tbutler
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Posts posted by tbutler
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I attended a workshop at FMCA this summer. An excellent presentation by Master Tech RV showed a sample of their work. Presentation by the company owner and operator. Excellent facilities, high quality work. I had a water leak in our shower and used their tech's on site to fix that. They did a very nice job. They are located in Elkhart, IN
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6 hours ago, waynemcisaac said:No powder anywhere
we have a 2012 bounder, no slide out, doors look clean, lots of air flow, it's showing 50 this morning after being closed all night
if it needs extra fans then it needs replaced, what replacement fits that space?
You haven't indicated the model so what fits is a question I can't answer. We did our replacement for our Norcold 1200 in 2011. The link will take you to my post with information and pictures. There are numerous other discussions on this topic. As said above, a search for Norcold or for Residential Refrigerator will get you to some of the other posts.
There are a variety of models that will replace that unit, most will require some adjustment in the cabinetry. You will get a larger refrigerator if you fill the space successfully as the rear part of the Norcold is devoted to the cooling equipment and the empty space needed to operate it safely.
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9 hours ago, aztec7fan said:just never felt the need.
Ditto here. We were full time from 2001 until 2010, now travel all summer, winter in our mobile in Texas. Our current coach has 170,000 miles on it. We've visited every state in the US in the motor home, except Hawaii. We have visited every province in Canada except Nunavut. We don't stay in high end campgrounds or resorts, we do boondock occasionally, everything from Wal-mart to vacant property and rest areas. We have never had a single incident when we felt threatened. Louise will put the step cover in when we aren't in a campground. Given enough of us out and about, someone will have a problem from time to time but my experience says that it is very rare.
When I returned from Viet Nam, I took great personal delight in being able to relax in the back yard and not be under the gun. Living in a peaceful land where being civil and kind to one another in a time of peace is one of the things that I am most thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving to all.
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Regarding Oasis dealers, this is what the Freightliner website lists as the distinction of Oasis dealers. They indicate more than 90 across the country. I have the 24-7 Direct app and it works great for finding dealers. The app lists all the services each dealer provides.
"OASIS DEALERS
The Freightliner service network includes more than 90 Oasis Network dealerships specializing in RV service:
- Dedicated motorhome facilities and service bays
- Specially trained service technicians
- Secure parking
- Amenities exclusively for motorhome owners
To find an Oasis location near you, use the locator tool above, download the 24/7 app, or call 800-FTL-HELP."
Now, given that, once on the app, any indication of the Oasis designation is missing as far as I can find. I can't tell but don't think that the app locates only Oasis dealers. Nor can I find any reference or search capability on the main Freightliner home page. This is similar to what I see with the Cummins Coach Care. There is a corporate attempt to make accommodations for motor home owners but the word never gets to the people who are designing the website or contact information. The RV facility designations tend to be pretty much stealth designations, hard to find. So you get the response Oasis... what?
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I've had numerous sites like this where the sewer connection is elevated either by the land contour or more aggravating is the elevated pipe. That seems to be a requirement in states in the northeast. With a fifth wheel, the sewer exits the unit at a higher level than in a motor home. No choice but deal with it - walking the hose to drain the last amount - or use the macerator. Sure hope the connections and the condition of the hose will prevent leaks!
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FMCA Plates
in FMCA
The last time FMCA was in Gillette, we picked got an FMCA decal made by Simply Etched Stickers, now using the name Graphics on the Road. That was in 2013, still looks great! I put it on the front of the coach, above the windshield on the passenger side. I'm using the second egg on the ladder on the rear as the paint(ink) on the first one has faded. The cost was reasonable and they made them on-site. You could order one or two and not use the physical plate. I think they look much better than the traditional plate.
This company also does all the fancy window decoration decals. Good people with a good product.
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On our coach, I just engage the engine brake and it will downshift automatically as the speed allows. If it doesn't slow the coach enough, then I use the service brakes to reduce speed. As it comes into range (RPM) to allow a downshift, it will do so. I watch the RPM and when it nears 2400 to 2500 for our coach, it is about to shift up to the next gear. Applying the service brake will keep that from happening if I don't want it. I have never had to use the up/down arrows to downshift, the Allison 3000 does it all. One of the keys here is to top the hill at a reasonable speed. When you see the steep grade sign, ease up on the throttle and coast over the hilltop. Then engage the engine brake before you start accelerating on the downgrade.
