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Author |
Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: Paint Issue
I hadn't either....https://www.polycoatusa.com
Al
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FloridaRosebud
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05/18/20 07:00pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Paint Issue
OK, spoke to the previous owner and he said it's poly-coat. So I'll need to get some of the stuff from poly-coat to remove it.
Thanks!!
Al
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FloridaRosebud
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05/18/20 09:27am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Paint Issue
It could be failing clear coat from sun damage or maybe repainted and clear coated from backing into something. Pull a tailight or tag light and look for repaint clues. My 2006 Sea Breeze appears to have clear coat over the painted areas, but I don't think it has clear coat on the gelcoat.
If the previous owner or dealer used Poli-Glow, it's a major PITA to remove and restore. I kept a sailboat in a marina slip for 20 years and several owners used Poli-Glow to get fading fiberglass to shine to help sell the boat. One clue I remember is that Polo-Glow starts to flake off and turns light yellow if not restored annually. Let us know what you find out.
This is kind of like a light tan. When you run your finger across the surface you can barely feel a line to the light tan, meaning it does have a thickness. I'm just trying to figure out what it is before I take the next step. It is interesting in that it's only on the back piece. No issues like that on the sides and front.
Al
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FloridaRosebud
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05/16/20 12:49pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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Paint Issue
OK, I hope this is the right place to post this. We have a 2006 National SeaBreeze LX. Real good condition. I've had a local guy do a full wash, wax, and detail for about $300. Last time he was working on it I mentioned some imperfections in the paint and could he rub them out? He said he tried, and showed me Meguiar's Cleaner/Wax that he was using. Good stuff (I've used it for years on my cars) but I asked about using a rubbing compound and orbital buffer. He said he'd never done that......OK then.
So I bought a Ryobi 6" orbital buffer, a bunch of pads and buffing cloths, and Meguiar's Mirror Glaze #1. I have to say, it works pretty good, and got 80-85% of the imperfections out. There are a couple that will need me to step up to a more serious rubbing compound, but for my first time I wanted to be "safe". I did the slide this morning before the rains came:
http://i.imgur.com/x2iveMgl.jpg
However, I have an issue with the back of the MH. I'm trying to figure out what the problem is, hence my post. Notice how things appear to be "pealing". Is this a loss of clearcoat? Maybe the owner before (I've had the MH 2 years) did a poly-gel thing and it's wearing off? Before I go and get some serious rubbing compound I wanted to get peoples thought. (also before I take it to to a paint place for their opinion)
http://i.imgur.com/3FRgNjul.jpg
Thanks in advance!!
Al
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FloridaRosebud
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05/16/20 09:48am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Towing capacity - surprisingly little on new coaches
Really. Plenty of race tracks in your area. Go look at what they are pulling. If the hitch is substantial enough and the motor has enough horsepower they do it. Some use a “Trailer Toad” to carry the tongue weight. Many DPs can be had with 4-500hp. A Freightliner chassis will handle it.
I realize there are plenty of MH's out there that don't suffer from lack of capacity. I was merely stating that a lot of new MH's do. And I was naive enough to think that even entry level Dp's were immune to this by virtue of being a DP. Seems like I was wrong.
I like to do things the proper way, which means weighing loaded for travel, doing the math and ensuring I am within capacity. IMHO it's pretty irresponsible for manufacturers to make the tolerances in capacity so tight that the 10k hitch they like to tout as a selling point, is worthless and frankly misleading. By the time you load people, water, food, clothes etc, there's nothing left. But unless buyers do their homework they are left with the understanding that it has a 10k hitch so I can tow 10k. And I am confident there isn't a dealer out there that will advise them otherwise without being prodded.
Glad you are doing this the right way. Our 2006 gasser has a 5k hitch, but if you do the math and load the MH to it's carrying capacity there is only 4k left for towing. My point is this is probably not a new thing AFA manufacturers playing with the numbers.
Al
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FloridaRosebud
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05/11/20 10:49am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Anyone interested in 83 Pace Arrow Tear down and Rebuild?
Looking good. What are you building the cabinets out of?
Funny story. I had bought a couple of the magnet holders sold at Harbor Freight as they were very inexpensive with an ITC sale. I had taken them out to the MH to be installed at a later time. When I went to get them to install I couldn't find them anywhere. Puzzled, I went inside the house and started looking in the couple places my wife puts things of mine that I bring inside that she finds less than aesthetically pleasing. As I was searching she came in and asked what I was looking for. I told her, and she pointed to the kitchen where she had just installed them by the stove. She "used a level and everything". She had gone to the MH to look for me, found the magnetic holders instead, and thought they'd be great in the house too! She said I could get another pair next time I went to Harbor Freight. I took this to mean it was a sanctioned trip for more tools!
