Roger 2006 HR Endeavor PDQ

The MS is coming soon. If you are thinking about attending, then I urge you to act quickly. To register go to our website, ramblinpushers.org. You will find a large, blue box that provides information about this year's MS. A link to the Registration Form (a fillable .pdf) is in the second line of text. I suggest that you open the Registration form, fill it out, and save it with your name as the file name. If you are using a credit card for payment DO NOT PROVIDE YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBER. Instead, put an X in the box that asks our treasurer, Dick Hohorst, to call you for the number. Once processed your CC number will not be saved. If you wish to save $10 on registration, you may pay by check when you go to the MS office to check in. The $10 discount covers the CC processing fee.

The dates of the MS are:
   May 3, Early Parking Day
   May 4, Arrival Day
   May 5, MS Day 1 (Opening Day)
   May 10, MS Day 6 (Last Day) Closing Dinner
   May 11, MS Day Departure Day

Our program of seminars and sessions offers something for everyone--technical seminars, non-technical activities, craft classes, and much more.

Diesel Pushers and Super-C motorhomes of any manufacturer are welcome. Come to the Elkhart County 4H Fairgrounds for a great event. There are many 50 amp full hookup sites available.

If you have questions, please call me. My phone number and email are below.

Roger Smalley, Ramblin' Pushers President
618-593-5352
rogersmalley17@gmail.com

On 8/8/2022 at 10:00 AM, Tom Cherry said:

I have spent an hour or 2 yesterday looking at new replacement units. Price seems to be in the $200+ range. Chris Throgmartin suggested the Progressive brand. Other brands seem to be similar quality, some with plastic boxes others metal. I found several reviews but these seem to be a little inconclusive.

Tom,

I have the Progressive LCHW50 EMS. I learned about it on one of the RV forums and ordered on right away. But the EMS protects the coach from bad pedestal power in the park or a power surge. It is great! I just now checked Progressive's website and find only EMS devices in several configurations and power sources (30 or 50 Amp). None are described as including a transfer switch. I am puzzled as to why Chris Throgmartin would include that brand in a discussion of ATSs. 

The other brands mentioned all appear to be reliable ATS units. That said, if you don't have an EMS there are several available on the market. Our Progressive EMS has been in our '06 HR Endeavor since we bought it in 2015. Never had a failure if you don't count the damage done to the EMS by a nearby lightening strike (a super power surge) that damaged the transfer relay which was replaced free of charge by Progressive.

Roger Smalley
2006 HR Endeavor PDQ

Carol never liked the curtains in the cockpit of our 2006 Endeavor. Opening and closing them required leaning across the dash. They were susceptible to damage if caught in an open window or door.

Sooo, when visiting the Tampa RV Supershow in January 2022 we stopped by the MCD booth and asked about cockpit shades for our 2006 Endeavor. We had some questions and the MCD reps had some questions. By the time we left the booth we both had a pretty good idea about what needed to be done. The "show special" pricing was 25 percent off regular catalog prices for the hardware; labor was $120 per hour. MCD has 5 50A hookups available to RV customers at no charge. In August we called to make an appointment for the installation. After attending the FMCA Convention in Lincoln, NE, we turned south and headed to McKinney, TX for a Sunday evening arrival. The next morning Bill Harrington, the sales manager we met at the Tampa show and two MCD technicians came out to plan the installation. They took very careful measurements. Within about 30 minutes we were called to the office to go over the price for the system. I reminded the Bill that we had met at the Tampa show and asked if the show price was still available. He said it was. That reduced the hardware price by about $500. 

The MCD factory produces about 3,000 shades per day.* On-site orders usually don't get into the production schedule until Wednesday. Bill's promise was that our job would be completed by 3:30P on Friday. As a pleasant surprise, the techs came out to our coach on Wednesday afternoon with our shades and their tools. They were able to remove all of the old curtains and tracks and trial fit the hardware. The next day they returned and finished the job. Now all of our windows have MCD shades, and I have a happy wife!

The bottom line for our project was a little less than $2,000 ($1,500 for hardware, about $500 for labor). We regarded it well spent.

