Any Monaco Vesta Owners Here?

[yaakbilly]

Originally Posted by Veparados

We empathize with your carrying spares for Death Wobble repair, yaakbilly. Our Death Wobble was cured with the replacement of our steering stabilizer. We now carry a new stabilizer with us.

What steering stabilizer cured your death wobble?

Our spare part inventory which is stored under the bed are
1 Old repainted mirrors with new cameras. The chrome peeled off the mirror arms and the camera lenses were badly marred. We bought new mirrors and had the old mirrors restored as spare parts
2 Complete windshield wiper mechanism - this is not a Vesta issue but our THOR wipers failed and could not be found on round trip from Texas to Maine in the worst east coast rain storm in decades so I vowed not to do without good wipers ever. we purchased the complete Vesta wiper assembly and stored the old ones.
3 Door lock- Ours failed during hurricane Harvey and caused us to travel locked in with our 70lb labradoodle. We managed to climb in and out with him when we could get close to a table but it was a challenge. It took months to get a new lock so we traveled with the door secured by bungee cords once we were released from door lock bandage. We will always have a back up door lock onhand. When our Vesta lock failed and the locksmith could not replace it we ordered 2 from RevRv parts.
4 in process - Monroe shocks will be stored there once we get the replacements.

Hopefully that is it for a while because space could become an issue.

[yaakbilly]

Originally Posted by CaptLou

Greetings, I see that you and JamesJDion live in the Boston/RI area, I live in Hudson, MA and have a 2012 HR Trip. I would love to meet up somewhere and compare models since they are so much alike. I like to see what modifications people have done to their coaches since I plan on removing the dinette and couch and replace them with a counter and recliners.

Lou

We live on the coast of Texas and do head for the East coast on occasion but our summer plans for this year will take us west. However, if your travels take you to the Texas coast please reach out to us.

[Veparados]

I found one on the shelf at a nearby Camping World and just kept the one ordered from etrailer.

https://www.etrailer.com/Anti-Sway-B...RBK6-RSSA.html

[mtnbrit]

Does anyone have any tips for quieting down things in the coach while driving? We were on the 210 fwy near LA yesterday, its concrete slabs but terribly uneven and the ride was pretty bone-jarring!

First thing was we needed to find what all the noises were in the coach. The gas stove top rattles like crazy, so we will be looking at that, checking the little rubber mounts etc. Obviously the doors and cabinets need to be secured, and items in drawers wrapped in a tea towel for example.

Anyone have any other hot tips for dampening the cabin sounds while driving?

My other thought and comments from the co-pilot were that an air ride chassis should be a lot smoother than this. Could it be my tires that are at around 115 cold, and go up to about 125 when hot according to the TPMS, could be causing a rough ride? Any way to check the air ride suspension is in the right mode or set correctly for driving? This coach has the REK fitted apparently. It has Bilstein shocks.

Thanks for any tips or shared experiences.

[dpj1959]

Originally Posted by Gypsy Couple

Hi David,

I recently replaced the Vesta Norcold refrigerator to an all electric 120V Magic Chef. I happen to have the old entire fridge sitting in my garage now that the trash company is scheduled to pick up on the 14th. I replaced this fridge about three years ago with a similar model then the original model (no ice maker). I opted for the black slide in inset panel door option ant personally think it looks better then the SS but it’s just preference. You could absolutely cut SS panels to slide into the fridge doors. Let me know if you want the doors then I will remove them along with the hinges for you. I’m here in southern California. I was thinking about posting some pictures of the new fridge but hadn’t gotten around to it yet. I’m testing the new fridge out now to see how long it can stay running just off my solar / battery / inverter setup and so far it seems like it can run almost indefinitely with full sun, it’s been about 2 weeks and everything is working great but it’s been sunny almost every day. I’m running about 700 watts solar on roof with extra added batteries to the original setup and upgraded inverter. Wife loves the extra room the new fridge has and it barely uses any power. Installation was quick and fit pretty good with little modifications needed. Fridge was up to temperature in about an hour after turning it on so that was really nice not having to wait an entire day to start loading food into it. I’m really happy that I switched and wish I did it the first time i replaced the fridge a few years ago.

