campcop

We have a bigger problem here, pack rats........had them get into my 5th wheel one year, took me couple of days to clean out the mess and repair the damage. I now have a solar powered light that lights the engine compartment each night for the pack rats(they don't like light) and I use traps with peanut butter once in awhile as well. I do use the oil of peppermint too. In inspecting the bottom of our Vista, I see that it is pretty sealed...so far so good.

WE previously had a 33' 5th wheel and 3500 D/A Silverado. WE wanted to get something similar in size, not over 35'. WE looked at DPs and gas both, most DPs were 40' or better. We looked at both the 30 and 35' Winnebago Vistas and really liked the floor plan of the 35F. WE also did not want to spend a lot of $$... the Vista fit nicely in the amount we wanted to spend. So besides floorplan and length, $$ will be a consideration as well. WE travel several months out of the year, generally about 5-6k total. I admit it took some getting used to to hear the gas engine working compared to the diesel truck I had but the cost of operation is about the same for us. I know the big DPs get better fuel economy but we did not want to spend the extra $$. If we were to live fulltime again, then we might consider a DP..

Sometimes there is a relay before the starter and would be in the power distribution box in the engine compartment. Only other thing I can think of is there is a fusible link burnt between the battery and the power distribution box. Any signs of rodent damage?

I just was told by my RV dealer that our 2012 Winnebago with the Ford F53 chassis and V-10 has recall..something to do with the cable to the transmission. Was told to bring it to my local Ford dealer..

I think the only way you will truly find out how the generator works and how to trouble shoot it is to buy the "real" service manual. The ones we get are just "owner's" manuals and really don't help much...

Check the ignitor also, the air gap might be too large or the porcelain on the ignitor/thermister might be cracked...

My last RV had what they called a "test" outlet after the regulator. What I did was remove the regulator from the grill and installed a quick connect. I then used a 6' line between the grill and the propane outlet..it worked fine.. On our new coach I am going to have to install an outlet with a quick disconnect to use our grill.

http://www.brakebuddy.com/Towing-Laws

You might want to check with either Ford or Fleetwood. I don't know about the bare chassis supplied to coach makers but when I bought my last two Chevrolet diesels that came wired for towing with a 7 pin, the "hot" wire was not connected, and the battery of my 5th wheel was not being charged. In the earlier 2005 truck I had, I had to install a missing fuse, in the newer 3500 Silverado it was just a mater of connecting a wire...

Well, just checked the tire pressure again....It was 100 psi not 90psi. As I recall, I set the pressure one COLD morning, its been in the 70-80 range now, so the tires were at least 10 psi over max for the weight allowed and probably more than that as the coach was not really loaded... The saga continues..

Thanks for the reply. I admit that I did not get it weighed yet, my thinking is that I did not add much to the coach. I will get it weighed this week though.. The chassis is a Ford F53 22,000 lb, tires are Michelin 235/80/22.5. wheel base to length ratio is 54 I had 90 psi in the tires but now that I think about it, I think I actually may have had too much air for the weight I had. Operating a coach is a whole new experience from a 3500 dually and 5th wheel

We took our 2012 Vista 35F on its maiden voyage the other day. The vehicle ran fine, rode nicely but........it wandered a lot and to the point it was irritating. We had very little as far as load and only a 1/3 tank of water. The wind was not a factor either. The coach seemed to want to head into the median and after a little coaxing would straighten out only to then head for the break down lane. I did some research and am considering two things, a steering stabilizer and a trac bar for the rear. However I am not convinced at this point that the front end is not to blame, as improper alignment can cause the same problems. The tires were properly inflated ... Ironically on the return trip we ran into a headwind and the coach handled much better.....go figure..

Just did a short trip of about 225 miles, from Las Cruces, NM to Albuquerque NM on I25. Its really hilly with several that are very steep. Figured out to be about 7.5. Haven't calculated return trip yet but I think it will be a little better.

After seeing some of the wiring jobs on some 5th wheels and motor homes....nothing surprises me anymore....

I have considered getting a cover but we live in Southern New Mexico where the wind is an almost daily occurrence, especially in the spring and with the dust around here I was afraid of the paint damage that has been alluded to here.......after reading these posts, I will forgo a cover and just wax a little extra

That's good to hear.....in this day and age reports such as this are not the norm....

I know this is a little late but 40 hours is way too much time, you can build a coach in that amount of time..... We have had the infamous water tank leak, it cracked near the top and I used eternabond tape on it....never had a problem after. I tried the various sealants and all were too rigid for the tank, but eternabond is flexible.

That was my idea as well, the leak is most likely in a line and not in a major component if all have been either replaced or leak tested..

I could be wrong about this but I was recently told by a dealer that because the air gap in dual pane windows on RVs is so small that the R factor between them and single pane is negligible.

On our previous 5th wheel, I considered darkening the tinted dual pane windows. I called the manufacturer and was told NOT to tint them.....was told it would cause heat build-up..

We just got a 35' Winnebago, salesman told me 10 mpg but I knew better, I figured about 8 and that's what I read here.....We switched from a 33' 5th wheel with a 3500 4x4 Silverado D/A and that only got about 8-10 depending on the winds and hills ....so in the long run this will be cheaper to run..