Brand Noob in WA. 2008 BT Cruiser 5921 (Gas)

[Charlie4]

Hi, new to the forum. I just bought a 2008 Gulfstream BT Cruiser 5291. I am 100% new to the RV scene. So far I have learned that:

1. Contacting Gulfstream by Email is a waste of time.
2. I need manuals. The only one I've found is the generic Owners Manual. Any advice on how to get them would be really helpful.
3. My FW water system appears to leak. There is a drip coming from around the front center coming out of a small nozzle. I'm leaking about a drop a second.
4. I don't know how to light the propane system. It's not in the owners manual.
5. I have NEVER seen the kind of generator that is in this RV. It works great (I think) but I'd like to know what it is without taking the entire thing apart.

I guess that's a lot to start out with. In the absence of any guidance, either orally or in writing, I would be very happy with any instructions. Thus far I have disassembled the outside and inside shower systems and they work much better now. I have repaired and strengthened a bent and broken OEM roof ladder, replaced 6 tires, compounded and waxed most of it, done my best to clean water spots off the glass and paint and it seems like am endless amount of small things to "get it right". I enjoy that stuff and I'm retired so its all good.

I live in WA in a the city of Lakewood. It rains a lot so outside work can often be a miserable process. There are a ton of RV places here that consider it their place in life to gouge me for every buck they can. Labor rates are upwards of 120 p/hr for basic stuff. The highest I've seen is $170 p/hr but that's a full fledged RV service facility. Crazy..! So anyway, I am eager to learn and welcome advice from one and all. Thanks and I look forwards to hearing from you.

[Leisure Time Larry]

Hi Charlie,

Congrats on your 5291! Unfortunately, they really don't make a manual that is rig specific like we would hope. Most things will be dealt with pretty generically. Most of the elements of a coach are similar. It's just going to be locating and figuring everything out. That might take some work. I would shoot out a few specific questions at a time. Googling and searching on YouTube will give answers.

-The leak from your FW is likely from the drain valve. I hear they are easily rebuild-able.
-There is no "lighting" of the propane system. Once the main valve at the tank is turned on slowly to charge they system lines, each propane component should automatically light when needed.
-The two most commonly used generators used on these coaches are the Onan (Cummins) QG 4000 and the Generac Guardian QP-40

I really recommend getting intimate with your new coach. Take tons of pictures on your phone or digital camera that you can store for reference. Take all inside pictures. Stickers, switches, layouts, everything. Then go deeper. Inside cabinets, under sofas and chairs and beds. Take out the drawers, look with a flashlight for anything hidden... components, wiring, plumbing, etc. Continue taking pictures. Remove any access panels and document what is behind them again, looking at components, electrical, and wiring. All the while, be looking and note...where is: the freshwater tank, freshwater tank drain valves, low point drain valves, hot water tank and bypass valves, water pump, 120v outlets, 12 volt outlets, the house batteries, battery disconnect switch(s), water pump switch(s), slide switch(s), etc., etc.

Finally, this site isn't the most active. I recommend asking questions over on the irv2.com forum for much more interaction.

Best.

[Charlie4]

Thank you so much for your response. I think I learned more reading that than I have after having done all kinds of You Tube watching and Google surfing. Now I have a direction to head in and a sequence to follow, not to mention some good tips. Now to go out and get started. Thanks again.

[CaryL]

Hello Charlie4,

Welcome to the forum. I have a BT 5245 and am a newbie as well.

I agree with everything Leisure Time Larry posted and here is a couple more thoughts.


Searching this site and reading the Class B+ sub forum has been very helpful.
As well as YouTube and other websites.

Have you found this link for RV manual, vendors, and component manuals?
https://www.gulfstreamcoach.com/manuals
(at the very least having a pdf version on my tablet while on the road has been helpful)

Unfortunately, since you bought the rig used it might be that components and appliances have been swapped out and/or heavily modified by previous owners and your vehicle maybe much different from what rolled out of the factory.

You should be able to look up the vendors of the individual appliances and download manuals from the net.


There are a few off brand components, like the aftermarket dash radio that was installed in my rig that was real difficult to track down. (I uploaded a scan of it on this web site, search "Control of Rear Camera?")

I only sent one email in to Gulf Stream and did get a reply so hopefully you will to. But I have had good luck going to a local distributor of Gulf Stream RVs and getting service and help from them.

My propane furnace and water heater has electric start but my cook top needs either a match or a pizo-electric flick to manually light that. The oven we haven't used yet so not sure.

I hope you enjoy the adventure. As for me, traveling around in today's world using my own bathroom and bed is alot more assuring than sleeping in a strange motel!

Cheers

[LovesVintageKK]

My husband and I had several RVs over the years and carted around the stack of manuals from the dealer. Since the manuals were specific to a component, they were pretty useless. We finally bought a “how to” manual from, at that time, a bookstore. It was a godsend. Anything we needed to know to locate a problem and fix it was in that manual. There are a lot of manuals out there. The one we had was by Bob Livingston.

[Charlie4]

CaryL…Thanks for the informative reply. I have figured out that manuals for these things are pretty generic and they use one manual to cover a lot of stuff that may or may not be related. Generally, I can figure them out. They seem to be good for the major components and their control mechanisms but not so good for troubleshooting. Leisure Suit Larry (LSL) told me to go thru every cupboard, drawer, container and hole, stick a digital camera in there and fire away. This has proved to be a very very practical approach. I then download all that stuff to my tablet and have it with me. I have discovered that a lot of these appliance/mechanical guys are some pretty big fellows and having pics is something they appreciate rather than getting into these tiny little places.

It’s all just a giant jigsaw puzzle and I pick stuff up as I go along. To me, this stuff is fun. Makes me wish I had a bigger garage. I live in WA outside of Tacoma and we get a somewhat above average amount of rain. Makes things miserable occasionally.

I’m now on the hunt for a convenient place to fill my propane tank. I’m down to about ¼ but I haven’t figured out how long that will last me. I’m hunting for a comprehensive listing of tools that I should carry. Any ideas you may have would be helpful. I also travel with two rather large German Shepherds, the Boss and a 17 y/o son. Any items you, or anyone else out there, recommend for stockpiling would be helpful.

Thanks again CaryL…and I look forward to chatting with you again.