La Palma Puddle
Q: I have been experiencing an intermittent loss of coolant from my motorhome engine. It is a Ford V-10 in a 2000 Monaco La Palma with a total of 14,000 miles. The leak is a drip more or less on the right front side of the engine just behind or under the radiator. It may have something to do with the heater, since we have had difficulty controlling the cab climate; it is either too cold or too hot. Sometimes there is no coolant loss at all. In looking at the engine, the source of the leak is not apparent. Do you have any words of wisdom for me?
Glen Hatch, F224547
Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas
A: From your description of the location, I have two suggestions as to the cause. The first could be that the drain petcock needs to be tightened, as it may have vibrated loose. The second is the clamp that secures the bottom radiator hose to the radiator may have vibrated loose. Check all of the hose clamps to make sure they are all tight. Also, have you had a Ford mechanic look at it? It’s a bit difficult to diagnose an intermittent leak from afar.
Bouncing Bounder
Q: Our coach is a 1992 34-foot Fleetwood Bounder on a Chevrolet P-30 chassis. We are contemplating buying new tires and putting new coil springs on the front end of the Bounder, which currently has coils and air bags and is drooping. A local mechanic has suggested that we replace them with similar springs and air bags; however, a recent article in Family Motor Coaching magazine written by technical editor Jim Brightly (“Suspension Upgrades,” February 2006, page 58) mentioned Super Steer springs from Henderson’s Line-Up, Brake and RV in Grants Pass, Oregon. The mechanic now says we’ll get a harder and noisier ride. Any advice will be welcome.
I called the largest Goodyear dealer in Victoria, British Columbia, and the representative I spoke with said that the tires that are mentioned in the article are discontinued. Then, as I suspected, his knowledge of RV tires was a bit sketchy; he started talking about putting a medium truck tire on. Then he asked about the width of the tread and said that he couldn’t be sure which tires to install unless we drove the vehicle down to him so he could determine what tires would fit. He also asked if the motorhome was built on a Chevy, Ford, or Dodge chassis. I also asked the chicken-and-egg question: what comes first, the new coil springs or the tires? He said tires first. Right or wrong?
In the suspension upgrades article, Jim wrote that he used Goodyear G670 tires. We have now visited the reasonably local Goodyear dealer and the next question that arises is whether there is enough space between the back wheels for us to put the 225 tires onto the rims. We haven’t done that yet, as it involves taking the motorhome onto downtown streets, so we’ll make an appointment for a quiet Saturday sometime soon.
Since I’ve become more educated on this matter, I’ve discovered that the installation of new tires should come before the coil springs and bell crank replacement, and then the coach alignment is done.
I contacted Goodyear Canada to get some further advice, a spec sheet with warranty information, etc. on the tires, and they are saying they can’t recommend anything, because they don’t know our vehicle. They also commented that there are other suitable Goodyear tires but did not elaborate.
We live in a small community that doesn’t even have a Goodyear dealer, and obviously I’m going to have to order tires in. Have you done research on the best tires for motorhomes? As you mention, high mileage is not an issue, but comfort and good traction for motorhomes are.
Brenda Harfield, F354035
Sidney, British Columbia
A: First, I’m going to recommend that you install the same size tire on the coach as the original. The correct application for your coach is what the vehicle manufacturer has recommended in regard to tire size, speed, and load rating. I recommend that you adhere to the manufacturer recommendations for your tire application.
I also will say that if you do install truck tires rather than RV tires, you will experience a rougher and harsher ride. Perhaps this is the experience that the mechanic is referring to, and maybe the tires are not available in Canada. I know that in Canada the tires must exhibit the proper tax and customs numbers on the sidewall; however, I believe you may purchase the tires in the United States and then pay the import duty when you return to Canada. If this is the case, you may want to ascertain whether there is any difference in the overall price per tire.
The weight tag located near the driver’s seat should give you the manufacturer’s tire recommendations. Provide this information to Goodyear and they should be able to recommend the proper tire. You also may wish to contact Michelin with the same information. Both companies make excellent RV tires, so your choice should be fairly easy.
As you read in that article, the suspension upgrades provided a smoother, quieter ride. The springs that Henderson’s uses are matched on a press to have the same strength. I used the new springs on my 1999 P-30 chassis and it was lifted more than an inch. It now has a more firm and stable ride. However, as you’ll see in the article, several other components were replaced at the same time.