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Studebrucer -- What type Roadmaster tow bar did you purchase for HALF PRICE!! Two year ago I purchased a Roadmaster Sterling All-Terrain aluminum tow bar for my Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. Being partially manufactured from aluminum, the Sterling All-Terrain is lower weight (only 30 lbs.) compared to an all steel two bar and thus is easier to handle. The Sterling All-Terrain has an 8,000 lbs. rating which is plenty good for my Jeep. My motorhome has a 5,000 lbs. rated receiver hence why I purchased a Jeep Wrangler as my tow vehicle as the FMCA 2016 Towable Guide showed the Wrangler Unlimited has a curb weight of ~4,100 lbs. I have been very pleased with the Roadmaster Sterling All-Terrain aluminum tow bar.

Brett -- I certainly don't have the answers to your questions. All I know is Big Oil, including the company I work for, is investing in the development of Renewable Diesel manufacturing processes and facilities given the many problems associated with Biodiesel. Renewable Diesel is manufactured from vege oils / animal fats in conventional, but specialized, refinery process equipment. The Renewable Diesel product is essentially the same as crude oil derived diesel fuel i.e. NO oxygen compounds. 100% Renewable Diesel looks, smells, tastes, performs, etc. like crude oil derived diesel fuel and can directly replace crude oil derived diesel. THE problem is the cost to manufacture Renewable Diesel. The "feedstocks", especially animal fats, are much more expensive per barrel than crude oil. The higher feedstock cost will be passed on to consumers in the form of higher diesel prices. Here is one of several available articles about the California legislation to eliminate the use of "fossil fuels" --> http://redgreenandblue.org/2018/08/30/new-california-law-mandates-100-renewable-energy-2045/

To add to Brett's response, Cummins has a webpage with extensive information about biodiesel use in Cummins engines --> https://cumminsengines.com/biodiesel-faq One key piece of information/guidance from Cummins is to not let a biodiesel blend, whether it contains 5% biodiesel or 20% biodiesel is to assure the biodiesel purchased on day 1 is used by day 90. The reason is biodiesel is manufactured by reacting an alcohol with the tri-glyceride feedstock (vegetable oils and/or animal fats) to break those big molecules into diesel size molecules in a process known as "esterification". A fuel quality problem with the biodiesel process is the "ester" contains an oxygen molecule which accelerates the oxidation of biodiesel and biodiesel blends (crude oil derived diesel do not have this rapid oxidation problem). Diesel oxidation results in turning clear diesel black in color and after time the formation of "gunk" which plugs fuel filters. "Dilution is not the Solution" when it comes to biodiesel oxidation. Filling a half-full tank of old biodiesel blend with fresh biodiesel does not solve the oxidation problem with the old diesel and resultant gunk from the old biodiesel blend. From my Petroleum Refiner perspective I concur with guidance that Brett has provided in the past i.e. Use Diesel Kleen + Cetane Boost with each fill-up to keep your fuel system clean --> https://powerservice.com/psp_product/diesel-kleen-cetane-boost/ If you will struggle using the biodiesel blend in your tank before the end of 90 days, also add a stabilizer additive such as Sta-Bil brand to help minimize oxidation --> https://www.goldeagle.com/product/diesel-formula-sta-bil-fuel-stabilizer/ Use Bio Kleen biocide additive to prevent the growth of microbes (a different type of "gunk" that can plug filters) --> https://powerservice.com/psp_product/bio-kleen-diesel-fuel-biocide/ A well know fact about Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel is it has less propensity to "hold water" and thus moisture in ULSD will settle out in the bottom of your fuel tank. This water with the presence of food (i.e. diesel) is a perfect environment for microbes to live and grow. Keep your fuel tank full to minimize moisture intrusion into your tank (see item 3 why moisture is bad!). As fuel tanks empty, the "empty space" is filled with air which contains moisture (especially in the muggy Gulf Coast). Hence why its important to keep your fuel tank full most of the time. Biodiesel blends are here to stay in the Petroleum Refining / Marketing world to meet EPA renewable fuels requirements !! Also, California this past August passed legislation to become a 100% renewable fuels only state by 2045 (I suspect Oregon and Washington will follow California as they usually do). The easiest step in converting to 100% renewable fuels is in transportation fuels (gasoline, jet fuel, diesel) meaning all diesel engine owners will need to closely monitor how fast California implements changes in bio / renewable diesel fuel requirements (the much more difficult change is converting their electricity grid to 100% renewable produced electricity). All diesel engine owners will need to closely monitor what California does to biodiesel requirements as no diesel engine manufacturer currently allows greater that B20 Biodiesel blends (B20 = 20% biodiesel in the blend). For the record, I have no financial or any other interest in Diesel Kleen, Bio Kleen, Sta-Bil or any other products manufactured by Power Service or Golden Eagle. I reference those brands as they are readily available at my local Walmart and O'Reilly Parts Store and so the forum will know what the bottles/labels on those products look like. There are other manufacturers of diesel fuel additives that my local Walmart and O'Reilly's do not sell.

