New Owner and Member January 19, 2018, 08:01:59 pm This appears to be the gathering place for lazy daze owners and the repository for all knowledge pertaining to these motorhomes. Since I had to create an account to benefit from all the information and community I thought I might just introduce myself and say hello. My name is Jeff and I live in the Seattle area. I recently purchased a 2003 26.5 I found near Tulsa Oklahoma. I flew to Tulsa, purchased the machine, and then drove it 2200 miles back to Seattle. Since taking possession on November 1st my girlfriend and I have already camped 10 nights. We are very happy with the coach part of the machine and receive compliments and questions everywhere we go. Unexpectedly we have realized the E450 it sits upon has some inadequacies. I've replaced the pitman arm, drag links, both tie rod ends, installed Bilstein shocks and steering damper, upgraded both anti-sway bars, installed SumoSprings front and rear, and had Ford align the front end. The suspension mods and steering repairs are finished and now this thing finally drives like it will hold the road! Also, after replacing the driveshaft universal joints and center bearing I've managed to eliminate many of the squeaks, screeches, and rumbles. Finally, tomorrow morning I'm installing custom made HID projectors from Vantage Optics. So long to those horrible OEM halogens. All the modifications combined should make those Friday night drives in the pouring rain to the coast much easier. It's been a lot of work and money preparing the motorhome but we are almost ready for the busy spring and summer travel season and are certain we will realize 10 to 12 years of service from our wonderful motorhome. Thank you for reading my blurb and I hope to meet some fellow lazy daze owners on this forum and on the road.Best,Jeff BakkerFederal Way, WA 11 Likes
Re: New Owner and Member Reply #1 – January 19, 2018, 09:57:46 pm Quote from: Jeff in Washington - January 19, 2018, 08:01:59 pmThis appears to be the gathering place for lazy daze owners and the repository for all knowledge pertaining to these motorhomes. Since I had to create an account to benefit from all the information and community I thought I might just introduce myself and say hello. My name is Jeff and I live in the Seattle area. I recently purchased a 2003 26.5 I found near Tulsa Oklahoma. I flew to Tulsa, purchased the machine, and then drove it 2200 miles back to Seattle. Since taking possession on November 1st my girlfriend and I have already camped 10 nights. We are very happy with the coach part of the machine and receive compliments and questions everywhere we go. Unexpectedly we have realized the E450 it sits upon has some inadequacies. I've replaced the pitman arm, drag links, both tie rod ends, installed Bilstein shocks and steering damper, upgraded both anti-sway bars, installed SumoSprings front and rear, and had Ford align the front end. The suspension mods and steering repairs are finished and now this thing finally drives like it will hold the road! Also, after replacing the driveshaft universal joints and center bearing I've managed to eliminate many of the squeaks, screeches, and rumbles. Finally, tomorrow morning I'm installing custom made HID projectors from Vantage Optics. So long to those horrible OEM halogens. All the modifications combined should make those Friday night drives in the pouring rain to the coast much easier. It's been a lot of work and money preparing the motorhome but we are almost ready for the busy spring and summer travel season and are certain we will realize 10 to 12 years of service from our wonderful motorhome. Thank you for reading my blurb and I hope to meet some fellow lazy daze owners on this forum and on the road.Best,Jeff BakkerFederal Way, WAJeff, welcome to the Lazy Daze Owners' Forum.Chris 1 Likes
Re: New Owner and Member Reply #2 – January 19, 2018, 10:36:34 pm Hello Jeff and thank you for such a fine introduction. It sounds like that Oklahoma LD found a good home! If the roof and vents haven't been re-sealed, then I'd suggest you take a close look at those areas. The general rule of thumb seems to be the roof and vents need to be re-sealed every 10-12 years depending on how & where the LD was stored (covered or not covered). The transmission needs a service somewhere between 75,000 miles and 100,000 miles depending on it's towing history. And of course tires. As you probably know, another rule of thumb for RV tires is the 5-year rule regardless of mileage. The best of luck in your LD adventures and please consider posting some pictures. 3 Likes
Re: New Owner and Member Reply #3 – January 19, 2018, 10:42:02 pm Jeff,I too welcome you to LDO. Your RB should serve you well for many years to come.Our RB has served us well and is a joy to travel and camp in. If you care for the coach as well as you have the e450 chassis, your NuToU LD will be a grand voyager. Congratulations on your purchase.Kent 3 Likes
Re: New Owner and Member Reply #4 – January 19, 2018, 10:54:33 pm Welcome Jeff, I’ve only been here for about 6 months but have learned an amazing amount of LD & camping information as I prepare to become a LD midbath owner this summer. Please post any question you have, it seems someone here has at least some experience or opinion/idea about problem solving it 🐯Do you have a name for your rig? Maybe you can let us have some fun suggesting some ideas once we get to know you a little.
