mandms59

Great news Scotty.... all the best to Debbie.

1 hour ago, wamcneil said:

I have a new scissor arm that I’d sell for $100. There are several different ones. This  one is approximately 21” long and 1-1/4” wide.
Turned out to be the wrong size for my 03 dynasty.  My original is 21” length, but 1” wide.

Veurinks rv parts (findmyrvparts.com) has a video describing the variations.  
Cheers

Walter

Walter,

I will take it.  I sent you a PM.

R/ Mark

All,

Follow-Up/update to the Oil blow back issue.   I ended up being able to get into Cummings in Boise this last Monday.  They completed the routine Generator and Chassis service on the Coach (and gives me a baseline on oil - meaning my oil level should now be at correct level; have noted where that is on dipstick for future reference). 

I asked service manager to replace the crankcase breather element filter as I had no record of it being completed previously by other owners - and check/replace overflow tube for as I could not find it. I mentioned my issue about spitting oil back out oil filler tube, he said that could happen with a restricted crankcase filter/element.

The crankcase breather element was very dirty per tech who worked on MH. I also learned on my ISL400 there is no exterior breather tube - he explained the routing is internal back to crankcase/oil pan to meet EPA changes in mid 2000's .... hence my inability to find the dang tube when searching for it.

We only had a short drive to our next stop; everything seems fine so far - will know more next week when we have a longer drive to next stop including a few medium grades.

Again thanks to all here for their inputs.

V/r

Mark

All,

We have been in an area with little to no cell reception for our hotspot the last few days.

Thank you for the comments/education and suggestions.  

21 hours ago, Chieflou said:

Mark,

  I keep going back to your initial complaint:  oil coming out the dipstick tube.  That specific issue has no relevance to oil pressure.  Oil coming out tube will only be caused by higher than normal crankcase pressure (blow by) which goes to what others have already mentioned -- restricted crankcase breather filter or tube. Fix that and your dirty toad problem should be resolved. 

  Then regarding oil pressure.  As has been mentioned, overfilling could be a factor there.  Specifically, as Ray D. posted, your dipstick markings could be inaccurate, a common issue I've noted others mentioning on the forums.  Inaccurate markings could lead you to overfill which will cause numerous problems. 

  Lou S.

Lou - thanks for input, as we are F/T on the road unfortunately there is not an easy option for draining & refilling oil - hence I end up bringing into a shop to complete the scheduled service fluid change work.

As many have stated (Rick A /Ray /Ivan)... I now wonder if my dipstick markings are off far enough that I am exacerbating one simple issue crankcase breather filter/tube with oil quantity/pressure situation by overfilling to get within marks.

Current plan is to bring it to Cummins as it is in window for Chassis and Generator service that I was planning on in the next month.  I will have them replace crankcase filter/check overflow tube - as I do not have a record of this being done from previous two owners( very limited record keeping).  

This will at least give me a grounded starting point to go forward with known oil level and that crankcase breather filter/tube is in working order.

As I still have limited connection... will read through everyone's posts above again and  make sure not missing something else above. 

Will provide an update once  services are completed above.

R/

Mark

40 minutes ago, Rick A said:

My thoughts are you overfilled it with oil. The oil pressure is a telltale and it’s spewing oil as and where it can. It might even cause smoke as she sucks on the down stroke. 
The oil pressured you are quoting would make me nervous in my Diplomat. 
 

I forgot to add that on our short travel yesterday ... PSI stayed in normal ranges  until about 5 miles out from our stop -- while idling at a flagger checkpoint the Idle PSI went down to 20 PSI;  that got me nervous as I have never seen it that low.  When we got to campground I checked oil dipstick and thought it was 1-2 quarts low on stick so I added 2 quarts to bring it up to within range last night.  Then this morning started it up and got 65 PSI....  If I did overfill it - take it the simplest way would be to try and drain out some oil from drain plug without making a big mess in campground.

