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RE: Rough idle
Check your spark plug wires. The big block Chevy's were somewhat known for burning wires/boots due to the tight fit past the exhaust manifolds. I have replaced many over the years that did the same thing. The wires get burned/destroyed and then the cylinder fails to ignite sending the unburnt mixture out the tailpipe. The black smoke is unburned fuel from overly rich mixture or cylinders not firing.
Mike.
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zmotorsports
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01/24/13 06:57am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Thorley headers and new exhaust vs Complete Banks Systems
Yeh, I also have to compliment Thorley on both their flange thickness as well as gasket material. The Banks is .625" and I beleive the Thorley's are .500" in thickness so not a lot of difference but definately much improved over many of the cheaper headers on the market with only .250" flanges. I had installed their headers in several trucks that I had done engine or transmission work for people who used them to tow race cars and/or travel trailers and never had one come back for exhaust leaks.
I only had the headers on my motorhome for about 40k but never had an issue with an exhaust leak. I built a 1986 Chevrolet Suburban and used a 1991 454 EFI engine as the powerplant. I did a lot of mods to the engine and the transmission including a wide ratio gearset and machined clutch baskets for additional clutches. I drove that Suburban as a daily driver from 1996 when I bought and built it until 2009 when I sold it and never had any issues with exhaust leaks, over 150k miles total.
Mike.
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zmotorsports
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01/24/13 06:06am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Thorley headers and new exhaust vs Complete Banks Systems
Truly appreciate the responses, seems like I can't go wrong either way. Still contemplating choices and though have thought about the Gear Vendors unit have not given it serious consideration. I'm not having issues with the exhaust so will have to throw GV in the mix.
Heck, I know I could be comfortable w/the Thorleys and Magnaflows and could throw the savings into the GV unit. Now somethings else to think about.
I would give some serious thought to the Gear Vendors unit. If I were to do it over again knowing then what I know now, I would have done the Gear Vendors unit first rather than last. It made that big of a difference in overall drivability of the coach. Gave me six speeds vs. the standard 3. Approaching grades I could shift down half of a gear rather than having to wait until my road speed dropped enough that I wouldn't over-rev the engine. I could drop from third to 2nd/over and pick up about 400-500 RPM while maintaining the same road speed plus the availability to have the 22% overdrive (.78:1 final drive ratio).
Mike.
Mike.
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zmotorsports
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01/23/13 05:29pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Thorley headers and new exhaust vs Complete Banks Systems
Our first motorhome was on the GM P30 chassis and had a carbureted 454 engine/TH425 trans. I couldn't afford the Banks kit at the time and had some experience with the Doug Thorley Tri-y headers on other vehicles. I went with the Thorley's and a 2.5" back into a dual inlet/single 3" outlet Allied muffler. At the same time I recurved the distributor bringing in a few more degrees of timing and sooner as well as re-jetted the Rochester carburetor and tweaked the secondary needle jet springs. The difference in performance as well as economy was huge.
Pulling our 24' enclosed trailer prior for only a few trips I was struggling to run around 60-62 mph and mileage was in the mid 4 range. After the initial performance upgrades I was very happy with the performance and was routinely getting around 5.25 mpg and able to run @ 62ish with the cruise control.
Through the mid-80's the GM 454 engines were having crankshaft issues and many dealerships were scratching their heads. I read a TSB that was contributing the broken crankshaft issues to the torque converters coming apart internally and causing them to bulge. This in turn was putting excessive force on the rear flange of the crankshaft. I was also told that this condition was accelerated by towing heavy loads and putting more stress on the torque converter/trans. The previous and original owner the our motorhome had never towed anything so I was confident of it's condition but did not want to push my luck.
This brough about round number two of performance modifications. I ordered a Transgo shift kit and a B&M Traveler torque converter for the coach. I had used the Traveler converter in several other peoples tow rigs with great results. It was a fully balances and furnace brazed torque converter which also gave a couple of hundred more RPM of stall. I removed the transmission and replaced the 16 element intermediate sprag with a 34 element sprag for more holding power as well as installed the shift kit for slighlty quicker and a couple of hundred RPM between shifts. Excellent results.
Round number three consisted of a Gear Vendors overdrive unit. Absolutely fantastic modification which allowed me to travel more with the speed of traffic, 65 MPH, as well as around 2600 RPM. Dropping the noise level, increasing the economy, lessening the strain on the entire drivetrain and overall greatly improving the driving experience. We ran the coach for a total of 6 years with this setup and traveled around most of the western U.S.
As far as final fuel mileage numbers we were consistantly getting around 6.25 flat-towing our Jeep Cherokee or 5.75 when towing the enclosed trailer with our sand toys in it. Much better than when we first purchased it.
Long story but I would not hessitate to use either the Thorley headers or the Banks kit, depends on your budget. It seems like the mods are never truly done.
