richard5933

Then you've never experienced the joy of an 8V71.

There's a reason they have the climbing lanes on the long grades. There's also a reason you'll see truckers in the right lane going slowly with their hazard blinkers on when the grades get steep. We have to do it in our coach from time to time. It's just part of the fun. Just pull to the right lane and keep downshifting until, as Brett said earlier, you have a little throttle left to spare, even if it means going 30 mph up the steepest grades.

All you really need to prove is that it will cost him more to do nothing than to negotiate a settlement. I'm sure that most of these situations never actually get to the point where proof of prior knowledge or intent is necessary. If this dealer has more than two customers he's not going to want this dragged through the news. Hopefully.

It was mentioned earlier in this thread that the ultra-low-sulfur diesel doesn't hold moisture well resulting in it settling to the bottom of the tank and increasing the problem with microbe growth. Other than either pumping out the bottom of a tank or draining the bottom of the tank (if a drain is installed), is there a chemical solution to get the accumulated moisture out of the tank?

Would you have bought the coach even if you knew that the mileage was that high, assuming the price had been adjusted accordingly? If so, then my first approach would be to get the dealer to adjust the price. You might have a good chance of such as adjustment given the following. Of course, I'm not an attorney so you would be best to check this out with one before taking action. Kentucky does have rules regarding mileage disclosure: 190.300 Disclosure of mileage upon transfer of motor vehicle or motor home. (1) Any transferor must give a written disclosure to the transferee in connection with the transfer of ownership of a motor vehicle or motor home: (a) Disclosing the cumulative mileage registered on the odometer. (b) Disclosure that the actual mileage is unknown, if the odometer reading is known to the transferor to be different from the number of miles the vehicle has actually traveled. (2) It shall be a violation of this section for any transferor to knowingly give a false statement to a transferee in making any disclosure required by this section. Effective: January 1, 2015 History: Amended 2014 Ky. Acts ch. 27, sec. 24, effective January 1, 2015. -- Created 1976 Ky. Acts ch. 246, sec. 7, effective June 19, 1976. 190.310 Liability for violation of KRS 190.270 to 190.320 with intent to defraud. (1) Any person who, with intent to defraud, violates any requirement imposed under KRS 190.270 to 190.320 shall be liable to the transferee in an amount equal to the sum of: (a) Three (3) times the amount of actual damages sustained or fifteen hundred dollars ($1,500), whichever is the greater; and (b) In the case of any successful action to enforce the foregoing liability, the costs of the action together with reasonable attorney fees as determined by the court. (2) An action to enforce any liability created under subsection (1) of this section, may be brought in a Circuit Court of a county in which the purchaser of the motor vehicle resides. Effective: June 19, 1976 History: Created 1976 Ky. Acts ch. 246, sec. 8, effective June 19, 1976. Assuming that the dealer in Kentucky provided the required written disclosure, and assuming that it reflected the incorrect odometer reading, it would seem that a simple call to the appropriate state agency (Kentucky Motor Vehicle Commission) could create quite a problem for the dealer. Even more so if the phone call is preceded by a letter from an attorney notifying them of your intention to take action and of your desired outcome.

Winter number eight Michigan style or in the more southern states? Once winter gets in full swing around here in Wisconsin, 120w of heat would never keep a bay warm enough to prevent freezing temps unless it was insulated like a sealed cooler. Not sure what the reason would be to avoid running the pink anti-freeze through the fresh-water side of the AH as the manual instructs? If the rest of the plumbing is done that way already, seems like a no-brainer.

