vanwill52

There are many good suggestions here. I would add that my "elusive" leak turned out being from my treadle valve (brake pedal valve) area. I will never know if it was the treadle valve itself or just the push-to-connect (PTC) hose fittings, because it was such a bitch to get to that I replaced the treadle valve, all its PTC fittings and hoses at the same time. I have also had significant leaks from the parking brake valve and from ALL Pressure Protection Valves (PPV). It has been a long, time-consuming process (not very expensive for just the parts) but now the suspension will stay at ride height for weeks and the coach tank pressures take almost a month to decline to 30 PSI. I have had better luck simply renewing all connections than chasing leaks with liquid soap. Most of the PTC fittings have enough extra tubing that you can release the tubing from the fitting, cut it off past where the seal rode and reconnect. Be sure you cut the tubing off squarely on the end and use nothing but a razor blade to cut it cleanly. NEVER cut it by using dikes (side-cutting, plier-like tool). You release the tubing from the connector by PUSHING the release collar inward toward the fitting. After inserting the newly-cut tubing, pull the release collar away from the fitting, then give the tubing a good tug to be sure the inner collet has gripped it tightly. As Ivan said, you can sometimes hear a leak, even a small one, if things are very quiet. Good luck!

The TRW box swap has been done hundreds of times, thanks to Craig French, who did the first swap. Changing to TRW has nothing to do with your L-R turning problem, but why not get the much superior TRW box while changing boxes? You will always have zero steering gear lost motion. That is all but impossible with the Sheppard box.

Chuck, it is not surprising that you may be the only member on this forum that does NOT know that even though I developed the one and only true "Silver Bullet" for the Monaco Roadmaster chassis' legendary wandering problem, that I never even made back what I had invested in just the materials to develop it. Yes, read that AGAIN, Chuckie, I never even made back the cost of the MATERIALS developing it. More importantly, I have not sold a set in YEARS. You don't appear to be very well read, or you would know that from several other forums. I stated from the very beginning of my engineering exercise to solve the Roadmaster wandering issue that it was just that--something I did only because of my own engineering curiosity. (This was the longest running thread on the Monaco section of iRV2, which of course you were never aware of). I was excited to find the solution to a problem that got the lamest responses for YEARS from average forum members--shocks, tires, tire pressure, alignment, ride height...ad nauseum. I sold about (30) sets of Cross-Braces and Watts Links for approximately the cost of the materials. With a 100% success rate on those installations, I knew I had found the REAL reason for the Monaco wandering problem. I had always known that the Howard, the Blue Ox, and countless other schemes attempted to "cure" a SUSPENSION problem with a "snake oil" "steering stabilizer" that did nothing but try to compensate for the real problem. The REAL problem was that the chassis' wobbling H-frames were steering the vehicle and no device that attempted to hide the "symptoms" and not cure the "problem" would fix that. But YOU would say, "Van, you've used the forum to make vast sums of money for your product." Actually, even though the Cross-Braces and Watts Links have been sold in the HUNDREDS (because they are the ONLY thing that cures the PROBLEM, rather than alleviates the SYMPTOM) they were not sold by me, nor have I profited one dime from those sales. I have not sold one in YEARS. They are now sold for a fair price that is much more than I charged for my "engineering prototypes". But then you might not know that, since you eschew sites that "operate for a profit" and are likely not well read on the subject. BTW, do you buy groceries, gasoline, electric power and automobiles from non-profit agencies? Once the concept was proven, I had no interest in making the products, even though I own a CNC machine shop and could easily do so. One of my early "customers" was forum member Mike Hughes, whom I met at Quartzite years ago. He was looking for a "cottage industry" to work on in his spare time. Mike is an uncommonly likeable fellow who enjoyed working with folks to solve their problems. And, unlike you, no one ever accused him of being condescending or patriarchal. Everyone who buys a Watts Link or Cross-Bars from him always speaks highly of him. Mike offers an unconditional "money back" guarantee for his Watts Links and Cross-Braces (just as I did when trying to get folks to try out the principle). To my knowledge, Mike has never had to refund a dime...nor did I. But I think this is more a problem between your style of interaction and mine with other forum members. On all forums I participate in, I call out folks who are unpleasant, condescending, sarcastic, argumentative, and (frequently) misinformed. Unfortunately, on rare occasions, those folks might have an incredible WEALTH of knowledge but have the social skills of an earthworm. I find that although you are not alone, you frequently post with the underlying "tone" that, "If you do EVERYTHING just like I do (or did when I owned a coach years ago), your life will be wonderful. If you do NOT do just as I do, you are an idiot and will suffer the consequences of ignoring my invaluable advice."--- If you don't drive 58-62 MPH as I did...you are a fool If you don't do maintenance procedures just like I tell you...you are a fool. If you don't use the same kind of tires as I do...you are a fool. If you don't run the same tire pressures as I do...you are a fool. If you don't service your engine on the same schedule as I do...you are a fool. If you drive more miles per day than I did...you are a fool. If you do not change your fuel filters on the same schedule as I did...you are a fool. If you drive after dark...you are a fool. If you do not use the same engine oil I did...you are a fool. If you do not operate your air conditioners as I've told you to do...you are a fool. If you do not extend your slides using the same procedure as I did...you are a fool. This list could go on and on. But Chuckie, how would you like to be REVERED? How would you like to be like Dave Pratt, Ivan, Bob Nodine, Craig French, Frank McElroy, Chris Throgmartin, Tom Cherry, Paul Whittle, Scottie Hutto, Myron Truex...and countless others? How would you like to be someone that when you post, EVERYBODY reads what you wrote, even if your post does not apply to them? You, Chuck, have an immense knowledge base of information about Monaco coaches. I would say that you are right up there with all these folks I've mentioned...maybe even in the same league as Bill D. Your breadth of knowledge of Monaco coaches exceeds my own by a considerable margin. If you could only acquire some social skills, you could be an invaluable resource to the group. I belong because 90% of the time, someone can cordially help me and answer my question, and once in a while I can contribute something that might help someone. Isn't that why you belong?

