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Country Coach Dust Problems

Yahoo Message Number: 11339
I have a 98 CC Alure with a Cummins 8.3L and a side radiator. I notice when I drive it on a dusty road there is a HUGE plume of dust coming out of the right rear (opposite from radiator). I also noticed that I have to replace air filters way to often, after only a few miles driving on a dusty road.
A few weeks ago I went into the KOA at the Grand Tetons. When I went into the office the person working there said, "Let me guess, you are driving a Country Coach." He can tell a Country Coach by the "Plume" of dust coming out the right side.
At the camp I spoke to another Country Coach owner who had addressed the problem with a simple, inexpeisive and easy modification that he said helped the problem significantly. He took a piece of sheetmetal 2" x 24" and pop-rivited it to the bottom of the fan shroud. It seems that the fan blades extend beyond the fan shroud. When the fan blades turn some of the air is forced downward to the ground picking up dust. Since the fan exhausts toward the engine that blows the dust out the right side of the coach. Unfortunately on my coach the air intake is also on the right side, right where the dust is blowing out. The intake is in the "cloud" and thus clogs the filter prematurly.

I made the modification and noticed a significant improvement but it did not completely solve the problem. I contacted Country Coach and they indicated that they were aware of the problem and that they offered a kit in their parts department similar to the solution I installed.

The problem is partially caused because the country coach engine compartment has no louvers to allow air to escape other than downward. The radiator fan causes high pressure air under the rear and with the radiator fan blowing toward the right side the dust that is raised is forced out under the right side. I understand from Country Coach that their new models have louvers in the engine access door so the high pressure air can escape toward the rear. I am thinking about having a hole cut in my rear access door and having a grill installed to allow the air to escape reaward.

If anyone else has noticed this problem and/or has another solution I'd appreciate hearing from you.

Roger Mullins

mullinsr@...

Re: Country Coach Dust Problems

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11343
Roger, it seems to me you are addressing the symptoms of the problem and not the cause. Many of us have had the same problem you describe, and have finally traced it to the electronic controller which operates the hydraulic fan. It can also be a sensor. The fan should not be operating all the time, in fact if you turn off your dash a/c when entering a campground, the dust cloud should not occur. I suggest you have an experienced technician check out the controller.

Walt Rothermel
03Allure30811

Re: Country Coach Dust Problems

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11345
I don't just have the problem when entering a campground.
To get to my favorite camping area I have to drive several miles on a smooth but dusty road. It is uphill all the way, climbing about 1000 ft in elevation over about 5 miles. I never run the dash air but driving slowly up a grade for 5 miles causes the temp to go up enough to cause the fan to run and then to stir up the billowing dust. I notice other brands rais far less dust and they all seem to have louvers on the rear access door. This, along with the statement from CC that they are now putting louvers in the access doors on new coaches as well as the fact that they have a mod available for the fan shroud convinces me that they recognize that it is inherent with the CC design.

Roger

Re: Country Coach Dust Problems

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11348
Roger, I see now that you have a serious problem. I guess the shroud you mention is probably the answer. I've had the fan problem on a 2000 Intrigue and my current 2003 Allure, and will consider adding the shroud.

Walt Rothermel
03Allure30811

Re: Country Coach Dust Problems

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11385
-During the factory tour at the Homecomming rally, an engineer explained the newer models had louvered access doors because the bed sits lower than older models as restricts air to the radiator.
Louvers will not help your problem.
Dale Loop

Intrigue 11240

- In Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com, "Roger Mullins" wrote:

Quote
I have a 98 CC Alure with a Cummins 8.3L and a side radiator. I > notice when I drive it on a dusty road there is a HUGE plume of

dust

Quote
coming out of the right rear (opposite from radiator). I also > noticed that I have to replace air filters way to often, after only

a

Quote
few miles driving on a dusty road.

A few weeks ago I went into the KOA at the Grand Tetons. When I

went

Quote
into the office the person working there said, "Let me guess, you

are

Quote
driving a Country Coach." He can tell a Country Coach by

the "Plume"

Quote
of dust coming out the right side.

At the camp I spoke to another Country Coach owner who had

addressed

Quote
the problem with a simple, inexpeisive and easy modification that

he

Quote
said helped the problem significantly. He took a piece of

sheetmetal

Quote
2" x 24" and pop-rivited it to the bottom of the fan shroud. It > seems that the fan blades extend beyond the fan shroud. When the

fan

Quote
blades turn some of the air is forced downward to the ground

picking

Quote
up dust. Since the fan exhausts toward the engine that blows the > dust out the right side of the coach. Unfortunately on my coach

the

Quote
air intake is also on the right side, right where the dust is

blowing

Quote
out. The intake is in the "cloud" and thus clogs the filter > prematurly.

