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Everything posted by richard5933
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NO Spare Tire In Smaller Class Cs These Days?
richard5933 replied to aufgeblassen's topic in Type C Motorhomes
Something like this might be an answer: http://www.roadmasterinc.com/products/spare_tire/index.html Allows you to carry a mounted spare and still have use of the hitch for other things (like towing). Also carries the spare higher and closer to the vehicle where it is less likely to get hit or cause problem when turning up a steep driveway. A simple metal rim wouldn't be that expensive, so if you went with a rack like this you could get that spare mounted. -
There's the rub...no way to get under our coach without a pit or a way to lift the thing up. Only about 7" of clearance on a good day. Since my tires are 7-years old, I'm not sure there's a good reason for me not to just get the correct size tires and be done with this for another few years. I might try this if it was something I could do myself, but to pay a shop to do it is silly. Cost will probably pay for at least a tire or two.
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That's what I thought, but apparently it's not that simple in practice. We have a Vickers systems, and according to the manual to do it properly the power steering system must be set to drop pressure with 3/8" clearance still showing between the steering knuckle and the stop screw. Adjusting the stop screw is the easy part - getting the pressure cut off point set properly is apparently more difficult in these things. I thought it was an easy adjustment, but when I chatted with other bus owners they tried to dissuade me from trying this unless there were no other options. Since the steering works perfectly and I have the option of just installing the proper tires, I'm going to go that route.
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Thanks for the feedback and comments Roger. I've sent a PM with more specifics, but in general I did look into the adjustment to the front wheel turning limits. What I found was that it is possible, but due to the nature of the power steering system and the importance of getting these settings correct, I've decided that's not the best solution. Better is to get the proper tires on the bus. If the adjustment is made incorrectly, it is possible to blow the power steering system at full turns.
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Who, What, When, Where or Just Lets Talk
richard5933 replied to hermanmullins's topic in General Discussion
Best chicken fried steak I ever had was in a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in the stockyards 30 years ago. Wish I could get that up here. -
True - all the tires listed in the operator's manual were bias ply tires, and the 12.0x22.5 tires ours came with was just one of the many sizes available. I've tried for months to find specs on the actual physical size of a 12.0x22.5 tire, but so far have struck out. The only hard piece of data I've been able to find is that the GM buses were all designed for tires which spun at 495 revolutions per mile. My assumption is that the overall diameter is similar to a 12R22.5 since the RPM for most are pretty close to the 495 number (ranging from 487-490 for the most part.) The car I learned to drive in, a 1974 Grand Safari wagon had first-generation Firestone 500 steel belted radials. Great tires till one exploded on an elevated section of Rt 22 heading into NYC from NJ. Thankfully, radials have gotten better since then.
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Speedometer problems I can relate to. But we're already having that problem, far more than from a 5 rev/mi difference. Since we have a manual 4-speed transmission, my concern is more low-end performance.
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I think I'm set that the proper size 12r22.5 is the way to go. There are a few options in this size, including the Firestone and the BF Goodrich. Also a Toyo in the running. Related question... Original spec for the coach was tires that spin at 495 revs per mile. Our current tires are running at 490. Many of the tires under consideration run at 487 revs. Am I correct that I will never be able to tell the difference between 495 and 487?
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Many of these tires are rated to 75 mph. Not that I'm going to drive our coach at 75 on purpose, but I do like to have tires that have a bit of extra capacity so that I'm not running at the upper rated speed. I believe that the XRV is rated to 75.
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Interesting read. Thanks.
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The ST230 looks to be the BFGoodrich version of the FS561. Did you ever run 315s on your coach? One of my questions in switching from 315s to 12R22.5 tires is about handling & braking. The 12R tires have a narrower tread, which will of course mean less rubber on the road. I can see a potential for the handling & braking to suffer a bit. Of course, running too wide a tire can also affect things negatively, so I really have no idea what will happen since there's also a chance things could be the same or even slightly better. If it weren't for the cost, I'd be more willing to just take a chance and have the new tires installed so I could test them for a while. However, at about $3000 for a full set, this is not something I want to have to do again for a few years.
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We're currently riding on L rated tires. We inflated according to the manufacturer's chart to 90psi, and the ride is actually quite nice. Better than on our previous coach which had H rated 11R22.5 tires. Those had to run at higher pressure (110psi) to carry the load. What I learned is that rating alone (H vs L) isn't what determines ride quality. Of course, I'm sure it's different with every tire and every brand, which is why it is great to find someone with the same setup to give a first-hand review.
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We don't have a bogey or tag axle - just the steer and a single drive axle. The 315s we currently run and the Firestone FS561 would provide the same ride height. So, keeping the 315s on the rear wouldn't really provide any benefit to us. Both the 315 and the FS561 have a 19.8" loaded radius (hub center-to-road) measurement. Downside to mixing the 12r22.5 in the front and 315s in the rear would be that we'd have two different size tires (width, not diameter) on the coach. We could get by still with just spare, but only for short distances if we had to use the spare on the other axle. The only downside to the 12R22.5 is that they are H rated and not L rated. Really doesn't matter though, since even the H rating provides far more weight capacity than we'll ever carry on the coach. There was never a need to put the L rated tires on there. All that said, what you suggested might be a budget-friendly way to do the change. Put the new tires on the front this spring, and leave the 315s on the rear for another 6 months or so and then replace those later on.
