Two weeks later...
Some person: "Hey buddy, one of your fog lights is out..."
Me: "Well, of course it is!" |
Replaced... |
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You need the website name on the RV! |
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Did that...
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The Old Girl needs some bling! |
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Did that...
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My 1st failed upgrade...
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This is the Living Room (Combo Living Room & Dinette Slide). Just below the cabinets are two brass swivel reading lights, and no other electrical at all. (A huge omission on the part of Winnebago.) Electrical is available at the rear end of that slide at the rear end of the Dinette (far left, not pictured). Electrical is also available in the cockpit all the way around next to the co-pilot's seat (not pictured). I certainly don't want 12' iPhone/iPad charging cables running all over the place. (Trip hazard...) For reference: When we're RVing I sit on the left nearest the Dinette, Bailey sits in the middle, and Sweetie sits on the right. And we have the foot rest pulled out which makes this very nice for sitting but tricky for moving around. Can I make use of one of those brass swivel reading lights? Maybe...
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So I found these BA15S to E27 lamp base adapters. You remove the small bulb from the brass swivel reading lamp and twist in this BA15S adapter. They were sold 5 in a set. |
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Then I found this USB Light Bulb Adapter. You screw this into the BA15S adapter (above), switch it on and you have power for the USB port (and an optional bulb, if desired). (In theory...) |
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I verified the brass swivel reading light worked before I started, turned it on and it worked. I verified the USB Light Bulb Adapter worked using a standard table lamp, the USB and the light worked. I tried each of the 5 BA15S Adapters and NONE of them worked. I tried each of the 5 BA15S Adapters AGAIN and NONE of them worked. This isn't a "failed" upgrade because the BA15S Adapters were Chinese crap. This is a "failed" upgrade because in the process of doing all of the above I "broke" the damn brass swivel reading light! It still lights, but dangles there, limp, and can't be positioned properly. Oh, and these brass swivel reading lights are no longer available from Winnebago or anywhere else... Now I hate these bayonet mount lights... Amazon shopping Tip: If shipping on something you buy from Amazon is more than a few days it's probably coming directly from China. If it's coming directly from China it hasn't been tested and is probably complete crap!
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Revisiting My 1st failed upgrade...
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I'm not giving up on this...
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This USB Wall Socket Charger, or... |
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This USB Wall Socket Charger, or... |
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This USB Wall Socket Charger are what I will use, somehow... |
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This brass swivel reading light is what I might use to replace the original brass swivel reading light above the chair (opposite side of RV), which I will use to replace the 'broke' brass swivel reading light if this project is a complete bust. |
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Snatching victory from the jaws of...
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Looks pretty darn good! Works well. One black and one white wire would have been helpful instead of one YELLOW wire and one white wire (thanks Winnebago) but I guessed correctly. All done.
Note: The two USB sockets pictured above are bright white and very modern-looking, unlike my RV. The one I used has a throwback look to it and is the off-white color so it matches about half the switches on my RV and looks like it should have always been there... |
I've had enough of this......
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I've had the Shore Power Bay Door
bang me in the head too damn many times. |
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According to the official manual I'm suppossed to have part numbers
142569-17-000 and 142569-12-000.
I have something else... That's annoying.
Gotta get this fixed ASAP... |
Fixed that...
(Not comfortable banging on my RV but that's how you have to install these things....)
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Rut-Roh! Rearview Camera/Monitor crapped out...
The Sony rear view camera/monitor is discontinued...
Spares in nobody's inventory...
The next best replacements not all that attractive....
So...
Upgrade! |
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Note the red, white & blue plastic flowers in the basket on the dash. We don't have to leave America because we love America, sorry Libs... |
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The Furrion Wireless Camera/Monitor is outstanding! Large 7" touchscreen, high resolution picture. |
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Replacing the original Porch Light with a Motion Detection light.
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But does it work? |
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Don't have to remember to turn it on or off, nice security add-on also.
