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I could not be happier with our Cat330/860 torque. We are at the 29,500 limit for the coach and pull a 3400 lb toad. What is your Gross Combined Weight? A CAT 300 running well would be fine with me also. It is a large vehicle. At the end of the day, if you are able to soup it up, it will probably make little difference in your trip time and as Brett mentioned, burn more fuel.

Is this similar to an AT&T hotspot? Although an AT&T subscriber for almost twenty years, I have not had a good reason to try that service. Upon retirement in 2011 I stopped smart phone service. Probably required for either data source??

I am surprised that the really knowledgeable members haven't responded. A 2011 Dometic is new enough that no opinions exist? Swapping parts can get expensive as most all DIYSers know, but the power supply does seem the likely culprit. Perhaps a call to Dometic would be helpful? Let us know what you find out.

If you replace the residential with an absorption type many agree that a Dometic would be the way to go. They are quite expensive though. We have one that is over 12 years old and it still performs very well. In your situation, two more batteries would be much cheaper. If we had a residential frige, I don't think we would ever want to change back to an absorption type. The residential refrigerators ARE safer and more forgiving when off level.

The OP asked about damaging the airbags when lifting them off of the ground. We did spend one night during last Labor Day weekend in a park with only one site left. I should have moved on but I took the site. I did lift the tires off of the ground in order to get level for that stay. No harm done and the bags are original equipment (old). Perhaps there are control rods or suspension linkage that limit the extension? Would have to crawl under to check.

Tractor Supply is nearby. I have seen the stall mats. I will look into changing to them. Heavy and somewhat expensive when compared to pine, but worth it I am sure.

I have traveled Ca 20 a number of times with a Peterbilt pulling A 102" wide 53 foot trailer. Ukiah Harley dealer was my destination. You will be fine on that road. Washington does and Oregon (I think) require that commercial vehicles have them on board during snow season even if there is not a cloud in the sky. Did not know RVs are subject to that rule, but I have never RVed out there.

We did a lot of dry camping with our first coach and because of that I often had to lift the front tires off of the ground to get level. 1988 Georgie Boy 34' / Oshkosh chassis / HWH levelers. Never a problem. Maybe a 34 foot chassis is less flexible?? I have seen plenty of critics on different forums saying you should not do that. Perhaps the 40's are a little more flexible? I have had my front tires off the ground just a few times with our 40 Phaeton. No problems so far. Per the Tireman/ I run all tires onto 2 by 10 sections of pine cut into 2 foot lengths for storage making sure to have no tread hanging over the side. I use blocks of Oak under the leveler feet to avoid over extending the jacks. I run'em down enough to take most of the weight off the tires and inflate the tires a little above sidewall pressure. I store the unit on a LEVEL gravel. Kinda figure the wood is a good idea. The oak comes from a sawmill 4 miles from our home. The wood is 2 and 3/4 inches thick just over 10" wide and cut in 2 foot sections. HEAVY but I use them when traveling also. Never sunk into the ground.

Thank you both! Words of encouragement right away.

We are heading to Montana in early to middle August 2016 from south central PA. Non interstate travel is often more interesting, but fewer RV parks seem to be the case. I am considering heading north to Michigan's UP and joining US 2 for the trip to Glacier National Park. I have run stretches of US 2 as a trucker. All of Minnesota, part of Wisconsin, part of North Dakota, and the UP to be exact. I have been as far north as Great Falls MT, but I don't remember US 2 in my travels in that state. The road less traveled has been of interest to me for many years. Accounts of that route if any are welcome.

As Brett said/ a little extra positive caster can help handling. Proper toe is also very important. The steering gear can sometimes be the culprit. Like Carl (Manholt) I have started running a few pounds cold air pressure over the sidewall number. Our Phaeton just handles better doing that. So far the tires are wearing well. Complaints of poor handling are common. Goes with the territory. Just look at the add on devices designed to "improve" handling. As well as our Phaeton handles, it doesn't compare to a premium 18 wheeler that is properly maintained or most any car, but it does ride better.

Before retiring we cat napped in truckstops, rest areas, or any place that looked safe enough for just a few hours sleep. We ran flat out to get west because vacation time was usually short. Since retirement we only stop at RV parks. I try to plan for no more than 300 miles a day. I rarely go over that. Less is better. This coming from a guy that used to log 800 or more miles every 24 hours when involved in frequent "missions impossible" in 18 wheelers. Take your time. You have received very good advice from all responders. I learned much from the school of hard knocks in 86 when we joined RVing. Al Gore had not yet invented the Internet.

That is a ringing endorsement! WhenI retired four years ago I didn't know of any truckers using TPMs. Apparently they are now. Thanks for your offer.