Mike.
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zmotorsports
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01/23/13 01:15pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Antifreeze refill
....
Also, give serious consideration to the new ELC's (Extended Life Coolant)that are out now. They have some very appealing advantages over the old technology coolants, biggest being not having to monitor the SCA's (Supplemental Coolant Additives) followed by the fact that they can go much longer between replacement intervals.
Mike.
It's very important to note that, if you are changing AF types, a full, complete flush is a huge requirement. So of the AF types do not play well together and mixing them can had a, well, your engine will not enjoy the results.
I changed AF types on the 2001 this year (from Green to Universal) and generated 20 gallons of waste. Fortunately my local waste disposal site has a location for handling AF.
Exactly. Multiple flushes are required until there is no hint of the previous coolant.
Mike.
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zmotorsports
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01/19/13 10:10am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Antifreeze refill
Coolant replacement is a pretty important part of preventive maintenance. If you do not feel comfortable with your abilities to accurately and thoroughly perform the task it may be advisable to have a shop perform this.
If you are still thinking about performing it then there is usually a drain petcock on the radiator but I have found that disconnecting the lower radiator hose is faster/easier. When filling there is also generally a bleeder hose, valve, or fitting to open in order to force the air out as the coolant is introduced into the system. Make certain this is done or you could end up with an air lock and cause major engine damage if there is not coolant circulating through the system.
Make certain to consult a FSM for this procedure as well as the entire procedure for coolant exchange/replacement.
Also, give serious consideration to the new ELC's (Extended Life Coolant)that are out now. They have some very appealing advantages over the old technology coolants, biggest being not having to monitor the SCA's (Supplemental Coolant Additives) followed by the fact that they can go much longer between replacement intervals.
Mike.
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zmotorsports
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01/18/13 01:51pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Cummins 230 hp?
One of the guys we go to the dunes with has the exact coach you are looking at, a 1995 (or 1996) Gulfstream SunCruiser with the 230hp Cummins. He tows a 28' TPD enclosed trailer and it does well on flat road but it does slow a bit more than others on the grades. Luckily the coach itself is one of the lighter ones and his trailer is actually fairly light, at least compared to ours. He doesn't have the trailer stuffed either, there is some breathing room.
He has only owned it for a few years now but as far as I know he has not had any major issues. There were a few minor ones when he first bought it mainly due to lack of preventive maintenance.
Mike.
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zmotorsports
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01/18/13 01:43pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Gas Engine Power
We had a 1984 gas Class A with a carbureted 454 and TH425 3-speed automatic transmission. We flat towed a Jeep Cherokee (XJ) around most of the western U.S. and did so without difficulty for six years prior to owning our diesels.
It did great when flat towing but it did struggle a bit when we towed our 24' enclosed trailer weighing around 8k pounds up some of the mountain passes. We just slowed, kept the RPMs up and fell in line with the tractor/trailers.
The newer gas coaches have much more power than our older carbureted model as well as the overdrive transmissions which help tremendously because they can run a deeper final drive ratio and still have a great cruising RPM.
My BIL/SIL have a 33' Winnebago powered by the 8.1 GM and it runs down the road great. They flat tow a Jeep Liberty and go everywhere we do.
For the most part it boils down to power to weight ratios. With the gas coaches some of the cabinets, fixtures, etc are a little lighter to compensate. They still have the components but just a little lighter. When you get up into the mid-level and upper level diesel coaches they are built on more of a heavy truck chassis and have a little nicer amenities is all. The gas coaches will still go everywhere and do everything that the diesels coaches will.
I would say look at your intended use and time that will be spent in the unit and especially floorplan. There are many gas coaches out there that have very will thought out and executed floorplans. Diesels are great but not always necessary to enjoy RVing.
As far as fueling we never had an issue even when towing our enclosed trailer and being 65' in length. I just had to think ahead a little bit more.
Mike.
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zmotorsports
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01/17/13 07:58am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Is your Class A Gas or Diesel..show of hands please?
40' Diesel Pusher either flat-towing a 2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon or hauling the Jeep and Harley Davidson Dyna Wide Glide in 26' Haulmark Edge enclosed trailer.
Mike.
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zmotorsports
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01/12/13 06:48pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Who is towing enclosed car hauler behind their coach
On a side note, have any of you looked at the OEM hitches that are installed on GM, Dodge and Ford 3/4 and 1-ton trucks? What a joke! You cannot get on any of the Duramax, Cummins or Powerstroke forums without seeing several threads about the OEM hitches and their failure rates. I have personally replaced about a half dozen now on peoples trucks that have had either the hitch pin hole oval out in a very short time or broken welds to one that was a catastrophic failure. Luckily he was just pulling out of his driveway when the hitch broke loose from his truck. I installed a Curt 10k pound hitch under his and it was leaps and bounds better from the tubing size, design as well as the weld quality.
