hex0rz

WELL! Its been a cluster trying to get my kit from Larry B. Initially talked with him on the phone and gave him my information to get it. He got a digit wrong on the address and the post office would not deliver it next door. So I got the correction made the next day after it went out but thought I would try my luck to see if the post office would deliver it next door. Once I found out they would not had him send another kit. Finally got the kit today! Good thing, too! When I got off from work yesterday the truck would take forever to get to crank and then it started sticking open. Took like 6 or 7 tries before I got the engine started without the starting sticking at the same time... I got the brushes and brush plate with this kit, but he says to solder the brushes. I don't have a soldering gun, so I'm gonna try what they do in the install video included on his website. Take some wire and tie it then isolate it... Updates to come! - - - Updated - - - OKAY! So today has been a cluster... I'm an unhppy camper, at this point. I managed to get the starter out. Dang bolts are ON THERE. Its an OEM starter and has never been touched. I got the contacts and plunger replaced. The positive side contact was almost nothing. The other contact was virtually whole! Very little missing on that side... The positive stud had been partially melted, but still usable. When I went to remove the positive cable from the starter, turns out it was loose... I had bought the brush and brush plate kit as well. Upon reading instructions, it said to solder the brushes to the field windings. I did not have a solder kit so I tried the othe alt. method larry b points to on a video on his site. They used wire and twisted the brushes to the existing brushes to join the new brushes to the starter. So I gave that a shot. Far from getting it to look good or keeping it small... So I broke down and was able to get a ride to home depot by the nice neighbor next to me. Got a solder kit and gave that a shot. Emery clothed the windings and applied flux. Tried to get the brush pigtail hot enough to melt the solder onto it. No go. So I kept trying until I could get it tinned. Eventually got it tinned. So then I tried to apply it to the winding. Try as I might until hell freezes over, they were NOT going to bond! I do not understand why??!?? :banghead: So I torched the winding and brush to get it hot and then tried to apply it. Took hours trying to get it to go and it DID NOT happen! So I broke down and got the wire out again. I wired the new brush onto the winding as best as possible. Then torched it again and tried to apply solder. As far as I could tell, it was on there, it makes contact and its on there... ugh. So I still had the other brush to do and I left that one on. I cut the first brush off after figuring I had to solder it. So I wired the brush to the old brush pigtail. Got the liquid tape out and put a good coat on it. I put the end cap on the starter and I noticed the brush plate holes for the bolts were being interfered by the brushes that were mounted on the plate. I got them to bend over enough for me to be able to get the thing put back together... Took some jumper cables and hooked it up to a battery and hooked the others up to the starter. Hit it and the starter worked fine. So I put it back in the truck. Now, here is my predicament that I CANNOT seem to grasp... It cranks SLOOOOW! It also dims the lights down as it does so I know its pulling a high load for cranking. I'm at a loss here fellas as to WHY this starter is worse than before? Does anyone remotely have an idea of what could be going on? Yea and I'm definitely going to be returning that stupid soldering gun! I just hope I don't have to break down and resort to having to buy a new starter over something stupid! - - - Updated - - - Anybody got any ideas?

:moon:I suppose that getting into the RV business is a profitable way to make sub-par product... If I did not live in this thing full-time, there is no way I or anyone I know that could ever afford something like this for part-timing for camping, etc...The point is, I put myself into a good amount of debt for it, I want my moneys worth! I'm not gonna let it slide and pay for something that I'm sure I could have done just as well or better.

All I'm trying to accomplish by this thread is to warn others about the quality control of keystone. But, maybe I've spoken too soon and its probably all RV manufacturers that have this problem with new RV's... Regardless, I purchased a new TH because I wanted new. I did not want problems, I wanted NEW. Where I would not have to worry about going through a trailer with a fine tooth comb worrying about what is good or bad. I guess I did not avoid that problem.. There were too many factors in influencing my decision on the trailer. I don't think I would have been able to really go any other route.

