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Your LP/CO alarm has an expiration date. Check it before you run the furnace this fall

We're RV techs with Bish's RV. This is the check we see skipped the most every fall, and it matters most once the furnace starts running.

The propane/CO alarm in your trailer doesn't last forever. Most are rated for around 5 years, and the sensor gets less reliable as it ages. A lot of the ones we pull are well past that, and the owner had no idea.

How to find the date

  • Check the front and sides first. Some have a "Replace by" month and year right on the label.
  • If not, it's usually on the back. Most come off the wall with two screws. They're wired to 12V, so don't pull the wires, just read the label and screw it back on.
  • No date, or you can't read it? Treat it as expired.

What the chirps usually mean (every brand is a little different, so check the label or manual)

  • Chirping in storage or after the trailer sat: often low battery voltage, not a bad alarm. Charge the battery and see if it stops.
  • A chirp or light pattern that keeps going with a good battery: many units have an end-of-life signal. That means replace it, not reset it.
  • Full alarm: treat it as real. Get everyone out, shut the propane off at the tank, and leave the door open. Don't flip switches. Figure out why once you're outside.

A few things we see a lot

  • The LP alarm sits low on the wall because propane is heavier than air. Keep shoes, bins, and dog beds from blocking it.
  • Cleaners, bug spray, and hairspray near it can set it off and wear out the sensor over time.
  • On a lot of trailers it draws a little power all the time, even in storage. It's one of the reasons batteries go dead over winter.
  • Push the test button before every trip. If it doesn't sound, don't camp with it until it's replaced.

Swapping one is usually a few screws and two wires. Match the size and wiring of the old one, and if 12V wiring isn't your thing, have someone do it.

When's the last time you checked yours? If you go look today, tell us what year it says.

RVFix · RV techs with Bish's RV

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u/RVFIX — 10 days ago
▲ 54 r/traveltrailers

Blowout vs. antifreeze for winterizing: what we tell people after doing both for years

We're RV techs with Bish's RV, and this is the question we get most every fall, so here's our honest take.

If the camper is sitting through a real winter, antifreeze is the safer bet. Air pushes most of the water out, but some always hangs in the low spots, elbows, and faucets, and a blowout does nothing for the water pump. RV antifreeze is non-toxic, and a couple of gallons runs about $10. That beats a four-figure bill for a cracked water heater.

A blowout makes sense short term, like hunting season when you're using it on and off and a cold snap rolls through. If you blow it out:

  • Use a regulator and keep it at 60 psi or less. Too much pressure can crack fittings and just spreads the water around.
  • If you have a tankless water heater, use antifreeze even short term. Those small lines freeze fast and they're expensive to replace.
  • Ice makers, washers, and dishwashers need antifreeze either way.
  • Check the pump strainer. A cracked one makes you think the pump is bad next spring.

Some folks do both: antifreeze first, then blow it out. That's fine as long as you keep the pressure down.

What do you all do: blowout, antifreeze, or both? And how cold does it get where you store it?

We did a short tech talk on this if you'd rather watch (full disclosure, it's our channel): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4xgZls8rRg

u/RVFIX — 16 days ago