Sounds like an endorsement to me!! :B
Al
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FloridaRosebud
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05/08/20 10:30am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: High end gasser or entry level DP
From the title of this thread, I would never buy an entry level anything. You must determine gas or diesel but consider you can afford a DP and a quality one if you go back enough years. We purchased a 10 yo quality DP and had it inspected, especially the chassis, and have not been disappointed. The ride is soft and comfortable, conversation easy even after almost 100,000 miles.
2007 and earlier eliminates the DPF and DEF hassles.
What you are saying makes sense and I had thought of going older to get a higher quality coach. The issue is floorplans. A high end DP older than 7 years doesn't have the floorplans to support 3 adults (2 parents and a 17 yr old) and a work space (I work remote full time) to full or even part time. Seems like all the higher end units - even newer ones- cater to 2 people only. Entry level DP's seem to cater more toward families. Of the hundreds of floorplans I have scoured in coach years over the past decade, there are really only a few that will work for us. I had even thought of going with a 15-20 yr old Prevost and gutting it to make it what I want but, I don't have the time, the space, or the ambition for a project like that. While quality is important, our hierarchy is floorplan, reliability, then comfort and quality. There is also the thought that a 10 yr old coach will start to need mechanical things replaced/fixed sooner than a 5 yr old one. What is in our budget and floorplans are high end gassers or an entry level DP's. All that said, DW and I have started looking more into the mid level DP's. They seem to hit most of what we are after but they start to creep out of our initial budget. We may be changing our budget. I don't want to have regrets with this coach, wishing we should have spent a little more to get that coach we liked more than the one we bought.
On edit - there is also the issue of financing. Originally we thought we would sell the home and full time. That would have allowed us to buy a lot more coach. We've changed our minds and keeping the house until my son decides where he wants to go to college. So our budget has changed and so has our need for financing. The older the coach, the more difficult if not impossible to get financing. I think most banks won't lend on an RV older than 10 years - and if they did I imagine terms would be poor.
We bought a 2006 National gasser in 2018 and financed for 15 years (on purpose, and in 2 years we have paid the loan down by 40% - that was the plan), and to date have only spent about $1300 to fix things that have broken. We have bought new tires and batteries (normal wear items) and upgraded the fridge to a residential unit, but if you get a motor home that has been well taken care of with all the proper maintenance performed you shouldn't have the problem with lots of stuff breaking. So personally I would have no problems buying an 8-10 year old DP.
Just my 2 cents....
Al
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FloridaRosebud
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05/08/20 10:27am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Anyone traveling yet
Unbelieveable what some will do/say when the medical facts are there. Kinda wonder what planet they came from.
Yeah, stupidity abounds on this planet.
Yep, as a friend of mine says, you can't fix stupid. Until you have a loved one on a vent for 12 days and in the hospital for over 3 weeks, and 2 friends on their backs for 3 weeks, then you'll know that this virus is for real. We are really just in the beginning stages of the pandemic. Everyone stay safe, and listen to the Science, not the talking heads on TV.
Al
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FloridaRosebud
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05/05/20 06:58pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: High end gasser or entry level DP
Unfortunately, a gasser will never ride as smooth and quiet as a DP. We have a 2006 National SeaBreeze with the F53, V-10. Not really noisy except if I'm climbing a 7 or 8% grade, but that doesn't happen too much. For us, floorplan and size were the most important things, then price. My guess is, if you get a DP you will have no regrets. If you get a Gasser, well, maybe. It's like not wanting to spend the extra money on a bigger fridge, then after a few months you wish you would have gotten the bigger fridge. Sound like you would be happier in a DP. Just my 2 cents....
Al
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FloridaRosebud
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05/01/20 10:32am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Is anyone going anywhere?
Travel plan while we have the virus around;
https://i.imgur.com/2ut8bvDl.jpg "border=0"
https://i.imgur.com/m3zZPvb.pngClick For Full-Size Image.
Ha ha....perfect!!!
Al
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FloridaRosebud
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04/19/20 01:54pm |
RV Lifestyle
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RE: Sold our Vegas 24.1 and now looking bigger
The downside to an LP genset is that they require LP of course and the LP tanks are smaller than typical gensets that run on the same fuel the coach uses. So you have to find spots to fill up your LP more often than what a typical Rv uses LP. With a genset that runs on your coach's fuel, it's taken care of when you fill up normally. Nothing wrong with them mechanically but personally I wouldn't have one due to the hassle of filling LP more often with less capacity.
