#ThisDamnRV

[2FORCEFULL]

We tried the Marvel Mystery Oil, Steve. Standby for updates

give it a little time and run the jack up a down a few times.... is it parked on dirt???

 

[angiebaby]

give it a little time and run the jack up a down a few times.... is it parked on dirt???

Parked on gravel

 

[Singleton]

Parked on gravel

Are you using any leveling mats or wood blocks?
Buddy had issues and it was due to ground shifting. Starting using 6x12 wood blocks under each leg and problem was solved.

 

[angiebaby]

Slide issues

Thisdamnrv has 3 slides. One for the kitchen, one for the bedroom, and one full wall slide that is 30' long. When Jeff first went to look at the coach, back in late Feb, the slides all seemed to work. We made the deal, paid the man, and agreed to pick it up later in March, when I was on Spring Break. We had to move our kids from Twin Falls back to Montana and from there, we drove South to pick up the coach in Rancho Cucamonga. Again, the slides all worked.

When the coach broke down on the way home and we limped it into the campground at Coleville, CA. We opened up the passenger side slides, but the full wall slide did nothing. No power. We figured we would get the engine fixed first, then deal with the slide. We didn't realize it would take 9 weeks to get the engine fixed, so we began to run out of time, real quick. Later, we realized that the slide was out when we arrived both times to look at the coach, so he must have jerry-rigged something to get it out to make it look like it worked, because we now know that it had not worked correctly for years.

Because it was such a big project, Jeff broke it down into 4 videos.

BTW, we are not attempting to be YouTube stars, we just wanted to document our struggles and thought some other people might get some kind of sick enjoyment out of it, Or maybe learn something that helps them with their issues.

Part 1

Part 2

 

[angiebaby]

Part 3- I know it reads part 4 in the video, but it's part 3. Alcohol may have been a factor LOL

 

[angiebaby]

Part 4 -Final video for the slide

 

[2FORCEFULL]

Are you using any leveling mats or wood blocks?
Buddy had issues and it was due to ground shifting. Starting using 6x12 wood blocks under each leg and problem was solved.

I've seen this quite a few times, that and using the jacks when the ground was too far out of level... people run the jacks till the tires are off the ground in the rear... never never ever do this as you have no park brake and if it shifts,.. the rams won't go back up...

 

[ChumpChange]

We are registered to vote in Montana, have Montana DLs and phone #s.

Nice. Just got back this morning from our road trip to Hamilton and then up to Glacier. The massacre:

 

[angiebaby]

Nice. Just got back this morning from our road trip to Hamilton and then up to Glacier. The massacre:

The struggle is real.

 

[ChumpChange]

The struggle is real.

Washer was here two hours after we got home. Just walked out there all good.

 

[Sportin' Wood]

give it a little time and run the jack up a down a few times.... is it parked on dirt???

Thanks for the tip, I ran them up and down three times. Its hard packed gravel road base. I cut boards to set them on, but I am not using them at this point. Angie has a video she will post I am sure. My fluid retention system is working well so far. I appreciate the ideas.

 

[Sportin' Wood]

I've seen this quite a few times, that and using the jacks when the ground was too far out of level... people run the jacks till the tires are off the ground in the rear... never never ever do this as you have no park brake and if it shifts,.. the rams won't go back up...

I need to remind myself to also dump the airbags before we set the jacks. I don't intend to lift the vehicle with the jacks. The tire guys wanted to lift it that way, I told them no. Even with #ThisDamnRv being beat on before we owned it, I don't imagine the chassis likes being lifted like this. The full wall slide makes a 30 foot hole in the house box, so I would guess this thing will flex a lot.

 

[Sportin' Wood]

With the exhaust issue and the exhaust brake, probably tied into the variable geometry turbo assemble sticking again.

Yea, we paid Cummins so much, that I feel they need to make this right.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Yea, we paid Cummins so much, that I feel they need to make this right.

I agree completely. I just figure you will probably put some miles on a coach like that, and down the road it may resurface as an issue.
It has something to do with soot build up from the egr...I can prove it, but it isn't exactly legal to "fix". Not that it's been done, strictly in theory

 

[EmpirE231]

Man that sucks! that is a lot of issues.

