Just got a diesel pusher, what do you do before and after a trip?

[stevenhmiller]

If you don't have the proper driver license are you sure your insurance will pay up if needed?  I think if I needed the endorsements I would get them.

I believe I stated that was the plan. Thanks.

 

[gwcowgill]

I would definitely check the manufacture date on the tires. This coach 2002 could still have origional tires on it. A blowout could get very expensive.

 

[BernieD]

I have the Spartan chassis. I looked for some lanyards behind the wheels on mine but didn't see any. I guess i have to crawl under the coach and find the tanks and see if there are some valves that I can release to check.

Steven

Spartan didn't start installing the lanyards until 2003 or 2004. You can order a set from Spartan .

 

[stevenhmiller]

I would definitely check the manufacture date on the tires. This coach 2002 could still have origional tires on it. A blowout could get very expensive.

Did that before purchasing. They're 3 years old. Still got a few years left on them. Michelin states 10 years, but I'm going with the 7 year rule.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

If you don't have the proper driver license are you sure your insurance will pay up if needed?

That is a needless worry anyway. The vehicle is insured, not the driver, and the insurance covers it even if driven by an unlicensed operator.

 

[stevenhmiller]

That is a needless worry anyway. The vehicle is insured, not the driver, and the insurance covers it even if driven by an unlicensed operator.

Thanks Gary, good to know.

What bugs me is the dealer never even mentioned it. I could have been working on getting it or gotten it already. I wasted a good month or so.
Well, it's priority #1 when I get back from my trip. The wife wants to get the class A endorsement also, so she can drive some of the time.

 

[Tom]

[quote author=Gary RV Roamer]The vehicle is insured, not the driver, and the insurance covers it even if driven by an unlicensed operator.[/quote]

Aye, we found that out when one of the kids, too young to hold a drivers license at the time, decided to take Chris' sports car for a joyride without our knowledge. A few blocks from the house, he hit a big old station wagon, leaving our car a crumpled mess. Fortunately, no serious injuries.

State Farm immediately wrote a check for our car. The adjuster kept telling me "if you tell us you put the keys in his hand, we'll write a check to the owner of the other vehicle". But I kept saying he took the car without our permission.

After a  series of threatening letters from the other insurance company and much lost sleep, I went to see a lawyer. He said "Relax, you're fully covered; Just wait until they serve legal papers on you, and State Farm will jump in and take care of it". That's exactly what happened, and I didn't hear about it again.

Bottom line, State Farm paid out for both vehicles in an accident caused by an unlicensed driver of one of the vehicles. The city later put up a 'yield' sign at that previously unmarked intersection  ;D

 

[mdbass]

I am a believer in Power Service products. They are available at Wally World (much cheaper than a truck stop). Diesel fuel likes to grow algae like stuff which can wreak havoc on your fuel system. We use the white bottle (they are color coded) every other tankful of fuel and add the biocide (to kill the bugs) once or twice a year. Don't forget to check the oil regularly and change it, regardless of the mileage (unless you exceed 15,000 miles yearly), every year.

 

[AZ Randy1]

If you have a job, you work both before and after a trip. If you're retired, then you do nothing on either side of the trip.

 

[Kevin]

take along a couple of extra fuel filters, never know when you might get some bad fuel.

 

[Sweet Hitchhiker]

take along a couple of extra fuel filters, never know when you might get some bad fuel.

This is what I wanted to recommend and learn how to replace them. They are usually in an area that you can service them while on the road. Because of fuel being bio-diesel, it is prone to producing bacteria, especially when parked for lengths of time. I carry some ATF to fill the filter and some baggies to store the old filter in in the event I need to change it on the road. Good Luck!

Edit: Fix quote

 

[Utclmjmpr]

Your Spartan chassis probably has automatic "spitters" to drain water from the tanks, you can hear them many times when the engine is idling.>>Dan

 

[Ned]

What you hear is the valve on the air dryer popping off when the pressure reaches the governed maximum.  It's not the tanks themselves you hear, those are manual drains.

 

[Utclmjmpr]

My 98 American trad. on a spartan chassis has factory spitters at each tank.>>>Dan

 

[AndyinLexington]

If you have a job, you work both before and after a trip. If you're retired, then you do nothing on either side of the trip.

"Like"

 

[taoshum]

Are there folks out there that don't do anything "before or after" a trip?  People that treat the DP/MH kinda like a regular truck?  I mean do most of us just get in, turn the key, start the engine and go... no additives, no special checks, no special this and that... when needed: check the oil, AT fluid, coolant level, tire pressure, fuel gauge, battery water now and then, but basically just load up and go? 

We have several vehicles, including two motorcycles and I cannot even remember the last time anything went wrong with any of them... and don't do anything special for them.  Even the oil, change it every 5,000 miles, period.  We don't mistreat 'em, keep them garaged, get new tires when needed, battery every now and then but nothing special.  The MH was a steep learning curve for a while but now it's getting much easier.  Even the HWH stuff has settled down.

Just wondering.

 

[mdbass]

In regards to lanyards; it is a good idea to look for them. Both the diesel RV's I have owned had broken/missing lanyards. Bleeding the tanks at fuel stops is always a good idea. Along those lines, hopefully everyone with air systems is checking/replacing their desiccant cartridges regularly.

 

[Pierat]

It's not a regular truck, it doesn't drive like a regular truck (and shouldn't be), and it is way more complicated than a regular truck. Lots more to go wrong. Not doing pre-trip checks is asking for trouble, IMO. (42' DP)

 

[Larry N.]

Are there ... [p]eople that treat the DP/MH kinda like a regular truck?  I mean do most of us just get in, turn the key, start the engine and go...

Strictly from a chassis standpoint, you could probably get by with that, but a motorhome differs from a truck in two key ways:

1. Low miles per day/month/year.
2. Lots of on board systems (fridge, stove, A/C, microwave, shower doors, etc.) that need special attention.
    a. They are much more affected by vibration, bouncing, etc. than you might think.
    b. If many systems (slides, antennas, steps, etc.) aren't stowed or configured properly before hitting the road,
        you are guaranteed that sooner or later failing to check before departure will cause you problems.

That's why adhering to pre-departure checklists is pretty much a must, to avoid headaches. Note: the above in no way exhausts the differences -- it's just a sampler.

 

[taoshum]

I guess the more casual folks don't post... too casual to read this stuff.