RE: Why do we still own Motorhomes
I sometimes wonder the same, however for different reasons. Our coach handles like a dream. I can drive in virtually any conditions with one hand, relaxed, in a rattle free, quiet and comfortable environment for hours on end at 65-75 mph.
The thing that gets to me sometimes is the cost. Each thing that breaks, and things of course do, costs a bundle to fix, not just in money but in time. I spent 3 solid days after our last trip fixing the things that turned up. Some of it was spent wallowing in acid and dirt, other hours were spent scratching my head wondering "What was the designer of this thing thinking when they put that so and so there?"
These things weren't meant to be maintained easily. Wires are hidden in walls that can't be opened, TV's are hung in the most inaccessible ways, fuses are hidden in the most obscure places, the list goes on and on. Oh, try changing out a refrigerator - virtually impossible unless you remove the windshield! Insanity and poor engineering.
I would like to move on, but one thing holds me back - the wife. She loves it. Of course, she mostly sits in the the passenger seat and enjoys the ride, I do everything else.
If we ever do get another coach, it's going to be a custom bus conversion that I design. That's for dang sure.
RE: Changing batteries - another job not for the light of heart
I am almost positive that you have a cut off switch somewhere in that 2007 Mountainaire. There are two compartments on most coaches, one is for all the twelve volt fuses and systems usually in front drivers side. Then most will have another compartment for the AC switches. Mine is on the passenger side toward the rear. Inside that compartment there should be two big switches. Turn them off when in dry storage and your batteries will not go bad with parasite draws.
I searched high and low for a disconnect and there isn't one! The 12 volt fuse boxes are in four different places:
In the middle bathroom above the commode
In the front compartment, outside, below the driver
In the electrical compartment where the main 50 amp hookup is located
In the basement, last compartment, center.
Plus, there are fuses scattered about the coach in wiring bundles, I found a couple here and there.
The 120 volt systems are all in the center bathroom, above the commode, except for the controls, which are located above the driver.
No hard disconnect switch I could find. If anyone has a Newmar tag model 2007+ and has located this switch, please tell me where it is!
I'm just disconnecting the main cable for now. It does the job.
RE: Changing batteries - another job not for the light of heart
I replaced my 4 AGM house batteries last week and I know what you mean about "heavy" each battery weighs 75 pounds. As I disconnected my old battery cables, I drew a sketch of each battery location and of each cable connection for each battery so I knew which cables came off of each battery terminal. I was fortunate, my coach manufactuer identified each cable with a alpha letter and the ends were marked red or black for positive or negative. Easy to replace but they are really HEAVY when lifting them into the battery bay.
My shoulders still hurt!
RE: Changing batteries - another job not for the light of heart
Good job of replacing the batteries. By the way, you do have a battery disconnect for the house batteries. On the panel with all the switches and indicators there is a switch labeled USE / STORE. Press STORE and the light beside it should go out. The batteries are now disconnected.
Yes, I know about that disconnect. It doesn't completely disconnect the power though, it's still flowing albeit at a low rate but enough to deplete the batteries after about a month. The only way I could absolutely cut off the batteries from use is to remove the positive cable that runs into the house systems.
I wish there was a hard switch for the house side like there is for the chassis, I may install a switch but that will be another day. A couple of turns with a 1/2" socket will allow me to remove that cable and cut the power.
RE: Changing batteries - another job not for the light of heart
Good job. Without disconnecting them won't the new ones be toast too?
Now I know which cable to disconnect, so I'll be doing that whenever it goes into storage, even for a few weeks.
Changing batteries - another job not for the light of heart
Our coach is approaching three years old, we've used it extensively for boon docking and often have run the batteries into the ground in storage. There isn't a cutoff for the house batteries and I had never taken the time to figure out exactly what wire I should disconnect to really turn off the juice. As a result, our house batteries were toast. They wouldn't last two hours with a Fantastic Fan on the last trip out.
A few days ago I set out to replace them. I figured it would be simple to just lift out the old ones and stick in some new ones, what could be difficult about that, except of course the 75 lb. weight and all that nasty acid.
The wiring isn't straight forward at all. There are about a dozen heavy cables, each one has to be connected back exactly right or the inverter will be fried. I had my refrigerator repaired under warranty last year and the tech told me a "funny" story about an owner who connected his wrong and did about $5000 worth of damage to his coach - lesson learned there. I took pictures, labeled everything and was extremely careful. Keep that in mind if you plan on doing this yourself as well. One wrong connection and POOF! Bad day.
I removed the old ones and there was a lot of corrosion under and behind the batteries. A lot of metal was eaten up and everything needed cleaning with a wire brush, lots of water and elbow greese, then repainted. No big deal, I've done that before. It took me about 3 hours. Turned out nice.
Buying new batteries was fairly straight forward. The old ones were the Interstate U2200's, standard in most coaches. I went to Sam's and got their equivalent, Everready G2's for golf carts ($71 each). They seemed to be exactly the same size although there was no rating on them. No big deal, bought 4 of those and brought them home.
