Newbies: few operator questions

[NEXSW]

Hello! We are wicked excited to be new owners of a 2013 Jayco Greyhawk 31 FK. It was used with 21,000 miles on it but seems to be in great condition.

There were a few random things the dealer fixed and we still have a few questions/issues. We did our overnight at the dealership but I feel like now that we have been driving it around and testing everything out before our first big road trip

1. Do we have to run the generator to use the air conditioning while driving?

2. Is there a preferred order for starting the engine/generator. We have had it just randomly shut off a few times. Not sure if we should start engine then generator or vice versa.

3. With our generator it seems like it take a bit to catch before running.

4. Can we watch TV/dvd while driving with our generator on or is that something broken that was not caught. It seems to work when we are not driving.

5. For our outdoor speakers it seems that one does not work but we told the dealer and they of course had it working and blamed it on user error for not turning on the switch. I explained it was not the case but it was working so I left. Now it is not working again and I can't figure out what the deal is. One works great and one is not as loud and seems to be sporadic.

6. Spare tire---I have read many questions on this but we feel wicked uncomfortable driving w/out a spare. However, they are pricing and we are not sure where to put one if we do get one. We travel w/ kiddos so we have stuff for the storage areas and would rather not take that up with a tire. What do y'all do for this?

I am sure I have more but hopefully someone will take pity on a newbie and give me all the tips and tricks that you have learned.

[lorrir]

Generator- Check your gas if it's gas driven it won't run when the truck tank goes below 1/4 tank. Sometimes they need a couple of times to catch. We bought our camper new and it was the same way.

If it's smoking hot we would run the A/C off of the generator. We had a fan that plugged into the cigarette lighter and would use that to move cool air from the driver area to the back of the camper.

TV isn't supposed to run when you are driving, unplug from the back of the entertainment center and use another outlet to get around it.

You need a spare.

[NC Roamer]

Welcome. We have really enjoyed our 31FK. You'll have some really nice places to go in your part of Texas. We were down there four years ago visiting friends in Wimberley.

2) You do not have to have the main engine running to start the generator. If the house battery has enough charge it will start it.

3) You need to prime the generator before starting it. Press and hold the STOP side of the rocker switch for 10-14 seconds. The indicator light will glow red while you do. This pumps gas from the fuel tank to the generator carburetor. Then depress the START switch. If it does not catch within a few seconds, prime it for another 6-7 seconds and then retry.

6) We bought a rim from another forum member who replaced his stock Greyhawk steel wheels with after-market aluminum wheels. Then I had a local tire shop mount a matching Michelin on it. We carry it in the rear cargo bay for now, but eventually I'd like to hang it beneath the frame.

[justman]

I have no experience with a generator, but I do know that you WILL NOT need a spare tire...until you're stuck on the side of the road with a flat.

Seriously, everyone should have a spare. It may cost a pretty penny now, but it'll cost a lot more to have a tire place drive over and replace it for you...while you're stuck for 2 hours waiting for them in the most inconvenient place possible.

[NC Roamer]

Another reason for a spare is that you can be back on the road much quicker than if the serviceman has to scout around for the correct size tire. Even the tire place which mounted the Michelin on my extra rim could not get one on a Friday. They had to wait until the warehouse reopened on Monday. I'd prefer to be on my way in two hours rather than waiting around for days.

[Griswald One]

Originally Posted by lorrir

TV isn't supposed to run when you are driving, unplug from the back of the entertainment center and use another outlet to get around it.

Plugging in elsewhere will not work unless you are running the generator which is not nessassary. The TV runs off the inverter and the inverter only powers that plug but as a safety feature the outlet is wired so that it cuts off the power when the engine is running. This is due to Highway Traffic laws in several States/Provinces that make it illegal for a video screen to be visible to the driver.

If you google this topic you will quickly find several videos which show you what wire to cut to bypass this issue. It is an easy fix and one of the first "Mods" many new Motorhome owners do.