kjames90755
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Joined Jan 27, 2008
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Re: Handy Hints, Gadgets, Products & Gizmos
try using a hair dryer on low, or warm, slightly soapy (dawn) water on a sponge to soak it for a few minutes first, then rub it with a non-abraisive scrubber (I use my thumb--thanking G-d for rough hands). If the metal is painted, you may have to buy touch-up paint.455Views0likes0CommentsRe: Breakdown Information
Phred42044 wrote: 2000 HR Endeavor DP 46000 miles. Cat 300 HP w/ Allison 6 Speed Tranny. Problem: Driving along and engine was losing power. Would idle and sometimes get up to full power but would ultimately "chug chug" down the road. Finally made it to a rest stop and got some family to come help me. Chugged it to the nearest diesel mechanic who immediately diagnosed the problem as a fuel separator (filter?). Changed separator and the thing ran like a champ. The mechanic said it is good practice to change the fuel separator once a year under normal driving conditions as diesel fuel is mighty nasty stuff. He also mentioned that when taking off the old filter there was visible trash in and around the filter. I got off luck with a $20 filter and $75 in labor. The fuel separator is actually a filter to separate water from the diesel oil fuel...when they get full, the water has to be released, and the filter changed--most engines mfrs. recommend doing this whenever you have an oil change at a minimum, whether it needs it or not--you don't want water in a diesel engine...541Views0likes0CommentsRe: Breakdown Information
zmotorsports wrote: Last February with our new coach we were about 1/2 mile from home just leaving for a weekend shakedown run with the new coach and it died. We coasted to the side of the road and started to troubleshoot. After about an hour and a half of diagnosing and testing I found the wire that goes to the front television lockout was shorted and kept tripping the circuit breaker for the main power soleniod. I unhooked it and off we went. By this time it was pitch black outside and I was frozen, my wife was sitting in the nice warm coach reading a magazine and I asked her if she still wanted to go and she said hell yes we are on vacation(even though I could have thrown a rock and hit our house). So off we went and had an enjoyable weekend. I guess you take the good with the bad. Still wouldn't give up my RV. Mike. Sounds like my grandmother...we told her we were looking at motorhomes and she said, "You don't want to buy one of those things, they'll nickel and dime you to death." But when we told her we were buying one (no longer looking) her words turned into, "Will you take me camping with you??"539Views0likes0CommentsRe: Breakdown Information
Oooh boy! This is gonna be fun! 1. Got our rig in June 2006, used from a dealer, who checked and changed all fluids fresh, oil, coolant, etc., as part of a pre-delivery Good Sam Used RV Dealer Checklist. 2. Made 4-5 short trips. 3. Was headed for Laughlin, NV, on I-40, east out of Barstow. Climbing the grade to the Ludlow turnoff we started overheating, and so pulled off the road at that exit. Called Good Sam Roadside Assistance and were advised to let engine cool down 45min-1hour, then we'd be able to get back on the road. 4. Got about 1.5 miles East the I-40, and were stuck on the side of I-40 from 4:30pm, until 7:30am the next morning before a flatbed trailer tow arrived. 4.a. Good Sam couldn't locate us on the computer when we called, even using GPS Co-ordinates. (This was their Emergency Roadside Assistance) Finally got located with I-40 and name of the road for the Ludlow exit. Did I mention that I was driving, my partner was co-pilot (a wheelchair user who had to be carried from his seat to the bed/bathroom and in/out of the rig, a friend of ours was going with us, and we were taking my 86 year-old grandmother and her 79 year old friend (who uses a walker) to the Avi, and that we had our two dogs with us as well? 5. Won't go into what this tow driver's shop told us...but if you ever break down near Bartow, CA, PAY TO HAVE YOUR RIG TOWED TO EITHER NEEDLES OR BACK TO CALIFORNIA! It cost us $900 to tow back to Orange County, but the repair savings was $13K, and 9 weeks. (Cost us $5K and 3 weeks) 6. Our tech in Orange County found so much rust in the radiator and coolant that he said, "could not be accounted for by the amount of time you've owned the rig. If the coolant had been changed, this water would be yellowish-green, it's bright orange." We told him to replace the radiator, hoses and engine. 7. He replaced the engine and hoses, but not the radiator. Our next trip to SFO pointed that out to us...but we didn't count it against him--he had still saved us a bundle. So we replaced the radiator at the Radiator Dr. in San Jose. This new one is 4x thicker than the old stock radiator. While our tech replaced the engine we also had him do the interior carpet--we picked out from a friend in the wholesaling business, and after all was done we got 6 new tires. Total cost of engine, radiator work, carpet & tires? $12K. A lot less than just the engine at that shafter in Barstow. So: Yr.: 2000 Make: Winnebago Model: Adventurer 32V, 33.33' Chassis: Workhorse P32 Drive: 7.1L (if I recall the manual facts), allison 5 spd a/t. Replacement engine: Jasper Symptoms: Overheat. Effect: Engine stall. Cause: Radiator fluids not changed by dealer prior to delivery, overheat caused valves to stick-losing compression. Outcome: Replaced engine, replaced radiator. Current Operation: Engine developed sticky lifter at 1,000 miles of use, being replaced under warranty at this time (Jan., '08). RV'ing...whether you make money at it or not, it sure is interesting!688Views0likes0CommentsRe: Watching these videos could save your life!
Having only had our rig for 2.5 years I, too, have been under the wrong impression. Knowing that one should accelerate slightly to maintain control until a safe pull-off is a new one for me. Both videos underscore the need for us all to get our rigs weighed...and possibly put on diets. Don't use your rig to store "stuff" from your house. (How many of us put something in our rig only to never use or even unwrap it?) Even I am guilty--I/we still have yet to measure, cut and place the non-skid mats for our cupboards--even after 2 years--and one of our games, Scattergories (I think) is still shrink-wrapped! I guess the destination and company is more important than the drive and spare time. Our rig is in for a re-built engine being replaced under warranty--I'm gonna see if our tech will have it 4-corner weighed on the way back to his Orange County facility--I may have to shift storage items.530Views0likes0Comments
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