Digital diarrhea...

I am certainly no expert on Jake Brake, but I have repaired ONE. It was on a 2004 Dynasty or Sig (I think). When looking at the engine with the rear engine hatch open, there is an electrical connector plugged into the left side of the valve cover. I removed that connector, flushed both the plug and socket with a stream of WD-40 and reconnected it. The Jake Brake started working again. That was a couple of years ago, and it is still working. Hope your problem is that simple.

😁

Same place he got that irrelevant reply to Bob Nodine's post about toad weights. Bill D called it "digital diarrhea--"The overpowering urge to post even when you have nothing to say."

Although I am not sure I completely understand your issue, I think it is that you cannot get the alternator to charge under "normal" conditions. Your alternator appears to be similar to the original DUVAC style, which required "external excitation"--that is, it will not charge simply by rotating it...it must have power applied to its "excite" terminal. If you THINK you have wired the alternator correctly, but are receiving no excitation voltage when you turn the ignition switch to "RUN" AND your gages do not work, check in the front run bay (electrical compartment on Driver Side near front of vehicle). There are two contactors there which supply power to the coach. From my experience, if one of those contactors fails to close properly, you have no power to the instrument panel and no power to the A/C blower motor. In my coach (2000 Dynasty) those contactors are located top-left in the FRB (front run bay). Coincidentally, on MY coach, the contactors frequently failed to connect, even when getting coil voltage and having the armature move. It was an intermittent problem, even after replacing both contactors. I read the manufacturer's info on installation of the contactor and it stated "Do not mount contactor in any position other than large end up. If mounted with plunger travel horizontal, contacts on the armature may fail to connect." I remounted mine with the "top hat" UP and never had another problem. Will your A/C BLOWER come on when you turn the ignition switch to RUN? If it does not, it is almost a sure sign the contactor is not closing. That contactor does not prevent the engine from starting. It only fails to supply many other items, one of which MIGHT be the excitation terminal on your alternator.

