dickandlois

RbrbRb, Could you post the Year of the coach? The pilot sensors do fail over time. If the coach is brand new, somebody did not do there job !!! The sensor needs to supply a small voltage like millivolts which is 1/1000th of a volt) and if the voltage is less than 25 millivolts replace the thermocouple. To Test them - one needs to remove it from the refrigerator - clamp it lightly in a vice using the mounting, connect the leads to a digital meter, use a butane lighter or a small torch set at a small flame - heat the tip and read the voltage. Not sure take a picture of the meter reading and attach it to a post. A paper clip bent open a little works well if the meter wires are to big to make a good solid connection for you to connect a meter to. NOTE ! The connections at the control board are very tight, so support the point on the board where the connection is made. Small needle nose pliers at the base of the connector and pull and on the wire connector with a little wiggle motion in line with the wide portion of the spade connection. It will look like this, but the mounting collar might be a little different. Rich.

Nan, The control boards will run at 11.00 volts, The reason the 12.5 was mentioned is in regards the to fans that move air behind the refrigerator - if your coach has then install. Those fans move more air over the coils at the back and more air movement equals better cooling. The fact that you can see a difference in the flame with the spare tank on line - will also help keep things cooler. The one item I forgot to mention was, what we call the dollar bill test. Place the bill between the door edge and the refrigerator box at multiple locations - pull on the bill and if it slides out easily - the seal has air space at that point - that allows the cool air to seep out. Raising inside the temperature. Rich. Nan, Brett mentioned defrosting the frig. and while that is going on, we clean the door seal area top, sides and bottom.

Nan, Brett and Frank have covered things to check and I can not add anything other then to check the battery voltage, Brett touched on it. The closer you are to 12.5 volts the better. So could you post the age of the house batteries. Do you use Solar to supplement you 12 volt requirement? Rich.

Jar, Welcome to the FMCA Forum ! The windshields in coaches are much higher and bigger then the ones in most trucks and vanes. Not knowing what kind of coach you are driving - if it is a bugger unit the job is best done inside. So call around and ask questions. There are locations around that specialize in the larger windshields and a number of them are excepted by insurance companies, but you need to know that right up front. Rich.

The Engine is just kind of getting broken in, if it has not been abused. The engine design should get you 300,000 miles or more. One of the engine designers is a shirt tall relation. When I bought a truck with the 8.1 L. Asked allot of questions. FYI, there are engines that have had Cam and Crank shaft sensor issue, so get the engine serial number and the Chassis Vin number - if there are issues they are on a recall. Rich.

Krik, Welcome to the FMCA Forum ! This is some thing that should be addressed! A knock sensor tells the engine ECM when one or more of your engine's cylinders are knocking, exploding the fuel mixture that results in less power and can cause engine damage if not corrected. The sensors cost from $ 35.00 to $ 90.00 and depends on where one buys them. You need to be aware of Knock offs that get into the parts supply lines. This might be a handy link to keep on file. https://www.ultrarvproducts.com/12591312-8.1L-Knock-Sensor-Asm Rich.

Bill, The Sequence is important ! So if you can watch the jacks as a helper starts the system and see if the first jack stops as soon as it its the ground(give or take a little) --Then the next jack should do the same thing. Do you have the owners manual for the system? If not then more information is needed = A call to Rev Group to get the information sent to you in the PDF format. Hopefully there will be some info on testing the ground sensors, where they are set mechanically and a re-calibration sequence. The system then goes through a dance sequence that the system considers level - from info sent to the control board from the level sensor. Rich.

Bill, Does the leveling system have ground contact sensors? The leveling systems with this feature lower the jacks in a sequence. Left front, right front, Right rear and Left rear. This tells the system when each jack makes ground contact. Rich.

Bill, The old ISB's will make one smile - our coach is 2 years older and the way it is loaded - runs at 10.5 to 11 Mpg(When I don't push it over 1900 RPM). If we run at 58 to 59 MPH it will run at 12+ but with any grades the transmission shift point drops out of 4th. at 50 mph and the MPG goes into the bucket -with a old MT-643 4 speed. The engine will make 990 Ft. Lbs but the torque converter and ECM setup used, drops that to 660 ft Lbs. The maximum input for the transmission. The Load setup for the trans is 42,000 Lbs. and that is well above the the load of the coach. I have to be leave that it was one of the last coaches with the transmission, because the wiring harness is set up for the touch button selector all so. Had the valves reset at 80,000 and that gave me smoother operation and about .5 to .7 more in MPG. Been adding cetane to the fuel the last 18 months and the engine likes that to. Decided to add it after reading that the cetain levels where will below 40 quit often when measured at the pumps. Rich.

