What do I need now ?

[Flyer15015]

We are on the edge of becoming class "A" owners again, and moving from a diesel class "C" to an "A" gas coach offers me an opportunity to do more travelling with the DW.
Last "A" we had was a brand new 1987 Georgie Boy 38' tag gasser.

Now we have a chance on a box stock, 2004 Fleetwood Pace Arrow 37c w/ less than 35K on the clock, so my question is what do I need to do to her ?

Suspension, steering, engine upgrades ?

She is coming with all new tires and balance beads in all 6 tires.

I posted this in the "A" forum, because I'll take input from all coach owners with the Workhorse, Chevy, Allison combo, regardless of make.

Mike in Colorado

[Gary RVRoamer]

My suggestion is to drive it for a few months and see what bothers you (or not). Fix what makes you happier, not what somebody else thinks you ought to have.



Assuming the Pace is on a Workhorse W22 chassis and all recalls are up to date, the most common upgrade is a track bar for better wheel tracking. Front or rear or maybe even both.

[puttin]

Make sure it hasn't leaked- that will be a huge expense to fix. Does it smell ok inside or is it musty and moldy? Otherwise, she might be good to go. Tires are a big deal and you say those are new, so that's good. Do all the systems work? Go camping close to home or in your driveway and find out. That Pace Arrow was a great machine- maybe yours still is.

[edgray]

Originally Posted by Flyer15015

We are on the edge of becoming class "A" owners again, and moving from a diesel class "C" to an "A" gas coach offers me an opportunity to do more travelling with the DW.
Last "A" we had was a brand new 1987 Georgie Boy 38' tag gasser.

Now we have a chance on a box stock, 2004 Fleetwood Pace Arrow 37c w/ less than 35K on the clock, so my question is what do I need to do to her ?

Suspension, steering, engine upgrades ?

She is coming with all new tires and balance beads in all 6 tires.

I posted this in the "A" forum, because I'll take input from all coach owners with the Workhorse, Chevy, Allison combo, regardless of make.

Mike in Colorado

As stated above, drive it and get used to how it handles before you start throwing $$ at upgrades you may not need.
Since you implied it is on a Workhorse chassis, you will want to make sure the Bosch brake caliper RECALL has been completed. IF the sixth vin # position is a "6", it was recalled to replace the calipers in 2010.

[Flyer15015]

You are right ed. I'm aware of the brake issue and I'm informed by the owner that it has had the work done.
I will of course verify that prior to any payment..........


Puttin, The coach has lived in Las Vegas all her life, with trips to Callifunny once in a while, so she should be pretty dry in and out. I will check the roof and sidewalls thoroughly.
Mike


Mike in Colorado

[mr.tommy]

Originally Posted by Flyer15015

Now we have a chance on a box stock, 2004 Fleetwood Pace Arrow 37c w/ less than 35K on the clock, so my question is what do I need to do to her ?

This is a new coach to you. You have no knowledge of past history and it's 17 years old. You want this new experience to be fun and stress free. Here's where I'd start if this coach was mine.

• Start accumulating all the manuals for all your systems NOW before they are no longer available

• Go completely thru it SLOWLY. Visually first. Top to bottom, front to rear. Get on a creeper or large piece of card board and slowly look at everything under the chassis—closely—and look for hanging wire harnesses or any other possible failure points. Remove the dog house cover and do the same thing there. Kinked hoses, leaks etc.

• While your under the chassis, clean and spray protectant on every electrical connection and ground

• Change (ALL) FLUIDS and oils to establish a good maintenance baseline

• Sanitize your fresh water tank

• Check, clean and condition ALL the rubber stuff and especially in the engine bay and slide seals. Your rubber is 17yrs. old and has been in a warm dry climate for a long time

• Install a new serpentine belt if original is still there which it probably is

• Grease the Front end and "U" joints if your drive shaft has them

• Load the coach up with (EVERYTHING) you plan to take with you on a big trip including people, pets, water in the fresh water tank, propane and fuel and then do a 4 corner weigh of the coach and inflate your tires to the manufacturers tire charts (this is a big deal)

