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Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Roadrunner Repairs: Pump and Switches

The longer we are in the Roadrunner, the more things need attention.  As in replacement and / or fixing attention.
But that is not to be unexpected.   A premise I embraced early on in this adventure was "there are 3,000 moving parts on this coach and it is ALL going to break at some point."

So I am not surprised or frustrated by maintenance challenges when they pop up.  We are very pleased with our Tiffin Motor Home and still feel like it is one of the best values out there.

But about a month ago we noticed the water pump went out.  Pam turned on the switch and nothing happened.  Then we checked it out and sure enough it was dead.

We wanted to replace it ourselves.  I looked at the make and model number and called around to a few RV parts stores here in Albuquerque.  Then I shopped online and decided to order a replacement from American RV Company.
Once it arrived, we spent about 30 minutes replacing it.
First I turned off the water.
Then I removed the water filter so I could get at it.
 Next, Pam removed the fuse which is located under the refrigerator.
 I got our my new DeWalt drill and found an extension Phillips head.
A few minutes later, I had the four screws removed.  I looked at the new pump and it has about 1/4 inch more of a rubber gasket on the bottom than the old one.  Because of that, I needed to put in longer screws.
Next, Pam looked over the three connecting wires and carefully disconnected them.  
After I positioned the new one into place, Pam reconnected it.  Then I carefully replaced the four screws.  I turned on the pump and it was very quiet.  I thought - wow!  This is great, it is SO much more quiet than the old one.

Oops -
I forgot to turn on the water and make sure it was flowing through the pump correctly.  Pam confirmed the 3.0 gallons per minute (gmp) water flow inside.  It was still quieter than the old one, but only a little.  But it worked perfectly.  Success!
In a related replacement, we had three of the water pump switch lights burn out in the last couple of months.  I ordered replacements and a spare from the Tiffin Parts Department.  They arrived in a few days.
 Pam popped off the top and figured out which side to attach and presto!
 More success!  She did the same thing for the one in the bathroom and the one near the water pump in the wet bay.
Even though this was a relatively easy repair, it helps us gain a little more confidence in what we can do.  For example, I have friends who have replaced toilets in the RV and it is something I think we could do on our own if we ever had to.  But I hope that doesn't happen since our toilet (expensive toilet) was replaced last year.

So we feel good about fixing up the water pump and replacing a few light switches.  Nothing like a little maintenance to put us in a good frame of mind.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles.  We love hearing from you and appreciate those comments.  Keep 'em coming...

Until next time,

12 comments:

  1. You and Pam have just earned your "McGuyver" badge!!! All it takes is a little confidence and a "can do" attitude...and I KNOW you two have that!!!

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  2. I'm hoping I'll be able to do some repairs on my own, to save on labor costs. The first time I turned on the water and heard the water pump, I thought something was wrong, but soon realized that its a normal noise that it makes.

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  3. You guys are well on your way to becoming the handy dandy fixit couple.

    We do most of our own repairs, but at times we have to go to the experts and we really do not like paying the price they charge.

    Keep up the good work!

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  4. Looks like Pam is the Electrician in the family!! LOL

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  5. Nice! We do most of our own repairs as well, in fact I just received a part in the mail for our fresh water pump. SHURflo is a good company...our pump is almost 15 years old and they sent the part for free!

    www.travelwithkevinandruth.com

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  6. you guys work well as a team~~~~

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  7. you guys work well as a team~~~~

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  8. you made it all sound so easy!!!..good job to both of you!!

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  9. You guys so want to come to my house and repair a few things, right? Right??? Awesome that you were able to do it yourselves!

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  10. Roger tries to repair as many things as he can - sure helps save money. I remember he replaced the water pump light that had burned out and a plastic clamp that broke on a blind - just ordered parts from Tiffin. He's done many, many other things too. Sounds like you two make a great team!

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  11. Good job! We fix some things are ourselves, but I admit there are some things I could do, but I just avoid the effort by having it done by a repair facility if it is close by and reasonable. After all, I am retired :)

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  12. Good for you guys! Repair techs charge an enormous amount of money so just think of the money you saved and the satisfaction of doing it yourself. Plus....you probably did a better job!!

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