wolfe10

Marty, I am trying to understand how any part of the 120 VAC system could cause your engine shutdown issues???

John, The engine manufacturer (Caterpillar in this case) only gives the specs that the coolant must meet. And the specs are the same for Cat, Cummins, etc. The chassis maker chooses the coolant for initial fill. But, at 10 years old, if you don't know for a FACT that the coolant has been changed AND exactly what coolant it is, indeed change it now. BTW, what Caterpillar engine do you have-- I didn't know the Zanzabar came with a 370 HP. If a 3126, it could be a 330 HP/860 lb-ft torque. Brett

Bill, No, just changed it based on time-- I figured every 5 years was reasonable. Brett

Ultraglide, Two such products are discussed in this tread.

That is also what I did with our Rockwell axle-- drained the old and went with synthetic. 120,000 miles later and one additional change after 50,000 miles, no issues at all.

No, Herman, you were right the first time. There should be a fuse/fusable link at EACH positive battery terminal, since any contact with chassis/ground would create a dead short from either battery. Brett

Bill, When in doubt, go to the owners manual (see link below). Meritor (who bought Rockwell) has their manuals on-line. My brief search did NOT find any caution about not using synthetics. Be aware that this is a 240 page document: https://s3.amazonaws.com/helm-arm-lod/mm1.pdf

Larry, Sometimes an outside charge source (your charger since you were on shore power) can interfere with the idiot light working properly. Try unplugging and seeing if the light comes back on. As an aside, it is a good idea to NOT start the engine unless you can drive a minimum of 25 highway miles. It takes that long to get the OIL up to operating temperature and anything less just adds moisture to the crankcase. Brett

While resanitizing (treatment with strong chlorine/bleach solution) may not rid your tank of the material, it will kill it (if it is organic) and then flushing should remove it. I would open the tank drain and then add some water... repeat 4-5 times, THEN sanitize and flush a couple of more times.

Andy, Glad to hear you switched from an engine degreaser to one that is ALUMINUM SAFE, as most CAC's are made of aluminum. And, as you discovered, it is the FRONT of the CAC where most of the debris is located. Cleaning from the back is OK, but you must clean from the front. Brett

These guys have an excellent reputation for blueprinting Sheppard steering boxes to reduce play: http://www.redheadsteeringgears.com/

Welcome to the FMCA Forum. I would not consider a car cover while towing-- the action of the wind at 60 mph on a cover could very easily damage the car. Better, look at guards that protect the front of the car and mount to the tow bar and/or the horizontal screens that keep road debris from the motorhome from being thrown up into the car.

Old marine, Many of the larger steering boxes (Sheppard for example) do not have external adjustment for play. Yes, most of the smaller ones on gas rigs do. If we knew what gear he had, we would all be more specific about what needs to be done. Hopefully the OP will come back and let us know the outcome and cause.

Lorntson's procedure of centering the steering wheel, centering the front wheels and then installing the pitman arm is the correct start. And most pitman arms are not keyed, but splined so they can be installed in a number of different positions.

Herman, In his first post, he said he had the steering gear replaced.

Mlaser59, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. I have the Adco tire covers from Camping World. Quality is just fine. Anytime our coach is more than an overnight, it has the covers on it. Strongly recommend white-- it keeps the tires cooler than black.

I will add to the excellent advice by Mr Lorntson from Precision Frame (this is what he does for a living): Depending on what steering gear it is (Sheppard for example) once you have the pitman arm/steering gear properly centered, you also have to set left and right total angles that the steering gear turns and absolutely make sure that there is still a gap between the steering knuckle at max turn and the steering stop (or you will bend things!). Very easily done with the two small screws on the outside of the Sheppard steering box. Most axle manufacturers have on-line manuals (I know Rockwell/Meritor does) that describe the process-- it is NOT difficult.

And, if the squeak is between the window frame and the sidewall of the coach, please tell us whether it is bedded in butyl tape. If so, and there butyl oozing all the way around the perimeter, you may be able to just tighten up on the screws a little that secure the inner to outer frame.

I would start by reading the installation instructions for the base plates you are considering so you can decide what brand you prefer. Then ask the manufacturers for THEIR recommendation for shops that install their baseplates in your area. Brett

Scott, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. It can be mounted anywhere. In our Ford Focus, it mounted in the truck up on the side out of the way, with only the small brake pedal air cylinder/puller under the driver's seat.

Jim, Welcome to FMCA and the FMCA Forum. There are some other threads showing a number of ways to mount the oval. At the top right of this page, type "Kiley Mold" in the "search box".

Jim, Welcome to FMCA and the FMCA Forum. Here are some threads dealing with just that issue: http://community.fmca.com/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=search&fromMainBar=1

Bill, You are absolutely correct. A disconnected neutral will allow voltage to range widely, since there is no "reference". It would likely not be a steady 240, but could sure range way above 120 VAC. Ran into that in an RV resort in Vermont. A broken neutral in a line supplying half the CG (found three days later). When I checked the outlet when we arrived, voltage was 160, then 90, then 150. Moved to another section of the park.

Bill, 240 VAC on one leg means the outlet was REALLY wired improperly, as the only way to get 240 is for the second hot to be wired to the NEUTRAL! A huge mistake. Example: L1 hot plus neutral hot= 240 VAC. That is your basic old (yes not today's code) dryer connection.

Bill, Yes, we are getting deeply into philosophy. Many do not believe in doing Preventive Maintenance-- some, including myself do. And, over the years, I have found the 120 VAC components (ATS and 120 VAC breaker box) to be a high enough chance of failure to invest the time in PM'ing them. But, then I spent today replacing unbroken parts on Dianne's dad's car-- 9 year old serpentine belt, transmission fluid, filters, etc. Yes, this was still while the car was running properly.