Picked up my 2006 Discovery 39S and need help......

[gtcoatie]

I am a former owner of 2 Adventurer's, so I am excited about stepping up to the Discovery. I have been doing a lot of reading and studying about the options and systems. I am sure I will be back with many questions in the future, but just wanted to say hello and see if anyone has any tips for a new Fleetwood owner.......

have a great day.

EDIT:

I picked up the coach on Saturday and really love it. We spent the night in it on Saturday night, got it home yesterday and washed and waxed it, while the wife cleaned out the inside. It is super nice and meets all our criteria for a motorhome.

I do have a few questions, explanations or comments:

1. We ran the generator and ac from 10am Saturday through 9am Sunday in 90+ degree temp and high humidity in central GA. When we woke up Sunday morning, there was some water dripping in right about the kitchen cabinets. When I closed the driver side slide, there was a small amount of water that came in as well. We did not level because we were in a friends yard, but the coach was pretty much level. When I washed the coach yesterday, I noticed the gutters were clogged up with dust and dirt, and there were pop rivets right at, or above the track on that side. Could the water have come in because it couldn't freely flow through the track? I checked this am and didn't notice any. Any thoughts?

2. On the driver console, there are two buttons on the left hand side...one is the ICC and one says Retarder with some kind of symbol. I am assuming the Retarder is the exhaust brake. What exactly is the ICC? I can't find anything in the book. I am sure this is simple, but having never owned a Fleetwood or DP, I am at a lost.

3. When the coach auto-levels, it is still tilted to the driver side slightly. Is this normal so the ac condensation will run off on that side and away from the entry door and the outside entertainment area?

4. I must admit the DVD/VCR surround systems are pretty slick. On my build sheet, it says there is an am/fm/cd/clock radio in the bedroom. Does anyone have one? If so, is it built in? I would assume for it to be an alarm, it would have to be separate from the surround system.

5. I cleaned the roof twice, but it still appears to be somewhat stained/dirty. I just used RV wash because I didn't want to get too carried away. It says you can use a whitewall tire cleaner, but that seems a little harsh and I am concerned what that might do to the paint finish. Any other ideas. This roof feels almost like a vinyl top on old cars....

6. It came with an basic automatic satellite, but I want to upgrade to an in-motion and have purchased a Winegard Road Trip. The GPS for the satellite is suppose to be installed 3' or more behind the dish, but I have an AC unit there. Where should I locate the GPS for the in-motion? Would it be possible to install it on top of the AC unit, installing it in such a manner as to be able to remove the cover of the AC? Anyone give me any insight where they located the GPS on a coach with top mounted AC units?

7. Last but not least, I noticed the fuel economy said 6.7 miles to the gallon to date. I am not sure how fast this guy drove, but anyone care to offer what kind of mileage to be expected at 65? Is this about what I can expect?

8. On the outdoor kitchenette, where do you turn on the refrigerator? I noticed there is a control inside the refrigerator, and it is on, but the unit is not cooling? Is there another switch? Also, anyone hooked up the gas grill to the propane tank? I know there is an auxiliary hook up on the tank. Were you able to connect to it and leave it connected and the hose in the cabinet for future use?

9. The lighted handles on the entry work fine, but the one in the bathroom appears to be burnt out. I am assuming it operates off the other switch on the wall, is this correct? Anyone have a model# and supplier of the bulb for this?

Thanks for any insights and answers. I am sure I will be back again and again. I learned and shared a lot of my learning on the Adventurer, and I hope to do the same here. It is great to be back in the family.

[gtcoatie]

I am a former owner of 2 Adventurer's, so I am excited about stepping up to the Discovery. I have been doing a lot of reading and studying about the options and systems. I am sure I will be back with many questions in the future, but just wanted to say hello and see if anyone has any tips for a new Fleetwood owner.......

have a great day.

EDIT:

I picked up the coach on Saturday and really love it. We spent the night in it on Saturday night, got it home yesterday and washed and waxed it, while the wife cleaned out the inside. It is super nice and meets all our criteria for a motorhome.

I do have a few questions, explanations or comments:

1. We ran the generator and ac from 10am Saturday through 9am Sunday in 90+ degree temp and high humidity in central GA. When we woke up Sunday morning, there was some water dripping in right about the kitchen cabinets. When I closed the driver side slide, there was a small amount of water that came in as well. We did not level because we were in a friends yard, but the coach was pretty much level. When I washed the coach yesterday, I noticed the gutters were clogged up with dust and dirt, and there were pop rivets right at, or above the track on that side. Could the water have come in because it couldn't freely flow through the track? I checked this am and didn't notice any. Any thoughts?

