[Dan]

On a panic stop we have no choice and at that point the last thing I am going to be considering is overheating my brakes. In fact if it is a real emergency stop I am not sure there is enough time to think about hot brakes because all the concentration is likely going to be on hoping to avoid the impact.

But coming down a mountain is a whole different can of worms and the time to be dealing with overheated brakes is at the top of the mountain prior to the descent. As Dick said your speed as you begin downhill should be appropriate for the grade. Every downhill I have seen was makred in advance with both the length of the grade and the percent of slope. There is no reason to create problems for yourself if you plan and make use of all your assets. A jake or a retarder will both do an excellent job of controlling your speed, but if the grade is steep, when you are accelerating past your target speed, apply the brakes heavily and drop the speed 10 or more MPH below the target speed and then release them. Make sure your jake or retarder gets the benefit of high RPMs by being in the lowest gear possible for your target speed.

But with air brakes, never pump them unless you intentionaly are trying to deplete your brake system air pressure.

[Dan]

Not to take away from this investigation in any way… Just remember guys that dragging brakes are not limited to the newer disk style.

I had an old manual slack adjuster lock up on me about a year ago. I caught that one by hearing it followed very shortly by smelling it. The tire was about 165F when I stopped and immediately hit it with an IR gun. I had been lubricating properly and had done so less that 2,000 miles before it locked up.

Now they were 20 years old. I replaced all. BUT these are not on any replacement schedule that I know of and you can not pre-trip or even under the coach inspect for a pending failure.

[Dan]

Al, I’ll add your name to the list but I must warn you that the list is long and distinguished!

[Dan]

A service truck provides parts and a skilled technician. But if no service truck is available and the group is large enough at least the issue regarding “spares” can be dealt with. Any members towing a pickup or vehicle with some suitable storage can be used to carry a pair of tires. Tools and smaller spares can be spread among the other toads.

The owners themselves can become their own technicians. Repairs I have made over a long periond of time are rarely those that require a lot of skills, just a willingness to get dirty. Chassis supports, good tools, a tire iron or two and the group just needs people willing to dig in and help each other.

[Dan]

Both seem excellent. On my Liberty I am unaware the generator is running if an A/C is on. I know this because I once had the generator auto-start when I was connected to shore power and it must have run for a while before I realized it when I went outside and was near the exhaust pipe.

Both Vantare and Liberty have the box in a box generator enclosure.

[Dan]

I am gun shy about awnings because we had the large curb side ripped from the coach with no warning.

I will not extend an awning unless we are at the coach. On the day our awning was torn from the coach it was a cloudless, windless day. Without warning a sudden burst of wind did the damage in the blink of an eye. It was the second incident with our large awning and both times we were inside the coach.

The first time we were driving and despite being rolled up, the wind got beneath the awning, broke the brake and uncurled the awning. Once it did that the awning slammmed back and forth against the coach until we could get out of the coach and get it rolled back up. A bunch of wire coat hangars were used to secure it in place until I could get new brakes and the little hook in the center to prevent a recurrance.

The second time the awning was open. We were inside the coach. When the sudden gust hit it the arms were ripped from the coach, with one of them being jammed between the roof and the air horns. When the wind ripped the arms from the coach 4 guys were walking by the coach, they saw what was happening, and with no arms the awning was alternately being slammed against the coach, or flying up in the air. The guys caught the awning and at one point all four were lifted from the ground before they could hold it down and against the side of the bus. We were at a rally in Colorado Springs with well over 100 other coaches and one other coach lost its awning also.

More wire hangers were used to secure it to the roof until we got to ZipDee on our way home.

So we don’t trust our awnings, no matter what kind they are because there is so much surface area that even a little wind from the wrong direction can damage it. As Charles has pointed out if the awning is open and collects rain serious damage can occur also.

[Dan]

Some liberty’s have the yellow valve too, it’s before the solenoid that supply’s air to the little plastic manifold when the key is on only , I took and put a line to join into the line that feeds the line to the plastic manifold, so if there was a failure with the solenoid I can open the valve and supply air to manifold then replace solenoid later

That yellow valve comes right off the Prevost Norgren filter

[Dan]

Thanks for the answer, Mike.

The generator has been running 49 hours so far with no problems. It has been hot in Wichita the last few days!

Davy

[Dan]

Kyle:

I’ve found that an open-end wrench just big enough to fit over the tubing makes a good tool to press on the locking ring on those fittings. Pushing in on the tubing at the same time helps, too. Then pull out on the tubing while holding in on the ring. I’m making it too complicated, but I’ve never done too well with them. Most of my experience with them is in industrial enviroments, not the clean (polished) steering bay of a Prevost. But they seem to be the way the world’s going. I would perhaps cut the damn thing off and get compression fittings, with nuts. They’ll last forever. Whatever you do, a square cut on the tube end is essential. There are guillotine-type cutters for this purpose (like a cigar cutter, lol).

Have fun!

[Dan]

Atwood is now owned by Dometic and you may be able to get it from either a local Rv dealer or online. They are restructuring so if the local rv dealer sells Dometic products they should be able to get the Atwood parts. Also try some of the Internet rv dealers..

[Dan]

At 30-odd dollars, (if I’m reading the price list correctly) it hardly seems worth getting the bucket and sponge out if you are anywhere near one of their locations. I know it’s ony a wash and not ‘detailing’ but how many of us detail our cars on a Sunday morning rather than just give them a quick lick with the sponge?

I know where I’ll be going (at least some of the time) if it’s convenient when the day finally arrives! And with the 50% discount that Jon is negotiating…..

[Dan]

For what its worth,I picked up our coach in Phoinex with a leaking hub seal. I drove it to Omaha with no issues wich was 1350 miles.Gear lube was on the outside dual when i would stop,probally every 400 miles.I wiped it clean every stop and it would be there again,so i knew there was still lube in the bearings. However I replaced both axle seals and many other items with hand tools,That effort tends to want to pull your body apart!!

[Dan]

(You guys aren’t helping) Really?

1st question should have a sign in the bus that says do not run roof airs while bus is in storage, does someone really do that?

Would you put bus to sleep? Why? It’s dead. But if I did I would do same as Truk. Converter specific.

Would you start Gen? If I could.

What would I do? Ask better questions.

I think a more pertinent question is what would you do if you were completly dead. No chassis, no house power, unable to start generator. This would be converter specific.

Later

bv

[Dan]

Megan and Gary,

I enjoyed meeting you two and playing with Jolie (very playful). I wish for you safe travels and that you make it home before the forecasted snow. You two have a very nice coach albeit the size is over-whelming for me.

Very Best Regards,

Tom Roberts

[Dan]

Mine was kept on the same side so the damage had nothing to do with direction.

It sounds like once our tires are at a given spot they need to stay there in the case of the 365 / 315 set up. If the tires were all 315 then we can put them on the drives.