Jim, one of the things so appealing to me about the ML-ACR upgrade is that it is soooo simple. Attach the charging lead from your alternator and a positive cable from your engine battery to ONE lug of the ML-ACR, and attach a positive battery cable from the coach batteries to the OTHER lug of the ML-ACR. If you do NOTHING else other than attach two small wires to give the ML-ACR power, it will function as intended...if it senses charging voltage from ANY source, it will connect both battery banks together and charge them both (as long as the engine battery voltage has risen high enough to indicate it is almost fully charged). Even without adding the remote switch (which fits directly into the cavity the previous Battery Boost switch fit into) it functions as it should. You can LOOK at it to tell if it has both battery banks connected or not. If you add the remote switch, you can FORCE the device to either CONNECT the two battery banks together, or FORCE the device to DISCONNECT them. It is everything the ridiculously complicated and trouble-prone IRD and BIRD systems should have been. And even without adding the remote switch you can MANUALLY force the two battery banks to be connected or disconnected. Great device!! Thank you, Paul Whittle!

I doubt your 2000 model coach came with the Battery Isolator Relay. All I've ever seen had a Solid State Isolator, hence the need for the DUVAC voltage-sensing circuit in the alternator. The ML-ACR is still a viable option for you. It still would eliminate the Battery Boost Solenoid and the Lambert engine battery charger. And it is infinitely simpler. Magnetically latched--draws almost no power in either position. Installing the ML-ACR does not directly address your problems, but it might solve them just due to mis-wiring by your previous mechanics. It is a simple, reliable device with a guarantee that reads, "We stand behind this product for as long as you own it." https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-Automatic-Charging/dp/B001VIXLRO/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwvb75BRD1ARIsAP6Lcqv3lHjnmzh6PVTnEydgwMCC6CtdHS30euwYC47f_VSX5XdPQVuQTTcaAh-ZEALw_wcB&hvadid=178127936793&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9010054&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=799669173909148167&hvtargid=kwd-143304726501&hydadcr=9436_9900778&keywords=blue+sea+ml-acr&qid=1597002505&sr=8-1&tag=googhydr-20 About $175 on Amazon

I cannot tell if it has been established that you have an exact replacement alternator, or rebuilt your existing alternator. As stated hundreds of times in this forum, if you have an older coach with a DUVAC system, doing anything other than rebuilding your existing alternator is asking for trouble. But a huge amount of trouble can be eliminated by replacing the Solid State Isolator, battery boost solenoid, and auxiliary engine battery charger with the Blue Sea ML-ACR, which combines the functions of all three. Once the Solid State Isolator is gone, there are many suitable choices for generic alternators. For your vintage coach, choose an alternator with a Tachometer Output. Search the forum for ML-ACR. Paul Whittle was the first to adopt this system. Myself and several others have done so now.

My 2000 Dynasty 36 with ISC-350 had the throttle position sensor go bad. It was a Hall-effect device, NOT a potentiometer-type. It had a six-pin connector, rectangular with rounded ends. The only markings on it were "131040" and "0609". I replaced it with a Williams Controls "Kit, Sensor P/N 131973". It was a part readily available at a local heavy-truck parts distributor. It was less than $80. That was about four years ago.

Do you have any sort of device like VMSpc or ScanGage that can give the actual fault number of the code? Frank M decoded one for me that was SID 251 and he crossed it over to Cummins 434. It might help to know the actual fault code number.

Assuming yours is the same as on my 2000 Dynasty ISC-350, it is a Hall-effect device with no mechanical contacts. It is NOT a potentiometer with a wiper. Try to purchase the sensor element only--sometimes it is sold as an entire pedal assembly at about 4X the price. Replacing the sensor is easy. Do the calibration as mentioned earlier after installation.

NO. My pix clearly shows "cradles" on FRONT wheels. (In wrecker slang, the wrecker that towed me was a cradle-snatcher.) "Dollies" have wheels of their own--tow dollies to tow a car, for instance, have wheels of their own. Perhaps you meant something other than "dollies" on the rear? Your post: "And if damage is other than to rear axle, use dollys on rear wheels. Don't tow from rear. "--this statement did not make sense to me. Is it possible you misquoted your manual, or mis-typed it? I'm not trying to be argumentative. I have never encountered that advice, nor have I ever heard of any coach being towed with its rear wheels on a dolly. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding your question, but look at the pix again.

Dollies on REAR wheels but towed from the front? Anyone have a pix of that?

Ivan, I told the wrecker operator it was unnecessary. I do not have air leveling and my bags will stay inflated for well over a week. Probably should have done so, just as a precaution since the coach jostled quite a bit in transit and might have activate the Hadley air leveling valves. But when he dropped it off at the truck shop, coach was still level and tanks both had over 90 PSI.

