wolfe10

An observation. If motorhome plus toad are too long, consider driving separately. Speed limit is 45-50. Easy drive and beautiful. Worth the small extra effort.

Must REALLY be "inside weather across the country". Which is a precursor to really bored. Which is a precursor to "time out". Let's all hope the sun comes out!

loren6210@yahoo.com, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Some vacuum pumps have built in switches to turn them on/off. Other applications use a remote pressure switch to control power to the vacuum pump. No, the vacuum pump should not run continuously. That could indicate a leak for example, a loose or cracked hose or vacuum diaphragm. It could also indicate a bad pressure switch.

Correct. Goes right back to "the dipstick is NOT a Cummins PN, but one fit by the chassis/coach maker. Calibration is an excellent idea and costs zero when doing an oil change.

Thomas, You chassis maker or coach maker fit that LONG dip stick tube and dipstick, not Cummins. So, check with them or look in their owners manual on how to read the dip stick.

WAY too many miles at 6 KMPH.

Eddie, Please tell us what coach and chassis you have.

YES, spent many enjoyable hours there as well as at nearby Boldt Castle. Now, can you teleport my boat up there for the summer (ONLY)-- way too far to go from Texas at 6 NMPH

gonzilla13, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Probably the most knowledgeable people in the country on upgrading camera/monitor systems is: http://www.rvcams.com/ I would contact them with exactly what equipment you have now and what you want to improve/change. In most cases, they have adapters so that you can use existing wiring when replacing the camera and/or monitor.

Rich is correct. Chassis/RV manufactures have a set protocol of things to disconnect before doing electric welding. Yes, batteries, but also Allison ECU, etc.

Agree-- the perfect motorhome, boat, etc.

Perhaps a more accurate statement is that the GVWR and GCWR are less for 1000 and 2000 series Allison transmissions than for the 3000. So, yes, it is possible that some heavier coaches with the "lesser" transmission may already be maxed out or only have a small "surplus" capacity for a toad.

Some Cummins B engined coaches did/do have the Allison 3000 transmission. Transmission choice is up to the coach/chassis builder. Yes, it is more expensive than the smaller series transmissions.

The 295/75 will be closer to OE size than the 295/80's (a good thing). Be sure to verify load capacity of the 295/75. And if you have the Sheppard steering box, it is very easy (only need a small screwdriver) to change cut angle if the new tires are interfering with body or chassis components.

How about a destination that has both RV sites and cabins?

We have driven the whole Natchez Trace-- last in a 38' DP towing. A beautiful drive. There are both commercial and some park CG's (some free) on the Trace. Be sure to adhere to the speed limit!

Jim Walls IS a good source of information on Monaco products and would likely be able to tell you exactly what the issues were with the OE tire size and if there would be fitment issues on your specific coach. And you also need to verify your wheel size. The 275/70 can be fit on 7.50 and 8.25" wheels. the 295/80 on 8.25 or 9" wheels. You need to verify that you have the 8.25" wheels. This will be stamped on the wheel and easily visible on the rear outers.

I would call the guy you spoke with at Monaco and ask specifically: What were the issues with the 275/70 series-- were they overloaded? Verify he did mean 295/80, not 275/80R22.5. Without knowing your actual coach weights, kind of hard to give sage advice, as insufficient carrying capacity for actual load is the #1 reason for changing tire size/load rating.

Eddie, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Couple of points: HUGE difference between 275/70 and 295/80 tires. 545 revolutions per mile for the 275/70. 503 revolutions per mile for the 295/80. The 295/80 is also much taller (overall diameter of the 275/70 is 38.0" vs 295/80 of 41.3") and a little wider as well. No idea if they would cause interference with body or suspension components. Would sure want some "first hand" experiences from others with your same coach before making that leap. Not sure what the "problem" is with the OE 275/70's. Looking at the Michelin XZA2 which comes in both sizes, the single max load for the 275/70 is 6940. What are your actual wheel position/axle weights?

Actually not a bad idea to have that grate/guard there. Not that difficult to picture a rock being kicked up by a tire, hitting a fan blade and being propelled at high speed into the CAC.

WAIT-- boat and 70 MPH winds. As we would say in Texas: "THAT AIN'T RITE".

Actually, the trailing arm failure extended to 2009 on some models. See links above.

GGeorge, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. I don't see a schedule yet, but here are the seminars that will be offered: https://www.fmca.com/images/perry2019_entertainment/SeminarSchedule1.pdf

And, that write-up is almost a DECADE old. But still 100% on-target. Here is one with pictures: https://community.fmca.com/topic/569-important-safety-issue-monaco-hr-safari-chassis/

Be careful here. When Monaco (the original Monaco Corp) identified the problem and did the recall, they replaced the defective trailing arms with exactly the same BAD DESIGN. So, even if you have paperwork that shows a replacement, you need to confirm that they are the newer much stronger design. This is pretty well covered in the link I posted above.