Florida to Arizona, 2019!!!

[Rickf1985]

Good to know Rick...thanks!  Now...when I do change the filter, what do I do to keep that air pocket from getting in the system again?

Kev

Kind of tough to say without seeing the setup. If there is an aux pump in the tank then the filter is pressurized and all you need to do is open the bleed screw which is usually on top and turn on the key and it will bleed out the air. If there is no auxiliary pump then the best way is to see if there is a lift pump on the engine and crack the lane after the lift pump and start it and bleed out the air at that point. Otherwise, if no pumps can be found then the only way is to bleed at the injectors and this is not something I suggest for someone without diesel experience, the pressure at the injectors is around 1500 lbs./sq inch. It will easily penetrate your skin and instantly cause gangrene!  They are designed to run the air through by way of the bypass fuel on the injectors so if it stalls then just start it back up again. It sometimes helps to hold it at high rpm for a minute or so till the air runs through and this way the engine will probably stumble but stay running as the air works through. This is all normal operation so nothing to worry about. One thing to watch out for is extended cranking, you see people do it all the time on You Tube. What you don't see is the price they pay for a new starter! If it gets air bound and it does not start right back up be sure the gaskets went back on right and then crank it 10-15 seconds and let it sit for 30 seconds. This is good insurance that your starter will live a long and happy life.I would say that you should change the fuel filter when you get to Arizona and if there is not a lot of dead algae in the filter (You DID put biocide in the fuel didn't you?) then you will not have to change the filter again for another year. Oil change is is going to be a major sticker shock for you! This should be an 8.3 Cummins and most likely takes at least 15 quarts of oil minimum. Be sure to get quality name brand diesel rated oil, I use Rotella 15W-40. They will all be 15W-40 for what you are doing but be sure to get a brand name and not the cheapo stuff. You can easily go 5,000 miles plus on an oil change on a diesel. This is where it pays to get a oil analysis done by Blackstone. You contact them and they send you the kit and you send them a sample of your oil when you change it the first time. Then they let you know if there are any problems you should know about with the engine and they also keep the results on file so when do your next change they compare the results and at that point they can recommend an oil change interval. When you are using 5 gallons of oil at a time the analysis is well worth it. And these engines are not cheap to repair so proactive is the key.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Today is a short trip, from Orange, TX to Brookshire, TX, just 148 miles.  The goal is to get to the other side of Houston and put some distance from that city on a Sunday...because driving through Houston is scary!  Even on a Sunday the traffic is insane...I can't imagine driving though Houston on a week day, especially during rush hour.

The inverter worked quite well running the little 24" flat screen TV in the bedroom last night, so that is a plus.  We did take our big pure sine inverter and the Morningstar solar charge controller and breakers out of the Holiday Rambler, but I won't be hooking them up until we are back to work in Arizona...and then I have to decide on what kind of solar panels I want, and how many watts we'll need.  I'm even going to do some research into those flexible solar panels that you can glue down to the roof and even walk on...not sure how much they cost per watt, how efficient they are, or how long lived they are.  More than likely I'll just get a folding setup of traditional panels that can be stored in the under compartments if I can find a relatively lightweight setup that puts out around 250 watts or so.  I'm also going to have to do some more battery research.  The battery compartment (under the entry steps) will only hold the starting battery, and 2 golf cart batteries.  So I'm going to do some research to find out which batteries currently being made, in golf cart dimensions, hold the most amount of amp hours.

We are making slow progress out west, back to Arizona...but we are not nearly as fatigued as we usually are after each leg of the trip.  This coach handles so well and the ride is so smooth that it is night and day from our last 3 RVs. 

After coffee and breakfast, I'll do my routine fluid and pressure checks (it is SO nice being able to check the brake fluid at a glance!...lol!), take the pups out again (they woke me at 6am this morning), start up the Itasca and let it warm up...and then it is off to the other side of Houston.  I'll reset the trip meter before we leave and do another mileage check when we touch down in Brookshire.

Tomorrow's journey will be from the Brookshire, TX Flying J, to the San Antonio, TX Flying J...about 161 miles.  And the next day is a longer pull, from San Antonio to Fort Stockton, about 313 miles...so more than likely, we'll fuel up in San Antonio, and then drive on another 50 miles or so and stay the night in a rest stop or truck stop.  Then the next leg of the journey is from Fort Stockton, to Anthony, TX, 261 miles.  Then from Anthony, TX to Lordsburg, NM, 143 miles...and then from Lordsburg, NM to Safford, AZ to stay in the nice RV park we usually stay at, but this time for only a week.  That leg of the trip is only 75 miles.  When we leave Safford to our final destination in Gold Canyon, AZ, we'll be backtracking to I-10 and taking the longer way around, instead of taking Hwy 70 and Hwy 60 in through Globe and Surprise.  The downhills are scary going that way, extremely steep...and I don't think the D-Celerator exhaust brake is currently working on the Itasca (tried it going down the big bridge in Lake Charles, LA, and while the power light came on, the brake indicator light on the device did not, and it didn't seem to make an impact on the braking (I felt and heard no difference at all).  So instead of the scary 121 miles through the mountains down 70/60, we'll backtrack down Route 191 back to I-10, which is 230 miles total, but SO worth it not having to deal with those steep inclines and declines.  Once I fix the engine brake, I'll feel more comfortable with mountains, since this RV certainly has no problems climbing them!

