wolfe10

What is the voltage when this occurs-- low voltage will cause excessive amp draw? And is this the CG breaker, RV main breaker or the A/C breaker on the RV breaker panel that is tripping?

Check with Spartan-- your chassis maker specs the fuel tank.

The most common cause of overheating in an ATS is a loose connection. A loose connection= resistance= heat. Heat degrades insulation and also the copper of the wire= more resistance. Once a year it is a very good idea to check both ATS and 120 VAC breaker box for any sign of overheating and also check the tightness of all connections. A very worthwhile 15 minutes.

I don't know about better, but a J inflated to side wall PSI will carry more load than an H. Go to the Michelin inflation tables and you can quickly determine the proper PSI for each tire.

I know of no RV manufacturer who makes there own refrigerator, heaters, A/C's, stoves, engines, transmissions, axles, etc.

Actually, the Allison will perform the same, whether you have an exhaust brake or engine compression brake. If speed in a gear increases to where RPM could damage the engine, it WILL upshift. Does your trailer have brakes? Are they working? And, though you selected 2nd gear, do you know that indeed you were in second gear. Said another way, using the down arrow to select 2nd gear, does NOT mean it instantly downshift to 2nd. It will downshift to/toward second as soon as a downshift will not overspeed the engine. What engine? If exhaust brake, have you confirmed that it IS working? What percent grade was this-- with trailer brakes, an exhaust brake and 2nd gear should be good for a 6+% grade. If 10%, yes you will need to use service brakes as well. OR, if what you are carrying in the trailer is a vehicle and you have an extra driver, drive it separately when you hit these severe grades.

The Allison did exactly what it should if RPM in that gear was rising to where it would do engine damage, it WILL upshift. The solution is to use the brakes (service brakes) firmly and long enough to grab a lower gear where braking HP will keep your speed in check. I call it EQUILIBRIUM SPEED-- where you are neither speeding up nor slowing down. This speed will be faster than a loaded 18 wheeler and slower than an empty one-- just plain physics.

Actually, your RS2000 is an excellent charger. Why use anything else? Again, fully charge the batteries and then have them load tested. If you suspect a bad battery, PLEASE KEEP AN EYE ON BATTERY TEMPERATURE AND OUTGASSING. What happens when a battery has a bad cell is that the charger (no matter how smart) tries to charge a 10 volt battery as if it were a 12 volt battery. That severely overcharges the remaining cells, causing overheating, outgassing and in many cases swelling of the battery case. Be careful working around batteries. Sulfuric acid, hydrogen and oxygen can be explosive as well as corrosive.

Yup, takes the correct "A/C fin comb" and some patience.

Draining and/or replacing the filter in the fuel separator (better known as the PRIMARY FUEL FILTER/WATER SEPARATOR) is one of those things for which there is no "standard answer" in terms of service interval. If it only sees clean fuel, it could go a million miles. One tank of contaminated fuel could clog several filters in just a few miles. Hopefully, your primary filter/water separator has a clear bowl/bottom. If so, there is no need to open the drain, ever unless you see dirt or water. A good idea to check it visually the next time you stop after filling up. Again 1-2 seconds is all it takes. Be sure to carry at least two sets of fuel filters-- even if you can not change them, you can always find someone with the skill to do so, but late some night, or on a Sunday morning or in the middle of nowhere, you may not be able to find the correct filters.

I am not familiar with the Safari Cascade. But, with the 4 bag suspension, VERIFY that the defective design rear trailing arms have been replaced. Even if brand new, the originals failed (bad design): http://community.fmca.com/topic/570-serious-problem-on-some-monaco-holiday-rambler-safari-chassis/

oldtimer, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. What model Safari is it-- 4 air bag or 8? Any signs of coolant leaks? Transmission cooler in radiator or separate?

Were it mine, I would add one unless all my driving was in the desert SW.

I would agree-- would certainly have one on any coach with air suspension and air brakes. Oil and water need to be removed before going to those complex systems. Assume you have traced the output line from the engine driven compressor and it goes directly to the tank with no dryer between. Have you verified with Monaco that you coach (VIN) should not have come with a dryer)-- yes a different question than physically verifying that yours does not have one. Monaco Technical: 877-466-6226

Coldcowboy, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Give Monaco a call -- they can tell you what 120-VAC charger (inverter/charger) and alternator output have in common on your Monaco coach: Monaco Technical: 877-466-6226 Normally, the two systems are not related.

