Quick Tips and Easy Mods (Monaco Style)

[96 Wideglide]

Yeah, when I opened Harry's second pic, I thought he had been letting it go. Looked like a layer of dust on his engine and hyd tank!

Then I wiped my monitor with a damp cloth, and all was good in the world again !!

[10Boomer]

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[tstillman]

😱 Wow, if that's what I get to look forward to in retirement, I think I'll keep working for awhile.

[96 Wideglide]

Oh I'm sure Harry's vehicles were kept in immaculate condition long before retirement.
He's a great asset to this board! Many issues we run across with our coaches, Harry has already solved, and usually improved on !

[Happycarz]

Thank you very much for the complements. On keeping the engine bay clean, one needs a vision and then a plan of attack.

Some of us folks can cook up a storm, some are great with electronic gadgetry, some are great conversationalist. We each have our forte with our RVing lifestyle. Mine happens to be toward the mechanical and functionality of the coach. And, if I can pass it on, and help out with a problem, I’m on it.

My focus is where someone designed something and I see where it could be improved on. It’s sort of like the old BASF commercial that said “We didn’t make it, we made it better.” Well, I didn’t make it, but I did make it better, in most cases. Sometimes it is a learning process. And then there are folks that help with their comments from seeing an issue with different eyes. Together so much is solved here on the forum.

Unless the TV is already on, I don’t turn it on. So, I’ll get hit and miss with some shows, but as soon as a commercial comes on, I’m off on a personal task. Therefore, I have time to clean the engine. Ha-Ha and have time to make improvements.

Case in point is that my lift pump would not prime the fuel filters, even cycling the key 20 times. This is since new. Not a problem until summer of 2014 at a campground after a 5 day stay. The only no start I had until that day was when I changed filters. I got used to filling them before installing. About 2 hours before checkout, my engine wouldn’t start. Fortunately, my fuel filters, with factory quick connects, stare me in the face when I open the rear hatch. Off with the line, on with the key and no fuel. Lift pump is on. I grabbed the backup inline fuel pump with some fuel hose from my parts bin and MacGyver it at the tank to prime the system and start the engine. Then it off, unhook pump and restart engine and left it on until home t hours later.

That led me to installing a Fass system, instead of replacing the lift pump. All better I thought. NOT! Fass has its own return line to the tank and they recommend to tee into the vent fitting. Worked well until it decided to blow fuel out the vent. What an ugly stinky mess that was. Pulled the fuse and drove home.

The only option left was to add another fitting to the tank. I looked things over and came up with a plan. Drove coach home from next trip, flatlining the gauge and holding my breath that my fuel calculations were correct. Yup, 25 gallons left. Offloaded it, unhooked the lines, unhooked the fuel sender and removed the flange around tank bay. The flange appears welded, but unbolts. Removing the two bolts holding the tank to the frame and I’m on my way to rolling it out the bay door with two floor jacks.

The hard part was getting it into my truck by myself. But, with leverage, I prevailed. Then to tank shop, who I last used in 74, for a fitting. He filled it with few pounds of dry ice, welded in the fitting and charged me $65.

I reversed the process and added 10 gallons of diesel before driving to gas station.

Oh, and while the flange was off, I had to clean and paint it. Which led to the next bay flange being painted in place. It just never stops. Hmmm, better get over to the other side and do those too.

[Jetskier50]

Originally Posted by RLC06

Made a removable bracket for a tv wall mount to fit on our patio slide for outside tv viewing. Plans in place to cut a cabinet in the slide wall with a paint-less door installation and install the tv and a sound bar for a full entertainment cabinet in near future!

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That looks great. If you get a chance can you post pictures of the bracket and how it attaches to the under side of the slide? Also, what do you do with the TV while underway? We used to lay one on the bed and put it on a table outside but it was a big hassle so we stopped.


Thanks

Brian

[10Boomer]

Quick to install this mod. Added two end tables to front main slides. Place for coffee/magazines now.
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[Captjake1]

Originally Posted by 10Boomer

Quick to install this mod. Added two end tables to front main slides. Place for coffee/magazines now.
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Looks great!! I want!!!

[windsorbill]

Originally Posted by Happycarz

Back in 2014 when I was replacing my air filter, I decided to reverse the filter so the flexible section from the intake grille would drop straight down to the filter. The mounting straps allowed the reversal with no modifications. Then, I bought a 90° rubber elbow from intakehose.com and a short metal sleeve to tie the 90° elbow to the existing hump hose.

Monaco had an abundance of flexible hose the day they built my coach, as the hose drooped below the filter connection, forming a “J” instead of a 90° angle. I lobbed off a section right after I bought the coach, but never did like the tight 90° going into the filter, hence the reversal of the filter. Not every coach is set up this way, though. So, if yours is like mine, you have an option.

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Harry,

with that good looking engine, would you know a source for engine touch up paint? Mine looks similar in color (dark grey, or charcoal), and I can't seem to find that paint color.

[jdrelgel]

Bill- where did you get that great overflow tank from?

[Happycarz]

Hey Bill, Krylon gloss black does wonders. I think when Monaco was building coaches, they must have bought a railroad car of flat black paint and painted everything with a fire hose.

I couldn’t handle it and went to work, a little at a time. Some of the flat paint came off with MEK, like the hydraulic tank. That has not been repainted by me. A lot of prep work to remove the dirt and flat paint. Then the OE paint could be seen. If it didn’t look up to snuff, I brought out the can of Krylon. A lot of masking to do also.

But once it’s done, it is easy to keep clean. Easy on the eyes too.

Thank you for the compliment.

[Happycarz]

Rel, I had the tank made in Phoenix about 8 years ago. The plastic tank didn’t last very long. I ordered the coach and took delivery in June of 07.

[windsorbill]

Originally Posted by Happycarz

Hey Bill, Krylon gloss black does wonders. I think when Monaco was building coaches, they must have bought a railroad car of flat black paint and painted everything with a fire hose.

I couldn’t handle it and went to work, a little at a time. Some of the flat paint came off with MEK, like the hydraulic tank. That has not been repainted by me. A lot of prep work to remove the dirt and flat paint. Then the OE paint could be seen. If it didn’t look up to snuff, I brought out the can of Krylon. A lot of masking to do also.

But once it’s done, it is easy to keep clean. Easy on the eyes too.

Thank you for the compliment.

thanks Harry for the color. I thought for sure it's dark grey. I'll try a few tests. The bracket mounted to the top of the engine that supports the A/C compressor is rusting. I think they just bolted it on and didn't prep the metal correctly. Only rust I have in the engine compartment and is at eye level when I open the rear compartment hatch.

[windsorbill]

Originally Posted by relgel

Bill- where did you get that great overflow tank from?

Relgel,

Source Engineering carries the overflow tank. They claim it's 'plug and play', but I haven't replaced mine yet. I think they are pricey.

Also, I saw them at Colton Truck repair in Colton, CA a couple years ago. Not sure if your mounting brackets have to be modified or not, however.