I have a 2007 Monaco Camelot with four slideouts, but only two of the slideout awnings (the living room and the bedroom) have loose ends. Do I need to replace the awnings, or is there a way to tighten them up?
Art and Sandi Lloyd, F231032, Raleigh, North Carolina
Slideout toppers seem to be an issue all too often. The manufacturer must strike a balance on how much torque to place on the springs “” enough to tighten the awning, but not too much that it might influence the slide room mechanism. The action of the wind will move the edges of the fabric more than the middle. This may slightly stretch the fabric near the ends, sometimes even pulling the bead from the roller tube or awning rail for a few inches.
To determine whether the awning can be tightened, inspect the very ends where the fabric is attached. If the bead is pulled out, there’s a good chance it can be remedied. But if the fabric is stretched on the ends, a new piece of awning fabric would be necessary. If you determine that new fabric is the only option, I suggest that you call the warranty manager of the awning manufacturer to see whether this type of problem is covered.
Limestone
It has come to my attention that some truck drivers and motorhome owners do not like to park their vehicles on limestone driveways. I was told that the acid content of the stone deteriorates the tires. I can see some merit in this since limestone dust is used to raise the pH level in fields. Yet, for 55 years my vehicles have been parked on limestone driveways. Is this fact or fiction?
David McCombs, F397074, Mount Gilead, Ohio
I purchased my first motorhome in 1972, and our home had a limestone driveway. We traveled the country, attended many FMCA conventions, and parked in campgrounds and various parking lots, many with limestone parking surfaces. We had that motorhome for 14 years and put 70,000 miles on it. The tires were serviceable and safe when we sold it.
So, I was a bit surprised when I first read this letter, because I never really thought about it until now. I contacted a representative from Goodyear, who said that short-term parking on crushed limestone should not cause any problem with the tires. However, allowing the vehicle to sit directly on the limestone “” or any other ground surface “” for several months without moving it is discouraged.
If you plan to park the motorhome for a long period of time on any type of surface, I recommend that you put plywood sheets under all the tires and use tire covers to block the damaging ultraviolet rays of the sun.
Towed Car Tire Wear
I have a 2002 Jeep Liberty with a 3.7-liter engine that I tow behind my 2003 Fleetwood Expedition 34W motorhome. The Liberty really tows well except for one problem. The two front tires experience a lot of wear on the insides when the vehicle is being towed. When I stop and inspect for potential problems, I detect the burning rubber scent you’ll smell at drag races. I’ve asked numerous experts, and they look at me as though I’m crazy. They have never heard of the problem.
I also use the Liberty for my in-town car when we are home, and the tires wear normally. I keep the front end aligned and the tires balanced. The tow equipment is all Roadmaster, and the tow bar is a Stowmaster 5000. I’ve written to Roadmaster and have not received a response yet. We will be taking a 5,000-mile trip this summer and are hoping we won’t have to buy two new front tires during the trip.
Tom Ganahl, Via e-mail
If you’re releasing the steering wheel lock as you should, there could be three reasons why your tires are wearing as you describe.
First, if there’s too much negative camber “” the tops of the tires are closer together than the bottoms of the tires “” the tires will wear as you describe. However, they would continue to wear in the same manner during normal driving.
Second, if there’s too much toe-out “” the front of the tires are wider apart than the rear of the tires “” they’ll wear as you describe. But, again, they would continue to wear while the vehicle is driven.
The third possibility is incorrect caster, and I think that is what’s causing your wear. Caster is what returns the wheels to the straight-ahead position after you release the steering wheel following a turn. It’s the same mechanical reason you can’t ride a bicycle with no hands and the front wheel turned around backward. While being towed, the tires’ inside treads are being scrubbed off.
You also should make sure your tow bar is level. If the motorhome end is higher than the towable end, this could reduce the down-force on the front tires, thus changing the Liberty’s alignment while being towed.
Take your Jeep to a top-grade tire shop with a state-of-the-art alignment facility and have it precisely aligned. Make sure you tell the technician all about your tire wear problem while towing.
Digital Tv
According to my information or misinformation, TV broadcast signals are being transmitted digitally, but there are still some local TV transmissions in analog. Will new TVs with digital TV tuners be able to process both digital and analog transmissions?
Ron Watkins, F374290Northridge, California
Only low-power TV stations or translator stations (stations that serve communities that the high-power stations cannot reach due to distance or intervening geography) were not required to transition to digital on June 12, 2009, and are still allowed to transmit analog signals.
If your television was able to receive analog transmissions before the digital transition on June 12, it should still be able to get analog transmissions from low-power TV stations. Most digital television sets include a built-in digital (ATSC) tuner that can receive both analog and digital signals.
Folks who have an analog TV but have not yet purchased a converter box should consider buying one that includes analog pass-through capability, making it possible to receive both digital and analog signals on their analog TVs.
Control Center
I have a 2003 Holiday Rambler SE, and when we first purchased it, all the amp systems were displayed on the control center panel. Now the 50-amp selection no longer shows how many amps we are pulling while hooked to shore power. The 20-amp, 30-amp, and generator selections work and show the amps being used. All other functions work.
Wallace Isaac, F384776, Lake City, Florida
The display reacts to an induction coil to proportionally measure the current. There are two legs of 120 volts on the 50-amp service. My guess “” and it’s just a guess “” is that one of the two coils has malfunctioned. It could be something as simple as a loose screw or a broken wire. The output of the coil can be measured with a millivoltmeter. My advice is to take your motorhome to a professional electrical technician, as these tests cannot be performed unless the electrical circuits are live, and there is plenty of juice there to cause serious injury if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing.
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