georgecederholm

I bought a windshield brush/squeege on Amazon and attached it to a wooden broomstick. Looks just like the ones at any truck stop, except I added a stainless screw to hold the head from turning when I apply a little extra torsional pressure. I also got a gallon of the Rain-X Windshield Washer fluid that’s supposed to help with bugs. After a driving day, I put a cup of that in a dishpan, add a little hot water from the faucet in the wet bay, and have at the job before the buggers dry on. Seems to work fairly well, although I’m probably due to get the ladder and razor blade to scrape all the stubborn bits off. I do periodically use the actual Rain-X product but probably not as often as I should.

I met a guy once who was using a spray bottle to wet the windshield before scrubbing and scraping. He said he was using Hydrogen Peroxide to soften any “organic material” and swore by that technique. I haven’t tried that yet.

We are currently 14 days out of Phoenix (Peoria), traveling west to I-5 then north to Eugene (work done at Coach Glass), and now headed east to Connecticut for the summer. In Billings now, Box Elder next, and expect to be at the kids’ place by Memorial Day. Bugs have been very active since we went through the Central Valley. And we haven’t even gotten to Cicada territory yet! “Honey, where do we keep that bottle of Peroxide”? 😂

10 hours ago, 96 EVO said:

My '08 Scepter came equipped with a pair of 950CCA group 31's!

Our 2005 Exec with the Detroit option also came with two Group 31C 950 CCA batteries. First replacement was with 900 CCA versions, as 950s seemed in short supply at that point. Later on, after seeing some posts from others with similar setups, and even easier to lift that the originals.

I had a similar leak from the PTO, and had WWWilliams (Allison distributor in Phoenix) look at it. They determined it to be a bad internal seal, replaced it, and sent me on my way. All looked OK until I got to the first Rest Area in CA on I-10. Leaking again. Crawled under and found that the tech had stuffed 3 shop towels around it so it would look OK until I was well down the road. Never did find out if they actually replaced a seal. Anyway, I found a place called “PTO Sales” in Fontana and they were able to diagnose the real issue: my PTO had a hairline crack, possibly from being dropped at some point. They had a replacement overnighted from Louisiana and fixed it. 

They now appear to be part of “TruckPro”, but still handle Chelsea PTOs.

https://www.truckpro.com/search/chelsea/
 

It wasn’t until several years later that I ended up with the same issue Rick mentioned above, where the hydraulic pump was allowing transmission fluid to overfill the hydraulic reservoir. That didn’t involve an external leak at the transmission, PTO, or pump. Just at the reservoir overflow in the rear. 

4 hours ago, DZZippy said:

I couldn’t agree more. Here is the funny thing….I did exactly that (Aquahot). I installed valves rated for diesel and vibration about 1 year ago. Never had and an issue. Then, after the coach sat in storage, I went in to a 1 gallon puddle on the floor under the Aquahot compartment. Yep it was diesel. Apparently one of the new shut off valves leaked through the stem of the valve. I now have a mess to deal with. All I could do was laugh. Already ordered new valves (different ones).

Kurtis,

I had the exact same experience. During the replacement (AHE-100-03S to D600), I picked up fuel line valves at the local Napa. Several years later, when I went to the storage area to run the furnace (people think Phoenix is always warm, but almost every year we have at least one short period of freeze warnings), I had a fuel leak. I replaced the defective valve and it’s twin with simple barbed unions, found real brass ball valves online, and will install those while I’m doing my periodic Aqua-Hot maintenance this summer.

As mentioned above, when I replaced the Aqua-Hot I installed brass in-line ball valves in both heater hose lines to the furnace. Since I was already deep into that bay, I located them right near the Aqua-Hot. If I had the luxury of more time to think more broadly, I might have put the valves closer to the engine. As an aside, I also installed small ball valves in the supply and return fuel lines to the furnace, just in case.

On 3/18/2024 at 6:49 AM, dennis.mcdonaugh said:

I wonder why the fuse isn’t with the other house fuses in the bedroom?

Dennis,

I think the LP detector is wired into the chassis battery circuits on many older models, possibly to better support a “always on” operation (questionable logic, of course). The fuse block usually located in the bedroom, sometimes in the closet, is fed by the house battery circuits.

