jleamont

Wow, many great ideas! I had the same problem on our last coach with the heater and ac unit. I replaced both motors, tried to lube the ac still noisy, just couldn't get the oil in. I would have tried the drill approach, hadn't crossed my mind. 2 months after the compressor went, just my luck. I replaced the roof top unit with a higher BTU unit from PPL for around $500.

Bill, thanks for the links, will add those to the list. too bad I didn't know you in 2013, we went right past you that December, could have met up.

We looked at a Palazzo, new at the dealer before making the current purchase, since these are considered entry level DP's. I guess the old saying "you get what you pay for" really carries weight with the RV industry.The drivers side had a huge full wall slide, it was broken, there was a drop down electric bunk over the cab area seating, when I pressed the button for it to go down, jammed and broke off the wall, crashing onto the drivers seat. Needless to say we were shocked and walked away. Before that I really didn't like the lack of storage underneath it either. We have looked through several new coaches, I hate to say it but all of them were built like trailers with little to no quality, just shiny thing's to distract you from the truth. I would love to know what the OP did, how they made out in the end, what they purchased and why?

Bill, thanks for the input. You are correct its all about the people, after all that's why we are FMCA members. I usually get a wave when they see the goose egg on the front, that's comradery! I would prefer a local one, since I am still working full time closer to home rallies would be real benefit.

Carl, there is a few Monaco chapters, nothing I could locate for HR. The Monaco ones were not local

I hope that's not the case!

Gramps, that was a great depiction! Thank you for posting that. We often get asked questions about the return on your investment, MPG etc. I didn't purchase this or the last motorhome as an investment, we purchased it for our family, to escape the day to day and enjoy each others company and the company of our friends. Brett mentioned something a while back that has stuck with me with regards to "what MPG does your house or bed get"? Every time I think of that statement I smile that about sums it up! I can say without a doubt our motorhomes (2) we have had in the last 8 years have brought our family closer together, I can feel it and see it and I cannot put a price tag on that. Coming from a guy that worked full time and owned a small business there wasn't much time to enjoy life, the Coach changed all of that when I planned down time it made those moments much more enjoyable and connecting with our family. We have traveled to many places we would have never thought of or probably even knew they existed. DW is into scrapbooking, the photos taken with the Coach involved is 4 to 1 from before the coach, so it worked! Yea there is a cost associated with it but our vacations before RV's were 1-2 per year, now 12-15 at a minimum some long some short, none the less great times with family and friends. I will say that my 12-15 vacations where we meet up with old friends or met new friends (that wouldn't have happened in a hotel) are less money than the two previous trips before the RV, when you add the payment into it, fuel, insurance and repairs I think its a pretty close dollar value, we just get more trips with the coach. I never liked the to and from a vacation before the coaches, now a long drive is relaxing, I can feel the stress melt away when I sit in the drivers seat. Memories exceed any traditional vacation several times over. We are members of the Disney Vacation club, we use it often, sometimes stay at Fort Wilderness sometimes their hotels, we love it there also, takes you back to when you were a kid, the CG is still one of my favorites, looking forward to another trip there soon.

Blake, Wayne and Kay, thanks for the information. I might do the horse and buggy trip back to the park, everyone will get a kick out of that. Good to know about the park, I get nervous traveling to parks I am unfamiliar with due to the size and weight of our DP. I have to be cautious of bridge weight limits and overhead clearances. Turns I do not get to worried about often, unless they are beyond 90 degrees, then it can get interesting especially when you take up the intersection to avoid curbs. Being an old city I was concerned the roads were full of tight turns and narrow roads, from Google earth they do not look that bad. Then there is the age old question that you hear often, what are the roads like in route? Kay answered that, no too bad some under construction etc. Its a short trip to the city, just enough for a cram session to take it in (kids have been asking to go), if we like it maybe add it for a later date return trip, who knows. DW and I went there in 1999 for Mardi Gras (before kids) and we had fun, after Katrina I have heard its not the same. I guess this short trip will tell. Afterwards we will be headed to TN to unwind. Thanks Guys!

winnbarrows, One thing I just remembered, when I would turn on my ignition, I could hear the pump buzzing in the rear, which was new, before I had not noticed that. That was the sign it was starving for fuel, unfortunately I heard it and ignored it, we had only had owned the coach for a month at this point, I just thought I didn't notice it before, since I had a problem I was more sensitive. The dealer wanted $4000.00 to replace them, it took me 3 hours and cost me $600.00 in materials. Plus the tow to the Cummins dealer was an additional $1000.00

Yup, that's it thanks Brett! Good, we will not be traveling over that, I guess the DP we have now would handle it better but....DW won't!

Wayne, good info, hopefully someone will chime in. Last trip down there was in 2013 we came from California all the way down I-10 through Texas. Stopped in San Antonio KOA and Baton Rouge KOA and ran I-10 to I-12 back to I-10 to I-65 and up from there, it was December and I was trying to get home between snow storms so I didn't have to drive the old motorhome in the snow. I do not recall the roads being bad, I do remember a long bridge along the way I believe it was closer to Texas for a long while being just over the swamps. DW hated that bridge, it was like riding a horse in the gasser coach back then.

Kay, planning on heading down I-81S from PA, I-40, I-59, I-20 back to I-59, I-10 to exit 235A in New Orleans, CG looks close to the exit. Unsure of the roads down in the city. Early August I believe is the plan.