If your boss is this way with his vehicles, I'd be worried about what he would be like as an employer!

Hmm... I will give it a try. Hopefully its not that though! Talked to Larry B on the phone today. Cool guy, gave me the E-bay deal. So I should see the kit his Wed!

So, I should stop complaining? - - - Updated - - - I was told by the dealer, after the fact that I should not tell them I'm fulltiming in it. As they will be prone to deny me any warranty work. Yet, I have lived in it maybe a full 2 months. If this is how much gives out after 2 months, I don't wanna see what can happen over its whole life! :banghead: The other problem is, I've got alot of posessions in the trailer. I can't just up and leave it, per se. Packing a duffle bag for a night or two to stay in a hotel room is easier to do. Heck, maybe I can get them to take it back and I'll just start over! haha!

So you got another Chick-fil-a to build soon? Heck, by the sounds of, you're never home, though! Usually you will idle around 200-250. Atleast I do. You don't need any power to the gauge for the gauge to read the thermocouple. The gauge gets its reading by the thermocouple creating voltage. If I knew what type of thermocouple you had, I could probably find you a table to follow so you could see what you should see on a DMM in relation to temperature.

I guess someone better take me out back and shoot me!

..that would be the smell of ozone being created to protect our ozone layer that protects the earth from harmful UV radiation. Something that all the global warming spooks tend to overlook when trying to explain the harmful greenhouse gas emissions. There are thousands of lightning strikes that take place every second on our planet. Thats alot of ozone!

I'm not particularly fond of the RV dealer nor 'am I fond of the manufacturer. My rant goes out this time, to the manufacturer! Since my purchase of my NEW 5th wheel toyhauler, I have had many headaches that I should not have ever had to deal with this early in the game! I will be contacting them tomorrow and talking to their customer relations and at the very least giving them a piece of my mind about their QUALITY CONTROL. I have since had a slew of problems arise since my purchase of the trailer. I will name a few: - A hydraulic landing jack leaking - Awnings defective, BOTH, they need to be replaced. - Slideouts, panel no longer works to operate them! - FULL-walk on roof flex's and interior trim shows it. - Happijac bunkrails, anchors stripped out. - Hide-a-bed couch, arm rest buckled because its inferorially stapled together. These are just to name a few off the top of my head that I have had to deal with. Some have been addressed by the RV dealer I bought the trailer from. Others still need to be addressed and fixed. My main qualm overall, is sure most of these things will eventually be fixed under warranty. Yet, I have to take time out MY life to get these fixed at an qualified Keystone dealer. Which means, I have to take it to someone one day on my weekend, they will have to take it for the day, record all the problems. THEN once I can take it in again, I have to once again give it to them for a few days to get the problems fixed! So, with that being said, when these repairs, etc. have to occur, I will be out a place to stay. Why should I have to pay for a hotel room on my own dime for their lack of quality? If it was not good to put in, in the first place, then why did you do it in the first place! If I were to ever consider buying another trailer from someone, my vote would not be for Keystone... We shall see what they will be willing to do in making it right for me!

Eh, I take it your pulling your trailer with you? Can you not just leave it where its at?

Get that driveline checked out! I would not do anything else until you get it looked at. You gotta get that ruled out before doing anything else. It only takes the slightest bit out of balance for a driveshaft to give off harmonic vibrations, etc.

http://articles.mopar1973man.com/general-cummins/36-fuel-system/34-fuel-pressure-gauge-and-water-hammer-effects I got a needle valve from the local hardware store... I've had it on for about a year or more now and have not had any problems with the rubber deteriorating from the fuel. So it must be okay to use!

Good deal! Also, make sure to put a needle valve t'ed inline so you don't cause any damage to your gauge from the water hammer affect the vp44 produces.

As odd as it may sound, I sure do miss watching a good lightning storm...

I missed that part! Thanks!

