Patricia Ferrara

4 hours ago, throgmartin said:

I use a multi tool with a scraper blade attachment. This makes fast work of getting the old caulking up. Once it is up, go back and clean the area with denatured alcohol. If there are any gaps you can lay a thin bead of Dicor down to fill them. Allow the dicor to tack up, then put down the eternabond tape.

I am sorry but I have never seen a youtube video on caulking. It is a very straight forward process.

Thanks Chris!

I will go up & measure how many linear feet of seams that I have, and then order the eternabond tape. I guess that I’ll redo most if not all of the seams, as the majority look like they have just been resealed several times over the years, so starting fresh sounds like the way to go. Just hoping that I do everything right, as I will never hear the end if it from DH if we end up with a leak lol!

Thank you to everyone for your input and help! I think that now I have a pretty good idea of how to get this done correctly… just need some cooperative weather so I can take my time and end up with a decent result (and no leaks!). Fingers crossed!🤞 

3 hours ago, throgmartin said:

Patti:

I know you messaged me but I wanted to answer here in case someone else needed some tid bits on roof renos.

Scotty used to sleep through my seminars so he wasn't able to give you the full details. 🙂 I always taught RV'ers during my roof renovation seminars that Eternabond tape is your friend. Using eternabond cuts back on caulking. If applied properly it will last 20 - 30 years and during that time prevent you from having to re-caulk those areas.

Looking at your pictures I would run eternabond around the vent fans. I always do this when doing a roof reno on a customers coach. Many service places wont do this because they want you coming back for caulking touch ups. Put the eternabond tape down and be done with it forever.

It appears you have a roof mounted patio awning. All of those screws and all that caulking is a great place to lay down eternabond tape. There too many screws to have to keep track of with caulking and one screw pop and leak and you will end up with roof rot. We had a member who lost part of his roof to leaks around these screws. It was a major job fixing it. ( See picture below ). I would use the 6 inch wide eternabond and lay down so it covers the screws as well as the inside seam where it meets the roof. Once applied you will never have to worry about caulking those screws or one leaking.

In regards to scuffing the paint, I never have. But then I use Dicor paint exclusively. It is made for RV roofs. They sell it in two formulas - 1,) Metal roofs 2.) Fiberglass roofs. The paint you are using will work OK. If you have a 40 ft coach I am not sure 3 quarts will cover the entire roof with 2 coats. The trick to getting good adhesion is power washing the roof then cleaning the roof with Dawn and then rinsing it till the cows come home. I typically use the power washer when rinsing. I use a scrub brush with the Dawn.

In as far as adding grip material, I would try it but would paint the roof first. Go back with new paint and lay down the paint with tread tex just in the pathways you walk. I have never applied it before but have been on roofs that had it. Pretty nice to walk on. Reminds me of the time I nearly did a peter pan off a roof top. I have doe over 3,000 inspections on Monaco brand coaches during my career. Only once did I fall off a roof. The only thing that saved me from bouncing off the pavement was I landed on the roof of the slide. 🙂 Guess why I fell ? The roof was wet with dew and it was windy as heck. Lesson learned. One other safety measure I want to add here - Always wear sunglasses when painting a roof. The sun reflects off the new paint and will produce blinding glare spots. I almost busted my a$! by nearly walking right off a roof once. I couldn't see because of the intense glare it produced in my eyes. I have never been blinded like that before and I had to sit and wait till my eyes returned to normal. Fresh white paint on a roof is REAL bright.

 

Good luck with your roof reno. Be safe.

 

 

Thanks Chris!

If I am to use the Eternabond tape, would it be best to scrape up the old sealant? It’s pretty thick and lumpy in places (I think a previous owner may have put some additional sealant in places). If I’m scraping the old sealant off, what is best to prime the surface to receive the Eternabond? If there’s any gaps, put a thin bead of Dicor down first? And then apply Topside prior to the tape? Do you have any YouTube videos that you could recommend so that I don’t drive everyone on this thread crazy 🤪 with endless questions?

I hear you… it’s raining yet again here in north Texas. This has been one of the wettest springs! I don’t remember having so many flood watches as we’ve had the past few months.

Maybe I should try a patch & see how slippery the Topside is. When I cleaned the a/c fins, it got a little slippery after I rinsed the cleaner off (yes, the cleaner is supposed to rinse off via condensation, but I wanted to make sure the fins were squeaky clean before I put everything back together).

