five

Great, thanks a lot, Joe. I'm going to copy the link and give a copy to my tech.

Thanks, Joe. I talked to a DD tech on Thursday, I noted his comments in my original post.

I'm not sure what you are asking. This is new coolant precharged with SCA, you are saying test it? As a point of information, the old coolant tested out fine for all the basic items...freeze point, boil point, anti- freeze percent, PH, Total hardness, Nitrite, specific conductance, and SCA number. The only items out of range were copper and aluminum. I have the test strips and routinely checked the old coolant, and added SCA when needed.

Last December it was time to change my coolant, at that time the coach was six years old with 36,000 miles on the OEM coolant. However, first I sent a sample to J.G. Lubricants to test to see how they rated the OEM coolant at that time. The test came back saying there was way too much copper in it, too much aluminum, and to change it ASAP. So, I changed it. In the course of that process, when the old filter was pulled out, it was packed solid with a dark gray sludgy mess. So we put in a new filter and new coolant and the tech said drive it a while and recheck the filter. After 1,200 miles, I pulled the filter Monday. The filter loosely contained (in between the sections of the filter) a soft slushy material with the consistency of sherbet, and the approximate color of the coolant. Both my tech and the Freightliner tech had never heard of a coolant filter containing whatever this stuff is. The plan is to repeat the process again....once the powers that be decide it's okay to go out and about...and see what it looks like. Freightliner also said the OEM coolant was Shell Rotella standard ethylene glycol, they do not use ELC. The only recommendation they had is to use heavy duty truck coolant that is not ELC. The coolant I put in, in December, was/is "Peak Fleet Charge, SCA precharged ethylene glycol, fully formulated for all heavy duty engines." I talked to DD yesterday. The tech said clogging of the coolant filter is a very rare occurrence and when it happens it is usually the DEF header unit or the DEF coolant valve leaking DEF into the coolant. Both require testing procedures that must be acquired from DD. I talked to Baldwin, the filter maker, this morning. Their tech said it is a "synthetic media" filter, that contains no additives for the coolant. The filter is a Baldwin P5092. Has anybody had any experience similar to this with their coolant and coolant filter?

Don't know about Dometic, but Carefree has all their manuals on a web site that you can down load.

Ditto!

Sometime you just have to be lucky....I bought three years coverage at $74 a year.

As my favorite talk show host says, "follow the money." The younger generation, who assume they won't need the FMCA Assist Program, think $85 is a bit steep for a monthly magazine, a magazine, which in IMHO is not as good as the main competition. So the question is how do we gain members and increase revenue? - Like Carl, I like the hard copy magazine, but if it will save $300k to eliminate it, do it. Most mags, and now even local papers operate that way. - Drop FMCA Assist., then.... - Cut the dues in half. - Reduce staff and/or salaries. - Charge for using the FMCA CG. - Fixed facilities....reduce those/move to a smaller cheaper location. - Increase new membership. That is the problem. Going up to an RV in a CG and try to convince somebody to join FMCA is tough. What do we tell them? FMCA Assist and maybe a deal on tires are the only real advantages over anything else. I don't think advertising rallies will sell many memberships. Otherwise it's $85 a year for a magazine. It has been inferred that if you have a full time job you don't have time for an RV. I must disagree with that. The "RV" doesn't have to be a high dollar MH. My first RV was a 3/4 ton truck and a slide in camper. When not RVing, the pick up was my daily driver and the camper sat in the yard in the back. I not only had a job, I was in Army. When I got orders overseas, the truck/camper stayed with my in laws for three years. When we returned, we picked it up enroute to my next duty station.

Novus is not free....unless you have a zero deductible insurance policy.

Any time I refuel, and the MH will sit for a while, I add a biocide.

If anybody on this forum is seriously concerned about diesel prices....you have the wrong hobby.😁

If it is a star chip from a rock, Wal Mart sells a kit for about $10. If you don't want to fix it, call Novus, they will come to you.

You Marines must be special😀. This is from the AH web site, note the third item: Specifications 400D - Maximum Interior Heat Exchanger BTUs 65,600 - Continuous, Tank-less Hot Water 1.25 GPM - Engine Preheating No - Electric Elements 1-120VAC, 1650W - Fuel Diesel - Max Fuel Usage .41 GPH - AVG Fuel Usage /Day Dry Camping 1-4 Gallons - AVG Fuel Usage/Day Shore Power 1-2 Gallons

I think they are all about the same, they are all using the same contractors.

For sure! To my way of thinking it must be spelled out in the owner's manual and not some guy on the phone from the car manufacturer.

I never use the AH preheat, it's easier to set a timer and use electric.

I've been that route with Progressive and the same thing happened that happened to you. It seems after a few years they want a hefty increase, so I change companies for a couple of years, go back to Progressive and back to a lower rate. Maybe that's the way they do business, except I did not go to them directly this time, GS did. Present policy is with National General through GS.

I think the biggest difference between the 400D and the 450D is that the 400D does not have engine preheat.

I think you did very good, lots better than many of us would have done. Many of these breakdowns are just plain luck...or bad luck. Last May we had a blown CAC hose, which started a chain of events that cost five days and four nights in a Freightliner shop and $7,500...bad luck.

Your just a few months late....FMCA was $74 in Jan.☹️

Good luck with getting paid "replacement cost." Your insurance will pay, as quoted from an agent, "the insured value or book value, which ever is less."

My present insurance company has asked for a 20% raise for renewal of my policy this year. I called them and the only reason they could give was that the state had raised their rates....we've had no claims, no motor vehicle violations or anything that would cause the rates to increase. This month, I renewed our FMCA membership and got a flyer suggesting I get a quote from them. I did that yesterday, and their quote (Progressive) was over $2,300 more than my present company for the same coverage. That 20% increase doesn't look too bad now.

I set up a separate free checking bank account strictly for the fuel card,,,TSD/ESF. Opened it with $1,500, and last month added another $1,000.

Call them all and check the rates....Good Sam, FMCA, and more. I did not include AAA. They have a good record with autos, not so much with big RVs. hanovalabs, what type RV do you have?

Have you checked AGM batteries? Put them in and forget them and the do not put out any noxious gasses. I replaced the AGMs in my last coach at seven years,, the current coach with AGMs still has the OEM batteries, installed in Nov 13 and going strong. Yes, expensive but well worth it. I have a friend with a similar coach who went from four 6v AGMs to two 12v AGM....doing fine so far.