RE: Reply from Four Winds on body issue
The real lessons here are:
1. Buyer beware. Water leaks of any sort can be insidious. Many owners will deliberately hide any sign of water damage even though they may know about it, thus passing the problem on to the next owner. I am not saying this is the case here, but without a warranty you really are taking your chances.
2. Second owners normally get no (zero - zilch - nada) warranty. Jayco (and maybe some others) have a two-year warranty that is transferable to a second owner for a fee - there is a really good reason why that's benefit, as can be seen here.
RE: How can I locate my roof supports on my '94 Tioga?
I'll tell you what I did.
Using Yakima rack supports and 3/4" pipe, I built my own roof rack, upon which I could put anything.
Doing it that way meant I did not have to find any roof support. I used the aluminum frame that runs along the tops of my walls. I simply put down a long (2', I think) steel strip for extra strength and then drilled through that and secured the rack support to that. This was plenty strong enough.
I now have a multi-purpose 8' wide roof rack.
RE: Long Dually Valves not just extentions!
I know on this thread that extensions have not been looked upon favorably. However, I added them to my coach three months ago and check them regularly and I have been extremely pleased with them...
Valve extensions can, and do, work. However, they are not as reliable, convenient, or heavy-duty as the dually valve stems. The dually valve stems are sort of the "deluxe" model and really set the standard by which all else now should be compared.
I consider them well worth the money. I will never, ever have any problems with valve stems and checking air pressure is now a trivial, extremely quick activity.
Since putting these on, along with my Michelin XPS Ribs, adding any air due to pressure loss has become a very rare event. It's pretty amazing.
RE: Spare Tire Issue?
My personal view on spare tires for a Class C:
I view mine as being only an "emergency" spare - to be used only in case of emergency and, even then, only long enough to get the other tire repaired or replaced.
With that approach, there is no real reason for the spare to match the other 6, though, of course, the wheel must match.
RE: Flashing refrigerator light
I have had this happen to me before, too (when switching from electric to gas on "auto").
I have learned that one must check the fridge after un-plugging to be sure it switches properly. If not, a simple recycling of the power ("off" and then "on") usually solves it in only one try.
If I do not check it, sometimes (not often) it will fail to start up properly on gas. Maybe a little air got in teh line or something, but it's a pain for sure if I forget to check it and its off long enough to warm up (that's a pretty long time).
RE: Deep Cycle Battery, Which Brand???
...Should I start a new thread or stay here. LP, fridge, stove, water in that order.
Thanks Don
Start a new discussion with an appropriate topic title. You'll get much better responses that way.
RE: Rotating Duallies
Tito.......you might want to rethink leaving your tires alone forever. They have an age limit on serviceability. I think 5 years is the normal limit. Check your tire manufacturer's web site.
Gene
According to Michelin: "Tires that have been in use for 5 years or more should continue to be inspected by a specialist at least annually. It is impossible to predict when tires should be replaced based on their calendar age alone ... However, ... any tires in service 10 years or more from the date of manufacture, including spare tires, be replaced with new tires as a simple precaution even if such tires appear serviceable and even if they have not reached the legal wear limit."
This does not change my opinion. Most RV tires do not get enough wear on them in ten years to make rotating them be worthwhile.
RE: Scangauge
ScanGuage is very cool. So much information at your fingertips. Mine pays for itself in fuel savings by displying both real-time MPG as well as the cumulative MPG for the tank.
I use the E-540 blendmount to have it over the rear-view mirror and that works pretty well for me.
Mine came from MTG Motorsports. Fast delivery, reasonbale price.
RE: Batterty/Heater Question
I have decided to go with two Interstate SRM 27 12 v batteries. My rig only has room for one battery in the battery box, so I will need to creat an area for the other. I have no outside storage compartments to add the battery. Can I add it to an inside lower storage cabinet, or do I need to build another battery tray outside, underneath?
thanks
Not to second-guess you, but those are not the best choice as they are dual-purpose batteries, not true deep-cycle batteries.
You might want to look at:
Trojan T-105 Plus 6-volt is a very common choice and two of them will give 12 volts with 225 aH @ 20 hour rate. The dimensions for each are 10-3/8" L x 7-1/8" W x 10-11/16" tall. You can get higher rated 6-volt batteries (bigger and more expensive) up to 260 aH pretty readily.
