tbutler
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Posts posted by tbutler
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I purchased a Flojet macerator many years ago. It wasn't the portable model, ours is installed in the sewer compartment. I can hook up a 3" hose to the tank outlet and it goes through the macerator. I don't use this routinely but it is very handy when a close sewer outlet is not available. At my mother's home, the clean-out mentioned in one of the posts above was about 70 feet from the motor home. It was easier than driving 10 miles to the nearest dump station. Lately we've been staying at our daughter's home in California. Their clean-out is about 50 feet away. We use it for our long term stays at their home. I don't know how far I would have to go to find a dump station from their location.
It does take longer to empty the tanks than a 3 inch hose. If it is taking a half hour to dump, it is probably because the impellers are worn. The impellers push the chewed up waste through the hose. They are made of rubber and will wear out. When it starts to take longer than usual it is time to replace the impellers.
Flojet pumps are used in marine applications, I used to purchase the rebuild kits at West Marine. I just checked and they carry Flojet fresh water pumps but not the macerators. But with further checking, they do carry Jabsco macerators. Flotjet is a Jabsco product. So you may be able to get them there. PPL Motorhomes also sells Flojet, they may have rebuild kits.
I wouldn't want this as the only means to dump tanks but it is a handy alternate method and I wouldn't be without it. Oh, and the other reason is that you are going to have a hard time getting a 3" hose to work uphill! It seems to be a health regulation in the northeast US, that all sewer connections must be at least 6 inches above ground.
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I love the term remodel. Like new carpet and maybe a different color paint. What is actually proposed is a restructuring of the organization. Like tearing out walls and moving doors and windows around. The comparison to AARP says it all. We will no longer belong to the Family Motor Coach Association it will just be FMCA. What will FMCA stand for? Fix My Car Albert - or something like that.
After the Board meets here in Indianapolis, if the change is approved, it will be voted on by the membership. Nothing is a done deal until the membership approves it. It will be difficult to make our voices heard given that the organization controls the major means of communication. Press the organization to allow an equal voice to the opposition and then tailor the message carefully to reach all of our members.
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What you are looking for is SPOT. This is a communication device that is used by adventurists, hikers in remote areas, pilots, off-roaders, long distance bicycle riders, mountain climbers, remote RV'ers, etc. It is a satellite communication device. The communication is limited, you can send a pre-arranged message that has your GPS coordinates. You create the message and where you want it to be sent. Your location can also be tracked by those who you give your code to so that your children, for instance, could check to see where you were if they hadn't heard from you in an unusually long time.
Costs are quite reasonable. According to the web site, the equipment is currently on sale 50% off ($75 + tax). It is, like On-Star, a subscription service ($199 per year) but the rates are way less than a satellite phone. Use as many times as you need, no per call or per message charges. Please don't press the emergency button unless your life is in danger. You may incur charges from the rescuing agency if they send helicopter or search crew! You can also purchase an insurance policy to cover any emergency rescue charges.
Another possible solution does exist. I have heard but haven't tried, calling 911 even if your phone indicates no service. I have been told that if there is service from any provider it will pick up and connect a 911 call. If anyone can confirm this - having used this - this would be welcome information for all of us.
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Well, we still need more information. The status of your tanks should be factored in. How many gallons of fuel, propane, fresh water, gray water and black water were in the coach at the time of weighing? If you don't have exact amounts, you should give us your best estimate of those values. That way we can calculate a fully loaded coach. If everything was completely full, then there is no need to do further calculations on tanks. Likewise, if there are other loads that you occasionally carry they should be factored in. For example, we annually rescue about 10 to 15 cases of wine from California. When we are loaded with wine (we, being the coach), the weight of a case of wine at 50 lbs per case needs to be factored in, that is an additional 500 to 750 pounds we normally don't carry. If distributed evenly, it would only be 125 to 200 pounds per corner of the coach but since it is unlikely that we are going to put 5-8 cases in the center of the front axle and another 5-8 cases in the center of the rear axle location I allow 200 to 300 pounds additional weight per corner while doing my best to evenly distribute the load in the coach.
