wolfe10

When we bought our coach in 1998 3 of your 4 were on the list (Dynamax was not and I don't know enough about them to comment). We wanted a 36' DP (knowing anything shorter would have a really poor WB/OL ratio) and anything longer would not go the places we wanted to go (and have since gone!). We decided on a 5 year old Foretravel and have put another 110,000 virtually trouble-free miles on it. If fact, just drove 352 miles today (on our way home from an "escape the heat" month in Angel Fire, NM-- elevation 8,420'. We are happy with our decision. Brett Wolfe 1993 Foretravel U240

We are on the road right now and don't have access to specific information on your model. It may be that the thermistor is not movable-- it is on most models. The thermistor is what senses temperature and along with the thermostat tells the unit to turn on/off. And again, most models do have a condensate drain, but look in your literature to see if you have one. And most definitely read the Installation instructions that came with your refrigerator VERY carefully. Do not ASSUME that it is correctly installed-- VERIFY. And one simple test is to run it on propane. If the flame stays on all the time and temps are still not cool enough, you can rule out the thermostat and thermistor as the cause, as they are telling the unit to run 100% of the time. BUT, if it cycles on and off and is not cool enough, then you likely have a thermostat/thermistor issue. If you are safe working with 120 VAC, you could run the same test on 120 VAC. Just CAREFULLY hook up a voltmeter to the two leads going to the electric element and see if it stays on (voltmeter reads 120 VAC) all the time or cycles. Brett Wolfe

Herman, It is probably most reasonable to think of the FRED as a step up from a gas chassis rig, rather than trying to compare it with a DP. And, in that light, it has many advantages over the Ford and Workhorse chassis. But, it is NOT a DP in terms of brakes, suspension, capacity, etc. Brett Wolfe

Rolacoy, It needs to be sanatized JUST BEFORE you leave on your trip (each trip if the water has been stored over two weeks in summer/three weeks in winter-- MY OPINION on the 2/3 weeks). Brett Wolfe

Rolacoy, We came to RVing from offshore sailboats. There, we had no choice but do drink from our tanks as small unsecured jugs is a seaway would be very dangerous. So we HAD to treat our tanks such that the water remained potable. Remember, each component of your system is approved for drinking water. It is only if you allow "bugs" to grow in the tank and system that it becomes unfit for drinking. And it is easy to sanitize. This is not speculation or an "opinion". Virtually all RV owners manuals cover this subject, and all I have seen use the inexpensive "basic Clorox" method. Certainly, there are other, more expensive chemicals that can be used. But follow the directions I posted in the my first post and you will be "good to drink". Brett Wolfe

Thanks, Paul. Great pictures-- really shows what a difference doing the routine maintenance can make. Brett Wolfe

Tom, I agree completely on the inaccuracy of many factory temperature gauges. Silverleaf and other much more accurate gauges are much more "believable." But, I have found that if the dash temp gauge reading goes up with the engine under load, it DOES indicate a problem. Whether the true "highest temperature" is 230 or 236 degrees F is likely not an issue. To the OP: We look forward to your letting us know what you find. Brett Wolfe

With the side radiator, here are things that can correct overheating: Hose out/completely clean the inter-cooler (from outside) and radiator (from inside). Replace engine thermostat. It may not be opening all the way. You mention fan coming on at 195. Some of these are LOW-HIGH and some are variable. Check with Freightliner for the "default to ON/HIGH" position for the side radiator fan (normally unplug wire from thermosensor). If no overheating, suspect thermosensor. Brett Wolfe

Welcome to the FMCA Forum. For us to be able to give you quality advice, we will need to know more about your coach. 1. What chassis? 2. What coach and year? 3. Side or rear radiator 4. What engine? 5. Under what conditions does it overheat? 6. Is overheating under these conditions new or has it always overheated under these conditions? Brett Wolfe

For more specific information on particular Foretravel offerings: http://www.beamalarm.com/foretravel-links/...and-manuals.htm And I am NOT suggesting limiting your search to Foretravels, but I would have them on your list, given your needs. Brett Wolfe

Steve, I am very familiar with Foretravel-- both the motorhomes and the company. We have put over 100,000 miles on our Foretravel. They are located in a small town in Texas, only a 150 miles from our home, so I know many people at the factory. They are a small, privately held company and are able to up/down size to meet market demand. They have a VERY loyal following. Because their coaches hold up well over time, a lot of their business is remodeling older Foretravels. A lot of the things I like about their coaches has evolved because of their "small town-- small company" environment. The engineer's son plays baseball with the service tech's son (lots of owners take their coach back to the factory for routine maintenance). If maintenance items were hard to get at, the tech WOULD mention it to the engineer and they would change it. No huge organization with lots of momentum to "not change". Yes, In My Opinion, Foretravel should be on your list. Brett Wolfe

