Community Forums

bamacdonald · 09-12-2014, 12:45 PM

I am an RV newbie, so looking for some help. We recently bought a 2006 Monaco Cayman XL and love the rig so far.
I am a bit concerned about what appears to be fine black dust deposits on various surfaces within the bedroom area. Is there some kind of seal under the bed that is possibly letting in this material or is this just normal for a rear engine vehicle?

Also, what is the normal life expectancy on front shocks and airbags? On a recent trip we bottommed out a couple of times going over fairly significant bumps at about 60 MPH on highway 5 in California. Mileage is at 58K, is this normal or should I look at replacing the front shocks?

wb7auk · 09-12-2014, 01:14 PM

You have a exhaust leak some where from the engine to the end of the tail pipe and needs looked after ASAP.

DieselTech39 · 09-12-2014, 01:26 PM

Glad you're aboard. If there is Soot in the bedroom area you may have an exhaust leak. I would check to see if there is soot tracing outside the interior of the coach. As for the bottoming out, it could be shocks, but I would urge you to get the rig weighed in full dress for travel to see if you are overloaded on the front axle. If not then check all suspension components and repair as necessary. A reliable spring shop can help you with that determination. JMHO. Best of luck in a resolve for your issues. Enjoy your adventures and be safe.

Nana25K · 09-12-2014, 06:03 PM

Agree about the exhaust leak. Ours was clean as a whistle around the bed( we have no slide back there so its open the bed and there's the engine/tranny). When we loist a clamp and blew the turbo boot loose we "acquired" some black stain on the carpet covering the bed pedastal.

Papa_Jim · 09-12-2014, 07:09 PM

We used to have the black carbon soot seeping into the bedroom, and sometimes we could smell the diesel exhaust in the bedroom. Finally I discovered a seam in the back wall behind the mattress that had not been caulked properly at the factory. With the rear engine door open, I could pull the caulking off the seam, then slip a knife blade straight into the bedroom. I re-caulked that seam, and have not had any more soot or odor in the bedroom.

Jim

rmcb · 09-12-2014, 07:47 PM

Bamacdonald,
You traveled on what may be the worst interstate highway in the US. Our coach bounced like a rubber ball when we hit the overpasses. You might check out the threads on this forum: "Steering Box Play - Sheppard M100 Shim or Swap for TRW?" and "Wandering, Sway Bars, Alignment, Ride Height, Oh My!". Both might be interesting to you as you evaluate the handling of your new coach.
All the best,

bluepill · 09-12-2014, 07:54 PM

A good way to look for any failed sealing is to use a 500 watt quartz work light at night. With one person moving it around under the vehicle and one person in the bedroom to watch for any signs of light. Then reverse with the light inside.

Dynasty_09 · 09-12-2014, 09:39 PM

Cannot talk about your soot but your shocks are gone! The originals are useless at best!

Try a set of bilstein. Also make sure your rear arms have been replaced ( you're driving the rr4r chassis which is known for braking the resr arms).

Do a search on source engineering for more infos!

Safe travel!

Nana25K · 09-13-2014, 06:14 AM

Its imperative that you get your rig weighed on all wheels. Ours banged, bounced etc. Then after weighing we discovered that while our weights were great our tire psi was way off. Once we adjusted that our coach rides like a dream.

bamacdonald · 09-13-2014, 06:19 AM

Thanks to all of you for your responses to my questions, very good input!

Pusherpilot · 09-13-2014, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmcb

Bamacdonald,
You traveled on what may be the worst interstate highway in the US. Our coach bounced like a rubber ball when we hit the overpasses. You might check out the threads on this forum: "Steering Box Play - Sheppard M100 Shim or Swap for TRW?" and "Wandering, Sway Bars, Alignment, Ride Height, Oh My!". Both might be interesting to you as you evaluate the handling of your new coach.
All the best,

I drive 5 at least once a year going north. The trick is to get out of the right lane to go under the bridges. They have repaired almost all the roadway except the areas under the bridges for some reason. I now change to the right lane to go under them unless traffic doesn't allow it. The same goes for most of I40 from Barstow to Okie city, I drive the left lane till I get traffic then move over, really saves the suspension, OBTW, I've never been warned or stopped for doing that.
Ron