dickandlois

Mr M. Have you placed a vinegar solution in the tank and let it set for a 24 hr period? The real trick might be draining the tank out the drain plug - if that is where the electric Hot Rod is installed. Should that be the case you might need to remove the heating element, install a drain plug in place of the element for 24 hrs. Put 4 gallons of vinegar in through the safety valve and top it off to the point where the mix starts draining out the hole. Don't want to remove the hot shot - pull the safety valve and syphon out the water and the mix once it has set for 24 hrs. I buy a case of 4 - 1 Gal. bottles from a bulk store like Sam,s Cosco . It is not all that expensive though so any food store should stock them. Then drain the tank and flush out the tanks with a hose placed in the safety valve opening and run water until all the junk is out and just clear water is exacting the tank. It is also a good time to get a look at the hot shot condition. Good luck - Rich.

There is a small fuse inside the inverter that operates the transfer switch circuit. Need to find the picture of the circuit board that it is located on. You need to remove all AC source power !!! Remove the top cover and inside there is a 1-1/4 in. old style fuse. The wiring for a single output inverter input and output system. Still need to find the circuit board pictures !! Rich. There are 2 internal fuses, one marked in red is under the board. The second one is marked in black >> One needs to work carefully and have skills working with electronic circuits to measure the fuses for continuity and take pictures of EVERY connection you plan on removing to reassemble things in the proper orientation and order !!! Doc4.pdf This is a PDF picture of the fuse locations that you can expand.

Is the large 250 amp fuse in the DC charging line good ? This would keep the coach batteries from charging and still supply AC when you are connected to the generator and or Shore power. This would match the issue you described, if I'm reading things correctly. Rich.

wla7pca7, The link below covers what I did to replace the door handle and lock on our coach. Could you post information on the make of the make of the handle and key assemble installed on your coach. Rich. Note- I could get the door to open by lifting up on the handle so it would rotate, might work in your case!

Got to admit that I.m not positive, but your discrimination of the issue sure sounds like it has the VDC unit? And yes it could be in the same area. You might just give Monaco a call and ask, if the chassis is equipped with one and if not what would cause the same problem described in the information I posted. Rich.

tojomi, Welcome to the FMCA Forum ! Sounds like you have a VDC Unit that has a bad solder joint issue, not uncommon for this Module. The vacuum pressure gauges jump around ! Look at the PDF file and see if this module looks like a unit - mounted in or around the engine compartment, These modules can cost around $1000.00 new, but can be repaired in most cases with the right skill sets. Do not try if you do not have some good soldering skills. Rich. vdcrepair.pdf

Carl, You finished your coffee before me, and hit the send box first. LOL Rich.

flokerns, Welcome to the FMCA Forum Links that might help find the master cylinder https://www.millsupply.com/stepvan-parts/john-deere-oshkosh-brake-parts/master-cylinder-hydroboost-for-freightliner-mt35-oshkosh-john-deere/ https://www.millsupply.com/stepvan-parts/john-deere-oshkosh-brake-parts/hydromax-brake-booster-and-master-cylinder/ Rich. HYDRO MAX POWER BRAKE BOOSTER.pdf

Thanks Bob, Hot 02 sensor, kind of make me lean towards the engine also running on the lean side. So it might be a good time to change the air filter, clean or replace the air flow sensor and take a look at a couple spark plugs to see what the gap looks like. Good luck and let the group know what things looked like and how everything turned out. Rich. Interesting that the number one Ox sensor went - the number 2 Ox sensor on my 8.1 is the one that shows up. from time to time - but mine does have 145,000 miles on it. I call it my over sized Vet. The only thing it will not pass is a gas station. LOL

The reason you can get the engine out of limp mode when you disconnect the battery is the ECM memory is erased and the engine needs to run for a period of time for the ECM to read all the sensor information and if the 02 sensor voltage is out of range or the MAP sensor is not reading the proper air flow - it will go into limp mode > the MAP - Mass Air Flow sensor tells the ECM what the fuel mixture for the load should be - So if the fuel mix is rich or lean the engine will go into limp mode. This is to protect the engine from serious damage if the mixture is to lean, one can damage the pistons and valves. Rich. What codes does the garage or someone else get from your ECM ?

We use cutting boards at home made from Maple, but they are a little heavy, so we use a plastic cutting board while traveling in the coach. Rich. Like dkreuzen mentioned, Corian is pricey and matching colors can be challenging !

Like WildeBill said - this is a new one for me also. LOL Jim, kind of thinking along the same line as Tom. If you have a remotely operated awning, there is a possibility of a ground issue at the 12 volt and control board edge connection. The ignition circuit that generates the high voltage spark uses an oscillator circuit and if the frequency is close to the remove control frequency, what is known as a side-band frequency is interfering with the awning control module. The quest things to check and clean are all the water heater control board edge connections(use a clean,soft pencil eraser) to buff the copper portion of the connection located on the water heater control module. Reconnect and cycle the water heater ! No Joy ? Then check all the other connection at the LP relay and the Green / yellow ground wire connections around the same area are also clean and tight. Should that not work, just disconnect that connector and retry by recycling the water heater again - no problem - then you have isolated the area of the interference and if you have never replaced the water heater control module - that would be the next item to try. Let the group know what the results are. Rich.