UPDATE -

I added about 2.0 qts of oil which based on dipstick markings.   I am now getting 65 PSI at idle & rises to above 75 psi if I bring revs up to 1200... so I am estimating that the blowout was more than what oil I saw on the car.  And that the system is not able to regulate below 75 as Rick A mentioned below and confirmed in Cummins manual...

On 7/25/2021 at 10:41 AM, Rick A said:

I have a 2005 Diplomat and my oil pressure runs at 35 psi. My clock sits at 51000 miles. The engine manual says 30 psi is the regular pressure at normal revs, and 20 psi at idle. It seams your pressure is under the regulated Max of 75 psi. 
Pressure in the crank case would dramatically increase if you had a cylinder issue. I doubt that’s the problem as smoke would almost be effect. I almost think Ray has a good point. 
Any leak would result in your issue. 

This leads me to believe that it is much more severe problem ($$$) than clogged breather tube  - which I was not able to find looking thru engine hatch above or underneath;  maybe not looking for correct item....  Easily found Oil filter and can trace return line from Turbo charger to crankcase... but did not find anything else from crankcase on either side...

We are about two hrs away from Spokane Cummins dealer...  Guessing that is my best option to bring it to for further checkout/diagnosis - compression check??

Has anyone dealt with them or recommend another shop in area... we are currently about 35 miles south of Lewiston ID at state park campground. 

Recommendations/suggestions/guidance greatly Appreciated

R/ Mark

13 hours ago, Rick A said:

Have you noticed a drop on the oil level or a drop in oil pressure? 
How much oil do you think you are blowing out. 
No smoke and noises is a very good start. 

Oil pressure has been consistent in mid 50's even with the blow back issue the past  1 1/2 days. I have not been a hawk on watching pressure during descents/exh brake usage to see if it rises appreciably; but will do so when we depart tomorrow.

I will have to check the dipstick again tomorrow when I am off the jacks to get accurate reading; After the first day I thought it was sitting at same level as before (about 1-2 quarts low)but it is tough to tell on that stick as Ray mentioned above.

There have been no unusual noises, out of ordinary readings on gauges or Aladdin Monitoring page during those instances.  We are coming up on our oil and fluid filters replacement/maintenance here shortly -as we full time was planning to have done at the Cummins Service Center in Boise ID next week.

Should I be inquiring about cylinder compression test? 

Does anyone have any other T/S items I could tackle on my own? 

Could a clogged/restricted crankcase breather filter/tube contribute to problem?  I am 3rd owner of coach so no complete records from previous owners... and do not believe it has ever been replaced we are at 87K on engine.

All,

This just started 2 days ago on our trip.  Yesterday halfway along our route we pulled over by a nice lake in SW WA after coming over White Pass.  When I went back to check out the TOAD I noted the right side had some oil splatter marks.  I opened up the access panel on back of our 07 Diplomat and noted that there was oil streaked on the cover and side walls plus the dip stick and Oil filler tube.  Thinking I had not re-seated the dipstick completely that morning after checking oil & thought it may have come from that location blowing out small amounts of oil in compartment - I re-seated dip stick it cleaned off everything in the compartment dipstick/oil fill tube/Air Filter sensor.... and continued on to the final destination.  I did not see any more splatter on car once we arrived... so figured problem was solved.  

Today we drove straight through to our next stay.  When I got here and went back to unhook car... well there was more spray on car's right side than yesterday.

Opened up the right access panel and could see that there was a couple drips coming from the bottom of the oil fill tube where extension tube slides in and out ( forgot to take photo at that time) ...  I wiped off a few areas so I could see if the was a hole somewhere in the fill tube or connection points (nothing I could readily see). 

At this point not sure if it is intermittent problem (e.g. under higher pressure loads climbing over the med uphill grades that some oil residue is being pushed out of fill tube seal area and then dripping down to mudflap where the wind catches it and then gets flung onto right side of car)

Or is this indicative of a larger issue -  something bigger than fill tube seal leak ???

