Gwarsh Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 Does anyone have a maintenance schedule, and/or "good things to do" periodically (maintenance wise)... ? As an example, I was recently at HWH having some service work done. While there, the service technician explained to me that there are about 6-air valves (engine compartment area) that I should be releasing water from monthly.... All of which was new to me... The service technician then proceeded to show me what I should be doing and OMG.... I couldn't believe the amount of water that came out of those valves. Shortly after that, I went through my owners manual and sure enough... the manual states that that procedure should be done monthly. What I'm looking for is a consolidate PDF or spreadsheet which has all of the recommended maintenance, along with some "good ole advice" of things that should also be maintained that they'd be willing to share... FWIW - My wife and I have minimal experience with anything RV related. We bought this RV, a 45' Beaver Marquis, and are in the process of going full-time right now (house is being sold at the end of the month) Thanks in advance, steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacwjames Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 In the Downloads section under chassis there is a complete Roadmaster lubrication guide (3 files) that you can download. It shows the frequency and type of maintenance required. I do this a couple times a year, crawl under the coach with a grease gun and rag and grease the ~30 zerk fittings. While under there I do a visual inspection of all the main welds, over the years there have been reports of failures, catching this early would save $$$ in the long run and make a repair much easier. Do all the lubricant changes myself also. I have also sent in oil/coolant sample for analysis just to make sure everything is OK. If you have a manual it will list pretty much all the things that should be done, you could go through and high light each and make a list. Becoming familiar with what is in the manual is critical to being able to operate and maintain your coach. Usually on a trip I'll pull out the paper copy and page through it during spare time just to stay familiar with what's in it. Also have a PDF copy. Also have a good set of PDF copies of my house and chassis wiring diagrams. becoming familiar with this is also important. If your broke down on the side of the road it comes in handy and being able to go to specific sections/areas. In some cases I've actually printed specific screen shots to have on file. I've also taken pictures of my electrical bays and fuse location labels in FRB. In my case it comes in handy knowing which of the three boxes control. I've had my coach for ~13 years and learn something every time I working on it. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Hutto Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 Steve, There are a few documents in the Downloads (Files) section like what you mention, but none of them will be comprehensive for your coach. Unless, of course you find a list created by someone with the exact year and model coach, with all the same options. My advice would be next time you have a rainy day (or otherwise have some time), sit down with your owner’s manual (first), and creat your own maintenance list. Some use Word, some use Excel, I did mine on paper and then put it in a maintenance app that reminds me based on time and mileage. (I also use the app to track fuel mileage and the like. It’s called Auto Care, and FWIW I track generator maintenance as if it were a separate vehicle based on time and run hours). Once you’ve made it through the Owners Manual (no small task), pull out the box with all of the systems manuals and do the same. This is time intensive, I know. This process took me probably two weeks working on it periodically. The lists you find here are a great starting point, but using this process will teach you more about your specific coach than anything else you can do. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick A Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 I have a spread sheet that I use and I record everything I do on my rig. I set up a pairs of columns one for year and one for comment (usually milage) across the top and down the side I have the activity, like oil change, grease etc. I also have a column with links to Monacoers and photos. I guess it’s somthing you can create in your own manner. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck B 2004 Windsor Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 2 hours ago, Scotty Hutto said: Steve, There are a few documents in the Downloads (Files) section like what you mention, but none of them will be comprehensive for your coach. Unless, of course you find a list created by someone with the exact year and model coach, with all the same options. My advice would be next time you have a rainy day (or otherwise have some time), sit down with your owner’s manual (first), and creat your own maintenance list. Some use Word, some use Excel, I did mine on paper and then put it in a maintenance app that reminds me based on time and mileage. (I also use the app to track fuel mileage and the like. It’s called Auto Care, and FWIW I track generator maintenance as if it were a separate vehicle based on time and run hours). Once you’ve made it through the Owners Manual (no small task), pull out the box with all of the systems manuals and do the same. This is time intensive, I know. This process took me probably two weeks working on