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I recently purchased two large Duracell Ultra High Capacity 6 volt batteries (lead-acid type) from "Batteries+ Bulbs" to replace five year old Interstate brand coach batteries --> https://www.batteriesplus.com/battery/rv/deep-cycle/6/sligc115. The pricing for the Duracell batteries was slightly less than for Interstate batteries. I chose Duracell batteries simply because of the proximity of the Batteries+Bulbs store to the RV storage facility and that Duracell is a trusted name in the battery business. I have not had good reliability with Wal-Mart Everstart batteries in a couple of my vehicles thus I didn't consider Wal-Mart for coach batteries.

Smokeater -- Sorry to hear about the unfortunate incident. Our prayers are with your daughter-in-law's family. This topic raises a serious question of how to prevent a serious fall from the roof of a motorhome. My employer has stringent fall protection requirements when working a heights above six feet which includes wearing a fall protection harness with the lanyard "tied-off" to a proper anchor. Failure to follow my employer's fall protection requirements is cause for immediate termination. Considering that motorhome roofs are 12-13 feet above the ground, has anyone ever considered wearing a fall protection harness and if answer is "yes", to what was the harness' lanyard attached? If a fall protection harness is not worn, what others means can be used to prevent a fall from a motorhome roof?

Tireman -- Yes the TPMS sensor on the Jeep and motorhome tires are "external mount" attached to the valve stem. During my weekend outing all of the Jeep tire pressures were 33-35 psig thus the 90-95 F temp for the Jeep left front tire was likely caused by the motorhome exhaust. Per Brett's and Corona's suggestion, I will look at the motorhome exhaust tip and see if it can be rotated a bit direct the exhaust away from the Jeep tire.

Attached are two photos of my motorhome with Jeep in tow. First photo is an overall look. Second photo is a close up of motorhome exhaust which is directly in front of the Jeeps left front tire which has a temp of 90-95 F during this past weekend's outing. The other three Jeep tire temps were 80-85 F. The motorhome exhaust is the only thing I can think of that would affect the left front tire temp. Since my motorhome is a 2007 model it does not have DEF for a catalytic converter, no particulate filter, etc. Thanks for your thoughts!

Until this past weekend for a Mardi Gras outing I hadn't used my motorhome since the last LSU football game in mid-November (i.e. an 2-1/2 month hiatus). To my great surprise the two inch wide maroon colored decal across the front of the motorhome had oxidized and cracked in numerous spots despite the fact that the motorhome is in a new covered (but not enclosed) storage facility with the front of the motorhome facing north (meaning no sun exposure!). In the photo of my motorhome below, the white and large gray areas are paint. The "swirls" and narrow bands on the side and front of the motorhome. What suggestions does the forum have for preventing the other decals from rapidly oxidizing and cracking? Would Amorall or some other protectant work? Is there anything that can be done to restore the cracked decal other than full replacement? Thanks for the help! RV Storage Facility --> http://grandparkwayboatandrvstorage.com/ --> website has photo showing my motorhome under cover

My new Tire Minder TPMS system worked great this past weekend on a Mardi Gras outing to Lafayette, LA (stayed at the Cajun Palms RV Resort near Henderson, LA). Tire temperatures for the motorhome and Jeep were all 80-85 F during the trip to/from Henderson EXCEPT for the left front time of the Jeep which was consistently 90-95 F ! The Jeep's left front tire is behind the motorhome exhaust pipe thus it's logical (to me anyway) that the left front tire temp would be warmer than all others. For those that have a TPMS system, do you also see a higher temp for the front tire of your toad that is behind the motorhome exhaust? Are there any tricks to protecting the toad tire from the hot motorhome exhaust? Thanks for your thoughts!

I've had good luck with Meguiar's tire products for all of my vehicles including my motorhome. Meguiar's products are moderately priced at your favorite Walmart or O'Reily's Parts store. Meguiar's has the tire conditioners and anti-ozonants comparable to other tire conditioner products. I like the simplicity of spray foam application versus messier sponge/brush application of liquid conditioners.

I've had my motorhome for 18 months. My first "motorhome stupid spell" was after the first time use of the motorhome for an LSU football weekend in November 2015 when I forgot to lower the bat wing TV antenna (my pre-motorhome travel trailer had a small, short disc type antenna). The wonderful live oaks in Baton Rouge "reached out" and reminded me the antenna was still up. Luckily only small twigs on the oaks brushed the antenna before a big branch whacked it ! Of course I blamed the wife for not reminding me to lower the antenna as husbands are never wrong...

