Escapees September-October 2022

mark, my words

Reducing Sway Q. As a returning RVer from 20 years ago, I have purchased an older Bounder gas 35E. I had a class C before, so driving on the highway is much di ff erent now. I have read up on trying to control the steering stabilization of a class A motorhome. (steering stabilizer or anti sway bars.) The wind, grooves in the road and truck push seem to be a daily way of life. Before I invest a solution, do these products really help the motorhome to control the highway? Bob A. Steering stabilizers do help, but no combination of anti-sway bars or stabilizers will completely eliminate that push from wind or passing trucks. The stabilizers are designed to reduce the effect to a comfort able level. If you are currently having to white-knuckle it, I suspect that adding stabilizer hardware will help. However, if the sway or wander is not really signi fi cant, or if you feel reasonably comfortable driving the rig and just want it to handle more like a car, the limited improvement you’ll get from adding a stabilizer may not be worth the cost. Tires can also have a big effect on the way the rig handles. You might want to try experimenting with tire in fl ation pressures a little. Sometimes increasing or decreasing tire pressure will help reduce sway or wander. Just be sure not to drop the pressure below the minimum recommended tire pressure for the weight the tires are carrying. Also, have the steering gear and suspen sion checked. One loose component or an alignment problem can make a huge difference in the way a rig handles.

Your RV Questions By MARK NEMETH #45776, Escapees Technical Advisor Send your questions via e-mail to techquestions@escapees.com

Tank Treatment Q. My parents have moved into their travel trailer full time for their retirement. They sit long periods of time in one place. Will the chemicals work in their holding tank when they don’t get any mixing from the trailers movement? Is there one type of chemical that will work better under these circumstances? Ray A. In my opinion, the best choices for tank treatments are the biological ones. These are bacterial or enzyme in nature, and are very effective at liquefying waste, which is even more important when your RV stops moving for a while. It will also be a big help if your parents get used to using more water each time they fl ush (they aren’t dry camping, after all) and wait until the tank is close to full before emptying it. That will help give the treatment more time to work, and it should keep things

fl owing smoothly. Choosing a toilet tissue that breaks down fully will also be a big help. If in doubt, always do the jar test: take a sheet or 2 of your TP, put it in a jar 1/2 full of water and give it a shake. Safe TP will dissolve readily; bad stuff won’t and shouldn’t be used in an RV.

Get Rid of Rid-X? Q. We RV full-time. Is it okay to use Rid-X in the black water tank and, if so, how much? Rick

A. Several years ago, I contacted the folks who make Rid-X and asked about the product’s suitability for use in RV holding tanks. I spoke to several of the techs in the labs, and also to their sales staff and management. The fi nal answer that I got was (in

essence) that Rid-X was designed for use in septic tanks. The Rid-X folks do not speci fi cally recommend Rid-X for use in RV holding tanks. However, they did state that the product will not harm RV plumbing systems or holding tanks. My opinion is that, while it’s probably okay to use Rid-X in your holding tanks, you’ll likely get better overall perfor mance from a waste digestion product that’s designed for RV use.

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ESCAPEES Magazine September/October 2022