shields

Jack, I have the Nuvi 465T, and would buy it again. Best regards, Tim

David, Welcome to the FMCA forum. If you have time during your stay at Grand Canyon, you might take the train from Williams out to the canyon. Some of our friends took the train trip and had a wonderful time. Have fun! Tim

Welcome to the FMCA forum, From the numbers you posted, all looks well. However, you might also check your GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating). It will be listed on your coach along with the axle ratings, etc. Let's make sure the combined weight of you coach (as measured with full loads) plus the weight of the new toad is not more than the approved GCWR. Please let us know what you find. Good luck, Tim

One other idea, you might try www.vintagebirds.com They have a "fixes" forum just for Wonderlodges. Good luck, Tim

Another option might be to use a small portable gas generator for those periods where you just need to charge the batteries. That would allow you to save the larger propane genset to handle large loads like the AC units. Good luck! Tim

First of all, welcome to the FMCA forum! Your's is a broad question, so rather than an inspection checklist, let me offer some generalized suggestions. 1. Have every aspect of the coach inspected by independent motorhome professionals. This would include the body work, all the drivetrain components, suspension, brakes, every interior appliance, switch, light, fan, etc. This will take time and cost money, but it is far better than discovering the problems later. Don't let weather, time pressures, or anything else stop you from trying out every piece of operating equipment. Don't be afraid to spend money on a professional inspection, it might save you much more. 2. If service records are available, study them diligently. If they are not available, be even more cautious. If purchasing from a dealer, get a car-fax type report and use it to contact the prior owners. 3. There is lots of information on this site with specific inspection lists. You'll find similar lists in some of the Bluebird specific websites. 4. Carefully list and consider your proposed usage, needs and priorities. Does this coach meet those needs? Is it too much or too little coach for what you plan to do? I hope this helps. Good luck on your selection. Tim

Larhode, The same advice against bleach applies to gray tanks too. You'll find several reputable tank additives for gray tanks at most RV centers. The gray tanks collect food bits and scraps from dishwashing, the dregs of milk glasses and other drinks, as well as toothpaste, hair, etc. from the bathroom sink. Once allowed to stew awhile, foul odors blossom. We use different products for each of the tanks, although others use the same for both. I hope this helps.

Not only is chlorine hard on gaskets, it counteracts the common holding tank treatments. The common holding tank chemicals use enzymes to break down waste matter and neutralize odors. Adding bleach along with enzymes kills the enzymes so you then have nothing to break down the solids and diminish odors. We tried adding bleach to the black tanks on our houseboat many years ago, and it was a disaster. Double dose with a reputable tank product if needed, but I'd recommend against bleach. Good luck, Tim

Coutch, As you indicated, these small lights are wired to illuminate when the switch is "on". While I haven't seen your light, most of them can be easily removed from the back of the switch panel. If you unscrew the panel to which the switch and light are mounted, you'll likely find small fingers on two sides of the light unit. Press them in and the light unit can be pushed out through the front of the panel. Once you have the light unit removed and disconnected, you'll likely find a manufacturer's number on it. From that point you can either replace the whole unit or just the bulb by contacting your local RV shop, Camping World or Marvac Electronics. I hope this helps.

We will need some further details in order to help you out. First, are you positive there are two furnace units? That's a bit unusual in my experience. If there is only one unit, a disconnected warm air conduit at the slide would be a likely culprit. If there are two separate units, let's check a few things. 1. Double check the operating instructions for the control panel. Are you certain that you are properly activating that furnace "zone" and setting the temperature above ambient conditions? Are there two separate control panels? 2. Is there any noise, clicking or other activity when you try to activate that unit? 3. What is the make and model of the inoperative unit? 4. Is there a LPG shutoff valve at the unit, is it properly set? Let us know some additional details and a solution should appear. Good luck, Tim

Hi, and welcome to the FMCA forum, As Tom mentioned above, the Monaco technical personnel are very helpful. Also, they have quite a few of the wiring diagrams available online. You might check at www.monacocoach.com/StaticFiles/monaco/wiringdiagrams Good luck! Tim

