RV Problem Troubleshooting

First, at the risk of sounding like my parents or an old teacher, READ YOUR MANUAL. Really. Even if you have been camping for years. Technology in RVs changes with new models. I see soooooo many people asking questions, on various RV group pages, about something not working (at least not how they thought it works) when it is obvious they have no idea how the item truly does work. The manual may be a tedious read but contains a ton of info.

A lot of issues you may encounter with your RV are not that challenging to address and remedy. It helps IMMENSLY to understand the very basics of how a lot of items in your RV operate. Read the manual! It could save you from having to abandon your trip.
Even the most inexperienced person should be able to handle some issues. However, if you have not read your manual, you are completely inexperienced at similar issues and are completely inept with tools – you may want to call in a professional right off the bat. There are things in your RV that can be rather dangerous to mess with if you are clueless in what you are doing. Don’t chance it. If the problem ends up appearing to be related to LP gas or electrical supply you should seek professional help as these areas can involve serious safety risks.
I will not go into detail troubleshooting as that is best left up to knowledgeable people. If you have that knowledge then you do not need my help.
The first thing to do is to place your mind into a logical mode and think about the process of the function that has quit working. What does the item do? Is it a manual device or a powered device. If it’s powered, what power does it use. Electric or gas. If electric, is it using the 12VDC battery system or the 110VAC house current system (commonly called shore power with RVs)? An example is your refrigerator. Many can run on either LP gas or shore power. Some even run on the 12V battery system. You need to know this to fix any problems with it not operating properly.
First, I will address the two type of electrical systems available in RVs. I have an alphabetical list of systems after that leading to troubleshooting their common problems.
When using this guide, follow the directions ONLY to the step that fixes the problem. Any following steps are relevant only when the

Electric power : AC vs DC

Some basics (don’t get hung up too much on this):
Power from batteries is called DC (direct current) while power like that from the wiring in your house is called AC (alternating current).
In your RV, the DC power is the same as in your tow vehicle and is 12VDC (12 Volt DC).
The other source is when you connect to a power pole at the site or a generator. It is referred to as Shore Power and is the same 110VAC (110 Volt AC) power that you have in your house.
Another issue that may be involved is solar power. If you have solar panels connected, simply know that they simply recharge your 12VDC battery/batteries.
Anything that requires a lot of power will run on the shore power as it would drain your battery down way too fast.
The types of power can be changed back and forth with special devices.
The shore power (110VAC) is changed to 12VDC power with a converter. Nearly all RVs have one installed in your RV. It typically powers your lights and other smaller devices.
The 12VDC can be changed to 110VAC shore power with an inverter. Some big rigs have these installed but most RVs do not. They are often added when you add solar power and additional storage batteries for dry camping. The important thing here is that they suck a lot of power from your batteries very quickly when anything large is used.

List of devices and issues:

Air Conditioner not cooling inside of RV
Cooking Stove
Heater
Propane System
DC Power
Water Heater
AC Power (Shore Power)
Refrigerator
Television
Air Conditioner not cooling inside of RV.

Air Conditioner not cooling

My AC in my RV isn’t working.

Maybe there’s nothing wrong with the unit.

YOU may be the problem.

Far too often, the AC stops cooling properly because it has ‘frozen up’. That means ice has formed on the cooling coils that cool the air. The ice reduces the open space which reduces air floe and prevents the unit from efficiently cooling the air passing through it. This could even prevent the AC from working, damage the air conditioner, or lead to a service or warranty call.  
AC compressors have to cycle ON and OFF to run properly. The compressor has to cool off and the coils have to go through a kind of automatic-defrost cycle. The fan can run continuously but NOT the compressor. If you have your thermostat set to AUTO, the whole unit cycles all at once. If it’s in ON, the fan runs all the time and just the compressor cycles (the best setting to use). Both the compressor AND the fan create an electrical surge when they start up so leaving the unit in ON (not AUTO) means you get just the compressor surge – not both at once.
Another factor is humidity. A big part of the cooling process is removing moisture from the air – which is why you see water running out of the exterior part. If you are in an area with very low humidity, the AC has to work a LOT harder to cool. When I lived in Las Vegas years ago, I thought my car AC was not working well but took a trip and found out it worked great. It actually made it get cold when we left the arid desert region.
Freeze ups can happen, primarily, for one of 3 reasons but, in all 3, the unit is running too long continuously without cycling.

