What did you do to your coach today.

Topic: What did you do to your coach today. (Read 49747 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: What did you do to your coach today.

Reply #375 – May 27, 2012, 09:37:19 am

Quote from: Kent Speers – May 26, 2012, 06:37:13 pm

Before replacing the sending unit, be sure to thoroughly clean the connectors on the switch and to insure a good ground and clean terminals on the fuel gauge itself. A bad sending unit is very rare from my experience. My coach did the same thing until I removed and cleaned all of the terminals. After that it worked perfectly.

I actually swapped locations between the water temp gage and the fuel gage. The connections were very tight and I scraped the male terminals on the back of the fuel gage. When I turn on the ignition the fuel gage needle jumps up to the empty bar. The previous owner had an arrow made of punch tape stuck to the face of the gage at the 1/2 full point and the arrow read full. During our trips to TX the gage sometimes went as high as 3/4 full just after a fill-up. It is just plain erratic.

Re: What did you do to your coach today.

Reply #376 – May 30, 2012, 06:37:09 pm

Not too much, just getting ready for a little trip to Cody and some new front tires, but, I did make a little change on the buffet side cabinet. Put the piece of backsplash I took off the side of fridge/stove and cut it down to fit left side of buffet. Then cut a couple of strips and siliconed them on the counter as a front and side stop for our "Nespresso" coffee machine that sits there while driving. Normaly it is fine but one sudden stop in Mexico threw it onto the floor!! Sits next to the wine glass rack hanging under cabinet. They are handy there as it makes for a fast grab and wine when needed.
John

Re: What did you do to your coach today.

Reply #377 – May 30, 2012, 08:22:03 pm

John, I like the stops for the coffee pot, I had one take a dive also and it had hot coffee in it. What a mess. Thanks for the idea.

Re: What did you do to your coach today.

Reply #378 – May 31, 2012, 08:14:38 am

Replaced the 4 rear tires, that were Load Range G, with Load Range H. Already had "H" on the front.

Re: What did you do to your coach today.

Reply #379 – June 01, 2012, 09:50:26 pm

Replaced the Fantastic Vent Fan in the bathroom with a new Fantastic Vent Fan that has a built in thermostat, automatic opening, rain sensor, 3 speed and pulls air out or blows air in. I have four solar panals on the roof so I have power to the fan while stored (outside) and it will help keep the interior cool in the So Cal sun. Also washed the moho. Tonorrow more stuff to do.

Re: What did you do to your coach today.

Reply #380 – June 02, 2012, 05:30:38 pm

Had a little minor service work done: : (

I was driving thru Denver from the Durango CO. 4 Corners Rally on my way to Cody WY. for another Rally. When I made a rest stop I noticed fluid dripping from the radiator.That started to make sense since I was periodically overheating. I had already stopped in Flagstaff to have thermostat replaced, hoping that was the problem.

I called around the Denver area for a repair shop and "Denver Radiator" was recommended but they do not remove the radiator. They recommended "Transwest Trucks" 5550 E. 76th Ave Commerce City CO. After calling them they said they could take care of me right away. This was Wednesday.

After looking at the leak they said the core would have to be replaced. They called "Denver Radiator" who said if they did not have one they would make one for me asap. After taking the radiator out on Thursday in about 4 - 5 hours, they sent it over to the radiator shop and they had a new one made and delivered by 12:30 Friday. They stayed late and reinstalled it and was finished, driven and tested by 6:30. They put it together like an erector set and it was obvious this was not his first time. Incredible service I must say. They made sure I did not miss the Cody Rally.
Photos of the install:
Radiator Replaced on a 2003 U320 Cummins M-11

Re: What did you do to your coach today.

Reply #381 – June 02, 2012, 07:12:29 pm

wow, now we know what to do with all those great pictures showing the process. Hope to see you thursday in Cody if we make it!!
John H

Re: What did you do to your coach today.

Reply #382 – June 02, 2012, 07:17:37 pm

Quote from: John Haygarth – June 02, 2012, 07:12:29 pm

Hope to see you thursday in Cody if we make it!!
John H

IF should not be in the equation. We are expecting to meet you

Re: What did you do to your coach today.

Reply #383 – June 02, 2012, 08:25:55 pm

Finally got around to rerouting that pesky fresh water overflow hose I've been intending to for years. Foretravel engineers were experiencing major brain farts when they designed that original overflow! Formed a screen from aluminum screen wire and sealed pipe with polyurethane sealer. Mercy, that is messy stuff...had it all over me, even a gob in my hair!...but it is a good sealer. Now I won't have to watch so closely when filling, if it overflows it goes directly to ground. (sounds like electrical talk) Also fixed leaky kitchen and water bay faucets.

Re: What did you do to your coach today.

