Thursday, May 07, 2009

Holiday Rambler RV, Do it Yourself

This year and for the foreseeable future, is 'Do It Yourself'. The economy and the stock market's low yield to the small investors, including IRA's and other retirement plans, is forcing many people to maintain and repair their own 'stuff'. The Motorhome is a house that requires maintenance to 'keep rolling'. Think what all would happen if you put your house on wheels. The previous blog post told the details of the 'Atwood' water heater repair, posted as we prepared for a Texas touring trip detailed 3-12-09 post.. These little tips also apply if deciding to buy an older unit and 'Do it Yourself' to save costs.

Part one, Awnings :
The room slideout units (2 on our coach) have awnings over them to keep out the water during rain with the slides at the 'out' position. Unnoticed, the UV radiation had rotted the light colored thread used by Carefree of Colorado during the stitching process. The 1.5 inches of exposed fabric then came loose from the 'C' channel holding it tightly against the coach wall.

According to the Carefree of Colorado website, this model 'Ascent'? is supposed to have a metal cover to shield the fabric from radiation when closed. During the last few trips, the wind during the night, rattled the awnings enough to tear the sun rotted edges near the 'C Channel. Note; power them 'in' during wind, to possibly save this job.

Note: I sent a comment regarding the premature UV damage of the stitching, to Carefree of Colorado. Lets see if they respond.
Note: Laura from Carefree responded with a question about the model numbers. They are beneath the fabric when it is wrapped on the tensioned end of the tube. Luckily the fabric is removed and at the local repair shop. I asked about the numbers location being visible when the fabric is in place.
Laura said the same nylon/cotton thread has been used by Carefree of Colorado for 35 years.
"That is the way it has always been done", is sometimes the problem.
My question "Isn't there a NEW more UV resistant thread"?
Laura sent the complete parts breakdown of the SOC II model awning assy on this coach. No UV cover is shown. I will have to improvise to cover the 1.5 inches of exposed fabric.

I called Andresen's Awning on 2524 Graceland Dr NE, Alb NM 87110. (email only) De-De said the cost was approximately $79 to repair, and $200 for remove and re-install. I got out the ladder, repeatedly moved and repeatedly climbed, and finally got the fabric off both slides by myself. Working alone is far more active. You have to play the part of both the 'good cop' and the 'bad cop'. (Robert on TV's 'Everyone Loves Raymond')

The easy part was opening the two slide outs about one foot. This gives you a place to set the heavy parts so you don't drop them to the ground. Removing the five screws (two on each end, one in the center) that hold the metal wind cover shield and caps on the Care Free of Colorado









  • awning assy was next.

    While working at each end, loosen the two small pinch screws that retain the roller end brackets into the coach wall brackets. Also remove the small screws in the C Channel, retaining the nylon beading in place. (Two ladder moves, one for each end). Move the ladder to the center (remove that lower cover retaing screw), in order to balance and lift the heavy aluminum cover (on this model) onto the top of the slide, then from there, lift to the rooftop.

    Now the tricky part. The long heavy aluminum roller drum is under internal torsion spring tension like some garage doors. DO NOT remove either end bolt. I did and it startled me when it 'unsprung' (not good to jump while standing on a ladder). The easiest way to find out which end is under tension is to grab the roller and twist it to slack the awning. The bolt that is holding pressure, is at the end that requires CCW (looking at the end) twist of the drum to slacken the awning. The engineers should have painted it red or at least taped over that bolt with red tape. Best to leave the end trunion bolts tightly in place. The drum will be easily slid off of the free trunion end.

    Using a pair of drift punches or strong rods of at least 1/8th inch diameter, as spanners, insert into the holes and rotate the drum, in step sequence CCW, increasing the torsion pressure, to roll the drum, winding up the internal spring, slackening the awning enough to work with the unit free of tension. Tape the one punch or rod that is now wedged firmly against the mounting bracket, into position so it doesn't fall out while you are working with the drum.

    Laura sent a detailed explanation from Carefree of Colorado. It suggests using a cotter pin to insert into the drum and spring trunion assy after it is wound up to slacken the fabric. I used that method on the other coach with great success. I left the cotter pin in place to prevent further 'billowing' and traded in the coach. The holes did not line up correctly on these SOC II awning assys. The center trunion hole is further in than the outer tube hole, good luck with this 'designed in' flaw.

    Be sure the 'bead' retaining screws are removed from both ends of the 'C Channel' on the coach wall. The 'bead' holding in the awning, will be stuck. Use a small hammer (tape it to prevent scratching the finish of the coach) to tap a thin piece of flat metal or a very long 1/8th rod to tap the poly 'bead' rod back and forth in the channel. Once it is loose, the job will progress easier.

    Loosen the small locking screws holding the tensioned drum mounting bracket into the wall mounted frame. Rocking the big drum roll will ensure it is now ready to slide out toward the tensioned end (with taped punch) of the wall mounts.
    Grab hold of the big drum in the center (another ladder move). Rock and slide the entire drum tube in the direction of the opening of the 'C' channel, and away from, off of, the 'free trunion spindle' bracket end. Leave this bracket in the wall mount. Slide the entire drum and it's bracket, in the direction of the spring tensioned end (where the punch is firmly taped in place). Eight inches of sliding the awning in the channel, and holding while sliding the heavy drum, is a little tense, hold up the weight firmly. When the end comes free of the wall mount bracket, roll the entire assy up onto the roof of the slideout.

    Move the ladder to the punch and bracket end. Gradually unwind the fabric by rolling the drum assy. On each revolution, the fabric will need to be worked out from under the bracket where the punch is holding the tension (reason for tapeing). When the drum groove is pointing up, is clearly visible, and the fabric is all loose on top of the drum assy, (will require more ladder moves) slide the entire fabric toward the open (non-sprung)trunion end. Slide both of it's beads (one is in the drum groove), toward the end of the 'C' channel as you are sliding it out from the drum as well. Toss the fabric to the ground.

    Now the drum should be laying on the roof of the slide. The aluminum cover should be laying on the roof of the coach. Take the fabric to the awning repair shop or 'Do It Yourself'. Be sure to use the most UV blocking thread available. Black is the best color for blocking the sun's destructive radiation. Either make a new awning, using the old one as a pattern, or repair the old one if the fabric is still strong and not fragile. Be sure to re-stitch all of the awnings edge hem in heavy black thread. Sunbrella
  • is extremely high quality fabric. You may even want to order a new fabric from Carefree of Colorado.

