aphotowizard
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Posts posted by aphotowizard
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daniel92870
Welcome to the forum. I agree that it sounds like you have a problems with your 12 volt system as described above. If you do not have a manual for your unit you can find one here. http://www.winnebagoind.com/resources/manuals/pdfs/Operator2003/03Sunrise.pdf
It shows where the controls are located and has a general description of how the systems work. My best advice is read through the manual then start by testing the batteries. A suitable tester can be obtained at any auto parts store for less than $10.. It consists of a 12 volt bulb with two wires. One has a probe the other has a clip. Clip the clip to the ground side of the battery then you can use the probe to touch other connectors. If the bulb lights you have power. No light no power. Start at the battery and use the probe to move toward the nearest thing that does not work following along the wiring. When the light fails to light you have just passed over the problem.
Hope that helps.
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I tow a Jeep Grand Cherokee. I choose the Blue OX tow bar because the bace place was already on the Jeep when I purchased it. I have over ten thousand miles on it and I am very pleased with the set up. I really like the fact that the tow bar is permanently attached to the motorhome. It just swings to the side and leaves the Jeep with only two small "horns" sticking out the front. They can be removed with two clips, but I never do. I have the safety cables, light wire, break cable, and break away wire strapped to the arms of the tow bar so they swing aside with the tow bar. I tried the blue ox cover, but it is a little small for all that stuff. In looking around, I found that the cover for a folding lawn chair is just the right size. My hook up/disconnect procedure is 5 minutes or less.
Yes there are people that tow vehicles without brakes on the Jeep. I reserve my actual option of their behavior, but I will NEVER do so it as I do not feel safe without the brakes. I use the SMI engineering Air Force 1 https://smibrake.com/towed-vehicle-braking-systems/air-force-one.php braking system. After setup there is only a single air hose and the breakaway wire to connect and disconnect each time. The brake is applied by a small cylinder mounted on the brake petal. I looked at the M & G unit, but it requires shifting the master cylinder forward by about 6 inches to install the actuator. On my Jeep that would require massive modifications under the hood as I have the Hemi engine and the engine compartment is jam packed.
I had trouble finding anyone in my area to install the SMI unit so I did it myself with excellent support from the company. My motorhome has antilock airbrakes and the piping looked nothing like the installation video. I sent a photo to the company and the next morning I received an e-mail containing my picture with arrows showing where to connect the lines. I am reasonably good with tools but it only took me about 4 hours to complete the installation of the entire system. (Note; They said I was fast, but I took time to be careful.) The hardest part was finding the right wire to activate the LED I can see in the rear view camera that tells me when the brakes are applied.
For me the connect disconnect time is critical. I see people take 30 minutes to get going each time. I could never to that. My hookup is a follows:
Wife drives jeep into position. While she is getting the car I remove the tow bar cover and put it away. When she arrives I will have the tow bar arms on the ground and in position, but collapsed. When she arrives, I install the two hitch pins of the tow bar and signal her I am done. She backs up and the tow bar locks in place securing the vehicle. While I connect the safety cables, brake line, light wire, and breakaway wire, she puts the Jeep in neutral and turns off the ignition and locks the door. (Note: The steering wheel lock is broken so I can lock the ignition and remove the key while towing.) I enter the motorhome while she double-checks my connection and goes to the back of the Jeep. I apply the brakes and check to see the activation light in the monitor. This also charges the breakaway system. She gives me thumbs up on the brake lights on the Jeep. I turn on the left signal then the right signal and finally the running lights. She gets in and we are off.
It took a while to work out the system, but it never took more than 10 minutes to get going. After 10,000 miles or so it has gotten faster. It is almost as fast as getting a car out of a locked garage at home.
Enjoy your new motorhome. There is a lot of world to see out here.
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I have a 2001 Tiffin Allegro Bus on a Freightliner chassis and I have had this same problem. After much ado I found:
1 - The front airbags had pin hole leaks. My mechanic found them while he had it on the lift doing an inspection. He showed me the cracks. After he replaced the airbags, air connectors and front shocks the problem went away.
