wyolincoln
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Re: Considering purchasing a 2003 Monaco Diplomat 40 PWD
A follow-up question. Started demo. Was going to remove the fridge, but the electric valve on the tank is not shutting off the propane. I can feel and hear the valve move/click when I flip the switch located near the tank and I also manually shut it off by pulling the wire on the switch. It's a horizontal tank. Any suggestions? I think I have this valve figured out. Will verify Saturday.848Views0likes0CommentsRe: Considering purchasing a 2003 Monaco Diplomat 40 PWD
Purchasing the rig this week. Start demo work on Saturday. Looking forward to getting this going. I have since found out that several owners have had to replace the subfloor on similar models and years. The particle board the factory used delaminates and causes the floor to buckle. I am relieved to know that several others have successfully replaced the sub floor. Again, thanks to all for the advice and perhaps some day I'll see you on the road. Cheers, TL847Views0likes0CommentsRe: Considering purchasing a 2003 Monaco Diplomat 40 PWD
Yea, the fridge in this one is shot. Plan on changing to a small residential fridge. Drove the rig hard Saturday. Ran like a stabbed rat, rode like a tour bus. Has a warning light on the dash. Did not have an adapter for the 6 pin connector to OBD2 reader, so no idea what it is. Perhaps a fluid level somewhere. The right rear leveling jack does not descend. The front and left rear work fine. ABS light, ATC light. Nothing too scary. Various and sundry broken wires, many things that need lubed, a slightly sleeping fuel tank... many projects... but I think I'm going to do this. Thanks again to all for the info. Please keep on posting. Still learning.848Views0likes0CommentsRe: Considering purchasing a 2003 Monaco Diplomat 40 PWD
Don and Mary, Thanks for the insight. I called Monaco and they assured me that they still support (to some degree) the Roadmaster chassis, even the older ones like I am considering. Talk is cheap, but others seem to support this claim. They also said that I could take it to any Freightliner service center and they would be capable of working on it. Which I suppose is true of anything. If you have enough money, you can get anything repaired. I am going for another test drive Saturday and make the call then. I intend to try and negotiate the price down a bit more both on what I can see that readily needs repaired as well as the obvious maintenance items I will need to have done right away. So more reading and research and as always, I really appreciate the input and insight of the experienced RVers on forums like these. All the best, Wyolincoln847Views0likes0CommentsRe: Considering purchasing a 2003 Monaco Diplomat 40 PWD
OK. Very good information. Front tires are new, rear tires will need replaced. Local service shop will replace all fluids and filters including generator for about $1200. All six batteries are new. Taking it for a hard test drive Saturday morning. Want to be sure brakes and such are in good shape and that the air system has no issues. Also want to be sure there is no algae in the fuel. That would be bad. Any comments to the Roadmaster Chassis this is running? 8 air bags outboard of the frame. Supposed to be a good chassis, but with Monaco being belly up, don't want to end up needing a widget that only they made. That too would be bad. I may try to talk them down a bit more in price. I've been told the coach is going to wholesale next week if I don't buy it, so I may be able to leverage that into a lower price. We shall see. Thanks to all for your comments. Wyolincoln847Views0likes0CommentsRe: Considering purchasing a 2003 Monaco Diplomat 40 PWD
This will be my fourth RV, two of which I had pretty much gutted and rebuilt. No signs anywhere of a soft roof or walls. No staining anywhere either. I really do think now that the water was from down low "somewhere". Walls and roof are solid, no odor from the walls or roof (I'm allergic to a lot, I can tell), no visible mold and nothing I can see hiding behind joints or trim on the walls or roof. I am thinking that it truly was a plumbing leak. It is bone dry now and has been sitting outside (not level) for weeks in Florida. So I am thinking not a slide seal issue either. The slide floor and ceiling themselves appear solid and dry. No staining anywhere on the walls or roof near the "soft" area of the floor. The floor underneath the slide (the ceiling of the storage area below) is solid. So whatever happened was apparently soaked up at the sub floor level in the living area. I intend to expose the entire sub floor by removing all the tile and carpet. This includes the slides. Anything else that you would recommend? Thanks for the response, Wyolincoln88Views0likes0CommentsConsidering purchasing a 2003 Monaco Diplomat 40 PWD
Looking for experience with the Roadmaster platform, specifically the 8 air bag version. We are considering purchasing a 2003 Monaco Diplomat 40 PWD with two slides. It has subfloor damage in front of the sink in the kitchen from a water leak that was ignored for quite a while. Long enough for the subfloor under the tile to get spongy. The leak was thought to be from the kitchen drain line, but that is up for debate. I am very handy and have no issues with removing the flooring and repairing the damaged sub flooring and the doing something different, like vinyl plank or engineered flooring. My question has to do more with known issues in that model and year coach. Slide issues, trailing arm issues, engine issues, electrical, etc. It has a Cummins 8.9 litre 330 HP diesel engine with the 6 speed Allison electronic transmission. It only has @ 52000 miles on the clock. We are looking to live in this in a couple years and after we retire here in about two years. This gives us the next two years to repair, take short trips and test everything out before going full time. I can probably get this coach for 20k out the door. NADA low end retail is 32k. It's in reasonably good cosmetic condition, roof looks good (couple small surface cracks here and there), slide seals are dry and small electrics and the like could use some attention. Body is clean, but needs cleaned. Same with interior. It starts and idles great. I have yet to run it down the road and I have yet to run the generator which has a about 2200 hours on it. So it sat a lot I think. I just want to be sure I am not getting into a money pit. It has new steering tires. Rear tires are old and will need replaced. I am still on the fence on this. I know Monaco is out of business... but I spoke with Cummins and any of their certified dealers would service the engine. The drive train itself seems to have a good reputation. I don't know about the coach itself. Any suggestions, recommendations, advice? Please provide some of your experience and knowledge regarding this coach. All the best. Wyolincoln5KViews0likes18Comments
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