I met a very pleasant fellow at the KOA in Limon,CO early September this year. Retired accountant with ConocoPhillips , but raised in a family that operated a public garage. He worked there as a teenager before college. He and his DW had taken delivery of a new Dutch Star 40' with a tag axle. Didn't know a 40 came with a tag, but that is what they wanted for their new ride at 78. God love them. I outline this comment and question because he had a TPM system that he was very proud of. He was a very smart guy with years of RVing. He told me the name of his system, but I can't remember it. He did mention that he stored the sensors over the winter in egg cartons and he labeled each sensor with tire position because if they were not placed in the same position as before they did not work as well. If this rings familiar to either of you I would like to know the name of the system. I will spend the money necessary for a good system. I do not want to buy substandard. Brett/ you make an excellent point about trashing a toad with a flat and not knowing about it. 4wd would probably sustain high dollar damage.

I am interested in opinions on the best system to buy. I still like to gauge mine before leaving on each daily adventure, but if I can find a quality system I will bypass that. Like Carl, I run mine over the side wall pressure on a cold start (6pounds in my case). The unit handles better and fuel mileage has improved somewhat.

If you are inquiring about replacing the chromed steel or stainless traditional hubcap that snaps into the large opening hiding the oil or grease lubricated wheel bearings, there are different configurations. One way to be sure about buying the correct one would be to take the one that you still have into a truckstop or truck parts supplier that has some chrome accessories for sale and match it up. There are some differences that do not allow a one size fits all product. The chromed steel ones are cheaper and last quite awhile. $8.00 or so before tax is a typical price. I have found the stainless ones to not be worth the extra $$.

Dual chains are very heavy and more difficult to install. I carried a set when trucking, but almost never put them on. When the authorities relaxed things and allowed singles on outside tires after conditions got better, it was time to go. High quality cable chains are OK in most jurisdictions. They are somewhat easier to install. Mind you/ I did say somewhat. Never used them on motorhomes though. They would have to be snugly installed to avoid damage and that would be easier with cables.

Only some of the 120 outlets in our 03 Phaeton are powered by the inverter and I did not know which ones. Never gave it a thought really. Always plugged into park power so why care?The generic manual doesn't tell you. Recently I plugged an electric heater into a socket in front of the passenger seat and turned it on high since the front of the coach cooled off because it was a chilly autumn night. High draws 12.5 amps. I always wait awhile to check for overheating of the cord or plug when using a heavy draw like that. All OK so back to bed. Later upon finally crawling out of bed I turned the Direct TV receiver and TV on. After a short time every thing up front went dead except the overhead socket on the bottom of cabinets behind the passenger seat. Checked the breaker panel under the fridge. All good. I don't know what made me check the inverter/charger breakers in the last outside compartment but one breaker was tripped. Reset it with the space heater unplugged. Suddenly we had Direct TV again. Later I checked all 120 sockets with a handy tester that tells you if the plug is hot but also whether it is properly wired. Now I know the plugs not to use for a heavy load. Motorhomes are an adventure!!

The block heater warms the water jacket of the engine. Your engine probably has one. 120 vac does the work but it takes several hours. If you are hooked up to RV park power or a home electric hookup you will be good to go. When in a park I turn the heater on the night before departure. Why waste energy if staying for days. It will probably give you a better start even if your manifold heater is working. The engine oil will flow better upon startup also.

Until you can follow Brett's advice, try plugging in or turning on the block heater. Might help you in the short run. When my manifold heater was acting up it got me started.

Rather large RV park near Amarillo (RV Oasis) with almost unusable wifi. Even parked our Toad next to a building with a wifi repeater on top. Still not very good. Deployed the Jefatech with the outside antenna above the roof line. Problem solved. I am sure that there are other systems that also do a good job, but I am happy with my purchase.

I remember someone recommending a 1 to 1 flush of vinegar and water on this site. Maybe Brett Wolfe. White vinegar is inexpensive. $1.85 a gallon or so at Walmart. Might be worth a try. I would fill it with the solution and let it soak awhile before flushing with fresh water. It is on my list to do. Have flushed ours with just water. Ran out of time before a trip.

You have convinced me. I prefer to do as much work on our coach as possible, but I believe that I will have a nearby RV repair center replace it. Planning a trip to Montana next summer and I will eliminate a worry by doing that. Thank you for the description of the dissassembly.

Our air dryer is also a Meritor. Probably could not be in a more difficult place to service or replace. Governor set at around 130 according to pressure gauges. Discharge bores a hole in a gravel site. My question is what causes the apparent premature failures based on what I am hearing. Owned my last truck for over 7 years and the dryer was trouble free. Coach now has a little over 24,000 miles on it. Typically put five times that and then some in one year on most rigs that I drove. Over the years I recall replacing just one dryer.

Talked to a trucking buddy of mine who is also a trained diesel mechanic. He agrees with me that air dryers didn't start to show up on trucks until the late seventies or early eighties. We drained our tanks at least daily or several times a day if we had easy to reach lanyards. I remember pulling on the lanyards when I stopped for coffee. Of course they are easier to reach on a truck. So I spent 15 or more years of my career without them. How did we do it?