As the old saying goes, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."
These days, when someone has a problem with their RV (or virtually anything else), it's common that they will consult Google, an AI chatbot, or social media groups for the answer. Admittedly, this is quick and easy. But it's also a good way to get a lot of bad or incomplete information, fast.
In particular, trusting AI for any kind of troubleshooting or mechanical advice is often a big mistake.
AI-generated answers should be regarded with extreme suspicion. The AI chatbots only "know" what they've read on the Internet. They aren't experts. They are only very sophisticated parrots, repeating what humans have written, right or wrong.
Trusting social media posts from humans is also risky. That's because many people reply with guesses, partial knowledge, and wrong answers based on what they've read somebody else write. If you don't have a way to discern what's accurate, you'll end up following bad (and sometimes costly or dangerous) advice without knowing it.
Searching for truth
We scrolled through a bunch of social media posts recently to find out what people are asking, and whether the answers they're getting are accurate. We focused on questions related to maintenance and safety.
Here's a random sample of what we found, with our comments. The questions and answers range from straightforward to complex to baffling.
I’m storing my trailer in low desert Arizona for 6 months. I don’t have to worry about freezing temps but I’m still thinking I’ll put antifreeze in, to keep out bacteria. Good idea?
Um, no.
As you would hope, answers to this question were generally along the lines of "NO!" so we give credit to the people to responded. Antifreeze isn't designed to "keep out bacteria", and in any case you should always sanitize the water system after a long period of storage. We provide instructions here.
I have a 2010 20ft Flying Cloud. Wondering why my fresh water tank filled up the other day when I was connected to city water. Any ideas?
One respondent said this: Google “check valve.” I’ve seen that there’s a valve between your pump and the water distribution lines that is supposed to prevent this, but it messes up sometimes. It’s probably pretty easy to get to (varying by model and year). When you find it, try tapping it before replacing it.
Not so bad as online answers go, but not quite right, either. And that's the problem. A partially correct answer can lead you down a dead-end – and how will you discern whether the answer is only partially correct?
A more complete answer is this: The check valve in any modern travel trailer is built into the water pump itself, so it's not something you can "tap" or replace separately. When the check valve fails you usually have to replace the entire pump.
By the way, this is a common problem. Sometimes the check valve starts to work again (because sediment that was blocking it has worked itself out) and sometimes it's permanently damaged. Permanent damage can be the result of poor winterization, which allows some water to remain in the check valve and freeze.
We have a 2022 25 ft Flying Cloud. All of our AC outlets (110s and microwave) work when we have the inverter to our batteries on. But none of our DC components (refrigerator, tank gauges, lights, green battery light by the door) work with or without the inverter on. Can anyone offer suggestions on what may be the problem (and fix)?
One person replied: Make sure you’re plugged in then flip the breaker! And look around for any GFCI plug that has the reset button on the housing instead of the breaker panel. If you’ve done all this then most likely the breaker has gone bad.
Bzzzt! Sorry, wrong answer—or at least, very confusing and incomplete. Which of a dozen or so possible candidates is "the breaker"?
The question was about the 12-volt DC appliances, which are powered by the batteries and power converter. So the owner needs to look for something that would prevent 12 volt DC power from reaching the DC appliances.
Since none of the 12 volt appliances work, the first thing to check would be the specific AC breaker that feeds the power converter. (The respondent above didn't explain that when they wrote about "the breaker".)
Assuming power is reaching the power converter, you'd next want to check the main fuses on the power converter itself. If they are good, you'd move on to checking the output of the converter. Sometimes converters go bad, in which case the batteries will fail to charge.
This is how troubleshooting works. You start at the first possible cause (the most "upstream") and methodically eliminate possibilities until you reach the only remaining answer.
Hello, we just bought a 2016, 30 foot FC. We do not have hot water in the shower. We do have hot water in the kitchen sink and bathroom sink. My husband thinks the previous owner didn’t winterize it. Any ideas?
One respondent tried to start a diagnosis, but quickly got off in the wrong direction: Well, step one...make sure the propane tank has fuel and it's turned on. Check the pressure of the water flow. If the water flow is not strong enough then the hot water won't come.
Nope, that's not right.
