mikey360

I bought a Demco Kar Kaddy SS for towing my wife's car behind our RV. I have used other brands of tow dollies in the past. In my opinion, the Demco Kar Kaddy is the best available. One reason is the steering mechanism that I have not seen on other brands. Due to the steering mechanism, there is no 'scrubbing' of the dolly tires. Yes, the Demco is more expensive. But I firmly believe in 'you get what you pay for'. The frame members of the Demco are not painted. They are galvanized. Superior corrosion protection. Surge brakes on the Demco are independent of the RV and not subject to the bad connections or blown fuses that plague electric brakes . If your car fits the specifications of the dolly, then there should be no damage in a turn as long as you have it loaded correctly. If the car is loaded properly, I cannot foresee a situation where the car will come off the dolly in any situation short of a major accident in which case your towed vehicle will be of small consequence. When selecting a tow dolly, pay close attention to the maximum width and weight allowed. It's easy to overload any tow dolly. HTH

Donnie, do you have some type of DOD ID card? Retired military, civil service, etc?

I have fueled in Van Horn in the past but no more. It will be no problem to fuel in Midland/Odessa or El Paso. Having lived in Midland for four years, I know they like RV'ers dollars. Semper Fi

Ok, Atwood said they have no idea as they have no say in how their products are installed by the coach manufacturer. Called Fleetwood. They said all of the coaches they make have inside access absolutely. So I have to go stand on my head again tomorrow when I get home from work. I'm gonna' figure this out if it kills me. BTW, wifey is a Texan and we lived there for 4 years. Texas is a great state. Low taxes and most laws seem to be rooted in common sense. It is a very good place to live.

2007 Fleetwood Providence CAT 350 Allison MH3000 with an Atwood GE16EXT Water Heater that needs a new element for electrical operation. Am I correct in my assumption that the unit will have to be pulled out of the coach in order to get to the element? The element is the screw in type. I have stood on my head and any number of other positions trying to find access to the rear of the water heater with no luck. I can find no way to get to the back of the unit. Are some coaches constructed in such a way as to require the removal from the coach to get to the element on the back? I'm hoping someone has done this before on a Providence or Discovery (maybe) and can give me the wisdom of their experience.

Ok, I found it! It is up behind the plumbing service panel. Way up! Like so far up I can't touch it. But if I lay on my back with my upper torso inside the compartment and look up behind the panel, I can see it with a flash light. I guess the only way to get to the filter screen on the pump is to remove the service panel. Not a bad idea as I have a small (dripping) city water port leak from back there as well. The fun never ends! Thanks for the help everyone!

Yes, Mr Boyer, I found the whole house filter behind the service panel. I doubt the housing had ever been opened. The filter was a very dark brown. I got a new one at Camping World and it's pure white. I will check the compartments on either side. Thanks.

Second owner 2007;Fleetwood Providence 39V. Along with every other conceivable maintenance requirement that wasn't done by the original owner, the water pump filter has never been cleaned. I can't find the thing. I can hear it but I can't find it. I don't think it's accessible from inside the unit. Anyone out there able to enlighten me? Thanks for the help.

After reading how dirty the CAC and radiator can get on these rear radiator units, I decided to see what I could do with mine. Warmed the motor up. First up, the service center stripped out the head of one of the motor access panel bolts last week doing the valve lash adj that should have been done years ago but never was (see my prior posts). Vise grips and lots of blue words later, I got the panel off. Fairly dirty motor in my opinion. Fan won't move (I was hoping it would have a clutch and would freewheel but no.) So squirted brake cleaner around the fins on the CAC as best I could. I estimate I could reach about 50 percent. Hosed that out with garden hose. Then I went to Simple Green. Didn't leave it on too long, then hosed that out. I'm concerned about the portion of the radiator I couldn't even see let alone get cleaned. If I take this to my service center , how will they clean it? I'm considering taking it there but I'm thinking of taking a photo of the rear radiator fins so if I get it back and they're all bent over, I'll have some proof it didn't come in that way. Any thoughts?

Well, after a careful inspection, I've found a badly faded decal on the radiator shroud that indicates the coolant is NOT ELC. Which means this 3 year coolant has been in the engine for 5 years. And the two thermostats have also been in there since sometime in 2006. I read somewhere those need to be replaced much earlier than 36,000 miles and 5 years. I'm getting the valve lash adjustment done tomorrow. And I'm having them install ELC and two new thermostats. I'm going to have a talk with the service manager about ensuring a good flush. I'm worried about corrosion.

I am the proud second owner of a 2007 Fleetwood Providence with a CAT C7 engine. The original owner does not recall if he had ELC coolant installed. The coolant is red in color. I'm lead to believe ELC is red and the 'regular' coolant is something else. Fleetwood says they would have shipped this unit with 'regular' coolant. Is there any way to tell what is in the motor; ELC or regular coolant? Thanks for the wisdom.

Got four (drive) new XZA2 275/75/R22.5 Michelins on my 2007 Fleetwood Providence yesterday at TCI Loveland, CO. Got my FMCA email today. I saved right at $100 on each tire. Dealer never asked me if I wanted the new tires balanced. I will insist on the steers when that time comes. Good program.

Michael Gheen USAF 24 years/24 Oct 72-1 Nov 96 retired as an E-7 Master Sergeant first 7 years as an Avionics Instrument Systems Specialist/last 17 years as a Precision Measurement Equipment Specialist Chanute AFB, IL, Norton AFB, CA, Keflavik NAS, Iceland, McGuire AFB, NJ, Lowry AFB, CO, Cannon AFB, NM, Keflavik NAS, Iceland, Edwards AFB, CA, Keflavik NAS, Iceland, Eglin AFB, FL