Re: New Owner and Member Reply #5 – January 19, 2018, 11:29:26 pm Jeff, some of the ‘squeaks, screeches, and rumbles’ may be due to loose frame bolts; this is a regular maintenance item that many owners are unaware of or neglect doing. The frame bolts are located in the frame ‘channels’; a 9/16” deep socket will reach most of them. (a few bolts are pretty hard to get to, but most can be accessed.) Look at the information under The Lazy Daze Companion and Larry Wade Projects; links are on the home page of the message board. 4 Likes
Re: New Owner and Member Reply #6 – January 19, 2018, 11:52:39 pm Welcome and my you have a lifetime of great adventures 🚐🎉🎈
Re: New Owner and Member Reply #7 – January 20, 2018, 01:06:51 am Welcome to the forum Jeff. I am in south Des Moines only a couple blocks from Federal Way. We could be neighbors LOL.
Re: New Owner and Member Reply #8 – January 20, 2018, 02:27:12 am Quote from: Duro - January 20, 2018, 01:06:51 amWelcome to the forum Jeff. I am in south Des Moines only a couple blocks from Federal Way. We could be neighbors LOL.Goodness, I need a geography lesson--I thought Des Moines was just a couple of hours north of me on US 65 & there was another central states member of the cult...Welcome, Jeff. Congratulations on your new baby--my journey was similar but reversed (west of the Rockies in SoCal back to flyover country here in Missouri). How great that you have the knowledge/expertise to do all those mods. May you have many years of adventures to share here.Lynne 1 Likes
Re: New Owner and Member Reply #9 – January 20, 2018, 07:51:00 am Welcome Jeff. We bought our 2004 MB in the spring while on a month's trip in Utah. Bought it near Denver, picked it up in a late snowstorm. Drove back to St. George and then back to Louisiana. No problems on that trip or since. Really lovin' the LD!
Re: New Owner and Member Reply #10 – January 20, 2018, 08:54:19 am Welcome Jeff, from cold and snowy Western PA. May you enjoy many years of traveling and fun.
Re: New Owner and Member Reply #11 – January 20, 2018, 09:13:47 am Re: frame bolts/chassis bolts. The Companion doesn't seem to have an entry on this topic (did I miss it?), and Larry's 'project page' site doesn't contain photos of the process, but there are many past posts on the topic. To find these, go to the home page of this board or the forum listing tab/page and type 'frame bolts' or 'chassis bolts' into the search bar; the returns will deliver posts containing the search phrase that were posted in any/all forums/categories. Searching the topic (or any topic) using the board's search function when in a specific forum will bring up only posts in that forum/category.
Re: New Owner and Member Reply #12 – January 20, 2018, 09:25:12 am Welcome Jeff! Looking forward to hearing about your future adventures!
Re: New Owner and Member Reply #13 – January 20, 2018, 12:46:41 pm Quote from: Ed & Margee - January 19, 2018, 10:36:34 pmThe transmission needs a service somewhere between 75,000 miles and 100,000 miles depending on it's towing history. Maybe I'm misunderstanding what service you mean but Ford recommends fluid and filter change at 30K.Maintenance Schedules | fleet.ford.comJim
Re: New Owner and Member Reply #15 – January 20, 2018, 02:26:20 pm Quote from: Jim & Gayle - January 20, 2018, 12:46:41 pmMaybe I'm misunderstanding what service you mean but Ford recommends fluid and filter change at 30K.Must be different schedules depending on year of the vehicle. 1 Likes
Re: New Owner and Member Reply #16 – January 20, 2018, 07:28:49 pm Chris Horst - thank you for the warm welcome.Ed & Margee - no leaks but resealing the roof is on my summer list. The previous owner installed a new trasmission in 2016 (5000 miles ago) and tires in 2017. Kent Hecketho - thank you. We hope for many grand voyages in years to come.Tiger (clark) - I'm certain I'll have lots of questions in the months ahead. We haven't name it yet so if you want to have some fun with it you have my permission.JCT - thanks for the advice. I've been looking at those 15 year old body isolators and am contemplating how difficult it would be to replace them. I'll try torquing the bolts first. Maybe the rubber has settled and relieved the torque. Easy first.Folivier - I lived near Denver for 17 years. Moved home to Seattle in January 2016. That was a fun trip. 12 foot trailer behind my Durango. It snowed for 800 of the 1400 mile drive. I've been through St. George many times on the motorcycle on the way to Vegas but I don't envy your drive back to Louisiana. The I-10 shuffle?Lynn Broyles - Ha! Duro isn't talking about the Des Moines with Jethro's BBQ. I'm sure he means the little fishing village with Wally's Chowder House. I'll bet your trip home was amazing! I couldn't risk driving the Rockies in November. I went around through Wyoming. Oddly enough on the only day in the history of Wyoming without wind!HiLola, Tedeboy, rms2011ldmb, Lazybones 2, - thank you for the welcome messages.Duro - I knew I'd stumble across a local! I'm near 312th and Dash Point. I'm handy with tools and fixing things if you ever need any help... 2 Likes
