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1

General Discussion / Re: 12 volt plug

« on: July 25, 2026, 08:30:14 am »

New member here just chiming in with my 2 cent tire opinion. Most tire manufactures build several different brands. I worked in  Bridgestone tire plant for 25 years where we built Bridgestone, Firestone, and Dayton. Same tires built on same machines with same materials by the same people. It is common practice when switching a machine over to a different brand to only switch out the tread cap component in the tire assembly machine so it has the correct tire code so it goes into the correct curing press  to make it the correct brand.  Think of it as a Bridgestone Dueler and Firestone Destination are the exact same tire, just with different names and different prices. Typically the Bridgestone brand tire will cost about 30% more than the Firestone. You are paying for a title. All the other manufactures do this same thing for the most part.

So something to keep in mind when budgeting for new tires.

This is great information.  It would be nice to have a dedicated thread for this.  I wonder if data is available, cross-referencing brands of what are identical E-rated E350/E450 motorhome tires.

Bridgestone Dueler = Firestone Destination and Dayton ???

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General Discussion / Re: Macenator pump - again

« on: July 25, 2026, 08:02:05 am »

Ron - next time I need to get under I will look more carefully at the motor. My initial process has been to loosen the 6 Phillips head screws holding the clear plastic cover - which exposes the blades and of course tank “residue” - a slot for a screwdriver to dislodge would be far preferred!

Clear plastic cover?  I do NOT have any such cover on my 2007 model macerator setup.

Our PC has Phoenix's "First Generation" macerator design.  Our macerator setup may be different, but just maybe the macerator itself is the same.  If yours looks like ours but without the shown hole here, it could be as simple as drilling an access hole like I have done to both replacement macerators over the years.

Our original 2007 macerator is to the right.  The first replacement is to the left.  I drilled a hole to access the shaft.  The slot in the shaft was already there.  I place a round sticky pad over the hole to keep out water.  I simply peel it off if the pump ever gets jammed.


A side note: In our case with our 2007 model year, the red wire goes to our PC's black wire, and the black wire goes to our PC's red wire.  Strange, but when hooking up red-to-red, and black-to-black, both replacement pumps run backwards.  The supporting wires coming from the motorhome are color-mixed up.  Other people have reported having the same condition, so keep this in-mind when replacing a macerator.

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General Discussion / Re: No hot water

« on: July 25, 2026, 07:52:30 am »

wideglide,

Good data you shared.  It is nice to know these parts are available.  I did not yet check my HWH owner's manual for compatibility for our 2007 model year, but you enlightened me on a starting point if our HWH fails.

Thank you!

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General Discussion / Re: Finally After Two Years

« on: July 24, 2026, 12:29:06 pm »

Thanks for the uplifting comments.

Our 2 night stay at Illinois Beach State Park was great.  We had a really nice time and our old PC behaved like it was like new with everything working properly.  I wondered what to expect after 2 years idle, but all is well.

We'll be going back there later this season as it is close to a golf course that Irene bought discounted green fees for, a camp & golf experience.  Bike riding is also great at the park, loved that too of which revealed a great isolated beach.

We still have a vision for a long road trip out west before the change of seasons discourages it.

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General Discussion / Re: Introduce Yourself!

« on: July 24, 2026, 12:19:59 pm »

That faucet replacement to the kitchen sink is going to be rough. I will have to do it all by feel due to no room to get my head in there. That's a super tight space. Went and bought the Milwaukee sink tool last night and some PEX to 3/8 compression shut offs to install while I'm doing the job. Ill post before and after pics in a thread here after i get it done.

As you are considering, I removed the hot and cold down-pipes along with the faucet because there is no room up top.  I bought those copper rings and crimping tool to reconnect, making the connections in the same manner as Phoenix did.

Unlike the kitchen faucet, the bathroom faucet is easy-peasy.

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General Discussion / Finally After Two Years

« on: July 21, 2026, 06:45:38 am »

Between my battle with stage-4 Lymphoma and our legal battle that is now scheduled for review at SCOTUS on 9/28, I finally fired up our PC after 2 years sitting inside our garage. It started right up as if it had ran the day before.  The same with the generator though I had installed a fuel cut-off on it to drain the carb for long term storage.  All systems I operated like the a/c, inverter, etc. are working fine.  I never let our PC sit that long before, wondering what to expect.  We took it to church last Sunday, a 30 mile round trip to put some miles on it.  I can't tell that it is burning 2 year old gasoline.  At the gas-filler, the fuel smells fine without STA-BIL.  We will be taking it out soon on a short get-away, hoping to go cross country later in the season.  Two years ago, I did prep the rig with the gas tank topped off and all batteries disconnected and maintained, be it done rarely.  The tires dropped 10 psi during those 2 years in storage.  Our 2007 PC has only 45,500 miles on it today.  We need to do something about that.  I plan a full mechanical go-through at 50,000.  I have done only partials up to this point.

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General Discussion / Re: Introduce Yourself!

« on: July 20, 2026, 07:16:20 pm »

Welcome wideglide!

Glad you got connected.  We sure could use some new members to wake up this forum.

