Author Topic: 2003 Thunder Chassis  (Read 19173 times)

Gerald Farris

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Re: 2003 Thunder Chassis
« Reply #15 on: November 21, 2014, 01:04:23 AM »
Don,
You have a Magnum chassis that was built after Monaco bought SMC Corporation (Beaver and Safari). Your chassis was probably built in Harrisburg before Monaco moved all chassis production to Coburg.

Monaco used the SMC leveling system on the 2002 and 2003 production until the supply was exhausted.

If you are not having a problem with your Bilstein shocks, there is no reason to change them just because of mileage. However, if you are trying to correct something, that is another issue. My 2000 Marquis has about 145,000 miles and it still has the original shocks that I do not intend to change until they start causing a problem.

Gerald 

Don Stewart

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Re: 2003 Thunder Chassis
« Reply #16 on: November 21, 2014, 03:25:52 PM »
Thank you Gerald, this clears up a lot. We still are not able to find any documentation on the M-3200 chassis. We are looking at the Safari Zanzibar and think that this MH is probably built on the same frame?

Don

Jerry Emert

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Re: 2003 Thunder Chassis
« Reply #17 on: November 23, 2014, 04:12:44 PM »
I'm not as up on this as others that have already commented, Jerry, but I was under the impression the RR stood for Roadmaster Rail and if followed by an 8 it was a coach with 8 airbags;  a 10 meant 10 airbags.  The last letter I've little clue about since you've seen "R" and "S" and mine has an "M" which I speculated meant it was based on an older Magnum design, but it was just a guess.

Joel

I know this post is a little older, but I am confused about my chassis and I can't find any real information regarding it. Our 2002 Beaver Contessa was built in February, 2002. It has triple slides, not offered in the 2002 brochure, only in the 2003. It has a Cummins ISL engine, not the Cat. Finally, it has a Roadmaster Magnum Chassis M-3200, built in Coburg, OR? It has the SMC leveling system with 8 air bags. We will need to be replacing shocks soon as we believe they are the original Bilstein shocks with 94,000 miles on them. May be looking into a tru center system for it as well. Can anyone shed any light on this for us? Please see attached photo.

If you figure it out please let me know, I'm still confused.  I "think" that mine is a Magnum left over from when Beaver was owned by Safari.  Mine has 10 airbags though.  I also have a Roadmaster plate in the engine bay but every piece of paper I can find says it's a Magnum.  I suspect that Roadmaster just put their plate on it since it was right on the edge of the ownership change.  Good luck!
Jerry, Chief USN Retired
2003 Patriot Thunder Lexington 40' 3 Slides
C-12 Ser#  2KS89983
4000MH

Don Stewart

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Re: 2003 Thunder Chassis
« Reply #18 on: November 23, 2014, 05:37:42 PM »
Hi Jerry, that is probably what happened to mine. We have the Roadmaster placard, but it says Magnum on the placard, please see phota I attached in previous posting. It then goes on to say M-3200, which I haven't been able to find any documentation on. Your chassis differs from mine as it has 10 air bags and mine has only 8, so probably not at M-3200 chassis. I am still somewhat confused but feel that my chassis was definitely produced by SMC.

Don

Gerald Farris

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Re: 2003 Thunder Chassis
« Reply #19 on: November 23, 2014, 06:12:12 PM »
Jerry,
Your chassis was definitely built after Monaco purchased SMC. Therefore, since Monaco used the Roadmaster designation for all of the chassis that they built, your chassis is a Roadmaster. However, it was probably built at the Magnum factory in Harrisburg Oregon before Monaco closed it and moved all chassis production to the facility at Coburg Oregon. 

There are several features that set your chassis apart from the SMC designed Magnum chassis that was used on earlier model Thunders. The most obvious is the addition of the tag axle for a much higher weight capacity. The only tag axle chassis that SMC used was for the 42 foot Marquis. The other significant change was the installation of Bendix Spicer ADB22X brakes to replace the problematic Meritor ADB brakes used on the 2002 Thunder or the air over hydraulic brakes that were used on the earlier Thunder coaches.

Don,
If you have a 2003 model coach, it has a Roadmaster chassis that was probably built at the Magnum facility in Harrisburg.

Gerald
   
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Edward Buker

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Re: 2003 Thunder Chassis
« Reply #20 on: November 23, 2014, 09:22:14 PM »
Gerald,

I know my chassis is a Magnum but if you open the engine compartment hatch there is a plaque on the frame that says Roadmaster with some info on it. It certainly is confusing in the 2002 to 2003 era as to what was built on what frame given there seemed to be some leftover Magnum chassis.

It would be helpful if a feature could be identified that was unique to the true Roadmaster chassis like a full pass through basement or a hydraulic tank placement etc that would make it clear because the Magnum chassis never had that feature....just a thought.

Later Ed

Jerry Emert

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Re: 2003 Thunder Chassis
« Reply #21 on: November 23, 2014, 10:38:54 PM »
Jerry,
Your chassis was definitely built after Monaco purchased SMC. Therefore, since Monaco used the Roadmaster designation for all of the chassis that they built, your chassis is a Roadmaster. However, it was probably built at the Magnum factory in Harrisburg Oregon before Monaco closed it and moved all chassis production to the facility at Coburg Oregon. 

There are several features that set your chassis apart from the SMC designed Magnum chassis that was used on earlier model Thunders. The most obvious is the addition of the tag axle for a much higher weight capacity. The only tag axle chassis that SMC used was for the 42 foot Marquis. The other significant change was the installation of Bendix Spicer ADB22X brakes to replace the problematic Meritor ADB brakes used on the 2002 Thunder or the air over hydraulic brakes that were used on the earlier Thunder coaches.

Don,
If you have a 2003 model coach, it has a Roadmaster chassis that was probably built at the Magnum facility in Harrisburg.

Gerald
   

Thanks Gerald, so does that make it the S Series?
Jerry, Chief USN Retired
2003 Patriot Thunder Lexington 40' 3 Slides
C-12 Ser#  2KS89983
4000MH

Don Stewart

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Re: 2003 Thunder Chassis
« Reply #22 on: November 24, 2014, 12:03:28 AM »
Thanks Gerald, ours was built, according to the placard, 02/02. It has many of he 2003 features such as a triple slide that was found in the 2003 brochure and not the 2002. Please see the Manaco side placard attached. I would like to find some kind of documentation on my chassis. I have googled every which way I know how, but no reward. Please advise if you have any additional info. We will be in Indio in January to pick some brains there.  8)

Best,

Don