Our First Eagle Camping Experience
Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 8:45 pm
We just got back from a 6 night "expedition" in our '81 M10 Entertainer. Everything went great with a few exceptions.
A hot water line going to the galley sink sprang a leak. Unfortunately this line runs into the 110v electrical compartment and then up into the coach. It was spraying water directly into the breaker box which has no cover. YIKES!!! Got that fixed and we were good to go.
The next day the central air began to freeze up. Called out a tech and he came out and serviced the system and put in a pound of R-22. This is a VERY old basement unit so I'm sure the leaks will probably be normal. Saving cash for two new roof tops soon. We were only 45 minutes from home and the tech is a good friend. He didn't charge me a dime. Not even for the R-22. Yay me! The ac almost froze us after the repair. We also have a 15,000 btu roof air mounted in the center of the coach and it kept the central unit from coming on until the hottest part of the day. Even then we almost froze.
About the same time the ac started its drama the old Microflush LF-220 died. The flush timer went out. I priced a timer and at $190 I decided that it was time to upgrade. I headed to Sonny's Camp and Travel in Duncan, SC and Mr. Eddie Adams sold me a new Dometic toilet with a porcelain bowl and the swirl flush. No electronics!!! Always felt uneasy about sitting on a toilet that was hooked up to electricity even if it was just 12 volts. It took all of 15 minutes to install the new throne. With its new positioning I now have room to install a small sink in the restroom.
Upon leaving the camping area I noticed that I was leaving a trail of sewage every time I made a left turn. I got out to inspect and found that the dump valve was not closing all the way. The dump valves are the Dupree Products power valves. Something was keeping it from going down. I made it home without the EPA tailing me and disassembled the valve to find that the actual seal had fallen out of the blade and was lodged under the blade keeping it from closing and therefore allowing the sewage that didn't completely drain out when I dumped it at the site to spill out onto the road. I have now ordered new seal assemblies for BOTH dump valves.
I never thought that my wife would take to camping. She has been sheltered all her life and she is not an outdoors gal. SHE LOVED STAYING IN THE EAGLE!!! She is planning our next "expedition".
I bought this coach (this is my 5th coach, 3rd Eagle) for our family music ministry. I didn't really buy it for camping but I do have to admit, I could get to liking it. In August our family music ministry will be heading out to Lemmon, SD to sing at my brother's church. We will leave on a Thursday afternoon and sing in Mulhall, OK the next night. We will sing in Omaha, NE on that Saturday night and then in Lemmon, SD on Sunday night. We get to spend three days in Lemmon and then head out on the next Thursday to sing in southern Alabama on that Friday night and the next night back in South Carolina singing close to home. What a haul!!!
Gonna be installing at least one new ac unit and four new tires before August. LOL!!!
I'm addicted to RV'ing.
A hot water line going to the galley sink sprang a leak. Unfortunately this line runs into the 110v electrical compartment and then up into the coach. It was spraying water directly into the breaker box which has no cover. YIKES!!! Got that fixed and we were good to go.
The next day the central air began to freeze up. Called out a tech and he came out and serviced the system and put in a pound of R-22. This is a VERY old basement unit so I'm sure the leaks will probably be normal. Saving cash for two new roof tops soon. We were only 45 minutes from home and the tech is a good friend. He didn't charge me a dime. Not even for the R-22. Yay me! The ac almost froze us after the repair. We also have a 15,000 btu roof air mounted in the center of the coach and it kept the central unit from coming on until the hottest part of the day. Even then we almost froze.
About the same time the ac started its drama the old Microflush LF-220 died. The flush timer went out. I priced a timer and at $190 I decided that it was time to upgrade. I headed to Sonny's Camp and Travel in Duncan, SC and Mr. Eddie Adams sold me a new Dometic toilet with a porcelain bowl and the swirl flush. No electronics!!! Always felt uneasy about sitting on a toilet that was hooked up to electricity even if it was just 12 volts. It took all of 15 minutes to install the new throne. With its new positioning I now have room to install a small sink in the restroom.
Upon leaving the camping area I noticed that I was leaving a trail of sewage every time I made a left turn. I got out to inspect and found that the dump valve was not closing all the way. The dump valves are the Dupree Products power valves. Something was keeping it from going down. I made it home without the EPA tailing me and disassembled the valve to find that the actual seal had fallen out of the blade and was lodged under the blade keeping it from closing and therefore allowing the sewage that didn't completely drain out when I dumped it at the site to spill out onto the road. I have now ordered new seal assemblies for BOTH dump valves.
I never thought that my wife would take to camping. She has been sheltered all her life and she is not an outdoors gal. SHE LOVED STAYING IN THE EAGLE!!! She is planning our next "expedition".
I bought this coach (this is my 5th coach, 3rd Eagle) for our family music ministry. I didn't really buy it for camping but I do have to admit, I could get to liking it. In August our family music ministry will be heading out to Lemmon, SD to sing at my brother's church. We will leave on a Thursday afternoon and sing in Mulhall, OK the next night. We will sing in Omaha, NE on that Saturday night and then in Lemmon, SD on Sunday night. We get to spend three days in Lemmon and then head out on the next Thursday to sing in southern Alabama on that Friday night and the next night back in South Carolina singing close to home. What a haul!!!
Gonna be installing at least one new ac unit and four new tires before August. LOL!!!
I'm addicted to RV'ing.