gbrinck

Just to be clear, nobody said the AGMs would be 6v batteries.12v AM deep cycles are readily available - I have 4 Trojan Group 31 AGMs for my house bank. In a previous coach I did as Brett described - added a 12v AGM in parallel with a pair of 6v GC2 flooded cells. Ran it 5 years that way and both the flooded cells and the AGM stayed happy (charger was a 90A, 3-stage, Iota). In fact, I kept the AGM when I sold the coach and used it another year or so in my bass boat.

The thermostat isn't connected to any of those sensors in the a/c - its thermisters are inside the coach. The t-stat sends a control signal to the a/c circuit board and the a/c's own controller decides whether to run, whether coils are frozen, or whatever. It has no way to send outside air temp back to the thermostat. I have the same coach, by the way.

I don't think batteries used to start the genset have anything to do with this problem. If the code 13 appeared during cranking it would apply, but this genset starts and runs. A code 13 after the genset starts & runs awhile basically says the inverter in the genset isn't putting out the right voltage, so the regulator shuts the engine down to prevent possile damage. That would indeed seem to indicate a bad inverter. That said, it only takes a few minutes to check the battery that starts the genset. Worthwhile checking, just to be sure. The HDKAK 8000 watt inverter is a relative recent model. What year and model coach is it in?

Yes, it adds a few hundred $ to the premium, so FRC is a cost/benefit tradeoff. The FMV (fair market value) may be less than you owe if you financed most the purchase price and have a loss in the early years. However, if the loan is less than the FMV, it then becomes a question of risking your down payment amount vs the extra premium costs. Only you can answer that "need". Typically FRC is offered for up to five years. After that, you may be offered Purchase Price Protection, which pays you the amount you paid for it originally rather than promising a new one at curent prices. Pay close attention to the Personal Effect Coverage - chances are the default anount is too low for what you are likley to have with you in the RV (computers, clothing, toys, lawn chairs, etc). Also, policies often consider coach add-ons & accessories such as a tow bar as "personal property". Increasing that amount is usually only a few dollars per year. if you have a home owner policy, you probably already have personal liability coverage and don't need more specific to the RV. Check your policy or ask your homeowner agent about being covered while away from home (in a hotel or campground).

There is no simple answer to the "required' question, since each state (and province) has different laws. You can't even go by the trailer brake laws, since nearly every state has separate, specific laws that apply to towing cars that usually take precedance over trailering laws. The most important laws, however, are the laws of physics and those are universal. You can always stop faster (shorter distance) if the toad has its own brakes. Every time.

The Norcold 1200's have a heat tape factory installed and it is supposed to work whenever the fridge is operating. Doesn't help when shut down for the winter, though. The Freeze outlets that Herman mentioned are available in 120v models. Get them at Amazon.com, farm supply stores, Lowes & Depot, and even in some Walmarts (northern climates). Here's one: http://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovators-TC-3-Thermostatically-Controlled/dp/B0006U2HD2

Tiffin is known for their excellent customer service but not the quality of their coaches, which seems to be no better or worse than average. Allied Specialty Vehicles now builds Fleetwood, American Coach and Monaco, on a set of assembly lines. The line for the high end American and Monaco models produces better quality than the lower end line(s) used for the other brands, but none of them are perfect. Seems to be about the same at Newmar too. From my perception, they all build a few very good coaches, and a few real lemons, with most of the production falling somewhere in between. If you buy new, it's a crap shoot whether you get one of the golden ones, a lemon, or a "run of the mill" version. Regardless of how much you spend.

I have a 40 foot coach which runs 37,700 lbs with car in tow, with 370 hp Cummins ISL (8.9L) engine. For years I averaged 8.0 mpg at 62-64 mph cruising on the interstates but dropped off to 7.3 in any situation where I could not run at a sustained speed. Last year my mpg fell off to about 7.3-7.7 and I'm wondering of that can be atributed to the biodiesel blends now at most diesel pumps (around 10% less energy/gallon) or some power loss in my particular engine. Will be watching closely this summer to see.

