RandyA

https://www.yourbestaddress.com They can solve your issues.

Carl, you are most likely correct, knowing how almost everything else works with the spring brakes. All I can come up with is when the system has been sitting and has no pressure; I can push and hold the brake knob in and move the truck. I guess the spring brakes were probably on, but the slight air pressure generated by the engine/compressor running or residual air in the tank/lines is enough to release them if I hold the knob in. When I park in neutral and don't set the brake, the spring brakes don't engage, and the truck will roll even with the engine and ignition off. Maybe it eventually sets as pressure drops? I can't say either way for sure. There is still a lot I don't know about this beast after almost 14 years of ownership. There is always something new to learn, no matter how much I digest from the manuals. Owning and driving It has been a good teacher, and I'm sorry to say it is time to start looking for a new owner. Even though I feel as safe driving the tractor and fiver as I did when I was younger, I know things have changed. I just celebrated #77 in July- time for a smaller rig, maybe a van camper or smaller TT I can pull with the PU?? Anyway, the truck and trailer are going to have to go. I just need to overcome the "maybe tomorrow" attitude and pull the trigger on a for-sale listing.

Well, live and learn. Not having an auto-shift but a lowly 10-speed, I did not realize the problem with shutting it down without setting the brakes in an auto-shift truck. Now, as far as the spring brakes setting when air pressure bleeds down, my air system will NOT bleed down on its own for days. It is pretty darn tight pneumatically, thanks to my Whisper. In fact, deflating the air bags requires ignition on and the exhaust air switch in the down position. When I start the engine, the air pressure jumps to 60 psi pretty darn quickly (reaching 120 takes a bit longer). I don't know if anyone has tried it, but when I start the engine and the air pressure is at or near zero, I can push in and HOLD the brake button, put it in gear, and move the truck - this indicates to me the spring brakes must not have set. I know certain failures automatically set the spring brakes while moving, no matter what. Volvo would rather see the truck locked down after certain engine/EECM faults, even if it happens just around a blind curve on a narrow 2-lane road with no shoulder than harm the engine. As far as I know, my spring brakes will set automatically if I lose air pressure while moving and the ignition is on. Just a suggestion, fellows. The blocks are an extra bit of insurance. I find it aggravating and embarrassing for the brakes to "bang," the wheels to dig a hole, or have it lurch forward when a frozen drum releases - especially when in a CG.

Expert? An "Ex" is a has-been and a "spurt" is nothing more than a big drip.

I've encountered this problem more times than I care to count. It does not take a year for the brake shoes to freeze to the drums. It can happen in a much shorter period of time, depending on humidity and weather. My Volvo is singled and does not have a locker. When "at home," I park on a separate "Volvo-only" gravel driveway. So, when the brakes freeze, one generally will break loose easily while the other stays frozen. I dig a DEEP hole in the gravel until the tires finally hit more solid ground, and as Darrel said, you hear a loud bang and all free up on the stuck side. While it is not something you can do just anywhere, I now set the brakes, get out, and chock the rear wheels with 4x6 blocks. Once chocked I release the brakes and shut the truck down. I would never do this on an incline or where some foolhardy being would remove the chocks. They are too big and heavy to carry around with me anyway (four 4x6 pieces, each long enough to cross two tires - front and back of the rear tires - really overkill for what is needed). To make it easier to place them, I have a looped section of rope fastened to each end that I can grab with an extension pole and hook to pull in any direction.

Fermentation and anaerobic bacteria are the keys to no odor. When you dump your tank, leave a little poo mix in the tank so some anaerobic bacteria remain. Add water - about 5 gallons and poo away to your heart's content until it is time to dump again. If you are traveling rather than stationary, do not completely dump the black tank leaving it about 1/4 full until you arrive at your next stop allowing the gook in the tank to slosh around and completely liquify the paper and poo - then dump all but about a gallon. No fancy chemicals are needed - you want a good colony of anaerobic bacteria to avoid odors. Most chemicals kill the needed bacteria and mask odor - not a good combination. Some DAWN or other dishwashing liquid won't hurt as it helps to keep the inside of the tank somewhat clean - especially the sensors for the levels. You did not ask, but if your tank level sensors stop working, put about 10 gallons of water in your tank and add about a cup of Cascade automatic dishwasher detergent and drive, drive, drive. It has always worked for me, and I've been doing it since 1973. To restart the no-odor process, just put a lot of water in your tank and add your poo. Then repeat the dump process leaving about a gallon of stuff in the tank. A happy wife makes for a happy camper - potty odor can make a wife very unhappy.😄

Carl, fuses don't blow for the heck of it. They are there to protect the wiring from overheating and protect you from a fire caused by something like a short circuit or bad load device. When a 15 amp fuse blows folks often just put in a larger fuse. Bad idea! There is a good possibility your fan motor is drawing more current than it did originally. This can be caused by brushes wearing out, bearings worn or dry and needing lubrication/replacement or obstruction of the squirrel cage fan movement (to list a few). That blown fuse could very well be a warning of things to come.