Re: New Owner and Member Reply #17 – January 21, 2018, 03:54:11 am Quote from: JCT - January 19, 2018, 11:29:26 pmsome of the ‘squeaks, screeches, and rumbles’ may be due to loose frame bolts; this is a regular maintenance item that many owners are unaware of or neglect doing. The frame bolts are located in the frame ‘channels’; a 9/16†deep socket will reach most of them. (a few bolts are pretty hard to get to, but most can be accessed.) Look at the information under The Lazy Daze Companion and Larry Wade Projects; links are on the home page of the message board.In our 1983 LD's Owners Manual , tightening the body bolts was listed a periodic maintenance item.This service was missing our 2003's Manual and ever since.LD still uses the same attachment method, and the bolts still loosen.The carriage bolts that secure the coach to the frame are mounted through the plywood floor. The wood slowly compresses and the bolts loosen, sometimes to the point where, on rough roads, booming is heard from the rear of the coach, caused by the coach bouncing.Look for 9/16" head nuts near the end of the 4' long frame members. The frame members can run parallel or perpendicular to the two main frame rails.Every floor plan has a different bolt pattern and some of the bolts are inaccessible, covered by accessories installed after the floor is assemble and bolted to the frame.When tightening the bolt's nuts, don't over do it, just snug them up, to about 20-ft/lbs. Over tightening can cause the carriage head to break loose and spin.I suggest doing this after the first 15,000 miles and every 25-30,000 miles.I never bothered to add this to my Flickr site because photos are not of much use, every floor plan is different.To access and tighten the bolts, I use a 9/16" deep-well socket with a 12" extension and 3/8" drive ratchet, along with a 9/16" combination wrench. Crescent CCW6 9/16" Combination Wrench - Combination Wrenches - Amazon.comLarry 1 Likes As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: New Owner and Member Reply #18 – January 21, 2018, 04:04:39 am RE: my geography lesson about a west-of-the-Rockies doppleganger for the Des Moines I knew about...When I headed down US 65 & on down to Grand Isle State Park in Louisiana, perusing the map for various routes to avoid re-tracing where I'd been, I discovered another dopplganger: there's a Moro Bay State Park in Arkansas... That may become a destination just to see what the near saw when he went over the mountain...
Re: New Owner and Member Reply #19 – January 21, 2018, 09:59:25 am Quote from: Jeff in Washington - January 20, 2018, 07:28:49 pmLynn Broyles - Ha! Duro isn't talking about the Des Moines with Jethro's BBQ. I'm sure he means the little fishing village with Wally's Chowder House. Duro - I knew I'd stumble across a local! I'm near 312th and Dash Point. I'm handy with tools and fixing things if you ever need any help...Jeff we are close I'm near 275th above Redondo.Lynn you got it right!! Wally's is my favorite restaurant we go there often. 1 Likes
Re: New Owner and Member Reply #20 – January 21, 2018, 05:59:05 pm Thank you Larry. After my trip to Salem (Oregon) next weekend I'm going to tackle torquing those bolts. It's a bit over 72k miles and I'm sure they haven't seen a wrench since they were installed.Lynn I wonder how they justify calling it Moro Bay since Arkansas doesn't border water?Duro yeah we are close. We cut through Redondo all the time or use 16th on the way to my dad's condo. He lives in Des Moines.
Re: New Owner and Member Reply #21 – January 22, 2018, 04:33:20 am Jeff--RE: "Lynn I wonder how they justify calling it Moro Bay since Arkansas doesn't ?"Not a clue...it's Arkansas; it's hard enough to figure out Missouri's weirdness, & I've lived here for 63 years. However, though Moro Bay State Park is not along the border, the entire eastern edge does "...border water..."--it's called the Mississippi River. Lynne
Re: New Owner and Member Reply #22 – January 24, 2018, 08:06:28 pm By water I meant an Ocean but I stand corrected. Thanks for the reminder. I worked in Searcy for six months and would drive up to Bald Knob for 'gator or Memphis for BBQ and had to cross.........the Mississippi! By the way, while looking for Moro Bay Arkansas on the map I discovered Prescott AR. 1 Likes
Re: New Owner and Member Reply #23 – January 24, 2018, 08:07:38 pm Could someone point me to the 17.5 inch tire thread?
Re: New Owner and Member Reply #24 – January 24, 2018, 08:36:06 pm Welcome Jeff in Washington. We're the Silver Fox in the Seattle area and we also love Wally's. We have friends in Des Moines and that is their absolute favorite place to go. Wonderful ling cod fish and chips. Hope to meet you sometime at a Northwest LD Owners group rally.
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