wolfe10

Though written for rear radiator, the process is virtually the same for side radiator except the dirt will be on the outside-most thing (inter-cooler or A/C condenser): On all coaches, but PARTICULARLY REAR RADIATOR coaches, the CAC (Charge Air Cooler, also called inter-cooler or after-cooler by some manufacturers) and radiator need to be cleaned AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR. You can verify that you actually need to clean them by taking a strong flashlight. Access the engine from the TOP (bedroom). Shine the flashlight inside the fan shroud/between fan blades. The fan blades "sling" the dirt toward the perimeter, so you want to make sure that the perimeter is as clean as the center (You are looking at the front ((Front of coach)) of the CAC. The radiator is behind that the CAC (back of coach). Yes, there are a few coaches with stacked radiator/after-cooler and these can be cleaned from the back (back of coach). If you just have dirt on the CAC, a hose with garden nozzle will work fine. If there is oil/greasy deposit, get the engine a little warmed up and turn it off. Wet the after-cooler and spray some Simple Green EXTREME (which is aluminum-friendly) along with water on it (CAC) from the FRONT inside the fan shroud. Let sit, but not until it dries out. Hose out. Repeat. Pressure washers are dangerous -- it is hard to maneuver them around the fan blades and VERY easy to bend the fins. You will also want to clean the radiator which is done from the back/outside of the coach. But this is NOT where most of the dirt will be deposited. And make sure the crankcase breather (1" ID open hose on most Caterpillar engines) is extended to behind the air intake (shroud) for the cooling system. Also verify that the extension ONLY goes downhill from the engine (no dip loop or sag) or you could do serious engine damage in cold weather. One of the byproducts of combustion is water vapor which can freeze if allowed to collect in the extension and if it blocked the whole tube BAD NEWS. Now, if you are climbing a hill and experiencing overheating, use the transmission down arrow to select a lower gear. For a given road speed, XX number of HP are required (read that also as heat produced). Producing XX HP (same heat load) but with the water pump turning at say 2,100 RPM instead of 1,600 RPM WILL reduce engine temperatures. But it will also increase fuel consumption. So I view this as a short range fix ONLY. Best answer is to get the cooling system back to 100%. Brett Wolfe

Do NOT trust any salesman to know and give you the correct informaiton on this. READ the owners manual or give Ford a call. Previous Fusions are towable 4 down (without major modification) only in manual transmission configuration. Brett Wolfe

Actually, the operative information from Michelin is PAGE 1 of Michelin RV Tires: "In addition to regular inspections and inflation pressure maintenance by consumers, it is recommended to have RV/Motorhome tires, including spare tires, INSPECTED REGULARLY BY A QUALIFIED TIRE SPECIALIST, such as a tire dealer, who will access the tire's suitability for continued service. TIRES THAT HAVE BEEN IN USE FOR 5 YEARS OR MORE SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE INSPECTED BY A SPECIALIST AT LEAST ANNUALLY." Brett

A great article in this month's Family Motor Coaching magazine about checking and maintaining your shore power cord: http://www.fmca.com/index.php/magazine/art...aking-ends-meet Check the female end of your shore power cord. It takes a lot of bending and twisting, and a loose or corroded connection can cause a fire. Check YOURS -- it takes only a few minutes and may save you some $$$ or even prevent a FIRE. Brett Wolfe

Doug, Without posting more information on your rig (transmission, GCWR, actual weights, etc) your advice may be misleading to the OP. Your rig may be very different mechanically from the rig he is considering. And a new buyer may not know all the relevant factors that determine safe towing limits and be able to translate from your rig to the one he is considering. And we sure don't want to make recommendations on purchase based on a discussion of "I got away with ............." if it exceeds the manufacturer's recommendations. Let's be safe out there. Brett Wolfe

Sounds like the breaker that partially trips may be bad. I would replace it. Breakers DO occasionally fail. Any electrical parts house should have those breakers. And while you are there, tighten all connections in the 120 VAC breaker box-- I do this annually. Obviously, do this with the shore power cord and generator off/disconnected. Brett Wolfe