In deference to my mentor and good friend Bill Duckwitz, I will begin by stating, “I have no personal experience with towing a motor home on a lowboy. I have never done it, nor do I personally know anyone who has.” That being said, it is my OPINION that towing a tag axle coach by a conventional Class 8 wrecker differs little from towing any other non-tag coach. You PROBABLY need to be sure your tag axle has an air supply during the towing, so that your tag axle continues to support the weight it should. Someone else with more PERSONAL experience might chime in with other things to consider. But as to using a lowboy, it does seem as if it would be the “ultimately safe” solution. I just SUSPECT the difficulties and expense of securing that kind of tow would be formidable. For starters, neither Coach-Net nor anyone else is going to offer you that “option”. They might pay a “deductible” type amount towards your cost. However expensive towing by even a large conventional wrecker might be, towing on a lowboy would dwarf that amount. And there is no telling how many days you might have to wait for that option to be available. Advice from folks with PERSONAL experience on this forum might be your best bet. But always be able to tell the towing company the weights and dimensions they need to tow your coach without damage. And from my PERSONAL experience, I think the most important thing you will tell them is that you REQUIRE a Class 8 wrecker with a suitable stinger and cradles for your wheels…NOTHING less.

If you know someone with a Cummins engine manual for your particular engine, their fault code list gives the "generic" SID or PID codes, along with the Cummins code numbers. My SID 251 crossed to Cummins 434.

Steven, what code number did you get? I recently had one that showed on my VMSpc as "251--Power Supply Data Invalid". The Cummins code was 434.

I've heard that same thing on another forum. I think it is a "1% probability" thing. I've read hundreds of posts about people being towed, and no one ever mentioned having any difficulty towing with one axle removed. Is it true that the spider gears spin faster? Yes. Is it likely to cause a problem? No. The fellow that towed me had a large collection of axle caps, but not TWO of any one of them. I would like to hear from those who have had their coaches towed with an axle removed--"Did you have any problems resulting from the single axle removal?"

On Jun 3 2020, I had to be towed from an RV park in Dillard, GA to a repair shop I trusted in Cumming, GA. The shop was MTR Fleet Services. That is approximately 94 miles. I wanted to be towed to this particular shop because I suspected (later confirmed) I had an ECM problem and a shop without Cummins INSITE software would only be guessing at what the problem was. My friend Paul Whittle had recommended MTR, and Jason personally. Paul had taken his coach to Jason on a few previous occasions and spoke highly of him—competent service, fairly priced, and prompt attention. Paul and I do almost all our own work, but there are times when it’s nice to have a heavy-truck shop do a job that is either physically too large, or beyond your expertise. Jason could not get to my unscheduled job right away. It is a very busy shop, and I had no appointment. But he moved my coach to a safe location and powered it with an extension cord. He was very vigilant about checking that the coach was always plugged in. I still had food in the fridge from the trip. Jason, with INSITE, quickly diagnosed a nearly-dead ECM. New ECM’s, to my knowledge, are no longer available and Cummins can only provide you a “remanufactured” ECM. Those of you familiar at the board level with electronic devices know that “remanufactured” means USED and repainted…MAYBE tested in some way or another. And for older engines like mine, they usually do not have an ECM in stock, and must get it from a distribution center somewhere. When the replacement ECM arrived, it could not be loaded with all the “vehicle specific” parameters. They are normally downloaded from the existing ECM. But my ECM had suffered a catastrophic failure and INSITE reported “All ECM data lost”. Jason’s expertise and experience showed itself. He used the engine serial number to find the dealer in Coburg, OR that sold the engine to Monaco. Those dealers are required to keep data like the parameters for a very long time. The dealer emailed the parameter list. For some reason, the parameter list would not load properly, and Jason personally DROVE the ECM to the Cummins dealer about 30 miles away. The dealer had great difficulty but finally got the parameters loaded. Once a replacement ECM was installed, the coach started instantly. Jason and I both thought we were about at the finish line. However, another problem arose. A long-standing fault code that I’d had for years popped up. It was Cummins Fault Code 434, indicating power supply problems at the ECM, either while running or when being shut down. Chasing down the reason for that fault code would consume another two weeks. During that time, Jason always advised me of the situation each time he had more news. HE called ME. I did not have to call him. We both pondered the possible reasons for the fault code and discussed it at length. I was pleasantly surprised that he was at least open to the possibility that the customer might have some technical expertise, and also might be familiar with any peculiar anomalies of the coach. During the time it took to find the problem, I became very impressed with the methodical cause-and-effect, if this—then that, diagnostic thought process Jason had. We bounced ideas off one another chasing an elusive intermittent problem. Jason finally found what we still think was the problem. I say “think” because the only way you know you’ve solved an intermittent problem is when you have not had it for a very long time. I’ll need a lot of road miles to be totally convinced the problem is solved. I’ll explain the apparent problem in another thread… Because this post is not so much about solving a problem as it is pointing out a truly exceptional shop and shop owner. From Day One, Jason made me feel I was a very valued customer, even though most shops would rather not work on motor homes. His habit of calling me to give me “updates” is something I have never experienced anywhere. Usually one calls and hopes to get to talk to someone knowledgeable about your repair. And when it was obvious that the cost of this repair would be far in excess of what either of us thought, I could see Jason go into “economy” mode. He tried (and succeeded) in keeping the cost of everything to a bare minimum. Knowing the ACTUAL time Jason and his shop had in the job, I don’t see how he made any money on this job. But he was always adamant that it be done right and with a quality of repair he could accept. He had a philosophy that is undoubtedly true, “If you do a job, no matter how large the bill, if the truck comes back even once because the repair failed, you’ve lost all you could ever hope to make on the job.” And on top of it all, Jason and I became friends. I’m looking forward to share dinner with him at his house the next time I’m near his shop…possibly going with him to church. This young man and his wife are both great human beings of character and deep faith. Were it not for the 300 miles to his shop, no one but him would ever work on my coach again. MTR Motor Fleet Services 2520 Jake Drive Cumming, GA 30028 678-947-9088 Home Jason Martin, Owner

