This thread is the result of splitting the discussion off from Scott's classified here: 1991 U300 6V92TA trade for class C (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=16845.0)
I just made my final desperate plea for help in the form of a slightly misleading Craigslist advertisement looking for a laborer with a pickup truck for two days of work... of course I didn't mention ANYTHING about this work involving a diesel pusher radiator... so now I wait for some unsuspecting Craigslist reader to call me and get sucked in... ;D
It seems to me that the rear radiator is the "show stopper" for diesel mechanics. The difference between engine access between rear radiator and side radiator is remarkable. We owned SOB diesel pusher for eight months. I like DP, but after experience with first coach would only have one with good access to the engine.
Unfortunately, you have experienced some of the worst problems with a rear radiator DP. Best wishes for successful resolution.
Nitehawk: How would one go about this? Maybe send to a MO c/o "Gen Delivery" and then PM RRadio?.....or if he has PayPal that would be a cinch. Whatcha think? BTW, Merry Christmas to you too.
The rear radiator rigs can still be great RVs if you can do a little DIY work. I have seen several Euro buses with the radiator/electric fans mounted up on the roof. A very nice, neat installation. Not hard to run the plumbing straight up. Solution #2 would be to snake a couple of tubes to the front and then mount up to four aluminum radiators with ducting in the nose. They are available on ebay very reasonably. All four would run a fraction of cost paid for one new radiator from Foretravel. This would be easier on the tall U280/U300 models as they have lots of room in the nose. You would then have all the access advantages of a side radiator plus no hydraulic pump/motor to worry about. Might be win-win. Roof installation could use the stock radiator.
There are over 36,000 available on ebay at: aluminum radiator in Radiators & Parts | eBay (http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=aluminum+radiato&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313&_nkw=aluminum+radiator&_sacat=0)
Don't have any problem with sending $5-$10. Have been in tough spots before myself.
Food for desperate thought.
Pierce
What's a good address that we can send money to? I'd like to help, too.
I'm wondering if we could send enough to have the coach moved to a place that can do the work properly. Can the coach be towed, or does it really need a Landall?
I'll send money to contribute to having it towed to a dealer, how do we do this....anybody.
Roland
Engine access hasn't been an issue with my rear radiator U300. After I got the radiator out I was amazed how few items it blocked access to. The mechanics that have looked at it were glad it had the rear radiator. They told me the side radiator is much more difficult to remove. I don't want electric or hydraulic fan motors. I like the pneumatic clutch with fan belts. It seems like it would be much more reliable, especially now that I got rid of the fiberglass fan.
It will cost $750 to tow the coach to Tennessee RV, which isn't really necessary at this point. I truly do appreciate your generosity my friends. All I need is someone with a pickup truck and a couple of days to help me with this radiator. I already did the whole job once. I could possibly be out of here in a couple of days if someone would respond to my Craigslist advertisement, or if one of these diesel mechanics would help. I will be asked a hundred questions in church tomorrow morning and I may possibly get a new volunteer then (?) ...it's just so frustrating to have the thing running twice now only to have to take it apart again and again, which is probably how I lost my volunteers in the first place.
I'm in Columbia, about 50 miles south of Nashville. Let me know where you are, and I'll drive up to see if I can help.
I'm running a 1990 U280 GV and have thrashed through quite a few minor problems. If the leak in the radiator isn't too bad,
a trick taught me by an OLD, old-timer. Pinch the leak shut with needle-nose pliers. Carefully pinch, and no twists, so you don't
open up some other fins.
I nicked my radiator with a utility knife while removing a stuck radiatorhose, and my hand slipped. Pete told me how to pinch it shut and it lasted another 20 thousand miles, before I traded it in. If you can find the leak, and pinch it closed, there's plenty of spare capacity that it won't miss
that one pinch worth of cooling.
Steve.
I can't reach the leak and I can barely see it. The radiator is almost removed now. I may have a Craigslist reader who will help me haul the radiator to the shop.
I'm turnin' in now. I'll check for directions in the AM.
Good luck.
Youracman, Thank you
I hope we (as Foreforum Members) can help out Rradio in some way.
Unfortunately our Christmas is going to be sad. Jus rec'd the news that My 91 yr old mother probably won't make it to Christmas. She has been unresponsive for the last seven days and Hospice warned us that she isn't likely to last two weeks.
If Rradio can supply us with a mailing address I would like to send him $10 in my Mother's name, seeing as how it is close to Christmas. Treasure the ones you hold dear as you never know when they might leave you.
