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Carl, Bill -- I'll give a different perspective and then have you share your thoughts for the group. My 2007 motorhome has a 300 HP Cummins ISB with the Allison MH-2500 five speed transmission. When climbing hills in the Texas Hill Country. For example the climb to La Hacienda RV Resort on Lake Travis northwest of Austin is rather substantial especially by the dam and the climb out of Marble Falls is quite step and has a stop light in the middle of the climb! From my perspective my transmission downshifts about the time I think it should thus I have not had the need to manually downshift. I've also had no problems climbing the steep bridges over rivers along I-10 in Louisiana. I typically average 50 mph going up those steep inclines be then a big I-10 bridge or a longer steep hill in the Hill Country. Steep climbs in the Rockies or other mountainous roads may be a different story.

This if off topic, but for the forum I recently learned a new meaning for "FIRE" that I hope to achieve in the next 2-3 years -- Financially Independent Retired Early.

Brett -- Given your many years of experiences, I and I'm sure all forum members would like your "educated guesses" on what would cause a motorhome to catch fire while climbing I-70 out of Denver to the mountains. I'd think if an engine overheated (at least a Cummins engine) that it would go into safety mode, slow down, etc. I'm wondering if an electrical short (such as in the ATS if the generator was operating) or a refrigerator in propane mode would be the more likely cause of a fire. Cleaning radiators and engine air charge coolers as you have coached us many times is now on my list of things to do each spring before hot summer weather arrives.

This past weekend I put my Onan 7500 Watt Quiet Diesel generator through it's monthly 30 minute exercise under full load. While running, I noticed a small'ish coolant leak from under the metal housing on the 'driver side' of the generator (hopefully a hose leak as described elsewhere on the forum). Not wanting to take the motorhome back to RV Masters for another 2-3 week stay, I "Googled" Onan generator repairs in the Houston area and discovered a mobile RV repair business by the name of CJC Generators and Mobile RV Repair which is located in Katy, TX near my home --> http://www.cjcgenerators.com/index.html I called the owner "William" and by phone he is very professional and seems quite knowledgeable. Before using his services, I am wondering if any forum members in the Houston area have experience with CJC Generators and Mobile RV Repair? If the answer is "yes", was your experience/service from them good or bad? Thanks for any feedback you may have!

A final update for the forum. A couple of weeks ago RV Masters in Houston installed a new Progressive Dynamics PD52DCS ATS (which includes a surge protector) to replace the "fried" Iota Engineering brand ATS. Surprisingly to me, XtraRide (my extended service warranty provider) preferred the Progressive Dynamics ATS because of its metal housing and metal buss-bar construction. My cost was just the $200 deductible for my XtraRide warranty. RV Masters, who does good work for me, found the cause of the electrical short that cause the Iota ATS to fail was a loose ground wire connection behind the buss-bar. This connection is "original construction" of the ATS and was not accessible to re-tighten the screw. The power cord connections/screws on the front of the buss-bar (shore line, generator line, and the line to the power distribution panel) were all tight (except for those that were burned!). Annual check of all wire connections in my new ATS now goes on my "to do" list a year from now. This weekend I'll check connections in my power distribution panel. My one "complaint" with RV Masters this time was the timeliness of getting the work done as during the peak of RV season they have a two to three week backlog of work to do with 85-100 RVs (mostly motorhomes and fifth wheels) inside their fence every week!

