Old_Crows
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Re: GS Trip Planner
Thanks! I appreciate it. Concerned that what is now compatible with my Xcite-Rand MacNally GPS will be gone. So simple. Desk or laptop accessible. Easy to upload to the dash unit. Trying to develop a 'pay as you go' routing program? Right. What do you pay GS for anyway? Honestly, they really need to get rid of the '30 somethings' and Business/Marketing degrees and start THINKING about something more than the bottom line, investor profits and bloated CEO salaries, stock options and bonus packages. I can't see anyone paying for a new GS trip planner when there's boat load of programs and several excellent GPS units out there who continue to have FREE updates, etc., etc.. Frankly, (Pay attention moderators and GS overlords!!!) I can do just as well with the WAZE app and that is FREE, instant updates and good guidance on my cell phone or android. Did I say that WAZE is FREE??? If not .... WAZE is free. No cost. Nada! Nothing....525Views0likes0CommentsRe: Fiberglass Roof
Having had a membrane roof on a TT and a fiberglass one on our View, it is no contest. Fiberglass is the way to go. One piece is advertising words of art. Yes it is "usually" one piece fro fromt cap to rear cap on shortish RVs..... but it has a bunch of holes cut in it for the A/C, vent stacks, moon lights and sky lights, fans, antennas, etc.. It is not about "one piece", it is about how well it is sealed. Modern WBGOs have rolled edges that come down over the sides and join at a small gutter so water runs off the side below the top/side interface. You want to be VERY careful getting on top of a FG roof. I use big fat bathroom/kitchen rugs grippy side down to spread out pressure points of feet and knees. If you are uncomfortable working above ground....stay off the roof!198Views0likes0CommentsRe: Navion/View TV
Removing it probably not a problem. Hanging "heavy stuff" on the foam core walls will be a challenge. Lots of foam. Spindly interior supports. Hidden electrical wires, coax & audio cables. In the RV industry there is the "plan" and the reality of "as built". Meaning stuff may be somewhere near where it is supposed to be...or not. Pull out a couple drawers. Get a bright flashlight and take a good look at how that under cabinet area is constructed. Staple and sticks...industry standard. We have a 14 View Profile. It also has a TV there beside the sink & under cabinet...bigger than yours. Doesn't take up usable space. Handy for catching AM news & weather. Or, nice entertainment when it is pouring rain for two days.....202Views0likes0CommentsRe: mercedes sprinter chassis
Ed_Gee wrote: Not trying to hijack the thread, but maybe expand it? No one has mentioned the Ford Transit diesel chassis. I do realize it has a GVWR even lower than the Sprinter, but since we are looking a single slide B+ models with the twin bed configuration and overhead entertainment center/ cabinets only, we figure it might work for our needs. We have yet to get a close look at one. I’d love to hear comments from those who have experience with the Ford Transit diesel chassis....such as Winnebago Fuse, etc. Ed, you might try http://www.winnieowners.com/forums/ A new forum created from an older Yahoo??? group??? Much nicer and easier to use. I've looked at them but the 'Boss' says it's too small (much like our Ventura "B". No doubt Ford is going to sell a ton of these vans for all purposes. Probably will make a nice "B" Class RV or a Touring Van. They do look pretty 'light weight' compared to a Sprinter based RV like a View. The bottom line is really two fold. Does it serve your needs without undue hassle? And, what is it's Occupant & Cargo Carrying Capacity? It can be a 'peach' but if it has the OCCC of a paper sack, it might be a consideration.588Views0likes0CommentsRe: mercedes sprinter chassis
There are two parts to the OPs question/answer. First, up fitter quality. Big variable between builders and within models & years. Your satisfaction depends on how well you coach is screwed together. Sprinter up fitters have to follow the MB up fitter's manual to build out on a Sprinter chassis. Thus you will see a lot of similarity in RVs at the chassis level. I.E., certain things will be in certain places on the chassis. Above the floor, it is up to the up fitter. The other question concerns the Sprinter. From around 2012/13 almost every Class C is built on a 3500 (rear duals) cab chassis. The As are 3500 chassis sans cab. 3500s have a GVWR of 11,030 lbs up to today. Today, drive trains are 3L turbo V6 w/ 5 speed auto or an I4 twin turbo diesel w/ 7 speed auto. The reliability as well as the MB service points of the V6 have improved in later years. Put politely, those who talk down the Sprinter drive train, more likely as not, have little or no experience with one. There are boatloads of Sprinters of all years doing Yeomans work in commercial service and hustling RVs around the country. They are smooth, efficient and QUIET. Having now owned a second V6, they do not want for performance or pulling power. Our '14 View has easily climbed to almost 8K feet and maintained road speed without drama or plumes of soot. (Been passed many times by Big Class A diesel pushers and PUs hauling gigantic fivers on the flats. Hitting a long grade and leaving the CC on it just reels them in meter by meter as they bog down and gag on soot trying to make 45mph upgrade. I give'm a headlight flash and a couple of friendly hoots as we effortlessly glide past.....) I suggest taking a test drive or chatting up an owner and grabbing a tour of their RV. The first appreciation is the quiet, comfortable, well organized cab and super HVAC system. Ford and Chevy are still pounding out the horrible seats, cab layouts and absolutely miserable HVAC systems that they made in the '70s when you can BBQ a side of beef on the passenger side floor and you need noise cancelling headsets to hear yourself think. Economy? A V6 View will grab about 15+ on average. A V10 Ford can't touch it. Suggest visiting www.sprinter-source/forums.587Views0likes0CommentsRe: Oil and Transmission Fluid Diesel engine
