richard5933

You can get a molded plastic plate that looks just like the old aluminum ones. They can be ordered (I believe) through the FMCA website. Contact membership for details.

This is the stuff Custom Coach used in our generator bay. I replaced it recently since after 45+ years it tends to break down. It works great. Not cheap, but works great. https://www.soundproofcow.com/product/quiet-barrier-specialty-composite-2/ The stuff from Summit designed for under the hood will not hold up the same or work nearly as well. I've tried that in the past.

Probably worth having the system checked out. Sounds like you may have a leak in the air system somewhere - could be in the braking system or it could be in the suspension system. Pressure shouldn't drop that quickly. Also, check your manual for the correct cutout pressure on your compressor. Many modern systems will go to about 120-125 before cutting out, so unless yours is an older system designed for a lower pressure you may need a new compressor governor as well. BIG WARNING!!! Before you get under the coach to check for leaks, you need to make certain that the coach is properly supported. One wrong move, one single component failure, or one airline bumped loose and the coach can fall on you. There is not room to live under a coach that falls. The leveling jacks are not intended to support the coach while you're under it. Check the manual for the proper support spots on your coach's chassis and do your homework on proper blocking so you stay safe. Remember - you're not supporting the axles here - you need to support the body so that it doesn't fall on you.

You have to self-certify your status with regard to a medical certificate (med card), and it is possible under some circumstances to do so in an exempt classification which does not require a med card. That said, there must be some mechanism in place for people in this situation who require an upgrade to a non-commercial class-b license to drive their new motor home. The answer can't be simply to tell everyone to leave their vehicles parked, but what exactly the answer is I don't know. One other option might be to inquire about 3rd-party testing. Here in Wisconsin nearly all CDL driving tests are conducted by 3rd-party examiners. They are linked to the official system, and the results of their testing is reported nearly instantly (before I could drive to the DMV for a new license the next day). If your state has that type of system, perhaps it would be an option for the non-commercial test.

If your state is like some others, they are probably still issuing commercial drivers licenses. Not sure if there are that many differences, but if you have access to a commercial vehicle (straight truck) you might be able to get the full commercial version right now.

Thanks. The one I made is still working well, so I'm inclined to leave it be for now. If I decide to redo this with something more substantial, I'll keep your suggestion in mind.

Check the ground connections.

There used to be a seriously narrow bridge over the Red River between TX and OK. Only one large vehicle could cross at a time. Had to wait at one end for oncoming trucks to finish crossing, then go for it. I drove a school bus across that for camping trips back in the 80s, and every time prayed that other drivers knew the dance and didn't try crossing while I was on the bridge.

I did. Still going to check wiring to confirm it's correct, but won't stress if it is and I still have problems with GFCI pedestals.

The exhaust fan is in the ceiling and hard wired - no way of plugging it in any other way. It's never been a problem before, but we've never been plugged into a site with GFCI on the 50-amp outlet. The fan is identical to the small round Ventline 12v fans found in bathrooms, but this one is 120v. I don't think that they've made these for a while now.

