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Old 02-25-2016, 09:30 PM   #1
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Bubbles the Destroyer (new to me CC concept)

Hi All,
I will I am sure have a ton of questions as this progresses but I am finally getting around to getting this beast tamed a little bit.
First a little backstory, After a certain amount of begging and a touch of negotiation I talked my wife into a CC Concept that was for sale locally. We love it, love the lines and that it is a tank. We looked at several newer coaches and felt that they reminded us of Styrofoam boards, glued to wheels, unless we wanted something that was about the same value as our house. When we first saw her we loved her instantly. Everything sort of worked and we took her on a 4000 mi get to know you trip from Seattle to WI and back.
A few issues arose.
1. It struggles on the mountain passes
2. the fuel mileage dropped off from about 10 to 5-6 on the way back. (might be our fault as we were a touch harder on the skinny petal headed home)
3. there is a constant chemical smell near the kitchen and bathroom (sometimes burns your eyes a little)
dumped both black and grey tanks and it seemed to get a little better
4. has and intermittent problem with not wanting to air up sometimes.
If you feather the gas it all of a sudden will go (going into the shop this week to tackle that)
5. after driving for a while the front drivers side has a tendency to rise up higher than the left and go down the road listing.
I called the gent in Junction City about this today and got some insight from him as it only had one valve in the front it has to be the valve.
6. someone stuck "Bubbles the destroyer" across the front and " bow chicka wow wow" across the back in large letters.

other than that, some parasitic drain on both batteries (have not pulled the meter out to get the amps yet), the warning lights falling off the back of the dash and the diesel fired heater started cycling on and off, then the switch burned out and stuck, it was uneventful.

I am taking it down to OR to go through what I can not handle in a few weeks but I would like to get as much sorted on my own as possible.

I want to start to tackle these issues before I go so if anyone has any insight on any of these I would sure appreciate it since my list is growing rapidly.
thanks in advance!!
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Old 02-25-2016, 09:37 PM   #2
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What year and what engine? And of course, you didn't really buy it until we have pictures of it!
Congratulations btw!


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Old 02-25-2016, 09:39 PM   #3
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Oh, and



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Old 02-25-2016, 10:21 PM   #4
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Ooops sorry its a Detroit leaker 6v92 and it is a 1990
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Old 02-25-2016, 10:32 PM   #5
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I know nothing on the Detroits, sorry. As far as the listing to one side, there is only one ride height valve in the front, but I believe there are two in the rear. If one side on the rear is airing up or dumping air the list in the rear could easily carry to the front where you're noticing it.
Good luck.

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Old 02-26-2016, 12:04 AM   #6
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For some reason some manufacturers like one ride height valve in front and two in back. I prefer two in front and one in the rear but it is what it is.
Where in Junction City are you taking it? Several good shops with lots of experienced workers there.
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Old 02-26-2016, 12:14 AM   #7
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Old 02-26-2016, 12:38 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by cntrylife View Post
Kevin Waite
Can't go wrong with him!!

I need to get ours down there for a slide adjustment I guess, plus some other stuff like the non working AGS. The AGS is my big issue although tires will come due soon too.
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Old 02-26-2016, 05:20 AM   #9
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Congratulations on your new to you coach!

As far as removing vinyl lettering goes, a heat gun will soften the adhesive. A hair dryer might work, too, never tried it as I have a heat gun. Unfortunately the lettering will still 'show' as the paint below it hasn't oxidized as much as the surrounding paint, but it will be fine from a distance.

Chemical smell that sometimes burns your eyes? Sounds like ammonia leaking from your fridge if you have one.

Can't help you with the rest as I'm a diesel newbie, too- 5 weeks until we pick up our new to us coach.
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Old 02-27-2016, 08:48 AM   #10
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Cntrylife

I'm so irritated. I just typed out a long post to this thread and apparently it timed out and dumped everything. Here's a much condensed version of what I had written:

-Wife and I bought a 1990 Concept exactly a year ago. Love it.
-Have done all the work on it myself with the exception of the engine in-frame done by Valley Power $$$$$$
-Would love to share experience and information regarding the Concept. Feel free to PM me anytime.
-1. Hill climbs are not a strength of this coach. I assume it's a combination being a very heavy duty chassis and the 4-speed instead of a 6-speed transmission.
-2. I've had the same experience with fuel mileage. Haven't determined the culprit yet and would lobe to know if you figure anything out.
-3. We also have trouble with gray water odor. Camco TST is effective but I'm going to try the Camco Cyclone vent caps to see if that helps. We especially notice it when we are driving.
-4. Kevin Waite should be able to pinpoint this easily.
-5. May also be worthwhile contacting Bo at Gillig with any chassis questions. They emailed the leveling valve adjustment procedures to me at no charge. PM me if you would like me to forward them to you.
-6. Use a heat gun but be careful not to get it too hot. You don't want to damage the clear coat.