    The nylon/poly 'bead' insert will possibly require replacement, in part or in entirety. I need only one extra foot of replacement per awning due to hard brittle, sun exposed ends. Andresens installed a complete new bead. The rest is covered in the 'C' channel and still flexible. After the fabric is back and ready to install, slide the 'bead' into the sewed tubular ends of the fabric. Now you can easily carry it up the ladder and slide it into the 'C' channel (flare and file any sharp corners off the insert end) and the drum groove at the same time, reversing the removal procedure.

    The instructions sent from Carefree of Colorado, suggest tightening the torsion spring (if loose) by using the tensioned bracket as leverage (out of it's wall mount) held by a vise grip pliers. Scary.. I used a staged system of my wife powering the slide out to wind, lock with 1/8 inch pin, loosen end bolt. (tube requires 1/8 inch end gap to align single trunion hole with outer tube hole) Power in to slacken fabric, turn trunion (locked to tube with short pin or screw) and tube to wind fabric, Tighten trunion bolt. Carefully relax tension by twisting tube CCW and remove 1/8 inch tube lock pin each time BEFORE next power out, Repeat several times to increase tension to specifications (approx 10-13 turns of tube?). 
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  • Place red tape over tension lock bolt. It's best to have two ladders and at least two people. It can possibly be done alone..but I don't like it. Fabric gets sucked into slide opening, requiring several more ladder moves. Recheck the fabric tension sometime after usage. To block the UV, I taped all along the exposed sewn edges, from C channel to uder the awning cover, (wherever exposed to sun) using rows of wide Gorilla tape. Not sure it will withstand UV any better or even withstand the wind. Note: it is now covering all sewn repairs and exposed fabric and is doing extremely well.... Thank you Gorilla.
  • added note: NM sun takes it's toll  on Everything exposed to it's unforgiving UV rays. Even Gorilla tape suffered after two years. One layer is raising from the fabric and requires replacing. This time I will overlap 3/4" of one edge to the roof channel, rather than only the fabric close to the channel.
    ____________________________________________________

    Part two, Other tips, and more included in following comments
    as I learn from experience:
  • An additional auxiliary fan installed inside the outer access compartment of the Norcold propane/electric refrigerator, aids immensely in the cooling process, by driving upward and removing excess heat from the exchange unit, prolonging the life expectancy of the refrigerator. A high volume 6" or greater, muffin fan operates on the 120V AC (if compartment has an AC outlet) when hooked up to shore power. (note: unplug when operating on inverter)

    You may desire to climb on the roof periodically. If so, keep in mind that the most fatal accidents to U.S. men over 65, is falling off 'the front' of their RV's. (who keeps those stats?) While up there, check the caulking at seams of the roof. ALPHA
  • is the best 'self leveling' caulk for RV roofs (sold at RV dealers). Clean out the dry and weathered cracks, cutting away any raised edges. Flow the ALPHA into the horizontal crack and it will take care of it's own 'leveling' process. Vertical use requires non-sag formula.

    There are several Manufacturers
  • of easy to install, roof vent covers. After destroying one raised standard vent cover, we installed an aerodynamic vent cover over it. Good for rain protection and driving with vent open. (which destroyed the original flat vent cover)

    If water leaks in through ceiling AC vent during rain, do not panic. Remove inner vent cover and duct cover, Retighten the four AC mounting bolts from inside. The thick foam seal has most likely compacted and let in water. It can also be replaced easily if old and leaking. Condensation in ambient high humidity, also causes water to run off roof or leak through ceiling vent when AC is operating. Tighten bolts. Noise from roof AC may be caused by fan contacting sheet metal framework in roof AC assy. Remove top cover and realign fan motor. If not re-aligned as soon as noise starts, the squirrel cage (black plastic) will grab the metal flange and seize. The motor will stress and fail.

    One other easy maintenance job, treating the dry wood cabinetry. Tung Oil works well, just wipe it on with a very small piece of cloth and let it dry a day. It is dry in NM, so nothing takes long in the evaporation category.

    A low quality fiberglass home furnace air filter, works to reduce intake of dust through the cab heater vent. I duct taped a cut of home furnace vent, dust filter over the heater air intake. It 'may' need replacing sometime after many years. I also removed the furnace intake vent and layered more free flow fiberglass furnace filter to reduce dust in the furnace.

    The old Blue Ox
  • Aladin tow bar is great. Lubricate often with Teflon enhanced Silicone (Home Depo). Blue Ox does require various baseplates for each tow (toad). They now come with safety cables. On most cars, removable plastic front bumper covers are the norm.

    'Do It YOurself' is ok if you are well equipped with tools and agile, but special plastic rivet tools are sometimes required to replace the plastic bumper covers. A well trusted Collision Repair facility, Crown Coachworks
  • is able to install baseplates more reasonably than most busy RV dealers in New Mexico.

    It is also far cheaper to have a professional 'wirerope' facility, fabricate spare safety cables (I carry a spare set, including all connectors and latch pins). New cars have computers that can be adversely affected by voltage from an outside source (even with diodes). Better to use separate, isolated tail lights. A set of LED (much brighter) trailer lights from Harbor Freight ($40), includes the wiring. No need to do more than open all doors and hood of the 'toad'. Start with connector in front near hood latch (leave enough to connect to coach trailer light receptacle, or make a seperate 'pigtail').

    Run the color coded left and right wires along through the fender openings from under the hood, down through the open door jams, and out through the rear seat area into the hatchway or trunk. When the proper light position is determined, use either large suction cups fastened to the lights (some light assy's at Walmart come that way) or fabricate light brackets, to spring clamp in place. (we have luggage racks on the Jeep) Powerful magnets from Harbor Freight also work, after fastening to the lights. When all is placed as desired, connect the wire ends using weatherproof crimp or snap connectors. Test system each time before driving on highway.

    On our previous Georgie Boy Motorhome... of far lesser quality, the factory must have been in a rush and perpetually ignored quality control. Among a myriad of other problems and gremlins, the black and gray water drain valve, was not anywhere near the drain opening below. A stop along the first trip route after purchase, showed just how far off it really was.

    With the weather nice in an Arizona parking lot, I sat on a small bottle crate, and patiently drilled and sawed away the lower compartment floor opening. This moved and greatly enlarged it, to allow the drain hose to be installed. I went into the nearby Home Depo and bought a large PVC flange, mounted and caulked it into place with a removeable cover, threaded and tethered onto its lower end. Viola, a perfect lineup and we were able to easily 'dump' the holding tanks at the next RV tank dump site. The demise of Georgie Boy came when the coach detached from the frame while on coastal hwy 101 in Oregon.