My "two cents" is purchase the "best value" tire. When I purchased my motorhome 2-1/2 years ago from a consignment dealer in Houston (PPL Motorhomes) it needed a full set of new tires. PPL recommended Goodyear G661 HSA tires as they were more readily available and around $100 per tire cheaper than "RV" tires from Goodyear and Michelin. My tires are 255/70R22.5 "H" load rating as required by the Freightliner tire specification sticker. The Goodyear G661 HSA's have provided a comfortable ride and look nearly new after 10,000 miles of use. They cost about $600 per tire installed. I was not a member of FMCA at the time I purchased the motorhome and new tires so I don' know how the price I paid compares to equivalent tires from FMCA's tire purchasing program. Here is a link to the sales brochure for Goodyear G661 HSA tires --> https://www.goodyeartrucktires.com/pdf/resources/publications/sellsheets/g661_hsa_sellsheet_oct_2015.pdf\ Also, during "lunch time" Googling, I found the Modern Tire Dealer website which has a qualitative (?) ranking of top quality commercial truck/bus tires from a 2016 survey. I'd think the "fleet owner rankings" provide a better view of actual tire performance. Michelin and Bridgestone have a close "first place" ranking followed by Goodyear/Yokohoma/Firestone in a tight "second place". The fleet owner quality ratings start to fall off with Toyo and other brands --> http://www.moderntiredealer.com/uploads/stats/page-26-chart.pdf Given that quality rankings for the "top five" are "pretty darn close", I'd suggest pricing each brand and chose the lowest cost set of tires. I'm anxious to see TireMan's responses to this topic.

Gira -- After using my 2007 model Onan 7500 Watt Quiet Diesel generator while traveling from Houston to Fort Walton Beach Florida (and back again) this past week (July 1 - 7, 2018), a small coolant leak developed. Since my generator is not on a slide-out, it is difficult to access and thus I did not attempt to look for the leak. Could you please share the source of your coolant leak i.e. hose or clamp leak or something much worse? Did you repair the leak yourself? My generator thankfully operated without problems. I simply topped-off the coolant reservoir before making the day long drive from Fort Walton Beach back to Houston. Thanks for your thoughts.

Five -- I had never heard about Samson tires until now so after a quick Google search I find that they are manufactured by a Chinese company --> http://gtcna.com/about.php I had a similar, unexpected, tire blow-out problem a few years ago on the 30 foot travel trailer I owned despite the tires being only two years old and had no indication of low pressure, excessive temperature, etc. from my Tire Minder TPMS system. The tire that blew-out was a brand I did not know (and don't remember). As I researched new tires I learned that at least for travel trailers that many of those tires are imported from Chinese manufacturers and come with significant quality concerns. They cost ~25% less than tires made by Good Year and Cooper. After my research I opted for the Good Year tires as I didn't want to experience another unexpected, very scary tire blow-out. Part of my research included this older NBC News article about tires manufactured in China --> http://www.nbcnews.com/id/32899266/ns/business-autos/t/chinese-tires-its-buyer-beware/#.WzUhIWyouUk Name brand tires with strict specifications (Michelin, Good Year, Pirelli, etc.) manufactured in China have similar quality to those brands manufactured in the U.S. "Off Brands" manufactured in China have the quality and safety concerns. It would be good to know if Samson is considered a "main stream" brand like Good Year or if it is an "off brand".

KL -- I had a similar problem with my passenger side slide that it would sporadically not retract until finally a few months ago it completely failed to retract. The cause of the problem was a failing and then totally failed Lippert brand slide-out control module --> https://store.lci1.com/control-sensing-140-1163 When not in use, I keep my motorhome at a nice, two year old covered storage facility (each spot is 50 feet long). The spacing between spots does not allow slide-outs to be extended for long periods of time. There are many, many, "snow birds" and construction contractors in Texas who have their slide-outs extended for months, even years, at a time so I don't think it matters if slide-outs are extended or not during storage. Hope this helps!

Nice looking Wrangler! It will serve you well whether you are "four wheeling" in an urban concrete jungle or on narrow, muddy road in your favorite National Forest. Rock climbing capability comes with after-market upgrades that I've yet to invest in. With regards to towing, I have zero problems with my four door Wrangler. Being a smaller, 4,000 lbs'ish weight vehicle there is not much difference in how my motorhome handles towing, not towing my Wrangler. Enjoy your new "toy"!

