Damaged Clear Tape
I have a 2007 Winnebago Adventurer with protective clear tape on the front. Mold has started to form between the paint and tape. If I remove the tape, adhesive residue from the tape is left on the paint. What can I use to remove this without hurting the paint? Also, do you know of any recalls by Winnebago Industries or 3M concerning this problem?
Howard Holland, F387420
Newport, North Carolina
This wouldn’t be a safety issue, so the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would not be involved in any recall.
I have always had good luck with a product called Goo Gone to remove that type of adhesive residue. I’ve used it on several types of surfaces, including my coach’s exterior, and it’s always worked. If you visit a large auto parts store such as O’Reilly Auto Parts, AutoZone, or NAPA, you’ll find several adhesive remover brands. Lacquer thinner also is a possibility. Before trying either of these suggestions, test the product on an out-of-the-way, inconspicuous location on your coach’s surface to make sure there’s no adverse chemical reaction with the paint before using it on the front panel.
Fan Speeds
I have two Dometic Duo-Therm Penguin air conditioners mounted on the roof of my 1998 Alpine Coach motorhome. I also have a four-button digital control to operate the air conditioners. The front air conditioner works normally; however, the rear unit always runs at high speed. It does not respond to the “High,” “Medium,” and “Low” settings, and when placed on “Auto” it always runs on high until it stops when the selected temperature is reached. This is not covered in the Dometic documentation, so I appreciate any suggestions you may have as to why it is happening.
John Knight, F396456
Charleston, West Virginia
The first things you need to do are to inspect the wiring at the control board, the fan, and compressor, and to make sure the DC voltage measured at the red wire of the control board is in the 12-volt-to-13.5-volt range. If the wiring and voltage check out okay, there are two more possibilities. First, the high fan-speed relay on the control board might be stuck closed. Second, the circuit logic may have been scrambled by a stray radio frequency.
To correct the latter, do a factory reset as follows:
- Touch any button on the thermostat to turn on the backlight.
- Press and hold the bottom two buttons.
- Press and release the Mode button.
- Release the bottom two buttons.
- Press and release the Mode button again.
- The backlight will go out, signaling success.
- If the backlight does not go out, repeat until it does.
If this does not fix the problem, I would then suspect a stuck relay, and a
replacement of the control board would be my next effort.
Fiberglass Repair
The May 2012 “Tech Talk” column carried a letter by Bob Wyllie titled “Rubber Bubble” (page 16), in which he described a bubble that had appeared his motorhome’s roof, along with a suggestion for fixing it. My 2000 Winnebago Journey has a 12-to-15-inch “bubble” on the right side of the motorhome just under and to the rear of the refrigerator opening. Could this be a simple repair such as the one mentioned in the article, or is it more involved and expensive? I’m planning to put the motorhome up for sale or trade, so how much will the price or ability to negotiate a deal be affected by this malady? I appreciate your reply and opinion.
Horace L. Searcie, F301360
Modesto, California
This could be a difficult repair, but it can be done. You will have to separate the fiberglass enough so that you can insert sealant between the fiberglass and the frame. This would mean pulling out any side trim or trim that runs across the top, or removing a window if there is one in that area. Next, use an air nozzle to blow out any debris or moisture, and allow the area to dry for a few days, just to ensure that no moisture remains. One product that reportedly works well for applications such as this is Sikaflex. To get the adhesive to the area needed, once you have the fiberglass separated, clamp a 2-foot piece of rubber hose to the application end of the caulk tube to create an extension. The Sikaflex is messy. I recommend that you allow it to sit in the sun or inside a warm area before using it so that it will flow better. Once the Sikaflex is behind the fiberglass, then you need to apply some pressure for a few hours, which may be the hardest part of the project and may require some creative clamping methods. I’ve seen Sikaflex in only a few RV stores, but it is available at marine shops and can be found online for purchase.
Front-End Vibration
My 1995 Fleetwood Bounder motorhome, built on a Ford 460 chassis, has recently been vibrating very badly when traveling at 60 to 65 mph. When this happens, it is almost impossible to hold on to the steering wheel, even with both hands.
I took the motorhome to one of the Camping World locations, and the technicians indicated that the firewall was broken and that they would have to weld it back together and add support brackets. The cost to make these repairs was estimated at $1,000. I then took it to a Ford dealer, and they indicated that there was nothing wrong with the firewall, but that the motorhome needed new shocks and bushings for the sway bar. They also discovered that the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve was bad and would need to be replaced, along with the spark plugs and wires that were damaged by the faulty EGR valve. Their estimate for this work was $1,750.
I have now spent several hundreds of dollars for “diagnostics” but still have no idea what I should do. Your guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Len Afremow, F188775
Wheeling, Illinois
I sympathize with your steering problem. Years ago, I went through a similar experience with my motorhome and wrote about it in FMC (“Suspension Upgrades,” page 58, February 2006). Henderson’s Line-Up, Brake & RV located in Grants Pass, Oregon, cured all my motorhome’s handling problems. Contact Henderson’s at (800) 245-8309 (www.hendersonslineup.com/contact). They can give you the location of a nearby shop that can solve the death wobble. Henderson’s has affiliated locations all over the United States, so I’m sure they can assist you.
There are other good shops and track bars available as well, such as the Davis Tru Trac Bar from Roadmaster Suspension Solutions.
Dead Towable
I had a dead battery problem the first time I used a new Brake Buddy Vantage supplemental braking system. When I arrived at my first stop, the battery was dead. Had I read the instructions, I could have avoided the problem. This model requires that the operator press the Auto Start button prior to towing. This feature pumps the brakes four or five times to remove the vacuum in the braking system. No more problems.
George Rogers, F343089
Milford Michigan
Thank you for sharing this information, George. Perhaps it will assist other members.
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