    This present coach, Holiday Rambler traded for in Roseburg Oregon, was designed with more attention to Quality. I added a clear, bayonet twist-on section, to the dump tube, (now see when it's clean) and a secondary knife valve below the clear section, for back flushing of the black tank with gray water if necessary. The black water tank has a little flushing device mounted inside. It seems to have stopped spinning this last year. (Nice feature, wish it still spun). Update: a good drive on the last leg of a trip, while sloshing around a rich mixture of soapy water, solved the problem. works fine again.
  • note; after sand polluted water from a campground system clogged the little spinner again, I removed the flush system's vacuum breaker from high under the bathroom sink cabinet. Installed a piece of hose to allow my wet-vac to suck the sand granules back through the water feed line (tank had been thoroughly flushed). Alternate pressure and vacuum, cycled many times, cleared the little spinner orifices. 
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  • Re-installing the vacuum breaker and pressurizing the system, it works again. One quart of car soap in the black holding tank during each initial 2 gallon charge, seems to keep the little device clear and functioning. Car soap (1/2 gal) from Dollar Tree is very mild, cheap and non detergent, allowing the bio-breakdown of the black waste. The knife valves also pull easily with one qt of mild soap in black water tank during initial charge as lubrication.

    Try the 'recycled' 100% 'Natural Value' 2 ply toilet paper from various organic health and vitamin stores. It is earth-friendly, dissolves quickly and costs less than the RV specific 2 ply brands. I reinforced the somewhat flimsy outside control valve bulkhead, with aluminum 'angle stock', bolted in place. (The flimsy design bugged me).

    Also the black water release valve was angled wrong and pulled hard (could eventually have broken), so I sawed a short piece of 1/2" aluminum tubing at a 45 degree, placed the opposing halves on either side of the bulkhead to provide a nice 45 degree easy-pull angle to the valve release handle, until I later rerouted the pull cable. I have modified many features to suit my technical background. Some day the rig will be perfect and we will be too old to enjoy it. :>)

    An effective set of windshield wiper protectors is cut from a piece of preformed foam pipe insulation or the 'Noodles' from kids swimming fun (Dollar Store). The UV and weather is kept at bay and the expensive wipers last far longer. A set of UV protective wheel covers can be fabricated from construction foam board with aluminum skin. They are light, easy to handle and will blow away if not held in place with some type of framework or supports. Some people make them from plywood. Electrical tape strips on the coaches contact surfaces, prevents abrasion to the finish.

    I also have effectively used the tire covers from Camping World. We have snap-on poly fabric wheel covers but they are light-porous, they do hold the foam boards in place. 'Purcell Tire' note; Do not let your tires sit on concrete for extended storage periods. It tends to dry out the oils from the rubber, and premature tire cracking will be the result. Use a plastic shield under each tire.


  • To keep the coach batteries at full charge, I also installed on the roof (leave a sufficient air gap), a set of three 'Amorphous' solar collectors from Harbor Freight. Use a quality voltage regulating device (fused) and buy the panels separately, unless on sale as a set. One blew off while crossing the high bridge from North Padre Island. I now check the mounting often. The single 15 watt replacements are available with Harbor Freight,s part #01 for $54 plus shipping. Each is rated (greatly exaggerated) at 15 watts.

    The upscale, blue Polycrystalline type are far more efficient, but cost substantially more. When covered for the winter with a fitted RV cover (Walmart online, shipped to store or home), I use a Black and Decker heavy duty computerized 'with automatic float' charger from Walmart. Don't forget the chassis battery, use a fused jumper if paralleling the batteries from one charger, best a separate 'maintenance' charger.

    Check the electrolyte levels in the batteries often. Add distilled water as often as neccessary. Charging eventually boils away the water, drastically shortening the battery life. I use a pressured bottle in combination with a small hose and a mirror to watch the level rise in each cell, so as not to overfill past indicator ring. Using a Walmart cigarette lighter 'plug in' digital monitor, watch the battery bank charge while camping as well. Closely monitor 'over and under' charge using a battery guide.. (available at Interstate Battery Co)
  • Xantrax inverter chargers have a default to reset the charge rate if the remote fails to do setup as instructed. Remove both 120V and 12 v from source to Xantrax for a few minutes. The following reboot, reconnect will reinstall default.

    Never let batteries go under 12.1 vdc, or their life will be shortened greatly. Extensive over charging above 15vdc will have the same detrimental effect. In place of incandescent, use as many LED lighting fixtures as possible (we even use a few small battery powered LED units during extensive dry camping). The current (amperage) draw is significantly less than incandescent bulbs (heat inefficiency) and even fluorescent. I have replaced the many little various incandescent 'indicator lights' with 12v LED's from Radio Shack. A power 'inverter' is useful for changing 12vdc to 120vac. Only use for short term, a low amperage home appliance, like a small TV or video player (closely monitor the battery voltage).

    Conserving precious power should be taught to everyone. The LCD and LED TV's are miserly on power in comparison to the older CRT's. To say nothing of the substantial weight savings. Never take electrical power's convenience for granted. The govt is using CO2 as an excuse, while trying mightily to exorbitantly tax energy, take it away from and ration it to the avg consumer, ultimately raising prices on Everything.

    I change my own oil and have had great luck with Walmart Super Tech Synthetic. (Shell corp, last time I called their question line) Greasing the 14 Zerk fittings takes a six wheel creeper on a concrete surface, or a rug, moved and rolled out at each drive shaft universal joint and front suspension fitting. I use the hydraulic landing gear to raise the coach.

