jacwjames

If you just bypass the black box to see if the fridge works I would think you would be OK but I would not let it connected that way for long.   Have fire extinguishers in hand!

I was able to reset my black box~3-4 times but finally realized I had a bigger problem and just threw in the towel.  I did contemplate having the Norcold fixed with the Amish unit but decided to go with a residential.  In my case not an easy decision due to the furnace under the fridge.  I was able to lower the furnace to the floor and gain enough room to install the Samsung.  Not an easy task but worth it in the long run

Good luck

My Norcold never really did perform well.  Fridge temps varied widely and I installed remote temp sensors to keep track of it.  We kept large freezer blocks frozen and would put them in the fridge it temps started to go down. 

Finally, while I was living in the coach when we were building our new house, the fridge starting shutting off.  I reset the recall box 3-4 times with a strong magnet, which only worked for a short period of time.  The last time I went back out to reset there was a dust that appeared so I assume the system actually did completely failed.  I unplugged and shut off the gas and never looked back.  To get by I used a small dorm type fridge.

Finally last year I took the time to install a Samsung residential.  Should have done that years ago considering how much spoiled food we threw away over the years besides the fire risk.

What color scheme do you have on your rig.  Mine is shades of green and black, called Verde. 

I was lucky, even though our rig was  a Florida repo it came will the complete set of manuals. 

So if you need some info let me know.  Over the last 10 years I've collected quite a bit of info on the various systems. 

Good luck

They may have been in the binder of all the info on the coach build if you still have it.

As a last resort you can try and call Monaco and see if they will send them to you, you'll have to have your VIN number. 

Here is a link the BASF site where you can find where to buy.

http://refinish.basf.us/where-to-buy/

I bought all 4 of the colors on my coach from a seller in Knoxville TN.  They were able to use the paint codes that Monaco provided me they matched perfect. 

Yes, understand but I'd hate for something to happen and have not said anything.

Last year as we were getting ready to sell our old house after moving into the new house I was working on getting it ready to sell.  For some reason one line of outlets was not working.  I isolated the circuit and started trouble shooting.  The first outlet in the string had a loose connection and had gotten very hot.  It did not kick the breaker.  I had never had this outlet out of the box since owning the house for +25 years. 

So you can see where I'm coming from. 

Electricity is something that I don't let slide.  A loose wire that may intermittently make a connection could create heat and heat leads to fire. 

I wired my own house and although I tried to make sure all connections were done correctly I had a couple that didn't make good contact which I found when I was testing all circuits.   In particular I had one that got hot enough to melt the tape and wire nut that failed ~6 months after moving in.  Although I didn't have to I put an AFCI outlet as the first point in each circuit (it is now code that you install an AFCI in the service panel that is not protected by a GFCI so essentially every circuit is protected), the AFCI did it's job and kicked the power.  When I traced the wires it was the ~4th junction box where I found the problem. 

Good luck

You should be able to find a part number on the make/model of the rim, from there you might have to call them to cross reference to get the dimensions to be able order the right balance master. 

Silly question, does anyone know of a RV manufacturer who installs these as an option new.  Seems to me that would be when to get a set.  The next set of tires I get for my coach will probably be the last so at this point it may not make sense to invest in a set consider I'd need 4 of them assuming I would only need 1 on each rear side.

I checked on new tires for my rig back in Feb but decided to hold off.  I got a price for Toyos out the door was a better price then what the motorhometires.com, this included balancing. 

I did inquire about balancing beads, which is what I use now but they did not recommend.  No real reason.   

When I had new tires installed on the front back 2009 they installed weighs using adhesive type, they didn't last a couple months before the fell off.  I actually found one set next to the coach after I parked it and the other side was already gone.  So I wouldn't use this type again.   Went with balancing beads in the back. 

I will still be looking for tires in a couple months, hope I can find fresh ones,   Not sure what the supply chain for tires is doing.  Are they running out or is inventory backing up???

The one issue with my awning, a One-Touch of Colorado, is that it is truly a piece of crap.  Soon after we got our coach we were at the fair grounds in Perry GA, I was sitting in the coach drinking coffee and scanning the news.  There was no wind but all of a sudden a big gust came and the awning bellowed (I pooed my pants), I ran up front and tried to retract the awning and it came in about 2/3rds of the way.  The support arm was bent.  I had to go get some big C-clamps and heavy piece of angle and was able to straighten enough to get it back in and then spent another day working on it after I got home.  Finally got it working as it should but learned our lesson, we really hardly use the awning because of this. 

