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Did you meet Art Bell in Pahrump?😄 Probably no snow but some chilly nights a few. The town has really grown up over the years. Sharp looking ride. Where in the Northern Rockies?

Talking about two different animals there Desert Deals. What year is your coach? Probably newer with considerable improvement plus propane. Onan Diesel Water Cooled are a quantum leap from what we had in our first coach. Glad that you are happy with it. You would not have enjoyed our 1988 Onan gas unit.

In our first class A (1988) we had an air cooled Onan. It was quite noisey. Do not remember exact size/ maybe 5.5 to 6 kw. It would run both roof top ac, the converter, microwave all at once. Never tried the convection when everything else was running. Probably could not have handled that load. When at altitude in Colorado in the autumn, I had to put a trouble light by the carburetor to keep it from freezing up. If I didn't the unit would stumble and barely run. I have not heard a quiet air cooled Onan anywhere.

Can those shades be self installed? Are they costly? Curious.

I have a Honda 2000i . It is really quiet. When you are inside you can't hear it run. Used it with a travel trailer while dry camping. We were right on the shore of Lake San Cristobal in Colorado after the host had departed ( pretty much no rules then) and most campers had headed home. We left on October the fifth. Had our area pretty much to ourselves for ten nights. Only an occasional neighbor well away from us. Was told they could not hear it run. Temps were in the teens at night so I left it on all night. Heater ran a lot/ tough on the battery. Fueled it at 9PM and let it run dry the next day. 12:40 PM. 15 hours and forty minutes on one gallon of gas. We no longer dry camp, but if we did, I would want our Honda in the back of the toad for easy access. Love our Onan diesel water cooled 7.5 KW . Very quiet, but the Honda is the choice for keeping our four 6volt house batteries charged while sleeping. For the Honda, I change the oil on site every 50 hours easily and without making a mess. Generac makes a 2000i that is cheaper, but for durability Honda is my gold standard.

Had to login as a guest early afternoon! Someone please explain that to me?😳

On the interstates you can probably pull a 20 footer with no problem. I have seen 45' conversions pulling large trailers often and I have spent a lot of time observing.

Losing a turbo due to mechanical failure and losing a hose clamp on the plumbing are two different things. Joe/ Being a wrench, I am certain that you know that. I had to replace a turbo because I started to notice smoke exiting the stacks ( yea gotta have two to look cool😎). Smoke was constant under power but mostly gray. I knew the turbo was soon going to grenade and mess a lot of things up. Seals were just about gone. Oil was leaking by them and burning. My message is that if you notice otherwise unexplainable smoke, get to a repair facility quickly.

No neighbors and free on the east coast? Gotta be kidding. We live in PA, four miles above the MD line. Gave up on serenity a long time ago. Been RVing since 1986 with rentals/ then bought our 34' Georgie Boy. Long gone. Head west for solitude.

Why would want it back?? Does Florida have a Lemon Law?? You will lose a lot of money trying to sell a coach that new as a used unit. Might save some money getting a lawyer involved. None of the problems mentioned should have been present on a unit sold by a responsible dealer.

Been there. When a trucker, I carried replacements for the clamps involved in the charge air system. If you lose one and don't have an exact replacement you can often gang several large hose clamps together to keep you going. Shoot! You can buy those at a hardware store. Keep several of those on board just in case.

Welcome to the "school of hard knocks." We have all gone through it. Keep a smile on your face when you meet RVers that may be able to help you. Never pretend to know more than you do. Ask for help when you need it. Be humble even when you don't quite feel it. Most but not all will be happy to help you. There is a lot of archived info on this forum that will be very helpful if you learn how to navigate through the posts. Please remember that you are driving a large vehicle. They do not stop quickly. Follow at a very safe distance. Let off of the accelerator and get ready to hit the brake pedal if another vehicle takes your space. It is the safe thing to do. At the end of the day, the ground given up to the inconsiderate will amount to very little. Enjoy. Keep a happy face.

Brett/ Depends on what you mean by modern?. When I started in the business few diesels had turbos. If you lose a turbo now your unit will not get out of its own way. Some electronic diesels still smoke more than normal when the turbo fails.

If turbo is not working, a modern diesel smokes noticeably under heavy demand. Smoke may occur after accelerator application when things are ok but stops quickly and becomes a clean looking exhaust.

