Scotty Hutto

Not Peter, but the short answer is yes, you can have a leak that only reveals itself under pressure. One of the frustrating things about my leak was that it would hold a vacuum. Once as long as overnight. But when pressurized with refrigerant, it would leak. I’m guessing that the vacuum actually closed the gap and sealed the leak.

I chased a leak in my dash air for almost 4 years. Three different AC shops, including one who has a reputation of being the best in the Atlanta (Smyrna) area. Heaven only knows (and I really don’t want to know) how much money has been spent… The leak was bad enough that I would lose a complete charge in 4-5 days, so it had to be fixed. Shops tried dyes and sniffers and could not find the leak. MTR/Fleetpride in Cumming, GA took a different approach. The evac’d the system and pressurized it with 300 psi dry nitrogen. Found the leak in about 10 minutes when a hose-end fitting blew apart. Apparently the leak was intermittent, which is what made it hard to find in the shop. As soon as I headed down the road and things started shaking, it would dump the charge. MTR repaired the leak with a new fitting crimped on the hose. It’s been a month and it still cools great! Maybe not long enough to know for sure, but I’m happy because I have dash air for the first time in years. PS - I now have a spare, almost new, completely operable Sanden 4288 compressor that one of the previous shops replaced.

Just a quick note about refrigerant gauges… maybe everyone already understands this, but I’ll repeat for the sake of clarity. Pressure is absolute, regardless of the gas. The big black numbers on the gauge always tell the pressure. The other numbers on the gauge (blue, red, etc.) are the corresponding *refrigerant* temperatures. Not the ambient temperature, the air coming off the condenser, or the air coming off the evaporator. They represent the actual temperature of the gas at that pressure. If you had perfect heat transfer, they would represent (and *do* approximate) the evaporator (low side) and condenser (high side) temps. Hope that helps. 😉 Scotty

I think the RV expert at the distributor had his wires crossed. The Alternator Application & Conditions of Use notes for the Leece-Neville AVI160J2008 alternator specifically state: 2.1.3 A fuse should be fitted to prevent reverse battery connection causing an alternator failure. Fuses should also be used to protect cables from damage due to system short circuits. It is sometimes useful for servicing to fit a battery isolation switch in line between alternator and battery. The ML-ACR is a type of battery isolation switch. There is no other mention in the document for this specific alternator of a battery isolator. If I had to guess, I’d say the statement from Prestolite mentioned above is in reference to solid state battery isolators.

Just for the record, we have a link to the Michelin video here on the site. 😁

I think Tom means a 3° delta T between the front and rear AC units. Not 3° from the outside temp. 😉 If both units are running (or all three if you are so lucky), their thermostats should be set within 3° of each other.

Reviving this old thread… Noticed this behavior from my front AC while camping (glamping?) this week. Read through the thread (again), and have a few comments… I agree with Dick @Ivylog that the short cycling is caused by the remote thermostat. When I checked mine, connections at the control box (in the return air plenum, accessible from inside the coach) were good. Cleaned them again for good measure. I decided to check my remote t-stat placement, and found that somehow in the last two years, the actual bulb of the t-stat had been shoved back into the wall, almost touching the exterior skin of the coach!I rectified that and the short cycling has stopped altogether. I will note that as one who in a previous life used to design HVAC units and later on, systems, short cycling does reduce the lifespan of the unit. So I’m not surprised to hear of folks having to replace dead units after they were short cycling. In the end, I do think Steven @Steven P replaced both units as a preventative/predictive measure. If I had been smart and listened to my friend, I would have done so too. Back when they could be had for about $1,100/unit. 🤦🏻‍♂️ They are literally twice that (or more) now. Guess I’ll just keep these 16-year-old units running as long as I can. They still cool (and heat) very well. FWIW… it’s not uncommon for heat pumps to run 25+ years in the southeast, with the average being just north of 22 years, according to a study I was involved in back in the 1990s. The hypothesis at the time was that they lasted longer than straight AC units because they were used year-round and didn’t sit unused through the winter. The same study showed the average life of a straight AC unit was closer to 16 years. (Sample size for the study was approximately 10,000 homes in MS, AL, GA, & FL) so, just like so many things in life, the old adage applies… “Use it or lose it!”

