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RE: had to bite the hook!! FIRST POST!
Great pics, Bulletls1!
Please keep us posted on your travels with pics. I'm really interested in traveling south of Mexico. Gracias for what you've shown us so far.
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Jim@HiTek
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11/30/08 11:22pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: dual pane window broken seal?
You might try my method...
Repairs to double paned windows.
Press your page down key twice to get to the correct area.
Worked on mine for 2 & 1/2 years now.
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Jim@HiTek
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11/30/08 12:20am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Squeaky Floors - Ideas?
Don't know about your rig, but in mine, there are thousands of small nails holding the carpet down. Mines a '94, perhaps they did it differently in a '03.
Good luck.
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Jim@HiTek
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11/29/08 11:45pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: had to bite the hook!! FIRST POST!
I'd be happy to go see the pictures but you parked them where I have to join to view them. I don't do that as a rule. Cuts down on the spam.
If you want to share, how about putting the pics on a site that doesn't require people to sign up? Photobucket.com comes to mind.
Thanks.
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Jim@HiTek
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11/29/08 11:31pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Converter
Just a thought...I hate to see something as reliable and as well built (typically) as a converter just tossed out. Please think about having it repaired first. Or at least donate it to a shop that might get some usable parts out of it.
Or, if you do decide to replace it, offer it on Craig's list or the local newspaper free ad section. Lots of technicians out there looking for things to experiment with.
JMO.
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Jim@HiTek
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11/29/08 05:05pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: going to K.C. next weekend, need cold weather advice
Mid 20's isn't cold enough to worry about for a modern RV, even my '94 can go for several weeks without worry at those temps (plugged in). Since you'll be on genset, you'll probably be trying to conserve fuel for it, so keep all your basement compartments closed, try to block any openings in your wet bay (the basement compartment where you connect the camp water and drain your holding tanks), if there are any.
If you are going to be parked for any length of time, I'd put a small forced air electric heater ($12 at WalMart in the summer, or $7 at a thrift store) in the water tank compartment and only move it to the wet bay (my tanks are in separate basement bays) just before I'm ready to dump to thaw out the waste valves if needed. It only runs when the genset is running but you don't need much heat to keep the pump and plumbing there warmed up.
Finally, keep your water heater fired up, and as others have said, cabinet doors open when you have the furnace turned down.
Good luck and have fun! Cold camping is a blast, especially when it shows.
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Jim@HiTek
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11/29/08 04:33pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Automatic Transfer Switch
Wow, glad everyone is OK.
I've not had this happen but mine is also inside the rig in a kitchen cabinet. But it is in a metal box.
Without a picture of your damaged unit it's hard to say much about it but if the coil overheated and caught fire, it was likely a shorted turn in the coil. This is typically a rare event, but of course the cheaper the brand, the more likely it becomes as inferior components are generally used.
Since you'll be getting an exact replacement under warranty, there might not be enough history on that device for them to have discovered a problem requiring a change of brands. Likely it was an isolated event and you'll never have to worry about it again.
However, if it worries you, what you could do is measure the size of the plastic box and replace that with a metal box. Metal boxes can be found at any electrical supply house. Any machine shop should be able to easily install the ATS system inside the box, then any RV tech would be able to reinstall the ATS. That would not prevent another bad coil from failing, but it would slow down any tendency to burst into flames or could prevent the spread of a fire.
Good luck.
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Jim@HiTek
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11/29/08 04:04pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Steering adjustment
I agree that you should test as recommended by othertonka, 2ndhom's question is also valid, and then, perhaps these big rigs have a different method but with trucks and cars I've worked on there is a simple adjustment of a screw that tightens down on a worm gear and that removes the slop. 30% play seems a little too much.
Good luck. Please let us know what you find. Thx.
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Jim@HiTek
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11/28/08 07:17pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Way to convert twin bed to single? '93 Southwind
Many first time buyers I've known ended up talking about how they wished their first RV was bigger. You probably got the right size the first time since you think it might be too big.
JMO
Good luck and happy travels!
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Jim@HiTek
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11/26/08 12:01pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Headlights not working? - Itasca horizon
Sounds like a loose connection to me. If the brights AND dims on both headlamps are not working, that would make me start at the ground wires at the headlamps after checking for voltage from the headlamp connector to a nearby frame member (chassis). If you read voltage there, then your ground wire is not making contact. I've seen the manufacturers run a ground from one headlamp to the next then to chassis.
Good luck.
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Jim@HiTek
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11/22/08 04:18pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: 454 Exhaust Manifold bolt torque value needed
This is a really cool thread. Thanks to all you gear heads for the information. I'll be passing this on to my brother...
Oh, my mechanic recommended a thin metal gasket on my diesel manifold because of it's age. Guess the parts get lumpy over time.
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Jim@HiTek
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11/14/08 06:33pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Making your own solar panel or wind generator
Go here: Solar Panel to see a low cost panel that's 3' X 3'.