Merry Christmas
Nitehawk
Update: Mom just passed
Nitehawk, I am so sorry for your loss. I will pray for your family. My problems seem so small.
I'm not at my mailbox currently but here is my contact information:
Scott Cook
Reluctant Radio
718 Thompson Lane
Ste. 108-106
Nashville, TN. 37204
(615) 482-7650
my email address can be found at...
Reluctant Radio (http://www.ReluctantRadio.org)
...by clicking any of the links on the left side of the website and scrolling down to the bottom of the page. I'm not gonna post it here in case the spambots go through.
I am not in need of money unless something else unforeseen happens. I will not turn down your gift in honor of your mother however. One thing I've learned through this is to just say thank you and then help someone else later.
Steve, I believe I may have a Craigslist reader who will help me take the radiator to the shop tomorrow. If you still want to drive over here anyway, and you really don't have to but I won't turn you away if you do, drive east on I-40 to exit 320 Genesis Road in Crossville then exit southbound and immediately turn westbound on Interstate Drive by the BP truck stop, I'm in the parking lot of Cumberland Worship Center beside the BP, the address is 145 Interstate Drive... my cell phone number is: (615) 482-7650 I may reinstall the radiator the day after Christmas if you'd rather wait until then. No doubt there will be a lot more to do during the reinstallation.
Thanks so much for all your help my friends :) ...I mean all of you, not just Nitehawk and Steve.
Scott:
I'll call your cell if I'm going to be later than 9:00.
See you tomorrow.
Steve
Thanks a bunch Steve! :)
Scott:
I broke down and looked. My Cat 3208T has a fiberglass fan.
IMHO it will be a LOT easier to change than yours was. Assuming I poke no radiator holes while changing it.
BUT, It has lasted 155,000 miles, I think I'll just let it run for a few years.
If it aint broke, don't mess with it. ;)
Steve
...this fiberglass fan issue needs to be added to the TOP of the used vehicle inspection list immediately before someone else buys one ...make the owner change out the fiberglass fan for a nylon one BEFORE you buy the coach ...moderators, please add this fiberglass fan issue to the list ...a huge deal has been made about the bulkhead issue but no mention has ever been made of the fiberglass fan issue, I did my research before I bought and I wish it had been on the list ...(sigh) ...and then there's the fact that nobody will work on a diesel pusher, that never got mentioned on this forum either, and I read everything on here before I bought mine
...another similar issue that was recently brought to my attention is that a rock can be kicked up by the tire and fly right into the fan, which will drive it into the radiator and leave you in the same situation I'm in right now, it actually happened to someone already ...so a sheet of hardware cloth needs to be installed as a rock guard across the bottom of the engine to keep rocks out ...I'll let you know how after I figure it out myself
Scott, we haven't heard from you in a while. Would you please give us an update? Do you need any help?
I heard from Scott. He's moving around, and now at Henry Horton State Park, TN.
Thanks for all of the concern. I'll let him tell the full story of the fan and radiator.
Thanks for the update. I imagine he could write quite a book about his adventures. Glad he is okay.
Sorry, I didn't have any internet access in Henry Horton state park. I'm in civilization now! ;D ...What do you guys want to know about? ...Does anyone care about the state parks in Tennessee if I write about them? They're really nice, loaded with wildlife, scenic, fun, inexpensive, and practically empty this time of year. In the summer the COE campgrounds are open and you'll probably find me at those instead. There's an unadvertised 25% discount for veterans who are TN residents during the off season. You have to ask about it when you pay for your campsite. At Henry Horton state park there are unadvertised loaner bicycles available at the hotel. You give them your driver's license and they give you a bike for the day. When you bring the bike back you get your driver's license back... Again, you have to ask about it because it's not advertised anywhere... Does anyone care about this stuff if I write a new topic about it?
Scott
I think that we would all benefit from that type of information
Yes, please!
Also, how did you find driving in the park with your coach? Any low-hanging branches to snag stuff on the roof, or stubborn trees or rocks at sharp corners?
I really think what most are also interested in is what happened re the radiator fix after your last posting on it a long time ago??
John H
ps, and are you the new paster, church leader etc there now or what?
I too am anxious to hear about the radiator repair. I also would be interested in hearing about the state parks as well. We really enjoy the Great Smoky Mtns Nat'l park specifically Elkmont campground but the state parks do have one major advantage.. electrical service.