Gary, As you suggest, there are certainly different (equally acceptable) techniques for climbing a grade. It really boils down to how much driver interaction one wants as well as how robust the engine cooling system is. I prefer to use economy mode and use the down/up arrows to TELL the transmission what I want done. It is equally acceptable to leave it in either economy or power mode and let the Allison "do its thing". I think we both agree, but want to make VERY clear about one point. You said, "Repeat until you are comfortable with the speed the coach is holding." For those new to driving heavy vehicles, we need to point out that the "comfortable speed" has little to do with how straight or curvy the road is, and EVERYTHING to do with holding the vehicle's speed in EQUILIBRIUM. You will see just as many truck runaway lanes on straight descents as on curvy ones! Once a heavy vehicle's speed gets too much over equilibrium speed, the brakes are truly inadequate to "regain control". This is something everyone operating a heavy vehicle has learned-- you need to know how to use your exhaust brake/Allison transmission along with perhaps an OCCASIONAL use of the service brakes to safely descend a grade. If in doubt start slower-- it is always easier to speed up. And watch the 18 wheelers. You should be faster than the loaded ones and slower than the empty ones. Once you get the hang of it, you can use ALL these things to control speed: Exhaust brake on/off Up/down arrows to lock the transmission in a gear Service brakes. Example: You are on a grade where 4th gear with the exhaust brake on provides too much braking. But turning it off/touching the throttle allows not only the brake to turn off, but the transmission to up-shift, causing you to accelerate. Here you may want to use the down arrow to "lock" the transmission in 4 gear and merely toggle the brake switch on/off to fine tune your speed. Brett Wolfe

Gary, It is basically the same test that you are required to know to get an air brake endorsement on a driver's license in most states and I understand ALL provinces in Canada. Brett

Air Brake System Pre-trip Check 1. Be on reasonably level ground. Block wheels so the coach can not move even with the parking brake off. 2. Start engine and run until full air pressure is reached. Listen for the dryer to purge (about 120 PSI). 3. Shut off the engine. 4. Release the parking brake by pushing in the yellow button (make sure you don't roll, and do NOT apply the brake pedal). 5. After the initial pressure drop, the system should not loose more than 2 PSI per minute. 6. Apply the brake pedal firmly (still with the parking brake OFF). 7. After the initial pressure drop, the system should not loose any more than 3 PSI per minute. 8. With the engine off and parking brake off, rapidly pump the brake pedal to bleed down the air supply. During this stage you should watch for the warning light and buzzer at about 60 PSI and then the yellow button (parking brake) should pop out at about 30 PSI. 9. Restart the engine and build up air pressure again. While building up pressure, check how long it takes for pressure to go from 85 to 100 PSI at cruising RPM. It should be less than 45 seconds.

Don, There are many ways your 120 VAC could be wired to the inverter and refrigerator. I am assuming that when you say you loose the circuit that operates the refrigerator you ARE talking about the 120 VAC circuit. Is your inverter output wired through a sub-panel? If so, are you sure that no other circuits powered from the sub-panel are dead? When you say you "loose one of the circuits" does it trip a breaker or GFI-- if not, what does it trip? If it trips a GFI, turn off 120 VAC including the inverter. Use an ohm meter to check the refrigerator 120 VAC heating element. Disconnect the two leads to the 120 VAC heating element. Check between them-- either 0 or infinity ohms indicates a bad element. Now check between each lead and ground (metal surrounding refrigerator flue). If any reading other than 0, the heating element is shorted to ground. And if the path to ground is slight (a mud dubber nest for example), it may be enough to trip a GFI but not enough to cause a problem on the inverter. This is just one of the many potential causes of your problem. The more facts you give us, the better we can help you. Brett Wolfe

Bob, First, you already know that the alternator USED to charge both house and chassis battery banks, so indeed it should (as it does on 99% of coaches). There are two basic types of battery isolators: 1. Solenoid-based isolators (look like large electrical relay with two large lugs and one or two small ones). 2. Diode-based isolators ( usually rectangular with 3 large lugs and large area of cooling fins) I will answer for #2 as that is most likely-- if you have #1, let us know and we can talk you through troubleshooting it. With engine off, one large lug should read the same as chassis battery voltage (use digital voltmeter-- at Sears, Radio Shack, etc for around $20). Another large lug should read the same as house battery voltage). The third lug should show zero, as it goes to the alternator. With engine on, the "alternator lug" (usually center one) should show alternator voltage (likely around 14.0 VDC). Both of the other large lugs should show the same and about .6 VDC less than the alternator lug (due to loss across diodes). If one of the diodes is burned out, it will not pass current to its battery, so that lug would continue to read battery voltage rather than the higher voltage provided by the alternator. If that is not it, look for a fusible link between isolator and house battery bank. Brett Wolfe

