Upcoming Project Questions

[benfrench]

Hello All,

I have a 1992 Intervec Falcon 190 SLF on a Ford Van. I have replaced the carpet in the living/galley area with a hardwood floor. I need to replace the carpet in the head with a tile/linoleum floor...suggestions for that?

I had a giant oops. I thought I had drained the water heater before winter...apparently I did not...anyways, it is located under the stove just foreward of the refrigerator. Anyone ever changed one of these out? How difficult is is?

My third question involves the battery..I have one 12v in there now. I notice that I need to recharge the battery especially when I am running the furnace, every day. Should I look at adding a second battery? We prefer to dry camp in a state park than to camp in a commercial park with full hookups (main reason we have the B). Thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

[markopolo]

I'd recommend a Fiberfloor. I like the Tarkett brand. Link to what I used in my van: http://www.classbforum.com/phpBB2/vi...t=fiber#p12301
Fiberfloor easy to work with - I cut it with scissors for complicated pieces and a utility knife for longer straight runs. It doesn't curl up at the edges and there is no cardboard or paper in it.

Engineered fiberglass inner layer - - - Utilizes woven fibers so it lays flat and won’t expand or contract for increased stability

You can get a piece at low cost at an "end-of-the-roll" flooring outlet.

Re: Water Heater - it is not that difficult to replace - time consuming because it is sometimes very hard to access it depend on where it is located. You have to understand the 12 volt and propane connections and safety etc.. These tanks haven't changed much over the years so you should be able to get an almost exact replacement. Here's a link with a bit of info when I installed a new one: http://www.classbforum.com/phpBB2/vi...&t=1880&p=8974

The water heater will come with very good instructions. I replaced mine with a new one having the same specs and features so that makes the job easier. Mine only runs on propane and it is a DSI (Direct Spark Ignition) model so I can turn it on and off from inside the RV via a switch. It is not a pilot light type model. At first I was going to install a model with an electric heating element in addition to propane but that order got messed up.

Yours will probably be either an Atwood or a Suburban. I was able to use the original outside door with my new water heater.

Re: batteries - two batteries are better. There will be less stress on the batteries because they most likely won't be discharged as deeply.
Ideally batteries grouped together should be the same age and capacity.

[McJim]

Re: Water Heater - you also might consider going to an RV "TANK-LESS" water heater, you can get them in LP or Electric. Hot water on demand and don't have to worry about the tank leaking and it takes up much less space (more storage space, which is a bonus in CLASS-B's). Google is your friend for finding them online or check out RV dealers.

Re: Battery - you might consider going to "6 VOLT" deep cycle AGM type batteries or GOLF CART batteries, run 2 of them "IN SERIES" to get the 12 VOLTS needed. They usually have a better AMP PER HOUR rating and longer run time between charges. Some class-B's actually have the space to run dual batteries built in, make sure you take measurements before buying.

Hope this helped, Jim