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Old 12-09-2013, 10:47 AM   #21
RayHarkness
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

I replaced it once..and know it sensitive to the actually location..how many inches etc to the top..and has to be third fin over..ro something like that...
I messed with that on one of my ventures. I am somewhat working good now...I THINK. I just wish I could get my freeze down really cold. I think this time of year, its cooler probably fine. Humidity can be a problem...its of course more humid here. I might do some sniffing on this topic as well..Thanx.>R
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Old 12-09-2013, 06:16 PM   #22
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

I don't know why but my G8 came with a Dometic frig and as the rest of my coach I've never had a problem with any of it not working 100% including the ice maker. Now the Dometic convection oven is a different story, it's a work of art that only a rocket scientist could run on a good day, can't even get the microwave portion to work half the time.

But it does give me some great yuk yuks when my neighbors come over and say " oh I'll show you how it works it's simple" two hours later it's always the same answer " sorry dude but that thing just wont do what it's supposed to." No problem for me because I went to Target spent 150.00 on a cheap counter top model and it works like a champ.

Sometimes admitting defeat is the better part Valor, or in this case cooking dinner with no hassles.
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Old 12-09-2013, 09:05 PM   #23
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

11b, that is funny how some things will work fine for some and not so good for others. I also have the Dometic convection oven/microwave combo on my coach and we have never had any problems. Fact while traveling through Florida in 2003 we stopped at an RV dealer to get a King dome installed. While there I noticed they had like ten boxes with these type of convection/ micro wave ovens on sale. I asked them why they had them on sale so cheap. They told me that the boxes had accidently been dropped and that some might have a small dent. I opened one box and I could not see any damage so I bought it as a back up for the one on the coach. Well the wife liked the one on the coach so much that she made me install the other at home. Ten years later they are both working great with no problems. She uses the convection oven and micro wave both a lot. Fact she does not even use the regular oven in the kitchen anymore.
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Old 12-10-2013, 07:22 AM   #24
RayHarkness
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

I have to agree with the micro/convection performance. It sounds like somebody got a bad one? I mean, if you think about it we bang and clank down the road, and who knows, some little part can go wrong. We love our Dometic Combo unit. Have done turkeys in them, and the convection is really great. Get rid of that mushy totaly microwave cooking..turning meat to gray something or rather!!! We purchased a combo unit, convec and Micro for the house. Wasn't cheap, and it doesn't come close to this one in our Gulfstream. We love the unit. I guess, luck of the draw eh?

only thing we had go bad was the lightbulb out under the bottom.... Found replacement and easily fixed...

Now looking for a pesky leak in the seam on the roof, which Raychez found the cure. Eternabond!!!
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Old 12-10-2013, 10:54 AM   #25
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

Water leaks are very hard to find. That is why I decided to take the advise of other RVers that had used Eternabond before. I never have to worry about a leak anymore. That stuff really works great. The best investment I ever made on the coach. I do not have to get up there to check the caulking anymore. I am 71 years old, and at my age it can get kind of dangerous walking on top of them coaches. One fall from up there and it is over.
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Old 12-10-2013, 12:58 PM   #26
RayHarkness
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

Ray, was that stuff quite flexible..when it went over those seem caps? or strips.
also, when you overlap, will it stick to itself. I read up on the stuff, and that stuff looks great.

I think 4" wide would cover our needs, over those seems?? is that what you used?
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Old 12-10-2013, 05:41 PM   #27
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Yes Ray. I ordered two fifty foot rolls through Amazon. I washed the top real good and in the summer time while it is nice and hot, it will lay right over the seams. Four inch Eternabond tape is what I used. That stuff will stick to anything. It does help to have somebody helping you out, makes it a lot easier. My wife helped me.
I thought I had sent you pictures of the application. And yes it is very flexible tape. It actually looks like a putty spread out, but will stick and seal where ever you apply it to.
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Old 12-10-2013, 05:52 PM   #28
RayHarkness
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yup...we talked about it I remember..I thought I had all my little leaks fixed..NOT..so I am going your route. Who in their right mind would design a roof like that, with that seam strip...good lord....I have one area, just above my table that keeps seeping down and out the window seams...its coming from up above.

Let me do some work on it when I can. I like what I read on that stuff..and you have the right idea. Just do all those seams and get it all over with.THANX
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Old 11-29-2015, 06:06 PM   #29
cloudbaseracer
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

So is the Tourmaster a higher level / quality than the Friendship or is it the other way around? Specifically around the 2006 - 2007 models?

Thanks,
James
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Old 11-29-2015, 09:51 PM   #30
Chuck v
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

James,

I am not an expert by any means but I did a bit of research and the 2007 Friendship M-8412 with 350 HP engine based at $255,388.
The Tour Master T40C with the 330 HP Mercedes like mine based at $230,720 -- whereas the 400 HP Cummins started at $239,120.
By list price alone it would seem the Friendship was the top of the line...

