wolfe10

jgcupp, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Best advice is to contact Fantasy Tour-- a very good question.

There IS a "gottya" here. Suspect this holds true in many states-- because of the very small number of over 26,000 pound coach drivers who are both aware of the requirement AND talk with a particular DMV employee, there are a LOT of DMV employees who really don't know the licensing requirements. So, while it is OK to ask a clerk about your state's licensing requirements, you are better off READING THEM FOR YOURSELF. And, in some states, whether a separate driving test is required and what it entails varies by office. As long as you have the correct license, your legal requirements are covered. As an example, the Texas DMV office in Texas City DOES require a full driving test including parallel parking of the motorhome. Many others do not.

Clearly not all brakes are created equal. That goes for cars, truck, motorhomes as well as trailers. And, having owned several coaches over the last 2 decades, I can attest to the differences. Have had air drum with exhaust brake at one extreme and current coach with hydraulic over hydraulic fixed caliper disk brakes (4 piston) with ABS and 2 stage engine compression brake at the other extreme. But, I have not seen towing ratings differ based on type of brakes.

Bill, Look at your GVWR plaque (generally near driver's area to determine GAWR's. Then go to the tire manufacturer's website for the tire you are considering. Does it meet the GAWR's of your coach (hopefully without being at maximum PSI= no safety reserve). That will tell you whether the tire's carrying capacity meets your needs (G vs H).

Towing capacity is determines by the WEAKEST element in the motorhome. Yes, it could be brakes, but could be transmission, frame or frame extension, etc. And, it is my understanding (could be mistaken) that for all chassis makers/RV manufacturers the capacity assumes that the towed weight will have brakes.

Bill, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Was the price on Michelin and Goodrich through the FMCA Advantage Program? http://www.fmca.com/benefits/michelin-advantage.html

Ray, For all the other benefits of FMCA (like medical evac) you should strongly consider keeping your FMCA membership-- you are eligible to continue as a member even after selling your coach. Since an F number goes with a name, it is not transferable. The new owner will need to join on their own.

Yes, there is an inner and outer seal as well as the seal around the clear plastic hub on most wet wheel bearing set ups. A leak from the plastic hub area (seal or center plug) or outer seal will show as radial streaks on the wheel coming from the center. A leak from the inner seal will be more difficult to see, but more of a concern, as oil can leak down on the brake shoes/pads. Because of the small volume (measured in ounces, not pints or quarts), I would be concerned about any change in oil level. Occasionally, we see evidence of loss of all the oil (again only a couple of ounces). If this occurs at speed, the bearings seize up and can cause the wheel to stop rotating or even break the spindle allowing the wheel to fall off. Again, a pretty trouble-free set up and easy to service (oil change), but one does need to keep their eyes on them.

Yes, the 2016 manual transmission Subarus are towable 4 wheels down-- and are listed in the FMCA 2016 Towing Guide.

Jim, One solution is to cut a piece of PCV pipe: Length so that it just fits over the rod. Then slit it lengthwise (10 second job on table saw). With brake engaged (handle out), spread the pipe and slip it over the rod.

Guess I will have to offer a "counter-point" here. On an 18 year old vehicle, I would be concerned about adding much HP. What other systems will be over-stressed by more HP than designed to handle even when new: transmission? cooling system? rear axle? These and other components are already under a lot of stress on those long, steep grades. Were it me, I would change to freer flow exhaust and perhaps RV-tuned headers, verify it was properly tuned and probably stop there.

Probably. But, if you are already in there, the extra 2 minutes to suck out the old oil would be a reasonable expenditure of time. One of many inexpensive hand pumps: http://www.amazon.com/IIT-17544-Siphon-Transfer-Pump/dp/B0043YIFGU/ref=sr_1_10?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1455230005&sr=1-10&keywords=oil+fluid+extractor

Rj, Could you post them? Thanks.

Herman, Buy one quart of synthetic gear lube. Use an old transmission pump or even siphon in the middle fill hole to drain as much as you can. Fill with new oil. Let it sit for 10 minutes to make sure it migrates all the way to the inner bearing area. Drain and refill. If original oil was not pristine repeat again next time it is convenient. Or, you can raise the wheel, remove the hub cap and use the drain. But to me, that is a lot more work than doing several "quick changes".

