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Rookie RV Owner Has A Few Questions

by Lou
(Tampa, Florida, USA)

First, Hi to everyone!

Since we're new to RV'ing, we purchased a very good in shape RV and below book value as the dealer needed more space for his other Cars on his lot. It's a 1983 Winnebego Itasca Class A RV with a 6.2 liter diesel engine, but it came to me without any manuals to learn and know all I need to know about the RV.

To be sure it was safe and valued fairly. I had an RV mobile mechanic first come out and check it for any problems assessing it inside and out. He said we were stealing it at roughly by $2k-3k for the price we paid and the condition it was in. 2 Minor problems, she's pulls the right when brakes are used. My mechanic had told me about it also before taking it for a test drive. It had a new right brake line and probably just needs to be bled and that the RV's AC Condenser is seized, so I'll replace it...Roof AC seems to operate fine.


1st Q: I want to hookup the RV Shore/land line to my home as I don't want my batteries being drained out. I have 2 options a Solar System on the roof of the RV or the house. I chose the house for now. Problem is...it's a 30Amp male plug, not to be confused as a 220v hook-up. So how can I solve this and get the 30Amp adapted to plug into a normal 110v outlet or an adapter of some kind to hook it up to my 220V outlet?

2nd Q: When driving, how do I know which roads/highways I can drive the RV on? Are there any Software Apps or GPS's tailored for RV's? As to not go on Roads/Highways I shouldn't be going on or could doing something that get me ticketed for some reason while cruising around.

3rd Q: Anyone know where I can get or download all the manuals I would need for my 1983 Winnebego Itasca Class A RV with a 6.2 liter diesel engine.

4th Q: Can the Generator be used while the RV is on the Road?

5th Q: This is one is just for curiosity and maybe emergency fuel. Has anyone used anything else other than diesel? As I've heard Veg. oil
and strained dirty grease to be free on contaminates be used to run the Rv?

Thank you all and glad to have found this site1! :-)

Lou

ANSWER: Greetings Lou thanks for submitting your question on our Ask An RV Question Page.

Leave your RV repair bills to us—Good Sam Extended Service Plan

Congratulations on your new RV and welcome to the RVing Lifestyle, now to your questions.

1. Plugging RV Into House Electric: You will need a 30 Amp To 15 Amp Adaptor. You should also read the answer I gave to Can I Plug In A RV To A Home Electrical System? for more in-depth information.

2. GPS Software: I do not use a GPS unit in my motorhome (the screens are too small for my liking), instead I use my laptop and I currently use Microsoft Streets and Trips for navigation. There are several GPS Software Programs Available. You will have to choose what works best for you.

3. Getting Owner's Manuals: The best place to initially look for RV Owner's Manuals is by contacting the company that manufactured your RV, in your case that would be Winnebago. If they do not have it read the answer I gave to Where Can I Get An Owner's Manual For An Alfa Gold 5th Wheel? for other alternatives to getting an Owner's Manual.

4. Running Generator While Going Down The Road: Yes, it is safe to run your generator while going down the road. Just remember to shut if off when filling up with fuel or propane.

5. Alternate Fuels: I would strongly advise against running any home-brewed strained grease or vegetable oil in your RV's engine as it could cause severe damage to your engine. This is not something you want to try on your own to see if works. Stick to the fuels that your engine is designed to run on.

I hope that all of this information has been helpful to you.

Do you have any suggestions or comments on this topic? You can add them to this page by clicking on the "Click Here To Post Comments" link located near the bottom of this page.

Now protect all of your Vehicles and your family while on the road: Join Good Sam Emergency Road Service Today and save!

Happy RVing

RVing Al

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