georgecederholm

Al, As I was using the FMCA program, the HSR2 SA was not included in their list (see below). I have never had an issue with Regional use profiles for tires since I don't really consider our usage pattern to be overwhelmingly "Long Haul". We use Interstates, of course, but not exclusively. Some of our driving days are several hundred miles but a lot are much shorter. When we "do the Pacific Coast", we often have less than 50 miles between stops at Elks Lodges, and lots of non-highway driving. Regional is fine for me, especially since I'm using these on my Drive axle. My local tire shop (Redburn, Phoenix) also does a good business with all kinds of trucks, local and over-the-road. I've asked if they can beat FMCA on the Continentals and the response has been that the FMCA price is less than they would pay wholesale. Do I believe that? No. Would I have accepted an answer that they weren't in a position to beat that price? Yes. Was I OK with $507/tire? Yes. I had Michelin cracking on the XZA1 and XZA2 Energy lines, but once I started taking better care (covers when in storage, 303 spray monthly) that stopped completely. I've written off my cracking results as self-inflicted and do not blame Michelin but I'm in the minority on that (No "Michelin sucks and won't this or that" comments, please; I've heard 'em all.) But, I didn't have any sidewall checking on the Toyos after 8 years or the BFGoodrich (purportedly made by Michelin at the time) after almost 10 years. So, Michelin may be more susceptible but also less so if protected. I do not recall any funny odor from the Toyos but they were in the Drive axle so position may matter. I do know that they wore like iron and looked almost new when they were done.

I found the rim information here: https://www.continental-truck.com/truck/products/tires/people/ccha3 and here (select the 12R if the 10R shows first): https://www.continental-truck.com/truck/products/tires/people/hsr2 On each page, scroll down to the "Product Range" section.

I've been running 315s on 8.25" original rims on our 2005 45' Exec since 2009. Upgraded the tires on our way to Alaska that year. Michelin XZA1 on Steer and BFGoodrich equivalents on the Tag for a "warm spare" (never needed). Tried to do the same with a friend's 2006 Dynasty but found the clearance issue with the right front air bag perch. Monaco made chassis changes between 2005 and 2006 model years. When first Michelins started cracking (my bad; no proper maintenance/covering in AZ storage), I replaced the XZA1s with XZA2 Energy 315 which, at the time, were $50/tire cheaper than 295s (demand?). Put Toyo M111z 315s on the Drive in 2013. Ran the BFGs over 9 years on the Tag. Spring of 2019, moved Michelins to Tag and put Continental HA3 Coach 315s on the Steer. Very happy with them. Spring of 2020, changed Drive to Continental HSA2 in 12R22.5 and very happy with them, too. Went with 12R over 11R because of the 23k axle rating (knowing I'm very close to that). 12Rs are a little narrower than the 315s and give a little better dual spacing. About 3% further roll per mile due to the increased diameter doesn't throw the speedometer off that much, especially since I use the GPS for speed display anyway. My plan going forward is to replace the Steers at 3 years and move those to the Tag for 3 more. Then to replace the Drive every 5 or 7 years to smooth out the expense curve. All the Michelins and Continentals I bought after 2013 or so were with the FMCA program. I found the FMCA deal to be easier to use on the Continentals. And, yes, my mileage does vary... 😂

Scotty, Good call on the Yahoo search. Yes, I had weld issues with the AeroTurbine and did replace it with a "MagnaFlow". I had the AeroTurbine 5050XL installed at Bill D's suggestion in early 2007 by Brazel's at the Indio FMCA rally. It was $535 installed. By early 2009, I noticed cracks in the inlet weld. With a "lifetime warranty" on the Aero, I tried to get a replacement but the Great Recession intervened and the manufacturer ghosted me. With a little research, I found the MagnaFlow with the same specs (30"L, 24" body with 7" diameter, 5" inlet and outlet) and bought it from Summit Racing for $156.90. I did the change myself, and replaced one of the muffler hangers at the same time. I've had no issues with the MagnaFlow and never really put much stock in the performance aspects of the Aero, so I haven't made any changes since. I still have the old Aero, so maybe I should poke at the manufacturer now that the economy is humming. 😉