My motorhome was used during the 2016 Thanksgiving Holiday with a house full of relatives for full bathroom services when my home sewer line suddenly became plugged after years of diatomaceous earth swimming pool filter media which has settled to the bottom of the sewer line came loose in chunks (a whole other story about back-flushing swimming pool DE filters into a sewer line!). I dumped the gray and black water tanks every couple of days at the near by Love's Travel Stop. It's comforting to have a "home away from home" whenever needed.

Brett -- Thanks for the prompt response. My lingering question is "Will I ever complete Motorhome 101 class?"

As always, I never complete Motorhome 101 class. Even though I have owned my motorhome for 2-1/2 years, this weekend was the first time I "played" with my Freightliner dashboard "read-outs". I discovered that one of the available read-outs is "Turbo Pressure" which I selected out of curiosity. What I discovered was the turbo pressure while idling is 0 psig with the turbo pressure reaching 27 psig while accelerating from a full stop. This turbo pressure reading makes sense to me i.e. low exhaust gas flow while idling to max exhaust gas flow while accelerating. For reference my engine is a 2007 EPA Cummins 300 HP ISB. My curiosity questions are: 1) Is this turbo pressure range "typical" ? 2) Is turbo pressure a "read-out" worth monitoring ? Thanks for your thoughts.

Quick update. The new Lippert controller arrived late this past Thursday (9/6/18) and installed this past Friday. The slide-out now retracts with no problems. I had Reynolds Mobile RV Repair here in Houston replace the controller so I could watch and learn. Eric Reynolds (owner) explained to me that over time the contacts in the simple Lippert controllers "burn out" an can no longer carry the amps required to power the slide-out motor. Having seen the controller replaced, it is a simple, ten minute effort. Eric inspected the gears, rollers, etc. on the slide out and all are in good shape Also similar to Carl, each of my slide-outs has its own controller. My opposing living room slide-outs are Lippert "2x2" electric slide-outs each with it's own motor, controller, and "extend/retract" push button --> https://www.lci1.com/assets/content/support/assemblies/Slideouts/2_x_2_Electric_Through_Frame_Slide_Out_Center_Drive_Assembly.pdf I also learned from Eric that my bedroom slide-out (which is the queen size bed) is a Norco Accu-Slide --> http://norcoind.com/bal/products/oem/accuslide/index.shtml The motor and controller for this slide-out are located behind the top decorative molding meaning more difficult access for a controller replacement or other repairs/adjustments. All is good again until the next thing breaks......

I now have had two Lippert brand slide out controllers fail within the last twelve months. The controller for the passenger side slide-out failed last October 2017 and the controller for the driver side slide-out failed this past weekend (September 2018). Both controllers are original to my 2007 model year motorhome. My questions to the forum are: 1) Are failures of the slide-out controller a common occurrence for older motorhomes? 2) Does anyone keep a new slide-out controller in their inventory of "spare parts"? The Lippert slide-out controller for my motorhome is relatively inexpensive and easy to replace --> https://store.lci1.com/controller-2-070-x-1-5-part-10665 Having a spare controller would reduce the frustration and stress when a controller unexpectedly fails. Your thoughts please! Thanks!

