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We have an almost eight foot wide heavy flap that hangs down from the frame only a few inches above the road surface. Our Forrester has 4,000 miles behind and not a nick on it.

From the perspective of an old trucker that pulled spread axle trailers with dump valve switches and a long time ago, tag axles on tandem truck/tractors (three axle power unit with the rear axle not powered but liftable) it would be easier on tires if you dumped the air on the tag axle when turning 90 degrees or there abouts. If there is a separate switch for the tag kinda makes me think I am right. Perhaps when you hit the dump switch before leveling all three axles deflate? Gotta think that is a fail safe program in the computer. My two cents.

My 2003 Phaeton was built on a 2002 chassis. When we agreed to buy it from the original owner last May I confirmed the mfg date on the sidewall of a steer tire. He admitted that five of the tires were original, and he had blown one inside dual. 12 year old tires that looked to be in excellent shape, But! The unit was gorgeous. Garaged its entire life, low miles, and almost perfect inside. Couldn't wait to get new rubber on it. I remember reading somewhere that tires need to be driven regularly to keep some of the "chemicals" used in the tire build properly distributed through out the tire. Something that does not happen with many RVs. Don't know if that is accurate re the regular use. I have seen Motorhomes setting upright in medians over the years. Sometimes a blown steer. Sometimes weather. The steel posts and cable probably were a factor as was mentioned earlier. Bet they had their seat belts on.

We had dogs for over forty years and as the last two were getting near the end, I told my wife that our next dogs were going to be cats. We started with a neutered male that was approaching two years old. He is the classic brown tabby with the orange nose. A copy of the one that appears on many cat products labels. We love him and he has been to Colorado from PA twice. We adopted an older female all black domestic long hair in December. She hasn't traveled with us yet, but the adventurous character she is will hopefully make her fit right in. We would never board them. Yes! They ARE family. Brad's idea on removing the washer to create space for the litter box is definitely a good one for us. Two cats living on Fancy Feast dry food will put additional pressure on the "restroom facilities." Byron

I have not heard of a Motorhome being weighed by a state official anywhere? My unit with full fuel, 3/4 water which is 90 gal, full propane, me at the wheel, no one else onboard, no cargo is 26,500. GVWR is 29,500. Axles were fine with more to go. GCWR is 36,500. My toad, Subaru Forester weighs 3400. There are so many trucks out there to weigh unless they are bored, why would they weigh an RV? Not saying it hasn't happened, but I have not seen it. 46 years plus behind the wheel of an eighteen wheeler and as the old Johnny Cash song goes "I Have Been Everwhere."

Brad, Thank you for a great idea on removing the washer/dryer combo. We are the second owners of a 40ft Phaeton. We were out almost three months on our first trip in it last fall. Did not use it once. When I dewinterize the unit soon, I hope to do the same thing. Any advice you offer on the removal would be appreciated and what brand of fan do you use? What type of door or covering would also be helpful. I guess that I could wing it, but there is no substitute for experience. Thanks! Byron

The LED sets are much lighter. That is why I like them. Almost 71yo. They are easier to mount in a new spot because of the light weight. We use Samsung sets, but I have not used one with the Square wave inverters. Look at one on an ocilliscope/ that is why I call it a square wave. I used one on a cry Sony set years ago and it worked fine. The sine wave inverters have come way down in price therefore a rather small one should work. Just check the specs on both units.

Keep some air in them or the bags will usually be trashed riding down the road. Check the manufacturer's website for the minimum pressure. I had aftermarket bags on my gasser and they worked well. I have a set of Firestone double or convoluted bags on my f-150. They worked very well with my former travel trailer.

Knowing about where Joe lives, the engine doesn't have to work that hard to get south of 95 and onto the flat Delmarva Peninsula. Then on to Ocean City. Headwinds are probably not significant on that heading, but that is still a very impressive number. Wish that I could get close to that fuel mileage, but I am the kind of guy that runs in headwinds westbound. Months later on the return eastbound I am facing strong headwinds. How can that be? My luck! DPs usually have the drag coefficient of a BARN!

From Ocala I prefer 301 north to A1A to join I-95 above Jacksonville. Try to get through the DC/Baltimore mess between rush hours and the afternoon rush starts earlier on Fridays. Run around NYC on I-287, joining the NY Thruway for a short distance on your way to the Tappanzie Toll Bridge. Continue east to rejoin 95. North through Connecticut on 95 is always really busy until you get above New Haven. I always run around Providence on I-295 rejoining 95 north of the city. You do not want to go through Boston. Stay on 95 around the west side of the city. Once you get above Boston into Cow Hampshire the ride is usually enjoyable. Maine is usually a pleasure to travel in. Be sure to have reservations because Maine is the destination from NYC and north for summer vacations. If you really want stretch things out, there other routes that will add many miles to your trip. By the way/ I always enjoy 301 & A1A. Old Florida!

We have had good luck at the majority of KOA stays. A few have been disappointing, but when I am trying to cover some ground (hard run) the KOA directory comes out. Byron

The damage that a steel belted radial can do during a blowout is substantial. I have seen steer blown tires knock off part of a fiberglass hood on an 18 wheeler. Look at all of the stuff near your tires and consider what could happen. A used unit could have been abused and you would not know it.