What I've shown in the link is a 45W panel, or 3 usable Amps for $200 ($4.44/watt). Harbor Freight often has a 1/2 price sale on these panels, I've used them and they are about as good as the more expensive units. The other mentioned panel above is 30 Watts for $250 ($8.33/watt).
45 Watts is enough for a float battery charger and not much else. When you get into the real efficient panels (up to 12%) then you are talking serious money. As far as capabilities, note that a toaster consumes 1400 Watts. My genset is capable of 6500 watts.
There are some people that run their RV mostly with solar and genset and some have helpful web sites. Do a search here on the forum for solar panel.
Good luck.
Oh, to answer the OP, education is always worth something so the $50 for the book and video is probably worth it. JMO. BUT, you can find the same information on the web for free using Google.
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Jim@HiTek
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11/14/08 06:05pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Water pump issue
What I read about the flowjet pump is that it's fine to run it without water for a short period, and the other brand pumps I've seen are similar, so if you didn't run it for long it should be OK. There is a fuse right in the positive voltage lead on my pump. Did you check that yet? Then there is another fuse that supplies the pump controller.
Good luck.
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Jim@HiTek
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11/08/08 02:03pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Tips for making it warmer while driving in winter
When I first got my DP the pilots area was cool in 40°F weather at speed for a couple reasons. There were several small air leaks onto the feet in both the drivers and passengers areas. Once plugged it was still cool and just warm air out of the dash heater.
Checking the heater hoses found that they were lukewarm to the touch which indicated low flow. Back at the rear engine, found that there is a valve, like a garden faucet, that had been shut off probably by the previous owner during the summer. Turning that on did help, but not as much as I thought it should. Chasing the return hose turned up another valve which was half closed.
So, you might check if you have those valves on your engine, and make sure they are all the way open. Once I sealed those minor leaks and open those valves the dash heater will keep the entire 37' of my rig nice and toasty, even in the teens.
Good luck!
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Jim@HiTek
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11/08/08 01:54pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Your help appreicated
I don't see where those battery switches would have anything to do with the electrical going out while driving. Your rig is old enough that it probably would or should run without the batteries connected. You can't do that on modern engines as there are many components that would be harmed without the battery in the circuit acting as a load.
You probably need to find an electrical schematic of the engine to find that problem (a bad HV coil perhaps?) but the fusible link burning out might be an indication of a bad starter or starting solenoid. If the solenoid sticks that can cause the fusible link to open. I'd pull the staring motor (probably has the solenoid attached) and give it a clean up.
Going by my admittedly weak memory here so JMO.
Good luck and welcome to the forum.
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Jim@HiTek
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11/08/08 01:34pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Double Coin tires ?
I am also biased toward Bridgestone but did use a pair of Double Coin on the fronts soon after I bought the rig when I found a side wall blowout bubble in a small Oregon town. They were installed & under inflated by Les Schwab so I did have some wear on the edges from following their recommendation on pressure. They performed well over 38,000 miles and the cost was only $150 each so I would use them again under similar circumstances. They still had usable tread left when replaced.
Did an extensive web search later and found that they had a good reputation in Europe and China in the bigger sizes.
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Jim@HiTek
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10/28/08 12:42pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: How to filter water coming from hose
As mentioned there are several inexpensive options, CW is just one outlet, most RV dealers, many RV campgrounds, Home Depot, Lowe's, will have screw on, in-line filters.
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Jim@HiTek
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10/21/08 12:40pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Winterizing our Motor Home
I'm up here in Fairbanks, Alaska where it truly gets cold !
My method is:
drain water tankdrain shower headremove and drain water pumpopen water heater bypass valveblow out linesopen all valves, including the outside showerdrain waste tanksdisconnect pipe to toilet foot valveantifreeze in all drains
Worked perfect last winter.
I don't have a ice maker but I'd remove and drain it if I had one, and blow out the pipe.
On Edit: Doh! Ice makers don't need to be drained. But the outside portion of the feed pipe should be removed and blown out.
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Jim@HiTek
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10/21/08 12:25pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Windows Fogging
Jim... no, thank you. Glad to hear it was boring (there)... as it makes for a better answer (more detailed).
The holes in the frame, you mentioned only covering them with duct tape. I know it's not completely weather or water proof... so thats why I thought the holes were not all covered. I thought you used the silica salt on two holes, and covered the third with duct tape. So that would really leave them 'open' to air and moisture (except the thought of being filtered by the two silica packs).
Actually what I did was cover the holes with silica packs only while the windows were cooling off. Heating the window causes air to expand then escape, the silica packs dry out the air drawn back into the window as it cools. I really got those windows very warm to vaporize all the moisture so it could be blown out by the air pump...this all happened during a one hour period. Then after the window cooled I removed the silica packs, then sealed the holes with the tape.
Your thought was the duct tape provided a weather tight seal?! ... as I wouldn't think so. I'll be attempting this, but removing the window to also clean the glass. Replacing the glass, and hoping for the best. Somewhere in the middle of all this I'll be doing it in the hot sun (80-85°F or so) and I'm hoping they stay somewhat sealed with new weather seal and such.