+1 on this....
Al
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FloridaRosebud
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03/17/20 10:23am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Anyone interested in 83 Pace Arrow Tear down and Rebuild?
I have good news! I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to .... Oh, never mind. I didn't switch anything. Lol.
The good news is, I made some extra money today, that I can use towards the motor home.
The bad news, is.... By the time I got done with some unexpected computer service calls, it was too late to do anything. UGH!
[email protected]#$%^&*() Lol.
Oh well, tomorrow is another day.
I did however, do a little additional research on rv refer cooling. I have read about a number of people who have had cooling issues with their rv refer, and added a fan or a couple of fans, and the cooling was drastically better.
The air was either pushed or drawn across the cooling fins at the top of the unit.
One person's refer inside temp was approaching 60 degrees. Upon adding a couple of fans to pull air across the cooling fins, the temp dropped to about 40 inside.
This was in outside air temperatures in excess of 90 degrees. This particular unit had the refer in a slide out, and there was no roof vent for the refer.
The fridge was vented from the lower portion of the wall, and at the top of the wall. As I said, once the fans were added, big difference.
So, it would appear that as long as there is sufficient airflow across the cooling fins, the refer will work quite well.
I guess I'll just have to test it out.
Yep, I bought one of those $15 small fans through Amazon and put it in the refer. Was about 4" square, so it didn't take up a lot of room. It helped lower the temp from the low 40s to about 36-37 degrees. Didn't help the freezer so that's when we opted for a residential unit and did the swap out.
Al
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FloridaRosebud
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03/04/20 03:40am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: UpDate : Koni FSD Shocks
I'm real interested on how this works out for you. I've been thinking of doing the same thing as my Bilsteins ride pretty "stiff". I would like to soften the ride up some so things like expansion joint aren't as jarring.
Al
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FloridaRosebud
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02/27/20 03:42am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Anyone interested in 83 Pace Arrow Tear down and Rebuild?
We found the residential I mentioned is 25% larger for the same install space, which for us was a huge selling point. Might not be for you. This one pulls 3 amps @120V, so it would pull 30 amps @12V. Might be too much for boondocking...
Al
I've looked at that and it seems to be fairly energy efficient. The extra size would be nice. We have a bottom freezer refer in the house, and really like that style. So far, all of those seem to use more energy than the top freezer models.
Have you checked on what the daily use of electric is with something like a Kill-A-Watt meter on that model?
You know, I have not. I never thought about is as we really don't boondock much, and when we do I've got my Genny running. I might look into that since it would be good info to know.
Al
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FloridaRosebud
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02/21/20 06:53pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Anyone interested in 83 Pace Arrow Tear down and Rebuild?
Now, you will also notice that this is an installation with just a roof vent, and no fans. It's just a natural airflow with no assistance.
Now think of opening the roof vent in most any rv. No fan running, maybe a window or 2 open. There is no breeze outside to help push air around. You will get a natural flow of hot air out the top.
Now, turn on the powered fan in the ceiling. BIG difference in the amount of air flow.
That is why sometimes you will see people who have trouble keeping their refer cool in summer in hot areas, will add a fan towards the bottom or middle of the refer in the rear, which helps with air flow, and succeeds with cooling the refer better.
That is based on the experience of others, not mine.
As such, my view was, IF I DO THIS, to enclose the rear with thin aluminum, seal both the sides, and bring air in from near the bottom, so the air has no choice but to go through the fins.
With fans running, that would provide way more cooling effect than just having natural air flow.
This drawing would be an enclosed box on top of the refer. So, all of the cooling area would be enclosed from near the bottom of the rear of the refer, all the way to the exit area at the back wall.
http://paddleupstream.com/mohorebuild/refercooling4.jpg
Now, the cooling fins on our refer are 4" x 4" and nearly 24" wide. So, 4 x 24 = 96 sq inches. That means in order to get proper cooling, that 4 x 24 must run all the way to the rear wall, with no way for other air to enter the system.
If everything is sealed to the refer, all the way to the rear wall, it has no choice but to cool those fins.
Yes, those are red channels from the rear of the refer to the rear wall.
That's my story and I'm sticking with it. Or as my dad used to say, "unless something better comes along". Lol.
Anyhow, this is just what I was thinking about, but that is not set in stone, so I may change my mind and use a residential refer instead, which requires no venting.
That would be a lot simpler. Time will tell.
We found the residential I mentioned is 25% larger for the same install space, which for us was a huge selling point. Might not be for you. This one pulls 3 amps @120V, so it would pull 30 amps @12V. Might be too much for boondocking...