When it got down to installing them, they went in easily, it seemed like everything was exactly the same. I started lining up the cables and the first I tried, an interconnect between two batteries, was too short! The terminals on the new batteries were slightly farther apart, about 3/16" each, so two of my old cables were 3/8" too short! They have zero stretch, so that was a big scare. Luckily, my local NAPA had exactly the right cable, connectors and even made them up for me at no additional cost. Perfect job, saved the day. If you have the same problem, before you panic, see if you have a NAPA in your area. May save your day too.
Anyway, after another 3 hours of careful cleaning of the cables, I used a NAPA terminal cleaning spray that worked very well, I had it all assembled and everything worked just as expected. For a final finish to the job, I used a terminal sealer (also from NAPA) that is supposed to keep them from corroding. Looks like it will work.
So, to sum it up, if you do this job yourself, make sure you're very careful, know where the local NAPA is and keep your sense of humor. You may need it!
RE: How fast is YOUR coach???
I got mine up to 98 mph... downhill on a long straight hill, no traffic, recently repaved road. I didn't even realize it until I looked at the GPS, felt like 70.
We can usually hit highway speeds by the time the ramp ends.
Hydro-Hot - another perplexing problem solved
We have a Hydro-Hot (now Aqua-Hot) system in our coach, it's a great system for hot water and heat. It's really complicated and can be prone to failure though.
We were in a nice park in Ohio last week, it was kind of cold out so we were running the Hydro-Hot system to keep the coach toasty. I was watching TV and smelled a burning insulation smell, not strong, but anything out of the ordinary can get expensive quick.
I traced it to the heating unit in front, it has a "high-low-off" setting, it was set to low. I switched it off, then to high, at which point it started for a moment and then stopped. The fan under the sink stopped as well, which meant there was no heat, other than under the floor, in the front of the coach. I searched all four fuse boxes and found nothing blown, the other zones still worked.
The next day I searched again and found nothing out of the ordinary, no fuses seemed to be related to the fans in the heating system, which I found to be weird.
Today, I started taking the system apart to see where the fault was. All the circuits read nominal, it seemed as if the fans would work but they didn't. Finally, out of frustration I started tracing the wiring bundles and found a bulge in one. Upon opening it, I found an inline 15 amp fuse! It was blown. Replacing it fixed the fan and everything works perfectly now.
I find it very strange that Newmar would choose to place an important fuse, one that could easily blow, inside a wiring bundle. It should have been in one of the panels, marked and easily accessible. Instead, I found it by sheer accident and it was totally unmarked in any way. How am I supposed to know where this is? Calling Newmar now is difficult as they don't seem to be staffed reliably anymore.
The reason the fuse failed is simple. Our batteries are in poor condition and need to be replaced. I suspect that a low voltage condition let to a high amperage in the line, killing the fuse. I also suspect that the front fan is not part of the Hydro-Hot system and is sucking more juice than is designed for, hence Newmar stuck a fuse in to protect the circuit board ($800 - Ouch!).
If any of you have a Newmar with Hydro-Hot and a front fan with a high/low/off switch, you might take the trouble to locate that fuse now, in the unlikely event it blows on a cold night when camping. It's in the Hydro-Hot compartment, located just to the left of the panel. It has a green 8 or 10 gauge wire running into it.
RE: Clearances - Exactly "what" is your rig's heigth?
Please elaborate. Just what is a "sonic measuring device"? Sounds like something I might want....
It's a little gizmo that is used a lot in the real estate industry for measuring room sizes. I think it costs about $15-30 and is available at most home improvement centers, WalMart, Target, etc.
One quick example
Just place it on the road and aim the laser directly up. You'll get an exact measurement. It's a great thing for unmarked low bridges.
We came across one on our travels that had a lot of scrapes, it measured at 12' 8", just barely enough for us.Unmarked bridges should all be over 14 foot unless it is on a private road. And you still need to know how high your coach is.
I don't think I'll be betting my coach on that bit of knowledge.
The bridge I referred to in the previous post was 12' 8", a bit lower than 14'. It was on a county road, Mississippi, don't remember the county but I remember seeing all the gouges and scrapes on the entrance!
RE: Clearances - Exactly "what" is your rig's heigth?
Please elaborate. Just what is a "sonic measuring device"? Sounds like something I might want....
It's a little gizmo that is used a lot in the real estate industry for measuring room sizes. I think it costs about $15-30 and is available at most home improvement centers, WalMart, Target, etc.
One quick example
Just place it on the road and aim the laser directly up. You'll get an exact measurement. It's a great thing for unmarked low bridges.
We came across one on our travels that had a lot of scrapes, it measured at 12' 8", just barely enough for us.
RE: Do YOU hold your breath when you use your power levelers?
We have the HWH levelers on our coach, they have been mostly problem free. When we started out this last trip, the left front leveler wouldn't retract all the way and required a little coaxing with a pry bar. After a couple of cycles, it became cooperative again. I probably should be using some sort of lub on them once in a while. I seemed to remember this being mentioned on this forum, probably should look into that.