The chart gives good tire information but it isn't what is needed to find inflation values. We need to see the load/inflation chart for your tires. That chart gives a full range of weights that the tire is capable of carrying and it lists a pressure for each weight range. For instance, for my tires, the single tire carrying a weight of 6810 pounds should have an inflation of 105 PSI. Factor in 10%, it gives 115 PSI. The next weight category is 7070 and it should have an inflation of 110, add 10%, it would be 120 which is the max inflation for my rims and tires.
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It would be nice if you provided a link to the product that you are describing. You can find Guardian Plates by searching but it doesn't come up as the first choice. I had never heard of these. I constructed my own and installed just a few weeks ago. Thanks for the post with the information.
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I believe that your main concern is the area east of Seattle on the return trip. October 15 is really early for snow concerns along most of the rest of your route. You probably know the area around Seattle better than I. Snoqualmie Pass on I-90 is one area that I'm aware of that can be a problem.
The key to travel in winter conditions is to consider your route to be tentative at all times and to be patient. Watch weather shows each morning, watch the sky ahead as you travel and if anything gives you concern check weather conditions frequently. If it looks like storms on your route may be a problem you can either stop at a convenient location, a campground along the route, Walmart, or a rest area. You have the ideal vehicle for waiting out a storm. Your room is with you, you have groceries on board and you can keep warm. In a campground you have power, water and electric. At Walmart you have groceries and other supplies. In a rest area you have security and are safely off the road.
You can plan your trip in detail before leaving but there is no reason that you have to follow that exact trip. Here in the US we have without a doubt the most robust road system in the world. You have so many routes available, you can literally choose from hundreds of ways to get from Seattle to Philadelphia. Use that rich resource to your advantage. Taking an alternate route may cost a little more or much more in fuel expenses and time but if you focus on the trip, not the destination you can be quite happy taking a detour around bad weather. We've done this on-the-fly many times. With today's technology, you can watch storms live on your phone, tablet or computer as well as using TV programs.
By the way, while you are just concerned with getting there and back, I always look a trip as a chance to explore new territory. Even if just driving through, taking a different route gives you a chance to see different towns, perhaps different states and perhaps different terrain. See the northern Great Plains on the way east, take a southern route through the central Great Plains or the Gulf Coast for warmer weather on the return trip. We try our best to never take the same route out and back. Why waste the chance to see something different. We do the same when traveling to or from familiar destinations. Enjoy your trip.
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While our coach is a totally different line, it is a Monaco product. The cabinet for our TV had screws in the bottom which held the anchoring structure in place. I would look at the underside of the counter-top on the cabinet below the TV. Also, look around the frame, particularly on the right side. That panel may be removable. Any screws are likely to be hidden with covers of some kind. If all examination fails to show a way to get into the cabinet I would call Monaco support and talk to a technical representative there. Have your coach number ready when you call, it is the last six digits of your coach serial number, not the VIN. Look for it in the technical specs on wall behind the drivers seat. The contact number for Monaco is listed in your owners manual, 877-466-6226.
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Just a quick note, disregard if you are experienced at border crossing into Canada and back to the US. You will have to go through Customs at each border crossing. There are rules about what you can take with you from one country to the other. Alcohol, tobacco and firearms are almost standard questions going into Canada. You also have to clear US customs on the return to the US. Be prepared, US Customs and Border Protection and Canada Border Services Agency web sites have the needed information. You will need US passports for each person on board to cross each time.
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CA 17 runs across every stream entering Lake Superior in that area. Great scenery but as Ian said, it is hilly and slow. If you are looking for scenery, there are some great stops, waterfalls, petroglyphs, Provincial Parks, etc. At Sault Sainte Marie you can quickly cross into the US to refuel and restock with groceries, etc. We also enjoyed touring around the Sault Sainte Marie area, the locks and the lake freighter tour on the US side are interesting. There is also a train route on the Canadian side, up north, a day trip up and back to an area with waterfalls. It gives you a nice look at the remote countryside. There is much to see if you have the time.
The Sudbury area is the heart of nickel mining and a stop at the Big Nickel, a mining and refining museum is very interesting. East of Toronto, we love the London, Cambridge, Stratford (on the Avon River), on down to the southern tip of Canada at Point Pelee National Park. From Windsor, you can re-enter the US by driving north into Detroit!