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Boerne, Texas is a great place to stay to see the San Antonio area. We spent a month at Alamo Fiesta RV Park there several years ago. Just stopped recently and friendly and nice sites as we recalled from before. From there you will have access to the "hill country." This includes some really scenic country to the east and west of San Antonio. You will be about an Hour from Austin and less than 30 minutes from downtown San Antonio. Catch a holiday parade in San Antonio if you can. The River Walk is a favorite of ours. There is the Mission Trail NP, a good place to get your National Parks pass. There are way more than three days of things to see here. Gruene has a great dance hall for boot-scootin'. Fredericksburg, the home of Admiral Nimitz, has the National Museum of the War in the Pacific.
I like to use the AllStays Camp and RV app to find campgrounds and places to stay. They have all the Wal-Mart stores indicated for overnight parking or not allowed. It also lists everything from dump stations to fuel and repair shops. It has many small campgrounds that aren't listed in other resources. We also depend heavily on RV Park Reviews to find the right kind of park for us.
Enjoy your visit and come back soon!
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For those attending next year, we just returned from our first time this year. We are Monaco International members and stayed with that group in the campground just south of the launch field. We were a five minute walk from the field or you had the option to sit in the group assembly area and watch everything from that viewpoint, a few low buildings on the field block total view of activity. As Bill Adams said, morning activity then not much happening until evening. We had a great time. There is nothing like being on the field in the middle of all the activity as they prepare and launch the balloons. Then if the weather is right, many will return to land back on the same field an hour or so after taking off. Again, being right in the activity was spectacular. I was making a movie of a balloon coming right at me to land. I had to grab the tripod and step out of the way as the Zebras (launch and landing officials) ushered the basket to the ground. Nothing like being in the middle of it all.
By the way, we were able to get tickets to attend in September, seemed to be less interest from the group this year. Even a few spots were left at the last minute due to cancellations. They were taking non-member and non-Monaco coaches, as long as you were FMCA, you could have had a spot there if your timing was right. It may be a trend, maybe just this year, but it could be a possibility to check in the future.
These were really premier sites, dry camping, we were in the fourth row of motor homes from the field. I stood on the roof one morning and watched a balloon land about 100 feet behind us, just off the parking lot.
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While you can cover the distance in a week or so if you really roll, taking time to explore along the way, a week here, ten days there can make this a very pleasant trip. You can certainly encounter some adverse weather this time of year but with patience and watching weather forecasts, much of this can be avoided.
Taking some time along the Gulf Coast may be pleasant but starting in Florida in January, I think you may find it pretty chilly. If you catch the weather right, it could be enjoyable. The most southern place you will find after leaving Florida will be in southern Texas. If you follow the coastline south from Houston, you can find a number of parks along the coast. Follow it far enough you'll get to Corpus Christi and Mustang Island. This is a resort area reminiscent of the coastal vacation spots of the 1950's and 60's. There is a post WWII aircraft carrier to visit, an excellent tour. Areas north of Corpus Christi were damaged during Hurricane Harvey but south of there damage was light.
We winter in the Rio Grande Valley which is the area near Brownsville and inland to McAllen and Mission, TX. Winter here is mild. There are many resort RV Parks, golf courses, wildlife areas and other attractions. You can do some deep sea fishing out of Port Isabel and South Padre Island. Migratory Birds bring birders from around the world. Spending a few weeks here in late January or February should be quite pleasant.
Leaving to the west, you can travel up the Rio Grande along the border toward Great Bend National Park. This is a very lightly traveled park. There is much to explore if you enjoy hiking or four wheel driving. Great scenery and no crowds.
To the west, you will come to Tuscon, many RV parks there and a gathering place for winter travelers. Phoenix also has large resort parks for winter RV'ers. Western Arizona on I-10 has the fabled RV mecca, Quartzite. It's an RV mob scene. If you like being in a crowd, this is your place. Take I-8 along the southern border of Arizona and California to Yuma and San Diego. From San Diego north to LA you will find a number of other winter RV resorts.
If you enjoy National Parks and National Monuments, explore the National Parks website. There are parks and monuments all along this route.
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No recommendation other than to read the contract that you will sign carefully. It will be written by lawyers and the company will abide by the exact language in the contract. If you are uncertain about the language, consult your own lawyer. If you call the company record any statements they make regarding plan features. If it seems to be dismissing any of the language in the contract, they are lying to you and the company will still deny you coverage.
There will be requirements for you to keep to maintenance schedules which means you not only have to get the work done on time based on manufacturers schedule but you also have to get and keep receipts to prove that you have followed the letter of the contract. The receipt must specify exactly what was done, the mileage and the date service was completed. Once they sell you a contract, their level of friendliness will decrease significantly. They are on their side with a pack of lawyers and you are on your side in any claim for coverage.
