wolfe10

I have not replaced one recently enough to give "what is best 15k today". Post what you can about what you need-- certainly if this is ducted/non-ducted.

A 15 degree delta suggests a poorly functioning A/C. Were this my 28' Trek, I would replace the A/C with a 15k unit.

What was temperature as measured at the air return and then at the A/C outlet/vent? Said another way, what was the temperature delta???

When you say the A/C was serviced and also that CFM's appear low, please verify that you cleaned both the return filters AND the EVAPORATOR. The evaporator can only be cleaned from the roof after removing the cover and then the cover over the evaporator. On that age unit, the A/C unit may still be fully functional, but evaporator badly clogged with dirt and debris-- the filters are not that effective on RV roof airs!

Yes, a reasonable conclusion.

Agree, it is becoming a lost art, repeat art. Not something a kid with 20 minutes of instruction can do. But, there ARE still some old-fashion OTR truck service centers that have both equipment and personnel to do it and you will even occasionally find a shop that still does TIRE TRUING!!!

rhinderber, Is your coach wired for 30 or 50 amp shore power?

F470227, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Let us know where you are-- perhaps someone will have first hand information for you. Best answer is to find a shop (yes there are still a few left) who can balance the front tires/wheels ON THE COACH. That way all the rotating masses are in balance, not just tire and wheel. They can also check for RUN-OUT, as a perfectly balanced "egg shaped" tire will still give a poor ride.

Actually, in writing Caterpillar recommends installing oil filters DRY, as pouring oil directly in to the filter means it is never filtered before going into the engine. And, any petroleum engineer will tell you that fresh oil out of the can should be run through the filter BEFORE circulating through the engine. If you "have to" fill, fill only the small outer holes (at least on Cat and Cummins engines-- have not worked on newer MB engines) which are the inlets, not the center hole which is the outlet. The oil film on the lubricated surfaces is what protects moving parts on start up, not the "instant" oil flow. And, you are talking about SECONDS for the filter to fill and oil pressure to build. But, do what you are comfortable with.

From an article I wrote for the FMCA Magazine many years ago: CALIBRATING THE ENGINE OIL DIP STICK We continue to see questions about oil "consumption" and oil on radiators and toads on the FMCA Forum and other RV websites. It seems to be universal across all brands of diesel engines. THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE IS AN OVERFILLED CRANKCASE. CALIBRATING THE ENGINE OIL DIP STICK TO ENSURE THE CORRECT OIL LEVEL IN THE PAN "FIXES" OVER 90% OF THESE PROBLEMS. If you "think" your engine has an oil consumption problem, you are seeing oil mist on your toad or you just want to verify that yours is correct; you need to verify that you are using the correct amount of oil. Note: the quantities listed INCLUDE the oil filter and is the total amount of oil you put in when changing oil and filter. Now, CALIBRATE THE DIP STICK. Since the same engines/dip sticks are used in many different applications with different angles of installation, do not ASSUME that the dip stick is correctly marked. Calibration costs $0. At the next oil change, drain oil, remove old filter (as usual). Then install the drain plug and new oil filter and add the engine's correct oil capacity LESS THE NUMBER OF QUARTS you want between the "ADD" and "FULL" marks (let's say 2 quarts). So for an engine with 20 quart capacity you would add 18 quarts. Run the engine a few minutes, shut off and wait until oil has descended into the pan (at least 30 minutes and an hour is safer). Pull the dip stick and use a file or dremel tool to mark the oil level "ADD". Add the remaining two quarts, let the oil settle in the pan, pull the dipstick and mark this the "FULL" mark. In many/most cases, you will find that your engine "throws out" the access oil and then "consumption" settles down to next to nothing. Put in the correct amount and your "consumption" issues may go away. This applies to all ages (including brand new) of motorhomes and boats with every brand of engine. Also, when checking the oil level with the dipstick it is safest to do it in the morning after the oil has had all night to flow back to the pan. Do not add oil until the level reaches the ADD mark. Finally, make a sticker to affix near oil fill: OIL CAPACITY INCLUDING FILTER: xx QUARTS.

Here is a link to the very active Roadtrek FMCA Chapter: http://www.roadtrekchapter.org

Actually there is a very active Roadtrek group here in FMCA-- many of them park together at FMCA Conventions.

I agree. And, best to add some water to the tank (tank flush if you have one or even hose into the toilet. Like Ross, I would not store a coach, particularly this time of year with 1/3 full black tank.

Going to be a lot of "apples and oranges" comparisons here. Your 3 liter MB diesel has little resemblance to the diesels found in most Class A motorhomes. The Class A diesels are all in-line 6 cylinders with displacement from 6.7 to 15 liters. The longer the stroke the lower the RPM at which maximum torque is generated, the lower the RPM for maximum HP and the lower the RPM for governed RPM. And, yes, the larger of these large diesels are the same as in OTR trucks that often go over a million miles before in-frame overhauls. Sure, they can fail, but for most RV's, the coach will wear out long before the engine. Same goes for the Allison transmission. Most failures are due to neglect or driver abuse. This takes nothing away from the excellent drive train in your Sprinter-based RV, but they ARE different.

