rrlowther

Welcome to FMCA Thomas! I'm sure you've been inundated with questions. And not wanting to be left out, I have one too! We purchased a 2000 Safari Zanzibar DP 40'. It currently has 39K miles on it. We did not get any maintenance records on the coach so we are trying to make sure we've got all the maintenance caught up. What I need to know (I've been doing some research on the net, and have read the paperwork that came with the coach when it was new. I am unable to find exactly what fluid I need to us. Moreover, I haven't been able to find out how often I need to have the transmission serviced. We've had the coach since mid April and it's pretty much been in the shop for repairs since. We just got the coach back on Wednesday and are preparing for a trip from Denver, CO to Las Vegas for a convention week after next. Can you tell me what type of transmission fluid I need to use and how often I should have the transmission serviced? Any information would be really appreciated!

Thank you for posting your experience with Dream RV. We will be posting our experience with Windish RV in Lakewood, CO. HORRID doesn't even begin to describe our experience. But I would be very interested in learning where you were able to post your story about Dream RV. I'd like to take advantage of those sites as well!

Hopefully this will help. We just had an oil change on our 2000 Safari Zanzibar Diesel Pusher. The oil change was $450.00. We also changed the fuel filters, $95.00 (we had spare filters on the coach so this was just labor). We had the oil changed on the diesel generator that was $175.00. Did NOT include a coolant fluid change. Having said that, the oil will not have to be changed again until we hit 15,000 Miles or 1 year. The generator won't need another oil change for 500 hours or 1 year. (correct me here if I'm wrong). We haven't yet had the chassis lubed or the brakes serviced. I would suggest though, if you are looking at a used DP look into extended warranties. Good Sam seems to have to have a good one but it's pretty expensive. Having said that, we paid $3,400 for our for 3 years or 36,000 miles. To date, we've had nearly $5K in repairs paid for by the warranty. But then again, we've spent twice that in other repairs. LOL I will say this, When it comes to the differences in driving a gas coach and diesel pusher, there's no comparison!

Thanks for the great feed back guys. I'm going to get a full set of chains this week and keep them on the bus just in case. Unfortunately we don't have the option of putting trips off until the weather is better. We use our coach for work. We have to be there when we have to be there. Appreciate all the good info!

Hands down I would recommend a Jeep Cherokee 4x4. We have a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee. It's an automatic, very simple procedure to hook it up to our diesel pusher. We also have a supplemental braking system by M&G Engineering that uses our air brakes to proportionately apply the brake in the Jeep when slowing down. The installation was fairly straight forward, M&G was very helpful. We also install a tow plate by Blue Ox, and tow 4 wheels down. The Jeep does not rack up miles while being towed and does not require any additional equipment for the Jeep's transmission etc. Definitely HAVE to have a supplemental braking system. Other wise Brett will get after you! As I understand it, 2011 Grand Cherokee's can be towed 4 wheels down and you can do it with the automatic transmission. Plus they are pretty nice vehicles to boot! Hope this helps!

Yes, the coach came with a black and white camera mounted in the back of the coach. We are going to use the same 12v power and coax cable to install the new color camera.

Just spoke with RV Cams. Turns out they have a special color conversion camera kit for our 2000 Safari Zanzibar! A whopping $129.00!!!! And I can install it myself. Woo Hoo! Thanks for the great advice guys!

That's exactly how my Girard works. To be honest, it's not been an issue. In several instances we've had to add cold water flow to keep from being scalded.

Greetings everyone! We have a 2000 Safari Zanzibar 40' DP. When we purchased the coach there was NO back up monitor. None. The dealer was supposed to put on in but that never happened. Long story. We purchased a 7" lcd screen and mounted it on the dash. It looks great! Easy to see without having to look away from the road completely. We have a coax connection that feeds the camera signal to the LCD screen. We have noticed with the black and white camera, lighting is a huge issue. If the sun is behind us it all but blocks the view completely. We two a Jeep Grand Cherokee and I like being able to see it and the traffic behind me. The camera runs on 12V. My question is this, is there a color 12V camera that we can switch out the black and white camera for and use the existing wiring? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Actually, you will most likely need to change the settings on the receiver. Changing the zip code information will most likely solve your problem. We've run into this a few times.

