bikeryder

Manholt, thanks for the tip on having the coach weighed corner to corner. I will definitely do that. My concern was adding something solid that wouldn’t flex when stood on, and at same time not succumb to the elements such as moisture. I’d hate to end up with wood rot on bottom inside stair tread [with Corian slab glued to it] if I were to choose wood over steel. The added weight of this steel plate was and remains a genuine concern of mine. Which is why I’m performing this stairwell entry upgrade prior to my driving to Source Engineering in Eugene Oregon, to have my original factory suspension upgraded to their custom fine tuned 4 bag with ping tank. Hopefully those good folks will do all that is required to make my Cayman handle on the highways as it should. More later... Eddie

3/16” thick metal plate now fully deburred of sharp edges, drilled and countersunk, awaiting wiping down oil preservative, primer and paint, then the long awaited permanent stairwell install. WooHoo! 🎉

First thing this morning I ventured to a local metal yard and found a remnant of 3/16” metal plate for my bottom step just inside the entry door to my Cayman coach. I had it sheared to size; 11 1/2”x28”. Next up is to have countersunk holes drilled into this metal plate to secure it permanently in place. A few days ago I obtained some nice pieces of 3/4” red oak planks for the facing of my sliding cover. I had those cut down to size and had countersunk holes drilled. Lots of busy small detail work left prior to taking final measurements for the Corian pieces [pics attached]. Eddie

Herman, I did indeed. This morning I cannot determine if my left thumb is more purple or green in color due to being the receipient of some of that therapy session . . .

I truly am enjoying working on this stairwell entry upgrade project. Over the weekend I decided to literally rip out the bottom stair tread as it was not only flexing a little when weight was applied from standing, the 3/4” plywood appeared to be slightly dry rotted. Oh man was that bottom tread ever glued down with heavy industrial strength black double sided tape. By the time I had completed the tread removal process, all that remained were shredded fragments of what once was a 3/4” piece of plywood. My left thumb is sore from being beating more than a few times. I have a couple of small areas of plywood yet to remove due to darkness. More fun for next weekend. I plan on installing a 3/16” thick steel plate sheared to size [11 1/2”x28”] on bottom tread prior to installing the 1/2” thick Corian directly on top on new metal plate. The top of new lower Corian tread should just about be the same height of the 3/4” plywood tread that I ripped out. Pics uploaded.

First off, I very much appreciate all the feedback. 1. As to the 3/4” plywood pulling away from the subfloor [staples at top showing], I thought the exact same thing at first. Then I noticed the bottom side of metal rolling mechanism is resting firmly against the metal galvanized bottom plate of the recessed pocket area. BTW the 3/4” piece of vertical plywood [that rolling mechanism is attached] sadly was not cut straight [shoddy craftsmanship]. Since all the weight is transferred directly to that galvanized metal plate I feel a little more comfortable. Those [3] screws at rear area are hard to see. I’ve cropped that original picture to better reveal screws in question [pic attached]. 2. After spending several hours monkeying around, unsuccessfully trying to get those [3] anchoring screws to cooperate and loosen, I decided to try another approach. The current thickness of plywood on the stairwell walls are 3/8”. I took a trip to Home Depot and purchased a 2’x4’ piece of 1/8” thick birch plywood to use in place of the existing 3/8” thick plywood. I believe this will solve my clearance problem between outside edge of sliding metal arms of rolling mechanism, and face of stairwell wall plywood. The clearance now varies between 3/8” to 7/16”. I’ve learned that 1/4” thickness Corian material is available to use as wall material. Providing the thickness of adhesive material is [hopefully] not more than 1/16”, I believe clearance problem is now solved. I’ve uploaded a few pics, but unfortunately it was too dark to take pics of newly installed 1/8” thick birch plywood on stairwell wall. I’ll take those tomorrow. Eddie

