wolfe10

I was not aware that Bendix was marketing their system to the RV market. Thought this was strictly an OTR truck item. At least that is what our area Bendix rep told me when I was shopping for a TPMS.

The towing capacity is determined by the LESSER OF: GCWR less actual coach weight Hitch rating Chassis/coach rating which could be limited by transmission, brakes, frame extension, etc. Bottom line-- check with Winnebago for the towing capacity of your motorhome. Hitch rating is just one of the determinants.

I agree, a Coaster will make a great small Class A motorhome. Have ridden in them on several Caribbean islands. Reasonable size, reasonable fuel mileage, etc.

Yes, the question is how far into the heat cycle it gets. In order, these things happen: Thermostat clicks sending "turn on signal" to the furnace. Fan starts Fan moves sufficient air that the sail switch is closed, signaling the PC board to spark ignitor and open gas valve Ignition takes place, burner on-- thermocouple/ignitor sends "flame sensed" signal to PC board so gas valve stays open.

Jim, Perhaps you are right. But, if only those interested in renting out their rigs and/or renting an RV from someone else answer, they will get a very skewed and erroneous results. I took it and answered from our prospective.

fowlermk, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. At a recent FMCA Convention, I heard a tire expert's evaluation that I thought was great: "If you are comfortable covering up your engine oil pressure gauge and temperature gauge and driving on your trip, you don't need a TPMS!" In other words, it is another of the critical warning gauges/systems that can alert you to a failure before it causes major damage or worse, an accident. I would not look for only a 6 sensor system. Assuming you have 6 tires on your RV, I would get a 10 sensor system so that your toad is also monitored. As far as system, we have had the PressurePro system for the last 4 years with zero problems. http://advantagepressurepro.com/index.asp?PageTypeId=3&PageDetailId=59 There are several other systems that receive good reviews. I would not (yes, my opinion) get one from a company that bought a bunch of sensors and monitors overseas and is just putting together kits-- with the likelihood that they won't be there for support or parts in the future. I would go with a company that has been in business awhile and I have every reason to believe will be there if I need support in the future. There are several discussion on the various systems right here on the forum. Go to "Weight and tire safety".

Butch, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Other than just an outright guess, you need to access the tank and locate the source of the leak. Could be a fitting, a seam, or just a thin spot in the tank. Hydraulic pressure can do amazing things. Have seen an overfilled tank literally lift the floor of a motorhome.

gracefulwisdom, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. First thing is to determine the source of the odor. Could be chemicals for the toilet. Many of us never add chemicals to the holding tanks, just flush with water. It this is the source, drain and flush, flush flush with fresh water. It also could be formaldehyde. If so, getting rid of it will be a lot more difficult. Might do a google search for formaldehyde. In general, the "Solution to pollution is dilution". Open windows, use fans to move air through. If you find it is something that can be cleaned off, do so and them more open air.

First thing is to determine what kind of fitting it is. Yes, if pipe thread, clean it completely and use either Teflon tape or a sealant such as Rectorseal #5. But, many other types of fittings do not use tape or sealant. HWH would certainly be able to tell you and perhaps supply replacements. http://www.hwhcorp.com/contactus3.html

Sure, no problem. Just as at home, I use a power strip to plug in multiple small amp draw toys-- computer, printer, phone charger, etc. As long as the total electrical draw does not exceed the specs of the power strip or coach wiring/breaker, you are good to go. Brett

As suggested, check with your chassis maker/coach maker for the location of the air chuck and if possible, find out the "style" of the chuck (there are three different styles of connectors. Or just stop by an auto parts house and match up connectors to the chuck. If no chuck, there may be a plenum with block-off plugs where you can easily install an air chuck.

Harvey, As you can see, there is a wide range of how inverter/chargers are set up. So, you are right-- best advice is to read the manual for YOUR equipment. Brett

Bizsmith, What inverter do you have? Most RV inverters have a "pass through" feature. When they sense an external source of 120 VAC (shore power or generator) they do not invert, but merely pass through the external source to those circuits they supply. Think of is as a built in "transfer switch".

