FishAR

Update on the diamondshield saga.

Gerzeny's pretty much quit answering my emails, after insisting all repairs to this must be done at their facility. So using my google skills and the first name of the installer from the ticket Gerzeny's gave me (they never did give me a warranty on it), I located the install company.

Called them direct. Hell of a nice guy. He said he understood the problem and would be good for it. He couldn't speak for why Gerzeny's was ignoring me. He's going to fix it on our way home, just pick a day. Said he has 50 amps if I want to spend the night. It's not really out of my way, maybe 5 miles off of 75 up by Tampa. So we're leaving May 15 and stopping up there.

I wish we could have done this the first time instead of the clownshow of having to rent a cabin and driving motorhome to Sarasota and back, all on my dime. Gerzeny's has no parking, no room, you pull up on the road to get in their gate and the fire district is telling you to get out of the way. They've got 5 acres of stuff crammed into 3 acres and very little access to it.

So we'll see it this works. I feel a lot better after talking to the guy without Gerzeny's in the middle of it.

On 3/31/2024 at 7:34 PM, 1nolaguy said:

Mike this is very interesting. The repairing dealership did say they had to replace the brake lines as well as all the rotors, calipers and pads (all 4). The more I hear the more I am thinking it has to do with the car's braking system rather then the installation of the tow package. This car is only 8 months old (less than 6K miles) and the electronic emergency brake has always been a bit of a concern.

I also have the nsa ready brake system and blaming it was the first thing that came to mind. But I checked the cables and everything was good. Also since it was only one wheel I decided it wasn't the nsa doing it.

I washed the truck yesterday and the wheel cover is still tarnished from all that hot brake dust.

Wife watches my tst tpms for me when I drive the motorhome.  She told me my silverado toad front passenger side tire was getting very hot. Pulled over at Tampa and looked things over, it cooled off, couldn't find anything wrong so we proceeded to our winter location.

That was 3 winters ago. I put new brakes on the truck, still had a brake sticking. New calipers. Still had a brake sticking. Did all this myself. Ended up being the brake line.

My neighbor told me that the inside of the brake line can deteriorate, fluid goes to the brake under pressure and pushes through but can't release and bleed pressure so the brake sticks. Changed the brake line and all was good.

I have vertical streaks running down the windshield, I can only guess from the time before I painted the roof and I had the chalking running off of it.

I decided to rain x my windshield just in case I have another wiper problem. So I scrubbed it with a brush and dawn soap. Looked good but I then took glass cleaner to it all. Saw a few places which my wife determined were inside and she cleaned those. It was looking pristine.

Applied the rain x. Next morning all the vertical streaks were back. Is it possible that chalking could etch into the glass? How do I get rid of these streaks? Rubbing compound? Vinegar?

I haven't seen anything like it before, glass that couldn't be cleaned, outside of some of our work trucks years ago that were at power plants and ended up with etched windshields.

My 10 kw won't turn over half the time. Batteries fully charged. It's so far from the batteries to the generator I blame it on this and maybe the wire is undersized, not sure.

I hit the battery boost and it will start.

When I bought my Camelot it had been sitting for probably 8 years. Luckily for me it was full of fuel.

I stared into the tank with a flashlight, I drew some fuel out and looked at it. I decided to just go with it and changed the fuel filters. I had no fuel related problems.

I had a lift pump problem but it was a loose electrical connection, not fuel related. I ran the fuel out on our first trip to Florida in it 3 winters ago.

I'd just put wider eternabond or equivalent over the old. Then lap sealant down the edges.

9 minutes ago, LilGTO71 said:

WOW!  Sounds like you put some serious thought into it.  Like you, my couch is the elephant in the room.  Not only do i want to install the Dish receiver, but i also wanted to put in a “Smart” TV.  This has quickly become an “All Day Sucker.”  Ill let you know

Do you also have the jack knife couch on that side and have you found the access panel?

13 hours ago, LilGTO71 said:

Is that how I need to do it in order to get to the back of TV?

Thanks folks.  Appreciate the feedback.  It appears I have to dismount the sofa from the floor to access the back of the TV.  Thanks all.

