Newbie top 10 need to knows

[Shiloh.lee]

I just bought my first RV a 97/98 Suncruiser and wanted to know the top things I should look for, inspect or know. I'm planning on insulating piping for lower temps but hopefully heading out to warmer climates in a few weeks before freeze comes. The first time I drove it, about 45 miles, there was water dripping out of a pipe in the rear. Then once parked I ran the water pump and flushed the toilet and in the morning found a large water stain on the ground. Normal?

[luvlabs]

No, the water stain below the unit is not normal. The question is, where is it coming from? Did the water pump continue to run after you flushed the toilet? Do you have any low point drains open (or not fully closed), is your fresh water tank drain valve leaking?

You've got a bit of troubleshooting to do before you venture anywhere. Water leaks take observation to spot the location first, then plan the repair. Happy hunting!

[Shiloh.lee]

I drove it 15 miles and stopped, there was water dripping out of what looks like a drain pipe in the underneath behind the water tanks. Then drove it 38 miles and stopped. I flushed the toilet, turned the pump on and then right off, flushed the toilet again. The water running out was stronger and left quite a run on the asphalt. After it sat all night I havent seen any additional drainage. So maybe I should start with running the pump and crawling underneath to investigate?

[vetman90]

Yes you are on the right track. Your water pump will make noise when running and once pressure builds in your system it will shut off. Listen for this inside your coach. Now if your pump comes back on for a second or two while you are not using any faucets or toilet then there is a water line or water line fittings leaking somewhere.

You should be able to turn your pump on and leave it on without it running on and off again when you are not using water.

Your coach should be able to hold water pressure overnight even with the pump switched off. Once you have no leaks at all, the pressure built up from the last time you ran your pump should still be in your water lines.

It won't lose pressure if there are no leaks.

So long as your sinks don't have a drip and your tub/shower is not dripping.

[BobC]

As you've already discovered, leaks are #1. The damage they can cause if left unattended can be significant.

In addition to pressure water leaks, you need to make sure that all roof penetrations (skylight, vents, clearance lights, etc.) are adequately sealed. Then there's the dreaded Winnebago windshield leak issue. I'm not sure if it's a problem with your vintage rig but check out some of the existing posts on the topic. IMHO, for all of the above, Eternabond tape is your friend. If you have drips inside your windshield, put a strip of Eternabond over the top edge of the rubber moulding on the outside top of your windshield and make sure your clearance lights are adequately sealed. Hopefully this will fix it.

Winnebago publishes sealant "call-out" sheets that will tell you what sealant to use for each application. These only go back to 2000 but they don't change much:

https://winnebagoind.com/diagram/Sealant.htm

Also, here's a good resource page on Winnebago maintenance, etc:

https://winnebagoind.com/resources/s...ervicetips.php

In searching this forum, it's best to use the Google search box near the top of the page. It's much better than the search function below it.