Hey everybody!
My name is Alex, and my wife Emily and I recently purchased a 2003 Fleetwood Tioga 31W Class C on the E450 chassis.
Last summer we took our first trip in it from near Salt Lake City, Utah to Collinsville, Illinois. It was awesome!
We quickly found that the thing is immensely susceptible to even the slightest cross-winds, and is a bit more of a challenge to drive than we preferred.
This past week I ordered the following:
- Bilstein HD shocks front/rear (backordered
)
- Hellwig sway bars front/rear
- Safe-T-Plus steering stabilizer
I'm looking forward to getting those in the mail, getting them installed, and getting an alignment to see how she performs after that.
While we were staying in the RV in Illinois we found that we really do not like the short plastic Thetford toilet, and every time the A/C kicked on it would pull a urine smell into the cabin.
I have replaced the roof vent cap, ensured the vent pipe is clear, and ordered a new Dometic 310 that I'll install soon and seal the base to see if that eliminates the issue.
When we first got the RV we immediately started replacing all the gold hardware with satin nickel, and now the only gold remaining is the shower door, and light fixtures. I'd like to replace both, but haven't found any replacements I like yet.
The bathroom vent and sink were replaced because they were overly yellowed. Unfortunately, the shower surround is in the same shape, and I'm not sure if the surround is a readily available replaceable item.
I also installed a hard-wired 30A SurgeGuard after a bad experience with shore power on an old toy hauler we used to have.
I just recently finished trenching and running conduit, as well as #6 THHN wire for a 50/30/20 amp surface mount box at our home. This is the model at Amazon, with the first reviewer showing a picture of the inside:
http://www.amazon.com/Siemens-TL137U...n+50%2F30%2F20
Here it is all said and done (new construction next door, don't mind the dirt and dumpster ;-)
This past weekend, we were driving the RV from our old home to our new home, when we experienced a fairly serious blowout of the passenger inner dual tire. So now, on top of all these expensive purchases I've JUST made, I now need tires too.
Lesson learned: I looked and inspected the 4 outer tires very closely which were all in great shape. I made the (incorrect) assumption that the inner tires matched. Nope. The inner tires must be originals, as their DOT manufacture date stamp indicates they were manufactured in 2002!!! No wonder it blew out, and boy do I feel stupid!
The blowout separated the tire and demolished the storage bay behind the wheel.
Here is the damage:
Here is the tire:
With a little patience (and a big freaking hammer) I was able to remove the entire bay, and hammer it all back out, then re-assemble the bay, and re-insert it into the RV:
Now I just need a small piece of matching carpet and you'd never know it happened!
Any suggestions on tires?
On my garage floor right now I've got new brake pads front and rear, oil for the motor and generator, grease for the wheel bearings, and a bottle of soap and a can of wax/polish all just waiting for more time.
I can't stop sinking money into this thing, but I imagine it'll be sweet when I'm done!
Thanks for the great site, and I look forward to chatting with you guys!
-Alex
Linear Mode