BE SAFE in your travels

That looks identical to my 2007 camelot 42pdq.

To access the outside tv I put the couch down, it's a jack knife couch.

Then you can see the access panel, it's just a piece of paneling held on by 6 screws. I had to use a very short screwdriver to get the screws out and remove the panel. 

It's not a piece of cake but a whole lot easier than taking out a couch. Once the panel is off you can get to the back of the tv, radio, and reach the 2 plug ins.

When I bought this coach I changed the outside tv to a 32 inch toshiba fire tv. That's a 2 person job. Then I added a tv stand on top of the wooden shelf above the outside tv, behind the couch and put a 43 inch toshiba fire tv there so we could watch tv from the other couch without having to turn our heads towards the windshield.

I teed the existing coax from the new inside tv into the outside tv connection so I could get antenna reception on it.

Edited to add dish network discussion:

Now that I think back, dish network was the reason I ended up changing this tv and the one in the bedroom to fire tv's. I had dish in my Montana fifth wheel on 3 tv's but was getting aggravated at the high prices. When I got this camelot and started looking into adding my dish service to it I was overwhelmed about how to hook it up. First off, my dome satellite antenna was obsolete so I'd have to change it, or use my pathway x2 or fixed dish on a tripod, and I'd have to carry them with me.

Trying to figure out how to add that into the box of many buttons, or cable the coax in from outside boggled my mind so I gave up. I went to streaming tv and the sharp tv's were too old to stream so I replaced the one on the outside and the one in the bedroom and added the one on the shelf in the living room above the couch. I left the antique sharp over the windshield since it's not easy to watch from anywhere but the dinette, it will still work on antenna if I want.

If adding a receiver to the outside tv is your only problem getting dish network out there you could set your receiver on the shelf inside and run the coax behind the couch. I drilled a hole in the access panel and ran my coax from my new tv on the inside to the outside connection that way. I just drilled a slot on the edge of the access panel so the cable would go through there.

Good luck, interested how it comes out and your hookups in case I ever decide to go back to dish but that's unlikely. I have a $25 per month visible wireless phone hooked up to a router. I stream 3 tv's in the monaco (living, bedroom, outside) from this router. I also stream a tv we have in our gazebo off of it and use it for computer, our phones, and a fire tablet.

If it was a Ford I would say coil packs.

Have no experience with jeeps.

8 hours ago, Ray Davis said:

It might be something like this at walmart.  I bought one for an outbuilding and it's amplified, remote control rotor, and it's pretty powerful.  It has that red light too.

I think I paid $45.   It's sort of rinky dinky but works well.

Looks just like that.

I didn't think anyone liked their tv more than I do, but apparently the people in the Tiffin behind me do.

They have an electric ota antenna strapped to their ladder going way above the motorhome with coax running across the roof to some access point. I say electric because it has a red light on it that stays on all the time, I don't know what it does.

Then they also have a direct tv setup on the ground held down by concrete blocks.

I replaced my 3 tv's in the Camelot with fire TV's on sale from amazon. One in living room, one in bedroom, one outside. Didn't replace the old sony at the windshield because we never watch, I don't like to turn my head to watch tv.

They work great off the stock antenna on the roof or on wifi from my visible phone I have hooked up to a router for $25 a month.

43 inch on the shelf behind the couch in the living room, 32 inchers in bedroom and outside.

I put a splendide 7100 non vented combo in my Montana fifth wheel because I couldn't make myself cut a hole in the side of it.  It worked fine, I had no complaints. I was working construction out of town then so I definitely had some dirty clothes. My wife is the main laundry person when she's with me and she had no problems with it either.

When we got the Camelot it already had a splendide 2000 vented combo. I was happy that it was already in there and vented from the factory. Wife says it works better than the non vented one did but not a huge difference.

I don't think it can be solved 100%, it did it in my fifth wheel too. Lighter loads helps.

Mine walks just a little bit and every month or so I have to straighten it up in the closet.

Had an unvented splendide 7100 in the 5th wheel and have a splendide vented 2100 or 2000 (don't remember) in the Camelot and they both shook. 