To minimize draw 120 VAC draw: Use propane heater, not electric space heater. That is a BIG draw. Use propane for water heater, NOT electric element. That is a BIG draw. Leave refrigerator on propane. Small draw. If you have an inverter/charger, set the dip switches/program it to lowest amp draw, sometimes known as power share or power save. Will be in your inverter/charger's manual. Does not come into play except when first plugging in/activating the charger function. Can be a significant draw if batteries are deeply discharged and you first plug in (if programming allows it to go to maximum charge rate. Verify that the extension cord is 10 gauge. Best advice is to buy an additional 30 amp RV cord-- heavier gauge= less voltage drop. You should be able to manage to keep the batteries plugged in 24/7 along with a few other things on 20 amp service. BUT PLEASE MONITOR VOLTAGE (at any outlet in the coach). If voltage drops below 108 VAC, you need to shed some load. PM (Private Message) if you need details or would like for me to talk Michelle thorough this. Brett

To make it clear: 30 amp RV= ONE hot, one neutral, one ground= 30 amp max available 50 amp RV= TWO hots (50 amp L1 plus 50 amp L2), one neutral, one ground= 100 amps max available. Yes, it is common for a household dryer to have TWO HOTS (AND SOMETIMES NO NEUTRAL in older homes). Plugging into that give you a HOT on what should be your hot AND puts another hot on what should be your neutral. Lots of damage. NEVER PLUG INTO A HOUSE CONNECTION THAT LOOKS LIKE A 30 AMP OUTLET WITHOUT TESTING IT.

In a word, yes. Extension cords can materially reduce voltage under high loads. What gauge is the extension cord-- should be on the cord jacket?

If they are rivets, shouldn't be an issue to drill them out and re-rivet it. Brett

Really depends on how you have programmed it. On many, the inverter on/off switch ONLY controls turning on the inverter function when not on shore power or generator (i.e would make no difference if plugged in 24/7). There may (or may not) be a program setting that also allows the switch to control the charging function-- but this is NOT the factor default setting. Read your Xantrex manual, particularly the section on programming/setting the dip switches. Brett

Jamie Yes, if your coach is 30 amps and you are plugged into 30 amps instead of the 20, no adapter would be needed. And, you posted VDC readings (i.e. your house battery bank). Since you mention the "park pole outlets" I thought you had a problem with the 120 VAC failing. BTW, a reading of 11.7 indicates a dead battery, unless that reading was under a heavy load. You probably need to fully charge your batteries and go by a place that sells batteries to have them load tested. Your battery bank should certainly be able to keep you going for an overnight, assuming they were fully charged. And, if shore power was on, they should have been fully charged with power went off. Brett

Jamie, Assume you are using a 15/20 amp male to 30 amp female adapter. Check that the prongs are clean and tight and that there is no sign of melting on the adapter or shore power male end. Higher amp draws tend to degrade these adapters-- in fact just earlier this week, I had to replace one we use while the coach is stored. What were you running when power went down? Charger? Water Heater? A/C's? Refrigerator on 120 VAC? Space heaters? Other? Have you been monitoring voltage? What is it when shore power works? Doesn't work/tries to work? Brett

While Mr Boyer is correct, IF, repeat IF you limit your total power needs to 50 amps (half of what is available on a properly wired 50 amp circuit where you have TWO 50 amp hots) you should not have a problem with overloading the neutral. As you know on a properly wired 50 amp circuit, the neutral carries only the DIFFERENCE between loads on L1 and L2. With both hots on the same leg, the neutral now carries the SUM of the loads. As to why-- other than ignorance, the only reason I can think of is that the park was wired for only 15/20 and 30 amp (i.e. they only pulled ONE HOT) and they wanted to "upgrade". Brett

Actually, Tom is the "go to" guy here on the FMCA Forum as well: http://community.fmca.com/topic/3171-retired-allison-transmission-fluids-engineer/ You can certainly PM (Private Message) him if you have a specific question.

Ray, You might want to check, but I suspect it is a propane detector that activates a solenoid that allows propane into the coach. Brett

Gerald, Here is an excellent resource that goes back many years: http://www.fmca.com/motorhome/towing Click on: Towing Guides- towing four wheels down. Then select the model year you are interested in. Be aware that you need to double check with the manufacturer, as some have declared non-towable a few models previously deemed towable 4 wheels down (you will find some information on these in discussion here in the towing section.

Perhaps a little clarification: PSI in the air bags is not more related to system pressure than is your tire pressure to the tire shops 150 PSI line pressure. Both have a "controller" determining when to let air in and how much-- ya one is automatic and the other "manual". In the air system, the ride height valve opens to allow air in, closes, opens to let air out based on the ride height dimension. Many air suspensions limit air PSI to the front suspension, as the rear axle is quite a lot heavier and they don't want to torque the chassis by raising the front abruptly and then having the back end slowly catch up. Extreme example of HUGE variations in air bag pressure-- dump trucks with rear air suspension. The same ride height is maintained with the dump empty or loaded with 50,000 pounds of gravel. You bet the PSI is much more when loaded to maintain the same ride height. Brett