Helpful Tips
News, Questions, Answers, and other Stuff

Update on TS Parts

Service 10-11-09
TS Service outlet update - You may or may not know that Supreme Service is out of business.  The partners decided to cease operation earlier this year.  Thankfully there is another service outlet that has become available.  It is Midwest Custom RV Service Center.  Bishop Christensen is the service manager.  He can be contacted at (574) 262-9701.  Hope this helps those that need service.  Henry

Service DJ Specialties - Hello, my name is Dave, owner of DJ Specialties. I have 27 years experience in the RV Industry, 10 of which I spent as Parts Manager at Travel Supreme. In that 10 year period, I have gained much knowledge pertaining to the Travel Supreme Coaches and the parts that go into them.

We are proud to announce that we provide original factory parts and accessories for Travel Supreme Coaches. We are looking forward to providing you with courteous and prompt service in the very near future.

Our opening day was June 2, 2008. Our hours of operation are Monday — Friday 8:30-4:30 p.m. Feel free to call at 866.252.7934 with your questions or parts needs, and we will be happy to assist you! If by chance your call is not answered, leave us a message and we will return your call as soon as we can.

Thank you and we look forward to speaking with you soon!

Emergency Situtations While Traveling....

October ’08
I recently witnessed an emergency situation handled by paramedics at a local golf course. We were eating a late lunch when one of the people at our table slumped over and became unconscious. EMS people arrived and soon had him stabilized. By chance, he had a friend there who knew his medical history (heart attacks, diabetic, and high blood pressure) and was able to help the paramedics save some valuable time in attending to him. He was rushed to a local hospital, diagnosed with heat stroke, and after spending the night, released in satisfactory condition.

I began thinking about RV travel emergencies and what prior preparation might be made to assist an EMS personnel in the event they were attending an out of town patient and/or someone who could not communicate with them at the moment. After looking on the internet and talking to the local EMS personnel, I have some partial solutions to this problem.

A: Carry a card in your wallet with your specific medical & personal info on it. This site will further explain where to keep it and help in creating one. http://www.medids.com/free-id.php

B; Use a medical alert bracelet. This is common procedure for diabetics

C; A key ring item such as a USB Flash drive. Commercial version http://www.medictag.com/index.htm, Homemade version http://www.ehow.com/how_2194339_digital-medical-alert-tag.html

D: Participate in the “File of Life” program. Life refers to (Lifesaving Information For Emergencies. At this site, https://www.vialoflife.com/vial_form.php, you can fill out on-line forms with your info, print them, get necessary decals, and get suggestions on how and where to keep them. “Vial of Life” is same program where info is kept in a large pharmacy drug vial. These “vials’ are usually available free at most pharmacies.

I subscribe to the blog, RV Net, and there is a posting there on this subject by a fellow RV’er who happens to be a paramedic. It’s worth a read. http://blog.rv.net/2008/03/03/when-everyone-doesnt-know-your-name/

Joe Moore

Battery Life

We all have some form of lead/acid battery in our coaches unless you have spent the extra money to change to gel or AGM. The most important maintenance issue for lead/acid batteries is electrolyte level. In other words we have to add water to the proper level. The next item is charging we need to keep the batteries at the correct state of charge. The older converters that are constant current tend to cook our batteries. The newer smart converters do a much better job of charging while protecting the battery. Another problem we have is available battery capacity.

As we charge and discharge, cycle, our batteries they loose their capacity to recharge. As this happens they get to where they won’t run the furnace all night or our lights get dim. And if we are operating an inverter to power 110V equipment the discharge rate is even greater. So now we are at the point of having to replace batteries. This requires effort on our part plus the hassle of buying new batteries and disposing of the old. Not fun.

I have found a product that can extend the life of batteries by 100%. It is called battery equalizer. Their web site is www.batteryequaliser.com they have several outlets listed on the web.

I have installed the product in my four 6V Trojan Batteries per their directions and it appears to have the desired effect. Charge time to full charge is shorter and the batteries appear to provide power over a longer period. There are test results listed on the site that support my personal observations. The cost is minimal compared to new batteries, about $30 for my four 6V batteries. This product will not restore dead cells or fix shorted batteries. It will make serviceable batteries last longer. Henry

Make it look NEW !

7-2-08
 Hi folks, I was looking at my eight year old Travel Supreme 5er the other day wondering how I was going to improve the look of the finish. I was contemplating a paint job because lets face it there isn’t any source for graphics and the fiberglass was looking quite oxidized. After all it’s eight years old and has been living outdoors since it was born. Hell I can’t even buy a new one anymore, not that I would if they were available.

