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Country Coach Restoration, Repair & Parts Forums => Country Coach Archive => Topic started by: R D Vanderslice on July 21, 2006, 03:03:58 pm

Title: Cummins coolant
Post by: R D Vanderslice on July 21, 2006, 03:03:58 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 23872 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/23872)
Just got back from auto parts store and truck stop to buy some coolant to have on hand just in case. Auto part store had the typical stuff for cars and light duty trucks so I went to truck stop. Cummins says use 50/50 ethylene or propylene glycol with with SCA (supplemental coolant additive). The only thing the truck stop has is Chevron Delco Extended Life coolant, same formula as above, and it says it is fine for Cummins, CAts, etc. This stuff will probably work fine, but it is red, I kinda hate to mix a blue color in the coach now with the red and probably get a rust color, but don't know where to get the blue coolant or what kind to get. Anyone out there know the answer? Thanks,

R. D. Vanderslice
Rockwall, Texas

06 Allure 470------31294
Title: Re: Cummins coolant
Post by: Don Updyke on July 21, 2006, 03:32:32 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 23873 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/23873)
Have you tried a cummins shop?

"R. D. Vanderslice" wrote:
Title: Re: Cummins coolant
Post by: Larry F on July 21, 2006, 04:19:20 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 23874 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/23874)
Be carefull. I bought similar (or same)coolant as Chevron Delco Extended Life at truck stop that was red too. Before I poured it in, I went to their web site and noticed that their red stuff should not be mixed with other coolants. Evan the Orlando Cummins place didn't have the propylene type, which is used exclusively by CC. I ended up getting a case at Lazy Days for a handsome price. Good luck!

Larry, 2003 Allure #30856

Quote from: R\. D\. Vanderslice
>

Just got back from auto parts store and truck stop to buy some
coolant to have on hand just in case. Auto part store had the typical stuff for cars and light duty trucks so I went to truck stop.
Cummins says use 50/50 ethylene or propylene glycol with with SCA (supplemental coolant additive). The only thing the truck stop has is Chevron Delco Extended Life coolant, same formula as above, and it says it is fine for Cummins, CAts, etc. This stuff will probably work fine, but it is red, I kinda hate to mix a blue color in the coach now with the red and probably get a rust color, but don't know where to get the blue coolant or what kind to get. Anyone out there know the answer?
Title: Re: Cummins coolant
Post by: R D Vanderslice on July 21, 2006, 04:20:44 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 23875 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/23875)
Haven't yet. I'm in a small town east of Dallas and there are two truck stops here, but no Cummins place. I may have to go to Dallas.to find a cummins dealer. I was thinking that surely there is an equivalent coolant made by a name brand coolant company. I'm sure Cummins is not in the coolant manufacturing business, but just buys theirs from someone.
Thanks,
R. D.
Title: Re: Cummins coolant
Post by: Cciowner on July 21, 2006, 04:26:39 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 23876 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/23876)
I bought some at Cummins Northwest in Colburg Or.

Dave Kochis

2001 Intrigue #11212

wrote:

Quote
>

Just got back from auto parts store and truck stop to buy some
coolant to have on hand just in case. Auto part store had the typical stuff for cars and light duty trucks so I went to truck stop. Cummins says use 50/50 ethylene or propylene glycol with with SCA (supplemental coolant additive). The only thing the truck stop has is Chevron Delco Extended Life coolant, same formula as above, and it says it is fine for Cummins, CAts, etc. This stuff will probably work fine, but it is red, I kinda hate to mix a blue color in the coach now with the red and probably get a rust color, but don't know where to get the blue coolant or what kind to get.
Anyone out there know the answer?
Title: Re: Cummins coolant
Post by: Cciowner on July 21, 2006, 04:27:01 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 23877 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/23877)
I bought some at Cummins Northwest in Colburg Or.

Dave Kochis

2001 Intrigue #11212

wrote:

Quote
>

Just got back from auto parts store and truck stop to buy some
coolant to have on hand just in case. Auto part store had the typical stuff for cars and light duty trucks so I went to truck stop. Cummins says use 50/50 ethylene or propylene glycol with with SCA (supplemental coolant additive). The only thing the truck stop has is Chevron Delco Extended Life coolant, same formula as above, and it says it is fine for Cummins, CAts, etc. This stuff will probably work fine, but it is red, I kinda hate to mix a blue color in the coach now with the red and probably get a rust color, but don't know where to get the blue coolant or what kind to get.
Anyone out there know the answer?
Title: Re: Cummins coolant
Post by: James Spivey on July 21, 2006, 07:08:43 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 23878 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/23878)
Go to your Cummings dealer. I personally do not mix colors, as you make the liquied hard to read if contamination were to come. Other than that I would not think if would be harmful to the engine.

Thank you,

Jim Spivey
Title: Re: Cummins coolant
Post by: Eric Lee Elliott on July 21, 2006, 09:38:24 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 23879 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/23879)
R. D.,

Your blue coolant is propylene glycol not ethylene glycol. Some coolant manufacturer tech support people say mixing colors of coolant is OK, others warn of corrosion resulting. Coolant test strips are made for specific coolants, not mixes. Sierra says I can use Sierra PG with Fleetguard ES Compleat PG but no test strips exist for combined coolant. To test existing coolant, I need strips made for Fleetguard ES Compleat PG but so far I have not located a Fleetguard dealer that stocks Fleetguard ES Compleat PG or the strips. Combined coolant would have to be discarded for lack of a way to test it.

