Tom Cherry

Jim, You need a CARLING switch. NOT a SIGMA..... https://www.carlingtech.com/sites/default/files/documents/651-Series_Details_%26_COS.pdf Here is what you want.... I THINK.... You MOST LIKELY have a 5 Relay board or box (maybe made by Intellitec). There are FOUR relays on it. TWO for in and out of one slide....the other two for in and out of the other slide. SOME of them had another relay....and I can't remember why. Therefore, the current draw is only for the relay coils and NOT the slide motors. Follow the PN below (look at the Carling Tech Site.... this is what I believe you have.... 652 - Gloss Finish 882 - Circuit is (ON) OFF (ON) This is the TAB or push on Terminal Style. It is a three position switch. The center is OFF. Each side is Spring Loaded.....in that when you HOLD it ON....it makes a momentary contact. That energizes a Relay. The switch carries very little (milliamps) of current. The Center lead is the INCOMING..... When you push it UP....it makes a contact (energizes a relay). Then when you push it down....it energizes another relay. One Relay extends.....the other Retracts..... W - Actuator White (the switch itself) W - Base White (the body of the Switch 0 - NO LEGEND (printing) N - N/A I have ordered them from Sigma....or maybe Sigma gave me the name of a company that did small volume retail sales. I talked to Tech Support. you need to measure the switch and compare it to the size in the brochure. The Amazon Switches are confusing. I THINK that Richard is correct. They SAY momentary contact....but then the ratings say otherwise. if you order these.....then they should be SPRING LOADED and NOT a "toggle" or stay ON when you push the rocker. BEFORE I ordered a switch, I would FIRST determine IF that is the problem. Often times you have a BAD BOSCH Relay. SO here is the "try it" trouble shooting. Put a small dot (Duct tape will work) on the TOP of the switch or on the rocker so that you KNOW which end is "UP". Now....remove the switch. Label each of the wires with masking tape or such. The labels will be TOP (the one on the top) CENTER (this is the incoming or control circuit) and Bottom (bottom wire). If you take something as simple as a Paper Clip, you can short or make contact between the CENTER and one wire. That should either EXTEND or RETRACT the slides. If you make a "hairpin" of the paper clip.....then short out the center and the wire that extends the slide. Once the slide is extended, the quickly remove the jumper. You do the SAME for retraction....except you jumper the Center to the OTHER wire. IF the slide works both ways.....you have a BAD Switch. If a relay is bad....then your problem should STILL exist. Test or try the cirucit FIRST before you order the switch..... if you do NOT want to do that, then order this switch for $7 to test.... Put the following in the Amazon Search Box... IndusTec DPDT 20 AMP-6 Pin (on) / Off / (on) Momentary Automatic Reset Rocker Switch Polarity Double Pole Double Throw 12V DC Motor Control The above switch has TWO sets of terminals....you only need one. SO....if you ordered that switch....then you use ONE SIDE....put the Center wire in the center and don't worry about the other two.....put on on top and one of the bottom. If you cycle the switch....one way will retract....and other way will extend. IF this fixes it....then you know the Carling Switch is bad. If not....then I would put in all new (maybe $30 total) Bosch 5 pin relays in the Control Box. Amazon sells them. check the label. Probably 30 Amp contacts.....therefore get 30 and do not use 20 amp. Hope this helps.... Good luck...

I pulled the manual on the Xantrex and the Aims. Originally, the Xantrex had instructions or troubleshooting notes that said that the batteries had to be restored or recharged by almost a volt (or maybe 3/4) DC. That prevented the cycling on and off of the inverter every few minutes due to a depleted battery. That language is missing now. The Aim does not address it either. If there is a risk of running down the batteries, then I would purchase one that had an adjustable Low Battery Cut Off (like our Magnums) and also make sure that the inverter, with a low battery bank, will not just cycle. Not good for any electronic device.

Xantrex almost makes (around $65) a 15 Amp ATS that is designed to work well with the ProWatt. The only thing I do not like about the ProWatt is the GFCI receptacle. NO Res Refer needs GFCI. That is a disaster waiting to happen. The NEC does not require a GFCI for a dedicated Refer circuit. Look at the specs....it has been a while. Watch out for ANY inverter that just "Cuts OFF". You want one that cuts off at say 11.0 VDC and will NOT start inverting until maybe 11.6 VDC. Otherwise, the inverter will shut off. the load is gone. The batteries slightly recover....then in a few minutes....it shuts down. Many do NOT have the "cycling prevention" circuitry

You need to find out WHAT devices (BIRD Diesel or Diesel2 and/or Big Boy Intellitec....there are TWO different solenoids and each works totally different). One Big Boy is a "Latching" style. You get a Voltage signal....momentarily....and it latches or turns ON. Then the signal goes to the OTHER terminal and it turns off. The continuous style, (Newer) gets an initial 12 VDC. BUT, that needs to be "reduced". The BIRD Diesel2 module puts out a 12 VDC for maybe 30 seconds. IF all the parameters are OK, it drops the voltage to <4 VDC and the Big Boy stays energized. The method of "OK....are they charged" is not conclusive. If you had BIRD charging....then you can use a Volt Meter and check. Plug into SHORE. Then you should hear a CLUNK a minute or two later. If the Big Boy is energized, it will be buzzing and warm to the touch. That does NOT mean that it is charging or working as the contacts are often pitted. You need to use a good DVM and measure the voltage on each of the large terminals. I do it to GROUND. the charging voltage will vary. If your Magnum is putting out 14.2 or so VDC and is Bulk Charging, then you should get that. But, if it is in the Absorb or Float mode, it will be lower. The voltages (to ground) should be within a few tenths of a volt. THAT means that the Magnum is charging the House batteries and the Big Boy is energized so that the Chassis Bank is in parallel. THEN you know that you have BOTH banks being charged. You can ALSO use your DVM and measure across the large terminals. There should be little or almost ZERO Volts. OK.....that means that the Magnum be working. BUT....what about the Engine. Simple. UNPLUG the shore. Do NOT turn on the Genny. Start the Engine. Run the test again. If you DO have the Intelltiec BIRD Diesel 2 and the Big Boy, then you will have the same scenario. The alternator will be charging the Chassis and the Big Boy (or your Battery Boost Solenoid) will be closed and you will be charging the House in parallel. The ONLY want to determine WHAT you have to find the components. Then trace the circuits. Use a DVM and see. Your 2005 was one of the Transition years. It was also one of the years where Monaco in Oregon and Monaco in Indiana were acting like two separate companies. The left hand did NOT care what the Right hand was doing....or if it was even THERE. For the level of your MH, my bet would be that you do NOT have BIRD charging. At best, you might have a Lambert Maintainer and that does NOT charge the House when you drive. it was meant to charge the Chassis when you were plugged in so that the Chassis did not run down. More understanding and research might be needed. See my other comments about why an ME2012 will, TECHNICALLY "work"....assuming that is is just brand new and that the Remote is 100% and such. If any issues of age or vibrations or "Just quit working" exist....as mine did....and then a $4.5 - $5K LiPO set have the POTENTIAL to be very expensive boat anchors....and if you use them for that, from an environmental standpoint, you must encapsulate them in concrete... Do your homework and don't anyone's advice WITHOUT determining WHAT you have....if it is working....and such.... OK.... I am OLD school. You is NEW school. So, you don't need but two of the LiPO's That is about $2500 and you have 200 amp hours of REAL capacity. The Flooded cells are $650 and your have 225 amp hours of REAL capacity if you do not drop below 50%. Trust me.... I DO get that. I understand that. BUT, the original concept or maybe I lost it....was about a Res Refer. Two LiPO's will NOT get you but the same run time as a four bank flooded set.....assuming that you do NOT run down past 50%. Magnum and Trojan will tell you that you can safely go down maybe to 30%, on a constant and low drain.....but it is not recommended. The 100 Amp Hours for the LiPO's is KAPUT after they are discharged and the low voltage cut off has kicked in and then the Inverter is OFF and the Res Refer is getting HOTTER. You still need the AGS or more batteries if you want another day.... So, myself and several others here typically get 7 - 8 years from flooded batteries by good maintenance and also verifying charging and checking the circuits. Therefore, if you get 32 Years or so out of the LiPO's, then we are even....except that I have about $2,000 to invest in technology stocks like TSLA and ZOOM and such.... My only point.....with that expensive battery pack and the OP NOT knowing what condition his 15 YO MSW ME2012 is in as well as the condition of the remote, then there is a high risk that PERHAPS.....the LiPO's will be abused and then not give the anticipated 32 years of life. SO, we buggy whip guys will just plod along and check the electrolyte and either use or exercise our old tech cells. We also will be looking for corroded or faulty cables and such. If the LiPO's were as robust (ask how many here have killed AGM's without fully realizing their limitations) as they are purported to be....I would probably look seriously at them. I have stated the facts and have enough experience and electrical understanding (I was an EE for two years in college) and also have been trouble shooting 12 (originally 6) volt circuits for well over 50 years....so I do know a little about such.... I am not going to argue with the technology. It is improving every year. It will eventually, I think, be cost effective. As of now, many of us with advanced degrees and experience feel that even the AGM's are not "our cup of tea" and there are glowing posts every week about an AGM set failing and someone is unhappy as they were told that the AGM's were the wave of the future...