I sold my 07 fleetwood discovery, and that thing was perfect. Makes me very worried getting into another used coach.... you never know what you're gonna get.

 

[Sleek-Jet]

Sounds like you all are working through the issues.

I had one guy tell me his coach came with every option but a "For Sale" sign, LOL.

Would you give the advice that a buyer should get the RV inspected before the purchase or do you think most of the problems would not have been found that way?

 

[Sportin' Wood]

Sounds like you all are working through the issues.

I had one guy tell me his coach came with every option but a "For Sale" sign, LOL.

Would you give the advice that a buyer should get the RV inspected before the purchase or do you think most of the problems would not have been found that way?

I should have had the drive-train looked at. The house issues I am OK fixing for the price we paid. My only gripe is that I asked and trusted about the condition of the engine. I have little issues fixing most of these issues. It is just expensive and takes a lot of time when it comes to the power plant. I am pretty sure an inspection will scare away buyers on just about all of these machines.

My Dad has been sailboat shopping recently. The preinspection process is pretty crazy. Boat costs in the $100K range get extensive inspections and certifications.

 

[angiebaby]

The washer/dryer combo works!! Where is the red dancing emoticon?? LOL

 

[DILLIGAF]

The washer/dryer combo works!! Where is the red dancing emoticon?? LOL

lol. Clothes come out all wrinkly?

 

[Sportin' Wood]

lol. Clothes come out all wrinkly?

Don't matter, I seem to wrinkle them all up anyway.

 

[Justfishing]

I was reading about how bad quality is now. Builders are so deperate for workers that guys kind of do what they want. Quality control (an oxymoron in rvs) is even worse. .
I dont think i would buy one made in 2020 or later.

 

[angiebaby]

lol. Clothes come out all wrinkly?

I'm sure they would. I only put a washcloth in. We purchased a brand new front loader one time that didn't work. I found out AFTER I started a full load, it filled with water and the door locked. Then it stopped, threw a code and never ran again. Bad computer. Don't buy a frigidaire. Anyway, I didn't want to take that risk again, considering we don't have a lot of clothes with us and who knows when we will be able to find a repair place and/or parts with all the supply chain issues.

I am aware of the wrinkle issue. We have an iron and a small countertop board. But sometimes, it's nice to have it in the coach and not have to use the laundromat for essentials. That is one big benefit to staying in a park, I will admit. You don't have to stay and babysit your clothes.

 

[DILLIGAF]

I'm sure they would. I only put a washcloth in. We purchased a brand new front loader one time that didn't work. I found out AFTER I started a full load, it filled with water and the door locked. Then it stopped, threw a code and never ran again. Bad computer. Don't buy a frigidaire. Anyway, I didn't want to take that risk again, considering we don't have a lot of clothes with us and who knows when we will be able to find a repair place and/or parts with all the supply chain issues.

I am aware of the wrinkle issue. We have an iron and a small countertop board. But sometimes, it's nice to have it in the coach and not have to use the laundromat for essentials. That is one big benefit to staying in a park, I will admit. You don't have to stay and babysit your clothes.

the one thing I miss is a washer and dryer.

in the combo try folding your clothes going in and that may help a bit

 

[angiebaby]

the one thing I miss is a washer and dryer.

in the combo try folding your clothes going in and that may help a bit

I've heard when the dry cycle is half done, take them out, shake them out, and put them back in. Haven't had the opportunity to experiment yet, as I just did laundry yesterday.

 

[angiebaby]

Been windy as hell here and a rainstorm went through yesterday and last night. Snow about 500-1000 feet above us. Time to peel out.

 

[angiebaby]

ALL of the blinds need to be replaced. They look fine when the daytime blinds are down, but when you pull the heavy ones, they are all stained. Like someone sprayed something (beer? champagne?) all over them. Both the kitchen/living room and bedroom. Weird. Anyway, the bathrooms have the traditional 1-inch mini-blinds. The colors didn't match, but they worked, so I figured I would replace the others and save those for last. Until the back bedroom one refused to go down about 6 weeks ago. So, I decided to purchase those first and purchased the water stained windshield curtains at the same time. Those suckers were $550!! Only one place makes them!

