dickandlois

Monacoman38, Welcome to the FMCA Forum! Could you attach a picture or 2 of you issue. there are some systems / style of connectors / fasteners used that are not as common as others. Also include the Model of your coach. Rich.

Adding to Brett's post, what time of the year? You can go North through the Tetons to the South Gate of the park. The roads in the park have been going through some major upgrades the last few years and are far better then in the past. The campgrounds in the in the park are rustic when compared to the ones outside the park. The Grizzly Bear Campground is in West Yellowstone and one can walk to the shops, stores and restaurants. We often use it as a base camp when in the area. Have also used the KOA in Bozeman Montana. Rt 191 is a gentle long climb to West Yellowstone. Coming from the South you could use Rt. 287 or Rt.26 to go in the South Gate. The East Gate is accessed through Cody. Good Rodeo Town if your interested. Contact the State and ask for Road maps and road conditions / repair work during your trip. Rich.

Ray, Hope the Glass Shop is close to home! The windshield on our coach needs to be removed and replaced about every 3 to 4 years because the seal(s) creep away from the front cowling. They have dried out some over the years so I now have a complete set to install the next time. Regarding your wet electrical box, is it inside the pod / storage area or external and in the weather elements? Rich.

ranjoorian, Welcome to the FMCA Forum! The Hydraulic pumps on the system are prone to failing as mentioned above in this thread. Wonder if it would be possible to retrofit the system with a Power Gear pump and manifold should Lippert leave you high and dry? Had to replace the original hydraulic lines on one of our coach's while in Alaska, a HWH system. They do not use anything but Goodyear -70 degree material up there and it came at a price, but I was able to replace them myself. The positive side was we never had another leak or line failure. Traded it on a new coach in 2001 and wish I had remover them before turning it in. Good top of the line material for sure. Rich.

99phantoms, Also a welcome to the FMCA Forum! You quest for the answer is like the question, which came first the chicken or the egg. I dare say that the large majority of owners started out in something smaller then a large diesel pusher. The exception might be someone who has driven large Semi's, Bus's, School buses or large fire engines. One gets comfortable with 40 plus feet of vehicle fallowing them behind the drivers seat. Brett's thoughts are right on for the majority of newcomers to the RV life style. Buying a good used coach, that has many or most of the features from your list of options even if its a little on the shorter side offers one the best of both possibilities. Loving the life stile or just not comfortable at the other end. Your market size is larger with a mid sized coach be it Gas or Diesel, you avoid the large write off up front and have wiggle room if you want out. The learning curve is a little smaller regarding a gas coach if you have never driven a vehicle with air brakes. The two do ride differently when adding the air ride of the diesel units. All in all not to bad a trade off to start your adventure. The rest of the systems between the two chassis are for the most part very similar. Good luck with your research and please keep asking questions. Everyone of us have taken a different trail to where we are today! Rich.

Jack, noses and happy feet make for a challenge. Not knowing what tools and your skill sets. One can start with small plastic containers, sometimes the ones used for baby food are close to the correct size to make a cover or cutting pill bottles in half and using Scotch Magic Tape as a hinge to experiment with to start. Very fine saw tooth blades work to cut plastic pill bottles and scissors work on softer plastic items. Some switches can be equipped with tamper proof covers directly from the manufacturer. should you be able to find some that would interchange easily. Just a few thoughts off the top of my head, Hay! one needs to start somewhere! Rich.

starmack2001, Welcome to the FMCA Forum! Thanks for taking the time to add some very helpful information to the forum! Rich.

Peanut and skippy2, from reading the replies on your soot issue: The soot has to be coming from some source. The key is to find out where its coming from. Do you notice the build up of soot while parked in a location over a period of time? or after you have been on the road for a time? The heating system burner exhaust should be totally isolated from the interior of the coach and the engine exhaust should also be isolated from the interior. The key is to isolate the source of the soot and then find the point / location of the soot intrusion. Now, I have to think that the furnace burner being an issue would be noticeable when you are parked. Do you run the furnace while on the road? Pressure differences caused as the coach travels down the road, for the most part; are high pressure on the front and lower pressure at different points as the air flows past the coach. The back of the coach is by default the lowest pressure point. Eddy currents can form at any point and vary continuously, so ANY point where seals maybe compromised can be a point of unwanted intrusion. That being the case, how about having your coach Pressure / Vacuum tested at a reliable service center with the proper equipment to fine any leaks. I have a feeling that you have some in areas that allow soot intrusion to kind of puff its way in / not a continuous intrusion. Kind of sneaking in unnoticed and the doghouse seals do not get the attention they should. Kind of out of sight out of mind. Rich.

Mmpoore2, Welcome to the FMCA Forum! Pervost being one of the top end coaches, there is often a bay with the control systems and it is possible that something got bumped, this might have inadvertently disabled the Subwoofer along with the front speakers. I got to look at one of newer Prevost's a couple of years ago and the one bay looked like a computer server room! Could you post the make and model of your monitor, think you are referring to the coaches system monitoring and status panel ? Rich.

Frank, Welcome to the FMCA Forum ! From your information, it sounds like your Coach and generator engines get a good work out on a regular bases. So you do not need to worry about a stale gas issue. Regarding MMO. I have used it in the Gas powered equipment that I own and for the Engines on the small equipment we own. It is a product that has been around for years as a top cylinder lubricant and a number if aircraft owners use it in there engines. The mix ratio is generally 1 to 2 oz. per gallon. Frank, is your engine a 454 or the 8.1 L ? Rich.

sklonsdale, Welcome to the FMCA Forum! Question: You posted that you have a 454 engine. In 2001 chassis where using the 8.1 L engine and the OEM Cam and Crank sensors are prone to failing. Take a look at the Vin number and search the web and see if its on the NTSB recall list, if the Crank sensor is on recall. Then it should be covered in whole or part by GM. Hope you have your copy of the repair order !!! Rich.