David, all the parks are tight fits for any diesel pusher. I have a 36' and it's difficult to get in and out of the parks. Most state parks and national parks won't even accept a coach any bigger than 36' and some don't accept coaches longer than 35' ...so I lie and they never get out the tape measure to check.
The radiator is working very well, probably better than ever. I never had any radiator problems anyway other than a tiny pinhole leak that Foretravel plugged with some radiator stop leak. The major malfunction was the fiberglass fan that exploded with no warning and destroyed the radiator. The new fan is made of fiberglass reinforced nylon. I can't see any fiberglass in it though, it just looks like it's all nylon to me. I had a slight leak on a hose clamp that I already tightened and it stopped leaking immediately. If you get rid of your fiberglass fan now before it explodes this will probably never happen to you. If it does happen there's a strong probability that you won't be able to get any diesel mechanic to work on it. Have the tow truck take you directly to a radiator repair shop instead of a diesel repair shop. Go on the assumption that you'll have to do the work yourself. It's not as difficult as everyone thinks. I will give my cell phone number to the moderators so I can be contacted when this does happen to someone ...and it will because it appears that none of you are going to get rid of your fiberglass fan. Everyone is in denial about it even though I've made it plain that this happens all the time. The tow truck operator brought in two more trucks with blown fiberglass fans in the first two weeks I was stranded there. He said that's about average, one every week or so. He's towed a hundred of them, many of them diesel pushers. The manufacturer of the fan even told me it happened to their company diesel pusher last summer. They inspected the fiberglass fan right before they left on the road tour and decided it looked okay so they left it on there... and it exploded and destroyed their radiator leaving them stranded in the middle of nowhere for a long time. These are the guys who manufacture the fans and they know exactly what to look for and they can't even identify a fan that's about to explode just a few hours later.
I'll post a separate reply about the state and national parks.
Moderators: please keep my cell phone number and contact me when needed for information about radiator / fan disasters...
Scott Cook
(615) 482-7650
...and you can delete this after you get my number
Here's some information about some of the parks I've camped in so far, starting with Tennessee:
There are 5 COE campgrounds around Nashville and they're all spectacularly beautiful and all have at least some campsites with 50 amp power, which you will definitely need for air conditioning in the summer. The COE campgrounds here are not open in the winter but the state parks around Nashville are. I posted photos of some of my favorite campsites in the COE parks around Nashville on here.
Montgomery Bell state park west of Nashville has some sites with 50 amp power. There are a lot of nice trails. I was there several days and didn't get to hike them all even though I tried to. The place is loaded with beautiful whitetail deer. There's a log cabin and a beautiful church in the park. There are three lakes and one of them has boat rentals, a swim area, a hotel, restaurant, and golf course.
Cedars Of Lebanon state park east of Nashville has some sites with 50 amp power. They have a lot of nice trails with cool caves to explore. Some of the caves are large enough that you can go inside them. I didn't see much wildlife there. They have a pool but it's outdoor and not open in the winter when I was there. They have a stable with horses you can rent I think.
Henry Horton state park south of Nashville has 30 amp power and will have some sites with 50 amp power for the 2014 season, but not this year. I discovered that if I turn off my engine block heater and air compressor I can run both rooftop electric heating units on a 30 amp breaker without tripping it. This park is loaded with beautiful whitetail deer and huge wild turkeys. They have about ten miles of trails, which I was able to hike in one long day, but I saw most of the wildlife right in front of my coach. There are a lot of cool caves on the trails but they're not as large as the Cedars Of Lebanon caves. The short trails near the campground are the best trails. They have a pool, hotel, restaurant, trap and skeet shooting, golf course, and if you go to the hotel and give them your driver's license they'll loan you a bicycle for the day. When you bring the bike back you get your license back. This loaner bicycle deal is not advertised so you'll have to ask about it. This was my favorite TN state park so far.
David Crockett state park is the one I'm at currently. The campground has 30 amp power and the sites are small and not level. I backed my coach up onto leveling ramps for the first time today and it was a thrill I wasn't looking forward to! (laugh) There are trails here but a lot of them are paved bicycle trails instead of hiking trails. They're nice trails, but not what I was expecting. I'll hike the rest of them tomorrow. There's a herd of about 9 beautiful whitetail deer right behind my coach. I have the whole campground to myself... except for a pack of howling coyotes right outside... did Davy Crockett ever need his teddy bear on dark scary nights like this? ...he probably did ;D
There is an unadvertised 25% discount for Tennessee veterans in TN state parks during the off season. You have to ask about it because they're not gonna tell you. All TN state parks have gone to a computer reservation system as of a few days ago and the rangers are experiencing a learning curve. I haven't made any reservations as a result. I just show up and let them practice their software skills by making the reservation for me. All the state parks are nearly empty this time of year anyway... but I like a quiet peaceful campground.