The hall bath mini-blinds were a blue-gray-chrome color and the back ones were a black-navy color. The color scheme in the coach is mahogany/brown/tan So I am happy to get rid of these blu-ish blinds.

Jeff installed them when I ran up to Polson to take care of the final registration and title issues at the DMV

 

[angiebaby]

We got new wiper blades before we left Idaho and made a huge mistake assuming the wipers worked. SMH. No need to warn the new owner about a significant safety issue before he/she drives off, is there? Anyway, Jeff ripped apart the steering column this afternoon and fixed them. All is good Headlights are another upcoming project to fix before we leave Utah,

 

[angiebaby]

Oh, and Steve?? We owe you a beer when we get to Havasu! No more leaks in the jacks! Not a single drop!!!

 

[DILLIGAF]

Love the vids. Keep em coming. That windy one….YIKES

 

[rush1]

You could of rebuilt that entire engine in that Monaco for halve of what cummins charged you, they ripped you off big time.

 

[rush1]

Nice. Just got back this morning from our road trip to Hamilton and then up to Glacier. The massacre:

View attachment 1047408

Spray 303 aerospace protect all over the front end before a trip makes washing the bugs off a breeze

 

[2FORCEFULL]

Oh, and Steve?? We owe you a beer when we get to Havasu! No more leaks in the jacks! Not a single drop!!!

I've got an empty spot there with 50 amp power if you want... beer sounds good,... i drink them for breakfast

 

[STV_Keith]

Sounds like a helluva time so far. I too am a new RV owner as of April. I've got an even older unit than yours, a 2003 Foretravel U320 38' with a tag axle and the Cummins ISM 450. Here's a few things I'll mention based on what I've read on the thread.

• The stop engine light can light up for many reasons. I've seen it pulling a long grade with my coach when the coolant temp hit 220*F. That's really not that hot, but apparently Cummins thinks it is. I just backed out of the throttle and slowed down about 10mph, dropped a gear and it started cooling off pretty quickly.
• RPM is your friend. Despite what you might think about diesels, RPM = airflow and airflow is cooling. Let's say it takes 350hp to climb this grade. If you do that in 5th gear at 1400rpm, you're putting however much air through the engine that 1400rpm will move. If you do that in 4th at 1800rpm, now you're moving that much more air through the motor while generating the same amount of power (heat). My ISM redlines at 2100rpm. I normally pull the hills between 1700 and 2000rpm. Anything below 1500rpm starts to lug the motor and make more heat.
• If you have an Allison trans (I'm guessing you do), you can manually select the highest allowable gear on the touchpad. Down arrow changes the max gear allowed, which gives you the ability to hold a gear for RPM. The "mode" button is to switch between performance mode and economy mode. Figure out what mode yours starts up in and what mode you switch to when pushing the button. I understand this can be changed in the programming through the touchpad. In the default mode, floor it from a stop and see if it runs out to redline in each gear or not. If it doesn't, you're probably in economy mode, which will shift early and lug the engine more.
• Maybe check out the Silverleaf VMSpc setup. It connects to the data connector on the coach and will send data to a PC so you can monitor all the temps, clear codes, etc. See my post over here about it: https://www.riverdavesplace.com/forums/threads/converting-a-mci-bus-into-an-rv.225330/post-4226455
• House batteries - those Optimas are likely 55Ah or 75Ah rated. Looking at lead acid batteries (including wet, AGM, etc), the RV style batteries are a much higher output. My coach has 3 x 8D batteries with 255Ah EACH. This means I have 765Ah capacity. You don't want to drain these past about 70% capacity to make them live. That's about 12.2V or so. At 12.2, you need to start charging. An auto-generator start circuit can do this when needed, for you. You may already have one or might be able to add one, depending on what inverter is in your RV.
• Monitoring house batteries - in my RV, there are two cigarette lighter plugs on the dash. One is wired to the house batteries and one is wired to the engine batteries. This is really nice since I can monitor each bank independently from there. I bought these little guys which make it easy to keep an eye on DC battery levels: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YS7WMQR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Best of luck. They say RV's are a hobby, and I've found mine to be the same. Upgrades and fixing little stuff, especially due to the age of my rig. Currently installing the Garnet SeeLevel tank monitoring system as the original "Javelina" system was DOA when I bought mine. Also had a water leak that was a combination of a failed one-way check valve in the water fill system combined with a leaking hose reel. Always something to work on.