Good luck and have fun!
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Old 02-27-2016, 08:32 PM   #11
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Tragically I am in Texas this weekend and have to go to Nashville next week so it will be the following weakend so I will not be able to really dig into things till then. I am taking into a local shop to check the compressor and air lines. I just feel that since it a safety/leave you on the side of the highway type thing, someone more experienced than me should run them through. But my first projects are to flush the tanks, get the letters off, chase down the horn issue, fix the heat switch and seal up some of the caulking that is flaking or peeling. I also have a couple gaps around the entry door trim that I have figure out. In my apartment time I am going to pull the passenger seat and see why the footrest is stuck 2/3 of the way down. Anyways to say the least my list is growing as I play with things.
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Old 02-28-2016, 01:37 AM   #12
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What issue are you having with your horns? Mine weren't working at all. The problem with mine was twofold. The Hadley horn solenoid wasn't working so I ordered a new one on Amazon and replaced it for around $45 I think. That fixed the air supply end of the problem but then only the left air horn worked, sort of. I got up on the roof and unscrewed the front and rear covers of the horns. Both horns had mud dobber nests and the right horn was completely obstructed. I used compressed air and baby wipes to clean them out. They work perfectly now. My coach had been living in Texas and there were lots of mud dobber nests throughout the external openings of the coach.

Regarding the air purge lines, the first time I operated the purge valves a lot of moisture and crud was vented out. One of the valves got clogged up and would not close properly after releasing the purge switch. I had to close the manual valve in order to stop the leak until I could get a replacement valve.

Regarding the passenger seat footrest. The wiring for the electric motors in the seat can get wrapped around the pedestal base of the seat. Check to see if this has happened on yours. It happened to mine and the tension had simply unplugged the connector.

Heating: If you have the optional hydronic heating system you are in luck IMHO. I spent a week in a huge ice storm in Texas and the heating worked so well I kept having to turn it down to keep from getting too warm inside while the outside of the coach was encased by a solid 1 1/2" layer of ice. It's also very efficient and uses very little diesel fuel and will operate as long as the houses battery voltage is above 11.0 volts. The switch you said failed should be a Carling switch but can be replaced with most any other toggle switch. The original lighted switch is also still available from Country Coach.

LEARN FROM MY EXPERIENCE HERE- If you allow the diesel fuel level to get low enough (about 25 gallons remaining) to turn on the "Low Diesel" light the furnace will cease operation. Gregg Bootes at CCC bailed me out the next day over the phone and told me how to reset the whole system which was easy. Just turn off the Heat Exchanger switch and the Central Heat Control switch and then turn both thermostats (living room and bedroom) to the "Off" position. Turn everything back on and it will work as normal. I was geared up to go under the coach and try to find a reset on the furnace when Gregg happened to return my call.
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Old 02-28-2016, 08:40 AM   #13
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Congratulations on your new to you coach!

As far as removing vinyl lettering goes, a heat gun will soften the adhesive. A hair dryer might work, too, never tried it as I have a heat gun. Unfortunately the lettering will still 'show' as the paint below it hasn't oxidized as much as the surrounding paint, but it will be fine from a distance.

Chemical smell that sometimes burns your eyes? Sounds like ammonia leaking from your fridge if you have one.

Can't help you with the rest as I'm a diesel newbie, too- 5 weeks until we pick up our new to us coach.

I'd prioritize the inspection of that fridge, and not use it until it has been given a clean bill of health. If that is a leaking fridge, it's a fire danger.

Will follow the rest of the thread and help when I can. But most of all, congrats on the Concept - they sure do have classic lines. And they're worthy of the effort to get back into pristine condition!

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Old 02-28-2016, 05:49 PM   #14
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I actually marked the fridge down as a priority when I get home. That will be one of the first things I go over. It seems to work great but I agree with you that that might be a source of the strange smell. We were thinking it was some harsh chemical in the tanks but could not really determine the source. We did find some old chemical pellets under the sink in a deteriorated box that might have been exposed to water at some time releasing some amonia so we (me) will get that cleaned and aired out too. I going to pack in a little web cruising research on RV fridges in the next couple days. I also was reviewing my paperwork and discovered the PO put starting batteries in the house batteries. They are listed as 8d with 1400 CCA not deep cycle and amp hours so I will have to make some changes on that. I want to pull them out anyway and scrub the battery box with a brush. I think I am going to give the whole think a couple coats of por 15 and switch to some maintenance free bats so they don't corrode as much any more.
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