I agree with Tom on HOW to use the service brakes (brake pedal) if it is needed on a descent. BUT (read that a large BUT), if you continue to need to use the service brakes to keep your speed in equilibrium, use the service brakes long/hard enough to slow you down enough TO GRAB A LOWER GEAR that WILL keep your speed in equilibrium. Basics are that service brakes are for stopping ONLY, not for controlling speed of descent on long grades. Brett Wolfe

With your Allison 3000 transmission, heat under climbing conditions should NOT be an issue. The torque converter is LOCKED in 2,3,4,5 and 6th gear. It is slippage in the torque converter that produces most transmission heat. In fact about the only time the Allison will heat up is in stop and go traffic where the torque converter IS slipping. So if stopped at a long light, etc, put it in Neutral. As far as gear to climb, your Cummins (same for Caterpillar and 4 stroke Detroit Diesels) can most economically climb at any RPM at or above PEAK TORQUE RPM. So, Wide Open Throttle as anything over peak torque RPM is fine-- all day long. The only reasons to higher RPM: 1. A (little) more speed. 2. If coolant temperature begins to rise, higher RPM spins the water pump faster/circulates more water to the radiator. Note: particularly on rear radiator configurations, the FRONT of the after-cooler (look inside the fan shroud/between fan blades) needs to be cleaned at least annually to keep the cooling system working properly. And gear for descent (with exhaust brake ON) is "the gear that holds your speed in equilibrium-- so you are neither speeding up nor slowing down. That speed/gear may be 15 mph or 60 mph depending on the grade. Physics dictates that your equilibrium speed will be somewhere between that of a loaded 18 wheeler (you will be faster) and and empty one (you will be slower). And even if on a perfectly straight road and 7% grade, your equilibrium speed will be SLOW-- well below how fast you could "take the curves". Brett Wolfe

As Jim said, when storing the coach turn the inverter off. In addition, when dry camping turn it off when you do not need 120 VAC. It takes a little power (amps) to keep it in "standby mode"-- both from inverter consumption itself and from parasitic load from things like the TV and other appliances. Brett Wolfe

Cookie, Indeed, your Allison 3000 series 6 speed transmission has a mode button as I described above (first post in this thread). And NO transmission is PROactive. Only you can see that you are going from down hill to an 8% upgrade and need to downshift to keep up speed. If you are comfortable with a manual transmission, use the UP and DOWN arrows to select the gear YOU want. And with a Cummins 330 HP, you will not have a Jake brake (also known as an engine compression brake). The Cummins ISL is the smallest engine with an option of a Jake brake. You will have an exhaust brake, though it could be manufactured by Jacobs Corp-- a little confusing. If your shift pad is MIS placed (my opinion-- if it does not fall readily to hand without requiring you to take your eyes off the road to find it), consider moving it. Most shift pads come with plenty of cabling to allow you to relocate it to a more convenient position. Brett Wolfe

Your description would suggest that the batteries are bad. BUT, it is difficult to evaluate the status of a battery unless it is fully charged (i.e. a deeply discharged, WILL test bad). Your converter or inverter/charger should put out 13.2-14.0 VDC. If all you see is 12.0 VDC, either the charger is bad or indeed you have one or more dead cells in the battery. If you have a small automotive type charger, connect it and see what voltage you get. If in the range above, leave it on overnight, while keeping an eye on the batteries. If one gets hot, it indicates a problem. STOP IMMEDIATELY. If after overnight charging, disconnect the batteries and load test. Most any place that sells batteries will test them for free. Another option is to start the engine and see what voltage the alternator puts into the batteries. It is unlikely that both converter and alternator would both be at fault. So if you read 12.0 with the engine running, that would be another sign that the batteries are bad. BTW, I am NOT a fan of gel batteries for house batteries. If you want high end batteries, AGM batteries such as LIFELINE are better-- have used them for decades on our boats and RV's. http://www.lifelinebatteries.com/ Brett Wolfe

