Tech Talk

Power Switch Problem
We have a 2001 Country Coach Allure motorhome, and I hope you can help me with a shore power question. I think the problem is the Todd Engineering power switch, model PS245L, located at the motorhome’s electrical entry point. Todd Engineering is no longer in business.

Batteries

Is it a good idea to keep my motorhome plugged in to AC power while not being used?

If you own a motorhome equipped with a Dometic or Norcold refrigerator and have not received recall notification, or if you have recently purchased a preowned motorhome that has a Dometic or Norcold refrigerator, you may want to check to see whether your refrigerator needs to be serviced.

How Long And How Fast?

I tow a 2008 all-wheel-drive Saturn VUE XR that’s equipped with a 3.6-liter V-6 engine and a six-speed automatic transmission. When preparing the vehicle to be towed, I place the transmission in “neutral” with the ignition key in the accessory position and pull the ignition fuse so the battery doesn’t go dead.

Refrigerator Facts

I have a 1996 American Eagle with a Dometic side-by-side refrigerator. It won’t maintain the cold when in the electric mode. The freezer works fine, but the refrigerator does not stay cold.   

Convertor/Charger Problems

My question is about my 1992 34-foot Safari Ivory that has a 50-amp convertor/charger that has stopped working. Can I replace this with a regular 120-volt-AC/40-amp battery charger? 

Sneaky Circuitry

I am working on an electrical problem in a friend’s 2003 Holiday Rambler Traveler 26RB2. On the wall by the outside door is a push-button switch, whose purpose is to disconnect the coach battery from everything but the refrigerator and the inverter. 

Electrical Nightmare

I have a 2003 Monaco Dynasty motorhome with an electrical problem that has puzzled just about everyone I’ve spoken with about it. It all began more than two years ago when I started the generator and the engine to return to Canada. The inverter began to sound an alarm…

Powerless

My 1991 motorhome is built on a Ford chassis with the 460-cid engine. It will go about 20 miles and then lose power, and I have to keep my foot on the gas feed to keep it running. It’s like it is not getting enough gas.

30-Amp Versus 50-Amp

Our 2004 Winnebago Adventurer 33V came with 30-amp electrical service. However, other similar coaches have 50-amp service. Prolonged use of the heat pump/air conditioner burns the contacts on the shore power plug.

No Dash Fan Info

This information may help Dennis Auclair with the issue he described in his “No Dash Fan” letter that appeared in the March 2010 issue of Family Motor Coaching (page 14). I had the same problem on my 2000 Monaco Knight and this Web site was very helpful: www.evanstempcon.com/guides_ccl.php.

Ignition Problem

I own a 1999 Monaco on a Ford chassis with a V-10 engine. The starter will not engage from the ignition switch. I can turn the ignition switch to the “on” position and jump the starter and the engine cranks okay. 

Storing Batteries

Last year, when storing my coach for the winter, I ran a jumper wire (fused) from my house battery bank (six 6-volt batteries) to my three other batteries — the gen set starting battery and the two chassis batteries.

Stalling Problem

I have a 2000 Pace Arrow Vision with 28,000 miles on the Ford V-10 engine. I occasionally have trouble keeping the engine running after starting it.

Engine Malfunction

We have a 2005 Bounder 32W with a Ford Triton V-10 engine. On a recent trip to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the engine malfunctioned and the motorhome had to be towed to a Ford dealer in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania. The problem turned out to be a wet air filter, which got sucked inside out.

Anti-Ant Attack

Regarding the “Ant Infestation” letter in the August 2009 Tech Talk column (page 20), we have on several occasions also been infested with ants.

Kooky Cables

We have a 1986 Fleetwood Limited with three batteries. We need a diagram that shows how to hook up all the wires from the alternator to the battery isolator. For some reason, our cranking battery is discharging while the motorhome is being driven and is not being recharged.

Treatment Time

I have a 1996 Winnebago motorhome with a Cummins diesel engine. In the fall I filled the fuel tank and added diesel fuel treatment before storing it for winter. The next year we didn’t get a chance to use the motorhome except to drive it maybe 50 miles or so. Will the fuel be okay this year if I top it off again and add some more fuel treatment?

