new 28A owner needs HELP

popdaddy · 06-18-2012, 07:23 PM

Hello. I am new. Just a couple of questions... why is it so difficult to find the button to post a thread? I would think that would be more obviously placed.. i searched and clicked and searched.. also how come we cant select the forum for our specific camper? On other forum sites, if you own a ford expedition, you dont have to read about repair issues to ford escorts or ford taurus, just specifically what pertains to your vehicle. Just a suggestion - it seems it would be easier if I could click 28A, and everyone in 28A was talking about things to do with my specific camper model.

With that said - I have a cherokee lite 28A '03 model, and we bought it at an auction. We got nothing. NOTHING. No manuals, no keys, no info on how to start stuff.... Im completely lost, and it is very difficult collecting info over such a broad area on this site without reading TONS of useless infor that doesnt pertain to me. Perhaps I can get assistance as to how to do ANYTHING? I cant get power. I hooked up the battery... fully charged. Nothing. Ive switched breakers on/off, and nothing works. If my camper DOES work off of the battery, can someone explain how I would do that?? Also, not sure who engineered these things, but why are all the switches to work things right out in the open, yet you have to get on all fours and under the stove to get to the breaker box area?? Who designed that inconvenient piece of loveliness? You know how long that took a newbie with NO manuals to find?? lol why not put it where normal folk can reach it.. lol.

Please help me out. I dont know anything.

I read now about the rest button(s) under the chasis - im going to check that tomorrow.. but info on how to work other stuff would be quite helpful.

MilCop4523 · 06-18-2012, 07:41 PM

Go on google or Firefox and type in the year make and model and manual. Hit enter and you should be able to get some info. YouTube first hit got me a video on your trailer.
As for the new thread button - it is very well hidden. Don't know why it's so difficult to locate but finding Taliban in Afghanistan was easier.

popdaddy · 06-18-2012, 07:52 PM

Thanks bro I did watch that video on the 04 model, but I dont know how to work the mains for the electric, water.. how to drain stuff.. does my model have a storage for fresh water? Stuff like that.. I tent.. we know that, we just dont know this new style.. lol..

popdaddy · 06-18-2012, 07:55 PM

omg.. the new thread button IS right there. I swear I didnt see that.. I went under Forum tools and clicked on new thread that way.. lmbo.. I never sawthat giant *ss new thread button. sigh.. lol..

**bikendan** · 06-18-2012, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by popdaddy

omg.. the new thread button IS right there. I swear I didnt see that.. I went under Forum tools and clicked on new thread that way.. lmbo.. I never sawthat giant *ss new thread button. sigh.. lol..

yea, it's right at the top of each forum. maybe if we made it the size of a computer mouse.

as for a 28A section, do you have any idea how many different brands of RVs that Forest River makes? and in each brand there's probably an average of 15 different models.
just in hybrid travel trailers, there are 7-8 different brands with an average of 7 different floorplans in each brand, requiring 56 different forums.
now, add the 100 different brands under FR and add that up. and what about all the floorplans that are no longer made. do those need their own section too?
what you want is virtually unmanageable for volunteer moderators and designers to maintain.

you could start your own 28A owner's thread under the Cherokee section.

not sure why you jumped into RV ownership without first learning more about them and how they work.

but i'm sure they'll be many Cherokee owners that can help with the particulars to your model.
but a lot of things all RVs have in common.
spend some time reading the Tech and Repair section and use the Search feature to find posts pertaining to your issues.

was buying the trailer a spur of the moment decision, a deal to good to pass up?

Dodge Guy · 06-18-2012, 08:31 PM

Did you connect the battery properly? on an RV the ground is white and the + is black! after that the only manuals they give you when you buy it new are the individual appliance manuals, more or less how to install everything. it takes some fiddling with it if you`ve never owned one before. do not turn on the electric heating element in the water heater unless there is water in it, it will burn up the element. there is a switch in the outside water heater compartment, lower left corner. if it is like mine they may have forgot to plug it in! there is a plug on the backside of the heater. there is an access panel under the front mattress. unscrew it and under it is the winterizing valve. turn it so the water flows into the water tank then open a faucet to purge the air. I can`t remeber, but I think they put a water filter under the bathroom sink?

