CAT Stephen

Michael,

Its an easy hardware swap to fix those two (2) bottom ladder interfaces:

- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08KWS5SMJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

JD,

One more question since you do not currently have an inverter:

- Do you plan on adding an inverter in the future?  If you do:

• - What is the rated maximum running output of your future inverter?
• - What is the rated maximum surge output of your future inverter?

Hello JD,

I can help you spec out the right components for your needs if you can answer the following questions:

- What is the rated maximum output of your current coach engine alternator in amps?

- What is the nominal voltage of your current coach engine alternator? 

- What is the nominal voltage of your current house battery system?

- What is the rated maximum output of your current generator in kilowatts?

- What is the rated maximum running output of your current inverter?

- What is the rated maximum surge output of your current inverter?

- Do you have soft-starters installed for your rooftop air conditioners

- How many rooftop air conditioners are installed on your coach?

- What is the house Amp-Hour battery capacity that are you seeking?

- What are the dimensions for the area that will hold your future LiPO4 house batteries (Length X Width X Height)?

@trstaska,

It depends on what type of fabric that you are looking for.  Here are the vendor/manufacturers with the best quality and the best price:

- Acrylic (Sunbrella):

• https://www.shadepro.net/

- Vinyl:

• https://sunpromfg.com/dometic-carefree-universal-replacement-rv-awning-fabric/

@Bill C,

Can you share your decision with the group?

14 hours ago, Bill C said:

Been doing some research, found a new Norcold for $4k, cheaper than any other place I have found,

Here is the link:

https://www.dyersonline.com/norcold-ultraline-12-cu-ft-side-by-side-refrigerator.html?utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=shoppingengine&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhtWvBhD9ARIsAOP0Goiia65Zro7ZhXQZXz9quR0iN0jjcOFtOzpitwzSrWDN2EB0spUNlBIaAnlDEALw_wcB

Bill, your cooling unit has a slow pinhole refrigerant leak which is severely hindering your cooling units capacity to cool.  I have been through that once and there is no fixing that issue as only a few RV shops in the country have the capability to recharge a cooling unit.  You could decide to purchase the new refrigerator above, but be warned that Norcold OEM cooling units are very poor quality with very thin cooling unit tubing which fail quickly. Thus, Norcold OEM cooling units are a fire hazard.

The aftermarket JC Refrigeration cooling units are very high quality and have exceptionally thick cooling unit tubing thickness.  All cooling units will experience boiler damage if they are EVER ran out of level which results in corrosion which leads to refrigerator fires, thus I also suggest that you add an ARP boiler monitoring system for your new cooling unit for an additional $196.  The ARP monitor turns off your boiler before damage occurs then automatically turns on your boiler aggain when the temperature drops to the normal boiler operating range.  Order Kit #2 from here: https://www.arprv.com/purchase.php

Just so that you know, I own a 23 year old Norcold 1200LRIM refrigerator with a new cooling unit from JC Refrigeration in 2021 with an ARP boiler monitor.  In 100 degree outdoor temperatures, My freezer runs at -2F and my refrigerator runs at 33 degrees with ample additional adjustment to run cooler due to the tremendous additional efficiency of the JC Refrigeration cooling unit.

Your ultimate decision moving forward depends upon your use case. 

• If you camp off-grid and do not have solar and you don't like running your generator daily to charge your existing house batteries to run a replacement residential refrigerator, then stay with your existing Norcold and have your Norcold's existing cooling unit replaced with a JC Refrigeration (i.e. Amish) cooling unit.  This will cost you $1445 for the cooling unit plus $300 labor if you have JC Refrigeration install for you on-site in Indiana, and $196 for an ARP boiler monitor.  If you elect to have others install, plan on $500-$700 for the cooling unit install.
• If you are on-grid nearly full time, then seriously consider a residential refrigerator as a replacement as they are much lower cost than replacing your cooling unit.  But, if your furnace is located directly below your refrigerator, then you will be very limited on residential refrigerator capacity. 

Larry,

It depends. 

• What is the make and model of your current existing ACs
• What is the make and model of your existing thermostat?
• What is the make and model of your new (used) visone ACs

FMCA Roadside Assistance is very reasonable and has outstanding coverage.

Thanks for the clarification @Tom Cherry.  My HR 38WDD activates the brake lights when either the service brakes or the exhaust brake is engaged.  I continue to be amazed at the vast differences between coaches.

13 minutes ago, Oilcan said:

I would like to know if any one has disconnected the brake lights from the exhaust brake on our 99 windsor when the floor switch is used for the exhaust break it also activates the brske lights which activates the brake ststem on the toad I would like to eliminate this as I dont want the toad brakes activating when using the exhaust brake only when actually using the brakes so far I havent looked into the exhaust brake switch to see if I can figure out which wire to disconnect of cut off was wondering if anyone had some info on this ir what they did to address this issue thanks oilcan

William,

When the exhaust brake engages, so must your toad brakes engage to prevent extreme pressure on your towbar.  Exhaust braking produces the same action as your friction brakes.

Doug, 

Here is a recent post addressing everything under the sun from a window repair / replacement lens:

- 

John,

Disconnect the solar panel from the RM1 then, with your RV in the full sun using a multimeter, test the full load amperes and test the full panel voltage and post the results.

