Welcome to Travel Supreme Owners Forum

[dneeld52]

We just left Paul Conley's RV Shop in Wakarusa, IN . We left our 1996 Newmar Kountry Star which Paul had painted and maintained; and bought a 2003 Travel Supreme TS 42 DL, which Paul also maintained. We met the owners and had a great time getting to know them and their coach. Paul had recently done many upgrades to the inside of their coach, and it rides like a Caddy! Love it.
We had our Newmar for 13 years and hope to have this coach for even longer.
We look forward to using the forum as a fountainhead of knowledge on our new possession. I can only call the previous owner so many times!

Damian & Sally Neeld
Carmel, IN 46032

[Reodad]

Hi
I bought my 38' TS (38DSO4) in October and haven't spent one night in it yet, between dealer dragging his feet on repairs, working on repairs he did not fix and working overtime. But I think I am getting close. I need to replace the wet cell batteries for the house power and am anxious that I follow proper procedure in charging so as not to harm them. Is there a proper procedure (equalizing for a certain time, etc.) to follow? Thanks

[PeterFTH]

Originally Posted by Reodad

Hi
I bought my 38' TS (38DSO4) in October and haven't spent one night in it yet, between dealer dragging his feet on repairs, working on repairs he did not fix and working overtime. But I think I am getting close. I need to replace the wet cell batteries for the house power and am anxious that I follow proper procedure in charging so as not to harm them. Is there a proper procedure (equalizing for a certain time, etc.) to follow? Thanks

Battery charger/inverters are automatic but read the manual and make sure the various settings (wet cell/gel/agm) etc are set correctly. If you have the budget lose the wet cells and buy AGM, the equivalent of solid state in the battery world. No maintenance, excellent performance, a few dollars more. I gutted my entire battery compartment and put in 2 8D AGM Universal batteries, wired in parallel through a marine on/off switch and a high amperage fuse. Now everything is protected, the batteries can be selected 1/2/both/off without removing any cables, and maintenance is once in a while I blast a hose in there to clean the accumulated road dirt from the tops of the batteries. Married to solar panels on the roof makes for a great system giving you off grid capabilities. Charging is not an issue - your charger inverter will know what to do. If you do have a solar system installed, BE SURE TO TURN OFF THE SOLAR PANELS UNDERWAY. The alternator can burn out - I assumed each system would throttle back until the stator fried and I was out about $400. Good luck - T/S was a great manufacturer while they lasted. If you get a chance, find the chassis manufacturer and have them go over all the systems for peace of mind. Local mechanics can be fine, but there is nothing like having the people who made it go over it from time to time. Bring money.

[cwilson2018]

In 97 degree weather, should my RV a/c itself be cooling my fifth wheel to a comfortable 72? Because even with both my RV a/c AND a portable ac. My fifth wheel is at 80 degrees. Do I take to someone or what can I do to optimise?

[Divenbuddy]

Hi, the camper a/c the best it will do is about 20 degrees less than the ambient air out side as a rule.

[bamaboy473]

Originally Posted by cwilson2018

In 97 degree weather, should my RV a/c itself be cooling my fifth wheel to a comfortable 72? Because even with both my RV a/c AND a portable ac. My fifth wheel is at 80 degrees. Do I take to someone or what can I do to optimise?

What construction was used on your make/model has a TON to do with how efficient it's insulation properties will be. Less expensive models are cheaper because they save costs by reducing those factors.

If you're parked in full sun, then even the best units will have a hard time getting to 72. If your unit is on the long end of a 2-unit A/C system (meaning lots of SF, plus slide-outs that add to the number of cubic feet of air), then you have no chance of seeing that happening.

[Bodean56]

Originally Posted by rag_ftw

Hello to the TS forum! We just bought a '04 38DS04 in Bakersfield. We are on our way home to Fort Worth. I have been lurking around here and on the IRV2 forum trying to get an education. We have been Pace Arrow owners in the past and I must say ya'all are much more knowledgable and helpful! This is our first experience with a diesel so I have a lot to learn. I am sure you will get tired of my silly questions, but please be advised I plan to eventually become an asset rather than a liability to the forum.
bob g

We to just purchased our first Travel Supreme same exact year/size/model. Ironically we’re from Bakersfield, Ca but purchased ours in Chino Hills, Ca from a couple who took very good care of her. We’re about ready to embark on our first trip around the USA and can’t wait to do so. As a matter of fact we’re headed to Texas to meet up with our kids who live in Spring. Hope you enjoy your Envoy as much as we’re enjoying ours.

