shields

Also, if you tow without supplemental brakes in a state that requires them, you could be in deep trouble if you get in an accident. Even if it isn't your fault, you could be blamed because you were driving illegally. Happy (and safe) travels, Tim

I tow a 1990 Bronco and have not needed any modifications. Just like yours, my Bronco has an automatic transmission and a manual transfer case. We simply put the transfer case in neutral, leave the transmission in park (but make sure the steering doesn't lock), and drive away. We've had no troubles. The quick test proposed in Kay's post (above) is the same one I use, and the same I would propose for you. Good luck and happy travels, Tim

Chuck, The ad shows a website at http://www.soiclub.com/Default.asp and a phone number of 818-378-8803. That should get you started. Cheers, Tim

Hi CJ, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Since we live in southern California, we haven't motorhomed to the Rose Parade. However, you'll find an advertisement in the current FMCA Magazine (pg. 71) about an FMCA chapter that organizes a Rose Parade program. We met some members who attended last year and they had a great time. It might be worth investigating. Happy travels, Tim

I usually cruise just under 70, and kept the cruise control at 60 this trip. I was surprised at the change in fuel consumption. Next trip I'll set the cruise at 55. Who knows maybe, it'll get 10 mpg. Best wishes, Tim

After re-reading some older posts about the "Economy Mode" on the Allison transmission control panel, I finally got around to trying it out last week. On a 580 mile round trip to Nevada, I used the economy mode and kept highway speed under 60 mph. The results were dramatic; a 25% improvement in mpg! I usually get about 7.8 mpg, and logged a surprising 9.8 mpg with slower speed and the economy mode. Thanks again to the authors of the earlier posts on this subject (http://community.fmca.com/topic/1149-allison-economy-mode/). You save me some serious cash with that advice. Happy travels, Tim

The price they quoted you might be a bit high, but is in the ballpark for professional installation. Unless you are solidly confident of your skills in fabrication, electrical, and mechanical work, this project is probably best left to experienced tradesmen. You certainly don't want your toad wandering off on it own. Good luck with your new coach, and happy travels, Tim

Jake, You might take a moment to read the rules of this forum. Using the FMCA forum to advertise or solicit business is prohibited. Note from moderator: Ad content deleted. As you said, Jake is welcome to ask marketing questions here, but as on virtually all Forums, is not allowed to advertise. Thanks. Brett

Thanks Brett! I just placed my order. This will save time and trouble every time we plug in, and leave more time for happy hour.

Congratulations Rich, you're a DIY inspiration. I've got a few items to be addressed, and was thinking of turning them over to the mechanics. Now I'm thinking of tackling them myself. Cheers, and happy travels, Tim

Walter, A good possibility would be Exclusive RV Services in Pomona, California. They have secure indoor storage for RVs and can certainly store your car. While it's an hour's drive to LAX, it's a lot closer than Palmdale. Dan Murphy owns the company and can probably arrange to get you dropped off and picked up at the airport. Their phone number is 909-465-9492, and the address is 1353 Philadelphia Street, Pomona, CA. Happy travels, Tim

Glenn, Cutting in a side vent or adding a supplemental transmission cooler would involve significant effort or expense. Before launching into those modifications, have you considered the more typical solutions? Your underlying problem is high operating temperatures during summer or long grades; both of which add extra strain on the cooling system. With your coach now 16 years old, I would start with the radiator. Has it been carefully cleaned so any road gunk, oil or mud are removed? Once that's gone, take an infrared thermometer and check the temperature all across the radiator; you may find hot spots and cool spots indicating lack of coolant flow and the need for a radiator rebuild. Next, the fan function can be checked, and the coolant itself tested. Finally, the coolant filters might be clogged, or the pump might need rebuilding. Unless your coach has always had high temperature troubles, I'll bet one of these approaches will solve the problem. Good luck.

Hi Larry, First of all, welcome to the FMCA forum. You'll find it a great resource in your MH travels. Let me gently agree and also disagree with Bill's post. He's completely correct that Hwy 1 is drivable and beautiful. However, it's also narrow, has lots of tight turns, and runs right along cliffs dropping hundreds of feet into the ocean in many areas. It will be a very slow go and requires (at least for me) full time concentration. Also, there are almost no places to stop and park to shop or explore, and roadside camping is not allowed if I remember correctly. Having traveled that coastline several times, our approach is to leave the coach on either the north or south end of the Big Sur coast (Carmel on the north end, or Morro Bay on the south side) and take the toad. That way we can stop at our leisure, explore the smaller parks and scenic sights, and visit the places off the main road. Either way, you can't go wrong. I'm just lazier than Bill. BTW lunch at Nepenthe in Big Sur is a must, as is sunset at on the hotel deck at Lucia. Enjoy your trip! Tim

If you decide to leave the coach in So. Calif., here are two good options. 1. Exclusive RV Service, Pomona, California. 909-465-9492. They are close to the Ontario airport, and a 40 minute drive from Los Angeles Int'l. airport. 2. Power Sports Indoor RV & Boat Storage, Corona, California. 951-603-0884. They are about 30 minutes from either the Orange County airport or the Ontario airport. Both facilities are clean, fully secure, and can provide power if needed. Happy travels, Tim