@1nolaguy,

I purchased the tires locally in the south eastern Tennessee truck tire shop so that I did not need to pay shipping.  You can avoid shipping fees by having a local truck tire shop order the tires for you.  I called nine (9) local truck tire shops and went with the best price shop which was $220.00 each last week in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area.

6 hours ago, 1nolaguy said:

CAT Stephen, Thank you for posting this information. While some may say 50 miles is not enough for a solid review, Unless none of them were at highway speeds I am confident in your assessment. If there were an issue (save for premature wear or deterioration) it would show up early. I am currently just over 5 years with the 6 Michelin X-line Energy tires that cost me over $6K. They are already showing sidewall issues and I will find out tomorrow if Michelin is going to cover their replacement under warranty or not. If their answer is "NO" I can see no reason to spend more money on their product. I will be giving these a serious consideration.

Yes, ~44 miles of the review were on a concrete interstate highway at speeds between 60mph and 75mph with ~5 interstate miles through a construction zone with uneven pavement to push the tires tracking capability to the maximum.  There were also numerous expansion joints on this interstate in poor condition which tested the tires impact absorption to the extreme.  I am very pleased with the exceptional smoothness and impact absorption of TBC Power King Navitrac NRS20.

6 hours ago, Jim McFarland said:

CAT Stephen have you ever rode on the Michelin tires?  I've heard of Hercules tires but never have rode on any of them.

Jim

Jim,

I use Michelin Defenders on all of my passenger vehicles and they are incredibly smooth and have long treadlife, but I have not used the Michelin brand on my coach due to the high cost.

I made the decision to replace my six tires recently on my Holiday Rambler 38WDD coach. 

My full disclosure is:

- I am not affiliated in any capacity with the tire industry.

- This review was created on my own accord without compensation or other influence

This tire review is for your benefit and consideration if you are in the market for replacing your coach tires and your parameters fit well to the parameters specified:

- Tire Size is 275-70-R22.5

- Ride quality is the highest priority

- Seeking superior stone ejection capability over my baseline tires that I am replacing (Hercules Strong RA) 

- Willing to sacrifice warranty quality for lower tire cost as I always age out coach tires before I wear out coach tires 

- Willing to use offshore manufactured tires for lower cost

- Tire Type: Unidirectional (i.e. steer and drive) to enable rotation between all six (6) tires  

I investigated every tire on the market available in the size specified.   After ~1 month of reviewing all available tires in the target size, I selected the PowerKing Navitrac N346 (relabeled in 2024 as the PowerKing Navitrac NRS20) from the TBC Brands Tire Company based upon:

- Excellent reliability of PowerKing tires that I have used previously for my tandem axle boat trailer application, while incurring substantial ride quality risk as there were no reviews that I could find on this tire for either trucking, bus, or RV applications of this tire. 

- Observation that the tread is exceptionally deep and tapered that should theoretically provide better stone ejection than the baseline Hercules Strong RA tires which have much shallower tread that is not significantly tapered.

- Observation that this tire is also targeted to the passenger bus market which should theoretically provide better ride quality than tires targeted only for the trucking market.

- My Cost:

• $220.00 each plus $32.51 FET (Federal Excise Tax)

-Product Information (See Page 6):

• 275X70R22.5
• https://www.tbccommercialtires.com/pdfs/catalog/TBC Brands_Navitrac Catalog 2024.pdf

- Warranty:

• https://tbc.scene7.com/is/content/TBCCorporation/TBC Brands/Commercial/Navitrac/Warranty/1253_TBCB_WARRANTY_Navitrac MRT Limited Warranty_1220.pdf

Here is my review after ~50 miles in service on the six (6) new PowerKing Navitrac NRS20 tires :

- The ride quality is now exceptional and very smooth compared to my prior Hercules Strong RA tires.

- After driving ~1000 feet on a crushed stone road, I observed the tires to be stone free.

- The handling of these tires is less stiff than the Hercules Strong RA.  Thus the reaction of steering feel is now much more muted and softer.

Frank,

Lead acid equalization should only be executed on one battery bank at a time and the bank being equalized should be monitored carefully.  Some coaches have automatic battery bank combiners.  If your coach has an automatic battery bank combiner, you should disconnect the house side of your combiner from your house battery band before attempting the house battery bank equalization.  

Rob,

Are your current side view cameras wired or wireless?

@jacwjames,

I'm having the same issue on my drivers side window How much time was required for you to DIY the repair of your drivers side window?  

Carl,

In addition to the information provided by @Tom Cherry, here is a good video to help you envision the process:

Kurt,

A good place to start your journey is to contact the manufacturer directly:

https://validmfg.com/contact-us/

Please post your experience and the results.

What keypad are you referring to?

Robert, 

What brand and model of air dryer does your coach have?

RP,

Do your leveling jacks have visible retraction springs? 

• If the jack does have visible retraction spring(s), then you will need to replace the existing jack retraction spring(s).
• If they do not have visible retraction spring(s), then the retraction springs are internal which means that you will need to replace that entire jack.
  • This will be $$$$.$$  (i.e. ~$1000< plus 1 -2 hour install labor)