tbutler

I had a Cummins shop remove and send the radiator (side mounted) out to be re-cored, then reinstalled in our first motor home, a 1994 Monaco Dynasty. They had the entire motor home on the lift, four supports, the whole motor home was 8 feet off the floor. I took pictures! Awesome to see. Anyway, the surgery was successful. Like a challenge? I suspect this is a good one. Good luck.

It is possible that the problem is caused by reflected signals. This occurs when the signal sent to one TV in one area is also bouncing off a reflective surface such as a smooth metal surface or a window. The fact that this doesn't happen every time eliminates a radio signal. The signal is some kind of light signal and these are easily reflected. Find out where you can point the control at one TV and not the other and then point the control there every time. Likewise for the other TV. Drawing curtains, shielding the remote behind furniture, or even shielding it with your hand may be sufficient to keep the signal from reflecting off a window or a refrigerator door to the other TV. It sounds silly, but if it works, it is a very simple solution to your problem. Our TV and DirecTV receiver are programmed to work from the same DirecTV control. It isn't perfect, power on or power off, the TV responds by changing it's state, from off to on or on to off. So when the DirecTV receiver is on while the TV is off, I can turn off the DirecTV receiver by holding the remote where the TV can't see the remote. The DirecTV receiver goes off and the TV remains unaffected. In fact, the reason that the DirecTV receiver stays on is because Louise's favored seat has her behind a corner from the DirecTV receiver. She can easily hit the TV but sometimes misses the DirecTV receiver. Just think of it as a fun game, call it hide and seek.

Regarding the search function, the current software doesn't have a search function that works anywhere near like the software we were using a few months or years ago. I think it keys on the key words that a person enters when they start a posting. It doesn't seem to be searching within posts for words. Just my guess why it is now so difficult to find previous information.

Farm Bureau Building, eh? Given the location and the crew, better wear your boots!

Not to be picky but the correct term for the way that the brake in a box systems operate is inertia, not centrifugal force. Centrifugal force (Latin for "center fleeing") describes the tendency of an object following a curved path to fly outwards, away from the center of the curve. Diffen There is no circular motion involved in the detector, simply a straight line inertial detector. When the towed vehicle is slowed, inertia (a moving object will keep moving in a straight line unless acted upon by another force) slides a weight forward which is electronically converted to a physical force on the brake in the towed vehicle. The harder the brakes in the coach are applied, the greater the inertial force on the weight in the detector and this converted to an electrical signal that activates the physical device linked to the brake pedal which applies a stronger force to the brake. It might seem proportional but only if the system is adjusted very carefully will it truly be proportional. One drawback to these systems, is that it does not matter what is slowing the coach. An inertial system applies the brakes any time the vehicle slows. In a diesel coach when you apply the engine brake, the inertial system in the towed vehicle will apply the brakes in that vehicle. You do not have to step on the brake pedal to set of the braking device. So you would be using the brakes in the towed vehicle to help slow the combined vehicle every time you apply the engine brake. The same would be true of downshifting on a downgrade in a gas coach. This could result in excessive wear on the brakes in the towed vehicle, especially if you frequently travel in mountainous terrain. If you have ever been in a vehicle during an emergency stop or an accident you felt inertia as your body continued to move forward toward the front of the vehicle. Inertia is the reason you wear a seat belt. Without the seat belt you would continue forward until you hit something inside the vehicle, the dash, windshield, steering wheel, rear of the front seats, etc. Seat belts exert a force to stop your inertia before you reach one of these more damaging items. Air bags aid seat belts in the most severe stops. Inertia is what keeps a spacecraft moving once the rocket engines shut off. The vehicle continues on in a straight line unless acted on by an outside force. If near Earth or other celestial body and not traveling fast enough, the spacecraft may be pulled into a curved path around Earth. In a continuing orbit around another object, gravity is the force that bends the orbit into a circle or ellipse. Rocket engines are only needed then to make adjustments in the orbit, the vehicle can coast around Earth (or other celestial body) for years with no additional energy being added to keep it going. Thank you Bill, I'm a retired science teacher always looking for a chance to advance our understanding of science.

