Maiden voyage, Day one

[Lawrence Tarnoff]

Uneventful 200 miles to our State Park destination. A couple of observations: you can't get lazy with the steering wheel as it requires almost constant correction.

Also, the dash air-conditioning is pitifully weak.  Is there a way to run the roof air conditioner while underway?

Only one gotcha -- the inside leveler controls did not work.  Had to level the coach from the basement control panel.

Bottom line -- this is magnificent!!

Larry

[Mike Groves]

Larry,

Doesn't sound too bad for day 1 in a 1999 (mine is a 1999).  My coach's air didn't work at all, but a charge was all it needed.

The leveling system may simply have come detached right at the control panel in the coach.  Should be easy to unscrew it, and reconnect it.  I say this because my coach had a similar issue.  Another time the connection inside the controller box (in the electrical basement cabinet) had come undone.

As long as you start your generator, you should certainly be able to run your roof air.

Have a great time!

Mike

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Larry,

Only way to travel! With the age of your coach, the steering box is probably worn, resulting in excessive steering play. You can correct this to some extent by tightening the steering box adjustment screw on the side of the box. You have to loosen a keeper nut to be able to turn the screw. Turn it about 1 turn max and see if that improves things. If you get it too tight the steering will get very touchy. Then back it off a bit.

Your dash A/C may need a can of freon. If you can locate the low pressure side of the system (normally capped with a blue cap) you can check and add a can from Auto Zone, etc. They usually supply the gauge and hose connection. You can use you roof AC on the road by running your generator while traveling. IN the summer, it's about the only way to keep the coach comfortable during the day.

If you inside leveler controls aren't working at all, I'd check to see that the circuit has power. I had a similar problem on our Contessa and found the circuit board was cracked where power came in.

Happy travels!
Steve

[Mike Groves]

Larry,

Steve jogged my memory regarding the steering in my 1999.  I had new tires put on, and afterward I had to keep moving the wheel a little back and forth.  My problem was air pressure as the guys had put 105lbs in it at 48 degrees, so it was now too high.  I found that 105lbs at about 65-70 degrees was right for my coach and the steering was much easier.

The problem for me with this coach is that I've never driven anything similar.  I've had a 34' Winnebago gasser, and this one drives and feels like night and day compared to the bouncy ride and firmness on the road.  The Winnie did steer better than an older 25' gasser we first had.  But my understanding is diesel pushers drive much better, so I was concerned about having to move the wheel back and forth so much, rather than simply rest my hands on it, and I was glad the tire pressure change made a difference for me. 

I'd like to drive some other owner's coach at some point (which is similar to mine) and see what the difference is.  Short of that, I may stop past Grant's Pass, Oregon at Henderson's Line up one of these days and pay for their test ride.

Mike

[Joel Ashley]

I have to echo Steve's opinion re. the steering box wear - your rigs are 16 years old.  You should heed the advice about adjustment.  But a trip to Hendersen's, if possible or opportune, is a very good objective.

Joel

[Mike Groves]

Steve and Joel,

My coach has about 67,000 miles on it.  Even though it was born in August, 1998, wouldn't steering box wear be a result of use rather than sitting?  When does a service like this take place in the normal course of things?  Would this be something done at every grease job?  Is this something that someone greasing the coach could/would do? 

As I said, my steering is now ok, merely having adjusted the air pressure lower in the tires.  I certainly don't want to miss a maintenance step, however. 

Thanks you two.

Mike

[Gerald Farris]

Mike,
Steering gear adjustment is a wear or repair item that is only done if there is a problem, and never as part of a lubrication. My coach has nearly 150,000 miles an I have never adjusted the steering gear because it was not needed.

You said that you lowered the air in your front tires. This can be dangerous if you have not weighed the coach to be sure that you are not overloaded at the lower air pressure. I run 120 PSI in all my tires because it is required to support the weight of my coach. There have been many coaches that have been damaged or even totaled because of underinflated tires. Never run underinflated tires.

Gerald 

[Mike Groves]

Hi Gerald,

This is probably going to get me in trouble, but I run Double Coin 606+ tires all around - is that laughter I hear from the community? , and those tires are rated to carry my weight at 105lbs (Duals 5840, Single 6175). 

