The Smart RVer: DIY RV Maintenance and Repair

In episode 60 Eric gives advice on upgrading your RV's furniture to make it feel more comfy. As a follow up to the previous episode's question (Do you enjoy your RV?) Eric takes a closer look at how and where to find RV specific furniture that will drastically improve your experience and comfort with your RV. From advising on specific brands to even cheaper solutions such as using smart tiles to s...

Do You Enjoy Your RV? In Episode 59 Eric asks an important and often taken for granted question: Do you enjoy your RV? Listen as he takes a deep dive into ways you can improve your RV experience and make it feel more comfy and like you are at home. Whether it be minor things like a key ring holder to replacing a shower curtain or even the bedspread. You'll learn how to take it from an RV to y...

Full Show Transcript: This is Eric Stark with Radio Arizona RV . It's about six o'clock in the morning on a Thursday. It's snowing this morning. What a better day to talk about electrical systems in RVs. And the real question is whether to take it to a dealership , to a repair facility , or just tackle the problem on your own . So that's what we're going to be discussing today and this is episode...

RV Water Lines and Pex Fittings! Eric talks about what RV Water Lines and Pex Type Fittings you should keep as spares in your RV. Pex is a broad term covering the RV Fresh Water System. A water leak can happen at anytime and being prepared to fix it whether the RV is in your driveway or you are on a vacation is critical to being a Hero. Any water leak is bad and should be repaired as soon as possi...

Winegard Transcript: Hey everybody. This is Eric Stark with Radio Arizona RV. Today's episode is episode number 56 we're going to be talking about Winegard TV Antennas and a little bit about King Satellite Dishes, a particular model of King satellite dish, Winegard Antennas are pretty popular. It's been the RV Antenna staple for decades now, so that's what we're going to discuss. What might be wro...

RV Maintenance Tips for the DIY! In Episode 56 I explain the importance of understanding how your Power Awning can be retracted in an emergency. The emergency is usually when you want to leave in your RV and the Power Awning won’t come in. That poses a real problem. I break it down by the awning manufacturer. This applies Only to 12 volt RV Power Awnings. Dometic/A&E 9100 and Weatherpro Awning...

In Episode 54 I have Keith Bernard on the show and we discuss water filters for RV's. Keith is an expert in this field and is the owner of Clear 2O water filtration systems. I have always been a firm believer in filtered water and I have often brought bottled water with me on trips in my RV, not any more. I will do it the easy way and filter my water with Clear 2O water filters. I have not come ac...

Episode 53 (part 2) is all About Go Power Solar and as an added bonus Mark Spillsbury from Go Power Solar is my guest. Go Power Solar has been in the RV Solar Panel game for about 23 years making Go Power one of the first Solar companies to become a main stream solar supplier for the RV Industry. Go Power Solar is certainly the industry leader making them the King of the Solar Category! Mark has b...

GO Power Solar Interview Part 1 Episode 52 (part 1) is all About Go Power Solar and as an added bonus Mark Spillsbury from Go Power Solar is my guest. Go Power Solar has been in the RV Solar Panel game for about 23 years making Go Power one of the first Solar companies to become a main stream solar supplier for the RV Industry. Go Power Solar is certainly the industry leader making them the King o...

Follow These Steps to Get Your RV Reay For Winter Storage In Episode 51 I go over the essential maintenance steps that every RV'er needs to do to get ready for Winter if they live where it snows and or freezes. Even if you don't need to do an official winterizing project for the winter season this is still a good time check for leaks and potential problems. Fresh Water: The starting point could be...

Episode 50 was produced out of frustration that companies make products that in my opinion are a dis-service to the RV Community and a frustration to the end user or the RV'er. As I said this is my opinion! The subject matter for today's episode is a RV Awning Fabric that I will call Brand X , I choose not to call the company out in this episode. The pictures say a mouthful about the fabric. I wil...

Purchasing a used RV, Travel Trailer or 5 th  Wheel etc…In episode 49 I explain why it is so important to thoroughly check out an RV before purchasing regardless of how good the deal might seam to be. There are many things to check out – there are companies that provide this service -They might be pricey. I am bringing this up because I hear of so many RV’ers buying used RV's and they miss so...

