ZMotorsports Shop Projects 2.0

[zmotorsports]

Happy Thanksgiving Mike! Looks like good times and good food out your way. I really liked the Moto Metals on your son's truck so I'm a bit sad to see them go. I had a set of them on my old '11 Silverado and always thought they were a nice clean, timeless wheel.

Thanks Austin. Hope you and your family had a nice Thanksgiving as well.

Yeah, I am sad to see him sell the wheels as well. However, he's convinced he likes that OEM+ look and doesn't think he'll sway away from the original wheels going forward. Maybe more of myself has rubbed off on him than I thought as I don't go in for all the cosmetic "fluff" either. But I do love the look of those Moto Metal wheels on his GMT800 truck.

 

[Jayman17]

Mike I'm happy to see your gravy to food ratio was spot on for your Thanksgiving dinner. Sounds like you had a good time with family.

 

[zmotorsports]

Mike I'm happy to see your gravy to food ratio was spot on for your Thanksgiving dinner. Sounds like you had a good time with family.

That's funny, my son had mentioned his blood/gravy ratio during dinner. I know I like gravy but I never heard mentioned in ratios before.

 

[PugetDude]

That's funny, my son had mentioned his blood/gravy ratio during dinner. I know I like gravy but I never heard mentioned in ratios before.

Best gravy I ever had was at the Rock Tavern in Estes Park, Colorado. I asked the waitress if I could order it as an IV.

 

[Mr. Roboto]

Mike,

Hope you and your family had a wonderful thanksgiving!!!

Long overdue for me here. I've barely had the time to keep my thread updated, so I just got all caught up here. As always, awesome work on everything. Your motivation is inspiring, and there is nothing you can't tackle.

You posted a photo of the view out your back deck and some overlooking your yard... apologies if you mentioned it before but what are the mountains you have visible in the background there? What an awesome view you have. I went to northern Utah once. Went backcountry snowmobiling in Logan out of this place: https://www.beavercreeklodge.com/ We snowmobiled as bunch in northern Utah and into Idaho. It blew my mind when we stopped at a Walmart for supplies, and we were just greeted with 360 views that very much resembled what you have there in the parking lot. Beautiful! I would very much like to go back there.

 

[zmotorsports]

Best gravy I ever had was at the Rock Tavern in Estes Park, Colorado. I asked the waitress if I could order it as an IV.

What was the name of the place that had the best gravy Scott?

The wife and I are contemplating a trip to Estes Park a we have never been to Rocky Mountain NP before.

 

[zmotorsports]

Mike,

Hope you and your family had a wonderful thanksgiving!!!

Long overdue for me here. I've barely had the time to keep my thread updated, so I just got all caught up here. As always, awesome work on everything. Your motivation is inspiring, and there is nothing you can't tackle.

You posted a photo of the view out your back deck and some overlooking your yard... apologies if you mentioned it before but what are the mountains you have visible in the background there? What an awesome view you have. I went to northern Utah once. Went backcountry snowmobiling in Logan out of this place: https://www.beavercreeklodge.com/ We snowmobiled as bunch in northern Utah and into Idaho. It blew my mind when we stopped at a Walmart for supplies, and we were just greeted with 360 views that very much resembled what you have there in the parking lot. Beautiful! I would very much like to go back there.

Thank you very much for the kind words.

The mountains to the east of my home customer from my back yard are the Wasatch Mountains. They run North/South asking the I-15 corridor here in northern Utah.

It's hard to find a bad view here to be honest.

But you've got some pretty scenic areas yourself.

 

[PugetDude]

What was the name of the place that had the best gravy Scott?

The wife and I are contemplating a trip to Estes Park a we have never been to Rocky Mountain NP before.

