wolfe10

Rick, What specifically is not working on your coach? The more the details the better we may be able to help.

Your coach will have three RIDE HEIGHT VALVES. They determine how much air (height) is in the air bags. Two on one axle (usually the rear) and on the other axle. The rod that connects the axle to the ride height valve is fairly light-- you could bend it with your little finger. So, checking is reasonable as running over a piece of tire on the road can easily bend the rods. Ride height affects ride, handling and suspension component wear. If the rear is too far out, you can take out drive line components-- 2" doesn't seem like much, but with that very short drive shaft on a DP, it dramatically affects drive line angles. And, as mentioned in my post above, it can shift a LOT of weight from side to side. And on tag axle coaches, adjusting the tag can make a HUGE impact. At a recent Cat RV Club Rally we individual wheel position weighed all coaches. Ended up making major adjustment (we are talking about thousands of pounds) on all but one tag axle coach.

Ken, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. The PSI on your GVWR sticker ASSUMES each axle is loaded to its GAWR. You can get full axle weights at most all truck stops. That will tell you if you are in the ball park. You are absolutely correct about needing all wheel position weights, as ASSUMING perfect left/right weight distribution is not reasonable. Would also suggest having RIDE HEIGHT checked/adjusted before final weighing . It is a good thing to check annually. And if off even an inch or two, can transfer a LOT of weight (Just think how many of your really strong friends it would take to lift that left rear corner two inches)! Yet, seeing a two inch out of spec on a 40' coach may be very difficult.

Thanks for the update. Glad it is back working.

To post a link, copy the link (highlight and hit copy from their website). Go to your post (or click "edit" to change your existing post). Click on the "Link" icon which is just to the right of the 1- 2- 3- just above your post. Scroll over it will cause it to say Link. Paste the link, then click OK. Brett

Welcome to the FMCA Forum. In the upper right of this page is a "search" box. Enter "Residential Refrigerator" for some very insightful evaluations of the conversion. Brett

Sorry, but please post a link to ANY engine manufacturer's statement that suggests extended (time) drain intervals when using synthetic oil in a diesel engine.

Several discussions here on the Forum on that subject: http://community.fmca.com/topic/3150-fogged-windows/ http://community.fmca.com/topic/289-fogged-double-pane-windows/page__p__1378__hl__%2Bfogged+%2Bwindows__fromsearch__1#entry1378 http://community.fmca.com/topic/383-cloudy-discolored-windows/page__p__1857__hl__%2Bfogged+%2Bwindows__fromsearch__1#entry1857

The full DOT number is molded into only ONE sidewall of each tire. And each tire sold in NA will have a full DOT number with the last four digits indicating the WEEK and YEAR of production. Check the other side of the tire if there is not a separate molded 4 digit number. Brett

Air blowing but not heat means that the thermostat is working and the fan is coming on. The problem may be inadequate CFM to close the SAIL SWITCH. Blocked air return, too many vents closed, crushed ducts, low voltage at the furnace are common causes. It could also be that the PC board is bad-- many RV dealers have testers for them, but start by removing the connections from the PC board and gently cleaning with an eraser. The PC board is the "brains" of the furnace. It receives the "turn on" signal from the thermostat, receives OK signal from sail switch, opens propane valve/powers igniter, etc. Listen carefully outside by the furnace when you have someone turn it on. Do you hear the IGNITER clicking? Smell propane out the exhaust (GAS VALVE opening)? Brett

Might be time to sanitize your water system. Here is a thread that may be of interest: http://community.fmca.com/topic/62-forgot-to-empty-fresh-water-tank/

Have you conformed 12+ VDC/same voltage as when it does run at the furnace when it fails? And exactly how far in the process does it get when not working-- do you hear the igniter and/or click of the propane solenoid? Also, many RV dealers have a tester that can test the furnace's PC board. But even before pulling it out remove the connections from the PC board and gently use an eraser to clean the contacts. Brett