    It is high enough to slide under without it, but easier to reach when in the raised position. Safety conscious may also use heavy duty jack stands as redundancy. Do not forget to change the oil and filter on the auxiliary Generator (APU) at recommended intervals.
    Use factory grade pre-mix coolant in the coach radiator to avoid electrolyte (electrolysis acidity) problems with the cooling system. I also flush out the power steering and brake systems fluids at intervals. Transmission fluid change is at a longer intervals per manufacturers schedule.
  •  After sudsing and washing, rinse with a nozzle on hose, before each section dries. After the coach is washed from front to back (I use Purple Power from Walmart to wash the wheels with a large plastic bristle ball on a stick (device my wife uses for cobwebs in the house), use the same extension pole you used for washing the coach, with it's pad to apply the 'Eagle One Nano Wax' application as directions printed (I spray/soak the pad, wax a section and reapply as needed).
  •  
  •  If you don't get the haze all polished off (I drape a towel over the pad on pole), no problem with Nano Wax or Gel Wax (also Nano formulated). Any time later is fine. Any Eagle One Nano Wax haze left on the finish, easily polishes off with a simple wipe. In the harsh New Mexico sun with it's legendary UV, the fast, easy to apply Eagle One Nano Wax lasts about 6 months. That is remarkable.
  •  
  •  Eagle One has another product that seems to work better than the competition. Trim Gel (now referred to as Enviroshine Tire Gel) squirted on a soft cloth, wiped on a cleaned surface of plastic, such as trim around windows (lots of that black trim stuff on motor coaches) restores the shine and protects against UV from sun exposure. Also works to restore shine to plastic shower enclosures (clean first) and any  other plastic trim around coach.
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  • I used it on plastic bicycle shifters,  tires on the bikes, as well as any rubber or plastic, to restore the new appearance. Even my shoes are responding well to this amazing gel product. I really like the finish on my shoes after waxing with Eagle One Gel Wax. Can't attain that with regular car wax. One pair of Ariat 'yard shoes', is looking almost like new after Gel Wax. Also pretty well satisfied with Trim Gel at this point, as I discover new uses. It is 'Water' based, which does not attack rubber, as do so many other petroleum distillate based polishes and protectants. Even 'Big Lots' sells it now, due to it's 'discontinued' status. 'Auto Zone' including other auto stores, sells Eagle One products, periodically on sale..
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  • Water based Eagle One Trim Gel, now replaced by Eagle One Enviroshine for tires, is Siliconized to penetrate and leave a water and weather resistant shine that is long lasting. I used it on all weathered black areas of the coach (including on my old CRV toad and wife's car) with excellent results. 
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  •  Wiping the treated surface with a soft cloth the next day (I use my discarded socks, cut in half for applicators) , shines it even more. I use the Eagle One Nano Wax for long term protection. Windshield wipers are costly. I was prepared to buy several new wipers for the cars and coach. The Eagle One Trim Gel (now Tire Shine) restored the black arms and rubber, encouraging them to again wipe clean. Not sure how long it will last, but far better than they were. 
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  •  Eagle One product that is showing up for $3 in 'Big Lots'  http://www.biglots.com/p/eagle-one-gel-wax-with-carnauba    (indicates it may be discontinued for whatever reasoning, possibly 'nut' content?) is Gel Wax with Carnauba, another easy to use Nano molecular engineered product that is listed online at Walmart for $8.35. Excellent shine with bare minimal effort. Dull surfaces such as anodized aluminum, plastic, rubber and cracks that trap the white powdery residue of traditional wax, respond very well to the glycol based Gel Wax, leaving no white residue. Use it to shine and wax, following the restorative finish of the Trim Gel (Enviro Shine now) 
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  • Even the numerous coach decals, that succumb to the Sun's intense UV radiation in NM, are looking much better with repeated applications. Expensive to replace, Polycarbonate Headlights, notorious for hazing due to UV exposure, are responding well to the water glycol based Eagle One Gel Wax, applied after a vigorous polishing (a power buff is faster [even electric drill pads], electrical tape on surrounding surfaces, protects against unintended contact scratching). 
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  • I use polishing compounds for car finishes. Bar Clay, used with lubricant (Windex) is mentioned on internet as well. Collision Repair facilities will restore and 'clear coat' polycarbonate headlights for a reasonable price (approx $80 depending on clear coat longevity requested). They are experts when it comes to polishing anything. http://www.crowncwx.com/

    Noting our personal shopping habits, I feel no guilt for temporarily stopping/camping overnight at Walmart parking lots (low traffic outer edges) when traveling. A study showed that the 'average' RV traveler (those who periodically stop overnight), spends about $80 dollars. I repeat, 'average'. The high dollar items (tires, battery's, service etc) purchased by many RV'ers (RV supplies are in auto section), affects this 'average' amount. Naturally not all is spent in each overnight stop. We enjoy the deli, fast food facilities and grocery selections.

    Overwhelmingly RV friendly Texas, among other states, does not discourage this temporary camping practice. Some cities, states have strong private interest lobbying against it (ARIZONA). The RV park associations demand the traveler spend $$ per night at their locations. Some areas have vagrancy and drug problems (Portland, Grant's Pass Oregon, etc), Discouraging transients from abusing this privilege, makes law enforcement easier. When in doubt, ask management before settling in for the night. One Portland Walmart security force warned us of danger. 'Diversity' of the area's culture, as increasingly common in urban settings, was deadly problematic. That store closed early every night and employed two armed guards with back-up.

    Sovereign Land Indian Casino's for example, have overnight arrangements (even in Arizona). State Parks, National Parks, National Forest (even in Sedona Arizona), US Army Corps of Engineers are our favorites (see their guide maps or online). City Parks in some small communities are many times open to overnight RV'ers, and some even have had water, electricity, and holding tank dump sites.

    Mead Kansas and tornado devastated little Greenberg Kansas, were very nice stops along our tours. Avoid 'noisy' truck stops. Some nicer highway rest areas are OK for a short sleep stop. In many areas, be aware of your situation/surroundings. Be wary of strange acting, exceptionally outgoing, sometimes desperate transients. Keep your concealed weapons handy and be intimately familiar with their function.
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  •  Do not become paranoid, but do not become a victim of statistics. 'Stay out of the 10:00 pm news'. 
  •  http://countywidenews.com/horrifying-details-of-haas-murders-emerge-p3511-94.htm   Sadly, RV'ers Gary and Linda Hass were situation-ally unaware victims of violence August 2010. 'Concealed Carry' only works if you do 'Carry'. 
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  • In spite of agenda driven politics and media sensationalism to the contrary, hundreds of thousands of times yearly, weapons in the hands of the law abiding, Do save lives. "When seconds count, the police are only minutes away". Protect Your US Constitution and Bill of Rights...including Your 2nd Amendment. Vote intelligently. 'Your' life depends on it. Government has absolutely No responsibility to protect you or your family (SCOTUS ruling)

    Without applying all of these 'Do It Yourself' options, we personally would never be able to enjoy/afford this exciting, educational, fun lifestyle.