I made the modification and noticed a significant improvement but

it

Quote
did not completely solve the problem. I contacted Country Coach

and

Quote
they indicated that they were aware of the problem and that they > offered a kit in their parts department similar to the solution I > installed.

The problem is partially caused because the country coach engine > compartment has no louvers to allow air to escape other than > downward. The radiator fan causes high pressure air under the rear > and with the radiator fan blowing toward the right side the dust

that

Quote
is raised is forced out under the right side. I understand from > Country Coach that their new models have louvers in the engine

access

Quote
door so the high pressure air can escape toward the rear. I am > thinking about having a hole cut in my rear access door and having

a

Re: Country Coach Dust Problems

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11389
I disagree, if I leave the access door open I get no dust at all out the right side. The side radiator on my coach comes in from the left side and is exhausted out the bottom right. The fan sucks air from the outside left. This raises the air pressure in the engine compartment. Since there are no louvers or other way for the air to escape from the engine compartment it is forced out the bottom right side. That is why a plume of dust is picked up from the ground and blows out the right side. Allowing the air to escape through the rear lowers the air pressure in the engine compartment.
As I said, if the rear access door is held open the problem is solved completely.

Roger
98 Allure

Quote from: daledede11240
> -During the factory tour at the Homecomming rally, an engineer > explained the newer models had louvered access doors because the

bed

Quote
sits lower than older models as restricts air to the radiator.
Louvers will not help your problem.
Dale Loop

Intrigue 11240

> - In Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com, "Roger Mullins" > wrote:

> I have a 98 CC Alure with a Cummins 8.3L and a side radiator. I > > notice when I drive it on a dusty road there is a HUGE plume of > dust

> coming out of the right rear (opposite from radiator). I also > > noticed that I have to replace air filters way to often, after

only

Quote
a

> few miles driving on a dusty road.
>

> A few weeks ago I went into the KOA at the Grand Tetons. When I > went

> into the office the person working there said, "Let me guess, you > are

> driving a Country Coach." He can tell a Country Coach by > the "Plume"

> of dust coming out the right side.
>

> At the camp I spoke to another Country Coach owner who had > addressed

> the problem with a simple, inexpeisive and easy modification that > he

> said helped the problem significantly. He took a piece of > sheetmetal

> 2" x 24" and pop-rivited it to the bottom of the fan shroud. It > > seems that the fan blades extend beyond the fan shroud. When the > fan

> blades turn some of the air is forced downward to the ground > picking

> up dust. Since the fan exhausts toward the engine that blows the > > dust out the right side of the coach. Unfortunately on my coach > the

> air intake is also on the right side, right where the dust is > blowing

> out. The intake is in the "cloud" and thus clogs the filter > > prematurly.
>

> I made the modification and noticed a significant improvement but > it

> did not completely solve the problem. I contacted Country Coach > and

> they indicated that they were aware of the problem and that they > > offered a kit in their parts department similar to the solution I > > installed.
>

> The problem is partially caused because the country coach engine > > compartment has no louvers to allow air to escape other than > > downward. The radiator fan causes high pressure air under the

rear

Quote
and with the radiator fan blowing toward the right side the dust > that

> is raised is forced out under the right side. I understand from > > Country Coach that their new models have louvers in the engine > access

> door so the high pressure air can escape toward the rear. I am > > thinking about having a hole cut in my rear access door and

having

Quote
a

> grill installed to allow the air to escape reaward.
>

> If anyone else has noticed this problem and/or has another

solution

Re: Country Coach Dust Problems

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11445
More than likely your dust problem is caused by a constant high speed fan meaning it never goes into idle mode. This is a design deficiency which Country Coach refuses to properly address.

Ray

2000 Intrigue 11040

Quote from: Roger Mullins
> I disagree, if I leave the access door open I get no dust at all

out

Quote
the right side. The side radiator on my coach comes in from the

left

Quote
side and is exhausted out the bottom right. The fan sucks air

from

Quote
the outside left. This raises the air pressure in the engine > compartment. Since there are no louvers or other way for the air

to

Quote
escape from the engine compartment it is forced out the bottom

right

Quote
side. That is why a plume of dust is picked up from the ground

and

Quote
blows out the right side. Allowing the air to escape through the > rear lowers the air pressure in the engine compartment.

As I said, if the rear access door is held open the problem is

solved

Quote
completely.