Has anyone run into this problem?

Is there an easy fix - e.g. is the copper/rubber ring around extension tube replaceable?  Part number?

I attached a compiled photo markup sheet for reference.   we are not traveling again until 26th; so other than starting engine and have wife increase throttle while I stand in back  to see if I see anything leaking... next test would be Monday's trip south into ID.

I was going to wrap filler tube at junction point with duct tape to see if I could isolate it that way....

Thanks in advance for recommendations/fixes further T/S ideas.

R/ Mark

On 7/22/2021 at 4:36 AM, Mary & Glenn said:

Mark,

You shouldn't have any issue with Wolf Creek Pass. As with any of the high mountain passes keep an eye on your RPM's and don't lug your engine. Anticipate the climb and downshift when needed to keep the RPM's in about the 1,800 to 2,000 range to keep the torque up.

Depending on your schedule you can add some fantastic scenery as opposed to the boring drive down I-25. We used to live in CO Springs and moved to the Wet Mountain Valley (Westcliffe, CO) 6 years ago. It is a hidden gem 2 hours southwest of the Springs on the east slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. It will add time and a bit of mileage to your trip but the Sangre's are a unique range that runs from Santa Fe, NM to Salida, CO. We have four 14K mountain peaks out our front door and the rest of the spine are 13K+ peaks. We have 2 nice campgrounds in town Grape Creek CG and the Wet Mountain RV Park. I'm guessing they are both full but keep in mind for future planning. There are only 2 roads into the valley from the north and one from the south. From the Springs the best route is through Cañon City and west on US 50 to Texas Creek which is right along the Arkansas River. This brings you past Royal Gorge which is beautiful, especially the train ride. At Texas Creek turn south on Hwy 69 which will bring you into Westcliffe, and continue south down to Walsenburg to pick up Hwy 160 west.

If you decide to stick with your I-25 route enjoy the ride, enjoy the mountains, take your time and don't sweat the trip over the passes.

Cheers, Glenn

Glenn,  we are on a timeline due to reservation availability in CO & NM in Sept.  we are staying at USAFA Family camp for 14 days and will be taking a few day trips to include Garden of the Gods/ Royal Gorge railway trip  ( Was happy to see Ray Davis endorse the ride above) and a few other biking excursions while there.  

We will keep your trip routing highlights/suggestions handy for our next stop through as we have friends in Denver area we visit (Lived in Arvada for 2 yrs before I retired from construction management and we started FT in Mar 2020).

R/ Mark

All

Thank you for the feedback. We will plan on that route and see how the driver and our 400 ISL does with the passes....

R/mark

Hello,

We are looking to add a trip leg out to Mesa Verde NP in Colorado on our travels southbound (Plan to stay at RV park just outside entrance). 

Looking for input from people who have traveled  CO 160 West from I-25 junction to Cortez, CO.  We will be leaving Colorado Springs prior to this leg in late September.  From my research it looks like 3 passes to go over to get to Cortez, with Wolf Creek being highest.  I have traveled over quite few 5K passes in the Diplomat but nothing in the 10K range before. 

For those that traveled this route:

(1) Were you towing (We have our 2016 Crosstrek TOAD)?  Or did you disconnect and travel separately over the passes?

(2) Is the scenery worth the drive on this route?

(3) Is there another recommended route in this area (Down thru NM?)

Thanks for your inputs

R/Mark

All,

Found correct fuse this morning. It was in FRB  C409 F58 -  SERV LT/AUX 12V PWR.  replaced and verified operations.

R/

Mark

We bought the following off amazon as our upgrade:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087F5NLTT/ref=dp_iou_view_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They twist lock into place... in the short amount of time we have had them they have been a great improvement to existing cup holders on our 07 Diplomat.

I am trying to find location of fuse for the two 12V power receptacles on dash next to A/C control unit.  Think I inadvertently blew fuse when testing install of replacement USB receptacle.  I thought it would be on the Front Run bay panel - thinking it would be F29 accessory ... fuse was good. 

