Converterjoe

Not sure what is going on with Flying J but I steer clear.  Where I live diesel is $4.82 at the Flying J while directly across the street at Marathon diesel sells for $4.10.  It might be difficult to get a semi-truck and trailer to the Marathon pumps but no problem with any Class A.  How do they justify a $0.72 premium?

OK - thanx!

Can you tell me how much of a discount their card offers?  We're planning to hit the road again once we can get diesel for $3.50 or less.

Watching because I have the same issue with mine (2002 Signature).  Neither Camping World nor my chassis guy will fix it.

I drove millions of miles in trucks, and a couple hundred thousand in coaches and by the grace of God (and good maintenance) I've never had a steer tire blowout.  The results are often terrible.  Thank God your friend is ok.

Following; I need one too.  Just a matter of time til that heavy glass door falls off and shatters.

48 minutes ago, FishAR said:

I just saw this thermostat on the Monaco facebook forum. They really brag on it.

When I eventually get all the important stuff going I think I'll buy one of these. I have to keep a flashlight on the kitchen counter to use so I can see the readout on my 5 button thermostat since it's so dim.

I replaced both 5-buttons in my Monaco, and the Coleman in my fifth wheel with Micro-Airs.  Absolutely some of the best money I've spent on the coach.  My fifth wheel is permanently parked on a river so I have wifi there all the time and I have a hotspot in my Monaco so I always know the status of my ACs.  They work flawlessly and I love the peace of mind.

Yup - link is broken but I would love to see your new dash!

I recommend you take your coach to Barry at Josam's in Orlando if at all possible.

I'm guessing that your '03 probably uses the same key switch as my '02 Signature.  I'm having much the same issue and I believe it's a faulty ignition switch.  If I'm not mistaken, that switch is an off-the-shelf old-style GM.  I'll have the coach back Monday or Tuesday and I'll find out then.

2 hours ago, Military RVer said:

Will do. Hopefully they can tell me which model as mine have lost all info on them.

Will do. If not hopefully i can find a brand that makes a similar model that would work.

I got my new ones from truckspring.com as well.  Very reasonable and super fast shipping.  Not sure where you're home-based but if it's in the Central Florida area talk to Barry at Josam Truck Brake and Alignment for the install.  A+ work and they seriously know our Monacos.  Barry keeps a book for everything he's learned about our coaches because finding info on older Monacos can be quite the challenge.  

If (and that's a big if) the Diplomat is the same as my '02 Signature, those bags are manufactured by Firestone and a couple others.  Availability will be the bigger concern.  If you still have your owner's manual the Monaco number will be listed in there and then you can cross-reference to other brands.

Just ordered two MicroAir's for my '02 Signature.  I'll post pics when they are installed, along with all new ACs, in late March.

3 hours ago, wamcneil said:

I didn't read all of that review, but in Final Verdict  he thought the user interface isn't polished enough to justify its price, but he mostly didn't like it because the protocol is too secure for him to hack it for use with his highly complex self-developed automations systems.

I'm wishing I'd tried one instead of the CCC 2. That's a high-volume product that should (IMO) absolutely be engineered a lot better than it is. I think I can forgive a clunky UI in the low-volume aftermarket unit, in exchange for a LOT more functionality. 

Other than an easier reading screen, I'm not a big fan of the CCC2. And I'm especially irritated that it's twice the size of the thermostat it replaced, AND it requires a BIG GRATUITOUS HOLE IN THE WALL behind it.

Cheers,

Walter

I'm with ya on the CCC2.  I've seen them and am not a big fan.  I'm having 3 brand new Penguin II's with heat pump installed in my Signature.  Right now I've got the 2-zone 5 button in the bedroom and a 5-button with a single zone in the kitchen.  Rather than buying 2 new CCC2's I'm getting the Micro-Airs.  The Micro-Air is capable of controlling 4 zones so if I was a magician I could rewire the coach and have all 3 AC units running through just one Micro-Air but I've been told that the cost of rewiring the coach would be far more than the cost of a thermostat.  Can anyone verify the truth of that statement?

