We had our big slide go on our '16 37KT. It was at Camping World at Tampa for a month getting fixed and we're full-time. What fun. Thor bites big time. I would NEVER buy another Thor product!

Slideout problems
 

Did Camping World in Tampa tell you that they would take 20 hours of labor to do the job? Then tell you that your extended warranty only covers 10 hours of labor? We will have to pay the rest. Over $1200.00! We are going to take it for a 2nd opinion.

Luckily we were still under warranty and didn't cost anything except a month that we were supposed to stay in Fort Myers beach. It IS a huge job to replace the whole thing. Don't know if it was really necessary or not. Works fine now though. I think it's a crappy design. That's a LOT of weight to pull in and out with cables. Good luck!:sorrysign:

More Mods Fixes & Upgrades
 

#106 Keep looking at the empty space on the ends of our new recliners - great place for two end tables. Finally spent a lot of time searching and found three that would fit. Bought cheapest one as a test. Typical dimensions are about 12 to 15" L x 8.5" to 9" W and 21"to 24"H. The picture is the one I bought from Ebay and the the link https://www.amazon.com/SONGMICS-Snack-Table-Heavy-Duty-ULNT40Z/dp/B01GR7LESQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499025826&sr=8-1&keywords=couch+end+tables is to a slightly larger one on Amazon.

Well I just picked up my 2013 Challenger 37GT with 24,000 miles. It is in my driveway now and I can't get the steps to stay in with the engine off, coach battery switch off, and steps off. With all of this off as soon as I try to get out and open the door, the steps go out again. So my wife can't get her car out of the garage unless we go inside and turn switches on. Then the steps will go in. In order to keep the steps in, we left the coach battery switch on and the steps on but I'm worried this may drain the battery over time.

On our last motorhome, From inside I would close the door so the steps go in, then I turn both the chassis and coach battery switches and the step switch off. Then when I open the door the steps stay in.
In the Challenger I don't seem to have a chassis battery switch - so is there one?. One would think if the steps are in and you shut the step switch off, they will stay in. Am I missing something? I have 30 days to find out if anything else needs adjusting or repair so if it isn't me, I will have the dealer fix it. I just don't want to bring it back and it turns out to be something I'm doing wrong. I would feel stupid.

We love the floorpan and can't wait to take a trip at the end of the month.

I'm not at my coach, but I believe if you turn the switch in the up position the stairs should stay retracted.

No good. Tried switch up and down with coach switch on and off. Nothing retracts the stairs unless the coach switch stays on. The only way would be for me to retract the steps, turn the coach switch off, then climb out the window. I'm too old to be doing that.:nonono:

I just tried my step switch in the up position and my stairs retracted and stayed retracted. No keys on, engine not running. Your switch may be faulty or the sensor on the screen door. It is suppose to retract when in the up position, so your right there is a problem there. Good luck.

Thanks, I'll have that looked at.

Are there any owners out there on the challenger 2017 37YT model?

We bought one and continue to have issues.

In particular the slides with the kitchen and bathroom are very noisy and sounds like they catch on th plumbing.

On outr first night out the bathroom sink drain hose got disconnected and leaked water all over the floor

Now today just returned from vacation and after extending slides to clean and retracting slides to store in garage I went to put some deodorizer in kitchen sinks and it leaked all over the floor. Inspected and the flexible drain hose disconnected from the pvc fitting.

Also had issue with hot water heater going into pilot out mode frequently and there is a high pitched wine coming from water heater with switch on or off and only goes silent in battery disconnect mode.

Any feed back appreciated.

We have a '16 37KT and have had more than our share of problems, different from yours except for the slides. We had to have our large slide mechanism completely replaced which took a month at Camping World Tampa. One thing everyone should look at is the rollers inside. Ours came off their mounts at several locations. Lift the carpet inside and you can see the nylon rollers which are about 10" long. They can shift back and forth and come off their brackets on one end. Our tech put washers in so they couldn't do it again. Good luck!

We had the exact same problems with the kitchen sink, bathroom sink and shower drains. Both flexible drain to tank hoses were disconnected and the bathroom PVC grey water tank connector was broken. But shoot, that was only the beginning. Still in for 18 major and 38 minor problems (my classification).

We have a 2017 37YT.

Knock on wood, we picked up our '17 in Dec 2016 and no issues so far.

Leave out on the 15th of this month and dont return until December so keeping fingers crossed!

Let keep the 37YT communication going. I took video of my Kitchen hose issue but don't think it will be correct format.

Any issues with the Wall Paper coming loose?

The drain hoses are making me nuts.

I have alot of seal issues with air coming in.

Slide Awning tension was incorrectly set at factory, dealer fixed only after one opened while driving home from pick up location and it tore the awing a little. On the rear drivers slide, does your awning bar bend in towards the slide ie... does it curve in. Mine does not have a mid-slide support roller like the passenger side does but I think it needs one. Be interested to see if other unit have a roller support on that larger rear drivers slide.