it periodically. The lists you find here are a great starting point, but using this process will teach you more about your specific coach than anything else you can do. Good advice Scotty. Some members are looking for advice on the problem they are experiencing. One they get the Correct advice, they go away never to be heard of again until they have another issue. IMO, they should stay around to help others. There are only a handful of members who enjoy helping others. Chuck B 2004 Windsor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waterskier_1 Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 I downloaded this from somewhere. I think it was from this group, but I could be mistaken. It shows it was created by Kim Pollock (opollock_is@yahoo.com). It is for a 2003 Dynasty, but it could be as start for you to modify. -Rick N. 2003 Dynasty Maintenance Schedule.xls 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwarsh Posted October 8, 2021 Author Share Posted October 8, 2021 1 hour ago, Chuck B said: Good advice Scotty. Some members are looking for advice on the problem they are experiencing. One they get the Correct advice, they go away never to be heard of again until they have another issue. IMO, they should stay around to help others. There are only a handful of members who enjoy helping others. Chuck B 2004 Windsor Chuck, I couldn't agree with you and your words of wisdom more! I assure you that I will be following them going forward (once i feel comfortable in giving advice... we're extremely new to RVing) but as of right now... IMO - I have nothing of value to contribute... (unless its something to do with computers and/or networking) That being said... I've been patiently reading the daily blurbs that come out for a couple of years now, in waiting & preparing to go full-time, which we're in the process of doing right now (October '21) As a whole, I do sincerely appreciate ALL of the advice that has been shared in this thread and all of the others! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck B 2004 Windsor Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 Steve, In November of 2002, we sold our home and furnishings, moved into our 1998 Diplomat with no slides and spent the first night around the corner in a Walmart parking lot. We headed west toward California to visit both side of our family who lives in California we have not seen for 4 decades. We were received good because we brought our home with us. I had nowhere the knowledge about our coach as I have today. It was sure a learning experience. We followed the then Monaco coach owners rallies. In 2004 we traded for our 2004 Windsor in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Back then I was a neophyte as far as coach ownership with all the issues that can happen. Monaco Coach Corporation was up and running. They provided me with a lot of help in gaining experience about our coach. Monaco also provided a lot of perks to rally goers. It was a sad day when Monaco went into bankruptcy. In 2010 we sold our Windsor and settled in our home in southern Mississippi. I am now 80 years old with all the memories, experiences, and pictures I now have left. When I close one chapter in my life I open another. The little help I can provide on this group will probably be the last chapter in my life except for my church. It was always my dream when I retired to go full time in a motor home. I lived that dream. I am glad I did. Now all the things I have left is to help others who need help. Chuck B 2004 Windsor 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwarsh Posted October 8, 2021 Author Share Posted October 8, 2021 Chuck, My blurb/introduction, I'm a computer person by trade and have been with the military (active duty, reserve and am currently serving in the Army Guard) since 1985. My career is rapidly winding down and I'll be retiring from the Army Guard in November '21. Additionally... I am planning on retiring from my full-time Army (technician) position about May '22. My home of record is Wisconsin and I'm selling my house & all of it's belongings October 26th.... Between my military life and my "life lessons" along the way, I've learned the importance of addressing things proactively and... the need for proper maintenance... Hence this post. My wife is a traveling hospice nurse. So our plan is for her to take two or three gigs per year, while living out of the RV. We're hoping to do that for a couple of years while seeing the country. Hopefully I'll be able to learn enough from our experiences and about our coach, that I'll be able to pass along information, just like you... and on that note, HUGE THANK-YOU to you and everyone else that takes their time to help people like myself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ray Davis Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 Hi Steve, I looked at your picture, who is that furry friend on your shoulder? I have a little dog, 20yrs old now, he's old like me 😱 , but we love him. However, I don't think either of us look as good as your friend 😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwarsh Posted October 8, 2021 Author Share Posted October 8, 2021 Ray, HUGE, huge lol and I'd completely forgotten all about that picture... 🙂 I used to be an avid trapper and hunter, when I was young. But... as I've gotten older in life... I've softened and absolutely love all animals now (except for Micky and his buddies)... My "furry friend" was an orphaned racoon which I was lucky enough to have it adopt me... 