Hopkins Levelers Hopkins Level System Valterra Stackers Valterra Stabilizer Pads Super Dolly RV Pads In Episode 48 I dig into stabilizing pads for Trailers and Fifth Wheels and the difference between Plastic and Wood Pads for placing underneath the stabilizer legs. I don't get into Motorhome leveling systems or the type pads they would use. I believe in using plastic leveling pads instead of wood....

Today in Episode 47 I get into the basic leveling for 5th Wheel Trailers and Travel Trailers. Most trailers come with 4 stabilizers, one in each corner of the trailer. Fifth Wheels will usually have a stabilizer in each rear corner and the landing gear in the front of the trailer. The stabilizers are for stabilizing the trailer prior to leveling it. They are not designed for lifting the trail...

Untangling the Confusion about RV Sewer Hoses In Episode 46 I try to untangle some of the confusion when replacing your RV Sewer Hose. The reason why the title of the podcast uses the word Untangle is due to the confusion that can happen when you go into an RV Parts Store. As you gaze in amazement down aisle with 2-5 different brands of sewer hoses. It can look a little overwhelming trying to...

RV Black Water Holding Tank Maintenance ↓ When it comes to maintaining your RV Black Water Holding Tank, there are many opinions out there. In Episode 45, I give a little history lesson on Holding Tank Chemicals and how they have evolved and made their way onto the shelves of an RV Store near you. More importantly, though, is which Holding Tank Chemical (Product) should you choose and what yo...

↓There can be a fair amount of confusion about the best way to store an RV Battery during the off season. In this episode I break it down to simplify the process and make some nice product recommendations along the way. In most scenarios the RV’er is storing his battery during the cold winter months and typically not during the hot summer months. The methods can adapted to either situati...

In Episode 43 I break down purchasing either an Adco or Classic RV Cover for storing your RV, Travel Trailer or Fifth Wheel in challenging climates. I am only going to spend time talking about Adco and Classic RV covers because they are mainly in the RV Cover business and have great reputations. I have sold other covers and at the end of the day I always default back to Adco and Classic. After bei...

In Episode 42 I discuss the 4 Major Brands of RV Power Converters that are commonly found in most RV’s providing power to the RV’s 12 volt system. This an interesting topic due to the similariteis of each power converter. Also, all 4 brands boast great products, excellent customer service and a very small defective/return rate. I have neglected to mention the 4 brands by name; Progressive Dyn...

Episode 41 –  This episode is about simple repairs that can keep your vacation on track. I recap some of the recent conversations I have had with customers about certain maintenance items that can ruin a trip if not taken care of. We are in fire season in many parts of the country and rather than be surprised by smoke and fire plan ahead but, do not cancel your trip, just go elsewhere. I...

Episode 40 – I cover some ground on the move to Montana and explain why I bought so many new tires for the move. My Toy Hauler tires just made it to the tire shop 10 miles from my house. The Utility trailer tires didn’t make it out of driveway. There were lot of things happening during the move and I wanted make sure I had little or no problems on the highway with any of our trailers and vehi...

Episode 39 covers RV UV-LED Water Filtration as the newest technology to provide Clean Pure Drinking Water in any RV at a an affordable price. We sell the Acuva brand RV LED Water Filter System. This system completely remove all of the nasty things in water that other systems can’t remove. Call us for prices. Surge Protection is the other topic I covered in this Episode and how important they can...

In Episode 38 I do a brief update on our move to Victor, MT and spend most of the show talking about prepping for summer and some of the important basics that go along with vacation prep. Everybody has their own routines that match their RV and that usually works so, I just give some reminders and spend some time on sealing the roof because in most parts of the country it rains almost regularly in...

We are moving to Victor Montana! Yes, that is correct, we are relocating to Victor Montana in the middle of May 2018. Due to family illness Karen and I have decided the best thing to do is move to Montana so she can be closer to her mom in the the last months of her life. We also decided that we would relocate Arizona RV Parts, our brick and mortar store as well. We still need to work and are able...

In this episode I cover the essentials of what type of sealants to use on your RV. I briefly cover what is needed for a Rubber Roof because I have done a previous on sealing a rubber roof and the Sealants I recommend are made by Dicor, they specialize in rubber roofs. I also am a fan of Dicor products for maintaining and repairing rubber roofs. In this episode I use a window as an example of...