With a 36' coach and both 15Kbtu a/c units running, plus the dash air, you ought to be cool unless the ambient temperature is well over 100 or the humidity is awful. We travel through the desert near Las Vegas each July and have similar problems when its really hot. Here's what we've tried: 1. Make sure the dash a/c is set to max. That way it draws cool air from the coach and cools it further, instead of taking in hot air from outside. 2. Make sure bath or kitchen vents are closed. 3. Window shades down. 4. Point rooftop a/c vents straight down into the coach, so they don't output cool air along the warm ceiling. 5. Park in shade at all stops if possible. Are you sure the a/c units are all working properly? If so, hopefully these will resolve things. BTW: What are the outside temperatures and humidity when you have these problems? Tim

When you pass the crest of the hill and start downhill, you are probably decellerating (reducing throttle) a bit. If the fan belt on your alternator is loose, maybe it's slipping or floating slightly. I would check the belt and snug it up if it's loose. Good luck, Tim

Since your AV equipment is running on 120 volts, using 120 volt fans might make good sense. You can find them at most computer centers or at http://www.ncs-us.com/cooling%20fans.htm I had the same trouble with our home entertainment system. We vented the bottom of the cabinets, installed spacers between the components to increase circulation, and installed a pair of thermostatically controlled fans to vent hot air from the top rear. I hope this works for you since overheating will reduce the life or your components and could pose safety hazards too. Otherwise, is it possible to relocate any of he components? Good luck. Tim

Your comment above indicates you have not located the air horn. If you have air horns, they are almost always located on the roof of the coach at the front end. You can't miss them; they look like a pair of trumpets. Just like you thought you had air brakes but didn't, you might not have air horns either. If you do have air horns, there will usually be main components. First the control button on the steering wheel. That sends power to a solenoid/actuator (the second component). The solenoid/actuator opens an airway to send air to the horn trumpets (the third component). Let me suggest you check your rooftop first. If you don't see air horns (usually two), then you may have electric horns which would typically be located somewhere in the front of the coach, and are often behind a grill or vent of so the sound can escape. Electric horns come in a variety of shapes; they could be trumpets, circular, or small boxes. If you find air horns on the roof, there will be small air hoses leading to the solenoid/actuator which is sometimes under the roof above the upper front cabinets or console. It should have two wires attached. Place a voltage meter across those wires and have a helper push the horn button on the steering wheel. If you don't find power, the culprit may be the steering wheel horn button. If you do find the power going on and off as you press and release the steering wheel switch, the solenoid/actuator would appear to be the trouble. If you don't find air horns on the roof, the test is the same, except you need to find the electric horn and test with the two wires coming into it. If there is no power, check using a separate ground and see if that works. If you don't get a reading either way, then the trouble is probably the switch on the steering wheel; but it could be failed wiring also. Find the horns and let us know where they are and what type they are. Then we can help you get to the bottom of this issue more quickly. Good luck, Tim

We have the Nuvi like it. I allows you to enter the length, weight, number of axles, height, etc. of your coach, and routes you away from unsuitable routes. You can set up different profiles for various vehicles (i.e., coach w/o toad, coach w/ toad, coach w/ boat trailer). I don't have much experience with competing units for comparison, but the Nuvi is working just as advertised for us. Tim

Robert, We spent Thanksgiving week at the park Jack mentioned in the post above. We enjoyed a spacious site among the tall trees and had a great time. The park is beside the river and was clean with good access. Our 40 Monaco had no trouble navigating in or out. It's about 20 miles from the park into Yosemite Village, which took us about 40 minutes in the toad along the winding winter road. We plan to go back next Thanksgiving. Happy travels, Tim

Stan, You indicate that something has not worked properly since you purchased the coach two years ago; is that something the air conditioning? If so, have the AC systems ever worked properly since you’ve owned the coach? Once you left the dealership and started driving, you turned on both AC units, but neither one came on. Was the generator on and operating properly while you were driving? Were the other 120V appliances working ok? Was the control panel for the AC units illuminated? Let’s remember that the rooftop AC units require 120VAC power. They will not run unless (1) the generator is running, or (2) you are connected to shore power. You indicated the rear AC came on about 10 p.m. I presume you were parked with shore power connected by then. Once the rear AC came on, did you check the AC control panel and try to start the front zone AC? Was the shore power 20, 30, or 50 amps? It seems like the rear AC is working whenever you are connected to shore power. When you have shore power and the rear AC is working, try shutting it off and then using the control panel to change from “Zone Two” (i.e. rear) to ” Zone One” (i.e. front) and resetting the temperature. If the front AC does not come on, then you know the trouble is either the front AC unit or the Zone One control within the AC control panel. Depending on the outcome of that experiment, you might try the same test with shore power disconnected and the generator running. I hope these suggestions help. Please let us know how things progress. Good luck, Tim

