Dennis H

15 minutes ago, moxy1962 said:

snip/...it would need to be cheap 

REALLY, REALLY, CHEAP....😏...Dennis

It's obvious a repo from a very PO owner who blames everyone but himself for the mess he got into. Problem with these people is while they blame everyone else, they decide to destroy the item so everyone gets dinged. I'd be cautious of water in the fuel/engine, paint thinner in the tranny and whatever other evil deed someone could think up. I've seen repo houses where they've dumped a bag of concrete in every toilet and sink in the house as well as crossed electrical wires....Dennis

When I bought my coach the first thing I did was go from Stem to Stern with a 1000 piece package of zip ties. All my wires are zipped about every 12". Keeps everything neat and clean but more importantly, it keeps the wires from bending too much. When metal is bent back and forth eventually it will fail. The zips keep it from doing so. Time consuming? Yes. but so is chasing a broken wire. Those 40' coils zip into a very small space. If you're really anal, you can get the zips with a tab to screw them up out of sight and out of the way. When using zip ties, please cut off the tails. They do nothing, are ugly and usually get in the way.......Dennis

I've been using SpeedCo for my annual for the past 13 years. Other than their increase in pricing over the years, (which is expected) I've been really pleased with their service. They even let me go into the 'pit' to look at the undercarriage which is awesome as I don't have to worry about the rig falling on my head. I had a loose air compressor which they allowed me to tighten up while they did the oil change. Great service techs. You can either bring in your own filters or they will supply them. The shop I go to (Eloy, AZ) checks the SCA, lubes, oil change, fuel filters and diff check for about $300. YMMV....Dennis

Well, my friend....you've just wasted $100 but will utter some new words when trying to change out any additional fittings. Here's why. Home Depot and Lowes sell Shark Bite fittings. Straight cut the PEX tubing, insert said tubing into the SharkBite and you're done. No clamping necessary. If you need to remove it, there's a small orange collar you place over the end and squeeze. BOOM! it pops right off. I've been using them since they came out about 10 years ago. Never had a leak. They are using them in all new construction that uses PEX. The sweet thing about them is you convenience. You don't have the long handled tool to bang up everything and you can get into some really small places that you cannot with the tool you bought. Monaco used those clamps because they are cheaper than the Shark Bites. But....they put that plumbing together OUTSIDE the coach.....Dennis

New radiators are expensive. Depending on location and size, you could clean up that area again and use JB Weld instead of the "as seen on TV" stuff. I used JB Weld on a water heater leak in a stix n brix home and it lasted over 7 years. YMMV. Once applied be sure not to disturb it, if possible, for at least 24 hours to let it 'cure'....Dennis

Mine did the same until I replaced the solenoid and they've worked well since. The solenoid is in the generator compartment, passenger side on one of the vertical struts above your air drain valve.....Dennis

Two things, Eddie. One Shark Bite fittings available at your local Home Depot will correct that ugly piping. All fittings are plug and play and very simple to install. Ask one of the aprons to demonstrate. The other thing and it's a BIGGIE.....Crawling under a coach without proper blocking, especially playing with your leveling jacks is a recipe for disaster. The coach will drop faster than you can crawl and be lower than you are thick, so make sure you use proper blocking before crawling under there poking at stuff.....Dennis

I agree with Ivan about not wanting to tear into the dash area. That said, it sounds like you have no choice due to your critter friend's appetite for wiring. There is no easy way to trace everything without the wiring diagrams for your coach, an electrical degree and an engineering degree from an accredited college. Many of the wires are marked and a magnifying glass will be your friend. Remember the wiring harnesses are made separately from your coach. They are made using pegs on a huge wall. Once all wiring is in place on the pegs, they're put into looms to await installation into a coach. Since they are assembled separately, you're going to have many wires that won't apply to your particular coach as options are different depending on the customer's preference. Then if you're not the original owner, some wiring may be changed to fit that owner's preferences. All you can do is trace the wires with a good meter and mark them yourself so if you have to go in again, things will be easier. Remember too, all ground wires in a Monaco coach are WHITE not the normal BLACK as used by everyone else.........Dennis

Maybe you should read your manual.....  Ha Ha Just kidding...... From looking at your coach's wiring diagrams, it appears you may have an electric fan clutch. You'll have to get into the engine compartment to verify. If it is, you can add a separate switch to turn it off. I've attached a diagram for your reference. Regardless of which way your coach is done, it appears your FDCA has failed. Personally, I'd change it out as shown from Source Engineering. That said, I'm not excited to have something welded on my coach and two they didn't spell extension correctly and/or proof their diagram. While they are known to be pretty good at what they do, I'm also skeptical when they don't pay attention to simple details....BTW, if your coach had a switch, it would be in the cockpit area with all the other goodies....Dennis

2 hours ago, biloxi_dad said:

I have a 2005 HR Ambassador with the 4-door Norcold reefer.  After I purchased in 2017, I took it to an authorized Norcold repairman and he made some changes  that made it work better, but would like to swap it out for a residential.  I don't feel comfortable doing the changeout myself.  Furnace is below frig and want to keep it.  Does anyone have suggestions as to where i might take it to have the changeout?  I live in Biloxi, MS.

