Escapees September-October 2023

mark, my words

PHOTO COURTESY OF LAUREN LYNCH, WWW.ARTOFRV.COM

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

Pizza Stone to Distribute Heat Q. I cook in my RV all the time, and I have a problem when I use the oven. The center of all my dishes burn (because it's directly over the gas element), and the rest gets done fi ne. It there a trick to not having the center get burnt? Please let me know. Denise A. Old time RVers came up with a solution to this common problem years ago. All you need to do is purchase a 12" x 12" unglazed ceramic tile, or a pizza stone, and place it in the center of the metal de fl ector shelf above the oven burner. The stone helps distribute the heat and prevent hot spots from burning your cookies! Pizza stones are available at most kitchen stores and the tiles can be found at home improvement centers.

Battery Cuto ff Switch Q. I recently purchased a battery cuto ff switch for my Montana fi fth wheel. My problem is that I am getting con fl icting advice on whether to install it on the negative terminal or the positive terminal of the battery. Does it really matter? Lee A. Electrically, it really doesn’t matter which terminal you install the switch on. Breaking the circuit at either terminal will prevent any current fl owtoor from the battery. However, the debate rages! Some folks say put it on the negative side because you have to disconnect the negative anyway for the switch install. Others say that placing the switch on the positive terminal is safer, because, that way, when the switch is off, the entire 12V positive cable and wiring system is de-energized. I personally always install them on the positive terminal, but that’s just me. Regardless which terminal you choose, make sure that all wiring is properly insulated and protected from cha fi ng caused by vibration, and that the switch is mounted securely. You can literally arc weld with the current that 12V batteries can supply, so make sure the switch is installed safely! “Electrically, it really doesn’t matter which terminal you install the switch on… However, the debate rages!”

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ESCAPEES Magazine September/October 2023