What was your build date on your sticker by the drivers seat. Mine was in October I believe. I'm wondering if it was the prototype LOL.

Anyway, if you hear of any updated engineering on the drain hoses please share.

RV does tow 4500# + trailer in the colorado hills very well so I love the on road unit so far.

Bakeryman,

My "17 37YT was built in March of this year. My RV is in for warrenty repair and hopefully I will get it back soon.

Good luck and let us know how your repairs go. I would be particularly interested if they come up with a good idea on the drain hoses and the slides in general.

What are your thoughts on how they have the open area's on the underside of the slide outs for the water hoses on both the bathroom slide and kitchen slide. They have a vinyl/velcro boot that is to protect them from elements but it seems like my kitchen water lines are very exposed to the outside and potential for critters to make their way in. The rubber seals they have there don't really close the area well at all. Be interested if your March Build has a better concept...shoot a photo if you have opportunity when back. My plan is to buy some 3/4" or 1" foam insulation panels from Home depot and cut about 18x24" strips and then use velcro on those two panels and when camping attach them and then remove and store them when not camping (will need a reminder sticker to remove them on the slide retract button :sad: )

thank you for feed back

Trout Killer,

I see on your signature you have a Jeep Toad. We have a 2014 Rubicon X Unlimited (4dr) and even though we have had motorhome for 13 years I never set it up to tow the Jeep or other car. Tow the ATV Trailer almost everytime we go but with kids older may start taking the Jeep.

How does the 37YT handle that (assuming you have towed it already) and what type of tow bar/brake set up do you use.

I'm looking at the Ready Brute Elite surge brake set up to avoid having to tap into jeep wiring or having to place a unit on jeep floor to push the pedal. I live in colorado and was concerned about surge type brakes in the mountains (down hill braking and surge control).

My situation is similar to yours, although over the past 2 weeks I've purchased and assembled all my tow parts. Pretty much all Roadmaster stuff plus brake buddy vanguard. July 15 we take off for 6 weeks and that will be my first experience. I've learned (hopefully) a ton here and by watching videos on the etrailer.com website

Hey everyone,
Question for those of you that have added 2 batteries to your coach, did you change anything else or just get 2 matching batteries? Do you need to get a different charge controller or anything or does it just take longer to charge?

I'm looking to get longer battery life and potentially add solar later on but first step is just get a bit longer time running without the generator.

Also has anyone added a battery monitor to get a better handle on battery life usage? Have been looking at a few and my favorite is the victron BMV-700

Fluffy bunny

On our 2017 37yt I had dealer install 4 new interstate batteries. The tray in the storage accommodates that from factory

I also had four solar panels installed for total 500w

I was concerned about dry camping and residential fridge. So far in the past two weeks we did about 9 nights and the solar kept us in power. I use generator for coffee pot and let it run for maybe half hour but otherwise we are quiet and solar kept batteries 3/4 to full the entire time

We would see 1/2 batter power on factory gauge but it would come back up with sun and shutting off RV's. We watches tv via sat as well. I was skeptical has last rv didn't even have a inverter so I'm a happy camper on the solar so far

I replaced my 2 factory batteries with 2 huge Lifeline agms and they've awesome. I also bought a digital volt gauge from eBay, hooked them directly to the batteries and mounted it right by the inverter gauge by the door to monitor for peace of mind.

Loud metal clang going down the road
 

When I drove my 2013 Challenger home from the dealer, There seemed to be some squeaking coming from the slides (with slide locks) which I guess is to be expected. However I also noticed a loud banging or clanging coming from somewhere when I went over rough bumps.
I bought a mechanics creeper so I could look underneath and I think I found what it is. There seems to be some sort of 'L' shaped heat shield about 2" x 10" x 6' long between the muffler (or catalyst converter) and the propane tank. Whenever I moved it a little it would made a loud noise. I tried sticking some hard foam sticky pads in the space where the 2" section is attached to the MH but it still made the noise. What I then tried was to get a piece of 3/4" x 3" x 5' long cedar board (a piece of old siding) and secured it to the bottom of the 10" section with 4 small 'C' clamps and put locktite on the threads. That seemed to stop the noise. Hopefully that will be the end of that. It's not a pretty solution but you can't see it unless you go under the coach so I don't care.
Anyone else have a similar problem with that?

Don't forget to remove your intrusion solution. The "gaps" are for the flexible drains and access to the grey water tanks. Bad engineering for sure. Just pull out the bottom drawer on the bathroom sink vanity for a view of the world. The "wallpaper" does bubble in a few areas on my 37YT as well as the seam tape has lost its seal. I'm getting more seam tape under warranty and will correct those problems myself.
Does your front roof A/C cool? Mine is a wimp and I am fighting Camping World for a fix. I think they have blown though the warranty dollars from Thor. I can go on and on, but I get tired of complaining.

