Chinook RV

Hi everyone
I have a couple questions. I'm a new member and new to owning a 1997 Premier Chinook. Getting ready for my second trip out and not sure how to hand a shower curtain. And since there is not a light in the bathroom what do you do about that?

Next, tomorrow I'll be cleaning the water tank with bleach and water. But do I need to change the anode in the hot water tank?

Last question: this has a cool beverage mate cup holder, but it doesn't work. Any ideas with that?

Thank you all so much for your help and or input!
Kerri

Welcome, Kerri! Glad to have you here.

Kerri wrote: Getting ready for my second trip out and not sure how to hand a shower curtain.

It looks like part of a word got cut off, so I'm guessing here. Not sure if maybe you meant "handle" a shower curtain or "hang" a shower curtain.

As far as how they are hung, all of the similar Chinooks I've seen (Premier, Concourse) have a bendable (pre-bent) aluminum track running around the overhead of the shower, then there are wheeled hooks on the track and a curtain of your choice attaches to that. Normally I see the curtain stowed in the back corner of the toilet in the corner that is adjacent to the kitchen sink area.

As far as how to handle it... I haven't showered in my Chinook, but I'm guessing the curtain might tend to "suck in" on the user. Since the sill is rather low, I think that'd be the spot to watch out for (especially since the outer wall there is MDF, which can soak up water.

It's a bit hard to see in this photo, but if you squint a bit you can see the stock aluminum ceiling track and the stock wheeled hooks. The one change from original in this photo (on the hooks that is) is the small S hooks which are in place of the big shower curtain key shaped hooks. They caused a big gap at the top so were changed. The stock track runs around three sides of the shower (not the sink side). You can click for a larger image (still not the best tho, sorry).

Kerri wrote: And since there is not a light in the bathroom what do you do about that?

This is another of those "in all the ones I've seen" things, but normally there is a ceiling vent/fan in the overhead of the shower, and it's one with a built in light (around the perimeter). There are two push button switches right on the fan/light - one turns the fan on and off and the other turns the light on and off. The light lenses tend to crack and fall down after a while (likely from UV damage) so it's possibile someone replaced yours with a non-lighted model. If so the wire for the light should (hopefully) still be in the ceiling. Mine comes in from the side over the sink. If you remove the garnish (trim ring) from around the fan you may see it - a pair of red and white wires. There is the ceiling of the shower (white shiny fiberglass) but above that is the regular carpeted ceiling like in the rest of the coach - the wires are between those two ceilings.

You could then either get a new fan-with-light, or (maybe a better option) just use the power for a separate light.

Here is a photo that shows the original fan/light (with the original cracked/yellowed light lens, which I have since changed for a new lens - still not the most robust construction though).

Kerri wrote: Next, tomorrow I'll be cleaning the water tank with bleach and water. But do I need to change the anode in the hot water tank?

I would always check the anode on any rig new to me. You remove it with a biggish socket (1-1/16" maybe?) and it should like like a fat piece of chalk, maybe the diameter of a garden hose. If it is thinner than that (or worst, just a metal rod is left) then it is spent and you need to screw in a new one. The anode sacrifices itself to save the tank walls of the water heater.

You might want to check about using bleach. It may not be kind to things like the dump valve seals. I haven't sanitized a polyethylene tank since doing it on a boat, but I believe there we used a combination of baking soda and... maybe vinegar? I'm sure other folks here will chime in on this one, and perhaps bleach is fine if it's not too concentrated.

Kerri wrote: Last question: this has a cool beverage mate cup holder, but it doesn't work. Any ideas with that?

Well first thing I'd do is check the fuse. You will see an auxilliary (fairly obviously not Ford) fuse box right in front of your left shin as you sit in the driver's seat. Mine looks like this (see photo). A Premier one will be slightly different. The "missing" 7.5 amp fuse is because I removed the Beverage Mate (I didn't like it at all; just in case you end up feeling the same, any Ford van console from 1997 to 2014 will fit (presuming your 1997 is on a 1997 chassis and not a 1996 chassis).
If the fuse is blown, check the two little side compartments in the beverage mate. They are supposed to be vents and not blocked, but I have seen people put sides on them and use them for storage - could cause overheating.

BTW, if the Beverage Mate is broken and you want one, I believe a few people here have removed them. I was one of them but already sold mine to someone.