During the day a small blue light blinks, after sunset a small green light blinks, both giving the impression that something is on duty (a deterrent)... |
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It doesn't take long to figure out that once you escape the urban and suburban light pollution it's dark out there with clear skies, bright stars and it's very dark. Inside the RV (with tinted windows and shades closed) it's even darker. Winnebago provided a courtesy light next to the bedroom but it's very bright, too bright to leave on all night long. (Also it's not an LED, runs hot, and the bulbs don't last very long.) So I replaced the original Courtesy Light with an LED Blue Courtesy Light. Very happy with this. |
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Underbed storage is awesome! (That's also where your HVAC filters are too on most RVs.) But getting stuff in and out from there is really difficult without bed lift gas/spring struts. If you don't have a Bed Lift mechanism then get one and thank yourself, if your struts are worn out (mine were) then replace them (I did). |
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It's stuffy in the RV, you gotta go out for a while, it's not cold enough to turn the heat on, not warm enough to turn the AC on, you already have a couple of windows open under the awnings, and the forecast calls for rain... If you open the roof vents it's going to rain in your RV. What do you need? Roof Vent Covers. My RV has a roof vent in the bathroom and one in the center of the living room so I installed two of these. All they do is keep rain out of your RV. |
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The original TV. Old, small, not a smart TV, can't really see it unless you sit on the floor behind the cockpit... |
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New TV, very smart TV. Won't fit in old location, 40". Need a shelf and some kind of cabinet doors for the Old TV location. Net plus: much more storage. The cabinet on the co-pilot side of the Old TV contains some old entertainment gear, antenna, an old combo VHS-DVD player, etc. Most of that has to go. |
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Perfect spot for the New TV. Directly across from the sofa. Plus, this swivel/reclining chair doesn't work for us. It's oddly shaped, slightly too small, generally uncomfortable, and just weird. (It would not be so weird if it could be locked down and had a seatbelt... As it is this chair is just useless.)
 Remove chair.- Bolt down an accent table.
- Attach stand to New TV. (I currently store the New TV in the original box on the far side of the bed, the very back of the RV. It travels well there.
Net plus: Even more storage (1 more drawer, one more cabinet).
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So much more extra space! |
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The new TV stand weighs more than the TV!
A single furniture strap is attached behind the
cabinet so it can't tip over during travel. I'll
use 3 flip latches to keep the doors and drawer from
opening during travel.
Still looking at a permanent articulating mount...
Still storing the TV in the original box during travel.
Next up:
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Install the Winegard Dish TV antenna and Wally receiver... |
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Did that. Installation is not complicated. Make sure you get the roof-mount kit from Winegard. Setup is simple but time-consuming (about an hour total). You have to drill a hole in the roof, OUCH. Full HD TV over satellite is awesome and taking that bandwidth load off the Verizon WiFi Jetpack will extend the Verizon monthly allowance a lot. Note: Dish proudly advertises all their channels and channel packages. The various channel packages include a bunch of on-demand channels, such as The History Channel On-Demand or the various on-demand movie channels. You get NONE OF THEM unless you provide the Wally receiver access to broadband internet, which would entirely defeat the purpose of my using Dish TV to reduce WiFi bandwidth... Very disappointed with the DISH TV service, it's not quite worthless but it's pretty close to worthless. |
My RV has 3 batteries. Two batteries are called House (or Coach) Batteries. They power most of the outlets inside the RV, the overhead lights, etc. One Chassis (or Starter) Battery. This one starts the engine and powers the dashboard. I started noticing a problem starting the RV. Determined it wasn't the Chassis Battery, and had the Starter replaced. Problem solved. Along the way I learned:
- The rooftop solar panel intended to charge the House Batteries was not very useful.
- House Batteries are mainly charged by the Generator or Shore Power (50amp).
- The rooftop solar panel DID NOT charge the Chassis Battery.
- The Chassis Battery is mainly charged by the engine running.
This is a potential problem. We're weekend warriors, RVing on the weekends, and we're plugged into Shore Power except (obviously) when we aren't driving around. When we are driving around we're usually running the Generator (to power the AC). That means the House Batteries are kept at full charge 99% of the time and the Chassis Battery doesn't get a lot of attention.
