wolfe10

Again, it MAY be the hitch that is the limiting factor-- or it may not.

The 6.5 was a Chevy engine, not in the same league with Cummins, Caterpillar, etc. No, this is not a "Ford vs Chevy" thing-- it is just not as robust. I was General Manger of a Chevrolet dealer when the 6.5 was introduced. The later 6.5's (from 1998 as I recall) were a little better. Most have found moving the engine computer from the "valley" to out in front where it gets more air flow. Plenty of info on the Safari Trek forum. Be sure to keep the front end up to par-- air bags are an integral part of the suspension (unless front springs have been upgraded-- Henderson, etc). Ball joints should be checked as well. The "auto park" feature has been problematic through the years. Make sure to keep it maintained (including fluid level), as failures can be quite expensive. Brett

DSWHIMS, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Suspect you have the 6.5 liter Chevy diesel-- not aware of any 7.4 diesel. Not one of the more respected engines/chassis.

For those without a TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) which I HIGHLY recommend, I would sure not suggest that checking tire pressure 2-3 times a year is adequate. The major cause of blowouts, particularly in duals is running low on pressure. And on a dual, it is very difficult to "eye ball" a low tire.

A tow dolly adds another level of complexity. I would only use one if doing so allows you to not buy a new vehicle that you can tow 4 wheels down.

Agree with Mrboyer. Particularly with a small gas coach, I would have supplemental brakes on ANY toad.

Planocat, Wow. Never heard of bad wrist pin making it that far. Thanks for posting. Suggest you consult a Cummins dealer (they guys who actually work on them/do warranty work) and get their read on "by what mileage would you feel safe in assuming that ISL wrist pin was not an issue for a 2005 engine in an RV". Let us know what you find.

If an engine were going to sustain the wrist pin failure, it would very likely occur within the first few thousand miles. After 8 years and 55k miles, without an issue, I would say your chance of issues is VERY low.

Not sure what "Passport" you are talking about? Is it "Passport America"? Or are you talking about FMCA or Good Sam discount at RV Parks?

We really enjoy that area, both in our motorhome and in our sail boat. Coming from the west, we exit I10 on FL 85. Take it south to Niceville, then east on FL20 to FL 77 south into Panama City where we pick up 98 east. Have spend quite a bit of time in Apalachicola in the sailboat waiting for weather windows to cross the Gulf to Tampa. West of Panama City we no longer find scenic-- strip malls and condos is not our thing. But were we to go that way, would drop down onto Santa Rosa Island from Navarre to Pensacola. At least there you get some beach (very white sand) and Gulf views. Brett

Frank, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Not aware that any Safaris came from the factory with an electrical diagram. My first suggestion is to try Monaco Corp. They bought Safari and there may be a copy in their file. 877-466-6226. A second suggestion is to post on this Safari Yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Safarifriends/info

Bill is correct. Make sure your coach has the heater vents in the basement open.

A good first step is to check VOLTAGE at the low beam bulbs with engine running. Compare that with voltage at the battery. If more than .5 VDC lower at the headlight, very easy to wire it through a RELAY. Cost around $10. Said another way, if you are only seeing 12.5 VDC at the bulb, they will NOT be very bright, particularly as compared with exactly the same bulb at 14 VDC. Let us know what you find.

Depending on which 9200 you have (see specs here: http://www.progressivedyn.com/power_converters_9200.html) with the smallest being 45 amp output and the largest 80 amps, a 50 amp breaker is barely marginal to way too small. But, before upgrading the breaker, you need to verify that the wire gauge is OK for larger breaker. What is wire gauge between converter and breaker and breaker to battery?

Just the Campground.

Lots of different ways to treat gray and black water tanks. Personally, I use only water. The goal is never to attempt to make a black or gray tank smell good, but to keep their odor out of the coach.

Just as a side note: Though we don't know what engine Rob has, it is quite unlikely that it has glow plugs. Most modern diesels have INTAKE MANIFOLD HEATERS to aid in starting in cold weather. Yes, smaller diesels, particularly those with a pre-chamber have glow plugs.

netop43, When the two duals blew, did you have a tire monitoring system running. Normal failure for duals is for one tire to go flat (nail, etc) and slowly loose air. That leaves one tire carrying the full load meant for two tires. Said another way, it is SEVERELY overloaded and therefore very likely to blow out. With a TPMS, you usually have plenty of warning that one tire is loosing pressure to keep that progression from happening.

R, Exactly what "Suspension Stabilization Gear" was fit on your coach. Your coach already came with a front and rear anti-sway/stabilizer bar and front panhard rod (aka track bar). http://www.ford.com/commercial-trucks/strippedchassis/trim/f53classamotorhome/

Monaco can tell you what HVAC control they use. BTW, there are three components in the system: switch, resistor, fan motor. The resistor's job is to select lower fan speeds. For more info on the resistor, just Google: dash hvac fan resistor

Teamrope, Please DO post the make and model of your inverter/charger or separate charger. Thanks.

John, Did you go with Ralph's double shock set up or singles-- what Koni part number?

Agree-- doesn't sound like old coolant is the issue. If you really need/want a block heater, install one at the next coolant change (since you will need to completely drain the system to replace it). In the meantime, I would not use it, as a partial short to ground could cause electrolysis in the engine. Again, with your engine, as with most all modern diesels from Cummins and Caterpillar, you have an intake manifold heater that greatly aids in cold weather starting. A block heater is much less critical than it used to be.

John, Yes, sounds like an electrical "leak" between the heating element and engine block. You could unplug the heater and check for continuity/resistance between heater and block. Another cause could be old coolant-- perhaps a piece of "crud" between heating element and block. So, how old is the coolant-- regular "low silicate for diesels with added SCA" or one of the OAT-based coolants? And, yes, with your engine's intake heater system, unless you operate in sub-freezing temperatures, block heater is not needed. Brett

Harvey, Yes, the diesel burner produces a LOT more BTU's than the electric element. Specs for both should be in your manual.