F422485 -- Can you elaborate a bit more on your oil change and the resultant decrease in fuel mileage? Given my experience on the Refining side of manufacturing engine oils, the API specifications (i.e. the current CK-4 spec for 15W-40 heavy duty oils) have a very tight range for all oil manufacturers to meet. Changing "brands" of oil but still using 15W-40 should have very little, if any, affect on fuel mileage. Changing oil "type" i.e. switching from a lower viscosity oil such as 10W-30 to higher viscosity oil such as 15W-40 would result in a small fuel mileage reduction that given driving habits may not be measurable. Engine oil manufacturers predominantly use additive packages from Lubrizol, Chevron and ExxonMobil to meet the CK-4 specifications for viscosity index, lubricity, stability and contaminants control. Lower priced engine oils (this Walmart brand) use "just enough" additives to meet API specs. More expensive major brands (Shell, Mobil, Castrol, Pennzoil, etc.) strive to exceed API specs meaning those brands use additional additives. Over time (i.e. many years / many miles), using lower priced engine oils results in slightly increased wear of engine parts, slightly more sludge in the oil pan, etc. BUT with regards to fuel mileage, there should be no difference between lower price and higher price engine oils of the same type i.e. 15W-40.

Some additional "technical info" on this topic. This week I had my annual engine oil and filter changes performed by Cummins Coach Care in Houston while they had my motorhome for Onan generator repairs (I hit the twelve months since last oil change limit on my engine well before a mileage limit). Since Cummins endorses Valvoline Premium Blue 15W-40 engine oil, Cummins Coach Care Houston only uses Valvoline for work they do. I've never used a Valvoline oil in any of my vehicles before so during lunch today I perused the Valvoline website for technical details about the Valvoline Premium Blue 15W-40 engine oil. Premium Blue oil is "conventional" meaning it's manufactured from crude oils. The physical properties of the Premium Blue 15W-40 meets current API CK-4 and earlier specifications --> https://sharena21.springcm.com/Public/Document/18452/9c99aef7-c07e-e711-9c10-ac162d889bd3/ba8b3c4d-0abd-e711-9c12-ac162d889bd1 The Valvoline oil replaces the Shell Rotella oil that was in my engine. Both manufactures meet the CK-4 specifications. What is the forum's experience with Valvoline Premium Blue 15W-40 engine oil?

Eric -- The 0.8 gallons per hour "full load" diesel fuel use for QD 10,000 Watt generator shown on the Cummins chart looks reasonable. For my LSU football tailgating weekends (which starts next weekend!!) I run my QD 7500 watt generator 24/7 under mostly full load (both air conditioners running most of the time on a hot September weekend) for 48 hours. Per the fuel gauge on my dashboard the generator uses ~1/4 of a tank or ~25 gallons which equates to ~0.55 gallons per hour. But as sstgermain said, I personally don't think about the cost of generator fuel use during an LSU weekend as the most important thing is making sure the wife, daughter, daughter-in-laws and grandkids are cool and comfortable. During football weekends a "hot wife" is not a "happy wife"......

