Community Forums

Bigd2 · 09-23-2011, 06:42 AM

Hello everyone! I found this forum several days ago and have enjoyed many hours of reading all of the posts. It’s nice to know that many of you here have the same questions or concerns that I have.

First let me introduce myself. My name is Dick and I am from East Peoria Illinois. My first experience with the great outdoors began with a motorcycle and a pull behind trailer over 20 years ago. From there I have gone on to have a 35 foot pull behind, a 38 foot 5th wheel toy hauler and a 40 foot 5th wheel toy hauler.

I just recently purchased a 40 foot 2007 CC inspire 360 which my wife and I really enjoy. I had an experience yesterday that has me a little concerned. I took off from our house yesterday to fill the diesel tank and take the coach to our storage location. We live on a hill (about a 7% grade) going down as I usually do I used the
engine brake. At the bottom it felt like I was running out of fuel so I pulled off to the side of the road where the engine just quit. I called my dealer and talked to a service tech. He said that due to the fact that the tank was only showing 1/4, and the steep grade, that the pick up point in the tank sucked in some air. I removed
both fuel filters added a little diesel, used the pump on the engine for good measure and the coach started right away. I did not call him back. I was wondering if anyone here has had a similar experience. My hope is that this is not the norm.

I hope to be able to contribute to the forum in the future. I am such a “Newbie” when it comes to motorhomes.

Thanks in advance

Dick

Oldkarphart · 09-23-2011, 07:23 AM

When I bought my CC, it only had about 50 gallons of fuel and had been sitting for a while. When I got it home from the dealership, (about 75 miles) I changed both filters and noted that the primary had some black goop in the seperator bowl. I filled the tank and added some Raycor biocide and drove it about 100 miles and pulled the primary filter bowl and dumped it. It has a small amount of goop. I filled the tank again and added more biocide and took a trip (2,000 miles). I added biocide at each fuel stop. I removed the bowl again (no goop).
I've since drived the coach about 2000 miles without incident, but I do add the additive at each fuel stop.
Good luck with your new coach!!

deandec · 09-23-2011, 11:24 AM

Heading downhill with 1/4 of a tank should not be a cause for the engine to quit.

But....anything is possible.

If the rig had sat unused for a long, long time, perhaps the filters were clogged. You indicated you removed the filters, but did not indicate that you replaced them or just re-installed them.

Either way the rig started fine. So, I would suspect the old filters, if they were old.

Bigd2 · 09-23-2011, 02:46 PM

That was also my first thought, but the dealer had just changed both filters prior to delivery one month ago. I removed the filter to check the condition and found that both were in good condition but noted that there was almost no
fuel in either one. I filled each with new diesel and then reinstalled them. At that point I used the primer pump and it fired right up. The service tech still maintains that the circumstance I mentioned in the original post are most likely the culprit. The first thing I think about are all those 7 & 8 % grades on Colorado.

I think the safe bet is to change both filters before our trip this winter down to Florida.

I will have to check into the Raycor Biocide. I am still hoping that someone may have some insite???

Thanks for the input

deandec · 09-23-2011, 05:40 PM

Just another thought.

If, by some weird chance, the connection of the fuel lines to the fuel tank were interchanged at some time, the engine would die at one quarter full but the generator would run until the tank was empty.

If that were the case you could test it on flat ground in a non-critical situation by draining the fuel in the tank to below one quarter and see which engine would run?

Bigd2 · 09-24-2011, 06:34 AM

Dean..

That is very interesting. After the engine quit I tried starting it several times with no luck. At that point I was concerned about running down the battery so I fired up the
generator and connected my battery charger just to maintain the charge. The gen set started with no problem. I will try to get a little more history from the service records.

As you said in your previous post "But......Anything is possible"

Thanks

Dick

deandec · 09-24-2011, 11:09 AM

Dick, your question is really not a CC dedicated question but on the chance some other Inspire owner had a similar problem you could post on the CC Owners Yahoo board to see what is what:

Country-Coach-Owners : Country Coach Owners Association

dons2346 · 09-24-2011, 08:19 PM

First of all, do not trust the fuel gauge until you have a little experience with the fuel consumption of the coach. You could be stranded out in the toolies with the gauge saying you have 1/4 tank and yet be empty. Trust me on this, I learned the hard way.

What the dealer told you is entirely possible. Depending on what motor you have, Cummins or Cat, you also should read the owners manual in regards to priming the pump. On a Cummins, you use the ignition key, turning it off and on a number of times thus priming the filters and the lift pump. Adding fuel to a filter is a good way to introduce garbage into the fuel system.

JohnFreyja · 09-25-2011, 05:33 PM

Dick,

I agree with Dean on both. Quarter tank should take you somewhere aroun 150 miles some up hill and some down. Normal configuration is for the Genset to run out at about a quarter of a tank or something near that and as Dean said if the hoses were reversed it would be the engine that would quit.
I have pushed the guage down to the empty mark (thinking there would be another service station close) and still took just over 75 gallons which suggests I would have still had about 35 left. However, guages can be misleading!
John
05 Inspire
#51399

Bigd2 · 09-26-2011, 12:56 PM

John..

I am afraid that my problem is just going to remain unsolved. What you mentioned is
a very plausible. The servicing dealer in Arziona could not find any work order for service on the fuel tank. So having the pickup lines reversed is out. The next time I fill up I will try to wait until the tank shows about a quarter and see if I put around
80 gallons. If so then the only remaining solution could be bad filters. I already picked up two new ones and will install before this winters trip.

Thanks for your input

Dick