Roger Smalley
2006 HR Endeavor PDQ

*A note of interest for the car enthusiasts of the '60s: According to Bill, the building they occupy was built by Carroll Shelby of Shelby GT 500 fame. The facade resembles a Cracker Barrel restaurant complete with rocking chairs on the expansive porch. An addition to the building was added to serve as bulk material storage and shipping/receiving. We saw FedEX and UPS trucks arrive and depart daily. The main entrance door consists of four panels hinged together so that they could open wide enough to bring in a display car. The reception desk now sits in that location. It appears that Shelby did not produce cars in this facility, but instead made chili (Carrol Shelby White Chili kits). See the Wikipedia entry for Carroll Shelby and http://www.mcdinnovations.com for more information.

23 hours ago, Hubert wells said:

I’m looking at the tire minder i10 or the eez system  I like what I see about the tire minder although it  does have a transmitter to install at the rear of the coach, which would be no problem for me , I do most of my own work.

anyone have experience with  either one of these of these ?

I have used the EEZ system since we bought the coach in 2014. Has averted potentially dangerous situations in plenary of time to get off the road and lets things cool off until back in parameters. Has happened only on Texas hot days in blazing sun. Park, have lunch and enjoy the rest of your day. W/o TPMS it’s hard to guess the outcome.

Roger 2006 Endeavor PDQ

On our 2006 Endeavor, the light fixture had the positive side hard wired to the light fixture and the negative (ground) wire completed the circuit through the plunger switch on the door. 

Roger Smalley 2006 Endeavor PDQ

We need to be careful with terminology on this topic.

The first thing you need in order to set pressures correctly is the weight on each axle end (not tire position). All four tires on the drive axle should be inflated to the same pressure as determined by the weight of the heavier axle end. The same principle applies to the steer and tag axles; tires on both axle ends should be inflated to the pressure required for the heavier end. The two (or three) axles may very well have different pressures. No to worry. Properly inflated, each axle will be able to carry its load safely.

Getting the tire pressures right does not make your tires blow-out proof. There are still road hazards (pot holes, road debris, etc.) that can inflict great damage.

Safe Travels,

I saw one celebrating its 40th birthday in about 2016 in Elkhart RV park. Owner found it in a barn and bought it on sight. Don't know how long ago. He's affiliated somehow with the RV Museum.

I'll bet this one has a 2-cycle diesel engine.

Most of what is said here is correct. I'll weigh in (no pun) with two points:

1. Getting axle-end weights cannot be done using the typical CAT scales found in truck centers. They measure weight of the truck's steer, drive, and trailer axles and add 'em up to get GVW. To know the weight on each steer tire, drive dually, and tag tire, you have to use a different scale--one that measures each of those four (or six) axle ends. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Ramblin' Pushers Maintenance Session* (Goshen, Indiana 4/27/2022 to 5/5/2022) has a two-pad truck scale that can measure individual axle ends. The driver is given the reading and a worksheet used in a technical seminar on tires to determine the proper inflation for each axle (not axle end). Each tire on the axle must have the same cold pressure and that is the pressure for the axle end that carries the greater load. Truck center scales see the average weight of each axle which can result in one axle end being under inflated. That said, if you have to use a truck center scale, it's better than nothing.

2. Another important point not seen in this discussion is the ambient temperature when when setting cold inflation pressures. I learned about this in the mountains of Colorado and New Mexico. At the start of the day in Durango, CO, I set the pressure to my cold pressure of 100 psi. It was a brisk October morning in Durango, temp was in the 30s. When we got to Santa Fe, the TPMS high pressure alarm went off.  We got off the highway and let the tires cool while we had lunch. By the time we got to Albuquerque, NM, the TPMS alarm was beeping again. We stopped twice more before we reached our destination. As you might guess, the my tires were overinflated. Letting them cool overnight I checked them again the next morning and adjusted the cold inflation to once again be 100 psi.

What I didn't know in Durango I learned in Albuquerque. Cold tire pressures must be corrected for ambient temperature. The standard temperature for cold inflation is 65°F. One of the folks we met in Albuquerque gave me a Temperature/Pressure Correlation Chart consisting of a matrix of temperatures (rows) and pressures (columns) with the 65° row highlighted. To use the chart, first check the ambient (outdoor) temperature and then find the corresponding row (temp) and specified pressure (column) on the chart. The intersection of those two shows the cold pressure adjusted for temperature.** The next thing we did was buy four new 275/80R 22.5 LRH tires for the drive axle.