You know the reason for the heat shield is to protect from a chance of fire from exhaust,, the wood is not a good idea,, I had a class A Georgie Boy before my Thor 2013 37GT The Georgie Boy exhaust ran under the compartment where the plumbing is located . On a trip thru the mountains in Calif And Az the heat from the exhaust started a fire inside the compartment, melted the control panel, melted the plumbing, burned a hole in the black water tank, which put out the fire, luckily. (yes it was a crappy fire) I did not know it had happened until I opened the door when we stopped for the night. So you might want something less flammable.

If you're hearing the nose from the slides it's not the heat shield. It's the shafts and motors for your slides banging. I have a 2013 Challenger also and had to have it repaired twice. The second repair was done at Thor when the dealer tried to shim the slide. Didn't work. Thor replaced the shafts with steel shafts instead of aluminum. Slides were a big problem in 2013. The swintech slide Staten was the problem. You will continue to hear that nose unless you have it fixed properly. If you bought used it isn't under warranty and longer. I would make a recommendation that you make an appointment at Thor and make the trip there to have it fixed.

Good point. At least I put the wood on the other side away from the exhaust. I may have to buy a piece of angle iron to replace the wood. Thanks


That's interesting. I will have to take note of that. I hear the slides squeak a little which I'm assuming are the seals rubbing but the loud noise seems to be coming from below, although it is hard to track it down while driving. My wife is the one who will try to track down any noises when I am driving but she was following me in our car.

The heat shield may be a separate problem. As I move it even a little it makes a loud noise such as when you shake a piece of large thin metal, it sounds like thunder. This has a different loud sound so I will see if my solution stops it. If however, the noise continues, I may have to go to the Thor factory for a fix. I've read about Swintek problems but they seem to be mostly with the full wall slides which I don't have. We are still awaiting our title from DMV so we can register the coach. We plan on going away for a few days in two weeks so I'll see what happens. Thanks for your advice. I knew I could count of this forum for help.

My 2013 37GT had a slide problem on the pass side, the company forgot to put the plates on the bottom of the slides in the right places for the rollers to roll on dealer had to put more plates on to cure problem. drivers side still squeeks on occasion.

Glenn2,

We got our 37YT In March and I have only turned on the front AC one time last week to cool things off a little and it seemed fine. I know it has those shutters on the front and back end, have you opened those. They provided a stronger flow of air when opened vs. channeling through the vents.

Did Thor just send you the wall paper material or did you have to have dealer request?

On the gaps, your right- I plan to put a reminder label on my slide control panel to remind me. Bought some pink foam insulation from Home Depot last week and velcro and plan to play with that soon.

On our first night coming back with the new RV I got wet feet in the bathroom (first time used the sink) as that drain hose came off. Like you I removed the three drawers in the sink cabinet and saw the nature around us. Who designed those black velcro boots to seal the area? I was able to re-attach that hose and tighten things up but not sure how long that will last.

I have to try and fix the Kitchen sink drain tomorrow as we plan to camp this weekend. It came off when I stored the RV in my garage after the last trip. Seems like a non-ribbed hose (smooth outer texture) would glide better when moving slides and less chance to grab and pull off....I suggestedthat to Thor but have not seen my "great idea" email back yet. LOL Have you tracked those flexible drain hoses to where they connect to the holding tanks? Proactively I'd like to know if I can reach the other end of those hoses vs. the sink PVC drain connection in case they pull off from the other end ie...holding tanks.

Maybe you will get a little Texas weather to try your air conditioners out. My rear is outstanding and the front roof top is dysfunctional. I have an appointment next week to try and convince a non-receptive service manager I am correct.

I don't have wall paper on order. I'm getting wall paper seam tape. I will ignore the wall paper bubbles for a bit. I can't imagine the process to repair it.

My drain hoses were disconnected at the holding tanks. The PVC access port to the rear (bathroom) holding tank was broken off. This was warranty work.

You asked in a earlier post about a support bracket for the long driver side rear slide. No, I don't have one either.

My inverter failed and I am working on getting it replaced.

And it continues...

So today sucked. Got a phone call from the storage lot that my RV was broken into last night. I have the 37KT so how they got in was they pryed open one of the frameless window near the dining table and used the propane bay which does not have a lock on it to get in. They opened the bay and then used the bottom frame or the door to climb in.

They took weird things...they took 2 walkie talkies, our shark vacuum cleaner, a charging dock, and one headlamp. The weird thing about the headlamp is there were 2 in the same cabniet but they just took one. Didn't take DVD players, TVs, or even the XM radio that was just sitting on the dash. It was really really strange. And yes they broke into 6-8 other units, actually got inside of them, then got into another few storage bays. not sure if they had a key to the bays or some people left them open not sure.

