jacwjames

Over the years I've had several ABS light issues. This last year the ABS light stayed on the whole time. I went to retrieve the ABS codes and the button did not seem engage properly and I couldn't pull the codes. This had happen before so I pulled the whole diagnostic board off and put on a workbench. In the past I could used compressed air and blow the button while I press it and that would solve my problem. Well not this time. Pulled the board off again and this time I pulled the face of the button off, underneath there is a small spring plate with 4 legs that actually make contact with the board and initiate the diagnostic sequence. I took the spring plate and slightly bent the 4 legs to elevate it off the board more. That solved my problem. BTW, the diagnostic board is not available anymore. A couple places, like NW RV Supply, offer a rebuild option but if they can't fix your board you are up a creek without a paddle. Also, on mine the instructions say to press the button for less then two seconds. I learned the hard way when I screwed up and held the button in too long and it went into Dyno mode. Took me a while to figure out what was wrong and how to get it back out. So follow the instructions closely.

Yes, that may work unless the EMS has some sort of logic that doesn't let it work if it senses no load at all. This would be the ultimate KISS solution. If some one is brave enough they could give a try. The EMS board does have some protections built in. When I installed my upgrade I made a mistake on the wiring and when I plugged it in it didn't work at all. Had to start from scratch, figure out what I did wrong and made the correction. No harm to the system.

Agree, as long as they are L1 & L2 separate lines.

The one problem with bypassing the EMS on a circuit that you intend to use, an AC unit, there still may be a problem with shedding. If I'm not mistaken the EMS senses total load being used and when you exceed the 30 Amps it will start shedding loads until it drops below the 30 amp level. So even if you bypass one AC unit it may move to the next one to shed load to get below 30 AM. On my coach the loads that are controlled by the EMS are Front & Rear AC, Water Heater, and Washer/dryer. I can easily control the Water heater by turning it off, same with the Washer and dryer. If I leave both AC's they both may run depending on total load but usually one will run all the time. If for some reason I am using more power and say I microwave something, the AC may shut off. Even if you bypass the EMS with the one AC unit it will run all the the time and the other may or may not run depending on total load. But if you are using more power there may be a chance you overload the 30 amp and the breaker may trip. The only way to get both AC to run is to completely bypass the main service panel that provides power to one AC.

The previous owner of my coach did something a little different. On the bedroom AC unit he rewired the circuit and added a standard outlet to supply power to the AC unit and put a plug on the AC unit feed wire. By doing this I can run an extension cord in through the window and plug in the AC unit completely bypassing the coaches electrical panel. The EMS doesn't even know the AC unit is running. Pretty cheap solution that you can use anytime you are at a site with only 30 amp provided they have a standard 20 amp plug available also.

The power for each of the circuits controlled by the EMS will not work if you remove the neutral. The easiest thing to do is simply bypass the EMS board. Take the in & out wire for each circuit an wire nut them together. Each circuit will then work. Just mark each wire so you know where they go. I normally use tape also with a wire nut just as added protection from the nut coming loose. My EMS was taken out by a lightening strike, I wanted at least one AC unit to work so I bypassed the EMS board. Had to replace the board and load meter with a new version which required rewiring with new wiring harnesses. Not a bad job, just have to follow the directions.

I have the drain pans that collect the condensate and drain it through tubing to he ground so it doesn't down the side of the coach. I had been having a problem with the rear AC leaking occasionally but late last year I had a leak develop in the front. Here's a post I started when trying to find the 2 gaskets. I included some pictures toward the end. If you have a main duct in the ceiling it is probably better to cut the duct open and cut the foil tape loose before trying to lift the AC off of it, you'll have to cut it anyway to reattach the AC unit and seal it up. Someone had lifted the AC prior to me working on it and they did not do a good job of sealing everything up, I am sure I had a bad recirculation problem. Also, if you have a source for the closed cell type foam you can make your own gasket, just have to use the correct glue to put them together. I paid +$120 for both sets of gasket and drain pans.

