wolfe10

Ken, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. While my wife is the chef in the family, proving appliances that work is my responsibility. Two approaches: I would first have propane pressure checked to verify that your "whole house" regulator is putting out the 11 column inches of water is should be. Then, using your stove's spec sheet, IF it has another built in regulator (some do) that it is putting out the proper pressure. Then, if the stove is getting the proper propane pressure, but you feel the BTU's are inadequate, best bet is to look at spec sheets on your stove and potential replacements to find out the BTU ratings of the various burners. Some newer stoves do have a high output burner. Brett

I have deleted a couple of posts in this thread-- some that were true when written (Chevrolet Cruze and some models of the Malibu automatic towable four wheels down), a post updating that and a rebuttal that the post was correct at the time it was posted. As I posted in the edit this morning in the first post in this thread, GM/Chevrolet had determined that several models with automatics. Appreciate the original post and the corrections, but deleting the incorrect information (this has just surfaced in the last 10 days) is clearer than having a first time reader try to determine what is right and wrong. Again, thanks to all. Brett Moderator

Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Shimmy is almost always the fault of an out of round or out of balance tire. Go to a Toyo tire dealer and have them check RUN-OUT and BALANCE. Best of run-out is under .035" for front tires and best to find a dealer who can balance them on the coach so that all rotating mass is in balance including not just the tire and wheel, but also the hub and brake disk/drum. If the pull started when the new tires installed, have the front tires rotated side to side. If the pull is unrelated to new tire installation, start by checking ride height-- if a ride height valve is out allowing the coach to lean, it can induce pull. If ride height is OK, have an all wheel alignment done. Front caster needs to be a little more on the right side than left to compensate for the crown of the road. When you say tire pressure is "good", I assume you mean it is per Toyo's recommendation for your actual weight. Brett

Joe, Here is a link to Banks Website for the 454-- note, the kit depends on the year model (with carb and single air pump, with carb and dual air pump and TBI). Of course, you could have an even newer model-- we don't know: http://www.bankspower.com/products/show/128/67 Do you see the cable operated device you described? Have you looked under your motorhome to see what the cable is connected to. Would be great for you to post a photo of what it is connected to. Brett

Joe, You are going to have to give us more information on what engine you have. Gas? Diesel? Banks make kits for both. If this is a gasoline coach, it is quite possible that the cable operates an exhaust cutout that would bypass the muffler for less back pressure and a LOT more noise. My suggestion is to crawl under and see exactly what the cable is attached to. Brett

Chuck, You are correct, he could use his current charger for charging the chassis batteries-- I should have looked to see if he had a smart converter in addition to a smart inverter/charger. As you know, most who install a smart inverter/charger are replacing a "not-smart" converter. Thanks for catching that. Brett

Actually, I am not a fan of using a "not-smart" converter (how is that for political correctness) to charge EITHER battery bank if it is to be left on 24/7. Better a smart converter, smart charger or smart inverter/charger to charge the house battery bank. And a smart battery combiner such as the Xantrex Echo charger to use power from the charger and house bank to charge the chassis battery after the house battery bank is up to full/pre-set voltage. Brett

Danny, Take it to a good truck suspension/spring shop. You can assist them by finding out from Ford or a Ford dealership with a service manual on your F53 chassis the correct RIDE HEIGHT. They will have a measurement from some point on the chassis to some point on the axle front and rear. Compare those specs with your actual readings. And clearly, any of your personal gear that you can shift to the higher side of the coach will help. Brett

Mike is correct, the shocks on all RV chassis do NOT carry any of the coach's weight. They are there just to dampen suspension movement. And as he said, give us enough details to be able to respond factually to your situation: What chassis? Workhorse P or W or Ford F53? Have you weighted the wheel positions-- if so, what are they and what are the GAWR's (Gross Axle Weight Ratings) from the plaque in the driver's area. Brett

Can't give advice on the cover, but will suggest that you ONLY fire up the engine if you can drive it a minimum of 30 highway miles. Unless the OIL, not just coolant get up to operating temperature, you are doing more harm than good to start the engine. And when running the generator, make sure it is under at least 50% load. It is better for tires to be on wood or plastic than on other surfaces. I would not use pressure treated wood-- no idea what chemical reactions may occur. On pavement is much better than on grass-- grass will expose the underbody to a lot more moisture. Brett

Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Have you done a Google or other search for "Ford F53 obsolete parts" and contacted any of the dealers on that list? Brett

Actually, the formula for descending any grade is to downshift until you find a gear that will hold your speed in EQUILIBRIUM-- you are neither accelerating nor decelerating WITHOUT USING YOUR SERVICE BRAKES (brake pedal). It has nothing to do with how straight the road is-- if a 6% grade straight for the next 30 miles, your equilibrium speed may be 30 MPH. A real quick benchmark is the 18 wheelers. Physics dictates that your equilibrium speed is slower than an empty 18 wheeler and faster than a loaded one. If you are passing all the big trucks, YOU ARE GOING TOO FAST. If you find your speed increasing, use the brakes firmly and long enough to slow you down so you can "grab" a lower gear. BTW, the same concept applies to diesels, but they can also factor in the use of the exhaust or engine brake or transmission retarder. Brett

May look like it, but that makes no sense. It is unusual to see a converter AND an inverter/CHARGER in the same system. And, you would never (at least not properly) wire an inverter to power the converter. That would create a closed loop that would quickly drain the batteries. An Echo charger connects house with chassis battery bank. Once a certain (programmed) voltage is reached in the house bank, it will close the relay/Echo charger to allow the converter or inverter/charger to charge the chassis batteries as well. Start by figuring out exactly what inverter/charger you have. An inverter/charger alone (without converter) is the normal configuration if you do, indeed have an inverter/charger. Now, if you have an inverter that does not have a built in charger, a different matter. Brett