We do 6 months in the motorhome now and talk about year round a lot. We were talking about it when we still had the fifth wheel and dually and even started selling stuff in preparation to sell the house. Just haven't done it yet.

There was a recall on some of those engines for connecting rod failure. 

At 125,000 miles I'd think you're well past that problem though. It would already have happened I'd think.

Another year, more diamondshield problems.

Apparently the installer is an incompetent clown.

First replacement in April/May 2022 after tow truck roughed up the front of the Camelot and had to have body work.

Was coming loose before we got out of Florida. Was on way home, wife had doctor appts. so we continued on home and Gerzeny said we could deal with it on the next trip. 2nd replacement under warranty, Jan of 2023. Major headache, had to rent a cabin as I said. Had to drive motorhome the 100 miles to Gerzenys Nokomis as they said it had to be done in their shop in case installer caused paint damage and they had to repaint. After done had to drive 100 miles back to resort.

Drove Camelot 1200 miles back to IL at end of winter, washed it and parked it inside. No pressure washer has ever been used on it. Now it's bubbling up again on the edge on driver side and around headlights. Gerzeny doesn't want to be forthcoming on the installer as they say it's their problem to deal with him, but I'm about over all this and the same guy screwing up the same thing over and over again. Would love to contact Diamondshield and lodge a huge complaint but I don't even know who the guy/company doing the installs is.

So I'll take some pics and make the call to Gerzeny this week. I hope they have the same body shop manager as before, I've dealt with 3 different people so far.

On 8/23/2023 at 2:17 PM, Tom Cherry said:

Unfortunately, it appears that your tech did not follow the manual for both the Coachstep or the Kwikee.  Lippert NOW owns both and there have been ads on many sites for motors that will fit both.  The problem is, you need to understand the FUNCTION and follow a simple  12 VDC testing procedure.  That will then pin down WHERE the problem is.  Motor, Controller, Magnetic Switch or such

Here are Three manuals.  Basically the same.  If you have the sliding tray step (look at the end of the first one...Lippert (Kwikee) Entrance Steps... PDF...then that is one of their 42 or "842" series.  The other deal with the Kwikee and Coachstep, which were basically clones or perhaps one knocked off the other.

So, if you have the two step model where the step sort of pivots out on two bars or straps, then the logic and such is the same. 

NOW....there is also one that is at the end and it may be the CHEAPEST motor to use.  A word of caution...and this comes from HANDS ON...not just reading and then sounding knowledgeabe.  There are a WORLD of motors out there.  On the Swing our or pivot out step, there are three bolts that have to be inserted through the three holes on the motor housing.  BUT, there is a bushing or spaced on either side...  The Motors have die cast housings or frames.  Depending on who measured which motor and tooled up, the centerlines of those holes vary all over the map.  I went through a GUARANTEED...Stamped Lipper Coachnet motor.  Two hours later in almost 100 deg...  I quit.  I find a Stromberg Carlson motor at CW and it was the same PRICE as the Ebay GUARNATEED.  And CW put it on for less than an hour's labor.  SO, I have NO idea if the tech had to take a round rat tail file and open up the holes or knew to drill them out or just assembled it the first time.  BUT, it works.

NOW...the warning about safety goes double.  I am a retired Safety Director and amputations are NOT pleasant. 

BUT, as we age, then there is an even HIGHER risk.  If the motor, like mine, had a stripped out plastic gear inside, it was erratic.  SO...when it went partially out, it would NOT lock.  BUT...  then when you put your foot on it...BINGO, it collapsed.  My 14 YO granddaughter had good reflexes...but, I strapped it inside and bungee corded it for my then 75 YO wife with a failing knee would have been severely injured....always HAVE A GRIP on the inside or outside assist bar.