    The fishing streams and lakes, including the oceans and mountains, are calling. Texas State Parks do not require a license to fish. Bring your gear or buy some in their little shops, they are reasonable.
  • Bicycles are excellent and enjoyable for RV campgrounds, errands and for the many trails.   http://daflikkers.wordpress.com/2013/08/29/bicycle-restoration-for-rv-use/   I personally prefer multi speed hybrids, comfort seats, with at least 1.95" tires on 26" alloy wheels/hubs. I like bikes that have quick release axle skewers to ease loading. 'Fold bikes' with 26" wheels are available today. Handlebars can be turned  and Pedals can be removed on conventional bikes for a slimmer storage profile. Craig's List is a treasure trove for bikes... sometimes. Charity thrift shops are an excellent source of reasonable priced bikes if you are handy, can fix flats and trouble shoot minor ailments. Pawn shops are another source. Beware major rust, neglect, abuse, faulty tires (sun rotted, cracked) and missing parts. Parts are expensive. Heavy shock absorbing suspensions, while nice for Xtreme downhill mountain bashing, are to be avoided in exchange for easy transport, loading.
  • Razor E300 scooters are rated for 220 lbs and lightly graveled terrain. Electric rechargeable, 40 minutes (20 minutes out, 20 minutes back) on a charge, they can be disassembled enough for easy storage. Older models have convenient fold down steering bar. 2 AGM 12 volt Batteries (I recommend 9ah) are available on ebay, 2 (24v total) for about $40 or less, including shipping.

    Watch for our next post in this greatest nation in history.
    "One Nation Under GOD. The United States of America"
  • 17 Comments:

    Blogger Blogengeezer said...

    When traveling after dark, we noticed a vast difference in lighting systems on RV's versus passenger cars.

    The RV has car or truck headlight assemblys, but the angle of light is different to the driver. The light assembly's on this Holliday Rambler are actually a Chinese copy of the assembly's used on the Lincoln Blackwood pick up truck. The adjusters and connectors, as well as the bulbs themselves, are inferior and are virtually useless.

    To compensate for this obvious lack of quality, I installed a set of 'illegal' off road driving lights. They are concealed behind the grill, to illuminate the open barren Western highways, as well as the dark, sometimes confusing campground roads and obstacles. The installation went well after drilling the mounting holes into a bar 'behind' the grillwork.

    The box member mounting position required that an access hole (holesaw) large enough to fit the socket wrench into from the bottom, be cut. The lights are now connected to the original fog light circuit (that was virtually useless).

    A set of Air Horns mounted behind the grillwork, powered by a small compressor, driven off the factory horn circuit, gets the attention of cell phone distracted drivers before they run into this bus sized vehicle.

    The final adjustments of the new driving lights, will have to be made during the next trip at night. Night driving is sometimes more challenging, but a nice evening spent with few traffic concerns ...if the driver is able to see what is ahead on the highway.

    Have fun being creative with the RV of your choice. Enjoy this experience before the PC crowd decides that you are a menace to society, and raises fees and taxes along with regulations, to make it only possible for the Elite to enjoy. Which is apparently their ultimate goal, judging by the recent incantations by the Liberal Media in the name of Environmental concerns.

    10:28 AM  
    Blogger Blogengeezer said...

    During the wiring of the driving lamps, a noticeable discrepency in the internal fuse block mounting by Holiday Rambler was discovered. The entire block assembly had been intelligently mounted UPSIDE DOWN on the interior firewall. The owners manual showed the fuses and their location but nothing seemed to match.

    Finally, when I held the W22 Workhorse chassis, fusebox schematic, upside down, the relays and fuses all fell into perspective. What a fantastic idea for Holiday Rambler to keep the owners of their products thinking and alert. In case of an emergency, late at night, this concept is a total failure I might add.

    I found a bolt holding the framework of the parking brake, nearby to where the block could be easily read and RIGHT SIDE UP. Using a scrap of extruded aluminum, I fashioned a bracket to re-mount the fuse block correctly. Now the fuses are easily identified.

    The assemblers, whoever and wherever they are, really need some intelligent supervision, maybe some intelligent engineers.

    Oh I almost forgot, the USA is now down somewhere around number 22 in the SAT scores of the worlds industrialised nations. That alone is becoming readily apparent to this career industrial field tech.

    While I had the owners manual out, I made a few copys of the schematic and placed them in both the external and internal fuse boxes. The external box had a cover with descriptions, but the internal had nothing to give a hint of each fuse's function.

    The fog lights are not labled in the schematic due to individual chassis layouts by the Holiday Rambler corporation. I hope Winnebago with it's longer build experience in the RV industry, does a better job.

    One other Holiday Rambler shortcoming (among countless dozens apparent) showed up in the long steel plates hung under the frame. They are apparently designed to help protect the electrical, brake and fuel components during a catastrophic failure of the long, three segmented drive shaft.

    Because of the framework flexing, these long steel plates were overlapped, hung and spot welded to the frame with no other fasteners to keep them in place. The spot welds break from the constant flexing, requiring aditional steel 'L brackets' to augment them. (check the welds during driveshaft U Joint lubrication)

    I had to drill oversized holes and install bolts, washers and locking nuts which allow the flex between plates.

    Now the long hanging plates no longer clang and slap together as you drive down the highway. Also a safety measure now exists in support, in case of failure of a weld.

    Many design and construction flaws are readily apparent in this segment of life in the USA. Unique as it is, it is somewhat fun? to spend time between trips as a field engineer again.

    I honestly doubt that all owners would think the way I do though. Holiday Rambler (Monaco Corporation) please take note before going the way of GM and Chrysler.

    3:25 PM  
    Blogger Blogengeezer said...

    The driving lights are now working. The engine must be running before they turn on. Good thing, they use a bit of power. The area behind the grill is now also occupied by the air horns. A hole had to be drilled through the support bracket for the headlights.

    It holds the small air compressor as well. I didn't have the exact electrical connector to the factory horn set, so a make shift connection will have to suffice until I find a similar factory type. Every connector is special and different, What engineering....
    The last coach had these same horns and they stopped a truck driver from backing into us at a busy fuel station.

    The yearly wax job was accomplished with Eagle One 'Nano' Spray Wax. I have found out that it is the easist to use. I can do the entire coach in one hour using extension handled pads for the high areas. That was impossible with the other waxes. The surface must be very clean first (Eagle One has Nano wash/wax as well) The bugs must be removed from the front before waxing. The finish will now bead up after washing, for many months. The trip to fish a couple of lakes in the state of NM, is coming.

    8:20 PM  
    Blogger Blogengeezer said...

    During this last trip to the Pacific Northwest, the little, spinning internal tank sprayer, never functioned. I used the clear plastic tube, secondary bayonet mount knife valve assy I had installed, to use the gray water to back flush the black water tank after each dumping.

    On the last dump before home and after black water tank was empty, I poured a strong detergent mixture into the black water tank. The drive home 'sloshed' the mixture and apparently helped free up the internal 'spinning cleaner'. The hose pressured system worked like new as I dumped and rinsed the black water tank.

    Using my Co-Pilot wife as the inside valve controller, I used compressed air on the outside water inlet, to blow the lines clean after draining water from the hot water tank. Relieve hot water pressure first, drain then replace plug to hold air pressure. Remove plug before storage.
    Drain all lines at the basement valves. (4 are in the Holiday Rambler). One main water tank dump, one hot, one cold, one pump pressure line.