The Rock Inn Mountain Tavern in Estes Park, CO | Rocky Mountain Tavern Restaurant and Bar

The Rock Inn is a lively restaurant located at the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park. Experience local flair, live music and delicious, hand-crafted comfort food.

www.rockinnestes.com

I ordered the meatloaf, my wife had a filet- she cut it with a fork. It's been a few years since we were there, so no guarantees...

 

[zmotorsports]

It's been a few years since we were there, so no guarantees...

Oh hell no, I'm holding ya to it.

We'll definitely give it a try, still trying to come up with a travel itinerary for 2024 and that area is one that is at the top of our list.

Thinking Estes Park area for a couple days then heading south to around Breckenridge area for a few days to enjoy some off-roading and driving through the Eisenhower Tunnel in our coach has been on my bucket list so thought we'd take that going back west.

 

[Jehannum]

Oh hell no, I'm holding ya to it.

We'll definitely give it a try, still trying to come up with a travel itinerary for 2024 and that area is one that is at the top of our list.

Thinking Estes Park area for a couple days then heading south to around Breckenridge area for a few days to enjoy some off-roading and driving through the Eisenhower Tunnel in our coach has been on my bucket list so thought we'd take that going back west.

Tabernash, Winter Park, and Estes Park are beautiful places to stop with good access to RMNP.

I try to get up there each summer.

 

[zmotorsports]

I'm not a patient man so last night I couldn't look at the large combo filter sitting on my bench any longer. It finally arrived over the weekend after being on backorder for a couple of weeks. My son was going to come over tonight to help me lift the top off the solvent tank and install the filter but I hate to bother him as I know he is anxious to get home to his family when he gets off work in the afternoons.

So I took it upon myself to rig up a sling and used the engine hoist to raise the top off the solvent tank just far enough to insert the combo filter into the drum.

Just as I cleared the drum with the tank one of the clamps slipped and the tank lowered on one side. I thought that was it, there goes 20+ gallons of solvent all over the shop floor. However, by tipping the tank slightly, it actually gave me better access to slip the large filter in on the high side with it being at an angle.


Zep combo filter dropped into drum and centered.


I then set the tank back down onto the drum and secured and dumped the last 5-gallon drum of Dyna 143 solvent into the drum.


Ran it for a bit to ensure I hadn't kinked the supply hose and all is good for hopefully at least another 5+ years.


Lastly just need to clean up the lifting components and put the engine hoist back into the RV/storage bay. I must say, it would have been much easier and faster with the help of my son as this contraption ended up taking me the better part of an hour and a half.


The next task for the evening was to drag in all of the seasonal equipment as with the changing of the seasons, also comes the exchanging of the outdoor power equipment.


Mowers need to have decks cleaned, blades sharpened, oils replaced and pressure washed.


And the snowblower needs to be checked over and tire pressures checked as we are supposed to get snow end of the week.



Thanks for looking.

 

[zmotorsports]

Tabernash, Winter Park, and Estes Park are beautiful places to stop with good access to RMNP.

I try to get up there each summer.

Awesome. Thank you. I just started researching RV parks recently when my wife mentioned she wanted to visit RMNP a few weeks ago as we were beginning our discussions for 2024's RV'ing season.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Mike, I will warn you, Estes and Breckenridge are full of PEOPLE/Tourists depending on the time of year!

Definitely a beautiful part of the world, however.

 

[zmotorsports]

Mike, I will warn you, Estes and Breckenridge are full of PEOPLE/Tourists depending on the time of year!

Definitely a beautiful part of the world, however.

Yeah, unfortunately I am planning on that as it seems to be a theme with many of these high-altitude towns due to the short/narrow window of opportunities to see them without snow. Our annual Ouray trip is the same every year as well as most of the trails aren't accessible due to snowpack until late July at the earliest and then snow is possible again as early as October again which only gives them about a 3-4 month window for visiting.

Hell, most of our trips seem to be that way these days which is why I insist on making reservations and travel plans as early as possible. I'm not a "wing-it" type of person.