Here is the Temperature/Pressure Correction chart I use. Others can be found on tire manufacturers websites. None I have seen vary significantly from this one.

I hope this helps others travel safely knowing that their tires are inflated properly. 

Anyone want to talk about Tyron bands?

Roger Smalley 2006 HR Endeavor PDQ

*See www.ramblinpushers.org for more details.

**The axle weights (and cold inflation settings) may vary by axle.

SmarTire Temp & Pressure Card.pdf

Shortly after we bought our 2006 Endeavor I started the engine and prepared to leave for a short trip to the dealership. When I released the parking brake and put the transmission in D, the alarm starting beeping. I put shifted to N and reset the brake. Tried again, same result. I tried releasing the brake pedal to see if the brake was actually set or the alarm was faulty.

I found the problem after some time was spent troubleshooting. The first was the material of the panel where the release valve was mounted. Over time, the panel had weakened and small I noticed some small cracks. The second was an intermittent Nason switch. The valve portion of the assembly was fine, but the cracked panel would flex and not allow the actuator to open the switch on the bottom of the valve when the brake was released.

A friend and I fashioned a metal mounting plate for the brake release that spread the pressure over a much larger area. That corrected the problem.

My suggestion would be to check the mounting  panel to see if it is sturdy. If so, then pull that panel out and test the switch. You can get a replacement valve/switch assembly from Veurink's in Grand Rapids, MI if that is the culprit.

Carol and I send our best wishes for Debbie (and you as well). It's clear from the response that you and she have lots of Monacoers concerned for her health. We will look forward to meeting her when she is back in the pink.

Roger Smalley

FYI for everyone. The Ramblin' Pushers owns a two-pad truck scale and can measure weight of each axle end separately. This service is offered at the time of arrival. The coach weighing crew can measure roadside and curbside weights for the steer, drive, and tag axles. We do request a $20 donation to pay for the annual maintenance and calibration of the scales. 

As part of our Educational Program, we offer a seminar on the subject of tire safety and how to use the measurements and the tire manufacturer's data sheet to set the tire pressure for each axle (not each wheel). We also discuss tire safety in general with topics like when to replace tires, and other equipment that is available to prevent or assist in the event of a blowout. We try to avoid the subject of "my tires are better than yours," but you know how that goes.

The Ramblin' Pushers Maintenance Session (MS 2022) schedule is as follows:
Wednesday, 4/27 Early Parking (optional)
Thursday, 4/28 Arrival Day
Friday, 4/29 MS Day 1
Saturday, 4/30 MS Day 2
Sunday, 5/1 MS Day 3
Monday, 5/2 MS Day 4
Tuesday, 5/3 MS Day 5
Wednesday 5/5 MS Day 6 (with closing dinner)
Thursday, 5/6 Departure Day

The Maintenance Session takes place at the Elkhart County 4H Fairgrounds, 17746-D CR 34, Goshen, IN 46528   (GPS: N41.5807 W85.8007)

The Ramblin' Pushers Maintenance Session welcomes Class A diesel pushers and Class Super-C motorhomes produced by the following manufacturers:
American Coach, Beaver, Entegra, Fleetwood, Holiday Rambler, Monaco, Newmar, Renegade, Safari, and Tiffin.

For more information please visit our website www.ramblinpushers.org  In the Big Blue Box you will find links to our Invitation Packet of information about the Ramblin' Pushers organization, the complete Program Book for our 2019 Maintenance Session, and a link to our 2022 MS. As you might have guessed, the 2020 and 2021 Maintenance Sessions had to be cancelled to be in compliance with Covid-19 mitigation requirements. We are eager to be back.

Please take the time to visit our website and see what it is that we do. Our entire mission is centered on proper coach maintenance and safe operation. We are a 100% volunteer organization. That is reflected in our registration and camping fees--you would be hard-pressed to find an equivalent RV rally with a comparable price.

If you have questions about the MS, please call or text to 618-593-5352 or email rogersmalley@ymail.com. 

See you in Goshen!

