Tom Cherry

I THINK that I have Moen fixtures in the Camelot. Really doesn't matter.... I was adding some Happy Camper to the gray tank today. I filled the sink and then put in the chemical and stirred it. I then pushed down the lever to open the drain or raise the stopper. OPPS....it be BROKEN... I used a knife blade to catch the edge of the stopper and lifted it out. BOY DID I LUCK OUT.. The metal rod was rusted.....it failed in the typical hourglass or conical shaped mode. BUT, the 1" or so metal tip that broke off came UP with the stopper. It hit me later.....DUMB @$$. You should have bailed out the sink, then removed the trap and THEN done your trouble shooting... WHY....because I always use the Sanicon. I have never used the Stinky Slinky. My GS, at a very young age was told to save Pop-Tops by his dad. He was camping with us and had one in his pocket. Somehow it made it through the Spendide and got caught in the Sanicon. I had to rebuild it. Moral of the story.... Tell the Laundry Person to ALWAYS check pockets.... When you break a Drain Stopper, always immediately remove the Trap and dump it and retrieve any metallic or otherwise parts that can get caught in the Sanicon.... Oh WELL.....NOW I KNOW....

Your call. The COMBO battery is not suited for either Chassis or Coach in a Class A MH. Whether it is AGM or Wet Cell, you need a SINGLE Purpose (Starting -Cranking or Deep Cycle) in each bank. That is the gist of my comments and concerns... Whatever works for you.... No argument from me. The Interstates, in the Cranking Series, are working well for many of us....including Mr. Wizard. NOW....did Interstate change? Who knows. I have been running them for years in my cars. Once I added a maintainer to my less driven, Vette, I get excellent life out of them. Interstate is all over the country and will adjust and not give you any hassle and the local distributor will test and rejuvenate for free under the "Customer Care" warranty. My 5 YO starting batteries pop the engine after 15 minutes of sitting HOT after being shut down. That is the "poor man's" test for Cranking Batteries. The discussion over AGM vs Wet Cells will rage until the last Fossil Fuel propelled RV is crushed. The owners that take care of and exercise our House Wet Cells get up to 10 years out of Trojans. The ones that want AGM have to understand that IF their electrical system goes funky or they abuse the AGM's, there is NO RETREAT. Use it as a Boat Anchor and buy new ones. So, it is a matter of your lifestyle, your ability to monitor and maintain (AGM are NOT INSTALL AND FORGET.....we have posts all over here and on the old site about...."My almost NEW AGM's are dead and will not hold a charge....what do I do?") any TYPE of batteries. If you drain a Wet Cell or abuse it....especially a Trojan, you stand at least a 75% of recovery with only minor loss of SOC I do NOT quibble with the fact to some's taste's are.......AGM's are what they want. However, there is an equal contingent that understand how to maintain wet cells and have good life....even out of the "lesser quality" brands like Interstate.....and not Trojans. The EXIDE (NAPA) batteries are very dependable always. The only issue with this post was the fact that a "dual purpose" battery was touted as being a great choice for Chassis. it is NOT. Our MH's need SINGLE purpose batteries in each bank... Bill and I have quit the "debating". We have folks with MH experience going back 30 years. They are also very well versed and have researched batteries and also been reading blogs when Al Gore invented the Internet. I guess we are the Buggy Whip guys. So...that is my take.

The Chassis that you suggested is not a "Pure" or a typical Chassis battery. It is a specialty AGM that is designed for Boats and maybe SOME RV's. We maybe be talking APPLES and ORANGES here. The Diplomats came with TWO 31P -MHD (950 CCA) batteries. Your Patriot probably has a larger engine and requires the 1150 CCA. BUT... The OEM Diplomat Chassis Battery was a wet cell (maybe sealed....they are NOW). What you are recommending is a Hybrid that would be used for Boats or MH with only ONE set of batteries. All the OP needs are standard CRANKING battery. Wet Cell vs AGM is his call. He does NOT need the more expensive DUAL PURPOSE....in fact that might not be suited for his needs....and they will fail prematurely. https://www.batteriesplus.com/product-details/marine_rv/battery/x2power/sli31agmdpm It is an AGM (sealed) battery. It is NOT recommended....therefore, as a Moderator, I am taking the time to explain this so that there is NO CONFUSION. I just recently went through this SAME exercise with a neighbor with a really upper end and tricked out Bass boat. He was fussing about how the same "Dual Purpose - High Performance" Batteries did not last. He did NOT have the Batteries Plus....but the specs on his batteries matched those that you recommended. he was out a substantial amount.... I also had a Winnebago with only TWO batteries....that were HOUSE and CHASSIS. That was ugly. The COMBO batteries failed miserably.... What the OP needs is a replacement for his original Chassis Starting batteries....and just that. He will spend far less for them than the combos, in either wet cell or AGM. https://www.batteriesplus.com/productdetails/sli31sa These only have 18 month warranty, but they are $120....so instead of $800, he would be in for $240. Batteries and Bulbs did not, based on a quick scan, have a SINGLE PURPOSE (Starting) AGM. Interstate does have such....but it is over $300... 31P-AGM7 Bottom line, the OP has a 2002 that did not come with a BIRD or Bi-Directional charging system like your Patriot did. I would be apprehensive of putting in AGM's for twice the cost and not having a good PLUGGED IN ALL THE TIME Maintainer on them. Many here are running the standard OEM Wet Cell Interstate replacements. I got 7 years out of my first two and they were not really down that much. They were a little "strained" when you were in the middle of the south and the temps were approaching 100...and you shut down...and let the engine sit for 20 minutes or so. They had a "pause", but STILL cranked the ISL. The hot engine had MORE compression. But, when the engine cooled down to ambient (even 100 dF), they started fine and never hesitated. i was going on a long trip....so I upgraded from the puny 775 (memory). Monaco let the Bean Counters go cheap....so instead of having the 950's like the OP does, I got the 775's. The SAME ISL in a Dynasty that year....had the proper or larger 950's. So I upgraded to the 950 CCA....and they are going strong....that was 5 years ago and a LOT of trips and starting (probably 30 K miles). Just wanted to make sure that folks were not confused. If my neighbor had not lost his high dollar dual purpose batteries and was convinced that needed the specialty DUAL purpose....when the original configuration was High Capacity Starting (single) and TWO deep cycle Trolling.....then I would not be so adamant. It cost him a lot as he bought batteries not designed for the application. His new bank....with a nice Pulse Technology maintainer is working great and he is very pleased. Thanks for understanding the need to address this in a little more detail...