Yep ! Hard keeping track of the suppliers then shooting Quail ! I was a lot younger then to. Rich.

Things are a little twisted Lippert, Power Gear, Kwickee and IDS are now combined under LCI. Link to there home page. https://www.lci1.com/ Everything is under Drew Industries Inc. They have been slowly acquiring a number of the RV industry supply companies. Drew completed the acquisition of Actuant Corp., gaining the Power Gear and Kwikee brands, and expanding its product offerings in leveling systems, slideout mechanisms and steps, primarily for motorhome RVs. Rich.

Just a note about the road side assistance insurance. We have always had it for the cars and the kids also and over the years some interesting interactions. The ones that stand out have been - Toe Truck drivers listing on there radios and jumping road service calls. Should this happen they will not honer the insurance carrier. With the Advent of cellphones this issue has decreased, but always be on your toes. Like Chris, I have also had a roadside tire truck not have the proper sized socket on the truck and you need to remember that - the service tech does not own them a truck or car fleet service does and some drivers do not always keep things picked up or know that the correct tools are on the truck. Carrying the proper sized sockets does have its advantages. As they say BTDT. When one needs help and you have roadside service, when those trucks show up and turn on there emergency lights in high traffic areas they are often putting there welfare on the line to help you. SO, when you see a service truck on the side of the road - Just move over or slow down - The difference can be someones life and the difference in your arrival time is only seconds most of the time. Rich.

gordiegaffer, This is a manual link for a Winnebago leveling system that might match your system? https://www.lci1.com/assets/content/support/manuals/Leveling and Stabilization/Kwikee/pg_1422192.pdf Rich.

I agree with Dave. Going to Hiawassee from the East on Rt 17 / 75 is easier then going in on 66 / from Rt. 128 at Blairsville. You will be traveling on Rt that kind of fallows the Trail of Tears. It is very Country, but a nice relaxing area to spend some time. Rich.

jeffmfi, Welcome to the FMCA Forum ! The smell is Hydrogen Sulfide / the rotten egg smell. FYI it is best for your own safety, when you smell or notice the battery bowling - To disconnect the coach from shore power , let it set for 10 min. then hose things down real well. As posted you have a bad battery, that needs to be replaced. The battery should have lasted longer then 8 months though. One Does fail from time to time, but have the charging systems tested - both the Charger when connected to shore power and the Engine Alternator. The Key also could be the way your charger is setup in the charging menu, charging current to high for the battery rating. This is where more information is helpful. So if you could post the Make, Model and year of the coach along with information on the charger / inverter installed in the coach, you help the members offer better information. Then when things settle down add the information , at the bottom of the page like Richard has done, and if you need some help doing it just ask and someone will help you with that also. Rich.

Mike, I have the cord from the generator to the ATS, Because the generators need to be removed for service at times, it is hard for me to see them running the power cable from the gen all the way to the ATS. Not impossible though. The J box for the generator is located up front real close to where the generator is - because the Onan generators power output is on the left side as you look at it from the front. and the box is mounted on or near the top of the front fire wall. The generator feed - should kind of stand out as it is a flexible link from the genset to the J box. I guess there could be a junction box in that compartment to route wires to the power distribution panel and converter. Most inverters have 2 circuit brakes that feed 2 circuits in the coaches(Bypassing the sub panel) or one 30 amp breaker that feeds a sub panel - 1-30 amp cable would be 10 gauge. The power to the inverter runs from the main circuit panel, will be a 10 gauge wire with a designated circuit breaker. The Wires to and from the inverter are located behind a removable cover on the inverter. There is a bus bar for the grounds and one for common feeds, plus screw terminals for the black wire (The hot side.) for both the input side and the output side, that information should be in you owner / user manual. Rich.

Joe, believe it or not, Fleetwood has some recalls out on some of there coaches - because the spring that locks the breakers fails and can cause arching and panel damage.. With the recall there could have been a fire or 2 that did not come out! Rich.

