Russell

I am for sure, no expert and full disclosure, I rely on the experience and wisdom of several of the people in this forum, but I wanted to chime-in on this power receptacle situation. 

I use that outlet in the engine compartment all the time. Sometimes for exterior lighting and sometimes for a wet/dry vac. We're in Florida 90% of the time, so the engine block heater isn't a feature I've tinkered with. 

There are also a couple outlets outside the fridge access. I also use those on occasion. That and the block heater should give you 6 plugs. 

I am curious what is the need for one that doesn't go through the inverter, so I'm going to follow along. 

Good luck. 

I'm glad I started following this string. Our Thetford crapped itself.  (haha)  The seal failed and it leaked pretty bad. I removed the commode, took out all the tile so the wood could dry out. Nearly dry. I put the commode on the bench only to find multiple leaks, the flapper mechanism bolts rusted to the point of 2 of them breaking. Not sure how that would come out. We really loathe this push button monstrosity, so I'd like to swap it with a foot pedal or one with a handle. (either way, no more electronics)

Problem is, all I'm finding are high rise units and ours already sits on a riser of sorts. Kind of a step, I guess. 

Could someone please link me to the other strings dealing with a changeout? I would prefer to not have to change the flange, if I don't have to. I did see somewhere that someone said the flange may be threaded, but I have not tested mine yet. 

I'm a little concerned about getting this done before the big RV show which starts on the 16th. 

Any help/guidance would be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks.

Russell

Great story about the toothbrush. It reminds me of the story of my wife who, when we travel, keeps some hard boiled eggs (unpeeled) at the ready. When it comes time to eat them, she gets a few, comes back to the co-pilot seat, gets situated with a container for the egg shells and proceeds to hit each egg on her forehead in order to start peeling. We always chuckle when she does this.
It occurred to me one day that it might be fun, before the trip begins, to swap-out one of those hard boiled eggs with a raw one.

We do like to live dangerously. Her with the forehead egg smacking and I with the egg-swapping.

23 hours ago, jacwjames said:

I've replace my flush gate valve mechanism once and since then have had it out at least 3 times to clean and lubricate the threaded shaft that moves the gate valve back and forth.  Not a bad job.  The hardest part the first time was getting to the water connection tucked behind the toilet, I could barely reach it.  So I got a wire braided hose with the right end from Lowes.  I can put a big loop in it so that I can pull the toilet out from the wall to get to it, works great for disconnecting and connecting. 

If your control board has not been upgraded the early models would sometimes keep flushing and cause the toilet to fill.  They since put a limit of 10 water cycles in and it shuts off. 

I also notice that my toilet doesn't work as well with slightly low voltage, it hesitates.  If I'm on shore power it works fine, but once the batteries start going down it starts hesitating. 

That added piece sounds like a great idea. I am about to have the very same headache. I have had the toilet out before, but it's starting to sound awful. I didn't know you could remove it and simply lubricate the parts. Did you do that all inside the RV or did you take the toilet outside? 

Thanks. 

I want to follow this particular string, so I thought making a comment might make that happen. It seems that these sofas can cost $3K and upward of $4K so redoing the surface seems to be about 1/3 or less the cost of a new one???

We also have a 2003 motorhome.
Our J-lounge couch has seen better days. I'm going to get new cushion foam because they are crushed and no longer firm, but this couch in ours, is either genuine leather or some very high quality facsimile. I've researched having it restored and dyed but the labor involved seems to be nearly as much as just replacing the entire unit. d

I've been cruising the Kwikee Step string and found this one. My steps originally locked in the closed position (thank God). I removed the pin in order to make the steps swing-out freely. Then I started to diagnose. Took the motor out and it works fine. I tested the switch and I've got power. I suspect it might be the control board. My question is, how do I determine what model steps and what controller I might need? So much reading here leads me to believe there are many models and most of the videos on the Youtubes say that "most" of these take the same motor and controller. But how do we know? I've got a one-step job like the one in the picture above. 

Is there a way to positively identify which model step, etc.? 

Thanks. 