Strange thing happened tonight, and I think that Custom Coach electrical work strikes again. Maybe you guys can confirm my theory. So, here we are plugged into a new 50-amp pedestal at a campground. So new that it has a GFCI breaker on all the outlets - the 20-amp, the 30-amp, and even the 50-amp. Written right on the pedestal below each outlet. Don't think I've ever seen a 50-amp breaker protected by a GFCI, at least not yet. Things were going great with no problems. Running our two monster CC a/c units and our water heater. Even fired up the induction cooker on 1500 watts with no problem. Then came the problem.... We have a small 120v exhaust fan over the cook top. I turned it on and instantly power was cut. At first I thought that maybe the little fan put us just over the limit on one of the legs, and that's what caused the breaker to snap. So, I tried again with only one a/c unit. Same thing happened. Every time that little fan is turned on, the 50-amp breaker at the pedestal snaps. Here's my theory... Custom Coach loved to interchange neutral and ground wires. They were not too particular about using only a hot and a ground if that's what was convenient. I haven't opened the fan up yet to test, but my hunch is that that instead of running a hot & neutral to the fan they ran only a hot and just used the chassis/ground for the other wire. Why? Because it's a lot easier to run a short jumper to the body (ground) than to run a neutral wire all the way to the panel. I've run into this in a few other circuits, and honestly thought I'd found them all. I've done lots of work trying to correct the neutral/ground bonding done by Custom Coach all over the place, and it wouldn't surprise me if this is one more example. Would this have caused the GFCI to snap and go to fault state? This is my theory, that having the ground involved in carrying power instead of a neutral caused the GFCI to trigger. I don't have much experience working with GFCI outlets and/or breakers, so hopefully someone with more knowledge can confirm if this would cause the breaker to go to fault state. Can't really do much testing right now, but when I get home I will. Don't want to open up the casing around the fan either, since there's no telling if I'll have problems putting things together at the camp site. Really silly to even have the fan, since there is a MaxxAir fan just next to it. Maybe I'll just take the little thing out and cap the hole.

Sometimes you have to drive using your temp gauge and not your speedometer.

I wasn't commenting on whether or not they should be pulled every day, just they are designed to be. Our trucks have air dryers, and we still pull the cables every day to make sure things are correct. If you don't pull the cable, how do you know if there is water in them? A little water in the brake system or air suspension can ruin your whole day. Likely you won't have to actually pull the cables during the test. They want to make sure you can point to them and that you know what they do. I've tested multiple times as I upgraded my license, and each time they specified that I would not be required to get under the vehicle at any time.

In order for EZ Pass to weigh your vehicle while on the road they'd need hundreds of scales all over the system. Many states use high-speed tolling with multiple toll "booths" in the traffic lanes. In Illinois they do that, as well as on all the exits. They do not have scales on them all. It is my understanding that when you register the vehicle with EZ Pass you have to provide the specifics for your vehicle. They don't physically check. But, get it wrong and get caught and I'm sure there is a hefty fine.

Those things are designed to be pulled every day at the end of the run. If they leak, then they need to be replaced. We pull them every time we do a pre-trip inspection and during the post-trip inspection on the trucks where I drive. If they are only pulled infrequently, it's quite possible for things to buildup in the tank which will cause the valve to not seal when they are pulled. Why does the tank have two? Possibly there is an internal baffle in the tank. It has two drains.

What state? How long is the motor home? How heavy? What, if anything, will you be towing behind? Those pieces of information are needed to answer.

Yup - the retirement thing was getting old after only a couple of years, and since my other half still has a few years left to work getting a job made sense. Having no real obligations left me with plenty of time to fill, and filling it was starting to get expensive. Better to have someone else pay me to be busy. I'll be driving regionally and home weekly. With the new sleeper cabs it's kind of like being in a small RV, just w/o the bathroom. Now I get to see the country on someone else's dime for a while. Won't do it forever - just until it's not fun any more. The problem with analog is that paper maps don't ever get updated unless you buy a new one. They also won't read instructions to you while you're driving, which is helpful in unfamiliar areas. Like I said though, it's important to verify the route in multiple ways (on a map, on GPS, w/ Google, etc.) Trip planning is important, and basically the same whether you're in an RV or in a commercial truck.

Like you said, all three options will function well. Personally, I prefer the raised connections if there is room for them. In my experience, it's easier to keep them clean. Even with the AGM batteries you'll have to do a periodic cleaning to keep debris from accumulating on the batteries, and having the cables directly on the case makes that more difficult. Regardless of which type you go with, check out the manufacturer's recommended torque for tightening the bolts to make sure that you get them tight enough but not so tight as to damage the battery. It sucks having to get a post repaired because it was broken due to user-error.

