wolfe10

Other than a very tiny one dirt street village (Boquillas), there isn't much for around a hundred miles of dirt roads from that crossing. Been there, done that in a 1958 VW panel truck many decades ago. Drove across the Rio Grande at the Boquillas crossing. Beautiful high mountains as you go south-- higher than on the U.S. side. Doubt I would venture into that area now. Brett

For storing diesel fuel, best advice is, as you say, to completely fill the tank. Also, add a Biocide if storing the fuel more than 3 months to prevent algae growth. Get it at most any marine store, as boats have the same fuel storage issues as do we. Here is one: http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/store...9&langId=-1 AND, if you filled up in the summer/fall (i.e. summer grade/#2 diesel) use an anti-gel additive to bring the fuel more in line with what you would get were you to buy fuel this time of year (i.e. winter grade/mix of #2 and #1 diesel with lower gel point than straight #2 diesel). Brett

Yup, contact Wingard: http://www.winegard.com/ Or for their direct contact information: http://www.winegard.com/about/contact.php Brett

Kjhein, Thanks very much for posting the solution to your issue. It appears that very few have had to do this replacement and/or have different coaches. Now someone else with a coach like yours will know how to do it. Brett

When considering waxing the roof, you need to weigh the "look" and fewer streaks with the risk that you or someone else working on the roof (A/C, antenna, satellite, etc) will be more likely to slip and fall, perhaps off the coach. My personal solution is to was the outer 2' of each side of the roof. Improves looks, lessens streaks yet doesn't offer an increased risk of falling. Brett

Yes, this it the "first suspect". Your front wheel bearings are likely oil bath. A leak of the inner seal will allow oil to leak onto the inboard side of the hub and then tire. A leak of the outer seal or as in woodlodge's case a missing plug will allow oil to leak onto the outside of the hub and then down the outside of the tire. If the vehicle is on motion when leaking, the oil "trails" can radiate from the hub outward. Remove the center cap and check oil level. Brett

Welcome to the FMCA Forum. The more you tell us about what furnace and what thermostat/controls you have, the better able we will be to help. Has it ever worked? If so, tell us at what point in the process it quits. Brett

Steve, Best advice on questions on safety-related system such as a braking system is to contact the manufacturer. In your case: http://www.roadmasterinc.com/contact.html You may also be able to find answers in their on-line manuals: http://www.roadmasterinc.com/support/manuals.html Brett

I would contact M&G and ask-- see Herman's post above with their website. Brett

Yes, I am sure those prices are out of date-- they are more than 4 years old. CALIBRATING THE ENGINE OIL DIP STICK We continue to see questions about oil "consumption" and oil on radiators and toads on the FMCA Forum and other RV websites. It seems to be universal across all brands of diesel engines. THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE IS AN OVERFILLED CRANKCASE. CALIBRATING THE ENGINE OIL DIP STICK TO ENSURE THE CORRECT OIL LEVEL IN THE PAN "FIXES" OVER 90% OF THESE PROBLEMS. If you "think" your engine has an oil consumption problem, you are seeing oil mist on your toad or you just want to verify that yours is correct; you need to verify that you are using the correct amount of oil. Note: the quantities listed INCLUDE the oil filter and is the total amount of oil you put in when changing oil and filter. Now, CALIBRATE THE DIP STICK. Since the same engines/dip sticks are used in many different applications with different angles of installation, do not ASSUME that the dip stick is correctly marked. Calibration costs $0. At the next oil change, drain oil, remove old filter (as usual). Then install the drain plug and new oil filter and add the engine's correct oil capacity LESS THE NUMBER OF QUARTS you want between the "ADD" and "FULL" marks (let's say 2 quarts). So for an engine with 20 quart capacity you would add 18 quarts. Run the engine a few minutes, shut off and wait until oil has descended into the pan (at least 30 minutes and an hour is safer). Pull the dip stick and use a file or dremel tool to mark the oil level "ADD". Add the remaining two quarts, let the oil settle in the pan, pull the dipstick and mark this the "FULL" mark. In many/most cases, you will find that your engine "throws out" the access oil and then "consumption" settles down to next to nothing. Put in the correct amount and your "consumption" issues may go away. This applies to all ages (including brand new) of motorhomes and boats with every brand of engine. Also, when checking the oil level with the dipstick it is safest to do it in the morning after the oil has had all night to flow back to the pan. Do not add oil until the level reaches the ADD mark. Finally, make a sticker to affix near oil fill: OIL CAPACITY INCLUDING FILTER: xx QUARTS. Brett

Jim, Probably not as much difference as you suspect (between 19 and 22qts). The quantities in my post above were taken from the latest Caterpillar document and shows 22 quart capacity (including oil filter). BUT, that quantity is followed by this advice: Do NOT add oil until the oil level falls to the ADD mark (on a calibrated dipstick). Said another way, do not add oil if it shows down a quart. Each engine will seek its "proper" oil level and throw any "extra" oil out the crankcase breather. Also, only check the oil (any large diesel engine) after the engine has sat for at least an hour-- even better overnight so the oil will all have drained back to the crankcase. Did you get the fuel system primed up-- what was wrong? Brett

I would caution anyone contemplating the use of a house-type wall mount for a TV to VERIFY with the manufacturer that it is designed for the much higher stress levels encountered in a moving vehicle (as compared with mounting it in a stick home). Brett

Here is Tom's thread that Tim is referring to: http://community.fmca.com/index.php?showtopic=72 Brett