Direct TV pay-as-you-go. We installed a Winguard in motion HD dish in our 2000 Safari Zanzibar. you are supposed to be able to call them up just before your trip and activate it. This allows you to access the programming based on the package you've selected. We live in Denver. Our very first successful trip was to Santa Fe. We experienced several issues. Not the least of which was an ability to maintain a signal. With clear Southern view access and no weather, it was still an issue. Support isn't much help either. Local channels or national networks wouldn't come in either. Even after programing the zip code into the receiver. The other issue we've experienced every time we've used it since is this. We pay for a month of service for the time we are traveling. Once we're done, we park the coach. Then the phone calls start and the Past Due notices start showing up. We call the number on the notices and explain that we are a Pay-As-You-Go customer. We explain that we aren't using the coach this month, therefore we don't need the service. it usually takes 4 or 5 calls before you get someone who is familiar with this product and is able to put a note in the account to stop the collection calls and letters. That's my two cents.

As long as the dish on the RV has been configured to use Direct TV's satellites yes. Normally the dish itself has dip switches on the dish itself. Yes, you'll have to get on the roof to access them. Contact your direct tv support or the support for the maker of your dish. They should be able to tell you what configuration to us. Then you just plug in your receiver. Now, having said that, the receiver needs to be programmed for the physical area you are using it. This usually means putting in the zip code into the settings of the receiver (the device from your home).

Thank you Brett! I'll start looking fro them now.

That's a really good point. I have no idea where to get chains for the tires. Can you make a suggestion?

Do you have any suggestions for the ones you mentioned that reduce pressure without reducing water flow?

Okay, so we're still learning. I know I know. It's a never ending process. But I wanted to ask. We were sold a pressure reducer to used when connected to shore water. My question is, how important is this and do I need to use it any time I'm connected to shore water? Appreciate your thoughts.

UPDATE! It turns out that the storage doors all have Styrofoam insulation already. We also discovered that there is a foam seal around each grove of each door. One of the of "boxes" that the ducts for the furnace connect to has a slide that covers an opening. So we can slide that open and get heated air into the basement. We added a winter use kit to our Girard tankless water heater. As long as the water pump, (or the system has pressure) and propane are on we are okay. We installed a water line for the ice maker, also with a heat trace on it. We installed a very small ceramic disk heater into the water bay behind the panels. We tapped a romax 20AMP line, installed a junction box and added a GFI out let to plug the heater into. The heater is located in the water bay by the controls. We drilled holes into the water control board so that we can reach in and turn the heater up or down and on and off. This also allows the heated air to travel throughout the water hoses and the tanks. We found and filled all of the holes under the bus for the sewer tank drain. We used a heavy duty expandable foam for this. We also keep an extra can on the bus just in case some comes out while traveling. All of that along with our electric heated water hose and we should be okay for cold weather use! So, it appears that we have covered all of the bases. Along with using RV antifreeze in the grey and black water tanks should keep us from having any major issues. My only concern now is whether or not our hot water heater will keep up with the cold water coming in. I might just fill the fresh water holding tanks every few days instead of leaving the shore water on all the time. Promised I'd update our progress. If you think we've missed something, by all means speak up! And thank you for all of the great suggestions.

You bet, be sure to get the winter use kit. As long as the water and propane are on, you supposedly don't have to worry about winterizing it. Also, be sure to ask for a discount. They weren't on sale when we got ours, just by asking the nice lady gave us a 20% discount. All in it was about $600.00 for everything. And be sure to get the door or cover too. The one you have now won't work. It was a really straight forward install too. Only problem was that the 12Volt circuit used to ignite the old on is the same that is used for the furnace. So if the furnace is on you have to turn it off in order to get the water heater going. A small inconvenience for a nice long hot shower.

Thanks for the feedback guys. Great information!

Absolutely! Here you go: My recipe is loosely as follows: In martini shaker filled with ice, put in about 8 slices of cucumbers. Pour in 4 parts cucumber vodka (we like Square One Cucumber Vodka..about $35/bottle), two parts bartender's simple syrup, 1 part lime juice (fresh, or I like Duffy's Lime Juice). Cap up shaker and vigorously shake for 30-40 seconds (very important to mash the cucumber slices). When done, pour strained contents into chilled martini glass and garnish with a cucumber slice. Then find a comfortable chair and enjoy!