Well, I’ve run into a bit of a snag. Now that I’m at the stage of making detailed measurements of the individual pieces of Corian, I’ve come across something that is an easy fix if only I could access [3] anchoring screws located at the very back end of cavity that receives stairwell cover when in closed position. When standing outside the coach facing stairwell, the left side has virtually 3/16” gap between the metal roller and fixed plywood on left side stairwell wall [not good]. The right side stairwell wall has 3/4” gap [much better]. Pics attached. All need do to correct this situation is remove the left side metal roller assembly, and install an additional 3/4” thick piece of plywood to provide proper clearance at stairwell wall. So my challenge is figuring out a way to unscrew the [3] anchoring screws at the back. The vertical clearance of this pocket is only 4”, and screws are located approximately 32” back from the front. The screws are not only screwed into the 3/4” plywood, they also go into the metal sheathing behind the plywood making removal more of a challenge being my arms cannot reach that far into this small recess area. I’m wondering if using extensions with a knuckle joint would do the trick. I already have a knuckle joint, I just now need to gather some extensions from friends to get the length needed to reach to the back area. Once removed I’m confident I can reinstall with little problem if any. Eddie

Just today I located a local Corian fabricator / installer who has a solid 5 star rating on Yelp, and is willing to provide the cut to size pieces of Corian required to complete my stairwell upgrade. So this weekend I will be very busy taking accurate detailed measurements of each piece of Corian required. After I submit all sizing, I will then be given pricing. So, nothing more to add until then . . . As to running wiring for illuminating my stairwell, I'm assuming I can access the 12 volt wiring right at the porch light switch - located just above water bottle resting sideways in cup holder [see pic]. I am wondering if I remove trim cover plate at toggle porch light switch, I could run a thin coat hanger wire down inside the wall and then drill a very small hole near the floor to pull wires through, These would be directly behind the passenger drink holder [meaning I will need to temporaily remove this drink holder also]. Then I was pondering to perhaps have a small groove routed into underside of top Corian trim piece [U-Shaped] running round floor perimiter. Wires could be consealed into this groove. Then all I need do is determine the best location to place lighting fixtures. Does this sound like the correct approach for low voltage wiring? Eddie

Wow, what a wealth of knowledge you’ve all freely shared on this topic. FMCA members and this forum are a true blessing for newbies like myself [not sure if obtaining my first RV 2 1/2 years ago is still considered a newbie ?]. Getting back to obtaining materials for my stairwell entry. I think I’m going to begin searching out custom cabinet makers who install Corian counter tops, as I do not have any tooling for cutting or routing rounded corners. I want to perform the install myself after material has been obtained and cut to the various required sizes and shapes. BTW, 2 1/2 years ago after I had just purchased my 2003 Monaco Cayman, I stumbled upon the FMCA website. Then doing a quick search under Monaco Cayman I noticed a very concerning posting under faulty rear trailing arms. With printed copies in hand I went back to the dealership where I purchased my RV, and to my great surprise the dealership replaced these questionable rear trailing arms [at no cost to me] with the heavy duty replacement trailing arms manufacturered from Source Engineering. I wasn’t expecting such wonderful customer service considering I just purchased a used RV. FMCA really saved me [and others around me] from potential disaster out their on America’s highways. So I immediately became an FMCA member. Eddie

kaypsmith, thanks so much for your very detailed explanation of the Corian material. I’m assuming by the “lack of any caution” in your response, this Corian material will not be too heavy for installation in a stairwell & should hold up well with vehicle sways and jolts as traveling down the road. With the type and branding of raw materials now known, I can focus on coloring etc. Thank you to all who have responded and taken an interest in my stairwell entry upgrade. Eddie 👍

I almost forgot to mention my progress. The good news; I was successful in removing the sliding stairwell cover. After gaining access I easily determined what had gone wrong the the sliding track mechanism. A few screws had worked their out and as a result the sliding cover had a mind of its own, getting stuck or not opening at all. After obtaining slightly larger screws, all is now secure. The remaining side panel of carpet has now been removed. I’m at the point now where until I decide on what material to install I can go no farther... Updated pics uploaded... Eddie

kaypsmith, Sorry I’ve been busy working the stairwell all weekend. I was only able to find one example of stair tread and riser material that I like, unfortunately it’s not very good being it was taken in less than optimal lighting. I’ll attach 2 pics of the same coach. Eddie

Well I’ve removed the opening and closing mechanism rod arm, that was very easy. Now I cannot figure out how to release whatever it is that is stopping the metal roller slides from going beyond the end of roller slides. I know there must be some sort of tab that needs to be pushed, but I cannot find it. Other than is hiccup, I will be able to extract the slide cover...

