OUTLAW Mods and Easy Fixes

[RV.Driver]

Photos below show the evolution of our flag mount from a classic angled adjustable mount at the rear corner of our deck railing, to an interim straight up mounting at the same deck corner (used when the wind was blowing above 30 MPH), and most recently, a new rapid connect mount that attaches when in camp to the top of either deck-door "side-bar."

The same mount doubles as a perfect fixture for hanging a large hummingbird feeder because the side-bar actually will rotate about 40 degrees when the deck is deployed and in use. This allows a hummingbird feeder pole and hanger to be rotated inward to an angle straight along the deck edge for easy access and refilling the feeder. The side-bar can then rotate the pole outward positioning the feeder perfectly for attracting and viewing the hummers. When serving as the mount for the flag, the new setup has the advantage of positioning the flag further forward and a few inches higher than was the case with the mount at the rear corner of the railing.

[Statgeek]

Originally Posted by RV.Driver

1. The 4" pee-trap can be disconnected first on the coach side allowing it to be tipped towards the sewer hose side which empties it completely, so NO gray water is spilled on the ground with this technique.
2. The black tank is never dumped w/o a series of blank tank rinses followed by at least a partial gray tank dump to rinse the 4" pee-trap and the hose. This involves some planning: When the black is approaching the time for dumping, close the gray valve prior to a shower, or washer load, or dishwasher load so the gray tank becomes partially full prior to dumping the black. The process intends that the pee-trap only sits filled with gray water, never black.
3. As to campsite septic odors, it is not really a matter of what coach you own, but what the septic tank system design looks like to which your dump hose is attached when you leave your gray valve open. It may or may not matter.
Here is why: When your gray tank is empty, and your gray valve is open, there is a free air path from the surface of the liquid in the septic tank, back up through your dump hose, through your gray valve, through your gray tank, to all your sink pee-traps, and up and out your roof vent stack.
But this septic tank is typically not dedicated to your campsite, rather it is a large tank shared with other RV campsites, some of which may also have open dump valves. Whichever RV happens to be situated where the wind conditions are blowing onto its roof the hardest will experience positive pressure that will result in air flowing DOWN its vent stack, down through its gray tank through its open gray valve, and down its dump hose putting positive pressure on the shared septic tank. If your RV is situated relative to the wind at an angle such that you experience lower wind pressures on your roof, your vent stack will exhibit negative pressure relative to the positive pressure RV's roof stack, thus, the septic tank's black water gases will be pulled up from the underground tank, through your gray system, and up and out your roof stack.

I have seen such wind conditions setup frequently this way causing an area as large as several campsites to experience black water odors sourced from the roof vent of one RV with its dump valve open - odors eliminated by closing that RV's open valve.

This condition is static where we currently camp - the RV next to us is on the same septic tank and leaves their gray valve open - we actually have the small negative pressure fans on top of our vent stacks to ensure venting towards the roof. This configuration pretty much guarantees air will flow down his stack through the septic tank, and then up and out through our gray system. But, not any more with the 4" pee-trap.

Wow. This is the most thorough explanation I have ever read on the subject. And it seems totally legit. Thanks for the education! I'm definitely going to stop leaving my gray tank open from now on!!

[Timon]

Originally Posted by RV.Driver

John,

Having looked under the rear of our Outlaw, there does seem to be enough steel frame nearby to create some sort of weldment as you describe for the purpose of allowing a flag pole mount to be plugged into an angled 2" receiver so the flag could rise at an angle upward clearing the edge of the deck.

My suggestion would be instead to maybe create a heavy hinged weldment with a receiver such that the flag pole mount, when in camp, could be plugged normally into a 2" receiver, but a receiver that rotates outward from under the rear of the coach - there should be a viable geometry for designing this without the need for the flag pole having to rise at an angle to clear the deck edge, but instead, it should be able to rise vertically next to the deck edge.

My experience with those tall flag poles is that if you get it even just a bit off vertical, it will end up bending into a pronounced arc.

Thanks, I'm starting to think this may need to be a multiple piece. Add two more receivers and make a cross piece which has receivers of its own. This way no one receiver connected to the coach takes any rotational forces. Need to think about this some more and take a trip to check out an RE, we have no RFs in the area, and take some pictures of the underside. Maybe I can do that in the next day or so.

[Mike Bachman]

Well, it looks like I've blown a fuse I can't find. At the rear of my Outlaw, two wires, a blue wire and a violet wire, carry all the power to my rear parking lights. I've traced the blue wire to where it enters the rear cap on the passenger side and the violet wire to where it enters the rear cap on the drivers side. Somewhere in the cap on the drivers side, I brown wire attaches to the violet one. I've traced the brown wire from the cap to the license plate light, the prong on the trailer plug for the running lights and, I assume since it no longer works, the top running lights at the rear of the Outlaw. I had power to all three until I started playing with the trailer wire. Now the top running lights are out and there isn't any power to the license plate light or the trailer while all the rest of my lights on the rear work fine. I'm assuming that there is a fuse somewhere in the cap on the drivers side since everything else works. Does anyone have any ideas about this?? It looks like I'm going to have to pull all the rear lights on the drivers side to see if I can fin the fuse.

On a totally different topic on what people carry in the back, I can put the second race car and all my tools in the back of the Outlaw. This will allow me to pull the first race car on the trailer. The front bodywork hangs from the ceiling while the rear bodywork is strapped to the wall on the right side being the toolbox.

AS for flagpoles, we use a stand that fits under the wheels. If we aren't going to use the canopy, we put it under the rear wheels otherwise it goes under the front.

[Scarab0088]

Mike,

The power for the parking and running lights runs along the chassis rail...driver's side rail on ours.
Is there power for the lights there?

