wolfe10

BAD news. Particularly on a diesel, do NOT start it unless you can get the OIL, not just coolant up to operating temperature. If you start it and don't put enough load on it to get the crankcase up to temperature, you are just adding condensation to the crankcase (water vapor is a normal combustion product). If you can't drive a minimum of 25 highway miles, don't start it. That is directly from the Caterpillar Engine Maintenance Seminar I will be presenting in Indianapolis and applies to all brands of diesel engines. If properly done, the generator can be run in the driveway-- just turn on electrical loads equal to at least 50% of the generator's capacity and let it run a minimum of 45 minutes. Brett

Try to get some more history on the coach. Under 1,700 miles per YEAR scares me. Sitting in a field for a couple of year is a lot harder on a DP than an extra 50,000 miles. Do you have access to any maintenance records-- many items are based on time as well as miles. Brett

7-8 MPG with the Ford V10 Class A and 3500 pound toad.

You have just confirmed that you do not have a vacuum leak through the Invisibrake system (engine off for 5 minute and no decrease in vacuum to brake booster). Suggest you check the vacuum components of the cruise control, as they appear to be the issue. May be as simple as taking off the vacuum line to the cruise control and sucking on it-- no vacuum suggests you should get with Honda to troubleshoot it.

Wonder if a vacuum reservoir would solve the problems. All gasoline powered vehicles have very low/zero vacuum under hard acceleration.

McBrian, Vacuum to brake vacuum booster should be the same, whether using the throttle or cruise control (engine-generated vacuum would be the same and based on throttle position). Can't understand how it would be different based on whether the throttle is applied by your foot or cruise control unless the cruise control has a vacuum leak. When you turn off the engine, comeback after 5 minutes and step on the brake pedal. Is it hard then or "normal"? That would be a reasonable leak down test for the vacuum (excluding cruise control circuit). If it is hard after 5 minutes of sitting with the engine off, start removing and blocking off vacuum lines until you find the culprit. Brett

Mario, Depends completely on where/how the solar panel and its controller are tied into your 12 VDC system. If you don't see wires from the solar panel/controller connected directly to the battery or between the battery and the disconnect switch, the answer is that it can't charge them with the switch in the disconnect position. Easy to tell with a digital voltmeter (start under $20 at Sears, Radio Shack, etc). On a sunny day, with shore power and generator OFF, check voltage at the battery with the switch ON and OFF. That will tell you very quickly if the batteries are being charged. Charge voltage (float level) should be in the 13.2-13.5 range. Up to 14.5 VDC if the controller is in bulk charge mode. Brett

Herman, Yes, they exist, but we don't even know if the OP has a gas or diesel or what his towing capacity is. The rig you describe may WAY exceed his safe towing ability-- we just don't have enough information to know. Brett

Ken, Yes, golf cart batteries wired in series or if 4 series/parallel are a common way to get quality deep cycle batteries for the house battery bank (vs chassis batteries). And Trojan T105 and T145's are a good choice. Brett

pilotab23, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. What brand and model jacks do you have? On some, including our HWH jacks, using the incorrect stow procedure can trap fluid in the lines/jacks. Might start by reading your jack manual on the exact procedure for your system. Brett

Wonder if this is the old B engine with "53" cast block?

Jim, What motorhome do you have? What is the weight of the motorcycle you would like to carry? Particularly on motorhomes with a long rear overhang, a motorcycle and carrier add a significant weight to the rear axle and subtract quite a lot of weight from the front axle. This can adversely affect handling or in some cases make it a dangerous proposition.

rapata, You likely have two separate issues: Sensor for leveling system needs to be adjusted-- use a level to determine "level" and adjust the sensor to agree with the bubble level. Your level system may have a leak allowing the the front to drop. Contact your jack manufacturer to properly troubleshoot it. Could be an issue with a jack or with the manifold system.