Anyone have any thoughts on the Tread Tex anti-slip additive? Boaters that have used it suggest that if it is added, be sure the stir the paint frequently as it can settle to the bottom. We thought it might be a good idea, as it can get a little slick up there. I’ve already had more than my fair share of accidents, and don’t need another one at my age!

Wow Gary! Looks awesome! Your front & rear endcaps look great too! Did you put new clear coat on them? I’ve been debating as to whether to run the white Topside down to the running lights after (sanding) or doing clear coat. Thoughts?

Thanks Scotty! Yes, I have plastic sheeting & painters tape… How do I get ahold of Chris at Talin please? I’m hoping for a couple of days this week to tape off and apply the Topside first, as you suggested (makes sense!). 

We have 3 quarts of the Topside, and hopefully it will be enough. We are considering adding some Tread Tex anti-skid paint additive, as we are senior citizens & highly allergic to falls from ANY height… so we’d appreciate everyone’s thoughts on this please 🙏 

Hello Monacoers!

We have had no roof issues but figured that it was time to schedule a little maintenance before IT schedules us. Initial inspection saw a very dirty roof and some possible iffy seams. I thought it would be prudent to ask for the collective wisdom of this group (after we’ve searched the forum on this topic).

I am including some photos from before and after cleaning the roof with Dawn dish soap (and yes, both a/c units have already been serviced in the past week, so at least that is done).

First the before & after photos. The questions I have on these is: Do we need to get up the black stains from the a/c runoff, or will the Rustoleum Topside (2 coats) cover them? Should we scuff up the surface with sand paper first (and will we need to wash & let dry the roof again?)?

We also have some seam questions (with pictures) that we’d like some advice on in the next post…

Ok, now for the seams…

These pics of the seams are from PRIOR to cleaning, but they are the seams that give me the most concern. Most of the seams still seem pliable. The only places with dried out/flaking are on the screws above the awnings/slides. 
 

After seeing these pictures, can we put down new sealant where necessary/over the existing seams, and then apply the Topside a few days later? Or do the seams look so bad that they need to be removed so that it can be replaced with fresh sealant? We purchased 2 cartridges of Dicor self leveling lap sealant (last photo). Having never done a motor home roof before (and wanting to do it right the 1st time!), I am not sure on how to proceed.

Also, we are full timers, husband does security for a Texas resort, so we don’t have access to a covered area to get this done.

Hello fellow Monacoers!

My husband, Mike (in his early 70’s) & I (early 60’s) have been FT RVing since 2020: first traveling in a 24’ Class C for 19 months, took a break for a year, then bought our current Monaco Diplomat in March of 2022. Mike is retired military & also a retired IT specialist; I have been disabled by a MVA since 1993. We have a house in Mississippi that we rent out (to family, so just enough to cover mortgage & taxes). With the price of diesel these days, Mike didn’t want to stretch the budget with traveling, so he landed a sweet work camper deal doing security and maintenance at a resort in northern Texas, which covers our full hookup site, (including electricity and WIFI), and makes extra $$$ besides. We have no plans to go back to “sticks & bricks”, as we are quite comfortable & enjoy resort living. Down the road, we *may* travel again, if the cost of diesel goes down (& we get itchy feet). But staying put does keep down the wear & tear costs from the road. Yes, things DO break (still have to finish figuring out the EMS board, as step 1 didn’t work), and there will always be maintenance issues - but now that the resort’s busy season is finally starting to wind down, we will be able to address these things prior to winter setting in (hopefully).

The WSJ article was interesting, and the various scenarios of the people profiled may or may not be “typical” in terms of financial and economic conditions (most of them seem much better off than the average RVers we’ve met in our travels), but whether RVers or boaters, we seem to share the same “wanderlust”, or at least are “free spirited”.
 

And we must add:

It’s so very nice to belong to this group of like minded folks who are so willing to share their experiences and knowledge, and we’re very appreciative of Tom & everyone who donate their time and effort to make Bill D’s Monacoers such a great source of information and support!

Happy Halloween everyone!🦇🎃🧙‍♀️

And thanks Myron! So very nice of you to share the wiring diagram… hopefully, our sister ships are wired similarly (but I have read that every Monaco is “unique”, sort of like fingerprints; also, there’s no telling what upgrades/aftermarket items were installed by the previous owners lol).

6 minutes ago, myrontruex said:

Your AC breaker panel is probably located in the closet on the left side and is above the water heater. Access to the wh is via the closet and a cover to access the wh.