I did do that. The article says that the ME2012 works fine. I guess that you set it to a "custom" battery mode so that all you get is the full (Bulk) absorb rate of 14.2 (+/-) as the article states. Now this where theory and reality and practicality might "come to a parting of the ways". I will give you the reader's digest from my own experience and also what Magnum told me. If the ME2012 is say, more than 15 years old, then it may not be the best choice for using on the pricey Lithiums. The Inverter/charger is nearing the end of its useful life. I have a 2008 MS2012 so it is about 12 years old. I started acting a bit funky. I worked on it and found that the battery or setup parameters were "wandering" or changing. There was an electronic gremlin. I had the original Remote. The battery amp hours would not hold when set to 450. After a few cycles of Shore ON and Shore OFF, the new parameters were 1050 Amp Hours. Talk about frying your batteries. I spent several hours on the phone with Magnum. I ran all their diagnostics and trouble shooting. Bad remote....MOST LIKELY.....but with the age....you NEVER know. SO, I persevered and called back and talked to another Magnum Tech. She finally said..... TRY THIS. I FORGOT to mention that many times, after you did a reset and then plugged in the Remote that it would freeze and you could not set the parameters or program int. She said.....only a couple of things to try... Take apart the remote and clean the push button pads. THAT MIGHT (but said probably will NOT) fix it. OK....NO JOY. Then, I asked......do you NEED the remote. Technically, NO. The Magnum is designed or has "Built in Chip defaults". SO, it will work without a remote. All you do is disconnect and then hook back up and do a reset. That sets it for 450 Amp Hours and all the "Astericked" defaults in the manual. Did that. I load tested or did the drain test. Perfect. My few month old Trojans were happy as could be and my calculations showed they were discharging properly. SO.....why was the Magnum remote to do funky things.....like NOT come back on. Like NOT being able to be turned off. Like freeaing up. Like resetting the paramters....the list of afflictions is long and distinguished. The answer. WELL, it is an electrical device. It may be bad and is sending a "Turn me off" signal instead of the "OK....auto ride from AC to inverting".... SO, I said....WHAT remote do I need? Don't buy the ME-ARC was the response. There were a LOT of software and electronic incompatibilities with my NEWER MS2012 and the sophisticated ME-ARC which would support, FULLY, the BMK. Their advice.....skip the BMK and get the new ME-50RC and you will have no issues. Bottom line....If you use an older ME or MS with flooded cells, worst case scenario is that you will be out maybe $500 for a set of four batteries is the remote goes south (and I was told at that age....it was common).. The AGM's are more persnickety and also more pricey. If I understand it....then you would need FOUR of these....and they are "Drop IN" as you can get 4 of them into the space of the existing 4. These are 12 VDC so I assume that they all go in parallel. That will give you 400 Amp Hours of capacity vs the stock 450 Amp Hours. That is enough to run a Refer for 24 hours (see my other posts). Therefore, you will have maybe $4800 or so instead of $600 and the ampacity is the same. That is about 7.5 times the cost. YES....they will last forever and forever..... BUT, based on a lot of tinkering with LiPO RC small batteries and trying to use the original chargers for the NiMH batteries, the LiPO's rarely last forever. They fail from abuse when charging. So, you need the nicer RC Lithium chargers. Most folks upgrade and then kill the expensive LiPO's and go back or just buy a new charger when they replace the LiPO's. I have been down that path and talked to a LOT of RC guys that know their stuff. Bottom line. YES.....Lithium is NEW SCHOOL. But my 2009 Camelot ain't exactly Old School. The OLD school is the ME2012. I would be really cautious, if I were going to convert without some type of ironclad warranty that says... Use a Magnum 2012 and we guarantee that they will not be damaged. That's my take....and I did do a lot of reading. Reality and experience are hard to beat.....and in the case of making a $4000 GOOF....I would upgrade the whole Inverter to a MS2812 or whatever the larger 2800 or 3000 Watt unit is and get the ME-ARC and the BMK and make sure that they batteries are being charged properly. I do NOT know about the lower voltages of the older MH's that used the LN Alternators...... My thoughts and my knowledge and my experiences.....

One at a time. You do NOT have a Converter. You have an Inverter/Charger. You could have an Inverter (which changes DC to AC) and it would NOT charge. You could have a Charger (that is NOT a converter) and it would not provide 120 VAC. SO.....stay with the definition. A converter is like your cell phone charger. it CONVERTS 120 VAC to approx 5 VDC. Maybe Monaco wired yours different. On the 2009, the Battery Cables (actually the positive....the negative is chassis grounded) Goes from the Positive to a Copper Buss. There is a 300 Amp Fuse attached to the buss and the other side of the fuse goes to the Inverter. SO, the inverter is fused. So, the ONLY way you can disconnect the inverter is pulling the Positive. NOW....follow the logic....and yours MAY be different. Battery Positive to Buss. On the same buss, there is a cable that goes to another Buss or Distribution strip. There are four FUSES on that strip. Genny so you can start it, Hydraulic slides for mine, other slides and FINALLY the idiotic Salesman's switch. So, my 200 Amp Blue Seas House Switch will NOT disconnect the Inverter. I have attached a PDF of the schematic. Now....the BIG BOY. OK....that is like saying Kleenex and meaning tissue. There is a BIG solenoid that "connects" both battery banks together. That is the Battery Boost Switch. That relay or solenoid is TYPICALLY....for your MH, a NON CONTINUOUS Duty solenoid. I DOUBT that you have what is called BIRD or Bi Directional Charging. That is when you drive down the highway....your House and Chassis Batteries are BOTH charged. When you are plugged in or on Genny, the same. You need a BIRD (Intellitec brand name) control device. There were TWO types of BIG BOYS. One was rated for low voltage (less than 4 vols) to HOLD the solenoid closed. If you have the standard one....the NON Continuous duty, then if you put a full 12 VDC to it and keep it energized....you burn up the coil. That is why your owner's manual says to use it for only a few seconds. The Trombetta is another brand of the Big Boy or more technically, the Battery Boost or Interconnect Switch. As to Lithiums.... WOW.....that is way over my head. BUT, I would warn you NOT to trust anybody and make sure that you know EXACTLY what your MH has (does it have Bi-Directional Charging)....or does it have something like a Lambert maintainer. The NEXT question.....since if you abuse the Lithiums, you are out a BUNDLE..... What does Magnum say? Will your older ME2012 work with them....or can you charge Lithiums with your Charger? My gut feel is NO, but Magnum will know. I have a MS2012. It was a 2008. I had to replace the Remote. Mine was new enough that I had a lot of builtin features that the new remote would support. If your old remote does not give you the option of Lithium.....then Magnum needs to advise. Just going out and letting some battery distributor sell you expensive lithiums and them then blowing up or failing since you have the "Wrong" charging system will be a high learning cost item. As I said, maybe here or another place, if I were going Lithiums....I would upgrade to a NEW PSW inverter/Charger. I don't have a clue as to which type of charging system and such you need.....and that is the best I can do. Tread lightly.....the cost could be staggering by just "bought me Lithiums". I have a neighbor that has blown up his boat batteries as the folks keep selling him the WRONG batteries. He was told to buy "Combo Start/Deep Cycle" for his boat.....he has a starting battery and two trolling motor batteries and a high priced "maintainer". It fried all the batteries and dried up the electrolyte.....so he was out over $500.... You need to do some reading and get conversant with the devices and the technology....and then pull the prints for your MH and understand WHAT you have (and make sure that it matches what Monaco put on the print) and then learn about Lithiums.....and THEN make the call.....otherwise....?? 12V High Current Dist..pdf