Rick, My schematics are in a spiral-bound, legal-sized book, and I agree that there is precious little about the DD60 specifically. I've generally assumed that the lack of specifics meant that all configurations were the same but, well, you know about assumptions. I think we are both likely victims of Monaco's lax documentation. I suspect that the Detroit option was probably started with the Sig in model year 2004 (or perhaps 2003). It was clearly an optional add by the ordering dealer (Buddy Gregg) on mine, built early 2004. It wasn't uncommon for the documentation to lag by several model years as changes were made. Now, that said, I don't think I have that PCB fuse block. Yes, it's basically just a glorified fuse holder, like most of the ones in the front and rear run bays. Beyond that, I believe that mine has all of those same fuses in individual weatherproof fuse holders attached to the crossmember right inside the engine compartment. On mine, that's right above the chassis batteries. These fuses control the engine and transmission directly and were used to "drive" the bare chassis around before "house" construction began. (The solar one is an afterthought, as the secondary output of the original solar controller was wired directly to the chassis battery bank.) So, do you have those individual fuses outside the Rear Run Bay? If so, is there a 5A one blown? I'm thinking that, at some point in the production run, they may have introduced the PCB but wired it in series with the original individual fuses. As long as the originals weren't blown, everything worked and the PCB fuses were optional. Once one blew, it could be replaced on the PCB. Just a WAG here. You can see the direct solar fuse noted on page 91, "Schematic, High Current, Low Voltage", and all the individual ones on Page 111, "Schematic, Battery, Chassis_Domestic". If you have the individual fuses as I mentioned, check for a blown one there.

Rick, I will check to see if I have any pictures from various projects that show this board, but I don’t recall it, or an “engine” fuse, specifically. The usual place for fuses like that is the series of ones in individual fuse holders that are lined up in the engine compartment, just above the chassis batteries. Those were the ones Monaco needed in place so they could drive the bare chassis between plants, before all the circuits were even installed. In terms of the schematics, are you saying that the diagram book you received with the Coach doesn’t have Exec drawings, or that you’re working from other source documents? I (phone) scanned my schematics several years ago. https://www.dropbox.com/s/g3gymczoqz48599/2005 Exec Schematics Scanned 2017.pdf?dl=0 Haven’t looked in that file yet but will do so now...

Rick P, The issue I'm tracking on mine is elusive. I've had a minor amount of residue on the toad but usually the symptom is a good pint+ of discharge from the hydraulic overflow. One theory is that the discharge happens after shutdown, not while driving. I've been monitoring that and found a 4-5 minute "cool down" period before shutting the engine off lessens the likelihood of discharge. From what you describe, it appears that you do NOT have the same issue. One additional thing I've done is put a "slobber bottle" on the hydraulic overflow. Gatorade bottles are my friend. I drilled a hole in the cap so the overflow hose would slide in (1/2" or 5/8") and a few smaller holes around that. Slid the cap on the hose and put a hose clamp about 3" up the hose end. This way, I can easily change the bottle whenever I need to; cap stays on the hose. Your 2005 Sig should have the same basic hydraulic overflow. This is a good way to keep things clean and stop "territory marking". I did something similar for the engine oil breather tube. Cut a Gatorade bottle through he threads with shears, drilled a few holes at the shoulder, and hose clamped it to the breather tube. I generally change it whenever I change the oil. Mine is a Detroit; not sure how the breather on the Cummins works. Sounds like you may need to get under and try to determine where that oily film is coming from. Should be leaving a trail somehow. Sorry your hatch is such a bother. Both of mine (in closet and right outside closet) have the deck latches.