BG

PS: Do you have the Chinook manual (blue loose-leaf notebook on mine). If not, I have uploaded at least a 1998 manual in the Reference Documents section. A 1997 will likely be very similar (especially if on a 1997 chassis). There are diagrams for many of the systems - super helpful. See next post for fuse block diagram (limit of three photos per post is why).

Here is a diagram (from year 2000 manual), but my 1999 is basically the same) that shows the Chinook added fuse blocks. Since your Premier has a Beverage Mate (which was not "normal" on a Premier but I think they may have done custom options for original owners) the block might be the larger Concourse one. Or I suppose it's possible that someone put in the Beverage Mate for an "upgrade" but never wired it in (?!).
BTW, a quick way to know if you have the 1997 or 1996 chassis (RV's are often built on previous year chassis as the changeover month is not always the same for the vehicle manufacturer (Ford) or the RV maker (Chinook in this case). So a 1997 Chinook may be on a 1997 or 1996 chassis, a 2001 on a 2001 or 2000 chassis, etc. But it just so happens 1997 was a year of big changes (engines, dashboards) so it's easy to tell. Here is a 1996 dashboard (1992-1996), more of shroud shape:
And a 1997 dashboard (1997-2008), more of a swoopy shape:

Thank you so much for your help! From the photos we have a 1997. I'll try to find the wheeler rollers for the shower. And clean the fresh water tank with baking soda and water. Now I'll have to see how to remove the anode from the hot water tank. I'll also check out the fuses by the drivers set for the beverage mate.
Thanks for all your help!
Kerri

This is what i put in my shower for a light along with a fantastic fan... http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/it ... ring/87846

Hi Kerri,

There are other places to buy them (although these are nice folks - very helpful on the phone when I had some questions), but this will give you a way to see what you are after at least.

http://www.curtain-tracks.com
The track is Recmar 4108 Bendable I Beam Curtain Track
http://www.curtain-tracks.com/applicati ... -feet.html

The carriers are Recmar 4121 Nylon I-beam wheel carriers
http://www.curtain-tracks.com/recmar-41 ... brass.html

The brackets (hold track to ceiling) are Recmar 4126 I-beam Curtain Track Ceiling Bracket
http://www.curtain-tracks.com/recmar-41 ... acket.html

You'll see there are some other parts available as well (stops, etc.). I'm thinking I may replace the carriers on mine with the Recmar 4121 that has an integral hook. Then I wouldn't need the S-hooks in between. I'll have to see if the shower curtain fabric above the hanging grommets would fit in those hooks.

I got tuned into Curtain-Tracks.com because I've replaced the original day/night shades with curtains (work much better for me - just used cheapy curtain rods to test the concept), and I think I'm going to use some tracks to mount them (not the same one as the shower one, but a different one). I may also use a track (yet another one) for the cab/coach curtain (details yet to be decided).

****

Since you have a 1997, the 1998 manual would likely be very helpful for you - if you don't have the manual that came with the Chinook. Quite a few detail changed between 1996 and 1997 (electrical mostly), but I would think a 1997 (on the 1997 chassis) would be very similar to a 1998. Here is a link to the Reference documents sub-forum in general:
viewforum.php?f=6

The Manuals thread:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=279

And to the 1998 Manual specifically:
download/file.php?id=682

I have a buddy with an "other brand" RV and he would love to have this type of manual for his RV. Really good on drawings of the electrical, plumbing systems, etc.

Here's what I did for lighting in the head. The switch is easily reached from the back door so it's a great entry light as well ...

(Sent from my Fisher Price ABC-123, so I'm not sure if link will work)

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=338&p=2531&hilit=residential#p2531

I Thank you so much ffi r all the information. I'm going to diwn load the manual file and order those rollers. And see about getting that anode out and take a look.
Thank you so much!
Kerri

Here is a photo of the hot water heater. I need some help in how to get the anode out.
Once again I Thank you for all your help
Kerri

Okay, presuming that you have the 6-gallon Suburban that Chinook's came with, and presuming you are at the bottom center area, then... that doesn't look like any anode I've ever seen. It should just look like a big hex head, like so. (It takes a 1-1/16" wrench or socket to loosen it.)

So yours doesn't look like that. I have an idea though: Our usual water heaters run on propane only, but there is an optional one that also runs on 110 electric. But the Chinooks don't usually have that. And they make a thing called..... something like a "hot shot" or similar... that I think plugs into the anode hole and sort of semi retrofits a water heater to be able to run on 110. Maybe that's what you have there and why it doesn't look like a normal anode?