Nan -- Sorry to hear you are having problems with your frig. Having read through all of the great replies above have you checked that the chimney above the burner has no obstructions? Most RV refrigerators have an aqueous ammonia based cooling system (see attached diagram). Heat is required to boil the ammonia out of the ammonia-water solution (ammonia vapor is the refrigerant for the frig much like the Freon is the refrigerant for your dash A/C). The source of that heat is either the 120 volt heating element or the propane burner (see the attached diagram). Your frig works fine on 120 volt which means the electric heating element has good contact with the boiler/perk tube and the heat input is adequate. Your describe the propane burner as working "OK" regardless of using propane from your on-board tank or external tank. My suspicion is the chimney above the burner is restricted with cobwebs/dirt or a bird's nest or something else meaning inadequate hot gas flow along the boiler/perk tube. Typically the chimney "exhausts" through a rectangular opening through the top of an RV's roof. The chimney has a rectangular cover to keep rain, branches, leaves, etc. out of the chimney. To check the chimney I'd suggest removing the top cover and peer down into the chimney with a suitable flashlight to look for an obstruction. If there is an obstruction, a small width broom could be used to push the "stuff" out the bottom of the chimney. Also check the baffles in the bottom of the chimney above the burner to assure they are not partially plugged. Hope this info is useful.

My motorhome has the original 19" Panasonic analog television in the bedroom that the wife and I can't use as there is no convenient spot in the bedroom to place a HD to analog converter. Some Goggling this past week found this short video on replacing a similar size analog TV --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-uwlBVyI_I In the video, the original "frame" is mounted on what looks to be a 3/4" thick piece of oak (or some other hardwood that becomes the "cabinet door" for the original analog TV "box". The hinges and door clasp look "undersized" for supporting a new flat screen television but the concept looks like something I could actually do! Given the width of the wall space that my current 19" analog TV consumes I'm probably limited to a 13.3" LED TV (maybe a 15.6"). What does the forum think about the analog TV replacement concept shown in the video? Thanks for your thoughts!

Thanks everyone for the prompt responses! Rich -- I don't know if my motorhome has a "J" (junction?) box and thus have no idea where to look. In the driver side rear compartment where my ATS resides I have the cord from the generator to the ATS, the shore power cord to the ATS, and then the cord from the ATS that goes to the power distribution panel located in the bedroom wall on the passenger side of my motorhome. My converter is located in the passenger side rear compartment below the floor where the power distribution panel is located. I guess there could be a junction box in that compartment to route wires to the power distribution panel and converter (??). Could you / the forum offer some suggestions of where to look for junction boxes? .

First I want to thank the forum for the fantastic responses about my bad ATS experience and the advice on annual "bus-bar" screws tightening maintenance. In that posting there is good discussion about performing the same annual "wire tightening" maintenance in the power distribution panel. To get advice I need I'm starting a new thread on that topic. My power distribution panel looks similar to the attached image I found through "googling" (I don't have a photo nor manufacturer of my distribution panel). Under the breaker switches in my panel is the diagram that labels each service for each breaker switch. The attached image suggests that 'label panel' can be removed to find the bus-bar for all of the wires entering/leaving the power distribution panel -- correct?? The annual maintenance is then re-torqueing each screw in the bus-bar to the torque requirement specified by the power distribution panel manufacturer. Is this the proper view of the annual maintenance that should be performed ? Do wire connections at each 120 volt outlet need to be checked periodically? What about wire connections at my two roof top air conditioners and at the water heater (which are the only other 120 volt users beyond the outlets). The forum's guidance please! Forgive me for being a slow learner in Motorhome 101 Class...