I pulled up 2006 Diplomat Wiring Diagram book and traced it to panel/combo plug C333... but cannot find that corresponding # in Front Run Bay or any other reference I have on-hand- though maybe I am reading the DWG incorrectly (attached  excerpt (pg 46 of 50 in book or Pg 3 of Radio Panel Diagram - States Endeavor 05 in title block but part of 06 Diplomat book). 

I have gone thru the 12V Front Distribution Wiring Diagram trying to correlate information to no avail.

Is there another location I should be looking in?  

Thanks for any assistance/guidance.

R/

Mark 

22 hours ago, Ivylog said:

I would not bother trying to find direct replacements... I have repeated problems with the wire that moves the locking tab coming off and it’s a pain to get it back on. I would replace with 2 of these simple sliding locks... a little harder opening and closing but not going to break.

Dick.... thanks for suggestion. Will look into this option.

R/Mark

On 5/20/2021 at 9:39 AM, pacecar said:

You can try Northwest RV Supply, Eugene, OR 541.746.9092.  REV Group Speciality Vehicles, they now own and build Monaco Coaches,  Or  Duncan Systems Talk to Sue Phillips 574.294.6852.   That would be the contacts that I would use.

Steve... thanks for input.  I have tried those resources - no luck.   I posted on another website on issue - someone there stated they had same problem & could not find replacement. 

Think my next option  - will reach out to salvage yards and see what charge will be for the latch mechanism...  I saw a few photos of intact windows so it should be a simple removal and shipment. 

Dennis,

Thanks for confirming 3 system requirement.  That is/was my dilemma. Only had two of the three systems installed in MH when we purchased it - and only recently realized what I thought was ceiling smoke detector was actually CO detector on ceiling contrary to what stickers stated.  Currently - no Smoke Detector in MH.  I suspect that one of previous owners swapped out the overhead Smoke detector to a CO detector.

I have already ordered the replacement LPG & CO monitors for the two existing units ( same models wired into 12v system).  I have ordered a new combo Smoke detector to replace defunct ceiling CO detector unit and an additional second detector to the bedroom which did not have one previously.

R/ Mark 

All

I have attached a couple of photos.  what I think got lost in translation is that there was a redesign of the Avail tow bar a couple years back.  The old style had a yoke type connection welded from two L shaped brackets vertically welded in center and then stitch welded at the sides to end of receiver tube.   The new design has the plates welded to the sides of the receiver tube.

Second photo set is from iRV2 and think the same that Moonwink posted above.

As I have a new style Avail the topic was near  & dear to my heart/self preservation. I have read thru recent threads over on iRV2.  The common failure cause seems to be the old style yoke type attachment shearing at end of receiver tube.

I have inspected my tow bar and it looks good - I am sending back to BO for inspection as an added precaution.

All,

I had what I thought was the smoke detector beeping at me in the ceiling - thinking it was low battery.  I went to replace and noted that it was actually a second CO monitor in the ceiling (Attwood 900-0143).

All the times I tested system/checked unit the past year we owned coach (3rd owner) did not read actual unit type/ just the sticker noting to test smoke alarm regularly.   My bad for not catching sooner ( lack of attention to detail!!) 

I am in process of replacing all the detector units in MH after reading previous LPG thread in Feb on subject.  Having just got MH back from some clear coat repairs; I confirmed that all units were timed out. Based on dates on back of detectors, believe the LPG & CO monitor at floor near bedroom are original.  The ceiling CO monitor date was 2012.

(1) Those with 07 Diplomat models  do you have an additional CO monitor in ceiling?  I would think that this placement was a mistake during swap out made by one of previous owners as at ceiling height CO alarm would be a little late....

