While fault codes help you with the diagnosis, there are just too many of them. But without them, you wouldn’t know where to begin when fixing your engine.The SPN 639 FMI 9 fault code equals Cummins
Continue readingTraction vs. Cost. This is always a tough decision to make when it comes to tires. The wider tires offer more traction and better grip, but they also cost more than the narrower tires. The tire you pick
Continue readingOnce the electronic and technological age took over, there had to be a method to guide repairs. The simplest solution was to create fault codes. Some are easy to understand and others are not. It is a
Continue readingIf it isn’t traffic… then it may be construction. When you get around the larger cities, it may be possible to avoid one but not the other. When you ask people for the best route be prepared to sort
Continue readingGood tires are not just for trucks, SUVs, and RVs. Everyone who owns a car, no matter its size, needs to have good tires on their vehicles. Then they need to take care of them once they are on. Finding
Continue readingNot all fault codes list come with a numerical listing. Some may just be abbreviated words from the actual problem. This can slow things down somewhat when you are trying to find out what is wrong with
Continue readingThat is the way it is with new systems or any system for that matter. Once you understand how they work, they become very easy. The same can be said for finding what fault codes mean. Once you understand
Continue readingWhen a manufacturer or retail outlet puts a link in their ads that says click to get a quote or something similar. That is always one red flag letting you know that the price may be a bit high. But that
Continue readingWith all the new diesel regulations and standards finding the small parts can get tough. They are usually placed in out-of-the-way spots and are often hard to view as other larger parts block your view.
Continue readingOver the years the SAE has developed a fault code system to help mechanics and DIY mechanics figure out what was wrong with their modern engines. This system is supposed to make repair work a little easier
Continue readingThere are a myriad of fault codes. That is one thing about these modern engines. The regulations engine makers have to meet are astronomical. Thus the engines themselves have far too many parts that can
Continue readingNo matter who is to blame, the car or truck owner is stuck with clearing those fault codes that let them know what is wrong with their vehicle.To clear fault codes, you would need a code reader, a scanner,
Continue readingPeople like bringing their toys. No matter how old one gets, having their toys within easy reach is essential. The way for RV owners to bring their toys is to buy a good box trailer. A toy hauler is okay
Continue readingWhile diagrams are very helpful, sometimes they are drawn in such a way they are hard to follow and understand. But when you are doing a DIY repair, diagrams are your best tool and guide.Throughout this
Continue readingState licensing requirements can be stressful. But if you read the book carefully, study hard as well as practice, you should be able to pass the requirements and walk out of the DMV with your new non-CDL
Continue readingWe just read their website. WOW! What can you say? It seems to be the ideal discount app that everyone would want in their wallets. Their website is impressive as well but one wonders where they make their
Continue readingIt is not an easy drive. Traveling to Alaska by the road, yes, there is only two of them, is not something everyone will enjoy. Gas stations are few and far in between, and the pavement ends in the middle
Continue readingWhen you are looking at buying a Detroit 60 series engine, you will find that there are three types to choose from. The 11.1, the 12.7, and the 14 L are the models that are available but they do not always
Continue readingOne of the problems you may have is when you want to change the transmission fluid in this model of transmission. The dealers may not know which type you should use. Avoid Mercon LV at all costs according
Continue readingWhen you are going to tow a 5th wheel or any trailer, the biggest challenge is getting the weight distribution correct. There are so many capacities to watch out for that you can get a bit frustrated.