My 2006 Duramax hitch was almost comical when I purchased the truck. I thought there is no way I am towing anything larger than a small utility trailer with that piece of crap. I installed a Curt 15k pound hitch under my Duramax and I cannot believe the size difference between that hitch rated at 15k pounds and the hitch under my Dynasty rated @ 10k pounds. The Curt hitch is about a third the size of the one under my Dynasty. Kind of makes you wonder how they determine the weight capacities of hitches doesn't it?
Mike.
The 07 Duramax truck I owned had 2.5 inch hitch. Class V, as I recall. 15k and 1500lb hitch weight.
That was an option, the ones I am referring to are the class IV hitches, they were the standard 2" receiver. I think they have a 6k pound rating and have the round tube conneecting left and right mounting brackets. They then bolt using three bolts per side, I believe they were 8mm bolts. Also, not sure about 2007 and later models. All of the ones I have changed have been in the 2001-2006 model years. I have also done a couple of Dodge hitches, a 2004 and a 2008 which were not any more impressive.
Mike.
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zmotorsports
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01/04/13 02:55pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: 2002 Monaco wiring problems
If you are experiencing 12vdc light issues as well, take a look at the compartment in the rear/engine bay, right side. There is a master 12vdc relay in there and there is also one in the left side run panel that could be your issue. The switch just inside of the entrance door will activate/deactivate the 12volt circuits. Sometimes switching that a couple of times will re-engage the 12 volt relays if that is the issue.
You can also grab a VOM (volt/ohmmeter) and check both sides of the relays. One side should be hot at all times, coming from the battery bank, and the other will be controlled by the master 12 volt switch. If the switch is activated and you only have 12 volts on one side of the relay, then that is the relay that is your problem.
Hope that makes sense.
Mike.
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zmotorsports
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01/04/13 01:47pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: 2002 Monaco wiring problems
You are correct, the 3rd rooftop A/C unit and the washer/dryer cannot be used simultaneously. Either one or the other at a time.
When I flip the switch in the galley for either washer/dryer or 3rd rooftop A/C unit, I can hear the relay click in the overhead compartment where the circuit breaker panels are located. I have not dug any deeper because I have not had any issues so I am not 100% sure that is the location of the relay but that is where I would bet it is located.
You will have to get a meter and find out if you have 120 VAC on the load side and whether or not you are getting 12VDC on the control side from the switch to the relay. If you are not getting 120VAC to the relay then look towards the circuit breaker, if you getting voltage but not getting it to one or the other it may be something as simple as a burnt contact in the relay.
Mike.
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zmotorsports
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01/04/13 01:07pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Who is towing enclosed car hauler behind their coach
On a side note, have any of you looked at the OEM hitches that are installed on GM, Dodge and Ford 3/4 and 1-ton trucks? What a joke! You cannot get on any of the Duramax, Cummins or Powerstroke forums without seeing several threads about the OEM hitches and their failure rates. I have personally replaced about a half dozen now on peoples trucks that have had either the hitch pin hole oval out in a very short time or broken welds to one that was a catastrophic failure. Luckily he was just pulling out of his driveway when the hitch broke loose from his truck. I installed a Curt 10k pound hitch under his and it was leaps and bounds better from the tubing size, design as well as the weld quality.
My 2006 Duramax hitch was almost comical when I purchased the truck. I thought there is no way I am towing anything larger than a small utility trailer with that piece of crap. I installed a Curt 15k pound hitch under my Duramax and I cannot believe the size difference between that hitch rated at 15k pounds and the hitch under my Dynasty rated @ 10k pounds. The Curt hitch is about a third the size of the one under my Dynasty. Kind of makes you wonder how they determine the weight capacities of hitches doesn't it?
Mike.
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zmotorsports
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01/04/13 12:55pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Who is towing enclosed car hauler behind their coach
TDInewguy, great looking setup. For some reason I thought you had a stacker trailer that you were towing with your Horizon, maybe you were just researching but anyway nice looking rig.
I like the beefed up hitch. It is very similar to how my hitch is on my Roadmaster chassis with the exception of the two lateral supports that run forward along the frame are bolted and welded directly to the frame rail rather than the dropdown supports like yours. However, the principal is the same, spread the load and support it as far forward as possible. When I built my hitch on my first two coaches I did very similar with the exception that I used 2"x4" tube with .250" wall thickness and tied it up to the frame.
Mike.
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zmotorsports
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01/04/13 07:37am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: 2007 dynasty Emperor
I can't speak of the Emperor floorplan nor the newer ISL425 but our 03 ISL400 does a good job. Although our coach is a little lighter than Mr. Mark's, we weigh 36k pounds at travel weight but we tow another 12,500 pounds worth of trailer, Jeep, Harley Davidson and Buell along with tools and extra fuel.
