2007Crescendo newbie questions

[Johnny Boy]

Ok we bought a used 07 crescendo with the c7 cat engine in it, went from 5th wheel to class a so have a few questions

1. What does everyone use under the hydraulic levelers to prevent the feet from sinking into ground (more boondocking camping then rv park camping)
2. In the clean out bay for black & gray tank valves there is a black & white wire coming out a round hole in upper right corner of the white plastic wall- anyone know what these wires are for (have confirmed they do not turn on water pump or arn't turning on water pump)
3. Can you drive with the front generator on to run the ac's ?
4. Do the slides have a manual override in case an electric motor fails?
5. What are the coach and chassis disconnect switches for?
6. Do i need to use a weight distributing hitch when towing a trailer ?
7. Why are all the windows stiff to open? do they require lube to slide open and closed easier ?
8. How much weight can the fiberglass roof support should my heavy butt decide to go up there??
9. When should i have the exhaust brake on?

Any other tips or tricks you wish to share would be great
Thank you

[Chuck v]

I can answer some of the questions and will keep the same numbers so as not to repeat the question.

1. I use the thick rubber pad sold at RV suppliers called the "Hosspad" because it works well on concrete and other pavements. I don't park my 32,400 pound coach on gravel or grass very often, and never on soft soil...

3. It is not recommended to use the generator under way as the exhaust gases can be drawn into the occupied areas of the coach. My inverter can run the residential refrigerator for several hours, but I don't use the roof air conditioners while driving. The dash air keeps the driver and copilot cool (at least here in the Pacific Northwest...) and the roof units cool the rest down quickly enough when we stop at a campsite.

4. My main slide is hydraulic and has a manual pump over-ride (never have used it..) The other slides are electric and I believe they have some sort of manual crank, but again have never needed to use those. The best plan is to have your batteries and generator in good shape...

5. The disconnect switches turn off all loads connected to the chassis batteries and the house batteries via large relays in a rear bay of the coach. You don't disconnect when on shore power, but you might do this if parked for some time in storage. Be sure your float chargers/battery minders are wired so they still charge the batteries (the normal battery charger for the house batteries -- the converter -- may not be wired in this way and would be switched off with the disconnect.) I added a battery minder to my chassis batteries since they originally only charged via the engine driven alternator...

6. The need for a weight distribution hitch is determined by the 'carry' weight of your hitch (often called the ball weight) and most hitches have a rating of about 10% of the draw weight rating. If you are towing a car "four down" you have no concern, but a utility trailer will likely need a weight distribution hitch arrangement.

8. Most coach roofs are "walk-able" but if you are north of 250 lbs or so you might want to consider hiring a more willowy worker...

9. I use the exhaust brake on the highway -- many incorporated areas have rules against the use of exhaust brakes in town.

[Frutza]

#2 Do you have a light in the wet bay? I have a light, so if yours is missing that's what the wires go to
#3 A lot of people drive with there genny running, be careful,

[RayChez1]

I agree with everything Chuck wrote except on the generator. We run our generator in the summer time when temperatures here in southern California get over 105 degrees and I run both air conditioners while driving. No fumes will come into the coach going down the rode at 60 mph. I use the generator many times even if it is just to exercise it. I never have had any problems with my Onan 7500 Quiet diesel.

For the Norcold 1200 LRIM we use propane to keep it going while traveling or dry camping. Has worked great for us. We also have the option of using the inverter, but I hardly ever use the inverter.

The exhaust brake or retarder brake which I have, we use it going down long grades and I also press on the switch while driving on heavy city traffic. Helps to slow you down much quicker and at the same time you preserve your brake shoes.

The two big switches are to turn the power off, one for the chassis and one for the house. I always turn everything off while servicing the wet cell six volt batteries for the house. The two chassis batteries on mine are sealed, so no maintenance is needed except washing them down with water ever two months to keep any kind of corrosion from building up.

As to the leveler pads on mine I do not use any other additional blocking. I have the BigFoot levelers by Quadra and the medal pad it has already is real big and does not need any additional blocking. That deal of adding additional blocking a pain. I used to do that with another coach I used to have because it had the HWH levelers with small leveler pads, but not with the BigFoot. So no blocks in my situation.

[ktmulvey]

I have a Crescendo 324 with forward diesel that, I too have run my AC units with generator on in AZ. Only way to stay cool.

I have a dumb question though. I just purchased this MH and both my engine and coach batteries (2each 12V) are located in the engine area. 2 are on the passenger side and 2 on driver side. Can someone tell me which is the engine batteries without me having to trace the cable to alternator?

[Cterkelsen]

Hi start it up put a volt meter on one set look for 13 to 14 volts that will tell you.