Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: How not to start your trip to florida (Read 1102 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

How not to start your trip to florida

Yahoo Message Number: 7983
Our Allure is stored in a outside storage lot without power available.
To be sure that we were all set for our trip to Florida, last weekend I ran the gen to charge up the batteries and checked tire pressure etc. One dual was low so I pumped it up and checked it an hour later and all was fine.
Today, at 1:30PM, I went to pick up the Coach and bring it to our Condo to load for our trip tomorrow.

Since it is cold here in Michigan (12 degrees daytime, lower at night) I started the Gen Set to use the engine block heater. The Kubota engine on the Power Tech started on the first try. I plugged in the engine heater and started the furnace to warn up the inside.

First problem----the furnace blower started but the coach didn/t get warn. After turning it off and restarting, same problem blower started but no heat. I guess that the cold had effected my brain. Once I turned on the gas at the tank, the furnace worked fine. Problem solved.

Next problem---- Low tire pressure in same dual tire. Pumped up tire and called truck tire dealer who said bring Coach in and he would fix it right away so we could leave on schedule. Problem solved-almost.
Next problem----checked silverleaf reading of coolent (12 degrees when plugged in block heater; 40 degrees after 20 minutes and 60 degress in about an hour) andt it was at about 60 degrees so it was time to start the engine. Battery wouldn't crank engine fast enough to start. checked battery voltage 11.9 amp. so called CC Tech support. Was told the echo charger only worked at 2 amp after house batteries fully charged. Was advised to use exterial charger. I told tech I didn't have one. He said he recently got one at Home Depot. Home Depot was only 3 miles away, but when I got there they were all sold out. Checked inventory at nearby Home Depots. (3 within 5 miles of my condo) Found one, took to Coach and put on fast charge. When the reading on the Silverleaf got to 12.5 amp, tried to start engine. Engine turned over rapidly, but didn't start and check engine light came on. Called Cummins Service with fault cold of lift pump failure. Was advised that fuel line is probably frozen. No Cummins service is available until Monday Morning. Advised to rent a heater to try and warn the under side of engine and coach and thaw out the fuel line (Beats waiting until spring)

Current status---- Called RV campground in FL to tell them we wouldn't arrive on Sunday night. Now sitting near the fireplace, looking outside at the snow and thinking about the white sand gulf beaches. Tomorrow is another day. Thank goodness!!
Dick

2000 Allure 30592

Re: How not to start your trip to florida (or Arizona)

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7989
Hi, Dick

Let's compare:

Our coach is kept in a bldg in Holland, Mich. We went up there the other day from Brighton to prepare for our trip, and drove in a blizzard from Portland to Holland, and back. Wind chill about 2 zillion below zero.

When I pulled the coach out of the bldg this morn to leave, I got a USB driver conflict between my Verizon Express Network modem and my Silverleaf VMSPC, and had to reload drivers to clear the problem.
We finally got going, about 1 hour late, and a few miles down the road the left rearview mirror glass fell out, hanging by the heater wires. The retaining clip had broken. Tried to fix it on the side of the road, wind chill about a zillion below zero, but could not do it. After a trip to Holland Motor, got going about 3 hours late, so made it only to Effingham, Ill. Got here, the Hurricaine heater was showing fault 7, flame out. On the phone to ITR, did some rewiring, got it going, in the dark, and cold.
Got the sat dish up, but the receiver is not working, all channels say call to sign up for viewing. Thank goodness they have cable, so we can catch the news and weather.
I just had a meeting with Admiral Nelson, and have decided that all is well, in spite of all that crap.
To quote our past prez: "I feel your pain" Good Luck

Bill Harris

03 Allure 1st Ave 30912
Datastorm

Quote from: RBellaw
Our Allure is stored in a outside storage lot without power

available.

Quote
>

To be sure that we were all set for our trip to Florida, last
weekend I ran the gen to

Quote
charge up the batteries and checked tire pressure etc. One dual
was low so I pumped

Quote
it up and checked it an hour later and all was fine.

Today, at 1:30PM, I went to pick up the Coach and bring it to our
Condo to load for

Quote
our trip tomorrow.

