georgecederholm

On our 2005 Exec, the Esco (not recalled Iota) transfer switch is in the bay immediately forward of the cord storage (Glendinning “big gray tub). The transfer switch is just to the left of the Monaco-installed monitoring box that I think feeds the Aladdin system shown on the Kenwood dash display.

Mine (2005 Exec) had some markings on them I was able to faintly make out. With some Googling around, I was able to come up with Salice 106° 1/2” hinges. I found them online in 2019. Link attached. Exec 2019-12-01 Salice Frame Hinge.pdf

Tim, You are absolutely right that 23 years is an excellent lifespan for this design. Just an FYI: if you can’t find the 1.5” “spa hose”, or want a solution that’s easier to work with, all is not lost. You can get a PVC bushing that converts to 1” or 1.25” threaded and use barb fittings to replace the spa hose with braided flexible plastic. Lighter and easier to work with, and will handle the volume of whatever you dump down the sink just fine. Also, when you’re changing out the ABS, pay close attention to the sliding mechanism that secures the top end of the spa hose. It has to move in and out freely, primarily because probably the only component forcing it to move is the ABS pipe. Mine was binding just a little and I ended up with a crack in a “clean out Y” just aft of the stove cabinet. When I fixed it, I added angle iron bracing along the ABS run to the sliding part (I think it’s referred to sometimes as a ‘trolley’) to shift the force away from the plastic. Write-up in the “Files” section.

On ours (again, could be different), what I generally refer to as the “Rear Run Bay” is an enclosed box in the engine compartment. It’s usually in the upper right (curb or passenger side) corner of the engine compartment when looking in. It should be similar to the “Front Run Bay” that you had a picture of in your original post. These “bays” are often referred to as FRB and RRB in posts. Hope this helps.

AquaHot used both Racor and General fuel filters. We have a Racor with the sight glass, but I think the General filter didn’t have one. I’m not sure if Monaco used the AquaHot filter or put what they wanted to use on at build time. Like others, I’ve never had any debris or water in the AquaHot bowl in almost 17 years. I change the AquaHot filter when I do all the others, which these days is roughly every other year. I don’t think there is an issue with using a fuel filter without a bowl in that location. I’m always worried about breaking the bowl when changing the filter, as plastic things sometimes get brittle with age. In fact, I did that with my engine’s primary fuel filter, changing from a Racor S3226P to a Fleetguard FS19932. You can get a cross reference online if you want to change brands, although Baldwin is decent. I had switched to Donaldson filters years ago at Bill D’s recommendation, but those seem harder to find (or afford if you can find them) these days. I’ve been using LuberFiner filters in several spots with good results.

On my 2005 Exec (built April 2004, so could be slightly or significantly different), each of the large wires entering the Front Run Bay along the left wall is controlled by a high-amperage DC circuit breaker in the Rear Run Bay. Check the Rear Run Bay, following the wires entering/exiting from the bottom. Trace them upwards and see if they connect to breakers which are black and about 2-inches square. If so, check to see if the push button to reset is popped. I think mine might have faint lettering indicating 150A. Make sure they are all reset and check for power there and back at the Front Run Bay. If yours doesn’t have the Rear Run Bay breakers I’ve described, please post a picture of the Rear Run Bay for further suggestions.

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I keep a quart squeeze bottle handy. I put in 6 ounces of JF Biobor and fill the bottle with OptiLube Summer. I squeeze in about 4-8 ounces every fill up. Probably on the light side of the of the recommended dose but consistency seems to be the key. Started doing this after reading about other folks’ issues on “Old Monacoers” and never had an issue. I think Chris T recommended the OptiLube brand; I had tried Lucas and maybe one other brand before. As an aside, I doubt that any additive I’ve tried has changed MPG one iota. I did get a minuscule increase from the “Ugly Fix” altimeter fooler, but the biggest “increase” in MPG I got was from up-sizing the drive axle tires to change the revs per mile by about 3%. 😉

I second the suggestion to check the connections on the back side of the pad, as there have been several reports of them shaking loose over the years. The pad should be easy to remove with four screws (careful, as the dash plate might be brittle). I would pull each connection, spray with contact cleaner, and reattach. If any are spade lugs, might have to squeeze them ever so slightly with pliers to tighten the connection. in addition, you should have a master HWH reset in the front run bay outside the driver’s position. Ours is mounted on the upper right corner of that compartment. It has a kind of fault light and a reset button. I’ve had to check that a couple of times when the system didn’t seem to activate, usually after some sort of electrical glitch. I also replaced the dash pad once when I could feel the momentary switches start to act sloppy. I think I got the replacement off eBay, but might have bought it direct from HWH. Their support is like molasses in January but the parts folks seem reasonable if you can get a number from the existing pad.

