wolfe10

John, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. What brand is the steering box? Some are adjustable, others are not. I know our Sheppard M100 has no external adjustements. I would contact the steering box manufacturer for their advice. Brett Wolfe

Wayne, IF you have shore power where you store your coach and your converter maintains (once FLOAT LEVEL is reached)battery voltage between 13.0 and 13.5 VDC, just leave it plugged in. If higher, it will probably over-charge the batteries-- a symptom is the use of excessive water in the batteries. And if both battery banks are charged from the converter (as was suggested), why fit the Battery Minder at all.? If your converter maintains voltage higher than that, another option while on shore power is to buy a HD timer from Lowes/Home Depot. Plug the converter into it and let it run for an hour or so a day. Brett Wolfe

Wayne, A VERY strange response from the Winnebago group to low battery reading after starting-- heating spark plugs??? Some systems DO have a delay before cutting on the alternator to allow the engine to start and run for a short time before loading it with the alternator. You could check with your chassis maker to see if this is the cause of the short-term low voltage reading on your coach. And I suggest you follow Winnebago's "secret sauce receipt" for what needs to happen for your converter to charge both battery banks. Then, after 3-4 days, VERIFY IT. Just check voltage at the batteries with a digital voltmeter. House and Chassis should be the same and 13.0-13.5 VDC. Brett Wolfe

Seajay, That is such a well-told story, I hate to throw in a slight correction, but want readers to understand the use of the hydrometer. What it measures with a HYDROMETER is not volts or amps, but SPECIFIC GRAVITY of the battery. To test, make sure batteries are FULLY CHARGED. Turn off the charger and turn on a small 12 VDC load (couple of lights) for a few minutes-- long enough to deplete the surface charge. This allows you to check the specific gravity of the battery cells fully charged, but with surface charge (anything over about 12.7 VDC is surface charge) removed. You are looking for both absolute reading and max variation between cells. The instructions that come with the hydrometers go over this. And, this test is for regular wet-cell batteries, not AGM or Gel batteries. Brett Wolfe

Many follow the same practice-- leave gray open to drain and only drain black when 3/4 or more full. A slight improvement IF gray and black share the same sewer hose is to leave both valves closed. Drain black first. Then raise the sewer hose (now empty) to tank level and with the black valve still open, open the gray valve. What you are doing is sending a massive rush of water from gray to black. That helps dislodge any solids. As soon as you hear the rush of water subside, just lower the hose and let it drain as always. And always put a couple of gallons of water through the toilet with the valves open and then after closed a couple more gallons. Obviously, if you are going through a lot of gray (wash machine, etc) leave the gray open. Brett Wolfe

No refrigerator is harmed if out of level if kept within 3 degrees, some allow up to 6 degrees out of level in one plane. With that said, the floor of your motorhome makes the best place to put a large carpenter's level and "calibrate" the jack or air leveling system sensor. Yes, this assumes that the floor of the coach and platform upon which the refrigerator is mounted are parallel with each other. If mounted in a slide and not parallel with the floor (and most mounted in slides ARE parallel), then, perhaps tweak the sensor to slightly favor the refrigerator plane. So refrigerators are sensitive to being run well out of level, but this is not something to get carried away with. And they can be stored (refrigerator OFF) well out of level-- just level before you turn it on. Brett Wolfe

Walt, I like a lot of the way you do it, but am concerned that the wait time, particularly if the CAC and radiator may be warm. This may allow the soap to dry on the metal. I would strongly recommend against doing that. Now, if you continue to keep it wet, but not with so much water that you rinse out the soap, that is great. And as you have found, with a SANDWICHED CAC/RADIATOR, you have to clean from the front (where the majority of the dirt is) and the back, since you don't want to use high enough water pressure to clean both from one direction as PSI high enough to go through the radiator, air gap and CAC would result in a high likelihood of bending the fins. Brett Wolfe

Gary, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Have you tried putting 2"X6" boards over the lower part of the ramp (probably have to bolt them in place with wing nuts so they stay in place while you drive up)? Depending on where you place them and how long they are, they will change your approach angle. And if 2" doesn't give you enough change, what about two of them? Brett Wolfe