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We make similar trips to desertdeals69! Coming out of the Coburg, Oregon area we like Hwy 20 east to CA 78 to US 95 south. Those are some little traveled but decent 2 lane roads. US 95 south through Nevada to Las Vegas is pretty good road and again, not too heavily traveled until you get into Las Vegas proper. Las Vegas traffic is nothing like Los Angeles. There are passing lanes on long grades, nothing steep, no high mountains, you are running in the basin and range on the east side of the Sierra Nevada and the road follows the low ground most of the time. Take US 93 out of Las Vegas, cross the spectacular new bridge at Hoover Dam, on to Kingman where you can pick up I-40 east to Flagstaff.
From Seattle to Portland, I-5 is really heavy traffic. In southern Oregon you will encounter several passes with curves in the stretch from Wolf Creek to Medford, OR. Depending on the season, weather can be a problem in this area. We do everything we can to avoid the Los Angeles area. We made the run up I-5 from San Diego to Sacramento early in our travels and pretty much decided to avoid it if at all possible. The traffic in certain locations can be quite heavy. When we are coming from central California heading for Oregon, we are on I-5 from Sacramento on north and it isn't too bad.
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OK, if one leg exceeds 50A, you will trip the breaker, cutting off both lines. But up to 50A per line, you are good. I'm certain there are coaches that might exceed 50A per line but our coach would never make it unless I start plugging in electric heaters. I do sometimes push a 30A breaker to 28 or 29 amps and if the breaker is good and the line is good, it is no problem. In fact recently I was on a 30A line using 18A when the second air conditioner kicked on. I happened to be looking at the amperage at the time. For about 3 seconds we were pulling 34A and the breaker didn't trip.
John is correct, the wiring must be adequate to supply 110/120 V per line at 50A. Older parks with inadequate wiring will limit the usable amperage you can draw.
I am puzzled as to what exactly these statements mean, " 100 amp is coming not to far out power cord for that will be like a fire hose" and "and ther fear their ugly head when the temperature goes up and air conditioning load is up" I always try to re-read what I've typed before sending and correct mistakes if there are any. Just a friendly suggestion.
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You need to move to a new neighborhood! Stay in an RV park instead of an RV resort. Stopping in a few smaller parks will make you feel much better about what you have. We travel all over the country staying in all kinds of parks. We are frequently the "fanciest" rig in the park! If you enjoy traveling and using your motor home you'll soon stop worrying about how big and fancy some of the other rigs are. No matter what you have there will always be someone who has a bigger, fancier, newer rig than yours - unless you are incredibly wealthy.
Our coach will be 14 years old this November. It has 163,000 miles on it and has given us an incredible number of grand adventures. There a many coaches with fancier features, larger engines and other things we don't have. We love our coach.
Funny story. We were on a cruise around FIji, the Society Islands, the Marquesas and the Tuamotu Islands. Pulling into one port there was a large industrial looking ship at anchor in the bay. Taking a boat tour of the island we were informed that the large black ship anchored there belonged to a wealthy individual who had purchased it, an older icebreaker, and had the interior completely re-done. It was a luxury yacht in industrial clothes! You can't judge a book, a boat or an RV by it's cover!
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Bill, this is a revived discussion. The post requesting engine diagram is from '09. I have bookmarked the page you referenced in case I need it - but hoping that I don't! Thank you...
Now we're working on a self destructive engine. Scary stuff. I'd have to apply for a Federal Grant for that repair! I would assume that Cummins has told you about their Power Club. You might think, why would I want to join their club? They will give you a 5% discount which could be huge in your case.
Our first coach, a 1992 Monaco Dynasty, dropped an exhaust valve in 2003. We were in California and had just been on the road for two years. We were on their lot for a little more than a week, about this time of year. We spent the 4th of July camping at Cummins in Redding, CA.
When you say you are at a Cummins Dealer, is it the Cummins Coach Care facility at 1600 Buerkle Rd., White Bear Lake, MN 55110? That shop is on the north side of St. Paul, Tel: 651-636-1000. I've always gotten good service from Cummins and the Coach Care facilities have been most helpful. If you aren't at a corporate shop, you might want to investigate a tow to this facility. It is my preference to always have work done at a corporate shop. The bigger the job, the more important to have the work done by top-notch mechanics. I think the corporate shops have greater ability to provide financial relief, rebuilt parts, reconditioned parts, parts at cost, comping some work. It won't be a huge amount but it can be done.