A quick update on my ATS saga and a new question for the forum. XtraRide approved the replacement of my fried Iota ATS with the WFCCO T57 as the best "like kind" ATS. RV Masters will do the work which should be done in a couple of weeks (RV Masters currently has a 13 day back-log of work). My new question for the forum comes from my father-in-law who is a long time retiree of Public Service Company of Colorado (now Xcel Energy) and a big-time DIY home re-modeling guy including home electrical systems. He asked if automatic transfer switches have "problems", why not use a manual transfer switch that is very commonly used for connecting a generator to a home distribution/breakers box? He stated a manual transfer switch would offer more reliability by not having a solenoid, circuit board, etc. that could fail. My response was "I don't know why a manual transfer switch is not used by I know a great group of motorhome owners that would have the answer !". When I think about the 2011 Tracer Executive 30 foot travel trailer I previously owned, it had a manual transfer switch -- ME !! I either plugged the TT's 30 amp cord into shore power at an RV park OR plugged it into my parallel Honda 2000 generators when boon-docking at an LSU football game. So, Forum, why wouldn't a manual transfer switch work if such a switch is made for RVs, work? And now the follow-up question which completely eliminates the need for a transfer switch. The 50-amp power cord conceivably can be wired directly to a motorhome's distribution panel (same as in the TT that I owned). The "cord" from the on-board Onan generator could terminate in a 50-amp outlet in the compartment where the power cord is stored. Then depending on where the motorhome is parked, the 50-amp power cord could be plugged into shore power or plugged into the generator. Why wouldn't this arrangement work (which is the same as any travel trailer has) ??

Bill C -- Thanks for sharing! It's experiences like this that help me progress through Motorhome Owner 101 Class ! I have a small battery "use / store" button on the switch panel that is next to the entry stairs of my motorhome. Your experience will help me be more cautious about inadvertently bumping that switch and disconnecting my house batteries. Every time I read postings on the forum I learn something new which makes me wonder if I will ever graduate from Motorhome 101 class.....

In case the forum has not seen this news, Chrysler-Fiat a few days ago recalled nearly 5 million Jeeps, Dodges, etc. due to problems with the cruise control systems in those vehicles. Several of the recalled vehicles are used a "toads" by FMCA members including Jeep Cherokees and Grand Cherokees, Jeep Wranglers and Dodge Ram trucks. This CNN Money article lists the vehicles under the cruise control system recall --> http://money.cnn.com/2018/05/25/autos/fca-recall-cruise-control/index.html My daughter's 2016 Dodge Durango is under the recall. Fortunately my 2016 Jeep Wrangler is not! Also, for any vehicle you own, you can determine if it is under any recall by entering the VIN into the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website --> https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls

My son in Lake Charles, LA learned about this I-10 bridge closure in Baton Rouge from local television news. The big Mississippi River Bridge on Interstate 10 on the west side of Baton Rouge will be closed this weekend (June 1-3, 2018) for repairs. During the bridge closure, I-10 traffic will flow from Lafayette, LA north on I-49 to Opelousas, LA then use US 90 to Baton Rouge (the "old way" around the Atchafalaya Swamp). I-10 traffic is horrible any given weekend. Traffic this weekend along US 90 will be a nightmare (numerous stop lights in several small towns). Here is the link to the Louisiana DOTD with this I-10 bridge closure announcement --> http://wwwapps.dotd.la.gov/administration/announcements/announcement.aspx?key=16925 For those with travel plans between Houston and New Orleans/Biloxi the next few days, find a nice RV park/resort to spend this weekend, June 1-3, 2018 and avoid many frustrating hours in very hot weather is what is sure to be a massive traffic jam on US 90 between Lafayette and Baton Rouge.

FMCA.com is my "go to place" to get quick, superb advice for my motorhome "experiences". My hope is that the vast motorhome knowledge on FMCA.com does not get diluted with "stuff" for other RV types. iRV2 is OK, but responding to forum postings / navigating & searching for info in iRV2 forums is not nearly as nice as FMCA. I use Good Sam Club to search for/research RV parks/resorts near places the wife and I plan to visit. I rarely visit the Good Sam Club forum as it is poorly organized.