In the first video, the drippage looks rather brown, so it might be boiler fluid rather than engine coolant. There are a lot of hoses involved, 2 for each furnace zone circulation and two for the engine pre-heat (supply and return for each). Most of them connect to stubs or elbows originally supplied by Aqua-Hot, so up to 4 hose clamps per line, plus connections inside the Aqua-Hot box at the circulation pumps. If the original constant-pressure clamps have been replaced with regular hose clamps, they can need tightening periodically. 

From where it seems to be leaking, I’d recommend starting by removing the Aqua-Hot cover to access the burner and internal connections, and see if anything can be found there. Since all of the zone and engine preheat line tend to run away from the unit, they would be less likely to leak down through the unit as the video appears to show much of the leak coming out near the hole in the floor that acts as the furnace air intake.

One last thought based on the original question: if the leak is actually engine coolant, then there are actually 2 additional hoses that run from the engine to the dash heater and will pass right over the Aqua-Hot on the way forward. I think those aren’t the likely culprits because there shouldn’t be any splices in that area and it would be tougher for a leak to work its way into the Aqua-Hot box.

22 hours ago, BillDeb45 said:

Our 2004 Windsor MCD shade remote ( original large black one) stopped working so we ordered a replacement. It’s totally different than the original (smaller & white) we followed the instructions but this remote doesn’t seem to be able connect to the shades at all. We contacted MCD many times and they have answered a few times but they never follow up when we tell them it’s still not working. Any suggestions or a better way to fix our shade is appreciated. 
Thanks,
Bill Rose

MCD changed both their motor technology and associated remotes several times over the years. I’m not familiar with the white remote as our latest one in a 15-channel one in black, but you likely need to replace the motors to make them work with the new remote, or find an old-style remote aftermarket.
 

We were “lucky” I guess in that we changed most of the living area and galley motors before the majority of the changes, but when we moved on to the next phase of replacing the cockpit and bedroom motors, that’s when we needed the new remote.

I’m a little surprised that they aren’t responsive to this, because the AirXcel takeover a few years ago increased the focus on sales over service. 

It’s also possibly the control for the tag lift. The tag axle will have a normal leveling and ride height set of lines to the air bags, and will also have a separate set of smaller air bags to raise the axle when the driver armrest switch is activated. Basically, the switch is wired to the leveling system, telling it to dump the tag axle air bags and inflate the bags that raise the axle a few inches.

If the block heater outlet isn’t found or otherwise not an option, you can possibly add a new circuit if you’ve got an open slot in the main circuit breaker panel (not the sub-panel, which controls all the circuits driven from the inverter). If you have an empty breaker spot, knock out the opening, get a 15A or 20A breaker from Home Depot or Lowe’s or (your preference) of the same type as the breaker box and run 14-2 (15A) or 12-2 (20A) Romex down into the engine compartment and then to wherever you want. Outlet would be hot whenever on shore or generator as long as the breaker was “on”.

If you don’t have an empty spare slot in the main panel, you might be able to find a “two things in one” dual breaker that fits in one slot and replace a full-sized breaker.

Also, you mentioned that you have a Norcold refrigerator, which probably means you have inverted and non-inverted outlets behind the refrigerator outside access panel. The inverted outlet is for the icemaker and the other is for the refrigerator, which only supplies 120VAC when on shore or generator power, exactly what you’re looking for. Put a multi-tap on the refrigerator outlet, plug the refrigerator and an extension cord in, snake the extension cord to the outside and you’re good to go. 

I agree with the thoughts on using a ratcheting screwdriver bit, possibly modified to make it shorter, to get at the inside screws in the lower right corner if the dash is too close and interferes.

I’ll also caution that some of the remaining screws might not be perfectly aligned. When I had my fogged windows “fixed” the first time, the tech really gouged the interior frame in several places with his driver bit by rubbing it right against the frame. I had to smooth out the rough spots as best I could and use some touch-up paint afterwards. If he had held a thin piece of sheet metal in place to protect the frame, this wouldn’t have happened.