You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. As difficult as it might be, being as friendly as you can will increase your odds of minimizing your cost. There are things they can do to reduce your costs. I've always found Cummins shops to be sympathetic to coach owners. Best of luck getting repairs done and back on the road.
I'm betting the Alaska trip is looking a little less likely for this year. Don't give up on it, Alaska is well worth the wait. Keep it in the bucket!
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I've had both GS and CN. I've had good experiences with each and also bad experiences with each. It's a tough business to deal with road emergencies and the person on the other phone is key to what kind of experience you have. Clear communication on our part helps them understand what is needed but sometimes good listening and asking a few questions if they don't fully understand us is also required. We've all had situations when what we said left our mouth and somehow came into another persons ears with a completely different meaning.
Having switched back and forth several times, I've registered my displeasure several times. I'm currently with Coach Net and sincerely hoping that I never need them to come to my rescue. Given the current state of the internet and the various apps available, we may be nearing the point of DIY road service. I had one GS event where they sent someone with the wrong size tire and I was then told I'd had my service call. End of discussion. I got on the phone to the nearest dealer for my tires, paid them to come 50 miles for road service and they brought a new tire that I could keep as opposed to tossing the almost right size used tire. The cost for the road service was more than paid for by not having to buy a tire that I couldn't use for anything other than getting safely off the road. There are times when you are truly in need of emergency help and it usually occurs at the worst time. That is why we have a road service contract.
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One of the problems with a single pad is that the weight is concentrated in the center under a fairly small metal pad of the jack. Using a second pad above the larger main pad will help distribute the weight more evenly on the large pad and help prevent warping. You don't have to use a second for every application but as mentioned by many, dirt or a soft surface presents the greatest challenge. Using a secondary, slightly smaller pad on top of the main pad will help spread the weight around.
Our current coach has air leveling only. While it does present challenges on sloping sites, I was more than happy to leave the jack pads behind.
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I've seen a few posters mention a concern about making alterations in the electrical system of their toad. Like the rest of the above, I've always connected the coach lighting system to the car's lights. Diodes protect the coach from feedback and keep the additional wiring isolated from the car's wiring - if and it's a big IF, properly installed. It takes some careful study to do this on your own. I have done it but prefer to let the experts do the install. They do it every day so they know it much better than I do.
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Well said Bill and Wayne. I saw that posting yesterday and put it on my to-do list to clarify how things work when on limited electric.
We have stayed in our motor home for extended periods at my mother's home. We were plugged into a 20 amp outlet in her garage, similar to Wayne's solution except I had a single adapter to go from 50 amp to 20 or 15 amps. Our EMS (Intellitec) has a button to select 20 amp service. It automatically senses the 30 amp connection, press the button and it sets itself to 20 amp. And, yes, you can run a single air conditioner on a 20 amp or even 15 amp connection.
The owners manual for our motor home had a complete listing of the electrical equipment and appliances in our motor home. It listed the amperage of each device. When we moved into the motor home Louise and I had a sit down session discussing the list and electrical management. She is a quick study, we've had few problems living with limited electric. We always prefer 50A service but don't hesitate to use 30A. In fact, if you travel in Canada you will probably not find 50A service available at most campgrounds.
By the way, you really can't damage anything by using the electric right up to popping the breaker. It is just a matter of resetting the breaker. The greatest danger to the electronics in a motor home is low voltage. That is caused when the wire supplying current is smaller than needed to deliver the amperage of the breaker. Long runs of wiring require using larger wire than for short runs. A #10 wire works for 30A current but if you run it 200 or 300 feet to get to the post (common in RV parks), you must us #8 wire or even in really long runs a #6 wire. The same is true with the 20A examples above. If you use a household extension cord, less than #12 wire, you will experience low voltage as you approach the 20A limit. When the voltage drops below 100, electrical components and motors in the motor home can be damaged and may fail. A good plug in voltage meter will help you monitor your electric supply if your coach doesn't already have some way to monitor the voltage of the electrical supply. A good surge protector usually will also detect and shut down when voltage drops too low. A 50A surge protector will detect low voltage even when plugged into a 20A source. Another good reason to have a surge protector on your incoming electrical supply cord.