Anyone have anything else to add on this RV park? We are traveling there this summer and I had some concerns about the route in and out with a 42' motorhome not being familiar with the area. We plan on walking to the French Quarter to check out some sights during the day, the usual tourist stuff.

Just requested information on two chapters. Penn Coachmen and Jersey Gems, not sure what to expect from them or what they are about. Sit back and wait and see I guess.

SMARKSEL, yes each zone has a pump to circulate that zone, or shall I say that is the way ours is set up with an Aqua Hot system, I have no experience with an Hydro Hot unit. Exercise each zone individually to try and narrow down the leak. If you are seeing it on the ground look around the unit itself. My plumbing immediately goes out of the unit to above the floor level, if you are seeing it outside I would start in the heater bay, maybe pull the covers off of the heater itself, it could be leaking inside, there is a bunch of plumbing in the actual unit along with valves for each zone. I have photos of the inside in the gallery attached below. There is a forum for these systems if you sign up you can ask on there. http://forum.rvhydronicheaterrepair.com/forum.php

I had ours open and it had a Pex type tubing that switched to rubber at the register. Ours has spring clamps, two on the Pex side and one at the register. I'm sure there is a shark bite type of connection you could source. Just be sure to put the correct fluid back into the system. Fluid types: Pink is Camco boiler antifreeze. Green Traditional automotive antifreeze. Regular pre mixed Prestone is fine. Do not mix them.

winbarrows, I had the a similar problem with my coach just after we purchased it. I also replaced the fuel pump on the engine first (was told to upgrade it by Cummins) and mine would run for 30 seconds and stall, with the primary fuel filter half full. Mine turned out to be the fuel lines deteriorated between the tank and the primary filter, I was pulling air up the line. What year, make model is your coach? If you remove the fuel line between the tank and the primary filter, put a fuel can under the coach and run a hose into it (pulling fuel from the jug rather than the coach fuel tank). Prime the filter and run the engine, if it doesn't stall now you have isolated the line between the tank (or a problem with the fuel pick up in the tank) as the problem. I made the mistake of not priming the filter when I did my test and it still stalled, prefill your filter with clean fuel first. Can you see if you have rubber fuel lines or plastic tubing? link;

Funny, 10 years ago I would have been all over this . Now I would walk also. I have a 1964 Dune Buggy sitting in the garage I don't want to touch, let alone a project this big. Somehow I like to think I still have it in me to tackle stuff like this, might be fun to play if I had something else to run in the meantime.

drock, Welcome to the forum! I applaud you for wanting to bring children into the RV lifestyle at such a young age, we wish we would have started years before we did (they were 8 and 6 at the time). We are not full time and our kids are now teens while we travel on many weekends, holidays and vacations throughout the warm months, they help with the trip planning every year and count down to the next one. Even if you did it part time you will build great family memories along the way, I honestly believe it brings a family closer, or at least it did for us. I am anxious to hear the responses on this as it is not that uncommon.

If you have foam you are introducing air to the system and that will make the growling sound as if its low on fluid. Look for any sign of a leak. Since you just purchased it was the system repaired recently and has it done it since you took possession?

railroadman, what year make model motorhome (chassis) do you have? The stabilizer you have listed above looks more like an upgraded steering dampener shock rather than a steering control unit like a Safe T Plus. The big difference between a dampener and the Safe T Plus, the safe t plus will keep your wheel centered and a dampener shock will just dampen road vibrations and shimmy in your steering wheel, usually that come from larger tires, it will help a little but not as much as a centering device. But to answer your original question, No I have not heard of them before.

When we were looking all I could find that looked nice in the photos were down in FL, TX, AZ and CA. I was convinced I was going to fly around to look them over, make a decision and fly back out to make the purchase and drive it back. It seems like all of the nice ones are in those states. As luck would have it we found this one 20 minutes from home at a small mom and pop car dealer on consignment.

Bill, great video and very interesting! You need to have the first DP running pikes peak with that set up!!!! Five, I do (and I sincerely hope most do it as well) idle when I pull into a CG and usually unhook the jeep check in etc. Where most people would have a problem is pulling off a road into a fuel stop, rest area etc etc and shutting it down prematurely. I'd bet most average people have no idea that they need to idle for a few minutes before shutting it down, the gauge in that normal environment could be the difference from leaving on its own or towing your coach away and tossing a few thousand dollars out the window. Since each engine/turbo combination, coach weight, ones driving habits etc play a crutial role on how long you need to idle the gauge would take the guess work out. I have often wondered on a few occasions if I idled it long enough, I try to error on the longer side just to be safe.

Bill they make two versions, a before and after turbo version, supposedly the after compensates and adjusts the difference.

Five, well I'm not so sure it's actually needed but would be a good instrument to have. Prior to shutting down a turbo diesel your Exhaust Gas Temperatures need to be below a specific number or you can/will damage the turbocharger. Newer engines can be a little more forgiving, but none the less a good instrument to have just to be safe, kinda like an insurance policy. modified turbo diesels or manual transmission equipped can also over heat the turbocharger depending on how it's driven. So in those cases you would need it for driving and shutting it down. older semi trucks had them from the factory, the were called Pyrometers. hope this helps and I have explained it well.