Freightliner Chassis

[BIGNASTY]

It's easy to get angry at the children around you, until you see who's raising them. Then it becomes obvious it's not their fault.

Agreed!! Parenting is where the anger should be placed, I couldn't drive a school bus just because of all the noise, comes from to many hours of being by myself driving.

 

[Mark31]

Big, you probably won't be interested in this, but I'm going to throw it out anyway. A friend's Christian mission had a RV donated to it. The owner was an engineer who could not sleep if something on it was not just right. It is a 90 Monaco Executive (40 ft pusher), 92 Silver Series 350 hp Detroit, H747 4 speed Allison, 3 year old Michelins except for one Dunlop, twin 3500 btu roof air, Jake, 8 cu ft refrig with icemaker. My friend grades the redone interior at a 9 out of ten, and the exterior at a 7+. It's not too far from Charleston, SC. He would like to get $15,000 for it. I think maybe he has driven it a couple of hundred miles to get it to his place, and he said it drove out just right. Neither I or the man who runs the mission will profit from its sale: The owner donated this to be sold to fund a project that honors The Lord Jesus Christ that is already in place, just needing some "coin". Oh yeah: the list price on it was $292,000. Mark

 

[BIGNASTY]

I appreciate the offer we are still looking around at all possibilities.

BIG

 

[RVTRKN]

Adding to Big's current thread and this thread, unless you have an unlimited amount of funds, I would not buy a quality Motor Home/Coach, they are very expensive to maintain and the purchase price is way up there as well. You can purchase a MD truck and a luxurious heavy 5ver that will dwarf the motor home and cost less, as well as the maintenance will cost less. You can find a 5ver with the garage in rear for a small car to fit inside for running around town. If you size the 5ver just right, a 5500 CTD would be capable as well, and help in the maintenance costs, but the running around town will be a little stiff. The only updside to a Motor Coach is you can hook up a very large trailer for whatever you might want to haul or tow your car behind.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Adding to Big's current thread and this thread, unless you have an unlimited amount of funds, I would not buy a quality Motor Home/Coach, they are very expensive to maintain and the purchase price is way up there as well. You can purchase a MD truck and a luxurious heavy 5ver that will dwarf the motor home and cost less, as well as the maintenance will cost less. You can find a 5ver with the garage in rear for a small car to fit inside for running around town. If you size the 5ver just right, a 5500 CTD would be capable as well, and help in the maintenance costs, but the running around town will be a little stiff. The only updside to a Motor Coach is you can hook up a very large trailer for whatever you might want to haul or tow your car behind.

RV

I would like to have a 4500 or 5500 if it weren't for the stupid exhaust. Before its said by someone in anger there are LOTS of used low mileage MH's with VERY LOW MILES.

THAT DON'T USE THE BBQ EXHAUST

 

[RVTRKN]

DPF & DEF are the negatives, but you'll have to buy at least a 10 year old MH. I'm sure you can find a well kept up coach, but they are like boats, even brand new they have issues. I'm not trying to be negative, just expressing my opinion. Good luck with your search, I had a lot of patience with my purchase of a used Arctic Fox, and I got a great deal on a clean and kept up 5ver.

What are you looking at? I was impressed with a coach on a Peterbilt Cab & Chassis back in 94, but they were $500K back in 94.

 

[ranger 393]

When a Diesel Motor home says it has been built on a Freightliner Chassis what all does that entail? all frame, suspension, drive line components braking systems or what?

IE: Newmar Ventana LE


ME

I worked for Freightliner Truck manufacturing for 14 years and we use to build chassis for kibby and haulmark. They were shipped to them and they installed the rest. They were pretty nice set ups.

 

[BIGNASTY]

DPF & DEF are the negatives, but you'll have to buy at least a 10 year old MH. I'm sure you can find a well kept up coach, but they are like boats, even brand new they have issues. I'm not trying to be negative, just expressing my opinion. Good luck with your search, I had a lot of patience with my purchase of a used Arctic Fox, and I got a great deal on a clean and kept up 5ver.

What are you looking at? I was impressed with a coach on a Peterbilt Cab & Chassis back in 94, but they were $500K back in 94.

