wolfe10

Too many different coach configurations to know. Motor-aid heat was a rare thing, but certainly makes sense if doing a lot of cold-weather driving. It would very likely have different vents than the propane heater or the A/C- heat pump. I have seen them as an option on Winnebagos. If you don't have the original owners manuals for your coach, you may be able to get them from Winnebago. That is your best source for how THEY built your coach.

Dianne and I will be there as well. Brett

Yes, if you have reverse cycle A/C's= heat pump, they will operate down to the same temperatures as a home heat pump. Below that you can use propane. Actually, it would be cheaper to use propane furnace while driving vs running the generator to power the heat pump(s) even if ambient temperatures are above the minimum for the heat pumps.

David, 4 6 VDC house batteries are around 440 amp-hrs @ 12 VDC. For a charger to bring them up to full charge from 8.9 VDC (i.e. totally dead) will take at least 12 hours, as charge rate tapers off as they become charged. Suggestion: Fully charge them and then go to any place that sells batteries and have them LOAD TESTED. Generally free. Again, only after verifying that they have been on a charger long enough to fully charge. This test will identify a battery that has materially lower capacity, but still shows a "surface charge" right after being charged.

David, There is no "here is the charger/converter/inverter-charger" all coaches use. How it is wired and how it works varies by piece of equipment AND how the coach builder wired it. You should have a manual on your charge device. But, 8.9 VDC is a totally dead battery. Yes, you can try to charge it (shore power overnight) and see if you can "resurrect" them or if they just need to be replaced. And, on some inverter/chargers, if they sense that low a voltage, they will not even initiate the charge cycle. If that is the case, then a portable "stupid" charger will be needed to start the process.

David, Charge up the batteries and give the "idiot gauges" another try. Or, to be more scientific, check voltage first with a digital voltmeter and let us know what it shows. Low voltage (like under 12.0 VDC) can give some very strange readings on gauges. Also, very likely the batteries that were boiled dry are shot and will need to be replaced. Exposed plates are extremely hard on batteries.

Bill, What motorhome do you have? One of the prime determinants of what kind of lift/trailer, etc that you can use is your motorhome's rear axle capacity vs actual weight. Do you know your rear axle GAWR and fully loaded weight?

Bob, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Any correlation between the smell and inside venting (i.e. anything that creates a vacuum inside). So, dash HVAC on recirculate, any roof vent open, any window open?

That is certainly a more common rating for golf cart 6 VDC batteries. So, yes total (50% of which is usable before recharging) is 452 amp-hrs @12 VDC.

Done.

Richard, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. You need to determine if the car or motorhome are the source of the smell. Towing behind a large motorhome WILL deposit tiny bits of rubber from the tires and a small amount of diesel soot on the toad's exhaust system. So, it is quite possible that the smell is "normal". Start by doing the "sniff test" on the Mini's exhaust system.

Yup, 270 amp-hrs @12 VDC. For long battery life, do now discharge below 50%. So, if batteries are in new condition and fully charged, then you can use 135 amp-hrs before recharging them.

I have had inquiries from several of you-- can we have a get together in Perry? The answer is YES-- just got this finalized with FMCA Staff! If you are one of 49,000+ registered members of the FMCA Forum come put a "face with that screen name". Mark your Convention Calendar. Look forward to seeing you there. Thursday, March 17, 5:00 p.m., in seminar 5 (Georgia Building). Feel free to bring a beverage of your choice and a snack to share. Brett Moderator FMCA Forum

Looking forward to a report on how well it works.

DBianchini, While there is some truth to the monocoque is more rigid than a frame rail coach, do take the salesman's statement with a grain of salt. There is a fairly wide range of quality/strength in frame rail coaches-- kind of like saying all unibody automobiles are the same, all Fords are the same, etc. Just isn't so.

Here is an earlier discussion here on the FMCA Forum: http://community.fmca.com/topic/4014-diamond-shield-removal/?hl=remove#entry58675

http://bryantrv.com/docs2/docs/600.pdf Page 12 of PDF, page 40 of document: "Ignition Electrode: Sparks to the burner to ignite the flame and SENSE THE PRESENCE OF A PROPER FLAME". Troubleshooting of propane operation begins on page 19 of 41. Page 24 shows proper gap and alignment between electrode and burner tube and electrical (ohm) test of the electrode.

Please post your Norcold model number so we can be sure we are all looking at the same thing.

What's is the thought behind the screen of filter? My guess is keep bugs out? I would agree. One mud dubber setting up house keeping would totally block water flow.

A good rule of thumb is to compress the gasket 50% or just a little more. Crush it and it WILL leak.

Please post your model number. Here are on-line manuals: http://www.thetford.com/customer-support/product-manuals/

Doctor Dee, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Yes, quite likely a "burner area tune-up" will fix it. Look in your Norcold book. Do that before spending a penny on parts. Flame too small because of rust or dirt in the burner tube, carbon build up on the thermocouple, thermocouple not properly aligned can all cause the symptom.

We are talking about a couple of minutes, as you refill the system, between adding coolant vs distilled water. Without the extra work of taking loose the dash heater hoses (and motor-aid water heater if equipped) and blowing them out, concentrate is the only way to end up with a 50/50 mixture. I have no issue with doing it either way, but many do not insure that the system is completely drained, and still use the pre-dilute. That guarantees for the life of the coolant that they have a less than ideal coolant mixture.

DBianchini, Yes, welcome to the FMCA Forum. Don't know what area of the country you are in, but here is a dealer in Texas with a good selection of Foretravels, couple of Newells, etc. And very good picture albums of each: http://motorhomesoftexas.com/c#/coachesrv/all/default/all/all/all

jleamont, Ya, those acidic coolant readings put him well on the way to purchasing a lot of new cooling system components-- particularly the radiator. I am concerned about the Cummins rep's recommendation for a "pre-dilute" coolant. That either gives a well-less than 50/50 mixture in an RV or requires a lot of extra work. The reason-- you have many gallons of residual water even with a complete drain-- the 5/8" lines from engine to dash heater core and the heater core itself. I always recommend concentrate. Then, after the final rinse (distilled water) add 1/2 system capacity in concentrate and just top off with distilled water. Here are complete "best practices" for changing coolant-- time consuming, but VERY low tech: http://forum.dieselrvclub.org/index.php/topic,6653.0.html