dickandlois

The thermostat failed on my coach and we went through the same items before it was replaced. The saddle portion that holds the spring an valve assembly in place, split at the top and the thermostat could not open and close properly. It might be a good item to check. Rich.

Made some edits and added a new seals file to my post covering forged windows. Rich.

If the coach is level then that should be enough. Like Bill said,check the fuel lines,rust may have opened some pin holes is line. Also check any rubber couplings in the fuel line. Then check the fuel filters. The fuel pump has a rubber diaphragm that may have failed. Rich.

Herman, In this case the heat inside the Doghouse is high enough to cause the Regulator Diodes to fail. This has been an ongoing issue since the coach was built. The first change was to go from a 130 amp alternator to a 160. A change put out by Fleetwood. Then I went to a 200 amp alternator,trying to compensate for all the load. I even installed a 14.5 volt regulator. This caused the ECM to offer up a check engine light,although it never set a fault code. When the diodes fail all kinds of issue come up with the electrical system and control modules. When things are cold everything works, Heat is my enemy. If I power the 12 VDC system from the Generator/charger by turning the Alternator into an expensive pulley, everything works fine for hrs. Rich.

A follow up regarding a Delco replacement Alternator for my Coach. They make a 28SI series that will bolt up the same as the OEM unit. The 28 SI comes in a 160,180 and 200 amp version. 12 and 24 volts. They are available in a Pad Mount Version and the J180 Version that has a Long and Short Hinge Mounting. One needs to do a little rewiring to connect the Alternator Exciter circuit. They are about twice the cost of the OEM units. So if the OEM unit is $150.00 the 28 series is around $300.00. There are aftermarket units out there. I have a complete list of the OEM numbers for them,to many to list; but will post numbers for any particular units if you know what you are looking for. If nothing else it might get you real close to a match. I will see if the extra cost is worth it over the next few months and years.. Rich.

I found this source for Slide Topper material and ordered new material for my large slide. They where very helpful and the material has worked well for us. I changed the material myself with a little help from my son. The real trick is the tension of the springs in the roller tubes. One needs to work safely, locking the roller so it does not unwind is the area that requires Great Care. Not for the faint of heart. The rest of the job is not bad with just a little help from a extra pair of hands. http://www.rv-motorh...out-topper.html Found them to be very helpful and willing to help. Hope you find them as good to work with as I did. They will install the fabric for you also. Rich.

Bruce ! I just updated some info. on my previous post. Good luck Rich.

Bruce, I put together some information covering how the air system works. I will try to attach a PDF file I put together as I struggled to understand how things worked. can not do it directly on the thread. I sent some information to you in a privet message. From your description of how the gauge responds. I keep thinking its a dump valve issue. Could be the dump valve for the ride height sticking or the 12 volt solenoid not closing properly. The fact that when you power down the engine and restart it generally clears the low air pressure problem in the secondary air supply loop,because the gauge reads the proper air level within a short time. Think its a sticky valve or solenoid. The other item to check is for a loose or corroded connection at the solenoid and maybe right at the auto switch in the console. Rich.

Bruce, Brett is correct about a air module problem and Frieghtliner Chassis. The only thing I question is, you mention one reads 60 psi. Is it changing its reading up and down,or a steady 60 psi.? The problems with the module have generally been with the gauges jumping from one reading to another. Generally the green gauge reads the pressure for the rear brakes and the Red reads the pressure for the front brakes and the ride height controls and will often rise and fall between 90 and 120+ psi. as one drives down the road. There have been times when the plumbing to the gauges was reversed during manufacturing or repair. This will give a proper reading for the rear brake air level that could be on the red gauge,confusing the driver. The rear brake pressure needs to be above 45lbs. to keep the park brake form engaging. Brett mentioned using a brush,I have used a spray bottle with success when the connections or the location is very hard to access. Rich.

Had to look at the mileage. We have put 30K on the present set(s). 95% at highway speeds 60 to 70 mph. 6 and 1/2 years on them. Traveled to the West Coast, Midwest and Texas so far. The wear patterns are the same considering there placement and weight distribution. Now that we are able to travel more I wanted to get a baseline for them tires,so I could get a better idea on cost of rolling rubber. I have also been much more aware of what the long haul drivers are using on there tractors. They put so many more miles on that they wear them out before they age out. Rich

Have been running XZE's on the front and XRV's on the duals just to run my own little test. Both have run equally well. The interesting thing is the XZE has held up better regarding sidewall cracking then the XRV. They have very close build dates, so my simple mind tells me that the two may have a little different compound mix in the rubber. The wear is so close that they will age out before they wear out. Rich.

