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.
Category:
Tech Talk
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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 …
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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?
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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?
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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 electricityÂ
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 …
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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.
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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 …
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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?
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Vacuum Lack
My vehicle is a 1981 Tioga powered by a Chevy 350 5.7-liter engine with a carburetor. The vacuum storage for the air vent controls seems to bleed out of the accumulator canister when on long grades, and especially at high altitudes.
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Trailer Towing
I am looking to purchase a small motorhome that I can use to pull a horse trailer to shows in the Northeast within a radius of 300 to 500 miles from central New Jersey. I have my eye on a 26-foot Type C right now.
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Ground fault interruptionsÂ
In the January 2008 “House Calls” column, Jeff Hayes wrote about his new RV tripping the ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) breakers at his house and at campgrounds as soon as he plugs in the shore power line (“Trippy GFCI,” page 28). I have a motorhome that did exactly the same thing.
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Spider stopper
When I read Sally Peterson’s question in the January 2008 issue (“Unwanted Guests,” page 26) about spiderweb prevention, I thought of the advice given to us when we bought our first RV, which worked out very well. Purchase a dog or cat flea collar and cut it into pieces. Place the pieces in all the different compartments . . .
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Coach Connection
I was hoping you could recommend a motorhome transportation company or companies that could move my motorhome (which isn’t running right now) from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Amarillo, Texas.
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High Definition
I need some help with the installation of an HDTV in my motorhome. I would like to be able to use my Winegard roof-mounted antenna that I currently have on my 2003 Pace Arrow. It works fine with my …
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No Cold Norcold
My Norcold (model number N843IM) refrigerator generally works very well on propane and electric. However, when I am on the road, operating on propane, and the outside temperature is very hot, the indicator light on the front of the refrigerator goes out.Â
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Satellite Internet
I work on the road via the Internet while traveling. The wireless Internet access at RV parks is usually very slow and not sufficient. Have you reviewed any of the satellite systems that are available?
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Synthetic Oil
I have a 30-foot 2007 Winnebago Sightseer with a Ford chassis and a V-10 engine. I’m getting ready to have the motorhome serviced and have a question. This will be the second oil and filter change, and I was wondering what you recommend for oil and oil weight.Â
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We are concerned about rodent (mice) control in our type A coach and wonder whether there are any solutions that are acceptable to the human senses?
John Watts, F364006
Ellington, Connecticut
We have a 2002 32-foot Bounder type A coach. Last winter while it was in storage, a family of mice took up residence and caused considerable mess and damage. -
I have an Onan generator located at the rear of a 38-foot type A coach. Each year I’m required to have the armature cleaned and new brushes installed, as the generator fails to produce power.
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I have attempted to find the answer to the question of lightning strikes to motorhomes or travel trailers. Manufacturers don’t seem to have information to offer.
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I have a 2003 Alfa See Ya diesel pusher with a 7.2-liter Caterpillar 3126 engine with 26,000 miles on it. Is there any way to test a turbocharger, or is there any kit out there to check the boost or performance? The reason I ask is that the coach seems underpowered for the first hour of driving but after that it feels better.
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Ford recently extended its cruise control switch recall to include 2003-model F-150 through F-550 Super Duty trucks. The original recall covered 1994 – 2002 vehicles.
Today I contacted Ford’s RV customer service (800-444-3311) to inquire as to whether the recall included the Ford type A motorhome chassis, as the V-10 engine is basically the same one used in some of the recalled vehicles. -
The January 2007 issue of FMC magazine indicates no special requirements regarding setting up a 2007 Jeep Wrangler for towing four wheels down. I read in a Wrangler owner’s manual that there is now a final step 12 that is included for towing preparation.
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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. -
Noisy Brakes
Q: I have a 1998 36-foot Fleetwood Pace Arrow. I am having a problem with my front brakes. -
Fuelish Question
Q: In the October 2006 “Tech Talk” column, your response in the “Diesel Fuel For 2007” (page 20) letter answered some questions I had about diesel fuel. However, I have a question that was not answered. -
Q: I have a question about a 1986 Fleetwood 22-foot motorhome that was given to our family two years ago. After using it on a couple of short trips and one longer trip out east, I would like to know if it is possible to change out the four-barrel carb to a two-barrel.
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Q: I would really appreciate any direction you can provide. I have a 2000 Dutch Star diesel pusher with door steps that won’t work.
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Q: I am a retired diesel engine design engineer and cannot overlook the technical mistakes in the article on diesel engines (“Diesel Talk”) on page 60 of the September 2006 issue of Family Motor Coaching magazine. The author refers to “piston movement …
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In the August 2006 “Tech Talk” column, it was reported that Mr. Louis King of Decelomatic Corporation had passed away and his company was no longer in business.
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Q: I recently began to notice stickers on the diesel fuel pumps warning that 2007 and later models cannot use the fuel without damaging their engines. So what do you do if you have a 2007 diesel? Do you have to get special fuel at special pumps? If all the pumps are changed to new fuel, will it work in older models? (Sounds like the old leaded-unleaded conversion.)
Roy C. -
Q: Following is a letter we sent to DaimlerChrysler Corporation regarding using a new Dodge Dakota as a towed vehicle behind a motorhome. The company did respond, saying that it is a new design on the Dakota and that they will try to make the towing information more “visible†to both dealers and buyers.
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Q: I’ve been a member of FMCA since the late 1960s, and this is the first time I’ve contacted “Tech Talk.†I am having a problem finding service for my Mountain Tamer, which is an exhaust brake retarder for gasoline engines. The unit was manufactured by Decelomatic Corp.
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Q: I had the same problem described in the “Triton Starter Problems” letter that was published in the February 2006 issue of FMC (page 20). I had a 2000 model F-53 chassis with a 22,000-pound gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR).
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Q: I recently purchased a Saturn Vue to use as a towed vehicle. Prior to the purchase, I checked your magazine (the January 2006 article on towing), and also with the dealership sales manager and the salesman who sold me the vehicle.
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Q: I have a 1998 Holiday Rambler with a 275-horsepower Cummins ISB engine. I bought it used in 2003, and as far as I know, there have been no modifications.