Yes, I agree. But suspect it may be easier to access the sender unit on the engine. Same diagnostic logic applies-- you are right on. Brett

Herman, If, as the tech told you, that ground on the sense wire= high PSI, before concluding the cause, disconnect the wire from the sender. If the gauge goes to zero, that would suggest that the sender unit is faulty (even though new). If disconnecting the wire still gives a high gauge reading, he may be correct and the problem is likely in the wiring. BUT, if you can isolate that wire at the gauge and remove it, you can check with an ohm meter between the wire and ground and also see if the gauge shows zero pressure with the wire disconnected. Brett

Herman, Battery voltage makes a big difference on whether the fan is turning fast enough to close the sail switch. But, without more information we would just be guessing. Issues could include: Battery with bad cell, faulty or mis-programmed charger or converter, poor electrical connection anywhere between battery and furnace, etc. Do the diagnostics I outlined above. Plan "B" is to pull out your digital voltmeter and confirm voltage at battery AND at the furnace. Brett

The furnace run sequence is: Thermostat signals furnace PC board to turn on the furnace. PC board tells fan to start. If adequate air flow to close sail switch, the PC board signals the propane valve to open AND the igniter to spark. If flame is detected, the thermocouple tells the PC board and the PC board keeps the furnace running. So where I recommend starting is verifying that you are getting as far as propane valve opening/igniter sparking. VERY easy-- just listen for the igniter clicking. If no clicking, you are not getting that far into the run sequence. Brett

Herman, There are so many different sender units/gauge packages that it would be virtually impossible for us to know how yours is set up. I would start by calling Monaco and asking them how to troubleshoot this problem. They should be able to give you a step by step process-- may be as simple as disconnecting the wire at the sender and verifying reading, touching that wire for an instant to chassis ground and verifying reading, etc. Could be the sender to gauge wire grounding somewhere. Please let us know what you find, so the next person with your chassis/coach will know what to do. Thanks. Brett

Boy, difficult to diagnose when it is not "mis-behaving". But, the number one cause of a furnace not lighting, but fan running, is inadequate air flow to close the SAIL SWITCH. And, the number one cause of inadequate air flow is low voltage which means the furnace fan is not turning fast enough to supply enough air flow. Other causes of inadequate air flow are blocked or inadequately sized air return and/or heater vents closed, ducting crushed, etc restricting air flow out of the furnace. How sure are you that battery voltage at the furnace was 12.0 VDC or more when this happened? Brett

Butch, Thanks. Yes, that matches the specs of the current generation 8000 posted in the link I posted above. Again, on the larger generators (Like the Onan10,000+ watt generators) 240 is possible, but controlling voltage on BOTH legs is difficult enough that few coach makers wire them as 240.