Welcome to the FMCA forum gdjacks, With two lights failing in the same area at the same time, there is likely a single problem causing both failures. Here's one approach for the troubleshooting: 1. Remove the bulbs and check them for continuity, either with with your multimeter or by plugging them into another lamp for testing. 2. Check for power at each lamp: first using the lamp's ground wire; and then a separate test ground of your own placement. Make sure to check with every switch at each position. 3. If the two lamps are controlled by a common switch, check for power coming into the switch, and going out of the switch (again using a test ground of your own placement). If there are two switches, look for power at each in the same fashion. (Note: some coaches have 3 switches for these lamps. One that turns both lamps on and off, and separate switch on each lamp also. If so, check all three) 4. If still no power is found, backtrack to the fuse panel and find the fuse for this circuit. Check the fuse for continuity. Then make sure there is power to the hot side of that fuse holder. Hopefully this process of elimination will help you find if the problem is a failed hot side of the circuit, or a loss of ground. This should also help you locate where the circuit has failed so you can correct the problem. If these steps don't reveal the problem, let us know what you find in the process and we will offer further ideas. Good luck, Tim

Bob, Any chance you could upload a photo of the panel? I have a 97 Dynasty. If the panels are the same, maybe I can pull a number off mine for you. By the way, where is Actia located? Good luck, Tim

To sanitize the system, use 1/4 cup household bleach for every 15 gallons of water tank holding capacity. For example: one cup bleach for a 60 gallon tank. Tim

We have a 97 Dynasty and also have trouble keeping it cool in the desert summer heat. We drive through Las Vegas on our annual houseboat trip to Lake Powell, and daytime temperatures are often over 110. With both rooftop a/c units (13,500 and 13,500 btu) as well as the dash air running, we can't get the coach comfortably cool. I've made plans to add a third rooftop a/c unit before the next major trip. As for heat issues while parked, the suggestions shown look great. We'll be implementing some of them promptly. Thanks for the ideas. Tim

Yes, yes, yes . . . you can do it. My sister (who previously never drove anything bigger than a VW) drove our 40' Class A over 1,000 miles on our cross-country last year. By the end of the trip she was parking, and handling traffic like a pro. Just find a big parking lot and some lonely roads to get comfortable with it. Also, there are some good videos such as "Drive your RV Like a Pro" that might help. Finally, most cities have lots of women school bus drivers. They may be able to work with you on weekends to develop your skills and confidence. Good Luck! Tim

Hi, and welcome to the FMCA forum, Between the Damon (now Thor) product and the Fleetwood coaches you mentioned, everyone will have their own opinions as to the manufacturer's reputations. However, since the coaches you're considering are 10-12 years old, the condition of the particular coaches in question is much more relevant than the manufacturer's reputation. In your situation, mileage, service records, usage (full time, vacation, smokers, pets), body condition, ride, options, etc. need to be considered and compared. If the coach has been stored inside, that is a big plus for many buyers. Any MHs from that era will be out of warranty, so try to test and inspect EVERYTHING (or have an independent professional do so). There are a lot of used RVs on the market these days. Some have been well cared for while others had maintenance deferred as their owners' finances declined during the recession. For my money, the American Eagle, Tradition and Dream seem like the better coaches. I've been in several but have driven only two. I've only driven one Damon product and wasn't impressed; but those are not the same coaches you'll be considering. So I would try to focus on the coach and not the brand. Good luck, let us know what you find. Tim

Mike, Thanks for the input on the oil issue. I checked and you're right. While K&N's filters for gas engines (like Paul's V-10 and my brother's truck) use oil, the filters for larger diesel applications do not. Good to have you in the forum. Tim