richard5933

Is the coach parked level? According to the manual for your coach you need to be within 3 degrees of level side-to-side and 6 degrees front-to-back. Remember, like Brett mentioned, that these refrigerators will cool starting with the freezer compartment and then move to the refrigerator. Are the fins at the back of the refrigerator box getting cold? Have you checked to be sure that the vents leading to the outside are open and clear of debris?

I had great success repainting the black plastic trim on a VW Golf years ago. Scrubbed it clean using Simple Green and a mild scrub pad, let it dry thoroughly, then carefully taped & masked the entire end of the car around where I was going to spray. Prep took lots longer than the actual painting. If you are taping around complicated curves and such, narrow blue tape is much easier to bend and curve than wide tape. I use the narrow tape first to go around everything, and then use wider tape to hold on the masking sheets. Uses more tape, but much easier to get the taping done neatly. I used spray cans from the box store - if I remember it was either satin or flat black in a can from Krylon specifically designed for use on plastics. Other companies make a similar product. Biggest thing to remember is to apply in multiple thin coats, not one thick coat. Read the directions for re-apply times carefully. Wait the minimum time, then spray another coat. Repeat until things look like you want. Don't wait longer than the max time for re-coating though. I learned the hard way that if you wait too long with some of the spray paints you'll lift/bubble the earlier coats. If you miss the window for re-coating, you'll have to wait the full curing time before re-applying another coat or risk problems (BTDT). You might need to experiment with when to remove the tape. On some paints you have to remove just after the paint is dry to the touch, on others it's better to wait until the paint is cured. Do it at the wrong time and you might lift the edge of the new paint. When I got done, the bumper and the grill parts looked great and from 5 feet away you couldn't tell anything was touched. YMMV.

Welcome! A little more information would be helpful. Are you looking for a dehumidifier for times when you're on the coach or when it's parked/stored? If you're having problems with moisture building when you are in the coach, it might be a good idea to check on the various systems to be sure that everything is working properly. The a/c unit should be capable of removing moisture while it's running in the cooling season, and the heating system typically dries out the air in the heating season. If there is a problem with moisture build up during the heating season, I'd want to double check the venting on the furnace. A by product of combustion is moisture, and a poorly-vented furnace can dump lots of moisture into the interior of the coach (along with CO gas). Same goes for those vent-free LP heaters - they dump lots of moisture. If all your systems are working properly and you suddenly find lots of moisture, then it's time to start searching for the leak to see where the moisture is coming in. Please let us know more about what you're asking so we can better help you.

You might want to check with the FMCA office on this. Here's a link to a description of how the billing portion of the program works. https://www.fmca.com/images/stories/pdf/HowBillingWorks.pdf Payment is made through Michelin directly. One key thing to remember is that your credit card must be registered with Michelin before you buy the tires.

Great suggestion on using the whip hose to inflate tires. Have you seen one that will work on a rear dual valve stem which faces towards the wheel? Right now I use an inflator similar to that shown in photo #1, and I use both sides of the air chuck to get it on all my valve stems.

When you talk to the DMV, there looks to be some type of 'Application for Refund' form available on the California DMV website. Seems like this might get you a refund on the portion of the fees/taxes you paid for the time period after the point you move the vehicle out of California. Looks somewhat complicated, but certainly worth asking about.

Does California allow for partial-year registration? Here is Wisconsin we can get tags by the quarter for heavy vehicles.

You're right on that one. If someone needs/wants a 12v compressor, better to use airline extensions than trying to build a 12v extension cord.

We carry a small (1.5-gallon) Porter Cable electric compressor. It will run off shore power or generator and will pump up to 125psi. What I really like about this pump is that the pressure only drops to about 100psi before the pump kicks back in, which lets us top off our tires pretty easily since we keep them at 95 psi. I was going to get a 12vdc pump, but had trouble finding one with a high enough max pressure and a high enough flow rate to be worthwhile. You're tires are a bit smaller than ours, so you could probably make do with one of the better quality 12vdc units. I've also carry an air hose to use the coach's engine's compressor to fill tires, but that requires running the engine. I like to fill tires before the sun starts to hit the tires, and that's usually too early for starting the engine. Nice to have the ability to do so if necessary though. I like redundancy.