So when I started having a continual problem with it retracting I looked for the cheapest easiest option to fix.  The repair I described worked, didn't have to run a larger wire, can't remember what size wire I had.  It extends and retracts pretty quickly.  When retracting it the awning climbs quickly and slaps close without a problem.

On my awning there were only 2 wires that came out of the coach that controlled the awning extend/retract function.

4 hours ago, Dale n Deb said:

By any chance did you take pics of these solution?

No pictures

I have a One Touch Carefree of Colorado awning and was having the same problem.  It had a bayonet type connector on the outside of the coach that was the problem, I continually had to disconnect and connect.  I would clean the contacts but to no avail, they relied on a weak spring action & small contact surface.  It was not a good design.  I called Carefree to try and buy a new one but the part was obsolete, I asked what they currently use and they said it was direct wired into the coach. 

I looked for an alternate type connector and couldn't find one of the correct size and/or looked any better then what i had. 

So I improvised.  I took both halves of the connector off the rig and I essentially just drilled through the two halves gutting out the contacts out.   I then used simple push together type connectors, alternating male female on both sides to keep the wires sorted out.  I then made a compression type seal on the outer connector using rubber electrical tape, so that when I screwed the end back on it made a water tight fit.  I mounted the halve back on to the outside of the coach using a silicone sealer to keep it water tight. 

I did this change about 5 1/2 years ago and have never had another problem.  The awning worked faster going out and in. 

My coach does not have (or at least I hadn't found any) outlet type GFCI plugs.  All my GFCI's are built into the breakers themselves.  

I would check both legs of the power coming in to confirm that the transfer switch and main service panel are working.   I would then suggest testing voltage at each circuit breaker to make sure they are passing power.   If you eliminate all of this then it indicates it is a problem with an individual circuit, which you should be able to identify.  You will have to check power from the panel to the first outlet and then work you way down the chain.  It could be a loose wire  (neutral or hot) on a plug and/or wire nut.  

I built and wired my own house and even though I took pains to make sure everything was done correctly I still found a couple individual outlets or circuits with problems.  In most cases it was a wire nut issue.

Back in 2011 I had to move to Northern Michigan at the end of March for a new job, I lived in my coach until Sept.  I knew there would be cold temps, had temps into the low teens and got 2' of snow in April.   Prior to leaving TN I rigged up some heat lamps and small cube heater using a thermostatically controlled plug in the basement.   It comes on at 39F and off 54F. 

https://www.lowes.com/pd/EasyHeat-Freeze-Free-Pipe-Heat-Cable-Controller/1060249

I left the web bay heater on and could monitor when it was coming on from the display panel.    I actually used a halogen type work light that was weather resistant and had a hook on the end, I was able to suspend it from the ceiling in the water pump bay which also housed the water manifold and piping.   This type of light throws off a lot of heat but you can get different watt bulbs to suit your needs. 

I also mounted 2 remotes in the basement to monitor temps.  I figured the coldest location would be on the back side of the water tank opposite the wet bay and put on there.  I knew if it stayed above 32F the rest of the area was good to go. 

One issue I had was that I only had two 20 amp outlets for power, I dedicated one for the basement heating using a separate extension cord and then one to the house.  I ran a small radiant heater in the house.  I only used propane on an emergency basis as I didn't want to have to go out to refill.  Some mornings I'd get up and it would be ~35F in the coach.  Fun Times 😀

I installed them 2013 but was still working, last trip we took was in Oct 2015, then started clearing property and been build my wife a house for the last 3 years, besides doing a 7 month consulting gig in 2017.   I try to take care of them but they haven't really been heavily used.  But I know I will have to replace sooner then later.

Still would like to figure out what is going on with the charging/electrical system.   Hate to put new batteries in with some sort of sporadic parasitic drain.

Yes, I have a clamp on amp meter, its an older analog model but still works.  I started checking amp draws last year.   I did find a high parasitic draw with the salesman switch on, never tried to really pin point, just turned the salesman switch off and at the time solved my problem.  I also saw that the inverter does have a draw even when it is off.  But before my solar was able to keep up even with the inverter off. 

I checked the batteries charge just a little while ago, it was 100% and today it is overcast.  So it's been ~4 days where its stayed at 100% after I had it plugged in and got the batteries to 100%. 

I checked all  the battery cells last year with a hydrometer when I first realized I had a problem.   The system seemed to be working fine all through the winter, even with limited daylight hours. 

I may take the time to check each solar panel, I did this several years ago and they were working as design.  Last time I waited for a full sun, high noon, and covered 2 of the 3 panels and recorded the voltage and amperage, then added the amps up to see what the max charge capacity was.  At the time, from memory, it was +15 amps, which seemed about right for 325 watt solar. 

