Category: Chris Dougherty, RV Technician, Q&A

Steel wheel chocks keep you from rolling away

RV Staff
By Chris Dougherty Certified RV Technician Parking an RV on any kind of incline, especially if it’s a trailer, can be a dangerous proposition. In the case of a motorhome, a parking pawl (metal pin or lever) in the automatic transmission and the parking brake are all that’s preventing up to 56,000 pounds of hardware from rolling away and crashing... Read More

Leave roof vents open even in rain with MaxxAir covers

RV Staff
By Chris Dougherty Certified RV Technician Imagine this: You are dry camping in the rain in July. Stuck in your RV, you can’t run the air conditioner, and because it’s raining you can’t open the roof vents. So there is almost no ventilation. No fun, right? Ventilation of an RV’s interior is of primary importance. During the warmer months, using... Read More

RhinoFLEX sewer hose works exceptionally well

RV Staff
By Chris Dougherty Certified RV technician One of the most unpleasant tasks in RVing is handling waste. Nothing incenses an RVer more than a dump station visit gone bad, and yet all too often people opt to purchase substandard sewer hoses and fittings to save money and end up with a mess. Inferior sewer hoses are susceptible to cracking, crushing,... Read More

RV Gadget: Scissor jacks

RV Staff
By Chris Dougherty Certified RV technician I don’t know about you, but one of the setup chores I don’t really like to do is setting the scissor jacks — especially in the rain, or putting them back up when it’s raining and muddy with pine needles sticking to everything. Now, there’s nothing you can do to fix the problem of... Read More

Tools for RVers: IMPELtronics flashlight

RV Staff
By Chris Dougherty Certified RV technician Having a good flashlight in an RV is important, and even a couple of flashlights that serve different purposes is a good idea. Sometimes a flashlight can serve more than one purpose, as is the case with the IMPELtronics magnetic flashlight. Ideal for your RV toolbox, this 4-LED flashlight has magnets on each end:... Read More

RV Gadget: keyless lock system by Lippert Components

RV Staff
Many of us have become accustomed to remote control and keyless locks on our cars, but aside from high-end motorhomes that option hasn’t been available for RVs. Recently, Lippert Components introduced the RV Lock keyless lock system for travel trailers and fifth wheels that allows for an easy upgrade to keyless and keypad entry. The battery-powered lock system is a... Read More

Will you spend a day getting your RV ready for the season?

RV Staff
By Chris Dougherty Certified RV Technician Being a “tech guy” in RV land can be both a punishment and a reward. People always have questions (which I welcome, by the way) about their RVs, and they range from the newest technologies to all kinds of how-to questions. Most of the time I can give a helpful answer, which is rewarding.... Read More