Fun / Projects / with my 1997 America Dream

So I am thinking about purchasing and installing this.



I would most likely only use the white light but would by the color version to have the option incase an event "called" for a party atmosphere.

Has anyone had any experience with this product?

robertbenita wrote:
That seems to make sense to me. Seems like there ought to be instructions on adjusting the screws somewhere like in a new installation pamphlet or something. I hope it works!

I sent a message to Power gear.

Ok, how about if I loosen the mounting screws and insert washers between the base of the unit and the ceiling of the basement?

That way I am not touching the unit adjustment screws, just altering the angle which it is mount to the ceiling of the basement of the motor home?


I got this message back.

Hello,

I have attached a PDF tip sheet for adjusting these screws, try this and see what you get. Take the voltage measurements first before adjusting anything. Thank you.

Bill


This is the PDF that they sent, there is an adjustment that can be made. I do not know if I will get a chance to try it before I go.

That seems to make sense to me. Seems like there ought to be instructions on adjusting the screws somewhere like in a new installation pamphlet or something. I hope it works!

robertbenita wrote:
If it were me and I had time, I would mark two of the screws (both front or both back or whichever has the issue) so I know exactly where they are before I messed with them, (in case all I can do is make it worse). Then I would count the turns as I screw in or out and do the same on both. Then I would try the system out to see if it made any difference. Once you know what the screws will change, then mark them all and make your adjustment to level. I would write everything down and put the instructions into my box of RV information I carry with me in case I have to deal with it again and I will remember what I did and why I did and how I did the fix. Getting it to work, especially given that yours requires an upgraded box ($$$) and additional wiring ($$$) would drive me to do this or get used to making the issue not bother me and work around it. Good luck!

I have been thinking about this.

What I thought I would do is loose the screws that hold the base of the sensor to the ceiling of the basement and then put washers, between the base of the sensor and the ceiling and then retighten the screws. That way I have not touched the "factor set" screws and am just modifying the tilt of what the unit thinks is the ceiling of the basement???????

If it were me and I had time, I would mark two of the screws (both front or both back or whichever has the issue) so I know exactly where they are before I messed with them, (in case all I can do is make it worse). Then I would count the turns as I screw in or out and do the same on both. Then I would try the system out to see if it made any difference. Once you know what the screws will change, then mark them all and make your adjustment to level. I would write everything down and put the instructions into my box of RV information I carry with me in case I have to deal with it again and I will remember what I did and why I did and how I did the fix. Getting it to work, especially given that yours requires an upgraded box ($$$) and additional wiring ($$$) would drive me to do this or get used to making the issue not bother me and work around it. Good luck!

A couple of set backs today.

I wanted to try and recalibrate the Power Gear Leveling System today.

On the way over to a parking lot I noticed that when I stepped on the brakes the side marker lights came on.

I replaced the LED bulbs from two days ago with normal filament 1157 blubs and everything worked perfect, put the LED bulbs back in and now I have the same symptom I had two days ago (no brake lights, but the LED bulb comes on in the brake light mode when the marker lights are turned on).

I put the 1157 blubs back in and everything works correctly.

I took them back to AutoZone and they would not take them back. I sent them to the manufacture.

On the Recalibration of the zero point of the {Power Gear leveling system.

So I e-mailed power gear and received this replay back.
Hello,

Please see the attached PDF tip sheet for calibrating the system. Thank you.

Bill




I went over to a local mall parking lot and tried to get it into the recalibration mode and could not.

I sent this e-mail back
Bill,

I got a chance today to play with the recalibration of the Power Gear in my American Dream (Diesel Pusher with air suspension).

I tried many times and could not get it to enter the calibration mode.

With key on and the control pad off I pushed the front button five times and the rear button five times and nothing happens (no flashing lights).

I did this quickly, slowly, held the bottoms momentarily, and other combinations, but I could not get it to enter the calibration mode.

Help.


I received this e-mail back.

Hello,

If it won't go into calibration mode then you have a defective control box unfortunately. What was the part number on your touchpad or control box? Thank you.

Bill


I sent this back

Attached are photos of the touch pad and the control unit. Where would the part number be / which is bad?

Part number on the unit in the basement of the motor home is 02753-01 (picture DSC 5534)






The response was.
Hello,

The control box is the 2bd picture, verify this is mounted securely upside down and the arrow is pointing towards the front of the vehicle. Both of these items are obsolete, they are replaced by a 500643S which is a new touchpad and control box, it will upgrade it to a automatic system. There will also be a wiring change at the pump that will be needed. The instructions and harnesses come in this kit. Please order from a dealer or retailer linked below. Thank you.