We weren't going to put out anything about our purchase, just show up and ask if we could park in your driveway and hook-up to shore power to keep from spending money on Gen Fuel.

My FIL has decided that at age 88 he's a little bit old to be hammer down in his Prevost, & he and MIL needed to get out of the cold at times. So he sold it to a friend & bought a winter place in Las Vegas with his eldest Son and Wife.

The friend of his that bought his Prevost HAD a Newmar Dutch Star. He and his wife (until she passed) used it to do some traveling and when she passed he lost interest until he bought FIL's Prevost.

The 2004 Newmar is built on the Spartan frame with a Cummins ISL 370 HP 6 speed ally 30K on the clock. He wanted to make sure that its what we wanted so he's been gracious enough to let us put several thousand miles on it.

I don't know who, what, when or how someone found this MH to be a dog up grades but towing our Tacoma behind in a trailer loaded to the max on all the fluids for the MH it was far more than I thought a 370 HP with an automatic would be. The best part was the use of a TRUE JAKE BRAKE not the usual stuff something in the exhaust pipe braking.

Just for an example we went up grades comparable to the Grapevine, Cajon and Baker Grade at 65 MPH & had peddle left to spare and still got an astounding 11 MPG & out on the flats I had my foot in it!!

I had posted on TDR about towing the taco with freewheeling hubs, that doesn't look feasible so the next option would be to buy an enclosed trailer. My FIL bought a trailer for that purpose years ago that is just as good as new but went with the Prevost from http://www.sporttrailersonline.com/Sport.html Its another inconvenience to find & pay for additional wheels on the ground in parks. Like I said I was hoping to flat tow the taco but don't want to put the wear & tear on the drivetrain, Oh well such is life. :{

Cummins guys I know in Bloomington Calif. said that the motor can be tuned to 425 HP but asked if it was really needed, I had to remind him who he was talking to? Cal Pacific Cummins used to take care of our company trucks when I worked. He started laughing about his stupid comment and when I agreed with his assessment he asked if I had grown old a feeble. He suggested not going to 425 HP because if it wasn't ordered the cooling system (side mount radiator) wouldn't be able to cool it hammer down up grades, his suggestion was to Max out at 400 HP after driving this I feel that 370 HP will be fine after all its called slow down and smell the roses.


BIG

 

[RVTRKN]

We weren't going to put out anything about our purchase, just show up and ask if we could park in your driveway and hook-up to shore power to keep from spending money on Gen Fuel.


BIG

Carefull BIG, you might just get what you wish for, I've got plenty of room for a MH with service. Just finished developing my RV area, notice the meter box in pictures. But, still need to hang gates on it in the Spring. And this is in your old neighborhood if you dare to come back.

Hope you don't get sea sick looking at the pictures.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Quote

Carefull BIG, you might just get what you wish for, I've got plenty of room for a MH with service. Just finished developing my RV area, notice the meter box in pictures. But, still need to hang gates on it in the Spring. And this is in your old neighborhood if you dare to come back.
End Quote

We've talked on the phone before when the wife broke her ankle. If I remember R C. ain't all that far down the 210 Frwy, I use to go there to steal gas & diesel from people that had it. Where I lived in North Rialto (like the North made it better sounding:-laf) nobody had anything to steal. That landing strip looks like the one that we had concreted 20' x 85', 55' behind fence with two Labradors that would lick you to death before you opened the gate and drove out with them in Your Truck.

Ahhhh I don't miss the concrete jungle one bit. But they do have some good trailers im sure that you've seen that place off the West side of the 215, N of the 10, Orange Show Road I think???? They do some really nice work. Just waiting for some wheels and tires for the trailer to come in and were going to drive to Vegas for awhile and then down to Commiefornia to get the trailer and have it painted to match the Coach :-laf I hate calling it that!! a Coach? its a frigging MH Plain and simple.

 

[RVTRKN]

Yes I'm in RC, that's my second home in Jurupa Valley off of the 60 Fwy I bought, so my Daughter would have a house. You were very close in deminsions. The front gates to the back wall is 58' and from the sidewalk is 86' X 24' wide.

 

[MMeier]

Carefull BIG, you might just get what you wish for, I've got plenty of room for a MH with service. Just finished developing my RV area, notice the meter box in pictures. But, still need to hang gates on it in the Spring. And this is in your old neighborhood if you dare to come back.

