richard5933

Do a little research into CARB rules. There are exceptions for vehicles registered as motor homes - they are exempt from many of the rules that trucks and buses must adhere to, but being in another state I'm not fully versed in this. What I know about it is from friends with older bus conversions in CA, and they are all able to keep operating due to the exceptions for RVs. If you're being told that you can't register by someone at the DMV, I'd suggest doing your research and then contacting someone in management at the DMV office before trying again. Hopefully someone from CA will chime in with more specifics.

Thanks for the update. Would be great to see photos of the repaired fittings when you get the tank back - maybe even before you re-install so we can see how they put them in. You're certainly not the only one that will face repairs like this, and I think the added information you're providing is helpful.

Carl & Herman - I've got to agree with robh on this one. If this forum is designated for FMCA feedback, doesn't that imply it's the place for members/users to provide feedback to FMCA leadership without being slapped down? Wouldn't it also imply that FMCA leadership is monitoring this forum for what members/users are saying? If not, then it really is a waste of everyone's time to even have this particular forum.

Where did you see this notification? I have the app and am on their email list but didn't see anything. The only thing I've seen is a notice on their app about a $1 additional fee for using the card outside the discount network. What is EO 11?

Just re-read your post... The EFS card that the TSD program uses will be accepted as payment in nearly all truck stops. But, just because they accept the card as payment doesn't mean that they participate in the discount program. You have to read the price guide periodically to see which stations/brands are in the discount program, otherwise you'll have to pay the fee and get no discount.

With a range as far as most of us have, it's usually possible to plan a fuel stop far ahead of it being needed. I aim to refuel after 600 miles, but could easily go over 1,000 without hitting empty. That gives me quite a wide latitude in choosing stopping points. The TSD website has a listing of the current discounts and a brief comment letting users know which have the largest discounts. With this information, it only takes a few minutes to find a fuel stop along the way. The discount from TSD is usually large enough to make the effort worthwhile.

There's also a third option, which we've gone with. I installed a roof-top antenna that is connected to a module inside the coach which helps to relay the cell signal from a more distant or weak tower. It does help our reception inside the coach since the antenna is much higher than our devices inside the coach and allows us to keep a good signal when we wouldn't be able to otherwise. This type of system doesn't require an additional sim card or data plan - it just allows the one we have to work better. When we are in a campground, I am able to raise the antenna even higher which helps even more.

There's really no reason to run the TSD card from a separate bank account. Some do it for added safety, but I don't find it any more risky than all the other bills that I have paid via automatic draws like my utility bills and insurance bills. If you do want to keep a second account for the TSD card, it's not at all difficult to add funds to that second account in seconds using the app from your bank. I can transfer money between accounts in the bank's app for free and it literally takes a few seconds. The TCS card, however, takes a concerted effort to fund - nothing about it is terribly convenient.

Thanks Herman.

If my understanding is correct, that TCS fuel card is not new, just the advertising for it is. I had one of those cards a year or so ago and ended up terminating my account. It is not the same as the TSD card. That's a totally different program run by a company out of Texas, I believe. There have been numerous threads about the TCS fuel card and comparisons with the TSD card: https://community.fmca.com/search/?q="tcs fuel card"&updated_after=any&sortby=relevancy

I believe so. The post you were responding to seemed more like an advertisement for a fuel card than a real post, and it looks to be missing. Perhaps one of the moderators can confirm.

You don't need the drop down. When you log in, you will be directed to your Membership Dashboard automatically. Just scroll down that page and look for the red rectangle in the left-hand column which says Membership Directory in the middle of it.

Once you're logged in at fmca.com you can go to your Membership Dashboard. Once their, scroll down and watch for the red rectangular link to the membership directory. You can search there in almost any way you'd like.

They may all have to meet the same base standards but some companies certainly do it better than others, and some strive to exceed the standards.

I'm glad that the tires work for you, but I wouldn't use what I saw on trucks at a truck stop as a guiding light when choosing tires for my coach. The decisions made by truck drivers and/or trucking companies are based on a whole other set of conditions and decision points from what RV owners would use. They're concerned about price, price, and price. Next would be if the tires can last a long time. Comfort and ride quality, if considered at all, is way down on the list. I'm not saying that Sailun tires (or any other tires) won't perform well for an RV owner, just that I'd want some data other than seeing them on trucks at a truck stop.

I also put the Firestone FS561 on my coach last spring and have been very pleased with them. I had them balanced (all 6) and they ride very smooth.

Good point. My leak was along a seam line and quite easy to fix. A crack next to a fitting is slightly different, but depending on the severity of it there is still a chance an easy fix would work.