DOMETIC 3106486008 Remote Sensor Kit https://a.co/d/gFNR1qc

Welcome to the Atlanta-area chapter of Monacoers 🤣! Seriously, welcome and we hope you find some useful info here. Scotty

Yes, I moved the heater over to the right to make room for the pump, and removed the vanity panel around the Sani-con. I also replaced the 4” port with a 6” port to make dumping easier.

I don’t have any really good pics, but will post what I have and take more soon.

As it turned out, I had two separate but related issues. I replaced the diverter valve which corrected my fresh water tank overfilling, and also added added a backflow valve exterior to the Remco 55AquaJet-ARV (and removed the internal backflow device). That did not correct the periodic pulses of my pump, so I reached out to Remco Tech Support. After walking though troubleshooting with them (including sending a video of the pump cutting on every 20 seconds for about 1-2 sec), I sent it back for warranty replacement. The Tech explained that very rarely, the diaphragm in that pump gets damaged and will cause that behavior. The Tech explained that very rarely, the diaphragm in that pump gets damaged and will cause that behavior.The new pump solved that issue and all of my water system problems are now corrected. When replacing the pump, I added a mounting board (Trex composite decking) with closed cell foam backing to further quiet the pump. It is now fairly quiet and I have superior water pressure. 😉 IMG_5739.mov

I had similar damage on my 06 Dip after an “incident” with one of those pesky short bollards that you can’t see in your mirrors — maybe a little worse. 🙄 Looked and couldn’t locate a new one, so the body man removed that panel and straightened it. Had to paint it, too… Looks great.

Dave, 2006 Dip and not sure how that compares in terms of antenna location, but my experience was using the existing cable to pull new coax. On my coach, the antenna sits about a foot behind the front cap on the roof (just over in front of the passenger seat). My coax routes into the front cap, straight to the font, and across (between the TV and the windshield), then into the AV cabinet above the drivers seat. Mine wasn’t “secured” anywhere along the route. There was a bit of a snag passing through the aluminum roof supports at the roof/front cap junction. Hope that helps. scotty

He did. I bought one two years ago and just now put it in… 😞 There was other work associated that I didn’t detail out.

So I got the coach back yesterday, and all is well! (Except my wallet, which apparently went on a significant diet…) All numbers include parts, labor, etc. CAC Removal, Cleaning, and Repair Estimate - $1,200 Actual - $1,075 Radiator Removal & Replacement (includes new radiator, all new hoses, clamps, and coolant) Estimate - $4,000 Actual - $4,033 Not included in original estimate, but added at my request during project: Replace water pump & belt - $754 (shaft had significant play, minor leak) Install stainless steel surge tank (labor only) plus new hoses, fittings, and clamps, and reattach snorkel (air intake) piping - $350 Dash A/C - Evacuate, test, replace leaking quick-connect with crimp-on fitting, vacuum test again, charge and test system) - $385 Please note that most of these items were very labor intensive, and the cost of repairing the same items on your coach - even at the same shop - would likely be different. Typical engine temps on the drive home… low of 177°F once warmed up, peak of 190°F during a long hill climb on I-575. Dash air blows cold for the first time in ??? 🥶 The leak was a fitting that was apparently added when my compressor burned up about 3 years ago. (Different shop) I’ve been chasing that leak ever since… I am extremely pleased with MTR Fleet Services, the quality of the work, their prices charged, and the speed of their service. The only delay came when they called me on Friday to say they were putting off finishing my coach until Monday because they had a regular customer who had an emergency repair on his revenue generating vehicle. I had told them I needed it by this Friday 7/28, so it still fit my time frame and I still got it early. Will definitely be using them for future service, even though it’s about a 1-1/4 hr drive.

I replaced mine with a King Jack antenna 5 years ago. Been happy with it. If you use the King Jack, make sure and order the plate they make to cover the hole from the Winegard antenna.