1. Defects – such as low on refrigerant (Freon). The unit simply cannot keep up.
2. The unit is underpowered (too small and simply cannot keep up).

It just can’t cool as fast as the temps are heating things up.

• THE MOST COMMON REASON – The unit is working too hard and not cycling due to the thermostat temp in relation to the outside weather (heat and humidity).

FIRST : Never – never ever crank the temperature way down thinking it will cool the unit off faster.
That temperature simply sets the temp for the unit to cycle the compressor ON/OFF. This is an invitation for a freeze-up.
Understand this basic fact: the compressor is either on or off and cools at one given rate and ONLY ONE RATE. Lowering the thermostat DOES NOT ‘make the AC cool’ any faster.
However, the fan speed can help as it moves air through the unit faster.
What to do in case your AC freezes up.

1. If you can handle it, turn the AC off but leave the fan on (just the fan) and let it run for at least 30 minutes or so. The longer the better. This is to hopefully defrost the system.
2. Once you feel (or at least hope) the coils have thawed out, raise the thermostat setting to 2 degrees higher than the inside temperature then turn the AC on. This keeps the compressor off.
3. Lower the temp 1, or 2, degrees at a time until you hear the compressor cycle on.
4. Let it run and cycle ON-OFF-ON-OFF. If it does not cycle, go back to step 1.
5. After at least 2 cycles, go back to step 3. Repeat until you are at the desired temp.

Be patient. It may take quite a while.

You may even have to accept a slightly higher temp than you would like in order to prevent it from freezing up again – just a few degrees more.

Cooking Stove

1. Burners on stove will not light.
The first thing is to check that you get the ignition spark to light the flames. You can hear the clicking sound and should see a spark jump. If there’s no spark, you can always light the burner(s) with a lighter/match.
Next check that your LP gas is indeed turned ON. Don’t laugh – it is a common mistake.
Next, check your other appliances that work on LP gas to see if ANY are working. This will tell you if the issue is in the stove itself or in the gas supply system. If other items work, there is a gas supply issue in the stove. I strongly suggest you leave the repair for a professional. If none of them are working, there is a problem with the LP gas supply. See the LP gas Supply section.
The spark ignitor may operate off a battery or electric power. See your manual to see if that is so.
2. Oven does not light.
Check that the stove top burners work. If not, see step 1 above.
RV ovens typically use a pilot light during use. You have to ignite this pilot light and let it heat up a sensor before the pilot light will stay lit for cooking. Consult you user manual for specific directions on this. On our Grand Design, we push the knob in and turn it left then press the ignitor to light the pilot light then hold it in about 5 seconds to heat the sensor up and then turn to cook.
If the rest of the stove works but not the oven, there is most likely a gas supply issue in the oven. I strongly suggest you leave the repair for a professional.

Heater

1. Heater does not come on.
First, check the thermostat. Make sure it is set to heat.
Check the thermometer reading to see what the thermostat says the room temp is. Check the heater setting. Turn up the setting to a point well above the present room temp. If the heater comes on now, it is working – just set a higher neater setting.
The heater should come on when turned up for at least a moment. If not, the problem is most likely in the electric circuitry.
If the heater comes on for only a moment, it is most likely not getting gas. this is a safety feature. Check that your LP gas is indeed turned ON. Don’t laugh – it is a common mistake.
The heater most likely works on 12VDC to provide heat even when dry camping. Check out anything else in the RV to see if you have 12VDC working. If not, see the section on 12VDC not working.
Check the fuse that the heater runs on and replace if blown.
2. Heater does not stay on.
Check your other appliances that work on LP gas (stove top) to see if ANY are working. This will tell you if the issue is in the heater itself or in the gas supply system. If other items work, there is a gas supply issue in the heater. I strongly suggest you leave the repair for a professional. If none of them are working, there is a problem with the LP gas supply. See the LP gas Supply section.
3. Air is not hot.
If the air is not hot from any vents, the system is not heating the internal heat chamber. This is a problem for a professional.
If only one, or a couple, vents are not blowing hot air, it may be the design of the system. Our RV has small holes in the ductwork that runs from the heater in the back, and through the underbelly in order the heat the underbelly and prevent the pipes from freezing. This makes the air from the front vents feel much cooler than that from the rear vents.
Another cause could be either a torn duct. A blocked/crushed duct could also be the issue.

