ClayL

As you probably know there was a procedure that had to be followed to tow Honda's 4 down. If it wasn't followed part of the transmission could be left in reverse and that could cause damage. In 2006 as I recall Honda no longer allowed 4 down towing of most of their models. The speculation is that enough people did not follow the procedure and there were so many resultant warranty claims that Honda decided to no longer allow it. I haven't seen that confirmed however and they still allow some models to be towed - CR-V,CR-V 4WD, and the Fit.

I had to repair the steps on my Winnebago. They were spongy for awhile and then failed. A bolt broke leaving the steps held by the actuator arm and one bolt on the step assembly (motor,actuator arm and mounting bracket). When I removed the step assembly from the main mounting bracket then I could see the heads of the three bolts. Two were broken at the head. Two had been broken for a long time - there was rust on the bolts where they broke. The one that had just broken had been cracked for some period of time. I replaced all four of the bolts and found that the blind holes in the housing were not taped all the way to the bottom of the holes. The bolts were loose when they were screwed all the way in and that allowed enough slop to cause the bolts to break. I did not have a flush tap so I put two washers under the heads of the bolts and I was then able tighten them properly. The metal bracket that the step assembly is bolted to and the pivot shaft holding the steps is connected to has been known to have problems. The bolts that mount it to the motor home come in from above. To remove it you would have to remove the bottom internal step. I haven't done that and am not sure exactly how to do it. I would call customer service and ask them if you need to remove it. This picture shows the assembly and the main bracket: This what the step assembly looks like from the backside:

This is a letter I got from Honda in 2002. I have towed my Accord over 75,000 miles with no problems. I think they changed the policy in 2005, perhaps because of warranty issues with people that did not follow the procedure. I have seen a number of posts from people that have towed late model Accords with no problems. Although the letter said CR-V's can't be towed 4 down I think that may be allowed nowadays. "02/22/02 (all models except CR-V) Dear customer: Regarding your inquiry on towing your Honda or Acura automobile behind a motorhome: For your vehicle, the Owner's Manual advises against towing at more than 35 m.p.h or for more than 50 miles. However, this recommendation exists primarily because Honda has not conducted formal tests at higher speeds and for greater distances. We are not aware of any particular problems being caused by motorhome towing of Honda/Acura automobiles with either manual or automatic transmission, so long as proper pre-towing preparations are made and the vehicle is towed at legal highway speeds. Manual Transmission When preparing to tow your vehicle, make sure the transmission is full of fluid. Do not overfill. • Release the parking brake. • Shift the transmission to Neutral. • Turn the ignition key to the ACCESSORY (1) position to release the steering wheel lock. Make sure that the radio and all accessories are turned off. Automatic Transmission When preparing to tow your vehicle, make sure the transmission fluid level is full. Do not overfill. If Honda/Acura automobile with an automatic transmission is towed with the front or all four wheels on the ground, you must do the following every day immediately before towing: • Start the engine. • Press on the brake pedal. Shift the lever through all the positions (P,R,N,D,2,1). • Shift to D, then to N. Let the engine run for at least three minutes, then turn off engine. • Release the parking brake. • Leave the ignition switch in ACCESSORY (1) so the steering wheel does not lock. Make sure the radio and any items plugged into the accessory power sockets are turned off so you do not run down the battery. If you travel more than 8 hours in one day (including stopping time), you must stop and repeat the above procedures. NOTICE: The steering system can be damaged if the steering wheel is locked. Always leave the key in the ACCESSORY (1) position to prevent damage to the steering system when towing behind another vehicle. CAUTION: Severe automatic transmission damage will occur if the car is shifted from reverse to neutral and then towed with the drive wheels on the ground. NOTICE: Improper towing preparation will damage the transmission. Follow the above procedure exactly. If you cannot shift the transmission or start the engine, your vehicle must be on a flat bed truck or trailer. If you tow a Honda/Acura vehicle with automatic transmission, the fluid must be changed every two years or 30,000 miles, whichever comes first. Although experience has shown that the Honda/Acura transmission and powertrain are capable of being "motorhome towed", America Honda does not assume responsibility for any vehicle damage or liabilities incurred due to the towing device, towing vehicle, lighting hookup, or other towing equipment or towing procedures; any responsibility for these items is assumed by the owner/operator. If you have additional questions, please call American Honda Motor Co. Inc. (National Consumer Affairs) at 800-999-1009. "

Do you have the towing procedure for your Accord? If not I can give it to you.

