Results for "cruise"

Engine Easy N/A 132 👍 0

Ford E-350 vs E-450 Chassis: RV Fuel Economy, Power & Weight Capacity

Last weekend I felt this awful engine strain and heard sluggish acceleration sounds while test-driving a 2017 Phoenix Cruiser #2351 with its E-350 chassis and V10 engine. I'll be doing extensive western touring through mountain and plains regions, which means substantial mountain grades and wind challenges. I'm comfortable driving slowly and want to understand two key things: 1) Will this E-350 chassis handle mountain grades without major issues, and 2) What's the real-world fuel consumption like? I plan to do an initial inspection this weekend, followed by a third-party mechanical review. I'm not overly concerned about fuel economy but want to understand the actual performance limitations. I'd appreciate insights from owners who have experience with similar touring conditions on an E-350 chassis. …more

Read answer

General Easy N/A - shopping 104 👍 0

Independent Super C Motorhome Manufacturers: Complete Guide to Non-Thor Builders

Three months of shopping and my wife just pointed out every Super C we're considering comes from Thor subsidiaries, making me realize consolidation might be trapping us with limited service options. It seems like Thor Industries and Berkshire Hathaway own practically every major motorhome brand out there now.

Before I make what could be a costly mistake, I need to know - are there actually any independent Super C manufacturers left that aren't owned by these corporate giants? I'm cautious about putting all my eggs in one basket with these mega-corporations. Should I even care about the ownership structure, or am I overthinking this? I just want to make sure I have options and aren't setting myself up for problems down the road. …more

Read answer

Engine Easy 15 minutes 94 👍 0

Ford 7.3 Godzilla Oil Pressure: Normal PSI Readings & Troubleshooting

My Ford 7.3 Godzilla is throwing weird oil pressure PSI readings and the shop wants $800 to fix it – can I troubleshoot this myself first? I finally installed a Glowshift electronic oil pressure gauge because I kept hearing horror stories about these engines running dangerously low oil pressure.

Here's what I'm seeing: Cold starts jump over 60 PSI, then drop to 28-30 PSI at 1200 RPM. Once fully warmed up, I'm getting 18-20 PSI at 600 RPM idle, and the pressure stays around 28-30 PSI in my typical 2200 RPM cruising range. It doesn't climb above 30 PSI until I hit 3000 RPM, where it jumps to about 40 PSI.

I know Ford has had issues with some of these engines showing scary low numbers like 8 PSI at idle, so I'm grateful mine isn't that bad. But are these readings actually normal for the 7.3 Godzilla under normal operating conditions? I haven't done any loaded driving tests yet, but I'm trying to figure out if I should be concerned or if this is just how these engines run. …more

Read answer

Product Ranking 8 compared

Best RV Air Conditioners

4.4 (8,100 reviews)

Engine Easy 30-60 minutes at dealer 89 👍 0

Ford F53 AdvanceTrac Warning Light: TSB Software Fix for Motorhomes

Already seeing that AdvanceTrac warning light on my F53 motorhome chassis — would this TSB software fix be covered under my extended warranty before I start tearing into it? Because apparently my RV decided it needed MORE personality quirks, right? Now my cruise control won't work (there goes my lazy highway driving), and the hill assist is MIA too.

I'm getting mixed signals here - is this one of those "pull over immediately and call a tow truck" situations, or more of a "well, that's annoying but I can still get to the campground" kind of deal? And please tell me this isn't going to cost me my firstborn child to fix at the dealer! …more

Read answer

Engine Medium 2-3 hours 84 👍 0

Ford F53 460 EGR Valve Cleaning Guide - Fix Motorhome Stalling Issues Now

Despite probably being a dumb question, why does my 1997 Ford F53 with the 460ci keep being such a real pain lately? Keeps stalling out when I'm sitting at lights or just idling around. This happens every 400-600 miles like clockwork - runs great for a while, then boom, stalling starts up again.

I'm pretty sure it's the EGR valve getting all carboned up because I've seen this pattern before. The thing is, I'm getting tired of dealing with this over and over. Should I just clean the EGR valve again, or is there a better long-term fix? I've heard people talk about EGR deletes but not sure if that's the way to go with the ECU and all that. …more

Read answer

Ac Refrigeration Medium 2-4 hours 82 👍 0

Advent RV Air Conditioner Not Cooling? Complete KoolRV Adapter Fix Guide

Around 6 AM I walked out to my fifth wheel and spotted my Advent air conditioner running but barely pushing any cool air through the vents. I replaced my old Coleman AC with an Advent, mainly due to price, but I'm not getting good cooling during the heat of the day. I've found that opening the slide vents on the ceiling cover helps a bit.

I'm considering using a KoolRV adapter like I had with my previous Coleman, but no adapter currently exists for the Advent. I've noticed the cold air discharge opening is located in the corner instead of the center, which I think is causing air turbulence and restricting duct airflow.

My main concern is whether restricting the airflow too much could cause problems like freezing up or other damage to the AC system. I've also seen that installing these adapters involves removing some kind of dividing wall inside the unit, but I don't understand why that's necessary.

Could someone explain if there are risks to restricting airflow and why that dividing wall needs to be removed? I want to make sure I understand what I'm getting into before I try any modifications. Right now, it's starting to cool down here in the Everglades, but I still want to improve my cooling performance. Thanks for any guidance! …more

Read answer

Engine Medium 2-3 hours 82 👍 0

Ford F53 Speedometer Stuck at 60 km/h: RV Dashboard Repair Guide

Despite having electrical work done on my 1999 Ford F53 motorhome, the speedometer has been permanently stuck at 60 km/h regardless of actual driving speed. The gauge reads accurately up to 60 km/h but then just stays pegged there no matter how fast I'm actually going. I'm worried this could be dangerous since I can't tell my real speed on highways.