Continue readingNo matter the brand, there are common problems shared by all RV fridges. What caused the problem in one brand of a fridge can also be the cause keeping your Norcold fridge from cooling. Just look for the
Continue readingLooking for something better. That is the reason many small RV manufacturers get started in the first place. The owners are not happy with the quality of the current RV builds, so they try to improve on
Continue readingWhile some RVers advocate that you sneak in and sneak out of a hotel parking lot, you would be committing a crime if you do. You will need clear permission from the hotel manager or owner before you can
Continue readingThere are many RV owners that have found Chins Batteries to be very good. Of course, they are taking the word of Will Prowse for the level of quality of this battery (watch the video at the end of
Continue readingOne of the biggest mistakes consumers make is taking the manufacturer’s word for their product. In the case of RVs and trailers, this is a big mistake because the lack of quality in their construction
Continue readingIt is a dog-eat-dog world. You may run across many RV companies that seem to appear for only a short time in the RV industry and then disappear over the horizon. It is a very competitive industry when
Continue readingOne of the things you will find out is that the longer you own a vehicle, the harder it is to get parts. That is because manufacturers stop making parts after so many years. When they do that, parts are
Continue readingThere are small adjustments you can make that will open or close the awning a little bit. For those adjustments, you will need an Allen wrench. The screws are marked with as + and a - so you know which
Continue readingMost people may think that to tow their vehicle behind their RV all they have to do is put their car in neutral and release the brake. That is a natural and simple way of doing things. However, the driveshaft
Continue readingIt seems that whoever made up this code system, decided to put a code for the codes. What that means is if you are driving under another code too far, this code will appear and tell you that you are in
Continue readingFor what it is worth, businesses make decisions that always affect their bottom line. While they may say they are your friends, business, like Direct TV, are only concerned about profit. That is why you
Continue readingIt seems that all Allison fault codes begin with a P. At least they do with the 1000 and 2000 series transmissions. This change makes it hard to find the real problem. One mechanic needed the MID number
Continue readingThe old engines of the 20th century did not have error codes till later in the century. They were never needed as transmissions and engines were easier to fix and spot the problem. Sometimes one wishes
Continue readingDon’t be surprised if Cummins is not forthcoming about the 53 block it used to build. It was a travesty from the start and who n their right mind would acknowledge this issue? It was not a pretty picture
Continue readingYou get what you paid for. That has been the go-to mantra whenever someone compares two products. In this case, it may hold true as the more expensive shocks seem to be better than the cheaper ones. But
Continue readingIt may not be the road that is causing all the rough and bumpy ride. It could be that your old shocks need to be replaced. You can tell when they need replacing by the continual up-and-down motion after
Continue readingWith Coachman owned by Forest River, you may have a difficult time tracking down the different wiring diagrams for your coach. That may be because Coachman or Forest River do not want DIY owners to work
Continue readingWhen it comes to finding sensors, this can be somewhat of a guessing game. Many people will venture a guess as to a part’s location but really do not know where it is. Once you find it, like the AC freeze
Continue readingThat is the nice thing about having electrical components. There is a limited number of places you need to check to find the source of the problem. When all sources prove to work right, then the problem
Continue readingOne of the facts of engine life is that belts will stretch and need to be replaced. This is an easy task if all you are doing is replacing the belts on a regular engine. It becomes more difficult when
Continue readingIdentifying the block is not going to be a hard task as there were only about 100,000 of them made at the time. Unfortunately, these problem blocks went beyond the Dodge Ram trucks and just about anyone
Continue readingFor some products, finding a good manual is a difficult task. They may be too old or their company has gone out of business and other legitimate reasons. But you shouldn’t have to worry about Onan, it
Continue readingIt used to be that you could sit in the engine compartment of your pickup truck and work on the engine. Today, after all the technological upgrades, you are lucky if you can see half the engine. Technology
Continue readingMany times RV owners want a nice neat equation so they can figure out their weight capacities without any hassles. Unfortunately, there is no magic formula when it comes to getting accurate weight measurements.
Continue readingIt is easy to get confused when certain warning lights come on. It is even more confusing when the repair does not make any sense at all but worksThe letters stand for auto traction control and it is one
Continue readingWhen you own an RV or trailer, be prepared to be quoted higher than usual brake and other repair prices. It seems that the people doing the work go very high on their services because they feel you can
Continue readingIt will depend on the engine and who made it. For example, according to Cummins, a good portion of their engines can work with Bio20 fuel. This is from their 2023 FAQ web page. There may be other diesel
Continue readingThe torque for most 22.5-inch tires is 400 to 450 ft-lb. Ford is an even 450 and the correct torque will depend on the make, model, and year of your vehicle. Your owner’s manual should have these specifics
Continue readingThe vehicles that have a diesel engine under the hood have lots of devices to be worried about. These devices all come with their own sensors and warning lights. The key is not to get confused or you may
Continue readingBigger isn’t always better. There are many RV or trailer owners who like the biggest size possible. They feel that having more room and more features is the best way to go. However, when they go big,
Continue readingWhen it comes to transmission fluid, you can find it only in two formats. One is the original where oil hydrocarbons are manipulated and the other is synthetic. The latter is made through chemical reactions.