The 2004 Acura can be towed 4 down. 2005 was the last year Honda approved of it though. There is a procedure that must be followed to prevent transmission damage however. I got the following letter from Honda in 2002. "02/22/02 (all models except CR-V) Dear customer: Regarding your inquiry on towing your Honda or Acura automobile behind a motorhome: For your vehicle, the Owner's Manual advises against towing at more than 35 m.p.h or for more than 50 miles. However, this recommendation exists primarily because Honda has not conducted formal tests at higher speeds and for greater distances. We are not aware of any particular problems being caused by motorhome towing of Honda/Acura automobiles with either manual or automatic transmission, so long as proper pre-towing preparations are made and the vehicle is towed at legal highway speeds. Manual Transmission When preparing to tow your vehicle, make sure the transmission is full of fluid. Do not overfill. • Release the parking brake. • Shift the transmission to Neutral. • Turn the ignition key to the ACCESSORY (1) position to release the steering wheel lock. Make sure that the radio and all accessories are turned off. Automatic Transmission When preparing to tow your vehicle, make sure the transmission fluid level is full. Do not overfill. If Honda/Acura automobile with an automatic transmission is towed with the front or all four wheels on the ground, you must do the following every day immediately before towing: • Start the engine. • Press on the brake pedal. Shift the lever through all the positions (P,R,N,D,2,1). • Shift to D, then to N. Let the engine run for at least three minutes, then turn off engine. • Release the parking brake. • Leave the ignition switch in ACCESSORY (1) so the steering wheel does not lock. Make sure the radio and any items plugged into the accessory power sockets are turned off so you do not run down the battery. If you travel more than 8 hours in one day (including stopping time), you must stop and repeat the above procedures. NOTICE: The steering system can be damaged if the steering wheel is locked. Always leave the key in the ACCESSORY (1) position to prevent damage to the steering system when towing behind another vehicle. CAUTION: Severe automatic transmission damage will occur if the car is shifted from reverse to neutral and then towed with the drive wheels on the ground. NOTICE: Improper towing preparation will damage the transmission. Follow the above procedure exactly. If you cannot shift the transmission or start the engine, your vehicle must be on a flat bed truck or trailer. If you tow a Honda/Acura vehicle with automatic transmission, the fluid must be changed every two years or 30,000 miles, whichever comes first. Although experience has shown that the Honda/Acura transmission and powertrain are capable of being "motorhome towed", America Honda does not assume responsibility for any vehicle damage or liabilities incurred due to the towing device, towing vehicle, lighting hookup, or other towing equipment or towing procedures; any responsibility for these items is assumed by the owner/operator. If you have additional questions, please call American Honda Motor Co. Inc. (National Consumer Affairs) at 800-999-1009. "

The Dually Valve inside dual metal stems come with a grommet that fits in a hand hole in the outside dual rim. There are a lot of them out there and I have not heard of any breaking.

Bob, that's a good way to look at it. I was lucky and didn't get any damage when mine shredded, but like you, my friend Bud had over $2,000 in damage to a compartment when one of his inside duals went last year.

If you are only going to be gone for a year you can give the post office a TEMPORARY forwarding address to a mail forwarding service. The UPS Stores offer mail forwarding service and a lot of people use them.

There should be a way to adjust it so that the core doesn't operate the schrader valve in the tire stem until you check or add air. It sounds like yours is not adjusted quite far enough in. That adjustment can be pretty tricky. I installed airless extensions on my last motor home and when I adjusted them I got them so close that when the tires got hot driving through Georgia in the summer, the cores extended enough from the heat to let a little air into the extension where it slowly leaked out. Luckily I was right at a rest stop when both inside duals shredded. I don't trust extensions anymore and now use metal valve stems that are especially made so as to come out far enough so it is easy to check and add air. They have a grommet that fits in the wheel hand hold so there is support for the long stem coming from the inside dual. They are called DuallyValves. I got mine from Borg Tire Supply. Their site is HERE The tires have to be dismounted so they can be installed and they aren't cheap but the peace of mind is worth it to me. It's also very easy to check and add air and they provide a stable support for the PressurePro sensors.

I have been using one for several years on my 2004 Chevy 8.1L engine. It works well and the trip computer functions are worthwhile.

I added a complete Banks system to my last motor home. The system included a K7N air filter. I kept very good records before and after the installation and saw absolutely no increase in MPG. In tests the K&N filters have not been shown to be very effective filters : HERE There was another test done by DuraMax per the SAE test procedure that also showed poor performance: HERE Also you might want to what Consumers Reports says about air filters and MPG: HERE Scroll down.

My diesel pusher owning friends favor the side radiator for at least two reasons. 1) It stays cleaner 2) It makes it easier to get to the belts and other parts of the engine.