OPINION Statement (not political) In our area of Virginia #2 Diesel fuel is $5.55 at local stations. I suspect it is higher along Interstate highways. I have membership in the Fuel Rebate Programs available at TST, Petro, and a few other affiliate stations. It currently gives me back $.40 a gallon. $.10 is withheld for managing the program for RV'ers. This indicates fleet HDTs that fuel at these stations are paying well over $5.00 per gallon for diesel. There is a lot of fuss over inflation. The government doesn't seem to know how to lower it. In as much that EVER THING we eat, sleep on, live in, wear, along with appliances, medical supplies, and 1000's of more items at one time or another are transported by truck sometime in their supply chain life. A big part of inflation and one key to lowering it is to bring the price of diesel down to at least previous levels. Most big trucks get 6 or so MPG and have fuel tanks that hold 300 gallons (not to mention DEF) - a full fill up is 280 gallons. With diesel at the previous price of $2.75 a gallon, it would cost $770.00 to completely fill both tanks. At 6 MPG the range would be 1,600 miles. The fuel cost per mile would be about $.48 per mile. Now, let's look at the "new" fuel prices. Diesel at $5.50 or more per gallon. $6.50 or more is common in the west. A fill-up will now cost $1,540.00. The cost per mile for fuel alone jumps to .$96 per mile - or $1,536 additional per fill-up range. If this trucker or company is to remain in business the increase in fuel will have to be passed on to the middle-man that sells the goods retail. Thus the prices of goods go up - as does inflation. An increase in the price of one item connects to another, I don't want this post to become political. So, all I can say is that some sort of effort, law or program to lower diesel prices would pay many times its cost back to the consumer and help to lower inflation. Like I said, almost everything we consume moves by truck. We pay for the increased fuel price whenever we buy groceries, appliances, etc. Think about it. A significant part of inflation is not just the price a mom pays for gasoline to fill her Honda but what truckers pay for diesel. While it is out of my realm of understanding price-wise - airplanes use what is basically kerosene, which is a diesel fuel as well. Again, the increased cost of non-passenger flights must be passed on to the consumer. Trains have diesel-electric drive systems and burn a lot of diesel. Construction equipment burns diesel. Ships and big boats have diesel engines. Same inflationary situation. Just the cost of diesel fuel is driving this inflationary spiral. Yes, the cost of gasoline is also high, and gas prices directly hit the consumer pocketbook. Diesel prices are basically ignored by the typical consumer that does not have a diesel vehicle. Most consumers do not know or seem to care about what high diesel prices are costing them. Big media either ignores the impact or just mentions it in passing. It's all about gas prices. It is important that any comments or additions remain non-political or the administrator might quash this thread.

ZEP has a sealer they recommend using first and then the Acrylic ZEP wax. Does anyone use the first coat sealer before applying the wax? Be careful with ammonia or wax strippers as they will turn bare polished aluminum dull within a few days.

I guess the thread is shifting, but since I started it I hope that is OK. One issue that really stood out to me was after I got the tire changed and we were later driving through a construction zone for what seemed like forever, there was no right shoulder at all, just those big concrete Jersey barriers. Not even an occasional opening for pulling to the side. I couldn't help but wonder what the heck I would do if a tire blew or the D12 engine shut down under this situation. The fact that I couldn't get a jack under the axle, or actually the spring plate, also bothered me. The hydraulic levelers lifted the trailer upward on the suspension and reduced the body tilt but did not lift the axle with the flat off the ground. Too much weight with the trailer slanted right. I started thinking about getting one of those stubby bottle jacks like HF sells for the future possibility of such a situation so I could possibly get lifting started with no real clearance to the ground for a regular jack. A garage jack could have worked but they are big and heavy, even the aluminum ones and that is something else to carry with all the other stuff on a HDT. If I kept on driving until I could get to an exit the wheel would have been ruined and the camper severely damaged. Stupid on my part to put equipment before my safety. I do have a 20T air over hydraulic bottle jack with blocks for the HDT but that was useless here. With traffic flying by, no real shoulder, a pretty big RV rig, no Police, equipment (jacks) that didn't fit, long-wait road service, etc. I was honestly wishing for a set of bright blue strobes I could put on the back of the RV but I doubt that would have helped much. Any good suggestions?