magnum says 95%. That is about the same for the ME as well as the MS series.... SOME folks have issues with how Magnum measures.....but the Magnum is top of the line....or at least in the price ranges that most folks will pay.... https://www.magnum-dimensions.com/product-inverter/2000w-12vdc-modified-sine-inverter-charger-me-series

I have been an advocate of Source Shocks. NOW....the real value of the Source Shocks is the "warranty". Billstein has a "Lifetime" Warranty. BUT, you have to return the shock to Billstein. What are you supposed to do if you want to drive. YES....you can. Koni has a better approach. They will ship you a new shock, but you might be charged for it if the shock ain't bad. Source is for the LIFE of the vehicle....so whomever purchases the vehicle has a life time shock and they just send you a new one. I have the "Extra HD" on the front of my Camelot. That is a bit OVERKILL. I personally would go with the Source Shocks. They will serve you well. As to changing them, it depends on your skills. I changed the rears on my Camelot. I have the Stud (on top) and the Eye (through bolt) on the bottom. The stud is a little trickier. The TRICK, according to the guy that does most of the installs for Source (when not at a show) is to use a pair of small vise grips and grip the shock rod at the top. That is WELL out of the way of the movement. THEN you torque it down. Some have made a special socket. I DID....but the vise grip (or locking pliers) is easier. I made a LOT of improvements to my Camelot before I fixed the REAL problem. I added front and rear sway bars (Source....but Roadmaster makes them) and the HD fronts and the regular rears. That really improved the ride and the handling. My DW commented that the MH road like the tour busses (MCI and Prevost) that we were on for some 5 Star trips. She could THEN read comfortably. We took a 5K trip. She had me "show her" where all that money went and was like WOW.....this does improve the ride and the feel. We left. I noticed that she was reading as I drove. I let that happen for about 3 days until we were in AR. I asked....how's the book coming? She said, I'm about finished. I asked.....I thought you could not read more than 30 minutes without a headache. OMG she screamed. You are right. NOW, I really love all that stuff that you put under the MH. SO, an non-technical endorsement. OK....fast forward. IF you have NOT added the Watts Link, then I would recommend that. That will do more for your driving pleasure and comfort than any shock. My HD shocks and the sway bars worked great. I can drive further. Crosswinds don't bother me. Van Williams convinced me to put on the Watts. WOW. I really do NOT need the front HD shocks....but the ride is comfortable and there is no "Ocean Liner" pitch and yaw. I have a steering stabilizer. It is way more responsive. So, the Watts (and some folks put on the rear cross braces) are the first steps. THEN, Shocks..... From there, you add as you like. NOW, would I have added the front and rear stabilizers? I do NOT know. Right now, I have to tell myself to slow down as I make a sweeping exit or on a ramp or over an overpass. My DW says that I drive the MH more like my 2016 Vette than I do the Yukon. She says that the MH tracks better or is more stable than the Yukon. SO....your call on the shocks. The "Tuned" shocks are not MADE by Source. Source paid for the developmental work and the valving is proprietary and Billstein can NOT sell them. That valving is the secret in that it brings the MH back to level or even quicker. The Billstein Shock Guru said that if he or his family had a Monaco MH, that it would have the Source Shocks and NOT the stock ones that their engineers designed. He said he could not believe the difference in the valving. Just my thoughts and a bunch more info than you might want....but that is it. I am a LITTLE surprised that the Patriot needs shocks. I thought that the Patriots were upper end. However, Monaco Execs were (supposedly) getting donations from Billstein during the early 2000's and Monaco wanted a "Firmer" ride. Beaver may not have been in the Monaco fold then. Any of the shocks (Koni and Stock Billstein) will ride better, assuming that your shocks are shot. My original Monroe's had less than 25 pounds of compression. The Source was well above 100. WHAT a difference....

From the beginning. An INVERTER is a device that "transforms" DC power into AC power. A Converter is a device that "Converts" AC Power into DC power. Technically, a Converter is a Rectifier as the definition of a rectifier is a device that converts AC to DC. Typically, a Charger is a device that "charges a battery". An Inverter changes DC to AC. You can have BOTH.....which you do. Your ME2012 is a Modified Sine Wave (some call it a Square Wave) inverter with a very sophisticated charging circuit. So it is an Inverter Charger. You do NOT need a "converter" or a rectifier. Hope the following explains it.... The device has incoming power of 30 Amps from the main panel. It also has incoming DC Power from the Batteries. NOTE....the Inverter is connected, via a 300 Amp fuse, DIRECTLY to the batteries . It does NOT run or go through the House Battery Disconnect switch. So, whenever, the MH has AC power (from shore or Genny), ASSUMING that you have not defeated or turned off the "auto modes" or default settings, the AC power will do two things. First.....inside the ME2012, there is an Automatic Transfer Switch or mini ATS. So, you pass through all the incoming AC power. You will have around 3600 watts or power (30 X 120). When there is NO AC power, the Inverter will take the 12 VDC and inverter or transform it into 120 (actually 115 is the correct voltage). SO, you have 2000 watts or power. That will run the Microwave. It will NOT run the Microwave and a hair dryer or an electric skillet. You have TWO circuits of AC in the MH. One is directly wired to the Microwave. The OTHER is for all the REST of the stuff. It will be fed or passed through a GFCI so that you have ground fault protection. There are THREE circuit breakers on the Magnum. All are Pin Type. They POP out when tripped or open. One is for the incoming 30 Amp AC. That protects the printed circuit or main control board. The OTHER two are for each of the two circuits. The Charger is a very sophisticated device.....needed to preserve your batteries and prevent damage. This is a Three State Charger. Bulk is when the amperage approaches 90 or 95 amps and the voltage will be around 14.2/3 VDC. As the Bulk (sock it to it) charge is hitting the batteries, the charger "senses" and eventually backs off the current (lowers it slightly) and then also the voltage. This is called "absorb". I think that when the battery is maybe 95% that it then changes to "Float Charging"....and it stays there and maintains the battery.