Well I didn’t get it painted and it looks almost new. The transformation took several hours of labor on my part and some of Meguiar’s and 3M Marine/RV products. I started with a good wash using Meguiar’s gel wash. Then I removed the oxidation on the front and rear caps with Meguiar’s #49 Oxidation Remover. This stuff really works and isn’t as aggressive as a pure compound. After the oxidation remover I used Meguiar’s High Gloss Polish #45 to bring out the luster of the gel coat and to feed it. As it turns out gel coat gets hungry living in the elements. Finally I applied a coat of Meguiar’s #56 Pure Wax that brought out the luster. Now all this stuff can be used by hand however I have always believed in as much help as I can get so I used my Porter Cable #7424 Dual Action Polisher. I used a red cutting pad with the oxidation remover and polishing pads for the polish and wax. This tool makes the job enjoyable. The results are quite rewarding also.

Folks I would love to take credit for coming up with this combination however it is known as The Meguiar’s Fiberglass Restoration System. It is available from Autogeek.net or at your local Boaters World.

Now everyone is wondering what to do about the graphics. The answer is a product made by those folks from Minnesota 3M Marine Vinyl Cleaner & Restorer. This product is in a spray bottle it removes oxidation and restores color and sheen. Our graphics still have the sun caused cracks however the colors are back to almost new and they shine.

Folks I have tried various products to remove oxidation and restore the shine to the fiberglass with varying levels of success. The procedure outlined above has had the most satisfying result of all. I won’t try to tell you it was easy, it wasn’t, however it wasn’t overly difficult either. If you have questions give me a call. Have fun making it look new.

Henry
#@$&%* Tire
5-22-08 Hi folks... as you can tell from the title this is about a tire problem. K and I left Benson AZ headed to Albuquerque NM on I-10. We were on the road about 40 minutes when I stopped at a rest area and checked the tires and bearings for any sign of problems. Everything was quite cool and comfortable. Tire pressures on departure were 110 PSI on each wheel with no signs of pressure loss. Low and behold about 20minutes/miles later the rear tire on the door side lost its tread and blew out.

Those of you who have traveled with us know that changing a tire isn’t a big problem. Air impact wrench, blocks to lift the trailer, twenty minutes later the tire is changed. Now we have a wheel with one useless tire on it headed for Albuquerque New Mexico, what too do? Go to the nearest Goodyear dealer? Nope, call Mark Runk, National Field Manager Product Services Western Region for Goodyear. He suggested calling Purcell Tire & Rubber Co. and talking to Robbie Mullins who is the Albuquerque Manager.

After the call K and I went to the store for a new tire. The whole experience was just astounding. They had a new 614, which they mounted and balanced for the total sum of $94.00 including tax, title, and shop supplies. The failed tire was adjusted with no questions asked.

If you are traveling in the Southwest and have the misfortune to have problems with your Goodyear Tires call Mark Runk at (602) 296-4664 you may have to leave a message, he’ll call you back. If you are in Albuquerque call Robbie Mullins direct at Purcell Tire (505) 884-1957 or (800) 968-1957. Hope none of you has to use this information, if you do good luck. Remember this is for the Southwest.

Travel Safely and Supremely,
Henry Hauffe

 

Tires and Tire Wear seem to always come up at RV rallies. Here is information relative to this area of RV Travel & Safety. Here are some locations that have the necessary technical and safety guidelines we need for understanding and implementing tire safety. The first four are brochures that can be printed and/or downloaded for saving.

Bridgestone/Firestone’s 18 page brochure “RX for Light Trucks, RVs, Mini-Buses & Ambulances” found on the internet at: http://www.trucktires.com/bridgestone/us_eng/press/zip/RV_Brochure.pdf
This is a pretty through article on Overloading, Weighing, Axle Capacity, Tire Ratings, Load & Inflation Tables, Speed Ratings, Care & Maintenance.

Bridgestone/Firestone 6 page brochure “RV Weight Forms & Procedures”
Found on the internet at: http://www.trucktires.com/bridgestone/us_eng/press/zip/WeighForm.pdf
Forms are almost identical to Print-outs used by RVSEF, Recreational Vehicle Safety Education Foundation. Some of us have had our rigs weighed by RVSEF at past TS International Rally’s

Goodyear’s “RV & Truck Load Inflation Tables”
http://www.goodyear.com/rv/pdf/rv_inflation.pdf contains the load – inflation tables for tires normally on our Fifth Wheels.

Michelin’s “Truck Load And Inflation Tables” http://www.michelintruck.com/michelintruck/tires-retreads/load-inflation-tables.jsp contains the load – inflation tables for tires usually installed on Travel Supreme Motor Homes.

