grip of its claws biting into my shoulder blades and gasped as I felt it settle down into sleep, confident in its status as conqueror.

It was a long night. I tremble just thinking about those endless hours in the darkness, hearing the Professor calling my name over and over, wanting desperately to run to him and the safety he offered, but knowing I was held captive by those foul specters of the night.

At long last, daylight broke. The creatures became restless and began moving about.  I was afraid the attacks were about to begin again as the monster on my back rose to his feet, stretched, and issued an ear-splitting crow of triumph. Amazingly, upon his signal, they rose as one and trooped from the building, exiting with contented clucks and murmurs.

As soon as the last of them was gone, I poked my head out the door. They were meandering off through the tall grass, no doubt to hunt for fresh meat. 

I wouldn’t have known what the beasts were if the Professor hadn’t said I smelled of ‘chickens’ when he was giving me a bath later that morning. I’ve been trying not to think about the incident, but I believe it’s vital the truth come out about chickens…  So thank you for writing, Chuck.  It’s been healing for me to talk about this.

As you can see, it’s important you do something about this chicken problem. NOW.  Find a trained professional to handle the problem. Do not delay!

I’m sending you a six-pack bottle of Roady’s Toilet Water in case your mouth is dry after hearing my story. It’s not blue and is best served in the safe confines of your coach after the exterminator has been by.

This is Roady saying goodbye for now. Keep your wheels rolling, and those letters and photos coming!