dalltop

Have you tried the type of rail that goes under the mattress. We had one for my daughter when she was younger. There is one for both sides and they are connected under the mattress. I believe we got it from Toys-R-Us.

I installed everything myself including the base plates on my 1997 Grand Cherokee Jeep. This year jeep is not that hard to install. It works like a bicycle cable. I did have a little problem at the front bumper. I wanted to run straight as possible from the front of the Jeep to the Ready Brake which meant that my cable connection is above the bumper. The Grill on the jeep is plastic and is not strong enough to prevent the cable from moving under stress. I removed the grill and mounted a flat piece of metal to the back of the metal part of the bumper to use as the cable stop and then put the grill back on. It really does not take much to stop the cable from moving but if you have ever seen a 1997 Jeep's grill you would understand. The end of the cable itself is a threaded nylon and a nylon nut. I believe the whole thing with my magnetic lights, Ready Brake, base plate, Blue Ox bars, and the bar that connects the base plates to the Blue Ox arms, was $1200. That is what some of the others charge just for the braking systems. I have towed 11,000+ miles with no issues. Very quick and easy to connect and disconnect. I bought the complete kit which included the Blue Ox bars. They say that their braking system needs to be within 2" +/- in height of being level with the toad. Its all on the website. Remember to pull the fuse for the Brake lights if you are not wiring the toad. Brake light will come on every time the pedal is pushed and run the battery down. I run magnetic lights so I pull the fuse and hang my warning sign (FUSE IS OUT) on the Jeep mirror. Jeep will start, run, and drive, with out break lights.

You did not say that you followed navydad89's parking brake suggestion. Did you have the parking brake on as navydad89 said?

I would also purchase a small shop wet/dry vacuum from Lowes or Home Depot type store and vacuum that as much of that moisture out. A small 2-3 gal should work and stll be small enough to carry until you resolve the issue. They usually do not cost much.

Had a similar issue but the leak would appear outside. Ended up removing the access panel for the shower controls in the bedroom and saw the moisture. The way the shower faucet was installed, the hose is mounted on top of the controls, and when you turned off the shower, the water would drain out of the hose through the anti-siphoning hole and fill up the space behind the controls until it would overflow and run down the wall. I drilled a weep hole to allow the water to evacuate and sealed the pipes entering the wall. I wonder if the faucet was installed upside down. I did think about changing the mounting so the hose would leave the bottom of the faucet controls, but I was afraid that the hose would be to short to allow the brackets to hold the shower nozzle without having to move them. That would be a pain since they are screwed in. Man did I hunt for that leak. I was so happy it was that and not the drain. What a major pain that would have been. Of course the shower controls were the last thing I checked because it only happened when the shower was used, not when it was under pressure but not used. Good luck.

Talk about a black sheep outcast. My wife and I are under 50 with a 10 year old daughter, and a dog (I scoop the poop thank you) and my motor home is a 1995. It is sad that I even need to worry about this but as we travel and schedule space in private campgrounds, when they ask how many slides and I say none, I worry they will ask the "what year is your unit". No one has ever said we can not stay but I have never tried to stay at an all class A park either. I am happy camping at the state parks with a mix of both units and people from all walks of life. I have learned a long time ago that no mater how fast my car or motorcycle is some one with have one faster better. I do gain benifit from being a member, but I would help you if you are Good Sam or no membership at all. Maryland campgrounds have opened this weekend. The season begins for us working folks. Hope to be camping soon.

You may want to have a company digitize or old photos. Your photos need special storage. You may want to store some things in those vacuum bags that will seal out humity. I have used them and they work great.

The other LP appliances are working so I would look at the furnace. The LP pressure can be a factor especially when the tank is low and it is very cold outside. When the thermostat calls for heat, power is sent to the furnace. The blower starts, current passes through a sensor to check to be sure the furnace heat exchanger is not too hot. If the temprature is ok and the sail switch is closed then the circuit is complete to the control board. Sail switch verifies the blower fan is spinning fast enough. After both these conditions have been met, the control board will open the gas valve and send a spark to the ignitor. If the furnace fires and burns, the same ignitor is used by the control board to measure voltage passing through the burning gas to ground. The control board will keep the gas valve open as long as the voltage indicates that the flame is still burning and the thermostat is calling for heat. In most cases the furnace will try 3 times to start and if any of the above conditions are not met, it will lock out until you turn off the furnace. Turn the furnace off and wait for the cool down timer to shut the furnace off. Turn it back on an see if it will reset. You really should have the unit inspected if it keeps failing to start. It is not that hard to work on but you will need to know how to test and check for leaks. It can be a pain to remove from the coach.