Leaky Ice Makers

We have two U-Line ice makers; one is installed in our Safari motorhome and the other in our trawler yacht. We purchased the one in the trawler new; the ice maker on the motorhome came to us 10 years old. Each of these units leaks like a sieve inside the cabinet when the water fills the cube tray.

Hybrid Towables

I noticed that there are several vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions that can be flat-towed. …Also, I noticed there are a few hybrids that are flat towable. We are interested in getting a hybrid that is automatic and flat towable.

Coach Tires

I am experiencing some abnormal wear on the front tires of my 2005 Fleetwood Bounder 38N. These are the original tires and have only 25,000 miles on them. I first noticed the wear approximately a year ago and had them inspected by a tire dealer. The wear is occurring primarily on the second rib in from the outside of the tire.

Slideout Awnings

Some of the awnings over my slideouts are loose on the ends, but tight in the middle. When the wind starts to blow, the ends flap and create noise inside the motorhome.

W22 Brake Caliper Overheating

We own a 2004 National RV Dolphin on a W22 Workhorse chassis manufactured in December 2003. It is among those included in an Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) notice as having a front brake caliper problem.

Blowout

I am writing to ask your advice about an accident I had June 7, 2009. I purchased my first motorhome, a 2004 40-foot Holiday Rambler Imperial, in April 2009 and used it on a couple of trips for about 3,000 miles. At the time of the accident, it had approximately 56,000 miles on it.

Toilet Paper

We used the “right brand” of toilet paper for quite a while, but then something happened and apparently we switched brands. That did not sit well in the black water holding tank. So, can you tell us what the right brand of toilet paper is?

Ant Infestation

Do you have any ideas on how to rid an RV of ants (the very small kind)? We cannot seem to find their nest or point of origin.

Give Me Liberty!

I recently purchased a 2008 Jeep Liberty that I intend to tow flat behind my motorhome. Based on published data, I thought this would be a simple thing to do. I had a 1998 Jeep Cherokee …

Butane Vs. Propane

Could I get some clarification on the propane versus butane issue brought up by Walter A. Szczepanik in his letter (“Propane Or Butane?” page 25) in the October 2008 issue of the magazine?

Digital TV questions

We have two TV sets in our motorhome on the antenna with the power booster. Will we need the converter box for each set even though the one is digital?

Cooling It With A Colorado

I just purchased a 2008 Colorado 4X4 and I am going to tow it behind my RV. I want to know whether I need to do anything other than put the transfer case in “neutral”? Does the steering wheel lock when the key is removed?

I have a 37-foot 1998 Pace Arrow on a Ford chassis. My generator won’t pull fuel from the chassis’ fuel tank even when the tank is full.

DTV Converter Question

We hope you can clarify the DTV converter box issue with our motorhome. Do we need to purchase a converter box for our motorhome TV, or will the place we camp at have the right digital connection for us? Please clarify this dilemma.

Frozen freezer

Our freezer section built up with frost and ice to an amazing degree. I had to defrost it every week (the refrigerator section is fine). It is level enough so that water seems to drain. The ice and frost collect in the upper part of the freezer.

Lost electricity 

I have an electrical problem in my 2000 Monaco La Palma. I have lost the 120-volt-AC power to the kitchen and forward part of the vehicle, the wall circuits, the TV and VCR, the refrigerator, etc. The air conditioner works great …

Bad Batteries?

I have a 1995 36-foot Dutch Star on a Spartan chassis with a Cummins diesel engine and an Allison transmission. We have had to replace all four batteries (house and chassis) within the last week and are now replacing the alternator.

Wet Walls

I have a 2006 Damon Intruder that was built in 2005 and purchased in April 2007. When the temperature falls below 40 degrees and the humidity is higher than 50 percent, all the walls in the motorhome get really wet. This includes the closets …

Trailer Towing

I’m concerned about towing my horse trailer behind my 2002 Southwind. I’ve been advised to have an equalizer installed, but I’ve been to two RV dealers, and they don’t know what an equalizer is or what I’m talking about. Can you help?