I took the RV to my local dealership where I had some work done and both them and thor( i called thor asking if there was anything I could do) said the window would probably have to be replaced. and they said it was probably the entire window, turns out they were able to repair it today without having to order any parts. So it is ready,, I have no idea what they did to fix it and the person calling didn't really have good information on it, but I will be checking it out tomorrow when I go to pick it up.

Two question I have, and this may be suited for the main forum is, first off is there an easy swap for all of the bay locks to be a unique key, and 2, how hard would it be to add a lock to the propane bay which has done currently.

You can't put a lock on the propane door, it's illegal. Safety hazard it has to be accessable for immediate turn off

One Year on road maintenance items
 

We were having some issues with our Thetford toilet foot pedal, kept coming off and the last time when I was putting back on I broke a plastic piece holding the spring. Called a mobile repair guy who said it to get a new toilet as his visit etc. would cost as much and it would have a 2 yr warranty. Recommended Dometic 320, bought from Amazon for a little over $200 and installation was easy, just a little fiddling to line up flange bolts, tighten, turn H2O back on... Flush and GO! We are once again happy campers with a great working comfortable toilet! Also changing tires on Dolly which are showing wear after almost 12K miles. Normal items such as oil changes, tightening screws are part of an ongoing routine. Going to Thor Factory for some minor left over Warranty issues that couldn't get handled on the road (almost impossible to get an appointment and when you can they want to keep our home for weeks at a time???) I haven't posted in a bit, I hope everyone is having safe travels with miles of smiles!

Ours is still at Camping World, seems like it's in the shop more than we actually use it! Slideout still not fixed, radio/backup camera not working, plastic thing on bottom of shower door hanging off, bunkbed not going up and down correctly. Always something and CW is SLOW at fixing anything! Always saying Warranty doesn't cover this or that! So tired of this! Just want to enjoy our RV!

Part of your problem may be CW. Not my choice for repairs.

I agree that CW (not my choice either) might be a big part of your problems. My experience with all shops other than one independent has been disappointing. DIY with help of Thor Factory has proved the best way for me to solve most issues. That being said I have not had any major issues that have kept me from enjoying our KT and after a year of speaking with others while camping I have heard more horror stories re other manufacturers that cost quite a bit more than our Challengers.

I'm open to suggestions on a better place to do repairs? We live in Land O Lakes, not far from Tampa.

PattyP, just curious... what problem are you having with your radio/backup camera? I just started having problems with my camera system on our last trip and I'm trying to isolate and troubleshoot the problem.

The Jensen 212 had been having issues. Mine quit so I called Jensen and Thor they sent me a new one. While I was waiting mine came back on. I now have a backup still in the box

Yep, Camping World is a fun place, my '16 37KT was in Tampa for a month. I had the Axxera radio in mine. When it died, I got the new one on warranty in the box and I'm going to sell it on Ebay since it's unused. I replaced it with a sweet Alpine unit with everything thing the old one had plus this has navigation! As if there's not enough problems with the motor home, while parked at an RV resort, some lady didn't know the difference between her gas and brake and slammed into the side so hard it slide the front tires over 5"!!!! Hit the generator and mid gray doors. I was in it and it scared the crap out of me! The fun never ends while full timing. :banghead::banghead:

The radio just won't come on, screen is blank dark. They say the Jensen we have in it is discontinued and we have to pay $400.00 for a new wiring harness and adaptor for new one to go in. It doesn't even have a gps in it!

Did you call Jensen directly? If not I recommend you do that

Could be a blown fuse. On my 2015 Challenger 37KT, the fuse for the radio is #38, not the one listed in the owner's manual. Also, it's important to know, my fuse box under the dash on the driver's side is mounted UPSIDE DOWN! Didn't know that at first until I took a closer look.

My coach is now 3 years old and the Axxera AV614BH multifunction radio has a 1 year warranty. If I need to replace it I don't need a new radio with a built-in GPS so the newest model is a plug & go for $189.99: https://www1.crutchfield.com/p_070AV...-AV6337MB.html

Glenn2

I went to reattached my Kitchen Sink hose on my 37YT so we can go camping this weekend and it was a challenge to get the hose to re-attached to the PVC. I was able to secure but it was a stretch (pun intended).

I was looking at it and something seemed off and I had previously had Thor warranty send me a plumbing schematic for this unit (wanted to know how the three holding tanks were plumbed). On the schematic, I compared that to my photos of my plumbing and noticed several missing parts. These parts included extensions to lower the PVC pipes and curved connectors to then connect to the hose allowing much less stretching of the pipes. I checked my bathroom sink as well as that had previously had the drain hose pull off. It too was missing the same type parts.

Thor is sending me the plumbing parts to fix this but I thought I would mention it to you and if you want more info on what was missing I can try to send to you.

