Onan Microquiet 4k Tuneup

I don’t know any of the operation / maintenance history of my generator other than the dealer installed a new control board just before I picked up our New-to-Us Mirada a couple years ago. I believe the previous owner used the generator a lot based on the hour meter. This isn’t the original generator as the generator serial number doesn’t match the serial number on the coach manufactures build sheet.

I changed the oil last fall just before our winter trip. Since then we put 6 hours on the generator, and it seems like its hard to start. So, not knowing the maintenance history, I decided to do a tuneup to bring the maintenance up to date and a known condition. Continue reading “Onan Microquiet 4k Tuneup” →

Repair interior wall de-lamination damage

When we bought our Mirada last fall, one of the reasons we got such a great deal was because the unit had been sitting on the dealers lot for 6 months. Odds are good when potential buyers seen the water damage under the Emergency Exit window, they got cold feet and moved on.

When we looked to purchase the Mirada I seen the damage and spent a great deal of time looking at it and tried to figure out just how serious it was. My conclusion was that it was cosmetic and looked a lot worst than what it really was. The damage had been there a long time and was not getting any worst. Continue reading “Repair interior wall de-lamination damage” →

Blown O2 sensor from exhaust manifold

Traveling in the hilly country of West Virginia’s I-77, as I pressed on the gas to start up the next hill, the transmission downshifted and all the sudden, a loud;

BBBBBrrrrrrrrr.

It definitely sounded like a exhaust problem, maybe a broken manifold or a donut seal pooped out. These V-10’s also have a rare history of spitting plugs, but it didn’t sound like that. This is not good, URGH Continue reading “Blown O2 sensor from exhaust manifold” →

Emergency Exterior Wall Repair

IMPORTANT UPDATE – May 2016 – If you’re doing this floor-to-wall repair on your Mirada, then you also need to look at the structural plate attach screws that I also found missing. READ HERE to see that article.

A few months ago I ran across a thread in the Forest River forums where people were having some problems with wall separation on their Georgetown’s. So when this happened on a recent trip, it scared the hell out of me.

“…every time I hit a bump, I’d watch as the instrument panel would stay still, but the entire windscreen and drivers wall would bounce up and down several inches. Thank God we were on a rural road. I slowed way down and prayed this thing would stay together just a few more miles….”

When we bought our “new to us” Mirada last fall, I noticed the drivers side wall would move up and down 1/2 inch, it appeared this had been doing it for some time because there were abrasion marks on the instrument panel where a cup holder that was mounted to the wall was rubbing against the instrument panel. (see the marks in red circle). I just assumed this was normal. Continue reading “Emergency Exterior Wall Repair” →

Water valves – repair, o-rings, and replacement

WaterValve_2 These valves are used on my Coachman Mirada for the water panel and also the water heater bypass.

On another forum, someone was having problems with the water handles leaking, so I took apart one of my broken ones to see how they came apart and also to see if they could be repaired. i.e. new o-rings, etc.

1) Pull the handle straight back to remove it. They are hard to get off, but they do come off. Continue reading “Water valves – repair, o-rings, and replacement” →

Repairing Delamination and water damage

When we bought our Coachmen Mirada last fall, we knew it had a big delamination under the frig. It didn’t look to serious as I had repaired water damage and delamination before, so I kind of knew what we were getting into.

Although the Mirada was in very good condition, this delamination and damage was probably the reason it sat on the dealers lot for months and wasn’t moving. We made sure to point out to the dealer the delamination was a very significant problem, but we were able to accept it, for a price. Thats probably why we got a very, very good deal on this Mirada. Continue reading “Repairing Delamination and water damage” →

Fixing Frig exterior access panel door leaks

The reason my Mirada suffered from water damage was because water intruded under the frig access door.

If you have a similar door and frame, you may want to look at it and see if this could also be impacting you.

The access door did not have a lip on it, so water would run under the door and drip down inside the wall below the frig.

I repaired the water damage (CLICK HERE) , so to prevent the damage from re-occurring, I decided to install a lip on the bottom of the frig access panel. Continue reading “Fixing Frig exterior access panel door leaks” →

Heater A/C blows Defrost mode, regardless of switch setting

There were numerous problems with my F53 truck frame regarding the heater A/C . I was missing the temperature control knob, and it didn’t seem like the heater was blowing correctly.

One of the aspects of the internet is the ability to search using google, One of the little known search tools is the ability to search and look at images instead of web sites. This is how I found out about Evans Tempcon. They are the maker of the various heating and A/C components in the 2001 Mirada. Continue reading “Heater A/C blows Defrost mode, regardless of switch setting” →

Belt and Idler pulley replacement

(CHECK UPDATE) When we picked up this unit (New to us) I noticed a slight “chirping” when the engine was idling.

I figured the belt has never been replaced, so its probably in need for a new belt.

The idler and tensioner bearings also start making noises, so while I had everything apart, may as well replace the idlers bearings. Continue reading “Belt and Idler pulley replacement” →

Installing new brake pads

I suspect these pads were original. When I looked at them at the pre-purchase, they appeared to have about 1/8 inch left, and the rotors looked good.

Removing the pads is similar to doing a car, remove the two 9/16 slider bolts, the caliper assembly will slide off.

The pads can then be slid off of the rail guides. New rail guides and slider grease come with the new pads Continue reading “Installing new brake pads” →