Brett -- Thanks for the prompt response! My tires look almost new with no unusual wear. I'll heed your advice and "not" rotate the tires.

After a little searching I found this thread and need to resurrect it as my motorhome heads to the shop this week for replacement of the automatic transfer switch. When I purchased my motorhome 2-1/2 years ago, a condition of that purchase was the installation of new tires. The previous owner installed six new, Goodyear G661 255/70R22.5 load rating H tires which meet the tire requirements (i.e. load rating H). After 2-1/2 years the tires now have 11,000 miles of use. My interpretation of the comments in this thread is the tires do not need to be rotated -- correct ?? The Goodyear G661 HSA tires have given me zero problems thus far and they provide a comfortable ride ! As usual, I appreciate any and all comments and education from the forum as it seems I'll forever be in diesel pusher motorhome class 101.....

Let the "refining guy" jump in with a response. First all "current generation" engine oils meet requirements of previous generations but with improved additive packages. As a means to meet ever increasing EPA CAF (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards, vehicle and truck manufactures are increasing performance requirements of engine oils i.e. improved lubrication means less power loss to engine friction which increases fuel economy. Engine oil manufactures are continually evolving engine oil formulations to meet vehicle manufacturer demands. Specific to Shell, they, like all engine oil manufactures provide three grades of heavy duty engine oils to meet vehicle manufacturers demands: T-4 15W-40 which is made from conventional base oil (i.e. derived from crude oil) for large diesel engines T-5 10W-30 which is a conventional / synthetic base oil blend -- developed for smaller diesel engines T-6 5W-40 which is a full synthetic -- developed to achieve slightly better fuel economy for large diesel engines All three Shell HD engine oils will meet the current API CK-4 specifications for lubrication, corrosion, etc. protection but that's we're the similarity ends. The "lower" the W number (i.e. cold weather performance) the "thinner" (i.e. lower viscosity) base oil that is used. By setting a lower "cold temperature" viscosity requirement, an engine manufacturer can achieve small fuel economy increases as a lower viscosity oil takes less energy to move around when the engine is cold. After the engine gets to operating temperature (i.e. the "40" spec), there is no difference in fuel economy as a result of the engine oil. A "5W" engine oil should not be used in an engine that specifies an "15W" oil as the engine manufacturer is expecting a specific oil viscosity/performance when the engine is first started at an ambient temperature of -5 F or warmer (which is the temperature used to establish 15W oil performance specs). "5W" oil is designed for cold weather temps from -5 F to - 30 F. I would not use 5W-40 oil in Texas especially when Cummins specifies 15W-40 oil for my 2007 ISB engine. The "30 and 40" numbers represent the oil viscosity requirements when the engine is at normal operating temperature. To achieve the high temp viscosity requirement, a viscosity improver additive is added to the base oil used in the formulation. The wider the spread between the W number and the higher number, the more additive required and the less the natural lubrication from the base oil. All engine oils "break down" over time due to heat from the engine (the large paraffinic molecules which provide the lubrication "crack" into smaller molecules). Conventional oil contains less paraffinic molecules than synthetic oils and thus breaks-down and loses viscosity rather quickly (hence the 3,000 mile oil change frequency for cars using convention oil). Synthetic oils are 100% paraffinic meaning their are more paraffins to "crack" over time. The time for synthetic oils to break-down is much longer than convention oils which is why oil change frequency can be extended to 10,000 miles for the highest quality synthetic oils. The huge "caveat" in oil change frequency is the amount of engine exhaust and its corrosive acids (sulfonic, sulfuric, carbonic, nitric) that enter the engine oil. These acids form from the products in engine exhaust -- water, carbon dioxide, sulfur oxides, nitric oxides. Carbon particulates are also in engine exhaust (especially diesel engine exhaust) as a result of incomplete combustion. All engine oils have anti-corrosion additives to protect engine parts from these acids and water. Engine oil also has additives to help carbon particulates 'filter out' better in oil filters. The amount of additives used presumes the amount of exhaust entering the oil is no more than what engine manufacturers specify. Over time piston rings and exhaust valves wear resulting in ever increasing amounts of exhaust gas entering the engine oil. As such, I would never let the oil change frequency extend beyond the time specified by the engine manufacturer. Personally, I change engine oil a bit more frequently than required. Also, the "volume" of oil used in an engine affects oil quality / changing frequency which is why small engine oil volume has increased from four quarts to five or six quarts. Large diesel engines will require 4 gallons or more to have plenty of capability to absorb engine exhaust products. Yes part of assuring good engine oil performance is 'solution by dilution'. Bottom line, if Cummins says use 15W-40 oil and change it at least once per year or every 15,000 miles (which ever come first), then do so to assure no engine lubrication problems.

