Shacklaw
Explorer
Joined 21 years ago
User Profile
User Widgets
All Activity
Re: Anyone interested in 83 Pace Arrow Tear down and Rebuild?
Fulltimin, I just read through this entire thing and you scare the heck out of me! Why? Because I have a 91'Southwind I'm restoring with a "soft wall" by the passenger seat, by the dinette and in the bathroom and several delams on the outside! YIKES! I've just finished the mechanicals and contemplating the inside, and I convinced my wife it was a piece of cake after her begging me to set it on fire! I'm inspired and daunted by your work. Keep it up so I won't loose faith! LOL!391Views0likes0CommentsRe: Weird Electrical Issue/ Need experience of RV.net
Ok!!! I just wanted to update. I went and ground paint and rust off of the chassis and replaced and improved the old grounding system.(Chassis/motor side only so far) Success!!! After chasing gremlins and think, rethinking and overthinking, it was in fact a ground issue. Amp draw at present, ZERO. MAmp draw is about 148Ma. I was told it should only be about 50ma, but I'm happy! Fresh new battery, hooked a Holley inline low pressure pump I had in the shop, and BANG, she started first hit! Let her run for 45 minutes or so, no issues other than a service light (knock sensor-likely poor gas) and it's exhaust smells bad! Ugly gas! Anyway, wanted to update and say thanks to all! It was a big help as always. I'll be back I'm sure when I move to the Coach side! haha!654Views0likes0CommentsRe: Weird Electrical Issue/ Need experience of RV.net
Thanks, will track power to pump tonight. Idiot lights come on. I've been poking around at this thing by myself, likely get my wife involved. LOL! Long way back to the tank to hear the pump. Decided maybe I've been looking at it the wrong way. Called a hotrod buddy of mine, and first thing out of his mouth was "bad ground". "Too simple" I said, and immediately did some "grounding" improvement work.(He's rarely wrong) We'll see if that helps in tonight's session.654Views0likes0CommentsRe: Weird Electrical Issue/ Need experience of RV.net
Thanks guys! If the internal fuse is blown, will it read at all? Still getting amp readings. I was surprised, thought 10a and boom! Pump relay was right where you said it was, thanks enblethen. I pulled it this morning before work, plan on doing amp readings this evening with it out. Engine is not seized, actually had it spudder on starting fluid and build oil pressure, so that was a relief. (Did make me pucker a little until it rolled over). My background is high performance/offshore race boats, so when they sit for awhile, we just pull everything and go through it. I built this motor and redesigned the injection system, but it's still just a motor that's been sitting for awhile! haha! Kind of my first attempt at starting something "as is-where is" and I must say, it's been kind of different. I used some stuff called Pri-G in the fuel, then added 5 gallons of premium. I use it to winterize boats and atvs, etc. Snake oil guys on Youtube claim it will at least make old gas burnable, others say it will return it to factory fresh (hmm), but we'll see if it works at all in this application. I have changed all the ground wires to the battery bank (6v are out right now) and made sure I had good ground to all components and drivetrain. Didn't get an opportunity to test anything, as by the time I spent messing with it yesterday, it got late and my older battery wasn't charged enough to be accurate I didn't think, so I just packed it in for the night. Hope to be able to get onto it tonight. Still not getting fuel to the TBI either, so seeing if that is a symptom or separate issue. Thanks again for all the help! Good ideas all! I'll keep you posted.656Views0likes0CommentsRe: Weird Electrical Issue/ Need experience of RV.net
I forgot to mention that. Had meter on outside, went through EVERY fuse in the "Control Center" under the hood, then set up some jumpers and moved the meter inside, went through all the fuses under the dash. Nothing! I do believe when I go to the Start position, whatever it is is sucking SO MUCH amperage in the start position the starter won't hardly turn the thing over. I got it to fire and spudder on starting fluid for a few seconds, but it zapped all the battery life. That's what kind of started the whole thing. I would leave it at the lake, plugged into shore power. All seemed fine, come back next weekend and all the batteries are dead as a doornail! Seemed Amps draw exceeded the converters ability to charge.654Views0likes0CommentsRe: Weird Electrical Issue/ Need experience of RV.net