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So I installed a Trickle Charge thingamagig between the House Batteries and the Chassis Battery. This pulls a small charge off the House Batteries and ensures that the Chassis Battery is always fully charged. |
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Our old awning finally needed replacing. We had lots of wind, rain, downpours this Summer. The forward main arm got bent and the fabric got torn. |
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New awning replaces everything except the rubber wrap-around cover (located next to the side of the RV). A bit more quiet not using the original motor, a bit slower to extend and retract but otherwise very nice. Keeping the Florida sun off any part of the RV makes a huge difference. |
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The small hydraulic leak I had on the Front Slideout has become a major repair during which they uncovered a possible future problem by blowing out an antifreeze valve. Any time they tell you what the problem is and then promptly tell you they aren't going to charge you labor to fix it you know they are accepting some responsibility for screwing it up. In all fairness I'm really happy this happenned in the shop instead of on the road... I'm real happy with the RV Service Center I'm using, they are sooo much better than Camping World...
1/8/19: Everything's fixed... The Holidays are over, long gone. Relatives came, visited and left. (Got to meet future grandson-in-law. Fine young man.) Time to get back to personal projects... Time to go RVing...
3/8/19: Day after returning from Hillsborough River State Park I noticed it was abnormally warm in the RV. AC breaker was tripped and wouldn't reset. A short circuit fried the AC's circuit board. Waiting on parts... Bought a floor fan. We're still going RVing...
4/4/19: Still waiting on AC parts... Bought a portable AC, installing it this weekend... Heater broke, looking at that soon... Heater wasn't broke, just slow to respond... Portable AC is almost okay... No matter where I put it it's going to be in the way. It keeps the RV's internal temperature out of the 90s and even upper 80s but it won't be able to handle real Florida summer weather.
4/25/19: AC circuit board finally arrived.
Replaced the old circuit board. The circuit board has an on-board self-test. It passed the self-test repeatedly. Plugged in 50amp electric, reset the AC circuit breaker, turned on the AC. AC came on, fan only, and then ran for a few minutes.
Just as soon as one of the compressors tried to come on the AC circuit breaker tripped. This is repeatable. This means I have a bad compressor (or worse). These type of ACs are like a regular window air conditioner with the compressor(s) being an integral part of the unit and not independently serviceable.
That means I need an entirely new AC...
We have scheduled reservations for the next 2 months, we'll keep the next one and cancel all the rest. Then get the AC replaced and probably start looking for another RV... (Just kidding, we'll probably keep this RV... But the honeymoon is waaay over...) |
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Without portable AC:
1st Row: Cockpit, next to Captain's chair.
2nd Row: Wall in Bathroom area.
3rd Row: Drawer in the bedroom.
4th Row: Home. |
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5/22/19: New AC installed. Seems a bit less powerful than the original. Whatever... We're going RVing...
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6/1/19: New AC kicks butt! Noticed there was a piece of cardboard inside the vent on the floor in the cockpit. Removed that. Noticed while driving massive heat pouring out. Two-position dashboard switch was set to "Low" (because that seemed like a better idea than setting it to "High"). Figured out it was a mislabelled 3-position switch, fixed that. Nice try, Winnebago... |
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6/1/19: Got an Engine Light while driving back from Ocala, FL. |
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6/1/19: Need to install a code reader and see what this is... |
6/6/19: Easy to install, just plug it in. Except it installs upside down, thanks GM... |
6/6/19: Doesn't work. Made at least 20 attempts and got a Bluetooth connection just once, and that lasted less than a minute. What a piece of shit... "Power cycle" makes no sense, the device doesn't have a power button. You unplug it to turn it off... PLX Devices is a shit company. |
6/8/19: Trying a WiFi-based code reader next... Bingo! Worked right out of the box.
I have code: P0332
Type=Powertrain
Description=Knock Sensor 2 Circuit Low
I have no idea what that means...
What I found:
Most Common Causes:
A faulty knock sensor
A fault in the knock sensor circuit or its connectors
An air/fuel ratio thats too lean
A problem with the cooling system
A defective EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) system
It's not out of the question that I put Premium Gas in the Old Girl since I do that with the wife's SUV and my Mustang GT. I have to fill up Friday anyway for a drive back to the Ocala, FL, area so I'll use the cheap gas and un-lean it...
I did notice the coolant was a tiny bit low (maybe a 1/2") and topped it off...
Symptoms of the P0332 code?
In some rare cases, there will be no other symptom besides the Check Engine light coming on.