Now, having admitted to purchasing Chinese Tires, I do regret now that the tread depth was deeper 22/32nds than the Michelins and other tires I looked at which were 19/32nds.  I thought having a bit more tread might be nice, but they are noisier than the Toyos I took off with 20,000 miles and 10 years on them.

Mike

[Gerald Farris]

Mike,
If you are taking the weights from the tire placard by the driver's seat, do not trust it. Weigh you coach at each individual wheel. That is the only safe way to set your tire pressure. My coach weighs about 3,000 pounds more than the placard states.

Gerald 

[Dave Atherton]

Gerald is correct in his statement about the correct tire pressures. Tires pressures are one of the most
over looked part of motorhome travel in today's world. Having experienced a left front blowout at
65 mph and taken motorhome into oncoming traffic lane. Happened about 5 years ago on two lane road. Today I have a tire shop handle my tire maintance and rotation , reason I have a paper trail in
Case of what happens if. Correct tire pressures. Rotation of tires, correct torque of wheel nuts. In many cases you will find the inner duel rear wheel are loose. It is the cost of ownership and is peace
of mind knowing what your rolling down the road on.  Dave Atherton.

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Mike,
I just experienced an inner dual blowout on a return from TX just west of Van Horn. While Coach Net was GREAT in getting me a tire replacement service (less than 45 minutes from blowout to arrival of tire outfit), it cost me about $400 for a replacement. Additionally  the blowout took out an airbag so getting home was "fun". Failure of the tire was a "zipper" fail where a sidewall separated. This is normally due to low air pressure. First thing I did on getting home was to buy a TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system). (The total cost of the repair was much more than the TPMS cost). Get one!
Steve

[Keith Moffett]

Larry
Our coach was loosy goosy and after some shop time we found out that the Pitman arm was loose where it attaches to the steering box.  Thing is because it is mounted with a lock collar and nut not to mention dirt, you could not tell it was loose until your hand was on it and the steering wheel was moved.  It was so loose it could almost be lifted right off the splines.  A good tightening resolved nearly all the steering difficulty.  If that had popped off, bye bye steering.
I have never heard of anyone else with this problem but checking it out is cheap!
Travel well be safe.

[Dick Simonis]

When we bought our 2000 PT the steering was not very good and pulled like crasy if I drifted over to the the right rumble strips.  When we got home I had the 10yo toyos replaced and the front and rear axles aligned.  The right front tire was badly scalloped on the inside and the front alignment was way out of wack....toe-in I think was the main culprit.

Once it had a new set of Hankook shoes, balanced, and aligned it was a night and day difference.  Not hands off steering but still very easy to drive with virtual no drifting.

[Mike Groves]

I guess we've drifted from the original subject, but tires have always been a huge subject for coaches.

One of the first things I did was to get a TPMS as part of my update to my coach.  I'd read all the horror stories, and at least with a TPMS, I could easily check pressures any time I wanted to.  I'm also not one to go over about 57 miles per hour typically in the driving I do (note that's the 6th gear changeover speed in economy mode), though my cross country trip did sometimes see 60-65 but not for long.  I'm not in a hurry - and my wife is certainly not in a hurry .

Since we're on the subject of tire pressures, and we all know they change according to temperature, and that the tire manufacturers and vehicle makers prescribe a certain tire pressure as being MAXIMUM tire pressure for a tire, at what temperature do they mean? 

Do you have to take air out at 75, 85, 105 degrees, lest the maximum is exceeded?  Then put it back in, when the sun goes down?

I'd read some place that 65 degrees was the temperature the maximum is alluding to, but haven't been able to find that reference again - only the word AMBIENT.  That's the temperature I use as a base line and for my coach and tires at that temperature, its 105lbs, and this based on my experience in the coach going across country.  I'd seen pressures on the TPMS as high as in the low 120s while travelling.  What are others seeing on the TPMS?

Mike

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Mike,
See http://beaveramb.org/forum/index.php/topic,4449.0.html for a discussion on pressure v temperature. I was asking same question. Decided to use ambient of about 85-90 as that is prevalent temp in my shop for at least half the year. I will use Joel's forumla to verify PSI on TPMS at different ambients but will not deflate tires at higher temps.
Steve