Time for Some 2015 185RB Baja Repairs & Upgrades

[MrKABC]

Any update on your leak hunt?

[Bob K]

Originally Posted by Bob K

I've been hunting an ignition problem with my Atwood G6A-7 hot water heater for a couple years now. Gas would ignite at the air shutter and act like a pulse jet engine. No bueno!

Video: https://tv.gab.com/channel/robertkno...049d87d2a5a946

Attachment 85885

It seemed to become a self-reinforcing problem: When gas would ignite there, it would make the tube hot and dirty in that location, which made subsequent ignitions at that location much more likely. I'd clean the combustion tube with a wire brush occasionally but the premature ignition would still sporadically happen. I also adjusted the air shutter so that the gas wasn't burning so lean.

Then I happened to notice one day that, after the thermostat tripped and started sending gas down the tube, it would take too long before it would ignite. This would result in a mini explosion of all the gas in the hot water tank passage and create a mini backdraft back into the combustion tube. As an experiment, I held a lighter right next to the end of the combustion tube and turned the thermostat up. With the flame right next to the combustion tube opening, the gas lit immediately and very gently.

So I think I've cracked the case: The pilot flame was too far away from the end of the combustion tube. Too much gas was filling the area before it finally got to the pilot flame and ignited. The mini explosion and backdraft were enough to cause ignition at the air shutter.

I rotated the pilot light bracket and bent it slightly so that it is right next to the end of the combustion tube. The gas now lights immediately and gently.
Attachment 85886

Ugh. That STILL didn't work. While it made for a quicker, gentler ignition, moving the pilot closer to the end of the combustion tube didn't stop it from turning into a pulse jet engine.

I'm down to throwing parts at it. Installed a new gas orifice (the old one looked fine) and a new main burner assembly.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009UPLIG6
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009UPLKIW

I bought the one that is more aerodynamic and reduces wind drag, so maybe that'll make the difference.


Maybe there was a defect somewhere in the original assembly that encouraged pre-ignition. If this doesn't solve the problem, my next step is to get a digital manometer and see if I've got LPG pressure problems.

[Bob K]

Originally Posted by MrKABC

Any update on your leak hunt?

Other than frustration? Nope!

I discovered that my silicone repair on the glass (back in September 2022) isn't worth a hill of beans and is weeping again, so there's that. How in the world water is still getting by that new, super-tight rubber gasket is beyond me. That could potentially be the source of my continued leak.

Or I could have multiple leaks. Lovely, eh??

[wordsmyth]

Originally Posted by Bob K

I asked my father to weld some metal supports on the bumper so that I can carry a bike rack with more confidence.

They're across the seams from the frame to the bumper so the weld that's normally experiencing the torque (and prone to fail) is reinforced while the weld on the bottom is kept in compression.
Attachment 72257
Attachment 72258
Attachment 72259

A Curt heavy duty receiver holds the bike rack.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007M1ZGE

I followed behind my wife to observe how bouncy the back end is while traveling over common roads and thankfully I'm not seeing any more bounce or movement in the bike rack than I see when it's on the back of the car. The Kuat NV2 is a beast of a bike rack.
Attachment 72260

Yo Bob K! I appreciate your posting those pictures and am thinking the reinforcements is the route I'll go. I do have a follow up question about electrical components.

Specifically, my TT is equipped with Solar and has an onboard inverter. What steps do I need to take (if any) to assure the welder doing work on the bumper will not damage anything in the electrical and electronic systems of the camper?

Thanks,

Rick

PS: I'll also post a reply on my original question (thread) so it shows for those who answered over there. Thx.

[Bob K]

Originally Posted by wordsmyth

Yo Bob K! I appreciate your posting those pictures and am thinking the reinforcements is the route I'll go. I do have a follow up question about electrical components.

Specifically, my TT is equipped with Solar and has an onboard inverter. What steps do I need to take (if any) to assure the welder doing work on the bumper will not damage anything in the electrical and electronic systems of the camper?

Thanks,

Rick

PS: I'll also post a reply on my original question (thread) so it shows for those who answered over there. Thx.