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The opening in the picture rhinderber posted is a deck plate with the screw in portion removed during use. The problem is that the cord with the large plug attached has to go through the opening but when in use the only thing in the opening is the cord. That leaves a large opening for animals to enter. Whatever is used, it must somehow fit around the cord forming a tight enough seal to keep critters out. There is a flip-up type fitting on the deck plate for our water hose. It allows the end of the hose to be inserted into the water compartment and connected to the city water connection. It has a slider that can be retracted and it closes with the hose in the gap where the slide has left an opening. It doesn't fit real tight and the flip up piece doesn't have any way other than a weak friction fit to prevent an animal from entering. I've never found it to fail but it isn't the most secure. I've never seen one of these designed for a power cord, such a design could work and if the friction fit were replaced with a more secure fastener and the slide made to fit around the cord better, it would be a good solution.
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Thanks all,
Just to clarify, my mouse (and other small critters) barrier is held in place with a bolt that you can see sticking up in the first photo. The bolt is anchored in the piece shown in the final two pictures. That piece has taken a beating from the moisture that exists outside (in this case below) the motor home. It is warped and about to fail. It is still holding strong enough to defeat a mouse but would likely not keep a determined snake out of the compartment if it smelled a mouse!
I will replace that warped piece with a bar of some kind. All that is needed is something that will span the opening plus some overlap so it will rest against the underside of the floor where the fitting is located.
In the case of the picture rhinderber posted, the piece would be located behind the wall where the fixture is located. I would assume that there is some kind of access behind that panel as one would need to feed the power cord through that opening to the outside. Even if it were not accessible, an anchoring bar could be mounted on the back side of the fixture by working through the opening. I would suggest a hinge on one side on the back of the panel. Attach a bar to the hinge and then the bolt could be attached permanently to the bar, thread it or bolt it to the bar. The bolt needs to be long enough to go through the opening and through the two pieces of material that surround the power cord, allowing the wing nut room to catch a few threads.
I can also imagine a way to attach a bar on the inside of the compartment kind of like barring a door to a castle in the movies. A small bolt that would penetrate the central hole of the two barrier pieces and would anchor the two pieces. The bar would prevent their being dislodged by any critter. There would be no need to attach a nut in this case, the bolt would simply maintain the position and alignment of the two barrier pieces.
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I constructed a device to cover the hole from some 1/8 inch fiberboard stock. There are two pieces for the "inside" of the compartment. Each of these pieces has a channel the exact width of the power cable terminating in a circular end that also matches the diameter and curve of the cord. With the channels curving in opposite directions from the outside to the circular termination. In this way the cord is inserted into each piece separately and they are turned so that the cord is fully into the channel in each piece. When this is done, the two channels form a seal around the cord. The two pieces are placed on top of each other and set into place over the opening for the power cord. From the back side an additional piece holds a bolt that will be inserted through the center hole of the two pieces just placed around the power cord. These are then held in place by putting a nut or wing nut on the bolt holding the whole apparatus together.
I've been using this one for about 15 years, most of it full timing. It needs to be replaced or at least the outside piece needs to be replaced. I will likely make the bottom piece a single piece of straight metal scrap just wide enough to hold the bolt from the bottom. The metal needs long enough to span the opening. A nut could permanently affix the bolt to the bottom piece and then it could be inserted into the top pieces. The wear on the bottom piece isn't from mice, it is from sliding the warped bottom piece around the cable. Tightening the bolt has deformed the bottom piece seen in the last picture. I can install this or remove it in about a minute.
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I think you have the best route to avoid the mountains though we've traveled ID Hwy 33 - WY Hwy 22 from Victor ID to Jackson WY and didn't find it that intimidating. Everyone has their own comfort level with mountain driving so you would be the best judge here.
