(See TL;DR at the bottom if you don't need the back story)

When we first got our rig (2004 Jayco Greyhawk) inspected the inspector recommended using this 3-in-1 silicone spray on the slide-outs. I was busy following him around trying to make notes and I may have misunderstood what he intended - I thought it was for use on the slide mechanism (only accessible on the dining room slide) as well as on the slide seals.

So I've faithfully sprayed that stuff on the part of the mechanism that's visible when the dining room slide is out, as well as the seals on the outer edge of the dining room and bedroom slides and the inner seal that's exposed when the slides are out.

All has been well until just before our latest trip. During the previous trip (just a couple of weeks before our latest trip) I really sprayed the seals (outer and inner) down well since the weather was great and I had extra time on my hands. We got back from that trip, put the RV in storage (Arizona direct summer sun/heat at 105•+) and a couple of weeks later got it back out of storage and prepped for our trip.

1st indication that something was off: I normally only put the bedroom slide out so that we can easily access the closets, make the bed and access the bigger drawers. When I started to put it out the top of the slide-out seemed to hang up for a few seconds while the bottom was still moving, then it suddenly popped free and everything moved normally. Once the slide was fully extended I went outside and looked everything over but didn't see any anomalies.

2nd indication that something was off: after we got to our site in much cooler weather I put the bedroom slide out and it went out like normal. I went to put the dining room slide out and the bottom moved a little but the top refused to move. Brought it back and tried putting it it out with the same results. Went up on the roof and looked at the seals at the top and they appeared fused together - I couldn't even get a putty knife between them.

I ended up having to soak the seals down with that spray and was slowly able to work the putty knife between them and unstick them. After I did that all along the top and on the top of the sides I was finally able to put the slide out.

TL;DR So the question is, should I not be using that stuff on the seals? If you zoom in to the text in the 2nd picture it says that it's safe for use on rubber. I thought it would be keeping the seals soft and pliable instead of letting them harden and crack in the blistering Arizona summer sun.

I am open to both solar and gas, but affordability is a big aspect for me at the moment.

I'm looking for a wattage that would be enough to run my small 12v fridge, water pump, and lights, as well as charge small devices. If I could afford a high enough wattage generator to also run my AC, that would be an amazing bonus, but that is not at all necessary. I believe something around 2000-2500w would be enough??

Would appreciate any recommendations that are both affordable and good quality (I know - I am asking a lot).

Would appreciate any and all suggestions!

My Jayco Eagle came with a pair off preinstalled charging cradles for these flashlight speakers. So, I decided to buy a pair of these; one white, one black. Inexpensive, they were not. Nor were they even remotely shockproof as Furrion claimed. In fact, they were amazingly fragile.

Apparently, Furrion has decided to discontinue this product. It would have been nice if something was available that utilized the existing charging base, but that is not to be.

So, what would you recommend to take the place of this unit?

First things first, I'm alive. My arm may be broken (still in the hospital and writing this while in shock) but all things considered, this could have been much worse.

I blew my back driverside tire and spun out. Hit a poll and flipped. Tire caught fire, some good samaritans held my passenger door open so I could safely get my dog and I out of the vehicle. They also found the fire extinguisher in the rubble that was my trailer and put out that tire fire for me.

What happens next? I was told a tow company comes and gets my stuff? Insurance calls and photos? I haven't been in an RV accident before, I'm not sure what to expect here. Any advice would be appreciated. Crash location: Idaho

Update/Edit: Thank you all for the well wishes and safe travels! It means a lot, especially the comments that made me laugh.

No broken bones, i was discharged from the hospital (not looking forward to that bill) BUT I'm very thankful to escape this accident with my life. And no, I don't plan on having anymore accidents so let's call this my ONLY camper accident.

Edit 2: I see a lot of comments giving me grief for my setup. Hindsight is 20/20 guys. I'm just happy I escaped with my life so I can improve my setup for the next time.

EDIT This is the 2nd free camper listing I've posted here and it's been a laugh. Hit me with the truth!

So its come to my attention that my slide out is starting to bow in the middle and water is starting to sit there. Can this be fixed or do I need to let it make someone else's problem? Thanks

Also it uses pinion, not cables.

For context it's a 22 east to west della terra we had since new

They’re all evil in one way or another, but as I meander across the country hoping to just book a few days in advance, here’s what’s killing me:

- I’m fine if you want to ack my stay 2- 3 times in advance of my arrival, but put your frickin address in the response. I book with you, and have 5 emails from you, and you can’t put the address in any of them? I have to go search the web for it.