Continue readingThe color of your transmission fluid will tell you a lot about your transmission but only one color is good.When you look at your transmission fluid, the best color to see is a light red that is translucent
Continue readingSafety precautions do not always come in the shape or design we are expecting but they do provide a very good service when applied correctly. One of the places RVs need extra safety precautions is on their
Continue readingMany RV owners want to squeeze more power out of their CAT engines. They look for just about any trick they can use to boost their power and tow more weight. This behavior may not be as simple as some
Continue readingOne explanation goes that if you know the amount of maximum PSI the airbag holds plus the area that the airbag is holding, then you can figure out how much weight the airbag is handling, But there are
Continue readingWhen it comes time to look for a specific sensor, you need to be aware that there are 9 of them in all and they are all over the engine. Sometimes it takes a treasure map to find their locations.The coolant
Continue readingGetting more power has been the goal of gearheads since muscle cars were first introduced. The owners of these cars looked high and low for those parts that would give them an extra 5 or 10 or more HP.
Continue readingAn RV is only as strong as its weakest link. That weakest link seems to be the sealant used to cover seams, including vents, AC, and other items on your RV’s roof. Using the right sealant will make sure
Continue readingDo not be alarmed if you do not find this code on other lists you have checked. There are too many, along with the different FMI codes to include on every error code list. Kind of makes this a tough system
Continue readingFault codes seem to be the brainchild of the Society of Automotive Engineers or SAE. This is the group that has designed the fault code system and it is not done in simple, easy-to-understand English.In
Continue readingYou will find that when it comes to automatic transmission fluid, you are going to get a variety of opinions if it is still good or not. Some may or may not last a long time, depending on who made them
Continue readingAutomakers strive to make great motors that will satisfy their customers and outdo the competition. This means that they will use the technology available to produce a great engine, most of the time. Which
Continue readingThe highest setting may be the best setting. That seems to be the way it works with some refrigerators. The lower settings just do not seem to get cold enough to keep the food fresh and healthy. But when
Continue readingThere is a sensor for everything. Once modern technology got involved, electronic devices got far more complicated than they should be. In many cases, there is nothing wrong with the device. It is usually
Continue readingWhen you are finding evidence of leaks, those leaking spots can be difficult to find. All you have is a puddle of fuel and a few drops to go by to start your search. Finding the actual leak will take some
Continue readingWhen RV owners talk on their different discussion forums, they often use abbreviations. Unfortunately, those abbreviations can refer to two different spots in the same state or area. Port A refers to both
Continue readingIt seems that Dodge had decided to build their transmissions to work with specific motors only. The Aisin transmission works with the high-output 6.7-liter Cummins I6 turbo-diesel. The 68RFE is attached
Continue readingIt may not always be a simple problem. Usually, you start with all the simple possibilities to fix a problem. This spares you the embarrassment of paying a technician for something you could have fixed
Continue readingYou are out at your camping spot and you are going through your tools and you suddenly realize, you forgot the crank. Don’t feel bad, many pop-up camper owners have done the same thing. When you realize
Continue readingTrying to keep your food protected while you drive can be quite a challenge. While there are similarities between a traditional home fridge and an RV fridge, staying cool for a long time is not one of
Continue readingNot every RV repair is going to be a major job. Sometimes they are going to be minor. What makes them a hassle is they are often in an out-of-the-way spot that is very difficult to access. If you are under
Continue readingEveryone wants to save money. No matter which era we are in, saving money on purchases has always been an important part of life. This attitude also extends to buying diesel fuel which is why many RV owners
Continue readingWhen you do not live in your RV all the time, you run into different challenges than those that do. One of those challenges is storing the RV or trailer for the winter. There is a healthy debate over which
Continue readingIt is an environmental fuel. One of the advantages of using B5 diesel is that it has a higher oxygen content than regular #2 diesel. This means that there should be lower emissions being let out into
Continue readingMany RV owners want to save. They feel that if they can save even 1 mpg, they are ahead of the game. Because they have that attitude, they look for the flattest routes possible. They will use Google maps
Continue readingIt’s a matter of numbers and purpose. When your truck is empty and you are not towing, there is little difference between these two axle ratios. But when you are towing, you will see a slight difference
Continue readingThe thickness varies, that is one thing about slide-out flooring material. It is hard to tell how thick it is without removing some of the flooring material. The real problem, when you are doing work on
Continue readingThe first rule in this process is to never exceed the maximum tire pressure listed on the sidewall of your tires. It does not matter what vehicle or trailer you have, this is a rule that cannot be broken.
