RoadTripper2084

9 hours ago, daveyjo said:

I put foam from swimming pool noodles over the support struts and the noise went away!

 

Could you post a picture?   you mean you put foam around the front-facing edges of the door awning arms?

Okay, since everyone is so passionate about this issue 🙂, let's explore the "draglink adjustment" option a little further...

My drag link is straight, doesn't have a kink, and both ball joints are removable, or at least they were 25 years ago when it was installed.

So how would I go about adjusting it to move the steering wheel centre position back about 20deg?

..and given the corrosion on the threads, etc, would I even be able to, realistically?

1 hour ago, dl_racing427 said:

It still seems like it's just as easy to adjust the drag link as it is to remove and replace the steering wheel.
Why not do it the right way?

Well I know what you're saying, and in theory you are correct. But given that we're talking about a 25 year old link that is heavily corroded, I feel like that's a potential can of worms I'd rather leave sealed at this point. 

I'm not about to attempt adjusting that myself, and if I take it back to the shop I'm at best going to be $500 poorer and at worst they fubar something and I'm looking for a new drag-link, or maybe the wheel gets centred but the tracking goes to pot, etc.

1 hour ago, Ivylog said:

Only one end of the drag link is adjustable requiring removing the pressed fit tapered 3/4” bolt…obviously you’ve never tried to remove one that big. Also is one turn at a time enough or to much? 
Takes less than 5 minutes to remove the 1/4” bolt on the Ujoint to center.

My thinking exactly, the amount the wheel needs to move is minor, and this is a change I can accomplish myself. 

So, where does one find the bolt on the steering column, is it the one directly above the knuckle? I suppose it will be obvious once I get the cover off...

8 hours ago, dl_racing427 said:

If the only change was the tie rod, then adjusting the drag link to re-center would be the correct method, as it will bring both the steering box and steering wheel back to center.

So to do that I'd have to remove the ball joint at the steering box end and try to get the the 25 year old rusty threads to turn where it attaches to the steering-box, correct?  I don't think I'd be comfortable attempting that myself, and not really wanting to drop it back at the shop for another $500+ to have the do it.

I think I'd rather just adjust the steering wheel position, which I should be able to do myself, and call it a day.  🙂

On 2/18/2022 at 7:43 AM, RoadTripper2084 said:

...replaced the right side tie rod tube which was sloppy, and set the toe in.

I appreciate the advice guys, but the drag link hasn't changed, the shop replaced the right side tie rod tube and set the toe in. The coach now tracks perfectly and there is essentially no slop in the steering at all.

I can check the the steering mark on the steering shaft sometime, but currently there's a  foot of new snow on the ground so won't be anytime soon.  

In any case, I'm very pleased with the current tracking and steering behaviour, but I just want my wheel centered when straight.

I assume the bolt I need is located behind that cover?

I do the same, inspired by this post 

It works really well, is easy to do, and there's no problem carrying the 4 pieces of pipe with me to use whenever I may need it, doesn't rely on having perfectly level ground either. Recommended.

I took my rig into a local heavy truck mechanic to have the drag link ball joints replaced, as one was flagged as being loose during a previous insurance inspection at a different shop. Turns out the drag link joints were fine, and they replaced the right side tie rod tube which was sloppy, and set the toe in.

Wow, what a difference!  My coach now drives like a dream on the highway, comparatively. Tracks straight down the road, one handed steering is relaxing, etc. Much improved over how it handled before where just taking your hand off the wheel to grab a drink of water could be er, "interesting". 

Unfortunately, now my steering wheel is out of centre, sits at about 2 and 9 o'clock. 

Which bolt in your picture is the pinch bolt that you loosen to adjust the wheel position? The one on the top marked "LE"?

Give these guys a call, they manufacture replacements for older motor coach dashes, etc.

http://www.custominstrumentpanels.com/monaco.htm

If anything, I find there are already too many sub-forums for the amount of traffic the site receives. I usually just search the whole site if I'm looking for a specific topic, or monitor the unread activity every couple of days for interesting new stuff.

Thanks for providing this site, btw, it's a real game-changer for owners of these older coaches to be able to tap into the community expertise.  👍

Perfect, thank-you.

Those look really clean.  

Hi, sorry, not in the market to buy these but I was wondering if you could post a picture of the back of these gauges? How does the lighting work, are the bulbs replaceable?

Thanks

19 hours ago, Wrayj1 said:

Agreed Rick,  however, last summer I used, after thoroughly cleaning the roof, 6 inch eternabond tape on all roof seams including where the big awning is installed, skylight, front underwear end caps, and any other seam, also caulked places where eternabond did not work as well as installed new ac gaskets.  In addition I caulked around all  windows and the entry door and awning.  Inspected and lubed all slide seals, etc.   I'm from Oregon and we had significant rain after the work was done, no leaks.  That is why this is really puzzling me.

 

Could it possibly be condensation building up long hot showers, and then somehow running down onto the floor?