LP Gas Supply

1. Nothing works on LP.
The most likely issue is your tank(s) is(are) empty. If you have 2 tanks, try the other one.
Many RVs have automatic LP switchover valves that are supposed to switch tanks when one runs empty. However, they do not always switch properly.
An issue to consider is that the valve MAY HAVE switched to the other tank and you ran both tanks empty without realizing it.
If switching the valve does not get the stove top working, try shutting off both tanks and open them back up SLOWLY and try again.
If still nothing is working, remove a tank and see if it feels full. If not, simply take the tank(s) for a refill.
If the tank feels full, see if you can connect the tank without the automatic valve but leave the regulator in place. If this still does not work, the LP line regulator may be defective.

No DC Power

1. The most likely problem is a dead battery. Hopefully, you knew to disconnect the cable from your tow vehicle to the RV and did not run its battery down too.
2. Many RVs have a switch to disconnect the RV battery when stored to prevent it from completely draining the battery. Check that it is on now.
3. If still no DC power, check your fuses and replace any that are blown.
4. Connect the cable to your tow vehicle. If you get power now, the RV battery is dead. The built in power converter should now charge up whenever you are connected to shore power. Disconnect the tow vehicle and let it charge up.
5. If you still do not have power (and all fuses are good), the 12VDC wiring system has a serious fault. Get professional help.
6. If the converter does NOT charge the battery, either the battery is deflective (and must be replaced) or the converter is defective. Connect the cable back to the tow vehicle and start the engine. Let it run for a while then see if the battery charges enough to turn lights on (with the tow vehicle disconnected).
7. If the tow vehicle charges the battery, the battery is OK but converter is defective. If not the battery is defective.

Water Heater

Some people have on-demand hot water heaters. These are more complex so I so not address them beyond the basic checks.
The water heater may have 2 power sources : electric (shore power) and LP gas.
First, check to make sure the fuse to it is not blown and that other LP items are working.
Check that you have all valves in the proper setting for proper water flow. Check the manual for this. Open your hot water heater drain to make sure the tank is full. Allow it to run and fill the tank if any any air is escaping.
Mine has a winter configuration. In the winter setting, water completely bypasses the hot water heater tank. If the valves are not set properly for normal operation, some of the water can still bypass the tank or even completely.
If the water heat works on one source, but not the other, the problem may not be the water heater.
When operating on LP gas, you should be able to hear the water heater come on. If not, either the LP flow or electrical is defective. If other LP units work, the problem is most likely electrical.
However, you may have to let it cycle several times, after storage, to allow the gas to flow through and fill the lines. Firing up your stove top helps move this process along.

No AC (shore) power

There are not many options here. If the power at the campground post connection is good, your shore power should work. Always be sure that you are using a good quality surge suppressor / monitoring system. Too many campgrounds have power issues that can drive you crazy and even damage your RV. It will tell you when the power is good or if there is a problem with power from the connection. This guide assumes you do indeed have one in place.
If the surge suppressor does not show proper power, first check that it is plugged in properly and that the proper circuit breaker on their box is turned on.
If anything inside the trailer works on shore power, the issue is a blown fuse for the specific item or it is defective.
If nothing works, check your power cables and any adapters you are using.
Anything else should be left to a tech.

Refrigerator

Most RV refrigerators run on both shore power and LP. They also typically use 12VDC power for the lights and control circuits.
If your refrigerator works on one but not the other, first check that to see if other devices are working with it to eliminate a problem with the shore power or LP gas systems.
Check that the inside light works. If not, check that the 12VDC system is working and check the 12VDC fuse for the refrigerator. The unit will not work on either LP or shore power if the 12VDC system is out or if the internal circuitry is defective.
Check that the outside vents ae clear of debris (and animal/insect nests). The refrigerator shuts down if it overheats. It should reset once you clear the vents and it cools down if that is the case.
If the unit operates on one source only, and everything else is fine, the unit is defective and needs a tech.

Television

Check that the power chord is indeed plugged in (far more common than you would expect). If the TV shows power and does not even turn on, it is defective.
If you have a DVD player, see if the TV works with it. If so, the problem is your antenna or CATV source.
Make sure you are connected to the proper source. Some units have a switch to select antenna or CATV. You can always try the other source if unsure.
If your DVD works, you get at least one TV channel, (or both) and have no CATV, either your cable from the trailer to the campground connection is bad or their service is defective.
Unfortunately, there is no simple way for you to check to see if the problem
A big issue for many is confusion with the TV source/input. Just understand that the TV source/input has to be set to whichever signal you are looking to see.