Russell

2003 Monaco Windsor  

Hi Steve, thanks for that. I had been in contact with Ron and they found a cancellation, so we're all signed up! Thanks for helping. Maybe we'll see you there? 

R

On 12/6/2023 at 12:52 AM, Mike H said:

Tickets are $13 if you buy them on line otherwise they are $15 at the gate and I think it may be $10 for parking if you drive in.  As far as camping you'll need to start calling campgrounds.  More then likely camping at the fair grounds has been sold out, as are most of the 'local' campgrounds.  You may find that you'll have to drive quite a ways to find a campground, much depending on your size.  Lazydays campground is closed so that's impacting availability of other campground sites.

Thanks Mike, we found a cancellation and got in at the rally down at the grounds. Thanks for the info! Hope to see you there. 

R

Both preferably.

Last year, we paid one price and camped on the grounds and had entry to the show every day. I'd love that, but I'll take what I can get since it's pretty late. 

R

(not sure if this is in the right category)
We had some plans to be out of town in January and those plans got moved up to December, so we did not RSVP for the Tampa Super Show in January of 2024. We had an absolute blast last year and would love to go again, so I thought I'd reach out here to see if anyone knew of any openings OR if they may have a cancellation. We are happy to reimburse someone if they've already paid. Please drop me a note if you can help. Thanks!

Russell

We have a 2003 Monaco Windsor and we tow an FJ Cruiser. 

UPDATE: 

Tests run. Faulty relay. Relay replaced. All is good again. Thank you all for your kind words and advice. I'm very glad we have resources like this when we get stumped. There's a vast wealth of knowledge out there and you all are very knightly. 

Thank you!

Had it always been doing this or did it just start out of the blue? Mine was working fine and then just stopped. Do you have any pics of this mod? Thanks!

Hey Steve, thank you. I emailed Hansar and sent the pics. I do like that there's a little LED on those new ones. Pretty easy to tell it's working or not. In that listing you can see a pic of the underside of the relay where the connectors are. I do see the embossed numbers there. Seems like I could just match up the numbers if mine have them. I just checked. The bottom of the relay is not embossed with those numbers. Is there a way to tell where the wires go? Thanks. 

2003 Monaco Windsor

I started a discussion on Facebook about some issues I have been having with the battery maintainer for the chassis batteries. I'm not getting much of a response, so I thought I'd post here. It was suggested that if my battery maintainer is functioning (green light on) that the issue could be the relay. (see pics) I have the green light. 

Chassis batteries are dying while plugged in to shore power. House batteries, I believed were maintained by the inverter, but it seems they too are topped-up with this battery maintainer located in the rear electrical bay. 

It appears to be the relay on the right which feeds the chassis batteries. What I'd like to know is how to test this relay. I found a pack of several here: https://www.amazon.com/5Pack-Replacement-irhapsody-Automotive-Starter/dp/B0BJ9S2MQ4/ref=sr_1_2?crid=41KIXQNY4Y2S&keywords=hamsar%2Brelay%2B42-032T%2B12V-40A&qid=1699997345&sprefix=hamsar%2Brelay%2B42-032t%2B12v-40a%2Caps%2C1148&sr=8-2&th=1

This makes sense to have a few extras being that these 2 relays seem to be identical. However, these may or may not be the right ones.

So another question is: How can I find an replacement part number? This "Hamsar" doesn't show up on Amazon. 
Furthermore, once I procure the correct relay, how will I know which wires go to which pins? The current relays have a little diagram on the top but I don't see that on the replacements. 

Thanks!

23 hours ago, Tom Westerfield said:

It has determined by Cummins that it is the motor. Where can I buy the motor?

I have the same symptoms with mine. Try a little contact cleaner in your switch.

Also, is your engine off? I haven't tried this but I suspect your cannot open the generator bay when the engine is running. Would be pretty bad to have it open up at 70MPH. 

The attachable gate valve is a great idea. If you cut apart that gate valve housing, it's going to shoot the poop water all over the place. I would get a container ready to catch that and wear gloves and googles. It will most likely get on you. Get the new gate valve setup with drain hose first. Then once you open the old gate valve, then open the new one. That might take off some of the pressure from the area you cut apart. 

