Operation Mobile Meth Lab Retrieval -12v cummins guys and allison tranny guys welcome.

[Form&function]

Only really two things that can burn out a tps,
Voltage drop or fluctuation like a broken plate in the battery flopping around/charging or shorting problem and number two would be something grounding to neutral that shouldn't be.
Sounds like you sorted that out already.

Tach is just one wire off alternator so it's easy enough if you look up the alt part number and get a diagram.

The step relay could be a number of different styles but most common failure is the door switch.

I would also add that new rv's are super troublesome and buying one to avoid problems might not help. Very general statement I know but very true.

 

[surpip]

I would also add that new rv's are super troublesome and buying one to avoid problems might not help. Very general statement I know but very true.

Think of a whole shop filled with Arties, that's who builds RV's.

 

[crispins]

Think of a whole shop filled with Arties, that's who builds RV's.

So you are saying that RV's are built by NASA level scientists?

Wow, I had no idea.

 

[Sandy Johnson]

Only really two things that can burn out a tps,
Voltage drop or fluctuation like a broken plate in the battery flopping around/charging or shorting problem and number two would be something grounding to neutral that shouldn't be.
Sounds like you sorted that out already.

Tach is just one wire off alternator so it's easy enough if you look up the alt part number and get a diagram.

The step relay could be a number of different styles but most common failure is the door switch.

I would also add that new rv's are super troublesome and buying one to avoid problems might not help. Very general statement I know but very true.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention-

I did indeed find the tach issue while I was mapping out wires. The wire to the voltage regulator from the alternator was dangling by a single strand of copper. Fixed that, everything else looked good, hopefully, tach will be more reliable now.

The step relay was apparently factory wired back just like that. I'm toying with the idea of moving it off of straight 12v and having it power on/off from the ignition switch. Really it only needs to be working when the motorhome is running and the door is shut to retract the steps.

 

[Sandy Johnson]

Maybe I can drive it back from Koh

So it's looking more and more like I'm going to sell this thing- I've got a deal in the works for a newer rig right now. You're going to KOH? If I got something new, I was excited to bring that down so I didn't have to spend time prepping both my jeep AND my motorhome for the trip, buuuuut, maybe something could be worked out. I'd have to figure out how I would get my jeep and trailer home. Even though I've done it before, towing the trailer back with the jeep wasn't really a pleasant experience.

 

[2big bronco]

So it's looking more and more like I'm going to sell this thing- I've got a deal in the works for a newer rig right now. You're going to KOH? If I got something new, I was excited to bring that down so I didn't have to spend time prepping both my jeep AND my motorhome for the trip, buuuuut, maybe something could be worked out. I'd have to figure out how I would get my jeep and trailer home. Even though I've done it before, towing the trailer back with the jeep wasn't really a pleasant experience.

Its looking like ill be at koh with my truck and 24' trailer empty... we might be able to tow your trailer with the jeep up and on,l and then disconect the tounge and slide it under the back of the jeep.....

 

[Sandy Johnson]

Its looking like ill be at koh with my truck and 24' trailer empty... we might be able to tow your trailer with the jeep up and on,l and then disconect the tounge and slide it under the back of the jeep.....

You realize of course, that this will require sleeping in the old motorhome rather than the new fancy one with all the TVs and quiet generator and actual porcelain toilet... right? You may have just shot yourself in the foot.

 

[Texas97]

So it's looking more and more like I'm going to sell this thing- I've got a deal in the works for a newer rig right now. You're going to KOH? If I got something new, I was excited to bring that down so I didn't have to spend time prepping both my jeep AND my motorhome for the trip, buuuuut, maybe something could be worked out. I'd have to figure out how I would get my jeep and trailer home. Even though I've done it before, towing the trailer back with the jeep wasn't really a pleasant experience.

gozuki is trying to get me to make the trip. But I've gotta be in Houston during that time so unless something crazy changes, I'm probably not going to make it

 

[Sandy Johnson]

gozuki is trying to get me to make the trip. But I've gotta be in Houston during that time so unless something crazy changes, I'm probably not going to make it

all good. If you really really want this thing, you can have the first right of refusal. I'm in no hurry to sell other than at some time my wife is going to hit a breaking point for the amount of shit I'm allowed to stuff on the side of our house.

 

[2big bronco]

You realize of course, that this will require sleeping in the old motorhome rather than the new fancy one with all the TVs and quiet generator and actual porcelain toilet... right? You may have just shot yourself in the foot.

I think ive got my friend Austin convinced that he should take my motorhome down for the full 10 days hes going. Hes thinking of it as a free motorhome to use, and im thinking of it as someone else paying the fuel to get it down there.

In reality, im compleatly fine in a tent solo... but if i can plan for 2 or 3 different beds/couches/floors and 1 works out then its a win

 

[Sandy Johnson]

I think ive got my friend Austin convinced that he should take my motorhome down for the full 10 days hes going. Hes thinking of it as a free motorhome to use, and im thinking of it as someone else paying the fuel to get it down there.