There is virtually no air circulation inside the closet and the AC breaker panel can get very hot especially with the radiated heat from the water heater living below it. 

There has been times when I had to open the closet and turn a cooling vent onto the panel to keep one of the air conditoners from tripping. The panel gets so hot the breaker will begin to trip and a lower current. I have a solution for this but will not share it right now. 

Yes, Myron, the bedroom AC circuit breaker does trip on occasion, which is why we do not turn on the water heater unless we are doing showers. We also leave the closet door ajar to facilitate airflow, resulting in less frequent tripping issues. IMHO, placing the breaker box in this location is a “design flaw”, but what do I know lol!

Thanks Tom!

We will attempt your instructions to reboot the EMS after the holiday weekend, as we are work campers & the resort will be crazy until next week. I will update you with the results.

Oh, and we DID find a slight drain on the house batteries: somehow, the storage light switch by the front door got flipped on (usually, it’s the salesman switch that gets bumped, but it’s pretty obvious when that happens).

Thanks Jim!

 I have located the wiring diagrams and plan to study them after the holiday weekend here at the resort is over. Hopefully, I won’t have to go through the rear wall to get to a junction box or anything.

Hello Monaco family!

We might be having some electrical issues with our 2008 Monaco Diplomat 41 SKQ.

Our Intellitec 50 amp Smart EMS display no longer lights up. The 120 volt line & outlet to the water heater is dead (so we use LP only when needed for showers). And it doesn’t seem that our house batteries are getting charged enough for my husband’s peace of mind. Our float charge readings are between 12.9 - 13.1. We are stationary, full-timers with full hookups, so we have rarely interrupted 50 amp service. We have been enduring north Texas 100F temps all summer, but our house batteries are fluid checked, and hydrometer readings look ok. Cleaned all battery terminals and connections. 
 

DH had an RV tech come yesterday that verified dead water heater 120 V line & outlet, but the yellow cable runs into the back wall and goes who knows where 🤷🏼‍♀️. So… I am wondering if these issues could be related to the blank EMS, are separate random issues, or what else might be involved.

Also, links to help a beginner like me understand charging systems, inverters, etc. would be most appreciated!

Thanks!

Awesome job on the replacement! I just had to replace the macerator motor on our Tecma, so keeping our fingers crossed that it works for awhile. But good to know that Dometic has a similar model that can replace it in the event that it eventually fails.

Our TV antenna (for local stations) unexpectedly deployed (& was removed) shortly after we purchased our ‘08 Diplomat. We don’t watch much TV anyway, so we never replaced it. I suggested to my husband that we put a small golden unicorn horn there, but his military mind wanted something representative of “flipping someone the bird”… Needless to say, the situation hasn’t been resolved lol! Perhaps we need an alternative idea that we might agree upon (and also save our idyllic marriage)? Open to any & all suggestions!

(My apologies if this borders on absurdly inane or offensive).

Big thanks to Frank & Tom, for explaining DPF and Regen issues I terms that even I (brand new to Diesel Pushers) could understand! I am saving this information for easy access, should we need it in the future. Bravo!!!

Thanks Luther! Good to know!

Happy trails!

Just wanted to wish everyone a safe & warm holiday season! Hope that you & your family/friends have a wonderful Christmas, filled with happiness, peace, joy & love!

Best wishes to you all!!!

My thanks to Tom & Fasthobie for the solutions! We did end up getting a short heavy duty extension cord to plug in both the refrigerator & the ice maker, then plug the cord into the refrigerator outlet (yes, the ice maker WAS on the GCFI circuit). No further issues with anything tripping since. Also, we replaced the 50 amp plug & sealed, so that the wires are no longer exposed.

So, thanks again for all your help! Next time we post, it’ll probably be some winterizing questions, if we can’t find the answers in previous posts.

Safe travels y’all!

Thanks Tom! And you do NOT sound “dictatorial”! Now that we know that we’ll be stationary, we can get on top of these (and other) issues, prior to winter setting in. Thanks for the detailed instructions in your replies to the issues that I have posted (so far lol!). I can pretty much guarantee that we’ll have more questions in the near future, so your help is very much appreciated!

Update: 

Cancelled previous Pass & Seymour GFCI order & reordered Eaton, to be delivered sometime Thursday. 
 

Also: when we bought this motor home in March, the 50 amp power cord had to be Gorilla taped, as there was some exposed wires where the plug connected to the rubber insulated conduit (here’s a pic). I thought that it should be replaced, but we taped it up good (and of course, then we forgot about it, as other issues, like the air bag suspension pressure & hub oil leaks, seemed of higher priority). So, regarding this power cord/plug, I’m thinking that it might be a good idea to have it taken care of also, yes?