There's a video tutorial on Youtube about how you can drill 2 holes in the outside edge of the gate valve and insert 2 small screws. 3 or 4 times a year, when the valve is closed, I remove those screws and spray some lubricant in there. This will lube the seals. It also makes it easier to slide which could reduce the chance your handle will break off. When I replaced my gate valves, I also treated those rubber seals with 303 Protectant. Put them in the sun. They're typically black and will warm up a bit and then the rubber will soak up the 303. 

I would tread lightly with cutting open that gate valve. It will work, but you're going to have potentially a face full of sh**ty water. By all means, keep your mouth closed.  :)

We happen to have an appliance place right down the street from where we're currently parked. The owner's pretty cool. He has a brand new combo unit on a scratch and dent pricing situation. There's a small Mark in the bottom corner in the front that's never going to be seen when it gets inside of my cabinet.

I've never heard of the brand though so I thought I'd make a post here and see if anybody had any thoughts.

Brace yourself. Here it comes:

Equator Advance Appliances

Super combo 4400 N

Has anyone ever heard of this brand? And if so do you know anything about it? It's brand new never been plugged in and it is about half the price of Splendide. I actually liked it it has real knobs and real buttons. I was told once by an appliance guy that all these new units that have touchscreens and non-tactile buttons and switches just end up being more problems than they're worth. (Not that I run the machine all that much) but I am the one that's responsible for getting the old one out and putting the new one back in.  😆😆

Any insight you might have would be greatly appreciated.

There's a lot of "storage" talk here. I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents on this topic. If you get a Gmail address, you have free access to many tools that Google produces. There's a very clever app called "Keep" that I use for these kinds of things. It's got great sorting and categorizing capabilities. You can insert text, links, p ngs saved under a label I created for "Motorhome." Best part of this app is two-fold. You can use it on any device where you can log in to your Gmail. So laptop, desktop, phone, tablet and be anywhere in the world when you do so. If your laptop gets run over, you still have access to everything. The other thing is that information can be stored locally, so if you don't have internet (or phone internet) a lot of what you put there is saved. With Google, you get 15GB for free (per account). I quickly figured I would simply add an e-mail address in order to save more data. For me, this is a great item for RV people. Saves space. I don't want to deal with printed material if I don't have to. And if I do need to print something, I can always do that. Hope this helps someone. 

On 11/12/2022 at 1:32 PM, Flyinhy said:

How old is your unit? I just purchased a splindide a month ago. Seems like they would produce enough parts to cover past models....at least 10 years worth.

I have no idea how old the unit is. Could be original. 

21 hours ago, myrontruex said:

Here are several files. There is one that shows a parts supplier. I have been told they have used parts available.

I had to replace my snap thermistors after the squirrel cage came loose and created some havoc. 

Just last month I went through the door handle  latch failure which is common. Getting the door open was a neat trick and the wife really likes having the lockout disabled now. She does not have to wait for the thing to timeout.

Cleaning Procedure.docx 11.76 kB · 12 downloads RVLaundryWrinkle.pdf 77.18 kB · 8 downloads Splendide door handle replacement.pdf 1.24 MB · 8 downloads Splendide Training Guide newer model.pdf 2.11 MB · 4 downloads Splendide Training Manual Pre 2002.pdf 1.92 MB · 3 downloads Splendide Washer DryernCombo_PartsBreakDown.pdf 1.48 MB · 5 downloads Splendide.pdf 2.09 MB · 7 downloads

Those three switches are what the tech said is the first step. We went throught those together on the phone. It was not those. But I'm going to dig through these PDFs and see if I can find that board (before I pull the machine out) and see if there is a replacement. Thanks for sending those. 

3 minutes ago, jacwjames said:

Did you check your vent??   Ours started to take longer to dry and when I check my vent hose it was almost blocked. 

I failed to include that in the OP. It's not drying slowly. There is no heat whatsoever. 