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Old 11-30-2015, 07:07 AM   #31
RayHarkness
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I have a 2002 Scenic Cruiser, Cummins. Ours is a Frieghtliner Chassis. Had work done on it at the local truck shop, and they said the axles and suspension were the top of the line. So, all is well with that.

I found some serious tricks to help the Norcold 1200 lrm. I will try to list them, BUT I do agree, be perfect backdrop for some gun practice, in the long run.
1. I installed a fan in the outside area, blowing some serious air up thru those back fins.
2. Inside the box, I sealed all around those cooling fins, really well. Its a bit difficult, but I made sure it was all sealed well. Took me a year to figure out that
that the gaskets sealing that area from the back outside, were gone, or never properly put in place. HUGE differernce. If we went down the road, before this fix,
out inside box temp would go sky high. We threw away a LOT of food and very angry wife.
3. Don't overfill it inside..Teach wife to go in fast, get out fast, It does not recover well for long time of air intrusion!
4. I saw this on another post. I found gaps in the freezer sides and bottoms. Where the front trim pieces met the inside box sides etc. One guy found some Gator Tape which was white. I taped all those seams very carefully, and sealed with caulk around the bottom seams inside the box. I have some photos of it if anybody wants to see, you can hardly see it. HUGE difference, I was amazed. Freezer now stays VERY cold, ice cream is actually hard for a change. Must have been a lot of leaking.
5. make sure that clip on the fin, that senses the cooling is properly placed. You can find lots of posts on this placement. I can't remember.
6. I keep some small fridge fans running, across the cooling fins, and some pushing down. This does help.
7. I removed the plastic tubs, and found a bit smaller replacement tubs with air holes in them, *Rubbermaid) I took out the glass shelves that those tubs sat on, and used the grill work, and made up my own grill for the bottom left side. Now air flow all the way down thru. This helped, as we would get moisture, but now we are getting airflow in and around. Not as much storage, but you shouldn't stuff them full.
8. I went to Marine store, and got a bilge area Halon extinguisher. I mounted it in that outside area...because of the known fire hazards, even though I have had the two recalls completed. Just makes me feel better.

so, if anybody has any questions, always glad to share. I should add, that my neighbor has a 2002 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom. VERY WELL made coach. He just replaced his Norcold with a Samsung, that fit nicely, with some trim work. HE LOVES IT. Its so much more efficient..and I am jealous!!!! $3500.00 job total.
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Old 11-30-2015, 07:19 PM   #32
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

Hello Ray,

Just finished reading your long post about all you have done to get the Norcold LRIM to work the way it is suppose to. That was a lot of work you done and I am shocked to read about all the problems you had.

I guess I can consider myself lucky that I have never had any major problems with the 1200 LRIM Norcold. I did make one adjustment to get the fridge to get colder and that was to slide the thermister on the far right side of the fins inside the fridge.
I slid it up about one inch and the temperature is always around 34 degrees. The freezers always have been cold enough to keep the steaks and ice cream like a rock. But I have never added the fans that you did, and I have seen other coaches that have fans in the summer time on the outside vent blowing air into the back of the refrigerator.

I have read a lot also about the Samsung residential refrigerators. And they are good IF you are on full hookups all the time or make major modifications on coaches like what you and I have. We only have four house batteries, and most of your newer coaches have two more then ours to support such a refrigerator. Also you got to have a pure sine wave invertor. I have the 458 Freedom Xantrex which is a modified sine wave invertor 2000 watt with high surge capability, 3 stage charger.

We just got back from a Gulf Stream rally and some of the newer TourMasters had residential refrigerators and they had to start the generators in the morning and evening for several hours to recharge the batteries.

I had my Norcold running off propane and I run everything else off the invertor. I would start my generator for one hour in the morning to recharge the batteries. So my point is if you are going to dry camp with a residential fridge you will have to run your generator for several hours to recharge those batteries.

OH! I forgot to tell you that I had to change my ID and password because I could not remember my old password. I contacted the adminstrator and told him about my problem, but he has not responded.
RayChez
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Old 11-30-2015, 08:15 PM   #33
RayHarkness
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

got your note ok...I keep forgetting my passwords...this getting old is crap.
I tend to agree with you though, if we can keep the norcold going, thats what we need to do. I dont' have a lot of hours, or miles on the coach, 35,000 now. Wanted to put more.

I just kept reading up on the Norcold, and picking up everybodies elses ideas. It seems to work. The major thing I found though, was the seal around the cooling fins, it was wide open. I could push a wire, or wire tie freely thru, it was just sucking everything out.

Now that I have the stuff working, I am happy with it...that being said, I hope to hell I didn't just jinx myself. We were in Port Canaveral back in Octo, and it was HOT...no mositure inside, and it kept things very cold.

My problem is..my wife opens both of those doors and dilly dallys looking. I have decided to shut my mouth for peace...do the best I can.!!!!!!

taking another trip over Christmas. I think I am good to go. Now my KVH system is not working...I can go up, take the dome off, and line it up manually.!!! I am not sure I would put money into it, but maybe move to a newer system..when I get there....

all is well though..Ray
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