Rick P, You may want to check past threads about an issue that has cropped up with some rigs of your vintage with the Allison 4000. Depending on the configuration, there may be a power take-off (“PTO”) on the transmission that drives the hydraulic (fan, steering) pump. In some cases, the internal seals in the hydraulic pump allow transmission fluid to flow into the hydraulic system. This yields a low reading on the transmission fluid level without any signs of external leaking, and a corresponding slow increase in the fluid level in the hydraulic reservoir. Eventually, the hydraulic system may overflow. You might want to check the hydraulic fluid level as you creep up to full on the transmission. George C, 2005 Exec, Detroit-Allison 4000, leaking hydraulic pump seal project in the works

I agree with the comments on ignition coil checking. For clarification, the operation of the heating functions (both diesel and electric) is controlled by the system on/off switches (usually in the galley) and the unit’s internal fluid thermostat(s). There is no direct link to the furnace heating functions from the house thermostat(s). Those activate the circulating pumps and heat exchangers. The heating functions will then indirectly be triggered by the gradual cooling of the boiler fluid. This is why the heating functions will activate even if the house thermostat(s) are off, and why there may be a delay in the furnace firing when a house thermostat is set to on (if the boiler fluid is already at temp). It would help to be close to the unit while someone flips the “Diesel” switch. In addition to the blower activating, there should be sound from the igniter firing. If not, that adds support to the ignition coil as the culprit. Can we assume that the electric side is working? Hot water is hot? Can we assume that activating a house thermostat causes the circulating pump and heat exchanger(s) to run? George C, 2005 Exec, originally AHE-100-03S now 600D.

These are “push” rivets, not “pop” rivets. While they don’t have to be the nylon ones, if you do use aluminum pop rivets, be sure to grind or file off any remnants of the “pin” so as not to damage the slide seal when deploying/retracting. George C, 2005 Exec

Steve, it’s highly likely that it was just changed out. These units had a tendency to leak when they failed. Owners who had that happen generally only spent the $500 to replace if they actually used them. We didn’t. When ours failed, I did exactly what you describe: put a .5 micron Culligan filter under the sink and used the spigot for drinking water. Assuming the person who made the change wasn’t mighty PO’d, they probably left the 120VAC outlet and 12VDC switch that controls a relay for the outlet in place. That would allow you to put in a new one if you wanted. As an aside, I try to annotate my build sheet when I replace or remove something that’s on there. I’m not perfect at it, but I try so that, if we ever sell (more likely whoever inherits it after I pass), there is some kind of record. George C, 2005 Exec

Mike, Just curious. What is a high limit thermostat reset? The only physical reset I’m aware of on my original 03S (and my current 600D) is the low voltage cut-out, which is reset by pressing a thin probe into the control panel hole next to the warning light. But I’m not aware of any other reset function, so would love to know for future reference. Thanks, George C

Are you hooked up to city water or using the water pump? If yes to either, turn the water source(s) off for a bit and see if the overflow stops. If it does, you likely have a failed hot water loop inside the furnace itself. In a 2005 Dynasty, you likely have an AHE-100-03S model furnace, which has the domestic hot water loop inside the boiler tank. If it fails, cold water will escape into the boiler, eventually filling it and causing the overflow. This could also cause excess run time. Do you know exactly what model Aqua-Hot you have? Depending on build date, it could be -03S or maybe -04S. If very early in the model year build, I suppose it could be -02S. Unless the furnace has already been replaced once. Point being, next steps could vary by model. Please get back to us after turning off the incoming water, as next steps might vary. George C, 2005 Exec, had same issue several years ago

The system you have is the one described in my 2005 Exec Owner’s Manual, but mine came from the factory with a slightly different system installed. It had a “Prime” function but no drain. Something shorted out on our first long trip, and we had a constant “Water In Fuel” alarm. Took it to a shop in Portland, Maine, and they were stumped. got Monaco tech support on the phone (this was back in 2006) and their expert actually conferenced in their Racor contact. Upshot was that they recommended swapping to the 790R30. Had it overnighted in and they swapped it out easily; I don’t recall much of an issue with thread sizes. My current setup looks very similar to your picture in terms of the fittings and the yellow fuel lines. Years later, I added a 1/4 turn ball valve shutoff to the incoming line to prevent draining the line back to the tank while changing the filter, and I’m pretty sure I used standard pipe thread hardware from Ace/Star Hardware. This would have been about 10 years ago, so memory is fading. I would recommend you actually get the new hardware in hand and then work through the connections, as speculation might lead to more confusion... George C, 2005 Exec

