Archive - Aluminium Camper Forum

My first time out, I discovered a leak during a 24 hour massive series of storms, (13QBB) and water dripped all night from the speaker over the bed...onto me. I slept with a plastic bowl at the end of the bed and woke every time i moved, fearing I'd tip it. I think the leak was from the other side, running thru the speaker bulkhead to the low side and out the scre holes.

Having said that, I think I fixed that issue (along with a bunch of plumbing issues from a mishandled interization and a loose ire from the power to the water pump) and I'm back in love with it. Looking forward to going for 3 nights this weekend in New Hampshire. Next time out, you'll have a great time and forget all about it I hope.  

The LL's, thewee mobile homesteads we love, have a very different look inside. They're not only clean and sleek, they're a challange to add your on personal touch to. Might be interesting and helpful to see what brilliant people have come up with.

A thought....



  

I put the cart before the horse, asked a question before introduction. My apologies.

We're both 55 and working our way thru life. We used to do a lot of back packing in the white mountains a decade or two ago. Getting the kids out of the nest took all our time for awhile but now it's only a couple grand kids we have to wrestle. We used to have a second home and a lot more free time but things changed in 2008, change some are happy about but change for us that brought us to our knees. Business gone, toys, bank accounts, ease of life and a bright future all we're brooomed aside...replaced with a new America. Thank goodness a third of our in one goes to health insurance, what would we have done if the old way kept up?

We decided to get a camper to get away with. We just didn't want to sleep on roots and stones if we could help it. When I started looking into campers, I knew I wanted small and light but didn't know much else. I ran into Liv'n Lite by accident and was intrigued. The more I studied, the more I knew that they were worth the small premium. I've seen camper rotted away, water damage, moisture damage, rust...and found a 13QBB for sale. We've not looked back since.  

We got a 6" memory foam mattress to cover the stock one, and the first few sleeps, I awoke past 10:00 am. Lol. What a dreamland to awake inside one of these LL's. Knowing its rot proof pretty much, a home for many years. We were at a. Amp ground the first time last weekend. How cool to have a self contained rig that I can pull easily behind my Nissan Frontier...AND have a queen sized bed to boot!

Anyway, thanks for having me, and for listening.  

Yes, there was an instant tip off, when I pulled the converter out thru the bulkhead, I saw a nest of unraveling black electrical tape around a big blue wire nut. Right next to it was the red + wire with its copper exposed and it was covered in that miserable black goo from decomposing electrical tape in heat. I kinda put to and two together that an exposed red covered in black tar belonged with the big wire nut also covered in goo and flailing ribbons of old tape.

Must have happened before. LOL. I surmise thats why someone traded it in, and the trailer place replaced the battery trying to fix the problem, cause the battery power didn't work. I bought it online on an eBay auction that died cause no one met the minimum. I negotiated with these guys, (I used to own a Dodge Jeep Chrysler Dealership so I know the business dealings pretty well) knew they were a bit flim flamey, but I anted this model specifically. They drove it up from florida to NH. Battery never worked from the start.  And that electrical tape was a lot older than a year.

Thanks so much everyone for the help. I felt a bit dumb once it was discovered, but thats how we all learn I guess isn;;t it.

Bingo...used the
"Progressive Dynamics" trouble shooting instructions...had zippo at the battery when shore power on, so disconnected the battery output at the converter per instructions, and got 12v no problems. Step 2 as check the circuit breaker which I wondered may be behind the bulkhead. When I pulled out the unit..."well, whats this 12V positive wire out of the wire nut? Huh?..."

Reworked the connection, cleaned up the wires, re-did the wire nut, reconnected the battery and, as said in the movie that defined all construction projects today..."It's Alive....Alive!!!!"   (Young Frankenstein BTW)

All works, great learning experience. Now I know how and where just about everything is/goes/works in the little rig. I always thought there'd be a master switch for 110 to 12V.

Thank you all for the help and advice, now that I have my plumbing fixed, no more McGiver repairs done on the fly, and figured out power...its off to Weare NH for the 4th weekend...with flowing water and the knowledge that all is well.  

Lol, pep boys battery load test showed fully charged, accepts a charge and discharges properly also. "It's actually testing better than it's rated for" the dude said.

Now I'm really stumped. Battery is 1 year old, yet trailer is a 2012. I bought it last fall...I bet the RV store thought it was a bad battery too and replaced it...giving up when it still didn't work.

All fuses are ok, including the reverse polarity ones. The battery charged overnight and still nutt'n honey.

"Grumbles"...

I think I'm on to chasing wires underneath?

It runs perfectly on shore power, hit the switch and it self primes and works as usual. But, nothing seems to run off the battery, so I thought I must be missing a switch somewhere.  The interior lights do not work either on battery) The freeze blew the filter before the pump apart, and cracked the toilet valve and the outside shower valve, all which I replaced.  I hooked it to city water and left it pressurized for awhile and no leaks anywhere. With a 13 footer, theres no place for a leak to hide with the heater/waterpump/plumbing exposed for repair. I'll try checking the fuses and then trickle charge the battery, though it was on shore power for 3 days straight last weekend and should have been trickled then.  

I had a freeze up when the camper was improperly winterized and replaced the filter at the pump. ( I have a 2012 QBB 13 )

Everything works great on shore power but no water pump on battery? Should it run off the battery? Seems like a dopey Q but I can't figure it out. Battery's charged.

Thanks kids.