Quality is key. Cheap is sometimes just cheap. If you are not experienced in what to look for then be very careful. Each chassis and drive train have strengths and weakness. Most of the appliance are manufactured by a few companies and used by all of the coach makers. Coaches wall (frame) construction, trim, and cabinetry of the coach itself help determine how well the unit will hold up over the years. There are a lot of details to sift through. How are the cabinets constructed? What materials; press board, plywood? How where the cabinets joined; stapled, miter joined... Thats just cabinets. There are a lot of systems and components. I would rather have an older quality unit then a newer poorly constructed or designed unit.

My unit has a single pole (light) switch above the driver to turn off the power to the receptacle that the TV, VCR, DVD are plugged into. Next to that is the 12 volt switch for the antenna booster.

I have tent camped, towed, and now own a motorhome. I am a member of FMCA to take advantage of the special experience and issues shared here about owning and maintaining motorhomes. Travel trailers will always outsell the motorhomes. Entry-level towables pricing is very resonable for folks starting out to experience camping. It is also a issue of personal likes. I know full-timers who gave up MH for fithwheels and would never go back. I have never been to a rally but I camp with tenters, towables, and MH. I would stop to help any fellow camper regardless of the age or type of unit, and have. Since I have no experience with rally's, I am not sure but I would think the more folks that attend, whatever they are driving, would help bring vendors in and help make it a better experience.

Trust Brett, you do not back up when towing four down. You did not tell us anything about your motorhome. Auxiliary braking is not only a good idea but is required for trailers above 3000 lbs in most states. Your car's dry wt is listed as 2414 lbs. You are right on the edge. There is a link to a guide somewhere in the forums here that may list your vehicle. I am not sure how far back it goes. Not all vehicles may be towed even if they are manuals. Always good to check with an official source. Good news is that looking for your year and model I am finding adapter plates and towbar options for your vehicle.

Remember though that the brake fluild level will drop as your brakes wear and you normally would not add brake fluid to the resevior. When brake fluid is low the brake pad wear should be checked. You can degrease the area and work the brakes while sitting still and reinspect for leakage. Brake fluid under pressure should leak while the unit is sitting still. Wheel bearing seals will sling while under way and if the bearings are not the oil bath type as stated above, they will need to heat a bit before that grease will warm up enough to check for leakage. I have seen the bearings done and on rigs our size you really need the right tools.

I have been visiting Ottawa for the past 10 years towing then driving the RV. Never had an issue, however, nothing I had even looked new (laptop, cameras..) and I took nothing that would not tell then they could have if they wanted. Of course I was not a full timer either. One big no no is do not have a radar detector. I never use one (afraid I would speed if I did) but I had a family member that forgot and it was hefty fine plus you loose the device.

I placed a wireless outdoor thermometer in my basement area. The read out is on the dash so I can monitor basement temp. Summertime I use this thermometer in the fridge to watch the temps. Since I have an older coach that does not tell me the outside temps I have a second set. I like to know if it is near freezing outside or if it is 105 when I am climbing hard.

This is a bit out of the way but depending on were you are heading next, General RV is in Jacksonville, FL. They are one of the largest privately owned dealerships in the country. They have dealerships in Ohio, Michigan, Florida, Utah. I would call first.

I do not know if this helps but this link list your floorplan for that year as having heated tanks as a standard option. http://www.rvweb.com/guides/manufacturers/...r-1084465430424 Some units will simply have heat ducted into the basement storage were the tanks are. The site did not specify the type of heating involved.

You are stopped at the border, whoops. I mean state line now. I was searched the last time for gypsy moth larva (or was it the ash burring beetle) since I was from Maryland. Funny how you can not get a basket of fruit through the border, I mean state line, but you can travel if you have no license, insurance, citizenship. They were very nice about it really, and I do not want to transport dangerous parasites that will harm the environment. But I am sure that they would be able to ask about what chemicals you are transporting and search as necessary. Removal of banned chemicals as you enter the state would stop someone from adding any additional non-green chemicals to the system after they dump what was currently in the tanks at the time of crossing into the state. I also agree that if the holding tanks are designed correctly there should not be an issue of odor.