Other than that, they have been absolutely flawless and work as advertised.
One thing, we parked one time in a campground with some soft earth in one corner that caused one of the legs to sink about 2". I couldn't figure out an automatic way of re-leveling, so I fixed it by storing and re-deploying (put some gravel in the hole before leveling).
RE: Clearances - Exactly "what" is your rig's heigth?
We assume the manual is right when it says 12' 6". The big question, as stated by a previous poster, is how accurate those signs are. We carry a sonic measuring device to check unmarked bridges, anything less than 12' 6" will force a go around.
We came across one marked 12' this last trip. It was at dusk. We had that "got to get there" mentality and took a short cut to the park. Coming across that bridge forced me to drive in reverse for a 1/4 mile as it got pitch black. One thing you have to keep with an RV, your sense of humor. We laughed about it later over a nice bottle of wine, once we made it into the park.
RE: Road noise Jeep Liberty
We had the exact same problem with our 2006 Jeep Rubicon, the solution was easy. We jacked up the gas cap and drove a 2006 Honda CR-V under it. Very quiet, very low rolling resistance, 25 mpg and more room inside. Also, the best A/C I've ever had in a car.
A tale of two companies (Thetford and Jabsco)
I have a Sani-con macerator (Twist on model) which has been in use for over two years, it's a great device that's saved a ton of trouble and all. Every six months or so I take the thing apart to remove accumulated hair and icky stuff from the impeller and blades. It's usually an easy job.
This time, when I disassembled the thing, the impeller had lost one of its lobes. I thought to myself: "Oh, a $20 part and it will be as good as new." I called Thetford to get the part and was told it would cost over $300 to replace the entire pump. That's everything but the hose and wires. All I needed was a little rubber (nitrile actually) thingy, not the entire unit. I asked him to double check and he told me that the previous call he had was for the exact same thing and there was no alternative.
At this point, I was getting a little hot and asked to speak to his supervisor. After a 10 minute wait on hold, the supervisor came on the line to tell me that the parts guy was correct. They only sell the entire pump, not parts. I asked him who made the part, as I know they don't actually manufacture anything, just assemble the various parts into a finished good, he told me it was Jabsco. I said goodbye and that was the end of my dealings with Therford on the topic.
After a bit of research on Jabsco's site, I figured out the pump, motor and everything but the RV bits are available for $119, the impeller itself is less than $25. I ordered a complete spare motor and pump, a spare impeller and fixed the thing, along with a complete backup for $150, half what Thetford wanted.
I hope none of my Thetford toilets ever break, as I would be loath to give them any of my hard earned cash.
For any of you who have the same issue with your macerator, here are the part numbers:
Impeller:
6303-0003 - available from several sources for under $25.
Jabsco motor and macerator pump:
18590-2092 - about $120
The Thetford Sanicon unit is exactly the same as the Jabsco system except the threaded fitting that fits on the top of the pump. If you need an entire system, you could buy it for $500 from Thetford, or you could modify the Jabsco pump easily to work with your RV systems with a bit of hardware from Home Depot or Lowes for about $130, it's the exact same hardware, save for the paper label and a switch.
RE: What did you do to your Class A MH today???
Well, it wasn't today but last week.
Checked front tires, one had a wear line from a wheel alignment problem, had to replace both front tires ($800 each), get an alignment ($300) and balance both ($50 each). The ride on the coach is quieter and seems to ride smoother, although this is purely anecdotal. If you're ever in the Memphis area and need a wheel alignment, Leland Sowell's Frame & Alignment is the place to go. They have the right equipment to do the job and spin balance tires on the coach. Great people, great service. I have nothing but positive stuff to say about those guys.
Got the yearly service done ($500) at Cummins Mid-South along with a finding that our exhaust system on the genie was missing. After a lot of searching, found the right exhaust flange on PPL for a mere $38 and got a new pipe fabricated for only $25. At least something was cheap.
Third problem, keyless entry pad on the entry to the coach malfunctioned ($200). The new one is ever so slightly bigger, so had to enlarge the opening to make it fit. Thank goodness for Dremmel.
Once on the road, everything worked as expected, so no further problems... so far.
RE: Found out something interesting on new Bank Repo's
Another example would be Rolex watches. Rolex of America holds distribution rights in this Country for Rolex. You can purchase a new Rolex here that was imported outside their distribution network as a "Grey" market product. Rolex will not honor the warranty and in fact will not even work on them at their official repair centers.
My father bought me a Rolex for HS graduation (a long time ago) while in the UAE. I had the thing serviced a dozen times over the years without any issues about where it was purchased.
RE: what do you pay for indoor storage?
Here in Memphis, the pickins' are slim. We have an indoor, climate controlled facility that used to be a K-Mart (?) and now stores boats and RV's. It has 110v power and key pad access. Not the best place to store something we value highly as the neighbors have that hungry look. Price: $265/month for a 20x50 spot. Ouch!
