ERNIEMA

Thank you so much. At age 84 and in my '01 Dip 46 nights in '22 I was fortunate to know and have good times with Bill Duckwitz. He is likely smiling at you for continuing this site. The knowedge base is invaluable. We now have 140,000 miles on our coach. Thank you.

Hi... I bought just the back flow valve from Amazon a Camco item for about $10. Next day delivery. My helper removed the brass fitting on the left side after taking off the handle. He then gently pulled out the right fitting and cut off the blue hose... learning there was enough slack to recommevt it..... we did not remove the huge white plate behind all of this... no need. Hope this helps someone.

Our 2001 Dip had a Sharp microwave that quit. I tried to post here and search for relevant YouTube videos. I now have my new Sharp installed. This is what I learned. First: contact Sharp, or your brands manufacturer. Have the model number, serial number, date of manufacture all ready to tell them. In my case the last failure was the door latch.... the info was on the inside, but I had luckily written it down.... so if you don't have all that... may I suggest you get it and record it elsewhere. So with Sharp, I pressed all the right phone buttons and reached a person who provided me with 2 model numbers that were exact replacements. I bought the first one suggested from Amazon. I removed the trim above my unit and discovered the steel frame of my slideout. That turned out to be wrong & unnecessary. For me, there was about a long 1x1 inch piece of trim right above my unit. Discovered that slides out; no nails or screws; just wedged in. I also took off the plastic vent from across the top. After looking at the replacement unit we realized the back plate supplied was also likely on the wall of the coach. That turned out to be true. We left it and used it and threw out the new back plate. Using a flashlight we discovered 2 screws at the back left and right corners accessible by a 15 inch extension to our screw driver put through where the vent had been removed. We took them out. The unit remained in place. Looking at the bottom of the new unit and the back of the new unit.... the key: 2 very long rods threaded for about an inch... we looked at the unit still hanging... they were there too! So as we removed those 2 screws the old unit came loose. My helper is 6 ft 3 inch and strong. He literally grabbed it and took it out of the coach. Later we realized the first 2 screws we removed were from fittings that had remained on the old unit. We removed those 2 fittings and discovered threaded nuts were at the same places on the back top of the new unit. So, we found new screws about 1.5 inches in the install hardware kit that fit those brackets and tightened the old L shaped brackets onto the top of the new unit. Due to my friends strength we did not use the shipping box as it is described as part of the install. He set it on the back plate and screwed in one of the top brackets, then the 2nd. Then the 2 in-place long bolts. And I had fed the electric line in when he placed the unit on the back plate. Summary: 4 screws 2 short, 2 long that are part of the unit, and the setting on the back plate. That is the whole thing. The key is calling the manufacturer and getting their exact replacement. Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes. My helper is a self-employed general handyman. I gave him $250. He will fix my intake water back flow problem tomorrow. Ernie Maier 248 789 5808

Suggest Tyron bands or similar on front tires, replace tires after 7 years, buy Michelins, keep speed 60 - 65 , limit daily mileage, recognize when you should stop driving if sleepy..... I try to follow these.

Hi... I had a friend take the assembly apart. Ordered the back flow preventer valve from Amazon. about $11.00 one day shipping to arrive today 8/1/21. My friend will reassemble based on pictures etc. Thank you all.

Thanks to one and all. I think I now have enough info that a handy person friend of mine can fix it for me. Btw, a repair shop near me had about 52 jobs ahead of me .... had me pay $100 to get in a shorter line... supposedly refundable.... so I am now #26.... the country and industry are both short of help but here in Mich people can still get $300 a week into Sept if unemployed.... just facts... no opinion from me... but it doesn't make sense. Thanks again. btw My microwave needs to get teplaced... I will post separately. And finally, we are in Manistee MI but the White Lake tornado was 1.5 miles from our house. The heavy rain caused the water to rise in my canal and my pontoon boat floated off my lift structure.... a neighbor put it back the next day.... my home genny provided thr power...