My thought was that it would be better to use the tape if I needed to do the job again. Made repeating the process easier, if necessary. And it's easy to get the window in & out so I can come back at any time to redo the job with a different method if necessary. Then there is the fact that my windows have a nice plastic shield over the top of the windows (the frame), so there wouldn't be much moisture up where I put the holes (in the sliding portion of the window) so the tape wouldn't get wet. The tape should give me years of useful life, since it is covered by the window frame and not exposed to the elements at all. And duct tape is tough, water resistant, air tight.
If not, my windows are Atwood. And replacement windows are the entire thing if ordered from the dealer (no need to order just glass as mine is all good). The new ones are NOT double pane (so the dealer told me today). Another thought to remove the inner pane as mentioned in other posts... I can't imagine a couple small (converted to single pane) windows making a huge difference in sound and temperature from dual (leaking) pane.
I'm not sure what brand windows I have. I have found that even on the hottest days, my dual paned windows help keep the interior nice and cool with the AC set on low. I've met people w/o dual paned windows who have to run (or want to) both AC's in 85°F weather. I can easily get by with one AC running. But if you only have a couple small windows with the moisture problem I'd probably do what you're doing but use 'replacement with single paned' as a back up method, but not order them until I tried other methods.
Do you share or see my thoughts with this?! I guess I'm looking for some kind of approval before I tear into my rig (I'm a qualified D.I.Yer, but still kind of makes me nervous).
You have my encouragement...I found that it was real easy to get the windows out of the wall of the rig, that was my biggest worry. Then taking the sections apart was easy, and finally drying out the moisture was easy. Of course I could have stopped at any step along the way if necessary. The two windows I worked on only took me a half day for everything, working slowly. Started at 9AM and finished at 5PM in time to walk into downtown Mazatlan for a football game and a beer or two.
Good luck, and if you use my method, keep me posted on how it works for you. If you're going to drill those holes in 80-85°F weather, that should help drive out moisture quickly if you place them in the sun. Hopefully, you're in a low moisture area, like the desert.
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Jim@HiTek
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10/21/08 12:12pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Windows Fogging
There is a way to fix them yourself that costs very little. If you're handy at all, should be a breeze for you. Go to my web site for instructions:
Fixing fogged up dual paned windows...
Just scroll down a little for the window section.
Good luck.
Jim,
Snip
Am I correct in assuming that people (like yourself) are leaving holes for the windows to "breathe" or... allow moisture to dry? It seems if the moisture can dry, it can also creep in via the holes. Or, am I missing something?
Since I'd never seen the fix I came up with anywhere...and believe me I searched...I used duct tape over the holes I drilled so I could remove it easily if needed. I thought I need to be versatile because I do cold climate camping and you need a DEAD AIR space for better insulation. But the next window I do I'll leave open for a few weeks in a dry climate to further dry the window out, or I'll heat and blow longer next time. B-t-w, my smaller window mentioned in my blog is still clear as glass, the bigger window has a small accumulation of moisture.
... anyway, before I go about fixing anything, I'd like to get a better grasp on how this is curing the problem... without the windows being pressurized. Or, is the real problem; the pressure is gone, and the windows allow moisture in... but have no air holes to allow moisture to dry?! (if so, makes sense - but also seems for an entry point for moisture)
Let me know if you or anyone can shed some light on that.
I don't believe RV dual paned windows ARE pressurized. Wouldn't be prudent. But the manufacturing process is affected by local air pressure and workmanship. Then the windows are constantly rattled and flexed and subjected to varying air pressures as the RV travels. I think those factors have the most to do with whether or not they develop leaks. (Most of my windows are still clear as when on the dealers lot so the design does work). Adding air holes is not a good solution if you want to have them do what they're designed for...
One last thing, why can't you remove the inner glass (as if you were wanting to replace it) and clean the inner and out interior of the glass... putting it back - however with the 3 new holes as mentioned?! Wouldn't this be the best cure, or fix?!
Again, you don't want holes in dual paned windows if you want them to work as insulators...so I think they should be sealed up afterward. I think that doing that job you mention might be beyond the average D-I-Y'er. The small air exchange that caused the moisture to begin with is probably too small to worry to much about...IMO.
(BTW - I've also read the IVr2 site info and PDF file for replacing glass and fixing condensate issues) ... your repair, seems SO MUCH EASIER if the glass remains clear and without stains..etc
Mine are staying clear, but I didn't have many stains after I dried them out as other have, and they were minor. I think it's a******shot and probably depends on where you are when they develop the leak. On the coast near a big city with polluted air? Probably going to get stains. Up in the mountains with clear air and no big city nearby? Probably going to get NO stains or at least minor stains.
Thanks a million!!
You're welcome...sorry to be so long winded, but it's boring here today, thanks for the interest! Jim
John
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Jim@HiTek
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10/20/08 07:26pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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