I've had a couple quotes from Progressive but they were always high for me. The insurer's rates table are so finely tuned that there is no comparing any two peoples rate, but if Progressive works for you, go for it. However, I would suggest shopping around a few other places - you might do even better. An independent agent that specializes in RVs can find you quotes quickly with little effort on your part. Try Millers RV Insurance or Explorer RV Insurance (they have web sites). If an FMCA member, try through their agent-partner (Farm & City Insurance) via the application on the FMCA site. I just got an excellent rate on coach & cars through them, insured with Nationwide.

I'm on my second set up front, 11 years and 76k miles.

You pretty much remain a legal resident unless you take several specific steps to sever that relationship and establish residency elsewhere. So you remain a VA resident by default, especially if you keep the RV registered/titled there and pay VA taxes. But being considered a "resident" doesn't automatically guarantee your CC permit remains valid - there may be specific rules about a fixed address, local police validation, or whatever. Check with the carry permit licensing authority. Likewise, voting laws may have their own speciic requirements, e.g. a residence address in the district you will be voting in. Since you will rent out your home, what will you use for a Virginia residence address on legal documents? Some docs may only need a mailing address for contact purposed and that can (usually) be anywhere, but others will require a legal address. Sometimes a PO box or mail-handling facility will be accepted, but often not. For example, a driver license usually requires a "real" address. Check with the DMV on alternatives for that.

We use a Blue Ox Aventa tow bar and the Brakemaster air-driven brake from Roadmaster. Previously had a Roadmaster tow bar and that was good too. I suggest the one of the top end models of tow bar from either company - those are much more convenient than the basic A-frame types. More expensive, of course, but worth it IMO.

If the coach has the Smart Wheel, it should act like Herman described (mine does). If not, it is going to be as Huffypuff describes. I don't think the Ambassador comes with Smart Wheel, but maybe it's an option? In any case, the signalling is via marker lights and headlights, not turn signals. The signals have their own, legally prescribed, usage, so are not employed for signalling safe-to-pass.

LOL! I think you need a Class A, so you will have a chassis that is actually capable of carrying the RV body, your gear and the usual number of passengers. Sorry, I know that's not funny to you, but there is no way to fix an overload except to remove weight or swap coaches. Seriously, that's a lot of overage if no gear onboard. Not just the rear axle - you are over the 14,050 GVWR as well. What does the RVIA weight sticker show for the UL (Unladen Weight) as it came from the factory?

I think that depends on the coach brand & model, Herman, but I did not mean to imply that all air-level coaches have hydraulics as well. I merely meant to say it is not unusual to have both (I have seen several at Americam Coach brand rallies). Whether standard or optional I cannot say.

Just to avoid any confusion, a "track bar" is not a torsion device or use torsion in any way. It is what is known as a panhard rod and prevents sideways motion in a spring suspension. The best known products froa Class A RV chassis are the Davis Tru-Track (now marketed by Roadmaster) and the Supersteer Track Bar. Both excellent products and highly recommended for a coach with a leaf spring suspension. However, at least some Ford F53 chassis now come with a track bar factory installed. However, an Anti-sway (aka anti-roll) bar does use torsion to apply a corrective force to help reduce body lean. An antisway bar is standard on most motorhome chassis, but in some cases a stronger (higher torsion) bar can improve the handling.

Yeah, I'm aware of the US court decision. But I don't think that means that a US border agent could not refuse entry to the country if you would not give permission to view the phone's content. Just like they can refuse entry if you do not give permission to search your vehicle. You have the right to deny the search but you have to turn around and not cross the border either. It's analogous to the security searches at an airport. You have to voluntarily submit to the search if you want to get on the plane.

