RE: heater core leak
I have an Acme heater in my boat. Once, years ago, the core froze because the weather went unexpectedly bad before I could head to the marina to blow out the system. :M
Here's where I ordered a new core:
ACC Climate Control
RE: Super C vs DP
I think I'd stick with the DP. A Duramax is a 6.6L V8 with probably a 1000 series Allison behind it. Most DP's will have a 3000 series Allison (the size of a garbage can) as well as a much heavier duty engine block. Even a 7L Cat weighs a good 1,000 lbs. more then the lightweight Duramax, which was designed for pickups and medium duty trucks.
Like targaracer says, you're driving around in a ''fishbowl'' with a DP compared to something that passengers can't see out of, (except to the sides) unless they're sitting up front. You also lose a lot of living space since you only use the cab while on the road.
From walk arounds I've done in super-C's, the first thing I notice is the lack of all 'round vision while in the living space. You have to duck down to peer out of the windshield, and then it's limited at that.
Nobody says you have to buy a 40' DP minimum. :) Get a 36 or 38 footer to shorten your overall length.
RE: Pacific pride
As an individual I doubt that You would save any money belonging to this Group!
For me, it's NOT about saving $$$. Pulling into a large area for an easy to maneuver around fuel stop, getting fuel with no stupid dollar limits (as are just about all credit cards) so I have to repeatedly restart the pump, and not having to deal with lines either at the pumps or in the store/mart/office is worth it's weight in gold. And when we're on the move, traveling through states on a trip, penny pinching the fuel costs isn't worth the hassle of dealing with (and wasting time at) busy Flying J's and the like. And... fuel on ANY of our trips is always the least amount of money spent. We spend more on souvenirs than fuel. I would bet at the end of a 3,000 mile trip, the difference between Flying J's, Loves, whatever, and Pacific Price would amount to less than the cost of one night's stay at a nice RV park.
Pacific Prides do have regular gas but it is against the law in OR to pump it if you haven't been "trained". When you get a PP card, you will have to sign a statement saying you know it is unlawful to pump gas in OR
I never saw or signed any such paper, and I get GASOLINE at Oregon fuel stops all the time. (I live 20 miles from the WA/OR border) I've never been bothered. As for diesel, I think you are correct - I've seen lots of truckers filling their own tanks.
I also get discounts of several dollars on each bi-monthly fuel invoice. I pay the local distributor, which in my case is Connell Oil. You have so many days to pay the invoice to get the discount.
RE: Pacific pride
I've also been using PP for years. You CAN get an individual account easy enough. Just ask for an app. Or... look up your local fuel dist. and see if they're part of PP. You can do it on the spot if they are.
The card itself is color striped yellow, light orange, dark orange, and red. It's the same size as a credit card, but is an optical type. They have dozens of tiny rectangular holes, and are specific to Pacific Pride card readers.
The PP sites are geared to commercial fueling, so most are in industrial parts of town. That can be really good though, as you generally have acres to maneuver a DP+toad around in. And, they're seldom occupied, let alone busy, so you just fuel up 'n' go.
The fact that they're not general public fuel stations is the reason they're not listed on gasbuddy.com. The usual person needing fuel isn't going to buy any from a PP station, credit card in hand or not, and if you are a commercial account type, shopping for the cheapest card lock ain't gonna' happen either. :)
Yes, they're mostly 1% or 2% higher in cost, but what is that in a 75 gallon fill up of diesel? $4? $5 difference? Big deal. Not having to wait in line behind some beer and Twinkies buyer, and/or a lotto number picker is priceless, so that extra $5 gets real cheap for the price of major convenience.
After you set up an account, (which will be through the local fuel distributor) ask for a free fueling station list book. It lists fuel sites by state, with what services are available. I keep several - one in each vehicle.
