isptbart

Likewise, I'm looking for a lower ladder section which is a hinge type of swing down from the upper section, if anyone has one for sale. Send pics & possible measurements for comparison & I will respond back regardless. Thanks! Bart from Virginia

I have a 2007 HR 42PLQ with 400 ISL & thought I needed more heat disipation. I cut openings in both my rear engine compartment doors & installed 4 stainless steel louvers. Note: I also installed 4 louvered vents in the sold area above the less sturdy doors as well. I also tow a heavy GMC 2500HD diesel truck, & fully loaded. The louvers do seem to help with the heat disipation.

Michael - hey thanks for the clarification! Now I have to get started on making the spacers! Thanks! Bart from VA

Mike - a GREAT write up & I really appreciated the photos & advice! I'm very envious of your having the shop space & time to take on such necessary projects! Keep the write ups coming! Many Thanks! Bart from VA

I had the same problem with opening the .helc file. Many thanks for converting for us! Michael - reading your response, you state you made 8ea. So do you use 1 per airbag? I have 10 airbags, so want to ensure I make the proper amount? Thanks! Bart from VA

Yes! Great suggestion as I goy mine rebuilt to a higher amperage & with a brand new pully installed. When I had to replace my alternator while on the road was a lack of a pully puller in my rig. I emded up going to two different parst stoes until I could borrow one to remove the old pully for an install on my new alternator. Yes! Great suggestion, as I got mine rebuilt to a higher amperage & with a brand new pully installed. When I had to replace my alternator while on the road, only problem was a lack of a pully puller in my rig. I ended up going to two different parts stoes, until I could borrow one to remove the old pully for an install on my new alternator. Took more time to run around & get the old pulley off than to physically change out the alternator! Good Luck!

I just had my back-up Leese Nelvell 160amp alternator, rebuilt to 210amp locally for $250 here in Fredericksburg, VA. PM me at I Track M @ verizon.net (w/o any spaces if you would like more info) Bart from VA

I totally agree! Tha is what I was trying to express but my experience on at least 4 vehicles was not consistent with a particular after market source & when comparing, lots of variable because I don't park & drive them the same way at the same time!

Hey Grey Goose - Monaco typically used an existing manufacturers headlight design for their installations, rather than designing their own propriety headlight. Much easier for them/us to replace after the fact from a manufactors point of view. Not sure if Monico put in an actual true OEM headlight or an aftermarket headlight for that particular manufacturer? Regardless, headlights once being made with the plastic lens, just don't last like the old style glass lens headlights. I needed to replace the headlights in my wife's 2013 Town & Country last year because of clouding. I replaced my RV headlights about 3 years ago & they are beginning to slightly turn or clear coat flaking to some degree. Bart from VA

Gweedo - Yeah, I agree! Kinda like just having my old 160amp alternator rebuilt to a 210amp (as my present replacement), so I can have it as a back-up! When I have done that in the past with several different parts - I don't think I ever had to re-use them :>) Cheap insurance!

wamcneal - Yeah, I understand what you are saying. It's a gamble regardless. Thanks for your comments!

wamcneil - with my limited options at the time (as described in my update to everyone), all I can hope for is my bandaid approach decision is successful. Time will tell.

Now that my manifold was properly removed & cleaned, with new bolts w/anti-seize, it would be a fairly easy swap for the gaskets - except the manifold is warped at port #3. I would have a chance for an easier removal & swap for a new replacement manifold or possible milling, if necessary? Bart from VA

Yeah, we looked & unfortunately, no machine shops are still open in our area. To have it sent out of town, machined & returned would tie up their service bay for too long. So my choices were to either put on new standard gaskets on a warped manifold, try the Remflex gaskets or try to purchase another manifold either OEM or aftermarket again with a couple of more days wait. Gaskets installed & works fine - only a longer service term will see if it works long term as designed? Upside - with new bolts & anti-seize should the gaskets fail in a reasonable future period of time, I should have no problem getting them out w/o breaking a bolt! Time will tell.

Exhaust Manifold Gaskets - Update! All - with the cold/wet weather here in VA & my concern I might break exhaust manifold bolt(s), I decided to have a local shop take on the task. Local rates were from $125/hr to $230/hr. Estimates started at approx. $850 plus parts to a Cummins worse case scenario estimate replacing the manifold as well at $7,500! I took a $159/hr labor rate at a shop I have frequently used in the past & they worked me right in. In preparation for the bolt removal task, I heated up the engine, shut it down & sprayed with PB Blaster 6 times before taking it to the shop. The tech successfully removed all 12 bolts w/o braking, but stated he couldn't see any penetrate weepage on the threads? So, using penetration may not have been necessary in my case? Note: the stated bolt torque is only at 40#. I did have a slight manifold warp at port #3 at about .030". Ports 3 & 4 had the gasket leaks & all others were OK. Other than a new set of OEM manifolds at approx. $800, we could not find replacement manifolds with a quick delivery. I decided to follow a posted recommendation of using the Remflex compression gaskets good to about .065". They are supposed to be compressed at about 50% & torqued at only 20-24#'s. Keeping my fingers crossed the Remflex gaskets will hold up long term, in lieu of replacing the exhaust manifold. I couldn't find S/S studs as an alternate & had to wait overnight for OEM exhaust bolts, so I also authorized adjusting the valves at 114,000 miles to utilize the available down time. About 4 hours for the valve adjustment & a $75 valve gasket. The tech said it was a good call, as they were a little loose & could use adjustment. Needed several odds & ends gaskets & parts for the R&R of the turbo. No coolant lost or replaced. Tech checked for ECM updates (none found) & made a copy of my ECM parameters on a flash drive for my records. In & out in 2 days. That said, my total bill came to about $2750. Perhaps a little high, but more than I was willing to take on working outside w/o a shelter. Now having my old OEM 160 amp rebuilt locally, kicking it up to the 210 amp rated alternator I replaced 3 -4 years ago so I can have one as a quick back-up for $250 plus he is adding the proper pulley for a relatively easy swap if necessary. Just ordered a replacement Voyager monitor, so I can monitor cameras & my Aladdin system for about $500. Driving old school w/o cameras & only with dash gauges is not too comfortable for me. When it rains it pours sometimes on RV related projects. Thanks to all recommendations & suggestions! Bart from VA 2007 HR 42PLQ Scepter w/a GMC 2500HD truck in tow

