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Tom Cherry

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Tom Cherry last won the day on March 3

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  • FirstName
    Tom
  • Make
    Monaco
  • Model
    Camelot 40 QDP
  • Year
    2009
  • City & State
    Raleigh, NC

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  • Full Address (Optional)
    5301 Burning Oak Court, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27606
  • Brief Bio (Optional)
    Tent camper since 1965; Then 3 Pop-ups. MH Owner June 2006. January 2009 Camelot purchase. Joined April 2009. Moderator since mid 2011. Enjoy trouble shooting and helping. MH'ing great OPPORTUNITY to fix stuff in exotic places...

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  1. John…..you MUST test the cranking a TOTAL of FOUR times. One at the Chassis….need at rest and then what it read…when your wife holds the switch…. Then…..at the FRB where the cables from the Generator are connected.. Then….on the Generator battery studs….under or on the back of the Generator FINALLY….hook up a pair of Jumper cables from the point where the Generator cables are connected up front…..and then connect the other ends to the studs on the bottom back. We NEED the AT REST voltage. The where does it drop to snd stabilize before it cranks….finally, what does it drop down to when the starter finally kicks in….in yiur first test….that was a little under 10….NOT GOOD. What we know now. Your Chassis batteries are being drained too much. ODDS ARE….that is from the cabling issues up front. Unless you want to spend, I think, needlessly money and put in a new set….ONLY to find the same issues….then you have to run the tests. Pure and Simple. This topic is at a standstill until you do the testing. What we NOW KNOW…your Chassis Batteries are dropping below the critical point and each time you start the genny, that harms them. Many folks say that if the cranking voltage at the batteries drops below 10.5 VDC….new batteries. Yours went below 10. BUT…if you complete the tests….the final test will simulate what is going to happen with the RIGHT SIZE Generator cables….again…this is a common issue…. Odds are….with a 2/00 pair of NEW cables from the FRB to the Generator….you will have great voltage at the generator and you won’t see the large voltage drop. So, for all practical purposes, this topic is on hold. You need to run the tests and report back. Please decide if you are going to do that or just let it continue to be an issue. I don’t think your Chassis Batteries are ready for replacement….and even if you do, then in a year or so you will have the same issues….so….lets troubleshoot now and then you can fix it, Thanks…
  2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absorption_refrigerator BTW….there is NO ALCOHOL in the system. Ammonia is the refrigerant….and if there is a leak…HYDROGEN and most likely a fire…. Have you followed the trouble shooting guidelines. MEMORY….there will be a NO CO (No Cooling) error code is the door seal fails. There is a small pressure differential and if the pressure or Delta P is too low….bingo the system will not cool. Read the manual….it goes into a lot of good detail as to how to diagnose “NO COOLING”. Just reread your entire original post….if the gaskets are bad and there is a gross leak, I can’t recall if it will power up and start to cool. BUT, I can tell with 100% confidence that when it is cooling and your door has a gallon of milk in it and you drive and the door seals flex and then it is OK…then fails the pressure (maybe vacuum) test, that buzzer or alarm will sound off like Big Ben…(as described by my wife), Me, had to be back there…but it was obvious. If the doors fail the “Dollar Bill” test….forget it….Super experienced tech showed me….had several spots….as in the gaskets were “wavy” and not sealing 100%… That’s GOTTA work for the new 12 VDC to work, or that was posted here….check it out….
  3. Be aware….that the door gaskets must be in good shape. Folks have sold or given away good doors. There is a small company that has limited gaskets….as Norcold had three or so different designs. Folks have also been creative and stuffed tigon tubing and other materials into their old gaskets. I had a Winnebago (2004) and the gaskets failed in 2007….the cost was over $1200 as the doors had to be replaced. I was holding off to add additional extended warranty items and then lucked into a good deal on the Camelot. Believe me….the chiming will drive a person with good hearing batty….ask my wife. The Winnebago was a low usage unit always stored indoors….. Just a comment to ponder …. If I were doing such, I would search here and get the supplier info and call them and purchase a new set prior to spending 4 figures….for a conversion….
  4. GENERIC COMMENT. The lighted switches on the two keypads are part of the Intellitec MPX system. There is usually a 3 wire (maybe #14) connector. Splicing in 3 wires to lengthen would not be an issue….just use a ratcheting crimper and high quality butt splices. SOME of the MPX switches may, doubt in this case, have an additional 2 wire pigtail. Same deal….splice as needed. The fan control switch should be the same. Probably or hopefully #12 stranded. Should NOT be an issue. Joy Stick….no idea….don’t know what the other switch on the left is. As long as no “proprietary” or special wiring cables..good to go….the Joy Stick may be a MPX with shield…..lots of options for finding similar.