Probably the biggest lesson I learned is that many of the “fixes” may not last. Ours fogged up about 3 years after purchase and I had it “fixed” at Suncoast Designers, one of the first to promote “defogging”. Lasted 4-5 years, well past the limited warranty. Then I had it “fixed” by Coach Glass in Eugene. Another 4-5 years. By the time I was ready to address it again, Coach Glass had essentially abandoned the defogging approach and was promoting using dual-pane laminated glass (no space inside to fog up) with a longer warranty. It’s been fine since, but you need to make sure they replace the seal, not just reinstall the new glass.

After one failed repair with spa hose, I did exactly what Jim P mentioned above: replaced the white PVC fittings with reducers to 1” threaded and used barbed fittings to 1” plastic reinforced hose. Got everything at Home Depot for under $25. Been in place for ver 10 years with no issues.

One thing I learned in the process was to never clamp the spa hose to the trolley if you go that way, as that will add a separate flex point that will force the spa hose to pinch. Only use zip ties or rubberized straps on the ABS and/or PVC parts.

Another option for the hose is “bilge hose” which is more flexible. Monaco used that to connect my external water fill to the water tank, and when I replaced that I realized that it would have been a decent choice for the kitchen drain.

Bottom line: you can use almost any type of flexible hose 1” (probably 3/4” actually) or greater. There is no real pressure in the hose as it’s purely gravity drain. Make it easy to install/replace. Don’t clamp anything on the flexible hose to add pinch points.

12 hours ago, Ivan K said:

I wasn't gonna comment because of the years difference but my third light (marked in charts as cyclops) is controlled directly from the same relay as the main brake lights. That's the only common point for them. I only know that because I installed a flasher for the 'cyclops '.

I wasn't going to comment for a similar reason: on our 2005 Exec, all three rear brake lights (and I suppose the trailer harness wiring as well, are controlled from a relay. I found out about this when none of the brake lights would turn off. Since Phil's issue is only with one of them, I figured my issue was different. On the other hand, if his has multiple relays involved, perhaps only one is stuck.

11 hours ago, Steve P said:

After a recent lengthy discussion on boondocking, I have determined that my generator uses the house batteries for starting.  I would like to rewire it to start on the chassis battery bank.

I think the connections are in either the driver run bay or the passenger side battery bay.

How do I determine which?  Should I submit pics of both bays? Procedurally, I'm sure I need to shut off bypass switches or disconnect cables, but I'm not sure of which ones, in what order, etc.

Thanks in advance for any advice or pointers. 

Steve

Steve,

On our 2005 Exec (admittedly different), the 12VDC starting feed to the generator is located at the front run bay, outside under the driver’s position. The wires are connected to the outside terminals of the high-current cables, on the leading side of the bay enclosure. It’s relatively easy to identify the generator cables by following the cable run. 

I ended up with a more complicated solution involving a standalone battery for the generator, but that’s a different issue. 

I agree with the comment that accessing your wiring schematics for the front and rear run bays would help guide your search. 

35 minutes ago, 96 EVO said:

315 tags 🤔.

I only need 80psi in my 295's!

Agreed. OTOH, I’ve felt that having my tag use the same size as my steer was the right move for me. First time we went to Alaska I heard stories about days spent waiting for an odd size tire being shipped in. I replace the steer tires every 3-4 years and rotate the used steer tires to the tag for the remainder of their lifespan. Probably costs me a bit more over time but works for me.

Another vote for Centramatics. Been using the same set on all 3 axles since ~2009. Better than Dynabeads and easily handled changes in tire sizes (295 to 315 on steer and tag, 295 to 12R on drive).

First, I would replace the gauge. Our 2005 Exec with the Detroit had the wrong gauge installed from Monaco (apparently DD and Cummins called for different specs), and I didn’t find that out until mine stopped moving and I ordered a replacement. They just don’t last forever. I change mine roughly every 10 years as they are relatively inexpensive.

Second, I’ve heard stories of air filters collapsing internally over the years. If you change the indicator and still get a bad reading, it could just be a bad filter. Or it could be an obstruction somewhere between the outside intake and the filter. Might have to pull the filter and look inside.

Third, way back when Bill D was a Donaldson dealer, he helped my determine that bumping up to the next larger size and flow, moving from P537448 to P537449 (or equivalent in other brands). Same placement of inlet and outlet just larger diameter. I had to fabricate new straps to mount it but that was pretty easy. 