Corona -- A vast majority of motorhomes at an LSU football weekend have some type of outdoor light for Friday night partying ahead of the Saturday and after game partying (or drowing sorrows) late on Saturday nights. Some motorhome owners use rope lights on the ground or wrapped around awning arms. At best the rope lights are and look messy and when on the ground become a tripping hazard. If you are looking for outdoor lighting, I and many of my LSU brethren use globe lights that are easy to hang and remove from an awning during a football weekend. Mine of course are in purple and yellow colors --> http://www.rvpartscountry.com/RV-Globe-Lights-Purple-Yellow-6-Pack.html I often do not use the awning lights outside of football season at RV resorts as the "old people" and construction workers go to bed at sunset. So in RV resorts my wife and I sit under the stars enjoying our Pinot Noir until the 10:00 p.m. news starts....

Thanks for the prompt feedback! I'll try leaving the transmitters on the motorhome tires and only remove them from my Jeep. My reasoning for having transmitters on the Jeep tires is based on the experience of my wife's uncle and aunt this past December. The "uncle/aunt-in-law" have owned motorhomes for 20 years and are from the Longmont, CO and retired about five years ago. Each year since then they have ventured on a month long trip through the southern states on their way to Arizona for January-March. While traveling from Baton Rouge to Katy, TX to spend a day with us, the left front tire of his Jeep "picked-up" a needle-nose pliers. He didn't know the tire had a problem until the tire blewout and he could see the Jeep bouncing around in his rear view camera. Based on his experience is why I asked for transmitters for my Jeep.

As I mentioned in another post, I received a TireMinder TPMS system from wife and kids for Christmas. The owner's manual left me with a fundamental question and no answer --> "How to store the transmitters / monitor when not in use?" My toad (a 2016 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited) is my everyday commute to/from work vehicle in Houston. As such I most definitely would not leave the transmitters screwed to the end of the Jeep valve stems. While I trust my "neighbors" at the RV storage facility, I don't know if I trust them enough to leave $45 each transmitters attached to the motorhome tire valve stems. Additionally, the owner's manual states battery life for the transmitters is ~one month. My wife and I use the motorhome mostly for long weekend outings every 4-8 weeks when it's not LSU football season when we use it every one to two weeks. My thoughts about "storage and reactivation" between motorhome uses are: Remove each transmitter, then remove the battery and place both is a small ziplock bag that is labeled for each tire position use the supplied alligator clips to disconnect the signal booster from its 12 volt supply Before a new outing, install the transmitters on their original tire positions. The TireMinder monitor is supposed to "remember" the transmitters even when the monitor is turned off. Is the above a reasonable approach? Your thoughts and guidance please!

My family gave me a TireMinder TM-77 TPMS system for my motorhome and Jeep for Christmas. Due to career demands/business travel, yesterday (Sunday, 1/20/17) was the first opportunity I had to open the TM-77 box. Included in the box is Minder Research's newest signal booster called the Rhino Booster --> http://www.minderresearch.com/tireminder/tireminder-rhino-booster/ The instruction manual says "for best performance" install the signal booster under the motorhome using the zip ties included in the box. This installation seems "flimsy" at best as zip ties over time can break. The instruction manual also says the signal booster can be installed in a storage compartment near the rear of a motorhome. The passenger side rear compartment of my 2007 Damon Astoria motorhome contains the Progressive Dynamics brand power converter and just some lightweight items (jumper cables, wheel cover wrench, traffic warning flag kit, etc.) as that compartment is not designed for much stuff (only has a heavy duty plastic floor). That compartment seems ideal for the Rhino Signal Booster as I could secure it to the wall of the compartment and tap into the compartment light wires to power the signal booster. What is the forum's experience installing a TPMS signal booster installed on a rear compartment of a motorhome? Will the power converter affect the performance of the signal booster? I greatly appreciate the wisdom and experiences of the FMCA forums!!

