Leaky Ice Makers
We have two U-Line ice makers; one is installed in our Safari motorhome and the other in our trawler yacht. We purchased the one in the trawler new; the ice maker on the motorhome came to us 10 years old. Each of these units leaks like a sieve inside the cabinet when the water fills the cube tray. There doesn’t appear to be any way to seal off either leak, as they are hidden behind the ice motor units. A repair technician was unable to stop the leaks as well.
Do you have any ideas? One knowledgeable fellow told me to use a small mirror and some clear nail polish to plug the leaks. But it’s impossible to get into a position to do so.
Our solution is to turn off the water, not use the ice makers at all, and fill the cube holders with bags of ice. In other words, we have very expensive tiny freezers.
Russ Kilmer, F401933, Green Cove Springs, Florida
I think you are looking for the leaks in the wrong place. There is no water connection near the drive motor. The fill is from the back of the ice maker. It cannot be fixed without removing the unit from the cabinet. You probably will find a loose connection or learn that tube has deteriorated as demonstrated in the “A New Ice Maker Water Line” repair article that appeared on page 44 in the August 2009 issue of Family Motor Coaching.
No Dash Fan
I have a 32-foot 2000 Holiday Rambler Admiral motorhome built on a Ford chassis. My problem is that the fan under the dash will not come on for heat or air conditioning. Can you give me some pointers?
Dennis Auclair, Manville, Rhode Island
There are two easy-to-fix possibilities: a loose wire or a blown fuse. You probably will need a chassis manual with a wiring diagram to track down a loose wire, but you should be able to find the fuse and change it out if necessary.
If both of these options check out and it still doesn’t operate, it may be that the fan itself has suffered a malfunction and will need to be inspected and possibly replaced.
Solar Charging
I have a 2007 National RV Pacifica. It is stored on occasion for one to two months. During these times, the battery voltage drops a couple of volts. On my distribution panel there is a solar light, with no connection to it, along with the usual switch that reads the house/chassis battery voltage, which I recently discovered was wired incorrectly. The chassis readout was actually reading the house batteries, so I swapped the two wires, which solved this problem.
Is it feasible to connect a small solar panel to the readout switch (and solar light) to provide a small trickle charge to the batteries? It looks like it would be easy to mount a small solar panel on the roof, drill a small hole through the roof, then run a wire to the fixed location of the distribution panel.
Tom Karl, F380235, Hernando, Florida
You will need to know what the voltage is at that terminal (switch) and match the output of the solar panel to that voltage. Voltage that is too low won’t do any good, but if it’s too high, it might overload some component(s).
Midas Touch
Last year I was given a 1978 Midas motorhome. It used to go forward before I changed the transmission filter and fluid, but now it will only go in reverse. When it did go forward, the transmission operated better in second gear than “drive,” but I never got a chance to take it on a main road. The engine runs excellent and I would like to get at least one use out of it.
Erik Geist, Romulus, Michigan
Since the motorhome has been parked and unused for a long period of time “” and taking into consideration the age of the vehicle “” my opinion is that the transmission is damaged. I’m afraid that you will need to have it serviced by a qualified technician and perhaps even rebuilt.
Non-Regulated LPG
We have a 1999 Newmar Dutch Star 3865 motorhome with an Onan Marquis 7000 LP-gas generator (model #7.0 NHM-FA/26105H). We purchased the motorhome in 2001, and since then the LP-gas (LPG) regulator that supplies fuel to the generator has become plugged with a heavy, oily residue on two separate occasions. Both times we replaced the LPG regulator. I have followed the manufacturer’s guidelines, which tell me to run the generator once a month for an hour at half load. Even so, the LPG regulator continues to plug up. Do you have any suggestions or recommendations that I might try to keep the regulator from clogging?
I have spoken with LPG service technicians and also folks at a Cummins service center regarding this problem, but none of the representatives or service technicians had ever heard of this. Since most generators are fueled by either gasoline or diesel, few people seem to have experience with LP gen sets. Would it help to install a T-fitting with a 4-inch capped drop tube prior to the fuel solenoid shutoff valve? This would allow the heavy residue to collect before reaching the LPG regulator. This is similar to what is used for residential installation of gas furnaces and water heaters.
Ron Haverdink, F14567S, Hamilton, Michigan
According to the “Frequently Asked Questions” section in the Cummins Onan RV Generator Handbook, which can be found at www.cumminsonan.com/rv/handbook, your regulator plugging problem more than likely is being caused by the LP fuel itself.
But before explaining why the regulator may be clogging and then offering a solution, a little background about Cummins Onan propane-fueled generators is necessary and will help isolate the problem. The company has produced LP generators with two types of fuel delivery systems. One is called LP vapor withdrawal; the other is called LP liquid withdrawal. The main difference between these two systems is the point at which the liquid LP fuel is converted to vapor. In the vapor withdrawal system, the LP fuel is vaporized in the fuel tank with a regulator at the tank outlet maintaining the correct pressure. The LP vapor then flows to a demand regulator on the generator. In the liquid withdrawal system, the liquid LP flows from the fuel tank to the regulator at the generator, where it is then vaporized.
