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Fantastic, thanks for the pointers and advice, I really apprecaite it. Many thanks Steve

Hi all, It seems the consensus is don’t remove them but leave them (do a temporary repair on one for now) then replace them when I can, it sounds simple(ish!) based on what people say. I have just found a couple of you_tube vid’s that show how to do it. I will contemplate for now and look to find help, I presume after doing the first the other three will be easier…! Experience and all that. Many thanks for all the input I really appreciate it, Carefree sell all I need so just need to get them ordered and pluck up the courage. Cheers Steve

Hi Brett, I now need to search the web to check how to tension them correctly; the hand book say putting them in and out does that, but has made no difference. They will need replacing soon and one issue is finding someone over here that is capable they are large on the two main slides (161 inches wide) and I think that is beyond my capability. Cheers Steve

Hi, has anyone any experience for removing the toppers and leaving them off? We have Carefree slide out topper awnings on our Monaco over here in the UK, they have taken a hammering over the last 7 years and now need to be replaced. We are seriously considering removing them all together and not replacing them. Has anyone done this? What are your experiences please? I ask as we are currently away and there are several American RV’s here nearly all are topless and never seem to have experienced issues as a result, there was a similar aged Monaco that never had the toppers from new, they left before I could ask. Many thanks Steve

Hi Both, I suspected they may not still be available, but I have just had an idea, there is a guy near where I live that makes things from stainless steel, I will take off what’s left when we get home – we are away at the moment, will photo them then. If this guy can’t make them for me because there is not enough left (the passenger side has totally rotted out - have not disturbed the drivers side yet!) to use as a pattern, I will post and see if anyone can help. Cheers Steve

Hi Huffpuff Quick question in this old thread, that relates to the metal frame you refer to in “Make sure the grommets are in the frame”. On my Cayman is an L shape that screws to the fiberglass. My problem is during a storm on Thursday last (so bad the slides had to come in), the passenger side tail light unit blew out-- reason the frame is badly corroded and the grommets have nothing to lock into. My question, do you, or anyone reading this thread, know where I can purchase two of these frames? One each side, if you are changing one change them both is my motto, they are both the same age. Many thanks in advance. Cheers Steve

Bill, Will do thank you. Point of interest, contacted Monaco and had the follwoing reply "Go up on the roof in front of the A/C half that distance you will find a sticker with an X that is where the cable is" Thanks Steve

Hi Brett, Thank you. I will email Monaco out of pure curiosity now you mention it. I have spoken to the major installers in the UK and they all ignore the DSS Prep and do their thing and pop through the front cap with cables secured to the roof from there to the dish/dome, but won't explain why. I was hoping to use the prep… But that is seriously looking like a "forget that idea" now. Hello Bill, Interesting you question the thinking about a dome, I presume a dome vis-à-vis a motorised dish was your thinking? Having had a motorised dish on the roof of the last coach and problems we had with that in high winds, twice dish damage, both very easily repairable, but just hassle. Having looked around we have decided following various investigations and talking to people who currently have them, on either the "KVH TracVision R4 Fully Automatic Static Dome Satellite Dish " or the "KVH TracVision R5 Fully Automatic In Motion Dome Satellite Dish" Still not sure 100% sure we need the in motion bit. The only draw back I can see for a dome is needing to keep it clean or free of snow. Unless you know something I have not yet considered? Sounds like the answer is to run new cables anyway to the dish/dome from the front cap and along the roof and just ignore the DSS Prep. Many thanks for the input. Kind regards Steve

Hi all, 07 Monaco Cayman 36PDQ. Have been on the roof recently cleaning – what a job that is! There is a label that says something to do with prep for digital satellite. I want to fit a digital satellite dome. Any idea how I discover exactly what the prep is and what it consist of? Also where under the roof skin I can find it? On another forum it was recommend that by removing the strip light nearest the label on the roof I should be able to locate the coax and or power cables ready for the satellite dome. I have spent the last two hours with various bits of the coach removed and tracing cables… Here is what I found, above the strip light is what I presume to be the steel plate that you bolt the satellite the dome to, in the plate there is a hole for I presume again passing cable up to the dome. But no cables except the power to the lights. I then removed the front speakers from the surround sound just in case they were up there. All I could find is the speaker cables, the power to the strip lights passing by, coax for the TV antenna, nothing else visible. So using the camera on my cell phone I pushed the phone up and took many pictures covering all directions, nothing except the cables noted. I worked forward in the directions of the cables noted and nothing else found, removing access panels, high level cupboard backs etc as I find them. However in the AV cupboard above the drivers seat I found a coax all connected up and marked "Roof DSS" which I take to be Roof Digital Satellite System which disappears behind the TV box and goes roof wise but can't find where without removing the TV. Any other ideas where I may find these coax and or power cables? Many thanks

