Onan Generator Choke Adjustment

Last spring I did a tuneup on my Onan 4k Micro-Quite generator. This improved the starting and running of the genney.

However,  when starting, it seemed like I had to crank the generator for a long time, especially when cold.  Cranking times would be 20-30 seconds, and if it was real cold (below freezing, I’d usually need to crank for 20 seconds, it would catch and act like it tried to start.  I’d let it sit for a 10 seconds,  then on the second crank it would usually start. Continue reading “Onan Generator Choke Adjustment”

Furnace occasionally lights then kicks off

It was -17 degrees outside with the wind blowing 30-40 mph.  We were boondocking in a parking lot because the Campground we were going to stay at, we couldn’t see the roads and were afraid of driving into a ditch.

At 4am, we were wakened by a chirp from the CO alarm. It was cold in the Mirada, about 50 deg.

I checked the furnace, the blower was running slowly and there was no heat. A check of the battery and it showed 8 volts.  That’s why the CO alarm was doing an occasional chirp, low voltage. Continue reading “Furnace occasionally lights then kicks off”

RV Trimark door latch broke

We had just finished a road trip and were cleaning out the Mirada, when we went to open the door, it wouldn’t open!!

The door wasn’t locked and the handle felt normal, but it wouldn’t open. We were trapped inside.

I tried to take the inside door mechanism off  by removing the two screws, but I couldn’t get it off. I didn’t want to force or pry anything (yet) .

NOTE  – The inside cover would have come off if I had just pried a little. Continue reading “RV Trimark door latch broke”

Hydro-boost brake pedal occasionally pulsing

On our last trip,  On occasion, when I was applying the brakes very lightly, I could feel a very gentle pulsing in the brake pedal.  It wasn’t a rapid pulse, like that when the anti-skid kicks in.

It was a very mild pulse, about once a second, and felt like the power assist was kicking in, then kick out, kick in, kick out. Continue reading “Hydro-boost brake pedal occasionally pulsing”

Replace roof top antenna coax cable

Last summer when I re-coated the roof,  I thought about replacing the TV antenna coax, but decided not to.  I should have…  🙁

On our latest road trip, I noticed our TV reception was intermittent and would pop in and out as we walked inside the Mirada, clear signs of a lose connection.  I inspected all the cable connections inside and didn’t see anything wrong. The only place left was up on the roof.

With the antenna up, I checked the coax connection where it screws into the antenna, it was OK,  When I looked at where the coax feeds down through the roof, it was very brittle and I could see the shielding.  When I wiggled the coax, the coax broke and came apart.  I think I just found the problem. Continue reading “Replace roof top antenna coax cable”

Install new shocks on 2001 F53 chassis

shocks_1_600ED NOTE (Jan 2017) – We just came back from a 6 week, 7500 mile trip, the new shocks made a big difference.

While reading posts on how to improve handling,  other than performing the CHF, someone mentioned they replaced their old shocks and this helped a lot. My Mirada is 15 years old and has 70,000 miles on it. The shocks are probably original,  so worn out shocks could be contributing to handling and ride issues.

I ordered new Monroe shocks from Rock Auto,  at $50 each.  I wasn’t to thrilled about spending $200 to replace something that I didn’t know was bad,  but several mechanics told me that if they are 15 years old,  they are probably worn out. Continue reading “Install new shocks on 2001 F53 chassis”

Re-coating EPDM roof

Roof_5The roof of the Mirada was 15 years old and showing signs of wear and tear. It wasn’t leaking,  but had a few minor repairs.  It was also leaving tell tale white streaks on the sides of the Mirada. These are caused by EPDM roof decaying because of UV exposure.

I plan on keeping the Mirada a few more years, so its time to do something about the roof.  Basically, I had two options, New roof or recoat.

Continue reading “Re-coating EPDM roof”

Replacing wiper blades

WindshieldWiper_3_800The wiper blades on the Mirada were starting to show their age. I believe they were Anco A-24-M blades, a good quality blade, but the rubber was starting to tear on the passenger side.

I started searching for replacements,  It seems the moment you put the letters “RV” on  wiper blades,  the price goes through the roof, and I found replacements from $15 – $25 each. Continue reading “Replacing wiper blades”

Replace awning fabric

Awning_1_800Although the awning was in good shape, at the very top that’s always exposed to the sun, the fabric was brittle and cracked and could rip very easily. It was time for a new awning.

Getting the correct size – All the awning fabric  sites I visited on the web pointed out how  to measure the old awning and warned NOT to measure the fabric, but to measure the distance between the awning vertical support rods.  On mine, the distance of the vertical supports was exactly 18 ft.

I searched the web and chose Sun Wave  as the replacement awning provider. Their price was very reasonable and they had my awning in stock.

Continue reading “Replace awning fabric”

Hood hinge attach point repair

HoodRepair_7_800While traveling last year, the hood hinge on the drivers side broke. This is the piece the hood swings on and is mounted just below the windshield on the inside of the front end of the Mirada.  I took the hinge off,  found a shop that welded for me, put it back together and we were on our way.

This weekend,  I noticed a lot of play in the hood.  I was thinking that it had something to do the the broken hinge from last year,  but that repair was still solid.

Looking at the hood,  the drivers side metal hinge mount point was soft and flexing. The passenger side was solid Continue reading “Hood hinge attach point repair”