It has happened on occasion that these companies simply go out of business, bankrupt, leaving you holding a worthless piece of paper with no course of action except to write the contract off as a loss. If you decide to get an extended warranty, make certain it is backed by a reputable stable parent company.
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That sounds like a good plan. Be certain the cabinet or mounting that replaces it will be sturdy. The new TV's are much lighter than the old CRT but they still need good support.
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Here is a link to a discussion with a number of good responses. It would be a good place to start. I've had Pressure Pro for a long time. It works well for me. When we first got it, we had occasional drop-outs on the toad and the rear axle. I added the remote booster and installed it in a rear closet. Problem solved.
The systems aren't cheap but considering the peace of mind and avoiding a potential disaster, they are well worth the expense.
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Welcome to the Forum, nice ride, enjoy.
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What time is dinner?
And, welcome back!
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Would love to have the latest technology but that is a cat this dog won't chase. Just got an iPhone 7. Now its "old technology." I guess it makes sense to purchase the latest and best but within the lifetime of the TV, it will be way out of date - unless you just keep buying the next best thing. If you are moving up from a CRT, anything digital will be a fantastic improvement. For something under 39 inches, the benefits of extreme resolution are minimal.
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As said above, width is likely your key dimension. The flat screen TV's are all wider than tall. If you are fitting into a tube TV space, they were nearly as tall as wide. The wider dimension will then be the only one you have to really worry about. I cut down the box (taking off the bottom in our case) to make the TV fit like it was built-in. If you can't adjust the size of the box, you could put a filler in to enclose the TV or you could add a shelf for additional storage over or under the TV. I went on-line to get dimensions that would fit in our box. Checking with several different TV manufacturers web sites will get you a TV with dimensions that fit. Whatever size TV that is should be the focus of your search. If it is a 32 inch TV that will fit, most manufacturers will have about the same dimensions for that TV.
Take a tape measure with you to Walmart, Best Buy, Target, wherever you shop to get actual measurements. Allow an inch for some space between the TV and the cabinet. Not an inch on each side, just a little room to keep the TV from squeaking as you rumble down the road. Some smaller TV's have plastic backs and the mounting screws go into plastic. That works in a stationary environment but I wouldn't use it for a mobile situation. Larger TV's have a metal frame that includes the mounting on the back. We've had ours mounted that way for 8 years with no problems. Here is a link to the write-up I did when we replaced ours.
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My map program shows this to be a 662 mile trip. I usually figure a net speed for travel at 50 MPH. I drive faster than that but when you take into account stops for fuel, rest, traffic, road work, etc., that figure works out well for our travel routine. Yours may be different, keep track of your trip and the actual amount of time driving from beginning to end for each travel day. See what your figure is to help determine the amount of drive time for future trips.
Using my figure, this would be a 13 to 14 hour trip. Breaking that into 4 to 5 hour driving days makes it a three or four day trip. You should plan for an additional day or two for weather delays should they occur. The most remote portion of your travels will be from Wells to Las Vegas. I use All-Stays Camp and RV to find campgrounds. RV Park Reviews is another good source for finding campgrounds. A quick survey shows parks at Wells, Ely, Pioche, Caliente and some others south of Caliente. You should have no problem finding parks that fit your intended travel schedule. Check to ensure that the parks you choose are open during the winter and determine if they have water available during the winter.
Given the 4 to 5 day length, you should be able to get good weather forecasts for most of your trip before you start out. Look at the weekly forecasts for the area. A simple and reliable source for weather is the Weather Channel (DirectTV Channel 362) or Weather Nation (DirecTV Channel 361). That will give you an idea of any big storm movement. Delaying your departure for a day or two to let any storm pass through is a good choice. A day to clear any snow and there should be good travels for several days following the storm.
Stock your coach with a good supply of food and water in case of breakdown. If you don't have a toad (towed car or truck), you should have an alternate plan for getting emergency help as much of the area you are traveling may have little or no cell phone service. Let a relative or friend know your exact itinerary and stick to it. Advise them to expect a call or series of calls to let them know you are safe and proceeding on your trip. If they don't get a call, they should be able to alert police to your status and advise where you should be on the trip. I would expect that there would be daily police patrols along your route but it never hurts to be prepared with an alternate plan. There will also be fellow travelers who can assist you if you need help. A large printed sign (HELP - CALL POLICE) or other message, to place in the window may assist in getting help. This will allow you to convey a message if you are concerned about the people who have stopped to offer assistance (Deliverance).