OK, understand how it works now. Shouldn't be too bad to remove. I'll try and rig up some sort of strap to catch it as it comes off. Thanks

I don't have rivets so did some internet searches and found a post on the Beaver forum that says that on theirs there was one screw at the top. Take the screw out and then the whole lock system pushes up. It is somehow keywayed onto screw heads that hold in place. I went out and looked and sure enough, at the top of the lock there is one screw you can see. I haven't tried to remove it yet, waiting on warmer weather. Once I do I'll post my results. Here's a picture of the hole slide lock, you can see that there are no rivets and one screw at the top.

If yours has the small rivets I've read the best option is to just drill them out, pull the covers off, clean and lube and then put the covers back in using a rivet like this item number 90137A319 Push-In Rivets, Pin-Lock Shank, for 0.16"- 0.28" Material Thickness From McMaster and Carr. I tried to find an alternate source without success. This is a pack of 50, total cost with shipping was ~$24. I ordered before I even looked at my locks.

I want to do some maintenance on my Dewald Slide out lock. In the past I just sprayed some super lube aerosol lubricant down the top of the slide lock. I would like to take the cover off and thoroughly clean, inspect, and lubricate the mechanism but I can figure out how to get the cover off. I've seen photos of the lock and they had small rivets holding the cover on. In my case there are no rivets, how do you get the cover off???? Thanks in advance

I never had an opportunity to meet Bill personally but corresponded with him on many occasions with questions about my coach. He was always more then willing to answer questions and provide knowledge, which I greatly appreciated. The RV community will greatly miss his knowledge and willingness to help, and so will I. RIP

What am I missing, I read both the Biobor MD & MJ and both discuss preventing/killing algae but do not say they breakdown the dead algae. Startron specifically says "Star Tron breaks down excess water and sludge to sub-micron size, allowing it to be safely burned away during normal engine operation." Wish we had a StarTron representative as a member to provide some comments. I use a combination of the Biobor MJ and Startron. I don't use every tank if I am running it on long trips but will make sure to use it about every 3rd tank full and definitely when I am going to park my rig for a period of time. I also use Diesel Kleen for lubricity. Circumstances had my rig parked for +4 years (yes I said +4 years) with a full tank of fuel treated with both Biobor and Startron. I was getting it ready to travel early last year so I started to siphon fuel out for my tractor. Never did get to go anywhere but siphoned 85 gallons off and never did see any signs of algae or water. Took it on a long hard run and filled it back up adding both Startron and Biobor. So I think I'll continue to do what I do unless someone can convince me otherwise.

I bought the ribbon LED lights with the adhesive tape on the back. I removed the entire light, completely gutted it of all the electronic. I then thoroughly washed the metal housing and then used acetone to clean the surface good where the lights would be attached. The lights can be cut at regular intervals, there is marking on the ribbon where to cut. I then bought some connectors that simply snapped across one end of the light making sure the positive and negative were correctly oriented. From there I simply wired the ends through the switches connecting the power supply to all the switches. This is similar to what I bought https://www.ebay.com/itm/16FT-5M-Bright-Cool-White-5M-300Leds-Flexible-SMD-5050-Led-Strip-Light-Lamp-12V/123772196047?epid=14004348850&hash=item1cd165d4cf:g:0PcAAOSwgkZc35vn Here are the ends https://www.ebay.com/itm/10X-LED-STRIP-LIGHT-CONNECTOR-SMD-5050-5630-SINGLE-2-WIRE-10MM-PCB-BOARD-ADAPTER/293956058993?hash=item4471257f71:g:1nYAAOSwKtFgAQQP I bought a simple round on/off switch to add the light but this isn't necessary unless you wants some control how much light you get from each light fixture.

I replaced all my fluorescent lights with LED. I bought a couple 15 ft rolls with connectors. I also wanted some flexibility so I added a second switch on each light. I pulled the light out, stripped it of all the electrics and cleaned it good. Put in 3 strips of LED lights wiring the outer two to the original strip and the middle to the new switch. Once I confirmed the final results I would remove 3 at a time and rehab them. When I was done I could have 1, 2, 3, or no LED strips providing light meaning I had lots of flexibility. Total cost to do all the fluorescent lights was less then $100.

