Q. My coach has AGM batteries in it and they are in need of replacement due to age and use. AGM batteries are quite expensive to replace. Can I replace them with less expensive lead acid batteries or gel batteries?  

A. AGM (Absorption Glass Mat) batteries are usually used in coaches where access for maintenance, like adding water and ventilation of the compartment, are issues that the manufacturer didn’t allow for. Or, the manufacturer chose to use AGMs to save space. AGM batteries are maintenance free and do not vent caustic or explosive gases. If your battery compartment is accessible for maintenance and is well vented for gases, you should be able to use the less expensive batteries. If not, or you’re not sure, I wouldn’t recommend changing battery type without consulting or having a dealer check it over first.
 
Q. When you buy a new RV, what is the main difference between a house refrigerator and a gas refrigerator?

A. Lately, some manufacturers are trying household refrigerators in coaches because of features, capacity, and styles that consumers like. The drawback of the household refrigerator is that they are compressor or Freon type refrigerators and will only operate from one power source—110-volt A/C—which means to have refrigeration you must either be plugged in, have a generator running, or have a substantial bank of batteries and a good inverter to run the refrigerator. A heat absorption refrigerator which is more common in RVs has no Freon but instead uses an ammonia based cooling unit and heat to absorb the heat from the refrigerator box and creating cooling through heat which can be done either through a gas flame or an electric 110-volt A/C element. This allows you to use the refrigerator either by generator, shore power, or gas flame so you can have the fridge on while going down the road without your generator running and you don’t have to have the inverter running it either. A minor draw back of the gas refrigerator is it requires 12-volt power for the controller that operates it.

Q. Whenever I drive my coach for a distance, I get a strong septic odor inside, yet when I’m parked it goes away. I thought the vents on the roof were there to draft the air out of my coach; however, they don’t appear to be doing so. Am I doing something wrong?

A. There are a few things you can check. First, when you travel you should have only a little bit of water and chemical enzyme deodorant in your holding tanks. If your coach has a washer/dryer, check the washer drain pipe for water in the p-trap. Also, fill your toilet vents with water to prevent odor when they dry out.  If you once had a washing machine in it but no longer do, block off or seal the drain pipe. This open pipe can allow odor from the tank to be pulled into the coach through a vacuum that is created while driving. If after doing these things you are still having problems, you can purchase and install tubes that go on the roof and rotate to the direction you’re driving to create more air draft to pull odor out of the tanks. If this doesn’t solve your problem, then you more than likely have an open vent or drain line somewhere in the coach.

Q. What is an Aqua Hot and what does it do?

A. Aqua Hot is a hydronic heating system used in many larger RVs and by some truckers to heat water for both showering and dishes. It is also used as a hot water supply for pre-heating diesel engines to create a source of heat that maintains the comfort inside a coach. It uses a diesel-fired furnace to heat drinkable water and then a coolant to move warm or hot air into the coach. In short, it uses available diesel fuel to heat coolant to heat water and provide room heat as well. Go to aqua-hot.com for more info.