wamcneil

If you replace the amp with a Samsung home theater, the Samsung TV remote will control both systems seamlessly (when linked via the HDMI cable). Samsung calls this “AnyNet”, but it works over a standard HDMI based communication protocol called HDMI-CEC. Both units turn on/off together, and the tv automatically knows audio is being handled by the home theater unit. I’ve got a Samsung compact ‘home theater in a box’ Blu-ray (HT-H4500 I think?) with Samsung TV. It all works very smoothly together. This setup worked with the 10-yr old (NOT-smart) Samsung TV that came with the motorhome and also the new one I replaced it with last Black Friday I believe you can get some (if not all) of that functionality through standard HDMI-CEC interface between various brands of components, but I've never tried it personally. It may be easier and more transparent between a Samsung TV and other Samsung components. Cheers Walter

Ok, so I've got this about ready to reassemble, but I'm having some 2nd thoughts. Could use some advice... At this point, I could put up a layer of 1/8" doorskin, and then foam/vinyl. But that might be a tremendous PITA and I'm wondering if there's a better way. First question is: why is there 3/4" plywood overhead in this section? It looks like the panel to the rear of it is 1-1/2" foam board with doorskin glued to the bottom face, and then foam/vinyl. This forward-most section is 3/4" foam, then 3/4" plywood, 1/8" doorskin and then foam/vinyl. I suspect that the 3/4" plywood is there to support the original heavy CRT TV and cabinetry. But now I've got a much lighter lcd TV and the TV cabinet has been cut back so it's almost flush with the adjacent cabinets. And I can hang the TV cabinet on the 2x2 steel tube running across just in front of the plywood. So I'm wondering if I could just remove the 3/4" plywood altogether and replace it with 3/4" foam. I figure it will be much easier to glue together 3/4" foam board, doorskin, then foam/vinyl on the workbench, and then install the ensemble all together. If I leave the plywood in place, I'm afraid I'll need to work overhead and install each piece separately. So what do y'all think? Is the 3/4" plywood there for any reason other than to support the TV cabinet? Thanks, Walter

Impressive!

Hi all, Couple-years ago my coolant reservoir was cracked and I couldn't find a reasonably-priced replacement, so I fixed it with epoxy. While I wasn't super-excited about trying to fix the poly tank with epoxy it has held up so far (not being pressurized...). Anyway, in the course of fixing my AH filler neck and searching for a new pressurized coolant tank, I came across this 6-qt reservoir: 6 Quart Natural Multi Purpose Tank with Mounting Tabs - 8.62" L x 4.17" W x 15.29" Hgt. (2.25" Neck) | U.S. Plastic Corp. That really looks like the original tank to me! Minus the AH logo... Might need to transfer the overflow tube. Maybe this is one for the parts list??? Cheers, Walter

I read a article in a boating magazine that also recommended this approach. Cheers Walter

I can vouch for this configuration. My rig came stock with two group 31s in parallel. Cheers Walter

Brilliant!

Ok, now it makes sense. Somebody mentioned a repair kit using heat-shrink. He’s using some kind of Uber-shrink instead of trying to get a hose clamp down in there. If I ever wind up clamping to that pipe, I’ll use an elbow hose to turn it horizontal and use a remote filler cap outboard where it can be. accessed by human hands! cheers Walter

Just a follow-up. The radiator cap brass filler neck is soldered to the top edge of a 1-1/2" OD steel tube coming out the top of the AH tank. Just the very top edge of the tube is soldered to the filler neck. It's not like the filler has a sleeve that fits down tight into the pipe and is soldered securely. It's just perched atop the tube and is soldered to the edge of the pipe only. This solder joint had cracked. Very little coolant was escaping, but the crack mainly allowed air to seep into the tank when cooling. So coolant gets pushed out to the overflow reservoir, and then air gets sucked back into the AH tank. I don't see any practical way to "fix" this with the AH in place, so I've plugged the tube with a 1-3/8" rubber expanding radiator test plug like Ivan did (1-3/8" is nominal. actual OD ~1.25"). My first attempt was to put a 1-1/8" test plug down through the filler neck and plug it with the filler neck in place, but that was a disaster. Plug got stuck in there and I couldn't get it back out. Thankfully I was able to pry up on the filler neck and get it to pop clean off the top of the tube. Presently I'm running the system unpressurized, and I think this would probably work just fine. But I have ordered a 2.5 L pressurized coolant reservoir and plan to put this in place of the original overflow bottle. My system displaces about 2-1/4 L between hot and cold, so I think this tank will suffice. The new tank has a pressure cap on it, so the overflow hose from the AH to the tank will be pressurized and I'll run a new 5/16" coolant hose for it. I do remember reading a thread where somebody got a short piece of radiator hose over the tube to extend it up and put a filler on the other end of the hose. I think this might be a 'better' fix, but I figure the top housing of the AH would need to be cut back to make room for the hose clamp and a tool to tighten it. Which I think would be a nightmare in this confined space... Looks like the newer AHs have a tube that extend higher than mine (mine is flush with the top of the housing). In that case, the hose repair would be a LOT easier. So, if you've got a leaking filler neck, don't despair. It's not that bad. Cheers, Walter

Where are the speakers located? Are they up close to the front? (Dash radio) or are they back towards the middle of the coach (surround sound for home theater) cheer Walter

Are you sure quickserve is giving the wrong P/N? Cummins seems to supersede parts pretty frequently. Entirely possible that your old part has been replaced at least once. Cheers Walter

Very nice!