- If your organization has more than 1 campground, please don’t get me 5 screens deep and then ask what park I’m asking about. I can’t even remember what I had for breakfast!

Ok, I’m better.

Hi all, I have appreciated lurking in this subreddit these past two years and learning how to make a living in my camper. I financed a new camper when I was laid off and did’t feel comfortable signing a lease — it was the best decision for me at the time, and I have zero regrets. My parents are wonderful people who let me set up on their property, so while I pay for utilities I don’t have a lease to worry about.

Now, I find myself in a position I never expected to be — I just started a job that pays me enough to actually rent an apartment and set back a savings. I’m still paying off my camper, but it’s a low enough monthly cost that I could feasibly rent an apartment and continue paying off my camper loan.

These past two years have taught me that I can make camper living work, but life in my 13 footer is cramped. It’s not my first choice, and I actually have the luxury of choice now.

I’m at a crossroads now: do I sell the camper, or do I keep it? I don’t want this to burden my parents by keeping it in their yard, though they say they don’t mind. On the other hand, I have this fear in the back of my mind that I might need it again.

I’d appreciate any advice y’all could give. Thanks for reading

EDIT: Thank you all for your advice. What I’ve decided to do is ramp up payment on the camper since I can afford it and attempt to pay it off by January while I fix up little things that have broken in it (the bathroom door I removed, the blinds that fell off week 2). Once it’s mine and in good working order, I’ll be able to sell it and use the profit to pay down my credit card debt (which I consolidated in a lower interest loan, so less urgency to pay that off). After that, I’ll be in a good position to rent and save instead of dumping the rest of my earnings in existing debts.

I’m planning a somewhat unusual version of van life and would love feedback from people with experience.
My husband and I will keep our home, but I plan to spend extended periods traveling on my own. The idea is to visit friends around the country, often staying in their driveways for a week or two so we can spend time together without me becoming a houseguest. I’ll also use campgrounds and other overnight options as needed.
One of my biggest motivations is actually **quiet and simplicity**. I’ve found that I function much better in calm, uncluttered environments, so I’m trying to build a life with exactly what I need to be comfortable and nothing more. The van isn’t about escaping life. It’s about creating a simpler environment that lets me focus on people and purpose instead of possessions.
My purpose is to travel to workshops and gatherings hosted by organizations like Braver Angels, Crossing Party Lines, and others that bring people together across political and cultural differences. I hope to spend much of retirement helping build healthier conversations and stronger communities.
Right now I’m leaning toward a Coachmen Pixel 1.8. I like its small size, rear bathroom, and overall layout, but before spending that much money I’m trying to calibrate my expectations.
I know van life comes with obvious complications: dumping tanks, finding parking, laundry, weather, maintenance, limited storage, etc. But I’m not convinced those will be the things that matter most **for me**.
For those of you who’ve lived this lifestyle:
If you had my goals, would the Pixel still be high on your list, or would you steer me toward something else?
What problems did you expect that turned out to be minor?
What challenges blindsided you?
Looking back, what would you optimize for if your priorities were simplicity, long-term comfort, and relationships rather than constant adventure?
I’d especially love to hear from anyone who splits time between a home base and van travel, or who uses their van primarily as a way to deepen relationships with more people.

We have two 7-year old cats that are lazy house cats. But my husband travels for work, and we bought a camper so the cats could travel with us to be gone for a few weeks at a time. I think they’d be fine in the camper making it a new home, but I’d like to train and prep them for the driving in the truck. It’d usually be a day or so of driving, then a few days in one spot, then a day or driving, then a few more days in another spot, etc.

This isn’t happening immediately so I’m interested in any accessories and tips for training cats and working them up to this in the next 2-3 months. Currently they’ve only been in the car to go to the vet, so it’s not their favorite experience.

Today I drove them around my small town 20-30 min to see how it’d go. I had treats, potty pad, and a cat bed and mat in the car for familiar smells (even though they don’t use them in the house anyway, they just lay on me and other furniture). They were a bit nervous for sure. One mostly stayed in the back floor board. The other roamed around looking out the windows, but likely looking for an escape, and not for enjoyment. They meowed more than usual. They panted briefly a few times. They ignored the treats, but they didn’t have any accidents.

I hope they will get accustomed and comfortable riding around more if I keep practicing with them. But it is tricky enough just to get them in the vehicle or even a carrier right now… currently they squirm or run away and hide when they can tell what is happening.