I wanted to let this thread play out a bit before adding my 2 cents because it’s not on point for the OP.

I know it’s kind of blasphemy here because that AquaJet is so well respected, but I found that I was replacing the pump every 3-5 years with half-time use (we normally travel 6 months a year), both before and after the Remco deal. Pressure switch, diaphragm, housing leaks, fitting leaks; all of the above. And it started getting quite expensive, especially to carry a spare because it might be needed at inconvenient times.

I found a smaller SeaFlo pump in a marine store that was interchangeable in installation. It’s 3.5 GPM, but we’ve found that it supplies plenty of pressure and flow for us (I guess we typically don’t both use the water at the same time). At $55 initially, I bought a spare after a couple of years and the CW price had increased to $65. Still running strong after 7 years. Bottom line: if you’re a little adventurous and thrifty, there are more affordable options.

I also used 1/8” copper bar stock from Amazon in the 1” width for buss bars and numerous battery terminal extensions/adapters.

If the stitching that forms the “pocket” that the spline sits in has failed but is still connected at either end, there is a short-term fix you could try if you have patience and time. Mine failed in what looks to have been the same way as the OP’s. I didn’t have a helper so what I did was:

Remove the metal roller cover and end caps.

Extend the slide half way out.

Put a bolt into one end of the roller to keep it from moving.

Remove the bolts that hold the topper mechanism to the outside edge of the slide, then flip the topper up onto the roof upside down.

From that angle, I was able to carefully pull the fabric back around the spline using regular pliers. It was slow and tedious work, taking about 90 minutes.

I used a fabric-friendly glue that was recommended on “Old Monacoers” to recreate the “pocket” in the fabric around the spline. Any good weatherproof glue would probably work. If I had to do it today, it would probably be Gorilla Glue Clear.

Once the glue set, I reversed the first few steps above to flip the topper mechanism back and reinstalled it.

This temporary repair held for 2+ years until I was able to schedule time at Stone Vos/Talin to have all new toppers made and installed. I needed to do something short-term because the fabric hanging loose acted like a big funnel and directed rain water right into the top slide seal, which led to intrusion. Had Chris’s folks install a new slide seal at the same time as the new toppers.

All of mine (2005 Exec) had the little white incandescent bulbs, which kind of look like a very small glass tube fuse but are really a bulb. I suspect the OP’s 2003 model is similar. At one of the Monaco Rallies (in the “Good ‘Ole Days), I had the one in the galley swapped out for a green LED. The tech changed out the whole switch assembly. I’ve always kicked myself that I didn’t grab a couple of switches from the “Parts Trailer”, as both of my bath area switch lights have failed over the years, as well as the Aqua-Hot electric one.

I know that NW RV Supply used to have a lot of these switches for various functions, but they have disappeared from their web site. You might call them to see if they still have some around. I think the only easy way to change from incandescent to LED is to replace the whole switch. Otherwise, I can picture myself with the dismantled switch mounted in a fishing fly apparatus and me with magnifying goggles trying to solder microscopic fittings. Not.

My plan, since I still have one working switch light I can use to verify status, is to wire n new LEDs. The ones I bought will fit in a 3/16” or 1/4” hole and have maybe 6” wire leads. I’ll drill through the switch plate or just above in the cabinet face, and wire the leads into the switch terminals based on the schematics where the indicator signal goes. I got the LEDs from Amazon, and they look like some of the ones in Ray’s post above. I got a pack of 100 in 4-5 different colors for cheap. I know they work because I used one when building a bench test bed for the latching controller (different story).

I’ll also admit that I’ve had these LEDs for several years now and this project has never made it to the top of the to-do list.

46 minutes ago, Mike H said:

If you were looking into the electrical panel in your closest, those are the breakers for your 110 circuits.  You're going to find all your other 12v fuses in the front outside electrical run bay.  I looked at the 12v fuses in our closest and don't see anything for Grab Bar, bay lights etc.