Roger
98 Allure

[quote author=daledede11240"

> -During the factory tour at the Homecomming rally, an engineer > > explained the newer models had louvered access doors because the > bed

> sits lower than older models as restricts air to the radiator.
> Louvers will not help your problem.
> Dale Loop

> Intrigue 11240
>
>

> - In Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com, "Roger Mullins" > > wrote:

> > I have a 98 CC Alure with a Cummins 8.3L and a side radiator.

I

Quote
> notice when I drive it on a dusty road there is a HUGE plume

of

Quote
dust

> > coming out of the right rear (opposite from radiator). I also > > > noticed that I have to replace air filters way to often, after > only
> a

> > few miles driving on a dusty road.
> >

> > A few weeks ago I went into the KOA at the Grand Tetons. When

I

Quote
went

> > into the office the person working there said, "Let me guess,

you

Quote
are

> > driving a Country Coach." He can tell a Country Coach by > > the "Plume"

> > of dust coming out the right side.
> >

> > At the camp I spoke to another Country Coach owner who had > > addressed

> > the problem with a simple, inexpeisive and easy modification

that

Quote
he

> > said helped the problem significantly. He took a piece of > > sheetmetal

> > 2" x 24" and pop-rivited it to the bottom of the fan shroud.

It

Quote
> seems that the fan blades extend beyond the fan shroud. When

the

Quote
fan

> > blades turn some of the air is forced downward to the ground > > picking

> > up dust. Since the fan exhausts toward the engine that blows

the

Quote
> dust out the right side of the coach. Unfortunately on my

coach

Quote
the

> > air intake is also on the right side, right where the dust is > > blowing

> > out. The intake is in the "cloud" and thus clogs the filter > > > prematurly.
> >

> > I made the modification and noticed a significant improvement

but

Quote
it

> > did not completely solve the problem. I contacted Country

Coach

Quote
and

> > they indicated that they were aware of the problem and that

they

Quote
> offered a kit in their parts department similar to the

solution I

Quote
> installed.
> >

> > The problem is partially caused because the country coach

engine

Quote
> compartment has no louvers to allow air to escape other than > > > downward. The radiator fan causes high pressure air under the > rear

> > and with the radiator fan blowing toward the right side the

dust

Quote
that

> > is raised is forced out under the right side. I understand

from

Quote
> Country Coach that their new models have louvers in the engine > > access

> > door so the high pressure air can escape toward the rear. I

am

Re: Country Coach Dust Problems

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11446
"More than likely your dust problem is caused by a constant high speed fan meaning it never goes into idle mode. This is a design deficiency which Country Coach refuses to properly address.

Ray

2000 Intrigue 11040"
-----------------

And fixing it so rpm is in idle mode until coolant temperature calls for more rpm

results in an increase of around 1 mpg . At least it did in mine.

Sincerely

George W Becker

gwb36@... 1999 Country Coach Intrigue #10700

Re: Country Coach Dust Problems

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11450
"George, what is the fix and cost ?" -----------

I got the kit from CC under warranty and did it myself. The kit includes two in-line fittings to replace the orifices in the hydraulic fluid line to the hydraulic motor on the fan. It took about 1/2 hour or so to replace fittings. And I work slow.
I heard CC no longer likes this fix because it can overpressure the dash AC lines due to not enough air through the radiator to draw off heat from the condenser. But I never use the dash AC so it is moot in my case.
Good luck. This fix 100% cured my problem. I am still thinking of adding a baffle to the radiator to shroud the fan though. Mainly to prevent flinging stones into the radiator and other assorted bad things.

Sincerely

George W Becker

gwb36@...

Re: Country Coach Dust Problems

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11507
George,

How did you get the fan speed to work properly. CC actually replaced the fan controller on mine and that didn't solve the problem. They tell me that I have to take the controller off and send it to them and they will reprogram it, will try that next opportunity I get to have it removed when I am sitting long enough for them to send it back to me.
Ray

Intrigue 11040

Re: Country Coach Dust Problems

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11508
Quote
How did you get the fan speed to work properly. CC actually replaced the fan controller on mine and that didn't solve the problem. They tell me that I have to take the controller off and send it to them and they will reprogram it, will try that next opportunity I get to have it removed when I am sitting long enough for them to send it back to me.
Ray

Intrigue 11040

I did not do anything with the fan controller. I got the kit from CC which removes the small-hole orifices in one of the hydraulic lines .
Now it runs at low rpm until the coolant temperature exceeds 185 degrees.
It then runs at full speed until it cools down again. The only time I get a dust storm

is when first coming off the Interstate and pulling up to the campground office.

When leaving the office after registration, it does not blow any dust.

George W Becker

gwb36@... 1999 Intrigue #10700