I bought a simple voltage monitor/display that plugs into the front cigarette lighter so that when I walk into the coach I can see what status the chassis battery is. The only other way I have to check it is the solar display that shows charging amps or voltages from house or chassis but this monitor is as convenient to look at. If your solar is working properly it should keep up with the battery charging provided you have the disconnects off unless you have a decent amount of solar, not parked under any shade, and live where the sun shines a lot. If I don't shut off my salesman switch my 335 watt of solar won't keep up. I usually check it every other day. If we have a period of cloudy days the batteries start getting low and I have to shut off the main disconnects. Relying on solar isn't the best option. When was the last time you cleaned your solar panels. I've had to replace my chassis battery twice, the first time it was 4 years after we bought the coach so I don't know if it was original. I was in Northern Michigan with limited choices to buy, bought a one from a chain type automotive store (there brand) and it only lasted 2 years. Bought a Duracell about 6 years ago from Batteries Plus and it's still going strong.

When I first bought my rig I took it to Cummins for a complete service and inspection. It passed with flying colors. Then went on a trip to AK and when I returned I did another service on it as I clocked 15K miles. When I pulled the fuel filter I found it was almost clogged with a black slime. The dreaded Algae. I know at work, when mothballing equipment they recommended using a biocide and the maintenance department used Biobor. So that's what I started using. Problem with just using the Biobor is that it kills the dead algae but it accumulates in the tank. More research lead me to start using Startron, an enzyme that breaks down the dead algae. I haven't had a problem since, that's been 11 years. I would make sure to use both in a full fuel when I know I won't be using the coach for a while. Back in 2017 we started building our new house and knew there was no way I'd be able to use the coach since I was the general contractor on the house and was going to be doing as much of the work myself. So I made sure the fuel was full and treated with both Biobor and Startron. I only drove the coach a couple times to get propane and move it to the new house location where I actually stayed in it for ~1 year, again only moving it periodically. Fast forward to early 2000, (yup didn't use the coach during this time), and due to the virus knew I wasn't going to use the coach so I started pulling fuel from the tank to use in my tractor. I was able to pull 85 gallons over a ~6 month period, always watching the condition of the fuel and found no signs of algae or contamination. Finally took the coach for a long run and filled the coach back up with no adverse affects, yes I went back with doses of Biobor and Startron. You should probably do some research on how to change the fuel filters. Getting stuck on the side of the road ain't fun. I carry a couple sets of filters and can change myself just in case.

Back years ago during the Monaco bankruptcy the website used by dealers was left open and accessible, there was a post of the link on IRV2. It peaked my interest and ultimately found that I could find all the parts pages form my 2002 Windsor and spent a couple days scouring the site and downloading the ones I thought useful. The parts pages had both the Monaco part number and sometimes the OEM part number. Using the Monaco part number is usually not successful but in the past the OEM part number can usually lead me in the right direction to find a part but this is getting more difficult with time. Recently I was helping a poster on the IRV2 site find the hinge pieces for the bay doors. I had to replace 3 of mine back in 2013 but had to go through Monaco to get the part number and part. I provided this info to the poster, he actually went to the REV website which does have a parts lookup and was able to buy a 14' piece of the hinge for ~$100 with shipping. This peaked my interest so I went to the REV parts site, randomly picked some of my parts pages (which can consist of multiple parts numbers) and checked some Monaco part numbers. I was able to find everyone. Some are in stock, some provided lead time once order is place, a couple were obsolete. The old part # is listed as legacy with the new REV part number provided. Here is a link to one I looked up https://parts.revgroup.com/item-detail?itemId=48306&organizationId=9 It is good to know the REV does have this info archived and may be able to help. I have +100 parts pages, most of them have multiple parts listed. The dash parts page has +25 parts listed for all the gauges. So if you have any of the old Monaco part numbers there is hope.

Back about ~6-7 years ago my coach was sitting in the driveway and I'd have to walk by it to leave. One day I caught a whiff of propane, the next day the same thing. So I got out a spray bottle of soapy water and fount the 2-stage regulator was leaking. The original regulator was a Marshal 290 which was obsolete, I was able to find he original spec sheet. Made a couple calls to RV shops near me, they didn't stock a compatible one. The original was a 2-stage which allows for higher capacity and helps in higher elevations. Since I had furnace, fridge, cook top, and water heater I didn't want to take and shortcuts. I ended up finding a replacement, Marshall Excelsior MEGR-298 Horizontal Two-Stage Propane, on Ebay for ~$26. I believe there is a parts page in the files for this that I had sent to Fred White to post.

