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Trip Report [message #190289] Wed, 14 November 2012 12:35 Go to next message
Darryl is currently offline  Darryl   United States
Messages: 144
Registered: December 2011
Location: Northern California
Karma: 0
Senior Member
25 days, 3520 miles from Northern California across Nevada and down eastern Utah (and a little bit of Colorado) and eastern Arizona (spending time on the Navajo, Hopi and White Mountain Apache reservations) to Tucson, then Phoenix and an 800 mile, two day run for home. Lots of long climbs in eastern Arizona that the coach handled great in second gear at 40mph (sometimes 30).

No serious problems. As we were trying to pull out of the driveway on the first day the compressors on the EL2 system failed to come on. Checked the obvious but couldn’t find the problem so I used the shutoffs and shraeder valves installed by a PO (thank you) to raise the coach to ride-height and get out of the driveway.

About halfway through the trip the compressors started working again. I’m guessing a loose wire somewhere. About halfway between Tucson and Phoenix the coach started to run hot. I pulled off and topped up the coolent and made it into Phoenix OK and finally found a leak in the little heater hose that connects to a “T” in the water heater line at the back of the engine. A quick trip to the local O’Reilley’s for a piece of hose and we were good. The old hose just crumbled when I pulled it off. I don’t know why it didn’t blow. Thankfully it waited until we were back in civilization to begin a slow leak instead of blowing halfway up a long grade in the middle of nowhere.

Aside from seeing some interesting places and spending time with friends and relatives this trip has given me the confidence to take the coach anywhere. We’ve had it about 6 months and have now put over 6,000 miles on it. We’ve spent 40 nights or so in it since May including 20 nights this trip. I love it. Even better, she loves it.


Darryl Meyers 1978 Eleganza II El Dorado Hills, CA
Re: Trip Report [message #190291 is a reply to message #190289] Wed, 14 November 2012 13:07 Go to previous messageGo to next message
WD0AFQ is currently offline  WD0AFQ   United States
Messages: 7111
Registered: November 2004
Location: Dexter, Mo.
Karma: 207
Senior Member
Great report Darryl. These old coaches can be a lot of fun. Check all of those old heater hoses. I replaced mine before taking any long trips. We dont use the hoses back to water heater, so no "t" on our's.
Dan


3 In Stainless Exhaust Headers One Ton All Discs/Reaction Arm 355 FD/Quad Bag/Alum Radiator Manny Tran/New eng. Holley EFI/10 Tire Air Monitoring System Solarized Coach/Upgraded Windows Satelite TV/On Demand Hot Water/3Way Refer
Re: [GMCnet] Trip Report [message #190318 is a reply to message #190289] Wed, 14 November 2012 16:52 Go to previous message
USAussie is currently offline  USAussie   United States
Messages: 15912
Registered: July 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Karma: 6
Senior Member
Darryl,

It might be a good idea to check all your heater lines.

Also quite a few people install two shutoff valves on the hoses that go to the water heater down the back.

I've done so and they are up against the rear firewall.

Regards,
Rob M.
USAussie - Downunder
AUS '75 Avion - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428
USA '75 Avion - Double Trouble TZE365V100426


-----Original Message-----
From: Darryl Meyers

25 days, 3520 miles from Northern California across Nevada and down eastern Utah (and a little bit of Colorado) and eastern Arizona
(spending time on the Navajo, Hopi and White Mountain Apache reservations) to Tucson, then Phoenix and an 800 mile, two day run for
home. Lots of long climbs in eastern Arizona that the coach handled great in second gear at 40mph (sometimes 30).

No serious problems. As we were trying to pull out of the driveway on the first day the compressors on the EL2 system failed to
come on. Checked the obvious but couldn’t find the problem so I used the shutoffs and shraeder valves installed by a PO
(thank you) to raise the coach to ride-height and get out of the driveway.

About halfway through the trip the compressors started working again. I’m guessing a loose wire somewhere. About halfway
between Tucson and Phoenix the coach started to run hot. I pulled off and topped up the coolent and made it into Phoenix OK and
finally found a leak in the little heater hose that connects to a “T” in the water heater line at the back of the
engine. A quick trip to the local O’Reilley’s for a piece of hose and we were good. The old hose just crumbled when I
pulled it off. I don’t know why it didn’t blow. Thankfully it waited until we were back in civilization to begin a
slow leak instead of blowing halfway up a long grade in the middle of nowhere.

Aside from seeing some interesting places and spending time with friends and relatives this trip has given me the confidence to take
the coach anywhere. We’ve had it about 6 months and have now put over 6,000 miles on it. We’ve spent 40 nights or so
in it since May including 20 nights this trip. I love it. Even better, she loves it.

--
Darryl

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Regards, Rob M. (USAussie) The Pedantic Mechanic Sydney, Australia '75 Avion - AUS - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428 '75 Avion - USA - Double Trouble TZE365V100426
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