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Anyone have any first-hand experience with these tires? We're currently riding on Firestone FS400 tires in 315/80R22.5 size. They are great tires, but since they just hit the 7-year mark I'm looking for replacements. The coach originally came with 12R22.5 tires, and the 315s are a common replacement for them and are easier to find. I assume that's why they were put on by the previous owner. However, on a full turn to either side the corner of the tread makes slight contact with the airbag due to the slightly wider size of the 315s. Usually just a problem during parking, but it's possible to go full turn on the road on tight city streets and such so it can potentially become a problem. In every other way I love the current tires and would replace them with another set of the same, but the potential to rub on the air bags has me worried. So, I'm shopping for the proper 12R22.5 tires. I know that they are harder to find on the road, but since we carry a mounted spare that doesn't bother me quite so much. My big unknowns for the FS561 tires are ride quality/comfort and noise. The current tires are great, so I'm a little concerned that I'll put something on there and be disappointed with a harsher or noisier ride. So, if anyone has run a coach with Firestone FS561 tires I'd love to hear what you thought of them. PS: I have considered the Toyo M170, which is also available in the 12R22.5 size. The problem with them is that they have a loaded radius which is about 0.7" less than our current tires, and since our black tank connection is under the coach I'm afraid that the lower ride height would make it difficult to attach the hose (it's already tight down there.) The Firestone FS561 is the first tire in the correct size I've found with the same loaded radius size as our current tires.
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I just did a search for the XRV tire 305/70R22.5 on the Michelin site and found it with no problem. Also seeing it for sale on lots of tires dealer's sites. Not sure why your local dealer can't obtain the tires. Almost sounds like they're trying to steer you towards what they have in stock vs the tire you asked for.
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Not sure that's going to happen... It's been an odd year as we watch wave after wave of snow and ice scoot south of us and drop lots of white stuff in places that are normally much warmer than us.
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Glad you got things worked out successfully.
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Welcome to the forum! Glad that you're here. We recently had our carpeting replaced by a certified flooring installer. He specializes in all sorts of oddball jobs, including RV and other small spaces. While there may be some RV-specific places near Atlanta, you might also try and make contact with a few of the better carpet stores in your area. My suggestion would be to go in and talk to the manager, and explain what you are looking for. They'll all be happy to sell you carpet, but the good stores will have a list of qualified installers that work on various types of jobs, including RVs. Stay away from the big box or chain stores and try and find a specialty carpet/flooring store, preferably a privately owned store. When you find a place that can suggest a few names, contact the installers and chat with them. There is a certification program that these guys can go through, so don't be afraid to ask their qualifications and ask to see pictures/get references from other jobs they've done. The furniture and other updates I'll let others address since my knowledge is limited there.
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Things I would like to see from Factory
richard5933 replied to TimeTraveler's topic in Type A motorhomes
Ok - so mabye not quite the same as a cockpit, but pretty darned close. -
Things I would like to see from Factory
richard5933 replied to TimeTraveler's topic in Type A motorhomes
I have no problem. All within easy reach. Just like the cockpit of a fighter jet. 😁 -
Let me know when you're in the area next - it would be fun to have our own little mini rally.
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Bruce - You got me curious so I just went and read through the Texas Drivers Handbook to see what's changed down there since I last lived in Texas in the 90s. Boy oh boy, they've messed things up and made a complicated mess of getting a driver's license. However, page 71 of the handbook does have the information about hauling sand and gravel. Seems like in addition to whatever book they gave you for the Class B part they also were pulling questions out of the standard driving book. From an outsider's reading of the rules in Texas, it appears that 3rd party testing is permitted for the skills testing. Would seem like something some of the larger motor home dealers would want to get into to help their customers get into the larger rigs. Hope you can get this worked out and glad to see you posting on the forum.
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Greetings from Wisconsin. Sorry I didn't find this thread earlier in the week. Welcome to the forum - you'll find that there are actually still a good number of members with bus conversions. Some DIY, some professional. All amazing and unique in their own way. At the rally in Gillette I walked the entire grounds looking for all the bus conversions, amazed at all the work that went into them. Ours was converted on a brand new shell by Custom Coach in 1974 and has been lovingly used as a motor home since then. It's pretty much still the way it looked in '74. Love the way you've got yours set up and hope to see it in person some day soon. If you want to see ours you can look here:
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They're going to need a lot of Damp Rid for that one...
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Refrigerator cooling solution "gelled"
richard5933 replied to DJSafariCoach's topic in Systems and Appliances
Just a guess here, but have you shut the power (12v and 120v) to the fridge for a few minutes? That might let the circuits reset and thing might work after you turn the power back on. Works wonders on some devices. Does nothing on others. Cost nothing to try.- 26 replies
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- refrigerator
- gelled
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