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Here's an update to my "sudden loss of engine cooling" event this past Friday. After a two hour search effort (which I'm sure was least cost driven) my Good Sam Roadside Assistance Plan found a towing and repair business in DeRidder, LA (about 50 miles north of Lake Charles, LA) by the name of Harmon's Towing and Automotive to take care of my motorhome. The towing service was superb. Late yesterday Bill Harmon (owner) reported the A/C compressor had seized which caused the big serpentine belt to be thrown which of course stopped the fan from turning and everything else driven by that belt. The good news is because I stopped the engine so quickly after getting the high temperature alarm there is no apparent damage to the engine block. Except for the A/C compressor, all of the other pulleys, fan, alternator, etc. are in good shape. The search is on for a new compressor, receiver, etc. My XtraRide Extended Service plan will pay for the repair except for a $200 deductible. I posted a few weeks ago that I was having trouble with dash board cooling even after adding Freon to the A/C system. Now I know the compressor was probably the culprit. After giving Bill the history of my motorhome (very little use by the previous owner during its first eight years of life) he stated that infrequent use of an A/C system results in lubricating oil separating from the Freon and settling in the receiver. When the A/C system is first turned on, the compressor will operate without lubrication until the Freon can pick-up the oil that has settled out. Operating the compressor without lubrication Bill said will eventually lead to the failure I experienced this past Friday. Has anyone else has an A/C compressor lock-up / thrown belt event or heard of a fellow motorhome owner who has? Are there any cooling system items that should be checked/replaced following the overheating event? For example, should the thermostat be replaced? As always, I appreciate the forum's thoughts and guidance!

Yesterday while driving on I-10 to Baton Rouge for LSU football game my 2007 Damon Astoria had a sudden loss of engine cooling and had to be towed to a repair shop in Lake Charles,. LA. The motorhome only has 8,000 miles. There was no odor or other sign that I could see of a coolant leak. Temperature gauge needle had consistently been in the middle of the gauge range until this unexpected event yesterday. I stopped driving as quickly as possible after high temperature alarm sounded and warming message flashed, The engine is a Cummins 300 HP ISB on a Freightliner chassis. When I purchased the motorhome a year ago it had 5,000 miles. Since the motorhome had very little use for eight years I had the cooling system flushed, belts replaced and hoses checked by PPL Motorhomes in Houston whet I purchased the motorhome. Any ideas on what would cause a sudden loss of cooling to discuss with the repair shop? The good news is wife and I are safe and cost of towing and repairs will be covered by the XtraRide Extended Service plan I purchased when I bought the motorhome. Thanks for your thoughts and guidance!

For insurance pricing comparison, this is the declarations page from my current Progressive policy. Not shown on this page is the $97 premium to cover damage to whatever may be towed behind the motorhome. Hope this info helps the discussion.

I've had Progressive auto insurance for nearly a decade and Progressive RV insurance for five years (four years for my former travel trailer and now one year for my motorhome). Progressive's service for lower cost claims (windshield replacements, bumper repair for damage caused by an unknown someone in a parking lot, etc.) for my vehicles was fantastic! My vehicle service experience is why I selected Progressive for RV insurance. Also, Progressive offers a nice price discount when bundling auto and RV insurance together. Fortunately I have not had the need to submit an RV insurance claim (knock on wood!) for either my former travel trailer or current motorhome. My presumption is Progressive would provide the same great service for an RV insurance claim as they did for my auto insurance claims. I "shop" auto and RV insurance prices each year and find that Progressive is always competitive with other providers thus I've not found a compelling reason drop Progressive insurance.

This past June When I purchased a Roadmaster tow bar / Invisibrake system from Camping World in Katy, TX for my "new to me" 2007 Damon Astoria motorhome (with rear radiator) and my new Jeep Wrangler "toad", the Service Manager recommended installing a full width rock guard at the rear of the motorhome to protect the Jeep from flying rocks and other road debris. Camping World did a nice job installing both the Roadmaster tow system and the rock guard. A photo of my motorhome/Jeep shows the rock guard attached near the rear of the motorhome to help bring a visual aid to the discussion above.

Forgot to add "has anyone ever used RV Mobile" for routine oil/filter service? Their cost is hundreds more than the price for B-Line Lube.

