wolfe10

I'll get this discussion started. I see hurricane prep as VERY different from tornado prep. Hurricane prep includes not just "OOOH HECK, HERE COMES THE REALLY STORING WIND" but also "I might be without power for a LONG time, food may be in short supply, etc. So, if there is even the slightest chance of a hurricane approaching your area: 1. Fill fuel and propane tank. 2. Make sure all routine preventive maintenance is done in case you need to evacuate. Sure hate for a clogged fuel filter to put you on the side of the road on the way away from a hurricane, Blow out because you didn't check tire pressure, etc! 3. Sanitize potable water tank and fill. 4. Refrigerator: make sure you have done the "annual burner area tune-up" within the last year and that it operates well on propane. Turn on the refrigerator. 5. Stock the pantry and refrigerator. If threat of very high winds is imminent, put in all slides and awnings, secure any loose objects including water and sewer hoses and especially SHORE POWER CORD. Wind storms are often accompanied by electrical storms. You are VERY unlikely to suffer a direct lightening strike (and there is little you can do to change your chances of a direct hit), BUT a nearby lightening strike can easily travel along electrical lines (including ground wire). Unplugging, not just turning off the CG breaker keeps any surges from your coach. And your surge protector is of limited value in containing a nearby lightening strike. If you know the direction of the upcoming strong wind, park your back end toward it-- less surface area to be pushed around and less glass. Move out from under any tree that could fall on the coach. Lots of debate on whether to leave jacks down or not, and much of that depends on where your jacks are located on the chassis. If the location of the jacks is in front of the front axle and behind the rear axle and well spread side to side, I tend to put the jacks down (on the ground). Brett

Let me expand on Gary's statement. The ride height valves control ride height by adding/subtracting air from the air bags, which raises/lowers PSI in the bags. As I post frequently, ride height is critical for proper ride and handling. Too low and the suspension bottoms out. Too high and the bags are over-inflated and stiff. Brett

Let's back up a minute. Tell us what you got when you opened the primary filter/ water separator. Draining into a glass jar is best, as you can see what you have. Was it all golden yellow (clear clean diesel)? Was there a separate layer BELOW the golden yellow diesel-- could be clear if pure water or any color of muddy water if contaminated water? Was there any black slimy stuff (algae)? Only after we know what you found can we offer sage advice. Sure don't want to address contaminated fuel if all you have is a false alarm from your "water in fuel" sensor! Brett

And, as Gary mentioned be sure to reduce available basement dimensions for fitting the freezer by the size of the slide out tray you will mount the freezer unit on. Brett

Of course. Your description is right on. The issue concerns Mccsix's attempt to wire a 50 amp outlet with only three wires vs the (correct) four wire. Brett

If you are talking about a Blog on FMCA, here is the "how to": http://community.fmca.com/index.php?act=He...E=01&HID=17 Brett

Yes, I have seen the same News Release. I then contacted the name on the News Release. He had someone in parts call me. The kits are being prepared, as are installation instructions. The information will be forwarded to me as soon as available, and I will post the specifics here. I also recommended that Monaco/Navistar put the information on their website so we can provide everyone a link. STAY TUNED. UPDATE: 5/9 no information yet-- I sent another e-mail requesting it to Monaco. Brett

You might find this thread on "Mountain Driving" helpful: http://community.fmca.com/index.php?showtopic=225 Brett

The Ford Focus (5 speed) is towable 4 down and does not accumulate mileage. But, tell us what vehicles you are interested in and perhaps we can address your top choices. Brett

We carry a tire (unmounted) ONLY when traveling to areas where that size tire may be hard to find (such as Mexico). Most all road side assistance trucks (from tire companies) can mount a tire anywhere. Brett

Three leveling valves (two on one axle and one on the other) is common. Yes, there are exceptions such as Gary Jones designed chassis such as Alpine/Peak. And the ride height valve should vent if it senses "too high". As long as there is no air leak in the "neutral" or in the "too low" position, all is normal. Brett

Welcome to the FMCA Forum. There is no "one answer" to this one. Since the chassis maker specs the exhaust system including muffler, the gain you will have depends on how restrictive your exhaust system is. Some chassis makers saved a few dollars by undersizing components, some went to the other extreme and gave you pretty flow through exhaust systems from the factory (same as happened with air filters). If you copy the model number off your current muffler, call its manufacturer and determine the CFM and then call your engine manufacturer with that information, they would be able to give you pretty sage advice on what you would gain. This is all assuming you don't have a late model coach with DPF filter/muffler, catalytic converter, etc. where that part of the exhaust is part of the emission control and must remain in place. Brett

To amplify just a little, all solenoids have two large lugs-- one always hot, the other hot when the solenoid is energized. Some solenoids have two small wires, a SIGNAL WIRE and a GROUND. Some solenoids have only one small wire, the SIGNAL WIRE with the body of the solenoid serving as the ground. Jumping from the "always hot" large lug to the small SIGNAL WIRE terminal is great. But do NOT jump to the small ground terminal if your solenoid has two small wires. That would be a dead short to ground-- lots of smoke and heat! Brett

If the solenoid has failed (easy to verify), another alternative if the switch is useful to you is to replace it with a better quality solenoid. I did this 9 years ago and this one has never failed: http://bluesea.com/category/1/productline/8 Note the 1,000,000 cycle mechanical life expectancy! Brett

In a word, NO. The hoses out of the transmission normally go to a transmission fluid cooler which is usually located in the radiator. I have never seen a remote reservoir on an Allison transmission. What would keep all the fluid from running down into the transmission? And no matter how inaccessible the dip stick tube is, one can usually place a pail (Transynd comes in 5 gallon pails) above the dip stick area and with a new/clean clear vinyl hose start a siphon which will automatically fill the transmission (assuming you have the correct amount of fluid in the pail!). So, as long as you can get a hose into the dip stick tube, you can add fluid.

