Leveling System
I own a 2009 Coachmen Mirada motorhome with an Atwood Levelegs leveling system. Last spring, before our summer trip, we took the coach to our local RV dealer (an FMCA commercial member) to have the Levelegs repaired, as they suddenly had lost all power. After much communication with Atwood, the service technicians were told that the main board had gone bad. The really bad news was that Atwood no longer makes it and the part cannot be found.
Do you know of anyone that rebuilds these controllers (looks like a PC board)? In my industry, we have some companies that can do that for some of our boards.
Jimmy Ledbetter, F400893
Medina, Ohio
Many of the board fabricators use EPROMs, which stands for “erasable programmable read-only memory” — basically, electronically programmable chips. So, without the program, a rebuilder cannot replace the chip, and the fabricators will not share the program data. So, if your control board has an integrated circuit (looks like a black rectangular centipede), and if that is faulty, it probably is not repairable. Many of the leveling jack systems have an automatic feature that is electronically complex and would be very difficult to simulate if a tech were trying to build a replacement board from the ground up.
On the other hand, if all you want to do is to operate the jacks, manually, one at a time, you can fabricate a box containing four sets of four cube relays (as pictured on page 50 of the February 2014 issue). Thirty-amp relays are available for around $2 each. The wire size would have to be increased proportionately to handle the higher amperage load.
Another possibility would be to purchase a control box from another supplier (without the jacks) and wire it to the existing jacks.
It might also be worth checking if the part is available at an RV salvage yard.
Locking Fuel Cap
The “Safe And Secure” article on page 44 of the September 2014 issue of Family Motor Coaching suggests getting a locking fuel cap for your motorhome. Unfortunately, the article doesn’t tell how to obtain one. I contacted Thor Motor Coach, and they indicated that we should contact Freightliner, the chassis manufacturer, since it supplies the fuel caps.
I also visited the Web site of Stant (www.stant.com) but found only generic information about their products. I called Farmington Freightliner in New Mexico, and received a suggestion for Stant 10591 caps. I ordered two from Amazon.com. I wanted one in green with “diesel fuel only” printed on it.
Steve Harmony, F430089
Durango, Colorado
Thank you for sharing this information, Steve. Owners of Type B or Type C motorhomes may be able to find a locking fuel cap that will fit at a local auto parts store. Because there are different styles of fuel caps, it can be helpful to get the original-equipment part number from the chassis or coach manufacturer and use that information to find another brand of cap that will fit.
Plugging In
In the June 2014 issue you address monitoring of shore power for David Abrecht (“30-Amp Shore Power Monitor,” page 18). You neglected to mention a simple solution. Progressive Industries offers surge-suppressor systems with remote readouts of voltage and current as well as frequency. The remote can be mounted in any convenient place. The 50-amp unit shows each leg separately. If you were using a 30-to-50-amp adapter, you would have to add the readings to get the total. If you are familiar with wiring, it is easily installed. It also offers surge suppression and can detect miswiring. The Web site is www.progressiveindustries.net. I have the EMS-LCHW50 (no remote) in my rig.
Norm Scherer, F313928
Prescott, Arizona
Thank you for the Web site, Norm. This would give our members an additional source, but it still would require a hardwired module to support the remote display. The 50-amp equipment would cost $431 plus installation.
Equinox, Lexus Steering Problem
This is in response to the question about steering problems with the Equinox and Lexus (June 2014, page 20), a situation in which the front wheels of those vehicles oscillated when they were being towed. I have a 2010 GMC Terrain and experienced the same problem. The first time, it happened on the interstate. What a trip! When it happened again, I replaced my 10-year-old hitch, which had a little slop, or excessive free play, between the hitch and the receiver. But even after I installed the new hitch, the steering problem remained. I went online and found a hitch immobilizer by Blue Ox (www.blueox.com) that tightens up the hitch and receiver in both directions, and all is well now.
Garold L. Wallace, F398223
Jackson, Tennessee
Glad to hear your problem is solved, Garold.
Motorhome Mildew
Regarding the letter in your March 2014 column about mildew: Being from Oregon, where we have webbed feet and we rust and mildew rather than tan, I have found that the best product out there is Simple Green. Spray it on, use a sponge foam pad or rag (or nonabrasive nylon pad), and then wash it off using a high-pressure garden hose nozzle. Bleaches and scour pads are bad for both paint and fiberglass.
Bruce Dixon, F440445
Hillsboro, Oregon
Thank you, Bruce. Members helping members is what it’s all about.