Greetings everyone. I've been reading a lot of the posts on the FMCA site and it's been a tremendous resource for information and ideas... I had the occasion, as we often do with these big rigs to fuel up. I went to my local station and pulled behind the store to load up with diesel. I've seen numerous diesel vehicles, from 18 wheelers to dump trucks etc filling up at those particular pumps... When I went into the give the attendant my credit card he informed me that I was at the wrong diesel pump. So I had to pull around. My question is this, when fueling at a Flying J or Pilot fueling station am I pulling up to the wrong pump if I go where the diesel rigs are fueling? Or should I be using the diesel pumps where the cars fuel up? I'm not that familiar with diesel engines and want to make sure I'm putting the right fuel in my rig.

Sherri, my Partner and I also own a consulting business working with Dentist, Doctors and Veterinarians. As such we are often in our coach parked for 3 to 4 weeks at a time. Not to mention travel time there and back. Being from the South, I don't think I've ever met a stranger. Trick is to just say hello! We find when sitting outside our coach sipping on a cucumber martini, that saying hello to people walking by is a great way to start up a conversation. We also have two dogs that we take with us. When we walk them, we always make a point of saying hello or in my case howdy. That often opens the door to further conversation. Course once they find out about the martinis, our trouble becomes how to gracefully say, "Okay, time for us to go to bed, Y'all have a nice evening..." LOL Bottom line, don't be afraid to be the first to speak. Most people are open to new friendships. We've made numerous friends that way.

We have a 2000 Safari Zanzibar 40' diesel pusher. We contacted Monaco and they emailed most of them to us.

Greetings everyone! We are hoping that someone will know a place that they can recommend for us. We will be traveling to Lowell, Massachusetts in February or early March. Typically, pretty cold months. We have had a lot of work done to our 40 foot 2000 Safari Zanzibar diesel pusher to ensure we will be able to be comfortable while in the area. We will need a space for 3 to 3.5 weeks straight. We need to be as close as possible for site access to our project. We would prefer something with full hook ups including 50 AMP service. Any recommendations you can make would be greatly appreciated. We've been looking but most of the campgrounds tend to shut down in the colder months. Part of our "sell" to our clients is lower costs for travel experience for this period of their project. Not being able to take our coach will greatly impact our bottom line. We look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Here's the thing. I was dead set against getting a diesel coach. I had heard that they are a lot more maintenance wise and more expensive to work on. And most of that holds true to an extent. We have a 2000 Safari Zanzibar 40 foot with a 6 speed Allison transmission. When we were looking for our coach I told the sales people I wasn't interested in even looking at a diesel. A sales person along with my Partner harped on test driving a gas 40 foot and a diesel 40 foot. We tow a Jeep Grand Cherokee which weighs in at 4,900 lbs. Driving a gas coach and a diesel coach are two different worlds. First, most gas coaches are built on a truck chassis whereas diesel coaches are normally built on custom or bus chassis. The difference in handling alone was enough to get my attention. And yes, the torque you get with a diesel is significantly improved. We work all over the country and have to spend 3 weeks or so of each project on site full time as the projects wind down. Typically with a full load and the toad we get about 8mpg. Which is pretty good for all that weight. But the difference in driver fatigue is enormous. We can typically maintain 55 to 60 on a 7% grade. That's a big difference. Our coach requires an oil change every 15,000 miles or 1 year. That's a bit different from gas coaches. But over all the handling, the air suspension, and the power you get with a diesel is unsurpassed compared to a gas coach. If you're going to be doing a lot of miles in your coach and you can afford to trade up, I say go for it! But be warned, do not drive a diesel unless you are ready to buy! Otherwise you'll be miserable in your gas coach. If you are looking at a used diesel coach I would highly recommend a good solid extended warranty. That's saved us nearly $8k of expenses. That's not to say we haven't had to put some money into our coach but it was definitely worth it. Just my humble opinion.