John, The lighting sequence can interrupt at several points. How far does yours get before it quits? Push in the oven control to allow gas flow to oven pilot. You should be able to see a flame fairly quickly (meaning no air, just propane in the line). If it doesn't light right away, turn on a stove burner to purge any air ifrom the line. Until the thermocouple is up to temperature, you need to keep the knob pushed in. If this takes over 20 seconds or so, verify that the thermocouple is properly aligned over the flame. Misalignment of the thermocouple, dirt or rust in the pilot burner which can reduce the size of the pilot light flame, etc can cause the thermocouple to not allow the pilot to stay lit when the knob is release. Once the pilot stays lit, turning the oven control knob to a higher temperature should allow the gas to flow and for the pilot light to light it. A few second delay is normal. Brett

http://www.dualdynamics.com/crossfires/index.shtml This system does not "take care of itself" in the sense that it inflates by itself. You have to inflate manually just as you would on a front tire. What it does is equalize the pressure between the two tires on the dual application and gives you a visual indicator of high/low PSI. But, let's back up one step. The ONLY way to determine the correct tire pressure is to weight the axles or even better, the individual wheel positions. Then go to your tire manufacturer's PSI/load chart which will tell you the MINIMUM PSI for a given weight. Many recommend adding 5 PSI to this minimum as long as it does not exceed the tire or wheel maximum pressure rating (on sidewall of tire and on rim). All tires on an axle get the same pressure based on the heavier side. 95 PSI may be correct, or may not. It may be correct for front axle and incorrect for the rear axle. You can also give them a call to confirm how the low/high "flags" are set: 1-800-228-0394 402-441-4300 402-467-5035 Fax Brett

Welcome to the FMCA Forum. For a good start on getting information on macerators, click on "Search" above. Then type in: macerator. They are mentioned in several different threads. Brett

To make a wise decision (and it sounds like you are looking at many of the important variables) you need to look at the NET cost of each choice. And it will be different depending on your particular situation (income, value of RV, etc). Example: Texas does not have income tax. Texas RV registration is fairly low. Texas has no personal properly tax on RVs. Some of the reasons Texas is popular as an address for full timers. I am not familiar with Ohio. Brett

If you are going to flush and fill a couple of times to make sure any dirt that got in the open plug is removed, you can go with either kind of oil. I flushed mine and went with synthetic-- front wet hubs and rear axle. Brett

Any parts house that deals with OTR trucks should have one. You may be able to have a regular auto parts house order one. You will need to copy down the name of the hub. Here is one of the more popular brands: http://www.stemco.com/Products/HubCaps/tabid/78/Default.aspx I would also recommend changing the oil in that hub several times, as dirt has likely entered the hub with that plug out. Look in your manual for the proper oil-- most take gear oil. I use a hand suction pump to remove the old oil, rather than the drain plug, as it can be messy if you don't remove the wheel. Brett

Joseph, Labor prices currently charged varies widely around the country. The same goes for charges on auto repair, etc. So the geographic area probably dictates the price. What area are you considering for your shop? If somewhat open to locations, one criteria might be to look for an area you want to work in where one or more RV facilities have recently closed. With the downturn in RV sales, many dealerships have closed their doors. This leaves their service customers needing an alternate place to get service. Another approach to getting service business until word of mouth brings you business is, once you have established your shop is to talk with companies whose products require techs to install them. Source Engineering (Monaco trailing arm replacement on 4 air bag suspension) comes to mind. Brett

Wayne, that looks like a great CG, but at least the Gardens RV Village which Dianne and I have visited is a community that incorporates RV garages into homes and duplexes. Brett

PM 1 Recommended Change Intervals* Serial # Prefix Oil Pan Capacity Sump Change interval--Miles/Years 1WM 19 Qts (18L) Shallow 6,000 Miles / 1 Year 1WM 29 Qts (27L) Deep 10,000 Miles / 1 Year 7AS, 8YL, CKM, HEP 22 Qts (21L) Shallow 11,000 Miles / 1 Year 7AS, 8YL, CKM, HEP 30 Qts (28L) Deep 15,000 Miles / 1 Year KAL, SAP, WAX** 19 Qts (18L) Shallow 11,000 Miles / 1 Year KAL, SAP, WAX** 27 Qts (25L) Deep 15,000 Miles / 1 Year * Fill volumes changed due to side mounted breather ** Refer to the O & M manual for S•O•S and storage recommendations. If any question, call the Caterpillar RV Hotline with your engine serial number: 877 777-3126.

PM 1 Recommended Change Intervals* Serial # Prefix Oil Pan Capacity Sump Change interval--Miles/Years 1WM 19 Qts (18L) Shallow 6,000 Miles / 1 Year 1WM 29 Qts (27L) Deep 10,000 Miles / 1 Year 7AS, 8YL, CKM, HEP 22 Qts (21L) Shallow 11,000 Miles / 1 Year 7AS, 8YL, CKM, HEP 30 Qts (28L) Deep 15,000 Miles / 1 Year KAL, SAP, WAX** 19 Qts (18L) Shallow 11,000 Miles / 1 Year KAL, SAP, WAX** 27 Qts (25L) Deep 15,000 Miles / 1 Year * Fill volumes changed due to side mounted breather ** Refer to the O & M manual for S•O•S and storage recommendations. If any question, call the Caterpillar RV Hotline with your engine serial number: 877 777-3126.

I opened the Owners Manual on the MH9BX and see these warning in bold print: WARNING: WARNING: If the recreational or commercial enclosure does not have a window or roof vent, DO NOT USE THIS HEATER INSIDE. And: Proper ventilation air must be provided to support the combustion air requirements of the heater being used. Brett

Jim, While Caterpillar may certainly have one, Freightliner speced your current filter housing and will have 10 micron elements to fit it. Brett