  5. ERRRR? What if the ignition switch is failing? I know of several 07 & 08 Dynasties that had a switch issue. BUT they had other symptoms like the Aladdin screen blanking out….but a failing switch could flaky? Frank is the expert. If you jumper and the issue goes away, then maybe the board?? But, if you bypass the board as Frank says and the issue persists….maybe the switch. I’d troubleshoot and maybe put M&M on hold until the intermittent is resolved… I’ll defer, of course to Frank…but if this is NOT a common problem and the board if usually robust….I’d eliminate the switch or a loose connection…
  6. Frank is our expert. There is a 2008 Dynasty in the files. Put WIRING in the search box. Click on Everywhere….select FILES. YOU MIGHT???? have the CCM Kongsberg system….doubtful….but you never know. If so, there is a 2008-9 set.
  7. You might want to contact two of our electronic experts….who fix these boards….many SATISFIED members can attest….and way cheaper than the Candy Factory… Paul Whittle @pwhittle OR Frank McElroy @Frank McElroy Frank is the FIRST PERSON….in the COUNTRY to figure out HOW to fix the Kongsberg CCM boards….a feat that has blown away many. He has repaired way more Intellitec Monaco Proprietary boards used on the Dynasty and up…..than one can imagine….he just posted as i was typing…. Good Luck…. If you get “sticker shock” on the Candy Man quote…you MIGHT want to reconsider and use one of our guys….
  8. Do the three voltage tests. Then post the results. Remember to measure first at each point…..then have your wife crank and the drop. We’ll know instantly if you have good batteries and also how much the puny, Monaco GOOFED #2 cables are impacting you. You may be FINE?? IN ADDITION…. I ALWAYS “PRIME” my Genny as the older they get, the more they seem to need it. A GOOD tech will NOT take your word. He will PRIME IT….wait a minute or so….then TEST. BTW…I’ll bet the internal switches work. That is why I have been insistent on IDENTIFYING the problem before you try to work on or fix something that AIN’T BROKE!
  9. Looks good to me. But….after you get your chassis charged, you STILL have no idea as to whether you have a connection or a cabling issue…..nor do you have any quantitative measurement of the condition of your chassis batteries….. you can spend half the time it took to clean the Big Boy and do the measurements. If you had done that, then the voltage measurements on the first step, would have shown undercharged or poor condition Chassis. Then the next step….verify the BIRD system is working and that the BIG BOY is clean and functioning. So…let the Big Boy do its trick. Recharge the Chassis… But….you need to know the condition of the Chassis bank and the load (as in starting the genny) will tell us that. Maybe OK…MAYBE NOT… You don’t want to replace good chassis….nor do you want to depend on bad ones. The genny start test is an excellent method. BUT….REGARDLESS OF THAT….It is a KNOWN issue….and Frank and I discussed and agree. He just lives with it and says he will eventually recable….just not a priority. My point is IDENTIFY what is wrong. Folks have needlessly put in expensive “motorcycle” batteries that were not needed…only a simple and fairly inexpensive set of the correct 00 or even 000 cables. Let us know….
  10. Typically, any good set of batteries, the ancient but reliable Trojan T-105 will get you easily through a 24 hour period. Manynof us purchased meters and tested….so this isn’t some internet myth. Putting in a 12 VDC Compressor usually takes the same or more “juice” as the more energy efficient, especially the Samsung, RF 18.. Most of us just bite the bullet and run the Genny. Some have opted to purchase an inverter genny and run it in the daytime versus the Diesel. Going LED for the halogen puck or incandescent lights is a must. Same for new or conversion of the fluorescent fixtures. One can spend a lot….like $5K….but the most cost effective is to put in a residential. They work fine with MSW inverters. No need to upgrade there. Lithiums are a different breed…and we have a lot of expertise here, but your capital outlay as well as totally understanding what you need, how to do it, the skill set to do it….should be evaluated. There are several topics here….so search and fully understand the advantages but also the pitfalls. An improperly installed system or not operating it as required will be or has been, the death of the batteries…. Typically, those buggy whip guys that decades of experience and don’t need the higher capacity or the “latest”, get 7 - 10 years out of our FLA Trojans and exist quite well boondocking. Solar….as long as the sun shines, is great and knowing what you need, which is fairly simple and not near the outlay for the Norcold. I’d look long and hard and you might be able to run a Res Refer easily off a simple solar….not the puny factory 65 watt…but somewhere in the 400 Watt range…. Just my unsolicited opinion…
  11. LETS HOPE SO... But, a LOT of professionals know way less than we do. In your case... go over the insulation. Make sure that you have MORE (higher density R value batting with a moisture barrier on the back) than you had before. Monaco was NOT overly generous. That will save you cooling dollars as well as protect your family. Good Luck...
