Ritabago's Dad

Thanks for the input, everyone. Here's an update: water had gotten low in the coach battery. Topped it off and did invest in a surge protector. It was still noisy for the next couple of state parks, but it's gone back to being quiet.

We opened up the casing and there's no gasket present - the leak appears to be coming through the screw.

Thanks for the info! Okay, so the thermostat is located lower on the engine and the photos I've posted; that's definitely not it, but that's what's leaking. Nothing but a cavity inside that housing. Suggestions on sealing that? RDV?

A friend is helping me with some engine matters today and I'm looking for some specifics on this thermostat situation. As you can see by the pictures, I've got a leak at the thermostat. I know there are thermostats rated for different temperatures. For a '91 Warrior, what am I looking for? Would like to replace the unit and the gasket but want to make sure I get the right one. Thanks for any help!

Should I be worried about the fan giving out and the converter overheating, causing more problems? I'll be passing through Nashville soon and have a guy there who can work on it. Just have to get through a few days of shore power with this 100 degree heat index!

My power converter, located at the base of the couch in my '91 Winnebago Warrior has always had an audible hum, but lately, it has taken to making a louder, sort of rattling, grinding sound occasionally. Not all of the time. Usually when I turn on the roof A/C and then turn it off. I go outside and unplug, then plug back in and it goes back to a quiet hum. My meter will show differing voltages from the same pedestal. For example, at the camp site I'm at now, it's read 116 to 123 each time I do a reset. Here's a link to a YouTube video showing the reset. What am I looking at here? Is that a fan noise? Fan going bad? Something worse?

Well, I took my rig to Marshall RV in Marshall, MI and we're all fixed up. Rita had a major leak right at the water pump (fitting sheared off - tech said bouncing down the road will do that after a while) and a minor leak at the low-point drain. The major leak is fixed and I've been able to have a look at a part of her that I've never seen before, so I better understand the anatomy in that part of the coach. The low-point drain leak is the one responsible for the soggy floor in the bathroom and it's a unique five-way configuration that would require extensive work at this point, so I declined. However, since the other leak has been fixed, the low-point drain doesn't seem to be leaking any more. Any ideas on why that would be? The floor under the sofa was wet, but not spongy and is already drying out - I've got a container of Damp-Rid under there. Thanks for your attention to this - I was right in leaving it to the pros this time around, and the price was very reasonable (also had some spot sealing done on the roof, sides and in front.)

Thanks, Jim! My sofa is unbolted, but supported by some sturdy wood blocks that a co-op tech fabricated and installed; shouldn't be a problem to pull it out and have a closer look. How might I get a look at the actual water pump? Is it under that big plastic cover or located someplace else? I've looked through the sliding door under the shower pan and have felt around for wet carpet there but haven't been able to either see or feel any water, which makes the soggy wood under the bathroom tile sort of a mystery. It doesn't ooze water when I step on it, but it definitely is moist when I lift the tile. The water lines next to the water heater, as well as the carpet under there, are completely dry. Getting underneath the coach, the water is dripping mainly from the undercarriage on the driver's side. Some comes from the winterization drains, but most of it travels through the lower part of the faring and exits between the driver's door and generator door. I'm parked on a slant towards the passenger side to encourage rain water off of my bowed roof (it tends to pool at the roof air unit and leak through the vents there. I had the gasket replaced, but a Camping World tech said that the unit isn't sitting flush due to the bowing.) Two more questions. One, I see the user serviceable plumbing under the cabinets in the galley and shower. Where are the other lines located? Two, what's under the floor wood? I'm a little concerned about the wood disintegrating and punching through to open air when I step out of the shower. If I don't run the water pump, there's no dripping/leaking. When I turn on the water pump for anything more than a toilet flush, hand wash or brief dish cleaning (really, it's the showers that cause the deluge) that's when the flow becomes readily apparent. There are no schematics for my rig on the Winnebago site, so I'm really flying blind here. I appreciate any help that you and others can offer. Thanks for your speedy response. I'll post some pics when I poke around some.

Yep, I'm using one, but haven't always. I might've blown something out some time ago.

I've had minor leaks since I bought my '91 Warrior (spongy floor near shower, visible dripping near generator on driver side, etc.) but it has definitely gotten much worse. Now, if I hook up to city water, there is a near constant series of drips that come from underneath the coach near the generator and (since I'm camped on an angle today) also running from underneath the sofa towards the door Can anyone give me some insight about the big plastic box underneath the sofa? I'm assuming my water tank is there along with the water pump, since the rumbling of the pump comes from that area. Since the water pump "burps" even when a tap isn't open, I'm guessing that my main problem is underneath that box, which is bound by a metal strap and bolted down with screws. What can I expect to find when I take out the couch and remove the strap? Should it be easy to spot the leak and replace the worn part? Or am I in for something way over my head? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm currently thousands of miles from home and afraid that the rare instance of hooking up to city water has made an existing problem horribly worse.

Thanks, Linda. Now, the rest of the interior is begging to be done. : )

That's the place I saved a ton of money by doing a lot of the work. I was hearing quotes of $3000-$4000 for just the cabover rebuild. I got the cabover done, sofa fixed, plus new airbags installed and all-new marker and taillights for under $1000.

All done! Thanks to Ryan Masterson for the custom work (and for fixing the jackknife sofa.)

I'm definitely getting an education - and she's getting fixed up in the process. Got replacement air bags from 3-T's on Friday and had them installed. What a difference! Continuing on with the cabover work tomorrow - cut some luan to fit around the window and we'll use either bend board or vinyl for the radiuses. Same for the side panels - don't want to mess with wallpaper. Gonna look at fixing the jackknife sofa, which has come completely off of its supports. Anyone have any experience with fixing or replacing these?

Here's some catch-up: 3/4" boards laid in to replace the rotted wood and sealed with silicon to the "skin" - screwed with self-taps through "skin" and up into the board. The aluminum t-bar is now secured back against the underside of the loft. The majority of water damage was on the passenger side front. With the floor replaced, I looked to the front and side; not too shabby. The bottom radius was a piece of plastic over the styrofoam curve and same as the top. There's a little surface wood rot on the passenger's side of the window piece and a fist-sized cavity in the passenger side loft wall after taking out the crumbly stuff. There was a big opening in the molding outside so I sealed that with silicone, the inside as well. There's a metal rail that runs around the outside wall of the cabover, awesome to know and styrofoam in the middle with thin layers of ply on either side and the shell of the coach. I wanted to give the foam a shot (ha-ha) and sprayed some into the cavity. The soft spot that I felt from the outside firmed up and I caught a couple of areas where the silicone hadn't reached. Here's my rig parked amongst the big GMC forest. Another shot of the main yard. These guys pimp out old GMCs. A fun crew - it's been a blast this week getting my hands dirty. You never really learn until you actually do it. Cut a big piece of luon? Is that what they called it? 1/8" thick, I think - 80.5 wide by 19.5 tall. Will take the window out tomorrow and get it traced, then cut the hole out and shore up that section; seal it. Plan to cover the styrofoam with something with a bit more weight than plastic - I don't want to go the wallpaper route. Jim's got ideas on some overlays. I'll get some more pictures tomorrow. Thanks for all your help! Bing - P.s. Anyone know a good cleaner for mold?