Doug, Best MPG when accelerating from a stop is to accelerate slowly until you reach 6th gear. Best economic cruise speed with the 3126 is between 1500 and 1650 in 6th gear. Faster is OK, but WILL use more fuel. And if coming off the highway, you should idle the engine for about 3 minutes to cool down the turbo. For 99% of the CG's we pull into, by the time you pull up to the office, you have ample cool down time and can turn it off. It is on-freeway rest stops and fuel stops where you are going from highway speed to stopped that you have to pay attention to this. For more information on driving economically, read this Caterpillar Document: https://ohe.cat.com/cda/files/287140/7/LEGT5364.pdf Brett Wolfe

What ARE your before and after MPG's-- I assume these were averages over several tanks and under similar driving conditions? You say the power is simply amazing. By chance did you do any timed zero to highway speed before and after? In general, older engines experiences more improvement by tuning such as Banks. In more recent times, the chassis makers have done quite a lot better job of tuning intake and exhaust right from the factory. Thanks. FACTS are scarce here. Brett Wolfe

There are really two parts to the question. First-- what is the coach rated to pull. And it is important to understand that LEAST STRONG component dictates towing capacity. That may be the hitch, transmission, brakes, frame (particularly if extended by the body builder), etc. Sadly, many people just look at the hitch rating, which can be very misleading. The same hitch can be used on a coach whose transmission is right at its GCWR or on one that is 12,000 pounds under its rating. It can be used on a coach with the hitch bolted to the frame or on one with a 6' frame extension. Etc, etc. The second aspect, once you have verified that the coach can pull the weight, is to set reasonable expectations for coach performance. Here is an excellent publication written by Caterpillar, but applicable to all heavy vehicles. It is entitled: "Understanding Coach (RV) Performance". There is a great section on HP required to climb 6% grades at different speeds. https://ohe.cat.com/cda/files/287140/7/LEGT5364.pdf Brett Wolfe

I am familiar with the Allison 3000 and 4000 series. The mode button certainly functions as described on them. I do not know if/how the mode button functions on the gasoline chassis with smaller Allisons. You might call Allison: Allison help line 800 252 5283 And to verify mode button function, next time you are accelerating from a stop in regular mode (Mode OFF), note the max RPM's in each gear before it up-shifts when you are at WOT (Wide Open Throttle). Repeat with mode button ON. You should notice a real difference in max RPM before the shift, with it shifting earlier (lower RPM) in Mode ON. Brett Wolfe

ALLISON MODE BUTTON There are TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT "LET THE TRANSMISSION CHOOSE THE CORRECT GEAR" MODES/PROGRAMS in the Allison ECU which is the "electronic brain" controlling shifting and other functions. In ECONOMY MODE, the transmission will not downshift even at WOT (Wide Open Throttle) until the engine pulls down to peak torque RPM in some application and 200 RPM lower that "regular mode" in others. In REGULAR MODE, the transmission WILL downshift much earlier (to maintain higher engine RPM). ONLY at higher throttle positions is there any difference, so on flat ground you will NOT notice any difference (except accelerating from a stop IF you are at or close to wide open throttle). It can make a BIG difference in rolling hills. If you are in rolling hills and regular mode (particularly with the cruise control on), it is common for the transmission to shift down to 5th on the uphill and back to 6th on the downhill. Repeat this process hundreds of times. In economy mode, you will stay in 6th gear unless the hill is so steep or so long that the engine can not pull it without dropping below peak torque RPM. If you can pull a hill in a higher gear (lower engine RPM) AND the engine does not overheat, THAT IS WHAT CATERPILLAR, CUMMINS, DD, ETC RECOMMENDATION FOR THE MOST ECONOMICAL WAY TO CLIMB A HILL with a modern turbo, after-cooled diesel engine. If you know you will need a lower gear because of the steepness of the grade and/or are engine temperature is rising higher than thermostatically controlled temperature, if driving in economy mode, use the down arrow to drop a gear (this is what I do) or switch out of economy mode. Be sure to switch back into economy mode when past the steep section, or agree to pump extra fuel in the tank. IF your engine begins to overheat, your HP/weight ratio is low OR if it irritates you to loose a few mph on a hill in the name of saving fuel, in the hills, by all means drive in regular mode. It confuses me to hear people advocate driving in economy mode only on flat ground, as there is not 1% difference in shift RPM's between regular and economy mode on flat ground, excepting accelerating from a stop if you use WOT. Every time you start the coach, the transmission is in regular mode. This is the default setting. IF you push the mode button, it goes to "economy mode" AND the light illuminates. There is no "absolute" on how much difference in fuel economy driving in economy mode will have. On flat ground where you will be in 6th gear irrespective of what mode you are in, there will be ZERO difference. The MOST difference in mileage will be in rolling hills, where in regular mode, particularly if on cruise control you will start up a hill in 6th gear, go to WOT in 6th gear, downshift of 5th gear still at WOT (WHERE IT IS USING A LOT MORE FUEL). After the hill is crested, the transmission will up-shift to 6th, then likely coast a little in 6th gear (unless you are driving with the exhaust brake on-- if you are it then applies the exhaust brake AND downshifts TOWARD the pre-select gear which is generally either 2nd or 4th).And so on 6-5-6-5-6-5-6-5....... A modern turbo inter-cooled diesel is much more efficient at low RPM high throttle settings. This is NOT my opinion. It is stated in just those words in most modern diesel's Owner's Manual. Note: In either mode, you are free (and welcome) to use the up and down arrows to PRO-ACTIVELY choose the correct gear. You can not screw anything up-- even if you down-arrow to 1st gear at 70mph, the transmission understands that you meant "please downshift to the next lower gear as soon as the engine RPM will not exceed the pre-set amount. Then downshift again when safe....." By the same token, you can shift between regular and economy mode as often as you want with the transmission in any gear when you make the change. OPINION: I drive in economy mode 99% of the time, including in REAL mountains, but use the up and down arrows to choose the proper gear. I use regular mode ONLY when I am willing to say, "I am willing to throw a lot of fuel away to gain a little performance." When passing on 2 lane roads, THIS IS the case. Brett Wolfe