I guess I could throw that back at you in reverse? What manufacturers specifically recommend replacing OE rubber bushings with polyurethane bushings? I can only speak directly about my research on these regarding the front end of a bus chassis, but logic would say that the theory holds true for many (if not all) types of vehicles. Polyurethane bushing have different elasticity and hardness qualities than rubber. There will be differences in ride quality, handling, vibration transmission, and other factors. When engineers spec out these things on a chassis, they're not just randomly picking some rubber bushing off the shelf because it's the cheapest or because it fits. They choose the bushing based on a number of factors that contribute to ride quality, safety, handling, etc. I don't have an engineering degree, so I'm not keen on just randomly changing a component of my suspension system because it's supposed to last longer or provide better handling, at least not without doing my homework to be sure that it's a wise choice. Here is just one of many sites out there that spell out the differences: https://www.suspension.com/blog/rubber-v-polyurethane-suspension-bushings/ Like I said in my previous post, I'm not saying that it's wrong to install the polyurethane bushings. I'm just saying that before someone jumps in and installs them it's wise to do a little research and see if the positives will outweigh the negatives. There will be both. Kind of like a situation years ago when someone at the tire shop convinced my father that he should ante up and get the more expensive 'better' tire that carried a 60,000-mile wear warranty. He did and proudly drove the car home. Next day he drove it right back and had them put on the tires he originally asked for. What went wrong? The 'better' tires had a much harder rubber compound designed to make them wear longer. Problem was that the trade off of getting a longer wear life was a drastically harsher ride and increase in road noise.

Not to be a trouble maker, but sometime just because a part will last longer doesn't mean it works better. Polyurethane bushings are available to replace lots of rubber bushings. They do change the ride and handling characteristics though, so it's important to research the results on the particular chassis in question to be certain that any negative consequences don't outweigh the positive ones. Not saying that polyurethane bushings are bad, just that they are not recommended in all applications on all chassis types.

Welcome. Glad to see we're not the only ones on the block that appreciates old machines. Great look ride!

It's strange when I compare Flying J prices through Gas Buddy. In some parts of the country they are within 10 cents or so to other stations. In other areas they are 30-40 cents higher, sometimes even more. I'd love to know how they set their prices. They must have some type of algorithm to set these. Just doesn't make sense on the surface though how they can stay in business when other stations are so much lower, unless maybe they do this in areas where the other stations are just too inconvenient for commercial truckers to get to.

Either it's charging the battery or not. If the voltage in the coach batteries is dropping with the engine running, there's a good chance that your alternator is not charging. Unless your chassis batteries have failed. I still think that it would be key to get your chassis batteries to a local auto parts store or battery store to see if they can even take a charge. Do you have a toad or can you borrow a vehicle to take them for testing?

If the voltage is dropping with the engine running AND it also drops while plugged into shore power (I assume with the external charger connected to them) then something is obviously not right. What is the voltage coming out of the engine alternator?

IF the isolator or solenoid (whichever is in use here) is bad, then the problem with the inverter could easily have killed other components or even batteries. The isolator is a device which allows the chassis alternator to charge the house batteries while the main engine is running. It could be near the house batteries. Hopefully someone else knows more specifically. The house batteries are not what's going to take you to the shop. The chassis batteries are the ones you need to worry about when driving. The house batteries may help you stay comfortable, but they won't get you where you want to go. If your chassis alternator is working, then your chassis batteries should not be dropping voltage with the engine running. When you said that the voltage is dropping did you mean with the engine running or off? Whatever you do to get to the shop, please be sure to factor in the upcoming storm. You certainly don't want to be on the road with questionable batteries with a storm closing in on you. Stay safe and dry.

Never said it was less expensive, just that at times getting a residential fridge installed isn't practical.

Not every coach can take a residential fridge without doing cabinet modification. Sometimes it's quite a bit of remodeling to get the opening sized right, and sometimes it's a problem just getting it inside. Can't speak to the specifics of this application, but there are situations where keeping at least the shell of the Norcold in place would be the optimal solution. Theoretically this should work if the shell is in good condition - all that's happening is replacing a failed/dangerous refrigeration system for one that works. These things are really nothing more than a big insulated cabinet with a refrigeration system attached.

Just a thought... If you're having frost problems inside the fridge then perhaps you have moisture getting in. Might be that your door gasket is not sealing well enough to keep out the warm/moist air.

Welcome to the madness!

Have you thought about planting with native grasses that don't need to be watered? Or mowed? Makes me tired just thinking about mowing all that lawn. We have four acres, but now we only mow the 1/2 acre or so around the buildings - the rest is native pasture grasses and takes care of itself.

We often choose the Flying J just for their ease of in/out and because they have other services we need like dump station, scales, etc. With the Good Sam discount it's usually within a few cents of the cheaper guy across the street with the tiny lot. Even 4 or 5 cents difference is only a few bucks, and it's worth it to me to know that my bus will fit into their lots. They also have high-flow pumps so I'm not there all day trying to fill a 165-gallon tank.