Rod, traffic was heavy with little space for someone to move over. As I noted, SCARY! I put out six flares and two triangle reflectors. The 30 minute flares were placed just inside the white line on the shoulder. They almost immediately blew out or rolled away from the wind of passing vehicles. I had no weights or rocks to hold them in place. These were the same flares LEO's use, not off brand. Thinking about what you said about just stopping in the travel lane........ If first vehicle stopped before ramming you and did not swerve or cut to the passing lane maybe you could build a safety line behind you. Still, vehicles in that line would do their best to cut around into the passing lane. All of this reminds me of some recent 50+ car pileups on the Interstate due to lack of attention. My second major problem was the right shoulder I was on (South Carolina I-95). It was no more than 1/2 of a lane wide - say 6 feet wide. Next to the shoulder was grass that sloped away from the road making the entire rig tilt to the right. This put the right front axle with the flat tire about 6" above soft earth. I was extremely thankful for my hydraulic leveling jacks as I was able to lift the trailer a few more inches and give some form of stabilization. My bottle jack still would not fit under the axle so I got out a shovel and started digging. Good and bad - the earth was soft. I got the jack under the axle and for every inch I lifted the axle another inch of the jack buried in the ground. I finally got a 2x6 and a second bottle jack under the axle and lifted it enough to change the tire. It was truly being between a rock and a hard place.

300 miles today with crankcase pressure sensor disconnected. No problems, truck ran great. Put that one in your logbook in case you ever have the same shut down from the sensor. Carl, sorry about the output speed sensor problem. Nine hours is a lot of time. We did have a blow out on the right front trailer tire in SC. No logical reason other than road hazard. Using pressure monitor, tire is a 17.5 H rated tire running 110 psi cold. Tire is two years old. Definitely not overloaded. Speed was 63 mph. Changing was difficult due to narrow shoulder making me pull over on the grass which had an incline. Traffic did not slow or move - each passing truck moved enough air to shake the trailer. Actually, a very scary situation. Had to use my hydraulic levelers and then a bottle jack to get spare on. Could have called my emergency road service but that is usually a 2+ hour wait. Settled in at campground for the night. Tired and dirty 🤕.

Left Florida yesterday. Rolling down the interstate and engine shuts off. Turn ignition key off and then on to restart. No power steering when engine shuts down. Made it to Brunswick, GA last night and into a campsite after multiple shutdowns. DID code indicates Crankcase Pressure Sensor as fault. Took it out of engine today and tried to find a replacement. Went to TA, Flying J, Speedco, Loves and NAPA. Only option is to order from Volvo dealer in Jacksonville FL or Savanna GA which are closed Sunday so Monday evening or Tuesday for a replacement. Decided to see what happened when the sensor was simply disconnected. Much to my surprise engine seems to run fine. DID tells me to "Check Engine ECU at Next Stop". This is not a shut down message. Leaving tomorrow (Sunday) for next stop at Bass Lake CG in Dillion SC just south of the NC state line. Hoping and praying disconnecting sensor does not result in shutdown and we make it OK. Does anyone know somethings I don't that will help? Apparently failure of this sensor is not uncommon. OTR has a nice Youtube video on changing. Might be smart to carry a spare sensor in the future.

What a shame. Here is some middle ground in favor of toppers. Unless you are in an open field with no trees near-by they are invaluable. I have had them on fivers and TT slides for 30+ years and have no complaints. Sweet Gum balls, pine cones, acorns, leaves, twigs or other falling debris left on a slide when you close it can ruin seals or keep the slide from fully closing. It is also a plus to be able to move a slide in when closing up for travel when it is raining without bringing the "wet" inside. Toppers can also reduce heat in the RV during sunny summer days and prevent top seal leakage of water into the RV. At 75 years young climbing on the roof or ladder to sweep off a slide is not an advisable option for me - nor should be for those even younger. This scenario is even worse if your departure from a campsite happens while it is raining. Personally, I have never been bothered by a properly installed topper flapping in the wind. Downside to toppers is occasional water pooling which only occurs when the RV is perfectly level and the toppers are not tight enough at the roller (slight rearward inclination that cannot be detected in the RV drains toppers). I do have a center support/roller on the tube of my longest topper (14') to keep the topper tight and prevent bowing of the cheap, thin aluminum rollers most have. Personally, I would NOT have a RV with slide-outs that did not have toppers.