Welcome to the FMCA Forum! There is always a first time for interesting things to happen ! Like DD Mentioned - it might just float out on its own, kind of depends on how the drain system is setup; but if there is a sharp right angle bend it could also get caught in the area of the gate valve. In that case one might need to remove the gate valve(s) depending on the way things are set up. Rich.

Like Tom mentioned, when you get into Indiana, your are kind of in the center of RV country. So members where would go to have a Freightliner Custom Chassis serviced? Rich,

The cost of the parts from Freightliner was in the neighborhood of 200.00 / 220.00 per unit. The rear springs are more straight forward to replace and the front ones are a little more involved time / labor wise. The OEM cost for them was as good or better them other suppliers and the parts where the correct ones for the chassis. We have a truck service center in the area that does a good job on most of the chassis work and is also medium / heavy duty inspection certified. There labor rates are about half what the RV service centers charge and they replace and service hundreds of them a year. There labor rate at the time was around 60.00 an hr. compared to the factory centers. FTI, They repair, dump trucks, Over the road tractor trailers, buses, ambulances, firetrucks and school buses. So you might look around the area for information on good truck spring shop(s) They did replace some brake parts for me when I asked them to do an R and R job an I was not real clear regarding the replacement of items. MY bad - they know me to well and in the past I have done work that as I have gotten older no longer have the strength to do. Kind of where the mind says go and the body says you know better. LOL The shop could also reset the ride height properly. Rich.

Brett, I have to agree with you over all, but the air bags do dry out and stiffen over time, I did replace all 4 of mine over 2 years. The rear ones had a very small leak down issue that was found with some diligent use of soupy water over a few months. After the rears where replaced the front ones where replaced the following summer. Not because of leaks - but the difference of riding on a more supple air spring was very noticeable. Just a Note ! I did find out that the only case for roadside assistance for a failed air spring in our policy was if the bladder blowout like a tire. ?? and the coach chassis was built in 1999. The coach was built about 18 months later. Rich.

Strats, Thanks for your feedback. Could you post the size of the fuse the was bad for the group? Did not go back and read you complete list of posts, but where the towed turn signals also inoperative? Like Wildebill mentioned - they do hide items in some out of the way locations and over the years, there have been a sizable number of items tucked away in the main wiring harnesses ! Many of the newer wiring setups have placed more of the fuses in fuse boxes, but owners will often be looking for items like Diodes and fuses that are tucked away in the wiring and not mentioned in the general information - only in the main wiring drawings and that information tends to be only filed at Frightliner or other chassis builder production centers. Along with a reluctance by many service centers to work on the Custom Chassis build for a specific application, issues or items like this are snakes in the grass just passing time to raise up and bit. Thanks again for your reply !!! Rich.

Like Kay asked, Kind of thinking something did not get connected or a cable is connected to the wrong point. Check the wiring between the generator and the battery Connections. Everything worked before the batteries where replace? Unlikely the person that replaced the batteries removed anything other then the main battery cables unless you had some other service work done. Generator ground connection good? The starter circuit for the generator - if you have a remote starter point that is not working / can you start the generator at the generator, using a switch mounted on the generator? Could you post the make and model number of the Generator? Does the generator run on LP or Gas? Rich.

The common practice for wiring the 12 volt plugs is to connect them to 1 or 2 circuits power from the chassis battery. The fuse box for the gas power units is in the engine compartment and is under the hood outside, not under the doghouse. Could have 1- 30 amp fuse or maybe 2 -20 amp fusses. These circuits are often referred to as the coach builders convenience outlets. Rich.

This fuse does not fail very often! The last one that I found on a coach - was damaged when a tow truck drive thought those big terminals would make a good spot to jump start a coach. Coach's are not just trucks with an oversized cab. The owner really had no clue regarding where to connect the jumper cables. Rich.

Lloyd, The readings on the batteries are with in the range one would expect - that being the case and the inverter running normally takes the charging systems out of the mix. Frrom your last post - it sounds like all the 120 volt systems are working and the inverter output is working. That place the problem in the wiring for the 12 volt system. Of course once I turn the engine off it all dies --- This is the key to the problem. The Key is to find out why the 12 volt system drops out shortly after the engine or generator are turned off. Sounds like from your description that there is a relay dropping out A decaying 12 volts - holds the circuit on until a voltage drops some and at that point in the circuit drops below the ability to keep the relay closed. 12 volt disconnect circuit / also known as the salesman switch. accomplishes the same results - turns off all 12 volts to the coach, BUT not to the chassis 12 volts. Make one test for me ! Do the electric steps work - when the problem of no 12 volts happens ? Kind Of thinking, Kay might be on to something - regarding the coach battery ground connections. Good ground connections issue is at the top of the list for many intermittent problems ! Rich.

lloydwells, Welcome to the FMCA Forum ! Dead Battery and engine starts with the generator running. Does the inverter work and what is the voltage reading on the house / coach batteries? What is the voltage reading on the chassis batteries with the engine running? and also the voltage reading of the coach / house batteries. Repeat the test with the generator reading and post the voltage of the batteries and post the results for both charging systems. What are the voltages for the batteries when you are connected to shore power ? Rich.