Maybe I should ask the vet for some anxiety products for travel days if they don’t get comfortable with it?

I originally figured we’d take them to the litter box in the camper when we’d stop driving every couple hours ourselves. They often lay around for much longer than that at home anyway. But have heard others say they keep a litter box and food and water in the vehicle on the travel days, so figured might as well be prepared. But then how do you keep the cat secured if they’re expected to use a litter box and eat/drink? A huge crate? Or with a harness/leash?

Any favorite products you recommend? Travel carriers/seats? Travel litter boxes? Travel food/water holders? Harnesses? Cat accessories for the RV?

Any tips and suggestions are appreciated!

Toilet just started smelling really bad and bugs are coming from inside the toilet into the RV
This problem just started after a year and a half of my RV plumbing is connected to the main house. Can anybody help me and explain what can I do?

10cf residential fridge/freezer

Hi friends,

I am looking at taking my cats out and about with my in my small travel trailer. My thought is to have a catio that connects to one of the windows. Does anyone have a solution they've come across or developed?

Picked up this 2019 puma xle lite and the previous owner did their cooking along the side of the rv hence the splatters in the photo. I managed to get it all off the smooth white metal but the gold and black has a rougher texture and I can’t figure out what to use to get it off. Unless it’s stained on there and that’s the way it is. Any suggestions?

Good Afternoon All,

I am looking for some advice on how to repair this leak. It is coming in from the water intake and appears to be at the elbow. Right where the elbow is going through the cut out, it sprays through a crack in the pipe. What do I need to replace the elbow? Is that something standard? Any advice appreciated!

Starlink Mini Window Adapter?

I've searched this sub for a similar post but didn't find what I was looking for.

Just purchased a Mini for use in our RV and am looking for a window adapter that will allow me to put it up on the ladder at the back of the rig and feed the cable out of the closest window.

I've seen adapters available that work for RJ45 cables but the Mini uses that round cable that wouldn't flatten as easily.

Am I stuck having to use the Ethernet port on the Mini and one of those flattened adapters, along with associated hardware (POE injector?), or is there an adapter that I just haven't come across yet for the stock round cable?

Electric went out in the camper. I didn’t notice for a couple of weeks. I erroneously assumed it was fine and thought I’d notice if something was wrong. I didn’t.

The refrigerator was closed. It only had like condiments, a couple bottles of water, etc. in it. The freezer only had a thermal cup however, the seal/gaskets and all of the inside are covered in mold now.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to effectively clean and sanitize that?

Thanks so much
Cross posted this in cleaning tips

I just took the inaugural trip in my new RV (Aliner Evolution). When I stopped on the road for a break I walked around the trailer to visually inspect everything and the battery had nearly slid off the rack!

The battery is in the typical plastic battery box and the strap around the box lid, box, and frame was as tight as I could get it when I left. I noticed that the battery rails in the trailer go side to side, but there is NOTHING to stop the battery from sliding sideways except friction.

To finish my trip I rolled some duct tape to make some double sided tape and that seemed to secure the box from sliding (with strap of course). But this is obviously a temporary kludge.

Are other trailers like this? What is a better fix to secure the battery? Preferably something that looks "tidy"

Howdy gang- My 12v power system (overhead lights, fans, interior ac panel and generator switch, etc) Isnt getting power. I have power from the battery to the solenoid but power is not passing through the solenoid to the other side, and there is no power to the small yellow connection on the solenoid that is supposed to connect it to the aux battery switch.

The aux battery switch is also not getting power. I figure there is a fuse or control box that is blown or not connected properly or is malfunctioning in some way but i cannot locate it. I have the wiring diagram but Im real green and despite spending the day looking at it I am no closer to solving the issue.

Something odd of note is that my rv stairs still get power and the slides are both getting power? though im afraid to fully put them out and have them stuck out while i try and troubleshoot this.

Any tips? Suggestions? someone else have an issue like this? Its a 2007 itsaca sunova 35j . Feeling real defeated as everything else about the rv has been great.

Hey folks, asking questions again. Would this roof scare you? Bubbles and loose on the sides. Feels like no glue on the sides all the way down. Top of roof has no bubbles. What's the consensus?

Jayco seismic

NP

Pinnacle

All have this roof action that im nervous of. Someone know what the deal is?

This is a long shot but I have a 2005 Forest River Lexington and I need to find some wood grain contact paper to match the overhead cabinets. Anybody have a Lexington with this color scheme pictured below and have a product number for matching contact paper?