In reality, im compleatly fine in a tent solo... but if i can plan for 2 or 3 different beds/couches/floors and 1 works out then its a win

Nice.

Tents suck down there- flappity flappity flappity flapplity flappity....... flaippityflap flappity....

 

[vetteboy79]

Tents suck down there- flappity flappity flappity flapplity flappity....... flaippityflap flappity....

I did a tent in 2010 and it wasn't bad, except for one time when I found it an impressively far distance away from where I'd left it. With my sleeping bag, clothes, small cooler, etc still inside and all co-mingled at that point.

 

[2big bronco]

I did a tent in 2010 and it wasn't bad, except for one time when I found it an impressively far distance away from where I'd left it. With my sleeping bag, clothes, small cooler, etc still inside and all co-mingled at that point.

Ive done tents probably 5 out of the 10 years ive been. Good sleeping bag and attempting to be in a condition where passing out is inevitable helps.

 

[Sandy Johnson]

I did a tent in 2010 and it wasn't bad, except for one time when I found it an impressively far distance away from where I'd left it. With my sleeping bag, clothes, small cooler, etc still inside and all co-mingled at that point.

I went to the Tierra Del Sol Safari one year in the early 2000s that had some biblical level weather. Driving in we straight-up hit a plague of locusts on S22. There were so many that my wipers could barely clean the yellow goo off enough to see and they were so big that I thought my windshield was going to break hitting them at 65.

Then we roll in to camp and there are some gale force winds blowing shit around. Just rolling down the dirt road I dodged 3 four person or bigger tents just blowing along like tumbleweeds headed to the salton sea.

When we finally get to our friend's camp, I open the door and it's nearly freezing out. I had a tent with me but coerced my buddy and his dad to let us sleep on the floor in their gucci diesel pusher. I swear the padded carpet in that thing was more comfortable than my bed at home.

 

[2big bronco]

So as of now my budy is rolling with me to az instead of taking my motorhome... so ill probably be tenting it approximately equal distance on the other side of the little wash towards the highway from you.

 

[Sandy Johnson]

So as of now my budy is rolling with me to az instead of taking my motorhome... so ill probably be tenting it approximately equal distance on the other side of the little wash towards the highway from you.

You should just come camp with the winch mob. I can probably put you up in the motorhome, plus Guy has a daughter and a racecar now so he won't have as much time to spin 4 wheel steer donuts in camp.

 

[2big bronco]

You should just come camp with the winch mob. I can probably put you up in the motorhome, plus Guy has a daughter and a racecar now so he won't have as much time to spin 4 wheel steer donuts in camp.

Ill at least swing by, but as of now.

 

[Texas97]

Ill at least swing by, but as of now.

Very informative map. If you're from out of town, it's always good to know where a place to get handjobs is located.....

 

[Sandy Johnson]

Very informative map. If you're from out of town, it's always good to know where a place to get handjobs is located.....

I may have chosen my screen name.... poorly.

 

[Sandy Johnson]

Ill at least swing by, but as of now.

Bro! no time for map drawing! Keep your eyes on the road!

 

[Sandy Johnson]

Update: Back from KOH and back to working on this thing. It fried another TPS. I got on the phone to a guy at one of our local transmission shops who is an Allison genius. He says it's not a short if I'm not blowing fuses to the TCM and that most likely some part of the TCM has gone bad. Claims it happens more than Allison likes to say. He'll be out in a week or so to verify and pull the TCM and send it off to be replaced.

Should have just called him from the get-go, but I like to work on my own stuff.

 

[Bggrnchvy]

Update: Back from KOH and back to working on this thing. It fried another TPS. I got on the phone to a guy at one of our local transmission shops who is an Allison genius. He says it's not a short if I'm not blowing fuses to the TCM and that most likely some part of the TCM has gone bad. Claims it happens more than Allison likes to say. He'll be out in a week or so to verify and pull the TCM and send it off to be replaced.

Should have just called him from the get-go, but I like to work on my own stuff.

A friend had an Eaton 6spd auto shift in a ~'00 toterhome. It started going into a locked out gear limp mode randomly. They tried everything, including pulling the entire harness out and looking for worn insulation.

Swapped the TCM, as a tech at Eaton says the fully potted TCM's of that era brick more often than they like. Problem solved, right until he sold it.

 

[Texas97]

Should have just called him from the get-go, but I like to work on my own stuff.

I like to be bad at doing things too

 

[Sandy Johnson]

I like to be bad at doing things too

Yep. Prior to this motorhome, I'd never worked on a diesel or any type of Allison. Learning real fast that those transmissions have their own following and knowledge base. I'd still rather take a shot at figuring it out myself than just pay someone too much money to fix it and never learn anything.