Also note that some PP fuel sites are part of other truck stops. An example is a HUGE truck stop on I-415 in Salt Lake City. There's a PP card reader on pump 13, and you select what pump you're sitting by on the reader, then pump fuel and go. Everyone else gets to stand in endless lines, you don't. :B
One last thing, and if you travel much through Oregon, it can be worth a LOT! You pump your own fuel. If you pull into a public fuel station and start pumping your own, someone will come running out of the office screaming and flailing their arms as if you're a criminal! Only ''certified'' fuel jockeys can fuel your vehicle. Waiting for the fuel jockey to make his/her rounds in a busy gas station is a major PITA and time waster. (Or waiting for one to come out and get started in the 1st place) And forget about ''clicking it completely full'' since THEY do the filling for you. The exception to the state law is card lock fueling, so you just fuel up and leave as usual.
RE: What kind of ladder do you guys carry
I keep one of these in the rig:
Telescoping ladder.
It's solid, and much like a ''real'' extension ladder when deployed. It takes up little space in the basement. It doesn't weigh too much, maybe 25 lbs. or so.
On edit:
I also carry a three step step-stool for reaching the tops of windows etc. The telescoping ladder is for getting up on the roof when needed.
RE: Singing the Aqua Hot blues - yet again and again...
Sounds like you have either tired batteries or green 'n' fuzzy connections. :B Everything suffers with low voltage. At least an Aquahot stays running and makes heat, even if your neighbors start gagging on soot. :B
I have one for you... the infamous Coleman propane furnace low voltage syndrome. The batteries get low, (And not even all THAT low!!) the burner stops working. But, as you lay in bed listening to the blower fan run, and it sounds sooooooo cozy, it's actually blowing ice-cold air. And it does so until the batteries are completely dead. :M Those stupid units are installed in 1.5 gazillion RV's. :)
I'll stick with my AH.
RE: ANOTHER Tire Presure question
Sometimes I wonder if they get them out of a hat. Or... from throwing darts at a target. :B :B :B
Seriously, I'm sure they calculate the end product's final weight by adding the ''DIN standard'' 150 lbs. per person weight for expected passengers. No doubt, they also just add up tank capacities, then do the math for water = 8lbs per gallon, gas = 6 lbs. per gallon, etc. There's no point in filling tanks when the volume is known.Do you really think that they use the Deutsches Institut fur Normung e. V. as their standard? Now, I think that they should, but doubt that they do. Think on our side of the pond, that it is usually seen in electronics mostly.
I guess we're around DIN standards all the time at this shop, so... :B (Communications and Telcom)
I suppose it should be NIST instead. :)
I've always thought the ''de facto'' standard of 150 lbs. a person was a bit conservative anyway. Heck, I weigh over TWICE that! :) Of course, I'm tall enough to carry it without being to wide to fit thru doors. :B That's what the RVIA does use though, for figuring passenger weight capacity.
RE: ANOTHER Tire Presure question
Sometimes I wonder if they get them out of a hat. Or... from throwing darts at a target. :B :B :B
Seriously, I'm sure they calculate the end product's final weight by adding the ''DIN standard'' 150 lbs. per person weight for expected passengers. No doubt, they also just add up tank capacities, then do the math for water = 8lbs per gallon, gas = 6 lbs. per gallon, etc. There's no point in filling tanks when the volume is known.
RE: Dirt Devil Central vacuum system
Parts for extra outlets:
Hose
Flex type installation piping
Flex pipe connection kit
Y fitting
Inlet door
Note that this place is the cheapest on the 'net for parts and/or the vacuum unit itself.
RE: Dirt Devil Central vacuum system
The Dirt Devil was in the MH (in the basement compartment)when I bought it. When I vacuum the furthest area forward it does not only make a lot of noise but actually SCREAMS.
I saw a neat compact portable at Costco today that just might find a home in my MH.
I am going to check it out. I say try it before you buy it.
