Lazy Daze Owners' Group

New Owner - Miscellaneous Comments and Questions

February 25, 2003, 05:47:52 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 19303

---

I got my first motorhome, an LD 23 1/2 twin-king, on February 14, 2003.  I placed my order well in advance, June 12, 2002, to insure that I would have an exact delivery date.  The order was contingent on the February 14th delivery date.  For those of you concerned about not having license plates and the permit (ICC driver), I drove all across the country to New Jersey and was never stopped or questioned. After I placed my order, I was sent the 24th edition of the manual.  I studied it and highlighted sections.  When I picked up the LD, I was told there was a new edition, 26th, and to trade the old one in.  My suggestion is that you make sure you get the correct version.  I was disappointed that the LD did not come equipped with the CB. The 24th version of the manual had stated that CB's were standard equipment.  I was told that the generator in the 2003 had a heating strip instead.
At delivery, I was told to tighten the wheel lugs at 500 miles and every 1,000 miles thereafter.  My RV driving instructor (former truck driver) said this was not necessary. I stopped at a tire place crossing country and was also told this was not necessary.  The owner said he had been in the tire/wheel business for 30 years.  Is this something you LD owners do? Is this something you need muscles in order to do? When I got to New Jersey, I had the motorhome winterized.
I plan to do it myself next year.  The RV place used compressed air AND antifreeze.  The manual said you can choose the compressed air way OR antifreeze way of winterizing.  How do you LD owners in the East and cold weather areas winterize? A final question, I saw a gadget on one of the web sites that holds dishes in place.  I don't know where I saw it.  Any help will be appreciated.  I can't wait to de-winterize and start using the LD for trips. Thanks.

Monica

Re: New Owner - Miscellaneous Comments and Questions

Reply #2 – February 26, 2003, 08:37:59 am

Yahoo Message Number: 19314

---

Monica, Congratulations on your new LD!

I would also like to let everyone know that using an ICC driver and the temporary permit is no problem in any state I know of. Most police expect to see that in new motor homes and RVs because they transport most RVs that way from the factories to the dealers. I never had so much as a second look from police coming back from Ca to Fl.
 It is typical for LD to send you a manual for the current year model and then replace it with the correct year edition on pick-up when ordering at a time when delivery will end up being the next model year. The 24th edition though was for the 2001 model year and you should have realized that the CB was no longer standard equipment since that change was made in 2002 making it an option and the CD player standard. It also shows that on their website and I'm sure in the literature they send to people that request brochures. I'm a little surprised though that you got a 24th edition manual and not the 25th edition but it's possible they didn't have any more printed 25th edition manuals and had gotten the 24th edition back from someone that ordered in late 2001 and received a 2002 model around the time your order was received. Very little actually changes from year to year anyway. I also think you were probably told the heat strip was now included on the A/C (previously an option) not on the generator. I don't know of any heat strips for generators!
 Regarding the checking and retightening of the lugs at 500 miles and every 1000 miles thereafter, it is important to always check and if needed retighten them especially when new or after new tires have been put on a vehicle. Even more so on heavy weight vehicles. They have been know to loosen with vibration especially when newly installed and after they have been driven for a few hundred miles and have seated. It is always a good idea to check them periodically and LD being very conservative always errs on the side of caution, which is a good thing! Too bad more companies don't do that! Your RV instructor is WRONG and many truck drivers don't do their own maintenance or know that this is something that many truck mechanics do check regularly when servicing trucks properly. As for tire shops, take most of what they tell you with a grain of salt. Most have no clue what is and isn't necessary regarding anything on a vehicle including tires! Years in business don't always mean they really know what they are talking about. Most tire shops tighten lugs far tighter than the mfgs recommended torque spec so maybe they feel that they won't loosen because they over tighten them so much. You don't need to check them every 1000 miles but you should check them regularly.
Often you may not find any that are loose or not at the correct torque but occasionally you will. If not checked you could loose a lug nut or more and that can be very dangerous.
 You should also re-torque the wheel liners after driving a few miles whenever they have been removed because they often don't seat properly at first. Those on the rear duals are a real PITA to get on anyway since there isn't much left of the threads left for their lugs to grab onto. After driving a few miles the centrifugal force will seat them properly and you may find one or both of the lugs that hold them on loose. We've had a member of this group loose a lug or two for the wheel liners and they learned the hard way how important that is. Luckily they didn't loose the wheel liners or ruin their valve extenders.

It is very common for people to use both air and antifreeze to winterize RVs. The freezing point of RV antifreeze drops dramatically when it mixes with water and if you don't blow the water out of the lines you will be mixing it with the water that remains in them. It isn't absolutely necessary to use the RV antifreeze when you blow the water out of the lines correctly with compressed air but it does give added protection in case you didn't get it all out. The same goes for removing all the water from them when using the antifreeze unless you live in an area that gets extremely cold in winter.

What part of NJ are you from?

Good Luck with your new LD!

Mike

Re: New Owner - Miscellaneous Comments and Questions

Reply #4 – March 04, 2003, 08:50:32 am

Yahoo Message Number: 19484

---

Monica, Keeping the lugs properly torqued is something you could learn to do and only you know if you have the strength to do it. They should to be torqued to 140 ft. lbs. so having a torque wrench for this comes in handy. It doesn't need to be an expensive one but get a good quality one.
 I would take it to an independent auto repair shop with mechanics you can trust. An ASE certified mechanic would be the best but many places don't employ ASE certified mechanics especially most tire shops. If they do it's one or two and not all and often they'll be working on more complicated jobs and won't be the ones checking the lugs for you. Tire shops typically like to just use an air wrench and often over torque the lugs. If you don't know any good auto repair shops or ones that will work on a motor home ask around for suggestions from friends in the area for a good shop. Most good independent auto repair shops will work on a motor home chassis but call those that you get good referrals for to make sure. Some independent RV repair shops won't deal with chassis related items and RV dealers are typically the last place you want working on your LD.
Tire shops aren't always the best place for any kind of work except mounting and balancing tires and even that some don't do well. Of course there are always exceptions in all these categories!
 You must live near Oradell Reservoir. I'm familiar with that area and have friends living in that surrounding area from when I lived and worked in NJ.

Mike