What did you get for your Motorhome today?

[Kota]

Finally got the tires. I decided to install them myself so I would have a chance to inspect the brakes, steering, change front hub oil, etc. I also tend to do a better job of cleaning up the flanges, nut, and studs than the shops. Important if you end up pulling a wheel roadside without a big air wrench. I also have the tools now for the 1 1/2" nuts and 13/16" square inter nuts on the rears duals. Napa makes this big heavy socket that does both. That and a 20 ton low profile bottle jack and I'm all set for a tire or brake issue on the road. My cheap 3/4" drive socket set from Harbor Freight was not up to the task. They did replace the breaker bar with a better one that held up to the abuse. It took a 4 foot pipe to break the lugs loose.

I did second guess myself while pulling 6 perfectly fine looking tires with minimal wear. There were 3 different brands of tires. It had Aroura on front (2000) 3 Power Kings (2001) on the back along with some brand I'd never heard of that was a replacement in (2003). They screwed up the installation on the replacement which I'll post next.

[Kota]

As you can see in the first picture, the hub caps install from the outside and 3 of the lug nuts hold them on. Someone tried to install the side that had the inner changed by sticking it in from the inside with that beaded flange between the wheels. I've lost a lug nut last year and discovered the others loose. I replaced it and torqued them all not noticing the difference between the two sides. The beaded flange was getting crushed down between the wheels. when loose the wheel was running on the flange on the axle rolling the hubcap tight into the wheel. I had to use the plasma cutter and beat it out. There is a bit of a wear groove on the wheel but I feel its safe. I might try to find a replacement someday. Now I have to find a hubcap.

It's idiots like this that cause me to do things myself even though it is a PITA.

[Keyair]

Oooooo...
Plasma Cutter.....

[AirRowan]

We are finally on are vacation.... so we stopped at a truck stop for air and ended up getting are Rims polished so we could be cool like KeyAire and all the rest of the Polished nuts ;-).
Just up the road was a tire shop that had the Glass Beads for balancing so we got that done to all 8 tires it only took them 2 hrs (so we slept in side while they did it). Just after we finally got back on the road and up to 75mph the "Engine Power is Reduced" (limp home mode) apparently after 900mils of driving with out a soot filter or its sensors hooked up it decided it was time to do a clean out of a system that does not exist. So we cleared the codes and it worked for 4miles then slowed us down to 48mph with no power even for small hills. We stopped near Coco Beach at Space cost RV resort for the night to try to get it fixed. I worked on it for hrs and need a delete kit that will not be avalable till after the long weekend so we decided to drive US1 at 48mph and see how far we can make it ....... and it is my wife's Watch now and we are making 48mph some were in southern Georgia... If some one knows Duramax LMM's call me and tell me what I can do to fool it.

[crazeevw]

Ok,

When purchased, the motorhome had several 'improvements' done. One was a complete paint job of the shower stall. Walls appear to be painted with a floor broom, tub part was sprayed with what appears to be black garage floor paint, specks included.
With the great help of bkahler on the forum, who is parting out a 345, I am the proud purchaser of the completely original tub part for the shower stall. Will have to wait on transportation. My folks are in Michigan, and will be heading to Florida for the holidays, so hopefully will have enough room in the F-150 long bed for a shower tub, lol.
Now all I have to do is figure out a shower door......

Thanks to Brad!
Derek

[Kota]

We stopped by the Iowa 80 truck stop and had to check out the truckers museum and pro shop. The rusted tailpipe has been bothering me.

I pointed it aft a bit as the original pointed straight down. I'm expecting another 3 mpg, better acceleration, and more down force on the rear to help with the additional torque.

Ann wouldn't let me buy the Sitting Lady steering wheel!

If anyone cruises by, I suggest stopping. Huge selection of truck accessories. Lots of LED light conversion stuff.

[Keyair]

Had a Zemco Fuel and Trip Computer years ago(1985), and loved it.
It occured to me that it would be great to have one on the MH..

Last year, to my surprise I found a New In Box(NIB) ZT-4 which I think I posted ealier in this thread...



These units work on older style Carburettor vehicles only, and by using a fuel flow sensor, and speed sensor, give a readout of MPG, both instant and average, fuel used and fuel remaining, as well as speed, trip and other data.
Zemco made a few different units over the years and also some parts to allow it to be used on Injected engines and diesels... these are rare tho...and valued! I saw such a unit sell for $200 last year!

Last week I saw and won another NIB unit, but this time it is the later and one I have never seen before... an ZT-5!
It has pretty much all the same functions but a larger LCD display!

[bullet81]

Well last night I bought Miss Dee her Christmas present from e-bay, this should make her & the bullet happy

[Keyair]

Originally Posted by bullet81

Well last night I bought Miss Dee her Christmas present from e-bay, this should make her & the bullet happy

Wow... is that all new stuff???

[Kota]

My poo tank level sensor has been inop since I purchased the AS. I've tried everything such as sensor cleaner and one of those twirly spray wands. I did manage to get the top sensors to start working but it still showed 1/2 full.

I was going to fabricate an attachment with two spray nozzles pointing off to the sides counter each other. I saw this adjustable angle attachment at Home Depot and grabbed it. Had to do a little mod to get it to go 90 degrees. It fits down the toilet and sprays down the walls, roof, and floor of the tank.

I won't describe what came out...

The sensors all work now and the tank is clean.

