New owner confused

[jg90gt]

27Rl Wildcat

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by jg90gt

27Rl Wildcat

Howdy jg90gt, uhh that is kind of a vague comment. What is it that you are confused about?

[Mountndream]

Welcome... please expand your post to let us know what you are confused about or people will assume that you are confused on how to post here.

Again, Welcome to the

[jg90gt]

I have just purchased a 2003 27RL wildcat.Im trying to figure out what all the switches do.There is one for the water heater next to the sink but even with it off the water heater works with out any propane tanks.When turn on the reset light comes on.

Also there is one under the cabinet next to the range hood don't have a clue what it's for.

This camper has a safe under the bed but there is another square hole under the bathroom sink.Also where the tank level check is there is a switch that says pump is that for fresh water tank?

Last question when are connected to a standard house plug with the adapter quess in 15 amp.Does the furnace work on this connection?I tried turning it on but only blower came on no heat.Same with A/C blower comes on but nothing else.We don't have the propane tanks they where stolen before purchased.

Thank you in advance.I have only been in older campers so trying to figure this one out.

The skylight over the tub has cracked and leaked into the roof and wall.Making the area 6" around it soft.Do I have to replace the entire roof or can I cut a section out repair the wood and patch the roof??

The inside trim is falling and some wrinkles on walls and roof.I picked this one up for 4,500 one owner so hopeing it's a good deal.It was at a hunting club only used a handful of times but zero mantance done.

[deebarjay]

got hot water,then you are plugged into ac power...take a look at your water heater,bottom left behind some pipes....there is a power switch there....must be on.
...when that is off [or no ac] and you have propane,the cabin switch will turn the propane burner on.

[Islander]

jg90gt.....
Re Price, well that does seem to be a pretty good price, however it does look like you will be doing some neglected maintenance and repairs.
Provided you don't find more rot and 'you' are capable of doing the repairs you may well be ahead of the game.

Hot water, deebarjay, pretty much told you why you were getting hot water via the 110V shore power, but you must have propane when not plugged in.


Furnace, Just like the hot water tank, you will need propane to get heat from the furnace. The fan runs on 12V (only) and Propane (only).

Square Hole under sink, No this was not for the safe...you must be able to see the storage area through this hole, yes?, well that is so you can place a laundry basket there and toss you dirties through the hole.

Roof , The pictures show a lot of neglect.... that is unfortunate, provided you do not find more rot you may get away with replacing a section of the roof and new rubber for that section and use eternabond tape on the seams.......The picture in not too clear but I would look very close for other leaks and rot starting at the roof then windows and seams.

When a trailer is left with no maintenance for that length of time.... you are sure to get some surprises. They are just not made to 'buy and let sit' with out being under cover or regular maintenance .
Oh.... and don't think you can just go and buy some silicone from Home Depot to do the job....you have to use the "right stuff for the right job" sold by the RV dealers.

Caulking, I would say you will have a good deal of caulking to do....for the roof use a dull plastic scrapper to remove old caulking, not all has to come off...just down to solid adhering stuff ...on other areas use a razor blade scraper (carefully)... when all or most is gone wipe down with a rag soaked in white gas...do a section at time... then caulk using the right stuff on vertical surfaces and lap sealant on the roof joints. Caution...try not to get any of the white gas or any other volatile liquid on the rubber roofing.

You can be sure you will get other opinions on how to and what to use here.

Disclaimer: My comments are only my personal opinions gained from my experience....and from what I have learned from great members like on this forum

In short I hope you find minimal problems and you are able to get out there and enjoy RV life real soon.

Hope this helps

Islander

[wmtire]

This FAQ will help you with the Suburban water heater. This is actually one of the most misunderstood items in an RV, hence the very detailed operation guide in the link below.

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ore-36197.html

[wmtire]

For those just starting off, I always recommend reading these articles about an RV's electrical, so you can understand what operates off of 120 volt AC, and what operates off of 12 volt DC (battery)...and the purpose of the converter.

Basic RV Electricity - RV Information (RV Maintenance)

RV Converters and Amp Draw - RV Information (RV Maintenance)

and this one which covers all the basics quickly:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ics-29336.html

At his stage, reading is your friend, and feel free to ask questions.