To no surprise, my XtraRide extended warranty plan will only pay for a "like kind" replacement of my overheated Iota Engineering Brand ATS. Of the ATS's suggested by the RV Masters repair shop, XtraRide said the WFCO T57 ATS is the most similar to the Iota in terms of functionality. The other switches are an "upgrade" which XtraRide will not fund (especially switched with built-in surge protectors). So, I'll have the WFCO T57 switch installed. Over time I'll let the forum know how this switch performs. For surge protection I'll continue to use my 'portable' Surge Guard Protector --> https://www.campingworld.com/portable-surge-guard-protectors-50-amp Now a follow-up question -- What type of "torque screw driver" does the forum prefer? I need to purchase one for my tool box to use for what will now be an annual ATS busbar screw tightening party!

A few days ago I shared my experience about my Iota Engineering ATS overheating and catching fire. Now I need a new ATS and need advice from the forum on the best ATS available. RV Masters in Houston gave me these three switches to consider: Parallax Power Supply ATS 503 --> http://www.parallaxpower.com/transfer-switch-50a-120-240v-ats503 --> $450 WFCO T57 --> http://wfcoelectronics.com/product/wf-t-57/#tab-5b071284d5eeb --> $230 Progressive Dynamics PD52DCS --> https://www.progressivedyn.com/rv/automatic-transfer-switches/pd52dcs-pd52s-240-vac-50-amp-automatic-surge-protected-transfer-switch-the-silent-ats/ --> $390 The WFCO T-57 from a "cords in/out" configuration best resembles my Iota ATS with the shore line entering the bottom of the box with generator "in" and power distribution "out" cords on the sides of the box. While the WFCO ATS is the lowest cost, price is not the driver for me. I want the "best", most reliable ATS available to help assure I never experience an overheated ATS again! Reviews on Amazon for all three switches are generally quite good (each switch has one negative review) so if cost and especially ease of installation were the top concerns, I'd pick the WFCO switch. What advice does the Forum have for these three ATS's? Are there other brands of ATS's I should consider? Thanks for the help!

Brett, KayP -- I'm totally confused !! If my Iota transfer switch overheating was the result of loose connections, why then the numerous discussions and safety recalls the last six years about the switch not being properly designed to handle a high electrical load (i.e. two A/C units plus curling iron) under high ambient temperature conditions? Are you saying "all" transfer switch overheating/fire incidents like mine are the result of poor maintenance by each motorhome / fifth wheel owner that has a power transfer switch? What about the hundreds of other 120 volt connections in an RV? Does each connection at each 120 volt outlet need to be checked and tightened? Does each connection in the 120 volt circuit breaker panel need to be checked and tightened? What about connections that are not obvious like those or can't be accessed? In all of my years being around my parents and their travel trailer, four years owning a travel trailer and now 2-1/2 years of owing a motorhome, I don't recall any RV maintenance shop, RV school, etc. ever mentioning the need to inspect/re-tighten 120 volt connections. Your thoughts and guidance please!