wolfe10

Wonder if that is VDO??? If so: http://www.usa.vdo.com/generator/www/us/en/vdo/main/home/home_en.html

Sam, A slight clarification. The dobber nests, would, as you say be in the combustion chamber/heat exchanger section of the furnace. In other words the part of the furnace system accessible to and only to the outside of the coach. The sail switch is in a totally different air flow area/fan area where inside air is forced through the "inside part" of the furnace and back into the coach. There is absolutely no connection between the two areas-- if there were you would have combustion gasses getting into the coach. I have never seen dobber nests in the "inside part" of a furnace. I there are, they have to enter and leave through the interior of the coach. It is quite possible that the dobber nests degraded furnace performance at one of several key areas that would account for your symptoms. Burner/ gas jets obstructed so thermocouple would not get hot enough to keep the furnace lit. Thermocouple itself "insulated" by dobber nest, etc. Brett

I go back to each of my posts on this thread-- have you verified with a carpenter's level that the leveling system is properly calibrate-- that it is not twisting the chassis because it is improperly calibrated? Most leveling systems rely on some type of bubble level as a sensor. If it has been hit, mis adjusted, etc, it can easily MIS-level a coach. Adjustment is often as simple as using a screwdriver to position the sensor mounting feet.

Since the furnace ignites, then quits, you can (at least temporarily) rule out low battery voltage, bad sail switch, etc. First place I would start is to test propane pressure with a manometer. It is not unusual for the heavier hydrocarbon contaminants in propane to clog a regulator and the colder the temperature, the more that light viscosity grease-like substance thickens and can reduce gas pressure. If you don't have a manometer, make one OR just replace the propane regulator-- under $25. Be sure to get the correct one-- there are two styles. The vent (quarter sized screen part) MUST, repeat MUST point down. So, if the regulator is installed horizontally , the vent will be perpendicular to the regulator's long axis. If installed vertically, the vent will be in line with the long axis of the regulator.

JT, Did you have EQUAL or other "in tire" balancing product used? If so, they do require a special valve so the product does not clog the valve and lead to leaks. In any case if you are near where they were installed, go by the dealer and have them address the issue. And, if on the road find a truck/HD tire store that handles the same brand tire. Brett

Yes, turning off or disconnecting the converter accomplishes the same thing. It means the alternator and converter are not "competing".

And ours is removed from inside the coach/back of the light receptacle. So, advice on what works on OUR coach may do damage to your coach. Brett

Oldmarine, Is this the CG: http://www.yellowstoneholiday.com/ ?

Be sure your electrician knows that the 30 amp service you are having installed is 30 amp 120 VAC, NOT 30 amp 240 VAC. Said another way, there is ONE hot, a neutral and a ground. As far as whether to go with an inverter/charger instead of just a smart charger really depends on your needs. Some people wouldn't go without an inverter, others, like myself don't have one (other than a small one to run the TV or computer). As I posted earlier, depends on how much/many 120 VAC low amperage appliances (i.e. not roof A/C's, etc) you desire to run while not on shore power, your coach's ability to handle the extra weight of a large enough battery bank to achieve this and your determination of the break-even between these costs and that of running your generator a few more hours. Brett

Each coach maker has different adjustments available for their slides. So answers of what works on some other coach may not apply to yours and, worse, may be detrimental to your coach. Best advice is to call your coach maker and ask them. Another alternative is to ask on a Forum specific to your coach. Brett

kikeehn, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Yes, it is quite common to run the generator while traveling, particularly if the temperature is high enough to require more than the dash A/C to keep you comfortable. This is true whether the generator is fueled by propane, gasoline or diesel. Very few people even give this a second thought. Is it an additional risk? Sure, but, the vast majority of us conclude it is a very small risk and do it. Heck, driving, just by itself is more of a risk than sitting at home-- again we do it. And if the generator is running to power other things (such as roof A/C) then running the refrigerator on generator produced 120 VAC makes sense. It would not make sense to run that large additional motor (the generator) JUST to run the refrigerator, however. If you do this and have the ability to turn off your converter while running the generator while driving, do it. It "confuse"s many alternators to have competing sources charging the batteries. All the equipment discussed in this thread was designed to be used while driving as well as while parked. But, risk/reward is each person's decision.

