wolfe10

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.

Do you have the manual primer pump? If so, when you pump it, is it easy to pump or difficult. Is the ground wire right below the computer (passenger's side of the engine) clean and tight? 12+ VDC to the engine? Have you tried downloading codes? Rather than start throwing parts at it, may pay to have a Cat dealer personnel swing by to check for codes-- takes under 15 minutes.

RJ, Todd gave you sage advice. There is a high likelihood that the most current software will NOT address MPG or performance, but will address emissions. There are those three variables. The software is a juggling act between MPG, HP and emissions. There are other things to do if you want to improve MPG: How many miles on it-- initial valve adjustment around 30k miles. What speed do you drive? Drive in regular or economy mode on the Allison? Brett

John, Yes, we have a Safe T Plus on our DP. Actually provides three functions: Helps return wheel to center after a corner-- let go of the steering wheel and the front wheels return to straight ahead, just like a car. Dampens side to side inputs Good insurance against violent steering change in event of a blow out. They are NOT a substitute for a good alignment, correct tire pressure and verifying that suspension components are not worn.

http://www.fmcmagazine.com/back-issues/2012/july/7074-installing-a-residential-refrigerator-in-a-motorhome The July 2012 issue of Family Motor Coaching included an article titled “Installing A Residential Refrigerator In A Motorhome” (page 50), which provides step-by-step instructions for replacing an existing RV refrigerator with a residential model. An inverter would make it possible to operate the refrigerator while traveling. The article appears in the Back Issues section at FMCmagazine.com. You will need to establish an FMCA member sign-in account to access the article.

pgleason, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Have you verified with an IR gun that indeed you are overheating vs just a gauge or sending unit issue? I would call Monaco and describe the problem and ask them how to diagnose overheating vs gauge/sender unit problem. Monaco Technical: 877-466-6226

A real caution on this-- adjusting the RIDE HEIGHT CONTROL VALVES-- actually the rods that determine ride height REQUIRES that you have safety stands in place. Even a slightly wrong move and suddenly drop the coach onto its stops. And your chassis maker (Monaco in your case) can give you the ride height specs. Getting this right is critical. Said another way, getting it wrong or "estimating" ride height can cause severe damage to suspension and in the rear the drive shaft, U joints and transmission.

Clossy, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. The Keys is a popular destination and has been the subject of discussion here on the Forum. Here is an earlier thread on the Keys: http://community.fmca.com/topic/346-the-florida-keys/?hl=keys Going to either the destinations or CG Forums and typing Keys into the search box at the upper right will get you several more. Please feel free to ask additional questions.

Houston667 Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Give them a call tomorrow with the VIN-- they can look it up for you: Monaco Technical: 877-466-6226 Mon - Fri: 7:00am - 4:00pm PT

15 or 20 amps outlet should work just fine. Have you verified that the outlet has power? Do other reasonably small 120 VAC loads (microwave light up, outlets work)? Do circuits powered by the inverter when not on shore power or generator work as they should? What is voltage (digital voltmeter into any house-type outlet in the coach. If batteries are deeply discharge, the inverter/charger may be drawing (actually trying to draw) too many amps to charge the batteries. It can easily be reprogrammed (usually from the remote) to "power share". Factory setting is 30 amps. Setting it to 5 means it will not tax a 15 amp outlet. Another test is to disconnect from shore power and turn on the generator. If the inverter/charger works as it should, you know from your ATS (Automatic Transfer Switch onward everything is OK. Brett

If you are talking about the house batteries, check the breaker on the 120 VAC panel for the inverter/charger (assuming that is what you have). Please do tell us what charger or inverter/charger you have. And, if it has a remote control panel, what does it show for voltage and amps?