Who knows maybe when we retire we'll be more spontaneous and wing it on occasion and just see where the road takes us on a whim.

 

[PugetDude]

Who knows maybe when we retire we'll be more spontaneous and wing it on occasion and just see where the road takes us on a whim.

Right..... spontaneous....
You'd be sweating like a priest at a Cub Scout meeting the whole time.

 

[zmotorsports]

Right..... spontaneous....
You'd be sweating like a priest at a Cub Scout meeting the whole time.

 

[tarbellb]

Passing through i70 going to Breck eh...

might want to check out French Creek Crossing 4wd trail, lots of fun, gorgeous. It's just outside Minturn CO

The elevated part of i70 near Glenwood Springs to Gypsum is stunning. Eisenhower tunnel is cool... the 1st time. Then it's just another thing that scares lots of folks on that stretch of i70 (lots of brake lights)

 

[zmotorsports]

Passing through i70 going to Breck eh...

might want to check out French Creek Crossing 4wd trail, lots of fun, gorgeous. It's just outside Minturn CO

The elevated part of i70 near Glenwood Springs to Gypsum is stunning. Eisenhower tunnel is cool... the 1st time. Then it's just another thing that scares lots of folks on that stretch of i70 (lots of brake lights)

Thanks. I will check it out, still researching at this time but we've spent so much time in Ouray area and a little time in Marble, Leadville, Carbondale and around Buena Vista that we want to check out a few other areas in Colorado seeing as how we are so close.

The farthest east we've been on I-70 is Glenwood Springs so we're excited to see other areas east of Glenwood Canyon and north. I know there are people that avoid Eisenhower Tunner in large RV's but it's just something that has been on my bucket list and I want to travel through it. It may be like other areas where once I've been there I see no need to go back but who knows, it may be one of the areas like Ouray that we can't get enough of and go back to year after year.

 

[JCQuick]

Mike what is this Zep combo filter I didn't see it on the web site

 

[zeug]

I know there are people that avoid Eisenhower Tunner in large RV's but it's just something that has been on my bucket list and I want to travel through it.

I have a similar, often strange draw to tunnels I've read about. Their engineering, construction, and political history fascinate me. I live on the other side of Eisenhower Tunnel from you in Colorado Springs, but went to school in Provo and lived there for 12 years. My attraction has baffled people at times. One had to do with the Mount Blanc tunnel in France. The toll for a regular car is a few euros, for the motor home we were driving at the time- 75 euros. My wife wasn't impressed and it was somewhat anticlimactic when finished, but still makes me smile.

If your interest in tunnels goes beyond driving, the Moffat Water Tunnel is in the same area and an impressive piece of engineering work. It carries water under the continental divide to Denver.

 

[zmotorsports]

Mike what is this Zep combo filter I didn't see it on the web site

It is a large filter that resides in the middle of the drum.




The drain from the tank is centered over the combo filter and the fluid drops into the center of the filter and moves outward to the drum. The pump's pickup is between the outside of the combo filter and the drum lining where it pulls clean and filtered solvent. From there the fluid runs up into the side filter (5150) before it is dispersed out of the brush.

At work we quite running this large combo filter due to cost and the fact that the guys dump anything and everything into the solvent tank so the fluid gets filthy very quickly.

At home and the way I scrape the large stuff off before it ever gets to the solvent tank, I feel this combo filter aids in keeping the larger particles trapped before getting to the pickup tube.

 

[zmotorsports]

I have a similar, often strange draw to tunnels I've read about. Their engineering, construction, and political history fascinate me. I live on the other side of Eisenhower Tunnel from you in Colorado Springs, but went to school in Provo and lived there for 12 years. My attraction has baffled people at times. One had to do with the Mount Blanc tunnel in France. The toll for a regular car is a few euros, for the motor home we were driving at the time- 75 euros. My wife wasn't impressed and it was somewhat anticlimactic when finished, but still makes me smile.