My slide makes a clicking sound when it reaches the end of the stroke when I either extend or retract. I believe there is some of clutch type system that allows it to slip. I anticipate this while I'm moving the slide in or out and release the button just as it get to the end of the stroke. In the past this has been discussed I believe this is normal for my type of slide but I'll be monitoring this post to see if it may be something else. Attached is a parts breakdown for my slide, which may be the same as yours. 1 Slideout Bedroom mechanism.pdf

I have read that the old style coolant level sensor could cause a problem of not reading correctly. Solution was to remove sensor, use a scotchbrite pad to clean the crud off of it and reinstall. Not sure if this applies to your engine coolant system or not. The old style sensor was mounted into the top of the surge tank down into the coolant. I believe it is a 1 wire sensor that senses that the coolant is at the correct level and is grounded through the chassis. I think if you unplug the sensor and take it ground & the light goes out that would solve your problem. Maybe someone else can chime in.

When we bought our coach in 2008, we got a heck of deal. But we had to sell our Class C during the recession. It was neither a seller or buyer market. I sold it myself, first listing it on Craigslist, which was a mistake. The company I had worked for was kind enough to let me park it on their property next to a high traffic road. Got lots of calls, some lookers but no takers for a while. The mechanic that I use, and who had worked on my Class C's engine and transmission knew I was selling. He also knew I took decent care of my coach, brought his parents to come and look at it and they wrote me a check on the spot. I didn't get what it might have been worth prior to the recession but I got a fair price. So selling now and being able to wait to buy would make sense if you can do that.

Slightly different circumstances during the "Great Recession" there was a huge swing in the supply/demand curve. People had purchased coaches prior to the bubble bursting and were desperate to get rid of them. A lot of people lost their coaches. It was a spiral as more coaches were for sale prices were driven down. Manufacturers, including Monaco, suffered the consequences with many going bankrupt. We had been looking to upgrade from our Class C, had actually been looking for years. Over that period of time we visited many dealerships and looked at both new and used coaches so we had a good idea what we liked and didn't like, and what was a quality coach and what wasn't. In late 2008 I happen to see a listing for a coach in Florida as I was driving my parents from WI to FL for the winter. After dropping them off my wife and I decided to stop and look at the coach. It was a beautiful coach and an unbelievable price (~50% off NADA) and was being offered by a company that moved coaches for the bank as they were repo'd. He buy a repo and flip it fast (his comment was that he'd rather make two fast nickles the one long dime) . We drove back to TN and I thought about the coach and finally pulled the trigger in early Dec, did a wire transfer down payment, and picked up the coach the next week. I think what happened in 2008/9 could happen in the coming years as the supply/demand curve are upset with the impact of the current market caused by Covid. I have been looking at used prices and in some cases I see some unrealistic prices and have read of stories of long lead times on new coaches and people purchasing used for premium prices. IMHO the bubble will burst again, and who knows, I may be waiting in the sidelines to pick up a nice coach for a great deal. I own a 2002 Windsor 38KPD but just finished a 40X50' garage just in case we get lucky. BTW, I also was a victim of the 2008 recession, the day I wired my down payment for the coach I was notified that the mining complex I was working for would be shutting down. Luckily I made sure to have an emergency fund. With the spare time we made a trip to Alaska.

I just looked at the manual for Xantrex inverter, there are installation instructions that include a decent wiring schematic showing the entire system including the generator, transfer switch and shore power along with the 120 volt circuit panels. I'd suggest you look at the make/model inverter you are looking to install and see what it has on installation instructions.

If you take your rig to Cummins to have the codes read have them download the programming of the ECM onto a CD & paper copy. If something does happen to your ECM the record can be used to program a new new one. As previously mentioned, Cummins should be able to download the codes which should help lead you in the right direction to fix your problem.