richard5933

Yeah - I posted on there about a year ago. Didn't get a definitive answer, just a suggestion to use ATF.

You're right - we don't know. Not sure the reason, but I'd suspect because there is a serious lack of communications. I was the the one who asked the best people to contact. I'll follow up with a phone call or two during the week. "If you always do what you always did, you always get what you always got." Time to try something different.

That link led to an ad from 2018. It was marked as sold in Feb. 2018.

If I could find some of the fluid, even just a little, I could run some tests on my own. The concerns I have are: Proper viscosity Ability to wick through the oiler and be picked up by the air flow Compatibility with rubber & leather components.

Good suggestions. Best I can find on the PAG oil is that it's about 30w in viscosity. Probably too thick for this purpose. Would love to find some documentation on what Shutterstat Fluid actually was - both viscosity and the makeup of it. Sounds like there was some type of solvent added to help it flow through the wick and to get picked up by the air flow.

Carl - I understand what you're saying and it's sad to hear you say it. First problem I see in what you said is why don't the members of the EB visit the forums more often? Seems like they'd want to know what the members are talking about, especially when it's about FMCA itself. Second, can't believe that all decisions regarding marketing have to wait until the summer convention. Seems like there should be an ongoing effort in this regard. Anyone know who is responsible for marketing and related functions? Sounds like it's time for me (and hopefully others) to pick up the phone and make a few suggestions.

Air tool oil is what I'm hearing a lot for this. Most air tool oil I'm seeing is 10w mineral oil. I guess it would work. Take a look at note #2 on this PDF. It's from an old military technical bulletin and talks about using either Shutterstat fluid OR a mixture of 1 part 10w oil and 4 parts dry cleaning fluid. I've heard that Shutterstat fluid had some penetrating oil qualities, so for me part of this is trying to learn what it was and why it was. Since this document calls for thinning out the 10w oil that much with dry cleaning fluid, I'm trying to learn why.

So, how do we get this idea pushed to the people that can make something like this happen?

Assuming you mean 3-in-1oil, it comes in various formulation. The most common one out there contains an ingredient which can be problematic. Not sure what the specific ingredient is, but when I used to restore antique sewing machines you could always tell if a previous owner used 3-in-1 oil as it turned to a varnish-like substance and effectively glues parts together when they sit for too long.

Easy to do this. I connected the shop compressor to the coach to test the shutter system out, and all is functional and works as intended. There is a slight air leak at the gasket sealing the lid of the oiler, and I've got a rebuild kit on the way. It contains a new gasket, new felt pads, a new wick, and a new filter screen. The only thing missing is the Shutterstat fluid.

My only concern is if the air tool oil is thin enough. The airline oiler has two compartments - the one on the left contains a few felt pads with a wick winding through them, and the one on the right has the filter screen and water trap. The wick goes from the left compartment into the right one, and as air flows over the wick oil is picked up. Not sure if air tool oil has a low enough viscosity to make it through the felt pads, into the wick, and then into the air flow. My guess is that Shutterstat fluid was super thin so that it could be used in this way. Otherwise, I'm there with you.

Thanks for the suggestions. From what I've seen, air tool oil is typically 10w. It seems to be the suggestion I'm getting most commonly for this application, although it's slightly thicker than the Shutterstat fluid. I've seen one military technical bulletin which called for either Shutterstat fluid or a mixture of dry cleaning solvent and 10w oil. Seemed like that might be really thin, but I've never actually seen Shutterstat fluid so I have no point of reference. One thing I was considering was something like Sea Foam Deep Creep. Their tech suggested that it was safe for rubber compounds as leather seals, so it might work. I do find it odd that there is no cross reference for things like this.

Here's a question that I'm hoping someone can help with... My coach has radiator shutters. They work and do their job. The problem is with feeding them. There is an airline filter/oiler upstream from the air cylinder which closes the louvers, and it's supposed to be filled with about an ounce of Shutterstat Fluid. Kysor made all the components as well as the Shutterstat Fluid, but of course they are long gone and the fluid is nowhere to be found. So now the question... Anyone have a clue what the modern equivalent to Shutterstat Fluid is? My guess from reading what I could find about it online is that it's a pretty lightweight oil, similar to a penetrating oil but with good lubrication qualities. Thoughts?