Stay tuned for more adventures and more pictures!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

(You DID put biocide in the fuel didn't you?)

Actually, I intentionally did not.  Not yet.  I was afraid that if I did, we'd be out in the middle of nowhere and a bunch of dead algae would suddenly decide to let go of the sidewalls in the fuel tank all at once, and clog up the filter, leaving us stranded...lol!  I WILL do that when we are back in Arizona and back to work and have an income again.  Thanks for the oil advice as well Rick!  How much does Blackstone charge for their analysis?  I'm really going to have to find and purchase a service manual with pictures for this engine and transmission, since the owner manuals that came with this RV are pretty basic with no real info.  I wonder if they make "Haynes" or "Chiltons" style manuals for this chassis?

Kev

[Rickf1985]

The live algae will clog stuff ten times faster than the dead, That is why I suggested it. It was also best to kill it before sloshing it around too much but moot point on that now. The engine brake has to be over a certain rpm to work effectively so if you are in overdrive that my be the problem. I would do a search for that model of brake on the net. Chances are pretty slim on the generic manuals for the chassis, do you have the chassis tag? If so you can contact Oshkosh and they probably have the manuals. If you don't have the chassis info you may be able to get it directly from Winnebago and then that that to Oshkosh for the manuals. The engine data plate will be on the side of the timing cover, usually on the intake side and the transmission tag should be mounted on the side of the transmission but I am not exactly sure where, it has been quite a while since I worked on one of them.


And the algae grows on the bottom under the fuel for the most part.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Thanks Rick!  I'll definitely add the biocide to the fuel when we get to AZ.  The thick stack of manuals that came with the chassis are pretty exhaustive, just not a lot of pictures of the suggested procedures...pretty much just a diagram of where to grease the chassis, and where the check points are.  The rest is just hundreds of pages of text.  I learn best from pictures, video, and hands-on.

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Well that was the easiest trip through Houston we ever had!  We rolled through around 2pm Central Time, and there was hardly any traffic.  We pulled into the Flying J in Brookshire, TX in what seemed like no time.  We hardly used any diesel according to the fuel gauge, so we aren't even going to bother to top it off here.  We'll top it off tomorrow in San Antonio, and then keep driving for another 50-100 miles on our way to Fort Stockton.

The transmission fluid was again at a perfect level when we pulled in.

I set up the Dish Tailgaiter on the roof so Patti can watch her favorite show tonight, and then took the pups out.

So we'll just relax the rest of the evening, and be back on the road tomorrow!

Kev

[Rickf1985]

Kevin, Here is the info from Blackstone. I don't even remember how much the kits are since I had them send me a half dozen kits and I pay by card as I send them in which is very infrequent anymore since I am not driving much anymore. By the way, they can analyze transmission fluid the same way as motor oil so if you feel the need to see the condition of the transmission you can send in a sample of that too. The biggest problem there is getting the sample since it needs to be part of a stream of fluid from the pan. A lot of Allison's have a drain plug but some don't.


https://www.blackstone-labs.com/?session-id=2vylxxrxfhv3jf45dvn00eqh&timeout=20&bslauth&urlbase=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blackstone-labs.net%2FBstone%2F%28S%282vylxxrxfhv3jf45dvn00eqh%29%29%2F

[007]

rick Is absolutely correct, get the kit and the pump, I have 960,000 mi on my 3406e cat in my big truck. just hit  2 million mi this spring and received a free jacket, watch and hat, only got a jacket and hat at 1 millon lol i use fabco /cat pull a sample mail it in and get results on line, worth every dime!!!, I sample and change oil and all filters except air every 20,000 roughly as a rule,11 gal to change my oil... you can sample at whatever ever number you want try to be consistsnt, the lab will tell you if ther is a problem and when to change oil . I would think 10,000miwould be a good  starting point , but the first sample asap to get a base number and miles on oil just a thought , Mark

[007]

to pull a sample , screw the bottle to the pump, mark the plastic tube the length of the dip stick, insert in dip stick tube  and pump , us a real lab, NOT the truck stop bench top ones  

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Not a bad idea, Rick and 007.  I checked out their website, and the standard test is 28.00, so I'll check it out.

