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martin300662 · 07-26-2016, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdufault

I'm very interested in and will be closely following your GV installation. Will there be any impact on the parking brake?

On the early/shorter MH there is no impact because they are cable operated emergency brakes on the rear drums. At some point (age/size) GM change to a drive train mounted brake and the installation is more complex. There is a kit for MH with the brake mounted on the drive train but those require reworking/re-positioning of the trans mount.

Smartstream · 07-26-2016, 12:32 PM

The Gear Vendor install is simple and straight forward. The most important thing is talk to your drive shaft shop to make sure you know exactly how he wants you to measure the shaft.

The units with a driveline brake comes with a different rear housing so the brake bolts right on. You will need an extension for the cable that GV supplies. There is no change to the trans mount.

My Isuzu diesel isn't a power house but it does drop the rpm's enough to make driving pleasant. It gained maybe 7 or 8 mph in top speed. It will be interesting to see how the 350 does in the 20'.

By the way the GV is one of the best improvements on my 280.

martin300662 · 08-03-2016, 04:05 PM

GearVendors shipment just arrived in NJ, one week for building to order and shipping. Can't ask more than that!

bkahler · 08-04-2016, 12:32 PM

It's always fun when big boxes arrive

GWallace · 08-06-2016, 06:25 AM

Martin,
Are you planning some kind of UK shore power conversion after Bella arrives in the UK?
Gregg

martin300662 · 08-06-2016, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GWallace

Martin,
Are you planning some kind of UK shore power conversion after Bella arrives in the UK?
Gregg

No Greg. Right from day one, everything that went into Bella was low ampage, so even now everything can run on 20amp shore (we have 30amp connections but the main breakers are only 20amp). This was done on purpose and fro 3 reasons,

1) Everything can run on a single Eu2000i generator
2) Everything (apart from the AC) can run on the little MM-1012 Magnum inverter, and we carry enough battery and solar (200amp Zamp) to run everything apart from AC totally un-tethered.
3) The entire electrical system does not have anything that relies on frequency to keep time, so we can run on 50Hz or 60Hz. This is key as it means in Europe we can plug the current 30amp/110v connectors into a simple 240v/110v transformer that is used extensively for power tools for outside/site work.

https://www.sitebox.ltd.uk/tradesafe...-volt-oTRANS55

Literally the only 'conversion we have to do is get a second Fusion 30amp lead and have the shore connection changed to fit the transformer, which are designed to sit outside and carry an IP 'water ingress' rating.

GWallace · 08-06-2016, 10:01 AM

It surely looks like that arrangement will work without any issues.
Before I retired as I was driving in the UK I saw a number of caravans and caravan parks and often wondered how it would work if I had my Argosy 20 along. A step-down transformer would certainly do the job.
Gregg

martin300662 · 08-12-2016, 01:15 PM

Bit of a hiccup with the GV install today. The unit comes with a new yoke for the trans end, trouble is Bella has a slip drive at the trans. Having a fixed yoke both ends of the drive shaft is not going to work, so GV recommend not installing the through bolt to lock the GV end yoke position, and instead let the yoke slip. The issue is the through bolt compresses the yoke against the rear oil seal (actually an o-ring) so with the bolt that o-ring will be useless and instead a sealing disk is supplied to cover the through bolt.....GV say that's good enough but it seems a little worrying to me?

Smartstream · 08-12-2016, 04:08 PM

Have a talk with your drive shaft shop. They can put slip joints just about anywhere. Interesting I'm pretty sure mine has a lip seal at the rear rather then an o ring. An older GV I had without the driveline brake hag a slip yoke at the rear.

martin300662 · 08-13-2016, 02:54 PM

Not sure what the shop was saying was a problem. Bella has a yoke from the rear diff to a universal joint (not mounted) which continues into a short shaft with a fixed slip joint.

That slip joint is fixed to a yoke at the back of the axle.

Seems this primary drive shaft needs the existing yoke removed and shorted by (accurately) the length of the GV, because if they dont get the length correct then the fixed slip joint will not mount up correctly

bkahler · 08-13-2016, 03:22 PM

That's the same drive shaft arrangement as my 74 and Peanut. I had the short drive shaft shortened by about 3-1/4" due to the 4L80e being longer by that amount.

The amount removed from the drive shaft can be off a small amount (+- 1/16") because the slip yoke can make up the difference.

I would hope the Gear Vendors instructions include the dimension needed to shorten the drive shaft.

Smartstream · 08-13-2016, 05:17 PM

Martin that is the same set up as my 280 with the exception of the parking brake. Be also aware that the length of the front shaft locates the carrier bearing mount.

martin300662 · 08-14-2016, 06:07 PM

Thanks guys, hopefully the transmission shop agrees in the morning.

We had what can only be described as a lucky escape last night. Bella is parked up at a friends place in NJ. Over last couple of days there have been regular micro-burst thunderstorms (including as my flight back from Europe tried to land on Thursday night, resulting in a 10 hour delay, including a couple of hour bus ride to get back from Philly when it was the only airport at which we could land - but that is another story!). Well during storms on Saturday evening a tree came down in my friends garden.

Didn't look that dramatic at the time, until we realised it had come down 180 degrees away from the house. Well, Bella (and the house) was 40 ft from the tree.....and the part of the tree that came down was 60ft long.

If the wind was the opposite direction, the tree would have been on top of Bella and hit the house!

martin300662 · 08-15-2016, 07:28 AM

Well the spare keys have arrived from UK (....a story for another day) and Bella is now around at the transmission shop for the GV install. They say less than a week including getting the front drive shat shortened.

bkahler · 08-15-2016, 10:07 AM

Did the installation quote change after looking closer at the drive shaft?

martin300662 · 08-15-2016, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bkahler

Did the installation quote change after looking closer at the drive shaft?

Changed a lot when he realised the transmission mount would not be touched. Current estimate is 4-5 hours plus the cost of the drive shaft mod. The drive shaft is still unknown at the moment.

martin300662 · 08-15-2016, 03:23 PM

OK the Airstream Gods are taking an interest in the GV install.....

First issue is the unit doesn't fit without modification of the trans mount. Seems the trailing edge needs to be 'trimmed' by 1/4" to allow the unit to fit, which has added a few hours to the install/cost.

Where are Tony's virgins for sacrifice when needed?

bkahler · 08-15-2016, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by martin300662

OK the Airstream Gods are taking an interest in the GV install.....

First issue is the unit doesn't fit without modification of the trans mount. Seems the trailing edge needs to be 'trimmed' by 1/4" to allow the unit to fit, which has added a few hours to the install/cost.

If it's just trimming an edge that shouldn't be to bad. Moving the mount is a whole different animal.

Quote:

Where are Tony's virgins for sacrifice when needed?

Actually I think Tony's problem is he's down to only one virgin and the size of his motorhome requires two.

The reason I opted out of acquiring the remaining virgin for my little 20' Argosy is she didn't know how to cook....but if Denise knows how to cook you might be in luck

martin300662 · 08-17-2016, 02:36 PM

Bella has a nice new GV overdrive!

Whilst off, the drive shaft specialist installed new bearings and yoke which took the cost of the shaft mods upto near $800.

The shop billed 10 hours for the install (but that included fixing the on-going leak from the oil pressure gauge line, which would have sprayed over the new GV controller if left unchecked). The also flushed and checked the original trans, so all in I am very happy.

The side effect of having the work done is the shop owner is now searching for a 20ft rear bed Argosy for himself, reinforced by the fact that he worked on Bella (on the ground) out the front of his shop and 3 people stopped and tried to buy her, one of which simply said 'name your price'!