wolfe10

Steve, Can you post a picture of the damaged piece?

lanthony2020, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Here is a pretty complete list of Trek brochures through the years. There were several years where the Ford chassis was offered. http://www.nwtfc.com/forum/portal_external.asp?LinkID=10&LinkName=Safari%20TREK%20Brochures&CatID=8&CatTitle=&URL=http://www.nwtfc.com/trektraxs/TrekB/Treks.htm

Mike, EXTREMELY rare for there to be a freeze in the Rio Grande Valley-- after all, there are a lot of orange and grapefruit trees that are very happy here. South Padre Island is even less likely to have a freeze, as the Gulf mitigates big temperature drops. But, on the island, you will have more issues with corrosion.

Ken, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Two different answers: 1. Check with your chassis maker/coach maker for the towing capacity and hitch rating of your coach. 2. If you drive many mountains (vs flat land driving) that is a lot of extra weight to pull up a hill. Your coach will do it, but it will slow you down.

George, The Michelin tire chart shows the MINIMUM PSI for a given load. Most add 5-10 PSI to that minimum to account for those large shopping trips, times tanks will be full, etc. And, all tires on an axle have PSI based on the heavier wheel position. And, COLD means before driving at whatever the ambient temperature is-- not at a given temperature. I pulled out my Michelin RV tire guide (picked it up at the Michelin booth last week in Pomona): Front axle: 5,830 minimum PSI is 85. So, assuming this is the heaviest your front axle weighs (i.e. full fuel and tanks in front) I would run 90-95. If tanks mounted in front not full, calculate with them full. Rear axle: 9860 minimum PSI is 80. So, assuming this is the heaviest your rear axle weights (same disclaimer as front axle), then 85-90.

Certainly not aware of any dealer responsibility (either car or RV) to review licensing requirements. Would it have been a good idea for them to review it-- sure. And, posts like yours serve to inform those looking at motorhomes.

You should have no issues-- this is a very common setup with AGM house and wet cell starting batteries. Since your smart inverter charger charges the house batteries, which will now be AGM's, I would set the inverter/charger to AGM, correct total amp-hrs and warm temperatures.

Two separate issues: Proper temperature for your engine. Best resource-- call the Caterpillar RV hotline with your engine serial number: 877 777-3126. Time it takes to reach operating temperature under load. 30 minutes is WAY too long. Replace the thermostat(s).

Welcome to the FMCA Forum. As far as your individual license (i.e. driver's license requirement), you ARE correct. But, each state you operate in establishes their own rules/laws as far as towing limits on their roads, max speeds, max weights, etc.

Analog gauges are notoriously inaccurate. So, first question is: "How long does it take for the gauge to reach the point where it stays unless you climb a long, steep grade? Is this a recent phenomenon, or has it always done this? If over 10 minutes of driving with an ambient temperature of 65 degrees F, my first suspect (and part(s) to replace) would be the thermostat(s). Caterpillar calls them "regulators". Fairly inexpensive and easy to do.

Jack, A purist may say no, but the reality is that the ideal charge curve is close enough between wet cell and AGM that they will "play well together". It is a common set up.

Two "contradictory points": ALWAYS best to replace all batteries in a bank at the same time, as one dead cell in an older battery can cause over-charging of the good battery. The charging algorithms for AGM and wet cell are VERY similar. Not so with gel.

According to the Towing Guides: http://www.fmca.com/motorhome/towing.html Soul Base No Yes Front-wheel drive None 2,714 lbs. 163.0 in. That means that the automatic is NOT towable, the manual transmission IS towable 4 wheels down. Which transmission do you have?