I'm with Rich, wondering what was being done, servicing the coach. Might something they were working on caused a short or an overload condition. Loose wires in the vicinity of the inverter may have been shorted somehow and caused a fire near the inverter that could be mistaken for an inverter fire. If not plugged in, the batteries would have been discharging and the inverter would have been underpowered if unplugged for an extended time. It should have shut down when the battery power dropped below a certain level. There are many electrical components within an inverter, it could have been a failure of a single component. A qualified technician (not necessarily a Magnum tech) should examine the unit to determine the cause if the inverter did indeed cause the fire. In most cases, the burn pattern of the debris can indicate where a fire started.

Thanks. I had to work hard to keep all the terminology correct. Part this and plan that, got to stay with the program or it gets even more confusing. Original Medicare has Part A, B and D. Then there are supplement plans (C, D, F, G, M and N) provided by private insurers but defined by Medicare so they are identical no matter which company is offering them. That is, plan C is the same from every company that offers it, only the cost will vary depending on the company offering the coverage. The same is true for each of the other plans. The supplement plans are designed to cover gaps and high deductibles in Original Medicare. The various plans (C, D, F, G, M and N) offer differing degrees of coverage and thus those with better coverage and or lower deductibles, cost more. Finally, there is the option to go with a Medicare Advantage Plan which substitutes for Original Medicare. Medicare Advantage Plans can vary in the kind of coverage they offer and deductibles. These plans are more familiar to people who currently have an HMO. They are simpler to understand in that you are dealing with a single company with a single policy. Your Original Medicare covers part of the cost of these plans and then you may pay more to get better coverage or lower deductibles. As the article points out, many of these plans have in network and out of network provisions and can be limited when traveling out of your home state. Making a choice involves taking time to consider and compare all your options. It is time consuming and can be daunting with all the choices that you have. For us, the ability to travel freely and get medical attention when needed anywhere in the US was an overriding consideration. For those who spend less time on the road, this may not be the case. Having choices means that you can choose what works best for you. It also means that you have to take time to consider all the options to be sure you actually do have what works best for you.

Some coaches have striping that are decals rather than painted surfaces. That means some really large decals. If that is the case, desartdeals69 above has the best idea, I've not used 303 but it is commonly recommended for preserving appearance. If it worked for him, I would take his recommendation. Here is a link to a general description for Aerospace Protectant 303. The site has a sales component but you can purchase this product on Amazon or at Walmart. If you search the internet for "303" you will get plenty of references where you can purchase the product.

I just picked up the latest GoMedigap Newsletter and it had an article on Traveling with Medicare. This article is short and a very easy read. It gives information on coverage with Medicare, the original, and supplements and how they cover you as you travel in the US and its territories, in Canada and internationally, anywhere in the world. It also describes how Medicare Advantage plans cover travel in the US and in Canada and internationally. I would highly recommend this quick read for anyone who travels and has a Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage Plan. Regarding costs for any plan, they do vary. Medicare Part A covers hospitalization. If you qualify with enough working and paying into Social Security and Medicare credit, that coverage is at no additional cost. Medicare Part B, covering doctors visits and routine health care is about $120 per month for each of us. Some people who were covered before we were are paying slightly less, grandfathered in. We have Plan G Medicare Supplement with a private insurer, the costs for that will vary depending on a number of variables including the company you choose, your medical condition when you sign up and your age when you sign up. You can choose from a number of supplement plans with varying coverage, deductible amounts, etc. If you choose Plan G it will be identical for every company offering Plan G. Plan G is defined by Medicare and every company offering it has to have the same exact coverage. The same is true of each of the Medicare Supplements. Our Plan G supplement costs each of us about $100 per month. Mine is slightly higher because I'm an XY (male), not an XX (female). Compare those costs with what we were paying before going on Medicare. We were in a group plan through our employer but had to pay the full cost of that policy on our own. It was costing each of us more than $500 per month. We love Original Medicare! I just had a severe ear infection. I went to an Urgent Care Center, cost $0.00. Had an examination and prescriptions. I went back several days later, not getting better fast enough, got a referral (not needed but helped me find a local specialist, doctor(s) they recommend). Went to one of the four offices listed as Ear Nose Throat (ENT) specialist, got tested, examined, more medication, a follow-up treatment, cost $0.00 for the doctor, $4.00 per prescription (5 now in all) through our Medicare Part D Prescription Provider. All done within two weeks, never turned down, never a question regarding coverage. Show the card(s) and it is all done. I'll say again, I've never yet been to a doctor or hospital that doesn't accept Original Medicare. I'm certain there must be some somewhere but there isn't even any hesitation at any doctor, urgent care center or hospital I've been to. We are more than 500 miles from our current home, have been on the road for six weeks, don't have a doctor in this area. No problem.

