johjim397

I would not recommend those roads for large RV's. It has been awhile since I had my 38 foot Endeavor in that area due to my experience on my last trip there. I was in Maggie Valley and there was a huge rock slide that closed I-40S so I was forced to go South to get back to I-40S. Travelling through the Park to Gatlinburg was not an option for me. We had 2 coaches travelling together, so, my buddy and I studied the atlas carefully and picked our route to get us down to Cleveland, TN where we could get on I-75S. The roads where in good shape; however, traffic was much heavier than expected. I don't recall any issues with the grades; but, the roads are very crooked with a lot of blind hair pin turns. You are hanging close to the center line with the nose and the center to rear is very close to the mountain. Then, suddenly from out of nowhere you could be face to face with a tanker truck with the trailer tires in your lane. HOLY...., nowhere to go; nowhere to hide!! Brakes on heavy by both of us. When we stopped, his trailer was less than an inch from my mirror and my coach was so close to the mountain that I couldn't open the door and of course no backing up for me. We just sat there for a few minutes to collect ourselves before making any moves. As I have stated before, traffic was much heavier than expected. The truck can't back-up because of a line of cars behind him. All ended well but NOT forgotten!!! johjim397 02 Endeavor

That is without any doubt the best reply I have ever received! Thank you Happycarz!!! While mine is mounted a little bit differently in the coach, all of what you have stated should apply to my situation. You mentioned a "small balance line" on the tank, can you tell me anything about the tank? Does it have compartments or baffles? I am just thinking about the purpose of that small line from one side of the tank to the other side. Again, thank you for your reply, a great one! johjim397

Thank you, Kenneth. Your suggestion is most certainly at the top of the list of possibilities and if this was a puncture into the tank it would have been done. I believe this is something that goes all the way back to the time this tank was manufactured and it has taken this long to show itself. This area has always shown signs of a fuel leak since I bought this coach some 20 years ago. In order to determine the repair, I must first find the source of the leak and what caused it. In order to do that, I must unbolt the tank and shift it left or right a minimum of 3 inches to clear the frame that supports the tank to the chassis. Then thoroughly clean the area for inspection and possibly perform a dye penetrant test on the weld for the mounting bracket. I do not believe something has worn a pin hole into the tank; but, that could be a possibility. I just want to be prepared for my worse case scenario. johjim397

397Hello Monacoers, This is my first post on this site and I am not sure if this is the proper location for this post. My first thought was the chassis; however, I could not find anything relative to fuel. So, here I am in the general section. I have a 2002 Holiday Rambler Endeavor 38PBDD on a Roadmaster RR8R chassis and my fuel tank has developed a minor fuel leak at the left front mounting bracket location where it is welded to the tank. The tank is fabricated of 1/8” mild steel plate and measures 16 1/4” W x 90 1/4” L x 18 1/2” H. My plan is to remove the tank and take it to a local fabrication company to do the repairs on the tank. But, before taking that leap, I would like to learn as much as possible about the tank, the removal and installation of replacements before I start this project. Has anyone experienced a similar problem with their coach where they had to remove their fuel tank? If so, what are the procedures to follow? I would like to have some comments on the engine pick-up supply and return lines as well as the pick-up and return lines for the generator that are mounted within the tank. Will the tank slide out with the 90-degree elbow fittings still mounted to the tank or will they have to be removed in order for the tank to be removed? Are construction drawings available on the construction of the fuel tank? Thank you for your comments, johjim397 02 Endeavor 38 PBDD