I can't comment on your Entegra, however I can share what I do for my 2007 Damon Astoria that I purchased 18 months ago. I have a Winegard Carry-out portable satellite dish (similar to a Dish Tailgator in size) that I use for LSU football tailgating weekends (a carryover from my travel trailer days). I connect the Winegard dish to the one and only cable input that exists on the motorhome. The "input" cable terminates in the "entertainment center' cabinet. I have simple splitter that is connected to the end of the input cable. From the "A" output of the splitter I have a short cable to a DirecTV satellite receiver from which another short cable connects to the "satellite input" of a 2007 era Winegard cable selector box (a rather big beast -- see picture below). From the "B" outlet of the simple splitter is another short cable that connects directly to the "cable input" of the cable selector box. When I use the Winegard Carry-out satellite dish, I simply push the "satellite button" on the cable selector box. Naturally I have to assure the Winegard satellite dish has gone through its automatic "satellite search sequence", the DirectTV receiver account is up to date and powered up, etc. to get a picture on my inside television. When I connect the motorhome to the cable output of an RV resort/park docking station, I push the "cable" button on the selector box to view cable channels provided by the RV resort. The motorhome also has a 2007 era Winegard "bat wing" antenna which does an OK job of acquiring over-the-air TV broadcast signals. The cable from the bat-wing connects to the cable selector box. If I want to watch local channels during an LSU football weekend, I simply push the "antenna" button on the cable selector box (which has a power source / button for the bat-wing antenna). Yes my cable wiring system is original to the motorhome and nearly ten years old but works well providing satellite, cable and over-air antenna television. Hope this info helps! ============================================================ 2007 Era -- Winegard RV Cable Selector Box

One of my Christmas 2016 wish list items is a tire pressure monitoring system. Since the original post and responses for this discussion are 2-3 years old, are there any updates for the "which tire pressure monitoring system is best" question? My two sons said they think the monitoring system would be a great Christmas gift for them to jointly provide. I need a ten tire system for my motorhome and Jeep. I look forward to your responses!

Wildebill -- The engineer in me is curious how Freightliner and other motorhome chassis fabricators decide how to "mate" engines and transmissions. A what engine size would Freightliner decide to use a six speed transmission (e.g. Allison MH-3000) rather than a five speed transmission (e.g. my Allison MH-2500)? My Cummins ISB engine is a 5.9L rated at 300 HP which is similar to your Cummins 5.9L (?). I wish I knew why Freightliner mated my engine with a five speed transmission? A sixth gear would lower engine RPM and improve mileage at 63 mph.

Sorry for not replying sooner. Career and family have consumed a lot of my time recently. My 2007 Damon Astoria has the Cummins ISB 300 HP "low torque" engine with the Allison MH-2500 five speed transmission. The Cummins brochure (attached) for the 2007 ISB Motorhome engine shows torque and power charts over an RPM range of 1600 - 2600 with 2600 RPM being the governed speed. My cruising RPM of 2100 is "in the middle" of the torque and power charts. My "refinery operations manager" experience has always shown that operating all types of rotating equipment (pump, compressor, electrical motor, natural gas engines that drive big compressors, etc.) "in the middle of design range" is a very comfortable, very reliable practice. My motorhome is my first diesel engine vehicle so I'd like to know from those with years of diesel engine experience 2100 RPM / 63 mph is considered too high for my Cummins ISB engine. At 2100 RPM the engine feels quite smooth, transmission temperature is ~155 F, engine temperature is in the middle of the gauge and all of which gives me a nice, relaxing ride. Thanks for your thoughts! Cummins 300 ISB Engine Brochure.pdf

dc -- Washing / waxing a motorhome, depending on the size, is a long one day effort for a good physical condition 55 year old like me. For my 39 foot diesel pusher motorhome (and previously my 30 foot travel trailer) I use Meguiar's Ultimate Wash & Wax every couple of months and had used Mequiar's Gold Class Carnauba Plus Wax once per year (both available at Walmart, AutoZone, etc.). The wax job would typically look good for 8-9 months. This past February 2016 while staying in Kerrville, TX to enjoy the Texas Wine Country, I treated myself to an "in RV park" wash and wax. The two fine gentlemen from San Antonio that performed the service exclusively use a "commercial" wax product manufactured by Granitize after trying many different waxes during the 20 year history of their RV detailing business. The name of the wax is "Polymer Wetcoat". After ten months the Polymer Wetcoat wax coating is just now starting to "dim" a little. Being a "commercial" product, the Polymer Wetcoat is only available in one gallon size jugs. But when used for the motorhome, my Jeep and the wife's car, a gallon of wax should be used rather quickly. Here is the link to the Granitize website --> http://granitize.com/portfolio/polymer-wetcoat-pw-g-0

