Chuck B 2004 Windsor

Hold the silver knob on the other side of the hitch when turning the key.

7 minutes ago, Steve P said:

I have seemingly no control over how my phone and the forum software interact.   If I can login to the post from my laptop and rotate the pics, I will do so... otherwise, maybe turning off autorotate on your phone and zooming might work?

Using a laptop to read the posts.

It would help if you posted the pictures right side up so we can read it.

I gave always been a Lucas product fan and will always be.

No rehash for me

FWIW, lets go one step further.  Post the names of those difficult owners And Ban them from this group.  I would not want to give any help on this group to Any of them!!!

It is sad that what you posted is true in this generation.  A generation back workers were proud of their vocation doing their job to the best of their ability.  Being the best you can be at your vocation was a great trait.  

Most businesses I know of are open for one thing, that is to make a profit for their owners.  As the steady stream of profit becomes a small drip, they close.

I live in southern Mississippi which is considered by most to be the poorest state,  the going rate for pay is at least $30 plus dollars an hour.  Unless your business is good at what they are doing, the drip dries up.  Plus we live in a new generation which has it's own problems.  

I keep telling my wife that I am glad I am 81 instead of 51 in these days and times.

MAYBE THIS OPENS AN OPPORTUNITY  

For who?   Monaco coach and Holiday Rambler are a dying brand!!  If I were in the market for a coach new or used, I would not purchase a brand that is no longer around, a brand where I cannot take it to the nearest dealer in my area for service.  

There are a lot of owners who still work a job, raise a family, and do not have time to perform their own repair issues.  When it comes for their time off like long weekends or vacation, they do not want to drive down the blvd a few miles only to break down on the side of the road waiting for a tow to the nearest repair facility.  

Many of the coach owners on this site are retired old farts I call seasoned citizens.  Many would rather try to get their big over weighted self under a coach to try to repair the issue than reach in their back pocket for their wallet to pay for a tech to repair their coach.  Nothing wrong with that if you fit the puzzle.  

Then the repair facilities find the need for qualified repair techs.  Good luck.  

The last time I looked, the average person who lives in good town America has a family there.  They do not want to leave their family area going to Florida to set up a new lifestyle.  

I do not know about the community you live in, but in southern Mississippi, almost all businesses have a help wanted sign in their window. 

My rant for this week, sorry. 

On 10/12/2022 at 9:39 AM, Tom Cherry said:

Lots of good comments and advice.  I’d add two.

https://www.monacoers.org/files/file/71-cargo-heater-repair/

The above is SERVICE or BAY HEATER HOW TO “Fix” that Frank McElroy, with a tiny bit of assistance from me, developing.  Read it.  It is complete with details.  To date, we have had no reports of issues.  Look at the dates.  Yours may be original before the Lawyers made the Vendor redesign and make them useless.

Agree on keeping the “Box” well heated.  It will radiate heat dowm.

The other trick, which I use is to run a 120 VAC extension cord into the wet bay.  Purchase a “pump saver” thermostat.  It is a plug in unit that comes on below 40 dF or so.  Use a trouble light with a 60 - 100 WATT….INCANDESCENT.  the other option is to use two sockets and hang of suspend so the don’t touch or over heat something and that will radiate a lot of heat in the wet bay.  A metal trouble lamp is a great heat sink.

 

I would Never use a 120vac light bulb in the wet bay over 25 watts because in close places a higher watt bulb can generate enough heat to cause a fire.  

On 7/15/2022 at 3:37 PM, Dr4Film said:

It's not about the number of fires versus the number of refrigerators. Or whether you are a Full-Time or Part-Time RV'er. These RV's are fully engulfed in flames within 4-5 minutes and totally crispy in 15-30 minutes.

The rear of the NotSoCold is like a chimney flue and that's why the fire escalates so quickly.

What it boils down to is whether you want to take the risk or not.

I chose not to over 10 years ago, so I sleep very well at night not thinking about how to use the emergency window and taking all of my important stuff with me.

Another RV fire that looks like it started in the Norcold frig this morning at 12:38.  The man sleeping in it was sent home to his maker on fire.  What a painful way to go.   It was in Gulfport Mississippi.  

I am Not a big utube fan.  Unless the video is brand, make, and model specific, you might be sent down a dark rabbit hole that leaves you stranded doing more harm than good.  JMHO.

Most manufacturers us ground at the switch to activate the brake lights, Monaco uses 12 vdc.  Most U tube videos does not mention that.

