Question - Help Please

[cbialeckisr]

I have a 2008 Coachman class C motorhome with a E450 chassis. I am just learning the trials and tribulations of this type of travel. So far I'm liking it alot. The question I have is, the engine compartment seems to be getting extremely hot, with the passenger front blowing hot air into the cab. The engine temperature gauge doesn't reflect the engine to be overheating. I had the blower off, the tempeture setting to cold, and the heat/air conditioner off. So, is this normal?

[TXiceman]

We had a 1999 with the same chassis and it had the same problem. The problem is Ford does not insulate the cab or fire wall and neither does the coach manufacturer.

The best solution is to remove the engine cover and also pull the seats out. Pull all of the carpet out...it is probably glued to the floor and has ZERO insulation.

Go to J.C. Whitney and order the 3/8" thick aluminum backed fiber insulation kit with the spray adhesive and foil tape. DO NOT bother with the foil bubble wrap stuff sold by Camping World.

After the seats are out and the carpet is out, cut the insulation to fit, leaving about 3/4" around the edges to get the engine cover and door sill plates back in place. Use the spray adhesive to hold it in place and refit the carpet and seats.

For the engine cover, cut and fit the insulation on the engine side with the foil side out. Seal the edges and seams with the foil tape. Now with the remaining insulation, cut and fit where you can reach under the dash against the firewall.

It took me about 5 hours to do ours. The insulation also helps as a sound deadener. I ordered some extra insulation and lined the generator compartment and helped to deaden the sound from the generator.

Ours was so hot it would melt things left on the cab floor and my wife could not put her leg against the engine cover. After this modification, the cab was much cooler and the dash air would actually cool the front of the coach.

As for the A/C ducts blowing hot when not on heat, you have a damper door not closing properly in the dash or the heater water valve is not shutting off. The easy fix for the water valve is to buy a water ball valve, two pipe nipples and two hose clamps. Cut into the hose that feeds the heater core, install the valve and close it during summer travel and open it for winter travel.

Best of luck with the mods.

Ken

[Izzyblueye]

TXman just gave you a boat load of very good advice. I have a E450 of a later model year and do not have this problem. I am wondering if Ford made some changes.

[InPursuit]

I managed to fit some 3/4" material inside the engine cover of my A.

[W4MBG]

i pulled the doghouse out the other day for the first time. the inside was covered with foil-backed insulation. dont know if it was ford or owner-installed. didnt see any heat deflectors for the headers. we have not driven it very far yet, so time will tell if its too hot in the cab.

[TXiceman]

Another problem is that on the V-10, the manifolds are very close to the floor pan at the rear of the engine. After I added the insulation, we put on the Banks Power Pak headers. They move the heat away from the floor area much better. You can also have the headers sprayed with a ceramic heat barrier to help.

Some of the coach manufacturers add some insulation, some do not.

The engine cover on out 1999 had a thin sheet metal heat barrier about 3/8" from the housing and no insulation. I applied the insulation over the barrier and sealed the edges with the foil tape.

Before I added the insulation to ours, my wife could not heave her purse setting on the cab floor, it would melt her lip stick. Plus it was just plain miserable to drive due to the heat in Texas.

Winnebago said it was up to Ford to properly insulate the cab and Ford said it was Winnebago's problem....it became my problem.

Ken