Roger Smalley
Vice President and 2022 Maintenance Session Coordinator.

We hope to see all of our Monacoers friends in Goshen. The MS begins in 69 days!

On 1/26/2022 at 12:27 PM, cbr046 said:

You could use clubs for major events, like the FL gathering and the FL RV SuperShow.  There's a big gathering in IN . . . . in May?  Each "club" would be a different event.

I think cbr046 might be referring to the annual Ramblin' Pushers Maintenance Session (MS) held at the Elkhart County Fairgrounds in Goshen, IN.

The MS Calendar includes Early Parking Day (4/27) and Arrival Day (4/28) with a  First Timers Reception at 5:00P. The purpose of the Reception is to acquaint First Timers with the Ramblin' Pushers organization and welcome them to their first of many MSs in the future. The MS program begins on Friday (4/29) with morning hospitality and the opening session. From there, the event consists of a program of more than 100 technical seminars provided by industry professionals and knowledgeable participants. We also present a collection of non-technical sessions centering on RV Lifestyle topics, such as major appliances in the RV, planning a trip in the RV, performing interior maintenance tasks and personalizing your RV. There is also an assortment of crafts projects and other activities (Bingo, a Book, etc. exchange, and an RV related Flea Market. The event ends on Wednesday (5/4) after a catered closing dinner. Departure Day is Thursday (5/5).

The purpose of the MS is to deliver high quality coach maintenance education for selected brands of Diesel pushers and Super-Cs. The brands currently eligible to attend the MS are:

American Coach, Beaver, Entegra, Fleetwood, Holiday Rambler, Monaco, Newmar, Renegade, Safari, and Tiffin.

The Ramblin' Pushers organization was chartered in 1990 and has presented a Maintenance Session in every year since--except the Covid-19 years of 2020 and 2021. Many of our colleagues here in the Monacoers group are regular attendees at the MS. We would be delighted to have anyone who owns an eligible coach to attend. You can learn more about the Ramblin' Pushers by visiting our website at www.ramblinpushers.org and downloading these three documents in the big blue box.

The Registration Form can be downloaded by clicking the link. It contains all of the schedule and fee information you will need in order to register for the 2022 MS.

The Invitation file provides information about the event and the organization. There you can find the 2019 MS Program that includes the entire schedule of events for that year and the 2022 MS Registration Form.

The Half-Page Handout is a concise way to introduce owners of qualifying coaches you meet in your travels to the MS. I hope you will print it, cut the pages into halves, and invite others to join you at the 2022 MS. There are QR codes that can be used to take the user to these documents on the Ramblin' Pushers home page.

Most MS participants, especially owners of new-to-them coaches find the event very useful. It is the rare person who fails to learn something new at the MS. If you are a member of the Monaco Owners facebook group, you will have seen numerous instances of persons who just bought their coach and don't understand what all of the systems do and how to use them. Very often the first replies advise these new owners to attend the MS to listen to presenters and ask questions about the care and feeding of their coaches. 

I hope we will meet cbr046 and many other Monacoers at the next MS (April 28 to May 5). For your convenience I have attached the MS2022 Registration Form.

Roger Smalley
2006 HR Endeavor
Ramblin' Pushers Vice President & 2022 MS Coordinator

2022 MS-Registration-Form.pdf

StephenW

Damage to the flange seal is what I'm worried about. I'll try your method with a gap in the back. I really wish it was possible to see how the toilet seats on the waste pipe. Do you have to scrape and replace the grout every time you have to remove it?

3 hours ago, Andrew Sibley said:

I have always mixed up some tile grout and forced it into the gap all the way around the perimeter. Smooth the exposed surface to blend seamlessly with base and floor.  Do it in the evening and let dry and solidify overnight. Never had any rocking after that and it looks good too. 

AndrewS and DavidL,

Thanks for your suggestions. I am hesitant to grout or caulk around the base because I want to know if there's a leak before it damages the floor. The base bolts to the flange on the top of the waste pipe. I'll think about your suggestions.

Our toilet has a plastic base and a porcelain bowl. A few months ago I discovered some floor rot around the waste pipe. It didn't look serious, but I did grout up the affected area. The flange appears to be a bit above the floor. The Thetford instructions included tightening the mounting bolts firmly enough to keep the toilet from rocking. 