Got my plug ordered! Thanks again

Thanks Ivan. That’s exactly what I need. I thought of trying to make some kind of hollow expanding bung like that, but I didn’t realize I could buy a ready-made test plug! How easily did your cap come off? Since there’s already a crack started, I wonder if I can work it up and down gently to get it off altogether. Thanks Walter

I can't remember if it was on this forum or irv2, but I remember somebody mentioning they had a leak at the filler neck and somehow pulled the top off of the tube, then used hose and hose clamps to joint the two. Would that be practical to do without pulling the AH out?

Well, my saga continues... and I think I have the same problem as this... After a number of cycles, coolant accumulates in the surge tank and then there's no overflow when the unit heats up. Apparently it's leaking a little around the filler neck and pulling in air as it cools. Eventually the level stabilizes with about 1/2 gallon of air in the heater tank when cold. I can see a little seepage at the radiator neck as it heats up. Apparently coolant leaks out of the crack slower than the air is pulled back in, so some of the ejected coolant just stays in the overflow bottle each time the unit cools. Ivan, what did you do about your leak? Unfortunately I don't think I have any better access than you do... it's really hard to even get a good look at the neck. Looks like there's a vertical tube coming up from the tank, and filler neck is brazed to that? I don't think I'm willing to pull the AH out to fix this. Is there any harm in leaving the tank 1/2 gallon low? Apparently it burps out the air as it heats up and then is pretty much full when the unit is up to temperature. Thanks, Walter

Hi John, What does this mean? "1-Took my steering and ignition key. Can’t find a replacement ignition switch. Monaco said I need to replace the whole steering column". Sounds like you're saying the keys are missing, but later said you can start the rig??? Cheers, Walter

Right after we bought our 2003 we went to a big RV show in Houston. We were new to RVing. I was a little nervous and figured I’d leave there wishing I’d bought something else (ie newer). But I was pleasantly surprised to find it took a new $400k rig to make me jealous! Cheers Walter

Definitely. I wish I had a nice snow picture to post... We got some light snow new years eve, but not enough to cover he ground.

Hmmm... I don't know about you... but I'm free to choose whatever kind of phone I want. Except maybe that old 90's bag phone that doesn't work with modern digital networks... 😷 I could even choose no phone at all if I wanted. Imagine how tightly restricted are those Juitterbug Senior phones! Still, I think it's a good phone for my mom. She's not an android developer. Maybe I could learn to be an android developer and make my own custom phone OS! Nah... I think I'll keep using an off-the-shelf phone for time being. Even if Apple won't allow me to program it to drive my RV. I work for a software company, which gives me a heightened appreciation for the stability and sustainability that come with a tightly curated environment. It's not about The Man getting all up in your grille and killing the fun. (of course it also has a lot to do do with apple locking other vendors out and squeezing high-margin revenue out of their users, but that's another rant...) Just out of curiosity... what are you doing with your phone that isn't allowed on an iphone? Cheers, Walter

Yeah. Thank goodness we’ve made it through 2020 and all the COVID craziness hasn’t devolved into anarchy (yet...). I’ve got a stockpile of food just in case... Happy new year! Walter

Good point. I forgot about potential assassination threats. I'll need to make sure my security team has a contingency plan for that. 🤪 Maybe Tesla will push out a software update with a hidden 'Secret Service' mode!

Right?!?!!?!? What's up with that danged automatic traction control BS??? Every time I turn it off and try to slide into a ditch, it turns itself back on and prevents the car from spinning out of control and rolling onto the roof. Last year the wife squarely tagged a big fallen rock, instantly blew a tire and the dang German POS didn't even veer off and smash into the hillside, much less flip over, like God intended. Oh, how I long for the good ol' days... cars of the '70s and '80s when any sharp maneuver would cause the car to fishtail back and forth uncontrollably until the car finally spins, landing high-centered on a median. 😉 Ah, yes... that was truly a better era. And don't get me started about automatic braking systems... every time I try and give the car in front a little 'love tap' the electronic nannies step in and spoil my fun. 🤬

Now that you've placed the order... Here's a 3-wire rotary dimmer that might fit in your existing trim panel. Amazon.com: 12 Volt DC Dimmer for LED, Halogen, Incandescent - RV, Auto, Truck, Marine, and Strip Lighting - Short Shaft - Black: Automotive I looked at these back when I upgraded the lights and they were a lot more expensive... so I elected to experiment with the bulbs instead.

Here’s an article explaining the various types of 12v dimmer. http://www.rv-project.com/gear/dimmers2.php When I replaced the halogen lights, the dimmer circuits flickered horribly. And I couldn’t find a direct replacement for the 3-wire dimmer. Without easy access to the lamp wiring inside the panels, it wasn’t practical to change the configuration to suit a new dimmer. So I went through several LED bulbs before finding some that work acceptably with the old dimmer. I still get a little flicker at very low level, but otherwise works great. I also found that if I left one halogen in the circuit, so it might with to put a resistor in parallel with the load to smooth the output. Cheers Walter