Yes, the "usable" or recommended capacity is 50% of the total ampacity to prevent damage to the batteries. I know NOT what AGM's will stand or Lithiums. However, as i stated previously, if you have 450 Amp Hours of battery capacity, then if you run your genny for about 2 - 3 hours every 24 hours or once daily, you will, ASSUMING the batteries are capable of achieving for receiving a FULL charge, NOT GO BELOW 50% SOC. That is based on personal experience....as well as others. The RF18 uses, per Samsung and Govt testing, around 562 KWH or 1.54 KWH/day. Bill Groves, Richard and several others, including myself measured the energy consumption. I think were were all in that range....but for purposes of estimating, use 1.75 KWH or 1,750 Watts over a 24 hour period. Use a nominal voltage of 12.25 VDC. That equates to 143 Amps or Amp Hours if you want to look at it that way. EDITED.....Correction. The 143 Amp Hours is actually for a 24 hour period. If you run the Genny for 3, then you only will consume 125 amp hours. The Magnum PSW inverter along with the other parasitic loads will average around 2 Amp or 42 (21 hours inverting). That is a total of 167 Amp hours. OK, you will have some pump run times and other such items. You can also make ice during the 3 hours of RUN TIME. Therefore, you are using 75% of the available 225 Amp Hours for OTHER purposes. BUT, if you use the "Energy" setting, that greatly reduces the load. MOST folks when the boon dock will turn OFF or pull the plugs to the HEC. I have power strips for that. Most folks have also upgraded to LED lights....so the lighting load is reduced. Most folks will NOT make ice during this period. With a little common sense and energy conservation, you will STILL easily get the 24 hours of consumption, without putting the batteries at risk. We have proven that by use. We have calculated that many times. Adding in a single bank does NO get you to 48 hours....so if you want 48 hours, then you need to have a bank of 8....which many Dynasties and upper ends have. But, a single bank of 4 works fine.... In fact, if you actually exercise or drain the batteries periodically.....as in parking at a stop or such, you will get longer life from flooded cells in a MH with a Res Refer than one without. Trojan says that always having the MH connected to power and never draining the batteries to around 50% or so hurts them. One final point....since we have gone down this path. If you have a Res Refer and use the AGS and have GOOD flooded cells and no excessive drain....then you can safely set the AGS to around 11.8 or 11.9 VDC. WHY.....the actual battery voltage will be around 0.1 - 0.2 VDC higher. If you do the load test.....read the Magnum remote and then the actually bank. The battery voltage is always higher on the bank. Trojan says that they do not "advertise" this as they want to make sure that you have adequate Amp Hours to crank the Genny, but YES....if you want to go to a 50% SOC, use the lower voltage and not the charts...

From an Engineer's perspective....I would try this. Assuming that you are on 50 Amp service and NOT having to deal with the heat of your 10KW Genny... Put a fan (say a 20" or so floor fan on TOP of the RV at the rear or the back of the garage. Aim it towards the front. That will keep the air moving. Then put one on the floor at either side of the door and aim it inside or sit it inside. That will allow for cooler (supposedly) air to come in. The top fan will keep the hot air exhausted. Now if you really want to move some air.....Costco and BJ's or Sams used to sell. "Squirrel Cage" carpet drying fans. Those rascals put out a LOT of CFM. I use an industrial grade 20" floor fan in my crawl space at home to keep the air moving so that my dehumidifier is getting a fresh or non-stagnant air flow. That fan is an Air King and has 3760 CFM for $95.. I selected it as it would be a continuous or near continuous duty. Bought from Amazon However, for just a short time.....here is a better value... This is from Amazon Hurricane HGC736501 Floor Fan-20 Inch, Classic Series, That fan is rated at just over 2100 CFM and is only $30. SO, you could purchase 4 of them and get 4200 CFM incoming and 4200 CFM outgoing or exhaust. That would move a LOT of air. If you garage is say 50 ft long and say 16 ft wide and say 150 ft tall.....then you have 12,000 Cubic feet. So, you would turn the air over once every 3 hours.... That does NOT take into account natural convection. If you have a side entrance, you could add a fan there . You want to keep the air on top of the MH moving. NOW.....the OTHER thing to consider....TRY IT WITHOUT any fans. Put a Refrigerator Temp Sensor on top of the MH. Mount it on a chair or a camera tripod or somewhere NEAR the ceiling (center) of the Garage. Don't run the AC and see how hot it gets in the heat of the day with the doors open. THEN run the AC's for a while. It will stabilize. See how much temp gain you have....

Did not know about the updating. I do mine once or twice per season.....just for new maps. But, I verify the route with Google. I have the original Monaco radio. I feed an XM module (portable) into it via Rear Aux connection. I have that "Y'ed" in where I can now feed my phone. I also have the interconnection iPod (30 Pin) cord so that I can put on music and just let it play. I have over 3000 songs on that. I also have an audio (phone jack) hookup to the HEC receiver. SO, I got music when I want it. If one were REALLY tech savvy, then what you do would be to install an AppleTV on the TV. (of course the TV would have to be ON when you drove and the interlock defeated). Then you screen mirror an iPad (cellular) to the Apple TV. BINGO.....you have your iPad on the overhead TV. Then call up Google Maps (or WAZE or whatever) and then select your route. Sort of like folks wanting manual tranny, or fully auto with NO paddle shifters or a Trimtronic (?) 8 speed auto that you can shift on the fly or let it do the shifting. If all you want is a radio to get an occasional FM or AM station or listen to a "Here you are.....listen to our instructions on XXX frequency), then all you need is just that. I gave up on CD's and have my music colleciton on iTunes and iPods. I use my iPad for Google, but Garmin is where I look to see things. whatever you needs are.....but don't think that you have to duplicate what Monaco gave you 10 - 15 years ago...

WHOA and Company HALT.... Back to Basics. The Samsung RF series works on Square Wave or MSW units. Again....check with the manufacturer. Second, unless you do a LOT of dry camping or boondocking and don't like the sound of your genny, then Solar is the only answer. NOT CHEAP....but an alternative. A Genny, run once per day....with a FOUR Battery Bank (2 6VDC in series and the pair in parallel) will provide 450 Amp Hours of capacity. As long as your run the Genny around 2 - 3 hours per day when dry camping, you have no issues with that size bank. This is from my own experience as well as countless folks here and at the Gatherings. As to the need for more than 2000 Watts. YES, if you purchase a "Surge Hog" refrigerator, it will definitely cut into your capacity. BUT, if you have a Samsung or similar, then you rarely, if ever, notice the surge. I was, as I said, a proponent of a separate inverter for the Refer....WITH a small 15A ATS. I looked at the costs and trouble of hooking that up. I said...."We'll see" and we have not had any issue. I probably WOULD put in a NEW 1000 Watt PSW Auxillary Inverter IF I needed MORE capacity. But, if you use the Energy setting on the Samsung when dry camping and such, you don't need one. Magnum upgraded their line to include a 2800 (may be 3000 now) so that you had 2000 watts of power and also 800 watts for the Refer. They provided THREE circuits. House, Microwave and Refer. You can purchase a very nice Xantrex PS-1000 (memory) and their 15 A ATS for less than $400 if you need it for the Refer. The cabling will probably run upwards ro $200 or so. The EASIEST way is to put the NEW Inverter next to the OLD one and Parallel the cables to the Inverter. Monaco use 4/0 Cables. that has MORE than enough ampacity to support 3000 watts. That will reduce the cost. THEN, you run the AC line from the back of the Refer Area to the Inverter... If you do it the other way and try to get the Inverter close to the Refer.....you spend a fortune. As to Lithiums. Well, as long as you have a state of the art NEW inverter and a BMK and know what you are doing and constantly monitor the and don't abuse them.....great. Many folks here have swapped from flooded to AGM's and had issues as they were not being properly monitored and charged and such. IF you abuse an AGM, it is toast. I would worry abut such with the Lithiums.... SO plan on a very expense Inverter to support the Lithiums....or you may end up with a very expensive mess. Unless I was an expert or had a really GOOD Solar and Lithium dealer, I would totally gut my MH and start out with a NEW Inverter designed for Lithium and then put in Lithiums and if I wanted a LOT of capacity....add a big solar farm to the top. Would NOT be cheap.... Batteries....$8K. Inverter (installed) $5K, Solar....$5k???. BUT, you would be set....