Since it is cold here in Michigan (12 degrees daytime, lower at
night) I started the

Quote
Gen Set to use the engine block heater. The Kubota engine on the
Power Tech started

Quote
on the first try. I plugged in the engine heater and started the
furnace to warn up the

Quote
inside.

First problem----the furnace blower started but the coach didn/t
get warn. After

Quote
turning it off and restarting, same problem blower started but no
heat. I guess that

Quote
the cold had effected my brain. Once I turned on the gas at the
tank, the furnace

Quote
worked fine. Problem solved.

Next problem---- Low tire pressure in same dual tire. Pumped up
tire and called

Quote
truck tire dealer who said bring Coach in and he would fix it
right away so we could

Quote
leave on schedule. Problem solved-almost.

Next problem----checked silverleaf reading of coolent (12 degrees
when plugged in

Quote
block heater; 40 degrees after 20 minutes and 60 degress in about
an hour) andt it

Quote
was at about 60 degrees so it was time to start the engine.
Battery wouldn't crank

Quote
engine fast enough to start. checked battery voltage 11.9 amp. so
called CC Tech

Quote
support. Was told the echo charger only worked at 2 amp after
house batteries fully

Quote
charged. Was advised to use exterial charger. I told tech I
didn't have one. He said

Quote
he recently got one at Home Depot. Home Depot was only 3 miles
away, but when I

Quote
got there they were all sold out. Checked inventory at nearby
Home Depots. (3

Quote
within 5 miles of my condo) Found one, took to Coach and put on
fast charge. When

Quote
the reading on the Silverleaf got to 12.5 amp, tried to start
engine. Engine turned

Quote
over rapidly, but didn't start and check engine light came on.
Called Cummins

Quote
Service with fault cold of lift pump failure. Was advised that
fuel line is probably

Quote
frozen. No Cummins service is available until Monday Morning.
Advised to rent a

Quote
heater to try and warn the under side of engine and coach and thaw
out the fuel line

Quote
(Beats waiting until spring) >

Current status---- Called RV campground in FL to tell them we
wouldn't arrive on

Quote
Sunday night. Now sitting near the fireplace, looking outside at

the snow and

Quote
thinking about the white sand gulf beaches. Tomorrow is another

day. Thank

Re: How not to start your trip to florida (or Arizona)

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7996
Bill, there is probably nothing wrong with your Sat. It has just been off too long and has to be reprogrammed by Directv or Dish whichever your have. Leave the antenna up and the system on and it should clear up when they send out the new signal. Either that or call them and they will program immediately while you wait on the phone.

Good luck

John 97 Magna 5416

Re: How not to start your trip to florida

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7997
Dick,

Good grief, now I remember why I left upstate NY 24 years ago and moved to Atlanta. This won't help you, but why didn't you just hit the battery boost switch instead of going through all that charging for the chassis battery? If you start at the fuel filters and work your way to the pump with a hair dryer, you might get it. We use to put cardboard around the trucks and place a charcoal grill (flames out)under the engine area and that always worked. Not fancy, but gets the fuel moving. Best of luck to you..
Tom

02 Allure 30780

Re: How not to start your trip to florida

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7998
Quote from: truk4u2003

Dick,

Good grief, now I remember why I left upstate NY 24 years ago and > moved to Atlanta. This won't help you, but why didn't you just hit > the battery boost switch instead of going through all that charging > for the chassis battery? If you start at the fuel filters and work > your way to the pump with a hair dryer, you might get it. We use to > put cardboard around the trucks and place a charcoal grill (flames > out)under the engine area and that always worked. Not fancy, but gets > the fuel moving. Best of luck to you..
Tom

02 Allure 30780
Tried the battery boost but didn't help enough to start engine. Either boost is not working or it was too cold to give me enough extra boost from house batteries.
Will try the hair dryer tomorrow or may rent a torpedo heater to get heat under the engine area. Sunday temps are supposed to increase to the mid 20's which may help.
Thanks for your suggestion.
Dick

2000 Allure 30592

Re: How not to start your trip to florida

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 8000
ATLANTA!!??? We're at my sister's in Roswell and woke up to snow! Rumor has it 19 degress tomorrow morning when we contine to Florida.

Dave

'98 Allure #30187

Quote from: truk4u2003