    Close these valves after no water shows, but check them again after air cleaning. They need to be closed to allow the compressor to build air into the system through the water inlet connector in the basement water compartment. 40 psi is safe air and water pressure limit for this system.

    Run the pump for a few seconds after drained to be sure it is empty. Open each inside faucet including the toilet flush/spray valve (important) and water spray heads (three total on this coach). Eventually the lines will blow only air at each valve.

    The HR has a Norcold ice maker with outer valve, disconnect the feed lines and blow it dry also. Lastly add liberal quantity of RV anti-freeze to the P traps below each drain, don't forget the shower.

    The excess will drain down to the gray water knife valve, keeping it wet. Pour some into the black water tank to keep that knife valve wet. A little in the toilet will preserve the ball seal as well. You will appreciate all of the valves working in the spring.

    Cover the entire external mirror assys with sturdy bags. They are complex, electric motorized and need storage protection. Walmart sells full RV covers online, excellent quality for price, shipped to stores.

    I added a small home pump 'air pressure reservoir' (from Lowe's) to the pump high side line in the basement. Now the pump only runs when the pressure is below set limits not every time the faucets are turned on. Great for showers, these air reservoirs are available at RV distributors as well, although with less air capacity.

    This coach, on a Workhorse Chassis, had a terrible, uncontrollable, repeating rebound action over undulating surfaces.

    It would cause us to be bounced out of our captains chairs. At home I replaced the 2 front shock absorbers with Bilstein brand.

    That solved the problem and now control is 100% improved and saved our lives on a trip to Colorado. Really badly maintained, paved state roads (the Bisti hwy) in northern NM, nearly rolled us on two occasions.

    This coach had 'Steer Safe' on the front steering, to help return the steering wheel to 'center'. It had airbags to augment the springs. The airbags need periodic attention or they are damaged and will fail if pressure is low. These features were apparently installed because the factory original shock absorbers Holiday Rambler accepted, were so inferior to the Bilstein system.

    If camping near the ocean, monitor the chrome fittings for pitting. The salt air attacks the chrome rapidly. Wash and wax it often.

    The extremely high humidity and cool night air near the ocean, will form condensation on the Norcold computer controller board in the outside compartment. This will cause the refrigerator to go into alarm mode and shut off. The only cure is to dry the circuit board.

    Run the generator, use the wifes hair dryer on it, and the board will quickly dry and start working. My wife thought of this fix after I discovered the soaking wet circuit board.

    2:42 PM  
    Blogger jw said...

    Hey pardner do you have any idea of how to remove a tv from the console on a 1990 Holiday rambler> The drn console seems to be made around the tv ( it is a tight fit and is in the lower dash area) I hate to mess up the dash without knowing a little about how the darn thing goes in. Thanks
    jw
    jerald_wyoming@hotmail.com

    7:18 AM  
    Blogger Blogengeezer said...

    Reply to JW: We are in the process of converting to flat screen LCD units in the bedroom and over dash. The bedroom unit was firmly held in with Velcro, lots of it. It is hard to see. After removing all visible screws, using a wide 'flexible' putty knife inserted between the contact surfaces of the Velcro, I seperated the hooks from the loops. Gradually I was able to wiggle the old CRT unit free.

    The front unit is larger and really heavy, mounted in cabinet above dash. Same system, but with many more screws directly into the TV. The cabling is different from the LCD flat screens. The 'S video' is no longer on the LCD's we purchased. We tried a DVD player on the new LCD and only got black and white. Will most likely need the Blu-Ray, DVD compatible, with HD system, to watch the older DVD's.

    LCD's and LED's are much lighter and only require the Velcro. I installed a black nylon safety strap across the front edge to enhance the Velcro in case the adhesive dries and comes loose. The surround sound system is going to need more attention after the front mount LCD is finished. For now the weather is cold, so inside flooring with Laminate is my latest project. Hope that helped JW.

    8:30 AM  
    Blogger Blogengeezer said...

    LCD/LED conversion of coach TV's is a dry camp battery saver (to say nothing of the weight reduction). After an evening of watching TV for hours, the battery bank quickly rebounded to it's full charge level within minutes of no load. The little Walmart lighted digital meter plugged into the cig lighter socket soon showed about 12.5 volts and lit up the green LED.

    4:24 PM  
    Blogger Blogengeezer said...

    The awning tape I used to protect the sewing thread from UV, blew off. Now the next attempt may reluctantly be a temporary solid cover that has to be removed before driving (saw one version from Arizona in Trailer Life mag). That or a metal tape, possibly a coating of fabric paint. whatever I use, it will have to block that infernal sun.

    On the last 3,700 mile trip through the southern states, I had to climb up a ladder and re-stitch a foot of the seam 'again' near the back of the slide out awning. Carry some thread (I used fishing monofilament) strong needle and a thimble for an awning failure like this.

    4:37 PM  
    Blogger Blogengeezer said...

    During extended trips through remote mountainous terrain of US Western States, I like full synthetic oil to withstand the heat, and a larger than normal oil filter. RV magazine suggested a two quart type from Napa. It had no anti-drainback valve. Worked ok on one trip where we started the engine every day.

    This time, NAPA counter guy spent 20 minutes looking until he found better one listed in book. It held more oil (about one qt total) than a standard, and had a red silicone anti-drainback valve with a well engineered interior mechanism with coil spring holding the internal filter tightly into place. About $7 US.

    For shorter trips in cooler weather I like the red silicone valved and gasketed Purolator PL15313 PureOne with textured coating. 99.9% efficiency. About US $5 at Pep Boys. I run about 4 to 5 K miles per oil change. Consumption of 1-2 qts is neglegable considering the distance and weight carried.

    To prevent dry start, I fill it with oil before screwing onto it's pipe thread. NAPA Gold 1060 is its designation for the 8.1 liter Workhorse.

    Grease fittings total 13.. 5 on driveshaft U joints and spline. 3 on passenger front steering. 5 on driver front steering links and kingpins.

    Check for clarity of power steering fluid. If dirty, pump out and replace the reservoir fluid. May have to do it after each trip a few times if real dirty. Brake fluid same thing, helps extend life of master cylinder. I had cycled the DOT 4 through the brake system before the Bosch wheel calipers were replaced and supplied DOT 4 to the shop to refill the system. DOT 4 is capable of withstanding hotter temps than DOT 3.