An update for the forum. I ended up taking my motorhome to Cummins Coach Care in Houston and I'm glad I did !! They don't have the 3-4 week back log of work that RV Masters, Camping World and other repair shops in the Houston area have. Justin McDonald (Shop Supervisor) has been fantastic to work with. The coolant leak was due to a crack on the bottom the coolant reservoir due to the plastic being eleven years old and brittle. The generator had to be dropped out of the frame to do the work (motorhome placed on hydraulic lift, hydraulic work table placed under the generator to remove it, etc.). While "on the ground", I had most of the "1,000 hours Service" work performed in addition to replacing the coolant tank: All hoses replaced (including new clamps, gaskets, etc.) Belt replaced Thermostat and temperature sending unit replaced Justin said my generator with 600 hours of use is in "great shape" and advised that "valve lash adjustments" in the generator's engine and replacing brushes in the generator would be money wasted so that work was not done. While waiting for the new coolant tank to arrive, I also had Cummins Coach Care perform the annual "main engine" and chassis service. The cost to replace engine oil and oil filter, replace the in-line fuel filter and fuel filter/water separator, lube the chassis, inspect and top off other fluids, check tire pressure, etc. is price competitive with the Houston area Mobile RV Lube business I've used before. Again, Justin was open and honest when he advised that the engine air filter did not need to be replaced. I also had the charge air cooler inspected and it was found to be in good shape with no cleaning needed. I also asked for the air system drier/filter cartridge to be inspected since it was over two years old. Justin's advice was to replace the cartridge given all of my motorhome use has been in the humid Gulf Coast area. I will retrieve my motorhome from Cummins Coach Care this coming Wednesday (8/30/18) after a ten day stay which is quite short compared to 3-4 weeks at other shops. I don't yet know what the final cost is for all of the work as Cummins Coach Care has not finalized if my XtraRide extended service plan will pay for the generator coolant reservoir replacement. If XtraRide pays nothing, my total bill will be ~$2,500 = $1,800 labor + $500 parts/oil/filters/air dryer cartridge/etc. + $200 taxes. Cummins Coach Care uses Valvoline Premium Blue 15W-40 oil which per the Valvoline website is "endorsed" by Cummins. I've never used Valvoline brand engine oil but with the Cummins endorsement I presume it has to be "OK". I also learned that Cummins Coach Care has capability to perform chassis, coach and generator maintenance for motorhomes. Their capabilities are not limited to just Cummins engines and Onan generators maintenance. Based on this very positive experience, they have moved ahead of RV Masters in the Houston area as my first stop for shop maintenance work.

Mark.... I purchased my TireMinder M-77 system at Camping World in Katy, TX (far west side of Houston). Their "sale price" along with the Good Sam Club discount was cost competitive with offers on Amazon. I try to keep my "RV purchases" local as possible if the "brick and mortar" stores will come close to Amazon or other on-line pricing.

Regarding the question of using synthetic oils in Onan generators, since my company (Phillips 66) owns Redline Oils (manufacturer of high performance synthetic engine oils), I contacted the tech services manager I know at Redline especially since I'm using the Redline synthetic 15W-40 engine oil in my generator. The Redline tech services manager was not aware of Cummins saying "no" to synthetic oil in Onan generators so he contacted his counterpart at Cummins. The Cummins technical manager said the reason for saying "no" to synthetic oils for generators is to help assure that owners do no go beyond the 150 hour max run time between oil / oil filter changes. Reason is, the small Kubota three cylinder diesel engines have a "fair amount" of exhaust gases / exhaust particulates leakage into the engine oil which greatly impacts engine oil performance. Cummins acknowledged that synthetic oils are more robust in handling exhaust gases and are more thermally stable, the small oil filters on Kubota engines can only handle certain amount of particulates before oil flow is adversely affected. For the reason of oil filter "particulates loading", Cummins does want owners to think that by using a synthetic oil that the max 150 hours run time between oil changes can be extended. Bottom line, the answer is synthetic oils can be used in Onan generators on the basis that run time between oil changes is not extended. For me, using a synthetic 15W-40 engine oil in my generator gives me an additional level of comfort that my generator, running 24/7 for 48 hours on a hot, humid September weekend in Baton Rouge will have the lubrication protection it needs.

Brett -- What are your thoughts on the use of the Vertical Exhaust Extension that Cummins says is a "no - no" ?

Brett -- For owners like me who are still in "Motorhome Pre-K" and have spent essentially no time under the rear end of their motorhomes, can you provide a photo and/or image of a charge air cooler so we know what we're looking for on our "rear radiator" motorhomes? The only image I can find is attached which isn't overly helpful. Also, if the charge air cooler must be cleaned by removing the engine compartment access panel in the rear of the motorhome, what do you use to clean the charge air cooler? A small garden sprayer perhaps? Do you dilute the Simple Green cleaner? Thanks for the help and education!

