Linoleum and new blinds!

Rain · 01-26-2020, 08:27 PM

Hello friends hope everyone is having a nice winter.

We are looking at pulling up the old carpet in our 2001 Solaris. As well as replacing the mini blinds with day night shades.

Looking at direction as to the best place to purchase new shades and flooring, open for ideas? Along with purchasing the easiest shades and flooring to install…

And there has always been some mysterious smell in the camper. Even when we bring our clothing out of the camper there is a residue smell on them. Could it be glue in the walls…

We are currently hand cranking the levelers. Is there a tool that we can purchase that would make this more automated. We are getting a little bit older in age 🤗

Hoping to get a few good things John so that we can really enjoy the camper.

Blessings!
Tonya

**Sunline Fan** · 01-26-2020, 08:58 PM

Hi Tonya,

Can you describe the smell? Non-leaking Sunlines do have a unique smell to them, but I wouldn't call it offensive. Sunline used almost no formaldehyde products in construction compared to other manufacturers, which is where a lot of smell can come from.

Have you checked around the trailer with a moisture meter to see if there's a leak hidden anywhere?

Regarding your jack cranking- there are electric jacks on the market to replace what you currently have. I don't think they are as strong or stable as what you have now, and they are quite pricey. A much cheaper option is to use a battery drill with a socket or other adapter, which will turn your existing jack. It still means bending down though. You will also need to use the hand crank to adjust it at the extremes, especially when it touches the ground. The drill simply won't have the power to crank it like the handle. But it's overall less time bent over and less cranking to get the job done.

**JohnB** · 01-30-2020, 07:37 AM

Hi Tonya,

To add to what Sunline Fan stated, the smell, your camper is old enough that normally the new wood scent should be gone by now. We called that scent new camper smell. After about approx 5- 8 years the scent faded away. But it was pleasant and never made it into our clothes.

Does the scent smell musty, mildewy? That scent will get into clothes, towels etc. Tell us more on this how it smells and if there is a particular location it it the strongest. We can better help with what it may be.

On the mini blinds, many member have gone with blinds that are used in your home. The Home Depots, Lowes etc route and they most likely will need to be custom trimmed in width and length. But one heads up, make sure you know how the clips to attach the blind to work. The Sunline blinds fit inside the window valance. And on the 2003's and new at least, the clips would hinge out allowing the blind to come out towards you and then down and out of the valance. Point being, make sure the clips to hold the blind in can be accessed with the valance in place if you plan on keeping the valance.

On the flooring, again many have used the same home products in the camper. Do not know if you are looking for vinyl tile, a laminated wood product or carpet. All have been done. If you are going the laminate flooring route, post back for some cautions. Many have done this but the brand and type is a concern so it does not buckle up when it get wet or high moisture being stored outside.

Good luck and let us know how this comes out.

John

Rain · 02-01-2020, 08:13 PM

Thanks for the info. Washing the curtains and pillow coverings. Will steam clean carpet and flush water with vinegar. ��. Do you know if there is a furnace pilot light? Or can we just put in a full tank and it should work? Can hear blower fan but no heat... thanks! ��

Rain · 02-01-2020, 08:13 PM

Thanks will try the drill and socket!

**JohnB** · 02-02-2020, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain

Do you know if there is a furnace pilot light? Or can we just put in a full tank and it should work? Can hear blower fan but no heat... thanks!

Hi Tonya,

On the furnace, yes the propane needs to be on and enough in the tank to run the furnace. If you can light the stove top burners after all the air is out of the lines, then there is enough gas to at least start the furnace. How long it will run after that depends on how much is in the tank.

Your newer 2001 Sunline will have electronic ignition and will light themselves, no pilot light. Assuming there is gas to the furnace, the camper battery is charged enough to run the fan fast enough, (or plugged into shore power) the Thermostat is calling for heat and there is nothing not broke on the furnace, it should light the burner itself.

If you light the stove burners on gas, then you can shut it off and then try the furnace. If everything is working on the furnace, it should light. If it does not, then we need some more info to help dig deeper into this.

We need the model of the furnace as a starter. It should be in the manual if you have one. If you do not have a manual, the model number is outside the camper behind the screwed on cover. Take the cover off and the sticker is there. A picture with the cover off helps too. Also, when was the last time the furnace ever worked?

Here is a real quick troubleshooting thing you can do and report back with the model number if you need more help.

Start the furnace, the blower should run after a slight delay of calling for heat. You may have this already as you said the blower runs. The blower running is a good start. No blower, that means something by itself.

About 30 seconds to maybe a few minutes after the blower comes on, you should hear a "clunk" which is the sound of the gas valve opening. Then a faint buzzing sound of the electric ignition. Listen close for it. If you never here the clunk or faint buzzing, then the gas burner never opened and tried to start the burner. You can turn the furnace off and on and try this sequence listening for the clunk a few times to make sure you hear it or not.

If no clunk at all, and no heat, then there is a problem that needs to be dug into. If you know someone who if electrically friendly with 12 VDC and has a voltmeter, and knows how to use it will be needed next.

Note: the camper battery has to be charged full enough to run the fan fast enough for the furnace to meet the safeties and open the gas valve. Make sure the battery is good and turned on. If you can plug in the camper to shower power (120 Volts AC) , your vintage camper should make the power needed to run the furnace too if the battery is low.

Hope this helps

John

ep1966 · 02-06-2020, 12:18 PM

I would add to what everyone is saying about the smell being water. You need to look at the roof very carefully. I had a musty smell in my trailer for a year. I crawled all over the floor, looked in all the cupboards, but could not find any water problem. As it turned out, there was a tiny hole in the corner, right by the shower, that had allowed water in, which ran down the studs, and into the insulation under the floor. It rotted the studs and the joists in the floor that I had to replace. So, I would look very carefully at your roof

bawitt · 02-07-2020, 09:50 PM

Hi, Good luck with your reno!
I pulled up the carpet from my T-1550 and replaced it with "place & press" vinyl planks I bought at OLLIE'S. I chose the grey color because I painted the inside of the camper white and I am decorating with pink. The job was easy to do and it looks WONDERFUL!!!