I suspect the reason you don't see any discussions about OH as a full timing choice is that it is seldom a choice - most likely because of some of the items you mentioned. The three top runners are SD TX and FL. Many (maybe most?) full timers pick one of those three. There may be some differences in health insurance cost in various states but I would be very surprised if there is a large difference. For a difference to exist I would think two factors would come into play. 1)The claims in the state would have to be much lower than other states and I don't see that happening in OH. 2) State regulation would have to force pricing down - I haven't heard of that in OH. It will be interesting to see what other folks say about OH.

The oil used by the factory was SAE 90W, GL-5, however a WH tech told one poster who was having trouble finding it that SAE 80W / 90W, GL-5 could be used. He was also told not to mix regular and synthetic but I don't know exactly why that would matter. Since I don't know why I guess I wouldn't mix synthetic with regular oil.

That's a good point, I should have mentioned that. Woodlodge, if you register as the new owner with Workhorse you can see if the brake recall campaign is open or if it has been completed. You may be able to call them with your VIN and get the same info. It's a good idea to register with them anyway so you will get any new recalls or other info sent to you. There was one other recall on the Actia instrument panel that may apply and should be done if it hasn't been. I had the brake recall done in October. They installed four new calipers. The shop that did mine offered to replace the pads for the cost of the pads (about $170) - no labor charge since it was only a couple of minute job to replace them when the calipers were removed. In my case the pads still had close to 50 percent remaining at 46,000 miles so I did not have them replaced.

Please note that the 2003 chassis (W20 and W22) had a 2 inch front stabilizer shaft. Often called an anti sway bar. In September of 2003 WH changed to a 2.5 inch bar. If your chassis has the 2 inch bar I would strongly recommend that you have the 2.5 inch bar installed. I did and it made a huge improvement in roll or side to side sway. This is from an email I got from WH in 2005: "The part number for the Front Stabilizer Bar with Brackets is: W0005643. This bar was found to have an advantage over the original 2" bar, and was put into regular production on 9/2/2003. The installation is very straightforward. Remove 4 retaining nuts while supporting bar, remove bar, hold new bar in position, reinstall 4 retaining nuts, and torque to specification. This procedure is NOT meant to replace the service manual, but is a generalized procedure. The upgraded stabilizer bar has been shown to provide the following benefits: 1. Reduced Body Roll when cornering. 2. Reduced "rocking" when passed by or passing large vehicles. 3. Reduced "rocking" when traversing bumps on an angle." The installation procedure is below- I did not raise the coach, just crawled under it: Stabilizer Shaft Replacement (Front) (W20/W22) Removal Procedure 1. Raise the vehicle on a hoist 2. Remove the nuts and washers from the stabilizer shaft clamp and the right front leaf spring. 3. Remove the nuts and washers from the stabilizer shaft clamp and the left front leaf spring, and remove the stabilizer shaft from the vehicle. 4. Remove the clamps from the stabilizer shaft. 5. Remove the insulators from the stabilizer shaft. Installation Procedure 1. Install the insulators to the stabilizer shaft. 2. Install the clamps to the stabilizer shaft. Notice: Refer to Fastener Notice in Cautions and Notices in the WCC Service Manual. 3. Install the washers and nuts to the stabilizer shaft clamp and the left front leaf spring. 4. Install the washers and nuts to the stabilizer shaft clamp and the right front leaf spring. Tighten Tighten the stabilizer shaft clamp nuts to 373 N∙m (275 lb ft). 5. Lower the vehicle.

As far as I can tell WH did not produce the W22 with 19.5 inch rims. The first six digits of my VIN are "5B4MP6" and I have a W20 chassis.

I am not sure what sticker weight you are talking about. The W22 has a GVWR of 22,000 lbs. The W24 has a GVWR of 24000 lbs. You can go here to get some info on your Brave. HERE The options listed for your coach show the only WH chassis offered for your coach is the W20 which has a GVWR of 20700 lbs. If you have 19.5 inch rims then that is for sure the chassis you have.

The system is made by Ventline. In 2005 Winnebago started using a non contact sensor system they call "TruLevel". The sensors are square black pieces with three of them on the side of each tank. You should have that system. The older Ventline circuit boards for the old style system won't work so you need to make sure you get the new board if you do have the TruLevel system. One place you can get the board is from Lichtsinn Motors, a Winnebago dealer a few blocks from the Winnebago factory. You will need your VIN or Winnebago coach ID number. Lichtsinn Motors site I have had good service from them. Just curious - why do you think the board is bad?

Regarding the torque wrench issue - Workhorse specs my lug nuts to be set at 475 ft pounds. Over the years I have checked with several tire shops and RV shops along with three different road service guys and all but one had no way of checking for 475 ft pounds. One tire shop did have a 500 ft pound torque wrench - way up on a shelf with a lot of dust on the box - but they never used it. I bought a 3 to 1 torque multiplier and a 250 ft pound torque wrench along with a 10 inch extension and 33 mm socket so I could do it myself if necessary. With the torque multiplier only 158 pounds of torque is required to yield 475 ft pounds on the output. I have appointments next week to have new tires installed and the Workhorse brake recall performed. Neither shop has the necessary tools but both readily agreed to use mine. Hopefully I will have the torque set properly.