If your interest in tunnels goes beyond driving, the Moffat Water Tunnel is in the same area and an impressive piece of engineering work. It carries water under the continental divide to Denver.

Thanks. I don't know if I actually have a fascination with tunnels per se, but there are a few I like driving through and the Eisenhower Tunnel is one I have not, yet.

I have driven all of our coaches through the Mt. Carmel Tunnel between Zion NP and Bryce NP multiple times and I have found it to be the highlight of several trips although many go many miles and hours out of the way to avoid it.

 

[JDPULLER]

Thanks. I don't know if I actually have a fascination with tunnels per se, but there are a few I like driving through and the Eisenhower Tunnel is one I have not, yet.

I have driven all of our coaches through the Mt. Carmel Tunnel between Zion NP and Bryce NP multiple times and I have found it to be the highlight of several trips although many go many miles and hours out of the way to avoid it.

Hey Mike

I've been following along here for a while, my wife an I just picked up a 2003 Beaver Contessa this summer and are looking forward to getting some trips in next summer. why do people avoid the tunnels with the RV's? just because of the tight quarters I suppose? I think it would be fun to drive through the tunnel.

I really enjoy following along here. keep up the good work.

 

[Firstram]

At home and the way I scrape the large stuff off before it ever gets to the solvent tank, I feel this combo filter aids in keeping the larger particles trapped before getting to the pickup tube.

It's amazing how much longer things last and work better when you treat them well

 

[stockerwithalocker]

Thanks. I will check it out, still researching at this time but we've spent so much time in Ouray area and a little time in Marble, Leadville, Carbondale and around Buena Vista that we want to check out a few other areas in Colorado seeing as how we are so close.

Mike, Buena Vista was a great trip for my Dad and I in 2010. I highly recommend it. There are quite a few scenic wheeling trails and some that are a bit more challenging (holy cross). The highlight of that trip was the view at the top of holy cross into the wilderness and lake below.

 

[JCQuick]

It is a large filter that resides in the middle of the drum.




The drain from the tank is centered over the combo filter and the fluid drops into the center of the filter and moves outward to the drum. The pump's pickup is between the outside of the combo filter and the drum lining where it pulls clean and filtered solvent. From there the fluid runs up into the side filter (5150) before it is dispersed out of the brush.

At work we quite running this large combo filter due to cost and the fact that the guys dump anything and everything into the solvent tank so the fluid gets filthy very quickly.

At home and the way I scrape the large stuff off before it ever gets to the solvent tank, I feel this combo filter aids in keeping the larger particles trapped before getting to the pickup tube.

Thank you mike i may look into that I'm like you scrape the crud off before things go in it. mine came with the sand bag but the end was broke off of the hose so i never got to use it. BTW mine came from a closed down GM dealer and price was very good at free I just had to buy solvent and a drum

 

[zmotorsports]

Thank you mike i may look into that I'm like you scrape the crud off before things go in it. mine came with the sand bag but the end was broke off of the hose so i never got to use it. BTW mine came from a closed down GM dealer and price was very good at free I just had to buy solvent and a drum

You got a screamin' deal because I know what they sold for new, and they weren't cheap.

I am an advocate about their filtering systems as being the reason I don't have to replace my solvent very often. That and the fact that the large stuff is scraped off before it goes into the solvent.

 

[zmotorsports]

Hey Mike

I've been following along here for a while, my wife an I just picked up a 2003 Beaver Contessa this summer and are looking forward to getting some trips in next summer. why do people avoid the tunnels with the RV's? just because of the tight quarters I suppose? I think it would be fun to drive through the tunnel.

I really enjoy following along here. keep up the good work.

Sorry, I missed this comment earlier.

