wolfe10

Sorry, but from experience (General Manager of large metro automobile dealerships with 30-40 techs) that model DOES NOT WORK. Not only does it make customers unhappy, but ties up valuable real estate. How does turning expensive $$/sq ft property into a storage lot make a dealer money?? Much of the diagnostics be handled over the phone by an experienced service writer so parts are on-hand when the coach comes in. Good communication skills/ asking for digital photos of broken parts, etc can save a lot of time for both customer and dealership. Why have customers bring it in before time for scheduled diagnostics and then put it into rotation? Some repairs can be done by beginners-- others are more complex. Not suggesting they do it, but even worse would be waiting until all parts are in and giving it to a tech qualified to do the most complex repair. That would be a real waste of valuable tech manpower. Would anyone really assign their most experienced electrical trouble shooting tech spend his time doing an oil and filter change, check tire PSI, etc??? I sure hope the above "how they do it" is NOT their real business model!

phender82, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Evaluate difficulty of running propane to the refrigerator location (if your coach was offered with either an absorption or residential refrigerator, this may already be done). Determine if an outside access door opening can be cut in the side wall and access door installed (if your coach was offered with either an absorption or residential refrigerator, this is very likely). Your coach manufacturer would be an excellent source for answering the above two issues. Or, let us know exactly what coach you have and someone may have first hand information. The other major step is the same as going from absorption to residential-- evaluate what units will fit the existing space with little or now modification to the recess dimensions.

Don, The VAST majority of the drop in PSI was because of temperature. Altitude has very little effect. And, yes, if you will be operating the coach in cold conditions, you will need to inflate the tires to the correct PSI for your load. Going from Texas summer heat to winter driving, I always have to add air.

Rick, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Suspect this is the place: https://suncoastdesigners.com/ They are in Hudson, FL. In many cases they can reuse your old glass and just rebuild the windows. If the glass is badly etched, yes, the glass may need to be replaced.

You need an ALGAECIDE, not a stabilizer. Here is a common one: https://www.biobor.com/products/biobor-jf-diesel/

The OE size will be on a plaque, usually found near the driver's seat area.

???1998 Monaco without a built-in AIR DRYER??? Assuming it does have one, one should never get anything but clean dry air out of it. If either water or particularly any powder (desiccant from the dryer) you are well past proper service interval for the air dryer.

Excellent diagnosis and fix.

Would be VERY surprised if you don't have an AIR DRYER on your air system. If you do, the tank drains are little more than the "report card" for the condition of the dryer. Said another way, if you ever get anything but clean dry air from the drain, the air dryer has FAILED! Air dryers are a service item.

I do exactly the same. Have a clear glass jar with lid in the compartment next to my diesel fill. Pump 10 ounces or so into the jar. If it looks good, pour it in the tank and insert nozzle to fill.

Done!

As posted above, the Diesel RV Club is an FMCA Chapter. Dave Atherton, a retired Caterpillar tech is to GO TO man: http://forum.dieselrvclub.org/index.php/board,100.0.html

Thanks, John for you efforts to keep us up with this ever-changing world. Never know what the automotive engineers, their warranty administrators and their corporate attorneys will decide next.

Yup, and pushing them again brings you to the diagnostic code reader.

No an Allison ECU is NOT an inexpensive fix. But, first step is to verify that both 12 VDC hots to it and its ground are good (12+ VDC). Without that, the ECU will be "stupid" and can throw random codes. Only takes a few minutes to check and THE place to start. If the Allison ECU is diagnosed as the issue, next step is to contact John-- he makes a living repairing them: https://www.transmissioninstruments.com/ Substantially less $$ than a new one. Obviously, if a bad solenoid in the transmission, the above will not fix it.

How tag axle ride height is controlled depends on which chassis. Some are proportional off drive axle, some are adjustable PSI for the tag itself. So, check with your chassis maker to find out how YOURS is designed. Said another way-- there is no "here is how they are all designed/built"

Max of 200 degrees F is just fine for your ISL. You DO want a temperature delta between "thermostat wide open" and fan speed spooling to max.

Particularly if the crankcase is overfilled!

fowlers, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Have you queried the transmission for diagnostic codes. EASY from the driver's seat. Instructions in your Allison owners manual or on Allison's website. Another quick check if for chassis battery connections and voltage.

Kndavis1, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. By chance were you on the Diesel RV Club Site (an FMCA Chapter)? Dave Atherton is a retired Caterpillar mechanic and is the best source of info on your engine. FAR better than crowd-sourced advice. http://forum.dieselrvclub.org/index.php/board,100.0.html

I am a little reluctant to have you come to the FMCA Forum and have me/anyone suggest you check elsewhere, but the parking brake system on many of the Magnum chassis is unique enough that I recommend you checking on a Safari-specific forum. Very likely this is a drive shaft brake that needs adjustment, rather than a parking brake on the rear disks. Here is a good one: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Safarifriends/conversations/messages

Assuming you are on shore power when you took those readings (or solar wired the same way). If so, your coach, like many others only charges the house bank from shore power. 13.4 is VDC is a good "float voltage" for your house bank. Float voltage is what a smart charger or inverter/charger does to after the batteries are 90+% charged. All is well. 12.6 on the chassis battery is very close to a fully charged battery bank, but not being charged. Most accurate ways to check battery life status is either: 1. If wet cell, with a hydrometer. 2. Load test the batteries, but ONLY after fully charging them. Most places that sell batteries will do this for free.

Yes, even a muffin an inlet from clean area and exhaust and muffin fan will be a real advantage when bulk charging or inverting. Both produce a lot of heat. I would probably just put it on a manual switch, but you could wire it through a temperature sensitive switch.

proost, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Yes, the FRONT of the CAC (Charge Air Cooler) needs to be cleaned annually!

Ray, Be aware that most smart chargers (those built into most inverter/chargers) will not try to charge a deeply discharged battery. This is a safety precaution, as pumping excessive amps into a battery with a dead cell can cause excessive gassing and even an explosion. So, as you are doing, make sure the batteries are good and at least to 12.0 VDC before trying to evaluate the charger section.