As an Operations/Optimization Manager with a major Refining company, let me share some details about Bio-Diesel (also know as Renewable Diesel): 1) The current EPA Renewable Fuels Standard pushes Refiners to blending 10-20% bio-diesel into the On-Highway Diesel to meet the Standard. The amount of bio-fuel that must blended increases every year to meet EPA requirements. Hence why over the last several years the bio-diesel content to increase from 5% (B5) to 10% (B10) to now 20% (B20) for many Refiners/Marketers. The same Renewable Fuels Standard is pushing higher amounts of ethanol in the gasoline blend for our toads! 2) Compared to diesel derived from crude oil, Bio-Diesel, which is manufactured from vegetable oils, beef tallow, etc. is a very high quality diesel fuel in terms of Cetane rating (higher the cetane the better the engine performance). The reason for the higher cetane is because bio-diesel is more paraffinic (waxier) than diesel fuel derived from crude oil. 3) Cetane rating "at the pump" has not changed. A minimum Cetane rating of 45 is required at the pump. 4) Even though "on-highway" diesel fuel contains higher amounts of waxier bio-diesel, the "cloud point" specification for diesel fuel has not changed. Cloud point is the fuel temperature at which the smallest wax crystals start to form which makes the visual appearance of the diesel "cloudy". For the southern states of the U.S. the cloud point spec is +20 F for April - July (spring -summer) and +15 F for August - March (fall - winter). 5) 100% pure Bio-diesel, like all highly paraffinic oils, is a very good solvent which easily removes rust and scale from carbon steel pipe. Hence diesel fuels blended with bio-diesel are not shipped via pipelines to terminals and eventually the pump. Bio-diesel is transported by truck to terminals, quickly blended into on-highway diesel and then trucked to your favorite pump. 6) Bio-diesel being paraffinic will attack seals made from natural or nitrile rubber material. Synthetic rubber seals (Viton, etc.) are not affected by bio-diesel. 7) Certain metals act like catalysts to oxidize/break down bio-diesel into "gunk". Copper, brass, bronze, lead and tin are those metals that increase oxidation of bio-diesel. Stainless steel and carbon steel are good choices for fuel pumps, fuel lines, etc. for motorhomes. Diesel motorhomes, semi-trucks, etc. constructed after 1995 generally have the proper fuel system materials for on-highway diesel blends containing bio-diesel. 8) The Refining Industry, the National Bio-diesel Board, engine manufacturers and vehicle manufactures have worked closely for many years to test vehicle fuel systems, pumps at your favorite truck stop, storage tanks at terminals to determine the effects of bio-diesel and set the specifications for bio-diesel blends. Through this rigorous testing, the National Bio-Diesel Board has set a maximum bio-diesel content of 20% in on-highway diesel blends to assure no problems for diesel engine vehicles. No truck stop, service station, etc. can sell on-highway diesel with greater than 20% bio-diesel content (i.e. B20 diesel). The National Bio-diesel Board website has a lot of good information worth reading. For us motorhome owners, the website lists engine manufactures that have approved the use of bio-diesel blends up to B20 --> http://biodiesel.org/using-biodiesel/oem-information/oem-statement-summary-chart Cummins has approved the use of B20 diesel for engines manufactured in 2002 or later. Bottom-line, on-highway diesel fuel blends with 20% bio-diesel content (B20) lower are high quality products that will not affect diesel fuel engines and fuel systems manufactured after certain dates (see the website link above). Until EPA changes its Renewable Fuels Standard, B20 diesel will be the most common diesel sold to us consumers. I hope this short thesis helps improve the understanding of bio-diesel blends we purchase for our motorhomes.

I stumbled on this info exchange after searching for driving speed. After several trips from Houston to Baton Rouge I found my 2007 Damon Astoria "feels good" at ~2100 RPM and 63 mph which gives me ~ 9 MPG including crosses the big I-10 bridges over the Calcasieu and Mississippi Rivers while towing my Jeep Wrangler. While I get passed often by all types of vehicles, including motorhomes, fifth wheels and semis, etc. 63 mph just feels right. And no I'm not a 57 year old fuddy-duddy!

Bill -- The motorhome is back to running almost like new (it now has a whopping 8,000 total miles of use -- 3,000 miles are mine). Having just said that I probably jinxed something (?). I greatly appreciated the insight from you and the other forum members!

Driving I-10 between Houston, TX and Baton Rouge, LA for LSU football games "bangs the *$%#^" out of the motorhome especially the Louisiana section of I-10. The highway has numerous jarring bumps, large cracks and pot holes at concrete pavement joints, bridge to road transitions, etc. I never complete the drive without two or three kitchen drawers bouncing open. Drawers in the pantry bounce and slide out pushing open the pantry door. Has anyone used "child proof" drawer and cabinet safety latches to keep drawers and cabinet doors closed while driving on a rough highway? Bed Bath & Beyond, Baby's R Us, etc. have adhesive drawer/cabinet safety latches that would be easier to install than those requiring screws: Option 1 for drawers & cabinets --> https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/kidco-reg-adhesive-cabinet-and-drawer-lock/1014844619?categoryId=12276 Option 2 for drawers only --> https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/kidkusion-reg-4-pack-adhesive-mount-drawer-locks/1045719745?categoryId=12276 What is the opinion of the forum? Am I the only one that experiences drawers and cabinet doors opening while driving on rough highways? As always, thanks for your thoughts and guidance!