Reply #384 – June 02, 2012, 08:55:40 pm

Steve spent 5+ hours installing a hardwired Progressive EMS only to have the unit experience early life failure after running for 15 or so minutes

Now we get to wait for a replacement circuit board to be shipped to us.....

Re: What did you do to your coach today.

Reply #385 – June 02, 2012, 09:26:26 pm

Quote from: Steve & Michelle – June 02, 2012, 08:55:40 pm

Steve spent 5+ hours installing a hardwired Progressive EMS only to have the unit experience early life failure after running for 15 or so minutes

Ouch.........I know that feeling. Nothing worse than feeling like you wasted an afternoon.

I spent several hours today in my garage sorting and rearranging 5 tool boxes and trying to make up a Foretravel toolbox. Tried to keep the weight in mind but still have a very heavy box with all the "might need" stuff.

Re: What did you do to your coach today.

Reply #386 – June 02, 2012, 09:31:00 pm

Quote from: Dean & Dee – June 02, 2012, 09:26:26 pm

Ouch.........I know that feeling. Nothing worse than feeling like you wasted an afternoon.

Especially when we're trying to leave on a trip this coming week...

Quote

I spent several hours today in my garage sorting and rearranging 5 tool boxes and trying to make up a Foretravel toolbox. Tried to keep the weight in mind but still have a very heavy box with all the "might need" stuff.

Steve has a small nylon tool bag inside the coach, and we carry this in one of the storage bays. Very handy set. I think we bought ours 12 years ago at Camping World. Uline's price is about 1/2 what we paid.

Deluxe Tool Set in Stock - ULINE

-M

Re: What did you do to your coach today.

Reply #387 – June 04, 2012, 12:34:53 am

Today I made wonderful use of the info on this great forum. Yesterday I was coming home from out of town pulling a large trailer. I stopped at a light and suddenly my air pressure warning light came on, yuck. When I pulled over to inspect I found the leak fairly quickly close to the starting batteries. I wasn't sure what the part was, but I did know from past experience (code for a crazy story) that I could afford to lose that much air continually since I had mostly highway driving for the remaining 2 hrs of the trip. When I got home I looked closer at the part and realized then that it tied to the transmission and it was the accumulator for the retarder. That made sense because I had noticed the retarder acting somewhat intermittent lately. A search turned up this thread transmission retarder solenoid where David had the exact same symptoms and this thread Big Air Leak Hydraulic Accumulator where J.D. had a picture of it and a simple solution. My rubber mallet apparently works very much like his because I got the exact same result and at least as big of a sense of relief as he did I'm sure

My only question is this, when I tapped the valve, it actually spun clockwise on the end of the housing - is it on a threaded mount and was tightening up, or is the connection made to spin? The air leak stopped and the retarder is working much better than it has in a while - BONUS!

Interesting side note, as I walked around the coach listening for leaks, I went around the trailer too - and found another leak! I apparently found a 3/8" carriage bolt that I couldn't resist on the road, it was stuck in the tread of my trailer tire and leaking, amazing what 14 ply tires will hold. I was glad I stopped in a shady spot as I was changing the trailer tire before I limped on home........

Re: What did you do to your coach today.

Reply #388 – June 04, 2012, 09:34:22 am

Quote from: Barry Beam – June 02, 2012, 05:30:38 pm

Had a little minor service work done: : (

Radiator Replaced on a 2003 U320 Cummins M-11

Barry, great photos. I counted four heat exchangers in your photos and per our chatting know they are for engine coolant (the big replaced one) then I need help. I'm looking for the CAC, the transmission oil cooler, and the hydralic oil cooler. Which is which? Thanks.

Re: What did you do to your coach today.

Reply #389 – June 04, 2012, 09:53:59 am

Quote from: smillner – June 04, 2012, 12:34:53 am

... My only question is this, when I tapped the valve, it actually spun clockwise on the end of the housing - is it on a threaded mount and was tightening up, or is the connection made to spin? ...

I suspect something is looser than it should be. I just checked the valve on our hydraulic accumulator. It is attached firmly to the accumulator and does not move at all.

Re: What did you do to your coach today.

Reply #390 – June 04, 2012, 09:55:28 am

Barry, Being picky..... You say that coolant capacity is 10 QUARTS.... Should this not be TEN GALLONS ?
Gary B

Re: What did you do to your coach today.

Reply #391 – June 04, 2012, 11:01:21 am

Quote from: Harvey Nelson – June 04, 2012, 09:34:22 am

Barry, great photos. I counted four heat exchangers in your photos and per our chatting know they are for engine coolant (the big replaced one) then I need help. I'm looking for the CAC, the transmission oil cooler, and the hydralic oil cooler. Which is which? Thanks.

from the outside to inside ....
A -- Fuel Cooler (small, sits along the top)
B -- Charged Air Cooling System (C.A.C.) (all those 4" diameter pipes you see in the engine compartment)
C -- Hydraulic Fan System Cooler (about 1/2 the size of the CAC and radiator, sits between the CAC and main radiator)
D -- Radiator, the thing that cost Barry some $$

The transmission cooler looks like a tube muffler. Its located behind the cooling fans down at the base of the coach. It gets its cooling fluid from the radiator as well. If you look in the engine compartment at the very lower right rear side of the radiator a 2.5" output goes right to the trans cooler. (its a fluid/fluid cooler not an air/fluid cooler)

Re: What did you do to your coach today.