The harness and labor probably wasn't cheap either. Maybe one of our resident Cat experts could tell us why an electrical issue could be turned into a pressure regulator replacement and two filters? We have a 3126E model Cat, that is why I have some interest in your experience. Glad you finally got your problem solved.

I have traveled the route that you mentioned many times over the years, in tractor trailers as well as motorhomes. Beautiful ride. You will not have to unhook your tow behind, assuming you have an exhaust brake or engine brake and have an auxiliary braking system on your suburban. If you feel safer unhooking your suburban that is your call. There is a wide spot at the bottom of Wolf Creek where truckers remove their chains. Should be able to rehook your toad there. The trip across the San Luis Valley is pleasant and there are some nice RV parks in the South Fork area in case you are running late and don't want to do Wolf Creek until you have more time to enjoy the experience. There is a stopping point at the top of the pass, where you can walk across to the informational displays. The climb over La Veta Pass west of Walsenberg is a hard pull, but the descent into the San Luis Valley is long but gentle. I always observe the truck speed limits on Wolf Creek pass. The San Luis Valley is the largest alpine valley in the world and worth some time if you have it.

Friends from Lubbock might have day tripped or overnighted Palo Duro, Roswell, and Carlsbad. Ask them. Ruidoso NM has pleasant night time temps according to Carl. If it is about getting together with old friends it probably doesn't matter a lot where you go. Palo Duro is interesting. Big Texan Steakhouse in Amarillo is fun after the small Country Band shows up and you get lots of grub for a reasonable price. RV Oasis Park exit 60 on I-40 is inexpensive and you can do stuff in Amarillo. Eateries abound. Palo Duro is easy from the park. Just a few thoughts.

On our 2003 Phaeton some 120 outlets are inverter powered and some are 120 from park power or genset power. Found out the hard way one chilly autumn morning in Oklahoma. Plugged a ceramic heater into an outlet low down near the DW 's seat and soon, no TV. Like you, I was confused. No wiring diagram is available for our coach. Called Tiffin to purchase one not long after buying our used coach. Was told by parts department they did not exist. Then I remembered something that I read on this website some time previous that made me open the door to the inverter/charger. There are two breaker switches. One was tripped. Cycled it back on and things were OK again. I later used a circuit tester to identify the sockets to not use for a heavy load. Your inverter/charger must have circuit breakers somewhere on the unit. Is there perhaps an access panel that can be removed with a screw driver? Our two were in the open and therefore easy to see. Your small shop vac must have upset your inverter. My guess is that outlets that might normally be used to power electronic accessories are inverter powered. The one that I plugged the heater into could easily have been used to power a laptop, phone changer, etc. Good luck!

I have used US 89 a number of times in an 18 wheeler. Good road to me. Utah 14 is marked good for big trucks in my Motor Carriers Road Atlas but it also shows being a restricted route for commercial vehicles. Puzzled by that! Can you ask locally? I normally use roads marked for big trucks when traveling in our Phaeton. Oh well.

I agree with Lenp. US 285 NB to I-40 would be my choice. Those heading to Sante Fe should stay on 285 NB. Mostly two lane but good road with light traffic from Clines Corners north.

Carl/ If I had known that it was your rig, I wouldn't have done it.? Have been in a lot of truck stops over my career and don't remember anything being stolen when I was in or around my rig. Took some stones to do that in the pull forward area of the pumps. Must be a rough place!! At least he did not take your Sony.

Congrats on the repair. Certainly reasonable in cost. Have heard it is around $2K if you travel to Indiana and let them install the unit?? Happy 80th Herman?. Visited your profile.

What did you do Joe? Drive to factory? Can't be far from your home. East Penn Mfg. One of the few battery builders left in the US.

Typical 6 volt battery weighs mid sixty pounds. They will seem even heavier when you have to maneuver them out of and back into tight spaces. Used ones have to be hauled back for core charge credit. Take pictures of cabling and also label them carefully even if you are not doing the replacement. Mistakes can be made even by someone that claims to be an experienced tech. If your chassis batteries are blocked by the new house batteries, take a look at replacing them also. Agree on using AGM batteries for the reduced maintenance, but wet cells have been around for a very very long time. Consider your options carefully.

My gripping strength is also suffering as I age. I keep a small hammer handy. A tap on one of the studs while holding the other section stationary usually works for me. Getting old beats the dickens out of the alternative. ?