the original Monaco GPS was an add on Garmin unit. It was nothing more than a GPS module without a screen. The module plugged into the back of the "Camera" monitor (brand did not matter) via a Composite (yellow) Video and an audio input. Thus, it worked like a TV screen (you could also play a DVD player there). My take on GPS... If my old radio in the MH died, I would be on the fence. The radio usage depends on your needs. With today's technology and also the decreasing cost of cell service, I THINK that the cheapest and most cost effective option would be a Tablet..... Like an iPad. I finally got tired of not having laptop coverage and such. I purchased a Cellular Laptop 3 years ago. The tablet on my Verizon account is HALF (unlimited data plan) the cost of a line for a phone. So, I pay X for each phone's data plan. But I pay 1/2 X for the IPad. The NEAT thing about the iPad....we can take it in the car when we travel. So, we always have an updated GPS. NOW the Caveat. I STILL use my Garmin 760. I keep it updated. IF I travel where there is no cell service, I use it. I actually DO program the Garmin for route verification and use it as more of a Speedometer and Trip minder (when will we get there). I purchased the Garmin Link and I get weather and up-to-date traffic. I have considered mounting the iPad on top of the dash (velcro) and driving by that. Otherwise, the DW programs it and follows along and looks for really UGLY traffic. NOW....if you really want a radio with all the bells and whistles, then I would shy away from the GPS model. I would purchase a radio with the NEW apps. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay work seamlessly with my 2016 Vette radio. I have killed the XM. I have XM on three other vehicles (Lifetime warranty), so I just use streaming (you get one streaming account per device). I do NOT need XM on the Vette radio and that saves me about $200 per year. When you use the Android or the Apple app, you get the same screen. You can also use WAZE or Google Maps or whatever. They display on the screen. If you get a radio with a GPS and XM, then you are going to pay a separate charge each month for each feature. By having a cheap Garmin, that you update periodically, you are covered where there is NO cell and you can use your phone or your Tablet for travel. That would be what I would make the decision on and NOT be locked into an all in one option.....just because the vehicle came that way. I also use Pandora a lot and I can feed the audio for XM or Pandora into my Vette radio using Blue Tooth or using a patch cord.... The directions come on and tell me when to turn and such....

Best memory on this topic is the following.... Just to CLARIFY....you have a 2000 Watt Square Wave Inverter....that is the factory. You have a 1500 Watt SPARE inverter and want to use it exclusively for the Samsung. If that is the question, then here is my response.... THAT DEPENDS.... You need to check with the vendor as to the Square Wave compatibility. Samsung, I think, does not care....as long as it is 115 VAC. Assuming that the brand of ResRefer that you choose is compatible with the Square (MW?) 2000 Watt inverter, then there might not be any reason to add the second inverter....unless you just "want too". I had some doubts many years ago. IF you do not routinely have HIGH capacity appliances working all the time, you will NOT have any capacity (wattage) issues. We have the 2000 watt RF18. We run a coffee maker in the morning. We do NOT microwave when using the coffee maker. We do NOT run fry pans or other appliance, including hair dryers) when we microwave or are making coffee....or if the wife is doing some cooking in the fry pan, she does NOT use any other high current or demand items. The Samsung works just fine. There will be additional costs for installing a supplemental Inverter. You will have to "Cable it" to the existing inverter to to the House Bank. You will have to run an AC line from the Refrigerator bay to the Inverter. MOST folks have an Inverter Outlet (typically for the icemaker) in the Refer compartment and just plug in there. The DC cables are not cheap. Running them or the AC might not be convenient. When folks install a supplemental inverter, they seem to be as polarized as FORD vs CHEVY. SOME will install it with NO ATS, so that you are always "inverting" and running the ResRefer OFF the batteries. Some put in an ATS so that when you are on Shore (or Genny), the ResRefer runs off the pass through 115 VAC AC.....and not continually being ON or in use. As I said....I was a "NEED the additional Capacity FREAK or Zealot" and opined about it and wanted the ATS. Some objected and were equally adamant about NOT needing a supplemental and then we had the FRINGE.....Use the supplemental....but no need for extra mess like the ATS.. I have done fine for several seasons with just my 4 bank set and my OEM 2000 Watt Inverter and see NO need to do such. I did boon dock for a while and never needed to run the genny but ONCE per day.

Good job of troubleshooting. Agree with Bobby....GO TO LED. BUT...this is a MH and you need, in my opinion, a belt and suspenders solution. I appears that you do not intend to replace the connector. Here is a tried and proven and simple fix.. There is an "anti-corrosion Aluminum paste" that is used for Aluminum connections. it is like toothpaste with aluminum. It work for copper. I have used it when the pigtails on my umbilical were corroded. Use a TOOTHPICK and put a smidge in the female connectors and on the male connectors. Plug and unplug maybe twice. That burnishes and removes the oxidation and burned residue. The aluminum in the paste improves conductivity. This is what electricians use for connections that were wet or corroded. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Gardner-Bender-1-oz-Ox-Gard-Anti-Oxidant-Compound/4514334 https://www.amazon.com/Gardner-Bender-OX-800-Anti-Oxidant-Compound/dp/B000BOCBCA/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=aluminum+electrical+connection+paste&qid=1593010103&sr=8-2 LOWES or HD USED to have this. Lowes may have dropped it. it is the SAME....just a different brand. https://myshopngo.com.au/product/alminox-jointing-compound-d-alm325g/ Here is one other. There USED to be a Copper Paste or conductive material....but I can't find it anymore. https://www.amazon.com/MG-Chemicals-Carbon-Conductive-Grease/dp/B005T8ROWA/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1E3Y1Y4959LEO&dchild=1&keywords=electrical+conductive+paste&qid=1593010457&sprefix=electrical+conductive+paste%2Caps%2C251&sr=8-3 You do NOT want to use "Di-electric" stuff or bulb grease. That is to prevent corrosion or moisture penetration. It is electrically NEUTRAL and does nothing. That is why is used on bulbs and connectors exposed to water as it prevent moisture penetration. You want something that has a conductive (metal as in Cu or Al) base to IMPROVE the connection. Good Luck....use this to improve and clean the burned connections....then convert to LED to prevent a higher current load and a repeat. you will never have to do anything else...

OK.....a little more INFO.....obviously NOT from a tech....but here goes. When I had the "Cannot check fluid level issue", that was the result of a very erratic and hard downshifting, using the Exhaust Brake, occurrence. I do NOT have the REAL Jake Brake....just the simple Cummins one. I was approaching a ramp (downhill) for a rest stop. Routinely, I engage the exhaust brake. CLUNK....CLUNK. HMMMM. So, I got to the stop and decided to check the level. THAT gave me the ERROR CODE....actually, the Tranny said.... We AIN'T gonna do that.....we is out to lunch. SO, after ferreting through the codes and then discussing with Frank McElroy.....as I approached home (had driven it for about an hour), the codes were cleared. What we surmised was that all the standing water (it was a frog strangler) had shorted or got the tranny connector wet. I have not crawled under and done the approaching sealing... BUT, I did clear the codes and all is well. Today, I drove it on another trip. I routinely engaged the Exhaust Brake. MY MY.....how smooth and responsive. SO.....this is what I have concluded. When the Tranny lost contact with the mother ship or her designee (the ECM or perhaps the TCM), then the tranny just "downshifted" on its on without the data buss from the ECM or the TCM. That loss of data buss also stopped the system from doing the Fluid Check as there are several other "Sensors" that have to be in the loop (working) for the ECM and the Tranny and the TCM to allow for the Fluid Check. What the Tranny got was an "We done lost one of our 6 little sheeps.....and until we find that cuddly little character....we are NOT going to play nice. Therefore.....once dried out.....the Tranny shifts (Down) fine. There was never any upshift issues.....just the harsh downshift. All is well. Need to put some bulb grease on the connections....