2 - The problem came back. They found and replaced the rear ride hight adjuster valve and the problem went away.
3 - I drove from Atlanta to Anchorage Alaska and the problem came back. It seems the same valve they replaced in Atlanta had gone bad. Hmm...
If your leak down is like mine and deflates the bags in about 1 minute all you need are ears to find the leak. Drive to a quiet place, turn off the engine and listen. The air makes a clear hissing sound.
So far mine is staying fixed.
The reason I wanted to fix it are two fold. First, I hate to drive with the air down. While my tank pressure comes up so I can drive in about 30 seconds ride height is not proper for another 1-2 minutes. If I try to drive with the bags down it rides like a two horse wagon. Second, until the air comes up completely my mud flaps drag and make weird noises.
Without the leak, I can stop, turn off the engine, go have lunch or talk to the police officer then crank the engine and drive off with the ride height at the proper place. With the leak I have to wait 1-2 minutes after starting before I get a reasonable ride.
Thanks for the tip about the gauge problem. I'll look there if it happens again.
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We drove Bear Tooth from north to south two years ago. The scenery is beautiful and clearly worth the trip. I parked the 40 Ft diesel and drove the jeep around to the top and back down. It turned out to be a 8 hour day to make the entire trip. After looking at the road I think we made the correct decision. While I think it would be possible to take my Allegro Bus over the route it would not have been fun. There are unmarked tight turns with traffic in both directions. There are no pull offs for miles and steep grades. I did see one Class C's on the way, but they were struggling at times due to the grades and those stuck behind were not pleased. The parking lots where you want to stop for pictures have tight entrances with rocks for curbing. Not a problem for cars but no place for motorhomes. There are a few pull offs that a motorhome could use, but they are not in the best viewing positions.
In summary, when I go again, I will make the same choice I did last time and drive the Jeep.
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This "Service 4WD" is a well known and very aggravating problem. As best I can tell there were a few units that had a hardware failure in the transfer case which caused the transmission computer to shift the transfer case into neutral when the car was turned off and sitting in the drive way. Apparently several cars just rolled away. While I can not testify the foregoing is totally true, it does not matter because what happened next was Jeep fixed the problem with recall notice N23 dated 2013-06-13. This so called fix was not really a fix at all. It just changed the software to throw the error code and cease all transfer case operations if anything looked strange. Apparently a lot of things looked strange to the fix because the transfer case shut down frequently. The dealer charged me $90 to refresh the software which solved the immediate problem, but the trouble came back. In addition it appears that at least some of the dealers did not follow all the instructions and after the "Fix" the transfer case would no longer go into four wheel low. Jeep disavowed any problem until 2015-05-19 when they issued a fix to the fix labeled P73. This is another attempt at correcting the problem. I had this fix installed this morning and so far the system is working. Unfortunately I have only had the car back on the road for about 1 hour and tested the neutral switch twice. After my trip to Florida over Thanksgiving I will know as I have yet to take a trip of that length without needing to reset the computer (See Below)
I am hoping this really fixes the problem. If not I have already warned the dealer, back it goes.
I did discover a way to get the system reset when I am on the road so I no longer get stranded with a Jeep that either won't go into neutral or in-gear. Here is a link to one solution (see note 13).
I did not need to actually move the Jeep to solve the problem. Just remove the fuze, start the engine. Wait a minute. Turn off the engine. Replace the fuse. Then restart the engine. Everything works again for a while.
As noted in the FMCA magazine this month, Jeep is offering to pay some of the cost of the problem. Check this link.
This is my first Jeep and I am just a little miffed that Jeep would let this go on so long. I will look harder when I look for my next tow vehicle.
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Judatt -
I concur the relationship with the local dealer is vitally important. You will have minor problems with almost any unit (New or Old) you purchase. For that reason you need a place that can and will reliably correct the problems.
While there have been many words written about the gas vs diesel choice, last year I discovered a difference that stands out in my mind. Because of all the problems the automotive industry, the only remaining class A chassis manufacturer is Ford. The latest Ford Chassis has a base Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of only 16 thousand pounds. With all the upgrades they can reach 26,000 pounds GVWR. There are several manufacturers of Diesel Pusher (DP) chassis so I will use the Freightliner as an example. Their smallest DP is rated at 26,000 pounds and the largest at 54,000 pounds. Other DP's are similarly husky.