Gary, Not Bob, but I did have issues with one data cable, actually with most of them but it was generally loose or dirty connections in the RJ-11 couplers that Monaco used to connect the data cables to the pigtails that Dometic supplies. I think it’s important to note that changing the data cables is not a required part of upgrading the room units and/or thermostats, unless there is an issue. I had a couple of situations where the thermostat wouldn’t recognize the roof units but most of that resolved with cleaning of the terminals and replacement of the old couplers. One of them worked fine until I tucked all the wiring back up to close the ceiling panels; I jostled the coupler. I went back over everything and used a few zip ties to try to keep everything tight. I did have one cable that just would seem to stay connected, so I picked up a Dometic data cable (again, Amazon) and used it successfully. Once I had it in hand, I realized I could use it to change the zone system in our 3-unit setup. Originally, the front thermostat was the forward roof unit and the bedroom one controlled the center and rear, even though the front thermostat was much closer to the center roof unit. I snaked the data cable through the foam duct from the center roof unit to the front one (there are two data pigtails per roof unit, one to the thermostat and the other to daisy-chain units together). Now my front thermostat controls the front and center roof units and the bedroom thermostat controls the rear. What I did was pretty easy. I’m very glad that I didn’t have to replace a data cable to either thermostat, as that would likely involve dropping the padded ceiling panels, a project I wasn’t even contemplating when I started. To finish our installation up, I also got a new remote temperature sensor (yeah, Amazon) for the front roof unit. I mounted it to the angled side of the cabinet over the passenger’s seat, away from the exterior wall and the windshield area where the original remote was. That required running the cable through the duct and then through the roof insulation in short hops to get inside the cabinet. Tricky, but definitely easier than having to run a new data cable to a thermostat. George C, 2005 Exec

If you buy the drain kit (I got them on Amazon), it will include the extra gasket, new drain pans, and the linking hoses. I got good advice here years ago to replace the drain pans as they become brittle over time. I believe if I recall the instructions properly, that the drain kits works with both Penguin and Blizzard models from Dometic. George C, 2005 Exec

We had the VZW-FMCA hotspot and we maxed out the usage every month. But VZW is now offering extra data on some (many? most? all?) plans due to CV-19, so you may be able to get by for a while. We didn’t use the MiFi for our phone data to conserve. I made the mistake of attaching the VZW-FMCA MiFi to my existing phone plan account. Then, when I “upgraded” the phones to a new “unlimited data” plan, I lost the FMCA deal and the MiFi reverted to a part of my phone plan. Just a caution to keep the FMCA deal on a separate account. GeorgeC, 2005 Exec

Joel, Wow, that’s a lot more damage, visually speaking, than we had. Probably because we are a more traditional SUV situation. Our damage was mostly cosmetic. In fact, we loaded as many parts as we could collect in the back, bungee corded the hanging parts, and drove separately from Hebo (northwest Oregon) to Sacramento for the repairs at a shop recommended by our insurance carrier. It took 28 days for repairs and repaint. Most of it was body work, although there was minor damage to a couple of wiring harnesses. Insurance provided a rental and we did our caravan from Truckee to Sacramento to Napa, and the Rover was ready on the last day of the excursion. In hindsight, couldn’t have worked out better in a tough situation. But, I still periodically check the base plate. In fact, just did it again today! 😳 George C