Hi JT, Highway 101 is an easy drive through gently rolling hills all the way from San Luis Obispo to Ventura. You won't have any troubles on 101 either north or south of Santa Barbara. There are road repairs going on in Santa Barbara, so expect delays in the city itself. The coast road (Highway 1) is another story. It is very challenging south of Monterrey through Big Sur and south to Morro Bay. That road is NOT recommended for large motorhomes. If you don't have reservations in the Santa Barbara area, let me suggest Ocean Mesa RV Park. Its about 30 minutes north of Santa Barbara, has a wonderful view of the ocean, is clean with full hookups, and a nice cafe. There are also good view spots (without hookups) at El Capitan State Beach in the same area. Happy travels, Tim

Our older (1997) Monaco has an Onan diesel 7500 genet with 3700 hours on it. In a recent visit to the Cummins service center, they reported a similar unit with over 10,000 hours was still running fine. Run them often under full load to keep them fresh is our motto. Ours runs perfectly and we hope to have many years ahead. On the west coast, we see lots of coaches with generators that have been hardly used (maybe 10-20 hours annually). I suspect those genets suffer from lack of use more than others do from frequent usage. Best wishes, and happy travels, Tim

Hi Tireman, I had the same tank in an earlier installation. It worked fine and kept the pump from cycling each time we filled a glass of water. To reduce pump noise further, we installed rubber pads under the pump's "feet" so any pump vibration would not transfer to the floor. That has also helped considerably. Good luck, Tim

Greetings, and welcome to the FMCA forum. Your old batteries were not taking or holding a charge. Now you've replaced the batteries and are having the same troubles. Here are a few ideas. 1. Are you certain the campground electricity is sound? Maybe you are not actually getting adequate power from the 50 amp pedestal connection. If you can SAFELY test the two legs of the 50 amp campground input, that's a good place to start. If you are not sure how to check the pedestal power, please STOP. There are articles here and in the FMCA magazine that explain the proper and safe procedures. 2. Assuming adequate input power, your inverter/charger should bring your batteries up to full charge in due time. A next step would be to check the charging voltage at the battery terminals. Your manual should include data on the charging voltages. Let's see if the charger is putting out the proper voltage to get the batteries charged. 12.1 volts is not adequate. Are you sure that was the charging voltage or could it have been the existing battery output voltage? 3. Your charger probably has different settings for different types of batteries, or even different temperatures. This is sometimes accomplished by setting tiny dip switches on the inverter/charger or with a control panel program selector. You might check and see if the switches or program are set to charge the type of batteries you installed. 4. If all else checks our, it is always possible that one or more of the new batteries are defective. That, however, seems unlikely. Let us know what you find on items 1 through 3 and we'll try to help you narrow down the trouble. Good luck, Tim

I upgraded the PacBrake on my Cummins 8.3 and, as Brett said, it is much more effective. We had lots of room and easy access for the installation. Labor time was about 3 hours if I remember correctly.

Bingo, Congratulations on a great find. Can't wait to see the "in progress" pictures. Good luck. Tim

We drove down Hwy 101 through Washington, Oregon, and northern California in July. In Washington, we loved Astoria, Aberdeen, and the rainforests. In Oregon, we would spend more time in Cannon Beach, and Bandon Beach. Once you get to Leggett, California, Hwy 101 goes inland and Hwy 1 stays on the coast. Both are great drives with lots to see. The coast road is a bit difficult in places of you have a large coach and toad, but the views are fabulous. Have a great trip. Tim

We recently listed our 1997 Monaco Dynasty for sale and have an interested buyer. The buyer says his bank won't finance a motorhome more than 13 years old (i.e. before 2000). I called the lenders who advertise in the FMCA and MotorHome magazines (Sun Trust, Essex, Good Sam). Each indicated they would not lend against a 1997 motorhome. The buyer is willing to put $10,000 down and is looking to finance the $30,000 remainder. If I can help the buyer secure a loan, he's willing to purchase my coach. Does anyone know of a lender willing to finance the purchase of a 1997 motorhome? Any ideas will be welcome. Thanks so much. Tim

On my Monaco coach, the water inlet valve must be in the open position to fill the fresh water storage tank. The same valve must be in the closed position to use CG/city water pressure. If you are trying to connect to CG water supply and not fill your storage tank, make sure the inlet valve is fully closed. I hope this helps. Tim

My experience has been that a Jake works as least as noticeably, if not more so, than an exhaust brake. You might try having someone drive to coach past while you're on the sidewalk. If the Jake is operating, you will hear it. Also, since this is an expensive repair, getting a qualified mechanic to verify the Jake's operation would seem prudent. Gook luck, Tim

Thanks so much to all of you. We are laying out the maps and starting to plan -- with your advice in mind. We've tentatively decided to spend extra time along the Oregon coast, and in northern CA. I'll let you all know how it goes. Thanks again. Tim