    Tire pressure is extremely important. Most tire failures are due to 'under' inflation heat buildup. On the 22.5 tires of the W 22 chassis it is 110 psi. At stops and before each day driving, I frequently use a 'Little League' aluminum bat to whack all four rear duals. A pitched ring from the 'sweetspot' signals full inflation. I carry a small sears 120 volt 110 psi compressor. The generator runs it in situations where no shorepower is available.
    Enjoy the history of this USA. It is loaded with attractions from east to west, thousands of miles of endless beauty.

    4:33 PM  
    Blogger Blogengeezer said...

    Holiday Rambler assembly crews must have been in a hurry. The front cap is fastened to the roof panels above the driver side and the rounded aluminum roof edges are screwed to the roof and 'Pop' riveted to the side walls along the gutter channel. It in turn retains the awning bead over the slide outs. For some reason the crews installed the 3/16 Pop rivets at double spaced intervals. They 'Popped', broke and let the wall separate from the channel on the aluminum roof edge.

    That allowed the roof and edge round to rise, leaving a nice long open gap to the wall. The fix is larger and more 1/4" Pop rivets, 3/4" long, installed with a lever type long handled Pop tool. Pulling the roof back down was accomplished by a rope rigged from the auxiliary 'step' below the door, 'Up' to a set of alignment punches aligning the holes.

    Once one new rivet is installed in the newly drilled 1/4" holes (drill and rivet one hole at a time), The leverage alignment punches became less necessary. The roof was re-screwed down at the corner, with more and heavier screws (it only had one).

    The 1" soft plastic cover strip over the riveted channel, is now ready to set back in place, after one strategic 'cut' to allow it to be lifted out of the way. A seal coat of ALPHA caulk, will keep out the rain and cover the repair screws. The last beads of Silicone caulk, will reseal the 1" soft channel cover in place. No painting required.

    With 6 bigger rivets instead of 3 weaker factory rivets, the 'do it yourself' repair should hold the panels in place. Far better than paying The Dealership a Thousand dollars, to say nothing of the months long, waiting time.

    2:45 PM  
    Blogger Blogengeezer said...

    May of 09 was the repair to the awning over the slide outs. It lasted for a couple of years until 2011, before edges started to flap and the sun rotted the sewing thread. While in Tannehill Georgia RV park, I set up the lightweight 16' extension ladder I always carry, and resewed the UV damaged wind separating, rear corner of the awning on the bedroom slide-out.

    After sewing, I cleaned the awning thouroughly and using wide Gorilla tape, ran a strip from end to end over the exposed awning fabric, making sure it covered close to the metal channel. This was done to stop the UV damage to the sewing thread.

    It has held secure for over a year of many miles. The metal covers on these awnings leaves exposed to sun's UV, the awning edges for about two inches along the entire lengths. I left another foot of tape on each end and taped it down to the coach's side panel. That way the wind could not start it peeling back, as it did after I taped it only to the awning last time..

    Now it is May of 2012 and the front exposed edge on the main slide out, is suffering from the same UV damage and wind separation.
    At night during wind storms, we can hear the awnings flap incessantly. It takes it's toll on the fabric and stitching. Some severe storms while camped, I have thrown a rope over the windward awning from front to back, tying it down to hold it in place. Silence indicates the temp fix, but remember to remove rope before 'slide in'.

    Ladder work and sewing with poly thread and fishing mono-filament line, repaired the beginning of what could turn into a major failure if left unattended. The same Gorilla tape will now cover the awning exposed to UV. The 1/4" irrigation line used as a 'bead', has shrunk since 2009. I added several inches more to each end, leaving a bit sticking out for future adjustment. I wish I had kept my original solid core nylon 'bead', and just added more to replace the brittle ends.

    Replacing the awning is a major chore with many ladder moves, if no strong helper is handy. The cost of Sunbrella material and professional sewing at the awning shop, is not really horrific in comparison to the labor of removal and replacement as I have described. I intend to repair it as often as necessary, before the next replacement. The Awnings should 'All' be covered over by metal, to block the UV and wind while traveling. Look for that on your next motor coach. NO fabric exposed, is the ideal situation..

    4:35 PM  
    Blogger Blogengeezer said...

    Yet one more 'Blue Ox' Baseplate installation is finished as of 14 July 2012. 2009 Honda CRV this time. Details are described in post.

    http://daflikkers.blogspot.com/2012/07/install-blue-ox-tow-baseplate-09-honda.html

    8:10 PM  
    Blogger Blogengeezer said...

    Roof AC's are notorious for minor problems that may easily be misdiagnosed, leading to replacement. The motor direct drives two 'close tolerance' squirrel cage fans in the inner and outer chamber sections of the roof enclosure of low profile units. The squirrel cages mounted on the double ended motor shafts seem to become misaligned over time and contact the inner housings.

    Noise may sometimes be noted as the fans brush their housings, then eventually a seizing of the motor, leading to overload shutdown. Turn off AC breaker to prevent damage from continual restart attempts, noted by a humming sound. Take tools onto the roof to remove cover and pry rubber isolated motor mount brackets in direction favorable, until the fans spin free again with No drag.

    A few drops of light turbine oil on the motor end bearings of each shaft, may extend the motor life. This has occurred several times with roof AC's on two coaches. Low profile AC's seem more prone to failure of this type.

    3:00 AM  
    Blogger Blogengeezer said...

    Finally got the time to research the problem of the black water tank flush device inside the Holiday Rambler black waste water tank. It started in Lockhart Texas last fall, when the city crew let sand into the water system line that fed Lockhart State Park. It got into the rotating flush device inside the black water tank during the ‘dump’ and flush procedure.

    I had removed the little screen from the inlet fitting, where the hose fastens during flush. I paid for that mistake. The sand and small gravel clogged the little rotating sprinkler head inside the black holding tank.

    No way to locate the little tank flush sprinkler as it is buried deep under the flooring, so while still at the campground, I tried vacuuming the hose connector line leading into the bowels of the beast. No luck, but clogged the HEPA filter on the Shark dry vacuum cleaner we carry in the coach. Navigator had to order another filter on the net. Thoroughly washed the Shark, because it stank really bad after the failed attempt.

    I figured there was a vacuum breaker somewhere that prevented the vacuum cleaner from sucking the sand out. Removing the ‘wet basement’ control panel and using a flashlight and mirror on a stick, to follow the feed line, found the small white device on two water lines, tucked up under the bathroom sink.

    While in the bowels of wires and plumbing, I rearranged the pull handle line on the black holding tank. Holiday Rambler factory techs routed it wrong with a serious kink and it was like pulling on a dry stuck valve.

    Cutting off the external mount flange, using a Dremel tool was easier than disconnecting the knife valve end of the cable. BTW Knife valves are about 5 feet inside the tight crawl space. Only a very skinny tech could reach the valves to service or replace them.