Jamie, The Parallax 7400 Series Converter is indeed an obsolete converter. It was made in 30-65 amp configurations. I would not invest in new, expensive batteries without updating this to a smart charger or inverter/charger. Said another way, replacing it would be a wise investment. I can't give advice on whether you should spend the money on an inverter or inverter/charger. Several factors to make a considered decision: How much of the time do you want to be able to run low amp 120 VAC appliances from the batteries (i.e. delay need to run the generator which will need to be run to recharge the batteries)? How large is your battery bank (i.e. how large an inverter could it reasonably support). While quite a few do have an inverter, many don't or have only a small one to run just a TV, etc. And how much money do you want to spend and how much weight (extra batteries, inverter,etc) on this. We don't even know if you have a gas coach that is near its weight capacity or a DP with 2,000 pounds of reserve weight capacity. And, if you can have 120 VAC shore power where you store the coach, DO IT. Particularly after you get a smart charger (or decide to go with an inverter/charger) you can leave the coach plugged in 24/7 to maintain the batteries. With your present converter, that would likely overcharge the batteries if left plugged in 24/7. A reasonable answer, using your present converter, is to go to a Home Depot, etc and get a HD/20 amp timer. Set it to run the converter 1-2 hours a day-- enough to keep the batteries up, but not overcharge them. You will also have to determine if your coach is wired to charge the chassis battery when plugged in. Many coaches don't. So you will need to add a Trick L Start or Echo charger to keep up that battery bank. Yes, independent of the monetary consideration, my personal opinion ( and what we have in our coach) are Lifeline AGM house batteries and Optima starting batteries.

Carl, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. If you don't get an answer here from someone who has experienced this problem, on Monday, call Cummins 800 343-7357. Have your engine serial number handy. Brett

Jamie, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. 1) Chassis battery : These are your start batteries. Best (OE equipment on Foretravel, etc) are 12 VDC Optima Sprial batteries wired in parallel. Largest that will fit. If not Optimas, starting battery are used vs deep cycle batteries. 2) Alternator: Other than verifying that it is charging, I wouldn't spend money on this. 3) Batteries for the coach: OK, these are referred to as house batteries. Best batteries are AGM's such as http://www.lifelinebatteries.com/ What size and number really depends on two things-- how much room you have and how much dry camping you do where you will be living off the batteries to power 12 VDC appliances and use of the inverter to power 120 VAC appliances off the batteries between running the generator to power the converter, charger or inverter/charger to recharge the batteries. Certainly room and added weight are considerations as well as cost. 4) Inverter: Or inverter/charger-- really depends on largest load you plan to run on the inverter and whether the appliances will run on MSW (modified sine wave) or require a sine wave inverter. The larger the inverter/charger, generally the higher the amp output of the charger section. If your coach already has one, let us know what you have. 5) Shore line: Not sure of the question here. Is your coach 30 amp or 50 amp shore power? 6) Generator: Again, not sure of the question-- what generator do you have and what is the question. 7) Solar trickle charger: The need for a solar powered trickle charger depends on whether you have shore power available where you store the coach. Let us know that one and we can advise. 8) Kill switches at key points in the system: Again, depends on what means you have of keeping the batteries charged while in storage. Let us know the answer to whether you have shore power where you store it and we can better address your particular situation. Brett

This is the company who makes the plates and offers a number of mounting brackets: http://www.kileymold.com/attachment_plates.htm

Yes, bforrest, there will be a fuse. Call Winnebago for its location if you don't have a wiring diagram. Have you checked your dash area 12 VDC fuse box? On many coaches, it is in the basement forward of the left front tire. Brett

Chuck, My response in red. Brett

Larry, No, engine coolant and exhaust temperatures are VERY different. Exhaust temperatures can be over 1,000 degrees F under high throttle operation. Brett

Yes, that will get you close. Even better, add a little more than that and recheck in the morning before driving.