Thanks for responses from the Houston area folks for my question about routine service! And, nice discussion about services in other parts of the country! I have a follow-up question for the Houston area folks. I called Houston Freightliner and Houston Cummins about getting service. Houston Freightliner has a six week backlog for routine service and Houston Cummins stated routine service is not their forte. So, some additional "Goggling" revealed a couple of other options: 1) RV Mobile Lube who will change oil, filters, lube the chassis, etc. for both the engine and generator at a storage facility or at a home (their website shows they provide service in the Houston, Dallas and Hill Country areas --> http://www.rvmobilelube.com/get_service_here.php 2) B-Line Lube in Brookshire, TX --> Their "full service package" for the engine is ~$250 plus another $100 for generator service for a total of ~$350. This price is HALF of the price quoted by Houston Freightliner and Camping World in Katy. Has anyone had their diesel pusher serviced at B-Line Lube? --> http://www.blinelube.com/services.html As always, your thoughts and guidance are very much appreciated!

Yesterday I drove my 2007 Damon Astoria from the RV storage facility to my home to give it a bath this coming weekend's outing to Austin (for three days away from the stressful oil and gas business!). During that 20 minute drive, the dash board A/C only blew hot air (it was 101 F in Katy, TX yesterday). The fan for the A/C compressor discharge condenser (some call it the evaporator condenser) was running so the system presumably had some Freon (134a type). I purchased a couple of cans of Freon, gauge, etc. from my local Walmart. Upon attaching the first can to the A/C low pressure port, the gauge showed only 10 psi meaning the system was quite low on Freon. After adding 40 ounces of Freon to the 56 ounce system, the gauge came into range at 40 psi. A full charge of Freon only had a minor affect on the dash board air as it was still very warm. The low pressure tube leaving the evaporator coil was not as cool to the touch as I would have expected. I'm wondering if the expansion valve is stuck closed? Or are there other reasons for no cool air? If there's no easy fix one evening this week I presume I can run the roof A/Cs for the short two hour drive to Austin (correct?). Thanks for your thoughts and guidance!

I'll add my two cents worth of comments. Purchasing an RV is analogous to purchasing an automobile. If all that a person can afford in a Ford Focus, then that person accepts the size and quality of a Ford Focus. If a person can afford to purchase a BMW 750, then that person is demanding of the size and quality expected of a high-end vehicle. My entry into motorhome ownership a year ago was driven by the need to have a bigger size "toy" for my family to enjoy on weekend outings (especially LSU football weekends!) as my 2011 32 foot travel trailer couldn't accommodate my grown children and the ever increasing number of grandchildren. My finances could afford a motorhome in the $80,000 range so I knew I would be shopping the used motorhome market. After several months of looking I discovered a very good condition, very low mileage 2007 Damon Astoria 38 foot motorhome (Damon has since merged into the Thor family). Is the Damon well built? In my opinion yes. Does it have the ceramic tile floors, granite countertops, residential size refrigerator, fancy ceiling lights? The answer is no. Do I need those amenities for my family or does my family care if I have them no? Is the motorhome a significant step up from my old travel trailer in both size and quality? Absolutely yes! Bottom line, lower price vehicles, be they a car or motorhome, will have less amenities and will probably have less quality craftsmanship compared to expensive luxury vehicles.

My first year of owning a diesel pusher is fast approaching meaning it's time for engine and generator oil and filter changes, radiator / intercooler external cleaning, etc. PPL Motorhomes performed this work when I purchased the "new to me" motorhome in August 2015 and just did an OK job. My Google search results show RV Masters, Felton's RV Service, the RV dealers (Camping World etc.) for maintenance work. My 2007 Damon Astoria is on a Freightliner Custom Chassis thus the Houston Freightliner service center is another option. I'd appreciate thoughts / guidance anyone has about the best routine maintenance providers in the Houston area. Thanks!!

After seeking input from fellow FMCA members and Google research, two months ago I opted for the Roadmaster Invisbrake system for my 2016 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited for the simple reason of not having to tap into the air system of a motorhome (one more connection means one more chance of an air leak). On my two weekend outings since installing the Invisibrake there were no problems (one trip was to the Texas Hill Country for wine tasting and the other trip to Port Arananas beaches). The Invisibrake is floor mounted and nicely tucked under the driver seat out of the way of rear seat passenger's feet.

Job demands have essentially eliminated time to go on a week long adventure this summer with my lovely wife (the result of working for an oil company when oil prices are very low!). We're in need of recommendations for enjoyable weekend outings that are short distances from Houston. Can't start the journey until ~3:00 p.m. on Fridays and need to return late Sunday afternoons. Given job stresses I need these short excursions away to decompress and recharge my personal batteries for the next week's work challenges. Thanks for your thoughts and guidance!