If you truly do not use the gray tank (no showers or dish washing), then you may have some options based on how your gray and black tanks combine at the drain AND IF BOTH TANKS ARE AT THE SAME LEVEL IN THE COACH. If both have tank valves are plumbed into a single sewer hose bib, it may be that you could install another valve downstream of the black and gray valves but upstream of where the sewer hose attaches. Leave this new valve closed. Open the two upstream valves. Now both tanks share in your "usable capacity" of 35 plus 35 gallons. Most actually use more shower plus kitchen sink than toilet plus head sink, but it really doesn't matter. If another arrangement works better for you, GO FOR IT. Again, your coach's tank placement (side by side vs one on top of the other) and valve arrangement will determine if this could work for you. Brett Wolfe

In my "crawl around" I noticed that the wires from the Allison input side speed sensor were very close to the exhaust pipe on the Cummins C engine. Because the sensor wires were not tightly secured, their jacket had melted from contact with the exhaust pipe. Much more driving WOULD have melted the sensor wires together and led to a transmission fault. Just a heads up -- check transmission external wiring BEFORE concluding you have some big or expensive issue. Brett Wolfe

Again, I am a little surprised that the toilet plus bathroom sink fills its 45 gallon tank faster than the shower and kitchen sink fill their 45 gallon tank. Normally that small a gray tank fills very quickly. For comparison, our coach has 88 gallons potable, 40 black and 85 gray. Black is toilet only. It means that I KNOW I will not overflow black or gray while dry camping before running out of potable water. Said another way, with those small black and gray tanks, the toilet plus bathroom sink on one and shower and kitchen sink on the other is better balanced than toilet alone on black and everything else on the other. If this becomes an issue for you, see if you have room for a larger tank. Brett Wolfe

So, what size are your GRAY and BLACK tanks? A couple of days to fill a black tank, even including sink, is REALLY fast. Brett Wolfe

Actually, there IS some merit to the sink draining into the black tank. Certainly it was done to simplify plumbing. And most of us fill the gray tank a LOT faster than the black. So you could actually dry camp longer with that arrangement unless the black tank is a lot smaller. It also doesn't hurt to add more water (vs solids) to the black tank-- makes draining easier. How long did it take you to fill the black tank? Brett Wolfe

Good advice, Wayne. Brett Wolfe

I will add that in addition to just changing the oil and filter, you need to have the chassis lubed (greased), SCA level in coolant tested, etc. Your chassis manual is your best source for what needs to be done. BEST answer is to have your own grease gun (so same grease is used each time). AND, make 10 copies of your chassis grease zerk location diagram. Hand one to the tech actually doing the job, not the service adviser. Make sure he knows that this is his copy to take under there and get dirty and throw away when he is finished. Showing him the diagram in your manual DOES NOT WORK. He is not likely to take it under the coach and take a chance on getting it dirty! Brett Wolfe

No, the Allison ECU can not sense grades, only RPM (both output and engine /input) and throttle position. So at the same throttle position it SHOULD hold that gear down to the same RPM each time with that RPM being different in regular vs economy mode. BUT, if you were at, say 85% throttle vs 100% throttle, it SHOULD be different. Brett Wolfe

First, with a full tank, the amount of air in the tank will be limited. Will it help to replace that air in the tank with DRY air-- well it sure won't hurt. BUT, remember with temperature swings every day, the air "changes itself". Each day as the temperatures rise, the air expands. Since it is "trapped" in the tank, it flows out the tank vent (unlike gasoline tanks, diesel tanks ARE vented). Each night as temperatures fall outside air is drawn back into the tank. So like it or not, the air is constantly "changing". The temperature swing dictates how much moves in and out each "day cycle". You can do this experiment to see how this works. Take a gallon plastic milk jug. Cap it tightly. Put it in the freezer. After a couple of hours take it out and remove the lid. It will suck IN air-- just like your tank. If made of thin plastic, the sides of the jug may even be sucked in when you remove it from the freezer. You could also place it in the freezer with the lid off. Cap it. Remove it and place in sink of warm water. Remove the lid and feel the OUT-RUSH of air. Kind of takes you back to Mr Wizard doesn't it! This is the main reason for storing with full fuel tank-- to minimize the air exchange. Why-- because the air that is sucked back into the tank on cold nights is often at the DEW POINT and it introduces moisture to the tank. Bottom line, "changing the air" in the tank sure doesn't hurt anything, but I suspect it is more of a "feel good" than significant improvement. Now, if the tank were only 1/2 full, introducing "dry air" would be more of an advantage. But, none of us do that DO WE?!!! Brett Wolfe

Short answer is that the "weakest link" dictates capacity. It could be the hitch, frame or frame extension, rear axle, brakes, transmission, etc. Winnebago and Ford would both need to be consulted to verify capacity/determine what if anything can be modified to increase it to fit your needs. Again, WEAKEST LINK DICTATES. Brett Wolfe

