Dennis H

Head Slap! Forgot, not everyone is a "retired wanderer"....Dennis

My Monaco manual spells out the MINIMUM specs for the chassis battery. Installing a battery that does not meet minimum requirements often produces unwanted results. Below is the page from my manual. Remember Group 31 batteries ONLY refer to the SIZE of the battery, not it's output......hope this helps...Dennis

RVrs travel at NIGHT? Why?...asking for a friend..😉...Dennis

As a follow up, I replaced the solenoid today. Finally had some free time. It was a lot easier than I expected. I used a long needle nose plier inserted into the holes and unscrewed it without any issues. Thanks to everyone who responded, with a shoutout to David Pratt. It's true what they say, 90% of what we worry about never materializes.....I'm a happy camper once again....Dennis

1 hour ago, dl_racing427 said:

Yep, those little Pinto motors were tough fr their day.
I bought a 1974 Pinto 2.3 4-speed to drive to college.
I ran the piss out of that thing, and it never failed me. 😎

The Esslinger cam cover was part of the tipoff too.  They still make a lot of Pinto motor stuff today.  They're popular in Sprint Cars.

I'm building a Ford Duratec 2.3 for my Pro-Challenge car.  I got the Forged crank, ITB setup, and several other parts, as well as lots of advice from Esslinger.

It should make 300+HP at around 8,500 rpm. 👍

It's actually a Esslinger built motor, but simply saying it's a Pinto blows a lot of minds.....Dennis

22 hours ago, dl_racing427 said:

PINTO!!! 😉

We have a WINNER! Winner winner chicken dinner!!!.....Dennis

Maybe we should have a separate feed for our hotrods, eh? Here's another one of my cars a 23 TrakT. Five stars to the first one who can identify what engine is in it....Dennis

You guys woulda loved the sound of my 34 3 window coupe. 350 Chev, 450 HP. Built FORD tough, with all CHEVY stuff.....just sayin....Dennis

Is it a TriMark or an Essex? Different animals requiring different programming. I hate it when the techs mess up things while fixing other things. Especially when they 'forget' to tell you they messed those other things up. You usually discover them when it's not convenient.......Dennis

You might need that if you ever replace just to plug on your cord. I replaced mine with the pull out handle and it wouldn't fit through the opening without removing two of the rollers.....Dennis

I see the Big Daddy Garlits signboard too..... 😁..Dennis

Mike, all my pics are when the coach was parked so the slides etc are out. I've never thought about getting a shot underway. How soon do you need it?....Dennis

Just the pins. And be conservative....Dennis

Four bolts/screws/nuts hold the tail lamp assembly in place. I have to remove mine to access the lamps. Probably could do it with very small hands and lots of patience. I have neither... 🙄 ....Dennis

I agree with Ivylog. It appears your first replacement was with the wrong solenoid and others simply followed suit replacing the wrong solenoid with another wrong solenoid. I'd start by researching the correct starter solenoid and go from there.....sorry, I don't have the correct part number. Perhaps it's in your paperwork somewhere or you could try calling Monaco Monday.....Dennis

First thing I'd do is advise your BIL that no money changes hands until it's fixed. That the seller has replaced 'stuff' already indicates he's had it looked at and the problem has not been resolved. May be more wrong than something simple, especially with electrical gremlins. If the seller's 'tech' gave bad advice, or maybe it was good advice with additional 'issues', don't know. Regardless if his advice didn't fix the problem, look for more to come. First place to check is the headlight switch, then the smart wheel/clockspring. Most issues involve the grounding wire(s). Try hooking up a known good ground to the headlights/switch and see if that works. Work your way backwards from there. Personally, I'd get a mobile mechanic of my choosing to troubleshoot it before committing to buy. Of course, if the price was right, I might take the chance and buy it anyway, but exercise caution....Dennis

Richard, I did the same with the electric aqua hot switch. IMO, since I leave the electric switch on all the time, it's dumb to spend time fixing something that's eventually going to burn out anyway. The porch light switch is a different story though so I might repair that one if I get really bored one of these days. Right now it seems like there's not enough hours in the day and I'm retired.!!!  🤪...Dennis

Mike, I got tired of trying to keep the lighted switches lighted. I recently heard those tiny lights are replaceable but I don't know if I have the patience to fiddle with them. I know which switches are which and simply make sure everything is off that's supposed to be off.....Dennis

Your tag switch is made by Carling and is still available. Unfortunately, Monaco, in their infinite wisdom, contracted with Carling to make all their switches. This resulted in the part numbers stamped on the switches to be MONACO specific NOT Carling. The only way to determine the replacement is to cross reference the number of tabs on the back and whether it's a momentary switch or on/off. Carling has different numbers than Monaco. NW supply had the switches for $7.95 ea at one time. I purchased a bunch at that time.  The switches are interchangeable and the covers are easily popped off. The tool Mike showed makes that task very easy but it will pop off with a small screw driver too. The tool however, makes it easier to remove the switch itself from the housing.....Dennis

That has NOTHING to do with the ESSEX door entry. That reset button is under the cup holder on the passenger side. If you need instructions on resetting/setting that code let me know and I'll post the instructions. That assembly is for your key fob. The red button is to program your remote for valet/tech mode, or to reset your remote in case of failure. To extend the range of your remote, make sure the antenna is accessible and not blocked by the dash assembly. On mine, I have it extended straight down towards the floor on the left side of the steering column. Do not roll or tuck it up under the dash or you won't get very good range from the fob....Dennis

I've had to remove mine a couple of times for various issues, the last being a bad pump. The pump is mounted to the BOTTOM of the unit so there's no way to get to it without removing the entire assembly. Most other stuff can be fixed/replaced etc. from the back or front. What I did was fashion a 'bench' using a small table we have in the coach. Remove the front of the drip pan that's under the washer. Slide the bench up to the front of the unit. You may have to cut a piece of plywood/wood to get the table even with the bottom of the washer. The washer is heavy so it's generally easier if two people work it out but I've done it several times myself. Just be patient. Also because of room constraints, two people often get in each other's way. Work the washer out of the cubby slowly and slide it onto the bench. It is then in the open where you can work on it. Inspect it carefully and repair/replace anything that appears to be worn or damaged. You really don't want to do this twice and parts aren't that expensive. When you are finished, simply "walk" the washer back into the cubby. When you replace the front piece of the drip pan, be sure to silicone along the bottom edge in case the washer leaks. Mine has a drip hose at the back which drains through the coach and onto the ground should the washer leak. Hope this helps....Dennis

Very nice, Moxy. ...Dennis

My dual filter system started leaking...very small leak, but leaks are something I don't tolerate too well. I pulled the unit off and inspected it. What I found was a small crack in the filter head. I wanted to replace the defective unit with the same one so I dug out my Monaco case and thumbed through the myriad of papers to find out who made the unit. It's Made in the USA and is an Arrow Dual Filtration system, link below.  The file paper said their system carries a lifetime warranty, so I called them. I was asked which system I had, and could I send them a picture of the head unit, which I did. They emailed me back, asking for a mailing address and sent me a replacement, free of charge including shipping. Now that is customer service! It does pay to thumb through all those papers once in awhile......Dennis

Arrow Industries

I replaced my 32" with a 40" last year. The build out is posted on my blog. See the link below. It was pretty easy and I shed a ton of weight. I also replaced the outdated GPS unit with the Garmin 890RV. Both upgrades were well worth the effort....Dennis

GPS and TV upgrade

Speedco is owned by Love's Travel Stores. Perhaps it has to do with them...dunno....Dennis