I purchased a used 2009 Fun Finder X 210wbs. I've had it out twice and have a couple questions.
1. Water Pressure - I hook up to city water at the sites and have a 40 psi adapter. I have poor water pressure in the coach. When I first turn it on its good and then within seconds slows way down. I'm not really able to take a shower at all and even washing dishes is a challenge.
Now you know the difference between a good water regulator and a cheap regulator. You should have a water regulator, I've stayed at campgrounds that have had 120 psi...way too high. They are the exception, but, it only takes hooking up to that kind of pressure once to make you wish you'd gotten a regulator... Order of "goodness"...: Cheap plastic Camco (you might as well not bother), Better is the Valterra brass regulators, but, IMHO, the very best is a Watts. Many of the cheaper "regulators" don't really regulate much. They use pressure restriction discs that reduce pressure, but, also reduce flow rate. That's why when you first turn on the faucet, you get good flow. The pressure and volume have "equalized" on both sides of the regulator. When you turn on the water, the pressure is proper, but, the cheaper regulators can't supply enough volume, while restricting pressure, to keep the water flowing well. My recommendation? Get a Watts regulator. Pricey, but, the "internals" of the regulator control the pressure while also allowing plenty of flow. The cheap regulators may restrict the flow to less than 2 gallons per minute, while the best Watts models are adjustable for pressure and allow flow of 4.5 gallons per minute. Since your system works fine without the regulator, I syspect that is your problem; a cheap flow restricting regulator. Also since we are talking about regulators... Don't cut yourself short. Many of the cheap regulators are "preset" at somewhere between 25 and 40 psi. Your trailer can easily handle 50 to 60 psi. Trailers made in the last 10 years or so are tested at 80 to 115 psi when they are at the factory, well within the capability of modern PEX lines and connectors. I use an adjustable Watts regulator and have it set at 60 psi. Plenty of pressure, plenty of flow (I wish my sticks and bricks well pump provided as much
Here's a really good site that has a lot of information on your "water" supply and they sell the Valterra and Watts regulators:
RV Water Filter Store
2. Black water/Grey water - The gauge on the meter inside always shows like it has fluid in there. I leave the flow values open all the time when I'm parked at a site. Shouldn't the contents be moving through there?
Those gauges are notoriously "fickle", particularly the black tank. When I had my 210WBS, I installed Tornado tank rinsers on both tanks on the side opposite the drains (streetside). The black tank is the worst...once they get "fouled", the best way of cleaning is the "ice trick". Get yourself 3 or 4 bags of ice the next time you are moving from campground to campground, or are leaving home to go camping. Pour them into your toilet (with the flapper open; you want the ice in your black tank). Drive to the campground. The ice will "scrub" the sides of your tank and the sensors should then work. For the gray tank...you, obviously, can't get bags of ice into it. Get yourself a couple of gallons of Simple Green and, again, before you leave home, pour them down the sink and add 5 gallons of water. The Simple Green will work at dissolving the soap scum that is fouling the sensors.
Now, as to why the problem occurred in the first place... Never leave your tank valves open when hooked up at the campground. You want to use lots of water in the toilet and in the sinks (gray). Water is your friend. If your valves are open when at a FHU (full hook up) CG (campground - might as well get you used to RVer's shorthand!
) when you flush the john the water (precious little in those bowls) immediately drains out of the tank leaving the solids (poo and TP) sitting in the bottom of the tank. Its those solids that foul the sensors. Same with the gray tank...the water will drain immediately and leave the soap scum and grease behind to foul the sensors. Keep the valves closed and use lots of water...when you flush, let the water run...the more the merrier. When your tanks are 3/4 full or more, then is the time to go outside and pull the handle to drain the tanks. Lots of water in the tank equates to lots of pressure to get the solids and thicker stuff flowing out of the tank and down the pipe; drain the black tank first and the gray last (the gray tank water will "clean" your drain hose; trust me, you don't want to do it the other way around
) . Once the tank is empty, close the valve, refill it; turn a sink faucet on and let it run, in the bathroom, stand on the foot pedal and let water run into the tank for a while to get clean water in the tank, then empty again. You can get a "tank flusher" attachment that goes on the outside drain pipe that you can hook a hose to...it is easier than the faucet and standing on the pedal regime. One brand is the Flush King, most RV supply houses and, sometimes Amazon and Walmart for that matter, carry them:
Flush King
Tank rinsers, installed on the side opposite the tank drains are even better. They "hose" down the tank, including the sides, and being opposite the drains, they then "push" the effluent out of the tank, one of the drawbacks to the Flush King. It fills your tank with clean water in short order, but, it also pushes any solids back to the back side of your tank; not quite as efficient, but, better than nothing.
3. Radio/TV reception - I get very few radio channels no matter where I'm parked. Some places I get a few TV channels but a friend that goes with me will get 30+ channels on the TV and good radio. Me not much at all.
If you aren't getting television or radio stations, my guess would be an antenna cabling issue. The radio uses a rubber duck antenna (short stubby rubber antenna and the television uses the crank up antenna; two different antennas). If the problem is mostly television, then there have been a couple of suggestions; make sure the amplifier is on (red light should glow), make sure the connections are tight, and make sure you have re-scanned for stations on your television. You will have to do the re-scan for each campground after you've raised the antenna and oriented it to the proper direction. It is just "one of those things" that is a result of the new digital signals. Re-scan. As for where to point your antenna...? The easiest thing is to point your antenna in the same direction everybody else's is pointing or you could ask the campground host, they usually know. At lots of CGs, you'll see antennas pointing all over the place; start with the direction that the most people are pointing in. At a lot of locations, you'll get CBS and NBC from one direction and maybe ABC and PBS from another. Once you get stations on your set, you can "fine tune" the reception by slowly turning the antenna one direction then the other until you get the best picture.
EDIT: Old age I guess. Your 2009 may or may not have the rubber duck antenna for the radio. I'm thinking that it was 2010 that CruiserRV changed their antenna setup to a single short pole (doesn't crank up) Jensen antenna that combines the radio and the television. Still would be a cabling issue, but, the shorter (you don't crank them up) antennas are notoriously bad at reception. They are, IMHO, too short and are too close to A/C units and vent covers, all of which do nasty things to the delicate digital signals. For digital signals, the higher the antenna, the better the reception. If yours, indeed, has the shorty antenna, you may never get as many stations as your neighbors that have the crank up style antenna. It was a cost saving effort on the part of RV manufacturers that didn't do any favors for the RVer, particularly if you are in a fringe area camping. Different television sets also play a role. Usually the better (read higher priced) sets will have more sensitive receivers. If the above (short antenna) is your problem, you may be able to have a crank up antenna installed in its place. The 210's have enough roof area that one should be able to be installed in the same location as the existing short antenna. You may also want to consider swapping out the Sensar head (if yours is a crank up Sensar) and installing a Jack Off the Air antenna head. Simple installation, pull two pins, unscrew the cable and install the Jack in its place with the same pins and cables. One of the first "mods" I do to a trailer, off with the Sensar and on with the Jack. The Jack, IMHO, has a much more robust amplifier than the Sensar.
I sure would appreciate any suggestions or recommendations on these items.
Thanks in advance!!
Debbie