2. On the driver console, there are two buttons on the left hand side...one is the ICC and one says Retarder with some kind of symbol. I am assuming the Retarder is the exhaust brake. What exactly is the ICC? I can't find anything in the book. I am sure this is simple, but having never owned a Fleetwood or DP, I am at a lost.

3. When the coach auto-levels, it is still tilted to the driver side slightly. Is this normal so the ac condensation will run off on that side and away from the entry door and the outside entertainment area?

4. I must admit the DVD/VCR surround systems are pretty slick. On my build sheet, it says there is an am/fm/cd/clock radio in the bedroom. Does anyone have one? If so, is it built in? I would assume for it to be an alarm, it would have to be separate from the surround system.

5. I cleaned the roof twice, but it still appears to be somewhat stained/dirty. I just used RV wash because I didn't want to get too carried away. It says you can use a whitewall tire cleaner, but that seems a little harsh and I am concerned what that might do to the paint finish. Any other ideas. This roof feels almost like a vinyl top on old cars....

6. It came with an basic automatic satellite, but I want to upgrade to an in-motion and have purchased a Winegard Road Trip. The GPS for the satellite is suppose to be installed 3' or more behind the dish, but I have an AC unit there. Where should I locate the GPS for the in-motion? Would it be possible to install it on top of the AC unit, installing it in such a manner as to be able to remove the cover of the AC? Anyone give me any insight where they located the GPS on a coach with top mounted AC units?

7. Last but not least, I noticed the fuel economy said 6.7 miles to the gallon to date. I am not sure how fast this guy drove, but anyone care to offer what kind of mileage to be expected at 65? Is this about what I can expect?

8. On the outdoor kitchenette, where do you turn on the refrigerator? I noticed there is a control inside the refrigerator, and it is on, but the unit is not cooling? Is there another switch? Also, anyone hooked up the gas grill to the propane tank? I know there is an auxiliary hook up on the tank. Were you able to connect to it and leave it connected and the hose in the cabinet for future use?

9. The lighted handles on the entry work fine, but the one in the bathroom appears to be burnt out. I am assuming it operates off the other switch on the wall, is this correct? Anyone have a model# and supplier of the bulb for this?

Thanks for any insights and answers. I am sure I will be back again and again. I learned and shared a lot of my learning on the Adventurer, and I hope to do the same here. It is great to be back in the family.

[Gadget Man]

Congrats!

I'm sure you won't be disappointed with your decision. We sold our '98 Adventurer two years ago, and like yourself, decided on a Discovery as we really like the floor plan and galley. I decided to go used and started shopping for a year old unit. While doing so, I came across the Providence that we now own. It was a year old and I got it for the same price as a year old Discovery, so we went for it!

The coaches are almost identical, except I actually think the exterior of the Discovery is more attractive than the Providence.

Good luck with your new DP, and don't forget to post some photos!

Craig

[Teach]

We have the same floor plan in the Excursion and love it.

Enjoy!!!!!

[Gadget Man]

gtcoatie,

I almost missed your questions since you added them as an edit to the original question. It's usually a better idea to reply to your own thread, that way no one misses it.

There should be no water dripping in from the roof of your coach. If there is, then you have a failure probably somewhere along your roof seams, near the rain gutter. Even if the gutter was clogged, no moisture should EVER enter the coach from the roof. Two questions: What year is your coach? Did you buy it from a private party or a dealer? If from a dealer, I would return right away and tell them to repair the roof. If not, you will need to get on the roof yourself and look for any irregularities along the roof edge where it meets the rain gutter. Is the leak any where near the A/C unit itself? If it is, then it could be the gasket between the A/C unit and the roof. Either way, you'll want to get this repaired right away. The last thing you need is water damage inside your walls

You are correct, the "Retarder"� button is your exhaust brake. In your case it should be a "Pac-Brake"�. The ICC switch will flash your clearance lights momentarily. It is a courtesy to do this if/when another driver flashes their headlights for you, as a signal that you can change lanes in front of them.

The coach should be very close to level with the auto-levelers. My auto-levelers level the coach about 90% of the time. There are rare instances though where I have to do it manually. Your system may have to be serviced. To do it manually, place a bubble level or something like the EZ Level on the mid-floor area of your coach and level off from there.

Your bedroom sound system is indeed totally separate from your front surround system.

