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07-10-2014, 05:13 PM
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#1
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"Formerly Diplomat Don"
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Moorpark, Ca.
Posts: 23,914
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Dutch Star Front Hood Mod - Struts Added
I felt the old style rod used to hold open the front hood of my 2014 Dutch Star was a cheap method used by Newmar. I know there isn't much to service under there, so maybe that's why Newmar designed it with just the hood bar, but I have added storage under my hood and wanted it easier to open. I HATED having to hold the hood up with my shoulder while I messed with trying to move the rod into the hole.
I decided to add struts like those used on the engine cover. It's always difficult to figure the exact positioning of the brackets to make the hood open and close without binding or exerting too much pressure on the attachment points. I got lucky.
The top of the struts were easily added to the fiberglass reinforced area where the hinge is mounted.
I made the lower brackets by using a 4"x 4" x 1/8" thick plate with a piece of 3/4" x 3/4" x 9" angle welded to the side. This plate was bolted behind the front bumper where the center section meets the side section. They are sandwiched together at this point. I added the plate and used two bolts to sandwich everything together.
I used a 26" long strut (same as the engine cover struts) and made the length of the lower bracket the appropriate length. This went together pretty fast. I used the engine cover struts to test how strong of a strut I need.ed The rears are 26" x 30lbs. They worked, but were just a smidge to weak. They held the hood open, but not all the way (about 3" short of fully open). I couldn't find any strut suppliers locally, so I ordered two 26" x 40 lb struts on line.
Struts work best when they are fully extended and almost fully closed where there is no pressure on the joints. I lucked out and the mounting points were perfect.
You can lift the hood with one finger and it closes to the point where the struts reach their closing point and pull the hood closed. Again, I got lucky on the geometry.
This project REALLY came out better than I expected and works great! The only difficult part is making the lower brackets, but all of the mounting points are identified for anyone making their own.
__________________
Don & Mary
2019 Newmar Dutch Star 4018 (Freightliner)
2019 Ford Raptor
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07-10-2014, 06:12 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
American Coach Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 2,742
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Nice Job !
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Chuck
Brownsburg Indiana
1992 American Eagle-8.3C-450hp
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07-10-2014, 07:21 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club Spartan Chassis
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Manitoba, Canada
Posts: 549
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dutch Star Don
. . . "I got lucky" . . . "I lucked out and the mounting points were perfect" . . . "Again, I got lucky"
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You are selling yourself short Don, this is not "luck" but wisdom and understand mixed together with a good measure of experience that brings the pieces of your projects together like a well made Swiss watch.
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Jake
2005 DSDP 4024, Cummins ISL 370, Spartan MM Chassis / 2018 Ford Taurus, Roadmaster Base Plate, Blue Ox Aventa LX Tow Bar, RVI 2 Brakes
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07-10-2014, 07:45 PM
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#4
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Community Moderator
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Point Pleasant Beach, NJ
Posts: 31,248
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Nice job!! As they say necessity is the mother of invention.
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Tony & Ruth........... FMCA#F416727
2016 London Aire 4519, Freightliner chassis, Cummins ISX, 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, Blue Ox Avail with AF1. TST 507 TPMS
No amount of money can buy you an extra second of time.
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07-10-2014, 11:04 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 3,816
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Very nice mod Don, very nice.
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2011 MVP Tahoe 230 QB on Ford E350 Chassis
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07-11-2014, 06:54 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 208
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Nice job on a useful mod. Thanks for sharing enough details and measurements that the rest of us can set our coaches up that way too.
Next question....what products and tools do you use to keep the generator bay so spotlessly clean?
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07-11-2014, 12:10 PM
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#7
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"Formerly Diplomat Don"
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Moorpark, Ca.
Posts: 23,914
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Mine is still pretty new, so it's clean. I have been known though to wax the Onan.
__________________
Don & Mary
2019 Newmar Dutch Star 4018 (Freightliner)
2019 Ford Raptor
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07-11-2014, 08:15 PM
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#8
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Moderator Emeritus
Nor'easters Club Workhorse Chassis Owner iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 30,785
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Don, your always busy another add to QT's # 3.
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07-11-2014, 09:18 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club Solo Rvers Club
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: The Constitution State
Posts: 4,554
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I was wondering - does your hood have a release latch inside? Is that still connected after this neat mod?
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07-12-2014, 12:09 AM
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#10
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"Formerly Diplomat Don"
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Moorpark, Ca.
Posts: 23,914
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Yes, nothing with the hood latch has changed. One of my concerns when using struts is there is a point where they'll actually pull the hood back in/down. I lucked out on the positioning and the hood closes perfectly. I did have to take the hood rod off because it's in the way and is no longer needed.
This is one of those mods that came out better than my mind's eye pictured it. That doesn't happen that often.
__________________
Don & Mary
2019 Newmar Dutch Star 4018 (Freightliner)
2019 Ford Raptor
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07-15-2014, 07:38 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Fairview TX
Posts: 2,452
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Great job, Don! Didn't realize how little space they left under there. Does that generator still pull out?
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Slabman
2019 Newmar Ventana 3717
2007 Lexus LX470 Toad
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07-16-2014, 06:30 PM
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#12
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"Formerly Diplomat Don"
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Moorpark, Ca.
Posts: 23,914
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The Dutch Star's don't pull out. My Monaco did, but it didn't really help with servicing since everything was underneath.
__________________
Don & Mary
2019 Newmar Dutch Star 4018 (Freightliner)
2019 Ford Raptor
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07-16-2014, 10:53 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 3,816
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Interesting, our '13 has the genny on a slide.
__________________
2011 MVP Tahoe 230 QB on Ford E350 Chassis
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07-17-2014, 12:58 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Texas
Posts: 6,381
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The 43ft does pull out, but not the 40ft.
Also I believe the gen size is different. We have the 10k and I think the 40's have the 7500 or 8k
__________________
2022 London Aire 4551 * 2022 GD Imagine 2800BH * 2021 RAM 3500 DRW * 2020 Wrangler
NHSO (Newmar Hoot, Sevierville Original)
Kindness Matters
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