Quick Tips and Easy Mods (Monaco Style)

[Robin_M]

I've only owned my Monaco Diplomat a few months, but I've done a few things to it already...

Any Monaco Coach that comes with the Intellitec EMS, rather than the full Aladdin system, needs to have additional shore power protection added. My choice was the HW 50C from Progressive Industries. (See box below the transfer switch.)


Another essential addition is a provision for some way to keep your chassis batteries charged while parked and plugged in. The Xantrex Echo~Charge is the best option I found for that task.


A Garmin StreetPilot 7200 GPS makes a great addition to the cockpit area. I used these Ram Mounts parts for mounting, rather than the Garmin mount. It plays XM Radio, MP3 music, and Audible Books through the coaches home theater system.


Other minor enhancements have been...

The Pressure Pro Tire Monitoring System
The PowerPulse Battery Maintenance System
Upgraded pilot and co-pilot seats
SureStep Treads and Light Bars
Air Hose Storage in Generator Bay
Turned power cord reel around so cord doesn't bind
Added secondary monitor to veiw Aladdin data

For more information on any of these items with additional links, click here.

[MonacoMama]

Hey Rob...
I love your air hose storage solution!

[ronboc]

Hey Rob -

Nice, very nice. Great job on the website stuff too. Oh, and thanks for the pics of the storage bays. Mine are so full now, I don't remember what they looked like empty!

I, too, like the airhose storage idea. I have the coily kind of hose now, and it lies in wait to jump out like a mean snake every time I open its storage compartment.

The HW50C has saved my bacon (and the electronics, too) more than once from lo-voltage supply. Your install could be a picture from mine, even to the location of the remote-display

Do you typically pull the toad? I had to add an additional antenna with the PressurePro to get it to read the toad rear-tires.

I also noticed your cord-reel is set up like mine was originally. When retracting, I had to feed the cable in manually so it wouldn't bunch-up and bind (it also feeds out over the hot exhaust-pipe). I talked to the folks at TDI Products, and they said the reel was reversed, ie the cable should be coming in OVER the reel and then coiling rather than in and under the reel. There's no easy way to reverse the motor direction, so they suggested I simply remove the reel and turn it around. After some fussing with it, I finally got it to go like I wanted. Works a whole lot better.

Thanks again for the pics!

[Robin_M]

Originally posted by ronboc:
Do you typically pull the toad? I had to add an additional antenna with the PressurePro to get it to read the toad rear-tires.

Hi Ron,

Yeah, I've tried it both ways, but I found that pulling the toad generally does work better than pushing it.

I didn't put sensors on the toad tires. Thought I'd save some money. Then I read your recent post about what can happen if a toad tire goes flat on a trip. Guess I need to spend more money. Others have told me that the monitor location I chose, next to the side window, allows them to read the toad without the aux. antenna. Guess I'll find out.

I also noticed your cord-reel is set up like mine was originally. When retracting, I had to feed the cable in manually so it wouldn't bunch-up and bind (it also feeds out over the hot exhaust-pipe). I talked to the folks at TDI Products, and they said the reel was reversed, ie the cable should be coming in OVER the reel and then coiling rather than in and under the reel. There's no easy way to reverse the motor direction, so they suggested I simply remove the reel and turn it around. After some fussing with it, I finally got it to go like I wanted. Works a whole lot better.

Ron, I'd love to do that. Was it difficult to get the reel separted from the rest of the frame? Did you have to make any alterations, or did it just go right back in the other way? ...on second thought, maybe what you did was remove the whole assemply from the compartment floor and turn the whole thing around? Can you please give me more details?

(Oh, and thanks for the tag line. )

[ronboc]

"... pushing the toad..." Guess I left myself open for that one.

Your location does seem to be a good one as far as picking up the PressurePro signal(s).

Personally, I think it's more important to have sensors on the toad-tires than on the coach tires. I'd like to think I could recognize a difference in coach tire-pressure before something bad happens, but don't believe I'd ever know a toad tire had problems til I saw sparks from dragging it along on the frame.

Coach-reel:
Removing it from its base and turning it around was easy, mounting-holes worked either way. Problems arose when the pigtail was now about 2" too short (ain't that always the way?) to go back in the transfer-switch. I didn't want to put in an short jumper/extension (that's some big-heavy current wire there!), so I got another reel from TDI with longer pigtail and installed it in its place. Hopefully your installation leaves that extra itty-bit, your picture seems to indicate it might. In hindsight, I suppose I coulda moved the transfer-switch 2" closer to the reel pigtail, there was plenty of extra cable slack on its output side.

Thanks!
Ron

[Robin_M]

Originally posted by ronboc:
Hopefully your installation leaves that extra itty-bit, your picture seems to indicate it might.

Ron,

When i installed the HW50C, I didn't cut the pigtail - just looped it around. So maybe it'll work for me. I'll give it a try.

Thanks.

[yudamann]

Originally posted by Diplomat Don:
Some things I did:

* I added a manual automatically retracting water hose reel to my coach. I plumbed the water line into the utility bay with PVC and put an on/off valve (similar to the lever type for the fill/city water valve) just before a built in regulator. I added a 3' water hose to the regulator and put a brass quick connect on the other end. I put a brass quick connect on the coach water fill and one on the tank flush. Now when I connect to the campsite spigot I leave the on/off valve I installed off and turn the campsite spigot on. Back at the utility bay I disconnect the short hose from the city water fill and turn the valve on. It allows me to flush the line. I turn the valve off, connect the hose and turn on again. No runnng back and forth to the spigot. When I'm ready to dump, I turn the water valve off, disconnect city water connection and move the hose to the tank flush quick connect. Turn the valve on and flush tank (back flow valve protects water). This all makes dealing with water connections simple. The biggest thing here s to add quick connects to all of the hoses to make life easier.