Joel, This has happened a few times before, but not many reported here. It happened to us back in 2009. We were on US-101 south when the road made a sharp right turn. A cat sitting in the road caused me to stop. Out of the corner of my eye, someone was passing us. Much to my surprise, it was me. The toad broke loose and freewheeled right into someone's front hedge. The base plate ripped off, pulling the fascia along with. The emergency brake activator was unfortunately attached to the fascia so was useless. There was about $17k 2009 dollars in damage to our toad. We found that, of the 10 bolts holding the base plate on, only 2 still had nuts. The original installer (CW Denton TX) did not use jamb nuts or LocTite. I pushed our insurance company to go after them, but they just paid. I will give Camping World (Mesa AZ) a little credit. When I showed up with my "lifetime installation warranty", they reluctantly stood behind it and replaced everything, including a new base plate which wasn't really needed (it came off clean). And they let me inspect the installation with both jamb nuts and LocTite Red before they closed up the fascia. Of course, the new mounting bracket had a prominent decal saying that re-torquing was needed every 3,000 miles. As it happened, we were heading to a Monacos-in-Motion caravan when this happened. When I told my story, we started looking at other members' toads and found 2 of 12 had loose baseplates. We pitched in and fixed them before the caravan kicked off. As my setup is hard to access, I made a tool out of hardwood that I can slip into the bracket hole tightly and lever up and down to verify no play in the baseplate, which I do at least annually. George C, 2005 Exec-<2005 Range Rover

Dennis, We did the same on our 2005 Exec (actually, we ended up with 315s all around but that’s a different story), but when we tried to help a good friend with a 2006 Dynasty do the same they wouldn’t fit. One of the Dynasty air bag perches was moved just enough that the larger tire would rub severely on a turn. The OP could try but definitely should make sure that the dealer will not charge if they need to go back to 295s. George C, 2005 Exec Robert, Tire preferences change all the time. It was likely one of the most “Popular” (and I use that term in the finest Ford/Chevy tradition) topics on the old site. I’m a fan of the FMCA programs. I got a set of Michelin steer tires there when the program first came out. They are now on my tag. I had Continental HA3 steer tires put on last April. I’m going to have 4 Continentals put on the drive axle in March. All reasonable no-hassle deals via FMCA. When you use the FMCA web site to get a quote, there is a “Find a Dealer” button that takes you to the manufacturer web site’s dealer locator. Put in you zip and you’ll see options. You don’t need to do a separate search yourself as FMCA/manufacturer has already done it. I had sidewall checking on an older (2009) set of Michelins but I realized that it was self-inflicted. I have tire covers and carry 303 Aerospace Protectant but was too lazy to use them. Once I swapped those out, I started consistently covering the tires when in storage (generally November to April in Arizona) and using the 303 liberally on a monthly schedule while on the road. Voila; no more tire cracking issues, irrespective of the brand. Just my 2 cents based on experience... George C, 2005 Exec

Woody, I’m not experienced enough with the Multiplex system to be much help, but I would say it’s time to break out the voltmeter. Check the output of the control module and even the fuse (they have been known to look OK)., then find the connection from the coach wiring to the rope light itself for power. It might be accessible from the roof access to the underside of the air conditioner. George C

Doesn’t the 2006 Dynasty have the Multiplex system? I thought all the switches in that system connected via master bus to the control modules in the closet area, and that all the connections to individual lights were made from there? George C, 2005 Exec (Carling switches, no Multiplex)

Jerry, Just a thought: consider relocating things when you replace. I moved my latching controller, the 2 fuses, and the relay to a separate panel I added to the side of the Mani-Blok support so I can easily access things in the future. Mine was buried initially and now looks more like Richard's. George C, 2005 Exec

Doug, In the short term, you can probably re-attach the levers by adding self-tapping screws in the opposite corners. Drill a pilot hole through the faceplate and through the seat frame. use a flat washer to carefully tighten the screws. Dab a little black paint on the finished product and you may find that you don't need to go through all the hassle and expense of replacing the whole cable(s)... 🙄 George C, 2005 Exec

Try measuring the voltage at the alternator directly, right after startup. The Aladdin system is measuring voltage at a very different place in the circuitry. It’s not abnormal for the high draw of an engine start to pull down the chassis bank temporarily. It is very unusual for the house bank to have the same draw down, unless your battery isolation system is not operating properly. Do you have a Big Boy isolator or a different BIRD system? George C, 2005 Exec