The other two attachments are ones I designed and built for cleaning mud, salt, dirt, and grime from the undercarriage of vehicles. I built one and everyone wanted one. I was encouraged to patent the design. $2500 later I'm looking at a challenge from a guy that hooked a pipe between a garden hose and twirly sprinkler with wheels. Claimed to have rights to anything with wheels and upward spray to clean the underside of vehicles. The attorney said we could beat it but it would cost another 5 grand.

They do a very nice job of cleaning the underside of the Airstream. One has 3 car wash type spray nozzles and the other accepts any standard spray nozzle with a smaller pattern for blasting heavy crud.

[Keyair]

New Awning release handle!

[Keyair]

New Velvac Mirror control and heater switchs and mounting panel...
Velvac MSRP for this assembly is $125 plus tax and shipping...
I got this for $34.0 from Ebay!
The heater switch is wrong or the mounting panel is wrong, but I dislike the toggle anyway, so will find something better.

[Waipio Rim]

Thanks to BKahler, new rear view mirrors! He even machined aluminum spacers to adapt them to my old mounts. Will post photos when we get home, testing our furnace in Montreal right now.

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by Waipio Rim

Thanks to BKahler, new rear view mirrors! He even machined aluminum spacers to adapt them to my old mounts. Will post photos when we get home, testing our furnace in Montreal right now.

Cool

Glad to hear everything worked out! Hope you didn't have to much trouble enlarging the hole in the mount.

Enjoy your trip!

Brad

[bkahler]

As you can see from this first picture the manual steps on my Argosy MH have seen better days I bent them went I was loading the Argosy on the trailer for its trip from eastern Tennessee to Arkansas. I wasn't paying attention to the fact that the steps were extended and they got caught while winching it onto the trailer. Which also explained why it got real hard to pull at about that time



So I've been plotting and planning and finally found what I felt was a good deal on a new Kwikee electric double step. Bought it from PPL and got free shipping to boot.



I've got some rework to do in the entry way of the Argosy due to the manual steps being set up differently than the Classic motorhomes. I've got a plan and I think it's going to work. We'll see...

[Mike Leary]

Originally Posted by AirRowan

we are making 48mph some were in southern Georgia...

Sorry we missed you, it would have been one of the the few mo/hos I could pass!

[dadstoy]

Brad, I like the step. Mine is a single and powered via engine manifold vacuum. I'll be interested in your installation and how you like it!

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by dadstoy

Brad, I like the step. Mine is a single and powered via engine manifold vacuum. I'll be interested in your installation and how you like it!

Dean, I couldn't argue with the price, $358 delivered.

Your vacuum step is the same as what we have on our 310. Just so happens I bought two of these steps, one for the Argosy and one for the 310

I'm heading to Pasco Washington for two weeks but when I get back I will be attempting the install probably on the 310 first and then the Argosy. The Argosy needs a lot of fabrication work done in the step area to make it fit.

Stay tuned...

Brad

[AirRowan]

Originally Posted by Mike Leary

Sorry we missed you, it would have been one of the the few mo/hos I could pass!

We had a few codes that we could not stop from returning about the re-gen on the exhaust emissions system. This started in north florida on Labor day weekend so we felt like it would just mean driving US-1 Instead of 95 because we had a top speed of 48mph when the 8miles of code free was up. Every 8 miles the the motor would go into a safe mode and restricted power then after about 20 miles it would restricke even more. We drove like this to Maine were we used a EFI Live system and re rote the hole system including the fuel level turbo boost etc.
The trip back was amazing after suffering the hole way up... We would pull the big hills 7+% in 90deg heat at over 75mph towing a trailer and never down shifting out of 6th. I bought the banks exhaust brake system but never needed it even in the Blue Ridge. I love this thing even with some growing pains :-)

[Kota]

Originally Posted by bkahler

Dean, I couldn't argue with the price, $358 delivered.

Your vacuum step is the same as what we have on our 310. Just so happens I bought two of these steps, one for the Argosy and one for the 310

I'm heading to Pasco Washington for two weeks but when I get back I will be attempting the install probably on the 310 first and then the Argosy. The Argosy needs a lot of fabrication work done in the step area to make it fit.

Stay tuned...

Brad

My 360 came with a Kwikee that had been bent, folded, spindled, and mutilated. (a term those of you that remember Hollerith cards)

The main problem was incorrect wiring. There are safety features that must be correctly implement. First, is a "normally open" magnetic switch normally open with the magnet present or not (door open or closed)? Kwikee called for one that is opposite from the lable on the package. Airstream got it backwards and reversed the wires on the Kwikee between the motor and contrlol box, with wire nuts hanging down into the mud and salt, to make it go up when it should go down and visa verse. That also disabled the safety features that retract the step if you try to drive away with the step down.

The hardest part of my installation was getting at the bolt heads under the plastic step bucket. If AS had used captive bolt plates it would have been a no brainer. I used grade 8 cadmium plated bolts and large fender washers. If I were doing it again I would use 2 inch by 1/4 steel straps with the bolts tack welded. If you ever have to work on or replace it, you could just remove the nuts from the bottom and drop the step.

They work perfectly and quietly. I had great luck with PPL and saved over $1000 ordering from them and doing it myself. A local shop wanted $650 to order me one and I would have to drive 100 miles to pick it up.

Feel free to contact me if you need any help.

Dave...