The welding will create a local electrical circuit through the bumper (from the machine through the bumper to the welding rod and back to the machine). Therefore, I don't believe there's any automatic risk to any onboard electronics since the circuit won't be going through those items. However, my father (the master welder) says it's always a good idea to disconnect shore power and the battery so that there's no risk of backfeeding something if the welder loses ground.

[wordsmyth]

Thank you sir. Shore power won’t be an issue and disconnecting the battery is simple enough.

Best to you, and thanks again.

[MrKABC]

I still think you should pull that front Dicor seal and redo it with Eternabond.

Worth a shot?

How did the new parts go to solve your gas problem?

[Bob K]

Originally Posted by MrKABC

How did the new parts go to solve your gas problem?

It didn't. I'm pushing everything to the standalone thread since this has become such an involved troubleshooting process.

https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...ipe-77955.html

[MrKABC]

Checking in on your leak saga! Wish I had something constructive to add about your water heater issue...

[Bob K]

Originally Posted by MrKABC

Checking in on your leak saga! Wish I had something constructive to add about your water heater issue...

It turns out that I can't re-silicone a window worth a darn. All of the water was coming through the repair I thought I made last Fall and sneaking through the frame. That new black gasket, despite how tight it is, isn't tight enough to keep out water. That really surprised me.

https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...ml#post1076301



I have the gasket & seam taped up with painter's tape right now and it'll stay that way until we're in a place where we can effect a repair. This time I'll be detaching and resealing the entire window.

[Bob K]

I finally decided to install an inverter. I picked the 2000 watt Renogy Pure Sine Wave Inverter. It's enough to run the 800 watt microwave or an Instant Pot & accompanying air fryer (~1200 watts). Plenty big enough to run the refrigerator on AC while underway along with a coffee grinder, etc.

Lots of changes this time around:

• Upgraded the main battery cables and inverter cables to 2/0 AWG
• Upgraded the main battery circuit breaker to 200 amp (https://a.co/d/ascqSwO)
• 10 AWG THHN stranded wire (from Lowe's) to ground the inverter chassis

Rather than just plugging appliances into outlets on the inverter, I decided to wire the inverter directly into the power distribution center through a switch.

10/2 Romex carries AC power from the inverter in the basement over to the power distribution center (follows the PEX pipes underneath the cabinets and fridge (https://a.co/d/jdKen5o). While 12/2 Romex is sufficient for 15 amp circuits, I decided to use 10/2 in order cover the 4000-watt surge capability of the inverter instead running right on the edge of the ampacity of 12/2 Romex.

A 32-amp switch lets me choose between shore power and inverter power. (https://a.co/d/4u4NeK0)


While I had the power distribution center out, I also replaced all of the wire nuts with appropriate 10 gauge or 12 gauge Wago levernuts. A few are 8 gauge wires and Wago doesn't have connectors large enough for that, so wire nuts stayed on those.


I checked the tightness of all screws while I was in there and I'm glad I did. The factory did a terrible job of capturing all of the wire strands from the shore power cord under the screw for the main 30 amp circuit breaker.

I mounted the switch and the Renogy remote power switch next to the breaker panel. Unfortunately the switch requires a pretty thin panel, so I had to route/chisel out a recess for it, and I had to buy a slightly longer screw for the knob.


The Instant Pot (resistive load) works like a charm. The 800 watt microwave, however, is a little weird. It seems to take longer/struggle to start up while on inverter power. It doesn't do this on shore power. The Victron shunt says it's pulling about 1400 watts during startup and operation. Take 20% off that for the waste from the DC to AC conversion, but 1120 watts is still a lot more than 800 watts. I'll have to keep an eye on it and see if I have an aging microwave or an inverter problem. Edit: This explains it. Microwaves are rated in output "cooking" power, not input power, and they're only about 70% efficient. https://greenbuildingelements.com/wh...run-microwave/. Still doesn't explain the slow start on inverter versus shore power, especially when the shunt is not showing an inrush current or "peak startup power" load that would, ostensibly, tax the inverter.

The other thing that surprised me is how hot the 200 amp circuit breaker gets during sustained operation. When running about 160 amps through it for an Instant Pot cycle, the lugs on the breaker get up to about 115 deg F. I guess that makes sense once I realized that the breaker is heat activated.