Mike, I have not seen any negative or problem issues with the roof AC or water heater wiring caused by loose connection at the connections at those items. The real issue is at the main power panels, the transfer switch and the generator "J" Box interface wiring between the generators and the coach wiring going to the Automatic transfer switches. The only other item that has come up from time to time is the ground wire that connects the generator ground to the Chassis has failed or come loose. All are considered high current points that need to be checked and serviced as needed. Just added this PDF file that might help understand the 120 volt electrical wiring for a 50 amp system, a 30 amp is slightly different. Rich. Typical 50 Amp power distribution layout.pdf

Joe, The park brake on the Fred Chassis is applied by a foot peddle - if I have the information correct and getting the parts is an issue scene that chassis has fallen out of favor with the coach builders. I have not spent any time digging into that. The chassis is still being built for the trucking industry I think. A lot that I have not looked into - just feedback from some Fred chassis owners that have had problems getting them fixed. Rich.

The OP needs to look into the parking brake system, Freightliner is now having some issues getting parts for the chassis used for motorhomes. The last I was aware of ! Rich.

Yep ! A number of the companies making items for the RV manufactures are now consolidated under Drew Industries Inc. Rich.

Five, They are not real responsive now days. Running on a small crew and the coach builders get the front sets. Rich.

OK ! It's one of the simple ones and all you need is a SMALL grease gun specific to the job ! There are small grease fittings at the bottom of the hydraulic cylinders and they are kind-of hidden by the ground plates, but right at the bottom of the cylinder there is a small grease fitting. (The new cylinder often have them pressed in / instead of screwed in, from what I have gotten feedback on) Anyway - buy a small gun with a tube of White Lithium grease, Each fitting gets 2 shots (More is not always better) of the grease and that keeps the bottom seals expanded enough to keep the hydraulic fluid in. The issue with you New coach is that someone forgot to grease them. LOL and by doing that it very well could stop the small leak. There is a note in the older Power Gear manuals that mentions greasing them ever 30 cycles(jacks down / jacks up) is a cycle. That grease also keeps the jack rams in good condition and relatively clean. There is not one sales person that will say -I knew that !!!!! Good luck and let me know if greasing the leaky one fixes the problem and if it does, put a shot of grease in the other 3. keep an eye no them for leaks. Rich. Let me know, Thanks. Freightliner does not install the jacks - Coach builder does !!!! Found the Service information related to the jacks. WARNING: Your coach should be supported at both front and rear axles with jack stands before working underneath, failure to do so may result in personal injury or death. 1. Check the fluid level every month. Fill the reservoir with the jacks in the fully retracted position. On vertical pump assemblies, the fluid should be within 1/4 inch of the fill port lip and checked only with all jacks retracted. On horizontal pump assemblies, the fluid level should be up to the weep hole on the side of the reservoir tank and checked only with all jacks retracted. 2. Change fluid every 24 months. I have extended this suggested fluid cycle, but the coach has not been in a hearse or saltwater environment over extended period. 3. Inspect and clean all hydraulic pump electrical connections every 12 months. 4. Remove dirt and road debris from jacks as needed. 5. If jacks are down for extended periods, it is recommended to spray exposed chrome rods with a silicone lubricant every seven days for protection. If your coach is located in a salty environment (within 60 miles of coastal areas), it is recommended to spray the rods every 2 to 3 days. 6. Jacks equipped with grease fittings at the bottom of the cylinder should be greased with light weight lithium grease using a hand pump style grease gun only. 2 or 3 pumps should be sufficient for every 20-30 uses. 7. Do not use a high pressured was/rinse system on any of the components associated with the leveling system. This includes the pump, pump motor, wiring harness, control and touchpad. THE USE OF A HIGH PRESSURE WASH/RINSE SYSTEM WILL VOID THE WARRANTY.

Bill, Nice coach, so glad that your experience has been positive for the most part. Regarding issue number 5, By chance are the leveling jacks made by Power Gear? If so there might be a fix for the fluid leak and no need to go in for service if you are interested. Let me know and safe and happy travels. Rich.

Roger, Hey that will work, but you might want to find a way to keep them in place as you shack, rattle and roll down the road! You just know that they will never move much when your parked. Rich.