Any questions feel free to ask!

BTW we had an 05 28A we loved the trailer great layout!

**Terier** · 06-18-2012, 09:21 PM

Welcome to the Forest River Forums!

A lot of website layouts are different but once you become familiar it's a piece of cake. Hang in there - you are doing fine.

Take care,
Terier

Rsgtivr6 · 06-18-2012, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bikendan

yea, it's right at the top of each forum. maybe if we made it the size of a computer mouse.

as for a 28A section, do you have any idea how many different brands of RVs that Forest River makes? and in each brand there's probably an average of 15 different models.
just in hybrid travel trailers, there are 7-8 different brands with an average of 7 different floorplans in each brand, requiring 56 different forums.
now, add the 100 different brands under FR and add that up. and what about all the floorplans that are no longer made. do those need their own section too?
what you want is virtually unmanageable for volunteer moderators and designers to maintain.

you could start your own 28A owner's thread under the Cherokee section.

not sure why you jumped into RV ownership without first learning more about them and how they work.

but i'm sure they'll be many Cherokee owners that can help with the particulars to your model.
but a lot of things all RVs have in common.
spend some time reading the Tech and Repair section and use the Search feature to find posts pertaining to your issues.

was buying the trailer a spur of the moment decision, a deal to good to pass up?

While I can understand the frustration of newbie questions, I have to say that I found your reply to be a bit brash. Some people do not understand how difficult things are until they get into them. I like to ensure that I know at least the basics of what I am going to get into, but not everyone does this. They just think "how hard can it be?" and learn through the school of hard knocks. I don't think questioning his purchase motives to be relevant to the discussion nor helpful. Like he said, he got it at an auction and, I am assuming, for what he thought was a good deal. We all have to learn sometime.

Now, back to OP.

See if you can get a dealer or a call in to FR support to get manuals on your specific camper and equipment. They may be able to find them quickly. Otherwise, contact the individual manufacturers of your appliances and equipment if FR can't help. Finally, just as previously said, ask questions in the Cherokee forum with your specific information of the trailer and what you are looking to find out. I am sure there are other owners out there willing to help. If it is about a non brand specific item, toss it in a General Repair and Tech thread.

Good luck and

**bikendan** · 06-18-2012, 09:55 PM

maybe i took it wrong that the OP's title asked for help, yet his first post started off complaining about the website and how it was confusing and why there isn't a special place for others that own his model of trailer.

not exactly a good way to ask for help, by criticizing the website you expect its members to help you out.

mike06081969 · 06-18-2012, 10:06 PM

Have you tried it on park power or just the battery? Does your particular model have a battery disconnect switch? If it does and that switch is turned off, you won't have any DC power from the battery to the trailer. Don't feel bad about not knowing anything. You can go buy a brand new one and you won't get any manuals specific to your trailer, just a bunch of manuals for the different appliances. Unfortunately, RVing is something you just have to learn as you go. Your best bet is to go to a well populated campground, set your camper up, and find some other RVers to pick their brains. I've learned more that way than anything else. RVers love to help one another.

I agree with the rsgtivr6 about some of the judgmental replies some of the less learned RVers among us get sometimes. If you don't like the question, just move on. No use flaming a guy who is new and looking for help.

popdaddy · 06-18-2012, 10:12 PM

I wasnt complaining.. just suggesting that perhaps there was an easier or different way to categorize for ease of use .. when I put 28A into the search, it doesnt bring up anything.. it seems that searching by the model would at the least be an option to bring up the posts that have to do with that model, is all im saying. I understand the bountiful amount of different models. That's kinda my point.. what goes for one persons answer to their problem may not be the same for the next guy, because maybe things are in a different area on their model, or maybe something operates differently from one to another. My goodness, it was just an observation.. no need to get all huffy about it like I'm dissing your site.. I did take the time to JOIN and POST, right? So I must want to interact.