Hi .. I think the backflow valve in the componemt in the bay where I connect my hose to add fresh water to my water tank or directly to the water system has failed. Where can I get a replacement? 2001 Diplomat pdq 40 ft Ernie Maier erniema@aol.com 248 789-5808

So true... we each have our own ideas as to what we need and prefer. We typically just want peace and quiet and hookups. Our time on site is minimum. We are either passing thru or seeing sites and the area. We don't do campfires and prefer clean air to the smoke of fires. Being level or level enough for our levelers to work is important. We do not use showers or laundromats or walk a dog. Often, I only hookup my electric as we carry water new and used🤭

Right re the other comments. Ok...I will disclose my best kept secret campground: Themeworld RV Park in Davenport, FL. Yes.... 25 minutes from Disney parks. They accept Passport America for 10 months, March thru December, no restrictions, for $27/night. Yes. $27/night. Full hookups, 50 amps mostly, some 30 amps, water and sewer on mostly level paved sites. Paved roads. Several decent restaurants within 3 miles.

Right. About 63 years ago a wonderful, beautiful, young, brilliant, female college professor, who maintained our attention, explained the never passed law, but still in force, The Law of Unintended Consequences. I never forgot it. Basically, actual laws and events often have unexpected and unintended consequences, as the 1965 era social legislation, like ADC. So, yes, for those with adequate resources, (trying to be P.C..)... higher prices create opportunities. A year ago we sat in the 2nd row to see Hamilton in Naples. That was a great year in CA. Walk up to Hearst Castle. Many Highway 1 camp grounds to choose from, etc. Even now here in Naples with Covid there are fewer snowbirds, especially from Canada and England. I can get out of my rv park easier and our go to restaurant for New Years eve was full but not packed with people standing within sight waiting for our table. We had a great 2 hour dinner with two young adult grandsons. Life is good.

agree boondocking a function of lifestyle.... Oddly, except for likely a dozen or so campgrounds in ley areas we just try a couple of days ahead and have had no issues really in 20+ years. High fuel prices 10 or 12 years ago.... so we decided to go to California.... the higher the prices the easier to get campgrounds in Malibu and similar...and easy entry to Getty Estate type places --- the grandkids won't miss the money

Hi... well I accept your query... but it puzzles me. Where we stay is usually the least important item of our trips. The exception is certain places. For instance, Wash. DC... we prefer the Fairfax County campground vs Cherry Hill... we have been to both. F.C. gives you a better approach to DC and fewer sites. Re NYC, we have stayed at L.H. but actually prefer Croton Point Park and its campground. Imho, the toughest place is Yellowstone. Fishing Bridge is the only full hookup cg in the park. If Yellowstone is on your agenda that reservation needs to be made already. Otherwise you have a long trip each day into and out of the park. Oddly St.Louis is an easy one. Right downtown. Only one so easy to find and safe. Same with Chicago. Stay right downtown at the Marshalling Yard for McCormick Place for about $40/night. Complete boon docking. No services. Safe. With any Class A you ought to be able to boondock 4 nights. With locations on your agenda more specifics can be offered. Ernie Maier

Hi all... thank you all for prior suggestions... I was able to access my Diplomat in storage. I started it and all airbags inflated and the coach leveled out. I then pumped the brake and dumped the air "quickly" and it settled level as in the past 20 years 🤗 . I will let it sit until Spring, just running the genny a couple of times. I will take it back to my home repair shop for a check as I had all under the floor checked in 2018. If I encounter the one corner low going home I will get it checked at once. Thanks again to all. Btw, everytime I see this site it reminds me, and I expect others, of Bill Duckwitz. That is a good thing. He and his close buddies helped hundreds of us newbies. Ernie Maier 2001 Monaco Dip w/137,000 miles. Has traveled on 4 boats and 1 train. Still smiling and wanting to go back to Alaska. All systems go. 🙂🤭

Good idea.... in storage now. I intend to print all these replies. Not sure yet if I can print them all at once or individually. Oh well.

Thank you one and all. I will print all of them and reread each. Been too busy reading and watching for the next answer to respond. In the old days I would have just phoned Bill Duckwitz. In this case I read and phoned and may phone more.... Just good to know the issue is not catastrophic. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year..