[AquaMan]

First things first. Get the roof watertight! The extent of damage from water could be extensive, in that the roof is gone, the side walls are soft and delaminating, the floor could even be soft. That's the worst news. Good news would be that the roof just around the skylight is bad and that's all that needs replaced. In doing so, a new roof membrane would be required. Unless it's going to be parked somewhere and and you're not looking to travel with it. In that case you could patch it in, and be fairly secure. Good Luck.

[jg90gt]

Thank you for the fast relies.They did cover the roof with a tarp after the damage was found but not before it did get into the walls.I havent noticed any soft spots on the walls other than the back wall by the entry where the power inverter/fuse panel is.Has a gash above a window that was patched with roof tar.No dark or soft spot on the floor.

When we had it move by the local rv dealer we told him about the roof but he didn't look at it.He sold us some self leveling caulk and sealer for the roof.I'm going to try and do the repairs myself.We are using it as a temporary home while we build one on our land.

Any idea what the switch under the cabinet between the range hood and sink light goes to?

Also has built in stereo when powered off the speakers stay on with a static hissing sound.Could this be from water damage?

When the dealer moved the camper he said it was worth 11,000 and wouldn't sell it less than 6,500.We have officially purchased the camper yet it was a family members that said we could use it until next hunting seasons.

So I thought I would buy it after the dealer told me what it's worth.So should I avoid this one or is it worth the repair for the price?

[jg90gt]

The inside damage from roof leak and rear near windows.Could I remove the outer sky light replace with a piece of plywood ,patch with the membrane and the seal it?

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by jg90gt

When the dealer moved the camper he said it was worth 11,000 and wouldn't sell it less than 6,500.We have officially purchased the camper yet it was a family members that said we could use it until next hunting seasons.

So I thought I would buy it after the dealer told me what it's worth.So should I avoid this one or is it worth the repair for the price?

Prices are highly subjective and there is a difference between dealer asking price and dealer selling price. You can use sites like ebay, craigslist, rv trader to determine what similar are selling for in real money. You just have to see what private sellers are getting and not necessarily what dealers are asking (since they may actually sell if less than that).

One of the main problems with water intrusion. besides the obvious wood damage, is possibly the unseen mold that can be forming behind walls,floors, roofs, etc. Since you are going to be living in the RV, this is a probable health risk, you probably need to look into quickly.

Not trying to scare you off, but just point out things you may not be aware of.

[jg90gt]

Thank you for the info.

[KenHwy61]

i am a little confused if you actually already bought the trailer. If you haven't bought it, I wouldn't buy it. There are many solid units that have been well-kept out there for sale. Water leaks often are the demise of many trailers.

[jg90gt]

The tag by the door says aluminum frame/walls?So the walls should be ok from the roof leak?

[KenHwy61]

The aluminum framing will be fine, but the luan wallboard will rot and mold. Same with wood roof decking and flooring.

[KDHfan]

If you haven't purchased this camper yet, I suggest you not even consider it. Personally, I probably wouldn't take on this project if it were free. IMO, the longer you look for problem areas, the more you're probably going to find. Some of those pictures prove complete neglect. I think that dealer is blowing some serious smoke.


2015 Coachmen Apex 288BHS
2014 Toyota Tundra 5.7L CrewMax

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[jg90gt]

Thanks for the heads up.

[Oaklevel]

Back to the tank indicators the trailer being a 2003 may not have had them the older trailers did not come with them.

The safe was added by a former owner not original equipment.

Does look as if it needs a lot of work, depends how much you want to take on. I would price other trailers as well around here $6500 seems high for the amount of work it needs, but different areas pricing is very different on used (supply & demand). Looks like you are just going by what the dealer said? or an actual offer?? Two different things.

I hate buying from family leads to hard feelings down the line.

Good Luck......

[jg90gt]

It has the level indicator but has a pump switch which I'm guessing is for the fresh water tank.The dealer was just telling us what he would sell it for on his lot.It came up while he was moving it.Agree with the family thing always causes issues later on.