Now, as to why I bought my camper.. I dunno.. why did u buy yours? That's a silly question. We camp.. I wanted to move off the ground.. we came across this model repo'd for 3k.. so we bought it. That doesnt mean I miraculously know how to tow, work the slides, get the propane going, etc. I cant even get the lights to turn on. Had I bought this from a dealer, then of course Im sure they would have gone thru all of that.. I did not have that luxury.

All I was wondering is how the electrics, plumbing, and such work on these. I really dont want to get into a bickering match because SOMEONE is always going to take a sentence the wrong way. Period. I didnt get hoses or cords, I dont know if theres holding tanks for fresh water if Im not hooked up in a campground.. how to go from electric to battery use.. these things arent just explained. There are people like us that are first time camper buyers.. we're just lookin for a little love to show us the ropes.

I hope Im not asking the wrong questions, or am on the right site. Thanks.

popdaddy · 06-18-2012, 10:20 PM

@ mike06081969.. yes, I agree. Thank you. That was my point exactly.

I havent hooked it up to power.. I dont have a cord yet. I just bought it last week, and moved it to my storage unit. I still have to install the brake system on my expedition, and I was going to open the camper up and clean it out and such.. then we couldnt get anything to turn on. Im not sure about a battery disconnect switch. My battery is behing the propane tanks on the front tongue. I just disconnected it and reconnected it after the charge. My cables are white and red, so Im assuming RED is positive and white is neg.. just to answer another posters question. Im going to try that reset button tomorrow. I saw on the breaker box theres a switch for converter.. but turning on that breaker did nothing more than the others.

Rsgtivr6 · 06-18-2012, 10:30 PM

My suggestion is to locate your nearest FR/Cherokee dealer. You might be able to just take it to them and have them give you a walk around, especially if you plan to buy some of the necessities. If they are smart, they will walk you around your camper, if not just in hopes to get some business later for accessories or broken parts you may find. If not, just ask away. Many of the things can be found by doing a visual look around. Take a look under the camper and find the tanks, if it has them, and follow the pipes and fittings. They may be labeled (or should be at least) and you can track them down. As far as the electrical. It may be a bad battery, battery connection, an installed disconnect, or other fusing. Follow the lines as far as you can and see what there is.

**Janet H** · 06-18-2012, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by popdaddy

I hope Im not asking the wrong questions, or am on the right site. Thanks.

You're probably at the right site - there's lots of knowledgeable and helpful folks here.

Many, many models share the same basic components and so folks may be able to help more quickly than you think. Ask specific questions to get the best results and learn to make friends with both the forum search tool and google to help find info.

You can find manuals for some components here Forest River Forums - Downloads and if you don;t have the owners manual for your rig, you might consider contacting Forest River Inc to see if they can part with one.

popdaddy · 06-18-2012, 10:35 PM

Hi thanks Rsgtivr6.. I tried that, too.. there are 2 rv dealers in opposite directions of me, and neither sells Cherokee. Im going to do just what you said tomorrow - get under there myself and find out. Thanks - I guess trial and error is the best method. I'll figure it out.

Rsgtivr6 · 06-18-2012, 10:43 PM

For your electrical cord, look at the socket. It most likely will be a 30A so the top 2 blades should be angled at 45deg and there will be a ground lug under them. If it has 3 parallel straight blades and a ground lug, it is 50A. Buy the appropriate cord and a 15A adapter (ask the dealer if you don't know what they are) and see if you can get it plugged in to your house. This may help solve some issues.

MilCop4523 · 06-19-2012, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bikendan

yea, it's right at the top of each forum. maybe if we made it the size of a computer mouse.