I'll post about the Maine parks next... stay tuned
Here's some information on my favorite parks in Maine:
In Acadia National Park on the coast of Maine you do NOT want to camp in Blackwoods campground with a diesel pusher, even though they technically accept up to 35' coaches, My coach now bears battle scars proving how unwise that is! (laugh) Camp in Seawall campground instead if you're going to Acadia. You don't need air conditioning in Maine even in August so don't worry about the parks not having electric hookups. There's a free shuttle bus that will pick you up right at the campground and take you to Bar Harbor, where you can then get other shuttles to various places in Acadia. You'll be better off and see a lot more if you ride the bus to Otter Point, the last stop on the one way Park Loop Road, and walk back against the flow of traffic to Sand Beach, where you can get a bus back to Bar Harbor, and then a bus back to Seawall. You can flag down a bus any time you get tired of walking. There's a bus every 5 minutes on the loop road. If you drive your toad around the loop road you'll miss out on so much beautiful stuff you would have seen if you rode the bus and walked back. The Seawall bus goes into the Smuggler's Den commercial campground, which appears to be very nice although I only saw it from the bus and didn't actually camp there. I'm guessing it's wicked expensive because of the location. There is no place to park in Bar Harbor so don't even bother driving your toad down there. My toad is a motorcycle and I had problems finding a parking space. There is a little bit of RV parking but it was full every time I went past there. There is no cell phone reception at all in Blackwoods and very little in Seawall. If you walk down to the ocean and stand right on the rocks of the seawall you can get a Canadian signal with Verizon. There's a soup kitchen with free wireless internet near the Seawall entrance. It's called "Common Good Cafe" and it's in the parking lot of a motel. They're only open in the morning. You can make a donation if you want but you don't have to. From Blackwoods the nearest wireless internet is at the Seal Harbor public library, which is very beautiful but very difficult to find. There's also a jewelry store and an ice cream shop in Northeast Harbor with wireless internet. There is no free internet anywhere in Bar Harbor so don't even bother trying. Huge cruise ships pull in and hundreds of tourists get on the internet with their smart phones so there's no way you'll get a connection even if you're a paying customer at a restaurant with wifi. There is so much to see in Acadia. If you're driving all the way up there you probably already know what you're gonna see so I won't go into those details unless you guys want me to? I'm actually from Maine so I know quite a bit about the area.
One of my favorite state parks in Maine is Camden Hills state park which is right on the coast and has 30 amp power but you won't need air conditioning so it's sorta irrelevant. Another of my favorites is Lake Saint George state park in Liberty Maine on the most beautiful spring fed crystal clear lake you've ever seen. Lake St George has no power but again, you won't need air conditioning even in August so it's irrelevant. Lake St George is on route 3, which can be noisy with heavy truck traffic. This is one of the few bad points, the truck noise. Rent a canoe and paddle around Lake St George cuz it's especially beautiful. Both Camden Hills and Lake St George have wireless internet if you get a site close enough to the building with the wifi antenna. You can always walk over to the building with your laptop and sit at a picnic table if your site is too far away. The greasy seafood shack across the road from Camden Hills has the best food in town and the best ice cream, so don't bother going into town and paying even higher prices. They have weird hours though so you might want to make note of that. Bradbury Mountain state park was my least favorite state park in Maine. I doubt any of you will go there so I'm not gonna discuss it unless you want me to? It's very close to LL Bean though if you wanna go shopping there... but Freeport has RV parking available sometimes and it's walking distance to LL Bean. You can stay there overnight even. The Kittery Trading Post will also allow you to stay overnight in their parking lot if you check in with the Customer Service desk and park in an RV space. The Kittery Trading Post is similar to LL Bean. All the Maine state parks are expensive but the private RV parks are wicked expensive. Acadia's campgrounds are very reasonable. All the state and national parks in Maine have plenty of hiking trails, beautiful wildlife, and spectacular scenery. Diesel is very expensive in Maine, and in all of the northeast. The best price I found by far was at Fabian Oil, which is an oil distributor on Route 1 in Thomaston, but their diesel pump is difficult to get to and you'll probably have to disconnect your toad to do the obstacle course... but you'll save over $50 on a full tank of diesel for your trouble.
I'll discuss Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway tomorrow if you guys aren't bored outta yer gourd with me yet?