ONE OTHER TIDBIT...again...  HANDS ON..  The tech may not be the most well informed.  I had a new controller installed.  My tech was GOOD.  But, when I got home....after an hour's drive.  NO JOY.  Called him.  He said.  Get under it and then plug and unplug it a few times.  BINGO...it has worked fine since then...(that was in 2014) and it finally failed in 2021...  NOW., Lowes sells a Gardner Bender Anti-Oxidation tube or bottle in the electrical department.  There is another brand.  NoAlox.  This stuff is like toothpaste with ground up metal aluminum (maybe some copper) fines.  You put in on the contracts (male and female) of the 4 wire connector.  Use a toothpick or a Qtip...Use sparingly and just enough to barely cover or get a few "drops" on...then plug and unplug.  The abrasive paste or "goop" helps clean the contacts.  I would have the tech, at NO COST, try that.  THEN...no JOY...tell him to read the trouble shooting instructions and then TOTALLY be sure before you pop for a motor.  MOST techs know exactly how to do it....so...

 

Lippert (Kwikee) - Entrance Steps Model Kwikee 42 Series Owner's Manual.pdf 1.16 MB · 18 downloads Lippert Universal Step manual pg_2005steptrainpart2.pdf 7.76 MB · 10 downloads Lippert Coachstep.pdf 80.03 kB · 8 downloads CoachStepElectric - Instructions - Stromberg Carlson.pdf 74.81 kB · 13 downloads Coach Step Motor Replacement - Aftermarket Motor.pdf 638.33 kB · 13 downloads

I worked 5 days on and off getting my step motor in. My fingertips are still raw. Could get 2 bolts in but not the 3rd, no matter which order I used. It's obvious they installed it on a bench upside down, alignment was all sky western crooked and impossible to do from underneath. I drilled out the threaded inserts on the motor. No help.

I finally gave up and went in search of longer bolts. I think it was 10-24 (memory) that I thought looked close and bought at rural king. Nope. close but wouldn't even go through the motor.

After striking out at all the lumberyards I finally found long enough 6mm bolts in another town at Ace Hardware and used the original bolts in 2 holes and the longer bolt in the other hole, and it's fixed. I'm still not sure I have the right threads, it didn't seem like it was tightening like I wanted to so I stopped before I stripped it. I can always put a nut and lock washer on the top side since it's longer.

Edit to say: The plastic gear in my old motor was broken, but not how I figured it would be. I figured the teeth would be broken off. It was the clover looking part at the bottom of the gear that had broken. On day 3 I almost took the new motor apart and put the gear in the old one, but I got to thinking I might have just as much trouble getting it to line up.

Video made me really happy about my slides and roof on my 2007 in comparison to that one.

I've watched a lot of his videos and he always scares me, think he's going to fall off the roof at any time.

Also I'm sure it has ac drains, they're probably clogged.

9 minutes ago, Wayne Thomas said:

I installed Hercules haft the price same rating as Goodyear the tire guy told me no matter what you put on change them every 7 years

I've had good service with the hercules tires on my camelot and also the hercules tires I put on the Montana fifth wheel I had before.

I have read every step thread here and also the instruction manuals posted, but perhaps I'm a little slow.

I'm installing step motor 300-1406. What limits the travel of the motor and motor gear? I don't want to put this in wrong and immediately strip it out.

I read I'm supposed to install the motor with the steps out. 

Old topic of mine being responded to here,

What I did was buy a noco genius battery maintainer and plugged it in the block heater recp in the engine bay.. Bought an extra length of wire to connect the plug in portion and the alligator clips portion and permanently mounted it so the charger cable would reach the batteries.

When parked it's hooked up. When motor running or when traveling it's unplugged and stored in the basement. 

Check where the temp sensor is for your front ac and make sure a duct isn't blowing directly on it. If it is re-aim the duct away from the sensor.

I got hit with 60 mph crosswind on I 10 in the florida panhandle going home last year. Full of fuel and water, towing my silverado.

No warning from accuweather or weather.com. No where to pull off. I got pushed off the road by it 2-3 times, moved me 3 ft at least. I didn't even consider pulling off on the shoulder, raining so hard at times you could barely see and I would have got rear ended.

Very scary. Got to a rest area and parked. 5 minutes later it was over. 8 minutes later my phone started going off with weather warnings "shelter in place". Yeah, thanks a lot.