Community Forums

rdjl972 · 04-30-2016, 07:53 AM

I’m hoping that someone out there has had this experience before and can help me understand what might be going on. For the past year now, I’ve noticed that as we encounter small bumps in rest area pullouts, camp grounds, or any other place where the road surface isn’t as smooth as it could be, that the generator framework that supports the generator makes clunking noises.It sounds much as if one of the shock absorbers is loose, but I’ve had them checked several times and that’s not it.I suspect that the heavy duty rollers on the framework that holds the generator up are loose.In just the last week while traveling through New Mexico and Colorado along Interstate 25 the mysterious noise has gotten much more prevalent, and, the front cover that meets the front cap of our motorhome is now dropped down on the passenger side by about ¼”.This is not good.So can anyone who has had this sort of thing happen on their motorhome or knows what might be going on give me some guidance?I’d certainly appreciate it.

Thanks,
Rick

windsorbill · 04-30-2016, 08:30 AM

Take a look at the wheels on the generator slide. I've never heard them wearing out but possibly you have a broken wheel. My generator track support is welded. Check yours for any cracked welds or possibly loose or missing support bolts.

crah · 04-30-2016, 09:09 AM

ON, is your generator Slide manual or powered? If it's a manual Slide like mine, there are two Southco slam latches on both sides of the generator about 2 ft in. These latches are two position latches, like your car door. If the generator is not line up correctly and only make the first position latch (like your car door partially closed, it can rattle. You mentioned your fascia is low on one side. That fascia is adjustable up and down and in and out. If it's too far in, it will hit the front cap before the slam latch can latch properly on the second position. Your generator will be loose in this condition. If you have a powered or hydraulic Gen Slide, this does not pertain. My 2003 was manual but not sure if the Scepter or Camelot changed in the later years.

rdjl972 · 04-30-2016, 06:13 PM

I will check the welds on the "rack" that the genset sitsin. Good idea. I had lubricated the steel wheels about six months ago but maybe thy need to be looked at also. They look fairly substantial so I' guessing they're OK. Thanks for your reply. I appreciate it.
Rick

rdjl972 · 04-30-2016, 06:18 PM

Mine is manual. It was an option when we ordered the coach and I should have gotten the hydraulic version , but of course hindsight is 20/20. I checked all the fascia mounting points and adjustments and they're all OK. Tight as can be. As we were driving the last leg up here to West Yellowstone, I thought about the steel "cage" the GenSet sits in. Maybe something is broken - a weld, etc. - on the cage. I'll look at it and le you know. Thanks for the reply. I appreciate it. Rick

rdjl972 · 04-30-2016, 06:20 PM

The question came up about year ,make and model of our motorhome. It's a 2008 Monaco Camelot. Sorry I neglected to provide that info. Rick

rdjl972 · 05-05-2016, 07:06 PM

OK. With some guidance from a few great helpers here on this forum, here’s what has happened.I had the time to try and locate the source of the problem with the misalignment of the generator frame and discovered the following.The main source of both the misalignment and the clunking noise, I believe, is that the rollers that the genset frame rides on (6 of them) are misaligned on their tracks causing three of the six rollers to be partially collapse at their sidewalls (see attached photo). The rollers are actually riding UP onto the edge of the rails. I see no easy and appropriate way of correcting this as both the frame of the motorhome and the frame that supports the genset are welded in place making the track widths the rollers run in out of alignment, and it's been this way since the coach was built.The genset frame track is a good 1/2" to 3/4" too narrow causing the rollers to ride up on the edge of the lower frame rail (see photos) rather than down in the surface of the track as they should be (again see photos).I'm sure that Monaco engineering didn't design these two tracks to fit in this manner.Both sets of rails – the two welded to the frame of the coach and the two rails welded to the genset frame – should be the same width and be in alignment with each other so the rollers can contact the flat surfaces of both the upper and lower tracks where the rollers would normally ride.With only three of the six rollers compromised, mostly on the passenger side of the coach, this would cause the misalignment of the generator in its space and cause the bodywork to “fall down” on the passenger side and rub in the two places I described in my original post.Now that I can see the problem I'm trying to figure out how the rollers could have lasted as long as they have.They are under severe stress trying to hold up a 750+ pound genset while being misaligned in their respective rails.

In contacting Monaco about this issue – they say they’ve never had an issue as I’m describing before so I should try and locate a qualified RV technician. The reason I need the help from this forum is because the only fix I can see that makes sense is to remove the genset from the coach, somehow have the genset frame rails widened to match the frame rails in the coach, then replace all six rollers, reinstall the genset back into the coach, then realign the front faceplate to match the front cap of the coach.That’s a big job.I’m not afraid to tackle such a job, but it’s a BIG job just the same.

So with all of that said, I’m curious if any of you out there have had the same or similar problem and what did you do to correct it? Any guidance is helpful.

Thank you SO much guys.
Rick

jacwjames · 05-05-2016, 07:19 PM

In the first photo it almost looks like the bearing has failed and is tilted. I think you can see the inner seal coming out. This may cause the appearance of misalignment. It may be possible to change the bearing without removing the slide (best case scenario).

windsorbill · 05-05-2016, 07:57 PM

Rick,

I tend to agree with Jim. Why not jack up the genny just enough to get one of the wheels/bears out to look at it closely, I'll bet the bearings are shot. If so then its just a matter of changing them all.

rdjl972 · 05-06-2016, 08:35 AM

Those are good ideas but it wouldn't solve the root problem ... the upper and lower rails being out of alignment. Any replacement rollers will just suffer the same fate somewhere down the road. Would you guys agree?

What then?
Rick

Captjake1 · 05-06-2016, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdjl972

Those are good ideas but it wouldn't solve the root problem ... the upper and lower rails being out of alignment. Any replacement rollers will just suffer the same fate somewhere down the road. Would you guys agree?

What then?
Rick

Your post prompted me to go out and look at mine. I have an 08 Beaver and eh set up looks identical. I have always been suspect of the set up, simply because the rail bearing surface is not in the same plane as the bearing face (like the channel wasn't bent enough when formed).

Anyway, looking at your picture and mine both, there appears to be a washer on the shaft behind the bearing. What if you were to take that washer out; which would move the bearing outward.

I think this can be done without removing the genny, but it looks to be painful (except the end two).

Mine howls like a banshee when you bring it in. There are no thrust bearings or pads at all. It is thrown slightly out of alignment with the one single hydraulic cylinder only on one side.

96 Wideglide · 05-06-2016, 09:16 AM

That looks the same as mine.

It slides in / out fine, and I haven't heard any clunking noise.

96 Wideglide · 05-06-2016, 09:32 AM

Hopefully Captjake an I have replied in time, before you break out the cutting torch

!!

crah · 05-06-2016, 09:58 AM

Mine looks the same as well. When my generator was clunking, it was due to both slam latches on both sides not locking in the second position on one side only. You can verify by opening the generator and manually close the slam latches with your finger and see the second position it latches. Once you see that you can open the latch manually and close the generator Slide and look from underneath to make sure the latch is closed in the second position on both sides. Still may not be your problem but worth checking into as its just a 1 minute visual.