Welcome to the FMCA Forum. An example of BUYER BEWARE. As you say, you will very likely replace the tires based on age, not tread wear. So you will effectively get 2 years less good out of them. An important lesson. When I buy tires: I specify the oldest age I will accept (generally 3 months). Any good tire guy knows what you are asking. The last 4 digits of the DOT number molded into one sidewall of each tire gives the MONTH and YEAR of production. So, were I buying tires today, the "OLDEST" LAST FOUR DIGITS ACCEPTABLE TO ME WOULD BE 0210 (second week of January 2010). Said another way, a last four digits of 5209 would be older than I would normally except. Brett

Welcome to the FMCA Forum. If there is a possibility of dirt contamination, buy a 5 micron sediment only filter in reusable canister from any building supply store. They can also sell you adapters for female hose IN and male hose OUT for the filter canister and a short length of potable water hose. Here is an example water filter with replacable element. Here is one already made up at PPL: http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-pump...ter-filters.htm Also, does water pressure vary at any other faucets-- particularly at others in the same area as the toilet? If you unscrew the aerator on a sink faucet, is it full of dirt? I would also give the toilet manufacturer a call. Since you don't say what brand it was replaced with, I can't post a link. Brett

Don, I suspect something has been left out. The use of a two pole breaker suggests two HOTS. With only three wires: One HAS to be neutral and one HAS to be ground, that only leaves one wire as the hot. Eliminate the neutral and you would not have 120 VAC (two hots and a ground= 240 VAC). Eliminating the ground (so that wire could be used as the second hot) would violate every electrical code in the country. Perhaps more information on what he suggests each of the three wires will do would clear it up. Brett

While it may be acceptable (in terms of both safety and manufacturer's tolerances) for the system to leak down in half a day, there is no reason that you can not try to identify and correct this slight leak. After safely installing jack stands or comparable, crawl under with some kiddie bubble solution or even dish washing soap solution. Apply some to each fitting and valve-- a tooth brush (NEVER your own) helps apply it to hard to reach places. If you see bubbles, you have found the leak. Brett

Correct. My description was for a standard (correct) 50 amp RV outlet. Brett

Let me expand on Tom's excellent post. 50 RV Outlet: Two hots to outer straight prongs. One neutral to center straight. One ground to center round. EITHER hot to either ground or neutral reads 120 VAC. Outer hot to outer hot reads 240 VAC. Center straight (neutral) to center round (ground) reads 0 VAC. Brett

Carole, Well, you have talked with one installer you can cross off the list. Panels large enough to do you any good are too large and too heavy to mount on A/C units. There are solar panels that can mount on the A/C units, but they are STRICTLY to maintain the batteries, WAY too small to charge them while the coach is in use. And panels are paralleled/seriesed, depending on their voltage (just like batteries) your coach has a 12 VDC system. Panels should charge from 13.2-14.5 VDC. Brett

To wire 3 wires (hot, neutral and ground) to a 50 amp outlet, you would connect the hot to either hot on the outlet (outer straights) and jumper to the other. Obviously, you will be limited in what you can draw. Another option is to use a 30 amp male to 50 amp female adapter from any camping store and just plug into the properly wired 30 amp outlet. Brett

Don, 50 amp wiring: http://www.myrv.us/Imgs/PDF/50-amp%20Service.pdf 30 amp RV wiring: http://www.myrv.us/Imgs/PDF/30-amp%20Service.pdf Brett

Welcome to the FMCA Forum. What area of the country are you in? That may help in guiding you to a competent Solar source in your area. And first thing is to determine your electrical needs (in amp-hrs/24 hours). In sizing the system, you will need to consider your needs and the REAL output per panel (as opposed to the stated output which is under ideal conditions). Also, normal hours of sun per day where you park. If you are in the Oregon, for example, you will more panels than if you are in Arizona as average hours of sun and sun intensity are different. Shade vs fully exposed camp sites. You will need a controller (regulator) sized larger than the sum of your panel output. You will need over-sized wiring for minimal voltage loss from roof panels to controller and from controller to battery bank. You may also want to look at your converter or charger. Newer high-output "smart" chargers or charger inverters recharge batteries much faster from generator or shore power. And along with your charger, if you need to replace your house batteries, consider AGM batteries. They are more expensive, but will accept a charge at a far greater rate than wet cell batteries. These last two minimize generator run time when that is your charge method. Brett