kaypsmith, I appreciate your input very much. I’ll definitely post some picks of the type of higher end tread materials I’ve seen. BTW, I did some searching for a rubber tread material similar to what Blake had installed in his coach. The problem is that my stair tread is over 13 1/2” wide, the rubber treads I’ve noticed are either 12 1/4” or 12 1/2” wide. Also when I add the riser panels the width of the tread will increase by the thickness of riser panels. This project is going to be enjoyable, I just need to do my homework and proper prep work, and all should be good. Again, thanks for your valuable input... Eddie 🙃

Blake, Thank you so much, I just now took a peek under the sliding step cover. As you stated, the mechanism was right before my eyes 👀 . Can I assume once the mechanical arm has been detached the sliding step will not fight me in coming forward and out? What type of wood paneling/flooring did you use on the stairwell walls? Yours looks awesome! Eddie

I’ve owned my 2003 Monaco Cayman for about 2 1/2 years. In recent months I have ventured to various RV dealers for the sole purpose of getting idea to update my lack luster, unappealing - boring entry stairwell. As a result I was very impressed with Tiffans Alegro Bus entry stair wells. Currently I've begun demolition work by removing drab looking carpeting on motorized sliding floor cover, stair treads and risers, and have removed carpeting on 1 of 2 side walls of stairwell [pictures uploaded]. I have not yet started demolition work [carpet removal] on the other side wall of stairwell due to metal slide rail partially [about 2”, see pic] covering the carpeted area. so... here are my concerns as I plow on. Removing the carpet from under this metal slide rail will be a task for sure, but I do believe I can get it done. However, getting new material behind this metal slide rail is where I’m stumped. I am clueless on how to gain access [if required] to remove the sliding floor cover, for the purpose of installing new wall panels in stair well. Lastly, can anyone suggest a supplier of high end marble like materials used for stairwell treads on motorcoaches such as Tiffans? Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated. Eddie

Thank you for the warm welcome Herman. Eddie

Hi all... This thread is a bit old, however, I recently received my goose egg plaques (449297) from Kiley Mold, and thought I'd post a picture of my rear ladder mounting effort on my Monaco Cayman. Eddie

Good morning all... SUCCESS! The Slideout Control Board I ordered from Monaco back in Indiana arrived two days ago. This morning I headed over to my Monaco Cayman and carefully swapped out the Slideout Control Board. That was the trick, everything now is working as it should. Something on the old Slideout Control Board is bad, not sure what, but I'll keep it for the fuses and relays which were already proven to be good. Thanks again to all who contributed to my issue, it is truly appreciated. Eddie

jleamont, Yes the wiring harness is fully seated onto the control board receptacle. I'l take a close look at those wires to see if any coding exists. Thanks for the tip. Eddie

Good NEWS! According to UPS tracking my new Slide-Out control board should arrive this Wednesday. Hopeful by mid morning Friday as I'm off work, after control board is installed, I will have fully functioning Slide-Outs. Fingers Crossed! Eddie

Bill, I agree... It would be helpful to have the wiring harness and related relays labeled.

Manholt, The image provided from the Monaco was incorrect. As you stated, the 5amp and 25amp were tagged in reverse of what they actually are. It seems Monaco is making quite a lot of these type of errors when it comes to representing their product incorrectly. Wiring Diagrams for the 2003 Cayman Slide-Outs are at best poorly drawn. Eddie

Bill, unfortunately for me both slideout motors do not retract normally. They both open normally but however. I'm surprised Monaco did a poor job with their wiring diagram color coding, which does not match the colors of actual wiring harness. I didn't expect that from the old Monaco. Frustrating for me and my mobile technician. Eddie

Rich, the Slide-Out Control Board is located in the very back storage bay, same storage bay where my inverter is located and just behind storage bay that contains my batteries. I uploaded another picture. That's my inverter sitting at bottom and left of the Slideout Control Board. I too noticed the labeling was backwards for the 5 & 25 amp fuses on the factory supplied diagram. Sadly gaining access to the bedroom slideout motor is an ordeal. Whereas gaining access to the kitchen slideout is a snap. What I'd like to come up with is something similar to my battery disconnect switch for my bedroom slideout. I would need to add a pigtail that I could access inside my coach near the bed itself should this problem ever repeat like a bad toothache. Anyway, I'm hoping to receive my new Slideout Control Board in the next few days. Eddie