Yes, small RV refrigerator are still available with 12 VDC. So, that is a viable option for you. You might put your rig description in your signature, that will help, as there is a very wide range of "how things work". As far as what would happen if a propane line were cut: Manchester Tank is one of the larger suppliers of RV tanks: http://www.mantank.com/products/rvproducts.htm They don't give much detail, but in the description, this is an important statement (about half way down): Vapor Service Valve — internal excess flow. Sorry, can't answer your expectation of temperature for your refrigerator-- no experience with that size absorption refrigerator.

Pierre, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. I have forwarded your question to the person on the FMCA staff who works with the vehicle manufacturers. He may be tied up with the Indianapolis Convention right now, so it might not be an immediate response.

A much-debated issue with good reasoning on both sides. First, there are a number of alternatives here, depending on how each coach is wired. For many years now, absorption refrigerators are either 120 VAC or propane. So, "just 12 VDC" is not an option for most of them. Yes, you do need 12 VDC for the PC board, but it is not used as a "heat source". Some coaches are wired so that an inverter can be used to power the refrigerator, others are not. So, if you have a choice because of the way your coach is set up of either using propane or turning the refrigerator off while driving, THAT I believe is the real question. My personal answer is "leave it on propane while driving". Yes, I pressure check my propane system annually, check lines visually, and annually do a refrigerator burner area tune-up. My reasoning is that danger of food poisoning from high refrigerator temperatures is more of a risk than a problem with the propane system if kept in good working condition. Remember, all propane systems have a high flow cutoff, so even if you cut a line, it will not create a huge propane leak. Again, a personal decision as to potential risks. And sure, if I am only going to be on the road for a short time, leave it off. I ALWAYS TURN OFF ALL GAS APPLIANCES WHEN REFUELING. Shutting off propane but leaving the appliance on still allows it to use its ignitor (spark).

gnmiller, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. No first hand experience, but this guy has received a lot of recommendations: http://www.smittysrvwelding.com/

Imdiana, Welcome to the FMCA Forum, You will need to pull the brakes and see what all needs to be replaced. If a shop does it, be sure they know the cause, as wheel cylinders/caliper piston seals may have been severely overheated and need to be replaced. I mention this because they are not visible like brake shoes/pads and drums/disks. You will also want the brake fluid changed.

72moore, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Let's look at the temperature in the freezer compartment before we conclude that the icemaker itself is defective. Clearly, if the temperature is at or close to 32 degrees F, it will have a touch time making ice. Put a thermometer in the freezer and see what it is reading. Is this on 120 VAC, propane or both? Is the refrigerator in a slide? If so, are the fans behind the refrigerator working?

Yes, welcome to the FMCA Forum. Please tell us what coach you have-- may get better information from others with the same coach.

Ray, I don't follow discussions on irv2, so here goes: Best way to determine correct tire pressure is to weight each wheel position when loaded as you go down the road. Take the heavier wheel position on each axle to go to your tire manufacturer's inflation table. That will tell you the MINIMUM PSI for that load. Most of us add 5-10% to that as a fudge factor/safety factor. All tires on an axle get the same PSI based on the heavier wheel position. Next best-- get axle weights (not as good as it ASSUMES perfect left/right weight distribution which is very unlikely on a motorhome). You will want to add at least 10% as a fudge factor/safety factor. These last to could be very close or WAY off in PSI. And, you hope they are WAY OFF, because if they are close, you have tires loaded to their max carrying capacity. And, if that is the case, were it my coach, I would look at upgrading to a tire with more carrying capacity. Said another way, I don't want tires to be run at 100% of their capacity: 1. Go by the PSI on the GVWR sticker. Yes, it is the correct PSI IF, repeat IF the axle is, indeed loaded to its GAWR. Again, I would not want this to be the case! 2. Go by the PSI on the sidewall of the tire. Again, this ASSUMES that the tire is loaded to its max carrying capacity. As in 1, I would not want this to be the case!

luv2travl, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. There are a number of things that can degrade refrigerator performance. Some minor, some major. Is you refrigerator in a slide? If so, are the fans working? Does this happen on propane? electricity? both? What is ambient temperature? The refrigerator side of the coach in the sun? When was the last "burner area tune-up? Have you done the "dollar bill test" all around the door gaskets? Results? Is there a restrictor in the refrigerator condensate drain to keep hot air from entering the refrigerator? Any ammonia smell and/or evidence of yellow powder either inside or on the back of the refrigerator? What is clearance between the refrigerator coils and the outside wall of the coach?

loybern, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. I have no first hand knowledge of towing the Edge. But, a word of caution. There have more than a handful of vehicles over the last couple of years where the manufacturer declared them towable four wheels down only to later decide that they were NOT towable four wheels down. So, I would either go by the owner's manual or contact Ford for the latest information on your model Edge.

John, Yes, your math is correct (as is everyone else's): 12,000 watts divided by 120 volts= 100 amps. The same 12,000 watts divided by 240= 50 amps. No argument, no discussion. The point many of us are trying to make is for those not familiar with electricity is there is a BIG difference in available power between 30 amp and 50 amp. 30 amps times 120 VAC= 3,600 watts. A LOT less than 12,000 watts. I am going to lock this discussion, as everyone is saying the same thing over and over. and over...... Please feel free to PM me if there is something new to add. Thanks.