https://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=K332&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cse&utm_term=k332&gclid=Cj0KCQjwgo_5BRDuARIsADDEntR1pMMKbK2YYoIxYcUOKuEXfIsXorkXyZuw1TNZVKpc6NxCzMejKHwaAk3TEALw_wcB Do some googling. My recall is that I have about a 6" square plate. Metal unknown. THe whole plate is covered with caulk, but the black "Beetle" antenna is stuck to it. The above is for the same antenna. You have an access hole in the top. You can also buy a trucker's XM antenna. That is like a small dome on a post. It has a 3" base for the reflectivity. Bottom line....you need a GROUND plain (plane?) on a fiberglass surface. Same as a CB or other antenna. Matters not the metal. a thin piece of sheet metal work. SS, (typically 304) will also work. If you use aluminum, then you are depending on the adhesive. So, I would go for galvanized or 304. The Dicor Lap Seal (self leveling works well and spreads out. If you have the upright style (dome with post), then the ground plane was built in. But if you want to use the magnetic beetle, that works fine. XM is persnickity. I loose it in the car all the time when the trees are in full foliage and especially if wet. I rarely lose it in the MH. Don't know if the more expensive dome or dish type are better or now. I have used the magnetics for years....and then put them in permanently for the MH. I had a plate that I put on the front dash of my Vette. Again, it was SS with a black piece of Duct Tape to prevent glare. I had great XM reception from it. https://www.amazon.com/XM-Interoperable-Magnetic-Satellite-Antenna/dp/B01H5D0I1A/ref=asc_df_B01H5D0I1A/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309807586683&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15891754408463982562&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9009731&hvtargid=pla-570357881701&psc=1 If the link breaks....go to Amazon. Put in XM Magnetic antenna. $19 or so. That is what Monaco used on the 2009 Camelot.....with the ground plane... Good luck...

It is on the MAIN or HOME page. Look for the BROWSE word....and the main page has Bill D's Motor Home in the picture. The tool bar or tab undeneath it. It has tabs or drop downs. Downloads is the fourth one (L to Right). Click on it....then follow the instructions that I gave you.

The gold standard for batteries....at least for those of us that test and exercise and maintain them is the Trojan T-105. That is the GC2 battery group. They run, in the US, about $105 - $120. They will outlast anything....including the OEM Interstate. I have talked to on of the Senior Electronic Techs that spend 15 or so years at Lazy Days. He relocated to NC and was working for my buddy, who was the GM of a HR dealership. He said that when folks let their batteries run down and came in... He would tell them (or the service writer) that if they were Interstates.....that it would be cheaper to replace with Trojans rather than spend the money for refilling and recharging (the Tech's labor). He said that typically, maybe 20% of the Interstates would work.....but the other 80% came back for the Trojans. However his success rate on the Trojans was 90% or so. I would find the Trojans and put them in. OR.....see if I could make do and then purchase in the US... I purchased an Interstate COSTCO. It was a few dollars cheaper and I needed to replace one of my Golf Cart batteries just to sell it. The battery was rated far lower and it was not as heavy. SO BEWARE. Check the weight and the specs on any cheaper battery and then compare to the Trojans....

Comment for you. GO on the ROOF. You should see the XM (or Siris) antenna. It is a SQUARE section. Monaco used a GROUND PLANE or plate for the later models. I THINK that mine is just a SS plate....or maybe just plain steel. It is glued or caulked in place. The antenna is the standard Magnetic XM antenna. There are adapters on the internet so that you can use the plug in or there is a plug in that adapts to a Coax connector. I have installed these before and had one permanently on my old Winnebago. I might have used some 16 gage galvanized and then put down an X bead of caulk. I then seated the plate over that. I drilled a small hole for the antenna connector and fed it in. I MIGHT have put on a Grommet. I then "caulked" it like you would not believe. That was my "shadetree" install for the Winnie. The Camelot came with an XM adapter. I took it out. BINGO....it was the SAME connection as my portable MyFI Delco unit. SO, I just plugged it in. I DID look at what Monaco did. They used a plate (think of a diamond). One Corner was pointed to the front and the other to the back. So it was used as the Ground Plane. Then they caulked in the whole thing. They caulked around the magnetic base and the hole... Good Luck

Ron, Go to the DOWNLOADS section. You will find, on the RIGHT side....the PARTS LIST. DOWNLOAD THIS. You MUST save it as a PDF and get it on your computer. Wherever you want it. NOW....once you see it (or the icon if you put it on your desktop like all the old timers do.... OPEN it with your Adobe Reader. THEN go to the EDIT tab at the top. The DROP DOWN will have a FIND (magnifying glass). This is the BEST tool there is.... Type in resistor.... BINGO...that takes you to page 48. Someone wrote a story....just for you. IT has info on the PN, WHERE and HOW to get into it..... That is one of the best writeups I have seen. It is also for a 2004 Signature. You lucked out..... Good Luck....

