Fun / Projects / with my 1997 America Dream

Ok, flash back, tail pipe project.

I have collected all the original parts, except they are new.



This is how the tail pipe looked this past winter before it fell off.



This is how it looked after the temporary fix I made after the chrome tip fell off.



I kind of liked the massiveness and the look of the big pipe, but I did not like the level of the noise it had, and yes with the big tip it did increase the sound level inside the coach going down the road.

So the 5 inch 90 degree bend needs to come off, and these band clamps allow that to happen with no damage to the pipe of muffler. In fact the clamp I used to for the temporary fix was the original clamp, I love stainless steel.



Off with it's head.



The new clamp and new tail pipe extension goes on.



I install the chrome tip this way first.



I did not like it, it looks so small and I was afraid it would blow dirt from the road up onto the trailer, so I then tried it the way it was originally.





What do you think, I think I want to put a bigger tip on, but I have other things to address.

Example for some reason the brake lights on the Motor Home have stopped working, but the trailer brake lights still work. Sounds like I have another project.

Anyone want a good slightly used 5 inch 90 degree bend exhaust pipe? I'll make you a good deal, it coast me $50, $15 and shipping and it is yours.



Let me know what you think of the orientation of the exhaust tip. Thanks.

So here is an update on the small claims actions I filed on Caledonia RV.



The court found in the favor of Caledonia RV on three of them and a partial win for me on the fourth.



I'm mystified on how these decisions were arrived at but that is the way it went.

Alphamonk wrote:
GlennLever. I have dealt with the guys at Vizone several times through the years. Their prices are not the best, but they are great as far as being honest with you. I have been to their facility and it is impressive. Just thought I would toss that out there. No affiliation with them whatsoever. I have probably done close to $100,000. with them in the past seven years.

Think you could get me a deal on the cruise control panel, they originally wanted $400.00 now down to $175.00 originally quoted $75

doesnt help i know - but maybe helpful for others that have Onan/Cummins issues.

I used Cummins/Onan in Houston (on the 610 loop) - they were FANTASTIC, even the service writer was good (a 1st in my 51 years of living).

GlennLever. I have dealt with the guys at Vizone several times through the years. Their prices are not the best, but they are great as far as being honest with you. I have been to their facility and it is impressive. Just thought I would toss that out there. No affiliation with them whatsoever. I have probably done close to $100,000. with them in the past seven years.

Nice work !

I know everyone is on the edge of their seats in this high drama saga of the "Install Off The Generator"

We left off that the fuel lines had been connected, but the 12 Volt battery lines had not, we modified them so that they would connect to the terminals on this new generator.

Move on to connecting the exhaust pipe. It always hung to low for my liking so it was lifted up a couple of inches. The drops of water you see are not from the pipe, but drops that came out of the roof gutter.



I could not wait any longer and needed to know it the generator ran. Robert Flight had sent me the procedure to prime the generator (hold the toggle switch in the STOP position for at lest at minute).

I did that and then pushed STRAT and nothing happened.

I had a heart attack, and then realized it was cold out and you have to hold the START while the preheat operation takes place. I did that and with a small puff of smoke it fired right up. Note the red pilot light on the switch.



I told you I had stopped at Home Depot on the way home yesterday for the wire nuts to connect the one 8 gauge neutral wire to two 10 gauge neutral wires. It was a struggle with these wires as they are very stiff but the job was accomplished. Note in the background the earth ground is already connected to the terminal block.



Here the two 10 gauge naturals are connected as well as the two 110 volt legs.



Once all the connections were made the generator was fired up again (from inside the Motor Home) and nothing work!

I then remember that breaker on the generator was in the off position. I went out, turned it on and then I turned on everything I could think of in the motor home. It works!

Robert Flight (webmaster for FMCA group (New York Central)& a former VP of the group) was called in to help align the body panels that had been removed.

He is a wealth of knowledge and was very patient with me.



It turned out that when Cummins removed the front of the Motor Home to remove the generator, for some reason they move the location of the bumper brackets. This caused the bumper not to line up with the body panels.

The bolts that hold the brackets in place cannot be reached with the bumper on, so, the only way to get them back into the correct position was to trail fit the bumper, remove it, make an adjustment to the brackets and refit the bumper. To tell you the truth I lost track of how many times we did that and the bumper is no light weight.



Persistence paid off.



Tomorrow I have to go back and put the rest of the bumper bolts in, and tighten the hood bolts.

The plan is to remove all the racing stuff from the belly of the best and start to get ready for the trip to Florida.

I also need to address another problem. The brake lights have stopped working. It is curious as the trailer brake lights still work.

I will bring the Motor Home to the House to work on this and put the tail pipe on.

gsf35099 wrote:
I have been following you along the way and know this has been a long and challenging process, but your going to have one hell of a rig when you get to a postponing point!!! I say postponing, because there is always something folks like us want to do more about with upgrade & repairs.
Good luck on the replacement generator.

I have so many projects on different things I never now what to work on.

The dragster is sitting in the garage waiting to be decommissioned for winter, The gasser has been waiting for 2 years etc.

Thanks for the encouraging words, it is nice to know that all this is being followed.

49 here and this is what it looks like.



I did get the fuel lines hooked up and am ready to do the 12 volt battery lines. Not as easy as it sounds as the fittings were different sizes then the old one and the battery cable ends are two wide.

I did not have a file with me so I called it quits and went home. Stopped at home depot for a wire nut large enough for one 8 and two 10s.

The 12V lines should take ten minutes tomorrow, and the quick disconnect and 110v lines should only take about a half hour and I should de ready to crank.

There was fuel running out of the supply line so I have fuel at the inlet of the generator.

Any ideas on what I have to do to prime, or if I have to prime the fuel system?

I have been following you along the way and know this has been a long and challenging process, but your going to have one hell of a rig when you get to a postponing point!!! I say postponing, because there is always something folks like us want to do more about with upgrade & repairs.
Good luck on the replacement generator.