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

On 1/2/2024 at 10:30 AM, MHRookie said:

Moderator,

     I was able to open the files above and attach as .jpeg.  If that’s not allowed please remove.  Since the OP of the pictures attached them here, I assumed that is consent to share.

 

I had the same problem with opening the .helc file. Many thanks for converting for us!

On 11/29/2023 at 11:09 AM, Michael Powell said:

I made 8ea 2x2 square tubes with saddle on each end and put them next to each air bag then lower the coach on them... When I get back to the toy barn I will take pictures of them with measurements. Seam to work great...

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 

1 hour ago, veraken said:

Here is another good source for a replacement.   https://www.qualitypowerauto.com/category_139/RV-Alternators.htm    If you are getting it as a spare, get it WITH the pully, it will save you alot of trouble.

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!

On 1/2/2024 at 3:53 PM, CookFamily said:

Hello All,

I am looking to replace my alternator on my 2001 Monaco Windsor. Should I have it rebuilt or replaced? I live in Maryland. I have a Cummins ISC 8.3 Diesel.

 

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

14 minutes ago, dl_racing427 said:

I have found that aftermarket headlights don't seem to last as long as OEM.
UV tends to cloud them much sooner.
Of course, there's a huge price difference, and sometimes the OEM is NLA.

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!

6 hours ago, Grey Goose said:

A couple thoughts on the headlight upgrade topic.

First I did not mean to hijack this thread. I assumed it could be a source to discuss multiple solutions for what appears to be a common issue. If the moderators would like me to start a new thread that is fine by me.

I suspect that in some cases Monaco and other coach builders may have not used quality OEM headlights and used aftermarket parts with suspect quality. I certainly avoid driving my coach at night unless it is a well lit highway/roadway. I cant imagine the original oem product was this bad but maybe I am just spoiled by modern LED vehicle lighting.

I am somewhat hopeful that the ebay seller I shared in the thread has an above average product based on what I have found out so far. The fact this seller has units that "appear" to be LED projector design gives me hope as this certainly would have some advantages based on my experience with other vehicles. I am excited for the RV community because the seller is listing products available for a broad range of Monaco and other coaches that certainly need something better than the original equipment that came with their coach.

I intend to dig a bit deeper with the seller and try to get better information about design and build quality and will share if I can get it.

If anyone else has experience with this sellers product please share. 

Thanks in advance.

 

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

On 12/9/2023 at 6:11 AM, Gweedo said:

Look for an old school parts house, some of them will have a flatbed belt sander.  They use this to surface cylinder heads and exhaust manifolds for the local automotive repair shops.  Or ask around some local shops to see if they have the equipment or if they know of another shop.  You may have to drive a little bit.  I am a strong proponent of resurfacing and thinner gaskets,  like I mentioned above mine was way out and it's been about 20k miles now.     This thread makes me want to find used one and have have it surfaced to have on hand for the next time.  Check to make certain of the torque specs when using a lubricant for any consideration.  You're halfway there, all down hill from here.  

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!

5 hours ago, wamcneil said:

Sorry, I didn't mean to say that you made the wrong decision... and I hope the remflex gaskets last forever. My comment was aimed at those that that might recommend thick gaskets as the best solution.

Everything is a compromise, right? Sometimes a bandaid is the best choice available. Plenty of bandaids on my rig, that's for sure.

There's actually a set of unused remflex AMC 360 gaskets hanging on the wall of my shop that I bought about 15 yr ago before deciding to have the manifolds surfaced. I replaced blown-out exhaust gaskets (not remflex) about every 6-mo for 10 years before having the manifolds surfaced and installing them with NO gaskets. 

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

7 hours ago, wamcneil said:

That’s my feeling. I’ve been really surprised to find how much a new cast iron manifold can change very soon after being put in service. Much better IMO to flatten an old manifold. And I feel like thicker gaskets are a bandaid approach. 
 

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.

8 hours ago, Kenster said:

A friend of mine recently paid $1,400 to have the exhaust manifold gaskets replaced on his isl400. Another friend, just last week paid $38 for new Cummins gaskets and did it himself in less than a day. I have done numerous exhaust gasket changes on Cummins and cats. You do not need to remove the exhaust manifold bolts. You simply loosen all 12 bolts approximately 2 to 3 turns, and then using a small bar try the exhaust manifold out about a quarter of an inch. You then remove both Bolts from one port at a time allowing the gasket to drop out. Do not do all six ports at the same time. If necessary, you can take a hacksaw blade or other thin scraping instrument and scrape the port and exhaust manifold Port clean. You can now hold the gasket in place and insert one Bolt at a time and turn back in approximately one or two turns. Do not tighten the port completely to the head. After you have completed this to each of the six ports, you can retorque the exhaust manifold for the specs.

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

9 hours ago, jacwjames said:

With all you had done it seems the price is fair, too bad you couldn't source a new manifold but using the thicker gaskets hopefully will work?? 

Was there any discussion of having the old one machined?  I did that with a Ford 460 one piece manifold and it's still holding, my mechanics father bought my Class C and it's still working. 

Interesting on the valve job, I asked about this at Cummins shop and they don't do it until 150K miles.   Zmotorsports recently posted on how to adjust, he had more miles but said he's glad he did it early.  So it might be time for me to "Pull up my big boy pants" and tackle the job>>  I've got 125K on my coach.

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