Great that you have a replacement. I DO not think that your Windsor had the funky "Hybrid Multiplex" lighting system that my Camelot has. M M Electronics advises that many of the panels like mine are "breaking down" and need to have new "Guts". I assumed that was the load shedding PCB and such....and NOT the main panel. I need to go back into mine. I have done the PM, but I don't know if I got every connection. YES....we all need to do that... Hope this works out for you. IF you have issues and it is NOT plug and play, then M M IS the Tech Support for Intellitec. They are great at trying to help you. I agree with the comments about replacing a riveted buss. You would never be safe as that is a factory installed and "non serviceable" portion. You can sleep easier with a new panel....Good Luck and thanks to Scotty....

Totally agree. But, the easiest test is by using a pair of Jumper Cables and trying to start the Genny from the main DC terminals on the lower back end of the Genny. Joel, I crawl around less and less and am very cognizant that you don't do the same things that many of the young whipper snappers do. However, doing the simple things like battery connections and such is easy. IF you can find a helper to shinny under there, the Terminals are in plain site. The are RED and BLACK and have a RED and BLACK cable going to them. If the helper puts the jumper cables on the terminals and holds them in place....then you can attach to your Toad and start the Toad and then crank the Genny. IF it cranks.....VIOLA.....you have a cabling or battery or whatever issue and can find someone to help. Otherwise, you need to get a Genny Tech to look at it. That points you in the right direction. I CAN offer one more little TRICK. Your Motor Home Cranks. Remember, you have TWO ground Studs that complete the circuit to the Genny. There is a Ground Stud behind the Battery Box. There is one UP FRONT. MY MEMORY....and yours may be different is that the Genny Ground and the Hydraulic Pump Ground use a COMMON Ground. That is on the frame in the Genny compartment and easy to get to. If you clean THAT ground....then you would expect to have a good connection to the Genny's negative. NOW....since the Genny cranks off the HOUSE....if you have a bad Ground Stud connection on the House....throw a Jumper Cable from the Negative of the House to the Negative of the Chassis. That eliminate the ground stud....if it cranks then....you look at the NEGATIVE cable and grounds....if not....it is somewhere else. Many of these you can see and get to yourself....if you are so inclined. Good Luck...

Thanks.....the New Penguins will probably be our next "upgrade"....after the old ones die. Totally agree with your concept. Once you get behind....it is hard to catch up. I need to revert back to the foil interior coverings. I might even think about a front windshield cover. The glass cabin is a virtual Heat or Cold SINK. All you can do to cut down on that load helps.

OK....my hunch. You have a BAD connection. Remember my problem. My House batteries were at peak. I had plenty of power. NOW, one does not USUALLY load up their house batteries to full capacity to use the 2000 Watts that our inverters need. 2,000 watts equates to about 160 Amps. Most of the books for the Onan specify a 650 CCA battery. That is about 4 times what the Magnum will draw. MY BET....You have a CONNECTION (or maybe a cable end) issue. Problem is.....where. It takes a lot of perseverance to chase it down and a good VOM and an assistant. What you describe is what happened to me. And it happened AGAIN on my Hydraulic Pump. The FIX (or shotgun approach). Start with the battery (House) bank. Make sure that the connections on the battery are tight. Then make sure that the ground studs are clean and that they have been "serviced". By that, you loosen the nuts.....then rotate the cable ends to polish or burnish....then retighten. Next up. You have to get UNDER the Genny. You do the same for the Positive and Negative there. WORD OF CAUTION. The studs or terminals are Brass. DO NOT overtighten....I did not but someone told me that he did and it took all day to get off the cover and put in the new bolt. Finally....trace the Genny Negative to the Ground stud in the front. Clean or burnish or polish it. Odds are....that will fix it. NOW....why is this guy so confident. I have (or hope it is HAD) a similar problem. I could drive 15 miles....and my hydraulic pump (slides) would NOT work. OK....it worked a a little, but slowly Drive another distance....BINGO perfect. I traced and tightened and found a few suspects. i spent hours measuring the voltage across each connection or cable or terminal. I tightened the two suspects....but I recabled so that if the primary line from the House was bad, I had a switched alternative to the Chassis. It has NOT failed me yet. BUT, the Genny did....and it was the Ground stud. After I fiddled with the tray, I "got it in the right position". You driving it vibrated it to the RIGHT position. Could have been a little corrosion and your vibrated the loose connection so it worked. I would fix or have the cables fixed FIRST. NOW.....you might call a good ONAN tech (or call Tech Support). That is my advice....based on a LOT of circuit testing...

OK....here is HOW it should work... IF you start or crank the Genny from the HOUSE batteries, then this should do it.... Crank the Engine. Let it run a few minutes. Hold in the BATTERY BOOST button. THEN immediately start the Genny. If that does NOT do it....then you have really DEAD HOUSE batteries. WHY???? The Battery Boost control voltage is HOUSE. SO, it the House Batteries are really drained.....guess what? You have NO voltage to close the Big Boy or whatever the Battery Boost Solenoid is called. THEN....next step. Find a Car or Truck Jumper cable. You only need ONE. Connect the Positive on the Cranking to the Positive on the House. THAT should do it. Assuming you have the Engine running. From there....you need to trouble shoot. WELL NOW>>> Still no JOY. Then it is time to call a tech or IF YOU ARE ABLE.....then shinny or slide UNDER the Genny. Take TWO jumper cables with you. There is a Positive and Negative on the back side. Attach the Jumpers RED to Positive and BLACK to Negative. I suggest that you stay UNDER there and hold them in place. The terminals are small. Then have your assistant crank the TOAD, where you hooked up the Battery Cables. Then have them START the Genny. It should start. THAT tells you that you have a BAD cable or a bad Connection (the Ground Studs are the most common cause) issue. I was FINE with all my House Power. Problem was....I had a BAD Ground Stud Connection behind the Battery Box. I could see the voltage change or the resistance as I moved the battery tray in and out. I got it where it would start (was on a long trip). I NEVER moved the battery tray. When I got home, i pulled the Ground stud nut off on each connection and cleaned them. Have NOT had an issue since then. NOW.....you coach MAY have the Genny starting circuit "wired" through the House Switch. Some did....some did NOT. Mine does NOT. The Genny is fused....but not connected via the House Disconnect switch. If your genny cranks via the House Cut Off Switch, then THAT is a place to look. Good Luck....let us know....