Why does this make a difference to the owner. It is all about construction. With the extra carrying capacity of the DP, the coach builder can select full thickness wood and heavy steel construction while the gas models need to use aluminum, plywood and plastic to keep the weight down. The gas models also tend to have smaller battery packs, less fuel and water capacity as well. It is not to say that either is bad or good, but as you noted, the gas units bodies tend to flex more due to lighter construction.
I will not claim either fuel is better as I have owned and enjoyed both, but for mountain driving I love my DP. With an exhaust brake and retarder control on the engine and transmission I can drive down the hills pretty much like I drive up hills and the extra carrying capacity allows me to enhance my rock collect without worrying about an overload.
One final thought. Turning radius. A Class A motorhome is a whale on the road at best. As you have no doubt discovered it is longer, higher, and wider than anything on the road except the simis. Many of the DPs have something like a 55 degree wheel cut. The gas units can not match that. That means that when you try to back into a camp site you only have to get the back wheels in position then cut the wheels hard and the front of the motorhome will go almost sideways to get into line. With the gas units I have seen you need a more sloped approach that many find hard to manage.
Like I said, I have owned both in my life and I do not regret either purchase. With my gas unit I did all the maintenance my self, but then I was much younger. My DP goes to the shop when the clearance light burns out.
The best plan is carefully consider all your options then purchase the one your wife likes the cabinet in the best the go have fun.
As my engineer friend noted as I agonized over my leap to the DP. Just buy one. Used units do not depreciate very fast. So what if it cost you a few dollars to trade up to the other one. It is cheep and fun education.
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larrydyork - I was looking for a motorhome on Class A chassis I could trust. As I looked at the various pictures on the Internet, my wife looked over my shoulder and remarked "Look at all those cabinets!" and thus the choice was made. In the picture was a Tiffin Phaeton. We eventually purchased a used Tiffin Allegro Bus, but as fate would have it we had a problem with the coach and took it back to Red Bay Alabama for repair. While we were there we toured the Tiffin factory and paint shop. In my work life I saw the inside of many production facilities, but in all my visits I never saw another factory where the workers displayed the dedication and care I saw in the Tiffin factory. The tour was directly on the factory floor. We had to wait at one point for them to move a wall section over where we were about to walk. They hid nothing. If you are interested in new Tiffin unit, I recommend you camp for a day or so at their facility and take the tour. They will even call you when your unit is scheduled for assembly so you can watch your unit being built and take pictures from the floor. On the tour I met a man that was on his eleventh class A unit and he was watching his fifth Tiffin being built.
As far as the Phaeton itself, it is slightly smaller than the Allegro Bus I have and is built on the same basic chassis. After two years of ownership, my next unit will likely be a Tiffin, perhaps even a Phaeton.
As for the slides, my 2001 coach had a problem with the front slide this year. The roll pin holding the gear on the drive motor slipped out, hung one cross brace and stalled the motor. I used a screwdriver and hammer to drive the pin back in place and all is well again.
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My quiet Diesel 7500 runs two large A/C until full time in the desert so it should not be a sizing problem.
Is it possible the problem is not with the A/C units, but with the position of the Coach. The fuel tank pickup on most units has a separate pickup for the generator. This pickup is set so that it can only draw about 3/4 of the tank before it come out of the fuel and the generator stops. This keeps the generator from burning all the fuel and leaving you stranded. I have had mine perform strangely when I was driving with less than 1/2 tank of fuel. Going up a grade the generator would stop. Running still and level it worked fine. Long accelerations the generator would stop. My solution was to keep more fuel in the tank. If this is your problem may need to adjust the pickup.
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Mathew -
Welcome to the Forum.
