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Old 07-08-2006, 12:09 PM   #1
Ozz
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Mod's on new Montana

Hello everyone, second day owner here, been on the Good Sam Forum for a few years, had a Keystone Sprinter TT.
Always loved the Montana 5th wheels, Sue and I bought our '07 3400 RL, absolutely love it. I am adding a 220 Volt outlet in the washer and dryer space, we bought a Maytag set at Sears, nice S.S. tubs, 1200rpm's, Vroom, Vroom, more power!
While I am at it, and have the electrical panel dangling in the bathroom, I added a 110v outlet in the basement, right by the hole that has water lines coming into it. I made a charging station for my cordless drills, with a basket shelf for the chargers. I will add an outlet in the bathroom for a night light so my Prostate and I can visit it numerous times, when I should be getting a good night's sleep.
I bought a second rooftop A/C unit I will be installing, as well as a Stationary Satellite dome dish thing, the holding tanks will be introduced to an electronic monitoring system, said to be darn accurate, drove me crazy on the Sprinter, that monitor never read right, this looks like it's twin. I will also install the back up camera I took off the Sprinter.
I am interested in hearing from those who added a rear support shelf for a BBQ Grill, & bike racks. I would hate to remove the rear cap, but may have to, so I can access the frame, don't know.
Any tips would be appreciated, also, any suggestions to fine tune the beauty.
Hope to run into some of you, we will work on the Montana and in a few Month's head for the interstate.
Take care, Jim and Sue
 
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Old 07-08-2006, 12:22 PM   #2
CountryGuy
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Ozz

Welcome to the forum, sounds like you will have many years of experiences that you can share with US!!

Congrats on the new Montana.

Strongly suggest you use the ole faithful search engine on the top of the page bout that rear support stuff. You might want to contact member MIMF (or MIMF2) about that as well, he works for Lippert, they make our frames. I thought I remembered something about they will install a rear hitch that will handle the bikes and that will not mess with your warranty. But, you know ole memories, so please do the search and contact Dale (MIMF)

Visit the members pages, find Glenn Adams MOC pages, and read. A wealth of info there.

There is another thread ongoing at the moment about the level monitors, most of us just don't bother! Have heard the electronic ones that attach to the outside of the holding tanks are somewhat better than the ones on the inside. You will still have to take down all that underbelly stuff, which is a lot of work. (Al refuses to touch the stuff, says he is getting too old to lay on his back that way, and I cannot say I blame him! HA HA)

Enjoy the new rig!

Carol
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Old 07-08-2006, 12:29 PM   #3
jrgwdenner
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Ozz, Missouri isn't far from Goshen, site of our Fall Rally in Indiana in Sept. I think you need to share your creativity with us and let us have a look at that new 3400. Welcome to the forum!
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Old 07-08-2006, 12:50 PM   #4
Wrenchtraveller
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Just curious how you will get 220 out of the Montana's panel. The 50 amp service comes into the Montana as two separate 110 lines. Let me know where you will convert to 220 and what type of breaker you are using.
Enjoy your new Montana, they are one sweet RV. Take care, Don.
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Old 07-08-2006, 01:21 PM   #5
RADHAZJOE
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The two 110 lines coming into the coach are actually opposite sides of 220 V hot leads and have 220 accross them. nowhere in the coach is 220 used so when you use a 30 amp adapter, it jumpers the two in the adapter to provide power to all circuits. That is why you must shed a lot of load when operating on 30 Amps. It should be fine to tap both sides to provide a 220 circuit but remember not to use it when using 30 amp service only.
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Old 07-09-2006, 02:51 AM   #6
Ozz
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Hello fellow travelers,
Thanks for the welcome, hardly slept last night trying to piece together my upcoming work, like a kid before Christmas Eve.
Al and Carol, I will look for the tank monitor thread, I figured I would be under the 'Belly of the Beast' for a period of time, the system looks like it will be great, it even indicates the Propane system, I think it notifies the panel if one bottle runs out. I did search the rear fiberglass cap, and frame mount for bicycles issue, I welded a support and reinforcements on my former RV the Keystone Sprinter. We traveled around 6,000 miles, no problem with it. Pretty dogs, our pets are like our kids aren't they. Probably a story behind the second pair, I would imagine.
Judy, if I went to the rally, I could never find the right Montana to get into! I watched a lady try to get her key into a little Saturn, she worked at it for 4 or 5 minutes, then sheepishly went one row over to her similar one and the key worked. We just may be done with the work on ours by then, Indiana, I presume, might be fun.
Don, I see Radhazjoe cleared it up already. You have Two bus bars, or metal connector bars in your breaker box, the 220 breakers tap each of the Two bars, giving power to Two different 110 volt supplies. A 110 volt breaker just taps into one of the 110 volt bus bars. As mentioned, some energy management must be observed. It is good for us RV'ers to know how much 12 volt amp's each device pulls, as well as the 120 volt loads. I will be installing a 12 volt amp meter, it shows exactly how many amps are being consumed at any time. I had it on my TT, works really well.
Nice Forum, see you all here and there.
Jim and Sue
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Old 07-09-2006, 03:16 AM   #7
CountryGuy
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Ozz

If you are willing and able to stay under the "Belly of the Beast" to install the sensors, you might take the time to check any plumbing and/or electrical connections that are visable at the same time. It is reported frequently enough that not all connections are as tight and snug as they could be/should be.