I am not aware of any fuses for the chassis rearward of the cockpit...but there could be (?).

Best luck

P.S. Cool race car stuff

[Mike Bachman]

Originally Posted by Scarab0088

Mike,

The power for the parking and running lights runs along the chassis rail...driver's side rail on ours.
Is there power for the lights there?

I am not aware of any fuses for the chassis rearward of the cockpit...but there could be (?).

Best luck

P.S. Cool race car stuff

Steve,

All the lights are working with the exception of the license plate and the running lights at the top rear. I undid the last big plug in the wiring harness at the rear and I have power there. That's where the blue and violet wires for the rear lights split off. I've ordered some more rubber grommets for the lights and will cut out the old ones so I can take the lights out and get to the wiring. I'm also going to replace the lower red set with LEDs while I'm at it. Do you know if the switch on the dash the blinks the rear top running lights (I can't remember what it's labeled) is fused and if so, where the fuse might be?? Thanks!!

[focker]

Originally Posted by Mike Bachman

Steve,

All the lights are working with the exception of the license plate and the running lights at the top rear. I undid the last big plug in the wiring harness at the rear and I have power there. That's where the blue and violet wires for the rear lights split off. I've ordered some more rubber grommets for the lights and will cut out the old ones so I can take the lights out and get to the wiring. I'm also going to replace the lower red set with LEDs while I'm at it. Do you know if the switch on the dash the blinks the rear top running lights (I can't remember what it's labeled) is fused and if so, where the fuse might be?? Thanks!!

I don't know if this helps you at all but we lose our power brake assist, brake lights and cruise control occasionally because of a fuse that is under the hood in the big fuse block. We can always tell that fuse is blown by pressing the brake pedal before any trip and if we don't hear the power assist we know the fuse has blown.

[Scarab0088]

Originally Posted by Mike Bachman

Steve,

....Do you know if the switch on the dash the blinks the rear top running lights (I can't remember what it's labeled) is fused and if so, where the fuse might be?? Thanks!!

The dash switch for winking the lights is called ICC on ours. I have no idea if it is fused, but that would make sense.
This might be worth posting on the Workhorse chassis Forum(?)
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f22/

Best luck

[Scarab0088]

Originally Posted by focker

I don't know if this helps you at all but we lose our power brake assist, brake lights and cruise control occasionally because of a fuse that is under the hood in the big fuse block. We can always tell that fuse is blown by pressing the brake pedal before any trip and if we don't hear the power assist we know the fuse has blown.

Errrrr...that is messed up. Is there any indication of why it's blowing fuses?

Thanks for the heads-up about it.

[focker]

Originally Posted by Scarab0088

Errrrr...that is messed up. Is there any indication of why it's blowing fuses?

Thanks for the heads-update about it.

No indication at all to why, just happens randomly every six or eight months. I usually only know it has happened because I can't set the cruise control. Checking at launch sequence seems to be helpful to at least know it is working and we have brake lights when we leave the house.
We carry extra fuses just in case.

[Timon]

Originally Posted by Mike Bachman

Steve,

All the lights are working with the exception of the license plate and the running lights at the top rear. I undid the last big plug in the wiring harness at the rear and I have power there. That's where the blue and violet wires for the rear lights split off. I've ordered some more rubber grommets for the lights and will cut out the old ones so I can take the lights out and get to the wiring. I'm also going to replace the lower red set with LEDs while I'm at it. Do you know if the switch on the dash the blinks the rear top running lights (I can't remember what it's labeled) is fused and if so, where the fuse might be?? Thanks!!

It could also be a loose ground. Check the power at the lights in reference to a known good ground. You can also measure the ground pin to a good ground.

[Outdoor_Girl]

Just made a 3,000 mile trip in the RV with no chassis issues (don't get me started on the demons that have apparently possessed my leveling system, a new emergence of front quarterpanelitis, and the microwave dying) and today after letting it sit for a week it refuses to crank. I turn the key and all the dash lights flash and make a clicking noise (like a random clicking going with the flashing lights, not a dead battery type clicking) but it doesn't even attempt to turn over. The battery seems to have plenty of power and I also tried the auxiliary start with and without the generator running just in case and still I just get flashing dash lights. I replaced some fuses that looked ok but weren't lighting up my tester. I checked all the cables and connections I could see under the hood as well as behind the dash. The only fuses I didn't completely check were in the large fuse relay box as there are some large ones that my tester doesn't work on and some other large boxy types (like the one for cranking) that aren't a standard looking 12 volt fuse. Any suggestions on where I might look/what I might try before I have to have this thing towed? It's a 2008 3611 Workhorse 24 chassis with around 118,000 miles on it.

[focker]

Originally Posted by Outdoor_Girl

Just made a 3,000 mile trip in the RV with no chassis issues (don't get me started on the demons that have apparently possessed my leveling system, a new emergence of front quarterpanelitis, and the microwave dying) and today after letting it sit for a week it refuses to crank. I turn the key and all the dash lights flash and make a clicking noise (like a random clicking going with the flashing lights, not a dead battery type clicking) but it doesn't even attempt to turn over. The battery seems to have plenty of power and I also tried the auxiliary start with and without the generator running just in case and still I just get flashing dash lights

That sure sounds like a low battery to me. How did you test the battery to confirm it has a full charge and can handle a load?

[Outdoor_Girl]

Originally Posted by focker

That sure sounds like a low battery to me. How did you test the battery to confirm it has a full charge and can handle a load?

Honestly, I didn't. The last time I had the battery fully checked out was a year ago. I was trusting that the Auxiliary start was working and I got the same response even with the generator running to make sure there was plenty of power in the system. I suppose I could hook up the battery tender and let it charge for a while.