I like and studied the M & G Engineering unit for the Jeep Grand Cherokee 2005 model I am towing. Because of the fuse blocks and other stuff under the hood with the Hemi engine, I could not find a way to install the unit without moving a lot of factory stuff. For that reason I went with the SMI engineering Air Force One. I have towed the Jeep over the Rocky mountains several time and have racked up many miles. I am more than pleased with both the unit and the customer support from SMI (I installed the system myself and needed considerable help with the connections to the antilock braked on the Coach.) It connects and disconnects with 2 simple connections one for the air and the other for the breakaway cable and I have never had a problem with stopping the rig nor have I had overheated brakes on the Jeep.
I see that you have a gasoline unit so you would need the Stay-N-Play DUO from SMI. I also have a diesel pusher with air brakes so I have never used the DUO, but It has the same engineering as the Air Force One and it should work for you.
Since you are new, I have a couple of suggestions about braking systems:
1 - Make sure that any braking system you choose has a breakaway system. For some manufacturers that is a separate cost item, but in my opinion it is not an option. I do not want to have an accident then see my Jeep going down the other lane past me. With the breakaway system active and the towed vehicle gets a few feet from the coach, the towed vehicle brakes are maximally applied.
2 - Over the years, I have had several braking systems. The variety that stays in the towed vehicle have a great benefit. They are ready to tow when you are. When I had a box that pressed the brake petal, it took at least 10 minutes to setup and remove the brake system every time I drove the Jeep. I have watched others take over 30 minutes to compete a single hookup. I am much too lazy for that much work each time I unhook. With a unit that stays in the vehicle the hookup for a gas motorhome is one cable clip for the breakaway unit. I tie wrapped the breakaway cable to the hitch so breakaway hookup is less than 10 seconds. The down side is that you must purchase a separate system for each towed vehicle.
No matter what you decide, be safe and have fun.
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I know this is an old thread, but I am think it is likely that all new class A motorhome owners will search this topic looking for answers and I have finally found one.
First - look to your own State's Department of Motor vehicles or other agency that issues driver licenses for your State of residence. Follow the rules for your State. In the State of Georgia, the rules for the Class C license reads as follows:
"Any single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating not in excess of 26,000 pounds, any such vehicle towing a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating not in excess of 10,000 pounds, any such vehicle towing a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating in excess of 10,000 pounds, provided that the combination of vehicles has a gross combined vehicle weight rating not in excess of 26,000 pounds, and any self-propelled or towed vehicle that is equipped to serve as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, or travel purposes and is used solely as a family or personal conveyance."
Note the exemption in the last phrase specifically states that any weight motorhome for personal use is covered under a standard class C license.
Your State's requirements may differ.
Once you are legal to operate in your own State, your are good for any State in the United States. This information can be verified at the Nolo.com legal site here:
http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/drivers-license-faq-29063.html
Which reads in part:
"If you have a valid license from one state, you may use it in other states that you visit. But, if you make a permanent move to another state, you'll have to take a trip to the local department of motor vehicles to apply for a new license."
Finding this cleared up some of the confusion I had when reading about this topic. Hopefully it will help others.
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I just finished upgrading to a flat screen. I used a swing arm mount fastened inside the box nearest the center of the cabin. This allows me to swing the screen into the center of the cabin for easier viewing from the couch.
I was able to set the TV high on the mount which, on the mount I purchased, left about 1 inch and one screw hole in each bracket hanging out below the TV itself. I sawed off the bottom of the old TV frame to make a perfect cover for the extra space and I attached this cover to the mount holes. That gave me a solid oak 1 x 2 across the bottom of the TV. Next I mounted two oak 2 x 2 x 4 cleats on the back of this oak trim such that when the TV was properly placed over the front of the old cabinet the entire system was supported by these two cleats. Finally I added a keyed barrel type cabinet lock in the center of the 1 x 2 and a latch plate in the bottom of the old cabinet. Now when I close the cabinet I must get the TV properly centered and lift slightly to get it to close completely then I turn the key to lock the unit in place. I adjusted to lock such that if the TV is not within 1/4 inch of the proper place, and completely closed, the key will not turn to the lock position. This makes sure I/someone has properly stowed the TV otherwise, there is a key hanging in front of the driver. I did this last week and only have about 200 miles on the system, but so far so good. My wife is making a small curtain to hang from the curtain rod in installed mid cabinet to hide the clutter in the back of the cabinet when the TV is in viewing position while still allowing the wires and swing arm to move properly.