Two Trojan J150 plus (or T1275 plus) will give 12-volts with 300 aH of power. The dimensions for each are 13-13/16" L x 7-1/8" W x 11-1/8" H (or, for the T-1275, 12-7/8" L x 7-1/8" W x 10-11/16" H.
A pair of Trojan 27-AGM will give only 200 aH of power. The dimensions for each are 12-7/8" L x 7-1/8" W x 10-11/16" tall.
A pair of Trojan SCS 225 batteries (marine batteries) will give 260 aH of power. The dimensions for each are 13-15/16" L x 6-3/4" W x 9-7/8" tall.
Or the equivalent from other maunfacturers, but you do not want a dual-purpose battery. It will not last as long, either in terms of amp-hours or overall life of the battery.
RE: Gas mileage with Ford V10
Do any of you suggest a better combination than a Class c with the V10?
You could go with the Chevy equivalent, but it will be a little less capable as far as GVWR and GCWR. Gas mileage will be about the same.
For better fuel economy you'll need a smaller vehicle. Perhaps a Sprinter chassis? Of course, you'll pay quite a premium price for those.
RE: new spare when replacing your 6 tires?
Here's a place where I don't follow expert advice.
I treat my spare as "for emergency use only." If needed, I would use it only long enough to get a new tire.
Because of that, I don't worry about my spare - it stays in its hard-shell case out of the sun and exposed to only mild temperatures, generally (because of where we live) and I won't replace it when I replace my other tires. But.. if I do ever need it, it will be only to get me to the closest tire store at a reduced speed. Somewhat like the "emergency spares" for passenger cars.
I am not advocating this for others, though, as this flies in the face of all professional advice.
RE: Rotating Duallies
We have a spare and I rotate the front tires with it. As I recall, Ford doesn't suggest rotating the duals on E-series. I do the fronts partly to put some miles on the spare.
Here's another place where I don't follow expert advice.
I treat my spare as "for emergency use only." If needed, I would use it only long enough to get a new tire.
Because of that, I don't worry about my spare - it stays in its hard-shell case out of the sun and exposed to only mild temperatures, generally (because of where we live) and I won't replace it when I replace my other tires. But.. if I do ever need it, it will be only to get me to the closest tire store at a reduced speed. Somewhat like the "emergency spares" for passenger cars.
I am not advocating this for others, though, as this flies in the face of all professional advice. :)
RE: Scissors Jacks
We are in the process of downsizing to a class C from a class A. I plan on installing scissors jacks on the class C. They are rated at 7500 lbs. per jack. If I install them right behind the rear wheels (Ford E450) can they safely be used to jack up the motorhome to change a rear tire?
In a word, no.
While they can certainly support the weight, they are not sufficiently stable for this use.
Ask me how I know. :R
RE: House battery replacement suggestions
If you have room for three batteries, why not install three in parallel? I'd go with AGM deep cycle or marine batteries.
Marine batteries are dual-purpose batteries and are rated at fewer amp-hours that a true deep-cycle battery.
AGM deep cycle are pretty good and have their advantages, but also have fewer amp-hours available than a flooded-cell deep-cycle battery.
Trojan batteries pretty much set the standard, though they are not the cheapest.
As a FYI, here's a few statistics on battery life from some choice (an amp-hour (aH) is a measure of how long the battery will last - roughly how many hours it will last drawing that many amps.
Trojan T-105 Plus 6-volt is a very common choice and two of them will give 12 volts with 225 aH @ 20 hour rate. The dimensions for each are 10-3/8" L x 7-1/8" W x 10-11/16" tall. You can get higher rated 6-volt batteries (bigger and more expensive) up to 260 aH pretty readily.
Two Trojan J150 plus (or T1275 plus) will give 12-volts with 300 aH of power. The dimensions for each are 13-13/16" L x 7-1/8" W x 11-1/8" H (or, for the T-1275, 12-7/8" L x 7-1/8" W x 10-11/16" H.
A pair of Trojan 27-AGM will give only 200 aH of power. The dimensions for each are 12-7/8" L x 7-1/8" W x 10-11/16" tall.