Michelin’s Truck Tire site found at http://www.michelintruck.com/michelintruck/toolbox/videos-demos.jsp#FundamentalsofTireCD
has some excellent videos about truck tires that will also encompass Motor Homes, Light & Medium Trucks, and Fifth Wheels. These videos are very detailed and through within their subject matter. There are a number of videos here, but two I think are particularly applicable to our group: “Pre Inspection” & “Fundamentals of Tire Wear”

There are other sites and locations where tire information and safety can be found. Please let us know about them and share your favorite ones.

Be Safe In Your RV Travels,
Joe Moore

LED UPGRADES FOR BARGEMAN 84-86 SERIES STOP/TURN/TAIL, & WRAP AROUND CLEARANCE LIGHTS

Yep folks there is an upgrade for the lights on the rear of our coaches. Unfortunately it is only for the 84-86 series lights. In other words if you have an Express or one of the newer coaches you have the new lights that aren’t included.

This is a replacement lens, which has the LED bulbs built into it. It comes with a standard 1157 bulb bayonet connector on it so all you have to do is remove the old lens and bulb and plug in the new connector and install the new lens and you are done. The total process takes about 20 minutes for four lights including finding the Phillips screwdriver.

The new LED lenses for your lights are about $30.00 each and are available from several mail order outlets; here are two I have used:
www.pplmotorhomes.com
www.campingconnectionrv.com

There are pictures of the LED lenses on both sites. I attempted to take a picture of mine to show how much the light output has increased. Don’t know if you can tell but here’s the picture.

Henry

Hints & Other Stuff

 

 

Mosquitos..... Here's a way to get rid of mosquitos while you are sitting out enjoy ing the outdoors. Mix 1/2 water and 1/2 Listerine in a spray bottle. Spray all around the ground. Joe Moore

Testimony..... Tip from Ida - BUGS!!!
I was at a deck party awhile back, and the bugs were having a ball biting everyone. A man at the party sprayed the lawn and deck floor with Listerine, and the little demons disappeared.

The next year I filled a 4-ounce spray bottle and used it around my seat whenever I saw mosquitoes. And voila! That worked as well. It worked at a picnic where we sprayed the area around the food table, the children's swing area, and the standing water nearby.

Tick Removal ......From Ida
I have not personally tried this, so don't know if it works.

Spring is here and the ticks will soon be showing their heads. Here is a good way to get them off you, your children, or your pets. Give it a try. Apply a glob of liquid soap to a cotton ball. Cover the tick with the soap-soaked cotton ball and swab it for a few seconds (15-20). The tick will come out on its own and be stuck to the cotton ball when you lift it away.

 

During the summer, I don't leave home without it.....Pass it on

Get Rid of That Itch! Everyone needs to buy a tube of FIRST BITE from the Wal-Mart pharmacy department. You may have to ask them to locate it for you but most of them carry it. It is so good for any bug bites you may get that itches. It was the only thing we tried to kill the itch from “No see ums” in Colorado. We tried every other itch medication we could find and nothing else could touch them. It is also good for chiggers, & mosquito bites. They make one that is kid's strength, but it isn’t as good.

Linda Bruce
(May '07)

Cleaning your ceilings: For those of you who have the carpet type ceilings in your rig and perhaps have a stain on it. This was given to me by Travel Supreme when we were at the service center in Wakarusa.

In a spray bottle mix:
1/4 Cup of Vinegar
1/4 Cup of Bleach
1/4 Cup Club Soda
1 Cup Warm Water

Spray this mixture on your stain and let it dry. Do not saturate your ceiling. Let it dry. If some stain remains, spray again. You can spray this as many times as it takes to remove the stain. Just be sure to not saturate the ceiling, getting it that wet can cause the carpet stuff to come unglued.

This mixture will not harm the carpet on the ceiling.

Millie Paxton

Les uses a "Cheeper Creeper" to work underneath the motorhome. Cheeper Creeper is an alternative to raised, wheeled underbody service devices. I thinks it works really well. Here is the web site for it. Ranger Design "Cheeper Creeper".

Les Cook

I bought one of these and it really works! I can change my oil now without putting the truck on a ramp (much safer). (If I lost some weight, I would not have to inhale to get under the step tubes). Actually it is easier to scoot around on one of these than it is on a conventional creeper (with rollers). They are worth the money!
Gene Fisher

For those of you that can't see your hitch platform when you are hooking up, I have a low cost solution- less than $20! If you are interested send me an E-mail and I will tell you what I did.

Gene Fisher