Continue readingIt is supposed to be compatible, that is the most recent word on this topic. Transmission fluids have changed over the years and now the Dexron number may be up to VI. But VI is supposed to harm the seals
Continue readingIt is the Goldilocks syndrome. When it comes to tire pressure, whether for a car, truck, or RV, you need to have the pressure just right. It cannot be under inflated nor can it be over inflated. Both of
Continue readingWhen you are boondocking, the last thing you will need in this situation is to have your generator sputter. It is not a good feeling as your electrical systems depend on that power supply. Having the lights
Continue readingWhen it comes to RV and tow vehicle engines, it is nice to have the information where you can reach it quickly. Especially when you are trying to know how much oil you need to buy for an oil change. Having
Continue readingWhen you see a fault code, there could be a variety of sources that trigger a specific one. Figuring out what is wrong takes a little work and requires you to have a fault code guide handy to look up the
Continue readingWhile a lot of attention is given to the motor under the hood, it is important to pay attention to the type of transmission handling the gears. With a bad transmission, your engine will not perform up
Continue readingWhen resetting doesn’t work. Resetting the 3-button thermostat is one way to cure many minor ills. But sometimes the problems go deeper than that and resetting just won’t work. That is the time you
Continue readingIt may be harder than you thought. Looking for an N611 fridge replacement is a treasure hunt. The reason is that very few people actually have one in stock and if you go for a replacement, even fewer people
Continue readingHome electrical projects can be interesting and fun. But they can also have you using the wrong type of wire for your connections. This is not a great idea as you have to worry about the length of the
Continue readingWheels are wheels. Well, at least some people think that way. But there is a difference between the wheels your tire rests on. Although some of those differences are not that great. The key is to make
Continue readingThe 6.0 is a top Chevy engine that has seen an over 20-year production run. If it was bad, it would not have lasted as long as it has. With recent production models about $2000 less than the newer 6.6,
Continue readingNot everyone likes Celsius. While 7/8ths of the world uses the metric system including telling the temperature, not everyone likes that system. It can be confusing especially if you do not know how to
Continue readingThe jury is still out. There are some people singing the praises of supercharging your RV’s Triton V10 engine. Others are not so enthusiastic as they wonder if it is a good idea to supercharge an engine
Continue readingIt may be deceptive marketing. The different retail and credit card companies have many tricks they can use to make money off of you. That is if you do not notice or read the fine print when you sign up
Continue readingSome road signs may have you scratching your head and wishing you had taken that advanced degree in college. But the uneven lane sign is very clear and leaves little to the imagination.The uneven lane
Continue readingDuallys often require larger tires than other pickups due to the amount of weight they can haul and tow. This situation makes the search for tires a little harder and more expensive. Don’t worry, good
Continue readingThe differences seem to be slight. One of these options is made for off-road adventures while the other is made for towing and hauling. Both seem to be good packages if you do one activity over the other.
Continue readingDriving the mountains is not always a fun activity, especially when you are towing a trailer. The steep grades can really affect your gas mileage and put a lot of wear and tear on your brakes, engine,
Continue readingIt is a discount generator. By that, we mean that you can get these top Predator generators for about half the price of a Honda or other top generator-making brand. That is a good deal especially since
Continue readingFilling propane tanks is not easy. When you go to a propane dealer that does refills, it is not always easy to know when the propane tank is full. Most dealers use the overflow valve as the indicator to
Continue readingWhen it comes to adding a generator to your camping time, you may not have the basement storage large enough to accommodate it. Generator mounts provide that extra storage in spaces left unused by most
Continue readingOne of the reasons RV makers use vinyl decals is because they can save money. Vinyl decals are said to be cheaper than paint and if you see white on an RV, that is not painted on either. Anything to save
Continue reading