Not an AGM expert. Suggest you call Lifeline and discuss with them. They will tell you whether or not they need to be cycled or load drained periodically to keep them healthy. Flooded cells definitely DO.... That is what both Interstate and Trojan and all the "Experts" say. You also need to see HOW your Magnum is set up. The proper set up, based on what I know, would be the AGM for battery type. These are 6 VDC....so you have 800 Amp Hours of capacity... The 400 amp hours when connected in series to give you 12 VDC is STILL 400 Amp Hours. When you have a "Pair" or two sets (in parallel), then you have 400 plus 400 or 800 amp hours. That is what you set the remote for. Since you have the Magnum BMK, you would be well advised to let them go through the "setup" of the entire Remote and such. One comment.....if you wanted 900 Amp Hours of capacity, then you could (maybe....don't know how the Dynasty's OEM Battery box was modified or if the AGM's were factory. The STOCK configuration was TWO (per the brochure....and it sounds WRONG).... TWO 6 VDC batteries. That would be 225 amp HOURS. i REALLY thought that MOST of the STANDARD RUN (added in options....99% had these) were 8 batteries. If not....at least FOUR. If you went with the configuration (assuming your battery box was not modified or is compatible, then you would need 8 GC-1 or Golf cart/Deep Cycle Marine batteries. The Trojan T-105's sell for around $105 - $120. Worst case....$125. That would be $1000 for 900 Amp Hours or 12.5% more for about 25% of the costs. Again....I am NOT an AGM fan. You have a very nice battery charging system. The one thing, that ever the fans or fanatics of AGM will, I think tell you. The AGM's are NOT as robust and that improper charging or improper use or such will definitely shorten the life of them. I would evaluate my needs. Evaluate the options for returning to flooded cells...even consider going to the more conventional AGM - GC1's. The batteries you have are premium.....but left neglected or perhaps, not properly monitored or recharged.....are a costly item....and other systems may be more in line with you needs as well as a better value. That is the extent of my comments.....we have others here that are well versed and can chime in...,

I assume that you mean $800 for the bank....and NOT each battery. I thought that the Dynasty had a bank of 8 deep cycle RV batteries (6 VDC) when mine has only 4. Look at my posts. I have gone into some detail in the past. assuming that you have FLOODED cell batteries, then you will need a good (not a ball type) Hydrometer. I suggested one that works for me. You will need a Volt Meter. You will need a 3/8" dowel....maybe 6" long to use as a "Dip Stick". You will need a 350 to 500 watt "Load". a Halogen Work light is what I use....a small space heater would work. you do NOT need anything over 500 watts as the drain would not simulate normal usage. The rest is spelled out. You need to test (Hydrometer, Electrolyte and Volts) your batteries probably twice per year. If you do NOT do any dry camping or put a load on them, then plan on doing a Drain Down (Load) test at that time. Most likely 2 - 3 cycles.... IF you do not find the post....I might have time to search....but it is there....at least 3 or so times....I SHOULD make a PDF, but have not. Setting up your Magnum, especially with the BMK is critical. Magnum will go over that over the phone and assist you. If you are purchasing Flooded Cells, then the cheapest would not be my choice. I am a Trojan T-105 person. My Interstates did not last that long. I have written comments as to WHY I lean that way.... Good Luck....

BMK, as Nic pointed out, is Battery Monitoring Kit. I don't feel the need for one as my dry camping and such is very limited. I also try to check the SOC of my batteries and also to load test them and measure their performance. Therefore, for my use, a BMK is not in my plans. The Magnum BMK is, I thought, specifically manufactured or designed to interface with the Magnum Inverter(s) and the ME- ARC (Advanced Remote Control) upper end Remote. Magnum discussed the pro's and con's and my needs. So, I opted to purchase the RC-50 remote and not the ARC. Installation of a BMK is, supposedly, based on several friends experience, not a novice task....but one that if you read and study and are handy with 4/0 cables and have the hydraulic crimper and do some planning, can be accomplished. I don't think that I, personally, with my RV intentions, would benefit from that. So, I made the call.....get the RC-50, which was about 2/3's the price. However, if one needs the upgrade and also understands how to read the system and utilize the diagnostics as well as the enhanced features....then they have to make the call. Several people, I think, have installed the BMK using older Inverters than mine with no issues. Magnum was hesitant when I talked to them as they said there were some "incompatibility" issues and that if I did not foresee the need for a BMK, the wisest or less prone to issues approach would be the ME-50RC....which WOULD support the BMK, but without all the bells and whistles and such of the ME-ARC. Don't know too much more. Many are well versed and might chime in....

Long story. I have always had a gremlin in my MS2012 Magnum with the RC Controller or remote. Mine was a 2008 Manufacturing date. Never could figure out HOW to turn off the inverter like folks said that they did. I learned all about HOW to set up the Remote and which settings and such. A LOT of info here....and from experts....as well as talking to Magnum Tech Support. I had an AGS failure (the old 4 knob) and extended warranty got me a new one. Everything seemed to work....except from time to time....the inverter would lose power (Had the Search Watts to OFF per Magnum) and not switch on or would lose (momentarily) the coffee maker and microwave clock. I have learned a LOT about how the Inverter works and also how to properly maintain and test and load test and such my batteries and keep the Magnum set for peak performance. I also, ONCE and ONLY ONCE, equalized and learned that you have to do some tweaking of the charge rate so as not to "overheat" the innards.....again...Magnum taught me when I reported a blinking light. We used the MH for almost a 3 month trip in 2018. Not issues related to the inverter or battery. I had (still do....it is dormant) a (HOPEFULLY) high resistance connection in my hydraulic slide circuit. Have trouble shot it and it is intermittent. Never had the rascal fail when I could troubleshoot it. I can "PUSH" in the slides when my wife works the buttons and keep from overheating the Resettable CB. THEN, you drive 100 miles....and the dadgummed thing works great. SO.... I installed a switch to have CHASSIS power for the hydraulic as well as HOUSE. SO, if the rascal has a high resistance load and moves slowly, I can switch power sources and then see if it is upstream electric or downstream hydraulics. BUT....it has not failed.....recently. BUT, I noticed that my Magnum was acting FUNKY more frequently. The AHA moment was when the "knob and setup up screens" froze. I could NOT change the amp hour rating from 1050 (I never SET it there....it just HAPPENED) back down to 450. It also had some other "dysfunctional" traits. Magnum was patient. I finally said.... DO I NEED THE REMOTE? Nope, there are DEFAULTS in the Inverter. SO, I ran the MH for several days and killed or cycled on and off the power. NO REMOTE hooked up. It worked FLAWLESSLY. Then called Magnum. BUY a new remote. The RC-50 is the LATEST and GREATEST....as long as you do not intend to put in a BMK and that the inverters in the early years....SOMETIMES had problems interfacing with the super sophisticated ARC (Bob Nodine.....you UNDERSTAND). Ordered the RC-50. Plugged it in. Set the quick paramaters which were mostly OK'ing the DEFAULT parameters. Got it out of storage today. NO ISSUES. SO, the RC-50 worked. BUT, there were a couple of settings that were "puzzling". OK...Magnum has updated the RC unit (not the ARC) that mine came with. The NEW unit does NOT have a "Amp Hour" setting for the batteries. You set that via the Absorb Charging Rate or control. Default is 1.5 Hours. BUT, if you have a 450 Amp Hour bank (like most of us do)....then you set to to 2.5 Hours. The Default charging rate is 80%. Magnums says it really ought to be 90%, to be safe....they set it lower. SO, if you want to charge a little faster (assuming you are not in Death Valley), then use 90%. Just do NOT equalize @ 90%. Use 70 or 80%. That is ALL I changed (OK, I killed the Search Watss to prevent blips).... Just passing this along. I can NOW turn ON and OFF my inverter. Never could do that before. The NEW RC-50 works. You can google and find out. I CAN put in a BMK....I just do NOT have all the "features and versatility and monitoring" that you would get with the ARC Remote.... Hope this benefits someone...