We have a Wilson trucker antenna and a Wilson amplifier. We don't need it often but are sure glad we have it when we do. Because many new phones don't have antenna ports and some that do don't have adapters available to go from the amp to the phone, I got an amp that has a small flat plate antenna that Velcros on the back of the phone or my aircard. It works well. We were in Bakers Hole National Forest campground close to West Yellowstone and did not have enough signal to connect to the internet or make calls. With the antenna and amp we got 3 of 4 possible bars and no connection problems. The Wilson "SIGNALBOOSTâ„¢ Mobile and Home/Office Cellular/PCS Amplifier (811210) I got can be seen HERE

It depends on the year. Honda said it was okay to tow them four down up to and including the 2005 model year as I recall. After 2005 they no longer said it was okay. There is a specific procedure that must be followed before towing however. Below is the letter I received from Honda detailing the procedure. "02/22/02 (all models except CR-V) Dear customer: Regarding your inquiry on towing your Honda or Acura automobile behind a motorhome: For your vehicle, the Owner's Manual advises against towing at more than 35 m.p.h or for more than 50 miles. However, this recommendation exists primarily because Honda has not conducted formal tests at higher speeds and for greater distances. We are not aware of any particular problems being caused by motorhome towing of Honda/Acura automobiles with either manual or automatic transmission, so long as proper pre-towing preparations are made and the vehicle is towed at legal highway speeds. Manual Transmission When preparing to tow your vehicle, make sure the transmission is full of fluid. Do not overfill. • Release the parking brake. • Shift the transmission to Neutral. • Turn the ignition key to the ACCESSORY (1) position to release the steering wheel lock. Make sure that the radio and all accessories are turned off. Automatic Transmission When preparing to tow your vehicle, make sure the transmission fluid level is full. Do not overfill. If Honda/Acura automobile with an automatic transmission is towed with the front or all four wheels on the ground, you must do the following every day immediately before towing: • Start the engine. • Press on the brake pedal. Shift the lever through all the positions (P,R,N,D,2,1). • Shift to D, then to N. Let the engine run for at least three minutes, then turn off engine. • Release the parking brake. • Leave the ignition switch in ACCESSORY (1) so the steering wheel does not lock. Make sure the radio and any items plugged into the accessory power sockets are turned off so you do not run down the battery. If you travel more than 8 hours in one day (including stopping time), you must stop and repeat the above procedures. NOTICE: The steering system can be damaged if the steering wheel is locked. Always leave the key in the ACCESSORY (1) position to prevent damage to the steering system when towing behind another vehicle. CAUTION: Severe automatic transmission damage will occur if the car is shifted from reverse to neutral and then towed with the drive wheels on the ground. NOTICE: Improper towing preparation will damage the transmission. Follow the above procedure exactly. If you cannot shift the transmission or start the engine, your vehicle must be on a flat bed truck or trailer. If you tow a Honda/Acura vehicle with automatic transmission, the fluid must be changed every two years or 30,000 miles, whichever comes first. Although experience has shown that the Honda/Acura transmission and powertrain are capable of being "motorhome towed", America Honda does not assume responsibility for any vehicle damage or liabilities incurred due to the towing device, towing vehicle, lighting hookup, or other towing equipment or towing procedures; any responsibility for these items is assumed by the owner/operator. If you have additional questions, please call American Honda Motor Co. Inc. (National Consumer Affairs) at 800-999-1009. "

The W22 requires 475 foot pounds of torque and the socket size is 33 mm. The SAE socket mentioned above fits but is a little looser than I want to have with that much torque. I got a 3 to 1 torque multiplier with a 10 inch extension and a 250 foot pound torque wrench that will be set to 158 foot pounds. Even if I don't change a flat myself I don't think many if any service trucks will have the necessary tools to set the torque properly and I will have them use mine. The tire shop I am going to have replace my 7 year old tires this fall said he will have to use my tools also.

It depends on the park. We were volunteer camp hosts at Lake Cascade state park in Idaho for three years. The park had 13 camping units (like separate parks but still under the Lake Cascade umbrella). There were several camping units that had a limited number of sites for a 35 ft motor home with a trailer or car. The maximum length was listed on the web site for the park.

Winnebago usually uses Atwood water heaters which as Brett said do not require anode rods. Someone may have installed an anode rod before you got the motor home. If so a nylon drain plug is what you want to use. You can see a picture of an Atwood heater HERE