Community Forums

Mike & Mike · 11-09-2005, 07:49 AM

Good Day All,

We're looking seriously at a 2003 MDDS and hope to make a deal within the next 3 weeks. I do have a few questions though.

Mystery Handle: Looking from the roadside, into the forward storage compartment, near the winch to pull the slideout back in, there's a "T" handle (like an old-time throttle handle) with a cable that goes off into places that can't be seen. What might this be?

Maintenance: The coach has 33K miles on it and the salesman told us the oil change interval is 15K miles. They offered to service it prior to delivery. I do not know the Cummins requirements for maintenance. Is anything major about to come up (or past due) with 33K miles? Other than oil changes (is 15K the right interval?) when is some major service due?

Water storage tanks: We live in CA and generally have no freezing issues. Our current Safari Trek has a heater in the water tank compartment that automatically turns on when the temperature gets around 40 F. What does Alpine do to protect the water tanks from freezing while camping? Ino other words, I know about winterizing for storage but I'm curious about protection while the unit is in use.

Drinking Water Filter: The little faucet to the left of the main kitchen faucet is plumbed thru a filter that appears to have quick-disconnect fittings on the top and bottom. Is it quite easy to reach back in there and replace that filter?

Living Room Slide: When we first saw the unit, we asked to see the slides work. The coach had a dead battery so the salesman started the generator. He couldn't get the Living Room Slide to go out much more than halfway. The next day, he'd had the coach plugged into shore power, with the battery charger going, for 4 hours before we got there. The slide worked fine. Does this sound like the dead batteries were the cause of the slide not workig on the first day or do you think there may have been another reason? Note that we did level the coach before trying the slides on the first day.

"Security" switch on Curb Side, in cabinet over dining table: What exactly does this switch do? It didn't seem to operate the big light over the mid-door (the door light switch does that). I did see another big light on the roadside but didn't check how to operate it.

Thanks to you all for any assistance you might be able to offer. We sure hope this purchase works out as we're impressed with the Alpine!

Mike and Mike (Michele) Collins
California
currently in a 2003 Trek

Mike & Mike · 11-09-2005, 07:49 AM

Good Day All,

We're looking seriously at a 2003 MDDS and hope to make a deal within the next 3 weeks. I do have a few questions though.

Mystery Handle: Looking from the roadside, into the forward storage compartment, near the winch to pull the slideout back in, there's a "T" handle (like an old-time throttle handle) with a cable that goes off into places that can't be seen. What might this be?

Maintenance: The coach has 33K miles on it and the salesman told us the oil change interval is 15K miles. They offered to service it prior to delivery. I do not know the Cummins requirements for maintenance. Is anything major about to come up (or past due) with 33K miles? Other than oil changes (is 15K the right interval?) when is some major service due?

Water storage tanks: We live in CA and generally have no freezing issues. Our current Safari Trek has a heater in the water tank compartment that automatically turns on when the temperature gets around 40 F. What does Alpine do to protect the water tanks from freezing while camping? Ino other words, I know about winterizing for storage but I'm curious about protection while the unit is in use.

Drinking Water Filter: The little faucet to the left of the main kitchen faucet is plumbed thru a filter that appears to have quick-disconnect fittings on the top and bottom. Is it quite easy to reach back in there and replace that filter?

Living Room Slide: When we first saw the unit, we asked to see the slides work. The coach had a dead battery so the salesman started the generator. He couldn't get the Living Room Slide to go out much more than halfway. The next day, he'd had the coach plugged into shore power, with the battery charger going, for 4 hours before we got there. The slide worked fine. Does this sound like the dead batteries were the cause of the slide not workig on the first day or do you think there may have been another reason? Note that we did level the coach before trying the slides on the first day.

"Security" switch on Curb Side, in cabinet over dining table: What exactly does this switch do? It didn't seem to operate the big light over the mid-door (the door light switch does that). I did see another big light on the roadside but didn't check how to operate it.

Thanks to you all for any assistance you might be able to offer. We sure hope this purchase works out as we're impressed with the Alpine!

Mike and Mike (Michele) Collins
California
currently in a 2003 Trek

Mike & Nancy · 11-09-2005, 08:11 AM

Hi Mike

Welcome to irv2 and the Alpine forum. We too bought a used Alpine 36MMDS built in March of 03. The "T" handle is to DUMP your fresh water tank. The water filter is very easy to change and the coach should come with a short bypass with quick connects for when you winterize water tank. We just had ours serviced at Cummins Northwest in Yakima while at "Homecoming" I would suggest getting a hold of a Cummins Customer Care Center close you for answers to your servicing questions. Please feel free to e-mail me with any other questions....additionally this site is great for answering alot of questions. We love our Alpine....Good Luck

Dave Fernandez · 11-09-2005, 08:21 AM

Hello & Welcome Mike & Mike (Michelle):

To answer some of your questions here are some of the answers.