5 minutes ago, waterskier_1 said:

That is similar to what I did.  I left the original panel but replaced the inefficient PWM controller with a new MPPT controller and connected it to the chassis battery.  I have 1300 Watts additional panels I use to charge my LiFePO4 house batteries.  I recommend you monitor you house batteries when in storage for phantom loads.  Of course if you remove the battery cables you should be okay.  

Yeah I'm going to need to monitor things to see how effective the stock solar charger is. Can always swap it out if needed down the road.

My LiFePO4 battery has a smart bluetooth BMS so I can disable all discharge (and charging) using an app for storage mode.

2 hours ago, waterskier_1 said:

Depending on how much solar, and how you solar controller is wired, it should.  I put 720 Watts on the roof of my 97 Dynasty with my own solar controller to the house batteries only.  I had it in storage for 9 months after I bought my Exec. I just used a jumper cable from the house bank to the chassis bank and never had a problem.  Check that your solar controller charges both banks. 

  - Rick N 

Currently I just have the 24 year old factory panel, 80watts (?) and the stock solar charger. I have a new 130w panel that I am planning on replacing the factory panel with, and hoping to use the stock charger but connected only to the chassis battery. Just want it to keep the chassis lead-acid topped up when parked, and will of course also use the alternator to also charge it while driving. But it will not be charged when plugged in or via the generator. I do have a small 2A battery maintainer that I could use by plugging it in if desired, but not planning on using it much.

The House LiFePo4 battery (280Ah) will be charged via the 100A charger on the Freedom 20 converter, either via shore-power or generator. When driving, it will be charged via the DC-DC charger off the chassis battery.

18 hours ago, waterskier_1 said:

 

The fuse diagram doesn't help.  I was looking for wiring for the solenoids.  I believe from the last pictures that the isolation relay (solenoid) is the large one at the bottom of both pictures.  If so, all you need to do is identify which of the two heave red cables is the house (coach) battery cable and disconnect it - both ends.  That will keep the isolator relay (IRD or BIRD) from connecting the chassis and coach batteries together.  Note that this will also inhibit the Battery Boost function since it also uses this same relay to tie the two systems together.  I don't find this a problem, because I really don't want my LiFePO4 batteries subject to that high (several hundred amps) current draw.  If there is an emergency, and I don't have another vehicle to any other way to start the main engine, then I would consider using jumper cables from the house to chassis positive terminals.  Note that this will also inhibit your inverter/charger from charging the chassis batteries (if it currently does).  Again, I haven't found that a problem, first because the charger profile (algorithm) is not set for Lithium, and 2) I have one (the original) solar panel dedicated to maintaining the chassis battery.  I also have a battery maintainer that I could (haven't had to) put on the chassis battery, powered through the Block Heater outlet, but it would only work when shore or genny power was on.

 

This is the same configuration that I'm going to go with as well:

1. Remove the factory battery isolator and maintainer.

2. Rewire the solar charger so it only charges the chassis battery.

3. DC-DC converter to charge the LiFePO4 House battery from the Chassis battery when the alternator is running.

I haven't decided on whether to keep the battery boost feature or not. Mine isn't working currently so I might try to rebuild the solenoid it and if that works, fine, otherwise remove it.

I'm hoping the solar panel will keep the chassis battery charged while the rig is in storage (with battery cutoff enabled).

17 hours ago, Seward G said:

The Renogy charger has a lead to go to the truck ignition circuit; I am unsure how this is used.  Is it that the charger only is active when the truck is running? 

I am undertaking the same project on my '97 Dynasty. I can't answer most of your questions as my electrical setup is much different from yours :).

However, I too am planning to use the Renogy 60A DC-DC charger. You are correct, you need to identify a source wire that will output 12vDC when the key ignition is turned to on, this will inform the DC-DC charger to begin charging from the source chassis battery. I thought I read somewhere that the DC-DC charger could also be configured to instead sense the output voltage of the chassis battery, and when it exceeded 14.5v or something like that (that would only happen when it was itself being charged) that would turn on the DC-DC charger. I'd prefer that approach I think if feasible so as to not add a potentially high load to the chassis battery before the engine has actually been started.

I recently ordered a package of these to replace the bulbs on my '97 Dynasty. 

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0912JL4Z2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I haven't received them yet so not sure of the final fit and function. I went with amber vs cool white as I like a "warm" looking coach.  

FYI I think I found the product page for these:  https://www.ecklers.com/1973-1987-chevy-gmc-truck-sequential-led-taillight-assembly-with-stainless-trim-right-61-886072-1.html

These are nice, but a bit to spendy for my budget. Does anyone have a link to an LED bulb replacement that can be used inside the original taillight housings?

1 hour ago, jacwjames said:

So as long as my inverter is working I know the chassis batteries are staying charged. 

Are you literally meaning that you are using the power from the house batteries to run the 120v inverter, which in turn is used to charge the chassis battery?