Not ruling out this as an issue though as the batteries are 7 years old but when I installed a Samsung last year and while testing it I decided to see how long the batteries would work.  It was very hot out and the fridge was empty so essentially worse case scenario.  The batteries were still +50% of charge after more then 8 hours so from that I figured the batteries weren't a problem.    I am considering adding more solar and new batteries, not sure if I can afford lithium though.  Maybe there will be some price reductions with current economics. 

What confuses me is why it work fine for several months and then quit working.    I'll continue to monitor and see if I can identify the problem.  For the time being not planning on any trips but would like to have the coach ready if/when I decide to do some traveling.

Thanks for the reply

Started having this problem last year.  In the past my 325 solar would keep the batteries up even if unplugged and the salesman switch was in the ON position.  Then last year if the salesman switch was left on, eventually the batteries would drain.  I checked connections and batteries, which appeared to be good.  I started checking loads and did notice a high drain on the house side with salesman switch on, even with everything turned off.  So I shut the salesman switch off which solved the problem for the time being.  I checked the battery levels often and they were holding a charge and it appeared the solar was able to keep up, this was even through winter when there were less day light hours.

About 3 weeks ago I decided to dewinterize the coach, I put out the bedroom slide out to have access to the washer and dryer.  I then filled the water tank with a bleach solution to sanitize, running the water pump to fill the lines.  I then closed the slide and shut the salesman switch off.  Over the next couple weeks I checked the batteries every couple days and noticed they were not charging and slowly draining, even with the longer daylight hours.  It appeared from the solar display that it was putting out ~+14 volts to the batteries but the amps seem to be low.  I finally relented about 4 days ago and switched the power on the coach to fully charge the batteries. 

Yesterday, the batteries were at 100%.  I drained all the water from the system and refilled with fresh water and then ran the water pump to flush each leg of the piping.  While I was doing this I did notice that when I was running the pump the solar amps did increase, I guess compensating for the load I was applying to the batteries.  When I was done the batteries were still at 95% based on the inverter panel and the solar display was showing +14 volts charging with slight higher amps. 

Haven't checked on the batteries today.

What would be causing the solar charging system to work and then not work keeping the batteries up even with the salesman switch off.   Any suggestions on what to look for.  I understand there is a better load monitor that I could install to monitor my usage, any suggestions on make/model.  I thought I had saved a file on this but can't find it. 

I just checked on a set of 6 Toyo tires 2 weeks ago, 295/80/22.5 from a local shop here in Knoxville TN.  They wanted ~$3400 out the door, so $567 each.   There is another shop near Seiverville TN that I had gotten a quote from ~3 months ago when I was looking at buying a set that was about the same price.  They all pull from a central warehouse in Knoxville so what I am looking for is the best price but also fresh tires.

With all the uncertainty right now I've decided to wait since I won't be going anywhere in the very near future.   I'll get tires later this summer, they may be cheaper if the economy doesn't recover but I'll have to make sure the date codes are good.

6 hours ago, Dr4Film said:

 

It wasn't Josam's as Barry doesn't do repair work on engines. However it was Barry who suggested i go to Action Mobile not far down the road from Josam's. I have been there twice now and the owner, John, used to own a Class A coach so he is familiar with them. Plus his tech's are top notch guys.

Good to know there's some honest shops out there. 

Richard,

I assume it was Josam's???   The price for the manifold change was good, their labor price per hour is low. 

There was a Dynasty owner on IRV2 who paid $1200 for parts and they did a flat $2500 for labor, plus tax etc he was approaching $4K. 

Running the wire was fairly easy since there are already numerous openings for power, water and sewer piping.  I had mounted the first monitor in the small bay next to the wet bay, this is where I store the power cord so it made sense to put it there.  I then just ran the wire across that bay and through wall to the opposite side of the wet bay where a drain line for the small sink is.  I was able to fish it up under the vanity.  Then just drilled a small hole through the face of the vanity and mounted the display.   Scale of 1-10 it was a 1. 

Some people have reported that the 2nd screen with the bright red display can be a distraction if it is out in the open.  So I mounted my second display in the bathroom below the counter level on the front of the vanity so it is in plain site while I'm using the facilities.    It gets checked at least once a day 😁

Hopefully another Executive owner will chime in. 

In a lot of cases Monaco installed wiring during construction in anticipation of adding options etc.   I know I have wiring terminated in different areas which I assume was intalled for options that I do not have.   Do you have copies of your wiring diagrams, the wiring may be shown on the diagram as to where they terminate.  You might also go on line and look at other Executives for sale and see if they show pictures of the display.