After the drying feature konked out on the Splendide, I got on the phone with them. They were SUPER helpful with regard to diagnosis. There is a simple fix, if that's the problem. A couple little sensors on the top of the machine. Don't even need to remove it from the cabinet. If it's NOT that (in my case) the second test is a computer board which is at the bottom in the back. I was instructed by the helpful tech dude to just get it out of the cabinet and lay it down. I can do that in the closet and test this board. The bad news, according to tech dude is that if it turns out to be that, they don't have a replacement. 

So I'm wondering if anyone else has run in to this problem. The little sensors are about a $60 fix. Since that was not it on mine, it seems like the only thing I'm going to know after testing the board is that it IS in fact, the board. Since they don't have this part, I was hoping to get some suggestions here. 

I'm bucking-up to buy a new one, but I figured I'd check to see if there's another solution when I find out that it's this board at the bottom. 

Thanks. 

2003 Windsor

On 7/2/2020 at 6:02 PM, Dr4Film said:

Don't know the brand of YOUR keypad but mine is made by Essex. I had one key go in my original keypad back in 2009 and had to replace the entire keypad which I had purchased from Northwest RV Supply. That one lasted only about 5 years and again one key stopped working . That's when the company said that the original old style was very susceptible to sitting in the  sun a lot. They recommended that I order the upgraded keypad version from a company in southern California. That one is still working and has been there for over 6 years now.

The company is called A-1 Electric

https://www.a1electric.com/index.htm

What are the features of the "upgrade?" Did they make it sun-resistant or is it shaded in some way? 

15 hours ago, Craggar said:

Where did you read that? 

On the interwebs. 

13 hours ago, birdshill123 said:

This could get political real fast. CNBC has a good article on the problems. It appears to be an east coast problem. Partially political. Has to do with the jones act. The article was written by an analyst that follows these things. Presidents are not Dudes.

Presidents are dudes until we elect a female and I put that so that anyone with a tendancy to get their undies in a wad didn't read either name.  🙂  Trying to remain civil and weave in a little humor during such divisive times. 

On 10/30/2022 at 9:28 AM, throgmartin said:

I passed it off as fear mongering till I read this story. Evidently some pockets in the Southeast are being hit. I was headed to Michigan but had to turn around at the GA line and cancel my vacation trip because of business. I am beginning to think I will never get a relaxing vacation......LOL...

Ironically, I stopped for fuel just below the GA State line and all the truckers at the fuel island were complaining because of the pumps running real slow. It took 25 minutes for me to pump 58 gallons of diesel at the truckers island. The trucker that was parked next to me had her pump running for 20 minutes or so and only 50 gallons was dispensed. Her comment ? " I don't get paid by the hour. I get paid by the trip. This is nuts ". No idea if this was an issue just at this particular Love's or if they were trying to limit sales. Typically the fuel island pumps run extremely fast. I can normally fill up and be gone quickly. I got further down the road at another truck stop to park for the night because of a bad storm that blew in and the truckers there were backed up at the pumps and taking forever to get filled. No idea what is going on. It seems they would realize truckers will fill up completely despite how long it takes.

BTW, the price of fuel was a wallet killer, even with my EDS fuel card. Another big hit came when I filled the propane tank. Good Lord. $ 108 for 22 gals. That is the most I have ever paid for propane in my lifetime.

https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/fuel-company-issues-diesel-shortage-warning-says-conditions-rapidly-devolving

 

I just read that the current dude in charge is getting ready to add to the diesel reserves at $80 per barrell. Same piece talked about how the blocked the last dude in charge when he tried to add at $24 per barrell. Most of the real information doesn't hit the news. You have to go and dig. I urge everyone to please vote next week. 

Wow. Great tips here. We have the Aria, although it must be the first gen because it does not say "II" on it. I don't like it. It's noisy, the flapper and water don't coordinate. Sometimes it works and other times you have to press the button 3-4 times to get it to close. You can't just "walk away" as indicated on the sticker. I never saw the point of an electric toilet. If I change this, I'll put in the best (porcelin) manual commode I can find. The idea of the button is also silly because now you have to bend over and hover over your human waste. At least with the foot flush, you can stand up, like a man, the way God intended.  🙂  LOL

Bottom line, I would not recommend this commode. 