DutchStarCat, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Can't help with your dump valve question, but you might check again on what engine you have. The Caterpillar 3126 is a 7.2 liter. Cummins does have an 8.3 liter-- the C engine. Brett

Rob, Your dealer is correct. You can get a better/less expensive faucet at a plumbing supply house or box store. Remove the old faucet and take it with you so you get one that will connect with the least number of adapters (zero adapters is best). Brett

Mario, Several causes of excessive water use/acid from batteries: 1. A bad cell in a battery. This causes the charger to try to bring the charge in 5 cells to the same voltage as the normal 6 cells. That WAY overcharges the remaining cells. So, start by fully charging all batteries and then use a BATTERY HYDROMETER (under $10 from any auto parts house) to make sure you don't have a bad cell/bad battery. The very best charging equipment, when asked to charge a battery bank with one bad cell will do a very poor job. 2. Converter, charger or inverter/charger or solar panel(s) overcharging the batteries because it is not a "smart" charger, or is a smart charger that has not been properly programmed. Verify charging voltage AFTER charging source has been operating for at least 24 hours (i.e. should be in FLOAT mode). 13.0-13.5 is fine for wet cell batteries. More than 13.5 will over charge them, causing water consumption and expulsion of acid. If solar is your primary method of maintaining battery voltage make sure your CONTROLLER is set to the proper voltage. Brett

To add to what Bill said, while coming IN is concentrated into a short time window, one can leave at their own schedule-- so departure is spread out over a longer time period. Also, departing takes a lot less time, as you are not waiting for everyone to disconnect their toads, waiting to be directed to the next available spot, etc. Departure is really a non-issue.

rdtripn, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Yes, BEST way to determine correct tire pressure is to weigh each wheel position. Take the heavier wheel position on each axle to go to your tire manufacturer's Inflation Tables. This will tell you the MINIMUM PSI for that weight. Most add 5 PSI to that minimum as long as it does not exceed the tire or rim max ratings. And of course you have to factor in any tankage that you have that is not full as well as any personal gear or people who are not on board. As you know, the weight of any tankage/gear stored behind the rear axle will add more than it's weight to the rear axle than its actual weight and SUBTRACT weight from the front axle. Keep that in mind when weighting the front axle if the gas tank is well behind the rear axle and full. Brett

Herman, Not sure that "voltage rise" is a valid test. If a battery starts out fully charged, even a small charge will drive voltage up to 15-16 VDC. In fact, that is EXACTLY how batteries are EQUALIZED! A small amp charge to a fully charged battery with voltage allowed to rise above normal charge voltage (i.e. Equalization) serves to de-sulfate the plates. Many of the higher end smart chargers have a built in program to allow equalization. Brett

Bill, Often there is a small amount of tolerance in the ride height specs-- as an example, 10" +/- 1/4". Sometimes you can "tweak" the ride height within the specs to better balance the weights. Check with your chassis maker.

Ken, It is unlikely that a bad cell in a house battery would discharge the chassis batteries, as the two battery banks are separated on most coaches. With your low battery, best advice is to fully charge ALL batteries (separately is best) and then load test them. If these are wet cell batteries, another easy/inexpensive option is to buy a battery hydrometer at any auto parts house (under $10) and after and only after fully charging them check their Specific Gravity. A bad cell will give all kinds of electrical problems, so eliminate that as a cause first. It this the likely cause of all your electrical issues? Probably not, but replacing a bad battery is a good place to start. Brett

Bill, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Yes, different floorplans-- ones with much more "stuff" on one side can be substantially heavier on one side than the other. And, yes, this can also be caused by suspension issues. Luckily these are fairly easy to check and adjust. You will have three RIDE HEIGHT VALVES that control ride height. Two on one axle and one on the other. Check with your chassis maker for your "ride height specs". They are generally measured from a given point on the axle to a given point on the chassis. IF you have safety stands and basic mechanical skills, you can check this yourself. But do NOT go under a motorhome, particularly to work on the suspension height without safety stands. And, as you have already mentioned, you can move your personal gear around to put the heavier stuff on the lighter corner. Because most tanks are on center, they have little effect on left/right weight distribution. Brett

As I said: "And, you have confirmed that the alternator is charging both battery banks."

No, not all coaches are wired for the converter, charger or inverter/charger to charge the chassis batteries. And, of course the same thing would apply to both shore power and generator power-- they are just different sources of 120 VAC for the converter, charger or inverter/charger. And, you have confirmed that the alternator is charging both battery banks. Assume that your generator DID charge the house battery bank. Brett

Well, if the alternator only quits charging when hot, a quick test at an alternator shop may not show it bad. I can think of only a few things that can cause those symptoms: Bad alternator Bad regulator (may be build into the alternator or may be separate) Bad connections, particularly if remote sense alternator. Verify that the alternator belt is properly tensioned.