My DW likes to point out to guests that we have a built in vacuum but I am getting very tired of the noise and SCREAMING.( She's usually in the pool when I am using it. LOL)
That happens when the hose is stretched out too far. It's air rushing past the hose's spring coils, and it sounds like a continuous elk call on steroids. :B (And for the same reason)
Two cures:
Buy an extra hose, and use both when reaching a long ways out. A long hose makes little difference to the suction power.
Or...
Buy and add another outlet closer to the area to be cleaned. They're not expensive, and not to hard to install. (1.25'' PVC piping and Y fittings to run to the vac) Each outlet's control wiring will have to be tapped into the vacuum's control wiring. It's low voltage, no worries about getting shocked. Just use wire nuts to tap all the outlet wiring together at the vacuum. A closure on the wires (shorting the vac's control wires together) starts the unit via a relay inside of it.
When adding outlets, be sure to buy and use the special vacuum type Y fittings. They're shaped with a different sweep shape than regular pipe fittings, and need to orient for the best airflow. Standard pipe Y's will cause clogs.
RE: Dirt Devil Central vacuum system
Mine's in the basement too. The noise is nothing more than air entering the hose and/or the beater-head running while you're using it.
You might want to consider doing what I did.. forget about putting the inlet(s) next to the floor... install it at waist level in the side of a cabinet. That way, you don't have to stand on your head to plug in the hose. :) It makes life easier.
RE: Old Question Diesel or Gas, not a preformance issue?
I have to second the motion about gasser ride compared to a DP. It's an apple to orange comparison, and doesn't really work.
Most (if not all) gassers have leaf springs on smaller frames. Look at one from the front. The tires are sucked in a foot or more, because the wide coach body sits on a narrow truck frame. And, let's face it, leaf springs have been around since Wells Fargo's horse drawn stage coaches. :B
A DP has a wide frame, (e.g. full 96 inch wide bus/truck) so the larger tire/wheels are out to the edge of the bodywork. Even in a 102'' wide body coach, the tires/wheels are only a few inches inboard from the outside wall. That adds a lot of stability.
And most DP's have self leveling airbags. That is a system where a rod and lever links the frame to the suspension. The rod is attached to an air valve. The coach leans over, such as in a high side wind, and the airbags inflate to compensate for it. More sophisticated systems such as on Alpine and other high end coaches, computer control them to add even more stability, such as countering even the smallest body lean on curves.
The other major system is a B.F. Goodrich Velvet Ride, which are torsilastic rubber torque springs on three axis. The suspension is a sub-frame isolated from the coach frame.
Neither system is anything resembling a set of leaf springs, and there's little that can be done to help them out. That's why Safe-T-Steer and other such products are on the market... it's to try to ''fix'' the problems such rigs have from the factory. I seriously doubt Safe-T-Steer makes a product for a Prevost based coach. :B (Because there's no need)
Another gasser ride problem is the short wheelbase axle placement. Diesels place the axles closer to the rear, and about 6 feet from the front. You end up with a stable wheel base. A gasser places the front axle just behind the front bumper, and the rear axle as far as 20 feet from the rear bumper. Set a ruler on two pencils. The pencils placed at each end make the ruler more stable than it is with one pencil close to one end, and the other halfway down the ruler.
RE: Old Question Diesel or Gas, not a preformance issue?
My opinion (for what it’s worth) is this: (And I’ve had about every kind of RV in 35 years of RV’ing)
Travel a lot? And for long periods? (Crossing a few states) Go diesel. You are already in your comfy environment while traveling, and when you stop. Your passengers can get up, move around, go to the bathroom etc. while on the move. They’re very quiet. Noisy rigs add a LOT of fatigue during a trip. A diesel coach is also nice and easy to drive, wind doesn’t effect them much so you don’t get worn out fighting it such as with lesser rigs. Whatever you take along as a toad makes little difference to a diesel. Diesel rigs not only are fuel efficient, but carry a lot of fuel because of heavy frames and high CCC. Not having to stop for 800 ~ 1,000 miles between refueling is very nice.