In this case, hubby is probably correct. If the problem was the water pressure, water heater or the propane supply you wouldn't have hot water at any of the outlets. Lacking hot water at only the shower points squarely at a problem with the shower's mixing valve. And yes, improper winterization could damage the shower valve to the point that it no longer works.
But here's the thing: We could be wrong!
Problems like this one are difficult to diagnose remotely. We frequently get queries from customers asking if we can help them figure out tricky technical problems over email. But without actually being able to touch the RV and conduct some inspections and tests, this will nearly always result in a wrong answer.
So although it may seem like a cop-out, the best answer is typically, "go see a qualified service technician and let them diagnose it."
This is the problem with many seemingly helpful "remote diagnosis" social media posts. There are often so many variables to consider, the only way to accurately troubleshoot is to evaluate the rig in person, not online.
First time out with our new to us 25FB Flying Cloud. I hooked the water up to what turned out to be the onboard water tanks and left for a few hours. I came back to a flooded campsite and water coming down the walls inside and from the ceiling. I now know the huge mistake I made but what do I need to do? I’ve vacuumed the water and dried the walls and I’m running a fan to dry everything as best I can. Have I caused water damage?
The replies to this one were all over the map, and many of them weren't even answers:
Don't panic, all is not lost. Just place it in a bowl of rice overnight and you'll be fine.
Uhh ... that might work for a wet cell phone, but a bowl of rice is not going to do anything for something the size of an RV!
What took the water so high for it to come from the ceiling? The only water we have that is high is our shower head.
That's not a helpful answer but it is a really good question. Sounds like this poor owner might have made the classic mistake of connecting to the Black Tank Flush, which can cause water to come out the rooftop plumbing vents. But that water would be on the outside of the trailer, not the inside walls, so it's still a mystery. It's possible some water came up with force through the toilet, and splashed the bathroom walls and ceiling.
Other answers included: "Call your insurance company", "I would worry about electrical items getting wet", and advice to get some Damp Rid.
Really, a little water in the trailer is not a big deal. Leaks and splashes happen, and an Airstream won't fall apart from just one minor incident. (Major flooding or extended immersion in water is a different matter entirely.) My advice would be to wipe up the excess water, ventilate thoroughly with fans for several days, and read the Owner's Manual to understand the difference between the Black Tank Flush and the City Water Fill. So in this case, the owner was right on target with what he/she was doing.
By the way, Damp Rid and other such solutions are great for enclosed damp spaces like basements and closets, but far less effective than ventilation for recovering from a minor flood. The Airstream has built-in vent fans and windows—all you have to do is use them. In a humid climate, I'd plug the Airstream into 30-amp power and run a dehumidifier for a few days.
Help please? Leaving tomorrow first trip for 4-5 months. 2020 Caravel 22FB. We’ve had it plugged in last few weeks while prepping. Fridge/freezer was fine. Froze ice to check. Unplugged and went for quick ride. Came home, plugged back in, battery light on. Lights working. Now fridge not cooling at all. Checked fuse, it’s good. What can I do?
That's a good example of a problem that should not be diagnosed on social media. This rig needs to be taken to a service center for proper diagnosis. Yes, if you're handy you may be able to diagnose and fix it yourself, but in this case the owner already checked the obvious and was stumped.
Appliance problems can be tricky. If this is a gas/electric fridge, it's even harder to diagnose. Guessing at what might be wrong usually leads to a lot of wasted time and money. To even have a good shot at offering a solution remotely, you'd need a lot more information:
- What type of fridge is it?
- Is it cooling on gas, electric, or neither?
- If gas, did you check the gas supply?
Etc. etc., and then a good technician would proceed down a diagnostic path from there. Some specialized tools might be required, too.
In this case, the "answers" provided by other people were pretty hopeless:
It's 12 volts not breakers it would be a fuse.
This is a great example of not reading the question. The owner said the fuse had been checked.
And this bit of random guessing: I don't know which brand you have. I have one and it works great so I would say it lose connection on the road.
Consult source data or a service technician
When you ask a question of random strangers on the Internet, you will get what you pay for. A better route is to research source material, your Airstream Owner's Manual, and other manufacturer resources. If the answers aren't there, reach out to your dealer or a service technician.
For more about credible resources and how to use them, check our article, 7 Airstream resources we use and recommend.