Comment....and Richard's device is cool. Have the Progressive HW50C (hard wired with remote). NEVER EVER DECIDE that the Progressive is "faking you out". Mine would NOT let me have power. SAY WHAT? It won't give me power. So, I fume and fuss and call Tommy Fannelli, the past owner of Progressive. He says....you got an OPEN Neutral. O COME ON NOW>>>>>>that can't be. SO. I go under and pull off the cover of the ATS and the Progressive. Do my VOM's. BINGO....I have 240 VAC from L1 to L2 on the Progressive terminal strip. I have 120 VAC from L1 to GROUND and same from L2 to Ground. I have NO VAC from L1 or L2 to Neutral. I have NO BONDED Ground or continuity from Neutral to Ground. YES....I have a problem. SO, I use the Genny for the rest of the trip. NOW....I had opened the OTHER side or bay door (mine swing OUT, not up or down) and barely BUMPED the shore plug. I then pulled out the shore plug enough to get meter readings on the pins. SURE ENOUGH....i have ALL my voltages and continuity on the plug. SO, the Pedestal is OK. Somewhere between the plug and the Progressive....I have an OPEN connection on the NEUTRAL line. Fuss and fume. I have 50 amps at home. I tighten every lug. I find where the hose reel (electric) line goes to the Feed to the Progressive. NADA. OK....either a LOOSE wire or nick in the power cord or MAYBE the contact rings on the reel. A PITA to trouble shoot or repair. WHY ME, LORD? BUT, It hit me. I BUMPED the plug. You DO NOT suppose that the high quality crimped connection from the power cord to the molded connector opened up? SO, i stole the 50 Amp Camco connector from my standby Genny line cord (I backfeed my house via the MH's 50 AM circuit). Cut off the MH's plug. Put on the used one. I have been running that for about 7 years.... NEED to replace it....but I carry a spare. BOTTOM LINE.....if you loose the NEUTRAL, the HW50C is SUPPOSED to NOT give you power.....do NOT override it.... Saved me a really ugly problem. Have since found out that several Monaco/HR owners have reported some faulty crimped plugs. SO....my advice....as well as TRUSTING the HW50C, carry a SPARE plug....I also have a tube of Dow Chemical Potting compound to seal it. I did my on the cheap and use GE Silicone. It has worked well. I have spent over 700 nights in my motor home....we stay out about 60 days per season. SO, it gets USED....not full timing....but USED.. The Tester is great. But, if you don't have one....then be handy.

No argument here. We chose the Winnebago for the first MH due to reputation and also just "looking" at the fit and finish and such. Then, after 2 1/2 years of ownership and 12K, found out that simple and complex things (parts) could be bought. I was amazed at the dealer's microfiche or maybe computer breakdown of all the parts in my particular MH, the top end gasser....an Adventurer. No complaints....I just wanted a DP and Monaco (HR) was what my dealer friend, who got us back in to RV'ing sold and we knew that we could get it serviced by his guys. The manufacturing model, as you point out and I concur, is good. Now....folks that run the place may have their issues....but from being able to get a replacement part or such....they are way above Monaco. NOW....the chassis and such....that is a different ball game. The W-22 Workhorse chassis was pretty good. BUT, since WH built the chassis and the dash and such.....that was a POS. I had mine replaced under a factory recall. There were minor issues....but drove me crazy....with the "circuits". Drive down a bumpy interstate. If you drove 70, then occassionly, the BRAKE LIGHT and idiot buzzer went off. FINALLY figured it out. The Parking Brake switch was defective. When you hit a bump, sometimes the parking brake switch would close (the switch CLOSES on being engaged) and then the MH THOUGHT that you have PUT ON THE BRAKE. Hit another bump a few miles later.....off it went. I traded it like that and put a note in the owner's manual. SURE ENOUGH....got a call from the dealer about 3 weeks later......WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? My answer....call Workhorse. The fix may be replacement of the Parking Break Switch... FINALLY figured it out that when the Brake Light went ON....the DRL's little idiot light went OFF. So, again....a false or "closed" circuit was telling the driver that the brake was on....and that would also kill the DRL circuit. As to the Camelot. No regrets. Lots of opportunities, as we all know, to exercise our brains and use our "innate trouble shooting" ability or also learn to use the resources of the INTERNET to find an answer. TOTALLY agree with you on the complexity. Case in point. I have 3 GM cars... 2014 Caddy ATS with the Caddy CUE audio and such). An iPod works great. It interfaces and you can do all sorts of sorts and song selections and if you build large Play Lists (I have over 150 Play Lists), then you can customize your music. I have over 3200 songs on a 16 gb Nano Ver 6 iPod. I own 5 Nano's....one is a Version 7. They all work in the Caddy....nary a blip. OK....bought a 2014 Yukon....similar probably to your radio. There is a "USB" interface. The iPod worked great. Figured out that it did not have the best USB port (connector) in the console. Dealer replaced it. I put a plastic shield over it to keep from bumping it and "sort of bent" the male USB and that worked great. Eventually, APPLE got smart....or they just kept messing and upgrading....they had NO clue as to the interface issues. I had a few glitches....you could reset the iPod and all was cool. 2016 Vette. Head and shoulders as far a technology from the 2014 ATS. BUT, the iPod would act up. Finally disconnected the APPLE PLAY and also the BlueTooth (disabled). OK...that fixed it. THEN Apple kept updating the OS. Finally, went back to a 2016 OS and have NEVER updated my iTunes. GM says....and I believe them.....an APPLE issue. GM had a more sophisticated interface with the 2016 Vette with all sorts of Pandora and SMS and Apple Play and such icons. NOW.....it is debatable...but perserverence prevails.....I figured out HOW to just "Hook Up" the iPod to the audio input. I run the iPod from the iPod. I let the play list run....in doing that....I figured out how to stream my XM/Siris. I have LIFETIME contracts on three radios. I then killed the XM on the Vette (not lifetime). I stream it... As to the Multiplex. It is nice. I actually saw a low voltage (not multiplexed) Home Switching system in the mid 70's. By maintenance supervisor was a contract electrician before we hired him. in Southern Pines....there is the "Firestone" Castle. it literally IS... The architect, in the mid 60's did low voltage switching of ALL major or maybe ALL circuits. So...you can run wires all over the place and then turn on (or add switches) to control just about everything. That has 24 VAC (doorbell transformer) lines....and relays.... UNBELIEVABLE... Today....they accomplish the same....via Multiplexing. My Camelot is a hybrid. My lights are multiplexed as is the Pump.... SO, I don't have a CPU.... TOTALLY agree with your statement. I can do more mess (like tune the sound of my exhaust "NOTE") on my Vette. BUT, it does not have auto dimming headlights (like the ATS) nor rain sensitive wipers. I LOVE those features.....they work without me doing anything or taking my hands off the wheel....