First, determine the true age of the tire. Coach model year is NOT a good indicator. There is a complete DOT number molded into ONE sidewall of each tire-- it may be facing out or toward the inside. The last 4 digits indicate the WEEK and YEAR of tire production. So, DOT..................0602 was built the 6th week of 2002 and is now over 7 years old. Tire failure rate goes up exponentially after 6 years. And as already suggested, tires over 5 years old should be inspected by a QUALIFIED tire professional. Unlike on car tires, tread depth is NOT AN INDICATOR OF REMAINING TIRE LIFE. On side wall cracks, basically if you can see them, but not get your fingernail in them, you are OK (OK in terms of that crack, anyway). My recommendation is if you are planning on keeping the coach, put on new tires NOW. Why risk tire failure/an accident only to give the next buyer a new set of tires. Brett Wolfe

While there certainly are 12 VDC deep-cycle batteries, most sold for this purpose are "dual-purpose" or marine batteries. And many are purchased by those who just don't know the difference. As long as they fill your amp needs, I would not change them. BUT. when you shop for replacements, I suspect you will find that 6 VDC golf cart batteries are the least expensive quality deep-cycle battery. And converting from two 12 VDC (in parallel) to two 6 VDC (in series) is easy. If you are looking for high-end batteries and cost is not that critical, AGM batteries such as Lifeline Battery are maintenance free, accept a charge faster than wet cells, have a much lower self discharge rate, etc. http://www.lifelinebatteries.com/ Brett Wolfe

First, an RV refrigerator, whether Dometic or Norcold, does not use a freon-based coolant. The "coolant" is a mixture of ammonia, rust inhibitor and water. And you are correct, not your neighbor. It is OPERATION of the refrigerator out of level, not STORAGE, that can damage/clog the cooling unit. But, a quick call to Dometic (the number below) revealed that it is a good idea to LEVEL THE COACH FOR 24 HOURS AFTER BEING STORED OUT OF LEVEL BEFORE STARTING THE REFRIGERATOR! For confirmation: Dometic Tech line 1-888-867-4188 Without knowing how many or what kind of blocks you are using, I cannot address your driving on/off leveling blocks. Certainly the more substantial the blocks, the less likelihood of an issue. And any time you use leveling blocks, make sure the entire "footprint' of the tire (front) or both tires (rear) are supported or you can do tire damage. Brett Wolfe

And for those who store their coaches in areas with hight humidity and have 120 VAC available, a small house-type dehumidifier will cure/prevent the mold and mildew "musty smell" . Set the dehumidifier on the kitchen counter with the drain into the sink Just set humidistat at 45-50%. They use very little electricity, because once humidity is reduced, they run very little. We have used them for years on our sailboats and RV's here in humid south Texas. Check at Home Depot, Sears, etc for their smallest unit that allows you to select humidity setting. Brett Wolfe