I'm looking forward to seeing what fun we can have with a little bit of AC power while boondocking.

[Bob K]

Originally Posted by Bob K

I finally decided to install an inverter. I picked the 2000 watt Renogy Pure Sine Wave Inverter. It's enough to run the 800 watt microwave or an Instant Pot & accompanying air fryer (~1200 watts). Plenty big enough to run the refrigerator on AC while underway along with a coffee grinder, etc.

Lots of changes this time around:

• Upgraded the main battery cables and inverter cables to 2/0 AWG
• Upgraded the main battery circuit breaker to 200 amp (https://a.co/d/ascqSwO)
• 10 AWG THHN stranded wire (from Lowe's) to ground the inverter chassis

Attachment 88053

Rather than just plugging appliances into outlets on the inverter, I decided to wire the inverter directly into the power distribution center through a switch.

10/2 Romex carries AC power from the inverter in the basement over to the power distribution center (follows the PEX pipes underneath the cabinets and fridge (https://a.co/d/jdKen5o). While 12/2 Romex is sufficient for 15 amp circuits, I decided to use 10/2 in order cover the 4000-watt surge capability of the inverter instead running right on the edge of the ampacity of 12/2 Romex.

A 32-amp switch lets me choose between shore power and inverter power. (https://a.co/d/4u4NeK0)
Attachment 88058

While I had the power distribution center out, I also replaced all of the wire nuts with appropriate 10 gauge or 12 gauge Wago levernuts. A few are 8 gauge wires and Wago doesn't have connectors large enough for that, so wire nuts stayed on those.
Attachment 88059

I checked the tightness of all screws while I was in there and I'm glad I did. The factory did a terrible job of capturing all of the wire strands from the shore power cord under the screw for the main 30 amp circuit breaker.

I mounted the switch and the Renogy remote power switch next to the breaker panel. Unfortunately the switch requires a pretty thin panel, so I had to route/chisel out a recess for it, and I had to buy a slightly longer screw for the knob.
Attachment 88060

The Instant Pot (resistive load) works like a charm. The 800 watt microwave, however, is a little weird. It seems to take longer/struggle to start up while on inverter power. It doesn't do this on shore power. The Victron shunt says it's pulling about 1400 watts during startup and operation. Take 20% off that for the waste from the DC to AC conversion, but 1120 watts is still a lot more than 800 watts. I'll have to keep an eye on it and see if I have an aging microwave or an inverter problem. Edit: This explains it. Microwaves are rated in output "cooking" power, not input power, and they're only about 70% efficient. https://greenbuildingelements.com/wh...run-microwave/. Still doesn't explain the slow start on inverter versus shore power, especially when the shunt is not showing an inrush current or "peak startup power" load that would, ostensibly, tax the inverter.

The other thing that surprised me is how hot the 200 amp circuit breaker gets during sustained operation. When running about 160 amps through it for an Instant Pot cycle, the lugs on the breaker get up to about 115 deg F. I guess that makes sense once I realized that the breaker is heat activated.
Attachment 88061

I'm looking forward to seeing what fun we can have with a little bit of AC power while boondocking.

A couple weeks in the boonies with the new inverter. I decided to return/replace the original one because of that terrible voltage dip it would cause when starting the microwave. Unfortunately, the 2nd Renogy inverter does the same exact thing, so this appears to be a batch problem or a design flaw. I need to have a conversation with Renogy.

We used it for several Instant Pot air fryer meals, made popcorn with the microwave, and discovered that the air conditioner starts softly and only pulls 660 watts on full power. Score!

[MrKABC]

Originally Posted by Bob K

A couple weeks in the boonies with the new inverter. I decided to return/replace the original one because of that terrible voltage dip it would cause when starting the microwave. Unfortunately, the 2nd Renogy inverter does the same exact thing, so this appears to be a batch problem or a design flaw. I need to have a conversation with Renogy.

We used it for several Instant Pot air fryer meals, made popcorn with the microwave, and discovered that the air conditioner starts softly and only pulls 660 watts on full power. Score!