[rag_ftw]

Originally Posted by Bodean56

We to just purchased our first Travel Supreme same exact year/size/model. Ironically we’re from Bakersfield, Ca but purchased ours in Chino Hills, Ca from a couple who took very good care of her. We’re about ready to embark on our first trip around the USA and can’t wait to do so. As a matter of fact we’re headed to Texas to meet up with our kids who live in Spring. Hope you enjoy your Envoy as much as we’re enjoying ours.

As a matter of fact we are still very pleased with our coach. Five years, 43k miles, three trips to Alaska, and one trip across Route 66! It is still solid as a rock! Have we had to make repairs, certainly, have we made some modifications, you bet, have we seen a new coach that we would fit our needs any better, nope! ... (Although the Newmar New Aire 3341 sure looks nice!)

Put that baby on the road and enjoy living the dream!

[41 TS]

My wife and I are looking at the above unit, and thanks to everyone on the forum post that have discussed Paul Conley @ his new location in IN. I was able to speak with him on the windshield bracing issues, as well as some other noted discoveries. Great source of information! Obviously with the age of this coach with 53K miles, there are some needed repairs that need to be made. Tires all batteries belts hoses exhaust breaks,pinion seal, and an unknown issue with the right front axle assembly, possibly ball joints, not sure yet until i can get it on a lift. With that said does anyone have any recent estimate on cost , and i know the cost will vary from Spartan to other repair shop and location. Does anyone have an estimate of any of these repairs just trying to get a ball park estimate, for a fair offer. The vent assembly above the toilet is leaking, but floor is solid inside. I have owned several other RV's in the past, but first class A. I see a ton of potential in this unit to rehab it, but wanted to be honest with myself on the chassis repairs . The chassis is a Spartan 2000 K2. No need to address the top half if the bottom half is not maintained. Thoughts? Thanks ..New to posting here so any insight would be appreciated.

[Ronxyz]

Could anyone tell me the purpose of the vent located on the wall near the floor in the hallway. It has a snap on wooden vent cover that you can access the furnace/water heater area from above. It seems to let in a lot of cold air. Thanks 2006 envoy

[sailor_lou]

Originally Posted by Ronxyz

Could anyone tell me the purpose of the vent located on the wall near the floor in the hallway. It has a snap on wooden vent cover that you can access the furnace/water heater area from above. It seems to let in a lot of cold air. Thanks 2006 envoy

That vent is not really the access for the furnace or water heater; it is actually the air intake for the furnace. Access to these components is through a small door in the adjacent basement compartment or by lifting the outside panel.

[PeterFTH]

RV tire replacement has nothing to do with mileage - you'll not live long enough to wear out a set of tires. However, age and climatic conditions will play a major role. I just had to replace my two front tires which had a ton of tread and were wearing evenly because of the appearance of small cracks or checks on the sidewall. This is an indication of dry rot caused by UV exposure to the sun, and I put 303 UV protectant on the sidewalls 1-2x per month. Some people put covers on their tires. The sun is your biggest enemy. As for the fronts - there is no backup and a blowout can not only cause loss of control, but there will be extreme body damage on the side where the blowout occurred. In the back you have some redundancy, but I had my tires removed and inspected after 4 years of ownership just to be safe. Mileage means nothing - these are quarter million mile tires. Age and dryrot are the enemies.

[PeterFTH]

Each slide has a controller - on each controller is a small pot (potentiometer) which tells the motor when it has reached enough resistance to stop. Make a TINY clockwise adjusment on the pot and try the slide again. Do little incriments and you will find the spot where it is adjusted properly for getting the slide started. Beware turning it too far - you will end up blowing fuses when the slide comes to a rest withdrawn. This is the case with my '02 - you may have a different type of controller. Visit a trusted RV service center for help with this in that case.

[Ronxyz]

Originally Posted by sailor_lou

That vent is not really the access for the furnace or water heater; it is actually the air intake for the furnace. Access to these components is through a small door in the adjacent basement compartment or by lifting the outside panel.

Thanks.....how do you remove that outside panel....thanks