1978 Holiday Rambler questions.

[JasonJ400]

Hi all. I'm new here and new to RV's . This is my intro post:
http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php/topic,116322.0.html
I have a few specific questions about my 78 Holiday Rambler.
It has a Royal Dometic gas / electric fridge / freezer that seems to do nothing on either shore electric or battery power. The igniter / striker knob just falls out of the thing so unless I can manually light it from the back I have no way to test it. So question 1 is:
can anyone point me to a manual for this fridge unit?
I did pick up a cheap used dorm 120v fridge freezer but I would hate to toss this vintage dual power unit if there was a reasonable way to salvage it or is it just junk?
Question 2 is:
does the engine alternator recharge the deep cycle coach battery when the van is running and are the engine and deep cycle batts linked when the engine is not running? Anyone got a schematic / manual for the DC systems?
Also, the engine started to sputter and lose power on me on my way home on a long Mt uphill climb, I suspect vapor lock in the fuel lines as it was a hot density altitude day and I was climbing quite a bit. Are there some good know remedies to try to fix this besides dropping the fuel tank and putting an electric fuel pump / regulator and return line in?  It was pretty un nerving doing 45 MPH in the right lane with the 4 ways on with tractor trailers flying up behind me doing 70 (aka 75 MPH).
Thanks in advance for any help and advice. I'm sure I'll have more questions as I start to dig into this thing and get to know it.
Jason 

 

[darsben]

Your manual may be  here
http://bryantrv.com/docs.html
The alternator PROBABLY charges the house batteries but in 1978 I am not sure

As for the "fuel" problem I would start with cleaning the carburetor

 

[Rene T]

Your manual may be  here
http://bryantrv.com/docs.html
The alternator PROBABLY charges the house batteries but in 1978 I am not sure

As for the "fuel" problem I would start with cleaning the carburetor

On a previous post, he said he replaced the carb.

 

[darsben]

On a previous post, he said he replaced the carb.

????

I see it now in a different thread

 

[Rene T]

He attached the link above to his previous post. Here it is again:

http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php/topic,116322.0.html

 

[darsben]

Since the carb has been changed the next stop is checking for fuel filters in the line between the gas tank and the engine. Sometimes hidden on the frame rail.

 

[Lou Schneider]

A carburetor engine likely doesn't have an in-tank fuel pump, if yours doesn't the fuel pump has to suck fuel out of the top of the tank like drinking through a straw.  You may have an electric booster pump mounted on the frame rail, or just the engine mounted fuel pump.

A partially plugged fuel filter can restrict fuel flow so the engine can't get enough fuel when it's working hard.

Another possibility is a pinhole leak or hairline cracks in the short length of rubber hose connecting the top of the fuel tank to the chassis fuel line, or in the hose connecting the chassis line to the engine mounted fuel pump.  This would let the fuel pump suck air along with the fuel, again reducing the flow going to the engine.

 

[JasonJ400]

Hi all thanks for the help. Yes, the Carb is a new reman OEM unit. I attempted to rebuild the OEM one but was not able to get it quite right (the accelerator pump just was not right) There was dirty fuel and dirt / rust in the tank and that was completely evacuated and I used a product called seafoam in the fuel tank to clean it up. I packed extra fuel filters and fuel line for the trip and had no issues on the trip out in about 1,500 miles, just when I started to climb the mountains on a hot day on the way home (I choose a different route home to avoid tolls but it put me in the Mountains instead of under them). I pulled over and pulled the on-carb filter and it was clean and there was pressure in the line. I pulled over a second time and actually added a second in line (better) filter that is the see through type to see if I was able to see any dirt in the gas. I pulled over a third time for a fuel stop and checked the filter and it was clean but I noticed the fuel begin to boil up into the filter and that's when I figured it was vapor lock. The only other time I had a problem with it was doing very short gas and go stops it was hard to start and that also jibs with heat soak and vapor lock. There is switch hanging from the dash that the prior owner (2nd owner) had no idea what it was so I'll have to take a good look to see if there is an inline fuel pump added. As soon as I got down out of the elevations it ran better. Just bogged down one last time pulling the long hill up to Jim Thorpe on the Pa Turnpike.  Basically, if I gave it over 1/2 throttle for over 30 seconds or more it would just sputter out of gas until I backed off the pedal and the bowl would refill. It was like it could just not keep up with the secondaries open but I could hear that exhaust leak quite loudly once I'm more than 1/2 into the pedal (dumping heat in the dog house).  The temps went from about 76 in Ohio and 60% humidity to about 88 and 75% humidity in Pa by the time I started climbing the Appalachians on I 80. I limped it along for about 300 miles glued to the back bumper of a Metro bus that was governed at about 57 MPH and was glad to be home at the end of the day. My goal was to get it into towing range to be able to get AAA to tow it home if need be.  Fun fun fun  ;D