(2) Was there a standard Smoke detector installed in all Monaco models?  My manual just states a Safe-T-alert smoke detector - no model #.   I did find model #SA-775 from them which is RV specific.   My thought was to replace  expired Attwood CO detector with smoke detector in same spot in Living room ceiling - feeling safe to install without worrying about hitting something with the  new screws.

(3) For those that added more detectors (e.g. bedroom) - did you install on ceiling; if so via screws (concerned about hitting something as I am not sure what is up there) or installed on wall?

Comments/recommendations appreciated.

R/Mark

1 hour ago, Moonwink said:

I still don't understand exactly which part failed looking at the picture.  DR4Film posted the picture upside down.  The original image was laying on it's left side (see the car tire in the background).

 

Below is an exploded view of an Aventa II Tow Bar.  The image above doesn't look like it was the Aventa model though.  I suspect the two plates were welded to the 2 inch box going into the receiver and that was the point of failure.  #7 in the view below was not welded but the picture appears to be #11 with the two plates on either side.  The two arms connect to #11.

 

The Tow bar that failed is an Avail.   The part the failed would be the yoke #7 in your schematic.  The updated Avail design uses two plates welded to the side rather than the U channel type (was actually 2  L's welded vertically together) the two loose pieces on each side is whats left of the yoke.   See Dr4Film's previous photo for new design.

All,

It is air exhaust/dump valve for our suspension system and located/accessable where Gary L stated above.  After releasing all the system air in tanks, I was able to remove and clean valve as David L suggested above.  Temporarily reassembled and tested for leaks - works and holds pressure... cycled dump valve many times to confirm proper operation.

I need to get some Permatex  High Temp thread sealant to complete the reassembly ... only have standard PTFE tape in my tool box.

Thanks for everyone's assistance.

R/Mark

52 minutes ago, DavidL said:

So the next test would be to ensure that no voltage is going to the solenoid.  Back track the wire until you find it's connector and disconnect it and check the bubbles again.  If the bubbles are coming out of the filter when no voltage, then the valve has an internal leak.  Might just be dirt that is keeping the valve from completely closing.  I would remove the filter and spray some carb cleaner.  Then cycle the valve a few times by applying 12 volts.....

David,

Thanks for the T/S procedures... I will give them a go tomorrow as it will help improve my knowledge on the system.  All else fails I can always order a new valve as you stated. 

R/Mark 

3 hours ago, DavidL said:

Are the bubbles coming out of a fitting or out of the exhaust filter?  hard to tell from the pic.

https://thmotorsports.com/2025846-firestone-airbags-rf-exhaust-valve-rf-exhaust-valve?utm_source=google&utm_medium=surfaces&utm_campaign=shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQiAv6yCBhCLARIsABqJTjbdz5b71AycPL_k1R8Af2GZoByvi5YBQr1fVNA-RGCsiIpdwPTgrrYaAniGEALw_wcB

David,

I went out and repeated the test to confirm.  The bubbles look to be coming out of the air filter (nose cone) see green circle below. 

I sprayed right at the base of the valve where the brass fitting protrudes and did not get any bubbles ... as I moved up ( to the left) to next joint that seems to be where leak is coming from.

Does this mean that internal valve has failed and air is escaping out the filter end? Are the filter ends reusable? or is that another part I need to order along with the exhaust valve?

I take it that the valve unit is housed in the silver colored bracket? 

I did not have right tools handy this afternoon to pull out screws/bolts and see if what Ivan stated above/directed me to was the correct part yet.... It looked correct and I made assumption that valve was encapsulated in the silver bracket.

Just to confirm - to replace the valve I need to bleed off full air system and not just rear tank before disconnecting the air line?

R/

Mark

6 hours ago, nyrngrz said:

I replied to your question via email but it looks like I can't just reply using email. Anyway, I have the RF170 and have been using the adhesive Fridge Fixer for at least 3 years without any problem whatsoever.

Tony

Tony,

Thanks for the input.  I had a couple others state the same thing on  another site.  So I will plan on going with fridge fixer to secure the doors.

R/

Mark