Which is why I mentioned early on that I wouldn't change tire size without confirming with the manufacturer it's a good idea. We can look all we want at these things to check for clearance and other issues, but we'll never be able to consider all the factors involved in changing tire size. Everything may look good when the rig is sitting still, but hit a big bump while taking a tight turn and the tire might suddenly (and catastrophically) hit the frame. Since tires in the current size are available in a variety of styles and load ratings I'm not sure what the advantage to changing size would be other than reading somewhere that they ride better. Not that design engineers never make mistakes, but if something as simple as using a different tire size would have enabled the coach to ride and/or handle better you'd think they would have either put them on at the factory or made them an option.

Welcome to the forum. Glad to you have you here. To better answer your question, more information is needed. What will you be using the towed vehicle for? Do you prefer a car or truck? Big or small? Will you be towing on a dolly, trailer, or with all four wheels down? Etc. Etc. Etc. A good place to start is the Towing Guide from FMCA. https://familyrvingmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/TowableLineup-Update_FMC0118.pdf This lists current vehicles listed by the manufacturer as towable. Of course, there are also guides for past years so if you want a used vehicle just look in the guide for those years. The guides are on the FMCA magazine web page. You'll have to be logged in to view them.

Overload on a circuit can cause a few problems... Circuit breaker tripped? Circuit breaker failed? GFCI failed? Inverter/charger failed? Am I missing something?

One more thought... Has anyone checked to be sure that the water level in all the batteries is at the proper level? And that the connections to the batteries are not corroded and are properly tightened? Didn't want to miss the easy stuff.

Not sure I understand what's going on here. The chassis batteries discharge at rest. The house batteries discharge at rest. The chassis batteries are not charging when the engine is running. The inverter/charger can't charge the house batteries. Something simple is gumming up the works and should be discoverable by following a simple yes/no testing procedure. Two approaches - battery & inverter/charger. My hunch is that one of these is causing all the problems. My suggestion is to follow one path at a time. Your choice which to do first. If you can easily get the batteries to a place that can properly test them, that would be my first choice. If you have someone that can help you properly test the inverter/charger, then that could be first. Batteries: Take your batteries to a battery retailer and have them tested. There are dozens of truck repair centers in your area that can test your batteries. Probably could also get them tested at most decent auto supply houses. Napa would be my first choice if you have to choose blindly. My guess is that one or more of your batteries has crapped out and is causing the problem with them not taking a charge. One bad cell on one battery can mess up the whole battery bank. Same for your house batteries. They should hold a charge when not connected to anything. Have them tested. Until you get ALL the batteries tested or are certain they are good you really can't move forward. If a battery is bad, it's best to replace all the batteries on that battery bank (If one chassis battery is bad, replace both chassis batteries. Same for the house batteries.) IF the batteries all test good, then the next item to test would be the alternator since the chassis batteries are not charging with the engine running. It can be tested at the same truck repair places that tested the batteries. Inverter/Charger: If I remember, this thread started with a few 120v outlets that didn't work. If the batteries & alternator test good, then you've got something drawing down your batteries and/or not allowing them to charge. My first suspect would be the inverter/charger. A bad inverter/charger would certainly cause that. It could also be constantly discharging your house batteries trying to get the outlets powered, but in its malfunctioning state just can't do it. I'd also want to verify that the house and chassis batteries are not connected together when they shouldn't be. With the battery chargers off (all of them) if you disconnect the chassis batteries none of the chassis systems should be functioning and if you disconnect the house batteries none of the house systems should be functioning. If you disconnect one battery bank and items normally powered by that battery bank are still functioning then you have a cross connection. If your house and chassis batteries are connected together at all times, any problem with one side is going to draw down the other.

I'd avoid any complicated system. Just get a good dash cam for your RV plus one for the toad that has both front and rear cameras. Or, just get a separate front/rear camera for your toad plus one in the front of the RV. They each will record what they see, and with the wide angle lenses on these things nowadays the two cameras on the toad will record quite a bit of the road. Ours has a 170-degree field of vision. Front and rear like that in the toad will be almost 360.