I have found using a vibrating tool (I have one of the original SoniCrafters, but there are other maunfacturers), with a regular flat scraper blade works quite well on removing old caulking. Makes the job much more effective, less hand work & a lot faster. No messy results to clean up like using a wire wheel. I also used the same tool for removing old grout for our tile floors in our RV & in one of our home showers. I ended up wearing out more than one blade. Replacement blades can be purchased on Amazon, Northern Tool & even Harbor Freight! The tool also has other blades for effectively cutting wood & aluminum in tight close quarters. A very versatile tool & well worth the money for a DIY person! No I'm not a dealer either! :>) Bart from VA!

Brad - all good points! Thanks for the info update. Bart from VA

Hello to all responses! We are still on the road & I have been reading all of the responses - many thanks to you all! I will not be in a position to do much until I return home. In the mean time I also follow Project Farm who does all types of product testing w/o any product sponsorships. He has done several penetration fluid tests & came up with interesting results. I will begin use of penetration fluids once I get home because I feel all of it would burn off in my travels back home? Once home & will proceed wit trying to remove the exhaust bolts once I have new bolts & the RamFlex gaskets. I will report back as to my results! Many Thanks to you all! Bart from VA PS - I tow my GMC 2500HD truck. Yesterday, my diesel truck went into a limp mode w/o warning & for the very 1st time ever. Changed out my fuel filter & now all is well!!! Just decided to do that before I pulled any codes because of all of the limp mode issues I have been reading about for our RV & sure work for my truck!

Thanks to you all! Brad - can you send/post me info about the induction device to heat up the bolts? Thanks! Bart from VA

96 EVO - I had read that before but never used it. Hey thanks! Rocketman3 - did he use an impact, wrenches or socket? Did you replace the bolts too when you replaced the gaskets? Thanks guys! Bart

I started up our 2007 HR 42PLQ Scepter, 400ISL w/approx. 111K miles. Two days ago, while on a trip, upon starting my coach, I heard a substantial clattering noise. Checked out everything I could think of, I then decided to drive on. 40 miles later, stopped at a rest stop & no more noise. Same order of things the next day & after crawling under the coach & seeing nothing, we moved on again. After stopping for the evening & letting everything cool down, I started up the coach again & noise had returned. Opened up the two rear access hatches in the bedroom & found the issue - at least two exhaust manifold gaskets were leaking. I checked the bolts & they are good & tight, so I didn't try to force them any tighter. Other than some carbon buildup, they seem to pretty well seal up once getting to a driving temp. Thinking about continuing on our trip for 1K to return home, to either have it serviced or do it myself? Nothing noted close by that I saw which could get damaged? I have what appears to be a two-piece exhaust manifold. I have never tried to change out these gaskets, so looking for some guidance on the use of some type of penetrating oil/liquid, removing the bolts w/o breaking them off (use of an impact wrench?), replacing all of the six gaskets, necessary to disconnect any of the turbo, or other parts, etc.? Now might be a good time to adjust the valves too? Other ideas? Thanks in advance for guidance! Bart from VA

birdshill123 - No, I was only able to confirm my monitor was bad by swapping out with my neighbors 07 Monaco last night after 6pm. They are not open today, so I will contact Tim on Monday. Thanks for the lead! Bart from VA His were all femaile fittings. Blue, Black, Red & a teal green? Bart

96 EVO - yeah, I remeber you coaching me on that! I guess as an alternative, perhaps I could find a suitable used monitor, but obviously unsure about the longivity now that my 2007 model has failed. I have no idea when Voyager discontinued compatible models and any availability for my RV? 2007?, 2017?, etc. Guess I will contact Voyager again to see what they say about model & years for compatibility? Worse case, I figured what I would do is use my neighbors monitor to set my camera where I want it & then install a replacement monitor w/o that pan/tilt feature (I rarely used that feature anyway. I have until about mid-Oct before we plan to hit the road for our next trip. Still didn't find a monitor power cut-off switch, but with your guidance I didn't get much easier than to just pull the monitor & disconnect. On a side note, my neighbors monitor looked identical - except he had two additional sets of colored RCA jacks (total of 4) wired directly into the back of his monitor (internally) yet none of them were actually connected to anything? Bart from VA

Alladin Screen Issue UPDATE! ALL - I was able to easily remove my Voyager monitor for my Alladin (Thanks to 96 EVO!). Took it to my neighbors 07 Camelot, pulled his monitor out & tested mine. My monitor is definately not working properly. Now looking for a direct or suitable replacement? Replacement suggestions welcome! Bart from VA

96 EVO - OK< thanks! Bart from VA