William, Just posted a thread regarding Alternators. Boy oh Boy did I miss this one! They can be a pain to remove, you NEED too tape up the red wire running to the battery positive connections. Not knowing your skill level, take some pictures of the connections and label the wires so you can reconnect them correctly. Detension the belt, use some penetrating oil on all the bolts. Loosen all the bolts. The hardest one is the bolt running through the hinge point ,if your set up uses this type mount. They weigh about 20 lbs. and can be hard to hold and there is little more then room for one person. So work safe and maybe get someone to help hold the alternator. Bottom bolts come out first and top ones last, this allows the helper to get a hand under it and out of the way of the area for the top one(s) so they can be removed. Hope this helps. Rich

This may get to be a bit long, but over the past few years I have had a number of Alternators go bad. The thing is they do not really quit. They just cause strange things to happen to my speedometer, cruse control, ECM information and the VMSpc operation. The problems are intermittent. When everything is cool / cold no problem, but as the temperature rises the items listed above take on a mind of there own. We often drive for an extended time. During the night time everything works fine, nice cool air. During the daytime when things heat up everything starts to go South. When I install a new Alternator everything works fine for about 12 to 18 months. This last trip things went bad again, so I stopped and shutdown the engine. Removed the alternator exciter wire. The Alternator is now no more then an expensive pulley. I then started the generator and used the battery charger / Inverter as my power supply for the engine and chassis electrical. Everything worked just fine as we traveled down the road for another 6 hrs. The next morning I reconnected the alternator circuit and started off down the road.Everything worked fine for about 1 to 1 1/2hrs.Then the alternator got hot enough to cause problems. This required the alternator to be disabled again and the use of the generator. The way things act for me are: The speedometer goes nuts, needle jumps from 0 to 50 or 50 to 80+mph. The Tachometer stays right at the set RPM's. When the cruse control is disengaged it will reset, but the system surges and jumps. The ECM check engine light will flash on and off never sets a code. With the Silverleaf running, The alternator over voltage will cause the gauge to jump all over and a warning bell will sound from the software. Also, a clacking(Audio)sound is produced(By the VMSpc-Silverleaf software I use)when the speed signal is corrupted by the noise present on the 12 volt power feeds to the instrument cluster. This also affects other instruments as the noise level on the 12 volt supply circuits increases. I will be installing a Delco alternator, in my case that will have a higher operating temperature and a better cooling system. The price is double the OEM unit, but I have changed out to many not too. Would have saved a lot of money and time had I done this years ago. The Leece- Neville and Bosch units fail but at a much lower rate in my humble opinion,but all will fail in time. So if you have an intermittent issue(S), that as you watch Them happen in regards to temperature, Think alternator / regulator failure due to terminal break down... See my alternator problems photo gallery. 11-6-2014. > Added some additional information and pictures in the gallery section. My thoughts regarding the failure of the alternators in some model coaches when traveling in elevated ambient temperatures. They fail due to the very high temperatures generated from the Exhaust Manifold, Turbo, and to some extent the radiator cooling line location and the Muffler placement on some coaches> due to limited air movement. I built a air duct, that collects exterior ambient temperature air and directs it to the rear of the Alternator; that appears to reduce the temperature of the alternator. I have only run this modification for 6 months, but I went and installed an alternator that would cause excessive noise on the 12 volt output when it got hot and ran it for well over 7,000 miles this past summer with no issues until it finally failed for good. The unit I tested would not work when the ambient temperature exceeded 85deg. F. With the addition of cooler air, this alternator continued to work at ambient temperatures in excess of 95 to 100 degs. The same unit worked very well when the ambient temperatures where below 80degs. and when traveling at night with the add load of all the lights. ( Note! I traveled all the way to the west cost and back with no issues) Now! I did carry a replacement, but it was still in the box when we parked at home. http://community.fmca.com/gallery/album/469-keeping-the-alternator-cool/ I talked to Martin from Silverleaf at the Indy Rally, August(9/2012)and He confirmed my observations of picking up a failing Alternator by the way the software and computer respond to noise being generated in the alternator diodes. Added 9/14/12. Rich. Just Wanted to add a possible item that could cause engine alternator problems. It is a remote possibility that the charger / inverter unit could have an electrical item(s) starting to fail. Primarily the diodes or a capacitor starting to brake down putting an intermittently high load on the alternator output. Look at this link to see if anything sounds familiar. http://community.fmca.com/topic/9148-inverter-on-or-off/#comment-63001

The Other item to consider is (are) the check valves between the primary and secondary air tanks. Red is Secondary air supply and Green is Primary Air Supply. The check valves hold air in the system as long as possible so one can stop the coach safely. The check valves are set to hold a 60 to 65 lb. pressure for the air brakes to funtion. The other item to check is the dump valve to lower the coach . Where the ride height points checked before this problem popped up? The pressure in the Secondary tank will not go above 60 lbs. if the ride valves are open.. Been there done that...and you do not relay hear the leak. Rich.

Read the thread, Possible Coach Air System Problem: http://community.fmca.com/topic/3407-possible-coach-air-system-problem/ Started by Trabuco, 22 Nov 2011 This sounds like the same issue, Like Brett said if you have a Freightliner Chassis, this is a very common problem caused by a cold solder connection in the module sending information to your air pressure Gauges. Rich.