A pair of Trojan SCS 225 batteries (marine batteries) will give 260 aH of power. The dimensions for each are 13-15/16" L x 6-3/4" W x 9-7/8" tall.
The battery you have now is likley rated lower 100 aH.
My best advice would be to get the most capable batteries that will fit - that you can afford.
RE: House battery replacement suggestions
...IMO, for your purposes, if you don't get true deep cycle batteries then you are wasting your money. 6V golf cart batteries are made for deep cycling purposes...
Correct. But note that there are indeed true deep cycle 12V batteries, too. The trojan J150 is one such battery.
However, since you have the room, two (or even four) 6-volt golf cart batteries would do you nicely.
RE: House battery replacement suggestions
What do you have now? How much more space is there in your battery compartment?
Assuming room for only one battery, I suggest a Trojan J150, if it will fit. That's about the best you can do for a single deep-cycle 12-volt battery that may fit in your existing compartment.
RE: Stupid question........
The length measurement, as published in spec sheets, is bumper to bumper. It doesn't include accessories like ladders and spare tire mounts, even if standard equipment.
The number in the model number (e.g model number for mine is IF329B) is NOT A LENGTH MEASUREMENT. It is just a model number. My IF329B just happens to be 29'8" bumper to bumper; if it had a Chevy cab, it would have been 29' 2".
Correct - this is the real answer. My 24SS, for example, is about 25' long.
This is true, by the way for all RVs. Published length is the true overall length whereas model number may refer to anything - or nothing.
RE: Re Leaky Lexington
If you want to wait for Lexington, then keep it dry in the meantime.
Otherwise, have someone due one of the "overpressure" type leak detections. They will slightly overpressure the inside of your rig and either use smoke or a soapy liquid to detect leaks. Very accurate - will find EVERY leak, and at the true source where water may come in from outside.
You can even do this yourself, supposedly. Close up everything and run a vent fan blowing air into the rig. Go over every possible leak point(seams, windows, etc.) with a soapy liquid just like you would for detecting propane leaks. I have no idea if you'll actually get enough air pressure for this to work or not, as I have not yet tried it.
RE: We took the Plunge!
If you travel in winter, the two biggest things to watch for are:
1. Chains. You must have them, even if you don't use them. I recommend dually chains (they are sometimes required, though rarely) rather than single chains. Also, I like the ones with the extra "V" on them for digging into ice. http://www.gemplers.com/images/groups/Chain_DualTripleTruck.gif
2. Battery power. You house battery will probably NOT power the heater all through the night - be sure you have a good quality charger plus at least a pair of true deep cycle batteries (not dual-purpose marine batteries)
I would not hesitate a whole lot to take this drive, but you do take risk on time because, at times, you'll have to slow way down for snowy or icy conditions and you might also find a mountain pass is closed in the west (the major ones stay open most of the time, but may close during snow storms).
I have used chains with my MH, and the biggest concern when actually using them is to ensure you have enough clearance for them. I did chew up my mud flaps because on not enough clearance - next time i will be sure to pull the mud flaps back with a bungee cord or something.
As for how far to go per day - 300 miles is fairly reasonable for planning purposes. You might go further, but this allows for bad weather, too.
You'll find most northern parks are closed for the winter, I am sure, so you should not count on finding hook-ups very often.
Bottom line: It can be done and it is safe, but you will likely lose a lot of time to weather. Fresh water and dump sites will be a challenge.
Be sure to take something with you for Internet connectivity. This makes it fairly easy to identify sites along the way and call ahead as you go to find someone open when you really need it.
Other then that, I am sure you'll spend some night at Wal Mart. It is convenient to do so, and it is very handy to grab hose extra supplies you'll need.
By the way - the arctic package should let you drive anywhere without being winterized, but the heater will need to be on, most likely, as the heater is probably vented partially down into the basement where the water lines and tanks reside.
As far as how far south to drive to have no worries about freezing, I'd say I-90 and I-80 are too far north, I-70 is questionable and might be okay, and I-40 should be great.
RE: Building a RV Dash computer
I just discovered that basic engine monitoring (OBD II) does NOT include the airbag, but airbag monitoring/reset is also done through the ODB II connector - it just is... different.