Hi Susan! You have a View. V6 turbo diesel? Some things you should know. The OM-642 V-6 diesel requires MB spec 229.52 approved oil. Anything else and it WILL damage the emission system. Not even one qt of non spec oil. Guaranteed $$$$$ repair. The bottle should say MB "approve" not meets. 5W30 is the correct grade. Change the oil when the dash monitor tells you. Not before. Should be 10K miles. Yes 10K. While you should keep an eye on consumption, my experience with two Sprinters is: 1 qt in 5K; 0 qt in 10K. When the oil monitor is reset, it will again start monitoring the miles, time and condition of the oil. The official capacity (with filter) is 13.2 qts. HOWEVER! The actual capacity is about 12.2. Cold...the oil level should be in the lower 1/3 of the OK area above the lower red tip. HOT... it should be in the upper 1/3 and not touching the upper red bead. Why? Oil volume expands as it gets hot. If it expands enough (with 13 qts) it will trigger alarms and if you don't remove some oil it will eventually shut down the engine until the oil cools off. It also has an alarm for 1 & 2 qts low and will shut down to protect the engine if you don't add oil. Check your MB manual. The trans does not have a dip stick. Like many other vehicles today. To accurately refill the transmission requires a data logger to measure the oil temperature (just like other cars). It is not for shade tree mechanics or do it yourselfers. Good idea to check your coach battery water. Especially if continuously plugged into shore power. The charger is three stage & maintaining (at least on late models) but they do need to have the water levelmchecked from time to time. The chassis (starter) battery is under the floor to the right of the driver's seat. It is a sealed type and need not be serviced. There are jumper connections under hood. Again, check your MB manual.603Views0likes0CommentsRe: New Navion/Sprinter: Broken and/or missing
Kind of at a loss to figure out how you could have mis-matched window coverings in a 2016 new RV? Take some good photos and email them to the dealer..... maybe to WBGO home office. Maybe a 24G? Yes... you need to clear away all the gear and **** stuffed along side the bed slide out. It's a great storage place... but you need to make sure that there is a couple inches of clearance between the bottom of the trim and what ever.... Things catch on the wood trim and it will rip it off into kindling. Yes. Ask how I know. (the wife, operating the slide out first time. Me outside watching stuff. "IS EVERYTHING CLEAR INSIDE?? OH. yes!" Gear drive sounds and a sudden "CRACK!!!!" Well things were not clear inside and the lower part of the trim caught on some stuff and fractured it. Some Gorilla glue clamps and blue tape and got it back together. ALWAYS CHECK THAT THINGS ARE CLEAR!!! Bed pedestal torn apart? That deserves a closer look. There's a hatch in the bed deck. BUt, it is designed to hinge at the front of the bed so it will slide under the slide out. Something inside the under bed compartment jammed it? Sprinters I've seen with the OM-642 V6 have the air cleaner over the valley of the engine and the turbo and turbo piping is visible behind the engine block and in front of the firewall. It is not covered. Probably for obvious reasons.... not necessary and it needs air to take the heat away. There's a heat/sound shield below the air cleaner covering the valley... at least on '10s and my '13/14. Maybe they've done away with that.176Views0likes0CommentsRe: Sound deadening
ragoodsp wrote: MichMoose....on my E-450 I increased the insulation in the engine dog house, I removed all the carpeting in the cab and put Dynamat down as well as new carpet, I took the door panels off and placed Dynamat in the door panels, I took the A piller cover down and filled that area with fiberglass insulation. i reduced the cab noise level by 48%, I did not have a cab over bunk so that helps some. It was well worth the $400 I spent on materials, you can get kits made up just for the E series cabs. best of luck. Yes.. good ideas if you have a FORD or CHEBBY cab chassis. Little has changed in their design since my FiL's '70s something Coachman Leprechaun. You could slow cook a side of beef in the passenger's foot well. The 'dog house' was as leaky as a sieve with heat coming out everywhere around the base. But, the 'kennel's' cup holders were always hot enough to keep your coffee warm ... even on cold days. The HVAC sucked & the MiL needed an accessary fan in the co-pilot's position to survive. Fortunately, Sir 'Moose has a Benz Sprinter. It doesn't have a dog kennel and the HVAC is suburb.... if a bit complicated. He doesn't need to mess with MacGuyvering the doors, hood, etc., the Boyz from Stuttgart have taken care of all that up front.961Views0likes0CommentsRe: Sound deadening
'Moose, probably not what you want to hear.... Front fender liners are high density plastic. Not likely to resonate. That's why they are used today (aside from reusting out). Rear duals have no liners. The under decking of the coach is all that's there. WBGO uses a thick plywood w/ aluminum sheet. Aluminum is covered with a protective film and faced down. Considering its thickness and internal structure in a double floor with a 'tween deck space, I dont think its going to transmit much road noise. Trying to sound deaden an RV is going to be a mega challenge. They are a gopher hole of hidden spaces & hidey holes. Getting to them....well, it will not be easy and probably not effective. Be careful with any material that may absorb moisture or is not treated to prevent molds. RVs are giant sweat lodges and moisture inside is always an issue...especially in hidden and un vented spaces. Getting toxic black mold would be the zombie apocalypse. At the suggestion of a local 'sound merchant' who does custom sound systems in cars, I used stainless steel faced butyl tape for roof repairs and sealing. Easy to apply to curved surfaces and hard to get to places. Be sure to have it exactly where you want it. Once it touches it holds like a python. I used it to MacGuyver sound damping on the Mach 8. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzXeY3pXinO9ZXItem5QTVVLUDA/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzXeY3pXinO9QjR6aDlwSnVYNVk/view?usp=sharing Some folks have removed the interior paneling in the 'snout' and have 'insulated' it for better temperature control. They have used fiberglass or the silver bubble wrap material. The butyl tape might be an easier and better method.957Views0likes0Comments
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