Considering the two types of fuel delivery systems available, it sounds like your generator is equipped with the liquid withdrawal system. How would I know this? Here’s a section from the generator handbook that addresses the exact problem you’re having.
“The most common contaminants found in LP fuel are the oils from the LP pumping facility. The oil is removed from LP fuel at the location the fuel vaporizes. In liquid withdrawal LP fuel systems, this occurs in the regulator. Oil contaminants can then clog the regulator.”
Here’s what happens. Small amounts of oil are dissolved in the LP that is put into your generator’s fuel tank. The liquefied petroleum fuel is drawn into the regulator and changed to vapor, which then is sent on to the generator’s engine to be burned. However, the small amount of oil suspended in the liquid LP does not turn to vapor and remains as a liquid in the regulator. Continuous buildup of this remnant oil is likely what is causing the regulator to plug.
According to an Onan representative, the company’s recommended solution (provided through Customer Notice of Product Change #95001) is to have the fuel delivery system converted from a liquid withdrawal system to a high-pressure vapor withdrawal system. The best part about this conversion is that very few changes need to be made to the original system. The same generator set, fuel lines, and existing plumbing can be used, with the only exception being the fuel connection location at the tank.
The only alteration that needs to be made during this conversion is to connect the generator’s fuel line to the vapor withdrawal port on the fuel tank. By withdrawing the fuel from the tank in vapor form, the oil dissolved in the LP will remain in the fuel tank.
Incidentally, Onan stopped producing liquid withdrawal LP generators specifically because of this clogging problem.
What You Need To Know About The Workhorse Bosch Brake Recall
In April 2009, Workhorse issued NHTSA recall 09V110000, which affected 51,061 W20, W21, and W22 series chassis manufactured from 2001 through 2008. In May 2009, Workhorse mailed an “interim notice” to alert affected Workhorse owners of a defect in certain Bosch brake caliper assemblies used on the affected chassis. Pending an approved recall remedy for the problem, the notice described the authorized interim repair procedure, at no cost to the customer, for brake problems related to the defect. Since this recall procedure has generated many questions and considerable concern from owners, the following information from Workhorse explains the nature of the problem and how owners and technicians can determine whether a brake problem is related to the defect.
The problem
The defect is related to the Bosch 2 x 66 mm brake caliper assembly. Each caliper contains two pistons that are made of a phenolic material. If the motorhome is not driven for extended periods of time (typically six months or longer), the phenolic material may absorb and retain moisture from the atmosphere, which may result in an increase in piston diameter. (The caliper piston is designed for some expansion.) Motorhomes operated more frequently are not likely to experience problems, because the heat generated under normal braking inhibits the absorption and retention of moisture in the phenolic material.
During normal operation, the internal piston caliper seal pulls the piston back into the caliper bore when the brakes are released. However, if the phenolic piston expands as a result of moisture absorption and heat, the seal may not pull the piston back (called “binding”), which may result in the brake pad dragging on the rotor.
This condition can be difficult for a technician to diagnose. If the brake pad drags and then the motorhome is parked for a period of time (as short as 20 minutes), the piston may cool and decrease in diameter, releasing the piston from its bound condition.
Warning signs
The problem usually is noticed as a sudden seizing or locking up of the brakes. It typically appears in motorhomes 5 years old and older that have not been driven for extended periods of time.
Signs of the problem may include:
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A distinct brake-burning smell.
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Having to apply more engine power to overcome an unaccounted slowing of the vehicle commonly associated with brake drag.
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An ABS light that is continually on.
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Smoke coming from the wheel end.
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A soft or spongy feel when applying the brakes.
Owners of affected chassis who experience any of these warning signs should have their brakes inspected at an authorized Workhorse service center. The inspection will be at the owner’s expense; however, if the problem is related to the Bosch defect, Workhorse will provide an interim repair at no cost to the chassis owner.
The inspection
Diagnostic signs of the defect that technicians will look for include:
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Piston dust seals/boots that are cracked or appear discolored (white powder markings).
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Front wheel seals that show signs of damage.
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Front spindle caps that show signs of heat damage or leaking.
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Heat-damaged ABS sensors and wheel-speed sensors; ABS sensors that have stopped functioning at various speeds and may have intermittent loss of function; and associated fault codes.
Rotors with radial cracks are NOT considered recall-related damage unless there is other evidence of damage. Radial cracks can be the result of “riding” the brakes downhill, towing a vehicle without a supplemental braking system, and continued hard braking. If the cracks are severe enough to merit replacement, it would be at the owner’s expense.
Rotor colors also vary from vehicle to vehicle, and some discoloration and transfer of brake pad material along with brake pad wear is normal. However, if the rotor exhibits significant transfer of brake pad material, it may be related to the Bosch defect. Similarly, if the brake pads show a rough and damaged surface associated with significant material transfer, this also would be considered defect-related damage. Replacement of both rotors and pads in this case would be covered by the interim repair procedure.
Affected owners will be contacted
Workhorse will notify all affected owners with instructions when the recall remedy is available. In the meantime, owners of W20, W21, and W22 Workhorse chassis included in the recall should be aware of the warning signs noted above and have their brakes inspected as they normally would should any question arise about their functioning.
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