You might want to look at a product named Superzilla (Amazon link here). Or you might also want to look for some 100% pure biodiesel. Amazing stuff but can discolor some vinyl graphics - as always, test in an inconspicuous place first. Use caution on soft enamel painted surfaces. Smaller bottles are available at a lower cost. Worked for me as a pre-treatment on gel coat and urethane clear-coat to keep bugs from sticking. A fantastic penetrating fluid for rusted hardware. I did not believe the ad hype until I tested it. As always, only a suggestion - NOT a product endorsement.

OEM Volvo builders were not very particular about the actual AWG for lower current devices with "short" runs of wire from the fuse to the device as you possibly noted if you unscrewed and lifted your upper fuse/relay panel to look underneath. In your case up-sizing to a 25 amp from a 20 amp fuse for the power ports to become USB power ports is nothing to be concerned about. But, the warning or advice from rspinc IS something that should be followed when wire length is over the 12" or so used on your power ports. You can also purchase a 20 amp automatic resetting circuit breaker that plugs in place of the one-shot fuse if you want to keep everything "as is" (or a 20 or 30 for compatible fused circuits). I am curious as to why you selected USB 3.0 ports just to power a device. Not that there is anything wrong with that other than the "blue plastic" separator inside has proven to be rather prone to breaking on some of the Asian made USB ports I've used. Overall, very nice job all the way around. Those big 12 volt ports came about from the days of cigar lighters, ash trays and radar detectors 🙂.

Glenn, while it may be more "convenient" to stay with inverters that have a 12V DC input, once you get to or past 4K AC output it is really better to consider inverters with a high DC voltage input. Both 24 and 48 volts DC are popular choices. Using fast and dirty calculations a 12 VDC inverter is a 10:1 conversion. This means at 4K watts (33.3 amps) your battery load will be 300.33 amps. This conversion produces significant heat in the unit, requires heavy cabling and connections and thus loses efficiency through energy conversion loss. Now, consider an inverter with a 48 volt input. The fast and dirty calculation for 120 volts is a 2.5:1 conversion. The DC amperage draw is now 83 amps at 48 VDC. The result is the inverter runs cooler (and should live longer) and cabling size is reduced considerably as are connectors. Efficiency is improved due to less energy conversion loss. On the battery end using 100 Ah 12 volt batteries you will need at least 4 to meet the input needs of the 12V inverter. Ironically, (not really) the same four batteries wired in series to provide 48 volts will power the more efficient 48 volt input inverter. If your new inverter does not have a built in charger there are many battery charger choices providing 48 volts for anything from Lead Acid to Lithium at reasonable prices. I elected to put 48 volt lithium batteries in my golf cart (100 Ah) with an on-board digital charger. I added a 2,500 watt inverter with a 48 volt DC input to run specific power tools as I use the golf cart not for golf but a utility vehicle around our property. Most quality MPPT solar controllers have selectable 12-24-48 volt controller settings. Four 100W solar panels wired in series on the sunny side do the job nicely. Think about it - sleep on it. I believe unless you are dead set on a 12 volt inverter you will find it makes more sense.

Have you ever drunk Ripple wine? Jack, thanks for returning to topic.....oh....I forgot. We can't buy Ripple any more. Someone else bought it all. Merry Christmas from sunny 80 degree Florida with no snow.

As we all know - everyone's truck, sweet spot, road, driver, and load are different. With a little (actually a "BIG PUSH") from the XYL I thought it would be best on this trip to play "Follow the Leader" rather than "Red Rover Come Over) and share my results. It is probably a recessive gene in men to shrug off "intuition" from the cave keeper but she has proved herself right more times than wrong. It is interesting to note several other observations about myself: I had a radical prosectomy October 11 due to the discovery of cancer. While I did not realize it a the time, my stamina according to my Urologist and Oncologist had begun to deteriorate "ME" - my body was using much of its energy to fight the cancer. I became tired quicker and required more rest. So driving slower and adding a day to our trip at each stop seemed reasonable. While I ain't no Spring Chicken any more, my eye site is still 20/30 uncorrected, my reaction time and memory (Jeopardy Standard) is still good. I can hear anything I "want to", but, I can't continue to hold my own with every young Rooster that comes in the yard". I was a young 63 when I joined this net as a neotype in 2009. I really have not paid much attenuation in to what has happened to my "facilities" as the years rolled on. We must be realistic and accept that like a bucket of paint with the lid not tightly replaced our bodies and minds really are getting older and we need to first accept the problem, asses the severity of the changes and plan our travels in these beast of ours accordingly