Two words of caution.
One - The new TV's do not play well with the old DHS sound systems used in many coaches, so if you want to have some sound output other than the speakers on the TV you will likely need to replace the sound system as well. Replacing the TV was relatively easy. Installing the home theater sound system was the hard part even using the existing speakers I had the three cabinets, dash, and side panel open for a couple of weeks.
Two - When you remove the old DHS sound system your dash radio will stop working so you will need to accommodate that change as well. I chose a home theater system with a radio and added my Sirius Satellite unit.
And one word of warning, those old "fat" TV are heavy. Be sure to have help when taking the monster from the cabinet.
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teamrope - Samsung has the following to say. I suspect other brands are similar. Fortunately for me in Georgia, this is good enough.
"Samsung LCD TVs can operate safely in rooms or areas in which temperatures range from 50° F to 104° F (10° C to 40° C). Temperatures outside the listed range will negatively affect the operation of your LCD TV.
Samsung LCD TVs can be stored unused at temperatures ranging from -4° to 113° Fahrenheit (-20° to 45° Centigrade). Storing your LCD TV at temperatures outside this range can damage your TV."
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I just finished researching this topic. As I just purchased my third unit.
It seems over the last few years, there has been a massive consolidation in the industry. First you must understand there are several parts to a motorhome. First is the chassis. This is the frame of the unit. It includes the wheels, brakes, suspension, engine, transmission, etc. At present you can choose from Mercedes (Damler-Benz) Sprinter (Small Diesel), Ford (V-10 gas), a few that use Chevy (V8 gas). That about covers the front engine units. Then you have a diesel pusher on one of 3 or 4 brands of custom chassis. I LIke Freightliner (A division of Damler-Benz). Before any one blasts me with their favorite "Other" chassis, I am only describing the majority of the current market, I know there are some others in the market but they are hard to find.
The Sprinter is a great little unit with great fuel economy, but only a 13,500 lb load capacity. Once the body is added the carrying capacity is limited to about 1000 lbs for most models. 5 Full size people with a pack of gum and you are overloaded. There are lighter models of the Sprinter and some are perfect for two people traveling alone. If you want a small unit these are well worth a look. The fuel economy can not be beat.
Next up in size are the Fords and Chevys. The Ford V-10 I rented with a 32 foot body got 6 miles per gallon, rode rough, was hard to keep on the road when passing other vehicles and the engine cover got so hot it was impossible to put your leg against it. Other models might be better, but I was not impressed with the 2014 Thor Bunk house model. There a not many unit with a Chev. In fact I only found one in all those I researched.
The class A models are somewhat larger and a little more imposing to drive, but once I was trained, I found the class A the easiest to drive. There are a few front engine units left in the smaller class a units. These are generally the smaller units mostly with the Ford V10 engine and suffer from some of the same problems as the class C Fords. The diesel pusher moves the engine away from the front so you can carry on a conversation while you drive. With all class A's You sit up higher and can see better. With the mirrors adjusted properly there are no blind spots like on a class C. With the rear view camera you can see from about 1 foot in front of the front bumper to the trailer hitch on the back and from the side out about 5 feet on both sides. The diesel has more torque so you have no problems on steep hills and the exhaust brakes eliminate the need for the service brakes when going down steep inclines.
My choice was an older diesel pusher. It has air ride shocks so there is no rattling of glassware as you drive. Air brakes so you can stop if needed and the freightliner cassis with a Cuming Diesel engine known to be good for 1/2 million miles or more. (Mine had 80,000) The one I picked was a 2001 so there was some deferred maintenance issues. New tires, new hoses and belts, etc. Newer models will not have those problems.
Once the chassis is selected, next comes the body. The body is constructed by the coach builders. Even then, they purchase parts like stoves, ovens, tanks, etc from another source and assemble the coach. None of the motorhomes are constructed on what I would call an assembly line. The chassis is brought in and the coach is hand built on the top. For that reason a worker with a headache can forget to cut an opening for the furnace return, or miss the connection of the light wire in the cabinet. So if you go purchase a new unit no mater who builds it, plan on taking a week at least at the factory working out all the problems and understanding how it works before you take off on a long trip.