Hope you don't get sea sick looking at the pictures.

Nice !!

 

[RVTRKN]

MMeier, I'll trade you storage space for a NV5600. :-laf:-laf:-laf:-laf:-laf

 

[mwilson]

Big,

If you have had the chance to drive it and are happy with it then that's the main thing. They will all give some kind of trouble at times. I lean towards the Freightliner Chassis simply because of the information available to us, we don't have to involve a third party for chassis related parts or repairs.

Hydraulic Fan drive systems can be very expensive to repair if they crap out. Also any coach with hydraulic brakes needs to be left on the seller's lot, I can't stress that enough.

Air brakes, period.

We have a customer who owns a coach with hydraulic brakes. It is equipped with a Carlisle parking brake system mounted to the rear of the transmission. Customer drove the coach with the parking brake on and it is junk. Almost $5,000.00 for that unit and there are two left in the USA right now.

Parking brake is automatic, it is set when the vehicle is in Park and/or Neutral. Then releases using pressure from a dedicated mini-pump when placed in Drive or Reverse. That pump system is active the entire time that the vehicle is out of the Park (or perhaps it's Neutral on that unit) position.

SO, if you lose a $5.00 relay or for some other reason the pump quits while in motion you drive through the caliper style park brake unit and burn it up without even knowing it. The only part of that system still available is the transmission mounted unit mentioned above. When those two are gone that's it. Not rebuildable either.

SO, the option then is to take it to a dealer and have the Park Brake system CONVERTED to a foot pedal style. A 21 page Service Bulletin exists for this and really needs to be done by a dealer. A lot of money will be spent to convert these in the future with mediocre results.

Hydraulic brakes, keep on walking.

 

[Bill Stockard]

Big,

If you have had the chance to drive it and are happy with it then that's the main thing. They will all give some kind of trouble at times. I lean towards the Freightliner Chassis simply because of the information available to us, we don't have to involve a third party for chassis related parts or repairs.

Hydraulic Fan drive systems can be very expensive to repair if they crap out. Also any coach with hydraulic brakes needs to be left on the seller's lot, I can't stress that enough.

Air brakes, period.

We have a customer who owns a coach with hydraulic brakes. It is equipped with a Carlisle parking brake system mounted to the rear of the transmission. Customer drove the coach with the parking brake on and it is junk. Almost $5,000.00 for that unit and there are two left in the USA right now.

Parking brake is automatic, it is set when the vehicle is in Park and/or Neutral. Then releases using pressure from a dedicated mini-pump when placed in Drive or Reverse. That pump system is active the entire time that the vehicle is out of the Park (or perhaps it's Neutral on that unit) position.

SO, if you lose a $5.00 relay or for some other reason the pump quits while in motion you drive through the caliper style park brake unit and burn it up without even knowing it. The only part of that system still available is the transmission mounted unit mentioned above. When those two are gone that's it. Not rebuildable either.

SO, the option then is to take it to a dealer and have the Park Brake system CONVERTED to a foot pedal style. A 21 page Service Bulletin exists for this and really needs to be done by a dealer. A lot of money will be spent to convert these in the future with mediocre results.

Hydraulic brakes, keep on walking.

Mike is correct. I would never consider a Class A diesel motorhome with hydraulic brakes. It's a cheap substitute at purchase time, but very expensive to maintain and it will only produce mediocre braking results. Hydraulic brakes? Walk away!!

Bill

 

[BIGNASTY]

I wouldn't own a rig that size & weight with anything but Air Brakes. Its air ride suspension front and rear anyway, I couldn't fathom the manufacture would put Hyd Brakes on it.

My problem was installing a Brake controller that goes from Air to Electric and then the Electric that ops Hyd Disk brakes on the trailer.

http://www.hayesbc.com/products/controllers/air-actuated-controller/

I don't have the trailer yet so I used my Gooseneck that does have disk. The disk is normally operated by a Regular Trailer break controller that goes to a Hyd pump that applies the disk brakes. I talked to Harvey Barlow about the " Normal set up on my Dodge to disk brake trailer" Harvey was emphatic that I wouldn't like the delay time while the Trailer pump built up pressure to apply the disk brakes. Personally I don't really notice any delay. When I pull ANYTHING I drive totally different than when im not. I don't tailgate pulling a trailer and that way I avoid PANIC STOPS, I have taken my Gooseneck trailer and drove down the drive and Panic stopped the thing to see what it would do. It may have had a little hesitation but nothing that I would be afraid to drive with.