Challenger 37YT Plumbing Schematic

Glenn2 other 37YT owners

Attached is the schematic for the plumbing for our model. The parts that I was missing on mine that prompted the flexible drain hose to pull off are as follows.

part #2 Swivel connectors - there are 4 needed (x4)
Part #6 Long Curve elbow - there are 2 needed - one kitchen hose one bathroom
part #17 long pvc pipe to lower from the pipes - Kitchen one
Part #19 long pvc pipe to lower from the pipes -Bathroom one

without these part, the hose was stretched too much and put pressure on the connections and when slides move in/out there was alot of scrapping noise in mine. These parts should take off that tension I would think and allow flex pipe to do its thing.

Hope this helps anyone with a issue.

Gary

sorry, here is the attached schematic for the 37YT Plumbing.

I have a brand new in the box axxera 615bhm if anyone is interested with harness.

Bakeryman,

One thing I did learn out of my saga with 18 major and 48 minor problems is not to be dazzeled by your new MH at the dealer. Be sure to do a extensive PDI even if it takes an overnight stay.

I told the CW (yes, CW) service dept. that I did not order the automatic floor washing system and would prefer my drains work. It took them two tries to fix the drains, but my floors are clean.

You are a lot more determined than I since you are fixing the problem yourself. If you would send me your address, I will bring my MH to you for all my additional warranty issues.

I am now using a smaller authorized dealer to fix my remaining warranty items. I feel much better now....

Who are you using?

RV Source. North of Bryan on Hwy. 6.

Update on Broken Main Door Lock
 

Trimark was great to work with. A new lock assembly (the whole outside half of the lock was about $150. They said I didn't need a new inside half. They were right. The part came as promised and was easy to install. Works great again. The only hard part about this (in addition to having to find a way into the MH through a window when this first happened) was getting the screen door out of the way to get to the main door. The way the screen is built in relation to the three screws on the inside lock face makes it very difficult. Thor could and should fix this issue.

Glenn2

That was funny!

Got some of my missing sink parts from Thor yesterday unfortunately I only received 4 connectors and all the others are either on order (backorder 3-4 weeks) or shipped (I hope). Must have been what happened at the plant on the day mine was built.

After many years of camping my skill set in RV repair has grown tremendously.

Over the weekend Camping near Leadville Colorado the drivers wiper blade disconnected in a rain storm. Thankfully I shut down wipers quick and the blade somehow got pinned to windshield by the wiper arm....vs. taking flight. Easy fix as the blade must not have been fully attached and clipped into the arm. May want to check yours. Also had hot water heater locking out. found the ignitor prongs were too close together so the spark was not working right. Trial and error solved that one and my wife and daughter reminding me they like HOT showers. LOL!

I will say the Solar panels and 4 batteries are excellent addition if you dry camp like we do. 500W (four panels) and I never went below half charge this weekend and it was raining for a day and half. Only run generator for coffee. TV use moderate.

Have Fun and good luck on the repairs etc...

If you are ever trying to locate your inverter look between the bedroom wall and the head of the bed. I think you can access it by removing the bed deck at the head of thre bed. I had a tech move mine to under the bed. The converter is under the floor of the kitchen cabinet under the kitchen sink..

Same symptoms here last year...spent $900 for new Alpine unit (w/GPS)...happy with results. Camera works great too!

Very nice. We removed the uncomfortable sofa/bed as well; have two nice Lazy Boy recliners with lamp table in between. Ours are not wall-away recliners so have to pull them out & brace with blocks in order to recline. Wall-away would be nicer.:blush:

we replaced our uncomfortable couch as well with the recliner set from Camping World. Love it!

I don't think recliners are factory. We pulled out our sofa bed and put in 2 recliners with a arm rest in the middle. We love it! We still have the bunk bed over the drivers seat and we kept blow up air mattress from the sofa and we blow it up and put it on living room floor. Works good for us.

Don, I always start the gen if I'm not hooked up to move the slides. I've had issues with the big slide on battery.

On my 2014 KT I tried to go cheap with wiper blades and put the longest I could find at a local auto parts store . They don't work very well . Can someone give the measurements for the correct RV wiper blades? I lost my measurements for the factory ones .

Thanks

Our 37GT requires 32" blades. Longest I could find at auto stores was 28". Finally found RV dealer who had them....$109 for the pair. Since have seen many recommend good quality 28" doing the job just fine.:thumb:

Try Camping World. That's where I got mine

Thor Service
 

Spent 2 days at Thor Service Center in Wakarusa IN. A great experience. Simon, our technician, corrected a few warranty items and much more. As you all know getting service while on the road is next to impossible so we scheduled this stop knowing we would be in the area. Went on the Thor Factory tour of the diesel and high end gas coaches which was enjoyable and educational. The area is very Amish and there is so much to do during the day including the Midwest's Largest Flea Markets with miles of vendors open on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Coach A/C or insulation issues
 

This is our first hot weather trip. IN Houston for a couple months.

It's in the upper 90s every day and no shade to be had. Staying at Lakeview RV by the way just minutes from the medical center and it's a great place.

