wolfe10

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.

The only two common scales on most diesel engine gauges is PSI and column inches of HG. In fact, our last coach had the dash gauge in PSI, while Caterpillar published their specs for the engine in column inches of HG. As long as one knows that a dash gauge reading of 25 PSI corresponds to roughly 50 column inches of HG, no worries.

Is that 42 PSI or 42 column inches of boost? Roughly 2 column inches per PSI.

And, along with Rich's questions, what PSI are you carrying?

With the Velvet Ride suspension (aka B.F. Goodrich Torsilastic), ride height is important and adjustable. From center of wheel (mark center of hub cap) to bottom of belt line molding should be 25" +/- 1/4". Measure on level ground. Then count the number of the 1/4" thick shims at each wheel position. Post what you find and we can walk you through the process or perhaps suggest who in your area can do it if you don't want to tackle it yourself.

Ron, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. First issue is what is the fuel level in tank compared to the primary fuel filter head. If the level in the tank is higher (full tank or nose of coach higher than back or combination), fuel will run out when you remove the primary filter. So, you will want a catch bucket under it. An old square 1 gallon milk jug cut off works well. Having a little run out is better than if the tank is lower in which case when you remove the primary filter, the fuel will all drain back to the tank leaving you with 20' of air in the fuel line. Best long-term answer is to install a ball valve at the inlet to the primary filter. Do you have a spare clear bowl? That makes the change a lot quicker, as you can remove the old one and immediately install the new one. I like to carry a spare anyway, as plastic can crack. If fuel level in the tank is higher, as you install the new filter, leave it slightly unseated from the gasket-- it will fill with fuel. When fuel is running out of the top, tighten it all the way. I have no problem in you filling the primary filter with fuel if you choose-- the secondary filter would catch anything that may be in the "clean" fuel you use. Now, remove the secondary filter (hopefully a Caterpillar 2 micron filter) and snug up. Push the primer pump until it goes from EASY to really hard to push. Easy is because of air in the system. Fuel, being non-compressible, it will become HARD when the air is removed. It should go from easy to hard all of a sudden. The number of strokes can vary, based on amount of fuel vs air in each of the filters as well as line from tank. BTW, what suspension are you on?

Pictures?

RJ, While on the road (i.e. with the engine running), the alternator will more than keep up with power demand of the inverter/residential refrigerator. It is only when dry camping that battery capacity is of importance.

Freightliner Chassis Owners Club.

Carl, If you have confirmed 120 VAC to them, replace the bulbs with new. If they don't come on, the ballast is the next "suspect".

Over insured comment would suggest comparing coverage to coverage. Then YOU determine the correct amount of insurance. Easiest way to get less costly insurance is to reduce the coverage-- not necessarily a good idea.

lherlocker, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. The "snake eyes" indicate a problem with shift pad, ECM or wiring, with voltage to the Allison ECM being one of the more common issues. To check for actual diagnostic codes: With ignition on, engine off, push the up and down arrows at the same time-- this will bring up the "fluid level" (which you will skip past). Push the up and down arrow AGAIN at the same time to bring up the diagnostic codes. It will show as d-1 followed by any stored diagnostic code. If no codes it will show d-1, then - -. If a d-1 code, write it down. Then push the mode button to bring up d-2, etc until you get the - -. You can just turn off the ignition to exit or push D.

You can contact these guys for parts price: http://sourcerv.com/ Here are a link to a list of dealers to do the installation: http://sourcerv.com/dealers

gmaples, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. You should have a 20 amp fuse at both toad and at coach battery. That setup should easily keep the toad battery charged. Assume (please verify) that you do have a ground circuit from toad to RV. Last check is to disconnect that charge wire at the toad battery and check voltage. Should be very close to what you read at the coach battery from which you are taking power.

Do not let the trailing arm issue stop you from buying a coach you otherwise like. Just deduct the price of parts and labor to replace them-- this is a 100% fix.

rjport, So that we can address your handling issue, we will need to look at some of the basics that help determine coach handling: What chassis? What year? How many miles? Post wheel position or axle weights if you have them? Tire pressure you carry? Any suspension mods you have made? Is this your first large vehicle/Class A motorhome you have driven?

Don, What converter, charger or inverter/charger do you have. That will tell us if it is "smart" and if it can be adjusted. Yes, out the fill holes is the most likely, though, of course, you could have a cracked case. But a cracked case should show up as one cell using a lot more water than the others. And, as batteries age, it is common for one call to go bad before the others, That can leave your charger (even a smart one) trying to charge a 10 VDC battery (5 good cells, one bad) as though it was a 12 VDC battery (6 good cells). That will absolutely cause the remaining cells and usually other batteries on that circuit OVERcharged and therefore boiling. Since these are wet cell batteries, I would turn off the charger, wait overnight and use a battery hydrometer (under $10 at any auto parts house) to check SG (specific gravity) of the batteries.

Don, Two things: Be sure you are not OVER filling the batteries. A common issue. 13.5 is the very high end of where float voltage should be unless ambient temperatures are below 40 degrees or so. If you have a smart inverter/charger, check the settings. If you are not able to keep float voltage between 13.2 and 13.5, consider using a HD timer (like 20 amp from a box store) to turn the charger on for just an hour or so a day while in storage.