That route does ascend to almost 8,500 feet, climbing 2300 feet in about 5.5 miles (28,000 feet) on a pretty steady grade (about 8.2%) and then descending at a similar grade for about 2 miles before the grade of descent begins to lessen gradually all the way into Victor. It will definitely cut off quite a distance of travel, leaving I-80 at Rock Springs, WY on US 191 to US 189 to US 26 to Jackson, WY.
Know also that the descent into Salt Lake City on I-80 will be no picnic. While you are on interstate highway, you will be in heavy traffic with many trucks, and you will descend 2700 feet in about 17 miles. The scenery is beautiful on that stretch of I-80 but your eyes will be on the highway and traffic most of the time.
Taking I-84 at Echo, UT will change the numbers to 1200 feet descent in about 27 miles with some minor ups and downs in between. That also routes you around Salt Lake City. I-80 through Salt Lake City is always a bit stressful. I've done it many times on the way to California but it is always busy.
Traveling in September, you are past the peak of the tourist season and western campgrounds usually have spaces available, even pull through spaces. We travel through the west comfortably without making advance reservations. Our usual practice is to call a campground sometime in the afternoon when we are more certain where we want to stop. If one isn't available, we'll try another nearby campground. The references that Bill has given you will be very useful. We also find the AllStays Camp and RV app to be useful. I have the iPhone version on my iPhone and iPad. It is really handy for many things including campgrounds. If you don't use Gas Buddy, you may want to get that app also. Fuel prices in the west can vary considerably from one area to another.
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Just because we never hear back from the person who posed the question doesn't mean that the various answers are not helpful. I learn a great deal about motor homes and RV'ing from just reading posts even though I haven't posed the question. Sometimes I file the information away for future use. At other times I simply remember that there was some question posted related to some idea or information and will go search out old posts to use as a reference in a comment I post.
I really am not concerned about being the only person who knows an answer, simply want to contribute to a discussion with something relevant. Sometimes I try to offer a different viewpoint in a discussion. At other times I try to expand the discussion to include points that might be related to similar questions.
There are many out there who are reading these questions and posts who never comment or participate in any way. That is also OK. I'm in it for the fun, the give and take, and learning more. In the process I hope to help make FMCA a useful resource for fellow motor home travelers.
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Welcome to FMCA and the forum. Being long time RV'ers, you'll have plenty of good advice to add here on the forum. Don't hesitate to join in.
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By all means, look into Essex Credit. It is a single bank, Bank of the West. You can chase around to many different loan companies and banks getting quotes. Sterling Associates is a broker. They know the market and can tap into financiers you would never find. You should at least give them a chance to get you a quote or several quotes to compare with those you find on your own. They do not charge you for this service. They get paid by the financing institution and you get the best rate financing they can find for you. If it doesn't beat what you find on your own, that is fine, go with the best deal you can find.
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So I've been reading through this entire post. Just a couple of points. You don't have to just cool the air in the coach. The entire coach is at 100+ degrees when the temperature inside is over 100. That means the furniture, the floor, the walls, especially the ceiling and any cargo you have on board is also at 100+ degrees. Heat comes in through the basement as well as from the engine compartment. This is why you run the air conditioners before the coach gets hot. It is easier to evacuate the heat as it accumulates than to try to cool every component of the coach once is hot.
One of the biggest heat inputs comes through the windows, that huge windshield is not double pane and is a great heat collector.
1. Park the coach facing north if at all possible. Anything you can do to keep the sun from shining into the windshield will help. In cold weather, park facing south!
2. I would never own a coach without some kind of sun screen for the front windshield. In fact, when I purchased my coach, I also purchased sun screens for every window on the entire coach. The less electricity I have; the less shade I have; the hotter the temperature; the faster I put up the sun screens. Newer coaches have the dark shaded windows, they will help reduce the solar heating of the coach.
3. Use any awnings you have to shade the side windows. All windows are good heat collectors, even double pane windows. If you don't have awnings, they would be a very cost effective upgrade compared to adding an additional air conditioner. With awnings, the sunlight shining through the windows should be significantly reduced. They are even more effective than sun screens.
If you have a 50A coach, a second air conditioner could be a good addition. You would at least be able to run two air conditioners when plugged into shore power. With the generator, perhaps only one. We can run both our air conditioners with 30A - but that is about all we can run. 50A gives us the ability to run both air conditioners and much more.