Steve, Alpine's in-house chassis (Peak) was a good one, particularly from a handling standpoint. It had some unique features in its class, including hydraulic brakes and 4 instead of 3 ride height valves. Their job on house systems and house construction was, perhaps not up to the standards of their chassis. I would suggest spending several hours searching the various sites and look for owner comments. "Google" or other search engines should all give you a good start. Brett Wolfe

Matt, While it could certainly be a bad cooling unit, below are some things that will insure maximum performance from your refrigerator (in addition to the "burner area tune-up"discussed above). Cooling units can fail by leaking with symptoms of ammonia smell and/or yellow powder or by the build-up of restrictions in the cooling tubes. Both types of failure call for a new refrigerator OR new/rebuilt cooling unit. Do you have a thermostat and is it dialed all the way cold? Have you moved your thermistor all the way up on the outside refrigerator fin? And the outside auxiliary fans work a lot better if at the top of the cooling unit exhausting UP. You may be able to reach that upper area by removing the roof vent. While there, make sure there is not an air gap at the top of the refrigerator that allows the hot air to collect rather than exhausting efficiently out the roof vent. Brett Wolfe

Steve, Hopefully others will give their opinions on this, as each of us has "triggers" that cause us to classify certain features as low/high end. There is no clear cut line that defines the end of mid-class and high end motorhomes. Some of the things that help define lower/high end coaches FOR ME: Chassis: You mention Monacos-- lesser coaches in their line had 4 air bag suspensions with 4 shocks-- high end ones 8 air bag suspensions with 8 shocks. The major chassis makers, Freightliner and Spartan have a wide range of qualities/content chassis (just as you will find in, say, Ford automotive products from low to high end). Some high end coach builders use a custom chassis specifically designed for a motorhome. Upper end tend to be unibodies/monocoque construction similar to over the road busses-- more expensive to build, but more structurally rigid. Rear radiator on lower end coaches, side radiators on high end coaches. Vinyl wrapped particle board interiors on lower end coaches. Solid wood interiors on high end coaches. Little though given to serviceability of mechanical components on lower end coaches. Custom-build chassis or real work done to insure mechanical access in high end coaches. Filon exterior on lower end coaches, Gel coat Fiberglass or painted exterior on high end coaches. Coach wiring that is numbered and comes with full schematics to save countless hours of troubleshooting-- a high end feature. Something that is harder to "see" but is important, particularly on rougher roads is structural integrity. We have traveled many miles on rough roads in Mexico in the company of other coaches. MANY "lighter built" coaches have had structural issues (such as cracks in sidewalls, windshields popping out, etc) caused by rough roads. Difficult for you to do, being overseas, but one of the quickest ways to identify quality is to look at how 10-15 year old coaches are holding up. At that age, the "glitz" can not easily cover inferior construction. And, though it IS a generality, in motorhomes as in most things, "you get what you pay for". If one coach costs $100,000 more new than another, there is a basic presumption that it will be higher quality. I guess it is like comparing an entry level car with a high-end car. Brett Wolfe

You will get BETTER MPG in OD-- gas engines are more efficent at lower RPM with higher loads. But that does NOT give the most HP. I would drive in OD all the time on flat country (and let the transmisison choose the correct gear-- unless the transmission is hunting). In mountains, switch out of OD for better performance. Brett Wolfe

Welcome to the FMCA Forum. When asking a mechanical question, it helps state what chassis you have. Since you specifically mention "grade brake" I assume you have a Workhorse chassis. GRADE BRAKE: From the Workhorse website: Downhill descents are now easier on the driver and easier on the brakes with Workhorse’s new Transmission Grade Braking. All 2005 W Series chassis (W20, W22, W24) will feature this as a new standard system at no additional cost. The driver activates TGB through an illuminated dashboard switch. Then he or she engages the feature by depressing the brake pedal and releasing. The transmission automatically downshifts a gear and starts to control the motor home’s speed. So on a steep decline the driver just needs to step on the brakes to let his transmission automatically provide a smooth, safe ride downhill. This avoids unnecessary wear on the brakes while providing a reassuring sense of control to the driver. No stress, no sweat: TGB does the work." OVERDRIVE: The higher the gear (including OD) that you can run in without lugging the engine, overheating or "hunting" the better for economy. Definition: "Hunting" is the repeated shifting back and forth between gears caused by the engine not quite being able to maintain the higher gear, but easily able to accelerate in the lower gear. So, for example, the transmission would hunt, shifting 5-4-5-4-5-4.... up a hill. Brett Wolfe

Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Of what material is the sink made? Brett Wolfe

Yes, the tube with slits in the top is the burner tube that needs to have rust, dirt and insect nests removed from it. And the single cooling unit goes through the freezer FIRST, THEN the refrigerator. The thermistor that turns it on/off is in the refrigerator-- look on the back metal fins. If you do not have adequate cooling after the burner area tune-up, check the door seals. Close the door on a dollar bill (OK, it is an RV, so a $20 works better). There should be smooth resistance all the way around the doors. Also, check the condensate drain to make sure the restriction in the drain end is in place. If it is not, hot air can easily enter the refrigerator (not air rises). Also check the back of the cooling unit for any restriction to air flow such as bird or animal nests in/near the top vent. As with any refrigerator that does not perform to specs, read the refrigerator manufacturers installation manual (particularly in terms of side and top clearance) and VERIFY that yours is properly installed. Brett Wolfe