Lucille, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Look up the uses for 20 mule train Borax. The original formula! Should the stain be just from water and no other item(s) mixed in it might do the job. see if the information gives you a good mixture for the application. Now, should you decide to try it, apply the solution to a out of sight small area; like in the closet area to see how it reacts to your ceiling material first. Rich.

Planocat, I did a little looking around the web regarding the ISL and the wrist pin failing. From Firehouse.com. It looks like it was an issue with engines from late 2005 and early 2006. an oiling issue in regards to the wrist pin. Rich.

DocKC: Welcome to the FMCA Forum! Please post the model and make of the inverter / charger that was installed in the coach. Then, we can better analyze your issue. Rich

Carl, That 0 makes a difference. The 300 series is a different animal! The problem and a 300 series had me stumped, but I never say never when it come to what might be in one of the coaches. This is a link to a manual that should cover the 3000 series. Look at the electrical section of the manual, it describes how to reset the automatic function. Page 10 and 11 cover things well and your unit is a 12 volt setup. http://www.dometicsanitation.com/QBank/EPiServer/SeaLand/Manuals/Toilets/VacuFlush-3000-Series_6455.pdf Rich.

Carl, Welcome to the FMCA Forum! This is a link to your model toilet, if you do not have this information. Must admit that I need to look it over myself, before offering any thoughts regarding you issue. https://edometic.com/allusr/pdoc.nsf/vc/96ECAD6A69C9A39785257A7D005F085D/$FILE/600346504%20Dometic%20300%20series%20RV%20toilet%20EN%20manual.pdf Rich.

Frank, I stumbled into this link that pictures the interior of your model and year coach, might help should interior items be removed. http://safarirv.tripod.com/ Rich.

Frank, Welcome to the FMCA Forum ! This is a link to some information on circuit tracing equipment, that one can use trace the wiring from the power source or from the end point. Something from the link might prove to be in your price range and cover all the applications one would need to reverse engineer the wiring layout. http://www.mitchellinstrument.com/electrical-test-and-measurement/circuit-tracers.html This is a link to the Tempo line of testers. It is divided into different categories, per application. There are a number of different stiles. I use the 508 series listed in this link. A little difficult when looking for or testing Data cables, only because of its design. Most of the applications Needed in my case is DC and AC power and control wiring so it fits the bill very well with out breaking the bank. http://www.lashen.com/vendors/tempo/manuals/ Rich.

Hey Cowboy, I do not know who is older but remember-- your as young as you feel. So if your doing what you where at 35, then your just a little younger then me !!! LOL Have a great New Year and we are still working on the Perry date! By the way have you cleaned out your personal mail BOX ?? Rich.

Computerguy, Welcome to the FMCA Forum! Regarding your headlights: The one big advantage to the old sealed beam style lights is that they do not pit and fog up like the newer plastic lamp housings and you get a nice clean piece of glass when one is replaced. The other plus from my point of view is the adjusters are far easier to set and durable. Thank You for your service!! Rich.

My Greeting goes to all of you that are part of this forum and for your interest and contributions. I do need to pass along a very special thank you to those who have served the country or there Country and there communities in the Military, as Police Officers, Firefighters, EMT/ Ambulance drivers and anyone that gives of there time to the many fine organizations that make a country truly one of a kind. God Bless you all !!!! Rich.

Mready50, Welcome to the FMCA Forum! Here is a link to the service manual for the model you listed: http://www.fourwheelcampers.com/NewDometicRefrigeratorManual.pdf Hope it helps pin down the problem. Rich

Racesport, Along with the voltage measurements and wiring changes posted by Brett, you might want to check the Horizontal and Vertical settings (adjustments) of your headlights. Should they be set incorrectly or aimed to low, the low beams will not light up the road very far ahead of the coach and it does not take much of an angle change to make a big difference. Rich.

Ike, Welcome to the FMCA Forum! This is one item regarding the cluster back lighting: 9. DIMMING Gauge, pointer and display backlight intensity are controlled by a 5000 +/-5 potentiometer. When the headlights are on, all of these features dim together in accordance with the dimmer position. A selection in the diagnostic menu on the message display will allow resetting to the original factory value (this value is calculated with no load connected in parallel with the backlighting input). If the headlights are off, the LCD backlighting will be on full bright. Rich.

Rob, Welcome to the FMCA Forum! From your description, I would suspect the starter Relay or solenoid that is between the starter solenoid (located on the Starter) and the ignition switch. ALL Connections need to be clean and tight for reliable operation, so a good cleaning of the connections could be in order. REMOVE the battery grounds before working on the large cable connections. The location of this item is generally close to the starter, this limits the length the heavy cable required to supply adequate current to the starter. Often referred to as the castle relay, with a wire from the ignition switch supplying power to the coil and one wire going to ground. 2 large wires run between the battery and one terminal of the relay contacts. The other goes from the relay to the starter solenoid. Should you find yourself in a no start setting and all else is working. One can jump across this relay to start the engine, BUT know what you are doing, using a jumper cable and when the engine cranks ! It is rather unnerving if you have never had to do this as you need to be under the engine in most cases !!! Work safe AND get HELP if you are not sure of this procedure. Rich.