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RV House Refrigerator Storage: Should You Leave the Door Open?
Ac Refrigeration Easy 15 minutes 85 👍

RV House Refrigerator Storage: Should You Leave the Door Open?

According to the moisture buildup around my residential fridge door seals after just two weeks of storage, I'm clearly doing something wrong.

With my old propane fridge, I religiously propped that door open during storage like every RV manual commanded. But now that I've got this "house fridge" - do I treat it like a regular home refrigerator and keep it closed, or do I stick with my old RV habits and prop it open? I'm probably overthinking this, but the last thing I want is to open it up next season and get knocked over by some horrific smell that could wake the dead. What's the right move here for preventing mold and keeping things fresh during long-term storage? …more
E450 V10 Air Filter: How Often to Change on Dusty Roads
Engine Easy 15-20 minutes to inspect/change 85 👍

E450 V10 Air Filter: How Often to Change on Dusty Roads

Every Saturday I'm planning to tackle my Ford E450 V10's air filter after months of dusty backroad camping — what maintenance schedule should I actually follow? The owner's manual suggests changing the air filter every 30,000 miles, but that seems like a really long interval to me.

I do a fair amount of camping on dusty dirt roads - probably covering about 8-16 miles per month on these conditions to reach remote campsites. I'm worried that all that dust might mean I need to change the filter more frequently than what Ford recommends.

Should I be following a different maintenance schedule given these dusty conditions? And is there anything I should be doing between filter changes to keep things running smoothly? I want to make sure I'm taking proper care of this engine but don't want to over-maintain either. …more
Onan 7500 QD Code 36 Fix: How to Solve Generator Overfill Oil Shutdown Problems
Engine Easy 45 minutes 82 👍

Onan 7500 QD Code 36 Fix: How to Solve Generator Overfill Oil Shutdown Problems

Woke up this morning to fire up my Onan 7500KW QD for camping season, and that dreaded Code 36 shutdown nightmare is back again. I can restart it after waiting a bit, but this is driving me nuts.

I've been digging around online and came across something weird - apparently these dipsticks are calibrated wrong? Some folks are saying you're supposed to keep the oil level just above the 'ADD 1QT' mark instead of at the full line to avoid overfill shutdowns. That sounds backwards to me, but I'm seeing it mentioned everywhere.

Before I start messing with oil levels or throwing money at fuel pumps and control boards, can anyone confirm if this dipstick thing is actually legit? Really hoping it's something this simple! …more
Dometic CF80 Drain Foam Replacement: Complete Step-by-Step Guide
Ac Refrigeration Easy 30 minutes 82 👍

Dometic CF80 Drain Foam Replacement: Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Woke up to check out my new place's Dometic CF80 basement refrigerator/freezer and discovered what looks like deteriorated foam filter stuff in the bottom drain compartment. The foam material shows significant contamination and degradation.

I need to understand the specific function of this foam component within the CF80's drainage system. Is this foam element critical for proper unit operation, and what are the consequences of operating without it? Additionally, what is the recommended replacement schedule for this component, and how do I determine when replacement is necessary versus simple cleaning? …more
Ford V10 Oil Capacity: How Much Oil Does Your Newmar Bay Star Really Need?
Engine Easy 30-45 minutes 81 👍

Ford V10 Oil Capacity: How Much Oil Does Your Newmar Bay Star Really Need?

Since I'm about to buy oil for my 2011 Newmar Bay Star with the Ford V10 engine but keep seeing conflicting capacity numbers — worth getting extra or just wasting money? Classic RV owner move, right?

I keep finding conflicting information online - some sources say 6 quarts, others say 7 quarts for the Ford V10. After my oil change, I'm sitting here staring at my dipstick like it's written in hieroglyphics, wondering if I've turned my engine into a swimming pool or left it high and dry. The manual isn't exactly crystal clear on this either.

Can someone please tell me the ACTUAL oil capacity for this engine? I'd rather not blow up my motor because I can't figure out basic maintenance on my rolling money pit! …more
Burnt Spot on Oil Dipstick - 2013 Thor Challenger V10 Fix
Engine Medium 2-4 hours for repair 73 👍

Burnt Spot on Oil Dipstick - 2013 Thor Challenger V10 Fix

Wondering why my 2013 Thor Challenger V10 only gets that weird burnt spot on the oil dipstick above 85 degrees — runs perfect when cooler? When I pulled the oil dipstick during my last oil change, there's this obvious burnt spot with carbon buildup about 18 inches from the tip. The stick was also kind of a pain to pull out.

I'm scratching my head here - what would cause burning and carbon right at that specific spot on the dipstick? Is this pointing to something with the dipstick tube itself, or am I looking at a bigger engine problem? Really hoping it's not anything major since the motor only has about 32K on it. …more

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Cummins Engine Oil Analysis High Metals: Diagnosis & Next Steps
Engine Medium Ongoing monitoring 69 👍

Cummins Engine Oil Analysis High Metals: Diagnosis & Next Steps

Around 6am yesterday my 2017 Discovery LXE 39g's 360hp Cummins started showing catastrophic metal levels on the oil analysis report. I sent a sample to the lab for analysis, and they reported that aluminum, iron, and copper levels are higher than typical generic Cummins engine averages. The lab suggested this could be due to extended oil change intervals from the previous owner, but without any baseline data or service records, I'm not sure how concerned I should be about these elevated metal readings.

The RV was previously in an accident (shows on CarFax as comprehensive damage) with front-end body work including wheel, steps, fender panel, and front cowling replacement, though a Cummins mechanic spent two hours going over the engine with me and didn't find any obvious mechanical issues. The lab recommended testing again after 2000 miles to see if the numbers improve, but I'm wondering how to properly interpret these initial results when I have no previous data to compare against. What's the best approach for establishing whether these metal levels indicate actual engine wear or just the residual effects of poor maintenance practices? …more
Ford F53 Transmission Dipstick Location: Complete Guide for 2006 Motorhome RV
Engine Easy 15 minutes 63 👍

Ford F53 Transmission Dipstick Location: Complete Guide for 2006 Motorhome RV

Around two weeks after picking up this 2006 Ford F53 motorhome, I'm completely stumped trying to locate the transmission dipstick on this beast. I've been trying to locate the transmission dipstick on my 2006 F53 chassis and I've checked the right side of the oil dipstick under the hood, but it's not where my manual says it should be. Would it maybe be under the doghouse cover? I don't want to damage anything by poking around blindly.

I'm also nervous about checking the fluid level incorrectly - should the engine be running when I check it? And I want to make sure I use the right transmission fluid if I need to add any. I've heard using the wrong type can cause serious damage.

Can someone please confirm exactly where the dipstick is located on the 2006 F53 and walk me through the proper procedure? I'd rather ask and be safe than sorry. …more
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