Or maybe make it flashing and have a vibration feature so when you scroll over it the mouse your using vibrates like a PS3 controller

popdaddy · 06-19-2012, 08:17 AM

Ok, ok,, Im an idiot.. lol.. I guess I deserve that. I honestly didnt see it tho, and its weird if that button is there why you can still go under site tools or furom tools and choose new thread that way. I guess getting poked fun at is part of the newbie initiation..

mike06081969 · 06-19-2012, 09:47 AM

Here are some basic things you'll need to start camping. Most of it you can get at Wal Mart, a hardware store, Camping World, or any RV dealer:

1. Power Cord - rsgtivr6 gave you some good advice. You'll need either a 30A or 50A cord, probably a 30A in your case.
2. Fresh water hose. You also need a pressure regulator for your fresh water hose.
3. Regular old water hose for rinsing your sewer hoses.
4. 2 or 3 lengths of sewer hose. (Your camper should have a 4"x4" square bumper on the back with rubber or plastic end caps that come off. Your sewer hoses will store neatly in there. You might look and make sure they aren't already there.) You'll also need the 90 deg fitting to connect your sewer hose to the park sewer or dump station.
5. If your camper doesn't already have a leveling indicator installed on it, you might want to pick one up. You can easily install it by using a carpenter's level on the frame of your camper, get the camper level, then install the leveling indicator. It makes setup at the campground a lot easier.
6. Either buy 2 bags of Lynx Levelers (or similar product) or cut you some different lengths of 2x6s and wood blocks to use for leveling. I like the Lynx Levelers just because they are light weight and store easily, but they are kinda high. (About 30 bucks for a bag of 8)

You can get all that for 150 bucks or less if you don't already have it. (Except for the power cord, they are fairly expensive. Probably 100 bucks or so for a 30A power cord. Check your camper out real well and make sure there isn't already one stored somewhere in it.)

There will be a fresh water connection somewhere on your camper to hook up your hose. Make sure when you turn the water on, you have faucets open inside to bleed the air. Turn the water on slowly until the air is all bled before opening it up fully to prevent damage to your piping.

You should have a connection underneath your camper on the driver's side for a sewer hose. It should be 3" and have a cap on it. The cap will be a bayonet type fitting and you should just turn it 1/4 turn or less to the left and then snap it off. Slide your sewer hose up on it, then turn it to the right until it locks in place. Depending on your camper, you may have grey, black and galley tanks. Some models will have the grey and galley together in one tank. The grey water is your shower, sinks, etc. Galley would be the kitchen sink. Black is your toilet(s). Usually the black dump valve will be labeled "sewer". The grey will be labeled "waste water". Always dump your black first and your grey last. The grey will help rinse some of the solids from your sewer hoses and make cleanup easier. Be sure when you finish dumping to close your dump valves and re-install the cap on the dump line and rinse your sewer hose good before you put it away.

You need to get your camper plugged into park power and just methodically ensure everything works. Most of your lighting is DC and should work with just the battery, but if you have a bad battery the lighting will still work plugged into park power off the power converter. I don't think you'll be able to do a good assessment of what is working and what isn't until you get it plugged in. Good luck!

mike06081969 · 06-19-2012, 10:05 AM

One other thing, if the camper was winterized, the water heater will probably be drained. Depending on your setup, you may have one or three valves that need to be manipulated in order to line your water heater up and the drain plug or anode rod will need to be installed in the water heater. (Some water heaters have an anode rod that installs as part of the drain plug.) If you have the one valve setup, just turn it to normal instead of bypass and fill the water heater tank with a hot water valve inside the camper open to bleed air.

Note: Make sure that you always turn the water heater 'off' before you disconnect water and that you never turn it 'on' until you have water hooked up and air bled. Most water heaters will have both electric and gas. There is an on/off switch located behind the water heater door outside your camper for the electric. In most cases, there is also a switch for the gas on your control panel inside the camper. Most will attempt to light on gas two or three times, then if ignition fails you will get a light indicating ignition failure. Just turn the switch off and back on and it will try to re-light. Make sure you have checked the burner venturi and all related equipment closely and cleaned out any dirt dauber nests before you attempt to light it.

Speaking of dirt daubers, they are prone to nesting on the blades of your air conditioner fan. If you turn your air conditioner on and it sounds like a helicopter taking off, turn it back off. Climb on the roof of the camper, take the A/C cover off, and clean the nests off the fan assembly.

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