Bill, you might try to contact this group and see if they have some information or contacts that might be of help. The Wanderlodge may no longer be built, but because Blue Bird motorhomes were solid, they’re still very popular. The Vintage Birds chapter has 172 families. If you’re a current owner or even a former owner of a Blue Bird Wanderlodge or BMC, you’re encouraged to join. See the chapter’s website, http://www.vintagebirds.com/, for more information, or contact Jim Miller at (607) 898-4701; email jem590@aol.com. Rich.

Welcome to the FMCA Forum ! The attached file might offer some help and you might try to look up IPX contact information to fined a location in Canada. There are internal fuse(s) for the module and on post had an issue where water condensation on the Dash AC unit got into the module under the dash and caused the same issue you have described. The module is not weather proof and water worked its way into the electronics by capillary action and corroded the electrical circuits. Rich. Smart Wheel _TROUBLESHOOT.pdf

Kevin. A little long, but need to get some good base line information. Because it happens at the same time - 10:00 PM every time. sounds like it's a clock controlled item. I do not have any information on the system regarding the programming or an error log. Might contact Magnum service to see if they can offer any insight. You do not mention any error codes, but the red LED will go off if there is an error or issue somewhere. You did mention running the AC units ! Are you trying to run them off the inverter directly? 2000 Watts is not enough power to start or run them. That requires around 3000 to 3500 watts to run each unit and I can not believe the coach would be wired that way. From the method you use to reset things by running the generator and then going back to shore power sounds like a ATS issue or possible loose connection(s) in the 120 volt AC power panel(s) Things get shaken up well going down the road. So checking ALL the screw connections of the grounds, neutrals and circuit beakers might be in order. If you do not feel safe working on the power panels - get some help. Items do expand and contract between the heat of the day and the cooler air at night, but for the issue to happen at the same time every night ? Power companies do switch from different suppliers to match the load request of there customers and the inverter internal transfer speed is in fractions of a second. Would that be an issue and only Magnum could answer that question ! This is how they should work. From what I do have on file. The MS Series inverter/charger has two modes of operation: INVERTER (providing power to your appliances from the batteries) and AC (running from shore power or a generator). Whenever the inverter is in AC mode, it passes power directly to your appliances as well as recharges the batteries using a 3-stage battery charger (Bulk, Absorption and Float). This approach to battery charging provides rapid and complete charging cycles without placing undue stress on the batteries. Inverter operation is fully automatic. Search With search mode enabled, the inverter pulses the AC output looking for an electrical appliance (typically 5 to 100 watts, depending upon the setting youve selected). Whenever there is no load detected, the inverter automatically goes into search mode (sleep) to minimize energy consumption. During this time, the inverters green LED flashes (fast) to indicate SEARCH mode. When an appliance is switched on inside the coach, the inverter recognizes the need for power and automatically starts the inverter Inverter Mode Whenever AC Shore Power is no longer sensed, the inverter automatically transfers to battery power with no interruption to your appliances. The inverters green LED flashes once every 2 seconds (medium flash) to indicate it is running on battery power and providing AC to the coach. AC Shore Power Mode Whenever AC Shore Power is sensed, the inverter automatically transfers to the shore power with minimal interruption to your appliances. Overload During inverter and AC Shore Power operation, the inverter monitors the AC and DC circuits. In the event of a short-circuit or overload condition, the inverter will shut down. The inverters LED turns OFF to indicate the fault condition. Overtemperature During inverter operation, if the inverter becomes overheated, it will shut down to protect itself from damage. The inverters LED turns OFF to indicate the fault condition. WARNING: Prior to performing these checks, switch both the AC and DC circuits OFF. Visually inspect the batteries for cracks, leaks, or swelling - replace if necessary Use baking soda to clean and remove any electrolyte spills or buildups Check and tighten all battery hold down clamps Clean and tighten (10 to 12 foot pounds) all battery terminals and connecting cables Check and fill battery water levels (Liquid Lead Acid batteries only) Check individual battery voltages (replace those that vary more than 0.3 VDC of each other) Check all cable runs for signs of chafing - replace if necessary Check the inverters cooling vents - clean as necessary Check and tighten (16 foot pounds) the inverters internal AC terminal block connections(All 120 volt AC connections need to meet this specification.) Rich.