Our 2005 Exec is likely similar, although there are often lots of variables. I had difficulty removing the large hose connections on the compressor itself and had to use an open-end wrench and then hammer the end of the wrench to loosen. Couldn’t get enough leverage otherwise. You might need a step stool to get high enough for better access. Other than that, pretty straightforward. Take pictures of the serpentine belt routing to make sure you can get it back in place properly. Could be time to change the belt if old. You might have to cut and splice the wire for the clutch if the connector is different. I think the torque spec for the compressor bolts is 30 foot-pounds.

Continental all the way around. Great ride, next to no wear, no cracking/checking, and decent pricing via FMCA. 315/80R22.5 on steer and tag, and 12R22.5 on drive. New steer every 3 years, with old steer going to tag for 6 year life total. New drive every 6-7 years.

Tom, While calibration is important, the fuel pick-ups generally don’t drop all the way to the bottom of the tank to avoid picking up “crud”. The generator pick-up is usually (supposed to be) set at about 1/4 tank and the Aqua-Hot (if equipped) would be roughly the same. The engine pick-up could be higher or lower. That’s why the “usable” amount of fuel is always much less than the absolute tank capacity calculated from dimensions. It sounds to me that your gauge is probably relatively accurate as designed, and that you have now learned how to interpret the desperation level in seeking a fill up. That said, I’m sure you could re-calibrate the gauge so your current “1/4” reading shows empty.

Kevin, I know enough about these systems to know I don’t know enough to give much more advice, but I will say this. If you start losing dash register cooling, I would do more than just turn it off. I’d make darn sure that the compressor clutch had disengaged. In fact, on mine, I’ve disconnected the electrical pigtail at the compressor to help ensure it doesn’t engage and damage the compressor. Kevin, Sorry, I missed this part. Yes, you can remove the ceiling panels in the storage bays and get access, but it’ll be a real rats nest with lots of stuff encased in wire loom and zip tied together. For the non-storage bays, you’ve got to do the best you can from an adjacent location. I have three of these, fuel tank forward, then Aqua-Hot and holding tanks aft. The further aft, the more “stuff” (not everything goes all the way forward). After spending time in mine trying to run a Romex wire, I can certainly understand why most people who have had to run new anything generally do it through a conduit attached to the underbelly of the bays.

Kevin, I think these systems will tolerate a little overloading but I don’t think I’d add any more since it doesn’t seem to be changing anything. I replaced my compressor and had a shop do a pull and recharge. They used 300 PSI nitrogen to leak test, and found several by the condenser (mounted behind the front axle). Fixed but no pressure, so they changed the expansion valve. They declared it “fixed” but gave me high pressure readings of 190 and low of 12. I was always taught to expect a larger low pressure value, so I really haven’t used the dash A/C since then; don’t trust it. Not a huge issue this season since we are up near Seattle and heading back down the coast all summer. It could be that your low low-pressure reading is simply a function of the system design and large footprint. Now, all that said, I have a cautionary note for you. If you’re on a trip and start to get decreased cooling to the point where the A/C has no effect, turn it off and maybe unplug the wiring at the compressor. If these Sanden units run low on refrigerant, the compressor will freeze up. On the Detroit coaches, a locked compressor will shred the single serpentine belt, and you’ll be without an alternator. And if you don’t have knowledge or a picture of how the serpentine belt is routed, you’ll be scratching your head to put on a new one correctly. Voice of experience…

Joe, The engine loop will circulate engine coolant through the Aqua-Hot whenever the engine is running. This will heat the water in the tank and you should generally arrive after a travel day with hot water, without having to run the Aqua-Hot on diesel or electric. The engine loop pump will circulate engine coolant through the boiler when parked with the furnace on, expecting the heat from the boiler to warm up the engine. The fact that your pump may be inoperable shouldn’t influence your domestic water temperature. So, if after a normal travel day you have hot water, it’s likely that the thermal transfer action from the boiler and various loops is working. That would point away from the bonding material for the water, and more toward something like the stir pump, which is needed to even out the boiler temperature since the heat source and thermostat(s) are close together.