Just a quick short story. Our 670 is singled, has a D12 engine and pulls a 40' fiver weighing in at about 19K. We were heading for Florida and my wife was pulling a small utility trailer behind her Equinox. At first she refused to pull the trailer but agreed if I kept my speed at 62mph. Heck, I'm getting old and driving slower seemed like a good idea any way. From our summer home in Virginia to Florida's east coast is 888 miles. No mountains and with the exception of South Carolina the highway is smooth and straight with few if any stoppages. I held true to my word and resisted the temptation to pass 55 mph governed company trucks like lighting McQue - I just sat back, set the cruise control and listened to prime country on SeriusXM. It didn't take long for the mpg reading to start rising from the 2mpg I earned while idling to warm up. By the time we hit the Virginia/NC border I was up to 7.4 mph. I held slow and steady the entire distance and arrived at our destination with 8.4 on the mpg clock. Now, when I make this trip i usually run 65 to 70 mph, pass any slow vehicle and work the accelerator and 10 to 9 gear range pretty hard. Mileage expected is something like 6.5 to 7.2. The numbers work out like this: That is 106 gallons of diesel at a current price of $2.75 & 9/10 a gallon that's $292.00 in diesel fuel to get here. I I had NOT tried the slower speed and using my old numbers with today's diesel cost I would have burned 129 gallons of diesel fuel. At today's cost that would be $356.00. Or, said another was, 60 gallons less and a savings of $166 dollars. The wife was happy, the trip less stressful and $166 is nothing to scoff about. Driving the rig slower definitely saved fuel/money and I am sure made my trip safer. Of course it was a flat road trip with no hills or mountains. Once I get into mountainous country I general forget about speed or mileage and when all is said and done 6 to 6.2 mpg is OK. I'm getting older and slower, but this time I am glad it worked that way.

I supposedly have a "reservation site" for 2022 but have not paid. I was told this would be taken care of after Jan 1. Is something else going on? What is this about a waiting list and unavailable sites?

Rick, I should have made pictures. Think of an unpainted piece of wood destroyed by termites, weather rot, ants, carpenter bees and years of neglect. That would be these fasteners. I am the king of saving things, too many things in fact. This has been a good truck, one owner, one driver and regular maintenance before I bought it. But, it was a contract US Mail hauler that continually ran from one end of I-95 to the other in sun, rain, sleet, snow and SALT for six years and 700 thousand miles and probably never got an undercarriage wash. If I ever buy another truck it will come from Arizona. From day one of my ownership any small body parts fastener between 10mm and 15mm that was exposed to salt would either break in two or strip out when removing. No amount of PB Blaster, heat, or even homage to the Angel of nuts and bolts would help. Those that did survive removal were cleaned in a bath of Muratic Acid or put in a rock tumbler for reuse. At first, I bought black oxide metric replacements for broken bolts. I coated them with Anti-Sieze or Fluid Film. I eventually I started buying grade 5 hardware by the pound at Tractor Supply and keeping them in bins - especially 1/4", 5/16", and 3/8" size - all SAE not metric. What I didn't save was replaced. Hey, all those rusted parts were replaced with new or cleaned and repainted unrusted parts. I shouldn't have to worry with them again! BTW, like Godzilla, the beast came to life again today with NO air leaks in the tanks or fittings. That may have put a lot of bruises on my arms and dirt in my face and hair but I have a big grin on my face. We did it - and just in time to head for sunny and warmer Florida for the winter!

Yes heat works. For these nuts the heat would have had to be a cutting torch. The rust on the nuts was so bad the nuts themselves had rusted so they would not hold in a socket or wrench - the flats were gone and the nuts were basically round. The hardware that I did not cut was rusted so bad I was afraid to reuse it. Rick, they were way beyond just being rusty.

Never seen one with the same price for cash or credit. I'm east coast if that makes a difference. Mostly along the I95, I85, I81, I40 corridors (N-S). My Good Sam card is not a swipe and save. It is a PFJ credit card which includes the GS negotiated discount. It will not complete a sale without a PIN to authorize the card on my end and hopefully prevent any one else from using the card if it is lost or stolen.

Thanks. I will rethink this.