I can't comment on the TST nor the EEZTire systems but can say that the TireMinder TM-77 system I've had the last two years has performed flawlessly.

I took my motorhome to the Cummins Coach Care Center in Houston this past Friday, 8/17/18, for generator repair (I have a separate post on that topic). While there, the service advisor asked if I hadr seen the latest presentation Cummins has for owners of Onan generators from 2017. Answer was "no" so he e-mailed the presentation to me which is attached for the forum to peruse. On slide 5 of the presentation, Cummins recommends against any modifications to the generator exhaust system including the use of Vertical Exhaust Extensions as such an extension cause additional backpressure on the generator engine (?). During the football season, to assure a safe environment in the RV lots at LSU, the use of Vertical Exhaust Extension is required (I use the Camco extension shown on the green motorhome on slide 7). There are hundreds of motorhomes at each LSU football weekend using vertical exhaust extensions! The only option for an LSU football weekend is to NOT run the generator which would make all of our wonderful (tolerant?) football wives most upset !! What say you the forum that has a lot more Onan generator / small diesel engine knowledge than I ever will about using a vertical exhaust extension? Also, note on page 46 of the presentation that Cummins says NOT to use synthetic engine oil in diesel generators which does not make sense to me as synthetic engine oils are much more stable and have better additives than conventional motor oils. Synthetic engine oils are designed to perform better / offer more protection compared to conventional engine oils. In general, what does the forum think of this Cummins presentation for Onan generators? Cummins_Onan_Generator_Seminar_Apr_2017.pdf

Yesterday afternoon (Sunday, 8/5/18) I was traveling from a family gathering in New Orleans to Houston on I-10 and saw a shorter 36 foot (??) Itasca Meridian towing a new model Chevy Equinox four down (not a motorhome trip this time for me). At first I was surprised an Equinox could be towed four down until I saw this thread and looked at the 2018 Towing Guide. Concerning for me was the Equinox was "fish tailing" as it was being towed which I haven't seen from any other vehicles I've seen in tow. Granted I-10 through Louisiana in into east Texas is in bad shape so a driver of any size vehicle has to make some rather sudden moves to avoid large pot holes, broken concrete and buckled joints in the highway. I don't know if some sudden quick moves by the driver of the Meridian translated to the fish-tailing of the Equinox or if towing an Equinox four down has some unexpected challenges. Just sharing what I observed yesterday for Equinox owners and forum members to ponder.

The small coolant leak I had from my Onan 7500 watt Quiet Diesel generator has grown worse meaning time for repair. The generator is not on a slide out tray thus it needs to be dropped out of the frame an onto the ground to remove the cover and access the engine. For the moment I have an appointment for next Thursday, 8/9/18, at Cummins Coach Care (Cummins Service Center) on I-610 on the northeast side of Houston. In addition to finding and repairing the coolant leak, what other "routine maintenance" should be performed while the generator "is on the ground"? I'm thinking replace any belts, replace coolant hoses, thermostat (presume it has one?), etc. Should the glow plug be replaced? The generator is a 2007 model and next week will be the first time the engine has ever been exposed. Any routine maintenance items for the generator itself? Replace brushes perhaps? The generator has 600 hours of use. Also, for folks from the Houston area, does the Cummins Service Center provide good service? Because the generator has to be dropped to the ground to access the engine, the other RV repair businesses I've called are very reluctant to do the work. Thanks for your thoughts / guidance!

Thanks for the prompt replies! After being associated with travel trailers and especially my motorhome since my teens I still amaze myself at what and how much I don't know!! During my teen years in the late 1970's my parent's 24 foot long Prowler travel trailer did not have the luxuries (essentials?)) we have today like a power cord, converter, slides, air conditioning, etc. "Power" for the travel trailer can from a single, sparsely used 12 volt deep cycle battery. Propane ran the frig. Lighting came from a Ray-o-Vac battery lantern or Coleman fuel latern. Air conditioning came from open windows and roof vents (which was all ever needed in the Medicine Bow Forest of southern Wyoming).