Mike, good info, but I think it depends on the floor plan. In our 2005 45PBQ, the 120VAC breakers are just outside the full-width rear closet, just forward on the curb side and positioned over a shallow cabinet. Inside the closet, also on the curb side, there is a small 12VDC fuse block with automotive style fuses embedded in the leading wall (hard to see and access). I’m not sure what floor plan the OP has and where the interior 12VDC fuse block might be. But I’m pretty sure all 2005 Execs had a domestic fuse block somewhere inside somewhere aft of the bathroom area although I’m not sure the relevant fuse would be in there. As always, I could be wrong, as often happens. 😂

3 hours ago, vito.a said:

Also check the salesman switch.  Someone may have accidently cut the power.  

Excellent point. I read the OP to mean that only the lights controlled by the armrest switches were inoperable, but the post was silent on any other 12VDC things that might also be not working.

3 hours ago, georgecederholm said:

I would second the idea of actually checking the switches, especially the Bay Lights switch. On our 2005 Exec, the Bay Lights switch overheated and started to melt, eventually blowing the associated fuse. We lost all the lights controlled by switches on the passenger armrest, just like you did.

We were at a Monaco Rally (this was in the “good old days” when pre-FMCA and “Come Home” rallies were held with a swarm of Monaco techs and a big parts trailer on site). The tech diagnosed the issue and replaced the fuse and switch, but didn’t have the allocated time to chase down the root cause, likely a short in the bay lights circuit somewhere. I asked about a temporary solution and he changed the wiring on the Bay Lights switch so that it only connected to the other light switches and didn’t feed (or more likely, ground) the other switches. Apparently, these switches are daisy chained on our model, and all of the switches have multiple terminals that complete things like backlighting in addition to the primary function.

The end result was that I have no bay lights but the Bay Lights switch must be “off” for all the other lights controlled by armrest switches to work. Fixing the bay lights short has never made it even close to the top of the to-do list, but once in a while the Bay Lights switch will accidentally get flipped and none of the other lights will work. Easy fix to just flip the Bay Lights switch back off.

I’m not suggesting that your root cause is the same as ours or that someone may have executed the same “fix” on yours at some point. But the similarities are enough to suggest a faulty switch and a flown fuse in either the front run bay or bedroom closet fuse block.

I went back to my files and can attach two images from the schematics, one for the panel and switches and one for the wiring underneath. Hard to read of course and you'll need to rotate them in a viewer, but the second one shows how the wires are supposed to run and how various posts are daisy-chained.

2005 Exec Panel Armrest P-S Image.pdf 2005 Exec Panel Armrest P-S.pdf

I would second the idea of actually checking the switches, especially the Bay Lights switch. On our 2005 Exec, the Bay Lights switch overheated and started to melt, eventually blowing the associated fuse. We lost all the lights controlled by switches on the passenger armrest, just like you did.

We were at a Monaco Rally (this was in the “good old days” when pre-FMCA and “Come Home” rallies were held with a swarm of Monaco techs and a big parts trailer on site). The tech diagnosed the issue and replaced the fuse and switch, but didn’t have the allocated time to chase down the root cause, likely a short in the bay lights circuit somewhere. I asked about a temporary solution and he changed the wiring on the Bay Lights switch so that it only connected to the other light switches and didn’t feed (or more likely, ground) the other switches. Apparently, these switches are daisy chained on our model, and all of the switches have multiple terminals that complete things like backlighting in addition to the primary function.

The end result was that I have no bay lights but the Bay Lights switch must be “off” for all the other lights controlled by armrest switches to work. Fixing the bay lights short has never made it even close to the top of the to-do list, but once in a while the Bay Lights switch will accidentally get flipped and none of the other lights will work. Easy fix to just flip the Bay Lights switch back off.

I’m not suggesting that your root cause is the same as ours or that someone may have executed the same “fix” on yours at some point. But the similarities are enough to suggest a faulty switch and a flown fuse in either the front run bay or bedroom closet fuse block.

I had one of the fixtures fail in our 2005 Exec, and was unable to find an exact replacement, even at NW RV Supply (several calls and emails with pictures). I ended up pulling one of the four fixtures from the closet, taped up the wires in there, and moving the fixture to where I needed the replacement. Later, after again confirming with Niabi at NW RV Supply that they didn’t have a match, I bought a 5-pack of their closest option. I had to modify the spring-loaded mounting to fit it in the original hole and it doesn’t exactly match the style, but it’s OK for the closet. And I have three more of the originals left in the closet for future swaps.