Not Tom, but I’d suggest POR-15 for the frame. POR stands for Paint Over Rust. Pretty sure Tom has a process he can share, but my understanding is the POR chemically bonds with the rust to form a barrier to protect the remaining metal. I have no information on using POR on the engine??? Not sure how it might react with the heat I’ll be curious to hear Tom’s report on this. I’m pretty sure he’s the one who recommended it to me years ago for my rusted battery tray. 🤔

Jason, I don’t know if this is the answer, but at least it should give some clues. This is from my 2006 Dip (which has a 2005 ISL 400 and Allison 3000MH transmission. The other clue is if you look at the “Vendor P/N”, that’s tells you the part wasn’t made by Monaco, but purchased from a vendor. Sometimes you can search for the vendor part number and find who the OEM was. Alternatively, @David Pratt has encyclopedic knowledge of who the OEM vendors were on our coaches. REV apparently still offers this part, though it’s “not in stock” but may be available special order in 2-3 weeks

Monacoers, Thanks to everyone who participated in the poll. Based on the unavailability of Lazydays due to reconstruction, difficulty in finding a suitable, reasonably priced venue, and lack of sufficient interest in alternate venues, Bill D’s Monacoers will skip 2024 and not hold a formal gathering. Several members are planning to attend the Cajun Rally in New Iberia the second week (April 11-15, 2024). I have spoken with the organizers, and they welcome our participation and have offered their meeting facility if we want to hold some sessions there. If there is sufficient interest, we *may* hold some sessions and a round table there. Please Note: If you are interested, please note this rally fills up quickly. As of today, they have about 25 spots left. For more info or to register for the Cajun Rally, visit their website at: http://www.cajunrvrally.com/ Another alternative is the Ramblin’ Pushers’ Maintenance Session, May 3-9, 2024 in Goshen, IN. For more info, see their website: https://www.ramblinpushers.org/ Best Regards, Scotty & Dave

I only have that one data point. It would be useful to find out, tho!

From the “For What It’s Worth” department… My DW’s family owns one of the largest big vehicle towing services in the Southeastern US, Simmons Wrecker in Meridian, MS (shameless plug). My brother-in-law has been in the towing business almost 50 years, and my father-in-law (God rest his soul) was in it over 60 years. All of which qualifies me to say “I know a guy…” 😂 Ricky and I have had many conversations about towing motorhomes. The short answer is motorhomes (more specifically the frames) aren’t designed to be “towed”. He purchased a “bus carrier” (basically a specialized lowboy flatbed with winches and such), and uses that exclusively to “tow” motorhomes. His advice is fix it onsite if you can. (Yourself or mobile tech) It will almost always be cheaper. But some things can’t be fixed on the side of the road. If you can’t fix it, make sure you find someone that knows what they’re doing towing a motorhome. He told me (and I quote), “ I don’t even answer the phone for Good Sam. They beat you (the towing company) down on price, then don’t pay on time. CoachNet is very fair and pays on time.”

To add just a bit of color to Tom’s excellent advice… - Code (that is, the NEC) indicates a refrigerator or freezer should not be on a GFI protected circuit. I made this mistake when I first installed my residential refrigerator, and it created a LOT of nuisance trips. Once moved the fridge circuit off the GFCI outlet, no problems. Fortunately on my Diplomat, the “ice maker circuit” (tied into the inverter power) at the GFCI outlet in the rear bathroom, so it was an easy change to move that connection ahead of the GFCI outlet. Problem solved. - A bad motor or capacitor (like in an AC!) can cause a GFI to trip in a seemingly unrelated circuit. Especially and old GFI. Think of it like crimping a hose where the pressure backs up all through the plumbing. A bad motor can cause “dirty power” throughout the coach as it begins to fail - If you still have the problem after working through Tom’s process, I would suspect your front AC as the culprit - especially if it’s been acting flaky.

I mis-read your note and mis-spoke. 🤦🏻‍♂️ I have the Sam’s Duracell group 31 AGM batteries; not the maintenance-free lead acid batteries. FWIW, I do have them on “Float” all the time, but realize you’re asking about a different animal 🦔 I likely won’t go back to flooded cell. I’ve had too many issues with them over the years and 2 different coaches (likely self-inflicted, for the most part) My next house batteries will either be AGM (again) or Li-PO4 (the ones that don’t catch on fire. CORRECTION: The ones NOT subject to thermal runaway like the NCA batteries most electric vehicle manufacturers use.) Li-PO4 will require a new inverter. My next staring batteries will be AGM Part of the wisdom of growing older is learning one’s self…. I have learned that two things I don’t “gee and haw” with are Fescue grass and lead-acid flooded batteries.

I’ve had those exact batteries for about three years and not a moment’s problem out of them.