    A 2nd flange nut, threaded onto the handle sleeve allowed remount. Putting the panel back in place, after reconnecting the feed lines to all of the faucets and connectors, I noted all of the rusty screws holding the panel and valves in place.

    Trip to Lowe’s and found larger #10×1″ Stainless Steel pan head screws that were more secure and will not ever rust. Looks much better now and the pull handle works better than new. Temporarily removed the vacuum breaker and replaced it with a temporary loop of ‘test’ tubing, I made from 1/2″ plastic fittings and a piece of rubber hose from Lowe’s.

    About $10 of ‘stuff’ and I was ready to vacuum the little rotating sprinkler ‘Backwards’ to clear the sand. Used a ‘wet vac’ to suck it clean this time. During last ‘dump’, we had flushed out the tank using a hose through the bedroom window, then pre-charged the tank with 2 gallons of water and a half qt of car wash from Dollar Tree, so no stinky stuff was present. Just sudsy water.

    Several vacuum sessions on the line, applying intermittent air and water pressure, finally restored the flow through the lines. Tested with the temporary line and then re-installed the vacuum breaker. Those cheaply manufactured little plastic vac breakers cost about $50 for RV specialty fixtures, so I was happy it worked after re-install.

    Wet basement looks much nicer now with no rusty screws on the panel. The larger Stainless Steel screws hold the panel and fittings better than the rusty, original wimpy zinc coated screws, with which the Holiday Rambler factory had built it. We do ALL of our own maintenance except for serious stuff. If we didn’t, there is no way we could justify owning a motor coach.

    5:05 PM  
    Blogger Blogengeezer said...

    Blue Ox tow bar takes abuse. Aladdin series uses aluminum extensions. Inserting factory available shims per the manufacturers descriptions, tightens the slop out of the linkage.

    After using a 1 1/8th deep well to remove internal locking nut deep within the square base tube, I custom manufactured (hacksaw and file) a block of Ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) to replace the thin washers factory uses between the 'King' (pull) bolt head and the 'C' swivel mounted to the square tube base.

    The original washers failed enough to become squished, deformed thin pieces that no longer resembled the original washers. Be sure the UHMW block is not too thick and interferes with the flex lug in the next sequence of linkage, clearance noted as the bar assy is swiveled up for storage. No more than 3/8" thick is the maximum from my bar's clearances.

    Side slop is the result of wear and results in more intense hammering as the bar is subjected to repeated pressures during use. I shimmed out the excess slop of the receiver tube, using a Teflon tape in layers. The hitch is virtually firm with the newer clearances.

    DuPont Teflon spray (Lowe's) is best to protect from friction and elements. Silicone spray does not last as long or protect from rust. Removing the small black caps from the square end tubes of the latches, spraying a bit of Teflon spray inside, lubes the sliders for easier hitch and unhitch. Replace the caps.

    8:38 PM  
    Blogger Blogengeezer said...

    Finally found the coach 'chassis' power failure problem, after several days of searching, crawling around underneath with meter and wiping sweat.

    This switch, mounted inside the first bay near the starter http://www.walmart.com/ip/Marinco-701S-Mini-Battery-Selector-Switch/32742718 had separated it's white circular connector base, from the square gray housing. Screw bosses all were broken loose in the gray half, most likely in sequence over time, due to internal spring plate pressure.

    The separation did not keep the contact bar in tight position against the battery studs.

    Possibly solved another long term mystery? Periodically while driving, the dash instrument panel would go blank (lost chassis battery connection), speedometer would fall to zero and a beep alert sounded. One reason I originally assumed the ground failure from corrosion and super cleaned all ground cabling connectors.

    After going blank, the entire set of dash circuits would then magically re-power up by themselves as we rolled down the highway. This mystery sequence has occurred often, since we bought the coach years ago.

    This time, of months of storage, nothing ever came on, no power from chassis battery to instruments or starter, or steps... until 'Aux Power' switch on dash, was used to transfer power directly from the coach battery bank.

    I was 'metering' my way backwards, along the long main battery cable connectors, looking for starter solenoid resistance loss, when a slight bump of the red knob in the front bay of relays, set the switch bar into place,....... half way to 'on' position. Voila... 12 volts appeared. Never would have guessed that one, especially after switching it from 'off' to 'on' several times, as I originally first tried.

    Switch is about $30 avg to $70 high, for replacement in a better brand (PERKO), so I drilled out the failed gray plastic housing that separated, and put in 4 small flat head 4-40x1" bolts and nuts. Will last forever :>).

    There is one more battery disconnect switch exactly like it, located in the 'coach battery' bay. I'd best re-engineer that one also.....

    8:34 PM  
    Blogger Blogengeezer said...

    Periodically hearing a little ticking noise from the rooftop AC over the bed. There are two rooftop refrigerated air units on our coach, One in the living room. The bedroom unit finally stopped working and would not start. I climbed onto the roof numerous times and pushed/pulled the fan motor that spins two squirrel cage blowers.

    One fan is mounted on each end of the motor shaft. One for cooling the surrounding outside heat exchangers, the other blower is inside a foam insulated housing, circulates the refrigerated air inside the coach, blowing cool air out of the interconnected ducts and vents in the ceiling.

    Each time I messed with the rubber mounted blower motor on the rooftop, pushing and pulling, the unit started working again. Finally during the last trip, it stopped for good and hummed. Nav shut it down immediately. When in campgrounds, we used only the front unit to cool and dehumidify the coach for the rest of the trip.

    After climbing the ladder [a lot of times] removing the outside cover, searching the outside mechanism for interference and adjusting the squirrel cage on the outside fan, only the inside circulating fan remained unknown and mysterious.

    Removing six screws and lowering the ceiling grill over the bed, the squirrel cage blower fan was exposed. The cage fan was dragging against the side of the blower housing. Loosening the clamping screw band with a long screwdriver, I pried the fan unit out and away from the housing and re-tightened the screw. Now it spins freely, like a nice fan should.

    Asking the dealers for help in figuring out what was wrong... with anything, the same diagnosis is always.... "You need a new...... [AC unit in this case] because that one is old and worn out".

    Costs to replace a rooftop AC range up toward a cool Thousand $, depending on the mood of the RV dealer's service/parts department. They are always at least a month or two behind in service and the coach sits outside at the dealership for a very long time, while gremlins attack it for various reasons.... robbing parts to fix others?

    We could never afford to enjoy an RV, if every time something malfunctioned in our house on wheels, we required a dealership to fix it.

    8:47 PM  

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