Or do you mean that your "converter/charger" is taking power from 120v shore or genny and using that to charge the chassis battery?

My '97 Dynasty came with an LG residential fridge and works fine using the original Heart Interface Freedom 20 MSW inverter.

Our fridge is about 10 years old I think, so not sure if newer models electronics might be more sensitive to the MSW or not.

4 hours ago, Chuck B 2004 Windsor said:

The future is bright until one drives across Texas on I 10 in a all electric vehicle.  Around 300 miles you will have depleted the battery bank.  You end up on the side of the road in the dead cold of winter.  I pray that you have enough blankets to stay warm until help arrives.  Wonder how many charging stations you passed up if any.  

You mean THIS I-10?  Seems like a lot of EV charging stations all along that road. lol. 

I really don't get the negative energy towards green energy here, it all seems very can't do.

Do you all think that the gasoline (and diesel, of course!) refining, transport, and distribution system popped up overnight the day after the Model T went on sale??

Of course not. Same can be said for the electrical infrastructure requirements that going all electric. Of course we can build these out, and quickly. It's an amazing opportunity.

I get that it might seem like a slight on the way we have all lived our lives under fossil fuel dominance, but really it's just progress. We're all creatures of our times. What other aspect of modern life hasn't been revolutionized 3 times over during your lifetime? - think of computers, TV, medical science, materials science, etc. To think that we should just stick to burning coal and gasoline forever is asinine.

My daily driver is a 2016 KIA Soul EV+ that I picked up at an auction for little $ (because I'm cheap that way). It's amazing. Instant heat/ac, great torque, so quiet I can hear my brake calipers engage when I'm coming to a low speed stop. Costs me 1/5th to run vs my previous 2005 RAV4. Maintenance is almost non-existent. Has very limited range in this case, but enough to meet 80% of my daily driving requirements. If I wanted to spend real new car money I could have a Tesla that could meet all of my driving requirements. There is zero question that once people get their hands on EVs, it's game over for fossil cars. Sure, there are use cases that will take much longer to convert, long-range towing being one example, though even that might convert faster than you'd think. Driver's can only put on so many hours a day anyway, so stopping to charge might actually work out for them.

Don't worry though, nobody is coming to take away our DPs and fossil fueled sports cars. Lots of people still keep horses too.  😉

Of course, there are negative externalities for everything if you look closely enough. Even discounting the potentially immense damage that C02 and methane pollution has caused to the ecosystem.

For example, let's consider the massive long term pollution caused by leaking underground fuel tanks!

The positive news around batteries is that they are getting much better every year, a LiFePO4 pack for my RV is nearly upfront cost-equivilant to lead-acid now, and will last for 5000 cycles, far longer than my coach will. Even once it has reduced capacity it will be safe and effective to continue to use. This battery technology will greatly reduce the number of lead-acid batteries required. In addition, their chemistries are being improved to reduce or eliminate the most problematic chemicals. 

Used EV batteries will find second lives as grid power banks, once they are no longer able to supply the high output discharge required by EVs, they are still very suitable for utility-scale power storage. 

Finally, there is a lot of innovation happening in the lithium battery recycling area, the materials in these batteries are far too valuable to "throw away".

So I'd say the future for batteries is bright.  🙂 

On 11/28/2021 at 8:31 AM, RoadTripper2084 said:

I did call http://www.custominstrumentpanels.com/monaco.htm weeks back and left a message and they called me back a few days later and told me to submit pictures of my dash via email so they could determine if they had a pattern that would work or not for my rig.  I submitted the pictures to both of their published email addresses, one bounced as though it doesn't exist anymore and I've never heard back from them on the other. I need to phone them again but have been busy and this week with Thanksgiving and all.  The fact that they don't publish any *hint* of what these replacements might cost makes me think that it will be cost prohibitive as well.

Okay, I called these guys back today and spoke with someone knowledgeable. They *do* have templates for my 07 Dynasty so can get ABS plastic replacements from them for both the main dash piece and the left-side control panel piece, prices they quoted me for mine are $298.75 for the main piece, and $173.65 for the side piece, plus shipping.

So price-wise that's actually less than I was afraid it would be. I will probably proceed with acquiring these replacements and swapping them in at some point, maybe over the winter haven't decided yet. I also want to update the gauge lighting with LED bulbs at the same time, though have no idea currently what kind of bulbs I would need for that.

15 hours ago, Corkman said:

Michael P. And anybody else, have you replaced your gauges with another brand? Anybody recommend a brand for 2001 Monaco dynasty? My tack is accurate and my fuel gauge is accurate but my speedometer is never accurate and the original owner I bought it from said it hasn’t been accurate for a long long time. My amp meter is never accurate. I’m thinking about replacing the dash like Michael P did and while I’m there replacing some gauges. Any thoughts on what I should use for a new gauges?

Don't most of the gauges have an adjustment pot on the back, that you can use to "dial in" their reading values? You might want to try that before investing in a new gauges.