Brrrrrrrrrrr is it cold here in Brookshire, TX!  We'll be hitting the road shortly after all my checks...and then we'll fuel up in San Antonio and I'll check the MPG again.  Since it is only 160 miles or so to San Antonio, we are going to keep going after filling the diesel and dumping the holding tanks, probably for an additional 50-70 miles.

So far this Itasca is running like a top!  Still getting soot from the water heater, and still can't figure out why the furnace won't come on.  I'll have to troubleshoot it when we get to Safford.  Also, the horn and the cruise control don't work either, but I'm sure that is a simple wiring issue, at least for the horn (I could care less about cruise control, since I never use it...but might use it on this coach if I can get it working just to keep me at 60mph instead of 65-75, which is the speed the RV wants to go).

There was one other design annoyance I noticed...and came up with a solution for...on this RV.  Winnebago decided to make the windows, including the side windows, very tall, which is great to see mountains when you are traveling.  But when you are on a long trip due west, the sun beats down on the driver's face ALL DAY from the side window, even though Winnebago tinted the upper part of the windows.  Simple solution!  I took a dish towel and half a dozen clothes pins, clipped the towel sideways to the windshield curtain track to cover the upper part of the driver's side side window...and voila!  It works!

Onward and forward!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

We left Brookshire, TX without filling up, and drove to the Flying J in San Antonio.  There we did fuel up, and the total mileage since our last fill up in Orange TX to San Antonio was 286.6 miles.  And it took 28.6 gallons of diesel to fill the tank.  So yep!  10mpg on this leg of the journey.

We also dumped the tanks (those crooks are charging 7.50 now, even with my RV card!), filled the freshwater, reset the trip meter, took the pups out, and kept on driving...for 70 more miles.

We are staying the night at a rest stop near Kerrville, TX, so tomorrow's trip to Fort Stockton is only around 250 miles.

It is chilly and the furnace isn't working, so I broke out the Buddy Heater and it is keeping the RV nice and warm without having to run the generator just to run a ceramic heater.  We are using our adapter hose and pony tank that we use for our grill, which is way cheaper than using the little green cans of propane.  Don't worry folks...we'll shut it down before we go to sleep.

More tomorrow!

Kev

[joanfenn]

Yes be safe.  Each grab a dog to keep you warm and the cat usually wraps around your head.  (at least mine did).  Have fun with your trip and drive safe.

[HandyDan]

You will be just fine. Keep on truckin'.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

It is a beautiful morning here in Kerrville, TX!  It is a lot warmer this morning outside than when we went to bed...it was absolutely frigid last night.

250 miles or so to Fort Stockton, TX will be today's trip.  We'll fuel up at the Flying J, and then stay overnight in the Walmart parking lot (since we are running out of eggs and Coffee Mate).

There is a Camping World in Anthony Texas off of Exit 2, so I'm going to call them before we leave here today to see if they have a low profile toilet in stock...or if they can get one by the day after tomorrow.  The Dometic 300s are on sale right now for around a hundred bucks...which is better than having our floors ruined by the Frankentoilet.

I'll also be taking some pictures today and posting them up this evening.

Time for coffee...then my routine road checks...then off to Fort Stockton!

Kev

[Rickf1985]

I put a 311 toilet in mine and I am not real happy with it. It just seems to me that it uses a lot more water than most to get the job done. The 310 and 311 are the same except one is tall and one is short. They have an inlet valve that can be a bear to winterize if you do not fill the system with antifreeze since it is impossible to get the water out of it. I have had to replace mine every year. The valve is modular and plugs in so I guess they already knew this was a problem. The inlet is on the left side looking at the toilet from the front so keep that in mind for your hookup. My original was on the left looking from the front so I need to get creative on plumbing. Check the floor flange also, it may be different, Camping world should have an adapter if you need it. (I did)

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Good to know Rick!  The 300 series appears to have the water inlet on the same side (the left side if you are sitting on the thrown) as the Frankentoilet.  I'm going to give them a call to see if they have it in stock.  This leak is annoying and potentially damaging.  It is fresh water that is leaking, so it isn't grosso...but it is the only water leak in the rig and the floors are perfect.  For now we flush, fill the bowl with a little water, and depressurize the system...which won't be as easy to do once we are hooked up to city water again.

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Time to play catch-up on our adventures!  Now that the site is back up (and working way better than before...thank you Mark!!!), I'll catch y'all up on our trip so far.  Stand by!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

The drive from Kerrville, TX to Fort Stockton, TX was blessedly uneventful, and we fueled up at the Flying J, and then stayed the night in the Walmart parking lot.  The total trip was 321.4 miles.  It took 35.66 gallons of diesel to top off the tank, so this leg of the journey we got 9.03 mpg!  Sweet!  We are gaining in elevation as we go further west, with a lot of uphill travel, so 9.03MPG is pretty darn good, especially with the power we now have to climb hills!