Back in the mid 2000's the Splendide  W/D was a neat engineered W/D.  You plugged the power cord into 120 vac.  The other end of the power cord went to a circuit board that changed the 120 vac into 12 vdc that ran the unit.  Probably why they had only a 1200 watt heating element.  

Be sure to install it in a tray that had a pipe that was plumbed outside the coach.  That way if the unit malfunctioned and you had to open up the door while it was full of water, the water could drain to the outside of the coach.  

2 hours ago, Flyinhy said:

Well, the time has come to plan to install a washer/dryer. The previous owner took the splindide out at some point and capped the waterline. He/she installed shelving in its place. It just seems to me getting the washing machine in the door and in the closet will be extremely difficult. Will I have to disassemble the new washer to a certain degree to get in? Also, do I need to install a pan for it to sit in? 

Also, according to the build sheet this thing had an icemaker at one time and you can see the holes in the floor where it was installed. Does anyone still have one and what does it look like. I don't want one , I was just curious to see how big this thing was. 

Take it from someone who has been there and done that.  We were full-timers for over 6 years.  We had a W/D in our coach.  The cloths capacity was small, the entire wash/dry cycle was long, and you had to have access to water and sewer.  Most all the private owned RV parks had a washer and dryer room.  It was easier for us to use the W/D at those parks.  We loaded up several washers and then dryers at the same time so the time it took for one cycle all our wash was done and dried.  The money you would pay for a W/D would cover the park laundry expense for several years.  Chuck B 2004 Windsor

That depends on the year the coach was made.

I believe that back in 2004, the HR Imperials and the Windsor were cut out of similar cloths.  If so , my 2004 Windsor did not have the air seal on the door.  Chuck B

If my memory serves me correct, the air seal was only used on higher model coaches.  

After you check the roof above the door, you need to adjust the door so it will close tight against the seals.  Just because the coach was in storage doesn't mean when you take the coach out of storage everything would remain the same.  The ole saying "that if you do not use it you loose it" applies.  If you put a coach in storage you need to take it out of storage at least once a month to exercise all the systems.  Chuck B 2004 Windsor

Ivan is correct.  The magnetic alarm type window switch is out of adjustment.  

OK

FWIW, I remember sometimes back when Hotrod was still alive that he recommended making a software back up of your multiplex system.  He said that if there was a memory failure and all software was lost, if you did not have the back up that was unique to your coach, you would be dead in the water.

On 9/17/2022 at 4:22 PM, PTTech said:

It's been a little over a month since I got the call from our storage unit manager that our 2004 Safari Panther motorhome had caught fire the night before. It was in a covered sprinkled area and the fire dept was right next door, so they put the fire out quickly. Still, it caused quite a bit of damage.

It started in the refrigerator which I had foolishly and ignorantly left plugged in and had operating for the few weeks between short trips. If I had known then what I have learned since about the frequency of these fires and the tools available to prevent them, I would have done things differently. I have no idea if any of the recalls had been performed. I'm still having a hard time believing that the risk of these fires is allowed to continue.

We had it a little over a year and had been working on getting all of the mechanicals, RV systems and visual upgrades done for what we hoped would be a future full-time home for an undetermined season of our lives. Replacing the RV frig with a residential refer was on the list, but mostly because of better function and efficiency.

Now we are trying to determine if we should repair it or let the insurance company total it and move on. It's a pretty unique coach with all of the features we wanted. It's in excellent mechanical condition and drove like a dream. I had been considering a full paint job and some other interior and system upgrades, so we have some cash to add to the insurance settlement for the repairs. I'm trying to avoid having it totaled and having a branded title for what is mostly cosmetic damage.

Anyway, wanted you all to know that, yes there was another RV fire. Also thought I'd throw out if anyone out there is considering selling a good condition Safari Panther 4213, we may be in the market.

Greg

I joined the Norcold class action lawsuit.  I received $113.69 in 4 payments for a total of $454.76.

Unless you take the door apart and adjust the mechanism, you are delaying the time when you will not be able to open the door.  That time might come at a bad  moment when you need to move the coach.  Several members take their time to post solutions on this group site.  It's your coach and your time.  Chuck B

The furnace takes a contact closure on the 2 blue wires to activate the furnace.  A simple thermostat to hook up the 2 blue wires to is a simple solution. It can be mounted on the wall above the furnace.