chp007kd40

Thank you Rich and Lois for participating in these forums and your willingness to help the members. As in this case, your information is quite useful and appreciated. We also travel without a toad and I'll bet other members will finally experience the freedom and joy of leaving the toad home and realize how really wonderful their motorhomes will perform, for members that tend to travel the way you and I do. We don't stay long unless something real grabs us and we are a lot less conspicuous without a tow vehicle. David

We live in Redding, Ca. and the wife wants to go to Montreal and Newfoundland after visiting Washington DC area. We have a 40' DP and do not tow a vehicle. Any good advice. Would it be like Victoria Island driving? Thanks, David and Ruthie

Mandalay 40f I think you have this figured out correctly. I have the same chassis under my Itasca 40 DP with Z-1, 8.9 and about the same weight. I just switched from XZE to XZA3 all steer tires and I like the smoother ride. I do live in Northern Ca. and I'm in the mountains all the time. The difference is, I don't tow anymore and It sounds like that could be the difference between the two types of tires. David

I knew I should have left that part out because it was not useful to the man's question and it opened the door to a conversation of who knows more. Actually I don't know for sure if I'm correct but, sitting in the waiting room at Winnebago the discussion was why would they ditch HWH, basement air, Z1 and go to smaller engines, among other items on many models. The common thought was that it was recession related and how to get the price down.

Most Winnebago 40 ft Diesel Pushers do not have a/c units on the roof and with a non dome satellite (Moto Sat and others that fold down) you can be as low as 11'7" and you will enjoy not having that weight of the a/c units on your roof. I noticed that some Winnebago models are showing up with roof mounted units after the recession because it appears to be less expensive during manufacturing. We needed more a/c cooling so I just installed a portable unit ( 10K BTU )to cool the bedroom while the engine is cooling down. Little bit of effort but it works great.

Just another thought here. I also didn't see any advantage to my side cameras over very well thought out mirrors on my Itasca KD40 DP. However, the way we use our coach I decided to have them moved to the middle front and right front pillar area and I have been so impressed with that placement. It's basically for maneuvering at close up but just think about the possibilities? We were in Vancouver BC trying to turn right and a wheelchair bound person was at that intersection and I couldn't see where he had gone until I activated the camera and saw he was eating a sandwich and completely unaware of the problem he was creating. If I'm trying to get out of a tight spot I can put the coach to within 6 inches of a post as I did in Key West. It saved the day. I also put a top cap mirror on my factory set-up and that has really helped. Hope this helps. DC

I'm late responding to your question about how do you leave the toad home and feel comfortable? I have to thank my wife for thinking out of the box on this one. The coach turns so sharp that a couple of times we noticed it out turned the Jeep by creating such a strain on the hitch and Jeep with the fast moving overhang. Later on that evening I told Ruthie that this coach drives about as easy as my new truck and that planted the idea that we could drive the motorhome as if I were in the truck. Sounds over simplified I know, but I started thinking about all the positives instead of the negatives like backing up at will. If you can turn sharp going forward, can you have the same benefit backing up? Yes. We now can get fuel just about anyplace where as before I really sweated it and headed for truck stops for ease of turning, but you all know how unpleasant those islands can be with fuel, grime and noise. To further help some of you without acting like a know it all, I will let you know non of this came easy. The first time we left the Jeep home it was like leaving a friend or your security blanket in the middle of the driveway. I mentioned to Ruthie that I can turn as sharp as a city bus and she said, "look at all the places they can go". That did it! I was now a practicing city bus driver and it worked just perfect. We hardly stop at RV Campgrounds anymore because of our new found freedom of backing or pulling into the most perfect spots of opportunity along the way like medical centers large and small, fairgrounds, shopping centers and so on. If we need a vehicle for what ever reason it is fun to pick out a different ride every time and most of the time they bring the rental car to you. A taxis is great for having crazy conversations or getting local information that is hard to come-by. Asking for a ride is my wife's specialty. I'm a bit shy. All of this is still cheaper than pulling and worrying about your toad because as some of you have already figured out that we now can use our RV as our toad especially when not trapped mentally about staying in an RV Campground and we can back out of tough situations. My wife also showed me how to take a complete shower with one gallon of water which I thought was not possible, but like anything new you must get the negative set aside first then go-for-it!!!! I dont't have all the answers but I'm having a lot of fun in this motorhome and my wife is tickled pink with our new freedom. Enjoy the ride. David and Ruthie PS: That turnaround on that mountain road that I talked about before. Well it takes some swing room in back and in front of the motorhome and a Darling Wife on a two-way radio and your all set. The first two requirements are pretty easy to find, the third is a bit more difficult. Just sayin.

You might want to consider a coach that has a 60 degree turning radius. The freedom it gives you is just unreal. We were exploring the high country East of Mt. St. Helens a few weeks ago just as they were opening the National Park for the season. Hardly anyone was up there and the snow was mostly off the roads and what a sight to see, the beauty of all those vistas with lakes and water falls. We came across a tree in the roadway so large that I didn't want to try my small electric saw on it so we just turned the Freightliner chassis around on the Forest Service road drove back. When you first do this on a 37 ft. mountain road it can really get your attention. We have a 40 DP by Itasca, model KD with an ISL 400. The weight to torque ratio is almost perfect and no a/c units on top so we are low profile compared to many coaches. Many coaches have this 60 degree turning radius chassis and quite by accident we discovered we don't need to tow our Jeep anymore and that is true freedom. Most people have to think about that for awhile before they can even spin a day dream on not towing. Once you figure it out, you will enjoy your coach in ways you could have not even imagined. Good Luck and enjoy this beautiful country. David and Ruthie PS: we are getting a bigger electric saw!