The MH was the problem part of the brake controller not many wires to screw with but finding the right port on the Octopus Valve was a bit daunting. After I found the right port it was a matter of running some airline and connecting some power leads. Adjusting the Hyd Pump that actuates the Disk on the trailer is TOTALLY different than elect. to Hyd. it doesn't take very much air pressure at all to ramp up that pump in a heartbeat. I wont know exactly how it will react until I get the normal trailer hooked up and try with and without weight in the trailer.

 

[BIGNASTY]

After I got that debauchery done I went to MORE IMPORTANT things, Big Rig air horns (3 trumpet) and if they don't get the hint with that THE TRAIN HORN goes off next :-laf

When I tried out the Big Rig horn it got the attention of the Pig, when I let go with the Train Horn the pig tried to run thru the chain link fence enclosure :-laf:-laf

Chickens probably wont lay for a week or so :-laf:-laf

 

[BIGNASTY]

Adding to Big's current thread and this thread, unless you have an unlimited amount of funds, I would not buy a quality Motor Home/Coach, they are very expensive to maintain and the purchase price is way up there as well. You can purchase a MD truck and a luxurious heavy 5ver that will dwarf the motor home and cost less, as well as the maintenance will cost less. You can find a 5ver with the garage in rear for a small car to fit inside for running around town. If you size the 5ver just right, a 5500 CTD would be capable as well, and help in the maintenance costs, but the running around town will be a little stiff. The only updside to a Motor Coach is you can hook up a very large trailer for whatever you might want to haul or tow your car behind.

Today was 14.5 hours behind the wheel. I've done that in the Dodge pulling a Travel Trailer, but with the pick-up I WAS BEAT TO DEATH!!

Although I'm beat in the MH but NOT TO DEATH!!

We picked up the trailer put the Taco in and ran. Yes its a little hard to get in & out of the Taco, so I had Penny drive into the trailer. I ordered it with a door on one side and wished I would have ordered one on each side.

I used the tire nets in front not bad at all to install & tighten down. The rear was the 10k winch straps. I have 2 more nets and 2 more 10k winch straps to try various tie down methods.

Time for some sleep

BIG

 

[RVTRKN]

Glad to hear it's working out for you Big, as far as the doors on the trailer, hind sight is always better than foresight. :-laf


I have a pull behind trailer for my Harley I wish I had done my research on. I had to completely rewire from improperly wired lights, redesign the hitch, and now I have to replace the stiff axles with better suspension type axles. I've only pulled it 30 miles behind the Harley, what a waist of money.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Glad to hear it's working out for you Big, as far as the doors on the trailer, hind sight is always better than foresight. :-laf


I have a pull behind trailer for my Harley I wish I had done my research on. I had to completely rewire from improperly wired lights, redesign the hitch, and now I have to replace the stiff axles with better suspension type axles. I've only pulled it 30 miles behind the Harley, what a waist of money.

Yep!! Plenty Pleased with the MH & trailer, I had sent them different marker lights that match the MH (that I replaced) and different Stop/turn signal lights. I added MORE than what was on the MH and used lights that have Glass lenses also put a turn signal arrow amidships its thin and might have a problem if I should high center the MH. But really didn't like the way the factory lights were in that respect. Someone running next to the MH couldn't really tell I WANT TO CHANGE LANES. Its pretty bright running down the Hwy, I don't think that Stevie Wonder could miss it.

If I have one complaint is that the front windshield is HUGE!!!! & TALL. I bought a telescopic pole that I used a screw on window squeegee and a long range bottle for the windex.

We moved today to, when they asked me the length of the MH I admit I fibbed but they didn't check and we have been in the spot we're in before with our TT & knew it would be long enough. I just had to leave the trailer in additional parking for another $5.00 per day the Taco fit in the space with the MH at 38' its not all that hard to find a space that the 5th wheel and truck you suggested would fit.

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=413

BIG