Hose Woes

We purchased our 2000 Holiday Rambler Endeavor used. It is a 38-foot with one slide and a 330 CAT engine. We had problems with the dash air conditioner several times. The last time, the low-pressure line coming from the compressor to the front of the coach blew out. On inspection, I found that the lines were not only run over the exhaust manifold, but also the turbo for the engine, and there is no heat shield for it. The hose size used is no longer available, so we could not splice a piece in, but had to run an entire new line from the compressor to the front of the coach. I recommend that ALL members who have this model coach check to see if their lines are in the same position. Not only did we have to run the lines in the same location, but we went a step further. We went through Summit Racing, and got some header wrap, and wrapped each of the hoses individually, then wrapped both hoses together with some reflective air conditioner tape to further insulate and protect it from the heat generated by the exhaust manifold.

Al & Leah Saizan
Baton Rouge, LA
Via email

Our techs agreed that your remedy sounds like a good idea, however, it does not appear to be a situation common to all Endeavor models. It is worth checking for those experiencing similar air conditioner problems, but we have not received any service reports that match this problem. Thanks for sharing your information. —TT

Exhausting Subject

Regarding Bob Moenart’s question in the November/December issue of Holidays. Engine brakes are the ones prohibited (very noisy, mostly found on large trucks) not exhaust brakes. With my exhaust brake on, I cannot use cruise control.

H.S. Zaluzny
Via email

You are correct. The Engine Brake or “Jake” Brake is the noisy brake that is often prohibited in certain towns. The exhaust brake is quiet. On some coaches the exhaust brake is triggered by a foot switch and some use a dash switch. It is also correct that if your coach has an exhaust brake switch on the left console, when that switch is activated, the cruise control will not operate. Thanks for the clarification.—TT

Just received my November/December Holidays. On page 59, “Engine Brakes on all the time?” Your answer seems to be at odds with the “Meet your exhaust brake” article in the March/April Holidays (page 32). Most of us don’t drive in icy conditions. Your comments please.

Tom Purcell
Via email

The advice in “Meet Your Exhaust Brake” was sound. The exhaust brake is useful for stop and go freeway traffic or downtown city driving. In the tech talk letter, we did not mean to contradict this advice by recommending exhaust brake restraint in “residential areas.” We should have distinguished between exhaust brakes (quiet) and engine brakes instead of using the two interchangeably. We also should have clarified that by “residential” we were thinking more along the lines of suburban neighborhoods or quiet city streets, not main thoroughfares where the sound of traffic is a constant. We believe in the good road judgment of all our owners. However the Tech Talk response was correct in pointing out the safety and fuel economy hazards of leaving the exhaust brake on “at all times.” Thank you for your astute comments.—TT

Alternator Assumptions

I just read your article: “Alternators 101,” in the latest issue of Holidays. It turns out a couple of erroneous assumptions were made by the writer.

1) Not all engine batteries that you have installed in motorhomes can be “serviced,” ie. “checking the water level in the cells.” The engine batteries in our 2000 Holiday Rambler Ambassador are “maintenance free.” There are no caps that can be removed to check the water level.

2) There is no voltmeter on the dash of this rig.

Additionally, we have just had the alternator replaced, after your tech people told the repair facility how to “excite” (what I thought was the original alternator) that had apparently lost its polarization. Alas, this procedure did not work. The symptoms were a faint alternator light, idle adjustment switch not working, the tachometer indicator fluctuating and erratic even at a constant speed, and the resume switch on the cruise control only working intermittently.

After replacement, the repair technician could not get the tachometer to work at all, and pleaded that he could not get a wiring diagram from Holiday Rambler. I called the tech department, and talked with Shawn, who said there had not been a request for the wiring diagram but that he could fax one if the technician would call him. He also said that the original alternator had been replaced with the wrong alternator. Well sir, if this is correct, it happened at the Cummins Diesel facility in San Antonio, where the rig was kept two weeks, shortly after we bought it new, to resolve a warning light problem. And it was done in collaboration between your tech department, Roadmaster and Cummins Diesel technicians.

I hope that by early next week I will hear from the repair facility and that it will be able to get the tachometer to work again.

Bobby Cook
Via email

We regret your technical difficulties and hope our staff has helped you resolve the problem. Regarding the alternator article, because of the many differences in coach models, we try to keep technical articles generic while also mentioning common deviations from the norm, although in some cases deviations are overlooked. It is true that some chassis batteries such as yours do not require as much maintenance and are touted as “maintenance free,” however they still require minimal service from time to time. In this case, the top of the battery should be cut to access the caps and a small screw driver should be used to pry the caps up. This does not void the battery warranty.

On your second point, you are correct that some Holiday Rambler coaches do not have dash voltmeters. We appreciate how carefully readers examine our technical articles and will do our best to eliminate future inconsistencies.—TT

Mailing Address

Send your tech letter by mail to: TECH TALK, Holidays Magazine, 91320 Industrial Way, Coburg, OR 97408; fax (541) 688-8899; email rpuckett@monacohr.com.
The material contained in TECH TALK is intended for informational and discussion purposes only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for qualified technical assistance. Holiday Rambler, its employees and contributors to Holidays are not responsible for damages, however caused, arising out of your use of the material contained in TECH TALK.