What did you do to your old RV today?

[BJohnsonsv]

Originally Posted by filethis2

Such awesome work!
What did you use when you put the exhaust port on between the back and the outside of the rig? I need to put mine back on after taking it off to clean it out and fix the rusting. Butyl tape or I was wondering if a gasket material would work?

My inside flange is new because the heater is new, so it came with a 1/8" thick high-temp gasket. I'd just use high-temp gasket material there if I were you - try to find thick stuff at an auto parts store. Because my exhaust port didn't look like it would seal against the coach body, I actually used high temp gasket material on the outside for the water seal in addition to the inside one. I had to grind down two rivets to be sure of the seal in my case (pretty nerve-wracking on fresh paint).

[BJohnsonsv]

Originally Posted by Electra 225

Very trick! Good innovative thinking...that's fun isn't it?

W.D.

Thanks! Yeah...only when it works!

[Radacravitz]

i had to do a double, er, triple take on the tank / slider installation ... very cool, nice job.

[Radacravitz]

Originally Posted by Radacravitz

took it out for a 60 mile lap and when I returned home I spent time on an erratic gauge issue it's having. based on what the Monaco owners folks are saying it's a ground issue behind the dash so I'm in there tomorrow.

it's always something ...

boy, what a rats nest of wires it is behind the dash, made a bit more complex, i suspect, by the PO having wired 3 separate speaker zones throughout the coach.

i hope to find the guilty wire / connection sooner rather than later but having read several threads from **years** ago, a number of other monaco owners experienced the same erratic gauge when headlights / dimmer switch activated / adjusted. there seem to be some that were resolved with switch replacement and some were grounding issues.

the ground issue voices from current, experienced monaco owners, has me focused on checking gauge ground wire chaining and if that doesn't clear things up i'll likely try replacing the light switch.

sigh.

is it nap time yet?

[Curtis in TX]

Originally Posted by Radacravitz

boy, what a rats nest of wires it is behind the dash, made a bit more complex, i suspect, by the PO having wired 3 separate speaker zones throughout the coach.

i hope to find the guilty wire / connection sooner rather than later but having read several threads from **years** ago, a number of other monaco owners experienced the same erratic gauge when headlights / dimmer switch activated / adjusted. there seem to be some that were resolved with switch replacement and some were grounding issues.

the ground issue voices from current, experienced monaco owners, has me focused on checking gauge ground wire chaining and if that doesn't clear things up i'll likely try replacing the light switch.

sigh.

is it nap time yet?

If you suspect a ground issue just add another to the instrument cluster and check to see if it fixes your gauge issue. If it does leave it and button it up.
All grounds go to the same place. The frame and back to the battery. You can always add more!

If not then you have other issues.

[Radacravitz]

thx for your suggestion, Curtis, much appreciated. I could find no loose or corroded grounding connections in the dash / gauges so replaced the headlight switch ... no change.

I'll add / modify ground wires this morning.

thx again.

[BJohnsonsv]

Today's 2 hours before work entailed wiring up and installing my 50A supply receptacle and hardwired surge protection / Electronic Management System (EMS).

Parts:

From Amazon:
6-3 wire for 50A from Cerrowire
50A Receptacle from Alliance Controls

From Best Converter:
50A Progressive Industries EMS

It's a bit of a bear wrestling the stiff 6 gauge wiring into both the receptacle and the EMS box, but otherwise pretty straightforward. Nice to have this behind me.

[D Gardiner]

Just replaced our front coil springs, P30 (P31832) chassis, to correct the inadequate ride height, and suspension travel. The front end had drooped over 2" inches at the wheels, and the license plate was just 10 inches from the ground.

Before replacing the springs we had just a 1 1/4" of suspension travel, before bottoming out. Measured from the top of the lower bump stop rubber, and the upper cross member stop.
After getting the coach weighed, and speaking with Super Steer, 4,800 lbs. coils were ordered.

