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Tips and Tricks

MICE!

The bane of RVers everywhere. If there is a way, they will find a path to get inside your rig. Mice are looking for 2 things.....shelter and food. Here's how to make it difficult for them to set up shop.

  • Seal up your RV. Inspect the underside of your rig for holes that lead into the floors. Electrical, plumbing and gas line entrances. Seal with expanding foam or plug with steel wool. 

  • Perform the same check inside. Look for small holes inside cupboards especially in the kitchen. Plug the holes.

  • Got mice? Chances are they are nesting nearby and are paying regular visits looking for food. The old two dollar Victory mousetrap, baited with peanut butter, works well if you don't mind disposing of the critters. Other traps are available that don't require you to handle the carcasses. Place traps inside cupboards along the back walls. One or two traps are really all you need. Check them often and re-bait with fresh peanut butter. Keep foodstuffs out of areas where you suspect the mice are visiting.

WATERLINE FREEZING.

Always happens when you least expect it. 

  • Heat taping and insulating your water supply line is essential to prevent freeze up. You need to cover every inch of your hose plus the water supply pedestal and tap with heat wrap. Follow instructions for heat wrap installation. The placement of the thermostat is crucial. Once you have your hose wrapped, insulate with foam tube wrap or foil-backed insulation tape. 

  • Check where your water lines run inside your RV. If those areas are not heated, your lines will eventually freeze over. You may need to open cupboards in order for interior heat to circulate around the lines.

  • Purchase a small electric heat gun (not a propane torch) to gently thaw out frozen lines. Determine if the freeze up is at the pedestal or in the water hose. Remove your hose from the tap. If water flows from the tap, then the problem is in the hose and lines. If no flow from the tap (pedestal) shut off the water and try heating the tap head where the water comes out, then try turning the water back on. Sometimes the rod from the yard hydrant down to the underground lines can freeze. No matter what position the handle is in, or if the handle will not move, then the valve below ground is frozen. The only repair is to either heat the ground or allow it to thaw naturally with warmer temperatures.

  • Brass fittings and inline filters are prone to freezing.

  • Camco heated hoses and heat wrap are available at RV dealers and hardware stores.

What could be more Canadian than a website from the Federal Government devoted to Mosquitoes? Here is the link.

All About Propane

The care, feeding  and transport of your portable gas  cylinders by The Canadian Propane Association

Before You Blow Your BREAKER!!
Take a minute and see how many AMPS you could be using in your RV’s 30 or 50 AMP electrical system. It's surprising how fast the AMPS add up which will cause your breaker or the resort’s breaker to "trip". Knowing the AMPS of all the electrical appliances in your RV can help you manage electrical usage and prevent the inconvenience of: “MY ELECTRICITY WENT OUT”
The following is a list of the typical appliances used and the average AMPS required to operate them:


Air conditioner – 15,000 BTU 12.5 amps

  •  

Hand vacuum 2 amps


  • Refrigerator 2.7 amps


  • Electric fry pan 10 amps


  • Electric water heater – 8 gallons 12.5 amps


  • Iron 10 amps


  • Microwave oven 12.8 amps


  • Food processor 6 amps


  • Electric coffee pot 9 amps


  • Crock pot 1.5 amps


  • Toaster 10 amps


  • 1100 watt heater 10 amps


  • Hair dryer 10 amps


  • Television 2 amps

  • ​

In the morning - if you start your air conditioner, the hot water heater is on, then you start your coffee pot, make some toast and watch TV - you're pulling 55 amps. If you also cook some bacon in the microwave at the same time, LOOK OUT! Many RVs have a switch so you can run only the microwave OR water heater, but some RVs do not have this feature. Most electrical products show how many watts or amps it takes to operate the appliance right on the product itself, if not check the printed instructions. If it shows the watts, divide the watts by 120 (volts) and that gives you the amps; to get the watts, multiply the amps by 120 (volts). It's worth your time to take an inventory of the AMPS each of your electrical appliances uses. You can manage your total usage at any time and this will greatly reduce the inconvenience of: "MY ELECTRICITY WENT OUT” IMPORTANT Be Sure to Shut the Breaker Off Before Plugging Into and Unplugging Your Electrical Cord.

YellowJackets
​Late summer and early fall is their peak season. They feed on protein and sugar. Click for a simple and safe bacon trap that really works. 
Stink Bugs? Well, not quite.

Those flat long legged insects are actually
Western Conifer Seed Bugs. In the fall,
they seek out indoor spaces. Here is some info.
Ice Cleats. With the freeze thaw cycles the resort gets in the winter and spring, ice cleats are very handy for walking around on icy roads and paths. The IDA in Sicamous carries some and places like Surplus Herby's, Work Wearhouse and some hardware stores have them as well. These simply go on over your existing footwear, held on with rubber straps.
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