• Buy a TPMS and a EMS

• Get on the roof and inspect it carefully and do any sealant maintenance that may be necessary. Use the right sealant

• Sanitize your fresh water tank

• While you're up on the roof, clean the evap coils on the A/C units and then inside the coach, clean the return air filters

• Do a full flush of your water heater with white vinegar and also inspect and run it both on propane & electric and make sure all is well there

• Batteries are a often a neglected area. Check the batt bay thoroughly

• Do a complete 500hr. maintenance on your generator

• Replace all Fire Alarms, and probably the CO2 alarm near the floor in the galley, and your fire extinguishers are probably either out of date or recalled. Replace them all

I haven't even covered the wet bay but......

There's more of course, but for me this is a minimum list to start with. You can eliminate a ton of grief, surprises and possible high repair bills if you start here. RVing is supposed to fun and not getting hammered by surprises along the way once on the road. Things will happen of course, but this is a great start to be pro active and eliminate the common problems and stuff people run into ALL THE TIME.

If your an OK mechanic or can do stuff DIY if someone just shows you, Youtube is your friend. There are video's that can show you how to do all or most of these things.

Good luck to you and your wife. I know your excited.

[Dutch Star Don]

Mike...as stated, the brake issue was huge. I had a 2004 Fleetwood Fiesta. It took two feet to stop the thing, even after things were corrected.

I'm guessing the obvious stuff you can figure out, like leaks and other obvious damage.

That Chevy Workhorse with the 8.1 engine was a beast. It would climb grades better than my diesels. The engine had two minor issues to be aware of. They burned spark wires that made them misfire. If you replace the plug wires with ceramic wires, you'll solve that issue. I also added some dryer exhaust tubing to the grill, that I directed back to the headers/plug wires. They were also known for bad idler pulleys on the serpentine belt (noisy), but easy to replace.

That coach should have airbags incorporated into the front coil springs. Make sure they're in good shape. Start them out with about 85 psi and then adjust for height and best ride.

If the coach is well taken care of, it should be a nice coach.

[dmholt]

In addition to everything above, I would add either a Roadmaster steering stabilizer or a Safe-T-Plus stabilizer. Either will help the coach track straight, but more importantly, it will help you control the coach if you should have a front blowout.

[edgray]

Originally Posted by Dutch Star Don

Mike...as stated, the brake issue was huge. I had a 2004 Fleetwood Fiesta. It took two feet to stop the thing, even after things were corrected.



I'm guessing the obvious stuff you can figure out, like leaks and other obvious damage.



That Chevy Workhorse with the 8.1 engine was a beast. It would climb grades better than my diesels. The engine had two minor issues to be aware of. They burned spark wires that made them misfire. If you replace the plug wires with ceramic wires, you'll solve that issue. I also added some dryer exhaust tubing to the grill, that I directed back to the headers/plug wires. They were also known for bad idler pulleys on the serpentine belt (noisy), but easy to replace.



That coach should have airbags incorporated into the front coil springs. Make sure they're in good shape. Start them out with about 85 psi and then adjust for height and best ride.



If the coach is well taken care of, it should be a nice coach.

DSD: you are apparently thinking his coach is on a P-32 chassis. I don’t think FLTW built their Pace Arrow 37 footers on that chassis. If they did, I hope he doesn’t buy it- waay to heavy for the biggest P-32 GVWR of 18K.

[MSHappyCampers]

I would immediately buy one of the EMS type AC protectors, such as the Progressive Industries, that protects you against any kind of AC problem, not just surges. You will need to spend about $300-$350, but it will be the best investment you will ever make! I wouldn't leave home without it!

[F4Gary]

More thoughts:
Flush the brake fluid. You can get SpeedBleeders and do it yourself. Easy.
New shocks (Koni for me).
SafeTPlus steering stabilizer on the front axle (already suggested).
Rear track bar (Ultra RV). (also already suggested)
New sparkplugs (AC Iridiums with a .045 gap) and Magnum wires from Ultra RV.

Front end alignment with at least 5 degrees of caster.
Enjoy the 496 Big Block! (8.1L)