On 2/16/2022 at 1:33 PM, Dr4Film said:

I tore out an Aria Deluxe II over 12 years ago and installed the Magnum Opus Toilet. One of the best upgrades to my coach. I would NEVER think about going backwards.

the Aria II went through 3-4 motor/valve assemblies plus it always sounded like a farmer's thrashing machine so using it in the middle of the night was taboo.

A member here, Paul Whittle, would like to have the Magnum Opus if you do indeed remove it. I will let him know what you are intending to do.

I would like to know more about this "Magnum Opus." Is it musical in some way? 

15 hours ago, Mike H said:

Russell,  Did you sign up for the Monaco Gathering in February or the Facebook Monaco Owners rally at the Tampa Fairgrounds in January?  Lazydays is charging $75/night (+tax).  I believe camping at the fairgrounds is dry camping.  One day admission gets you a free pass for the second day and you do get a little discount ordering your tickets online ahead of time and that allows you to skip the long line.  If they haven't raised the cost, parking at the fairgrounds is $8.

January is the one we got. Pricing seems about the same. We paid $280 to stay right down in the action. Entry every day is included, plus breakfast and a couple of bands in the evening. It is pretty dry, only 30amp, no water/sewer, but for 4 days, I think we'll be fine. Plus, in January, it's not like I'll be running the ACs, although we might need the heat!  🙂  We've never done a rally or meetup with a group, so I thought it would be fun. 

1 hour ago, throgmartin said:

It is probably one of the best RV shows in the country. I have been a vendor there for several years. In 2023 I will not have a booth as I cannot afford to have staff out of the office for that week. It also does us no good speaking with people about service while we are running a back log on appointments. Also, for a vendor, it is one very expensive show to attend. One of the most expensive in the country. Dave Pratt can tell you all about the hidden charges as he used to do airshows for his company. They charge for temporary ( used ) carpet inside your booth. They charge to vacuum it at night. They charge for wastebaskets. They charge for tables. They charge for table top covers. They charge for chairs. If you have even a small box shipped directly to the show they charge to receive it. If you use a golf cart they make you buy a license for the show to use it. Vendors get nickel and dimed to death there. Remember this when you try and strike a bargain with a small vendor. They paid a small fortune to be there. They also have seen their margins shrink on products due to the economy.

Typically, manufacturers send their best people and power players to this show. You can gain a lot of good information on components and products. It can get crowded as they put 80,000 people through that show in a couple days. I always like to look over the new RV's to stay on top of the technology and new products. It also gives me time to check on changes some of the manufacturers have made in regards to slide topper and awning assemblies not to mention slide components and systems.

I enjoy touring the new coaches as well. I always leave and go back to my coach and thank God I own a 2005 and not a new coach. The build quality today is pitiful. 😞 If you have never been to the Tampa show I encourage you to attend. Like Dave said, take a full wallet with you or a credit card. You will undoubtedly see something you cannot live without. 🙂

So many great points there. I too look for tech and modifications, accessories and go to learn. We have an '03 and you're right, they don't build 'em like that anymore. Seems like a great example of suppy and demand. The fair grounds can charge ridiculous fees because they've been allowed to get away with it. If they vendors got together and stood up to them, they'd end up with a pitiful show, the attendance would go down and they'd have to rethink they're wallet-sucking strategies. It's the same at the gun show. (at the fairgrounds, it's a great one) I used to go to many of them, but they kept raising the prices, and I'm sure did the same with the vendors, so I rarely go anymore. Better deals at smaller shows. It would be interesting to know if it's the same with the RV shows. It has been my philosophy for a very long time that people vote with their dollar. Stop giving it to people and organizations that seem to hate you and either they go away or they learn the lesson. (Whoa...got off on a rant there.) Anyway, I'm excited to go and be at ground zero to see what it's about.