Most of the small towns on US 287 between Wichita Falls and Amarillo in north Texas can be and are speed traps. Very little distance between speed signs slowing from 70 to 50 to 30 mph in those small towns. US 287 gets lots of summer traffic as we Texans escape the summer heat for a week of vacation and cooler temps in the Colorado or Wyoming mountains.

Ms.Gremlinbangles -- Is this your first RV experience? If so, welcome to the most wonderful times you will have. Being avid LSU football fans, my wife and I "dry camp" seven weekends a year in the heat of Baton Rouge (cool weather doesn't arrive until early November). We are in our mid-50's and working full time thus we have similar need (begrudgingly) as you to "do career work" on football weekends. Our dry-camping experiences comes from four years of travel trailer use and two years of motorhome use. The dry-camping efforts are the same but much more convenient with the capacities and capabilities of a motorhome. The necessities of dry-camping for LSU football are: 1) Run the generator all of the time as the ladies (wife, daughter-in-laws, daughter) and grand-kids like cool air (the guys tough-it-out in the 90 degree heat). For the travel trailer we used two Honda EU2000 generators in parallel to power the air conditioner, Keurig, etc. Those generators required work to set-up as in the close confines of the RV parking lot LSU requires the use of an exhaust stack (we use the Camco brand stack). Our 2007 Damon Astoria motorhome has an Onan 7500 watt generator which is just a start button away from running! The motorhome generator is much more conducive to using the exhaust stack. 2) Propane tank is full to operate the refrigerator and fire the hot water heater. One 40 pound propane bottle (gas grill size) was plenty for an LSU weekend (noon Friday to noon Sunday). On a cool late November weekend we used 1 to 1-1/2 bottles when also running the furnace. 3) Fresh water tank full and holding tanks empty. Quickly learned the shower "spit washing/rinsing" technique described above to minimize fresh water use. "Sponge bathing" using the kitchen sink is another way to conserve fresh water. 4) Only ladies can use the RV toilet to conserve fresh water. Guys have to use the porta-potties. The travel trailer only had a 48 gallon fresh water tank (plus 30 gallon each gray and black water tanks) which was adequate using these water use practices. The motorhome has a 100 gallon fresh water tank, 60 gallon gray tank and 40 gallon black tank which is comparison is "luxury". 5) Use paper plates / bowls and plastic cups & utensils to eliminate the need to use water to wash dishes. Use foil 9x9 and 9x13 pans for taking food to/from the grill, use as "serving bowls", etc. We assure all of this disposable stuff can be placed in recycling bins provided by LSU. 6) We have a seven year old Winegard Carryout tailgating (portable) satellite TV antenna that is compatible with both Dish and Direct TV service (we use Direct TV). The Winegard is connected to the outside 40" flat screen to watch various football games before going to the LSU stadium AND the Winegard is connected to the inside 28" flat screen TV mostly so the grandkids can watch their favorite shows. The TVs plus three outside 12" oscillating fans are another reason the generator runs continuously. 7) We dump the gray and black water tanks at the Love's Truck Stop near Lake Charles, LA during the return trip from Baton Rouge to the Houston area. Love's charges a measley $5 for this convenience. Hope this helps!

I haven't seen many posts about high quality RV resorts in the Texas Hill Country so I thought I'd share the fantastic experiences my wife I had the last few months while enjoying our first ever motorhome we purchased in October 2015. We highly recommend these RV resorts if you venture into the Texas Hill Country. For a weekend outing last November, we stayed at the Alsatian RV Resort in Castroville, TX to recharge our personal batteries before the hectic holiday season. This resort is only a couple of years old, has big, wide, concrete pad spaces and roadways, on-site restaurant and bar, and is immediately adjacent to the Alsatian Golf Course. It is somewhat remotely located which gives a nice "out in the country" feel. The resort is in short drive away from all things to do in San Antonio. Here is the link to the Alsatian RV Resort web site --> http://www.alsatianresort.com/ This past February we ventured to the Texas Hill Country Wine Lovers Festival for Valentine's Day weekend. We stayed at the Buckhorn Lake RV Resort in Kerrville, TX. We reserved a "lake overlook" spot in the "adults only" section of the resort which was fabulous. RV sites are huge with concrete pad sites and roadways. Amenities are fantastic including the first "pickle-ball court" we've seen (we're not yet at the age that pickle-ball has hit our radar screens -- tennis and racquetball are our fortes). Kerrville and this resort are a short drive from the many Texas Hill Country wineries. This is the link to the Buckhorn Lake RV Resort web site --> http://www.buckhornlake.com/ And finally, while still owning a 32 foot travel trailer, two years ago we enjoyed the Texas Hill County Wine and Bluebonnets Festival. We stayed at the newly opened Texas Wine Country Jellystone Camp-Resort. This Jellystone is very nice and located a couple of miles east of Fredericksburg. RV sites are average size with crushed granite pads and roadways. As Jellystones should, the amenities cater to both families with children and empty-nesters. This RV resort is in the middle of the Texas Hill/Wine Country. Fredericksburg has many great restaurants and cottage shops to explore. This is the link to the Texas Wind Country Jellystone --> http://twcjellystone.com/ Hope you find this info useful !

