Trying to figure everything out

Now that we are done with our first trip out, I'm realizing that there is more and more that I don't completely understand about our '97 TM2518. I know most people on this board have newer & bigger units, but I thought maybe some of my questions might be able to be answered.

I'm read the manual and every piece of paper that came with it. I'm a highly technical person who spends a lot of time at work writing tech manuals. So I'm a little frustrated when I run across things that aren't completely documented.

1. How are you supposed to light the pilot on the water heater?
2. There are three pull-knobs in the dinette area. I know we have to pull them out when running on 110v. What are they specifically for?
3. My trailer has a break-away switch. Where is the battery hidden at?

Those are my main questions for now. Once these are solved, I'm sure I'll come up with more. I figure that worse case, I'll ask them when I go down to the factory.

[B_and_D]

Can't help you with the pull-knobs, cuz our TM doesn't have anything like that.

As far as lighting the hot water heater, if yours is the same as mine, and has the red knobs inside the hatch (it's outside), then you need to turn the big knob (top left) until it says "pilot" in the front. You then push down the small red knob and hold it down while lighting (where shown in the picture). It takes a while to get it lit, especially if there's no gas in the lines. Even with gas in the lines, it can take 20 seconds or so. After it stays lit, then you can turn the big red knob to the "on" position. You'll know if it's working because you'll hear a loud "whoosh" when you turn it on. On ours, there is a dial on the silver face that controls the temperature. I keep ours pretty low, because otherwise it gets too hot.

As far as I know the breakaway switch is powered by the main 12V battery. There have been some threads here about how to test it.

Hope this helps.

D

The water heater now makes sense. I was just a little nervous about applying flame to a gas system if I wasn't quite sure where to apply it. I'll try it tonight when we get to the campsite.

It looks like your TM is the same year, but the next model up. I'll take a look at the original brochure when I get home to see what the differences are.

Where should the 12V battery be located? Maybe I'm just overlooking it. Once we get it to the campsite tonight, I'll tear it apart to look around some more.

[B_and_D]

Ours is (are, we have two) on the tongue (front) right behind the propane tanks. I think that people with the SL models have them in the rear hatch. Someone may have moved yours somewhere else (like maybe the rear hatch).

Hopefully, you have one, otherwise the breakaway switch won't work if you need it!

I found it. The battery is in the compartment forward of the furnace. I didn't recognize it at first because of the case that it is enclosed in. I took the vent hose off and figured it out.

I figured out that the two switches right under the sink are for the water pump and refer fan.

I'm wondering if the three pull-knobs are some sort of cut-off that a previous owner might have installed. I'll take a picture sometime and post it.

I think I've now got a better understanding than I had last weekend.

Now we're just waiting on our friends who are late for us to leave. They're now going on 1.5 hours late. Then she's going to complain about dinner being so late. Good way to start the weekend.

The second time out was much better. The water heater worked great and I had a little more time to figure everything else out.

I'm rather sure that the three mystery switches were added by a previous owner since no one else has ever seen this.

We ran into another couple with a TM at the campground. They had a newer 3023. It makes our little 2518 feel so small inside. I love the couch and all the extra storage space. I also like the newer dinette table. I feel the design on ours is so flimsy. I'll likely build a better one myself over the winter.