Painting A Propane Tank
I look forward to receiving Family Motor Coaching magazine every month. I always learn a lot from your column and very seldom question your answers, but this time . . . oops. In regard to “Painting A Propane Tank” (“Tech Talk,” October 2014, page 18), your directions are all very good except that I believe you have switched two major steps — removing grease and sanding.
Always start by washing the grease and residue from the tank. After the heaviest grease is washed away, and before you start to sand, silicone/wax remover can be used on the tank. Or, as you suggested, soap and water will work. Removing the grease first is important, because if it remains on the tank when you’re sanding, it will clog the paper and will get into the sanded areas. Washing the tank later may not remove all the grease, and grease will ruin a paint job.
Another reason to remove grease before sanding is that freshly sanded bare metal immediately starts to oxidize when it is washed. Therefore, it’s best to quickly wipe the sanded surface using a silicone/wax remover just before the primer coat is applied. If silicone/wax remover is not available, use a slightly damp, lint-free cloth.
One final note: For best results and to remove any sanding marks, I would use a 240-grit sandpaper to lightly sand the tank before applying primer. Also, it is highly recommended to lightly sand the primer coat with 240-grit sandpaper to remove any major sand marks and to provide a better surface to which the paint can bond.
Brian Groh, F268288
Paris, Ontario
Thank you for sharing this information, Brian.
Generator Shutdown
I own a 2004 Winnebago Sightseer 35N with an Onan 5.5-kilowatt generator. Recently I discovered that I can start my generator from inside the RV at the control panel, but I cannot shut it down at the control panel. It is very difficult to obtain the control wiring diagrams required to troubleshoot this problem. I have replaced the control panel switch, to no avail. I have read that this problem occurs because somewhere on the chassis is a connector that is subject to corrosion, but I cannot find that connector. I want to exhaust all possibilities myself before I take it to a shop, as I have spent many dollars at local shops and have ended up fixing problems myself.
Atwell Suman, F347839
North Port, Florida
The following answer comes from Bill Crawford, a service adviser in Winnebago’s customer service department (800-537-1885):
“I can understand that it’s sometimes difficult to find what you’re looking for in all of the wiring diagrams on our website. It can be a bit overwhelming, but when it comes to the start switch on the generator, it is very simple.
“There are four wires coming from the generator for that switch. You have a ground, a start, a stop, and a feedback wire. When the start wire is grounded, the generator cranks and starts. When the stop wire is grounded, the generator shuts down. The feedback wire gets 12 volts from the generator when it starts lighting up the switch, telling the operator that the unit is running. If the generator will start and run but you can’t shut it down, and the switch is lit while running, we know that the ground, the start, and the feedback wires are all good. That leaves only the stop wire. It is open someplace, and where is yet to be determined. It could be a bad switch or even the connector at the generator that plugs in to the coach wiring. We know it is not shorted to ground or the generator wouldn’t be running.”