wolfe10

David, There is no "here is how they all work. But on most, yes the slides should be in when checking fluid level. That information should be in your coach owners manual.

Unless the OP comes back, let me suggest that we close this thread. Don't see anything else constructive coming out of it. Abdulandhazel, please feel free to PM me, and I would be happy to reopen or post for you. Thank you and sorry for your loss. Moderator

Herman, Not aware of a problem charging a dead AGM-- at least from the battery end of it. If there is, would like to see a link to documentation on it. But, many chargers, if sensing a dead battery will NOT begin the charge cycle. So, yes, I have had to use a cheap ("not smart) automotive charger to start the charging process-- not on our coach but on a neighbors.

Miles on a DP, are not really relevant unless the maintenance has been neglected. And, a coach with very low miles, particularly if lots of interior wear is often a very bad one to get-- may have been driven south for the winter and lived in, driven back in spring and parked. Then maybe parked for a couple of years while deciding whether to continue to travel/sell.

The charging curves for AGM and wet cell are close enough, were you to change to AGM's for house, set the charging program to AGM. Wet cell starting batteries will be OK.

Sid, Were the plates exposed? If so, good chance they are toast. Yes, have used AGM's for house batteries in our last 3 sailboats as well as motorhomes. More expensive than wet cells, but a good, maintenance-free choice. Make sure to re-program your inverter/charger when you change battery technologies.

Sid, If all cells in the house bank read about the same, before replacing, let the Xantrex inverter/charger charge them at least overnight and re-read hydrometer readings. Hydrometer readings that are all low but close to each other can indicate a "not fully charged battery" as well as a bad one. Though it can happen, normally one cell dies first, not all at the same time. So, decide tomorrow (if plugged in overnight now) whether to invest in new batteries.

Carl, No, we just got home from the W. Springfield Convention a week ago. So, a long "honey doooooooo list" on the house.

Carl, Yes, on the same opening page as the Cummins QuickServe Online. Right below the place to enter your engine serial number.

Nothing special about mounting shocks on an RV. Anyone who can do it on a truck can do it. And anyone who has done it on a car but has larger tools can do it. Been there, done that on all three of our rigs over the last 18 years, with hand tools only (ya, and a long cheater bar!).

With the HWH jacks, you are storing exactly correctly. Be sure to NOT turn off the HWH panel once the lights are off/buzzer quits, as that can trap fluid in the lines. With the heat of the day, that fluid can expand enough to trigger the panel/alarm. So proper procedure is to turn on the panel and hit Store. NOTHING ELSE. Sure, there can be other causes such as weak return springs, bent piston, etc.

No question, just as in every aspect of a coach, some chassis makers/coach makers spec better quality components. Shocks are no different. They are NOT all the same, hence the reason for the wide range of prices for them.

What jack system do you have? What store procedure do you use?

Sidney, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Yes, when stored with shore power on, your Xantrex inverter/charger should keep the house battery bank charged. And, check with Winnebago, as on some coaches, it will also charge the chassis battery. To verify is pretty easy: with a digital voltmeter (they start under $20 and are a must for any RV), ASSUMING that the inverter/charger has been properly programmed (easy instructions in your Xantrex owners manual-- usually just using your remote panel you should be reading 13.2-13.5 VDC at the house batteries. When you just plug in, voltage will be higher (13.8-14.2 VDC) but tapers off as the charger section reaches float level. You can also check the chassis batteries voltage to determine if a separate smart charger is needed. Do NOT use a standard automotive charger long term, as they can overcharge the batteries and destroy them.

Yes.

As I posted above, here is what I monitor: I monitor: Boost, Instantaneous MPG, Coolant temperature and HP. If there was any question about voltage, would monitor that instead of HP. Transmission temperature (assuming Allison 3000 or 4000 series) should really be a non-issue, particularly if running Transynd (synthetic ATF). The torque converter is locked up in "high" second, always in all higher gears. So only time you can really build heat is if you leave it in gear while stopped (best to put it in Neutral) or if transmission is hunting between gears (just down arrow to the lower gear). Yes, since transmission coolers are usually located in the engine radiator, high engine temperature does raise transmission temperatures, but certainly not to dangerous levels.

Yes, they do. Age and mileage to failure is certainly related to OE quality. Said another way, a Koni or Bilstein will last longer than the less expensive OE shocks. To check shocks: Visually check for leaking oil (not just damp, but leaking) Visually check the bushings. If worn, replace the shocks. Go over a parking lot speed bump at regular low speed, If an axle bounces more then 1.5 times, the shocks have lost their dampening.

Guess I will be the "contrarian" here. Most Ford V10's will downshift when they "think you may be near a highway overpass". I find the objectionable, from a noise standpoint, wear on transmission standpoint and MPG standpoint. If all the controller does (actually all I would want it to do) is change the shift parameters to overcome this downshift issue, it would be well worth it to me.

This is one of those topics to which you will receive a lot of different answers. They will range from "best practices" to "what I get away with". I will start it off with what I consider are "best practices". This is how we do it when pulling into a CG and going from generator to shore power: Assuming the generator is running under load (A/C's, likely converter or inverter/charger, perhaps water heater electric element, etc;), it is best for the generator to not go from heavy load to OFF. Best to have a couple of minutes cool down period. So, as Dianne goes into the CG office to check in, I turn off all loads (basically the roof A/C's, as I turn off the breaker for the electric water heater element when on the road). As we pull into the camp site, the generator is turned off. I check the outlet for voltage, polarity and ground, turn the CG breaker OFF and plug in. Then turn on the CG breaker. We start turning on heavy loads, while monitoring voltage (voltage can be fine with no load, but drop very quickly if CG wiring is inadequately sized as you add load).

I am certainly not arguing against installing an EGT gauge. But suggesting it is not mandatory unless an engine has been modified and/or a guy really doesn't know how to drive a diesel.

Totally agree that an EGT gauge is important, IF, repeat IF the engine is no longer stock. With a modern diesel engine in stock form, it is a non issue. Ya, if you add additional fuel and air, you CAN make the exhaust hotter than it was designed for.

You have mentioned one outside fixture-- I would open it and check for corrosion or water in it. Then start separating out the different circuits at the fuse box to identify which one is the culprit. $5-6K-- you could have all those circuits rewired for less than that, and really doubt more than one went bad at once.

Bill, The ScanGauge D does monitor boost-- at least it is capable of monitoring it. And on our 2003 Cummins ISL, it is monitored-- one of the 4 things I have it automatically set to monitor constantly. I monitor: Boost, Instantaneous MPG, Coolant temperature and HP. Then, can change any one of these to scroll through the rest of the menu.

I'm with you, Tom. We also use gas buddy and then Google earth to make sure we can access the station with our coach. Been working very well. Following the sale of Flying J, prices at all truck stops are WELL above market.

TPhome1996, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. If the ignition solenoid/relay is bad, nothing will work that normally works with the ignition on. Easy one to check is to turn on the dash HVAC fan. If it works, the ignition solenoid/relay is not the problem. Please tell us if the engine turns over? Slowly or normal speed? Please tell us of other symptoms (what works and what doesn't work).