You're in good hands there.  Just had them install airbags and shocks.

6 minutes ago, Ivan K said:

I always place the ground clamp close to the weld area so there would not be current loops where they should not be even with the batteries disconnected.

Good point - I should've mentioned that

Be sure to completely disconnect the batteries and temporarily relocate anything electrical/electronic that lies within a foot or so of the area to be welded.  If Cummins is doing the work they will take the necessary precautions because they are liable for damages if they don't.

That's a LOT of batteries in eight years.  Do you let your batteries go dead often?  Allowing FLA batteries to discharge completely can cut their life in half.

Nice!  Love the big screen for navigation (my co-pilot is NOT a navigator lol).  Does this unit have Apple CarPlay?

I replaced all of mine with non-dimming led from 1000bulbs.com and am very happy with the result.  However, as one contributor wrote above, my coach is not multiplex so this might not be ideal for you.  I don't understand why Monaco made everything so difficult.  Your coach has multiplex dimming and mine uses low-side dimmers, but only my halogens dim, not the ropes.  

7 hours ago, wamcneil said:

Now that you've placed the order... Here's a 3-wire rotary dimmer that might fit in your existing trim panel.

Amazon.com: 12 Volt DC Dimmer for LED, Halogen, Incandescent - RV, Auto, Truck, Marine, and Strip Lighting - Short Shaft - Black: Automotive

I looked at these back when I upgraded the lights and they were a lot more expensive... so I elected to experiment with the bulbs instead. 

I saw these but I'm not sure if they'll work in a low-side dimmer circuit.  I ordered the American Technology ones which are a direct upgrade from the existing switch for the same ($29.95 each) price from NW RV Supply.  Oddly enough, that's $13 each cheaper than ordering them directly from the manufacturer.  Here's a pic of the new switches.  They'll fit right into the existing holes and wiring will be very plug-n-play simple.

Not sure why I didn't think of this first, but I did a Google search on the old switch (Module #9040 AEC) and found everything I needed to know.  That switch is indeed a low-side dimmer (thank you, Walter, for that illumination [pun intended]) and has been replaced by American Technology part number AH-SLD-5-LS01.  I verified with the manufacturer that it has the circuitry for properly dimming LEDs and that it should mount right where the old switches are, even though they look completely different.  I'll update with some before and afters when they arrive.  Happy New Year y'all!

3 hours ago, wamcneil said:

Here’s an article explaining the various types of 12v dimmer. 
http://www.rv-project.com/gear/dimmers2.php

When I replaced the halogen lights, the dimmer circuits flickered horribly. And I couldn’t find a direct replacement for the 3-wire dimmer. Without easy access to the lamp wiring inside the panels, it wasn’t practical to change the configuration to suit a new dimmer. So I went through several LED bulbs before finding some that work acceptably with the old dimmer. I still get a little flicker at very low level, but otherwise works great. 
I also found that if I left one halogen in the circuit, so it might with to put a resistor in parallel with the load to smooth the output.

Cheers

Walter

Thanks, Walter; now my brain hurts lol 🤣 !  In looking at those diagrams and the pics of my existing dimmer, it would appear that I have a lo-side dimmer but I'm not going to wire anything until I can verify this.  I'm also wondering how difficult it will be to convert the wiring for my lo-side dimmers (if that is indeed what they are) to become hi-side?  

Good deal!  Alaska's on my list within the next two years.  Happy New Year!

15 hours ago, Harvey Babb said:

OK, not seeing any pictures but I understand the original hardware involved now.

Your original dimmer is electronic and, as is not at all unusual, has a very small amount of leakage current in the "Off" position. Electronic multimeters place an extremely light load on the circuit being measured and so the tiny leakage is still enough to read 12 volts. If connected to a real load (like an incandescent bulb) the voltage will drop to (very nearly) zero so it works as expected when in use. That will explain the confusing readings you are getting.

Get me some more information on the new lights/dimmers and let's see where that leads. 

 

I'm not sure why the pictures didn't upload.  I'll try again.