UPDATE.....Frank McElroy and I spoke and he asked me to revise this and include some pictures. It appears that his 2008 Dynasty and my 2009 Camelot have very different Front HVAC boxes or plenums....based on our texting pictures back and forth....so I am editing this and including pictures. Here is what I found. The Black Snow is actually the plastic backing from a piece of foam insulation used across the firewall. This insulation goes all the way from, as best I can tell, one side to the other. However, there is a section or two where there is NO insulation as there are many lines coming out and Monaco just 'foamed around" them. This insulation is a cardboard or fiber type. It has a heavy fiber board surface, then a thin layer of foam and then a top film to prevent damage to the foam. After 12 years, the top film is deteriorating and peeling away. Most is gone....but there are some note card sized pieces dangling. THAT film is what I THINK is in the interior or the conditioned side of the system. Interestingly, Frank's Dynasty does NOT have that material. My firewall is steel (welded)....so I assumed that it was insulated for the obvious reasons. THIN is the key operative. I have poked and prodded and the foam is virtually a powder. So, repair or replacement will be a challenge....but the film coating is the source of the black snowflakes. There are TWO theories on how it got into the ductwork. Theory A; IF you change the mode or the air flow circulation control while going down the highway and use any position EXCEPT Max Air, then there are TWO doors on the HVAC box that open. They have a foam or hard rubber cover on the doors. They seal against the inside of the plenum. MAY be visible in the photos... There is NO SCREEN or INLET FILTER on them. So, if the film is flapping in the breeze and you have all the air currents circulating (while driving 65 MPH), you create Turbulence in the Genny cavity. The HVAC Fan on HIGH is sucking in air. So any road debris or such would be sucked in. YES, Ideally, Monaco would have put on a fine screen or at least a 1/4" grip wire covering. They did not. BOTH of the inlet doors are wide open and will suck in anything. SO, the deteriorating film MAY have gotten sucked in. Theory B: The MAY BE a raw edge of the foam sheet insulation that was "cut out" for the opening for the HVAC Plenum or External Air Box. IF there is a small strip of the insulation that is cut a little long and hanging out INSIDE THE PLENUM.....then if that film starts to detach or deteriorate, it will be "Sucked" inside the air box when the fan is on....probably on HIGH. If that is the case then, eventually, the film will self destruct or detach and the problem should be over. It looks like Monaco used a large sheet on the Passenger side. They just glued or attached it to the steel firewall and then cut out the opening. They screwed on the back side of the HVAC (Plenum) cover, overlapping the interior edges of the insulation. SO....in theory, that could be or maybe a combination of Theory A. At least, for me....I NOW think that I understand what MAY have happened. I will try to find some suitable covering....maybe a foam board with a foil covering and clean (abrade) off the deteriorating foam. Then cut sections to fit and spray on some adhesive and attach. I will probably try to use some foil tape for the edges. This is a WIP and I need to see how well a small section cleans up. BUT, for the interim, I have peeled off the film. The foam is useless, so that will eliminate any blown in film from turbulence. MAY use duct tape or something to attach a wire cover over the two inlet openings . The Doors are BEHIND and when they close, they push against the plenum housing. I DID reach in there, with the fan on and in the Vent Mode and felt around. I did NOT feel any debris nor were there any Black Snowflakes on my finger tips. I DID clean up the Black Snowflakes in the cabin. Based on where they were and under some stuff....i THINK that they were actually blowing out some of the Passenger side outlets. My wife was opening and closing them and she said that MAYBE there was some coming from her side as well. For whatever reason, the BULK of the debris came out the left driver's lower air vent. I will try to run a cellphone inspection camera in the one hose and see if there is a residual or a small pile of the film in there. To Frank's point....his Genny cavity is totally different. He has external hoses or ducts going up to the front defroster vents. All MY ducts or hoses are on the PASSENGER side of the firewall....none exposed in the Genny Cavity. Don't know, but also think his inlets are different. He also has a HVAC filter on the inside. Mine is plain Jane.... I DID look at some points for additional foam insulation. There is a horizontal (plywood?) strip just above the wiper motor and linkage. Mine has some foam....maybe 75%. Franks was barely (25%?) foamed. If you stick you head under or reach up with your fingers, you can see the front Gap. Frank did some "air flow" testing and used his Fantastic Fans to suck in OUTSIDE air. It was winter (< 32 dF) and the interior was warm. He said it was easy to locate the incoming cold air. He made several attempts at foaming the suspected openings and finally got it reasonably air tight. He also found that there was air coming in from the cable and wire opening in the FRB. That sounds like a good job for this winter. My complaint is that there is not enough heating and cooling for the front cockpit. He found a source of Black expanding foam at HD and matched it up. Will have to do some brushing and cleaning to get rid of all the road grime.....compressed air will be my friend. That's it. I am now more confident that I found the source of the black snowflakes.....but how they got there....I don't know. Time will tell. There is no dangling sheets or strips of it under the Genny cavity now....so we will proceed as if things are fixed....or at least we have eliminated the bulk of the contamination. Thanks for the responses....

Nope. Have not looked at the exterior of the HVAC. IF that is a Vinyl or plastic door, then that could well be it. My first thought was it was like a thin film of undercoating peeling off. But it has a texture....not quite stamped....but definitely not a molded slick one. Will do that when I get home. We are at Emerald Isle now.