:banghead: Alright, so the starter is consistently taking atleast 2-3 tries before it cranks.Vaughn, Wa is where larry b's based out of and its only 173 miles away from me. It'd cost me more to try and drive over there to get a kit, but shipping is gonna suck for me.I've got 1 of 2 options:1. Order on their website, pay shipping and wait till the end of the week.2. Order on their ebay store, free shipping and get it in a couple days.Except, my paypal acct. is not up to date and I'd have to wait a couple days before I can order.HAHA! So, I have to wait probably until the end of the week before I could get it unless I pay extra to get it sooner. Except, I won't have time to fix it.Heres to playing the russian roulette with my starter and getting to work! Lets pray that it lasts me 'til then and doesn't give out on me or seize on me... :banghead:Anyone know if I should get the complete rebuild, or just the easy? I figure I'll redo the brushes, etc. while I'm in there. Did not know if I should take it a step further and do the complete or not...

Bah! Yea, sooner than later... Yesterday it took a consistent 3 tries to get it to crank everytime I started it. I'm just waiting for the starter to seize and then get stranded, lol. Good thing is, larry b's is only 170 miles or so from me, so the package will only be a couple days out. Just have to figure out where I can work on it at as the RV park has a no mechanicing rule... Sigh... I guess I could always do it in a walmart parking lot... haha.

A little advice I may be able to give to help you from hitting that high core temp may be of use to you... But its gotta be put into practice. Hydration is the biggest factor. Don't drink extremely cold water because it will be a shock to your body. Drink cool water. I'm out in the heat all day long and I go through atleast a gallon of water in 8 hrs. According to OSHA, we are supposed to be drinking 8 oz of water every 15 min!Keep your core temp down. Water helps to do that along with hydration. Make sure your also taking in electrolytes as well. Wear loose fitting cotton clothing. Light colors and not dark. I suggest in also wearing a head wrap and neck wrap of some sort and keeping it wet and cold.The blood circulating to and from your head through your neck is one of the best ways to cool yourself as your blood circulates through a "thinner" area. Thats why you bleed so easy when you split your head open. Keep your blood cool and you stay cool.If you are prone to chafing, put on some body powder. Keep yourself dry in those tighter areas. As well, if you are not in fit physical condition and your cardiovascular system is not up to par, take breaks, limit yourself to heat exposure. Everything you do will be compounded even more.

Well, I went out earlier and spooged some di-electric grease into the connections for the MAP sensor and comp harness.Got the codes cleared and let 'er rip! Watched the boost gauge and peaked at 31 psi. Did not throw any codes and I did it a few times on the way back home. So I think for now, the grease did the trick! :thumbup2:Fingers crossed and knockin' on wood!...now I've gotta get my starter fixed. :banghead:

Most likely? ....WAY over! When I cross into the WA state line off of I-90, their new weigh station has signs that will light up telling you to pull over to get weighed if your in the right lane and over 20k lbs., IIRC. I think the last CAT scale I weighed on, I was around 22k lbs... BUT, my trans temps. never give me any problems until I start backing it up into a spot. But with everyone being so smart here, I put 'er in that 4 low and it works like a champ!

Do an edge comp. Your gonna want the power down the road.

Thanks for the feedback fellas. I looked it up yesterday and I'm gonna look at the connections again. I'm gonna try some di-electric grease as I guess some people found that to help.<BR><BR>My other concern is, the box it came in, was not padded in the packaging. The package was somewhat crushed. The box also had a slight rattle to the board. Like the board was a little loose inside the box. Not like something broke off inside or anything...<BR><BR>So I dunno if it got damaged in shipping or if the connection is bad.<BR><BR>I've got the next few days off so I'm gonna tinker with it a little and see if I can exhaust all options before considering other alternatives.

Keep us posted on the progress of this unit! I will be the first to be willing to pay for such a product if it becomes available.Any figure on pricing?Is this going to be compatible if one has a chip?

Sigh, I sure do miss firefighting...