The coach now has a 2 1/2" of suspension travel, before bottoming out. The noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) is lower, and the coach does not bottom out after cresting the bigger bumps/waves in the road.

The hardest part, of the job, was popping the lower ball joint from the spindle, and clocking the new springs to the spring perches. I replaced the broken sway bar bushings as well.

The coach sits level, and now has better ground clearance, making the next oil change much easier.

[Bahamaniac]

Continued my restriping project. With painting the old stripes it takes 15 years off the look of the coach.

[mbridinger]

Originally Posted by D Gardiner

Just replaced our front coil springs, P30 (P31832) chassis, to correct the inadequate ride height, and suspension travel. The front end had drooped over 2" inches at the wheels, and the license plate was just 10 inches from the ground.

Before replacing the springs we had just a 1 1/4" of suspension travel, before bottoming out. Measured from the top of the lower bump stop rubber, and the upper cross member stop.
After getting the coach weighed, and speaking with Super Steer, 4,800 lbs. coils were ordered.

The coach now has a 2 1/2" of suspension travel, before bottoming out. The noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) is lower, and the coach does not bottom out after cresting the bigger bumps/waves in the road.

The hardest part, of the job, was popping the lower ball joint from the spindle, and clocking the new springs to the spring perches. I replaced the broken sway bar bushings as well.

The coach sits level, and now has better ground clearance, making the next oil change much easier.

No air bags?

[Radacravitz]

Originally Posted by Curtis in TX

If you suspect a ground issue just add another to the instrument cluster and check to see if it fixes your gauge issue. If it does leave it and button it up.

All grounds go to the same place. The frame and back to the battery. You can always add more!



If not then you have other issues.

boy howdy ... i spent a couple of hours in the dash yesterday, but to be candid, i need to be more methodical in my work from beginning to end. i did determine the affected gauges each have a good ground. company visiting today so not much will get done by me.

i’ve asked my bride to pick out some nice veneer to refresh the dash as the longtime previous owner left it in working but very damaged condition.

[Curtis in TX]

Originally Posted by Bahamaniac

Continued my restriping project. With painting the old stripes it takes 15 years off the look of the coach.

Oh this I'm going to need to do real soon. Been kicking around just doing a wrap on the entire coach.
My Big Bill has a 1 inch wide pink tape front to back in amongst the painted stripes and is chipped and pealing off in the most noticeable places.


But, I should just strip that pink tape off and replace it with orange! My favorite color.

[All_talk]

Originally Posted by D Gardiner

Just replaced our front coil springs, P30 (P31832) chassis, to correct the inadequate ride height, and suspension travel. The front end had drooped over 2" inches at the wheels, and the license plate was just 10 inches from the ground.

Before replacing the springs we had just a 1 1/4" of suspension travel, before bottoming out. Measured from the top of the lower bump stop rubber, and the upper cross member stop.
After getting the coach weighed, and speaking with Super Steer, 4,800 lbs. coils were ordered.

The coach now has a 2 1/2" of suspension travel, before bottoming out. The noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) is lower, and the coach does not bottom out after cresting the bigger bumps/waves in the road.

The hardest part, of the job, was popping the lower ball joint from the spindle, and clocking the new springs to the spring perches. I replaced the broken sway bar bushings as well.

The coach sits level, and now has better ground clearance, making the next oil change much easier.

Nice work on the suspension upgrade, I'm sure the ride and control will be much improved.

Gary

[D Gardiner]

Originally Posted by mbridinger

No air bags?

Correct. Did not reinstall the front air bags.

Why?

After getting the front corner (2,260 lbs. LF & 2,480 lbs. RF) and front axle total weights (4,740 lbs.) and speaking with Super Steer they recommended 4,800 pound springs.
Note: Stock springs were 4,300 lbs. with the air bags at 80 psi.

The front to back rake is now 3/4" to 1".

Keeping the air bags, as they were just installed 2 months ago, in hopes of fixing the front end droop.