Results for "mystery parts"

Before my last camping trip when I tried to order replacement parts, I discovered that finding genuine OEM components for my Onan 5500 generator has become nearly impossible. The Cummins website has been showing most tune-up components as out of stock for months now, and when I do find supposedly "official" Onan oil filters online, many retailers are substituting generic filters that may not meet the same specifications.

I've been researching alternatives and I'm particularly concerned about getting the right oil filter and spark plugs. For the oil filter, I've seen conflicting information about whether aftermarket options like Wix filters are truly compatible - some sources mention the 57398 but I've read mixed reviews about fitment issues. For spark plugs, my current ones are NGK BPR4EY, and I've heard the NGK 3432 might be equivalent, but I want to make sure before ordering.

I'm also planning to stick with zinc-containing oil like Rotella T6 15w40 since I know air-cooled engines need the extra protection, but I'd love confirmation that I'm on the right track with quality aftermarket parts that won't compromise my generator's performance. What specific part numbers and brands would you recommend for a reliable tune-up when OEM parts aren't available? …more

Somewhere under my RV sofa at 11 PM I found these mystery heavy-duty metal brackets — need to identify them before tomorrow's trip. They look substantial and professionally made, not like random hardware.

I'm concerned these might be critical safety components that should be installed somewhere - maybe for the slides, stabilizing jacks, or furniture mounting? The last thing I want is for something to fail while we're traveling because I left essential parts sitting in storage. Should I be worried about using the RV until I figure out what these are for and get them properly installed? …more

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

Walked away from the RV dealer after he dismissed these mystery parts in my used diesel pusher as "just junk" but they look too expensive to toss. I'm hoping you can help me identify them - I've actually got a photo (with a can for perspective to show scale). Some look like they might be plumbing related, others could be antenna components, but honestly I have NO clue what most of this stuff is for!

I've been going through everything trying to figure out what belongs where and what might be important vs just junk the previous owner left behind. I'm getting pretty frustrated because I don't want to throw away something critical, but I also don't want to keep a bunch of useless parts cluttering up my storage.

What's the best way to actually identify these mystery RV parts? I feel like I've hit a wall and could really use some direction on how to tackle this systematically. …more

Woke up to find my RV's mystery electrical component glowing red instead of the green light the manual promised, and I can't even figure out what this thing is! In the picture I uploaded, you can see the component with the red warning light that just started appearing recently. I'm pretty sure that's not a good sign, right?

I'm thinking it might be some kind of detector or maybe part of the electrical system? There are so many gadgets crammed into these rigs. Anyone know what typically has red warning lights in RVs and what I should be looking for to figure out what this thing actually is? Would love to get it sorted before it becomes a bigger problem! …more

Between my wife spotting a mystery cable dangling near our 1997 Newmar Mountain Air's fuel filter and my growing obsession with figuring out what it connects to, I'm losing sleep. The wire seems to have come disconnected from somewhere and I'm not sure where it's supposed to go.

I've been having trouble getting the engine to start lately and I'm wondering if this mystery cable could be related to my starting problems. The wire looks like it might be important but I can't figure out what it connects to or what its purpose might be.

Could someone help me identify what type of cable this might be and whether reconnecting it could solve my starting issues? I'd really appreciate any guidance on how to trace where it should connect. …more

This drives me crazy — my 2004 Fleetwood Expedition's roof AC only acts up when it's above 85 degrees outside, but I can't identify the model number to order replacement parts. I've got a 2004 Fleetwood Expedition and the front roof air conditioner isn't working properly. I went up on the roof to check it out, but the sticker with all the model information is completely weathered and unreadable. I can make out that it might be a Dometic or Coleman unit, but I'm not sure. Without the model number, I'm having trouble finding parts or even knowing what I'm dealing with. Is there another way to figure out what AC unit I have? Any guidance would be really appreciated - I'm still learning about all this RV stuff! …more

Nobody seems to make a fresh water fill cap with an actual seal anymore, and I'm scratching my head over this. We're leaving for a two-week trip this weekend and my original cap finally cracked around the threads where the seal sits. I've been shopping for replacements online and at RV stores, but every single one I find comes without any kind of gasket or O-ring. My old cap had a rubber seal that kept debris and rain out of the tank. While I was prepping for our trip, I cleaned out the breather hose and started wondering - if these caps aren't supposed to seal, why do we even have a breather system? Shouldn't there be a way to get a proper sealing cap somewhere? …more