Hi sguinan887, Having wired the road lights from the front 7 pin 12N socket (UK Road lighting connection point) under the car to the rear, I know there is no other wiring adrift, but thanks for the consideration. It’s given me another idea to check some thing further see below. Been playing since last post, the key situation, i.e. just key in releases the ignition lock and does not seem to reset after three hours, but then the car was just sat on the drive not moving on the road. With the key in and turned to auxiliary, not full ignition, position there is a host of circuits that come live, so would need to pull many fuses, where as just in releasing the steering lock very little comes to life. The battery has been tested and whilst not in its full flush of life it is still rating at over 90% capacity and storage capability. As a result of double checking sguinan887 thoughts, I discovered that when powering the cars road lights from the coach: under the condition of sidelights on, rear high intensity (fog) lights on, as it was foggy when we travelled, then adding the condition of power to the brake lights when breaking the dashboard comes fully to life, this is probably due to a reverse power feed somewhere activating a series of relays lots of power drain. That’s easy to fix, will build a control box that sits in-line with the wiring that basically has blocking diodes and a couple of resistors thus stopping a reverse power feed. Will experiment with that over the next week or so. Many thanks for your help/support everyone.

Hello everyone, multiple answers in one if I may: Many thanks for the welcome to the forum, we have been members of FMCA for a few years now, only just started to use the forums. The battery is known to be good; sorry should have said that in the original post. I like the idea of the extra auxiliary plug receptacle for the Brake Buddy, now that need a little thinking about in terms of combining it into the UK standard plug and socket set up for wiring from towing vehicle to trailer, also need to make sure the spare wires are up to the load. I know the cars brake lights don't come on unless the ignition key is set to full ignition, so can rule that out, that was discovered when I set about checking the wiring for the connection of the road lights. The Coach powers all the road lights on the car, side lights, turn signals and brake lights etc. I like the idea of tracing what becomes live and back tracking to a single point of supply when the key is turned to auxiliary and isolating that, I am willing to bet it won't be just one fuse! I will experiment with all of the above over the next few weeks and will also try towing with the key simply inserted and not turned. I need to experiment with that as well, as I sit here and think about it, if you unlock the doors and do not actually open one they relock some 30 seconds later, I hope the steering lock do not re activate some time later if the key is not turned! As I say many thanks to all who have responded for all the ideas and help, I will investigate and post a few replies, it maybe a few weeks as it will be a try and test, then run with the solution next time out.

I have asked this question on a couple of Land Rover forums and received no real input; in fact on one site just abuse. We tow a 2005 Range Rover all wheels down but the when key is in the aux position the engine battery goes flat enough to enable it to not start after about two hours. In the UK the handbook does not contain much about towing them as it is not the norm, the handbook does give enough to explain the fundamentals of towing them (putting the fuse in allowing the transfer box to select natural and then putting the auto box into Park) for use in an emergency recovery situation, and does clarify maximum speeds and distances such as maximum five hours and 50 MPH. I have towed previous models with no problems, and this one tows well just the battery goes flat (only extra draw is the break buddy). I was hoping a US handbook may have more detail, I was wondering of there is anything else I need to know? For example just inserting the key releases the steering lock, and virtually nothing else powers up, does anyone know if it's good to tow with the key like that and not turned to the aux position? As I presume that will reduced drains on the battery. I really don't want to add a split charging system as the handbook does warn about charging the engine battery when still connected to the car, apparently under various conditions the engine management can lockout or the alarm system goes into total security lockdown etc Sorry that goes on a bit. Any help greatly appreciated. Kind regards Steve & Sue