It does a good job but if it was much heavier I don't know if I would be as happy. Going to southwestern Colorado this past August we were loaded to around 49k pounds total with coach and trailer. It did a great job on the interstates/highways. There were a couple of grades that I worried about but it did pretty good, we were able to pull about any grade on the trip in fourth gear at around 45 MPH mark. We just tucked in line with the semi-trucks and enjoyed the scenery.
Mike.
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zmotorsports
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12/27/12 08:45am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Winter Camping.......we finally met our match.
I guess we have been lucky. In the past 19 years of RVing and using our motorhomes for snowmobiling we only froze up once. The temps got into the single digits when we had our 38' Beaver Contessa and the domestic line froze one morning. I knew right where it was as the line ran right along the exterior wall in one spot.
I grabbed the wife's hair dryer, started the generator and within a few minutes had the line flowing again for a warm shower. We loved having the motorhomes on the mountain for sledding as we would get back to the parking lot, load the sleds in the trailer, start the generator and kick back with a cup of coffee while everyone else started the long dark drive down the mountain. It was especially nice in the mornings when everyone was getting to the unload area we would be sitting there watching everyone freezing while we ate breakfast nice and warm.
Actually I kind of miss those days as we sold our sleds and got out of snowmobiling about two years ago.
Mike.
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zmotorsports
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12/27/12 08:40am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Best TOAD for 4 Down Towing?
There are a lot of vehicles that you could tow four-down that would fit the bill. However, asking which vehicle is the best is like asking which motorhome is the best, everyone will reply with what they tow because it is the best, or a Ford vs. Chevy argument. The vehicle that I pick, or picked, may or may not be even close to what you want the vehicle to do.
My suggestion is to ask yourself "what" you want in a vehicle. Whether it be one that you could take off-road and explore with, one that you never plan on leaving the pavement with or in between. Every year FMCA magazine puts out a tow or dingy guide that shows the new vehicles for the model year and their "friendliness" or lack thereof for towing and what mods, if any, will need to be performed for recreational towing.
Mike.
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zmotorsports
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12/21/12 05:54am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Tire Siping on 22.5's
Doesn't matter if you don't believe it, but it does. We ran many a test before making the decision to sipe our OTR tires. If you don't think it works then don't do it.
Mike.
My only concern is tire chunking, had any issues with that?
No issues with chunking were detected afterwards.
We saw an average temperature of around 15 degrees siped vs. non-siped on the same trailer when we doing preliminary tests.
We did not see any adverse wearing characteristics. We did not see the tires lasting much longer as our corporate policy will not let us run the tires to the point that we were previously.
We did not pick up any noticeable increase in fuel efficiency. Loaded at 80k pounds we are in the 4.5 MPG range currently. We are now experimenting a little more with some skirt and tail kits for our trailers to assist in fuel mileage.
We are also at the time only siping the tractor tires that we use on our long haul rigs as they see the most adverse weather conditions. We do not sipe our tires for the local runs.
Mike.
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zmotorsports
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12/20/12 12:53pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Tire Siping on 22.5's
Siping a tire rates right up there with nitrogen filling. If it is offered for free by all means go for it. Otherwise it is just a profit generator for the business. Do not for forget to buy your spring spacers (for a level ride height), battery corrosion pads, BG oil and fuel additives, Z-Max or any of the thousands of other magical automotive cures. I saw all of these types of products demonstrated during my 35 years in the repair industry and the primary selling point to the facility was the profit margin not the added benefit of using the product.
Randy
I fully agree with you. As I stated earlier in this post, I worked for one of the 3 major tire manufacturers for several years. A lot of engineering goes into tire tread designs. Personally, I would never alter a tire tread design. If I felt the tire was not capable of performing in the conditions that I would be subjecting the tire, I would choose a different tire that better served my needs. Why buy something that you immediately have to modify? There is definitely something wrong with this picture. JMHO
Ray
I'm in this camp as well. As for siping causing the tire to run cooler, I don't buy that theory. If anything, siping allows the tread to "squirm" creating heat. Whether this is a significant factor or not I can't say, it would require testing. I'll stay with the design as engineered by the tire manufacturer and not add to the tire dealers margin.
Doesn't matter if you don't believe it, but it does. We ran many a test before making the decision to sipe our OTR tires. If you don't think it works then don't do it.
Mike.
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zmotorsports
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12/20/12 05:47am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Tire Siping on 22.5's
I'm on my second set of Toyo's they work pretty good as manufactured. I think we got right around 100K miles from them. Our coach has 218K miles on it.
I am impressed that you have 218k miles on your 2004 coach. Ours just turned over 90k last trip out and I thought we were doing good. I wish I could put more miles on her. I am glad to see people get out and put that kind of miles on their rigs.
Mike.
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zmotorsports
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12/19/12 02:30pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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