Jim McGarvie

I recently replaced my original plastic tank after trying to repair it twice. The repairs did not last. I bought the aluminum one from Source Engineering. It wasn't exactly plug and play, but close to it. Not a difficult job.

Accumulator maybe?

Happy anniversary, Scotty, to you and the others who helped. This site is a great resource, populated by wonderful, helpful RVers.

I'm thinking the access to the back of the shower faucet is probably a removable panel in the rear wall of the pantry. Wouldn't that be about the right height?

Good info, Harvey. Thanks. I probably won't be able to check those measurements without emptying the tank, which I won't get around to for a while. Hopefully I'll hear back from the supplier and will learn what type I have and how to check it.

Thanks for the info, Jim. I don't have the part number; the sensor was included with a new tank. I haven't yet had a response from the source. My schematic shows a low coolant module but it is notated "ISC only". We have an ISB, so I assume no module.

Thanks, but this is a new sensor. It may be defective, or maybe I have a break in the wire between it and the dash.

Good info, Harvey. Thanks. Would the thermistor type need two wires? Ours only has the one. Thanks Bob.

Our low coolant light remains on regardless of coolant level. Is there some way of testing the sensor and/or the rest of the circuit? It is a one-wire sensor mounted low on the side. I cut a couple inches off the end of the wire and crimped on a new terminal, but no joy. The connection on the sensor for the wire is clean. It might help me to understand how the sensor works. Does it detect a ground through the coolant? Thanks.

Thanks Rick. I didn't think about turning on the headlights; I'll give that a try the next time. I agree with you about not bypassing the relay. BTW, I looked today and I don't appear to have a solid state battery isolator, just a plain, old-fashioned, White-Rodgers relay. There are two trigger wires going to it, and I assume it is used to parallel the battery banks both for charging from the alternator and for the battery boost function.

Thanks for the input, Gary. It is sounding increasingly like this is normal given the way our coach is wired, so I will do the same as you and turn off the solar system while driving. Yes I did, to correspond to our new AGM batteries. Would that make a difference in the appearance of the alternator fail light? Maybe because the charge voltage is higher for AGMs? Thanks, Bob. I guess I'll just try to remember to turn the solar system off when driving.

Thanks for that info, Harvey. Interesting how many different configurations there are.

Not sure what you are suggesting there.

I don't remember seeing anything like that, but I will look tomorrow.

Interesting. I was thinking it was a simple relay connecting the two battery banks when the engine is running, but it sounds like I was wrong. I will check it out.

Hi Rick. I did connect the solar system to the house batteries. But when the engine is running aren't the house batteries connected to the engine batteries so that the alternator can charge the house batteries?

This morning right after start the alternator fail light came on and stayed on except for a few brief periods. I checked the dash voltmeter and it was reading 14V, higher than its usual 13.5V. When I came to a stop a few miles later I turned off our new solar system, thinking maybe there was some kind of conflict. Sure enough, on the way home the alternator fail light never illuminated and the voltmeter was reading as usual.We recently installed the solar system so I’m not accustomed to it yet. Is this behavior normal? Should I turn the solar system off when driving?Thanks.

Thanks for that reminder, Bob. I discovered that a few years ago and bent the fins of the register away from the thermostat. I think it may have helped. But we had our flooring replaced this summer and they replaced our register with a plastic one whose fins can't be bent. I will replace the register and try that again. Jim Thanks, I'll do that too.

I agree, I should have mentioned it originally. I had forgotten all about it. So that is not normal operation to have the burner cycle on and off (every few minutes) while the blower continues to run until the thermostat shuts off the furnace? Good to know. I guess I need to get deeper into this (removing the burner) than I thought. Thanks Harvey.

Thanks, Harvey, good info. One question. You wrote "If flame is detected, igniter is left "off" and furnace heats until the thermostat shuts it down." That reminds me of another question I've had about our furnace. Typically the burner will cycle on and off while the blower continues to operate until the thermostat shuts it down. If I could solve that presumed issue it would heat the motorhome more rapidly and reduce battery usage.

Yeah, that wold probably do it! Thanks Andy.

Very interesting. Thanks Paul.

I know what straight pipe means, I was just a little surprised to hear about one on a diesel motorhome. Is it very loud? Legal in all states? Just curious; sounds intriguing! Jim

Straight pipe???

Worth a try. Thanks.