This is all good info, and I’ll add another tidbit from personal experience: the “normal” temps for a given Coach will vary depending on how Monaco chose to install the sequence of coolers in the radiator “stack”. We have friends with a similar Exec, ours being 2005 and theirs 2006. We have a Detroit and they have an ISX. My oil temp will tend to run 7-10° warmer than the coolant while the transmission runs 10-12° cooler. Theirs is the exact opposite. A little examination in the engine compartment found that their oil and transmission coolers were in the reverse position to ours. Go figure.

We have a 2005 Exec, and I think it has at least similar wiper arms to the 2005 Sig. I haven’t had major issues with the wiper arms themselves, and they seem to work well in most windy conditions. Once in a while, a large blast from an oncoming semi will shake them during one cycle, but they seem to take it in stride. I did change from 32” to 28” blades, but that was more for availability than wind control. I’ve found that the 28s are more than adequate. I’ve been getting blades from Walmart for years, usually about $10-12 each (assume more these days). I have had issues with the arms, particularly the passenger side one, coming loose at the retaining bolt while in use. Once that happens, the arm will stop moving for a bit, then just swing down across the front cap. Once that happens a few times, the soft metal spline tends to get smoothed out, increasing the potential for future slippage. I generally change the wiper blades every other year, and I’ve added “Tighten wiper bolts” to my maintenance checklist for when the blades get changed, since I’m already standing there with sockets anyway. I did put a couple of drops of Loctite Blue on the spline and bolts, and touch up when needed. All that said, the biggest issue I have with this system is the way Monaco installed the washer hoses, which are routed through the arms to nozzles mid-blade. They used straight thru-bulkhead metal (at least not plastic) barbed fittings as opposed to 90° ones. As a result, when the wipers are on, there is torsional or rotational pressure at the barbed fittings, not natural flex for the hoses. My hoses have cracked or broken off more times than I can count right at the barbed fittings. I’ve essentially given up at this point and left the hoses disconnected. I haven’t found replacement fittings; I’d prefer 90° ones that actually swivel but probably could live with ones that don’t. I’ve even thought about fixed spray heads that would mount in place of the barbed fittings, but I don’t think they are in the right location. I’ve also probably given this too much thought for something that’s so far down on the priority list that it may never get addressed… 😂

And it is probably in a small side cabinet directly over the driver’s head.

Brad, I went with the SeaFlo 33-series about 3 years ago and have been very happy with it. It's not completely silent but makes just enough sound that I can tell when it's running. I like the auditory confirmation sometimes. https://www.amazon.com/Diaphragm-Priming-Gallons-Marine-Demand/dp/B00P8BE6S8/ref=sr_1_6?crid=2YGL326BAMPLM&keywords=seaflo+42+series+12v+3.0+gpm+variable-flow+water+pump&qid=1651677746&sprefix=seaflo+42%2Caps%2C224&sr=8-6 Last year I found the 42-series pump on clearance at a Camping World and picked that up as a spare. I'll likely swap that one in in a couple of years so it doesn't age out due to inactivity...