Sorry you're having problems like this. Your coach is still under warranty - did the company have anything to offer regarding advice?

I wasn't so much talking about directly recruiting members, more so just promoting FMCA and getting the word out to people in the RV world who have no idea about FMCA and would not inquire on their own. However, if they can recruit members all the better.

Wouldn't be a bad idea to check for a loose ground connection. I know this is a new rig, but it seems that loose/bad ground connections account for lots of the problems in the electrical department. There are many more of these than most think about, so take a look for any which have come loose. I'm always amazed at the ability of ground screws to come loose no matter how much they are torqued down.

On the topic of the future of FMCA... I see a few YouTubers like Matt's RV reviews and Andrew Steele who make LOTS of videos and have a wide audience. They both do a lot of RV reviews and both of them do the reviews in remote locations all the time. Seems like it would be interesting to get them psyched up about FMCA and have them do something in conjunction with FMCA. Perhaps they could be invited to a rally where there are lots of manufacturers present and do a few on-site videos? Or perhaps do a remote from the FMCA HQ/campground. Just thinking of ways to get the word out, and since they are aiming at the RV buyers out there it seems like a good target audience.

Check for a loose ground lead to the speedo or the cluster. Find where your sending unit is on the transmission and check for connections there.

As they used to say in grade school, always show your work. Here's mine: Using tireman9's formula, I have calculated that the front tire pressure would be 95psi and the rear would be 90psi. How'd I get those numbers? I took the axle weights and multiplied by 0.53 to get the axle end weights. This provides a 3% buffer to account for side-to-side variance. Then I split that number again to find the calculated wheel weight. I used the calculated wheel weight and the charts from the manufacturer to find the recommended tire pressure. I rounded UP to find this number. Then I added a 10% inflation buffer, which I rounded up since most gauges only show larger marking at increments of 5psi. Anything higher wouldn't be justified by the numbers and will likely result in harsher ride and poorer handling. Of course, you'll need to tweak these numbers to suit your particular driving likes/dislikes.

A little over for a buffer is a good thing. Aside from allowing for temperature swings, it helps accommodate for side-to-side imbalance. On the other hand, over inflating tires too much can contribute to poor handling and poor braking.

See page #102 of this Goodyear publication for the load & inflation chart for your size tire: https://www.goodyeartrucktires.com/pdf/resources/publications/2020_goodyear_commercial_tires_engineering_databook.pdf Sounds like you may be inflating slightly higher than necessary based on the weights you listed.

Ours is 46 years old and we have never been turned away. I've seen rules enforced at some campgrounds for things like no broken glass, no tarps on roof, no missing body panels, etc. As long as your coach looks well-kept and isn't dragging pieces behind it most campgrounds will have no problem.

My coach is totally heated by three 1500-w heaters when we're plugged into the pedestal. They were originally installed in 1974 by Custom Coach, but the motors were finally starting to make noise. I replaced them this fall with three of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PS9NY6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 If you have an appropriate place to mount and wire a couple of these, it would be a great way to heat with electric. They don't look like much, but they put out a great deal of heat right on the floor where you want it. They can be setup to run on 750w up to 1500w in 250w increments.

I've had TPMS on our coach for a few years now. The sensors are removed a few times a year to confirm pressures, and they are totally removed before storing for winter. Have had the tires changed out once during this time. Never have had any problem with a valve stem sticking open. I'm wondering if they didn't get something on the inside of the valve when installed them - possibly something was in the soapy water that's used to lubricate the rubber as it's pulled through or when the tire is seated? My first attempt at solving this would be to have the valve stem pointing strait down and then pulling the core out. Hopefully whatever might be inside the tire will find its way out the open core. Don't let the tire go flat - just let 10-15psi out to flush out the valve stem. There is a tool which can be used to re-seat the seat inside the valve stem so that the valve can seal against it better. Shouldn't be needed on brand-new valve stems, but maybe the batch you have aren't made. If it

Congratulation! Wishing you both many happy miles in the new rig. I've also got a 35-ft coach and think that it's a great size. Big enough for comfort but still small enough to get in relatively tight campgrounds.