Mystery Handle: Will dump the fresh water rapidly.

Maintenance: oil change interval is 15K miles check this site out for more info http://www.cummins-sp.com/support/rv...ration-isc.htm

Water storage tanks: Heat is from the gas furnace which has vents into the storage area will keep area warm and tanks from freezing.

Living Room Slide: Jacks must be down first, before slide will work.

"Security" switch on Curb Side: will turn on outside light on drivers side of coach.

If you have any other questions please do not hesitate to ask.

Hope to see you at one of are Rallies.

Dave

EngineerMike · 11-09-2005, 09:01 AM

Stuff I like about upgrading from our 28' Trek to the Alpine:
1) Driving. Yummy. This is also #2, 3, 4, & 5.
6) Storage. We haven't filled the 36 footer by a long stretch.
7) 2000W inverter. Nuff said.
8) Tank volumes. Can stay away from citified services a long time.
You'll get some of #1 from other brands of diesel pusher, but nowhere near all. You'll get #6, 7 & 8 from any competent DP design.

Mike & Mike · 11-09-2005, 09:28 AM

Thanks for the rapid and complete replies! And your thoughtful Welcomes!

Mystery handle: What a great improvement over the Trek where I open the (little teeny) low-point-drains and wait forever. Do you have to open any kind of top-of-the-tank let-in-some-air device/vent? You'd think all that water gushing out might collapse the tank unless there's available air at the top.

Dave: Nice Cummins site, and very informative. Thanks!

Engineer Mike: You're right about the Trek, in so many ways!

Mike & Nancy: I may take you up on your offer. Thanks!

We're hoping this works out!

Mike and Mike

EngineerMike · 11-09-2005, 09:51 AM

Fresh water piping has an inverted u-shaped "vent" line w/two air openings below coach. If you look up behind the tank, there are two lines, one of which goes straight aft & the other has a 90 up into coach. The 90 is the air vent attachment into the ∩. Water exits w/great rapidity & tank fills w/air thru the 1/2" air vents.

denwhit · 11-09-2005, 03:51 PM

This is great! My 1999 has a lot of the items in this discussion and I learn every time I come to this forum. Keep us informed on the new Apex! One might be in my future too if I find a woman with one... ha Wanted: woman with new 2006 Alpine Apex, send pictures... of the Apex.

Barbaraok · 11-09-2005, 07:13 PM

We just purchased a 2002 36 MDDS and thanks to your questions, I just had a couple of mine answered!

The ride - I never realized it could be SOOOO nice. We had a Class C, which was alright, but a few hours riding in that and you were exhausted. Now we just seem to float - and to be able to carry on a conversions without having to raise our voice - well, I'm in heaven.

EngineerMike · 11-10-2005, 08:51 AM

I'm still raising my voice, but maybe that's a different problem.

Audrey & John · 11-10-2005, 02:57 PM

The tank capacities are truly one of the great things about this motorhome. There really are very few models out there with the grey and black tank capacities of the Alpine Coach. We start to think about dumping after about 12 days. This is so convenient - we've sometimes moved several times between dumps. John doesn't even leave the sewer hose connected - he decided he'd rather just put it back away between dumps. The rinsing system is great too.

We love our layout. The coach is so comfy.

The whole power management system seems to work really well.

Oh yeah - the drive is pretty good but since I never drove another MH this size I really have no idea how "spoiled" I am.

Audrey

Audrey & John · 11-10-2005, 03:00 PM

The tanks are vented - letting air in and out - both important!

Yes, dead batteries will cause a slide operation problem. Some label in my coach warns about not trying to operate slides with low batteries.

Audrey

Open-Rd · 11-13-2005, 02:23 PM

About the slide - on our old 5th wheel, the slide wouldn't operate on just AC, the batteries had to be charged up. That may have been the problem here as well.

Barbaraok · 11-16-2005, 05:03 AM

Okay, I didn't want to appear dumb, but I tried looking and can't seem to identify where the drain is on the fresh water tank. I want to dump it but I'm unsure where the water goes - on the ground, into the greywater tank? I went through the manual and it says to pull the T-handle - - but doesn't indicate where the line goes.