The next time I get a chance to unbolt the toilet from the floor and see how the flange is attached. Will be a couple of weeks. I'll post what I find and see what your think.

Roger (2006 HR Endeavor)

I have had to make a number of repairs to our toilet. It is a simple design with a direct dump of waste into the black tank. Among the things that have broken are the pedal operated flush valve cable, the flush valve itself, and the flush valve seal. When I have reinstalled the toilet with a new closet seal, the base of the toilet is not in contact with the floor. I have tried placing shims under the perimeter of the base, but that has not done much to help. There is no leakage visible under the toilet and no odor. Am I doing something wrong? I have thought about trying to make a plexiglas support under the base, but the closet seal has to be compressed to prevent leaks. Too much shimming could jeopardize that purpose.

Any suggestions?

Roger (2006 HR Endeavor PDQ)

Just had two Penguin II AC/Heat Pump. Had RV Silencers on old units. Do the Penguin IIs come with an interior ceiling cover? Hard to think not, but none were found when we picked up the coach.

Thanks,

Roger 2006 Endeavor PDQ

I had an equivalent problem a few weeks ago. The bed slide showed no signs of failing, but when we went to retract the slide after an over night rest stop, the mechanism produced a loud, grinding sound and did not move the slide. I was able to manually retract the slide using a socket wrench. Each 1/2 turn of the wrench moved the slide about 1/8 of an inch, so pulling in the 30 inch deep slide took awhile. 

I called a local RV service shop and inquired about the price of a replacement drive assembly. The guy looked up the part and quoted a price of $900. I started looking on Amazon and found an exact replacement for $200. Markups are one thing, but highway robbery (no pun intended) is another. Maybe $200 is somewhat overpriced, too, but I could have the part quickly and be back in business.

With regard to exact match parts, RV builders often put their own part number labels over that of the part's manufacturer. As someone in this thread mentioned, these motors aren't purpose built for RV slides. They can be found in other applications that require a 12v motor and an equivalent gear drive. The label on the motor specified that the gear ratio is 18 to 1 and maximum current rating is 30 amps. 

Good luck with your research.

Roger
2006 HR  Endeavor PDQ

On 10/17/2021 at 9:51 PM, JDCrow said:

I think I need to adjust the level in the bags as she rides low now. Will the rear watts help that much with sway/road manners?

JD,

I don't know the year or model of your coach, but this document appears to have the ride height specifications for all Monaco produced diesel pusher throughout that period. I hope it helps.

OLT (one last thing), it would be most helpful to those who offer advice to identify your coach model/year. The Ramblin' Pushers E-group has urged members to use a signature line like this:

Roger Smalley
2006 Endeavor PDQ

1991-2008 RideH eight Chart.pdf

The steer axle hubcaps on our 2006 Endeavor are of the moon style. Be careful to match the tabs on the back of the hubcap to the keyways on the hub. There are a few variations of tabs. If you get one that doesn't fit and you can't return it you'll have to do some cutting and filing to make it work. Veurink's has several versions and they have the stick-on plastic logos for the centers. They made our '06 look like an '07!

Roger Smalley
2006 HR Endeavor

Dr4Film and I must have been taking our morning coffee at the same time. Nice to see that we agree on much!

Roger

Steve P,

I have Centramatic balancing rings on the steer axle wheels. They are essentially balancing beads of some sort in an oil-filled tube that mounts between the hub and the wheels. The general opinion seems to be that they are needed only on the front axle, but some have put them on all. The installation couldn’t be easier—remove the wheels, install the Centramatics, and put the wheels back on. 

How well they work is pretty subjective. I have never used balancing beads. I guess I just don’t like the idea of loose objects bouncing around inside the tire. I haven’t noticed any wheel shake since we got them, but couldn’t swear that I ever did.

We replace the tires at the rate of two every two years. The coach had Michelin 275-80R-22.5s when we bought it and we see no need to change. The new tires always go on the front axle, then rotated as a pair to the left rear duallys for two years and subsequently to the right for their two last years. That sequence keeps all of the tires on the coach for six years and rolling in the same direction—a little less that the often used rule of seven years total. Yes, the shop charges to move all six tires to different wheels, but my high school sweetheart of 53 years is definitely worth it. It give us both peace of mind.