Congrats on your new to you Beaver Contessa. That's a great coach and being a 2003 right after Monaco purchased Beaver, I'm relatively certain it will be on the Roadmaster RR8R chassis, unless there were some leftover Magnum chassis after the acquisition, and it could have either the CAT or Cummins engines but more than likely you will have the Cummins ISL, is that correct? Most of the 2003 Beavers I've seen have been on the Roadmaster chassis but the Beaver Magnum chassis that was used from mid-90's through the Monaco purchase were a good solid and stable chassis.

We had a 1991 Beaver Contessa which was on an older Gillig bus chassis before they went with the proprietary Magnum chassis. Ours had an older 3208 CAT turbo-charged engine (300HP) coupled with an older 4-speed Allison transmission before the Allison 6-speed became the norm. We loved the woodwork in the interior of the Beaver motorcoach. As nice as the quality of the woodwork is in our 2003 Dynasty, I would have to say the woodwork in the older Beaver was a tad nicer.

As for fellow RV'ers avoiding tunnels, I think it just has to do with it being a mindscrew. Sitting up much higher in the coach places the driver that much closer to the tunnels ceiling and can be deceptive at times. If you KNOW you coach's overall height and see the height placards on the tunnels I have not had an issue and find them fun to drive through.

Most of the tunnels we've been through have had more than enough clearance but the Mt. Carmel Tunnel between Zion NP and Bryce NP can be a bit alarming to first timers as the placard states 13'4" but that is at the center and the sides curve down slightly. I've been told that years ago the placard was 12 foot something and all they did was replace the placard but that must have been before my time. I know when you go through the Mt. Carmel Tunnel you have to purchase a special permit and they close the tunnel down to oncoming traffic and you must drive down the center of the tunnel staying away from the sides but in the dozen or so times we've driven that tunnel we have had no issues. I have heard of others scraping if getting too close to the sides, but I don't know if I believe that as it seems like there is still quite a lot of clearance.

I appreciate the comments and hope you have many miles and smiles in your new to you coach. Safe travels.

 

[zmotorsports]

It's amazing how much longer things last and work better when you treat them well

You're preaching to the choir my friend. I know exactly what you mean, a little care goes a long long way in making things last and taking care of them.

Mike, Buena Vista was a great trip for my Dad and I in 2010. I highly recommend it. There are quite a few scenic wheeling trails and some that are a bit more challenging (holy cross). The highlight of that trip was the view at the top of holy cross into the wilderness and lake below.

Yes, there are some great trails around Buena Vista area. Our FMCA 4-Wheelers club has a rally there every year but we've only attended once as we prefer Ouray. The Breckenridge area will be new to us but we are somewhat familiar with Buena Vista, Leadville, Marble and Carbondale areas, just not as familiar as we are with the Ouray/Silverton area.

Our FMCA 4-Wheelers club just released the 2024 rally and gatherings list of events and it appears as though they are foregoing Buena Vista this coming year in favor of Silverton. Unfortunately, they will be in Silverton a month before we will be in Ouray as we made our reservations and plans this past August, a year in advance.

 

[JDPULLER]

Sorry, I missed this comment earlier.

Congrats on your new to you Beaver Contessa. That's a great coach and being a 2003 right after Monaco purchased Beaver, I'm relatively certain it will be on the Roadmaster RR8R chassis, unless there were some leftover Magnum chassis after the acquisition, and it could have either the CAT or Cummins engines but more than likely you will have the Cummins ISL, is that correct? Most of the 2003 Beavers I've seen have been on the Roadmaster chassis but the Beaver Magnum chassis that was used from mid-90's through the Monaco purchase were a good solid and stable chassis.

We had a 1991 Beaver Contessa which was on an older Gillig bus chassis before they went with the proprietary Magnum chassis. Ours had an older 3208 CAT turbo-charged engine (300HP) coupled with an older 4-speed Allison transmission before the Allison 6-speed became the norm. We loved the woodwork in the interior of the Beaver motorcoach. As nice as the quality of the woodwork is in our 2003 Dynasty, I would have to say the woodwork in the older Beaver was a tad nicer.