Reading the complete thread I did not see the air supply hose that runs from the intake manifold to the input of the air compressor mentioned. They can fail and the loss of bust occurs. A blown hose will produce a whooshing or similar sound. Happens on the Cummings Engines,not sure how Cat makes the connection. Rich.

Just another note, When towing a Toad, The price is calculated per axle and vehicle class. So they hit you for a heavier class for the Toad. This makes it cheaper to separate the two when going through the tool both and get the proper class ticket for each vehicle. Should one be driving a long distance on a Toll Road it can really add up. I have no clue if once your are through the entrance and stop, hookup the toad again and pay for the 2 tickets at the other end what they would say; but to me its only fair because of the weight difference. We have done both and it was cheaper to drive them separately. Very Interesting, Rich.

I thought I sent my post, Just forgot the hit the post button. Anyway, Many of the gas grills are setup with a single stage regulator for use with the 1lb. bottles. When using the 20lb. tanks or the Coach LP tank as a source can damage this type regulator. A double stage regulator is required when using the bigger tanks. You may need to replace the small regulator at the grill that controls the flame. You will need the proper Hoses / Adapters to make the connection. Weber Grills and MR. Heater have some good web information. Hope this helps ! Rich..

Bill Check out this link and see if it looks like your steps. If they look the same. There have been issues with the control modules and the motors. The other items that need continued TLC is keeping things lubricated and good ground connections. http://www.strombergcarlson.com/store/products.php?categoryParentName=RV+Steps+%26+Step+Accessories&categoryName=Electric+RV+Steps Rich.

Try This Link. http://www.milepost.com/ Check the bottom of the page. It list the High / Low prices for Alaska, AB and BC each day by town / location. Also check into Reservation locations and prices. Rich.

campcop, The only times I have run into this problem was when the king pins or ball joints where binding. This problem was an issue from day one. The shop managers assured me that after some miles where put on the truck it would correct itself. I drove it for 2500 miles and returned for some required brake in maintenance. The mechanic did the required service and took the truck for a road test. He came into the waiting area and asked me if I was experiencing any difficulty with the steering, well it does drive very different from other trucks I have owned. What do think is causing the problem,I ask. Well! Think it needs a complete front end check and then we will know. After a short time the Shop Manager came in and explained the the man was a new mechanic and that I was told that it was in my head. Short story, after many letters and visits the entire front axle assembly was replaced. Problem solved. The second case was a binding King pin on the right side only and after that work was done it never had another problem. You should have a full warranty, as the unit is brand new. Sometimes one must keep pushing to get things fixed. Taking it to a good Ford Truck Garage and having them check and drive it on the road may be needed. An insist that you ride along so you can see how the mechanic handles the problem. After a good 30 minutes of driving you will be very aware of how he is coping with the wandering problem. Rich.

Pat, Sounds like the material in the hose is braking down. Do not know how old it is,but to save other problems with the BBQ just replacing it would be a good idea in my mind. I did read an article some where on this problem,but for the life of me I can not remember where. Get as case of CRS from time to time. Rich.

John, Reading your post and Brett's response. Sounds like Brett's suggestion of checking all the connections in the starter area and the connections at the positive terminals at the Chassis batteries is in order. The ground connections between the engine and frame should be clean and tight. How old is the coach? The other thought is the starter brushes are causing a problem. You mentioned that it tried to turn over,that should eliminate the starter solenoid and relay. When you tried to start after the first time and it tried to engage,has the starter circuit made any clicking sounds? Even with the batteries in a weekend condition the starter circuit should react even if the engine does not turn over. Should this be the case, then if you have a soft-blow hammer or even a block of wood to rap the starter a few times, even with someone turning the key might engage the starter. They can start this way so work safe and do not jump to far if the engine starts. Should it start,it tells me that the starter brushes and / or armature have issues. The starter will need to be rebuilt or replaced. This trick works a few times,but it will not start after a few times even with the banging. Hope this helps! Rich.

Herman, We took the ferry to Newfoundland back in 73. They put Trains,Trucks and cars on them. I did not see them load any planes !! Think it took about 2hrs to load the thing. Then a 7 to 8 Hr. ride to the Island. We just stayed in the lounge area,did not get a room. They have recliners that one can take a nap in if you like. The main roads where not to bad. The farther off the main drag, they changed to dirt,but that was 39 years ago. The bigger the Coach the higher the price, so if your going for longer then a couple of days it might be worth the price. Some of the best seafood I have ever eaten. We did not stay on the Island, but continued on to ferry over to Labrador. Now ! What they called roads, where more like trails, but that was 40 years ago. Youth is an interesting time of life. How adventurous are you??? The Road in to the Ranch might look like a super highway when you get back. R.M.

Jim, this link will picture the VEC boxes used on the newer Coaches. They are OEM specific for each chassis builder. there for no two will be exactly the same. http://www.cooperindustries.com/content/dam/public/bussmann/Transportation/Resources/catalog_pages/BUS_Tns_31000-32000.pdf What you have may be different,but this could help in finding where the wire goes to. Rich.