I have a family member that has a propane generator for a 5th wheel travel trailer. One advantage is that the fuel will not foul the carburetor if you are storing the unit. The 5th wheel has 3, 30 lb tanks, two for heat and cooking, and one just for the generator. Getting propane filled when dry camping, I believe, will be more trouble then filling up at the gas station a portable can. Small propane tanks are expensive. It is usually a flat fee to fill the small tanks and you do not want to waste money filling it if it is not empty. Larger tanks are charged to fill by the pound but you would need to haul them or break camp to resupply. If it is an unusual setup, it may be harder to find someone to service the unit on the road as well.

Car or MH I will judge the visibility distance and if I do not have a vehicle behind me I will turn on flashers. Often in poor visibility even the rear parking lights are hard to see. I normally reduce speed in these conditions and always have a fear of someone driving up on me too fast. A lot of the newer cars will look like one of their brake lights is on. This is a rear fog light to make it more visible to overtaking traffic. Once a vehicle is behind me and pacing me then I will turn off the flashers.

I use the ReadyBrake surge system on a 1997 Grand Cherokee and have towed for 12000 miles with no issues. Very fast to hook up and disconnect. It uses the Blue Ox arms I believe. They have an accessory for vacuum boost on the brakes. I installed it myself. The whole install including the Jeep plates (purchased separately), tow bar with brake system, was about $1100. Since it is a surge brake system it will not drag the brakes. Very quick to hookup and disconnect. All mechanical so no electric is required unless you use the vacuum boost option. Downside is that you have a cable loop on the front of the vehicle (stainless steel) that may be visable depending on your vehicle. You must have the arms level within two inches of the toad which is the correct way anyway.

Update: Without removing the A.I.R. Tube and the exhaust manifold, it is very difficult to properly inspect for where the leak is occurring. I used my cell camera and took multiple photos and video. After looking at all of the photos, it appears that the leak is between the flange and the manifold. I found a copper washer that will fit inside the flange but still be centered on the inner lip of the tube which is about 1/8" from the inner diameter of the flange. I purchased 2000 degrees inferno metal repair made by VersaChem that I will use to smooth the flange and manifold surface. My main goal is to use the metal repair as a outer gasket to the copper washer and to hold it in proper position. Hopefully the copper will seal the leaking or at least reduce the noise. The manifold side is etched matching the flange but beveled edge were the washer will seat is intact. The photo shows were the etching has occurred on the flange. It looks bad but it is amazing how thin that etching is. Wish me luck!

I have the 1995 Fleetwood Bounder on the F53 chassis with the 460 (7.5L) motor. Had the common issue with the passenger side bolt breaking on the exhaust manifold. Had it repaired but it started making noise again shortly after. I had it looked at again and it appears that the thermactor systems A.I.R tube for the passenger side flange is leaking. Ford has discontinued the part. A salvage part that would fit will be about the same year so I really do not want to go that route. I can not find an aftermarket. I was told that this year was an odd year in how they plumbed it. Instead of multiport entry points this tube enters at the rear of the exhaust manifolds. I see parts for years before and after. I can find parts for late 60's but not for the 1995. So the question is, what are you supposed to do if I go to sell the unit? With out the air pump and thermactor it wont pass emissions or inspections. We do not have emissions, only inspections in my county, but north and west they would. I guess if I wait a couple of years I can tag it as historic I may just have him put it back on the way it is and turn up the radio for a bit. Anyone thoughts?

I just read a safety article in the FMCA magazine "Wired for Safety part1". The link to the PDF version of the article is http://www.fmcmagazine.com/index.php/featu...r-safety-part-1 I like pretty pictures to explain things. Very good article. Since you are new you may not have gotten your magazine in the mail yet. David

I just met with the AT&T rep and I am testing coverage for our area. Our company is all Verizon wireless now. An interesting note about tethering. AT&T does not limit your usage to 5GB when tethering, that overage is charged only on the dedicated aircards. I have an email in to the Verizon rep now to check their policy on this. As always double check your plan or call AT&T for confirmation. You know sales people....