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I think there may be some confusion here, we aren't talking about the external step, we are talking about the stepwell cover (Monaco's term). It is the panel that covers the stairwell by the entry door. Ours operates with an electric motor that turns a screw gear. The rider on the screw gear slides forward pushing the stepwell cover forward toward the door. As it comes forward, the mechanism raises the cover to become level with the floor.
In our owners manual there is a single paragraph describing how to operate the stepwell cover. There is no diagram, no information on manufacturer, etc. This looks to me like something that is engineered by Monaco itself to fit it's specific application. In my examination of the device itself, I saw nothing to identify a manufacturer.
Our repair shop had no problem getting a new motor which was their first attempt to repair our unit. I believe if you tried to remove it you would simply have to take individual parts out separately, it isn't a single slide in unit.
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On 10/17/2017 at 8:11 PM, manholt said:Tom. When Monaco went, so did all the other brands they owned...Beaver, CC, Safari, HR. I'm missing one.
Monaco never had Country Coach. They picked up HR in the late 90's or early in 2000's then later Beaver and Safari, then the industry tanked in 2008-2009 and nothing has been the same since. Monaco and associated brands went to Navistar. Beaver and Safari lines ended there. Monaco and Holiday Rambler were sold to a private concern, the recreation vehicle portion of that company has now been reorganized into the REV Group which also purchased Fleetwood and American Coach. Where we go from here is anybodies guess... We learned in a recent presentation from REV Group that what had been purchased were the brand names. I'm no longer sure who is running the show and what they intend to do. Only two models of Monaco have been manufactured in the last few years as far as I can tell. Several models of HR are being produced.
I am encouraged by the resurgence in the number of coaches we see on the road. Beginning in 2003-2004, the price of fuel had most motor homes sitting at the end of a driveway with a for sale sign on them. We saw very few on the road during that period. This summer we've seen them everywhere.
By the way, did anyone see the Moon and Venus in the sky Tuesday morning before sunrise? It was an amazing sight. The Cubs just beat the Dodgers, can they pull off a miracle? I wonder if it will rain tomorrow... Now what were we talking about?
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Welcome to the forum where we are all learning! Enjoy your coach, the more you use it the better your investment!
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I changed to AGM batteries when we had our driveway redone with an epoxy surface. The AGM batteries don't leave rust stains below the battery compartment. We are ending our fourth summer with the AGM batteries. I never got more than 3 seasons out of the wet cell batteries. I don't know how long these will last but the convenience, not having to constantly check fluid levels and the lack of rust stains, possibly the reduced damage to the battery box may all be factors that make the AGM batteries a good choice.
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I fought this battle with our coach. The shop couldn't fix the problem until I completely disabled the system, disconnected all the connections, found one had come loose at the rear of the system. Took it back to the shop and told them where the problem was. They got it right that time. I'd let the tech's handle it, too difficult and tight for me to tackle it.
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On 10/3/2017 at 5:18 AM, ISPJS said:If something had to be repaired on the fiver and it had to be in a shop for a couple days or longer we always had the truck to load some stuff into and go find lodging. Now when considering being full time in just a DP puling an enclosed trailer what if it has to be in the shop for a few days.
We full timed for 10 years in our coach and had only one day, one time in a paint shop that we were out of our motorhome. Since then we've had a couple of times with major body repair that would have had us out (maybe, we had the option to leave the coach at this time) but the ten year period with no problems indicates the rarity of being out of the coach during service. We spent many a day locked in the shop grounds. Sometimes our coach would be pulled out of the shop for the evening. Most places we dealt with were willing to work things out for us so we could stay with the coach. Factory service for Monaco has always been in the shop for the day and out in the afternoon. Cummins has Coach Care centers that do the same. Both have electric, sometimes water and a dump for the longer stays. We've found the same at RV dealers everywhere we go. If you are in RV service, full timers are your bread and butter. They are the RV'ers who really use their RV's. In short, I wouldn't factor that into my purchasing decision.
FMCA Needs Your Help With New FMCA Website
in General Discussion
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Can't expect everyone to be like you. Not many jobs where you can take weeks off from work. Would you vote to shut down FMCA for your idea of the holiday season (with pay for all employees)? Think of everyone working in the shops, stores, gas stations, police, fire and even the minister or priest, getting paid for the job. Louise is also Lutheran and she celebrates as you but works it into a busy life. And I wouldn't define beta testing the website as commercial exactly, it is volunteer work for a non-profit organization. Enjoy your holiday in the way you want, in this country you are free to do that - and all others are free to spend their time as they wish.