wolfe10

Can you provide a link that suggests these are not a steering axle/all position tire?

bottieri, Another common wiring option is to come from coach chassis battery with an inline fuse to base plate/connector to inline fuse at toad battery. A good charge wire (yes, a good ground between coach and toad is important). Another option is to use a relay with ignition hot as the trigger to close the relay with the wiring above. That way, if you overnight without power, it will not run down the coach chassis battery.

Dan, Tell us where you will be starting the trip and also what kind of things are of interest to the two of your.

Yup, we are speculating on exactly what engine you have-- 3126, 3126B, 3126E or C7. With model years ranging from 1996 to 2008. Several different renditions during that time period. Irrespective, your Caterpillar owners manual is the place to look. If you don't have one, you can order one from any Caterpillar dealer (you will need your engine serial number). You could also call the Caterpillar RV Hotline with your engine serial number and they can look it up for your exact engine: 877 777-3126.

Bigswampgator, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Assume you have a Caterpillar 3126. If so, not you do not need to apply throttle to start. Turn key to first position until "wait to start" light goes out. If below 40 degrees, a good idea to turn key back off and back to the first position again. This position turns on the intake manifold heater. Then start. If house battery bank is fully charged, using the boost switch will help, as it gives more battery amp-hrs to the starter and intake manifold heater. And, if you have shore power, turn on the block heater if below 40 degrees. Even an hour or two helps.

Bob, There are a couple of styles of battery disconnects-- both mechanical and electronic/relay. And Herman's idea of running a charge line from the motorhome is another viable alternative.

Bob, You might also check with Nissan. There are some vehicles where the steering remains unlocked if you turn the key to ON (not start), then back to off. As long as you do not remove the key, it may remain unlocked. Again, not suggesting your Sentra is set up this way, but worth asking.

Allegiance40x, OK, got to ask, is D/W: Dear Wife (yes, you are in trouble) Dish Washer (you will probably be doing dishes for the foreseeable future.

jbrunson, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Gillig made some high-end chassis. They are still in business (CA I believe) making commercial bus chassis. The Caterpillar 3208 was one of the better engines of that vintage, particularly compared with the Detroit Diesel 4 stroke 8.2 liter. As with any coach that age, how it has been maintained over the years will be as important as initial build quality.

gddavis 1031, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. If a member of FMCA, here is a list by year going back a decade on what is towable 4 wheels down per the vehicle manufacturer: http://www.fmca.com/motorhome/towing.html The top link is: Towing Guides - towing four wheels down

Our speculation really won't do you any good. You need to contact your insurance company. They will need to send an adjuster familiar with 120 VAC wiring.

Since your RV is 50 amp service, I ASSUME that the 4 wires were mis-connected, with one of the two hots going to what is supposed to be the neutral. If the mis-connected hot was to ground, the RV skin/frame would have showed 120 VAC and a good chance someone would have been electrocuted. If that was the case (mis-connected to neutral), only those circuits supplied by that one properly wired hot (and the mis-connected one on neutral) should be affected. Said another way with just two hots and one of them mis-connected, the circuits supplied by the hot that was mis-connected would have showed 120 VAC (but with reverse polarity) if the mis-connected was on the neutral. They should have suffered no damage.

As I posted above, neither wax nor petroleum-based products should be used on vinyl stripes. 303 Aerospace is safe to use on them-- did that for more than a decade on our coach with vinyl stripes. Any good automotive wax is fine for the fiberglass. See what product Consumers Report or others recommend. If filon (i.e. you can see the strands of glass vs smooth gel coat) I would use a liquid wax, as you really do not want was build up on the strands-- they collect dirt and look bad quickly. So, with filon, it is critical that you get all the residual wax off.

Mattyboy, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Is your RV wired for 50 amp or 30 amp service. Said another way, is your shore power plug 3 prong or 4?

Smoke, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Here is one I have used successfully: http://www.lowes.com/pd_424492-41278-HT2B_4294820777__?productId=4095287&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=

Excellent, Lyle. Thanks for the update and detailed explanation.

dgross, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. There are a number of OTR truck repair facilities on the east side of Houston off loop 610E. This includes the Cummins dealer for the area: Cummins Southern Plains. 7045 N Loop E Fwy, Houston exit Kirpatrick either direction, TX 77028. (713) 679-2220.

iggimaxx, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. To my knowledge, VW has never approved of towing any of their vehicles 4 wheels down. This could be for mechanical reasons, or could be for legal/liability/corporate reasons. Irrespective, towing a new one would mean any damage as a result of towing would be on your nickel, not VW's. BTW, we also had them on our short list when we bought a new car last summer, but because of VW's official position, made another choice.

Larry, Check voltage at the bulb. If more than one volt lower than chassis battery voltage, install a RELAY back there (under $10). We can walk you through the easy installation if this turns out to be the problem.

Chuck, Sounds like the mixture (propane to air) is not correct and/or the igniter is not firing as the gas valve is opening. I would start by cleaning the gas jet and burner tube-- a mud dubber nest, or even small spider web can change the mixture. Check the igniter gap at the same time. If you have compressed air, while protecting your eyes, blow into the opening where the burner is located. It is a large U shaped tube-- junk will be blown out the top of the U. After cleaning, if symptoms persist, listen while someone else turns it on-- be sure to stand NEXT TO the water heater not in front of it. Does the igniter start clicking immediately when the gas valve clicks open?

The Diesel RV Club is having their spring Rally in Desert Hot Springs, CA March 8-13 2015 (two weeks prior to FMCA Convention in Pomona). http://www.dieselrvclub.org/event-1735866 I will be conducting two half day Maintenance Seminars. Not "gear head" sessions, more a "what needs to be done, when and why" to minimize cost of ownership. Even if you don't own a screwdriver, this Rally is for YOU. A great learning experience for any owner or prospective owner of a diesel coach. Brett Wolfe Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee

Mike, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. What kind of surface are you working with: Fiberglass Fiberglass with vinyl decals Painted exterior

Yes, worth looking at. But, like most companies, Beavers of that vintage ranged from mid-line to high line depending on what model. Safari owned them during that time. As with any coach that age, how it was maintained will have as much to do with what it is worth as its value for what make and model it is. Link to brochures/specs on the 1998 Beavers: https://picasaweb.google.com/113237604154774826589/1998

1993goldwing, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Corporate towable decisions are based on both MECHANICAL and LEGAL/LIABILITY issues. What the dealer told you is VW's corporate answer. You may find independent sources of information that addresses only the mechanical aspect of the issue that suggests that some may be towed 4 wheels down. Of course, any damage from doing this would not be covered by VW warranty.

If the battery area is too tight for securing a charger, look for another location where it could be connected. Clearly, any piece of metal attached to the frame will service as the ground/negative for the charger. Look at your electrical system, starting at the battery. Where does the large gauge cable go from there? Perhaps a fuse box? If so, that would give you another possible attachment point for the charger.