Basic Questions 2002 TM 3023

Good day,

I have recently purchased a used 2002 TM 3023. This is the first weekend I have had time to spend cleaniing and organizing the TM 3023.
I have a couple very basic questions:
..Where is the fuse box(s) located?
..The beds...in the extremity corners of both rear and forward beds I can see daylight. The corners are not sealing correctly...is this normal ? If not normal is there any fixes?
..Has anybody experianced insect ingression though the seals of the TM.
..During storage (1 month - 2 months) any special proceedures to follow?.
..During storage how do I prevent interior moisture problems (mildrew, mold etc).

Thank you

Brgds
John G. Zwart
League City, TX

[Bill]

John -

Welcome aboard!

Some (but not all) answers to your questions.

The fuse box is in the converter. In 2002, this was a box with a brown louvered cover, near the floor outside the bathroom. At least that's where it was in the 2720. Anyway, wherever it is, the box contains both the circuit breakers (for the 120 VAC system) and the fuses (for the 12VDC system).

The beds don't seal well. It is an unfortunate fact of life that I still fail to understand fully. Our members have used various techniques to seal out drafts in cold weather - such as a long cloth tube filled with flaxseed or sand, laid over the leaky seal. In warm weather, I don't think that the small leaks matter much. At least they haven't to me.

There have been numerous discussions about bugs coming in through the seals (use the Search tool). I think that the general consensus is that there is not much problem.

When you put the TM away for a couple months, do the common-sense things. Drain the fresh water, gray water, and black water tanks. Leave the refrig off and the door open. Clean everything so it is ready for you next use. If ants are a big problem in your area, I suppose you could spread some ant cups. Beyond that, fully charge the battery, and then disconnect it. For one or two months, no need for a charger - but disconnect it, to prevent the parasitic loads (again, use the Search tool) from draining the battery.

Moisture has never been a problem for me, even on the coast of Maine where the humidity is high in the summer. Maybe coastal Texas is worse????

Bill

There is a product called Dri-z-air which we use here in Washington since our TM is stored a lot longer than "1 or 2 months". You can find it at Camping World http://www.campingworld.com/browse/s...filiateID=1126 or many other places.I'm not sure if Wally World has it or not. It is available from the supplier for order on the internet. http://www.drytheair.com/xcart/store/catalog/ Works great!

Hi John,

We also just bought a 2002 3023 and just got back yesterday from our first outing in it. We also have the gaps in the corners of the beds. After reading the responses, I agree that towels are the way to go. The fuses are located in the converter box - we had to change one before we left. We were in a really buggy area, but only flying ones came in through the door when we were going in/out. We're trying to figure out a way to attach some sort of a screen. All in all, it was a fantastic trip... so much better than our tent trailer. We only had a few small problems. A slight leak in one of the skylight/vent thing (easy fix with some caulk) and then when we were rolling up the awning, the little plastic part that cranks it in broke off. My husband had to roll it the rest of the way in with a pair of pliers. I've already ordered the replacement part for it. Also, our bathroom door doesn't close properly, but again, really no big deal. Enjoy your new TM!!

Happy Camping,
Shannon
2002 3023 and '99 Ford F250

[Bill]

Shannon -

There has been extensive discussion on this board about how make a screen door. Two or three methods have been discussed, and pictures/plans presented. The earliest thread that I recall was about three years ago, but there have been several since then.

Do an ADVANCED SEARCH on "screen door" - they ought to come right up for you. If they don't, send me a PM and I will dig up some links for you.

Bill

[wbmiller3]

John,
We're in Clear Lake and have owned our TM since 2001. We are very particular about not putting the trailer away wet and by sticking to that rule, we've never had a problem with mildew. Sometimes this can be a pain when you have to dry off the roof of the back shell before putting it away, but it seems to work.

We have the "light around the beds" too, I think it is a generic issue.

The only time we have ever had trouble with bugs was at Sea Rim State Park when there were 1000 mosquitoes per cubic inch and enough got in through the cracks to give us trouble. Never had this problem before or since.

I'm no expert, but have run into many of the common TM issues. If you need to talk to a local TM owner, drop me a PM and I'll reply with my phone #.

I hope you like it as much as we do!

Originally Posted by wbmiller3

John,
We're in Clear Lake and have owned our TM since 2001. We are very particular about not putting the trailer away wet and by sticking to that rule, we've never had a problem with mildew. Sometimes this can be a pain when you have to dry off the roof of the back shell before putting it away, but it seems to work.

I have also been concerned about trapping water between the rear and front shells. But, I can pop the front shell up for a few days to let air move around.

we put pipe wrap along the sides of the beds (we have 2 in our 3023) when extended. It is cheap and light weight. Swim noodles will work also. this adds thermal and barrier protection.

We have never had more than an occasional bug or two until on the way back from jubilee when we stopped in Kansas. (Junction City) When we woke in the morning there were gnats everywhere, some had even crawled inside the micro wave and were running around on the luminus display but inside the unit. Best I can tell (using the rest room as a guage) a ton of these gnats hatched over night and swarmed everywhere. (the previously clean bathroom building was coated with them that morning as well when none were present the night before. It was a bit of a pain to clean them out but I think other folks in a wide variety of rigs were awakening to the same problem. We were on the road before 8 so most of our fellow campers were not visible yet (maybe they were cleaning up their rigs?!)

Bill

I have been worried about bugs too but so far haven't seen more than two, and the trailer stays open in our driveway under a pole cover. At Costco I saw a two for one package of bug zappers. One is for inside one for outside. I've been wondering how well they work.

We have light at the corners of our bed too. I run a piece, sometimes two pieces, of blue painters tape along the seals on each side. It comes off without leaving a sticky mess behind. It's not a good idea to forget it's there though when closing. I did that... oops! At the end of the beds there are gaps too. One by the wardrobe, one by the shower. I stuff foam in each side. I noticed a big difference in keeping the wind out after doing this.

[wbmiller3]

Yes, it's (Sea Rim) on our "nice day trip but don't spend the night there" list now! Unfortunately, I think it was severely damaged by the hurricanes. Haven't heard a status on it lately.