I think I understand the confusion here. You were not reading a 90 amp load on the 120 VAC system-- impossible, since a 30 amp can only provide, well, up to 30 amps. You were reading 90 amps charging into the batteries. What was the voltage reading on the Xantrex remote panel at this charge rate (again, voltage of the batteries)? 90 amps times 14 VDC (clearly, 90 amps would be bulk charge rate and therefore should be 14+ VDC)= 1260 watts divided by 112 VAC= 11.25 amps of 112 VAC. With efficiency loss in the inverter, likely it was pulling about 13 amps of your 30 available. So, with wife "running a lot of stuff" it is easy to understand that the 30 amp breaker tripped. And, yes, an additional 13 amp load will cause your shore side meter to run a lot quicker. As I mentioned above, the location of the programming feature of your inverter depends on how old it is: Oldest ones had dip switches on the unit itself. Newer ones had dip switches on the back of the remote panel. Newest ones are programmed from the front of the panel. Your Xantrex owners manual will tell you. You can download them from Xantrex's website. You could also look at your remote panel. If you can not program from the front of it, remove the 4 screws and pull it out far enough to see if there are small numbered switches in a hole in the back. No remote panel, it will be on the inverter itself. Concerning the batteries-- fully charge them (Xantrex or portable charger). Then, load test them. Bad batteries, or even one bad battery in a multi-battery bank can cause severe overcharging.

There are THREE types of leveling systems: Electric jack Hydraulic jack Air leveling

Dave, What chassis do you have? Workhorse P or W? Ford F53? Assume you have checked the level of the hydraulic fluid (PS) and also the brake master cylinder.

Ronnie, Let's concentrate on the 120 VAC side of things for a minute. You mention twice that you measured 90 amps. Are you sure this was not 90 VOLTS? And what type of connection are you plugged into-- 15amp, 30 amp or 50 amps? What does voltage measure at the outlet? If 120 or close, then check at the ATS and/or 120 VAC main breaker box (assuming you are safe working around 120 VAC). If outlet around 120 and inside coach around 90, you have a serious issue= RESISTANCE. A bad connection, melted plug, etc is the likely cause. Let us know what you find-- you can also turn off the breaker on the main breaker panel for the Freedom. Recheck voltage. Be aware that if you are on 15 or 30 amps, you will need to reprogram your Freedom to only allow it to use the available amps-- easily done from the dip switches (older models) or remote panel (newer models).

I always hesitate to give advice on whether a mountain road (and this sure is one) can safely be done. Three factors: Rig Rig's maintenance (brakes and suspension in good condition) And, the most important: DRIVER. This road requires a LOT of driver input and judgment. No problem for those with good mountain driving experience. Can be quite dangerous for those who "Put it in D and go".

callmebobalou, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Start by doing a "burner area tune-up" as described in your refrigerator owners manual. Many small things can cause this-- all addressed in the tune-up. No parts and only simple tools are needed. Basically, there are a number of things that can limit the size of the flame and therefore the ability to cool. The coolant goes to the freezer first, then the refrigerator. If insufficient cooling is available, you get the symptoms you have. Debris in the burner tube, a spider nest there, a spec of dirt in the propane jet, etc. They all reduce efficiency.

Is "a couple of inches" enough? How will you lower it to return to normal ride height?

TimAndJoan, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. First question is whether the drive can be modified-- either permanently or by using 2X12's across the offending area. Do you have the same issue if you go in frontwards? Wheels are rarely a good solution, as they transfer huge amounts of weight on areas that are not designed to be load bearing. They can easily cause chassis twist that will do damage.

Emorley, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Really easy-- just put the proper amount of bleach into the empty hose, connect to city water and fill tank. Let it sit for 20 minutes, then turn on pressure water and open each faucet (hot and cold) until you smell chlorine. Let it sit for 30 minutes. Drain and flush with fresh water.

kfeickert1, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. A charge wire from coach to toad is a very acceptable solution. Use large gauge wire for less voltage drop. Many use a relay at the coach battery end triggered ON by an ignition source. And positively have a fuse at both battery connections.