Bounder Billy
Colorado
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Joined: 10/24/2005
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We have been parked on the beach in Florida for 10 days, and as expected everything is covered in sand, salt and dust. We cleaned up things as much as possible, but I forgot about the rear radiator. On the day we left, I drove almost 400 miles and it seemed the engine was running a little hotter than normal. When we stopped overnight, I realized the rear radiator was probably full of sand, salt and dust, so I hosed it down with soapy water and let it sit for a while. I then hosed it down with fresh water, and yesterday, the engine ran normally with no signs of getting hotter than normal. Now I have a new item for my trip preparation check list.
2008 Expedition 38F
2002 Jeep Liberty Sport
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RoyF
Fayetteville Arkansas
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Joined: 12/20/2009
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Just wondering: would putting a cover over the radiator opening help to keep the stuff out? Maybe an old sheet could be used.
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FIRE UP
Ramona, CA. USA
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Joined: 03/08/2004
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Bounder Billy,
By any chance did you have any abnormal winds or gusts that would deposit such a large amount of sand, salt and debris in or on that radiator that would cause enough impeded air flow to show a difference on the gauge?
Scott
Scott and Karla
SDFD RETIRED
2004 Itasca Horizon, 36GD Slate Blue 330 CAT
2011 White Honda CRV EX-L,4WD w/NAV Toad
2008 Caliente Red LVL II GL 1800 Goldwing
KI60ND
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Monaco Montclair
Virginia
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Joined: 08/01/2008
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when any of my cars or rv sit for a while, i take the garden hose and spray the rad, but i do let it sit for a day. works for me -----happy-camping
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Bounder Billy
Colorado
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Joined: 10/24/2005
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Fire Up: Late afternoon breeze on the beach and everything was covered with fine sand or dust. I went to fill the windshield washer fluid on the toad and everything under the hood had sand or fine gritty dust on it. That got a good hose cleaning too. After 10 days, I think it just got into everything.
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crasster
Dallas
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Joined: 07/06/2007
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Sometimes it just seems as if there is TOO much to do on an RV and think about. The best way I have found to work on all maint items is to go from front to back, each step of the way and make a list. Thanks for the great advice.
4 whopping cylinders on Toyota RV's. Talk about great getting good MPG. Also I have a very light foot on the pedal. I followed some MPG advice on Livingpress.com and I now get 22 MPG! Not bad for a home on wheels.
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mike4947
N. Syracuse, NY
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No really an RV item, but way back when I had an 1977 Nova. I used it to commute 90 miles a day. As time went on it would run fine on the highway, but over heat around town. Looked like the radiator was cruded up so I got out the garden hose to give it a good wash.
Problem was when I sprayed the radiator the fins actually blew out and covered the engine with crinkled aluminum strips.
Seems salt from all the winter driving up here in the snowbelt had eaten away all whatever they used to solder/connect the radiator tubes to the cooling fins. What was left was sufficient to cool at highway speeds, but not around town with it's lower air flow with the loose connections.
Funny thing was it never leaked a drop of coolant, just ate away the fin connections. That's why I figured the radiator fins were clogged up.
PS: all that driving cost me about $20.00 a week 
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Living On
Where Ever
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Joined: 04/20/2012
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I question whether you will EVER get all that fine sand/salt out of the places you can't see. Glad you had a good time but I would never subject my MH to such.
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wny_pat
Western NYS
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Joined: 08/11/2007
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Bounder Billy wrote:We have been parked on the beach in Florida for 10 days, and as expected everything is covered in sand, salt and dust. . The radiator heck - I hope you got all that salt off the chassis!!! The ocean salt is a real killer. Many Blue Beacon truck washes have a undercarriage rinse that uses "Salt-away". Really good stuff for stopping rusting and corrosion effects of salt.
http://www.bluebeacon.com/additionalinformation/additionaldownloads/d55903.aspx
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zman-az
Northern AZ
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Joined: 03/06/2006
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Being you were at the beach you may want to read this thread.
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseac........hread/tid/25894434/srt/pa/pging/1/page/1
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