I appreciate all the input. Joe, I believe it is right. It's a Fluke, moved red to "10a fused", turned switch all the way around to last setting (DC Amp) and placed one lead on battery and one lead on ground cable and got 23.4. Move it all to mA and got 234. Went this morning, hooked it all up and got 18.2 pretty steady. Am I hooking it up right and why isn't it blowing the internal fuse of the meter? I believe it's isolated. My belief is the Converter charges the Coach batteries, not the chassis. IF you need a bump on the Chassis, you have the button to connect them. Is it possible there is a crossover between coach and chassis at the converter? Last, my parts guy suggested that a "stuck" fuel pump or faulty relay might cause a draw like that through an internal dead short. What do yall think? WHERE IN THE HECK IS THE FUEL PUMP RELAY ON 1991 A P-30 FLEETWOOD??? no one has definitive answer. Thanks!204Views0likes0CommentsWeird Electrical Issue/ Need experience of RV.net
If you recall the scene from Indiana Jones where he looks into the pit and says "SNAKES, it had to be snakes"...that's me right now. I'll try to condense-I've had this poor ol' coach for years. Last time I actually used it as a coach, I was having an issue of draining batteries and a small "shock" from the frame if you were sweaty and touched it, but it was manageable. It thereafter became the building office for our house, was taken to the lake to be the building office for the lakehouse, was brought back home and allowed to sit for a couple of years. About 5 years total. I have now decided to restore it. I attempted to start it. No go. Fresh battery, jump box, nothing. Changed starter. Rolled over several times, spuddered. Nada. Check the battery drain with multimeter on amps on negative post, 23.4 amp draw with everything off. It would go to 34, then down to 10.5, then 0, then back up. Never stayed constant. I isolated the chassis side from the coach side (as far as I can tell) Coach Batteries out, bird disconnected, etc. All that is left is: Power cable from chassis battery to on/off solenoid, (power equal on both sides), cable to bird, bird to starter. If you don't connect the 2 cables at the bird (battery and starter) no power loss. As soon as you hook the 2 cables together (that's their normal config.) you get a 23.4 amp draw. Alternator completely disconnected. Seems to be from the cable to starter. New Starter (same results with old, so it was good) a main cable to the solenoid, a small wire to the start pole, and a light purple heavy wire from the main cable lug up into the loom towards the dash. Best I can tell that's ALL that's hooked to the battery. I'm stumped!!!! The light purple wire goes somewhere. I see it go into the loom, but I have yet to find it on the other side. Does it go to the ignition switch? Fuse panel? Where? This is a lot of draw for NO FUSES being blown. I've check all fuses under the hood, nada. Out of ideas on where to look. Ignition switch? Fuel pump? What could draw that much amperage and not be easy to find? IDEAS?5.2KViews0likes25CommentsP30 Autopark (again!)
It has been many moons since I last visited here. Many projects build, and a motorhome that has sat idle for 4+ years. It is a 1991 Southwind with the infamous "Autopark" system. I have it parked on the grass by my shop, but I want to move it onto the pavement to evict the squirrels that have seemed to homestead there and maybe remodel it. Problem is between stale fuel and a haunting electrical problem, it won't start. No start means no power to release the Autopark to tow it up on the concrete. It's stuck. Oldusedbear had an article and I thought there were several threads on this exact subject, but the search bar did not render the answer. This is the early unit powered by the motor PS pump with a secondary foot pedal. No buttons or auxiliary lights (other the "park brake" light in the cluster) Question: is there a simple way to disengage the Autobrake without power, or am I just going to have to crawl under and undo the driveshaft from the rearend? Thanks!863Views0likes4Comments
Groups
Motorhome Group
Join in here to discuss all things motorhomes.Jul 13, 202538,734 Posts