 

[Sportin' Wood]

Sounds like a helluva time so far. I too am a new RV owner as of April. I've got an even older unit than yours, a 2003 Foretravel U320 38' with a tag axle and the Cummins ISM 450. Here's a few things I'll mention based on what I've read on the thread.

• The stop engine light can light up for many reasons. I've seen it pulling a long grade with my coach when the coolant temp hit 220*F. That's really not that hot, but apparently Cummins thinks it is. I just backed out of the throttle and slowed down about 10mph, dropped a gear and it started cooling off pretty quickly.
• RPM is your friend. Despite what you might think about diesels, RPM = airflow and airflow is cooling. Let's say it takes 350hp to climb this grade. If you do that in 5th gear at 1400rpm, you're putting however much air through the engine that 1400rpm will move. If you do that in 4th at 1800rpm, now you're moving that much more air through the motor while generating the same amount of power (heat). My ISM redlines at 2100rpm. I normally pull the hills between 1700 and 2000rpm. Anything below 1500rpm starts to lug the motor and make more heat.
• If you have an Allison trans (I'm guessing you do), you can manually select the highest allowable gear on the touchpad. Down arrow changes the max gear allowed, which gives you the ability to hold a gear for RPM. The "mode" button is to switch between performance mode and economy mode. Figure out what mode yours starts up in and what mode you switch to when pushing the button. I understand this can be changed in the programming through the touchpad. In the default mode, floor it from a stop and see if it runs out to redline in each gear or not. If it doesn't, you're probably in economy mode, which will shift early and lug the engine more.
• Maybe check out the Silverleaf VMSpc setup. It connects to the data connector on the coach and will send data to a PC so you can monitor all the temps, clear codes, etc. See my post over here about it: https://www.riverdavesplace.com/forums/threads/converting-a-mci-bus-into-an-rv.225330/post-4226455
• House batteries - those Optimas are likely 55Ah or 75Ah rated. Looking at lead acid batteries (including wet, AGM, etc), the RV style batteries are a much higher output. My coach has 3 x 8D batteries with 255Ah EACH. This means I have 765Ah capacity. You don't want to drain these past about 70% capacity to make them live. That's about 12.2V or so. At 12.2, you need to start charging. An auto-generator start circuit can do this when needed, for you. You may already have one or might be able to add one, depending on what inverter is in your RV.
• Monitoring house batteries - in my RV, there are two cigarette lighter plugs on the dash. One is wired to the house batteries and one is wired to the engine batteries. This is really nice since I can monitor each bank independently from there. I bought these little guys which make it easy to keep an eye on DC battery levels: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YS7WMQR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Best of luck. They say RV's are a hobby, and I've found mine to be the same. Upgrades and fixing little stuff, especially due to the age of my rig. Currently installing the Garnet SeeLevel tank monitoring system as the original "Javelina" system was DOA when I bought mine. Also had a water leak that was a combination of a failed one-way check valve in the water fill system combined with a leaking hose reel. Always something to work on.

Your engine speed advice seems spot on. When we moved to Moab Utah, two weeks ago I changed my driving style to maintain 1800-2000 RPMs and adjust speed with the transmission. This worked very well. I plan to get an engine monitor this winter.

Managing our battery use pretty well the last two weeks as we are not on shore power in Moab. The inverter runs my laptop and pepwave all day no problem, but I went two full days and the inverter got a little pissed off when we used the generator to recharge from the mid 11 volts. It was pretty hot that day and the transformer safety shut off switch did its job. Dependent on sun, the solar almost keeps up, but I now run the genset a couple hours a day. AC is nice in the afternoon anyway.