The DEF engines buy back some of the fuel economy that was lost with the 2007 EPA changes, but not enough to be better than the pre-2007 engines. Probably better than your old Detroit, though. A 40 foot coach with a 2010 or later engine (with DEF as well as DPF) will probably see around 7 mpg. Larger & heavier coaches with bigger engines are probably a bit less. A 2.5 gallon jug of DEF runs around $12 at Walmart and around $2.80/gallon in bulk. Many truck stops now have DEF pumps along side the diesel pumps. DEF consumption will likley be 2-3% of diesel fuel used, so it's an slight extra cost.

Having an air suspension on the chassis does not imply that is also has air-leveling - that requires an additional controller, some plumbing and an auxiliary air pump. I don't think the Nexus has any of that, but you can check the features list to see if "air leveling" appears anywhere. Might be an option. It is common for coaches with air leveling to also have hydraulics jacks. The amount of leveling via the air system is limited, so jacks may be needed on some sites. Not all campgrounds have pads large enough and level enough for 40-45 foot coaches.

I doubt if there many Workhorse W20/W22 chassis that have not already had the brake recall done, but it is something you would want to verify before purchase. We had a 2002 W22 and put 52k miles on it, including a summer in Alaska, and it perfromed well. This page has a list of all recalls that applied to that chassis: http://workhorseclub.com/index.cfm?display=pages&pageid=8557⊂=d

Seems to me all of us are liable for anything we say in public. Anywhere, anytime. The internet and social websites in particular plaster our words worldwide, so there is every expectation that they will be seen by those who may not agree or appreciate our opinions. It's the electronic equivalent of shouting from the courthouse steps at high noon back in the day. And some may even take illegal advanatge of knowledge gained from our comments. We also need to be aware that other countries often do not observe the same freedoms we are accustomed to here. Or that some readers may not care about such protections, e.g. the Charlie Hebdo attacks. Being legally free to say something cannot guarantee immunity from the potential consequences, Words can indeed invite harm.

I can maybe see that the border agents could deny entry to somebody who refuses to disclose the requested information, whether on their phone or elsewhere, but to arrest him for interfering? Seems extreme and perhaps there is more to the story. I'm sure Canadians - and US citizens - are regularly crossing the border with their smart phones. Is this request standard practice?

Does this HOA have a "standard" for the appearance of the site built homes? Typically, they would have a committee that reviews appearance, sometimes with some bylaws guidance as to what can and cannot be considered in the decision. Something similar could be applied to RVs, perhaps even starting at age 5 or so. Some things a review committee could look for include: 1. Obvious physical damage to exterior walls and roof, whether due to accident or deterioration. 2. Heavily oxidized finish 3. Broken window glass 4. Current vehicle registration (no unlicensed vehicles allowed) 5. Missing exterior components If you want to give some leeway, specify a point system for each category above. Have the RV appearance committee rate each appearance category on a scale of 1-10 and set a combined point minimum, e.g. must score 45 on a combined 50 point scale. That lets the committee vote and allows for minor issues without automatic disqualification over some little thing. The people who staff such committees tend to nitpick and owners need some leeway to make reasonable accommodation. I would also suggest allowing 30 or 60 days for an out-of-compliance RV to be repaired or removed. I personally don't feel any HOA should pass judgment on color schemes or decor, whether on a house or RV, but many do so. It's your HOA, of course, but I would not want to live a place where my neighbors could force me to paint my front door white instead of blue or green.

If anything, the 50A supply is less susceptible to common power problems than the 30A. It has more power available, so less chance of a voltage sag, and a blip in the 240v source tends to get evened out when reduced to 120v at the RV. Spikes induced by lightning or other external causes are about the same risk, though.

Fleetwood and American Coach brand coaches will charge the chassis batteries when on shore power. Winnebago & Itasca diesels since about 2008 will also do that (I'm not positive of the date). National RV brands coaches also charge from shore power. There may be others, but those are the ones I have some personal knowledge about.