Wow! Thanks Tom! That’s a lot of information! When Mike gets home, I’ll let him read everything, as he has more experience with Class A DP’s than I do. I WAS able to verify that we do NOT have an IOTA transfer switch (thank God!) but what I think we have is a Power Max PMTS-50 (box located in 50 amp power cord bay). Also, we are full timers, work camping in northern Texas, and it looks like Mike’s seasonal position will now be year round, so we are stationary. We use a Southwire surge protector at the 50 amp pedestal, (in addition to the onboard one, that I think I remember was in the same bay as the Power Max transfer box) and all the lights are green - so that means that there are no issues with the power pedestal, correct? That’s about all that I can check on my own, lol!

I will run all this by Mike when he gets home from work…

Thanks!

Patti

29 minutes ago, Fasthobie16 said:

BTW….. I assume you have a GFCI breaker in the panel tripping. 
My2000 Dynasty has it’s own circuit for the fridge in the panel. I would think you should also. 

Edited 3 minutes ago by Fasthobie16

Thanks Fasthobie16! None of the breakers in the panel are tripping - only the GFCI receptacle in the wall (which is located in the hallway near the floor, going to the rear of the rig. We thought it was a rather strange place for a GCFI, given that most are located either near the kitchen sink or in bathrooms, both of which have ZERO GFCI’s!).

If the new Pass & Seymour GCFI doesn’t solve the problem, I guess we’ll have to try to track it down with the voltmeter. And (oops!) our fridge does have it’s own breaker in the panel, but it’s never tripped. But the ice maker & ice dispenser light ARE on the circuit with the front AC receptacles, including the troublesome GFCI (as the refrigerator still works on shore power, but the ice maker/dispenser doesn’t when GFCI receptacle trips).

Thanks for all the information & suggestions!

Safe travels!

Hello Everyone!

New Monaco owners here. (2008 Monaco Diplomat 41 SKQ). Been having issues with GCFI popping, so replaced it. Everything seemed ok for awhile, but then started tripping again. Looked up electrical schematic in manual to see what all is on that circuit: all front AC outlets on coach, plus the ice maker in Dometic side by side fridge/freezer. After flipping up the bar on ice maker to turn it off, issue SEEMED solved for a couple weeks. 
 

However, GCFI tripped again last evening, and immediately “retrips” when rest. Upon reading other threads on this forum, we found several possibilities that could be the issue:

1) One person said that when replacing a GCFI, to only use a Pass & Seymour 20 amp/120 volt GCFI (it’s on it’s way);

2) Our inverter, a Magnum ME2012, is a MSW inverter/charger, (MSW’s do not “play nice” with GCFI’s, as per the post) so advice was to not use GCFI’s - period.

Short of replacing the inverter with a pure sine wave model, can anyone shed some light on this topic?

(And WHY would Monaco not have the refrigerator on it’s own circuit!?!)

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Patti & Mike

Sorry that you didn’t have much luck with FSP/wandering labs. You are correct in that there may be 1000’s using those sites… the competition is quite fierce, but my husband lucked out. However, after one winter in Florida, even though the weather is mild, we decided that it wasn’t worth doing it all again. We’ll do south Texas or Arizona instead - much less hassle!

4 minutes ago, saflyer said:

What an understatement. I spent many days getting up early to be at my computer right when reservations opened for John Pennekamp park. After many days with no luck I gave up.

Indeed! My husband did the same. We got lucky on John Pennekamp, but we were stuck with one night between with no reservations. He found a web site, wanderinglabs.com, that searches for specific dates/campgrounds, and notifies you when a site becomes available. They have a free version, but for $20.00, their search engine will check more frequently for openings (which sure beats dry camping at a Cracker Barrel lol!). Hope that this helps!

Hi Hubert!

My husband and I traveled full time 2019-2021, and visited 19 states. We found RV Parky very useful in planning our trips. Other apps that we used in conjunction with RV Parky were Allstays, Recreation.gov, Good Sam, (and the Yellowstone app specifically for Yellowstone). Just an FYI: If you plan on visiting any of the more popular National Parks during peak season, it is best to get your preferred reservations well in advance. The same goes for wintering in Florida - we made our reservations mostly at state parks, which go really quickly for spots, especially  in the Florida Keys. Hope that this helps!🙂