Bill


I think I will just live with it, unless someone as another way of getting in the recalibration mode or I can manually adjust the level with these screws.





Any thoughts?

Alphamonk wrote:

GlennLever wrote:

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

Ha! You kidding? You have already done a better job of negotiating with them than I ever have. They are tough on prices, but they own 2/3 of the salvage motorhomes in the country! What's a fellow to do? I have actually purchased two salvage untis from them and fixed them up.

Well they are too high for me, I will have to deal with the other 1/3 then

GlennLever wrote:

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

Ha! You kidding? You have already done a better job of negotiating with them than I ever have. They are tough on prices, but they own 2/3 of the salvage motorhomes in the country! What's a fellow to do? I have actually purchased two salvage untis from them and fixed them up.

So I noticed that the front support on the awning was not being pulled all the way in to the side of the Motor Home when it was closed.



A little closer and closer to the top and it looks like the "Hook" is holding the arm out.



For comparison here is the rear arm



I posted the question of what to do here CareFree Electric Awning / Front support not all the way in

I received a response from Chris Bryant of this forum to look at the service manuleCareFree of Colorado Eclipse Service Manual

It contained these instructions on the Tractioner (used to unwind the Alumaguard cover)

So the rubber "hook" which turns out is called a tractioner should not be in this position, so lets correct it.



According to the instructions there should only be a 1/4 inch between the tractioner and the edge of the Alumaguard and is used to pick the guard up when the awning unwinds, I believe there is more than a 1/4 inch here.



The screw that holds the tractioner in place needs to be removed.



and of course it has a special screw head.



I will not let that phase me, I have a set of screw tips and the square drive is one of them, so lets reposition it into the correct location. You do not want them to tight other wise they get rolled under the Alumiguard. Ask me how I know.



So this is what it looks like rolled in, it no longer hits the Alumiguard, but the support still does not go all the way in.



With a little push towards the rear of the motor Home it snaps into place



If you look close at the gaps in the support arm the front one is tight and the rear one is loose.



I thought about trying to move the back brace bolted to the Motor Home forward, and then a thought came to me I wonder if it is the angle that the Motor Home is sitting at.



I had a neighbor come over and put gentle pressure to the rear on the front brace and it rolled right up. I'm going to leave everything as is and roll and unroll this awning a couple of times on level ground.

Well it seems I have been posting lots of projects lately, I'm just trying to get some done before the weather turns ugly here and the trip to Florida.

As I mentioned earlier the brake lights stop working on the Motor Home. It was peculiar in that the brake lights on the trailer still worked?????

So I looked at the two areas I had been playing with lately, the 2 to 1 trailer light module. The Motor home has the European style tail lights and the trailer has the American style tail lights. (Brake lights are separate form the turn signal lights on the Motor Home). The second area was the circuit breaker plate that I replaced when I found the A/C circuit breaker had gotten hot and melted the plate (see above)

I took the Module wiring apart and found nothing wrong, I used a test light and found nothing wrong, I removed the relay for the stop lights and jumped the contacts and still no stop lights.

So I went looking into wiring that was still in place from the previous owner and did find this.



These two wires are for the ground of all the rear tail lights and the rear marker lights. If I wiggled it I could get the lights to flicker, but the stop lights still did not work. I put this task off for a project for another day. As the wires are cut so close to the plug I want to get a new plug and just clip the wire and create a new plug with no cut. I did recrip the but connector.

So what could it be, I eliminated everything I could think of and the bulbs were just replaced with LED bulbs to reduce the current load.

Mum....lets try an normal 1157 filament bulb.

it works.



It couldn't be the LED bulbs right they are new. Lets test them.



Both of them fail... they only work in the stop light mode but only from the marker connection and do not light at all for the stop light mode. Really strange that they both stopped working. These things were expensive. I took them back to AutoZone and they replaced them.

So here is the new LED in the marker mode.



and here is the stop light mode.



Do not be fooled by the pictures, these things are bright.

I feel really foolish not having checked the lights first, so lets make a visual difference to the Motor Home.

The lenses have been brothering me as they are quit dull.

I took all the lenses of the Motor Home. This is what the stop/marker lenses looked like.



I spent a little time at the buffer and this is a comparison, worth the effort I think.



Here are the turn signal lenses and the backup lenses before.



And after.



And back on the motor Home.



The lights are not on, but I did test all modes and they all work again.