I can't speak directly to Tiffin specifically, but I've encountered many situations like this over the past months. The label was probably created as soon as the order arrived at the supplier's front office as some clerk processed it. They it had to be sent to the warehouse to have the part picked, packed, and shipped. Over last summer I drove a semi doing pick-ups and deliveries to many suppliers like this - right in the middle of the first round of chaos from covid-19. Everything took longer than normal every step of the way, and many of the warehouses had altered their system drastically to provide for social distancing and other safety issues. I'd give it a few more days, and if the tracking hasn't progressed contact Tiffin and have them follow up on the order. They should be able to send a message to the supplier to try and give the order a jump start.

What brand of motor home are we talking about? Which chassis? I know that some manufacturers use the same chassis for multiple years and will often have some left over from one year to the next. But, I've never heard of one that was 4 years old.

I've got an air throttle on my 1974 coach, and many would be surprised to find out that they haven't changed very much in the years since. My throttle started acting oddly, and it was pretty simple to get rebuild kits to put things in good shape again. If you look at the air throttle, probably on the cylinder behind the pedal, there should be either a label or a tag with the model/part number. With that number you can get the appropriate rebuild kit. Not very difficult to do. The same would be for the slave cylinder on the engine. There will be a kit for that as well. The cylinders contain o-rings and a piston cup which rides inside the bore. These are lubricated with a special grease that is compatible with the rubber when assembled or rebuilt. If you put a few drops of pneumatic tool oil inside it might help things move more freely, but I'd be careful to use something which is safe for rubber and plastic components. If you put too much in there, it might thin out or remove any grease remaining inside and in the end not help. Of course, at that time you can certainly just rebuild the two cylinders. It might be a good idea to try and figure out which of the two cylinders is sticking, or if it's ever the air throttle all. It is possible that the problem is in the governor/throttle control on the engine. My first step would be to disconnect the air cylinder from the engine and then confirm that the engine side of things moves freely. After that I'd try to manually move the cylinder with the air line disconnected and see if they return to the neutral position easily. One last thought would be to make sure that the exhaust port on the system is open and allows the air to leave. Mine is on the pedal cylinder and there is an airline going down and out of the bottom of the coach.

What brand of soundbar are you looking for? We have a Bose which has an available mount. Sounds great and was easy to install. Sound Bar: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AWLPUAG/ref=twister_B01FNAFLZA?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 Mount: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AWLPUAG/ref=twister_B01FNAFLZA?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 They also have larger sound bars with similar mounts, but for the size of a coach this does a fine job for us.

Uniseal products are rubber seals which use a tight friction fit. Insert the seal into a hole in the tank, and then a PVC pipe is inserted into the rubber seal. The seal is made by a tight friction fit. Although some have used these as permanent solutions, I'd only use them as a temporary solution, as the rubber is going to harden and shrink over time. Trying to glue a plastic tank is difficult, especially near the drain or other parts of the tank which are always wet. On the top it is easier to use glue or epoxy since there is no water pushing on the repair, but even then it's difficult to get things to stick permanently to the type of plastic used in most water tanks which is why they use spin welding. The best solution is to get a new fitting put on with spin welding. Next would be to use a plastic welding gun and some appropriate plastic welding rod to make a repair. I've done this, and while there is a learning curve it's not that difficult for anyone who is used to doing similar things.

You're likely looking for a company that does spin welding. That's what the technique is called that is used to install the new fitting. Who ever does that should also be able to handle other repairs to the tank. If you can't find a shop by using that term near you, try looking for the nearest plastics supply house. They should be able to direct you to a shop in your area that can do the work.

If the tank is in good condition other than the leak, you can have the tank repaired and a new drain fitting installed.

Most states do have restrictions on how tall a vehicle can be without an permit. This document lists the max height permitted, but that doesn't mean that all the bridges in the state will be that high - they won't. https://www.rvia.org/system/files/media/file/Maximum Vehicle Height.pdf If you look at a trucker's atlas you can find lots of information about height restrictions around the country. This atlas also shows marked truck routes, which usually means that a vehicle at or under the legal limit can fit. There are exceptions though, and it's important to watch every sign. I was driving semi last summer. On a delivery to a customer the truck route was detoured, and on the detour I encountered a bridge which looked way too low. Luckily I saw it before it was too late to turn off that road and find another route. https://store.randmcnally.com/2021-deluxe-motor-carriers-road-atlas.html Most GPS units aimed at RV drivers or commercial truck drivers will have a way to enter the vehicle height. I use a Garmin unit and it uses my coach's height, width, length, and weight to plan routes which are suitable. I still double check with the trucker's atlas AND I use Google Maps to drive the route virtually using Street View if there are any areas of concern. You can usually see the actual signs along the route on Street View. I've used this many times to double check bridge load limits, underpass heights, or for signs indicating 'no trucks'. The 'no trucks' signs could be for a few reasons, including weight limits, height limits, etc. so it's important to check before driving past one.