And, if you do install the new sensors, keep us abreast as to how effective you feel they are. There might be one or two MOC members here that have gone that route, but, I cannot remember who they might be. As you will read on the threads that pop up now and then here at MOC, most of us cannot be bothered with the sensors and have developed other methods of knowing when we gotta dump. But, we would love hearing if the external sensors work, and how you rate them as far as effective vs time and money for the install.

Good luck on all those fixes, we all love photos, so please take some as you work and post them. If you have trouble figuring out the how to post photos, just give a yell, there are a quite a few that can give you some hints there.

Carol
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Old 07-09-2006, 04:47 AM   #8
Wrenchtraveller
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Yes, I would be interested on the outside sensor cost and performance. The OEM black water sensor has never worked on any RV I have owned in the last 30 years. I don't know why they still put them on. Thanks for the electrical info and looking forward to more of your posts. I love tinkering on my Montana and so far I have put a hand rail in up to the bedroom, put a safety switch on the slide out circuit, and my next two projects are installing an electric fireplace and putting a shelf over the basement recesses in front of the doors. Working on an RV is like a hobby to me and I love it. Some people build airplane models, some people play with their RVS.
Oh, when I put in the fireplace, that will give me two spare doors to use down the road and when I replace my main TV with a flatscreen I will need a door to access the big storage space the bug tube TV is using up. The possibilities are endless, I just need more money.............
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Old 07-09-2006, 06:49 AM   #9
jrgwdenner
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OZZ, if you like gadgets for your RV, Goshen is the RV capital of the world, so come and bring your $$. Bring some for your lady, too, as there is a lot of shopping for her as well. Check out the threads under MOC Fall Rally. We'd love to meet you!
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Old 07-09-2006, 08:29 AM   #10
Ozz
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by jrgwdenner