Reply #392 – June 04, 2012, 11:04:28 am

I'm cheating here, but three days ago I sprayed my awning with Starbrite waterproofing. The awning was acting as a water filter. We have had two days of rain here in Maine, and the water is just running off the awning. One job crossed off my todo list.

Re: What did you do to your coach today.

Reply #393 – June 04, 2012, 02:28:53 pm

Since I am at Xtreme Paint & Graphics, Greg gave me some adhesive remover and a plastic putty knife and I was able to remove all the goop adhesive that oozes out of the Creation windows. Looks great and I'm having the detailng done at Precision here in Nac on Thurs/Fri this week.
Peter

Re: What did you do to your coach today.

Reply #394 – June 05, 2012, 01:43:05 pm

I brought the coach to the Cummins Power club dealer in Scarborough Maine to diagnose the power systems problems that I have. No loss in power but lots of smoke hill climbing and a few fluids leaking. They already found a leaking transmission yoke, a leaking exhaust manifold which may lead to a new manifold and head, a turbo that is passing oil. Still trying to trace out some other oil leaks. By the time they finish I may have to take out a mortgage.

Oh well I guess that is what you get when you purchase a coach that was not well taken care of. Should have joined the forum before I purchased a coach, would have saved me some heartache. Thought I had to own a coach before I joined the forum, silly me. But my wife and I love the coach.

Re: What did you do to your coach today.

Reply #395 – June 05, 2012, 09:01:58 pm

Roland,

Please add your coach information to your signature.

Re: What did you do to your coach today.

Reply #396 – June 08, 2012, 11:12:52 am

Dropped it off, along with an Aero 5050XL and a box of parts and a printout of Barry (B)'s exhaust mod photo essay, at Inland Truck. Fingers crossed it all goes smoothly.

Michelle

Re: What did you do to your coach today.

Reply #397 – June 08, 2012, 11:27:02 am

nat want them to do mine in the fall when I am down for the race if yours goes well

Re: What did you do to your coach today.

Reply #398 – June 08, 2012, 02:02:38 pm

Quote from: Roland – June 05, 2012, 01:43:05 pm

I brought the coach to the Cummins Power club dealer in Scarborough Maine to diagnose the power systems problems that I have. No loss in power but lots of smoke hill climbing and a few fluids leaking. They already found a leaking transmission yoke, a leaking exhaust manifold which may lead to a new manifold and head, a turbo that is passing oil. Still trying to trace out some other oil leaks. By the time they finish I may have to take out a mortgage. Oh well I guess that is what you get when you purchase a coach that was not well taken care of. Should have joined the forum before I purchased a coach, would have saved me some heartache. Thought I had to own a coach before I joined the forum, silly me. But my wife and I love the coach.

As a kid, I worked for a shop than required all customers take out at least a second mortgage on their home. The new head and manifold may be only a gasket replacement or having the manifold surfaced if the exhaust gases have eroded the mating surface. As far as turbos go, there are many replacements on the market at reasonable prices. Here is a new turbo replacement for a 8.3 Cummins on ebay for $390: CUMMINS DODGE WH1E TURBOCHARGER TURBO 3530994 8.3L brand new 1 year warranty | Shops are like doctors in that they have to cover their rears and by installing all new parts, they do just that. Depends on personal situation whether the cost is a mere blip or a major setback. Finding a mechanic that is retired, out of work, likes extra money on weekends, can save a lot of money while still doing a good job. As we have read on posts here, just because you take your rig to a big shop is no guarantee that the work will be done correctly.

Turbo seal failure may be attributed to hot shutdowns after pulling a good load as in climbing a grade and shutting down for view/food at the top. 1000 rpm after stopping for two or three minutes will usually be enough to cool both the engine and turbo so the oil does not "coke" in the turbo. Severe seal leakage will result in higher combustion chamber temperatures and piston damage/failure.

Pierce

Re: What did you do to your coach today.

Reply #399 – June 08, 2012, 03:09:54 pm

Quote from: Roland – June 05, 2012, 01:43:05 pm

I brought the coach to the Cummins Power club dealer in Scarborough Maine to diagnose the power systems problems that I have.

Roland what's the name of the Cummins shop in Scarborough? I don't need any work done right now but it would be good to know of a nearby shop for future work.

Dean

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