  12. REMEMBER... It is IMPERATIVE that if you install a Gas/Electric refrigerator that you use the thickest layer of fiberglass of high density material on each side and also the top. Would NOT hurt to also stuff some UNDER the back of the Refrigerator. This is TOTALLY different from a Residential Refer. There is the danger of Propane Fumes as well as Carbon Monoxide fumes that can be vented or sucked into the interior. The insulation also prevents the heat from the burner from infiltrating the interior, thus causing you to need MORE HVAC. Use the HIGHEST R-Value insulation on the sides and use a couple of X-Beads of any good sealer/adhesive....plain old Latex caulk will do. You need to seal the insulation backing onto the side walls of the cabinet and then stuff insulation (assuming you can access the area) on the top to the front. Just passing this along as there has been some miscommunication and misunderstanding about HOW and WHEN to insulate. You INSULATE a Gas/Electric and you have NO insulation around a Res Refer. BUT, on a Res Refer, you MUST close off (insulate) the roof vent and/or the access vent covers. Also any louvers in the frame (not the vent cover) must be sealed also.
  13. John, You have a LACK of voltage. You need to understand that when you start ANY engine, the compression of the cylinders, unless it has a “compression release”, has to be “overcome” by the torque (rotation power….called pound feet” of the starter to “spin” the engine causes the battery voltage to drop…. NOW, if you had say 5 chassis batteries in a bank…..the engine would spin faster that with 2 or 3 or 1. So…when you have a battery (batteries) that do not have sufficient “Cold Cranking Amps”, then the engine will barely or slowly turn over….in your case….. You do NOT have sufficient voltage to the generator starter to start the generator. When you use the boost, you have the house bank (4 or 8 ) in parallel with the Chassis. Frank and I have had many conversations and you MAY have one or two conditions prevalent. ALL THE JUMPER CABLE test was to provide a “full power” BATTERY to test to see if the issue was internal (generator) or if it was merely a lack of good or adequate cranking power. SO….since the boost works….lets forget the Jumper cables…. Frank’s 08 Dynasty has the same cabling arrangement. He says that from time to time as his Chassis Battery starts to “normally get weaker”, he notices that the Genny starts “slower” and he may decide to use the boost. NOW, the Chassis bank STILL starts the engine. We, Frank and I, both have the same engine. We also use the same “Rule of Thumb” test. When our chassis gets more than say 4 years old, we pay more attention. For example….it is hot…say above 90 degrees and we drive a few hours and stop. We will wait maybe 5 - 10 minutes. That period is when the engine, after it is shut down and coolant is not flowing, gets HOTTER….as in the compression will be at a Peak. Then, with the DASH HVAC on in the AC max mode, we start the engine. If it fires up….no delay….great. BUT, when there is that OMG…IT AIN’T GONNA START….or dead silence and the engine has NOT turned over…..then you panic….but BINGO…it starts….then we KNOW to replace the Chassis battery in a year or so. OK….the above was long…..but…until you do the REST of the tests….we do NOT KNOW whether you have chassis batteries that are starting to get weaker or if there is a “connection point” that is loose or corroded or if it is the MONACO GOOF and you need to replace the cables from the FRT RUN BAY to the studs on the Genny. NOW…reread and measure the voltage, while attempting to crank, at the following points. Unplug the shore power so we can get GOOD and clean readings. The Big Boy and Charger will be ON and we do NOT want that. Chassis Battery bank. Record the “at rest” or just sitting voltage. Then have your wife, up front, hold the start button….then after maybe 5 seconds note the battery voltage. Find the GROUND cable up front that goes to the Negative Stud on the Genny. Find the Positive stud or where the Positive is connected inside the FRT RUN BAY. HOPEFULLY….you can put a meter probe on each…..if NOT….find a good GROUND inside the FRONT RUN BAY….or use a bolt head (sort of scratch an X in it with the probe or a knife so you can use that for a ground. NOW measure the at rest voltage….record it. Repeat the attempt to start and record the voltage after 5 or so seconds. Finally, repeat the test by measuring at the Generator Studs…..at rest….then start. IT IS IMPORTANT that we know the AT REST or no load voltage at each point, DO THAT…report back. ODDS ARE….it is TWO things….your chassis is not as good as it once was….and the