Bob, this looks AWESOME and an inverter was going to be my exact next mod now that my solar project is a wrap. I have this inverter in my Amazon cart:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QTT6JTL...v_ov_lig_dp_it

Custom Programmed Victron Energy MultiPlus 3000 VA 12 Volt Inverter Charger

Alas, neither this inverter nor my two new 200w solar panels will be installed in my Jayco. I am trading it in this Thursday and moving to a Keystone Springdale 202QBWE travel trailer. I love my Jayco and will miss it but it is just too small. I'm going to miss our back and forth but I do plan to stay around and see how your modifications and adventures pan out!


See you by the campfire.

[Bob K]

Originally Posted by MrKABC

Bob, this looks AWESOME and an inverter was going to be my exact next mod now that my solar project is a wrap. I have this inverter in my Amazon cart:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QTT6JTL...v_ov_lig_dp_it

Custom Programmed Victron Energy MultiPlus 3000 VA 12 Volt Inverter Charger

Alas, neither this inverter nor my two new 200w solar panels will be installed in my Jayco. I am trading it in this Thursday and moving to a Keystone Springdale 202QBWE travel trailer. I love my Jayco and will miss it but it is just too small. I'm going to miss our back and forth but I do plan to stay around and see how your modifications and adventures pan out!


See you by the campfire.

Sorry to see you go but hope you enjoy that new trailer. Can you still get it back up into the boonies?

Ironically, I'd now like to add 2 more batts and a couple of 200W solar panels to the mix. Discovering that being able to run the A/C on batts really opens up possibilities for boondocking in the summer at lower altitudes. We'll see. I've gotta be pushing weight limits on this little RV.

[MrKABC]

Bob, I'm keeping my account here specifically to check in with you to see what you're up to!

My new Springdale needs a lot of upgrades and many of the things we do cross over different RV makes anyways. I'm bummed I lost things like my See Level but other items like my Battle Borns, Victron solar controller and even my Jayco bed comforter made the trip to my new rig. Just need to get it all to the way I want it again.

I'll definitely stay in touch!!

[Bob K]

I was getting tired of the oddities of how the original WFCO WF-8735-P converter-charger interacted with my LiFePO4 batteries, so I installed the new WFCO WF-8735-AD lithium-compatible converter-charger. Firmware version 1.19. $178 on Amazon.

It's a 100% match, so it's just a matter of transferring and matching up all of the same wires, breakers, and fuses. I didn't need to buy anything new. It used the same breakers, and I re-used the plastic wire clamps on the back of the case. I'll have to write in the breaker/fuse descriptions in the given tables or else print out new labels.


I also put ferrules on the stranded shore power wires. That really worked well for keeping all of the strands together and getting a good hold under the set screws.


The only downside to the new WF-8735-AD converter-charger is that the bulk charge phase is on a 4-hour timer. Then it goes into absorption mode even if the battery bank isn't done with bulk charge. That'll be an issue if I do a deep discharge on my 400 Ah battery bank. WFCO says to just cycle the charger circuit breaker to reset the bulk timer.

"400 Ah battery bank, you say?" Ah yes, that's a future post.

[Bob K]

I installed a second Victron Orion Tr-Smart DC to DC Charger. With a big battery bank and deeper discharges (Instant Pot, microwave, and some air conditioner use, one DC Charger (30 amps) just wasn't cutting it to replenish the battery bank. I used the connection method demonstrated by Nate at www.Explorist.Life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuBAKTCCnt4

New components used:

• Dual Post 60 amp MRBF fuseholder - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BYCHGMMG
• 100 amp circuit breakers for starter battery side and master breaker leading to the battery busbar - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095Z2S5FM
• Dual post isolated busbars to split the incoming and aggregate the outgoing power of the two DC Chargers - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B6NZ95CD
• Ratcheting crimpers that will do square ferrule crimps from 20 AWG to 2 AWG - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091Q5YKZT
• 6 AWG ferrules for the DC Charger terminals - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09CYRLK65

Victron recommends fusing a DC charger at 60 amps to account for the highest load (40 amps) plus some overhead. With two chargers, I'm going to use 100 amp breakers to protect the 2 AWG wire from the starter battery and to the RV battery bank. That'll cover the max input and output of the chargers (40 x 2 = 80 amps). 98% of the time, each charger will only run at 30 amps, so 100 amp breakers to cover a 60 amp load should work nicely. It's still necessary to protect each DC Charger, thus the use of the dual post MRBF fuseholder with separate 60 amp fuses. This is a lot like a household breaker panel, where there's a master breaker protecting the supply line (100 amps in my case) as well as lower amp branch circuits off of that master (60 amps in my case).