While a used unit will have all all the major problems worked out, there are small problems that crop up each and every year you own the unit and those problem will exist in the used unit you purchase. The bottom of the drawer in the kitchen comes lose. The snap on the bedroom curtain comes off, the oil need changing, the muffler comes lose on the generator. You must put antifreeze in the plumbing when you park it for the winter, etc, etc.
In short no motorhome is care free any more than your car or home are care free. At home your drains stop up, the dishwasher fails, the car won't start, etc. The motor home is the same way. It is both a house on wheels and a car with an extended body. It has all the problems of both.
There are good class A's, Class B's and Class C's and conversely there are lemons in all groups, but the class A's are customarily more reliable and trouble free than the others because they are constructed on a custom chassis that are (For most units) an overkill for the load they are carrying. My unit has almost 3 tons of spare carrying capacity.
My recommendation is to rent a unit similar to the one you like and take it out for a few days. It will only take a few hundred miles and a couple of nights to discover your likes and dislikes. The rental price will be a cheep investment compared to the cost of any motorhome and it could keep you from making a multi-thousand dollar mistake. It sure did me and this was the third unit. For the record I was planning on purchasing the Thor Bunkhouse like I rented.
One final thought. If you purchase an older unit, they hold their value fairly well so if you change your mind, you can sell and repurchase without a major loss of money. For that reason I always recommend a used unit for the initial purchase.
These are thoughts from my personal experience of many years owning a Class A, a Class C and now a Class A Diesel Pusher. As you read here, others have other ideas and they may be right. The question is what is right for you. There are many people who are insanely happy with a pup tent and a lamp when they get out in the woods. My first wife's idea of roughing it however, was when the microwave was broken.
I hope your family finds the perfect unit and it never has a problem they can not fix with duct tape and a can of WD-40
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Disclaimer: I have been an Apple Biggot since 1984 so naturally I think the iPhone is the best.
On the other hand I have participated in the religious discussion for and against various computers and later various phones since 1984 and when I analyze all the smartphone pros and cons, I can find no real reason to pick either an android based phone or an iOS based iphone. The basic function of all smart phones is more or less the same and any one of them will get the job done.
There are many vendors to pick from when you choose an Android based phone, but the iPhone only comes from Apple. Oh yes I almost forgot, there are also some that just love the new Windows phone. Having said that, I will make the following observation about Apple products vs others.
In my view, Apple makes tools, while the other companies make devices. By that I mean Apple integrates the hardware, and software into a unified user experience. IF you like their choice of user experience Apple is great. If you want to change the user experience then you will hate the iPhone. Devices made by companies other than Apple, have lots of options and choices that you may make to form your own personalized user experience. Each company makes some of the initial choices for you so each company provides a slightly different user experience out of the box. Many of these choices you can change to your liking with either options or downloaded extensions. I believe that this tool vs device is the real difference between Apple products and other similar offerings.
I personally like the Apple user experience and find most Apple choices to my liking, but as I noted above many others hate the restrictions and would never own an Apple product. Each person should make their own choices based on their own circumstances. There are more non-apple phones in the market, but Apple products seem to be used more often by the less technical ones of us.
In summary: If you want to fiddle with your smart phone and taylor it to your exact needs then by all means get an Android device. According to my daughter, the Samsung brand is high on the list. If on the other hand you just want it to use a smart phone as it comes from the box, then you will likely find the Apple products to your liking. I live in a split family, 2/3 Apple devices, 1/3 Samsung devices with service split between AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon. Everyone seems happy with their choice.