Brett -- I posted a question yesterday about having Camping World in west Houston install a Roadmaster towing system for my Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (tow bar, base plate and Inivisibrake system) which will be towed behind my "new to me" 2007 Damon Astoria (model 3774) motorhome (diesel pusher). I know that the Invisibrake is activated by the electrical signal to brake lights. What I don't know and can't find in owners manuals is if the exhaust brake on my motorhome activates the tail lights which means the Inivisibrake would be activated. During my short seven months of motorhome ownership I've found the exhaust brake to be very useful in slowing down on an I-10 exit to one of my favorite Buc-ee's! My questions to you are: 1) Does your motorhome have an exhaust brake and if yes does it activate the brake lights which then activates the Invisibrake? 2) If an exhaust brake activates brake lights are there any adverse affects of the Invisibrake then being active 3) Any advice on "where" I could find out if exhaust brakes on my Damon Astoria motorhome activates the brake lights? I greatly appreciate any thoughts and advice you and any other members have! Mike in Katy

This past October my wife and I upgraded from a 32 foot travel trailer to 40 foot diesel pusher. We had simply outgrown the travel trailer as our children married and grandchildren started to appear. We strongly considered purchasing a new 40 foot fifth wheel and trading our five year old 1/2 ton Silverado for a 3/4 or 1 ton Chevy HD truck to support our weekend outings to LSU football, wine festivals in the Texas Hill Country, etc. (being in our mid-50's were several years away from retirement and long road trips!). When looking at the cost of a new fifth wheel and new truck to pull it, the incremental cost for a motorhome was not that much. The best advice I received was from a fellow LSU tailgater who had a very nice, very expensive fifth wheel and new Ford F350 truck. His advice was "when you do upgrade, make sure your new RV has a steering wheel !". I agree with the comments above about the "ease of use" associated with a motorhome versus a travel trailer / fifth wheel. I greatly enjoy NOT fighting with the weight distribution hitch, manual stabilizer jacks, setting up portable generators for an LSU football weekend, etc. that was required for my travel trailer. The "push a button" effort to set-up my motorhome for a weekend stay was a big driver in our decision to purchase a motorhome over a fifth wheel. I worked in my company's major capital projects organization for a few years and used my 32 foot travel trailer as my temporary home for 18 months. Combining that experience with my current motorhome experience says that fifth wheels are some what designed better for long term living at least compared to the way my travel trailer was and motorhome is equipped (neither has the nice big recliner I have at home).

Herman -- Thanks for the prompt and informative response! The discussion on this forum about the Brakemaster 9060 supplemental brake system is why I'm hesitant about any brake system that makes a new connection into a motorhome's air system hence why the Roadmaster Invisibrake system looks quite attractive. During my "research" I got a wide variety of comments about the inertia type portable brake systems like Brake Buddy (and Roadmaster's and Blue Ox's equivalent products). Being a petroleum refinery operations manager I've learned too many times that the more numerous the connections into a piping/tubing system (such as a motorhome air system) the higher the risk of leaks and resultant bad outcomes. I'm hoping some other FMCA members will provide guidance / experiences for my proposed towing and supplemental brake system as I'm a true believer in learning from others! Hopefully one day I can graduate from "newbie" to someone who can share my experiences, both good and bad, with other motorhome ethusiasts. Mike in Katy