Multi Energy? ......... I re-tired last year with XZE models. Not a complaint one. In the event of a failure, they would be easier to find while out there riding around. I use centramatics for balancing. Tire shop told me that I was the first MH'er to put them on. They are expensive, but I used them for many years on 18 wheelers. On our Phaeton, when you get on a really smooth stretch of highway there is just nothing there but smooth. As Brett has already mentioned, an out of round tire can beat you up, but a quality tire shop probably will not sell you trouble. Service Tire in Pennsylvania is my choice. Been using them for many years. Joe mentioned on another topic, a method of loosening and re tightening lug nuts to possibly correct a symptom of an out of round tire. My opinion/ Michelin and Bridgestone are proven tires. There are probably other good ones out there, but I know what works for me.

IMHO. The tire shop that I use added extensions to the inside tires. A screw on with a cap. If you put the cap on with a little too much force getting the cap off will spin the extension loose or off when checking pressure. Their are metal flow through caps available where truck tires are sold. Don't like the plastic version. A tool available at truck stops can push on to a regular cap and easily spin it off if you want a cheaper cap. A quality gauge that has a straight in (not angled as on the cheapies) will be fine for pressure checks. I use the same straight in style for my air chuck that ***** and locks. Get inside, watch your gauge, hit the brake pedal to get the compressor to recycle and stay comfortable while you air'em up. Nice on a cold or rainy morning. Used that method when I sometimes had to air up 18 of them.

Joe Does the separator also have a vent that allows draining water from the bowl without having to break vacuum by partially unscrewing the filter? The check valve in the base would be a help as long as it doesn't add a lot of restriction. I had a shutoff valve on my Series 60 that had to be closed before filter change or the truck would start and run long enough to get out of the bay. Then bring out the ether.

So! No zerks? Just spray the points shown on the link? Mine is working very well, but being the mountain lovers that we are better add this procedure to my to do list.

I had the absolute privilege of boarding a new 1988 Wanderlodge on the dealer's lot / 40ft. with the 8V92 engine in it. I have never forgotten it. Always think of it as the Gold Standard. What a shame they aren't built anymore.

My 2 cents. I think that I remember reading the 650 was a modification of an existing truck model for RV use. A fifteen litre diesel pushing a big RV down the highway is light duty compared to an 80,000 lb tractor trailer, but Cumapart once had the reputation amongst truckers of experimenting with the consumer's money. Now that goes back some time. I do remember some fellow owner operators getting into a horsepower contest. Often with disastrous results. Sure hope the techs that worked on Deen's engine were on the first string, and the dealer offers a reasonable warranty.

We plan on adding the latest Winegard Traveler Direct TV self aiming unit to our coach before heading west this summer. I may do the install, but that depends on how my back feels at the time. Check Solid Signal's website for their price. I have dealt with them several times over the years and find their pricing and service good. If for no other reason, the site is a good place to come up with ideas.

Glad I missed all of that! My last rig was a 2001 Western Star with a Series 60 Detroit so I missed all of the fun. Retired in Nov of 2011 a few months past my 67th birthday. The EPA is just here to help you!

The distance from my tank to the engine is about the same as on your Holiday Rambler. Don't they normally have side radiators by the way? I got in to much of a hurry when we bought ours. Garage kept, lows miles, and great shape. Wish I had done more research. Would have settled for nothing less than a coach with a side radiator. Brett's comment about Racor Filters coming in a variety of forms got me curious. Hit their site. Wow! I had the big 1000FG on a number of trucks over the years. Very easy to service and drain under the hood of a big rig. I still have a hard time dealing with the shortcomings of DPs when I compare their cost to a new really durable Pete, KW, or Freightshaker. What good does all of the glitz do you when you waiting along the interstate for a tow or a service truck? I will probably mount a Racor unit just behind the fuel tank with a shutoff valve between the filter and the engine. Perhaps that will save prime. Just hope the engine transfer pump can handle the extra restriction. I will have one there before we leave for the west this summer. By the way/Power Service disperses water, and they have been around for a long time.

If you have solved your problem by now please tell us what it was. I lost an ECM on a Series 60 Detroit once. The giveaway on that is no warning lights on attempted start. The dash is dead, but the engine stills turns over.

Popping the hood on an 18 wheeler is easy and done at every pit stop. Crawling underneath a low to the ground DP not so easy. My unit has only one filter. I have considered a Holley electric fuel pump with a spin on filter and return line to the tank or something like it. That would also take care of lost prime problems. Had one on my gasser, but it is noisy. Racor might make a filter for that unit. Input welcome.

One more thing about water. I once had a petroleum engineer tell me that water was a byproduct of the manufacturing process. Now that was in the late 70s when he said that. Still true? I don't know, but he said very small amounts were dissolved in the fuel only to settle out later. That is why we need fuel water separation of some sort on diesel rigs. I had excellent results with Racor units on trucks, but they are too big to install on my rear radiator Phaeton in a convenient place to check regularly. If I had a side radiator unit I would have one installed in the engine bay. They have a clear plastic bowl on the bottom with a drain petcock.

I am looking for clear light green fuel. Water would be obvious because it is heavier than fuel. Any impurities would also be obvious. Off color fuel has been adulterated with crud you don't want in your tank.