Re: cleaning of your roof, this will depend on your roof surface. If it is an older model, it will probably have a rubber roof. If it is newer, it will have a rubber-like roof, but it is a different material that is more durable (the true name of it escapes me at the moment). NEVER use white wall cleaner on either roof. It is too harsh. Use only mild soap and water. I use the same car wash liquid on my roof as I do on the painted surfaces. If it is a rubber roof and it is badly stained, you can try using Protect-All Rubber Roof Cleaner and Rubber Roof Treatment. If it is the newer type of roof, Protect-All will do little good. Car wash soap with a good brush connected to a mop handle is all I use.

Can't help you on the GPS for your in-motion sat setup, sorry. Perhaps someone else can chime in...

6.7 MPG at 65 MPH is about right. With the cost of fuel, I keep my cruise set at 60 now, and I average 7.3 - 7.5.

On your outside refer, there should be a dial in the upper right corner with the door open. Turn it all the way to the right and it should come on. If it doesn't, check the GFI outlet that's on the kitchenette slide-out and see if it is tripped. If not, check the breakers under the rear bed, and lastly the fuses in the panel near your power converter.

On the BBQ grill connection, I'm not sure what you're asking. There is a valve under the upper portion of the kitchen slide, towards the rear of the slide. If you lay under the slide and look towards the back of the coach, you should see it. You can only connect to it when the slide is out so you must disconnect and store the hose when traveling. I didn't like the grill that came with my coach (it was more like a griddle than a BBQ) so I changed the support rack a little to accommodate my BBQ.

The switch for the bathroom handle is with your other bathroom switches. The handle is called an IllumaGrip, I just replaced the one outside my coach. I ordered it through Fleetwood. They are manufactured by ITC Corp. Make sure you order the correct size and style. If you look at the photos in the bove link you will see that the new styles. These are a little different than the ones installed on my coach.

Hope this helps!

Craig

[gtcoatie]

Thanks Craig for the info.

I bought the 2006 39S from an individual. While I am on the roof changing out the satellite, I will check and reseal if necessary the entire roof line where it meets the rain gutter and check everywhere else.

One thing I noticed last night is the seal on the driver side slide out does NOT come all the way down and touch the top of the slide. Therefore, when water is sitting on it ( which it was last night after a pretty hard rain ) the seal does not sweep it off when the box slide is closed. I am going to call Fleetwood this morning and discuss this with them.

I also have the topper on the kitchen slide that is not very tight and is allowing water to puddle. Is there a way to tighten it up some?

The coach has the TPO roof, so I will follow your suggestions on cleaning it. I will get it all sealed real good again ( I didn't have any water leakage when I washed the coach on Sunday, so I think I have problems with water on the slides and not getting it off ).

The radio in the bedroom was NOT installed and someone at Fleetwood was suppose to call me back about that.....

I figured out the GFI was tripped therefore the refrigerator in the kitchenette was not working. It is cooling now. I will work with the grill and figure out what is best. I have another grill that might work better as well and will see how it all works.

Thanks for your information. I am sure I will have more questions and will ask for sure. I learned a TON about my Adventurers, and was able to share a lot about it as well, and I look forward to doing the same here.

[Gadget Man]

I see you have a newer model. Beautiful coach!

TPO roof...there's the name I was looking for. I was told by Fleetwood never to use anything but mild soap and water on it and that it didn't need any type of protectant.

It's pretty common for rain to puddle up on the slide toppers. I experienced the same thing a couple weeks ago while camping. To try and prevent the topper material from stretching under the water, you can briefly pull the slide in, which will cause the water to roll off, onto the side of the coach. Then move the slide back out.

Enjoy your new coach!

Craig

[gtcoatie]

I think I have worked through most of my issues on my 06 39S. I will be changing oil in generator and engine this weekend. I have the satellite installed and just have to move the coach to a spot where it can see the satellite to complete it's set up. I have it washed and waxed and pretty much figured out the outdoor kitchenette. I have resealed everything on the roof and had no water on top of slides this am, even after a hard rain last night.

I have two more issues. The first is the need to tighten up the slide topper on the kitchen slide. The driver side slide is very tight and the water runs off quite well. On the kitchen slide, it isn't very tight at all, and water puddles and pools. Anyone have a website for " How to adjust the topper "? I will begin searching, but there was no information in the packet about the toppers. I am pretty sure they are A&E, so I will try there, but figured if someone here has done it, I am better off.

Second issue is the entry door. I noticed the frame is not real tight to the coach. I have also noticed wind noise on that side. Should I caulk the crack with a clear silicone caulk, or leave it as it is?

Thanks for your help and it is great to be a part of the Discovery family.

J. Chris Coats
Discovery 39S