Well, At least for me, the good thing is that I have a LOT of air (the HVAC SYSTEM....LOL) coming out. I have not noticed any drop in air flow. Quite the contrary, it seems to be doing fine. I have to top off my Freon Charge about every two years. I should do it myself, but I let the shop that does all my regular service just "Charge 'ER up..." I did shut off the two foot vents in the driver's area. I never knew they were there. With the AC, I want all I can get. I also never run it on anything but Max Air. NOW....here are some tips that I have learned.....some I get credit for and some I learned... COOLING. 2 AC's are NOT enough for a 41 Ft MH.... I doubt that the foot reduction does much to help your overall cooling. I'm talking the Roof Top's since the whole think, when I travel, is interrelated. When the temps outside are below say 85 dF, I can usually do OK with the Front HVAC. That is contingent upon having it properly charged. When it gets much above that, I switch to the Roof Tops. I think that the fuel usage for the Genny is actually less than the compressor on the engine. NOW....the BEST thing I have ever done was put in a small recirculating fan. I'm talking a cheapie. Maybe a 8" - 12" oscillating one. I have a 5 pound Dumbell weight attached to the base with a Bungee cord. I sit it right between the Co-Pilot and the Pilot's seat. Sort of aimed upward or maybe 20 degrees. I let that puppy push air. That cools the front compartment and I drive with no issues. NOW, if it is 95 or so outside, I may turn on the front HVAC to supplement. But that is usually a 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off. I also run that fan in the living area during the hot (> 85 dF outside) days. Just keeping the air moving and stirring is great. The OTHER trick (assuming you keep your filters washed) is to set the rear AC about ONE degree HIGHER than what the front is. At Bedtime, I switch the rear COOL FAN Mode to LOW. That keeps the air handler running and it keeps the rear from getting stuffy. My wife has been known to make some noise as she sleeps....so the white noise of the blower allows me to drift off. She says that it is a lot more comfortable and the bedroom stays cooler and less stuffy. The OTHER trick for heating from the FRONT HVAC is to turn the system to MAX AIR. Then turn the Temperature Control to HOT....or all the way over. There is a "shutoff" built in so that the compressor does NOT run. By running the Max Air setting, you get recirculation (sometimes humidity is an issue but not ordinarily). Shutting off the incoming cold air really keeps the front cockpit MUCH cooler. Frank McElroy also did some air checks on his front Cockpit (under and around the firewall). He used spray foam and sealed all the air leaks. He said that made a world of difference also. The final trick and this was not needed for me was to take off the vents (the swivel with the louvers) and make sure that the duct is sealed and you are not losing air to the ceiling. Monaco used two (maybe more) styles of plenums and some of the ducts were not sealed or properly installed. You can pull the vent and get in there with a good light and see if there are gaps. OH....I did also use foil tape in the housing of the two HVAC roof units. I pulled down the white covers. I made sure all the joints were sealed and such. NOW....back on point....the BLACK SNOW FLAKES. I have ordered a flexible line CellPhone (Tablet) inspection camera. I am going to probe the hose and see if I can determine WHERE it is coming from. I might find BAD NEWS....but at least I will know. That will not be done for a while. IF ANY OTHERS have the Black Snow.....Chime in.... at least I am NOT alone in the quest....

Thanks for the prompt response. These flakes are a bit "harder", but still brittle. If you press on them against a hard surface or the palm of your hand, they will crack down the middle, but they don't dissolve. One side has a decided "Vinyl or faux leather" texture and the other side has a light residue. I don't think that is mold, but I hope that whatever flaked off has stopped. Beat goes on.... I guess that after I reassemble and drive a while we will know...

I checked with the last of the esteemed founders and he has been posting here since Bill D started it. He laughed....."That's a NEW ONE". Was out on the road for almost 3 months in 2018. Rig sat in storage in 2019 due to health. Have been out about 4 times for several days this year. Brought Camelot home from storage. When we left home, noticed some black "flakes" on the carpet. They were thin. Anywhere from maybe 1/4 postage stamp size on down. If you have ever had the vinyl or leather on a fold over cover or notebook peel off....that is what I looks like. Best I can tell. Front HVAC fan was set to ON. Did not need it for a little bit, so the Mode Control was in the OFF. Switched it to Max Cool. Then a few more flakes blew out. Looks like it is coming from the lower left (road) vent on the Driver's side. That looks like it happened about 3 or 4 times. Stopped. OK....settled in. Got curious.....thus my trouble shooting and the comments and the question.... NOW....as a point of interest....and many more folks probably have discovered this. My Camelot has TWO vents under the driver's feet. The left one has a swivel outlet that you can push forward and throttle down. It is WAY up on the firewall.....never realized it. THEN....the the right one has a slide switch or tab so you can shut it off. You can also change the direction of the air flow. Upon more careful exploration, The vent bezel on the dash is actually threaded on. So, if you unscrew it, the rear pipe, which has the rubber hose on it, will come off. I was able to get that out. I have turned on, several times (using the ignition switch), the HVAC so that it comes on in HIGH. Nothing blows out. No flakes. I have picked up about enough flakes for maybe a 1" or slightly larger square of the flakes. Probably had 15 flakes from 1/16" to 3/8" irregular. Only one or two large ones.... The flakes are a textured vinyl on one side and then seems to have a film (adhesive) on the other side. They are NOT the same material as the rubber hose (with the plastic spring inside). My FIRST thought was that the rubber hose was disintegrating (falling apart). Nope....the rubber hose is thicker. These pieces of vinyl (?) are much thinner. They are brittle and break when you pick up or touch them. Think dry brittle tissue paper. Or, again the thickness of a thin plastic baggie. I DID find that Monaco would "cut and splice" the hose if it was too short. So, I have a splice in that line. They just pushed one end inside the other and sort of twisted and the springs meshed like a nut and bolt thread. I am reluctant to force compressed air into that line. OK....final test. With the hose removed and no kinks or binds (I can see about 4 ft of it, I cycled the ignition on and off. With the fan on HIGH and every vent closed....save the open hose....NOTHING. NADA... I have switched the HVAC to every position from VENT to DEFROST to MAX AC (recirculate). With the fresh air intake open.....nothing. With it closed (recirculate)....nothing. That's as much info and experimentation as I have done. FIRST.....has anyone else ever experienced this? If so....then did it stop or whatever.... IF it got worse, then how did you (assuming you did) fix it? I can NOT visualize or conceptualize a plenum with a Vinyl coating in the air handler....but I am NOT an auto HVAC guy. Thanks....other than that.....life is great.....might need to get a dustbuster and just keep cleaning up until it is so bad that I go further.