John H.

2005 HR Amb. & Jeep toad

John, scroll up to my previous post and click on the link provided. Scroll about half way down and you'll see my install. It's pretty straight forward and if you're somewhat handy with a screwdriver, you can not only save yourself a bundle but you can do it your way. I can provide you with some easy tips and suggestions if you decide you want to do it yourself. The Samsung is almost the same size as the Norcold. One issue you might want to consider it the height of the fridge. Since it's a bottom freezer and not a side by side, the top section of the fridge is going to be higher than the Norcold. My coach had a drawer below it so the install was easy. Originally, I was going to leave the drawer but realized that would make the upper part of the fridge pretty high for my wife, so I removed it to keep the fridge at a reasonable height. You won't be able to do that because of the heater, so just make sure you measure the height of the fridge so you won't be disappointed after it's installation. Without the doors on, the Samsung will easily come through the side emergency window. We used a forklift to lift it up to window height and slid it in thru that window. The Norcold left the same way. We also used the forklift to put the Norcold in the dumpster where it belonged. We changed out in 2014 so we're in our seventh year with the Samsung which has been flawless. Going from 12cu ft to almost 20 was exceptional, especially when you're full timing. We can now take advantage when something is on sale. If you decide you want to tackle the install, feel free to call, text or email me and I'll be happy to answer any questions....Dennis

The drains in that bay are for winterizing. Your fresh water drain is on the opposite side of the coach by the dump valve. Look there for a knife valve. In the alternative, look under the coach below your dump bay..Item 21 below......Dennis

Here's my install after two Norcold failures..Installed in June 2014 and never looked back. It's been flawless. I installed it myself in a Campground we were at. Took me two full days......Dennis

Samsung Install

Ivan, were you able to run the Aladdin system through the Panasonic head or did you just toss that too?..thanks....Dennis

Oh! I thought this post was about coffee...sorry.... 😋...Dennis

Personally, I was not offended, but it takes a lot to offend me. That said, understanding the owner's manual isn't as easy as a real time conversation with someone who has gone before you, so a post, to me, simply is a request for information. If I know the answer, I'll be happy to help, if not, I simply pass on by unless the topic is something I can learn from. If that's the case, I subscribe to that topic. Remember, owner's manuals were written by engineers and then proof read by attorneys. Often they are confusing and sometimes contradictory.

Telling someone to search on a forum or read the manual serves no real purpose other than suggesting someone is too lazy or stupid to do their own research.  Usually I'll do my own research and ask for help if I can't find or understand what I'm looking for. IMO, no apology is necessary....Dennis

I use the coach's air compressor along with TPMS. Air up the tires twice a year. Once when it gets cold and once when it gets hot. Otherwise the tires hold their pressure throughout the year. Any need in between those times, it's pretty easy to air up one or two tires.....Dennis

3 hours ago, Ray Davis said:

Dennis,  Don't think I've heard of that before.  You may have something unique and worth sharing.   I don't have it,  do others?

Here's a picture of mine. If there's interest, I'll take a better picture and post it in the downloads section.....Dennis

Maybe one of the mods can write a forum manual that could be read before posting.  🥴 Heck, most posters don't even read the RULES of the forum before posting....keep in mind many of us are GUYS, guys just do, they don't read instructions or manuals.......just sayin....Dennis

I have found several....one on the frame near the tag axle, one in the front by the genset and the big one in the engine compartment, upper left corner....Dennis

Monaco did some strange things with fuses. Open the front run bay door and look on the inside of that door. Monaco posted where all the hidden fuses are in the coach. One of them may be the one you need. Also, don't eyeball any of them, use a meter on both sides of each fuse. I'd check each and every one just to be sure. Also, check the one's in the rear run bay. I found a couple strange ones back there. I believe all the fuses in the bedroom closet are for inside the house.....keep us in the loop...Dennis

Go back to the original hook up, assuming you took pics before you began snipping and cutting and rewiring. At least you know that works. Then start with baby steps in creating your new system. If something doesn't work or blows a fuse at least you'll know which wire is at fault. Rewiring the entire system will be daunting....Dennis

Mine was the push button too. Cheap fix from Home Depot.....Dennis

Very very impressive. Thanks for sharing....Dennis

For those that like, and still use, the shower wands; If you're like me the plastic hose inside the stainless cover gets warm with the hot water and settles in the ring that Monaco screwed into the shower surround. As the water cools after the shower, the stainless hose ends up kinked right at the ring. A simple solution was to install a second ring and encase that part of the hose inside a plastic cover. I took a 6" piece of clear plastic hose, sliced it lengthwise and secured it to the stainless hose with zip ties. I installed the second ring just to the left and slightly above Monaco's. This allows the hose to cradle in the plastic and stops it from kinking. Simple fix at minimal cost. I did not screw the new ring into the surround. I cut off two screws and glued the heads into the ring, then glued the ring onto the surround. The rings come in various colors......Dennis

Shower hose ring