Bruce, the rear hubs on all large trucks are "full-floating". The drive axle supports no weight. If you remove a drive axle, it has the same effect as uncoupling the driveshaft--the pinion does not turn. It is common accepted practice that doing either (remove axle or uncouple driveshaft) is sufficient to keep from damaging a transmission. Picture is after removing the axle and prior to bolting on a "dummy" plastic cap to keep the oil from running out.

On Jun 3 2020, I had to be towed from an RV park in Dillard, GA to a repair shop I trusted in Cumming, GA. The shop was MTR Fleet Services. That is approximately 94 miles. I called Coach-Net. I’ve been a member for many years, but have never used them. I explained that my problem was with the ECM of the coach and there was no point in towing it to any shop that did not have INSITE (Cummins Engine Diagnostics) software. They agreed, which pleasantly surprised me. The towing company was United Towing from Alpharetta, GA. I spoke to them and gave them all pertinent information—coach length, weight, height, number of axles, air suspension, air brakes, automatic transmission. The most important thing I stressed to them was that NOTHING less than a Class 8 wrecker could do this job, and that it must have a stinger at least 7’ long with “cradles” for the coach’s wheels. I did not want it towed by attaching anything to the front axle. I had heard too many horror stories that resulted from that method of securing the coach to the wrecker’s stinger. Raymond was the driver. He was a pleasant, professional fellow who obviously had a great deal of experience towing very heavy vehicles. He crawled under the coach and “caged” the parking brakes. The driveshaft had cap bolts that were difficult to remove, so he promptly removed an axle. In no time, Raymond had the front tires in the cradles and was ready to leave. The long drive was uneventful. I followed in my tow vehicle to the destination. Jason Martin, owner of MTR Fleet Services, greeted Raymond as he pulled in with my coach. It was obvious they knew each other well. Jason later told me I had “one of the best and the safest” wrecker operators he had ever known. My thanks to Coach-Net, Raymond from United Towing, and Jason Martin of MTR Fleet Services. There is much more to say about the excellent, above-and-beyond service I got from MTR. I’ll do that in another post.

Regardless the hotly debated point of pre-filling filters, there is one thing that can be said without argument: "If you don't pre-fill your filters, your engine MIGHT still start. If you pre-fill the filters, it WILL start."