Two comments....based on only 12 years of Motor Homing....but I had both a Winnebago and my Camelot. I also spent a lot of time with my friend, the GM of a HR dealership, and would go in for service or whatever and talked with his techs. I also talked extensively with a tech that my buddy tried to hire, many times, from CW (of all places). My friend's techs and the CW techs would "help each other out"....and I don't think to the extent that perhaps my friend was aware of ..... I'll drop that.... Winnebago had a much better manufacturing operation, from a system and control standpoint than Monaco did. Winnebago (I chased parts and also had service work done at a NON-Winnie dealership) had components that were designed for specific MH's or RV's. Tanks for example were standardized and you could get the PN and Winnie had them or had a source. Tanks were a "commodity" item at Monaco. The bean counters (One of the Colonel's favorite terms) RULED. They would have Purchasing find an "alternative" and then accounting would demand that the tank (or component) was used. They made MID-year running changes. We all know the frustration of trying to find out "Who made that?" on our Monaco's and WHERE can I find a replacement. It is my opinion, from a long career in manufacturing and manufacturing engineering that Winnebago was a REAL company. Monaco was more seat of the pants. NOW....that is not to say that "seat of the pants and experience" are bad. That transitions into the Monaco line. As David points out, the Chrysler Roadmaster Chassis was one of the finest and it was refined over the years. Towards the end, Monaco DID have better control over the chassis. They tried to "hire them engineers". One such example was the CAD and Finite Element analysis of the new "Whiz Kids" that converted all the blueprints to "AutoCad" Then they began to play around and someone said... OMG....we have a structural issue here. Then the old timers purportedly chimed in....Yeah....we have seen that a time or two. That resulted in the redesign of the rear frame and such on my Camelot. I am NOT the chassis expert as others are. BUT, my frame and the members behind the wheels was beefed up based on an AutoCad simulation or FEMA (Failure Effect Mode Analysis). That was spinoff from some Ford folks coming on board as Ford had all their suppliers write Operator Instruction Sheets and Manufacturing Standards and FEMA's (on critical parts or assemblies or processes). A LOT of ADMIN work....but when you went into that detail and really looked at it....there WERE some issues that we fixed and the overall quality and reliability improved drastically. I know....I was the Engineering or Manufacturing Services Manager for a large Ford supplier. SO....The Roadmaster Chassis was the crown jewel and by whatever evolution (experience, over design, field feedback, etc) it was unsurpassed. BUT....REV killed it. I know from talking to ex Monaco high level folks....REV decided to KILL the Chassis. They then demoed out all the tooling and equipment. They loaded it up in roll-off's. They took ALL the WIP parts. They even took out all the "stock" parts like bushings and bearings and such. One or two companies tried to "Purchase" the replacement parts....not to build a chassis but as spare parts for Monaco owners. MANY of the components were designed and manufactured specifically FOR Monaco and were proprietary. Those drawing can NOT be reproduced nor can the components (if they still had the tooling) by the OEM Suppliers. That is ONE WAY TO KILL A PRODUCT LINE. OK...call in the Auditors. The REV internal guys and the CPA or Outside Auditors. They went over the factory. They had a list of every part or sub assembly. They then used the Asset Records to identify the presses and the jigs and fixtures and anything that had been capitalized for the machinery for the Chassis. THEN....all the Roll Off's were taken to a salvage yard and crushed. That was videoed and recorded so that when REV took the big "Navistar" loss....the IRS would allow it. I have, if you figured this out....been on the manufacturing end and had to retire or get rid of assets....and that is how it is done. As David said....the Roadmaster Chassis is GONE. You can still by the "Badged" or the model names....but that is like buying the Corvette line from GM and then putting it on a Yugo (I also make parts for Yugo's.....). Thus....we, the erstwhile and diligent and passionate Monaco owners....are left to our devices to find the OEM items that we need or the salvage yards or to our own devices (like having a "Panel Shop" CNC a new driver's console panel.... I do NOT know how long Winnebago will supply or use the same controls that they have....but at least you stood a shot at finding one. If you have ever tried to chase down a driver's side window.....that is a hoot. I got a letter of commendation from the some of Sherlock Holmes' descendents for my my sleuthing ability. The parting shot.....or example of how BIG companies fail.... Have a friend that had a 2006 Imperial SE. NICE MH. He babied it. He made some shrewd business deals. He sold his company and decided to upgrade with the nice amount of cash he had. I had told him to get M M Electronics to copy the CPU and the Multiplex Switch programs. He understood the vulnerability of not having that. Eventually, he got the bug. He traded in his Imperial for a top end Newmar. Over $750K. Now, it was heavily discounted...but he got a pittance for his nice Imperial. Drove it about 10 times or so. Everything inside quit working. The dealer (local where he bought it) called the factory. They say....we don't know....you are a dealer....FIX IT. It seemed that he had a spike or maybe an improper installation....or maybe there was a glitch in the Multiplex program. He lost his main CPU. So, no lights, not switched items (visors, drop down TV, and such). The "NEW" High Tech MH had some "Chassis" circuits....and we ALL KNOW (or should) about Monaco's foray in the Multiplexed Chassis. Bottom line. It died in November, 2019. He was to caravan with us in ealry March. He could not. The dealer could not get support from the factory....and was at a loss. All the Kings Men and all the Kings Horses could NOT put his Multiplex System back together again. NOW...I have another friend with a Prevost conversion. That is a 2001. He has a CPU and all the lighting is multiplexed as well as a feces load of stuff. He calls Prevost and they send out a tech (fly him in) with the parts that they need....they determine what failed from downloading a diagnostic and doing a remote scan. In some cases....the dealer can install. IF there is a major electrical failure OR the CPU needs updating or such....they just "Install one". They STILL have all the programming codes and diagrams and schematics for the MH. They can totally restore a fried CPU. THAT is how it should be done....but you need to spend 7 figures to get that type of support.... My comments....my observations. If the Camelot died today....I probably would not replace it as learning to speak some other language (Prevost, Foretravel, you name it) would be too complex and I would probably get a Mercedes Class C or just quir RV'ing.....

Lets get back to the facts and basics. NOW....assuming the Monaco met the RVIA code as well as OTHER standards. In MY MH, 2009 Camelot. The bedroom, centered almost above the bed, is the CARBON MONOXIDE Detector. Mine did NOT sound the END OF LIFE alarm as I checked the manufacturing date (after reading the reminders on the OLD Yahoo Site). I replaced it with the SAME model as the OEM, except it was a Rev level or two updated. The Propane Detector, since Propane is HEAVIER than air, is located on the toe kick or baseboard right under the Stove or Cook Top Unit. Again, I replaced about 6 or so months early in order to get it done before the summer camping season. BOTH of the above are hard wired 12 VDC units. The kitchen/Living area has a "RV RATED" Battery operated Smoke Detector. SOME have added a second on to the bedroom area or near their Gas refrigerator. BUT, the CODE only requires one. I checked with the vendor and replaced it a little early. I also replace the batteries annually....but might have missed a year once. Again, this is RVIA code. I posted an install tip on how to easily install the replacement....as well as to do it properly. WIRE NUTS are not recommended due to the fact that it is NOT a crimped joint. The other warnings about bypassing or such should be noted. This site, as in the old Yahoo site, is trusted as the moderators, as well as the experienced members, provide factual information. Sometimes our own "experiences" are not consistent....and we understand. But personal and fire safety is JOB ONE and anyone that advocates defeating or disconnecting or bypassing a critical item such as the RVIA or required or OEM equipment will be noted and that fact will be corrected. This comes from the Owners/Moderators/Administrators.....so we all abide by and all support this fundamental rule. Please do NOT advocate any such actions with the safety equipment... Thanks for understanding....