wolfe10

What brand propane detector and solenoid valve did you have? Is the new one (detector) compatible signal-wise with the original solenoid?

Nancy, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Check out the "Files" section of this Safari Yahoo site (may have to join, but free-- like all the other Yahoo sites): https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Safarifriends/files And, if torsilastic suspension (aka Velvet Ride), be sure to check ride height (another of the files). It is important and very easy to check.

gmayfield, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Yes, wiring a 30 amp 240 will "let a lot of smoke out". The refrigerator requires 12 VDC to operate the PC board-- whether on gas or 120 VAC. It is not uncommon for 240 to also take out the converter (which takes 120 VAC and produces 12 VDC to charge the batteries) which could lead to discharged batteries. So, start by verifying that you have 12+ VDC to the back of the refrigerator. Does the control panel for the refrigerator light up? Does the refrigerator operate on propane? If yes to the two above, with shore power disconnected, check the 120 VAC fuse on the refrigerator PC board.

Yes, locate it in a clean, dry area. Actually, anywhere that both chassis and house banks have connections close to each other.

Look under the chair for brand and model number and/or contact Monaco for that information. Then contact the chair maker and/or Monaco parts. Monaco: 877-466-6226 Be sure to have your VIN handy.

guiguilepagna, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. A lot of the answer depends on what kind of motorhome/campervan you are considering. Classes on how to care for a Freightliner chassis Diesel Pusher will be mostly lost if you are looking at a small Class C based on Chevy or Ford van chassis.

Because metal stems are recommended by both TST and Pressure Pro (see my post above from their websites), let me suggest that we may have posts reflecting "best practices" vs "what I got away with". Certainly up to you which approach you take.

Alan, You are correct-- sensor weight varies by manufacturer. From TST's website http://tsttruck.com/faq/: "Do I need special valve stems? No, you do not need special valve stems, but you do need commonly available metal valve stems." "510 wireless sensor weighs 23 grams, and each 507 sensor weighs 13 grams" "510 sensor batteries last between 5 and 7 years and the 507 batteries are intended to be changed approximately every 10-12 months." This from the Pressure Pro website: SPECIFICATIONS SENSOR Sensor Transmit Range Approx. 300 feet (Line-of-Sight) Operating Frequency 433.92 MHz FM Operating Temperature Range -40°C / -40F to +150°C / 302F Sensor Weight 2/3 oz. or 17 grams Sensor Dimensions 1.01" H x 1.11" Dia. Pressure Pro recommends metal valve stems in their installation guide.

jaminman, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. I'll get this started. First step is do determine from your chassis maker (Monaco in your case) the proper filter(s). Some have two filters-- a 10-30 micron PRIMARY and 2-5 micron SECONDARY. Others have only a single filter-- it will be 2-5 microns. This is an important step, as the filters look the same (except for part number) whether 2 or 30 micron. So, ask for the filters by part number, not "I need a fuel filter for my..." That way you are getting the proper micron filter(s). They can also tell you the proper changing procedure. I like to add a ball valve on the inlet side of the primary fuel filter (or only filter if a single filter system). Close it before changing the filter(s). If no valve and level of fuel in the tank is above the filter base, diesel will run out. If lower, you can end up with a real priming issue, as the fuel siphons all the way from the filter base back to the tank. This leaves you with 25+ feet of AIR in the fuel line. I know it is off-topic, but with your 4 bag Monaco/Roadmaster chassis, be sure you are aware of this safety issue: http://community.fmca.com/topic/570-serious-problem-on-some-monaco-holiday-rambler-safari-chassis/

The Monaco will likely be in the same range as your gas coach is now unless you drive over 65 MPH in which case it will be lower. The Monaco outboard air bag suspension is well-regarded. But if no tag axle, check that it is not over weight-- that is a heavy chassis and drive train. And, I would peg the ISB MPG at 9-11 MPG-- guess you could do 13 at 50 MPH on flat ground.

Before assuming that rubber valve stems are acceptable for TPMS sensors, check with the manufacturer. The biggest problem I see is the flexing of the rubber caused by the .75 ounce or so weight of the sensors on the end of the valve stem. They were not designed for that.

I also suspect the weather in Connecticut is colder than in Texas!

Yup, on grades, weight is the biggest factor on MPG and speed. On flats, aerodynamic drag is the biggest factor. So both frontal area, aerodynamics and SPEED are all factors, particularly speed.

rmcdonald, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Contact one of the TPMS manufacturers such as Pressure Pro. A tire dealer who breaks down tires may also know. A third source if information would be a Chevy dealer. That question has to have come up before. At least on our 2008 Ford with factory built in pressure monitors, it was NOT attached to the valve stem. When we got new tires, just had them use metal stems-- no big deal.

There is an easy way to find any of your posts: Click on your name (left side of any post you have ever made): http://community.fmca.com/user/11803-gadget/ On the page that comes up, on the right upper corner is a "Find Content." Click on that and it will take you to all your posts: http://community.fmca.com/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=user_activity&mid=11803 Of course, if a post has been deleted (i.e. an ad, post with legal content, obscenity, etc) it will not show up.

Have you contacted the shock manufacturers themselves: Bilstein 800 537-1085 Koni (859) 488-0339

Ron, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. No, the government mandated EPA stickers are not required on RV's. And they would be virtually impossible to generate, as the same chassis and drivetrain are used on a wide variety of size and weight coaches. You will find many MPG discussions under Class A and Class C.

JT, May be a bad light bulb, or bad intake manifold heater relay. Access the top of the engine. Locate the relay by tracing the large-gauge wire back from the intake manifold (driver's side of engine). You should have battery voltage to one large lug all the time. With engine cold, when someone else turns on the key, the other large lug should show battery voltage. If working correctly, with ignition turned on with cold engine, battery voltage will show a significant (more than a volt) drop, as the intake manifold heater is a big load.

The "Care and Feeding" a battery receives is a critical part of battery life. If not allowed to deeply discharge, water level is kept above the plates, etc, they can last a long time. I would recommend having them load tested. That will tell you whether they need replacement. Also, on any diesel, it is a good idea to use the boost switch when starting IF the house batteries are fully charged. Hard to supply too many amp-hrs when starting. Procedure is: Engage boost switch Turn key to ignition (intake manifold heater on) When light out, start Disengage boost switch

Gran66, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. You can have different tires on front vs rear, but all tires on an axle should have the same tires.

Indeed, all tires on an axle MUST be the same (actually very close to the same rolling radius/circumference). But, no reason the fronts must be the same as the backs. And, as Bill said, be careful changing rear tire size, as it affects final drive ratio.

Conceptually, at light throttle, the upshift should occur as soon as RPM in the next higher gear is not below PEAK TORQUE RPM. In reality, because the gears are not evenly spaced, some are a little higher than that.

rjproctor, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. No problem having different size tires on front vs back. Suspect a prior owner upgraded the front tires for more capacity or actually same capacity at lower PSI.

As long as the battery (or batteries) are kept charged (12.2 VDC is as low as you want to run them), it does not matter. More batteries allow you to run your coach 12 VDC house systems longer before having to recharge them. If you stay plugged in when not driving, not an issue. If you dry camp, more batteries (more amp-hrs) is very important.

And Caterpillar says NOT to fill the filter. The few seconds it takes to fill the filter is less critical than the chance that there will be a small contaminant in the oil (yes, even in new oil).