The front 3/4 of our 37YT heats up by 11-noon to above 82 degrees and stays there until nearly 10pm. It's almost unbearable. Mobile tech came out and said our A/Cs were putting out proper amps/voltage.

We've beenRV'ing up to 75 days/year for over 30 years in mostly Texas and New Mexico and this is the first time I've experienced this heat. We've resorted to just leaving during the middle of the day to miss it.

I'm scheduled to install an exterior sunshade at the end of the month, but we even have extreme heat in the interior cabinets and in the slides.

Any other additional ideas or experiences?

Had the same problem in my 37YT. Kept complaining and takeing the MH back in for warranty work at CW Katy, TX. Always the same answer. Working within spec. Gave up on CW and took it to a closer dealership. They also said the unit was working within specification, but that the unit was not the right BTU. It should be 15K BTU not 13.5K BTU. They said some dealerships do downsize A/C's to offer lower sales prices. The Challengers on their lot all had 15K BTU front units. Offered to replace my A/C with a larger one under warranty for the obvious reason - too damn hot. I did pay the difference. The front of my MH is much cooler now.

With no shade the roof/ceiling can get very hot. That heats air in the ducts significantly increasing air temp before it reaches the many ceiling vents. The ceiling mounted air return and filter assembly usually has slides that open and dump air right out of the air box. Opening the vents will get you colder air. Coupled with sun screens on front windows you will be more comfortable.

Reflexit (sp?) on windshield and side windows. Ceiling vents and skylight too.

Thanks for everything..

My last unit had 18 in the main living area. This one is 15.

I'm ordering the exterior sunshade this week but it's 3 weeks to delivery.

Yesterday I found a Lowes nearby and bought a 25'x4' roll of the reflective bubble wrap insulation. Installed it inside against the windshield and front side windows, then rolled my night shades down as well.

Next I'm gonna figure out how to insulate that area above the exterior of the slides (under the slide awning). Lots of heat gets into the MH from there. Maybe just stuff some insulation in there. Put it into a heavy duty lawn bag?

1pm today it's easily 10 degrees cooler than yesterday and with some floor fans running we're at least comfortable enough to get by until the sunshade arrives.

Side note: the CW in Katy has been a real pleasure. Been there 3-4 times this summer and it's a real nice store. Manager advised that they will match any online sales price and he has on multiple items. Nice store.

4pm update, middle of coach warming up considerably. Probably 85F?

Earlier poster talked about the roof insulation, or lack thereof, and I think he hit the nail on the head. Not enough insulation there.

Would a paint on type solution do any good? Anybody ever try that?

Hello everyone,
Thought I would finally show some changes that I have made to my Challenger. We removed the dining table and changed it out for a different one, similar to what has been posted in this thread already. We went with a smaller table so we would have room for a littler box.

https://i.imgur.com/Ms3wmRR.jpg

I am still working on some other changes and will post some pictures later. One project I am working on is adding a BMV 700 battery monitor and I am stuck. I can't find the main ground for all loads. There is a negative that seems to go to the inverter but I'm not sure if that is the main negative because that would not power the 12v connections.

The BMV 700 requires a negative cable from the battery, then the other end is plugged into all of the "load" negative connections, that "load" negative is the connection that I can't find anywhere. Everything I'm seeing in the battery bay appears to be positive.

I love it! Seems to leave more room to open bathroom door! We put a dog crate where you have your cat litter box. It's just an awkward place to put a table. With our slideout not working for past couple of trips it's been a pain going in and out of the bathroom!

Wiper Blades
 

You will find large wiper blade at the larger TRUCK STOPS...Petro, Flying J, etc.

I very recently installed the bmv700 in my 37kt also. The inverter has a wire directly to the battery, but there is another ground from the battery to the frame.

You need to make a jumper 2/0sized from the battery to the shunt. And that should be the only negative connection to the battery. Then connect the inverter and a jumper to the frame, on the other side of the shunt.

it does add a little bit more room when the slide is closed, especially if you put the chair on the end of the table instead of the side, so where it went with the orginal table.

That is a bummer that your slide isn't working, It would put a big hamper on how we use the space to not have the slide out. I sleep on the side of the bed more towards the rear, and that would really suck to have to get up in the middle of the night and crawl over.

seems pretty simple. I was having some trouble sourcing a 2/0 sized wire so ended up ordering it online. My concern was the 12v system and being able to measure that, I guess that goes through the other wire, the one that goes to the chassis?

Have you had a chance to test your usage yet? I'm trying to gauge my energy usage so I can make sure to get the right size battery bank, and eventually solar. Would be interesting to know what others are getting and we can compare once I get mine installed as well.

That's perfect! I've been pondering a better solution for the litter box (we've been doing the "shower shuffle" to this point), and was thinking about converting the basement compartment just forward of the stairwell to a box. But that's a lot of work (and would require some grinding of the metal support structure) and I wasn't too enthused. But your setup is great! May I ask where you got the table and the litter box enclosure (which would also add some more horizontal space)?

