Recent Posts

1

Technical Support / Re: BOLT LOCK on front door

« Last post by Roy Warren Co-Admin on Today at 04:19:50 AM »

I have the same problem and found out that if I tighten the screws so there is no movement of the lock, the key will either not turn or is very hard to turn.  I then loosen each screw an 1/8 of a turn at a time and after only one or two times, the lock works properly and the lock is still tight in the door.  It does loosen over time, especially with some of the roads we travel, but I just go back to the formula, tighten, loosen 1/8 turn.
Roy Warren

2

Technical Support / Re: AquaHot/HydroHot service video

« Last post by Steve Huber Co-Admin on Today at 02:13:02 AM »

Bob,
The 450DE manual recommends the 50/50 mix. Guess the point here is to read and follow the recommendation in your owners manual.
Thx for the info.
Steve

3

Technical Support / Re: Need to Push the Boost, To Link Both Battery Banks, to Start

« Last post by Eric Maclean on Today at 01:56:05 AM »

WOW those numbers are approaching a dead short at this point I'd double check your cranking amps with another induction Amp meter and then check volt drops across each of the cable connections between battery bank and started looking for poor connections .
But at this point with the information at hand it would appear to be a bad starter with almost twice the the normal starter draw.
Check to see just how hot the starter is getting to verify this diagnoses exssive heat is a sign of too high of current draw.
I would be careful at 1150 amps you are pushing the limits of the battery cable connections the cables themselves will be getting very hot and the usually breaking point is normally a connector on one of the cables will burn off .
Do your volt drop tests across each cable connection both to and from the starter the sum of all you individual volt drops should total the volt drop at the battery (these reading all have to be done during cranking under load)
If you have one of the individual volt drops that is much higher than the others you have a poor connection at that point bad cable or cable connection.

Hope this helps
Eric

4

Technical Support / Re: AquaHot/HydroHot service video

« Last post by Bob Stone on Today at 01:55:38 AM »

Point well taken Steve, thank you. I do have a refractometer and use it diligently. My stick house is in Alberta where it is not unusual at this time of the year to hit temperatures of -40 to -50 degrees Fahrenheit. At least for the time being I’m able to spend those days in the sunny and warm Yuma AZ area. As you suggest a 50/50 mixture of antifreeze to water ratio provides freeze protection but I wonder what the ratio would have to be to provide at least bursting protection of the AquaHot copper heat coil.
Surprisingly my Hydro-Hot manual recommends an antifreeze concentration much weaker than 50/50. I surmise Hydro-Hot engineers couldn't imagine anyone owning/using a motorhome during a western Canadian winter. 😉


Excerpt from page 35 of my Hydro-Hot HHE-200-09E service manual:

”Check the Hydro-Hot's heating solution for the proper antifreeze to water mixture (should be 33% antifreeze and 67% water). A high concentration of antifreeze will causea poor domestic hot water performance.”


Regards
Bob

5

Technical Support / Need to Push the Boost, To Link Both Battery Banks, to Start

« Last post by Al Anderson on Today at 12:24:27 AM »

Whenever I start my C12, cold, I have to hold the boost button down while it is cranking.  Even warm it turns over slow.  My two cranking batteries are each rated at 850 CCA and less than a year old.  When I test the batteries with a Midtronics tester the starting batteries still show 830 to 840 CCA amps.  The only thing I can find that seems high to me is the total amps the engine/starter take while cranking cold, up to 1150 amps.  I didn't test it but have to assume 90% of that is the starter since I don't believe they are using glow plugs.

Even when I link the starting batteries to the six golf cart batteries, the draw is strong enough it will reset my inverter on occasion.

Does anyone know what the starter/engine should draw when turning over at say 50 degrees?  Is this a problem anyone has found a solution for? 

The only good news is it hasn't changed much in 2 years and 30,000 miles.

Thanks in Advance

6

Technical Support / Re: Entry step

« Last post by Richard Muha on Today at 12:01:43 AM »

Thank you both for the info.  Will check that wire and thanks for the warning.  I’m sure the step would have no mercy on fingers, head or anything else when it decides to operate!  Ah, the joys of a “rolling earthquake”.

7

Technical Support / Re: AquaHot/HydroHot service video

« Last post by Steve Huber Co-Admin on December 12, 2019, 10:53:20 PM »

Bob,
I suggest use of a refractometer to check the fluid before just adding distilled water. (If you don't know where you started, you won't know where you end up). The optimum mixture of 50/50 will yield a freeze temp of -28F and a boil point of 222F.
Steve

8

Technical Support / BOLT LOCK on front door

« Last post by KC Snellgrove on December 12, 2019, 10:48:19 PM »

TO MY BEAVER FRIENDS: OH MY. I purchased a new dead bolt for my door. I am having difficulty adjusting the tightness on the 2 screws holding it together. If normal tightness then I cannot turn the key. If loose to turn the key it is too lose?

I would sincerely appreciate direction. THANK YOU!

9

Technical Support / Re: Entry step

« Last post by Stan Simpson on December 12, 2019, 10:38:43 PM »

That 10 gauge green wire that Fred mentions is the ground. I experienced the same problem several times after driving through rain or over rough roads. The connection comes loose. I finally got tired of crawling under there to tighten it, so I moved it to where its easily accessible, somewhat out of the weather, and used a lock-washer and loctite. No problems since.

Be careful. Make sure hands and fingers are not in the line of travel.

10

Technical Support / Re: AquaHot/HydroHot service video

« Last post by Bob Stone on December 12, 2019, 09:32:45 PM »

I too agree that the video did a very good job of describing annual servicing and some trouble shooting. One item he discussed briefly was the topping up of the heat transfer fluid with the appropriate and recommended boiler fluid. I've been told and I believe it's been mentioned on
this forum that unless the system has a leak or fluid loss for some reason while repairing or replacing a component the reservoir should be topped up with distilled water. The antifreeze does not evaporate as quickly as the water component and the addition of more antifreeze can increase the concentration to a point where the heat transfer effectiveness of the fluid can be detrimental.


Similar situation with topping up a wet cell battery, we don't add more sulphuric acid we just add distilled water. I do not intend this comment to be critical of the video just a contribution.