 

[STV_Keith]

Did you look to see, or do you know, if you have a generator auto start? Mine is a BCM15, which starts the generator if the house batteries that it is connected to, falls below a certain threshold. I can set it to automatic and it will start as needed and run for a preset amount of time to charge the batteries fully. When set to manual, it will not do this (forces the generator to only start manually with the button).

I also just installed a Controlbyweb Web Relay Wireless device. It's this little box that will connect to the wifi in your RV (Pepwave) and give you the ability to see one indicator, and have control of one switch/relay. For my purposes, I wired the input indicator to the generator running LED in the panel shown above. From the internet on a browser, or from the phone app, I can see if the generator is running or not. The switch output is then wired to the output from the manual start/stop switch. This switch is a momentary push button, so I simply connected the input power to that switch to the Web Relay switch common terminal, and then the output to the switched output wire. Since the signal to start or stop the generator is simply a momentary button, I've set the relay to pulse the output for 1 second. This gives me the ability to start or stop the generator from anywhere.

Here's what the app control looks like:

Since we also have a remotely accessible thermostat (Micro-Air) for the A/C's, heat pumps, furnace, etc, I can control all of that as well. If boondocking, now I can fire the generator and then set any of those climate controls while away.

 

[angiebaby]

Today's project was to replace the water stained windshield draperies. These things were pricey, and not the quality of the originals, but they look immensely better and cleaner.

Before:
This is what happens when you leave the side windows open during rainstorms. Repeatedly.

After:

 

[SodarSki73]

For those blinds, soak them in a bathtub, with Oxyclean and bleach. Rinse and air dry and iron. Mine looked worse and look like new now.

Same goes for the accordion blinds, if you have them. Soak them overnight in a bathtub, rinse and air dry. Don't rub or brush, as it will fray the cellulose, just let them soak. I had a couple spots on the shades near the dinette that had deep food splatters. I used some Spray'N'Wash on and that got them out.

 

[angiebaby]

I never posted our update to the shower. I'm bummed that I didn't take a good before shot with the amazing opaque shower curtain rigged up in place of the glass doors. Not sure what happened to them. Did they break? I know this design was prone to falling out. Were they taken out and put in a rafter somewhere? Thrown in the trash? Who knows. Previous owner had attached a $2 shower curtain rather than fixing it. I got onto iRV2 and did some research and found the company that makes them is in Ontario. Shower Enclosures of America. link They have updated the model to have less metal, more glass and a slightly different radius. I think it was about $450, but had to be shipped freight and an extra $100 for residential. Nearly $700 in the end. Jeff and my dad removed the old one, I got in there with a scraper and cleared off the old silicone and grime. Turned out great!!!

Beginning (minus the fabulous plastic curtain)

 

[havasujeeper]

Great job!

 

[DILLIGAF]

Very nice

 

[angiebaby]

We've had these replacement tail lights since Moab, just haven't had the opportunity to replace them yet. It was $650+ tax for all of them. Ouch! And I had to get them from different vendors, but all Hellas. They just weren't in stock everywhere. Some places had the clear, some had 4 reds (we needed 6) and so on. Anyway. They are done now. Looks a ton better.

They aren't cracked, they just still have the cellophane on them.

 

[angiebaby]

We are getting the wrap put on the front the first week of Dec and we wanted to get it washed and waxed before that. So before we could do that, Jeff wanted to take the clear bra off of the piece below the windshield. There is no clear bra below this piece, which is a bummer because it is chipped all to hell. However, the piece with the bra removed looks brand new now.

The bad news is that when we had the wash and wax done, our windshield cracked in two places from top to bottom. Hence the name #thisdamnrv

One step forward, two steps back. The detail guy's reply was "Welcome to Havasu." This was Winston Detail, BTW. Would not recommend them. I'm aware windshields crack when they are hot and hit with cold water. They are supposed to know also. That's why they are professionals, right? The wash and wax were fine and average price apparently, but I was pretty pissed about the response. A discount next time would have been kind of nice. Lots of other detailers in town to choose from.

