RV Q&A by Mark - March 2008

*NOTE: At Mark's discretion, material might be edited to suit a wide audience. Due to the large volume of material and correspondence we receive, individual replies might not be possible, nor can we acknowledge receipt of submitted material. Selected questions will be answered in future issues of our RV Education 101 newsletter and on our site. Thank-you for your understanding.

Q. My awning stays rolled up for weeks, and sometimes months at a time. Even though I try to put it away dry, it still gets mildew on it. Those black mildew areas are difficult to remove, but most probably the awning is still damp when it is rolled up, though it might seem dry. I saw an awning at a campsite that was not made out of the vinyl covered fabric, but was made out of some sort of mesh. It seemed to shade the sun quite well, but it was made of some sort of fabric you could almost see through. Do you know by chance what brand of awning that might have been? I couldn't see a name on it, and the owners of the trailer with the awning was not there so I could ask them. It would seem to me that an awning like that would be just right for me. Can you help me?

Mark Says: The awning fabric probably is dry when you store it but when it rains it is still possible for water to get inside the rolled up awning fabric, and other factors like condensation can create problems too. It's a good idea to unroll it once every couple of weeks when the RV is stored outside to let it air out and dry.

Fabric used on RV awnings is basically one of two types, acrylic or vinyl. The one you saw at the campground was an acrylic fabric. Acrylic awning fabric is a woven cloth that lets air circulate through the fabric. This air circulation allows the fabric to dry quickly when it gets wet. Acrylic fabrics are water repellent, but not waterproof. If you have experience tent camping you know that you shouldn't touch the underside of the tent when it’s wet. Touching the wet fabric allows water to seep through the fabric. The same applies to an acrylic awning fabric.

Vinyl awning fabric like yours mildews. Vinyl awning fabric is basically mildew resistant, but not necessarily mildew proof. Mildew can form on the dirt and dust that collects on the fabric. It will be worse in high temperatures, humidity and if the fabric is stored when it is wet. Carefree of Colorado offers acrylic awning fabrics and I believe A&E does too.

Q.I am interested in purchasing the 'Good Governor".... my question is regarding use. At a camp site.... prior to plugging into a 50 amp or 30 amp outlet.... how do you use the Good Governor with a 120V plug? Do you plug it into the coach outlet inside..... and then plug in the 50 amp.... and then go inside to evaluate the read-out..... If there is a problem isn't that too late. I realize I may be all wrong in the usage.... just seeking clarification. Thanks for your support.

Mark Says: Just to let you know, the manufacturer of the Good Governor is going to discontinue production because of the rising cost to manufacture it. He will stand behind the warranty period on all remaining Good Governors.

With that said one of the accessories available with the Good Governor is a 50 amp to 20 amp adapter. You plug the 50 amp adapter into the campground electric and plug the Good Governor into the 20 amp adapter to check the voltage and wiring before plugging the RV in. I'm not sure of the cost, but you can probably get one from an RV dealer or online too.

Another option is to use a surge protector at the incoming electrical source to protect the RV electrical system. There are portable models starting at about $100 and hard wired models priced anywhere from 3 to $500. Go to campingworld.com and type surge protector in the search box to see the various types and models.

Q. I had an aftermarket auto security system installed in my RV. Since then, my starting battery draws down. The RV is in storage but plugged into house current. I am able to start the engine with the house batteries. What could be draining the start battery? Doesn't make sense as cars with security systems don't seem to drain the battery. Should the system be wired to the house batteries? I need the security system on as the RV has been broken into.

Mark Says: When the RV is plugged in it charges the house batteries not the starting battery. It sounds like the installation of the alarm system requires voltage to constantly be drawn from the battery. This might work for an automobile that is driven every day (the battery doesn't sit long enough to completely drain) but with an RV in storage it just drains the battery. It might be possible that the installation wasn't done properly too. If it was in fact installed properly it will continue to drain the battery when the unit is in storage.

Keep in mind that when you are charging the batteries (coach and starting) on a regular basis you need to check the water levels in the battery cells more frequently.

Copyright 2008 by Mark J. Polk owner of RV Education 101

RV Expert Mark Polk, seen on TV, is the producer & host of America's most highly regarded series of DVD's, videos, books, and e-books. http://www.rveducation101.com/