To be up to date with this thread, I guess I should update our toad status. We still don't have a toad, but we did add a pair of folding electric bikes which we carry in a bay. Give us an easy way to get to the pub or cafe down the road, pick up a few things at the store, or just to tool around. We can cruise at about 20 mph for a couple of hours before needing to charge. We used these on our last trip in the fall to the east coast and they proved to be really handy, especially when we spent a few days at a TT campground outside Lancaster PA. We were able to get into town pretty easily and spend the day seeing the sights. As long as we're healthy enough for these to fill the need we'll stick with them. After that, we'll re-evaluate and change our plans as needed.

Do you have a manual battery disconnect near the batteries that might have been switched off by someone inadvertently? When you checked the battery water level, did you put a voltmeter on the batteries to check the actual voltage (with the 120v power OFF)? I'd start at the source (batteries) and confirm that you have 12v, then work my way down the system one switch point at a time to see where the problem is. If your charger is working and your batteries are good, you should definitely have over 12v at the batteries with no shore or generator power connected.

Do they have a corporate office or something similar?

Assuming that we're talking about something like Eternabond Tape, the answer is maybe, IMHO. My preference is to get the caulking between the parts being sealed. For example, when installing a new vent on the roof I want to get caulking (whether from a tube or caulking tape) between the flange of the fan and the roof. I'll then apply self-leveling caulking over the top to seal the screws and seams. Kind of a belt and suspenders operation. Eternabond tape could be used in place of the self-leveling caulking, but I don't think it gets into the cracks/crevices as well. There are times when I've had to reseal something or repair a small leak that developed, and in those cases I've applied the sealant on the outside after thoroughly cleaning/drying the area. For situations like this, something Eternabond Tape can be used. But, I try to make sure that the surface under the tape is as smooth as possible to give the tape a good chance to take hold. If there are globs of old caulking or if the surface looks cratered like Swiss cheese there is little chance that the tape will be able to make a good seal. Bottom line, if there is a way to force caulking INTO the crack/leak/crevice I'll do that. No way that tape will be able to penetrate the same way. But, in a pinch Eternabond tape can be a real help.

We definitely have a coach - says so right on the operator's manual.

Guess temperature is all a matter of perspective - to us 38 degrees is a beautiful temp for first thing in the morning this time of year. We're at about 20 degrees right now.

GPM refers to gallons per minute - a measure of water flow rate. PSI refers to pounds per square inch - a measure of pressure. In most systems, these two measurements are balanced to provide a good flow at a decent pressure. Many times when someone thinks they are having a pressure problem it's really due to a flow problem. If the pump can't pump water fast enough (flow rate) to replace the water that you're using, there is no way for it to build pressure. If you're not sure that your pump is working properly, disconnect the output line and divert it into a bucket. Run the pump for one minute and measure the output. It should be putting out 3.5 gallons. If not, there's your problem.

LP is heavier than air - monitors for LP are mounted near the floor. Carbon monoxide is slightly lighter than air, and monitors are typically mounted about 5 feet above the floor. Don't think it's a good idea to combine both monitors in the same unit. Whatever you install, make sure it has an internal battery. If it only connects to the 12v house system you will have no protection when your house battery is off or discharged. Carbon monoxide can still build in the coach, from a neighboring vehicle's exhaust or generator exhaust.

You might check the screen on the intake side of the pump. If it is clogged you"ll get reduced flow/pressure. If you don't have a screen or filter, then the pump itself might be clogged. All that's assuming that the pressure was once better. Our Shurflo only makes 45 psi, so it will seem low compared to city water. I installed a shower head designed to work on lower pressure so we still get a decent shower.