Last October (2015) my wife and I "graduated" from an 32 foot travel trailer to a "like new condition" 2007 Damon Astoria (model 3774), 39 foot overall length, motorhome that only had 4,800 miles of use!! We enjoyed the travel trailer the last seven years but simply had outgrown it as kids got married and grandchildren arrived. We hope to greatly enjoy the motorhome for LSU football and other family weekend outings until we reach retirement age of 65 some eight years from now. Since the motorhome purchase we've sought input on the type of tow vehicle to purchase and towing systems from family, friends, our new FMCA community, Motorhomes magazine, etc. The result of our "research" was to purchase a 2015 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara Edition that had only 10,000 miles of use. With a curb weight of ~4,100 pounds, the Wrangler is well within the 5,000 pound tow rating of the motorhome. During our "research" we learned that Blue Ox and Roadmaster seem to be the most popular brands of towing equipment. We were surprised that about 1/3 of motorhome owners we met did not have supplemental brake systems for their towed vehicles. To have "one stop shop" service for tow system purchase and installation, the Camping World RV Center in west Houston near our home is the most convenient. To keep the purchase, installation and most important on-going use process as simple as possible, Camping World recommend the following tow system for my motorhome: 1) Sterling All Terrain Aluminum tow bar (8,000 pound tow rating), EZ5 mounting bracket for the Wrangler, Invisible Brake supplemental brake system for the Wrangler and the "installation" kit. The tow bar and mounting bracket look quite similar to the Blue Ox system so I have no concerns about the Roadmaster tow bar/mounting bracket. My biggest "unknown" is the Invisible Brake supplement brake system. Conceptually, I think of the Invisible Brake system functioning somewhat similar to the electronic brake control system I had in my Silverado for the travel trailer i.e. press on the motorhome brake, the Invisible Brake controller "senses" the electronic signal to the motorhome brake lights and then applies braking to the towed vehicle. I would greatly appreciate any and all feedback and advice about the Roadmaster tow bar, mounting plate and especially the Invisibile Brake supplemental brake system. Thanks for helping this "motorhome newbie" climb the learning curve and for being patient while reading this short thesis ! Mike in Katy, TX

I'm still "new" to the motorhome world having owned a 2007 Damon Astoria 38' motorhome for six months (the motorhome is much more enjoyable and easier to use versus my previous bumper pull Tracer Executive 32' travel trailer). The Astoria has a Cummins ISB 300 HP engine with an Allison MH 2500 five speed transmission which is fine for towing a for door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited in the hill country of south Texas. However for a vacation this summer to Estes Park in Colorado, I'm a bit concerned about the engine's capability on the steeper roads into Estes Park. RV Masters maintenance shop here in Houston (which did very good pre-purchase inspection and initial routine maintenance service) said they could tune/optimize the engine to easily get another 50 - 75 HP of output which they stated would give me the power and confidence needed for driving in the Colorado Rockies. Has anyone ever had their Cummins or other diesel engine "tuned" for additional horse power output? If "yes" were you pleased with the results? Were there / are there any concerns associated with this "tuning"? Thanks for any and all advice!

For the greater Houston area, mounting the "Harris County Toll Road EZ Tag" about a foot below the top of the window works well.

My wife and I recently had a unique, superb opportunity to upgrade from our 32 foot bumper pull travel trailer to a "like new" 2007 Damon Astoria motorhome (only 4,800 miles, climate controlled storage for last eight years at a cost of $69,000 that an elderly couple could not use). We had not planned purchase a motorhome until we retired seven years from now but could not pass on this opportunity. The Astoria has a base weight of 23,000 pounds, 28,000 pound GVWR, 33,000 GCWR, a 300 HP Cummins ISB engine, an Allison MH-2500 five speed transmission and 6000 # rating trailer hitch. We own a 2012 Mazda Miata which we thought could be towed by the Astoria. Unfortunately the Miata can not accommodate a drive shaft disconnect device. As such, we'd like to trade-in the Miata on a good, easy to tow vehicle. During our two months of motorhome ownership, it appears that Honda CRVs and Jeep Wrangles (both two door and four door models) are popular tow vehicles. Any suggestions / advice on a tow vehicle for us motorhome "newbies" would be very much appreciated! Thanks! Mike in Katy, TX

I recently had a chance to purchase a 2012 Mazda Miata that has an automatic transmission. It would be a great vehicle to have, in lieu of our Jeep Cherokee, when we venture out in our 2007 Damon Astoria. My Google research says a automatic transmission 2012 Miata should only be towed with all four wheels up on a car hauler. What advice / opinions do you have on towing a my type of Mazda Miata. Thanks for the help! Mike in Houston.