Steve, You live in a beautiful part of the world. Dianne and I have traveled over there many times--once for 4 months in a VW pop-top camper. Indeed, your road conditions, particularly if you venture south are different that most of us experience on U.S. and Canadian roads. Much more akin to road conditions in Mexico. To address a couple of your specific questions. Without doubt it is more difficult/less probable to build a structurally rigid coach with 27' long "hole in it's side" than one with two much smaller "holes". Were one to drive mostly on smooth roads this would not be as much of an issue. BUT, where you are driving more "challenging" roads, my personal opinion is to stay away from full wall slides. Not much different than comparing the structural integrity of an automobile coupe or sedan with a convertible model. Both because of your coach age restriction and more challenging road conditions, i would restrict my choices to higher end coaches-- probably in the 36'-38' range. And indeed with a family of 5 you will need to do some research (OR PERHAPS THOSE WITH SUCH A COACH WILL POST HERE) to find a floor plan that accomodates your family. As far as engines and grade climbing ability, a VERY good read is this document by Caterpillar Corporation-- it helps you understand what affects performance and also to set reasonable performance expectations: https://ohe.cat.com/cda/files/287140/7/LEGT5364.pdf Though a HP is a HP in terms of performance, the big difference between gas and diesel engines is that a diesel engine has a LOT more torque and can produce its max HP at a sustainable RPM. Gas engine have high peak HP, but it is not really at a sustainable RPM-- you couldn't reasonably climb an 8 mile grade with a gas engine at peak HP RPM. And all the coaches you will look at will have either an exhaust brake or engine compression brake (depending on engine size). When combined with the very strong Allison 3000 or 4000 transmission that locks the torque converter in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th gear, they will provide adequate braking HP to allow you to safely descend grades. And though it is dependent on weight, with most, you can descend up to about an 8% grade without even touching the brakes (in second gear with exhaust/compression brake on). Your safe speed of descent on those very steep grades will be faster than a loaded truck and slower than an empty one. The same laws of physics apply! Virtually all coaches on your list will be equipped with very effective air brakes-- they are "power" by definition. Brett Wolfe

Welcome to the FMCA Forum. What computer are you looking for? Said another way, what functions does the computer you are looking for control? Brett Wolfe

For those who don't have a manual for your. go to this site to find Dometic (and Norcold) owners manuals: http://www.gasrefrigeration.net/dometic_manuals.htm This may be the one for your model: http://gasrefrigeration.net/dom_techdata/2300_2800OP.PDF Page 11 is very specific about what needs to be done. But, on all absorption refrigerators, the following needs to be done annually or when problems occur while on propane: Remove and clean the propane jet. Even a small spec of dirt can clog it. Use alcohol to clean it. Blow through it backwards. Do NOT use anything hard as it may change the opening size. Remove the burner tube and clean. Rust falls in it, dirt collects in it and insects seem to love to build nests in it. Do NOT short cut and try to blow it out with compressed air-- insect nests and dirt that has gotten wet will not always blow out. Remove and clean the igniter and on some models the separate thermocouple. Clean any carbon or dirt off them. When installing, set them per instructions with proper gap and centered over the flame. Check all grounds and wire connections for tightness (back of refrigerator where you are working). For all propane appliances, check regulator pressure. For instructions on building a manometer: http://www.rverscorner.com/articles/manometr.html Brett Wolfe

As Jack points out, when you do buy new tires, be sure they are NEW-- as you will most likely be replacing them based on age rather than wear. If they are already a year old, you will get one year less service from them. To determine tire date (on any tire made since 2000): There is a complete DOT number molded into ONE sidewall of each tire. The last FOUR digits indicate the WEEK and YEAR of production. So DOT........................3405 was made the 34th week of 2005. I will not accept a tire older than three months old except in an emergency. Brett Wolfe

Rolacoy, Removing the cover ONLY will not necessarily reveal problems corrected by doing a complete "burner area tune-up". You would not, for example, be able to see dirt, rust or an insect nest in the BURNER TUBE or a spec of dirt in the propane jet. If your refrigerator is not performing as it should, your best bet is to pull out your refrigerator owners manual and do the COMPLETE "burner area tune-up". Brett Wolfe

Bonnie, Since this is off thread, I will Private Message you on this. Brett Wolfe

I suspect the answer is NO, as compressors, etc are designed for a certain orientation. BUT, a quick call to the A/C manufacturer will give you the FACTS. There is generally enough force to exiting cold air that it does not mix with the return air. Brett Wolfe