wolfe10

Both mine (home and RV) were under the recall. Both being replaced free of charge. Thanks.

Bill, Racor did have a series of fuel filters with a very high failure rate-- yes, the ones with the clear plastic cylinder with O rings. The do have a supersession to address the issues with the original design. I also have no problem with replace your primary filter with a "plain" Racor with clear bowl. That is what I would do. And make sure your Caterpillar secondary fuel filter has the Caterp8llar manual primer pump.

Wayne, Not sure I understand. The steps which are 12 VDC. For them to draw enough amps to "overwhelm" the inverter/charger should surely blow a fuse (or cause a fire).

Really depends on what is wrong and what caused it: Improper shimming? Draw keys loose? Clogged grease fitting? Grease channel not drilled (grease not getting in)? etc.

Gary, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. No, never heard of that unless they are not greased or front axle went under water. These are the same components used in medium and HD trucks and normally go hundreds of thousands of miles. Guess one set could have been improperly shimmed leading to either too tight or too much vertical play. But two with the same issue?? Exactly what is out of spec on them?

Done. This discussion moved to: http://community.fmca.com/topic/11726-starting-cummins-ismisx-during-storage/ SO, any more discussion on that topic should be on the new thread. Thanks.

Block heater???

Agree, option #2.

Pazahora, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Agree with Bill. Were it a week or 10 days, you could get weather predictions out that far to enable you to make a considered decision. Three weeks-- no way. Not worth the risk and worry.

Richard, Couple of questions: Are both battery banks the same battery technology (i.e. wet cell). If so, a plus. A little confused by these sentences-- how/by what means does the generator charge its battery: " The charging circuit in the generator is very old-school and will probably boil the battery if used for too long. There is no alternator on the gennie, and no place to easily install one. " Most RV generators do not have a separate alternator. Instead, they "power" the converter, charger or inverter charger which charges the batteries. If you are going to use the "house bank" converter to charge the generator battery as well, why not use one of the full time smart combiners? We are probably getting into "what is better for both battery banks" rather than "in an ideal world, how would an electrical engineer design it".

Yes, "normal wisdom" is: If you start an engine, run it long enough under load to get the OIL, not just coolant up to operating temperature. Anything less adds moisture to the crankcase. For a diesel that generally means 25+ highway miles.

Might start by oiling the fan motor bushings (AKA sleeved bearings). Most hardware stores sell a light viscosity oil with long spout that makes accessing the shaft next to the motor easier. If that doesn't do it, next step is motor replacement. Also, make sure you do have 12+VDC (that your battery voltage is OK). If the fan spools up as it should when shore power is boosting battery voltage, but not on battery alone, be sure to verify battery condition and connections.

Inquire sent. Brett

Times TWO.

Well, I can understand, that someone brand new to FMCA would not know who Smithy is. But, Smithy/Chris Smith is very well known to anyone who has been around FMCA for any length of time. Open the November issue of the FMCA magazine and on page 10 you will see an article by Chris along with exactly the same picture as here on the Forum. Chris has written a column (with his picture) for the FMCA magazine every month since he became Executive Director. And, to Chris's credit, he has not expressed any "opinions" here-- just corrected mis-information He is doing EXACTLY what an Executive Director should do IMO-- provide the facts to help member make an informed decision.

Air dryers are not Federally required. And, there are a number of SMC products that did not have them. Will never forget draining more than 2 GALLONS of rusty water from the wet tank on a 1998 Beaver Monterrey (no dryer). Most all other manufacturers do fit dryers.

fredcrump, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. No such thing. Cold is not a specific temperature. Rather, it is at whatever ambient temperature is before driving, exposing tire to external heat source such as sun.

Let me ask a question-- neutrally: Does anyone question that the average of current FMCA members is 71 years old???

Several ratings are important: GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) Hitch rating Max tongue weight Rear axle GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)-- this one important because the hitch is so far behind the rear axle. Every pound of tongue weight puts well more than a pound on the rear axle and removes weight from the front axle.

leedianne, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. As long as the chassis and coach are rated for that, you will be fine. Be aware that very few are rated over 10,000 pounds. The difference in HP will make a small difference in acceleration and performance and then, only on really noticeable on steep grades. Said another way there have been a LOT of trucks over the years with a lot less than 450 HP moving a lot more than a coach and 12,000 pound trailer.

sailn2nite, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Sorry, Allentown Bus is a new one on me. What slide mechanism do they use? That would get you better information.

Another option is the same battery from Freightliner. They often have them on sale.

Bill, Having served on two Long Range and Development Committees, let me slightly restate that perceived goal: "To be fiscally responsible, we need to figure out how to get enough money "in" to cover what we perceive as "needed benefits" to attract new members and retain existing ones".

themelterman, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Please tell us where you are so we can make recommendations near you.

Correct. Both tire and wheel PSI's are for COLD. They are very familiar with the Ideal Gas Law and took that into consideration when developing the specs.