No simple answer. Some older absorption refrigerators were 3 way (propane, 120 VAC and 12 VDC) The 12 VDC heating element in these was lower wattage than the 120 VAC element or the heat produced by the propane flame, so it was considered more for "maintaining" the cold. Said another way it was not as effective as either 120 VAC or propane. Most newer refrigerators are 2 way (propane and 120 VAC). Yes, all except the REALLY old ones also need a source of 12 VDC to run the PC board-- irrespective of "heat source". Can you run a 2 way refrigerator on electricity while driving? Maybe. If you have enough alternator capacity to supply your vehicle needs with enough left over to power an inverter to run the refrigerator, then the answer is YES. Is this less efficient than running on propane-- YES. Compare producing the same BTU's of heat in the refrigerator: With propane, you burn a small flame. When on 120 VAC from the engine, you loose efficiency at each of these steps: Turning diesel into engine RPM. Loading the alternator harder to produce more electricity. Converting 12 VDC to 120 VAC in the inverter. Converting 120 VAC into heat. One other comment on using propane while driving or any other time. A properly maintained propane system and appliances are safer than ones that are not maintained (about the same holds true for most systems-- no big surprise!). Brett

Certainly, part of that statement is true. Running with LP on while driving is NOT illegal in any state. But it is (and should be) illegal in high-danger areas. These include: while refueling, in some tunnels and on ferries. BTW if you are at the RV island even with a diesel rig, you should (and legally are obligated to) TURN OFF ALL PROPANE POWERED APPLIANCES AT THE SWITCH. Turning off the propane at the tank/solenoid does NOT meet the standards, as having a furnace, water heater or refrigerator igniter start sparking (even with the propane turned off), could ignite a gasoline spill from someone else's rig. These basic safety precautions all make sense, but do not have anything to do with the use of propane powered appliances while driving. Brett

