petermartinu270

Sounds to me like pigtail is in need of replacement.

Don't say you haven't been warned. The use of bungee cords can be hazardous to your health. I know someone who lost a tooth when a bungee fought back. I'd much rather use velcro.

Clay, that is a nice job on your conversion. You may want to check out http://www.rvcams.com/Default.htm when it comes time to replace that old rear view camera. Don, I used a stationary mount for my flat screen when I converted over to flat screens in bedroom & living room. You can also check into using hook & loop straps to hold your TV in place while traveling.

Yeah...typical mistake most people make is believing these are "insurance policies." The fact is they are not. These companies are not regulated like insurance companies. These are merely extended warranty "contracts." And, the letter of the contract is strictly followed and must be read and re-read to not be fooled. In my opinion, these warranties are a waste of money for those folks who do not like to read the contract before dishing out the money for something they do not understand.

Best advice I can give is not to schedule more than 200 miles driving per day and stay no less than 2 days at a park per driving day. Sometimes when we visit national parks or popular state parks we stay no more than 50 miles from the park the day before our stay. Some parks do not take reservations, so the early bird gets the camp site. Another strategy is to make reservations for the most popular parks and schedule your driving around these parks to less popular state parks or private RV parks.

I do not use synthetics in the diesel pusher. The maufacturer recommendation is every 6,000 miles with heavy duty 15W40 oil formulated for diesels. As well, the engine takes 16 qts. of oil, so there is not any savings in going to synthetic oil. For the truck I use Mobil One 5W30.

Full synthetic is the way to go. Much more tolerant to heat breakdown and lasts a very long time. Miles driven is not an issue. Usually can last up to a year in most gas engines.

I would call Cummins and find out more about that vintage year engine. The ISB is a 6.7 liter engine (Up from 5.9 liter for the original B engine-- displacement depends on model year) whereas the ISC engine is 8.3 liter. In the end, what you're buying in a DP is torque & to get torque you need engine displacement. For the loads you're considering, I would consider a diesel with more than 900 lbs-ft of torque (I would assume that the GCVW is in the range of 35,000 lbs). These engines (>900 lbs-ft torque) are going to be in the "C" family of engines for the Cummins.

Yes, Brett has a good point. I don't have the skills or tools/place to perform routine engine/chassis maintenance, so my expenses are high compared to those who have the ability & place to work on the coach. BTW, the costs are higher even if you do the work yourself. A DP is usually equipped with high capacity oil pans and cooling fluids as well as hydraulics/pressurized air systems with multiple filters for fuel, coolant, transmission. You can get a Class A gasser with 19.5 inch tires whereas most diesels use 22.5 inch tires...this is a great cost difference due to GVWR of diesels (some newer gassers use 22.5 inch tires as the GVWR can be 22,500 lbs. The coach works maintenance are no different as a Dometic fridge or A/C is the same regardless of the fuel used. Also, if you buy an orphan coach, the ability to replace custom parts used only on that brand may be impossible in the future.

In my opinion a 16 year old does not have sufficient driving savy, experience, and most importantly, judgement to operate such a large vehicle. On the other hand if the teen is gifted with spacial perception and judgement, you may give it a whirl. I remember when I was 17 and just got my DL. I had a lot to learn driving a 1960 Olds 98 Fiesta...a boat, I'll let you know. Most young drivers have a tough time learning how far away the vehicle is from the right or left lane lines. Learning braking distances for these large vehicles may end up giving you a heart attack while he's at the wheel...trust me.

The clock-wise 27 Nm is the tightening torque in Newton-meters. I donno the conversion to ft-lbs, but I'm sure you can get a conversion chart online.

Yup...It's a real bummer as I too fueled at Flying J fanatically even while driving in the car from Cincinnati to Miami, FL. It's been a real struggle for Pilot to fold-in the Flying J stations into the Pilot "way" lousy as it is, IMHO. But, these stations are still convenient for RV's and maybe this time they won't go bankrupt. "All good things come to an end!" I'll still try to enjoy the far fewer trips I'll be making with thesr fuel prices.

If all else fails, call Steve Boller at King. He's very accessible and willing to help. Contact information: Steve Boller, owner 651-398-5555 emergency only (cell phone) 22250 Glyview Trail Faribault, MN 55021 507-334-0250 Peter

The main advantage of a tag axle is increased GVWR. If a coach is greater than 36 feet and has a large rear engine plus 3 to 4 slides, you're going to be looking at tag axles.

These are not insurance products. This is a contract between two consenting and willing participants. That means you had better read and be very familiar with every single clause of that contract lest you feel cheated later on when requesting reimbursement...notice I said nothing about a claim as in a regulated insurance company. Make sure the clause about mediation or other form of complaint remediation is to your liking.

Thanks for that clarification, Judy. It's nice to hear that through this rough economic patch the FMCA is strong and viable. Motorcoach style travel and full timing will come back to previous levels before we know it. We all need to hang in there and do our best.

RV'ing is a special gift to a select & wise few (you know who you are). It brings certain great responsibilities as driving a combination that weights anywhere from 6,000 to 50,000 Lbs. or more does. But, with learning from a good teacher and lots of practice & experience, driving and maneuvering these large vehicles can be done safely. There's nothing like RV'ing, and in particular motorhoming. Some call their RV home, others call it just recreation, yet others call it transporttion between gigs. Those who don't RV don't know about it, can't afford it, or it's not for them. As to depreciation...oh yes, these things are a segment of the automotive market. And we know what the value of vehicles do, don't we. So, don't buy one thinking that its value will hold or even not depreciate much. But, as many have mentioned here, the appreciation from getting to know geat folks along the way far outweights the monetary. If you got it...remember that you can't take it with you, so spend what you can doing what you like...RV'ing or giving it away to others...it's your choice.

I've found a solutiion that is relatively close to me for the front bra replacement. The company is Fancher's Upholstery, Inc. in Ypsilanti. MI. Here are the details... http://fanchers.com/16/Contact_Us.htm

I just called Foretravel of Texas & MCD Innovations and neither makes the front bra any more. Any more sources out there? I'm going to research the Northern Indiana area for a nice Amish family that may want to takle this job...Know anyone?

Thank you all for your recommendations. I'll try MCD as they seem to be the practical location as I'll be closer by than Calif.

I am considering modifying my coach's headlights this spring at Xtreme Paint & Graphics in Nacogdoches, TX. But, the modification will render my current bra obsolete. I really like using the bra for protection, especially during long highway trips. Has anyone purchased or replaced their front bra that can offer a place to get a new bra made?