OZZ, if you like gadgets for your RV, Goshen is the RV capital of the world, so come and bring your $$. Bring some for your lady, too, as there is a lot of shopping for her as well. Check out the threads under MOC Fall Rally. We'd love to meet you!
Judy,
I think it would be fun, my wife, Sue is a quilter as well. She makes jewelry and has lots of hobbies. We are always eager to learn something new.
Take care, Jim and Sue
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Old 07-09-2006, 10:19 AM   #11
jrgwdenner
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Hope to see you both at the rally. The quilt auction should be very interesting.
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Old 07-09-2006, 10:47 AM   #12
Dustytuu
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congrats on the new Montana. My husband, Don has been doing some extra wiring on ours and doing different things to make it ours.
Isn't it fun?
We would like to come to the Montana Rally too in Ind.
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Old 07-09-2006, 05:20 PM   #13
Ozz
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Thanks Dusty and Don,
I think being handy is a curse sometimes, but we do enjoy it, don't we?
The Montana's are wonderful.
The rally sounds like fun, I'll have to read up on it. Never been to one.
I like all the member's pictures, I will have to try and figure that deal out.
Take care, Jim and Sue
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Old 07-10-2006, 02:02 PM   #14
patodonn
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Man, if I tried to do ANY of that stuff, let alone ALL of it, I would be handing the Dealers and Techs a blank check to repair the problems I caused in trying to do it myself and then more $$ to get it done after they fixed my mistakes! You have my utmost admiration in doing any of those things!!
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Old 07-10-2006, 02:45 PM   #15
Ozz
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Pj,
Yea, but I don't even know how to take a picture with my cell phone and do anything with them!
I am in awe that you managed to get Three nice pictures on your post.
Jim
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Old 07-12-2006, 08:02 AM   #16
Ozz
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Update on work done on our new home away from home;
I got the 12 volt amperage digital gage installed so we can monitor the battery drain when off land power, mounted it to the right of the 12 volt panel.
(It was good that I checked the connections, as the screw on the main 12 volt line coming to the fuse panel had not been tightened at all, the wire was just stuck in the connector!)
I got the 220 volt plug wired in the W/D closet, ordered the chrome plated dryer vent so I can cut a hole-Ouch! for it in the side.
Wired in a 120 volt outlet for the charging station in the basement for my cordless stuff.
Wired in another outlet in the bathroom front wall by the door for a night light.
Wired in another outlet in the front end closet, by Sue's side of the bed behind the sliding glass door for our electric blankie.
Installed the Maxx air vent cover over the bathroom vent.
Wired a feed for the Maxx air powered vent between the bathroom and the shower, should install the powered fan in the morning. Tapped the light power wire just forward of the vent opening.
Smashed my right thumb between some paneling and the wall.
Sue is loading groceries, bedding and all our 'Stuff' from our old 30' '04 Keystone Sprinter.
I just hate to outfit a new unit, it is so much work, this is a bit of a labor of love, but work, none the less.
I bought a new service truck for my Heating Cooling and Electrical business every 2nd or third year, every time I traded, I would have to re-install ladder racks, take out and install tool boxes, satellite radio, air horns, inverter for the 120 volt laptop, and many other little jobs.
It would be more fun to just have it done at the factory, but I am too picky.
I really enjoy the Forum, I think I have read most of the hundreds of posts, old and new, you all seem to be great people, ready to jump in and help each other, this is what we have found with the RV community, as we have traveled the past 3 years, we love it, and really enjoy all our traveling friends.
What adventures, it was even exciting when the windstorm blew off the awning from our TT half way from Albuquerque N.M. to El Paso Texas, me trying to keep from being blown off the roof as I cut off the torn awning with my Spyderco knife, Sue trying to hold onto the torn awning as it carried her down the roadside!
Good stuff........
We will try to make the Rally.
Take care, Jim and Sue
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Old 07-12-2006, 06:24 PM   #17
MAMalody
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I have a question about the warranty. won't some of the work you are proposing void your warranty (changing electrical, taking off cap, etc)..or is that really an issue?
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Old 07-13-2006, 01:32 AM   #18
Ozz
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Mike,
I would think that would be a issue if anything you altered, modified or added, would conflict, or damage a system or part that was presented as a warranty claim.
In that case, the dealer that worked on your unit to repair the damage, would have the responsibility to make the call.
If my added bathroom outlet resulted in a warranty claim on an associated electrical item, then the dealer wrote up a repair order stating the claim would not have occurred, but for my modification, then it would be my problem.
Otherwise, any work done in a safe and professional manner should not be a problem.
This is the way I see it, but I may be wrong. I just could never buy something and not stick my grubby fingers in somewhere..........
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Old 07-13-2006, 03:55 AM   #19
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Ozz I have also placed two 110 volt outlets in the basement and put one in the front compartment. I'm guessing that you used that 110 in the basement for the outlet in the necessary room. Did you try to recess the box in the wall or do a surface mount?
I also have a new Fantastic Fan to put in will do that tomorrow. I'm going to pull the power from the little fan in the necessary room. That may be better than the light wire your getting power from. The toilet room fan is hot all the time, not on the light switch.
I have also been in the belly of the beast, this lots of fun down there HA HA! loken foreward to your updates. See-Ya
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Old 07-13-2006, 08:21 AM   #20
Ozz
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Illini Trekker

Ozz I have also placed two 110 volt outlets in the basement and put one in the front compartment. I'm guessing that you used that 110 in the basement for the outlet in the necessary room. Did you try to recess the box in the wall or do a surface mount?
I also have a new Fantastic Fan to put in will do that tomorrow. I'm going to pull the power from the little fan in the necessary room. That may be better than the light wire your getting power from. The toilet room fan is hot all the time, not on the light switch.
I have also been in the belly of the beast, this lots of fun down there HA HA! loken foreward to your updates. See-Ya
Ahhhh, another tinkerer of my Ilk!,
Actually, I ran a 20 amp circuit, (12-2w/gnd) from the breaker box with it's own breaker down the stair well wall, under the bottom step and installed a old work box so it's flush with the basement wall, next to the Black drain pipe.
When I tapped into the hot feed wire from the 12 volt power to the light, then ran that to the feed for the Maxx Air fan, I forgot it was on the wall switch, thanks for the tip, I was just merrily splicing and running wire, I still haven't even turned many lights on, I better get with it! I will change to the bathroom fan wire, that will be a good place to tap into.
What do you use in the front compartment that is line voltage?
I may have to string more wire!!
Take care, and thanks for the correction, Forrest and the trees, so to speak.
Illini Trekker,
Have you had the dredded Black bottom off yet? I will come to this task, as soon as it gets below 90 degrees here in the hot box of the nation.. Is it layered with insulation and boards? Will I disturb something critical if I don't take certain steps? I sometimes am akin to a Bull in the old China shop, work real fast, make many blunders.
Thanks, Jim
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