As for fellow RV'ers avoiding tunnels, I think it just has to do with it being a mindscrew. Sitting up much higher in the coach places the driver that much closer to the tunnels ceiling and can be deceptive at times. If you KNOW you coach's overall height and see the height placards on the tunnels I have not had an issue and find them fun to drive through.

Most of the tunnels we've been through have had more than enough clearance but the Mt. Carmel Tunnel between Zion NP and Bryce NP can be a bit alarming to first timers as the placard states 13'4" but that is at the center and the sides curve down slightly. I've been told that years ago the placard was 12 foot something and all they did was replace the placard but that must have been before my time. I know when you go through the Mt. Carmel Tunnel you have to purchase a special permit and they close the tunnel down to oncoming traffic and you must drive down the center of the tunnel staying away from the sides but in the dozen or so times we've driven that tunnel we have had no issues. I have heard of others scraping if getting too close to the sides, but I don't know if I believe that as it seems like there is still quite a lot of clearance.

I appreciate the comments and hope you have many miles and smiles in your new to you coach. Safe travels.

Our Beaver Contessa has the Roadmaster chassis and Cummins ISL (370HP) engine. the coach is in excellent condition we are the third owners, the first owner did lots of upgrades like a Silverleaf glass dash, water filtration system and such, the second owners were local to us and had to sell due to some health issues but they took excellent care of the coach and had all maintenance and repairs documented with receipts since new.
I'm looking forward to putting some miles on it next summer.

 

[Jehannum]

Sorry, I missed this comment earlier.

Congrats on your new to you Beaver Contessa. That's a great coach and being a 2003 right after Monaco purchased Beaver, I'm relatively certain it will be on the Roadmaster RR8R chassis, unless there were some leftover Magnum chassis after the acquisition, and it could have either the CAT or Cummins engines but more than likely you will have the Cummins ISL, is that correct? Most of the 2003 Beavers I've seen have been on the Roadmaster chassis but the Beaver Magnum chassis that was used from mid-90's through the Monaco purchase were a good solid and stable chassis.

We had a 1991 Beaver Contessa which was on an older Gillig bus chassis before they went with the proprietary Magnum chassis. Ours had an older 3208 CAT turbo-charged engine (300HP) coupled with an older 4-speed Allison transmission before the Allison 6-speed became the norm. We loved the woodwork in the interior of the Beaver motorcoach. As nice as the quality of the woodwork is in our 2003 Dynasty, I would have to say the woodwork in the older Beaver was a tad nicer.

As for fellow RV'ers avoiding tunnels, I think it just has to do with it being a mindscrew. Sitting up much higher in the coach places the driver that much closer to the tunnels ceiling and can be deceptive at times. If you KNOW you coach's overall height and see the height placards on the tunnels I have not had an issue and find them fun to drive through.

Most of the tunnels we've been through have had more than enough clearance but the Mt. Carmel Tunnel between Zion NP and Bryce NP can be a bit alarming to first timers as the placard states 13'4" but that is at the center and the sides curve down slightly. I've been told that years ago the placard was 12 foot something and all they did was replace the placard but that must have been before my time. I know when you go through the Mt. Carmel Tunnel you have to purchase a special permit and they close the tunnel down to oncoming traffic and you must drive down the center of the tunnel staying away from the sides but in the dozen or so times we've driven that tunnel we have had no issues. I have heard of others scraping if getting too close to the sides, but I don't know if I believe that as it seems like there is still quite a lot of clearance.

I appreciate the comments and hope you have many miles and smiles in your new to you coach. Safe travels.

FWIW, the Eisenhower tunnel, while it doesn't have much elevation change internally, drops you out (on the west end) onto a huge hill (downhill if you're headed west). There are copious well and frequently used runaway ramps. Even my wife's little Golf station wagon had some brake fade on the way down.