Since I’ve already strayed somewhat off-topic, there is one more thing that I think is important to say, and I beg the patience of the moderators. I feel that I must mention the fact that last year we had Tyron bands (www.tyron-USA.com) mounted on the steer axle wheels. I had heard of them at our first annual Ramblin’ Pushers Maintenance Session in 2015. The event is located in the heart of the RV industry at the Elkhart County 4H Fairgrounds. The one-week event features a wide variety of seminars on topics of interest to a set of diesel pusher owners that includes Monaco diesel coach’s and offers on-site service by professionals. For details visit www.ramblinpushers.org for more information. Full Disclosure: I am the VP of the Ramblin’ Pushers and 2022 Maintenance Session Coordinator.

If anyone wants to pursue these topics further, (Centramatic Tyron, and the Ms), let’s start a new thread.

Roger Smalley 2006 HR Endeavor PDQ

On 9/18/2021 at 11:27 AM, woodylmiller said:

Is there a system that will let you isolate and monitor a single tire?  I have the EEZ system now which has been OK.  But, I have recently on this trip had 3 valve extension hoses go bad.  When one went bad I needed to watch how quickly I was losing air.  The EEZ system rolls through all 12 tires one at a time.  Not good.  I wanted to know in real time what was going on with the one tire that was losing air.  Is there a system that lets you isolate a tire or tires instead of "rolling" through all the tires?  

Last mobile tire guy that came out really opened my eyes to the extenders and how they can cause problems.  He showed my how they destroy Schrader valves, the rubber tube inside the braided lines are cheap and useless.  Yes, it's real pain without the extenders, but so is sitting on the side of the road waiting on the mobile tire guy to show up.  The last extender that went bad was on one of the inside dually's.  Removing that extender was just a ton of fun trying to get my hands between the tires.

Woody Miller

09 Dynasty Regal IV

Woody,

I agree with Dr4Film.

I had been leery of the rubber hoses with stainless armor. There it too much chance that they will rub on the wheel openings and damage the braid and hose until it fails. Last summer I had those replaced with solid extensions from the same source (tireshopsupply.com) as he. The only downside is that they have to be installed by a tire shop or an extraordinarily well equipped home shop. I have no interest in learning how to remove the wheels and unmount the tires for the installation.

The inner wheels have much longer extensions that the outers or steer axle wheels and have to be stabilized to prevent interference or fatigue. That is done by placing plastic or rubber devices that snap into the holes in the outside wheels and support the stem of the extension. 

They have performed flawlessly and pass air more easily than the old extension hoses.

Roger Smalley 2006 HR Endeavor

2 hours ago, guy_ethier said:

Roger.

Did you do the recovery tank install yourself and, if you did, was it pretty straightforward or did you have to modify it a bit?  I would love to see some pics of your install and any problems/ adjustments you had to make. Also, what price did the new coolant tank set you back?

Thanks☺️

Guy,

I could have changed it out myself, but the major job was the radiator replacement. The shop already had the back panels out for the radiator, so changing the tank was especially easy. As I recall, the price was somewhere around $350--not bad for something you won't have to worry about agagin.

Roger
2006 Endeavor PDQ

On 5/6/2021 at 8:19 AM, guy_ethier said:

The plastic type of OEM coolant recovery tank that Monaco used is almost impossible to see coolant levels. I use a clean dipstick when checking but others have swapped out their OEM plastic tank for a more durable steel tank. That will be in my future as well.

Guy,

I installed a steel surge tank and a new radiator on our ' 06 HR Endeavor in 2016. Both items came from Source Engineering. One very nice feature of the surge tank is that it has a sight glass that allows me to check the coolant level without removing the cap. 

Roger
2006 HR Endeavor PDQ

On 1/5/2021 at 11:42 AM, Darren A. said:

Hope this helps 

Darren A,

Timing is everything!

Our '06 Endeavor door has been getting more and more out of adjustment. After watching this I gathered up my tools and tore into it. A couple of hours of work and the door works better than ever. Smooth and easy to open and closes without slamming. Thanks for posting the video. It took away all of the fear!

Roger, '06 HR Endeavor PDQ