I am usually a FIX it at the lowest cost. BUT, I did find out a few things. All the "Motors" out there may not be the same. I ordered an Ebay 300-1406. The eBay ad had it labeled with the OEM tag an label. What I got were NOT IT. I got a generic motor. OK....shiny and new....but hey....let's try that.... First up. There ARE differences in the motors. TomV48, your fix works. My 2 hours of frustration were not acceptable. I am usually tenacious....in that it was designed and it was working before. IF I put back in the SAME OEM motor, it should work. I finally gave up. When you put in the gear shaft into the pivot plate or the teardrop shaped lower plate....then mated or meshed the gears, you have to do some funky things. I got the shaft in. I meshed the gears. I used a small screwdriver and had the bolt holes lined up. I used a medium flat blade screwdriver that then seated the top and bottom bushings. NOW....I realigned the holes. If you are looking up and from the bottom and directly under the step, the three locating holes are on the front. SO....the gear shaft is like the center of a clock. You have a hole at 12:00, 3:00 and 6:00. I started the bolt and engaged, barely, the 12:00 bolt. BINGO, the plate then rotated a few degrees. SO NOW the 3:00 and the 6:00 holes are not lined up. I used a screwdriver and awl and got them centered. BUT, the holes in the NEW motor or the meshing of the gears makes the two hole....off maybe 0.050". They are wider and also not on the same radius. I fussed and fumed and was NEVER able to get the bolts to engage. I am an old Manufacturing Engineer and I would have specified "pilot point" bolts. NOPE....they are not even tapered threads. If the bolt is not in the dead center of the welded threaded insert....no engagement. I notified the vendor. OH...he said. Does YOUR motor have the black plastic or rubber cap on the end? Yes it does. OK, then the motor that I sent you MIGHT NOT WORK. NO LIE.... Bottom line....I did NOT want to drill out the motor bosses nor the holes in the mounting plate. I did not want to take OFF the mounting plate. It came off easily and I slipped it back in. IT LINES UP. Then, I lucked out. Camping World has the OEM motor....or it shows on the webpage. I called my local CW guy. YES...it is on SALE. OK...$150 is more than the aftermarket, but I don't want to fritz around with it. I want it aligned and centered as if it works loose, then you have a sloppy motor moving around and the steps will be unreliable. SO....I chose.....Put in a REAL OEM motor. CW says they have it. The cost of the labor is $135. Guess WHAT......they get to see if THEIR motor works for less than $300. I am usually pretty handy and also a "gee....what does it take to make it work...." type of guy. But, after staying under there for about 3 hours and no JOY..... I quit. So, CW gets their shot. That's my solution now......as the say.... I ORDINARILY DO IT MYSELF....but sometimes I have "People" to do the jobs that I don't have time for or just want done... I can hold my own with electrical, electronics and general "wrench turning". If had had the time, then maybe....but i don't want to ever crawl under that step again and spend that much time only to have to drill, ream, cajole, etc....and then it is comes loose or is not properly in place....have the steps be sloppy. On the road. When CW fixes it in a few weeks, will report back. Thanks for all the insight....

OK...based on my limited knowledge. Here is where you are. The first picture is just a basic Bosch 5 Pin 30 Amp relay. What it does, you need to trace the circuits on the power in (from a Fused source) and then where the output(s) go. You need to understand what circuit or device or switch or whatever provides the coil voltage. In other words, you need prints or a good troubleshooting RV tech. As to your explanation. Here is HOW your system, I think , is supposed to work. The IRD is a bit over my head. You MIGHT try to PM Larry Laursen. He is the only "Resident Expert" that I would trust and he knows all the older circuits that Monaco used....and they had more variations than Carter had pills (or Peanuts). BUT, back to your Trombetta. Regardless of what is supposed to pull it in and such, it's PRIMARY circuit was to "CONNECT the BANKS". The Battery Boost switch controls that. Now, you have to have VOLTAGE for the Trombetta to work. So, the Battery Boost Switch is powered from the HOUSE Batteries. SO, if you ran down the House Batteries, guess what? You ain't got no JUICE. I learned that from an unfortunate experience. SO.....assuming you have good house batteries....then you MIGHT try this. NO SHORE. No GENNY, NO Running of the engine. Now measure the voltage, to ground, on either side of the Trombetta. You SHOULD have 12 - 13 VDC to Ground. That means that the Batteries are Charged. NOW....use your OHM setting on the or the resistance scale on the meter. You should have NO Continuity across the Terminals. The Trombetta is OPEN. NOW. all that proves is that you have no "welded" or burned Contacts. What I would do....I would then switch back to the Volt Scale. NOW....have your wife do this.....carefully. Put your Voltmeter on the two terminals. REMEMBER, you should have NO voltage reading.....as there is no current flowing. Therefore....she holds or pushes the Battery Boost Switch. You should hear it go CLUNK. it is a heavy duty solenoid....so it will make noise. You should also see SOME voltage reading across the terminals. If it don't CLUNK and you still have zero volts or NO VOLTAGE, then the Trombetta is toast. The contacts are pitted or burned or the coil is bad. OK....she is holding in the boost switch. ORDINARILY, I would NOT tell you to do this. BUT, since you have FULLY or at least GOOD charged Chassis, then START the engine. You should at least see a voltage drop or a reading. The Battery BOOST was NOT designed for starting the Engine. Read the manual. It is a 200 amp contact. You need 1400 or so. BUT, since you have good chassis batteries, there should be a drain so the House will kick in to help it's buddy. NO VOLTAGE or Voltage Drop or reading.....THEN bad Trombetta. NOW.....to your plan. Get your pocketbook and get a competent RV tech. Don't know where you are located, but I would drive to M M Electronics in Ohio City, OH and let them do your conversion. Put in the NEW MS2XXX inverter. BUT, get the 2812 so you can have the extra capacity for a Res Refer. THEN, they CAN install a Big Boy and the BIRD. BUT, the option is to go with the Blue Seas Relay or Solenoid... ML-ACR Van Williams picked up on that and he is sharp. It is CHEAPER than the cost of the Big Boy and the BIRD Diesel2 and the install is a heck of a lot easier. It replaces the Trombetta or your Boost Solenoid. That is the NUTS. Now, you have a modern system. That will (assuming Magnum says that their system will charged Lithium Batteries) be what you need. Then purchase whatever capacity Lithiiums that you feel you need. The debate and the cost justification of the Lithiums will rage. BUT, if you scrimp on the INVERTER and also try to cobble up and use an antiquated system, then you will find that you have a really nice and expensive BOAT ANCHOR(s) or the Lithiums are SHOT. That is my advice. If you are willing to sink the big bucks into the Lithiums....why set them up for failure. Do it RIGHT.....you will, eventually....or you will say.... WOW that was a bust. PS.....the Trickle Charger or whatever is merely a "voltage thief". The original ones were the Lamberts. Overpriced. Then there are the cheaper ones. They STEAL the House Battery's voltage and siphon it off to the Chassis. A cheap, but typically ineffective....or as someone described it... A poor man's BIRD system....that will not work and give you a false sense of security. If you use the BIRD Diesel2 and the REAL intellitec Big boy, then you don't need it. Neither will you need if you use the better, more robust, Blue Seas ML-ACR. If my BIRD system fails....I might just replace it with the Blue Seas....