Living full time, but ‘’planting’’ in one place for a while? (Such as Quartzite in the winter, back north in the summer) A fifth wheel is a good bet. Lots of room, good storage. Your tow truck becomes your dingy. You only move around a couple three times a year, so a motorhome with either gas or diesel power gets a lot of ‘’sit time’’ which is not good for anything. The only disadvantage is the tow truck needed. (At least a 1-ton etc.)
Weekends? Short trips? Travel trailers, gas class C, or class A. This one kind of gets split up a bit.
With travel trailers, you have to walk back to a hot/cold box while stopping along the road. (Depending on the weather) Hitching and unhitching becomes a chore. If it’s for weekends, that’s not a big deal, but if you are on a three-week or one-month trip, the 25th time of unhitching at an RV park, and hitching up to leave gets real old. If you're gone every other weekend, then the hassle of hitch/unhitch makes you think twice about actually going. :)
A gas class C or A coach is nicer while traveling such as DP’s are, and for the same reasons, just not quite as nice. With either, you will need a toad (towed) to get around after arrival, unless it’s a ‘shorty’ coach such as a 24’ Safari Trek or the like. And, whatever you pull behind will add more stain to the gas engine. If you’re on the road for a while, lack of storage (and/or CCC) becomes an issue.
If you travel not a long ways or for long periods, but are gone a lot, (every other weekend) then a class A or C gas coach works really well. It’s always ready to go, there’s no trailer hitching to deal with. And if you take a car/truck/Jeep along as a toad, those hitch up MUCH easier than any travel trailer. You can park sloppy behind, and the telescoping hitch bars reach anyway. And if it’s a destination type trip, you don’t even need to bother with a toad.
Class B camper vans are also in the short trip/weekend category. There are some nice ones now, and some have slides, but the lack of room and storage would be a detriment on a multi-week trip.
Pop up trailers, be they tent or A-frame hard sides are great for getting back into the deep woods. I see them all the time in RV parks, but IMHO they’re out of place there. In fact, I’m thinking of buying an A-frame for pulling behind the Jeep into the deep woods, mountain lakes, etc. for summer camping. It sounds silly since I have a 40’ DP, but I can’t take a Greyhound size rig into USFS campsites, or anything even resembling off-road for that matter. :B I could also tow the A-frame behind the coach for use as a mobile guest house. (A mother-in-law room)
RE: Old Question Diesel or Gas, not a preformance issue?
Aren't most gas rigs front driven, and diesel rigs with the engine in the back?
It always seems pretty easy to get an older motorhome with very few miles on it, so why pay the premium for an expensive power plant?
A FRED chassis has a diesel up front. FRED = FRont Engine Diesel. A few other RV's such as Safari Trek's have diesels up front.
And there are a lot of good deals out there on DP's these days. Note that in sites such as RV Trader the mileage on a diesel means NOTHING. Any gasser when you enter its particulars, requires a mileage entry which figures into its overall worth. If it's a diesel, the mileage is a moot point. You can enter mileage if you want, but it makes no difference.
RE: Old Question Diesel or Gas, not a preformance issue?
With diesels, there’s a lot more than just engine performance.
Gas rigs have the front axle close to the front end, and the rear axle is sometimes midline to the coach bodywork. You then have a long ‘’tail swing’’ with a gasser. Diesel’s axle placement works better overall. (Shorter overhang, etc.)
The chassis and components are heavier on the diesel, and that’s why the higher CCC. If the rig is to be driven a lot, then it makes sense. If you drive once in a while, then park for weeks/months such as work camping, or just do occasional weekend trips then a diesel might be a waste of money.
Interior luxuries used to be on a higher level in diesel rigs, but that’s changing anymore. You can ‘’go nuts’’ with a diesel such as granite counter tops, heated tile floors and other heavy luxury items, mainly because of the chassis’ weight capacity lets the builder get away with it. There are some very nice gassers out there these days though. But and however, do research on a potential coach first to see if the CCC is used up. Tile floors etc. are going to take up much more CCC than a heavy diesel, which can handle maybe 6,000 lbs. of cargo capacity even after granite counter tops are installed.