There are more details in my post about "Sudden Loss of Engine Cooling" on the Type A motorhome forum, but I wanted to state on this forum that my experience with the XtraRide by Protective Asset Protection was fantastic. Getting authorization for covered repair work was easy. XtraRide provide charge account numbers for the repair shop to use for ordering parts and for the labor required for the repairs. Based on my experience, I highly recommend considering XtraRide as you shop for an extended service contract --> http://www.protectiveassetprotection.com/products/rv.aspx

This is the final update for my dashboard A/C compressor problem. Per the mechanics working on my motorhome, when an A/C compressor locks up, typically the compressor shaft breaks which allows the head/clutch to freely turn. In my case, the shaft did not break resulting in the serpentine belt getting chewed up. I learned that while most Cummins ISB engine parts are standard, the dashboard A/C parts are "custom" to each coach. Finding a proper replacement compressor and replacement drier was challenging. The expansion valve was also bad and had to be replaced. My cost for the repairs was the $200 deductible for the XtraRide Extended Service Plan plus I paid overnight shipping costs for the parts. Given the engine overheating I also had the annual service performed for the engine and generator (oil change, air/oil/fuel filter change, clean the charge air cooler, new coolant and thermostat, etc.). The cost for this work was $500. Bill Harmon and his Harmon's Towing and Automotive team in DeRidder, Louisiana provided the towing and repair services and did fantastic work. If you're ever in southwest Louisiana and need emergency roadside assistance / towing and chassis repair work, I highly recommend Bill and his team. The XtraRide folks were very easy to work with and get repair authorization. Bill Harmon stated from his experience XtraRide provides the best service. Per Bill the poorest extended service provider/most difficult to work with is Good Sam's Club. This is the link to the XtraRide (Protective Asset Protection) website if you'd like more info --> http://www.protectiveassetprotection.com/products/rv.aspx

PJ -- Five's response is spot on concerning the motorhome's tow rating. While sitting at my desk eating lunch I did a quick Google search for a 2005 Winnebago Journey and discovered the original sales brochure on the Winnebago website (see link below). Depending on which model you have and engine / transmission configuration, your motorhome may only have a max tow rating of 5,000 lbs for the Cummins 300 HP engine / Allison 2500 five speed transmission up to 10,000 lbs max tow rating for a Cummins 300 HP / 350 HP engine mated with an Allison 3000 six speed transmission. My 2007 Damon Astoria motorhome has the 300 HP Cummins ISB engine coupled with the Allison 2500 transmission which limits my tow rating to 5,000 lbs. max which is why I had to trade my Silverado for a Jeep Wrangler. As Five stated, it's critical to know the engine / transmission combination for your motorhome to decide if your Silverado's curb weight is within your motorhomes towing capacity. Hope this helps! Winnebago Journey sales brochure --> http://winnebagoind.com/resources/brochure/2005/05-Journey-bro.pdf

PJ -- From one newbie to another welcome to the forum! One year ago tomorrow (October 6) my wife and I graduated from several years of owing a 32 foot travel trailer to a diesel pusher motorhome for our ever growing family. One thing I quickly learned from the forum was to learn the tow rating of a motorhome and assure the "curb weight" does not exceed the motorhome's tow rating. The tow rating for my Damon Astoria motorhome is 5,000 lbs. max meaning I could not tow my 2011 Chevrolet Silverado crew cab 4x4 which has a curb weight of 5,300 lbs. After good guidance from this forum and talking to other motorhome owners, we decided to trade the Silverado for a 2016 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (4 door) which has a curb weight of 4,200 lbs. The Wrangler tows very easily behind the motorhome (except for the rear camera I wouldn't know the Jeep is behind me!). The Wrangler is designed for towing behind a motorhome -- put the transfer case in neutral, put the transmission in park and attach the tow bar and umbilical wire and it's ready to go. For the tow system I opted for the Roadmaster aluminum "Sterling All Terrain" tow bar with Combo Kit (wires, diodes for rear tail lights, safety cables, etc.), EZ5 bracket (base plate) for the Jeep and the Roadmaster Invisibrake supplemental brake system. Thus far the tow bar and Invisibrake have performed extremely well with zero problems. My research showed Roadmaster and Blue Ox are equally good tow system good products. My reasoning for purchasing the Roadmaster system was simply a "on stop shop" convenience for purchase and installation at an RV dealership near my home. The Roadmaster web site has good info about these products --> http://roadmasterinc.com/index.php Best wishes to you and your family for many enjoyable years of motorhome use!