Thanks!
Mike

I thought about cutting into the basement compartment as well but decided against it for exactly the reasons you were talking about. I knew for us the shower shuffle wouldnt work, just something I didn't want to deal with, so we went this way. I got it here https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Nomadic Fanatic on youtube is the one that originally used it and posted about it and I just borrowed his idea. It works very well.

The table and legs came from the container store, but you can find a similar one at Ikea, we dont have an Ikea near us to we went to the container store.

We keep our litter box in that exact place, but with the origional table. And we only use 3 chairs.

Yes in a 12v system most of the time your negative is the vehicle frame. In really high draw situations you want it direct, like your inverter. You can get 2/0 wire at most welding supply stores. I wouldn't pay over 3.50 a foot for it. You don't need much. A lot of time they'll discount scraps too. They'll have a simple hammer style light tool for about 20 bucks or Amazon. And you can get 10 lugs for 15 dollars from amazon. Or you can get them for 2 to 3 bucks each at the welding store.

Power usage varies so much with so many ppl. I have 4 sams club batterys 6v 220ah. That will get us through a night of tv wifi devices and computers. With the fridge running. That's say 4 hours of everything. Then thr fridge running all night. I think that's about a minium on the batterys.

I'm working toward solar. I think I need 300 watts to support the refrigerator alone. I'm going to start with 600 watts. I expect I'll end up with 1400 or more.

I am also in the process of installing a second inverter at 3000 watts. I just built a battery tray out of plywood. I am going to mount it in the hole between my batterys and steps. It'll sit on the frame rails and right over the cross support there. I think I can fit 4 more batterys there .

I am putting the second inverter right next to the first, to keep battery cables short. It has a 16 amp circuit that it disconnected when on battery power. I'll move the tv outlets breaker to that.

I am installing a 30 amp plug into my inverter. Then I ran 6/2 wire through conduit to my bay with the 50 amp plug.

When I'm driving, boonedocking or on a 30 amp campsite I'll plug my 50 amp cord into my inverter.
That way it powered everything in the rv including ac's. I won't have to rewire anything inside the rv. When on 30 amp the inverter will boost if I pull more power than the 30 amp can handle an it will automatically turn off power to the first inverter. So I'll have the 1500 watt inverter for tv's and fridge. The other inverter for the rest of the rv.

Fingers crossed it works as planned.

I'm also going to move my transfer switch next to the power cord so I don't have extra wires blocking the back side of my rv.

I don't understand any of this inverter stuff, we just use our generator while we drive to keep our fridge running and A/C going in case driver A/C isn't cooling RV enough.

You do need the genny for the AC, but if you aren't using AC then the inverter will run your fridge without the genny. All it does is take the 12v power maintained while driving by the alternator and convert it to 110 for the fridge. You need to turn it on with a button near the other switches in the doorway.

Will that work with a full sized house fridge? 2015 37 KT Challenger

Patty, yes, it will I have a 2016 37kt and run my fridge off the inverter all the time. Your residential fridge and tv's, plus a few select outlets are all powered from the inverter.

Mine are. The outlet by the passenger feet, the outlet below the kitchen tv, and the outlet below the bedroom tv.

My battery's charge 3 times as faster with the engine idling than with the generator running.

Yup!

I add 3 small portable fans... I have one in front, one by the sink on floor, and one in the bed room blowing at the bed.... I find this has really helped cutting down on the air issues..... I also, added an silver sheet on the front window.... .. I have been in Tampa for July, and August .... it is as hot or hotter than Houston.... I set my air at 79 or 80 ... the coach is really great...

Ed Agostini
texased42@gmail.com

We're having the same issue. Best/lowest inside temp is 82 to 84. Opening the ceiling cover vents helps only marginally. We have two 13.5k BTU units. How did you get them to cover the upgrade to a 15k unit up front? We would gladly pay the difference. I'm thinking that would be a good time to add some ceiling insulation, also.

They did not cover the upgrade (cost) for the difference between the 13.5K and 15K A/C's. The 13.5K unit was replaced under warranty as defective.
How would you add insulation to your ceiling?

Bad wording on my part, or maybe I misunderstood. I thought your a/c was working within specs, but you managed to get them to replace it under warranty, with you paying for the 15k BTU upgrade. I was just asking how you got them to pay to replace a working unit under warranty.

As for adding insulation, I was thinking while the a/c was out that any visible voids in the ceiling could maybe be filled with spray foam, or something. I don't know if it's possible. Was just brainstorming.

I'm thinking the best solution to the heat is a coating on TOP of the coach.

However, I'm not finding a lot of information or consistent feedback from many people that have gone that route.

I've heard a little bit about coating with Rhinoliner. Also a couple of different thick reflective paint type products.