 

[grumpy88]

We are getting the wrap put on the front the first week of Dec and we wanted to get it washed and waxed before that. So before we could do that, Jeff wanted to take the clear bra off of the piece below the windshield. There is no clear bra below this piece, which is a bummer because it is chipped all to hell. However, the piece with the bra removed looks brand new now.
View attachment 1067256

The bad news is that when we had the wash and wax done, our windshield cracked in two places from top to bottom. Hence the name #thisdamnrv

One step forward, two steps back. The detail guy's reply was "Welcome to Havasu." This was Winston Detail, BTW. Would not recommend them. I'm aware windshields crack when they are hot and hit with cold water. They are supposed to know also. That's why they are professionals, right? The wash and wax were fine and average price apparently, but I was pretty pissed about the response. A discount next time would have been kind of nice. Lots of other detailers in town to choose from.

Hot and cold water ? Its 85 degrees out . Did they wash it with ice water ! That really sucks . Sorry to hear . Any chance of using color matched wrap on the front of the motor home to hide the rock chips instead of clear over the chips ?

 

[Singleton]

We are getting the wrap put on the front the first week of Dec and we wanted to get it washed and waxed before that. So before we could do that, Jeff wanted to take the clear bra off of the piece below the windshield. There is no clear bra below this piece, which is a bummer because it is chipped all to hell. However, the piece with the bra removed looks brand new now.
View attachment 1067256

The bad news is that when we had the wash and wax done, our windshield cracked in two places from top to bottom. Hence the name #thisdamnrv

One step forward, two steps back. The detail guy's reply was "Welcome to Havasu." This was Winston Detail, BTW. Would not recommend them. I'm aware windshields crack when they are hot and hit with cold water. They are supposed to know also. That's why they are professionals, right? The wash and wax were fine and average price apparently, but I was pretty pissed about the response. A discount next time would have been kind of nice. Lots of other detailers in town to choose from.

Your at the Islander - use Detail Spec. - they come to your spot and are Islander approved

 

[angiebaby]

Hot and cold water ? Its 85 degrees out . Did they wash it with ice water ! That really sucks . Sorry to hear . Any chance of using color matched wrap on the front of the motor home to hide the rock chips instead of clear over the chips ?

We are using a color match. The black had a clear on it already that was several years old (13?). It was soft and scratched with a company sticker on it from the guy who owned it first that I couldn't remove. I'd just get pissed every time I saw it, LOL. The wrap company said it would probably show through after the new wrap was put on.

As for the windshield, that's what I thought. It was pretty warm, but not 110°. I figured since he went ahead it would be fine.

 

[angiebaby]

Your at the Islander - use Detail Spec. - they come to your spot and are Islander approved

So was Winston. They came here as well. We will use Detail Spec in the spring before we leave to head to Sedona.

 

[Singleton]

So was Winston. They came here as well. We will use Detail Spec in the spring before we leave to head to Sedona.

That is crazy an approved vendor does not realize how to protect windshields from breaking when washing in direct sunlight

 

[monkeyswrench]

That is crazy an approved vendor does not realize how to protect windshields from breaking when washing in direct sunlight

I've never had a Class A with a giant windshield, but also never wash my truck windows at the river...how do you clean them without risking this?

 

[Singleton]

I've never had a Class A with a giant windshield, but also never wash my truck windows at the river...how do you clean them without risking this?

Avoid it, or not shock the glass by using warmed water

 

[angiebaby]

Took it in to GatorWraps this morning to get the front wrapped. So we are over at Island Suites for the night

Jeff worked on the outside lights this weekend. Oh, and I was only able to do one load in the washer. It hasn't worked since. Repair guy is coming on Thursday afternoon to look at it, I'd guess it's the motherboard. Lights just flash non-stop if you push the start button. He is going to try to figure out why my oven pilot will not stay lit also. There is a list of things to repair, but we are going to try to space it out. If he's any good, we will have him come out in Jan or Feb and look at the 2 A/C units that don't work and the back furnace.