Diesel heavy chassis can handle larger tanks. More fuel, water, black and gray capacity. A lot of gassers end up with minimal CCC because of full tanks and too little chassis.
One thing that’s changed gassers are chassis builder such as Freightliner. Older gas motorhomes got bad reputations by being built on ‘’bread truck’’ chassis and the like. That’s not necessarily true anymore though. Just check the rig out first to see if you end up with a realistic and usable CCC.
Diesels handle side wind better because of heavier chassis, commercial sized wheel/tires, and suspension systems that are beyond common leaf springs. (Torsolastic, air bag, etc.)
Diesels have more basement storage because everything in front of the rear axle is free area under the frame, so you can have a full width basement. Gassers have the drive shaft, exhaust system, fuel tank, and whatever else, so you end up with to-the-frame storage rather than under-the-frame storage.
Also, the generator ends up on one side in a gasser for the same reason, whereas a diesel usually has a jenny between the frame rails up front. (Better weight balance)
RE: 5000 Pound Hitch
You risk breakage of the hitch receiver components. You may end up with a loose trailer with the remains of the motorhome's receiver still attached. :)
RE: cat or cummins
Both engines are good units. A Cat vs Cummins thread is about like Ford vs. Chevy. And, mostly pointless. :)
Engine SIZE should be the deciding factor here. The smallest Cummins seen in RV's is the ISB or 5.9L (liter) which is the same engine found in Dodge pickups. You will want at least an ISC with Cummins, which is 8.3L or an 8.9L ISL. Note that a LOT of DP's have ISB's installed. (Entry level anyway) Good engines, but have only 600 lb.-ft. of torque. It's a bit weak for a 40' DP with slides.
The smallest Cat is 7L. The 7L Cat is a 'torky' motor for its size, and the C7 does a good job. In a 3 slide 40' coach that weighs a lot more than a 1 slide rig, stick with a C9. The C9 has about the same torque as a Cummins ISL... about 1,100 lb.-ft.
Newer Cats are easy to figure out... C7, C9, C13, C15, etc. refer to the size in liters. The old numbers such as 3126 or 3208 are impossible to figure out unless you just ''know.'' :)
For the most part, ignore HP ratings. A Cat C7 for example is 300 HP in a fire truck, 330 or 350 in an RV, and 450 HP in marine apps. The HP isn't what you care about. You need to be concerned with torque in heavy vehicles. HP refers to engine power vs. time. (The higher the RPM, the higher the HP rating)
Here's a whole lineup on diesels and their sizes:
Cat
C7 7.2L = 441 ci
C9 8.8L = 537 ci
C13 12.5L = 763 ci
C15 15.2 = 928 ci
Cummins
A Series
Inline 3 - 0.9/1.4/1.7 L
Inline 4 - 2.0/2.3 L
B Series/ISB
Inline 4 - 3.3/3.9 L = 237 ci
Inline 6 - 5.9 L (used in Dodge Ram) = 360 ci
C Series/ISC
Inline 6 - 8.3 L = 506 ci
L Series/ISL
Inline 6 - 8.9 L = 543 ci
M Series/ISM
Inline 6 - 10.8 L (Used in Dennis Trident 3) 659 ci
X Series/ISX
Inline 6 - 14.9 L = 909 ci
K Series/QSK
Inline 6 - 19 L = 1,159 ci
RE: Golden Pass
If you are referring to a Golden Access pass, that's good for national parks and monuments. You get one if you are disabled. All fees are waived, so you get in for FREE. :)
A Golden Age pass is the same, except issued to retirees, and gate fees are 50%. (Half) I'm not sure the age cutoff for that one, but I think it's for anyone over 65.
You can get either at any ranger station or even at the gate of national parks. If you have a state issued handicap placard, you can get a Golden Access Pass.
Check out this link: How to get Golden Age pass