My total circuit length from the starter battery to the chargers is about 60 feet. 2 AWG wire, then, will safely carry the 80 amps of non-critical load. The chart also shows that 100 amps is the maximum ampacity of the wire at 65 feet, so my 100 amp breaker at the starter battery will safely cover that.



Ferrules were indispensable for getting the 6 AWG wires connected to the DC Charger terminals...so much easier than trying to fit bare strands into the terminals. Plus, I mounted both chargers and then installed the wires, and there'd be no way I could effectively get bare wire into the terminals that way. With ferrules on the wires, I used a mirror and inserted them rather easily. The power path is 2 AWG from starter batt ---> split to 6 AWG ---> input to the chargers ---> 6 AWG output from the chargers ---> aggregate to 2 AWG to the battery bank.


I also installed 2 additional batteries. When we travel in the summertime, we're usually trying to get to higher, cooler altitudes in the mountains, but sometimes that means stopping in the evening at a Walmart or other boondocking place. We found that having a couple hours of AC in the evening until the ambient temps dropped was very beneficial. At 660 watts on max power, the A/C will run for two hours on 100 Ah. Having a 400 Ah battery bank will really assist with that now.

[MrKABC]

Bob that's very nice work!!! How does the new battery bank work for you?

My goal is to get to 400 Ah, gotta catch up. I'm at 300 now, need one more battery. 600w solar, just installed my new Garnet See Level today, replacing the one I lost in my Jayco.

You're looking good!!!!!!

[Bob K]

This little RV originally came with a combined antenna and 12-volt outlet for a DC television. I decided to switch to a couple of 12-volt DC power outlets so that I can charge a phone and a laptop simultaneously.

Original:


To install the antenna and TV power receptacle, Jayco just cut a round-ish hole in the paneling and then screwed the coverplate to the paneling. Of course, these screws started to pull out over time, so I glued firring strips to the back of the panel to stiffen it up. Cutting out a proper square hole for the low voltage receptacle box got rid of most of the big hole.


The "old work" low voltage receptacle box was only available in grey at my local store, so I bought black ones from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003JQL0S8. The wings grip onto the firring strips I have glued to the paneling.


The walls are too thin to permit room for the 12-volt outlets, so I purchased some Pass and Seymour box extensions. It's the same extension that's on the GFCI receptacle near the sink. They're only available in white on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008SDN1DE) and have a goofy name there. I looked up the part number on eBay and bought them in black there.


I drilled a couple holes in a black plastic blank receptacle cover (Lowes). I bought a couple of 12-volt DC outlets on Amazon. There are tons of black plastic ones on Amazon that have the word "Lock" with an arrow on the bezel. These are designed for locking male DC plugs and won't work with the typical USB charger adapter because the hole is too big. The metal ones, however, are the correct diameter and hold standard DC plugs tightly.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5ZVBBNZ



Spade connectors with some wire pigtails and Wago connectors make the parallel connections to the original DC wiring: Grey = positive, white = negative. I didn't use the glass fuses that came with these DC outlets because the circuit is already fused at the appropriate amperage at the charger/converter.

We'll be able to charge phones off of one and a laptop off of the other simultaneously. Original fuse in the charger/converter remains the same, and our devices combined won't exceed that.

[Bob K]

Originally Posted by MrKABC

Bob that's very nice work!!! How does the new battery bank work for you?

My goal is to get to 400 Ah, gotta catch up. I'm at 300 now, need one more battery. 600w solar, just installed my new Garnet See Level today, replacing the one I lost in my Jayco.

You're looking good!!!!!!

I'm so hesitant about solar because of the whole drilling into the roof thing. 600W would be amazing! That would really extend my boondocking time and keep me from having to drive to recharge.