I have had two installations done. The first was done by the company (in St. Louis, MO) that sold the tow equipment to me. I never had a single problem with that installation. The second was done by an RV dealer that is associated with the dealer where I bought the car (Mission, TX). Same overall ownership. They ordered the part needed for installation and did the work. The basic tow equipment (base plate) has worked fine but the wiring for the lights misfired in several ways. First trip out, the plug got knocked out of the socket on the front of the car. It had been mounted in the air dam. It was too close to the road surface, either road debris was the problem hitting the socket or perhaps the cord which was even lower was being hit. Anyway, at the end of that trip I had an unusable plug and had to move the mounting to a higher location. Since then, no problems with the socket. The second problem was wear on the wiring run to the taillights. Improper installation in the car caused the wiring to wear through at the end of the first year of travel. I had that repaired at an RV shop, no problems since. I think that experience is the key. The people that sell the tow equipment know more about installing it than a shop that just does that as an incidental job. I would have the shop where you purchase your tow package do the install. The other take-away could be that there are just good shops and/or good mechanics that do quality work and those that don't.

I made the switch from Goodyear to Michelin several years ago. The improvement in the ride and steering was very noticeable. I made the change because of several problems with Goodyear tires I'd had in the past. I don't think I'd ever go back. I started by changing just the front tires. Last year I changed the rear tires. When I changed the rear tires over the ride improved also. Many years ago I had a really bad set of tires, possibly caused in part by poor mounting techniques. Since then I've had the tire on the rim checked for round. With Goodyear, there were always some issues with the tires being out of round. Even though it is measured in tiny amounts, at 60 MPH it can cause vibration. I've also had the Michelin tires checked for round. Surprise, they test well within tolerance every time. I think this is a good part of the difference in the sensation the tires give when traveling down the road.

We were on I-40 westbound out of Flagstaff last summer, well beyond Obedb's query. The stretch from Flagstaff to where the road drops down to the desert is absolutely the worst road I've ever been on in the lower 48. Alaska holds a special place in the bad roads category and Canada is another country, I've seen even worse roads there.

Thanks Byron, I'm glad to know things are better there now.

Two years ago I was on I-81 north of Harrisburg and construction had it slowed to a one lane traffic jam that took us two hours to clear. Check to see if there is still construction going on there and get an assessment of possible delays before including that in your trip plans.

Now for on-the-way information. We did about the same travel though in slow motion two years ago. My brother lives in Eastern Kentucky so we made a stop at the Jim Beam Distillery south of Louisville. We drove across Kentucky on several small highways to London, KY where my brother lives. Leaving his home on I-75 north, we picked up I-64 in Lexington. From there we connected with I-79 and then I-68. We visited Harper's Ferry National Historic Park, We stopped in Harrisburg, PA for maintenance at the Cummins shop. For those with a Cummins engine I highly recommend this Coach Care Location. They gave us the best service we've ever received from Cummins. Out of Harrisburg he headed for the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. Taking I-81 and I-88 got us into New York. The one problem we encountered was on I-81, there was extensive one lane construction going on and we were caught in a huge long traffic jam. That was two years ago, someone from eastern PA can give you an update on this project. From Cooperstown we headed east through southern Vermont on Hwy 9 and New Hampshire on Hwy 101. Both were scenic and we made a number of sightseeing stops along the way. We ended up staying at a campground in northern MA for a family reunion in Hampton, ME. From there we took I-95 north through down east Maine and on into Canada. That was the beginning of our first trip to Newfoundland and Labrador. That is a look at one way to get there and some of the interesting things you might stop to see or visit on your way, depending on the amount of time you plan to be out on this trip.