Al
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FloridaRosebud
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02/21/20 02:23am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Anyone interested in 83 Pace Arrow Tear down and Rebuild?
There are several ways of dealing with air movement. I have an installation guide on rv refers. It appears that the main issue is airflow along the back side of the refer.
Mine has the heating pipe on the right side, looking at it from the rear. From the research I've done, if there is too much airspace between the back of the fins and pipes at the rear, the air won't move through them properly, and actually flows behind them, and it won't cool properly.
A residential refer would also solve the problem.
Danfoss also makes a dc compressor, and there is a place in Indiana that uses their compressor, and makes a unit to replace the original rv cooling system, which then makes it strictly a dc powered refer using normal refrigerant.
I haven't called them yet, so I don't know what pricing is. I am guessing a residential refer may be cheaper, and some of those are fairly energy efficient.
That would also solve the venting issue as well, as suggested.
You may be thinking about conversion units by JC Refrigeration. If I remember correctly, they are a bit pricey. You can pick up a smaller counter depth residential for less, but if you dry camp a lot you’ll want a few more batteries, an inverter and generator to keep things running.
Here is the link to JC Refrigeration - Link
I got a verbal quote from them for $750 for the kit. I don't believe that included installation. So we ended up with a 10 cubic foot residential unit that fit perfectly in the hole. Cost for it was $575 at Home Depot, and they delivered to our RV shop in Melbourne, FL. It fit through the door without any issues.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Frigidaire-10-1-cu-ft-Top-Freezer-Refrigerator-in-Brushed-Steel-ENERGY-STAR-FFET1022UV/307293266
We got it in white...
Al
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FloridaRosebud
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02/20/20 03:43am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: LEDs Replacement for Flourscent
For my 12" florescent fixtures, I cut the wires to the ballasts and wired directly to the 12" COB LED Daytime Driving lights shown here for just over $2/each when purchased as shown. The work perfect and give more light than the old tube while using a lot less power. The strips have 3M backing tape for mounting. Just need some tiny wire nuts to connect the wires.
https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Waterproof-Trucks-Daytime-Running/dp/B071PFC1H2
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/610TaVpuKZL._SL1050_.jpg height=500
You don't need to spend a lot of money or make it hard on yourself when using these lights. I had longer fixtures that took 4 of these with ease. I swapped them out a couple of years ago and they're still working great. I'll admit having a few failed on other rigs I installed them in but for the price, you can't beat these lights.
I just ordered 3 sets for my rig. Thanks for the tip!!
Al
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FloridaRosebud
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02/16/20 03:42am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Fleetwood Storm quality
It is their entry model and in my opinion . . . JUNK . . . Don't waste your money.
Actually the FR3 is their entry level model, but yes it's on their lower end. The rest of your comment isn't really helpful, especially coming from a DP owner.
To the OP, you just need to have realistic expectations. Class B's usually have better quality than most gas class A's. But cost per square foot is also considerably more. In short, Class A's - as most things - you get what you pay for. If you want to spend less on a lower end model just have realistic expectations about what you are getting for your dollar. Most people on here are into brand bashing but at the level you are talking, one manufacturer is as good as another in that space. Hence your findings on complaints are pretty consistent across all brands. "Quality' is hard to come by in the RV world to begin with, let alone at the gasser, lower end scale.
It does not matter if my comment was helpful or not. It was my opinion and I was expressing it.
The FR3 is a Forest river, not a Fleetwood. Unless I'm missing something....
Al
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FloridaRosebud
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02/03/20 08:11pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: HOV Lanes in Atlanta GA
Be aware that some places (don't know about Atlanta) have cameras and will snap your plate and send you a bill or fine. Happened to me in TN, and we have the cameras here in Florida....
Al
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FloridaRosebud
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01/27/20 09:56am |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Increasing towing capacity
What we are talking about here is strengthening the coach frame and adding a receiver. We don't need to be PE's to know how to increase that. In fact look next any RV, MH or Trailer and you can see that what the manuf designed is questionable. If I add extra supports or fish plates at is not going to cause a failure.
Now if we were saying to install a class III receiver and tow 10k lbs with it then yes that's a problem. Or if someone installs smaller brakes than what was designed.
Again, that's not the point. I agree with you that what some manufacturers do looks questionable. I understand that welding more strength into something might help. My point is it's still a modification over what was tested and approved, and if for some reason it were to fail, and trust me, things that you wouldn't think would never fail sometimes do, whomever did or asked for the modification would be held liable. That's the way our legal system works. You or I might not like it, but that's the way things are now.
Al
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FloridaRosebud
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01/25/20 03:41pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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