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03-22-2006, 05:01 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Chattanooga, TN
Posts: 207
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I need to weld a small bracket on one of the braces of my chassis but didnt know if I need to do something special before doing so. Like disconnecting the chassis battery or or house batteries etc?
Anyone have any tips for that?
Thanks
Don
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03-22-2006, 05:01 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Chattanooga, TN
Posts: 207
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I need to weld a small bracket on one of the braces of my chassis but didnt know if I need to do something special before doing so. Like disconnecting the chassis battery or or house batteries etc?
Anyone have any tips for that?
Thanks
Don
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03-22-2006, 05:28 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Indianapolis
Posts: 262
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You don't mention what kind of chassis you are welding. My workhorse chassis manual suggests that you should not weld anywhere on the chassis since it can somehow do bad things to the computer in the transmission. I don't know if disconnecting the battery will address that situation or not. Might want to check your manuals (chassis, transmission, etc.)
__________________
2014 Newmar DSDP 4018-450
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03-22-2006, 05:34 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Texas
Posts: 2,481
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Seems there used to be precaution about welding on car frames --- something about keeping an arch from traveling from the engine block (bearing cap) to the crankshaft and leaving a nasty burr . . . but I don't remember what needed to be done to prevent it. Had to be somehow properly grounded or something.
__________________
Warren and Debbie, Deep in The Heart of Texas
2018 Winnebago View 24D
2014 Tiffin Breeze 32BR, 2012 Winnebago Navion 24G, 2006 Winnebago View 23H
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03-23-2006, 02:39 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Chattanooga, TN
Posts: 207
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Sorry, it is a w22 workhorse chassis and I didnt even think about a tranny computer. I was worried about ECUs etc.
I better call workhorse
Don
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03-23-2006, 05:37 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Florida
Posts: 603
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My dealer had Camping World install the hard Rock shield on My RV -part of the purchase deal and CW used a torch, if I remember right.
__________________
04 SeaBreese LX 8341 / Workhorse W-22 / GM 8.1 / Allison 5 Speed / Brazel's ULTRAPOWER Upgrade/Taylor Extreme Service PlusCables/DIYCAI
06 Honda CRV4/SE/all wheel drive with Falcon II / Roadmaster 9000 Braking System 
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03-23-2006, 06:16 AM
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#7
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: West Palm Beach, FL. USA
Posts: 27,678
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Arc welding can conceivably damage any attached electronic part. There is ahuge surge through the entire frame when the arc is started or stopped (and probably while welding too). Disconnecting the battery cables, both hot and ground, helps, but I don't know if it is a guarantee. A torch is safer - heat should not an issue with the massive amount of steel involved (as long as you are not too close to the electronic unit).
__________________
Gary Brinck
Former owner of 2004 American Tradition and several other RVs
Home is West Palm Beach, FL
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03-23-2006, 05:55 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Chattanooga, TN
Posts: 207
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I called my local Workhorse service center and they advised that they weld on exhausts and frames all the time with no problems. They said to be safe disconnect the battery and to connect the ground as close as possible to the weld.
Don
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03-24-2006, 02:33 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: NE Ohio
Posts: 1,177
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I've been lurking watching replies...
I've heard the same things that rotts4u said above. Disconnect coach & chassis battery grounds, and keep the welder ground real close to the work. I also heard to disconnect the engine ECM (brain) and the Allison brain; -figured both plugs could be found under the doghouse cover.
__________________
Last Brave 2004 34D
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03-24-2006, 04:56 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Florida
Posts: 603
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I just removed the ECM and had it re-programed by Brazel's. I was able to remove the plugs by sliding the doghouse cover open about 12" and lying on top if it. There are two plugs in the ECM and one plug in the Allison brain. In my RV, the Allison is stacked on top of the ECM. I think I used a 7mm socket
__________________
04 SeaBreese LX 8341 / Workhorse W-22 / GM 8.1 / Allison 5 Speed / Brazel's ULTRAPOWER Upgrade/Taylor Extreme Service PlusCables/DIYCAI
06 Honda CRV4/SE/all wheel drive with Falcon II / Roadmaster 9000 Braking System
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03-24-2006, 05:57 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: NE Ohio
Posts: 1,177
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Good deal rogueii.
Keep us posted about the Ultrapower ECM program change and your impressions, pro or con.
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Last Brave 2004 34D
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04-09-2006, 06:49 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Thor Owners Club KZ RV Club
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Washington, Columbia River
Posts: 838
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It depends largely on where you are welding. They tell you to disconnect computers, batteries, etc because if someone hooked up the ground in the wrong place and it passes through a cable to get to where you are welding then YES you will do damage. You see people welding all the time on frames but people that know what they are doing connect the ground close to the spot or on the heavy structure directly involved to what they are welding with no problems. An example is you hook the ground up to a part of the engine like an easy bracket on the mount to the engine. Of course you intend to weld the frame just below that, they are close right? Point is here the motor mount has a rubber mount, so the ground goes through the same grounding cable from engine to frame that the computers are hooked up to. You just fried your computer.
You also have to be careful about amount of heat you are intending to use in how much weld you are laying down. You can change the strength of the frame indirectly by heat transfer. But if you are doing a small section with maybe at most two inch welds, you are not going to hurt anything, provided the ground is in the correct spot for the welding that you are doing. 
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04-12-2006, 11:09 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Mid Atlantic Campers
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: McVeytown, PA
Posts: 2,259
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You guyz make me nervous,  I just redid my exhaust system, all that welding 
__________________
Steve, Pat, Hakbar, & Root Motor
2007 National RV Pacifica 36'
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04-12-2006, 11:16 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Thor Owners Club KZ RV Club
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Washington, Columbia River
Posts: 838
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No reason to be nervous, you'll be fine.
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