Just purchased six XZA3 275x80x22.5 directional steer tires from Superior Tire, Salem, OR. for $639.00 per tire, mounted, balanced, (2007 Itasca Horizon) and including a new steel wheel to replace a bent wheel ($101). I agreed to the directional steer tires because I have never had my tires rotated on the last three diesel pushers. A trucker who was getting a tire repaired said the Michelin tire meant to replace duals is not his choice anymore because of too much lean in the corners over 45 mph. Info only. Enjoy the ride.

Rich, big help! Just what I was looking for. Thanks

Itasca Horizon has the scs/frigette keyless entry that has never worked right. Are there any replacements parts available or a better system that could replace this troublesome option? Appreciate any help.

My wife was pulled out of our coach onto the ground by a gust of wind without enough time to even let go of the entry door handle. Does anyone have an ingenious solution to help prevent this? We have an '07 Horizon 40' DP by Winnebago with the standard type bus door.

Yes. We have a Horizon 40DP with a side radiator and 8.9 Cummins. I see water stains on the bottom of my air filter every time I have my maint. man change it. The first time I saw this I had him disconnect the the air tube until we didn't see anymore signs of moisture stains in the lines which was about four feet. I've always commented on what a bad design the low mounted side radiator is for people like us who find themselves on grass, dirt, snow and gravel parking areas. Just saw a dusted motor in Redding with 33K miles and it was not a pretty sight, so I am very careful about who works on my last motorhome. We travel in the winter also and find the very small volcanic crushed rock they use on the roadways in icy areas stuck in the radiator. Good Luck! DC

I did not see anyone respond to the Centramatic balancing device. Do they really work and could one of those be reinstalled incorrectly? Do tire beads work? Getting new Michelins very soon so I would like to hear from some of you (xze 275x80r22.5) before I have them installed.

My wife said she was happy with the Garmin 1490T on the different types of trips we took since 2010. I said ''was'' because we now have the box with all the accessories in my office minus the unit. Sign of the times? Since we are looking for a new unit I am following the comments also!

Thanks for the comments and suggestions. All of you had some good input. Yes, Just one basement unit and it is only two years old and the old unit did have one compressor out and the unit was very dirty inside. What started the demise of the replaced unit was a (Pronghorn) Antelope slammed into our coach in Montana and of course a direct hit on the a/c unit, go figure. The unit actually worked until we got to Las Vegas and the temp. hit 103 at 2pm. The unit had to be made at the factory so we headed directly home as we hung-out over the dash a/c vents with two weenie dogs. The 4" gas dryer vent is a problem so thanks for that info.

Our basement model 24,000 btu is not always adequate, especially when some engine heat radiates into the bedroom and it's over 90 degrees outside. I have a washer /dryer compartment I thought would work for the exhaust hose on a portable unit I saw on Amazon with 12,000 btu. I saw the article at irv2 where they put one on the roof, but I'm thinking I don't want the 95 pounds that high up. Has anyone solved this problem a different and better way?

Sometimes you have to recognize that some people take more than they give and you must let them go.

We have a side radiator and what a poor design because the suction on an 8.9 liter Cummins fan is so great that my radiator had to be replaced at four years because the small rocks and volcanic ash/dirt. Doing all the work myself along with my maintenance man we removed and tried to clean it but, impossible. $850.00 for a new radiator and we finally came up with solution after looking at the debris pattern in the old radiator. First, the shields from the factory that would keep debris from getting between the radiator system of cooling units was just a failure so we devised a way to modify those shields and seal them with high grade a/c sticky exterior tape so as to direct all the air to come directly into the radiator from the side and not the bottom. Then we got a HD radiator screen from a local truck supply and slightly modified it so as not to restrict air flow by staying away from the debris pattern by cutting 3"half circles in the screen, but not removing any screen. This has helped a lot and no heating problems. Good luck to all with side radiators. What a job that was, glad it's over. By-the-way, all of you with basement 2 ton a/c units the same applies because mine is on the right side of the coach so we decided (because we hadn't suffered enough with the radiator) to remove it and what a surprise. Dirt inside!!! Those a/c units appear to be very cheaply made because the axle on the blower fan had oil caps for lubing the axle shaft just like an evaporative cooler would have that you use on your home or shop, but no way to lube them unless you remove it like we did. My unit was so worn and dirty and had one compressor out that I replaced it for $2600.00 dollars and not an easy job either. The new unit came with the same oil caps, Really? Wonder why I keep saying "WE" is because if my maintenance man hadn't help me I'm not sure I would have had the courage to do it. Saved a lot of money and a better idea what it takes to really maintain a DP. Not for sissy's.

Had a 98 Dynasty with an 8.3. Both engines are good according to my mechanic, just keep the oil clean and watch you temperature. Change the oil if you overheat. The only bad thing about the Dynasty was the rough ride with the small (8) air bags, old technology that Monaco held onto way to long in my opinion. The freightliner chassis with four air bags and 60 degree turning is a dream come true compared to the turning radius on the Dynasty. Just sayin.

For two years we have been going in a different direction after years of towing. We traded our 2000 Monaco Dynasty for an Itasca 07 KD/40 DP that has a 60 degree turning radius. We have developed such a freedom of travel by using just our coach like a car/city bus plus an occasional rental that it hard to even think about towing. Just saying