Tom, This was more than 10 year ago, but here is the number from that time period: Impco RKJ-2 kit 201017 kit w silicone diaphragm

Tom, Excellent. One concern. As I recall, you have a LIQUID LP generator. If so, the gasket kit should be more $$$, as they have a high-temp, silicone gasket set.

wef94, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. One important statement you made is that things on the dash (such as dash HVAC fan) work when this happens, but that the Allison shift pad does not illuminate. Check with Freightliner, but on most chassis, there are TWO fuses/positive wires for the Allison-- one for "memory" and one that activates when you turn the key on. Also, use your Allison shift pad to check for Diagnostic Codes: With key on/engine off/Allison shift pad illuminated, hit the up and down arrows at the same time. This would bring up Oil level. Hit both of them again. That will bring up d-1 (for Diagnostic code 1). If no code, it will flash d-1 and then - -. This means there are no stored codes. If there is a code, hit the mode button to bring up d-2...... Pull out your Allison manual or look at Allison's website to determine what the codes are.

Tom, Try measuring voltage while cranking between the fuel solenoid positive and a good clean chassis ground (frame of coach itself, not generator frame) If higher than measuring from fuel solenoid positive to fuel solenoid negative/ground you may want to make a small/inexpensive modification: Your generator is mounted on a slide tray, so the ground side of the circuit can be iffy (uses the ball bearings of the slide as ground path. Easy solution is to run a large-gauge ground wire from generator electric end (one of the large bolts) to a good clean piece of chassis steel. That should do two things, increase voltage to the solenoid and increase engine RPM from the starter.

Larry, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Yes, it certainly could be. But, start by verifying that you have adequate voltage at the A/C. If voltage sags badly, it can also cause a no-start. If you are safe working around 120 VAC and are familiar with discharging capacitors, indeed go up and check. Many times bad capacitors will have leaked and "look" bad. It is certainly a relatively inexpensive item compared with an A/C unit.

Check the tires in the morning before driving/before the sun shines on them. Let us know what you find.

Jerry, The important point here is "the rest of the sentence": ...and stays on even if service brake released until throttle is applied. So, even a light application of the service brake for 1 second will turn on and keep on the exhaust brake until the throttle is applied. Again, there are some coaches where programming latch mode will not work, since it requires a signal from the brake switch to the Caterpillar ECM.

There are two "fuel saving" changes you can have programmed into your engine ECM: Soft cruise: allows speed to vary by 2.5 MPH from set speed before major changes to throttle position occur. Regular/hard cruise is what is programmed in at the factory. Control of the exhaust brake: LATCH mode is my favorite. This does require that your chassis maker provided a brake (service) signal to the Caterpillar ECM. In Latch mode, the exhaust brake switch can be left on all the time, yes allows COASTING when you want it. With Latch mode, exhaust brake switch on: When throttle released, you COAST-- no exhaust brake When you step on service brake, exhaust brake is instantly engaged and stays on even if service brake released until throttle is applied. Talk with your Caterpillar dealer about these two programming changes. If your engine diagnostic port is accessible, it only takes 10 minutes.

Jerry, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Peak torque on your engine is 1,440 RPM. On flat ground, best MPG would be at or just above that figure. If in rolling hills, 1,600- 1,700 would probably yield better MPG, as it would not downshift on every grade. Use of economy mode will help in rolling hills. As would soft cruise which allows for more speed variation around the set speed before it takes the throttle to WOT. And, with that tall a rear axle ratio, were you in danger of running out of fuel, better MPG would probably be at the 1,440- 1,500 RPM in 5th gear. For more detailed information go to this page and download the Caterpillar document: http://forum.dieselrvclub.org/index.php/topic,6594.0.html The publication for gearing for 2,000 RPM at 60 MPH is for trucks pulling a more weight, not motorhomes.

Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Once you got it right side up, probably easier to get moving.

Another good option with the Sheppard steering box is to have it blueprinted by: http://www.redheadsteeringgears.com/ Several of the well known RV suspensions shops recommend and stock them.

Jerry, I agree, IF (one of the BIG IF's) your present tires are safe and don't need immediate replacement AND you are headed to Oregon. But, that 700+ miles on tires of questionable condition could turn out to be a bad decision if you have a blow-out.