You do not need to make a new topic. You can replay to the topic by using the REPLY that pops up. You can use the QUOTE Button and it bring in the previous post. That is what I did here.... Try that..... Thanks....

OK....what we have is a bit of a semantics issue. NOT YOUR FAULT....but what you had said and what I had commented on are the SAME....but to make it simple for others in the future....here we go. The post was a bit confusing in that it was listed as as a Magnum Issue. Therefore it go "mis diagnosed". I am still a bit confused, but we can sort that out. You were plugged into Shore and presumably have 50 amps power. When you say that you have NO L1 and L2, you mean that there is NO power inside the Motor Home on any of the outlets or the Appliances and such. The fact that you said.... MAGNUM MS2000-20B was confusing..... You have an Intellitec Energy Management System. The EMS is the panel that is towards the bottom of the black control panel in the hallway (the EMS is, I think, just below the Magnum remote. That EMS remote (you can switch from 20 to 30 amps when you don't have 50 amps) is the READOUT or the Monitor for the EMS. I THINK that you removed the cover plate (the brown one). That Main Distribution Panel is an Intellitec Supplied item. Inside it are at least 6 relays. If you look at the EMS panel on the "Control Panel"....The Control Panel by Monaco's terminology is the ENTIRE BIG BLACK panel that has all the switches, the Magnum Remote, the EMS, the level gauges, etc. That is just for info and to allow you to tell us where or the right terminology. OK....On the RIGHT side of the breaker panel is a Printed Circuit Board. That is the BRAIN of the EMS. When the brain is happy and you are on 50 amp power....then you will NOT get any load shedding. The EMS is designed to shut down when you are on 30 (or 20 amps) so that you will not overload the panel. There are 6 relays. Each one kills one of the circuit breakers. This prevents you from overloading. There is a sequence. Typically if you are on 30 amps and try to run 2 AC's, you will see one of them cycle on and off and it is NOT controlled by the Thermostat. Go to you Manual (you can download one if you don't have it). I downloaded mine and have it handy). Look on page 173 and start reading. On p 175, it explains the system and the load shedding and the sequence.... Here is the link. If it breaks. Monaco Coach. MENU.... OWNERS (or Ownership), Manuals. https://www.monacocoach.com/rv-owners-manuals OK....your TAKEAWAYS.. FIRST......The EMS gets "confused" from time to time. What you did was remove the fuse to the Printed Circuit Board's BRAIN. I assume that the fuse you pulled was a DC fuse or the Mini Fuse. You are supposed to pull that for maybe a minute....TECHNICALLY.... you SHOULD have removed the SHORE power. The Genny should NOT be ON. So, you have NO incoming AC. THEN remove the panel cover. THEN pull that fuse and wait a minute. Reinstall the fuse. Then apply AC (shore or Genny). THAT usually gets it going. You did not do it "by the book", but it worked. NOTE. NEVER leave a circuit breaker TRIPPED or off. For some reason, that confuses the BRAIN. Folks have chased ghosts and found that one breaker, for whatever reason, was off... SECOND..... You MAY be at RISK of a fire or an electrical failure. You need to look for the ATS which is probably to the RIGHT of the White Inverter in the back curb bay. It is easy to spot. There are THREE BIG Cables going to it. One is the incoming Shore 50A. The other is the Genny AC. The last one (not necessarily in that order) is the MAIN 50 Amp feed to the Circuit Breaker Panel in the bathroom. IF you still have the original IOTA 50R (?) or if it say IOTA....then I would not use the MH until I swapped (or had it replaced) it out. MY recommendation is the ESCO LPT50 BRD. You can order that on line. MOST of the motor home repair places or the mobile RV Techs will use this on. IF you are handy and can do electrical work and remove #6 wire and install circuit breakers and such, then you MAY be able to do it yourself. THE WORD OF WARNING. Pull the cover off the IOTA switch. Read the Terminal Strip. Use TAPE (blue or masking) and label the cables. Make sure you do that. Take a picture. The ESCO (or others) will not be in the same sequence. SO, you need to make sure that each cable is labeld SHORE, GENNY, MAIN PANEL (sometimes called LOAD). Then when you install the new ATS, make sure that you get the RIGHT cable to the RIGHT set of terminals. We have had folks that randomly swapped them out.....and put them back in the same order. OPPS.....DOES NOT WORK. THIRD.....I would have a SPARE (or actually install it) 20 Amp GFCI outlet or Receptacle. Home Depot sells the Leviton. You just need the basic unit. You MAY not be able to buy "Non Tamper Resistant" due to NEC code changes. If you can find a STANDARD (no the Tamper Resistant), I would buy that. Lowes no longer carries the Cooper Wiring Devices (was Eaton Wiring Devices) or the Eaton/Arrow Hart line. You can find the Eaton (it may be called Arrow Hart) on Amazon. I used to work for Cooper and I knew the plants. The Cooper (was originally Eagle....that is how far back I go) and Leviton were BOTH brands approved by Magnum as working with the Inverters. Folks have put in other brands....and with mixed results. SO, I KNOW that the Cooper (Eaton) works. I swapped mine out. That's it.....