* I hated how close the throttle is to the brake pedal and that they are both at the same level. I often found myself looking down to make sure I didn't have my foot on the corner of the brake pedal. I added a spacer/block to the wooden center console directly across from the throttle pedal. Now when I move my foot from the brake to the throttle I keep sliding my foot to the right until I hit the metal plate. My foot is now centered on the throttle and not catching the corner of the brake.

* I added back-uplights under the rear bumper and wired them to the docking lights.

* Changed out the headlight high and low beam bulbs to all high beam bulbs using Sylvania Silver Star

* Rplaced the stock fog lights with Hella FF lights

* Removed the screw holding the fuel filler bay doors closed and added latches. Now have access to storage above fueltank

* Removed floor in washer dryer closet and added hinge to access unused storage area.

* Added Thinlite two bulb outdoor patio light just under awning and above efrigerator access. Powered by 12v refrigerator connection. Great for lighting patio area.

* Added "Flag Pole Buddy" flag holder brackets to rear ladder to fly flag. Added a clip to the corded engine light in the engine compartment. When flag is being used I clip engine light to flagpole and illuminate flag at night.

* Added 32" Sony LCD to overhead cabinet without modifying wood....looks factory.....lightened cabinet and reduced bounce.

* Replaced front shocks with Koni's and eliminated jarring from road ruts.

* Added wireless transmitter to rear TV and front DirecTV box so DirecTV could be changed from bedroom.

* Added (plug-in) 110V switch to microwave plug so that it could be turned off when dry camping with inverter. Just flip paddle switch instead of trying to unplug.

* Changed all of the rocker switches on the dash to the new style so they're easier to read, exhaust brake switch to red.

* Added a plastic storage box to the dead area just above the nose of the generator, directly behind the generator door.

* Moved the chrome exhaust tip hose clamp around so the screw portion is out of view....cleaner look.

* Added the quick flip battery caps to make filling batteries easier and reduce battery acid venting.

* Welded a 2 1/2" wheel to the underside of the hitch receiver for dragging driveways.

* Adjusted the fuel sending unit to be more accurate.

* Added third piston to rear bed to assist in lifting. Added a bar on a hinge that drops into place when bed is up.

* Was able to acquire electrical schematics for coach on CD. Had them printed on 2' x 3' paper at Kinkos and have them onboard if needed.

* Found a piece of matching colored felt (interior colors) the size of the dinette table. Cut to fit and store in a tube. We cover the table with felt to play games such as Rummy Tile or Mexican Train.

* Added spacers behind the top of the thermostat screws to angle it down and make it easier to read. I also keep a credit card sized magnifying lens next to the thermostat so I can read it.

* Added an indoor/outdoor wireless remote to the interior. Mounted the outdoor wireless unit on the bottom of the livingroom slide. When driving it's protected. When stopped, it's in a shady place that takes an accurte reading.

Okay....is that enough stuff to start. My coach is my "Hot Rod" and I like doing projects.

[yudamann]

Where were you able to get electrical wiring diagrams? And a complete set!! I have great difficulty in obtaining them from Monaco. What I get is sometimes barely readable as a fax or does not cover what I need. Do they have a link that allows one to purchase this?

[teofff]

Wanna bring your tools and hang out at my house for awhile??

[Robin_M]

Originally posted by yudamann:
Where were you able to get electrical wiring diagrams? And a complete set!! I have great difficulty in obtaining them from Monaco. What I get is sometimes barely readable as a fax or does not cover what I need. Do they have a link that allows one to purchase this?

Monaco stopped publishing electrical diagram books for coaches made in Indiana after the 2005 model year. You can still get them for higher end coaches made in Oregon. I was able to optain some diagrams specific to my floor plan from the tech reps via email, but they have to accumulate them by hand, and they were sketchy - far from being a complete set.

I did find out that there have been little in the way of changes to the electrical diagrams since the books were last published, so I ordered an electrical diagram book for a 2005 Dip from Monaco Parts - the last year it was published. You may be able to do the same for your Monarch.

[MonacoMama]

Rob.. who did you order the diagram book from?

[yudamann]

Thanks Rob, I'll check out Monaco parts.

[Robin_M]

Originally posted by MonacoMama:
Rob.. who did you order the diagram book from?

Mama,
I just called the tech rep 800 number and asked to be transferred to the parts department in Elkhart, IN. I ordered the elec layout book from them about a month ago. I don't think they had many left for the 05 Dip, so you may want to hurry.

I have some diagrams specific to the SFT floor plan that are not in the book... the 110v and 12v layout's, etc. They are in .dwg (CAD) format and you would need to download a free DWG reader to view them. If you want them, send me a regular email message and I'll attach them in a reply. If for some reason, you can't get the book, I'll send you all the drawings I have in .dwg format. (Most are in the book.)

[MonacoMama]

for the info Rob- I will try to call by Friday!
Feel free to go ahead & send me in a PM what you do have on the SFT's that are NOT in the book. I already have the DWG download!