I haven't passed the electrical section of Motorhome 101 class yet so I need to ask some dumb questions. When my Iota Engineering brand automatic transfer switch "fried" a couple of months ago it was replaced with the Progressive Dynamics Surge Protected ATS --> https://www.progressivedyn.com/rv/automatic-transfer-switches/pd52dcs-pd52s-240-vac-50-amp-automatic-surge-protected-transfer-switch-the-silent-ats/ This new ATS offers 3300 Joules of surge protection. RV Masters in Houston recommended this more robust ATS and my XtraRide service warranty approved its use. I had been using a "portable" 50 amp Surge Guard protector the last 2-1/2 years that provides a somewhat better 4200 Joules of surge protection versus my new ATS --> https://www.campingworld.com/portable-surge-guard-protectors-50-amp These are my dumb questions for my first outing with the new ATS. Can the portable Surge Guard Protector be safely and successfully used in series with my new surge protected ATS? Would surge protectors in series offer any benefit to the surge protector in the new ATS? The "set-up" would be ATS with shore power cord from the ATS connected to the portable surge protector connected to an RV park utility pedestal. 2-1/2 years into Motorhome 101 class and I still have dumb questions that need answering. Thanks for the help!

llgosselin -- Welcome to the forum! There are many very knowledgeable, very experienced folks (I call them experts!) on the forum the help much less experienced folks like me with their motorhome questions. A couple of years ago and LSU football tailgating buddy introduced me to the "EZ Zip Blocker" sun shade made by Carefree of Colorado (I purchased mine at Camping World in Houston). The top part of the shade rolls-up nicely with the awning. When "unfurled", the lower section is attached by a zipper. I use tent stakes to tie-down the bottom end. The sun shade provides wonderful shade and comfort on a hot Saturday morning in September in Baton Rouge! Here's the link to the EZ Zip Blocker sun shade at Camping World --> https://www.campingworld.com/ez-zipblockers It may be found for a lower price on Amazon or other websites. When you have time, add info such as motorhome make, model and year as that info helps the many experts on the forum answer questions.

Not quite two years ago I had to replace my two, five year old Interstate 6-volt batteries on short notice (i.e. the night before leaving on an LSU football weekend outing). One of the cases had cracked for unknown reasons and was leaking. The Interstate batteries were came with the motorhome when I purchased it. My local Batteries + Lights Store had same size Duracell brand batteries that were relatively cheap at $99 each (not including taxes). After two years, I've had no problems with the Duracell batteries.

On my daily drive home from work, I pass by the Walmart near Katy Mills Mall / Katy, TX which is located on the far west side of Houston on the south side of I-10. Since last Wednesday a 1990's era (I'm guessing) Holiday Rambler diesel pusher and even older looking small Winnebago Class C have been parked on the east side of the Walmart parking lot for all of the motoring public to see. The condition of both motorhomes is horrible with no apparent pride by their owners to do even a small amount of maintenance. The Holiday Rambler DP has a shredded awning, moldy roof and side walls, missing compartment doors and was "listing" badly to the passenger side. The small Winnebago looks even worse with a couple of plywood windows, a few parts of what was once a roof A/C, rusty exterior walls, etc. This past weekend (July 21 & 22) thousands of people would have seen these two eye-sores which were still in the Walmart parking lot this morning. This Bing search image of old RVs makes the ones parked at the Katy Mills Walmart look good! --> https://binged.it/2A9H0dY The FMCA forum members take great pride in maintaining their motorhomes/RVs. Seeing the two decrepit motorhomes the last several days imparts a adverse impression of motorhome on the general public. I can't imagine the Katy Mills Walmart allowing those motorhomes to remain parked in their lot much longer. We as a FMCA community work hard to maintain our motorhomes and promote the enjoyment of RVs for family enjoyment to full time living. When "hunks of junk" motorhomes/RVs are parked for an extended period of time in public view, is there anything that can be done to get the eye-sores moved? Or am I being overly sensitive and shouldn't worry if public viewing of decrepit motorhomes creates a bad perception of all motorhome owners? I guess it's time to have some cheese with my whine!