We went to the local box store and bought a battery-powered monitor. No need to wire anything and the batteries in the new ones last a few years. Some of them don't even have changeable batteries - you just replace the whole monitor (which is good because they don't last forever).

Lots of discussions about these things in the bus conversion world. The best I can tell, they do best when you absolutely have to remove a lug nut and don't have access to pneumatic tools. They will do that task, if you get the proper size wrench for your particular wheel setup. I carry one with us, although to be honest it would take an extreme emergency to get me to change a wheel myself. I'm calling for a mobile tire service if I have a tire problem on the road. Putting the lug nuts back on is a whole different matter altogether. These will tighten as well as loosen, but they can easily over tighten a lug nut or even break a stud, especially when combined with a cheater bar (handle extension). Stuck in the wilderness and have nothing else with you but a torque multiplier? Sure, it will get your wheel off and back on again. First chance you have to stop at a shop and have properly torqued you should do so. The only proper way to tighten a lug nut is with a torque wrench. An impact driver is an easy way to over tighten lug nuts, ruin a wheel stud, or damage a wheel. That little torque wrench in your tool box with the 3/8" drive is probably not going to cut it either, as the required torque is higher than those are designed for or capable of.

If you're renting an RV, then my first phone call would be to the company you're renting from. Most RV rental companies provide the roadside assistance as part of the package and you shouldn't need to purchase anything additional. After all, it is their RV. If, however, you're talking about a long-term lease then you may be responsible for providing your own coverage. In that case, here's the phone number for FMCA's roadside assistance program. (877) 581-8581 Probably helpful to just give them a call and ask all your questions. Sorry that it's been so difficult to find the information you're looking for. Welcome to the forum and we look forward to hearing about your trip once you're underway.

There have been a few threads recently in which people have been trying to track down a mysterious drain on a battery. Today I stumbled across this video which explains one method for helping to identify the problem. Hopefully it will help someone.

Funny, I thought the problem would be that someone dared to clean their wheels.

We've had this conversation in another thread and I don't want to take focus from the original topic. Bottom line for me is that sometimes the best tire for a coach is the one the engineers and designers built it for. I investigated your suggestion, and it quickly became similar to that little old lady who swallowed a fly. I only brought this up as an example of what can go wrong when tire sizes are changed. Someone put these tires on my coach without doing a thorough investigation into the situation, and the result is tires that make contact with the airbags. Lesson? Important to do thorough research and not just assume they'll fit. Also, the fact that not all manufacturers stick with the 'standard' dimensions for tire sizes is another reason why a consumer needs to do thorough research. I set up a spreadsheet for all the possible replacement tires for my coach, and you are correct about the variances in sizing. Setting up a spreadsheet allowed me to look at all the dimensions side-by-side and eliminate a couple of tire options since their sizing was different enough to not work for me.

Like I mentioned earlier, often it's not possible to see the problem with the coach standing still. Hit a pothole or large bump with the wheels turned all the way to one side and suddenly you might find the problem. This is not a cheap vehicle, and I'd hate to have to pay a repair bill because the tire hit something mechanical unexpectedly. Or worse, have the tire blow and cause an accident. Sounds extreme, I know, but the engineers design clearance for wheel travel for the size they intend to be mounted on the coach. I've got a similar situation on our coach - it came to us with 315/80R22.5 tires. Really nice tires. They are often chosen as the metric equivalent to the 12R22.5 tires that came on the coach when the coach was manufactured. Problem is that the 315s are about 1/2" wider than the 12R22.5 and at full turn it's possible for the tire inside the turn to make slight contact with the air bag. If I should hit a bump during this time the tire could possibly do damage to the airbag. I'm going to switch back to the proper size 12R22.5 to avoid this from happening. I wouldn't switch tire size until it was confirmed from the manufacturer that it will be safe.