It would be worth $1,000 to me if it allowed me to keep my coach cooled enough such that the A/C actually cycled throughout the day set on 72-74 degrees

Just bought 2017 Challenger 37LX and was moving stuff from our old unit into our new one with the A/Cs going and noticed that the 13.5 just does not cut the mustard here in Texas. Went ahead and bought a 15K unit to replace the 13.5 up front. Hugh difference in cooling. One thing I learned a long time ago is that if momma is happy so are you, so worth every penny.

We have experienced cooling issues with our 38 ft. Challenger (2011) which has two 13.5 AC's. We have been to AZ and TX when it was very hot and experienced over 104 degrees for a few days here in KY this past summer. Here is how we have learned to cope with the hot temps in our MH:

We purchased a roll of REFLEXTEX (Home Depot or Lowes has it; during the day we close the vents on the rear (bedroom) AC; adjust the outlets in the bedroom, bathroom, and hallway thus redirecting more cool air into livingroom and kitchen areas. By using these techniques we have maintained a reasonable 73-75 degree environment during the day, and we reverse the procedure at night. It takes some experimenting and trial and error, but it works for us. Of course, it helps to limit opening door to outside too often as well. That REFLEXTEX should be a big help. Good luck !

Bronk

Awesome, thanks! :-)

RV Parks with Monthly Rates
 

I'm sure there's something better out there, but I couldn't find it, lol! Anyway, I put together a list of RV parks with monthly rates that I found by Googling and put the 290 parks I found on a Google My Map. I make no claim that this is all of the ones out there (I'm sure not!), but maybe it'll give folks some ideas for their long term adventuring. My wife and I aren't quite there yet, but we're counting the months... :-)

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer...2g&usp=sharing

I know this is an old topic, but it's new for me. I just had the CHF and a Safe T Plus installed on my 2017 Challenger 37LX and I could hardly be happier with it. Took it for a test drive and the way it handles is so much more to my liking than before. I am looking forward to our next road trip so I can really see the difference.

Mike

Thor Challenger Owners Unite!
 

Does the Safe T Plus stabilize the front? Do they have something to stabilize the back as well?

Also, will that help if you have a front tire blowout?

What does it cost?

Thanks,
Ted

Hi Ted.

It does stabilize the front, and it is reportedly excellent in aiding you to continue going straight in a front tire blowout situation. I hope never to have to find out first hand though! It also reportedly minimizes the effect of passing 18-wheelers blowing us to the side.

I don't know of one for the rear. The CHF was done both front and rear though.

I paid $499 on Amazon for the Safe T Plus (Blue one for my rig), about $55 for the F-53 brackets for install. I also opted to pay a mobile RV Service tech to do mine, that was two hours labor, $220 for everything he did today. Worth every dollar.

Thanks

Too hot.
 

The best thing you can do is solar film the windshield or add something to block the solar from the windshield and the side windows. That and close the bathroom vents.

Change sofa bed to 2 recliners
 

Wife and I want to do this. Question is where did you find chairs that could make it through the door?
Thanks!

Recliners
 

They come in sections that allow for getting through the door. Go to RestoreRV. com and look at the RecPro series.

Better yet go direct https://www.recpro.com/

This is the one we installed and LOVE IT!
https://www.recpro.com/products/recp...nsole-mahogany
See post 2777 thru 2794 for our install

LCI Electronic Leveling - Low Voltage-
 

Hi All
When I go to set up leveling system this error come up. Low Voltage.
It only happens after I have been on the road for a day or so. To get them to work I either have to plug into shore power of fire up the genny. My thought is that the alternator is not charging the coach batteries.
I checked into this this way. Let the coach batteries run down a bit. Volt meter showed 13.03 volts at the battery. I started the engine and let it run for awhile and volt meter read 13.07 volts. I stopped the engine and plugged into shore power and volt meter read 13.58 volts.
I have not checked voltage after a day or more of boon docking, but I know jacks will not work after a good days drive.
When using jacks, the park brake is on, tranny in park, and engine running.
It is going back to the shop in a few days, still under warranty, so they will check out the alternator.
Any other thoughts?
Thanks!

I fought this for 6 months. You are getting some charge from the batterys or your fridge would kill the 2 stock batterys very fast.

You need to check the ohm reading on the solenoid. Mine was over 0.500. Which meant i was only getting charge from the alternator when the house batterys were below 12.6 volts. So it would never die while driving but they never get charged either. And lippert requires 12.8v minimum or you get the dreaded low battery warning.

I replaced Mine with a continous duty solenoid. You can get one from any auto parts store or on Amazon for 20 bucks.

Camping world and everyone I brought it to mis diagnosed it. I only found the problem because I installed a battery monitor and was able to see exactly what's going on.

Btw I only get 20 maybe 30 amps charge while on the generator.

Now I get 60 to 80 amps from the alternator at a idle. If I idle my engine for 2 hours I get more battery charge then from running the generator for 6 hours.

That's where we bought ours, Rec Pro. My husband and another man carried them in pieces and put them together inside.