Solid GOLD. Thanks. Brett

Wayne, Actually VERY few differences in either of our understandings in that other thread, just use if different terms that were starting to confuse many-- Herman wasn't the first to observe that! And as you identify in your post here, whether the generator is wired 120 VAC or 240 VAC was in question-- that is why I posted the link to Onan generator website to show that all the 6.5/7.0 KW Onans are wired 120 VAC. Let me try to go through your questions one by one-- My response in SOLID LETTER CAPS (no, not yelling, just easier to separate ANSWER from the question): "...it was stated that watts divided by voltage equals amps.: YES, OR MORE COMMONLY STATED (SAME MATHEMATICALLY-- VOLTS TIMES AMPS= WATTS). "In a 7500 Watt system, providing two independent 120 volt sources...": WAYNE, I ASSUME YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT AN ONAN 7500 WATT GENERATOR. IF A DIFFERENT UNIT, PLEASE POST. NO CURRENT SPECS FOR IT ON ONAN'S WEBSITE, BUT HERE ARE THE SPECS FOR THE NEWER 8000 DIESEL http://www.cumminson...111&detail=true. IT SHOWS TO BE SET UP AS 120 VAC ONLY-- NO 24O OPTION. SO START BY CHECKING THE SPECS FOR YOUR GENERATOR TO SEE IF IT IS 120 VAC, 240 VAC OR ALLOWS THE COACH MAKER TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THE TWO. "So that is why I'm confused about the 7500 watt generator providing power. In my case, everything operates when the generator is running". WAYNE, SORRY ONE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT YOUR WIRING DIAGRAM, INCLUDING HOW THE Electrical Management System WORKS TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT ONE. CLEARLY A 7500 WATT GENERATOR PROVIDES MORE POWER THAN 30 AMP SHORE POWER-- 30 AMPS TIME 120 VOLTS= 3600 WATTS-- FAR LESS THAN 7500 PROVIDED BY YOUR GENERATOR). "So I'm not sure if the 7500 watts is split in half or not." IF BY SPLIT IN HALF YOU MEAN TO HOTS L1 AND L2, YOU WOULD NEED TO LOOK AT YOUR WIRING DIAGRAM AND/OR GENERATOR BOOK. AS POSTED IN THE ONAN LINK ABOVE, THEIR CURRENT 8000 DIESEL GENERATOR IS 120 VAC ONLY. IF THIS LEFT QUESTIONS UNANSWERED OR BROUGHT UP OTHERS, LET US KNOW-- HOPEFULLY SOMEONE ELSE WITH A SIMILAR ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND GENERATOR (PLEASE POST WHAT GENERATOR YOU HAVE AND WHETHER IT IS 120 OR 240) CAN DIG UP A SCHEMATIC AND BE ABLE TO ADDRESS YOUR QUESTION MORE COMPLETELY. Brett

August 2011 Dear Chevrolet Customer, As the owner of a 2011 model year Chevrolet Cruze, equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission, your satisfaction with our product is very important to us. We are contacting you to make you aware that General Motors has received reports of transmissions overheating while towing 2011 model year Chevrolet Cruze vehicles, equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission, with all four wheels on the ground (dinghy towing). In a few cases, this had led to damage to internal transmission components, and required replacement of the transmission. General Motors requires that if you tow your vehicle, you tow it with the rear wheels on the ground and the front wheels up on a device known as a dolly, following the instructions provided by the dolly manufacturer. Enclosed is a revised page to update your Cruze Owner Manual which contains revised instructions regarding towing your Cruze. Please take a moment to insert this supplement into Section 10 of your Owner Manual for future reference. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Chevrolet Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-222-1020 (TTY 1-800-833-2438). We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Jim Moloney General Director, Customer and Relationship Services

Please clarify. Is the water coming from the anti-siphon valve and leaking into the shower pan (where it goes down the drain) or is it leaking inside the wall (where it can do damage)?

Actually, I believe all of us were referring to the propane-fired heater, though this is a good time to point out that the more specific the question, the more the details on what is being asked, the better (and more helpful) the replies. As you can see, the more information posted, the better the answers. For a failure of the dash HVAC fan, start by checking it's fuse (12 VDC fuse). Next would be to verify 12 VDC to the fan itself when the ignition is on and fan switch is on. There is also a resistance block normally located close to the fan which determines fan speed. They can burn out as well. Any other items that only work when the ignition is on not working-- that could indicate a different problem (ignition switch or ignition solenoid)? Sorry if this sounds overly complicated, but chasing down electrical problem can be time consuming (though very logical), but is always a LOT cheaper than just starting to replace parts. Brett

Herman, Yes, first, I agree that there is not 1% difference in what is being said (the exception being the generator output). Electrically we are all in agreement. But coming from a residential or commercial wiring background, hanko could well use different terms to say the same thing. Not better or worse, but certainly confusing to those not really familiar with discussing 120 VAC wiring in an RV application. I know and apologize for the confusion it has caused others. That is why, in my post last night, I requested that further discussions by hanko on this subject be done by private message to me. I don't mind further discussions and will be glad to invest my time. BUT, I don't want everyone else to leave more confused than clarified. In fact, I am going to close this thread. Please feel free to start a new thread if there are other electrical questions. Brett