voltage drop across the puny, undersized #2 cables going to the Genny is now taking a greater toll…as in,the weaker the chassis, the worse, exponentially, the voltage drop AT THE GENNY STUDS will be. NOW….there is also ONE MORE EXPERIMENT….. Use Jumper cables. Run the positive from the Genny Stud to the OTHER END of the positive cable….where it bolts or is connected in the FRB…. Run a Jumper cable from the negative to where the Negative cable is connected to the ground stud…. THEN….put your meter leads on the genny studs…..measure the voltage….at rest. Then have your wife crank it and see if the voltage is higher or doesn’t drop as fast…it MIGHT even crank much faster…. THAT tells us how much of the issue is in the puny cables. TO EXPLAIN…..#2 Copper has a max value of 130 Amps…. The Cold Cranking Amps on ONE of your Chassis Batteries is 950…..so….since you have two that is 1900 Amps. The MAX Amps that the #2 will deliver is 130 A or barely 6%. BUT a 2/00 (00) cable will deliver 195 Amps or 50% more. If you run supplemental jumper cables, that tells us, as well as shows you, how much improvement you will get by recabling… GO FOR IT when convenient
  14. Very SIMPLE. You do NOT have enough battery or VOLTAGE to start the generator. Use my JUMPER method. It will start in an Instant. This is what we have been needing….to KEEP you from working on something that is NOT BROKE. FIRST….read the manual and make sure you know how to prime the system (heat the glow plug and get the fuel pressure up). Prime the Genny for 30 seconds….. NOW that we know there is a Voltage problem, you must chase it down. I have some “gut feels”, but you must perform the tests. Measure Voltage, while your wife tries to start…using the front generator switch… Meter leads - VOM on Chassis bank. Test and record. Meter leads on the cable ends….the cables from the Generator studs, back of generator….follow these cables to the side or front where the Negative is grounded to the chassis and where the POSITIVE is connected to the stud or post in the Front Run Bay. Have her do the start again…. Test snd record…. Post those readings. FINAL TESTS… have your wife outside….as usual. Then sit in the drivers seat. Hold down the BOOST BUTTON. Signal your wife to start the Genny…..how long did that take or “was there an improvement?”…. Next….start the engine….let it run for about 5 minutes. The voltage will be low, in the 12’s…..when the chassis voltage jumps up to around the high 13’s or maybe even 14…..HOLD DOWN the BOOST Button….signal your wife….. NOW include the results of using the Boost with and without the engine running. Did THAT FIX IT? Once you do this….and do it when convenient tomorrow….I’m signing off due to a HOME committment. Get your tests run over the weekend and let us know…. We need this to advise HOW to fix it,…and it will not, if I’m right….anything ultra expensive… ONE FINAL Question? Look on the Chassis Battery. Is there some date such as Month and Year? If not? Is there a stamped year date (maybe 2 digits) on the lead posts or around the terminals? Need that, if available, as well…. We’re GETTING THERE…. Go back and read the original post…..here is the edit that I did….. OK....wait about 5 minutes for the Genny to cool off. NOW try the Genny Switch up front. I THINK it will start FINE. IF SO....then we have isolated the issue as a HIGH RESISTANCE connection or STUPID UNDERSIZED cables. NOW…..turn off the disconnect switchs. Then remove the jumper cables….then turn the switches back on….. You STILL need to clean the Battery Stud Grounds at the back. You STILL need to clean the ground cable up front to whereever it is GROUNDED....as well as where the Positive it. If that don't fix it. GET NEW CABLES.... NOW…hope that makes it clear…. Good luck….
  15. What is so frustrating is that the OP was given the exact instructions for doing just that... that was about 24 hours ago...and they have been repeated several times....there have been over 20 posts since then., It is very difficult to troubleshoot or provide assistance when direct and well laid out instructions are not followed....and then helter skelter information, sometimes conflicting, is presented. It is requested, based on my conversation with Frank on this matter earlier this afternoon, that we let this topic SIT and then wait until John responds....as requested. That way, there will be no further confusing or supeerfulous posts... Those of us following and trying to assist can then review and proceed. Myron....thanks for your insight into this...it helps members stay focused... and this topic had reached the point of "being put on HOLD"
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