Yesterday, after repeated phone calls & some web time, a dealer delivered 2 gallons of coolant with name ending in EG rather than PG.
Wrong stuff again! That is second time 2 parts departments have collaborated to deliver that wrong coolant to my coach.
Navistar dealers are another source of the blue stuff. At least that is what I was told.
--

Thanks,

Eric Lee Elliott

eric@... (eric@...)
http://eric-elliott.com (http://eric-elliott.com)
870.635.0201

245 Rainbow Drive #14559
Livingston TX 77399 2045
Title: Re: Cummins coolant
Post by: Steven Perry on July 21, 2006, 11:14:24 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 23880 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/23880)
I just purchased the 'blue coolant' from Cummins Cal Pacific. I was told in no uncertain terms to never intermix green coolant with the blue by the cummins service writer. First time I ever knew there was a difference.

Steve '05 Allure
Title: Re: Cummins coolant
Post by: Egon Schlottmann on July 22, 2006, 08:43:53 am
Yahoo Message Number: 23882 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/23882)
R.D., there is a Cummins dealer on Irving Blvd. not far from the downtown area.
Egon

'99 Allure #30321
'02 Tahoe Z71
Title: Re: Cummins coolant
Post by: Travman100_4 on July 22, 2006, 10:40:43 am
Yahoo Message Number: 23885 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/23885)
I have found the Cummins 50/50 coolant at heavy tractor shops too, places that have the commercial type lawn mowers with diesel engines. These little shops are great sources for generator parts too. I've found them in small towns in the mid-west and in maryland my local dealer has them.
Ray

2000 Intrigue

Quote from: Egon Schlottmann" wrote: [quote
/>
Quote
>

R.D., there is a Cummins dealer on Irving Blvd. not far from the > downtown area.

Egon

'99 Allure #30321
'02 Tahoe Z71

>
Title: Cummins coolant
Post by: R D Vanderslice on July 22, 2006, 06:00:03 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 23892 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/23892)
Thanks to Dave Kochis, Larry, Jim Spivey, Eric Elliot, Steve Perry and Egon for your help on the coolant dilemma. I decided to wait until I can get to a Cummins dealer to make sure I get the right stuff. It sounds like what I need is the propylene glycol and from what I can gather it is blue, like the stock stuff in the Cummins powered coaches. I did find a propylene glycol based coolant at Walmart called Prestone Low Tox. The low tox means that it is much safer if animals drink any of it. It was a straight full strength coolant (not pre mixed 50/50) and looked green in the bottle. Like I said before, I actually don't need it now, but wanted to have some with me just in case I do need it somewhere down the road. I'll just wait to get to a Cummins place in Dallas.
One more question. I read in one of the Motorhome magazines that if you crack open a rear window in your coach while driving in the hot climate most of us are in now , it helps move the cooler air that gathers in the back of the coach to the front. Has anyone tried this ? What about using a small fan plugged in in the rear of the coach to blow some of that cooler air to the front? Thanks again for all your help.

R. D. Vanderslice
Rockwall, Texas

06 Allure 470 ---- 31294
Title: Re: Cummins coolant
Post by: George Sanders on July 22, 2006, 09:23:48 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 23894 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/23894)
What works best for us is to crack open the roof vents about an inch or even less. We run the dash AC so that fresh air is cooled and brought in. The warmest air in the coach is at the cieling so it goes out the vents. We have never had to run the generator and roof ACs even here in Alabama. We were out in Colorado and New Mexico for the first two weeks in July. Very hot on the way out and the way back.
Over 100 degrees. No problem, nice and cool. This 19K BTU dash AC really puts out enough to be comfortable everywhere but the bedroom where it is warm but not hot.

George in AL

2004 Allure 31038

Quote from: R\. D\. Vanderslice
>

Thanks to Dave Kochis, Larry, Jim Spivey, Eric Elliot, Steve Perry
and Egon for your help on the coolant dilemma. I decided to wait until I can get to a Cummins dealer to make sure I get the right stuff. It sounds like what I need is the propylene glycol and from what I can gather it is blue, like the stock stuff in the Cummins powered coaches. I did find a propylene glycol based coolant at Walmart called Prestone Low Tox. The low tox means that it is much safer if animals drink any of it. It was a straight full strength coolant (not pre mixed 50/50) and looked green in the bottle. Like I said before, I actually don't need it now, but wanted to have some with me just in case I do need it somewhere down the road. I'll just wait to get to a Cummins place in Dallas.

Quote
>

One more question. I read in one of the Motorhome magazines that
if you crack open a rear window in your coach while driving in the hot climate most of us are in now , it helps move the cooler air that gathers in the back of the coach to the front. Has anyone tried this ? What about using a small fan plugged in in the rear of the coach to blow some of that cooler air to the front? Thanks again for all your help.
Title: Re: Cummins coolant
Post by: Mike Cebula on July 22, 2006, 09:43:09 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 23895 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/23895)
Good tech article on the Country Coach site about coolants:
http://www.countrycoach.com/company/service/index.cfm?mode=tech_topics&article=198 (http://www.countrycoach.com/company/service/index.cfm?mode=tech_topics&article=198)
Mike

George Sanders wrote:
Title: Re: Cummins coolant
Post by: Fernanda Bender on July 23, 2006, 10:07:53 pm
Yahoo Message Number: 23922 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/23922)
You could also close of bedroom vents which force the air to the front .

Gary Bender

04 Intrigue 11701