I've just bought a 1974 29' Ambassador, and it's clear
I should have asked more questions and insisted on
more show-and-tell before I wrote the check,
especially since I plan to live in it for the next few
months. But it's mine now so...
1)When it's plugged into shore power, the 110v outlets
work, but the 12v lights don't. And when it's not
plugged in, the 12v lights work, but the 110v outlets
don't. It has a Magnetek 3240 converter, apparently
installed in 2000 by an RV repair place. Is this most
likely a converter problem, a wiring glitch, or...?
And what can I do to the narrow the problem down? I
can't see a fuse panel, so I'm assuming it's included
in the converter? The converter is accessed by
crawling into the curbside closet, where it's nestled
on the other side of the bulkhead, sort of underneath
the tub/shower.
2)When the water is hooked up, the internal pressure
regulator valve sprays water all over the compartment.
The RV park manager tells me that most RVs just use a
regulator on the hose. So would it make sense to just
remove the internal regulator, replace it with a piece
of pipe, and use an external regulator?
3)When the shower sprayer is turned on, little or no
water emerges from the sprayer head. Instead, there is
a sound of water hitting some surface internally.
There is no sign of it leaking to the outside
somewhere, nor any obvious signs of it seeping onto
the bathroom floor (which is carpeted), etc. So WHERE
could it be going? To my ear, it sounds like the water
is hitting a non-metallic surface, but I could
definitely be wrong about this. Needless to say, I
will not try to use the shower this winter, but I am
concerned that it seems to be pooling inside the
trailer somewhere rather than draining out. Although I
suppose it could be draining so slowly that the drips
are lost in the copious pressure regulator shower.
3)I haven't tested the furnace yet - the person who
sold the Airstream to me used it for occasional trips,
and she relied on a Thermix catalytic heater installed
on the end of the galley, which does work well. I live
where the winter temperature does go below freezing
(but almost always stays above 0) for about 6 weeks.
If I can't get the furnace to work, how serious should
I be about fixing it immediately?
I am a little more handy than the average middle-aged
woman, but I am no mechanic, especially when it comes
to plumbing! Also, I have no experience at all with
working with propane systems.
If anyone is handy to the southwestern Washington
area, I would be happy to pay for a house call.
But it's so cool-looking, and I've wanted one since I
was 3 years old...