If you have the AW46 and have changed or will change the filters....and also drain the reservoir....then TOM would NOT switch to Transynd. No sense in tempting fate. You can (or should) buy 5 gallons from any agrigultural or NAPA or whatever supplier. I think that I paid $50 for the 5 gallon pail. SO, maybe $100 or so. Change (drain and replace) it when you feel like it and drive on. Mixing, without a complete drain (you gotta crack hoses everywhere) is not recommended. It WILL work....but you do NOT mix fluids. YES, I know farmers do that all the time. BUT, that is on more robust systems (in the old days) and you had manual valves and controls and not the fancy high tech or precision machined ones. Don't knock success.....just an opinion.....

Vito, Thanks for looking that up. John..... OK...we have the SAME MH. Here is the circuit... 50 Amp to ATS....as I said. That goes to the Main Panel in the private bathroom. There is a 30 Amp breaker there for the Inverter. NOW....here is where I am confused. First.....are you saying that the LINE 1 Breakers in the Main Panel as well as the Line 2 Breakers have no power. IF so, you have a Pedestal or an ATS problem. If you have never looked at your ATS, and you have the IOTA 50-R or it says IOTA, you have a FIRE HAZARD. That Inverter will short out and potentially CATCH FIRE. Your MH is an Orphan so there was NO recall. Be aware and purchase or install a NEW ATS. The recommended one is the ESCO LPT50BRD. There is another model that some folks prefer. NOT GETTING INTO THAT ARGUMENT....you need to replace it. SECOND.....if you have Power and the breakers are OK....then here is what you have. You SHOULD NOT (unless Monaco did some funky stuff or maybe a Canadian Coach??) have an MS2000- The STOCK inverter was a Pure Sine Wave MS2012. It came with TWO outputs. There is a 30 amp INCOMING (Pin) Breaker and TWO 20 Amp (outgoing) Pin type breakers. One line goes to the Microwave. The OTHER line does to the Center Bath Vanity. There is a GFCI there. If you have NOT changed it, it is probably old and funky. YES....these things happen. That GFCI is a 20 Amp and should be replaced with a Leviton or a Cooper or Eaton Wiring Devices unit. OTHER brands MAY not work on the Inverter. You can call Magnum and they will tell you. Lowes USED to carry the Cooper/Eaton brand. If not AMAZON. I had to replace mine....so I KNOW. That GFCI controls all the INTERNAL outlets and the one next to the Inverter. SO....if you are saying NO AC from the inverter....and the Main Panel has power and the Inverter breaker is ON....then if the Pin Breakers are OK (pull out and push back in)..... I would START with the Incoming 30 amp one....then test....and then pull and push the other two 20's. SO....NO JOY THEN. .. Go back to my post. ODDS are... says Magnum....you have a FAILED ATS on the Magnum Circuit Board. The 2009's did not have a sub panel. Even the Ones with a Res Refer had TWO inverters (1000 watt for the Res). NO subpanels. Let us know....

Be aware.... Several of the Monaco "level gauges" were the type that had DIODES in them. You have to have a set (one per function) Diode on each Panel. SO, if you have an internal panel and an external panel (Wet bay), you have to have the CORRECT harness. In other words. Each Panel has to have a diode in the harness for each light or function. That is to prevent a back feed from the OTHER panel and an erronous error or such when you press a button. Monaco also had a nasty habit of making things ugly. Monaco had TWO harnesses for the system. One Harness (the Sensors) came in two STYLES. Diode and NON-Diode. The Control Panels or the remotes were the same. There was a DIODE and a Non-Diode Harness for each of them. Double Diodes, as best i can get Monaco to say.....actually will work. So you can HAVE a Diode Harness in the Sensors as well as in the Panels (or remotes). BUT, if you have TWO Non-Diode harnesses ....then the sensors will never work right. SO....if your system NEVER worked or gave funky reasons.....then you need to make sure that there is a DIODE in ONE of the harnesses. IF Monaco installed the NON-Diode Sensor harness and the NON-DIode Remote (meter) Harness....then it will drive you bonkers. Monaco trouble shot that for a former member and he soldered in the diodes and that fixed the OEM system. He THEN finally got tired of it and put in the SeeLevel System with the EXTERNAL (adhesive) sensors or the Capacitance Style. That works. BUT, you also have to make sure the tank interior is CLEAN and recleaned....as years of gunk and buildup will fake out the Capacitance style. There is NO PERFECT system. IF you try to keep the sensors....be aware that there MAY be a DIODE in the circuit (GOD only knows where) and it MIGHT be an issue with a NEW or different brand. Hope this helps....