🙂 Her name was (is) Gully and she absolutely loved belly "raspberries"... As for you having a 20-year old dog, OMG... Now that's a "seasoned" dog! Obviously... you've both been caring for one another! Still chuckling over the picture... I'd completely forgotten about that! Thanks for brightening my day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck B 2004 Windsor Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 My pleasure. We are cat people. We have a huge Maine Coon cat and a smaller kitty. They bring us a lot of love and pleasure. They stay inside all the time. Chuck B 2004 Windsor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ray Davis Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 (edited) It's really so funny how these things come about, my cursor landed on your Avitar ( Micky ) and up popped just the very top of a mans and an animals head, wasn't quite sure what the animal was so of course I had to find out Many, many yrs I had a young racoon too, he roamed around the house when we let him, otherwise he lived in an enclosed back porch. It never occurred to me he wasn't perfectly happy there, but one day he found the latch on a screen. If you're old enough you may remember those old wooden screens with a little hook & eye latch. Racoons with those busy little hands can escape just about anything. I may have been the only person that missed him though since no one else could handle him. Funny you should mention getting soft because as I've aged I have too. We live rural and when a racoon poops all over the dock at our pond I keep reminding the wife they just want to live too. Thanks for reminding me of me own little friend so so long ago. Edited October 8, 2021 by Ray Davis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivylog Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 30 zerks??? I have 8 on the front axle and 3 on the driveshaft that I grease every 10-15 K miles… the 4 on the tag!s drum brakes get a single shot so 15 total. On my 04 Dynasty I never got any water when draining the air tanks over 14 years…air dryer must really work well. Other than initially, 08 Navigator is the same but only 3 years. The 03 Dynasty schedule above is probably 3X what I do. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck B 2004 Windsor Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 There are 2 on each universal joint, one on the slip joint drive shaft, one or two on the steering shaft inside the coach. Remove the shroud to find them. Your chassis section in the spiral binder should show you where they all are. When going up a hill putting stress on the transmission and if you feel a vibration, you need to replace your universal joints. When greasing the U joints make sure fresh grease comes out of each cup to flush out the old grease and any water. Dropping a drive shaft will cost you some big bucks. Chuck B 2004 Windsor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivylog Posted October 9, 2021 Share Posted October 9, 2021 (edited) “There are 2 on each universal joint” I know they exist but have never seen 2 in 60 years. Edited October 9, 2021 by Ivylog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan K Posted October 9, 2021 Share Posted October 9, 2021 11 minutes ago, Ivylog said: “There are 2 on each universal joint” I know they exist but have never seen 2 in 60 years. The second one is just for convenience and does the same thing,, which ever is better accessible. I got 2 now that I replaced them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck B 2004 Windsor Posted October 9, 2021 Share Posted October 9, 2021 Interesting. When I took one apart, I found separate channels to each of two cups. When using a pressurized grease gun, I would see grease come out of two cups from one fitting and two from the other. Chuck B 2004 Windsor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan K Posted October 9, 2021 Share Posted October 9, 2021 Not saying that there could not be some special designs but this is the usual. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck B 2004 Windsor Posted October 9, 2021 Share Posted October 9, 2021 I will agree with that. With greasing the u joints, the new grease forces all the old sometimes bad watered down grease out of the cups. In 2004 Monaco had a lot of issues with universal joints. They claimed that the U joints had to be greased every 2000 miles. Yet in my spiral bound coach manual they recommended every 10,000 miles or once yearly. After replacing my U joints twice at their cost they decided to upgrade me from a 16/10 drive line to a 17/10 drive line that was used on the Dynasty up. Monaco said the larger U joints still had to be greased every 2000 miles to be safe. I was close to Josam's so I stopped to get their opinion. After we determined that the U joints were in phase, we then had to address the drop angle of the drive shaft at ride height. That is where the problem was at. Once that was corrected, we had smooth sailing. Chuck B 2004 Windsor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwarsh Posted October 9, 2021 Author Share Posted October 9, 2021 10 minutes ago, Chuck B said: I was close to Josam's so I stopped to get their opinion. After we determined that the U joints were in phase, we then had to address the drop angle of the drive shaft at ride height. That is where the problem was at. Once that was corrected, we had smooth sailing. Now that's something that's not in the manual... HUGE thank-you for sharing that golden nugget! 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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