The fan motors have BUSHINGS, no bearings. I would start by having you try to oil it-- and if that did not work, indeed replace it. Buy some light viscosity non-detergent oil. Sewing machine oil, for example. If you can find one with a long spout, that is better. If not, you can use a long screwdriver to apply a drop at a time. From the outside, access the fan motor. Put a couple of drops of oil on either side of the fan motor and let the oil wick into the bushing area. Rotate the fan by hand and add another 2-3 drops. If that does not work, replace the motor.

http://www.fmca.com/conventions-64/perry-2016/3873-fmca-offers-motorhome-driving-course-in-perry.html

Like most larger diesels, the Cummins ISL is a LINERED ENGINE. The correct coolant, which is discussed in your Cummins owners manual is critical for protecting the cylinder liners. Basically two types of coolant are approved: Low silicate coolant for diesels with added SCA-- SCA (Supplemental Coolant Additive must be tested for and replenished) The new-generation OAT-based coolants. Put it in and forget about it for 6 years. BTW, will be discussing this in the Caterpillar Engine Maintenance Seminar I present in Perry and at the Diesel RV Club Rally two weeks prior to Perry.

Mthurma, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. I have no specific knowledge of your model, but do know on the 2014 Hyundai Elantra manual transmission, you turn the key to ON and back to OFF (not accessory). The steering column stays unlocked as long as the key is in the ignition.

Jim, At the battery combine/boost relay, check voltage at each of the two large lugs. If batteries are not combined, voltage should be different. If almost the same, turn on the head lights for a few minutes to drop chassis battery voltage so it will be enough lower than house bank (assuming plugged into shore power) that you can see a measurable difference. Turn on the boost switch-- if momentary, have someone hold it while you recheck voltage at the two large lugs. If working, the voltages will be exactly the same. You should also hear the relay click in when activated. If voltages not the same with boost activated, could be either a bad relay or lack of the signal from switch. The relay will have either one or two small wires/terminals. If one, it is the positive signal wire/terminal from the switch. And ground would be through the body of the relay. If two small terminals, the second small one would be to ground. With the boost switch activated you should have 12 VDC positive on the signal wire. If not, trace fuse/wiring/switch. The other test: You can then take a small wire (not going to carry many amps) from either large lug to the positive signal terminal. That should activate the relay.

Correct, Herman. In fact, in writing, Michelin recommends inflating tires to the max PSI for the tire/rim when storing for extended periods of time.

And, I put a teaspoon of Elmers glue on a piece of throw away plastic and LIGHTLY dip the end of the bung in the glue. It is enough to hold it in place, but can still easily be removed. Done this on the boat and on the motorhome.

More information on Monaco 4 bag suspension (not 8 bag) trailing arm issue: http://community.fmca.com/topic/569-important-safety-issue-monaco-hr-safari-chassis/

David, Couple of points about plugging into a house: Verify that it is 3 wire (i.e. has a ground-- the little round hole in a house-style 120 VAC 15 amp outlet). Between the short straight (hot) and long straight (neutral) AND between short straight and round should both show 120 VAC. long straight to round should be 0 VAC. If it is wire like this, what you will need is a male 30 to female 50 amp adapter and a male 15 to female 30 amp adapter. Easy to find. Next, you will need to make sure that you do not draw more than 12 or so amps. Easy to forget and leave high amp loads on which WILL trip their breaker-- things like A/C, electric water heater element, etc. Most modern inverter/chargers have a "power save" or "power share" setting which limits how much 120 VAC can be used. Set it to its lowest setting-- even 5 amps of 120 VAC will keep the batteries charged. But, if the house is not properly wired and you have to run your generator to charge batteries, use the highest setting on your power save or power share to shorten recharge time.

diron1014, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Yes, if you have a smart charger, AND is it properly programmed, you can leave it plugged in 24/7.

I am a strong believer in fire suppression in boat engine rooms. The good news is that they are a pretty confined space. So anything that displaces oxygen for long enough for the source to get below ignition point is extremely effective. Now, diesel pusher (or gas for that matter) engine rooms are very open. Achieving the same "oxygen displacement" is challenging at best. IMO (mine only), time spent verifying that the fuel, hydraulic and electrical system in the engine room are in good condition is the way to lower fire risk. That doesn't mean that adding a fire suppression system is not ALSO a good decision.