How much for the fridge doors shipped to me in Conway AR. I can take both of them so I have a matching pair and would be very grateful. Let me know the cost and how I can get you paid

You can call me at 757-237-4901 or email at dpj1959@outlook.com

Again thanks for the offer and I am going to do the temp fix to buy some time.

Also interested on the mechanics of your solar package. We have gone back and forth about it and are convinced we need it when we head out west to BLM land

David & Peg

[dpj1959]

Originally Posted by JamesJDion

The fake chrome on the front of our coach is loosing it’s shine in places and turning black.
Has anyone else run into this problem? Any suggestions.

We are in the same boat with the chevrons. Also the protective film on the base color.

[dpj1959]

Originally Posted by Gypsy Couple

We did things a little different keeping things more to the original style. Added a fireplace under the TV and removed the couch and moved the dining table back to allow for the sectional couch that was custom made from Villa using the same fabric as the original seating. Worked out great, watching TV is how it should be facing it with the ambience of the fireplace.

Where did you get the couch. We love that layout and think getting the dining table moved will allow better access to the fridge

TIA

David & Peg

[CaptLou]

Originally Posted by mtnbrit

Does anyone have any tips for quieting down things in the coach while driving? We were on the 210 fwy near LA yesterday, its concrete slabs but terribly uneven and the ride was pretty bone-jarring!

First thing was we needed to find what all the noises were in the coach. The gas stove top rattles like crazy, so we will be looking at that, checking the little rubber mounts etc. Obviously the doors and cabinets need to be secured, and items in drawers wrapped in a tea towel for example.

Anyone have any other hot tips for dampening the cabin sounds while driving?

My other thought and comments from the co-pilot were that an air ride chassis should be a lot smoother than this. Could it be my tires that are at around 115 cold, and go up to about 125 when hot according to the TPMS, could be causing a rough ride? Any way to check the air ride suspension is in the right mode or set correctly for driving? This coach has the REK fitted apparently. It has Bilstein shocks.

Thanks for any tips or shared experiences.

I also found that the majority of the noise inside the coach while driving came from the stove, my solution was to put a couple of dish towels on top of the rack and then close the cover making sure that the cover compressed the tools agains the racks. The second noise maker I discovered was my screen door rattling as I drove, especially the sliding cover. I just used tape to hold the slider in place.

I'd be interested in the fix for a smoother ride, I find I have the same concern.

Lou

[Gypsy Couple]

Originally Posted by mtnbrit

Does anyone have any tips for quieting down things in the coach while driving? We were on the 210 fwy near LA yesterday, its concrete slabs but terribly uneven and the ride was pretty bone-jarring!

First thing was we needed to find what all the noises were in the coach. The gas stove top rattles like crazy, so we will be looking at that, checking the little rubber mounts etc. Obviously the doors and cabinets need to be secured, and items in drawers wrapped in a tea towel for example.

Anyone have any other hot tips for dampening the cabin sounds while driving?

My other thought and comments from the co-pilot were that an air ride chassis should be a lot smoother than this. Could it be my tires that are at around 115 cold, and go up to about 125 when hot according to the TPMS, could be causing a rough ride? Any way to check the air ride suspension is in the right mode or set correctly for driving? This coach has the REK fitted apparently. It has Bilstein shocks.

Thanks for any tips or shared experiences.

I see your in Temecula, we are almost neighbors, I’m in Murrieta.
As for the gray rubber bumpers, those are hard to find. We usually remove the grills when traveling. That is my only source of noise. As for the ride, the Vesta is known for a stiff ride but I wouldn’t mess with the tire pressure or you might get the death wobble over time with low pressure.

[Gypsy Couple]

Villa international RV furniture. They are the original manufacture of the Vesta furniture and have rolls of the exact fabric. I had the piece custom made and it was pretty expensive but I feel it was worth it because the furniture layout in the original Vesta felt more like an older class c RV instead of a higher quality class a.

[mtnbrit]

Thanks for the tips on noises. We silenced the stove and are still looking for some squeaks, will definitely check the screen door slider, thanks for that! The frame of the screen on the window behind the kitchen sink was also buzzing, so I inserted a double-sided tape pad in there.

