wolfe10

Yes, when sanitizing the potable water system, after letting the chlorine solution sit in the tank (see my write-up above), open EACH faucet (including hot water) until you smell chlorine coming out. Brett

Actually, there may be significant differences between a Diesel PULLER and a Diesel PUSHER other than just engine location. Most pullers came with leaf spring suspension vs air suspension. Many came with hydraulic brakes vs air brakes. Most had a 4 speed Allison vs 6 speed Allison. This clearly does not mean it would not fit your needs, but you need to determine that it WILL meet your needs. Brett

You can use metal for CONVECTION ONLY, repeat ONLY. Lo mix bake or high mix roast (which uses microwave and convection) requires microwave cookware, as of course does microwave. This per Dianne-- I am NOT familiar with this stuff. She recommends investing in silicone bakeware which can be used for all of the above. Brett

Welcome the the FMCA Forum. Your first call should probably be to Tiffin to get their recommendation. They will know what material was used for the ducts and the recommended way to clean them. Also, an annual cleaning of the A/C evaporator is an excellent idea, particularly if you live an a humid area. This will need to be accessed from the roof. Use a regular evaporator cleaner from any home HVAC store. Take care that you keep the cleaner and water out of the ducting. Brett

Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Both Freightliner and your coach maker need to do their job properly in order to avoid the slow fill/burping while fueling you are experiencing. Verify that both the large-diameter fill and smaller-diameter vent lines do NOT sag between the coach side and tank. If either has a sag in it, you will experience these symptoms. If you find one with a sag, get a piece of PVC pipe the same ID as the OD of your hose. Run it over a saw to remove 1/3 of its diameter (over the full length of the length of the sagged hose. "Snap" the PVC over the offending hose and hold it in place with nylon zip ties. Shouldn't cost you over $10 to fix if this is the issue. Brett

rrlowther, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Can't give advice on your specific question, as the only two posts by the person mentioning PDI were on this topic, with the last post on 2/5/11. May or may not be a valid company. His post that date was the only info that has been posted. I am, however, very familiar with the Caterpillar 3126/C7 and it's care and feeding. What year is yours and how many miles on it? That will give you a place to start when looking at what maintenance should be done (or may already have been done). Brett

For a quick check: Look under the front end. If a beam axle, it is the W chassis (much improved over the P). If independent front axle (will look a lot like a Chevy one ton PU with "A" arm suspension) it is the P chassis. In addition to suspension improvement, the W comes with an Allison transmission. You can also look at the GVWR plate near the driver's area. Post the GVWR. Brett

Bill, It appears that the Air Tabs were just one of the modifications he made at the same time. He mentioned an F & N filter-- suspect he means a K & N filter. Calculating MPG change is a really inexact science. Just too many variables unless calculated over a long period of time. I do agree that my MPG is up, but Air Tabs were just one of the changes I made to our coach. Brett

Wow, Tom, thanks for posting that link. Bald eagles are such majestic birds. We lived in Juneau Alaska many decades ago and even with the dozens around, never got over the excitement of seeing them. The State Museum in Juneau has an eagle nest as an exhibit. I have seen smaller tree houses! Dianne and I are in the sailboat, returning from the Bahamas to Texas. Two days ago, in a cypress swamp area on the ICW inland from Apalachicola, FL we saw a bald eagle returning home with a ?bass?. I am sure he made the fishermen jealous. Brett

Welcome to the FMCA Forum. WHICH Workhorse chassis is it on? There is a huge difference between the original P chassis and the newer-generation W-series chassis. And what size coach is this? Brett

Jim, Is the coach at a Caterpillar dealership? Brett

Phil, Actually, the chlorine evaporates reasonably quickly in a tank where it is exposed to air, leaving your water a potential microbe breeding ground. Brett

Completely agree on NOT using 5200 on anything that has any potential for ever having to be removed. I use 3M 4200 instead. Brett

Running a separate "toad battery charge" wire is just not that difficult. Go directly from coach chassis battery for a source of 12 VDC positive (fuse at coach battery end) to a 12 VDC relay. Use any "ignition hot" source as a trigger to close the above relay. Wire to wiring connection and on to toad battery. Fuse at toad battery. Now, every time the toad is hooked to the coach and the coach engine is running, the toad battery is charged. Brett

I have no first hand information on the Tunnel. But, this from their website: http://www.cbbt.com/gas.html After reading, contact them directly: For additional information on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel write or call us at: 32386 Lankford Highway Cape Charles, VA 23310-0111 757. 331.2960 (phone) 757. 331.4565 (fax)

Hopefully you will hear from others with the same coach. Approved ways to turn on/off the condenser fan include using a thermostat or pressure switch. It may be that the short 15 second fan cycle is enough to take the temp/pressure from cut-in to cut-out. Look forward to hearing from others with the same coach. Brett

Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Please give us some details on what you are driving, as there is a difference between early and late model Ford V10's. The later the model, the more HP from the factory and the less gain with aftermarket changes. What year, what HP and if you know it, the GCW (Gross Combined Weight) of your coach and towed.