What's strange is that my odometer keeps working perfectly and even my cruise control still functions normally. I'm hesitant to start tearing into the dashboard without knowing what I'm dealing with. Could this be the speed sensor failing, or is it something else? I really need to understand what's causing this before I risk damaging other components. …more

Read answer

Engine Medium 2-3 hours 79 👍 0

How to Fix Intermittent Cruise Control on Damon Daybreak F53 Chassis -

Standing here staring at my 2009 Damon Daybreak F53 that's 15 years old and starting to have intermittent cruise control failures — should I repair or replace the system? The dash light doesn't come on when I press set, and cruise won't engage. Previous owner spliced the red wire from an aftermarket trailer brake controller into a wire in the steering column. When I fiddle with the brake controller or jiggle that connection, cruise sometimes starts working again.

Can I safely disconnect the brake controller's red wire from the steering column to fix this? Will the brake controller still work if I remove that connection? …more

Read answer

Electrical Hard 2-4 hours 74 👍 0

Ford F-53 P0581 Code: How to Fix Cruise Control High Voltage Error

Planning to tackle this P0581 cruise control high voltage error on my 2007 F-53 chassis myself — got my tools ready, just need to know where to start. Already replaced brake switch, steering wheel switches, checked all fuses and wiring from dash to ECU. Horn works fine so clock spring seems okay.

Here's the key finding: disconnected the steering wheel connector completely to eliminate all external switches. Cleared the code and it stayed clear until I started the engine - then P0581 immediately returned.

Since the code sets with switches disconnected and all external wiring checks out, does this confirm an internal PCM problem? Looking for confirmation before spending money on ECU repair. …more

Read answer

Engine Medium 2-3 hours 72 👍 0

Ford RV Speedometer Stuck at 39 MPH: Quick Stepper Motor Fix Guide

During last month's road trips my Ford RV speedometer would occasionally stick at 39 MPH, but now it's completely frozen there regardless of actual speed. My 2003 Hurricane's speedometer seems to be stuck - it won't read above 39 mph no matter how fast I'm actually going. I've been relying on my GPS to know my real speed, which is working fine.

The weird thing is that my cruise control still functions normally and the odometer keeps tracking miles correctly. I'm just not sure what could cause the speedometer to max out like this while everything else works. Is this something that happens often with these Ford-based motorhomes? I'm hoping it's not going to be some crazy expensive fix since I'm still learning about RV maintenance costs. …more

Read answer

Engine Medium 4-8 hours professional installation 70 👍 0

2007 E450 Transmission Hold Drive Gear - Aftermarket Solutions

This is the third time this season my '07 E450 motorhome's cruise control drops from overdrive straight to 3rd gear on hills and I'm done with this transmission madness. I just want it to stay put in Drive and stop being so jumpy.

I know newer trucks have those manual shift modes where you can lock a gear, but this old 5-speed auto doesn't have that luxury. Anyone know if there are aftermarket transmission controllers or mods that can hold it in Drive gear without all the hunting around? Would love to have more control over when it shifts. …more

Read answer

Product Ranking 8 compared

Best RV Refrigerators

4.3 (9,200 reviews)

Engine Easy N/A 68 👍 0

Cummins Engines in RVs: Diesel vs Gas Options and Maintenance Guide

Wondering if I made the right call upgrading to the new 6.7 Cummins gas engine after weeks of research — still feels like I'm missing something important. Imagine if Freightliner built a new chassis using this specific Cummins gas engine. I would think it would be a great option. I don't imagine Ford would willingly use this engine in the F53 chassis. …more

Read answer

Electrical Medium 2-3 hours 66 👍 0

BT Cruiser Battery Upgrade for Boondocking - Space Limited

Called my buddy who had the same battery woes on his Class C — second deep cycle fixed him right up, but this BT Cruiser's tiny compartment has me completely stumped. Currently running one Interstate 27M deep cycle battery (88AH) but need more capacity so I don't have to fire up the generator constantly. Problem is my battery compartment is tiny - only fits 12"x15" tray with 11" height clearance. Looking at either two 6V Duracell GC2s, or single Redodo LiFePO4 batteries (140AH or 165AH in group 31 size). My converter is WFCO WF-8955PEC with 14.4V bulk, 13.6V absorption, 13.2V float charging. Will this converter work properly with these battery options, and which would you recommend for under $700? …more

Read answer

Engine Easy N/A 66 👍 0

How to Use Tow/Haul Mode with Cruise Control in Your RV: Complete Guide

Manual says to use Tow/Haul mode in the mountains but doesn't mention anything about using it with cruise control. Currently running cruise on the interstate with Tow/Haul off and wondering if I should be using both together. Don't want to damage the transmission doing it wrong. …more

Read answer

Electrical Medium 2-3 hours 65 👍 0

How to Fix 2001 Ford E350 RV Cruise Control Brake Light Circuit Problems

Every time I mention my 2001 Ford E350 RV's cruise control issues with brake light circuit resistance, I feel stupid asking, but why does this keep happening? According to the service manual, I should be reading less than 20 ohms between pin 4 and ground, but my multimeter shows 50 ohms consistently.

The cruise control system monitors the brake light circuit through the light filaments to detect brake application. With this higher-than-spec resistance reading, the cruise control will not engage properly. I've already replaced the brake pedal switch and master cylinder switch, but the resistance remains at 50 ohms when measured at the pedal switch.

What typically causes this excessive resistance in the brake light circuit, and what is the complete wiring path from the brake switch to the rear lights that I need to inspect? The brake lights themselves function normally, but this out-of-spec resistance is preventing cruise control operation. …more

Read answer

Loading more Q&A...

You've seen all 19 Q&A articles!