I guess it was an especially bad bit of road the other day. We rode up CA101 to Monterey Peninsula today, lovely smooth ride actually. Im also getting a handle on the fuel consumption. I had done some napkin calcs and was horrified to find I was only getting about 8-9mpg. But I think the fuel tank gauge is not very linear, so my estimates of remaining fuel were way off. I reset the dash fuel economy thing, and was pleased to see im getting nearer 12mpg over the last 150 miles, even while towing our 2000lb Samurai. I set the cruise at around 58mph given the 55 limit for all towing vehicles. So this also helps the MPG quite a bit. Pretty happy with 12mpg. 55mph also keeps the front cabin quieter and allows more civilized conversation with co-pilot. All good learning experiences.

@Gypsy Couple, nice to meet a near-neighbor Vesta owner! Do you have a preferred truck and/or RV service place in the area?

[Gypsy Couple]

Originally Posted by mtnbrit

Thanks for the tips on noises. We silenced the stove and are still looking for some squeaks, will definitely check the screen door slider, thanks for that! The frame of the screen on the window behind the kitchen sink was also buzzing, so I inserted a double-sided tape pad in there.

I guess it was an especially bad bit of road the other day. We rode up CA101 to Monterey Peninsula today, lovely smooth ride actually. Im also getting a handle on the fuel consumption. I had done some napkin calcs and was horrified to find I was only getting about 8-9mpg. But I think the fuel tank gauge is not very linear, so my estimates of remaining fuel were way off. I reset the dash fuel economy thing, and was pleased to see im getting nearer 12mpg over the last 150 miles, even while towing our 2000lb Samurai. I set the cruise at around 58mph given the 55 limit for all towing vehicles. So this also helps the MPG quite a bit. Pretty happy with 12mpg. 55mph also keeps the front cabin quieter and allows more civilized conversation with co-pilot. All good learning experiences.

@Gypsy Couple, nice to meet a near-neighbor Vesta owner! Do you have a preferred truck and/or RV service place in the area?

No I don’t have a service place to take it to. Usually my repairs happen out of state while driving lol. I have heard good things about Colton truck terminal garage. I order the fuel filter and oil filter and I carry those parts with me so when it’s time for an oil change I can use any heavy truck quick oil change service provider. They never have the oil filter and when they are doing the oil change I will do the fuel filter every other oil change.
Are you still in Monterey? I’m passing through that part of town today, maybe see you on the road.

You have the right idea for the gas mileage, speed is the gas guzzling factor so you are right in the sweet spot at 58.

For the screen door rattling I use a nifty little device that’s spring loaded to keep the plastic slider shut on the screen door and that helps with the rattling. Pic attached R.V. Bug Stop

[dpj1959]

Originally Posted by Gypsy Couple

No I don’t have a service place to take it to. Usually my repairs happen out of state while driving lol. I have heard good things about Colton truck terminal garage. I order the fuel filter and oil filter and I carry those parts with me so when it’s time for an oil change I can use any heavy truck quick oil change service provider. They never have the oil filter and when they are doing the oil change I will do the fuel filter every other oil change.
Are you still in Monterey? I’m passing through that part of town today, maybe see you on the road.

You have the right idea for the gas mileage, speed is the gas guzzling factor so you are right in the sweet spot at 58.

For the screen door rattling I use a nifty little device that’s spring loaded to keep the plastic slider shut on the screen door and that helps with the rattling. Pic attached R.V. Bug Stop

I also keep a full round of filters, hoses, and belts with us on the coach. Not looking to wait for 3 days on parts I can have readily available if needed. We found Southwest IH in McKinney TX to be very good

Did you scrap the fridge?

David & Peg

[Gypsy Couple]

Originally Posted by dpj1959

I also keep a full round of filters, hoses, and belts with us on the coach. Not looking to wait for 3 days on parts I can have readily available if needed. We found Southwest IH in McKinney TX to be very good

Did you scrap the fridge?

David & Peg

Hey dpj1959, I still have the fridge but I’m on a road trip till next week. Sitting creek side in lake Shasta heading to Oregon. Should be back home next week.