Tom, Last week we stayed in a Corp of Engineers Park at the Franklin Lock, just east of Ft Myers. We were on our sailboat (they have 8 slips) as well as a CG! The kids can watch boats locking through, go fishing, etc. It is a small park and I suspect stays pretty booked. http://www.reserveamerica.com/campgroundDetails.do?subTabIndex=0&&contractCode=nrso&parkCode=wfrn Brett

I agree with Bill. Contact your chassis maker. Most provided an air distribution plenum what easily accommodates a ball valve, quick disconnect, hose and air chuck. The advantage is less expensive, less weight, guaranteed "dry" air (through your air dryer), etc. You mention 120 PSI. Is that PSI based on your tire manufacturer's recommendation for you actual weights? That PSI would suggest the likelihood that you are running right at your tire's carrying capacity (in which case you might consider upgrading to a larger tire/one with more carrying capacity when you replace the tires) or carrying more PSI than needed for your actual weights-- a sure fire way to get a harsher ride. Brett

First, has the coach always done this? If so, it is likely just a Bill said, the difference in "thermostat fully open" (low needle position) and "cooling fans kick to high speed" (high needle position). Check with your chassis maker-- most have a wire that can be disconnected that causes the hydraulic fan to remain on high speed. Do this and see if it stabilizes your temperature readings. If so, it may be normal or may be a "not sensitive enough" controller for the hydraulic fan. Though it could be a thermostat, your description is that of specific high/low readings. A sticking thermostat is unlikely to always stick/release at exactly the same temperatures. Brett

Brenda, What dimensions are you looking for? What capacity? Brett

Alan, First, determine if you have an EXTERNALLY REGULATED alternator. If so, the XAR Digital Alternator Regulator is an excellent choice. We are on our sailboat right now and it has a 120 amp externally regulated alternator and the XAR Digital Alternator Regulator. So, yes, I have a lot of first hand experience with the regulator. I installed and programmed it. And with that regulator, alternator output can easily "tap" the max output of the alternator. When "dry camping" (actually anchored out) in the boat, it is not unusual for us to see 70+ amps of charging at 1500 engine RPM's. If your alternator is externally regulated, or you modify your alternator such that it is externally regulated, let me know. About the only "secret" is to make sure the red wire (battery sense wire) is ON the battery, not alternator. This is particularly true if you have a diode-based battery isolator. The regulator can then send the full voltage (you set voltage based on battery type) to the battery. There are clear advantages to using a "smart" regulator to control your alternator, just as there are to having a smart charger vs a "dumb" converter. Advantages are that it turns your alternator into a true 3 stage charging system with bulk, absorption and float charge (voltage and amps) rates. So, for example if you have AGM batteries like we do on the boat, it starts charging (bulk rate) at 14.4 VDC, drops to 14.2 in absorption and floats at 13.4. So, it will both charge more quickly if the batteries are discharged and after they reach full charge, will not continue to overcharge the batteries as you drive all day. Brett

Yes, when hyper-chlorinating to sanitize the potable water system, let the potable water tank sit for an hour or so with the heavy chlorine concentration in it and then open each faucet (hot and cold) until you smell chlorine. Let the system sit like that for at least another hour. Then drain, fill and run faucets until heavy chlorine smell is gone. Brett

More details please. Brand and model of coach? What year? Are the bubbles in all over or an a small area? Brett

OK, let's discuss the "ideal" system for potable water. Start with a "purified water system". Hyper-chlorinate the tank as described in most RV owners manuals, then drain and fill with fresh water. Do this anytime the tank water is over 10 days old in the summer or 2 weeks old in the winter. The best way to keep tank water fresh is to fill the tank and then USE IT. Worse way is to fill it, then always connect to city water and only use tank water occasionally. It is not reasonable to expect water that has been stored a month in a hot tank in the summer to be sanitary. Use a sediment ONLY filter on all incoming water-- 5 micron filters are best and available at Home Depot, etc. Get the canister type with replaceable element. Many CG's are on well water. Removing sediment/sand will prolong the life of your pump, etc. It will also make the job of keeping the tank easier. I like the canister with replaceable element for several reasons: inexpensive, radially available, and most importantly, CAN BE STORED SAFELY. One of the worse things you can do is have a filter and store it wet in your basement for a week or more. What a way to grow bacteria and mold. There are two safe ways to store the filter element-- allow it to dry out or put it in a ziplock and throw it in the freezer. Do not use a charcoal filter in any "before potable water tank" application. Do not remove the chlorine and then store the water. Removing the chlorine after the tank is fine. In fact, that is the final step recommended by most for tank water that will be consumed. Use a quality charcoal filter between the pump and where you will access potable water-- be it sink, special faucet, ice machine, etc. Bacteria-static filters are more expensive but an excellent idea. BTW, many coach are already set up with just this arrangement. Brett