Today's trip will take us from Fort Stockton, TX, to Anthony, TX, on the border with New Mexico...about 261 miles.  So we'll be hitting the road shortly after we have our coffee.


And I know how much everyone loves pictures, so I took a bunch and will add them here!


Here is the crazy Frankentoilet I kept telling you all about.  I'll be replacing it soon with a Thetford AquaMagic low profile toilet, since this cobbled together beast leaks.









More pictures coming!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Here are a couple of pictures of the D-Celerator MH-1000 exhaust brake system, which I will be troubleshooting and getting it to work before we leave Arizona.





And here are the brand new front tires (same brand as the back, which are three years old).  8r-19.5 Sumitomo tires, made in Japan.



In the front of the RV, there is a massive dead space, which I was considering as a location for more batteries if we end up wanting more than two deep cycle coach batteries.  I won't know if we'll need them until we replace the old Interstate golf cart batteries and see what kind of battery life we get with two brand new Trojans.





More pictures coming!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

In the old Holiday Rambler, our German Shepherds LOVED to lay on the dashboard, and their claws destroyed it.  So we had it reupholstered with a "dog proof" cover...and they destroyed that one as well.  So I modified a cargo net to keep them off the dashboard in our new-to-us Itasca.  It works, and is easy and quick to deploy.





Don't feel TOO bad for the doggos though...they now have a SOFA!  Which they are allowed to get up on.  Patti found a matching fleece throw to cover the sofa so that it can be washed, and the pups won't mess it up.



The pups sure do love their new sofa!!!





We also installed TWO screen guards on the door...'cause we know what their paws can do to screens!







This little fairy house was already here when we bought the rig...it holds spare keys.



And we didn't forget the cat!  We bought this bamboo drawer separator to put his food dishes in, since he is such a messy eater.  It keeps the food from falling behind the table and onto the floor.



More pictures coming!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

The high windows in the Itasca make it great for viewing mountains while driving, but if you are driving due west for a long trip, the sun beats down on the driver's face ALL DAY.  Simple solution:



There was enough room behind the driver's seat to put a covered trash can and a laundry hamper...to keep the house tidy.  If you aren't a fulltimer, you will have no idea how important these two items are to keeping a clean and tidy house.



When we are ready to go, the net comes off the front, everything gets stowed, and off we go.







I use 2 bungee cords to secure the flat screen TV in the bedroom from road vibrations when traveling.



The bed is all made and we are ready to roll!



Patti's Trumpy Bear watching over us on our journey...lol!



Paladin is ready to go!



More pics coming!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

This is how we kept the house warm in Kerrville, TX the night before last.  It works!  The propane generator, while it works incredibly well...in NOT efficient, and uses a LOT of propane...so using it to run a ceramic heater until I fix the furnace was not an affordable option.



When parked, this is my computer desk setup.





We got this dish rack at Camping World.  Perfect fit in our odd sized sink!



I really need to troubleshoot and fix the hot water heater as well.  I cleaned out the burner tube, but it needs more adjustment to the air control I think.  It is still sooting up the side of the RV.  Hopefully it won't be an expensive fix.  (Updated:  All fixed and no more soot...there was still a LOT of blockage in the burner tube, which I had to bring inside and clean in the sink with some cleaning brushes from my gun cleaning kit).



More pics coming!!!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

This is the last bunch of pictures for now.  Just outside pics of the RV with the Jeep in tow, including some close ups of the "new" Blue Ox tow bar we got at a pawn shop in Georgia.



















And that is it for pictures for now!


Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Safe touchdown in Anthony, Texas!  Climbing out of El Paso was a cinch...it didn't seem NEARLY as steep as I remembered it!  And they finished all the construction they have been working on in El Paso for the last three years, so we sailed right through.


The total trip today was 256.2 miles, and it took 25.35 gallons of diesel to fill our tank back up.  So this leg of the journey, we are back up to 10.1 MPG.  Nice!


We also topped the propane tank back off and it took 20 gallons to fill it.  Yikes!  That propane Onan is not very efficient!  We'll be running it as little as possible in the future.


And since we will be in the Safford RV Park on Friday, I just went ahead and ordered a Dometic 300 series low profile toilet on Amazon to replace the leaking Frankentoilet.  Free shipping, and it should arrive on Friday, the same day that we do.


Tonight we are staying at the Anthony, TX Flying J (one of the nicest ones we stay at), and tomorrow's trip to the Flying J in Lordsburg, NM is a short one...just 143 miles.


So far the Itasca Suncruiser is performing extremely well!


Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

It is a beautiful sunny morning here in Anthony, TX!  After breakfast, we are going to hit the road again, this time a 143 mile trip to Lordsburg, NM.  Which has another really nice Flying J.  Time to cook breakfast, than check all the fluids and pressures...and get back on the road west!


Kev