Pinging in the engine when accelerating
Increased engine heat under normal operation
Lack or loss of power
I experienced NO symptoms. I even drove another 80 or so miles on the Interstate with the Engine light on and still experienced no symptoms. There was excess heat but that's probably because the Coach Heater switch was on (Low). The Engine Temp Gauge show exactly normal temp all the time. No pinging, no knocking, no leaks, no smells, no fumes, no loss of power.
I reset the Check Engine light and we'll see what happens... |
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6/16/19:
Went back to the Ocala, FL, area, no Engine Light, driving back engine light returns. Cleared the light. Got the sensor replaced. The knock sensor (located near where the oxygen sensor is) is semi-damaged. The mechanic speculated that whomever replaced the Starter may have banged into it... Gotta get that replaced...
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Got "RV Force" to come look at the awning, asked him to look at the bad Jack. He determined the Jack was bad and removed it. He couldn't figure out why the Jacks Down alarm was still on, couldn't figure out how to turn off the Jacks Down alarm. His solution was to unplug the power to the Hydraulic Module. But that would make the Slides not work. Modified solution was to retract Slides, unplug power from module, go driving, plug in module, extend slides... After 45 minutes and using a screwdriver, a knife, and two pairs of pliers I still couldn't unplug that module. Emergency called "RV Force." They had no one available. I missed a weekend reservation at a Florida State Park. |
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Got "Monster Mobile RV" to come look at the Jacks problem. After a process of elimination he found the 10amp fuse in the Hydraulic Module for the audible alarm. Pulled it. No audible alarm. Jacks Down red light still on, not a problem. Slides work, no weird or ignorant tricks needed. Now I can get back to RVing and take my time replacing the bad Jack and replacing the Awning...
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Avoid "RV Force." Avoid "RV Force." Avoid "RV Force."
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7/14/19:
Returning from Hillsborough River State Park the previously damaged Knock Sensor self-destructed... Gotta get that replaced... Have a new Awning on order. I'm never using those damn Jacks again but I'm gonna get it fixed anyway... Next stop: All over the place... I made State Park reservations through year end. |
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8/9/19:
Heading out to Hardee Lakes County Park the Generator didn't want to start. When it did finally start it only ran for a couple of minutes. No Generator means no AC while underway. Temps were in the low 90s with about 87% humidity, in the RV it was at least 110 degrees. Brutal. Returning from Hardee Lakes County Park still no generator... Brutal. Have to get that looked at. |
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8/22/19:
When checking the oils two weeks prior, which I always do, I thought the Generator oil was slightly low so I added a wee bit of oil. I actually added a wee bit too much oil. The dipstick read maybe 1/8th inch over Full. Not a big deal, right?
So, using a rolled up section of clean paper towel I stuffed that in the oil hole to absorb some oil. I did that twice. The dipstick now reads about 1/8th of an inch below Full. It started pretty quick (like it used to) and ran like a champ for 20+ minutes! Sweet! Except 20 minutes is the best it can do. Other than regular oil changes based on hours used I don't have a benchmark on this Generator so I'll need a full tune-up... (Replace carb, replace fuel filter, replace fuel pump, oil filter, oil change.) Also, my Generator is suppossed to have a maintenance access cover on the front of it. I didn't know that and mine doesn't have that access cover so I need one of those. |
8/21/19:
Knock Sensor replaced, new Awning installed.
Steve (the Pilot, Captain, etc.) and Kathy (the Co-Pilot and occasional Navigator) are GREAT Grandparents! Welcome to Earth, Stella. It's a pretty nice planet, especially Florida, I think you'll like it. (We'll get you into NROTC soon as possible...) |
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9/14/19:
Generator got a fixup! New fuel filter, new fuel pump, cleaned up the carbureator (new gaskets, etc.). RV Guy forgot to order an air filter so we will revisit this situation again along with an oil change. It starts real fast and runs 95% smooth. All of which means we can drive this Old Girl down the road with air conditioning! Sweet! |
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9/24/19:
We had another catastrophic failure with the RV this past weekend. (Hydraulic system and living room slide.) I've already put too much money into this RV and I'm just not willing to spend more money on it. This is where it ends. We're throwing in the towel on this RV, selling it and moving on. |
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This isn't all of our upgrades or repairs. I'll be posting more as we move forward. I kinda like the notion that if we take care of our Old Girl then she'll take care of us...
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