Have you had your rear brakes inspected to VERIFY that no brake damage was done. Hard to believe they weren't severely overheated. Brett Wolfe

Here is another thread right here with some good advice on the same subject: http://community.fmca.com/index.php?showtopic=445

Mark, A good write-up. I would differ on a couple of points. It is unlikely that you can rev the engine in neutral and see maximum air filter restriction. Max air flow is at high RPM (which you could do in neutral) but also with the turbo fully spooled up for long enough to draw maximum vacuum in the pre-turbo intake. In neutral, the turbo will START to spool up, but the engine will reach max RPM well before max boost is sustained long enough to give an accurate reading. BETTER, is to drive it (including one zero to 60 at WOT (Wide Open Throttle) and THEN record new air filter restriction reading. As you point out, having a baseline reading is a REALLY GOOD IDEA. And remember, the air filter minder reads TOTAL system restriction-- could be the opening in the side of the coach is too small, hose from there to air filter has too many bends in it and is corrugated, the air filter itself is too small and hose from filter to turbo restrictive. So, with more restrictive systems one will not be able to experience a 15" WC increase in restriction from baseline without exceeding the engine manufacturer's max specification. Reality-- if you replace your air filter every 3 years, unless you live in a really dusty environment/drive dirt roads, you SHOULD be OK. And absolutely, moisture and time break down air filter elements-- they are made of paper. So replacing based on time IS highly recommended. And if your system does show restriction with a new filter, don't hesitate to improve it! Many chassis are shipped to coach makers with a long corrugated hose to go from filter to side of coach. In many cases the coach builder mounts the air intake on the side of the coach such that hose is WAY longer than it needs to be and cutting a foot or more from the hose gives better air flow. Costs nothing, but gives more air. And you can not get too much air to a diesel. Brett Wolfe

You might check with the manufacturer of your jacks in terms of their use in extreme cold weather. If HWH, I know they are in Iowa, so expect they KNOW what cold temps do to their jacks. Look forward to your getting down south where you can enjoy the coach. Brett Wolfe

Air leaking from the air suspension is quite normal over that time period and will likely cause no harm. Your chassis manual should address this, including how to store your coach for long periods of time. Do you have jacks or just air leveling? If jacks, consider leaving them deployed when storing it. We have done that since 1993 with our coach with HWH jacks-- no problems. Again, your coach owners manual should have a suggestion on this. And you do not need to drive the coach as frequently as once a week to keep the machinery up. In your reasonably dry climate, I would suspect once a month would be adequate. And hopefully, you will have one "nice day" a month to take your baby out to play. Now, if this is a bonding issue for YOU, I completely understand! If you are doing this weekly just to keep the batteries up, if you don't have access to shore power, might consider solar or some other means of keeping battery voltage up. If you are on shore power and have a newer high end charger or inverter-charger, read it's owners manual on programming it. Many DO allow you to tell your charger the ambient temperature range. That way it will automatically raise voltage to more suitable values for REALLY cold temps. And when you do start it for a drive, you are doing it right to run it long enough that the engine OIL (not just coolant) gets up to operating temperatures. We are in Texas with milder climates, so 30 miles is all I have to drive mine to get everything up to temps. If you filled up with diesel this summer/early fall, it may be SUMMER BLEND diesel. You will absolutely need to add the appropriate amount of additive to "reformulate" your fuel for winter blend (#1 diesel added to #2 diesel) SO YOUR FUEL DOESN'T GEL! Also, be sure to store with the diesel tank topped off to reduce condensation . Might read this topic here on the FMCA Forum: http://community.fmca.com/index.php?showtopic=661&hl=. And if you are not going to burn that tank of diesel within 3 months I would also add a BIOCIDE to eliminate the changes of algae growth. Brett Wolfe

As Tom said, there is nothing you could have done to prevent damage from an improperly torqued or defective connecting rod bolt. I am surprised the engine made it that many miles before failure. Glad to hear you are about to get back on the road. Brett Wolfe

Wasn't me. Yes, I do have a Foretravel, and yes, we live off the Gulf Fwy (I-45), but my baby is happily resting in it's garage. And, I know it hasn't run away from home, because I was over there today replacing belts. And I KNOW I locked the garage! Yes, I know it wants to go play, but we are finishing repairs on our LAST ROOM damaged by Hurricane Ike. Brett Wolfe