Retiredblade, Sounds like several, perhaps unrelated issues. Some coaches are not wired to charge the chassis batteries from the inverter/charger-- is yours? Chassis batteries will discharge over a couple of weeks due to parasitic load, even if fully charged when your park. So for long-term storage, it is best to have a charging source for the chassis batteries such as a Xantrex Echo charger (so the inverter/charger charges the house batteries and the Echo charger then charges the chassis batteries). Another option is to disconnect the chassis batteries. Yes, an inverter left on with shore power/generator off WILL take power from the batteries. Not a lot, but it is in "Stand-by" mode when left on. That is so it is instantly ready to supply 120 VAC if you turn on a 120 VAC appliance that is wired to an inverter-supplied outlet. When parked with no shore power, turn it off. But, with a smart charger PROPERLY PROGRAMMED (battery bank size, battery type, temperature) you should be able to leave it plugged in 24/7 without overcharging the batteries. Once fully charged and in FLOAT MODE, voltage should be 13.2-13.5 VDC. That should not boil a healthy battery with proper water level. As I am sure you are aware, deeply discharging a battery materially shortens its life. Sadly, many batteries sit deeply discharged while in storage-- on dealer lots as well as by the owner, so shortened battery life is not unexpected. Quality batteries treated right (not overcharged and not discharged below 50%) can last many years. The Lifeline AGM batteries I installed over 6 years ago in our coach are working just fine.

Joe, At that age, maintenance will make a great deal of the difference. Can a 454 take you on that trip-- absolutely. The only HAVE TO other than routine maintenance is to change the BRAKE FLUID. Old/hydrated brake fluid boils at under 300 degrees F-- new fluid around 500 degrees. Loosing your brakes in the mountains is not when to decide to change the brake fluid. BTW, our Foretravel is a 1993 with 157,000 miles. Brett

Yes, not harmful-- a 50 to 30 adapter is a VERY common item-- not harmful. Your in-coach 30 amp breaker will still protect your coach electrical system.

Yes, boil over can be caused by several things: 1. Overcharging (Often because the smart inverter/charger that has not been programmed properly-- rendering it DUMB!) 2. Overfilling of the battery cells. 3. Battery with bad cell (so the charger will try to charge a 10 volt battery as if it were a 12 volt battery, resulting in severe overcharging of the remaining good cells. Brett

Joe, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Yes, to plug your 30 amp shore power cord into a standard 50 amp RV receptacle, you will need a 50 amp male to 30 amp female adapter from any RV store and even some Walmarts. Brett

Good, much better than the 12.5 to 13 volts posted earlier.

Ron, Since it works OK on 110 VAC, the cooling unit is OK. If cleaning the burner area did not gain you sufficient cooling (actual heat which produces cooling) the next thing I would check is propane pressure. Very quick and simple with a manometer. Low gas pressure can cause poor performance, just as can a clogged propane jet or debris in the burner tube. Brett

With a properly programmed inverter/charger, voltage in FLOAT MODE (long term shorepower-- minimum of over 24 hours) should be 13.2-13.5 VDC as measured with a digital voltmeter at the batteries. A digital voltmeter is a real asset in an RV and they start under $20 at Sears, Radio Shack, etc. Please verify that the float voltage is in that range-- if not need to determine why it is not. Brett

This has been the subject of discussion for decades. First, all will agree that when refueling, that all spark-producing or flame-producing appliances should be OFF. This includes turning off the appliances, not just turning off the gas supply to them. A spark ignitor from a propane appliance left on, propane turned off can also ignite a gasoline spill by you or someone else. This includes the refrigerator, water heater, furnaces, aqua-hots, etc. As far as operating the refrigerator on propane at other times when not around flammables, no clear answer. Is there a risk-- sure. Is there a risk in operating the main engine on gasoline-- sure. Most consider the risk minimal and acceptable. As you brought up, are you at greater risk of food poisoning if you turn off the refrigerator while driving-- yes. The relative risks have to be weighed by each of us. I will suggest that proper propane system and refrigerator maintenance is important to lower the risk factor. No just the risk while driving, but also in using appliances when stopped. This includes pressure testing the propane system at least annually and doing the "burner area tune-up" on the refrigerator annually as called for in your refrigerator owners manual. Are you at more risk in a system that has not been maintained-- yes. OK, enough facts. My personal opinion, the risk of operating PROPERLY MAINTAINED (which mine are) propane powered appliances in our coach while driving is an acceptable risk to me. Brett

Why did the dealer tell you this was a Cummins problem? Does your converter, charger or inverter/charger charge the chassis batteries while plugged into shore power? Do you store it plugged into shore power? If not, do you have solar panels or other means of keeping the batteries charged? How long is the coach stored before the batteries are discharged? Are the batteries maintenance free, or can you check water level? If you can check them, how much water did they use? Brett

Good information-- the more the better. Since this is a new issue, I would start by looking closely at the hose from coach side to filter housing. This hose is more likely to have a kink, animal nest, etc as compared with the air system from filter onward to the engine. An easy test. Reset the filter minder and do a WOT 0-60 MPH. Stop, reset the filter minder and removing the air duct that goes from side of coach to air filter from the filter end, repeat the 0-60 MPH. Compare the readings. Also, air filter minder gauges are not expensive. It could be that the gauge is faulty. Brett

Laura, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Ed is absolutely correct. First thing to check is that the P trap for the washer indeed has water in it. And as he suggests, if you are not going to connect the washer, use potable RV antifreeze (from Walmart, etc) and seal off the pipe so it will not re-evaporate. Brett