Over the years, I've replaced water pumps a few times and have gradually gone downward in terms of price and features. When our accumulator tank failed, I tried the whole "buy an expensive variable speed pump and you don't need an accumulator thing", but wasn't happy with that. I'd capped off the accumulator after it failed but actually removed it when I had to change out the Aqua-Hot and it was in the way if the hose connections (different story!) A few years ago, I settled on a basic SeaFlo water pump and found a mated accumulator. I added that and have been happy. And the 3-ish GPM pump is very quiet and puts out better flow and pressure than many campgrounds. I realized we don't need a 5.7 GPM pump through personal experience. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MUYL8F8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Mike, I've never had a clog in the macerator hose itself, but have had debris in the pump head. In fact, my first experience with this was right after we bought the coach and were still gearing up at the old Buddy Gregg in Texas. A piece of plywood from construction ended up in the black tank and buggered up the pump. Sooo glad the dealer techs got to fix that one. It's probably helpful if you can recall what you actually removed from the hose that clogged it. That'll help confirm the advice you've already gotten about flushing, etc. I've fiddled with mine over the years and have replaced the pump a couple of times when I thought it was getting weak. I've used both ShurFlo and FloJet pumps and they seem to be interchangeable. I have also modified the wiring. Monaco did use 10 gauge wire from the fuse at the rear run panel, but connected it to an under-rated switch. I replaced the switch and added a relay. I also pick up impeller kits when I see them on sale, and have moved to changing the impeller annually (we are on the road for 6-7 months a year and I can do this while in storage over the winters). I run a file across the leading edge of the blades while I have it apart. We use "strainer" inserts in the kitchen sinks and shower to prevent debris and hair from entering the system. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009TRSSGS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 The other thing I did was remove all of the "fluff" from the original SaniCon (gray box, etc) and eliminated the flexible hose from the tank outlet to the pump (the original had started to get pinhole leaks and I used a cut off blue slinky for a few years). I cut off the pump "snout" at the threads as "stuff" was getting caught there. I started using 3"ID silicone sleeves similar to the ones used in the engine compartment instead of a flex hose. This year, I simplified the setup by eliminating the "gray water bypass" line that was always problematic. Now I have a clear straight adapter on the tank, a 3" ID silicone elbow, and the pump. Works better than ever. All that said, I do still carry a Big Blue Stinky Slinky as backup. 😱

Rick, I think the solar controller (probably a Heliotrope RV-45A in a 2004 Dynasty) likely doesn’t have a cut-out for when another charging source is active. I think that when the OP is driving on a sunny day, he’s likely getting charge to the chassis bank where the dash alert would be measured from all three sources: generator (assuming the battery isolator, probably a Big Boy, is working), alternator, and solar (assuming the chassis circuit fuse is OK). I think that if the solar controller is malfunctioning or stuck in equalization mode, it’s excess voltage would still pass through to the batteries. Could be that its output isn’t enough to trip the dash alarm when just the engine is running, but once the generator is on, the cumulative charge exceeds the alarm trigger?

I would recommend that you start by adding an aluminum frame, but use stock that’s wide enough to fully go from the edge of the filter material to maybe 1/2-3/4” inside the ceiling opening. Here’s why: I have exactly the same issue and haven’t found the best solution yet. What I’ve done so far is try to do the aluminum frame idea on the front unit, but Monaco cut the originals to within 1/4” of the opening, so I ended up with a messy installation. My spacing tried to retain the entire 14x14” ceiling opening, and install have some sagging and gaps over time. I tried to replace that mat for the center unit with standard blue mesh filtration, but that’s a little too flimsy and sags on its own even with a frame. For the bedroom, the bordello ceiling panel is wider, and I was able to frame out angle stock for a 16x16” filter, but haven’t yet modified that for slide-in access. I’ve found 14x14” residential-style filters very uncommon in retail locations and didn’t want something I’d have to buy online and then have shipped somewhere while on the road, plus store spares somewhere in the coach, but I can probably work around that. I’ve seen a couple of examples of box enclosures that have sound deadening designs and use slide-in filters, but this hasn’t reached the top of the priority list yet. Interested to see other possible solutions, too.

Also remember that the gaskets don’t get sealed to the roof. One side of the new gaskets should have adhesive that attaches it to the underside of the AC unit. Also, I’ve found through experience that Dometic branded gaskets are superior to the Camco “universal” ones. Dometic also sells a drain pan kit that includes the second gasket, new drain pans and cross-hose, and installation instructions. If you’re going through the trouble of disconnecting all the wiring and ductwork, it’s often worth it to replace the drain pans as well since they get brittle with age.

I had exactly the same leak with my AHE-100-03S, except in addition to wearing out mine weren’t properly aligned so the fittings were slightly offset. I wish I’d thought of the braided line. Instead, I made up loops using standard PEX tube and multiple 90° elbows. My first dip in the PEX crimping pool. Took a couple of tries to get the hang of it. But it never leaked again… A few years later, I had the dreaded fresh water loop internal failure, but that leaked out through the exhaust opening right onto the ground. I didn’t get any water from that one in the bay itself.