As to whether or not you need a smart phone. Only you can answer that question. I, like others above, resisted for a long time. Yes they are clever little computers that fit in your pocket. Why would I want one of those, I have a lap top with a real keyboard, etc,etc. Well - I finally gave in purchased one. What I found is: 1- I seldom if ever use my home phone any more. People I know have my personal number and call me directly. If they want my wife, they call her directly. No jumping up to answer the phone for someone else. My home phone is used primarily by marketeers and politicians that I don't want to hear from anyway. 2 - Because my wife, and family all have phones and calendars that are all inter-connected, it is possible to look at my phone and know if my daughter is available for lunch today and if she invites me to lunch next week, my phone beeps to ask my permission to add that to my calendar. If that time is OK, one tap adds it to my calendar. If it is not OK then one tap rings her phone so we can discuss the issue, which brings me to the best part of carrying a smart phone for me. 3 - I can, in a 2 x 3 x 1/4 inch space, carry my entire contact list with telephone numbers and addresses. I call my daughter by pressing the button and speaking "Call Christa" The iPhone does the rest. I can look up the address and number of the nearest coach repair facility and call it, store it for future use, or tap to see a route to the exact location. I have all my doctors numbers and appointment at hand so when I make a new appointment, I never double-book and when I need to change an appointment, I select the name and tap the number to dial. The list goes on and on. After my years of reluctance, I am now happy to pay over $100 per month to have my life organized through my iPhone. Never mind the actual telephone function.
In addition, I can read the latest medical news while waiting for my tires to be rotated as my iPhone is in my pocket all the time, which is exactly the point. I do not always have my laptop, main computer, iPad, or other device with me. I tried to carry a laptop for years, they are large and bulky. Because my iPhone lives in my pocket and is available at all times the calendar, address book and music are always available. I almost forgot to mention that I can take a picture of my license plate, Disney FastPass Schedule, or broken part so I can look at them from my pocket later. Yep, I would not like to do without my iPhone, yet many still maintain they do not need one and they are probably correct. It has been my experience that If you don't think you need one, there is little anyone can say or do to convince you otherwise. I know personally that no one was able to convince me.
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In my view, $70 per light is either a bargain or rip-off depending on how you value your time. I have tried a couple of kits and looked at several others. They are mostly worthless.
The actual process is simple and I relatively easy to so, but it takes time to do it right. Some of the kits only provide a polish that will fill in some of the haze. These work for a while on minor problems, but the real repair requires restoring the original optical finish on the plastic. I proceed as follows:
1 - Tape off all body work so only the surface to be finished is exposed. Use plastic sheets and tape as this will be a wet process.
2 - Start with 400 grit wet or dry sand paper (From an auto parts store) Tear off a piece about 4 inches square.
3 - Dip it in a container of water and start rubbing the foggy light. This will scratch the light and make it even more cloudy than before. Do not be alarmed just continue dipping and rubbing.
4 - After a while (5 minutes or so) wash with clean water and dry.
6 - Look at the surface. if the entire surface has an even finish continue the process, if not go back to step 3 and repeat until you have a uniform finish.
7 - It is important the finish is uniform. If scratches or other defects show up later, you will lose all the work past this point.
8 - When you have a uniform finish, throw away the square of sand paper then carefully wash the entire surface including the plastic surround and your water container. If you leave any grit from this sandpaper it will later scratch the surface and you will get to start over.
9 - Select a square of 800 grit sand paper and repeat the entire process.
10, 11, 12, 13 - Repeat again with 1200, 20,000, and finally 50,000 grit. You are almost finished. Clean up, remove the covering and polish the now perfect light with any good grade of plastic polish. It took me about 1 hour per light and a lot of elbow grease. While I am glad I tried the process and the results are still good 4 years later, the next light that needed repair, I paid $120 for a new light. Your time may be less valuable than mine.
A Side Note: I recently watched folks at Camping World do this task. They use a power sander and a dry process. The results look good and I suspect it took about 30 minutes per light so $70 sounds reasonable to me.
Engine Block Heater & Air System Questions In Freezing Temps
in Electrical
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If you do not have automatic purging systems you should purge the air tanks at least monthly but especially in freezing conditions. If you have a Freightliner chassis there is a pull cord behind each front wheel. The cord looks like a loop of braided wire. Pull the wire and you release air from the air tank along with any built up water. Note: This only applies to coaches with air brakes. Hydraulic breaking systems do not have this problem.