As one who loves to visit wineries and also has visited several of the distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, I have a strict policy, taste and spit. It breaks my heart to spit out a fine wine or a great bourbon but that is the only way if you are the driver. At least I'm getting to taste the product which is the objective of tasting. I usually inform the person at the tasting counter that I am the driver and will be spitting out each tasting so they don't think I'm being dismissive of their product. By the way, bourbon is a Kentucky thing. If it isn't from Kentucky it can't be labeled bourbon. The Tennessee Whiskey Trail is a separate entity. You can't beat these two tours for liquor tourism unless you go to the Napa Valley. As to the distillery tours, they have bus and RV parking at many locations. You can go on-line to get information from each distillery and if there is a question about parking, call to find out what arrangements they have for parking RV's. A 25' motorhome isn't that much larger than some pickup trucks. I don't think you will find any problems. If you can park in two regular spots at Walmart, you should be fine. We did find that campgrounds were fairly sparse in the Bourbon Tour area. You might plan your itinerary ahead so you have campgrounds available each night. We found that a visit to a distillery will take from two to four hours without rushing. A good tour may make that a little longer. Some places, you have to purchase tickets for tours and they may not be available for the next tour. Avoiding holidays and weekends might minimize that. I think you can purchase tickets at some distilleries in advance, on-line. Enjoy! For those going to the FMCA Convention in Indianapolis, you won't be far from Kentucky and Tennessee! Great side trip if you are so inclined. And, oh yes, Prism16 welcome to the forum. If you leave Maine a few weeks earlier you could attend the FMCA Convention! It's a can't miss experience to do one of these large RV gatherings at least once. Would love to see you there.

We had a related discussion several weeks ago. Here is a link to "Summer in New Mexico." You might find further information in this discussion if you haven't already found it.

There remains the question of the removal of the panel. Not being familiar with that model coach, I can't offer advice but I would suspect the answer is yes. You have to get into the center of the reel where the gears are. In the case of the electric reel, that means drilling the heads off of rivets which necessitates removal of the entire reel from the coach in our case. It was an all day project for me. I replaced the gear in 2012 and it is still purring like a charm today.

Herman, You may be right. Here is the quote from backhoeJ in the post link above... Posted September 23, 2015 · Report post Hi everyone, backhoeJ here . Still supplying gear kits and also have bracket for motor. Gear fits cord reel and water reel. Please feel free to contact me if in need of gear or bracket. Contact me at: John D jondel1234@yahoo.com I have added the emphasis.

I believe this is the post that you are looking for. About the March 20, 2014 which was on the third page of the discussion for me. There is post from backhoeJ and it mentions the replacement gear is for the hose reel also. He posted again in 2015 and is currently active on the forum.

Thank you for posting your solution. That makes the discussion so much more relevant to others searching for a solution and a bunch of us who now have filed away another cure for a problem.

Our door had been difficult to open for quite a while. A repair shop we had look at it said it was misaligned. Thankfully it was too big a job to tackle, we were on the road and wanted to move on. So they didn't break out the crowbar. Sometime later I had the door jerked from my hand by a strong gust of wind. That bent the hinges, mostly the top hinge. It was now almost impossible to close and the top hinge was visibly deformed. We were parked in a friends driveway and he helped me remove the door and the hinges. We straightened both hinges with the big hammer cure. When we put them back on, the door opened like it was new! Since then I've lost the door to another gust (couldn't be loosing my grip) and the hinge bent again. Once bent easier the next time... So I ordered and received a new set of hinges. Now I have new ones and I'm working on my grip. Haven't had a golf club go flying for months now...

We have stayed there many times. You are right downtown in Independence, walking distance to downtown. I enjoy taking my morning walk in the neighborhoods around there. It is a nice park, friendly people.

We're still running with the factory original Bilsteins. That is 165,000 miles.

Medicare Advantage Plans are HMO's run by private companies and are state based. That may leave you out of the network in other states. They work well for those that seldom travel. Some may compensate out of network treatment but may require you to visit a certain cooperating physician. Basic Medicare, Part A, covers hospitalization, Part B covers doctor's visits and treatments, Part D covers prescription drugs. You can purchase supplements to help cover the gaps in Medicare. Supplement plans will pay many of the deductibles. Medicare and You is an annual publication that explains all of this. There is a company, GoMedigap. They will help you find the best price for a supplement plan for basic medicare. There is some great information on that website and you can call to talk to a representative if you prefer. Go Medigap isn't licensed in all states but they are good to go in South Dakota. We started using their service when we went on Medicare and they periodically review our supplement. So our choice was the standard Medicare plan with a supplement. It is working for us, wherever we are located in the US. I have never been turned down by a doctor because I was on Medicare. I'm certain that there are some who do but in our travels I've always been able to find the treatment I need. I had knee surgery as I was starting on Medicare and asked my doctor if he had any problems with medicare. He laughed and said, "Have you seen my waiting room? I wouldn't have any patients if I didn't take Medicare."