Your 2011 2350 will have some natural improvements/upgrades over our 2007 2350 as Phoenix made little improvements along the way, as did Ford with the chassis.

I store my write-ups on this forum and refer to them often on iRV2.com  To find them quickly, I store all the links to them HERE.  Some will apply to you, others will not.  Go through them and see what may be of interest and applicable to you.

Again, Welcome!
Ron Dittmer

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General Discussion / Re: Macenator pump - again

« on: July 19, 2026, 08:40:31 am »

An interesting idea, but I fear that the area of the impeller, the macerating area where a drain plug is ideal, would disrupt the movement of sewage.

Maybe your system is different, but on my macerator, the end of the motor has a slit in it to use a screwdriver to free up things.  Replacement macerators lack the opening to access the shaft of the motor, so I drill a hole as part of the installation process.  MANY PICTURES HERE.  I also posted the replacement process HERE.

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General Discussion / Re: Power side view mirrors, 2016 E450

« on: July 15, 2026, 04:50:50 pm »

Our 2007 mirrors are singles with a small stick-on extra convex mirror, not dual mirrors like the later PCs have, so I wouldn't know.

My own logic thinks your convex mirrors are stationary.  You can check yourself.  Push on an edge of the main flat mirror to make it move with micro-clicking.  Doing so will NOT damage it.  Then try doing the same with the lower convex mirror.  If it doesn't move with equivalent force, then it doesn't adjust.

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General Discussion / Re: Power side view mirrors, 2016 E450

« on: July 15, 2026, 01:57:40 pm »

Without seeing a picture of your power mirror control panel, every one I have seen including the one in our 2007 model year, the rocker switch you describe, is for heating the mirrors for when ice forms on them.  Make sure the switch is turned "OFF" unless you are de-icing.

This is something everyone should check....
With your engine off and ignition key in-hand, test to determine if your power mirrors still operate.  If they do, then you want to MAKE SURE your heated mirror switch is in the "OFF" position, or your chassis battery will drain much more quickly.

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General Discussion / Re: Ford E350 AC/Heater vent malfunction and fix!

« on: July 13, 2026, 02:03:10 pm »

As fate would have it, my brother with a 1998 E350-V10 motorhome, texted me yesterday saying that his HVAC got stuck on defrost.  Just like flei, he did an internet search and concluded what flei did.  Being on an extended trip, he stopped in a repair shop who made a quick repair, replacing the section(s) of vacuum hose that was accessible which solved his problem.  It cost him $75.  My brother wonders if the "splice" will be long lasting, hoping to at least finish out their trip without a repeat.

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General Discussion / Re: Ford E350 AC/Heater vent malfunction and fix!

« on: July 12, 2026, 09:25:17 am »

Awesome post!  I am glad you did it yourself, done extremely cheaply, and in good time.

Thanks for sharing that.

I don't know why, but PC forum members have gone silent.  I myself, check daily for activity.  With more and more PCs being built, chatter here should increase, not decrease.

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General Discussion / Re: help needed 2350 electric awning addition

« on: June 10, 2026, 08:56:06 am »

Call Phoenix on what to order.  It is possible that Phoenix installs a made-for-Phoenix awning to accommodate the non-flat wall, or they install a standard awning but utilize two additional custom-made filler pieces to work with the wall.  I found this picture on-line which shows what appears to utilize filler pieces.



The easy solution is to install another box awning, but naturally you will miss out on the conveniences.

Back in 2005, it was popular for Phoenix to install a short box awning.  We paid extra in 2007 to have the box awning cover across nearly the entire side of our 2350 which is very nice that it covers the bedroom window and the storage compartment below it.  Here is our box awning closed-up.  My point is "bigger is better."



The convenience of a fully electric awning is hard to beat, but I like the clean lines without the tracks and all the extra mounting holes in the body.  I have no ladder of roof rack for the same reasoning.

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Tips and Tricks / Re: Low Cost Macerator Pump Replacement (Saved A Pile Of Money)

« on: June 09, 2026, 05:31:53 pm »

Because we don't do #2 in our PC, I have not yet done a gravity dump, only the macerator method.  As we continue to age, I can see a change in our bathroom practices coming soon.  Maybe then it will be more appropriate to gravity dump, but using the macerator up to this point has been a very clean uneventful experience.

Fortunately, when we needed to replace our macerator twice during the past 19 years, both times had occurred at home with time to order and install a replacement.  I do carry a gravity dump hose in a storage tube suspended under the rig (PICTURES HERE) for in-case a failure occurs during a trip.

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General Discussion / Re: Bubble and peel paint

« on: June 02, 2026, 10:41:30 pm »

Indoor storage makes a huge difference.  Our 2007 PC stored indoors since new, still looks like new.  Not just the paint, but everything plastic, painted, caulked, and even the roof's fiberglass sheathing which can otherwise develop hairs.  If you can arrange indoor storage, it is well worth the investment.

Outside covered storage like a carport seems a decent second choice.  Just place sun blocking panels on the sides of the carport where the rig is exposed to the sun.

Fitted RV covers have mixed reviews.