Cliff, There are no differences in Caterpillar or Cummins engines coolant requirements/both have the same mil specs for coolant requirements. Also, Caterpillar ELC or Fleetguard equivalent have the same characteristics-- OAT-based coolant with no need to check or add SCA. BTW, neither Caterpillar nor Cummins "require" an SCA type coolant. The correct statement is: Low silicate for diesel coolant with added SCA that is routinely tested and SCA level replenished" is an acceptable coolant. The new generation OAT-based coolants are also approved and both Caterpillar and Cummins (Fleetguard)-- both sell it. The advantage of the OAT-based coolants is that there is no need to ever test or add SCA and instead of the common 3 year coolant life, at least Caterpillar ELC (and likely true for Fleetguard product as well) have a 6 year life WITH NO MAINTENANCE in an RV application. Even in OTR trucks they have a 6 year life, with an added extender after 3 years/300,000 miles. Could you use a Cummins coolant in a Caterpillar or Caterpillar coolant in a Cummins-- I guess so, but my recommendation would be to use the OAT-based coolant marketed by YOUR engine manufacturer. That way, if you ever have it in for engine service, they will have the correct coolant. Here is an article I wrote a on the "proper" process to switch from "standard low silicate for diesel coolant with SCA" to Caterpillar ELC. Again, the steps for a Cummins would be the same: Cooling System 101 I just changed out my coolant and replaced all water hoses and belts. Thought I would share the experience. To my knowledge all RV manufacturers use a “low silicate coolant for diesels” with included or added SCA. Coolant needs to be changed per manufacturer’s instructions (usually every 3 years). Additionally the SCA, pH and freeze point need to be checked on regular intervals using SCA test strips and SCA added as needed. The test strips are inexpensive and easy to use. When either the time lapses (time starts when coolant is installed in cooling system, NOT when purchased) or testing reveals an out-of-line conditions like pH or freeze point, it is time to change it. You can avoid all the testing and SCA adding, and go to 6 year change intervals by going to an Extended Life Coolant and get better cooling system protection as well. Whichever coolant you choose, most of the steps are the same. The job is reasonably time consuming TO DO RIGHT, but low-tech. First step is to determine your total cooling system capacity. Your chassis maker or coach maker, not your engine manufacturer is the proper source. Then buy enough coolant (concentrate, not pre-dilute) to make up 50% of that volume. If going back with a coolant that requires additional SCA, purchase that as well. Also purchase 1.5 times system capacity of distilled water for a final flush plus final fill (50%). Also a good idea to change the engine thermostat and thermostat gasket as these are a wearing component and it involves very little more work while you are there. I know Caterpillar recommends thermostat (they call them regulators) every 3 years. Turn dash heater to full hot for the rest of the procedure—fan off. With the engine cold or at least cool, drain coolant. On some, there is a drain ****. On others, pull the lower radiator hose. Two Rubbermade 10 gallon storage bin lined with black trash sacks so they don’t get dirty work well. At the end of the whole process, use a coffee can and funnel to pour old coolant into new coolant/water containers for recycling. Our city maintenance shop recycles coolant for free. Refill cooling system with tap water. IMPORTANT: Be sure to remove any air lock from the thermostat housing. Some systems have a hose set up for this—on ours I just loosen the coolant line to the air pump and bleed the air out. Allow engine to warm up (using the cruise control to select idle speed of 1,000-1,100 speeds this up). Run for about 10 minutes at regular temp. If the temp gauge does not rise as normal, you likely have an air block and need to bleed the thermostat housing. Allow engine to cool 20-30 minutes and drain again. Repeat until the effluent color is clear. At this point, if this is the first coolant change on a 2-3 year old coach and you are not changing coolant brands/types, skip right to “Last rinse”. For older systems or when switching types of coolant, add a Cooling System Cleaner. Follow the directions. Run, allow engine to cool, drain and again flush until effluent is clear. The flushing is markedly sped up by pulling off the heater hose (usually 5/8” to ¾” lines) going to dash heater/motor-aid water heater, etc from the water pump. Put a hose nozzle in the hose and let it run until it comes out clear. Run the engine to temperature at least once with tap water. If your hoses are over 3-4 years old, this is a good time to change them as well (before last rinse). Same for thermostat(s). Last Rinse is with distilled water. At $.62/gal at Walmart, it is silly to skip this step and leave your system full of high-mineral content water (there will be several gallons of residual water that you can not easily remove). Run engine for 10 minutes after getting to operating temperature. Cool and drain. Also drain and flush your coolant overflow container and refill with new coolant/distilled water. Add the proper amount of Coolant CONCENTRATE (NOT PRE-DILUTE) to make 50% of cooling system capacity. So for a cooling system with 20 gallons capacity, add 10 gallons of Coolant CONCENTRATE (plus 1/2 overflow container capacity). Top off with distilled water to achieve your 50/50 mixture—it doesn’t matter if you only have to add 1 gallon or 10 of distilled water, you KNOW you have the proper 50/50 mixture. This is also a good time to clean the OUTSIDE of the radiator/after-cooler whether you have rear or side radiator. On rear radiator, most if the debris will be on the FRONT of the after-cooler (accessed from under the bed). On side radiators, most debris is on the outside of the after-cooler (side of coach). If it is just dirt, a hose and regular nozzle is all you need. If greasy or oily, use Joy liquid (dish washing detergent) in a spray bottle. Be SURE to rinse it off completely. You need to insure that the perimeter is as clean as the center. Ya, I know it is easier to see the center, but the fan blades "sling" the dirt to the perimeter. Check belts while you are in there. Brett

Evarney, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. As long as those levelers in the link are on the coach frame itself, no problem. Do not put them on a frame extension or other location that was not designed to support the weight of the coach. And, as you have discovered, you can get pretty close to level using leveling boards. That always puts less stress on any jack system. An option for the front is to use a small inexpensive hydraulic bottle jack on each side of the front frame. And, as with any leveling/jack system, NEVER lift the rear wheels off the ground-- they are your parking brake. Lift them and the coach rolls! Brett

Like Bill, we drive with the refrigerator on propane 100% of the time. Indeed the systems (both propane system and refrigerator) were designed to be operated while driving. Is there any danger-- sure. Any time you have a flammable, there is some danger. Just as there is with gasoline. Most will conclude that the risk is minimal and within their "acceptable range"-- that is your choice. I would suggest, particularly in the summer, that your risk of food poisoning if the refrigerator is left off all day while you drive is a LOT more of a danger to you and your family than leaving the refrigerator on and running on propane. As with many decisions, you need to weigh the risks/rewards. Brett

Alyce38, You will need to give us a lot more information for us to be of assistance. Since you say it should put out 230 VAC, clearly it is not a Honda 1000 as is being discussed here. What generator model? Serial number if you have it? How many hours on it? Other than the motor overhaul, what has been done to it?