All the comments about the problems with GPS units need to be taken with a grain of salt. I've been using the Garmin RV units for years and have generally found it to be good. But, you have to verify the route it gives you BEFORE you start driving. There is a way to view the map of the overall route it presents, as well as a step-by-step set of directions. You need to look at these and compare with a good road map or atlas to be sure that it's not putting you on a dirt road or someone's driveway by mistake. Same for putting you on a closed road. I prefer the Garmin GPS units. The maps seem generally accurate, and they update frequently. Traffic alerts are also included. One thing I've learned about using a GPS in the RV is to use it EVERY time I move the rig, even if I know the route. Never fails that the one time I don't do that I encounter a detour due to construction or other unknown obstacle. Also, when free-wheeling w/o the Garmin, I have no early alerts of upcoming low bridges or weight-limited roads. It will only be able to guess where I'm going if I don't tell it. There is no sure fire way to stay out of trouble, but there are ways to help. I'm completing training right now for driving a semi, and they recommend a combination of things, including an appropriate GPS, a trucker's road atlas, and Google Maps. The appropriate GPS would include one which calculates the route based on the height/weight/length of your vehicle. If it doesn't include that feature, it's useless in helping you avoid obstacles in your RV. With that feature, it's not fool proof but it is helpful. The trucker's road atlas shows the national/state truck routes, along with known low-height bridges along those routes. Quite helpful. Google Maps can help you pre-drive the route and check for access problems using Street View. You can also use states' DOT websites to check for road closures and construction schedules.

I think I found a copy of the manual for your device online, and it looks like the charge is on page 40. Also looks like you can set user-defined values for the voltage level at each of the stages of charging. If that's so, then just custom set them to match what's in your battery manufacturer's instructions.

The was you know which profile setting is the correct one is old school... Get the manual for the controller which shows the voltage levels for each profile, and compare with the recommendations of your battery manufacturer for charging voltages. Doesn't matter what name or acronym is on the settings, you want to use the profile which most closely matches your battery recommendations.

I know that in Wisconsin, for example, part of the issue is that vehicle sales done off-site (not on the dealer's property) are subject to a 3-day cancellation clause where the customer can cancel for nearly any reason. You won't see many direct sales of any motor vehicle done where the final delivery/paperwork isn't done on the dealer's lot. If the rules governing motor vehicle sales are so restrictive, perhaps it's time to reconsider if the focus of rallies needs to be vehicle sales? I know that it's a big money maker, but promoting vehicle sales is not why FMCA exists. Go back to the early days of FMCA, and you won't see the massive vendor displays, vehicle sales, etc. You'll see people with a shared interest gathering together having a great time. In the bus conversion world, we also have rallies. The focus is not on vendors, not on sales of coaches, not on anything other than our shared love of vintage and converted buses. True, our gatherings are not nearly as large as a major FMCA rally, but that doesn't stop the fun. Another issue for us is winter. We winterize our coach for the winter, and there's no way we can even think about pulling it out to attend a March rally. I know that those rallies are great for snowbirds or those living in the south, but they narrow down the potential attendance greatly.

One of the big limitations for the rally locations seems to me to be finding a large enough site which also has amenable rules/regs for off-site sales of vehicles by dealers. Not sure if as many dealers/manufacturers would attend if the rules were more restrictive. Without worrying about that, there are some great locations in many places which could house the rallies.

That's the question I've been asking for a while - why don't we ask the people we want as members why they are not considering joining? It's not difficult to obtain buyer information for every RV registered with DMV offices across the country. I believe that having this information would permit us to do a survey and ask potential members why they are still potential instead of members? Just a suggestion, but one which I think would be worthwhile.

I would also suggest that this is probably not the most effective forum for anyone in leadership to engage in conversation about such things. While it's helpful for them to monitor pages like this, I've seen few conversations like this do anything other than become gripe sessions once leadership start participating. If there are more than 70K members, obviously we in this thread are a tiny speck of the overall. Hopefully there is a better way to measure the needs/desires of membership than this.