 

[zmotorsports]

With the front of our 2006 Silverado 2500HD starting to show some wear and tear I have been collecting pieces and parts over the past month to give her a facelift. I was going to sand and clear the headlights as they've been getting a bit foggy from UV and the last time I polished them was about 7 years ago however, as I was inspecting them I noted that the corners were starting to develop slight cracks from UV. The first 8 years we owned the truck it had to sit outside at our last home so it has only had the luxury of being in a covered garage for the past 6.5 years now so I think those first years took their toll on the plastics even though I've done my best to maintain them. Plus, I purchased the truck out of the Pheonix, AZ area so I'm sure those first 4 years were brutal on it.

When I purchased the truck there was some minor damage to it from the original owner. He evidently didn't know what a tailgate was for as it appears everything went over the bedsides into the bed because there was a lot of little dents and dings along the bedrails and the tailgate was damaged severely. The front bumper has also been impacted slightly causing a pretty decent size dent and the lower front valance was cracked and broken. Upon my first taking delivery of the truck I focused on zeroing the drivetrain out, it was straightpiped so I added the Banks Monster Exhaust and then began getting the body back into shape. As far as the front bumper, I hammered the dent out to where it was barely noticeable and soldered the plastic lower valance so it too was barely noticeable. My thinking was I would use the funds I had budged for the truck to get the body work and paint work up to par after the drivetrain and then when I had the money I'd get a new bumper and lower valance. Well, to be honest, it has been so undetectable that I have just ran with it for the past almost 15-years I've owned the truck now.

However, with the recent strikes and parts availability issues I started thinking that while I am addressing the lighting on the front of the truck maybe I'd splurge and spend the money to replace the bumper as well. I went OEM on the three bumper components as they were not much more than aftermarket. I also ordered the bumper and lower valance for the Silverado that had the fog lights in the valance as mine did not come with them. It took a few weeks to get the bumper components but I got a call yesterday informing me that my bumper parts had arrived so I went to my local GM dealership at lunch and picked them up.

Upon arriving home, I unloaded and unboxed them to check and ensure they were not dented or damaged, although the boxes looked pristine. Everything looked perfect.


The OEM part numbers and a big ole' Proudly Made in Canada stencil on the box.


Other parts for my truck's facelift include a new OEM GM bowtie as my original is showing some peeling and decay. I also purchased an OEM switch panel for the dash to include the fog light switch that is incorporated in with the bed light and an OE style wiring harness for the foglights that I will be installing in the new lower valance.


And all new lights for the truck. New OE quality headlights, turn signal/driving lights, foglights and tail lights that will be going on the truck.


Now to find the time to install all of the above parts.


After unloading all of the bumper parts and only having about an hour of time in the shop I bumped the heat up, cranked up the Christmas tunes and turned my attention to OPE.

We are supposed to have a winter storm hitting us projecting 2-5 inches of snow on the valley floor between Friday night and Saturday morning, so I figured rather than commence the end of season preventive maintenance on the lawn equipment I had better get the snowblower ready.

I made sure tire pressures were up and even, checked fluids and then gave all of the plastic a good wipe down with ZEP Powerhouse. It had collected just a little dust over the summer so I am pleased with how it shined up. It fired on the third pull and is now ready for that white ****.


Before closing up the shop I hung a couple new metal signs that I've had on the shelf for a while but haven't hung.


Thanks for looking.

 

[zmotorsports]

Our Beaver Contessa has the Roadmaster chassis and Cummins ISL (370HP) engine. the coach is in excellent condition we are the third owners, the first owner did lots of upgrades like a Silverleaf glass dash, water filtration system and such, the second owners were local to us and had to sell due to some health issues but they took excellent care of the coach and had all maintenance and repairs documented with receipts since new.
I'm looking forward to putting some miles on it next summer.

Sounds like a nice and well cared for coach. I love hearing stories like this of how a well-cared for coach has continued to find new caretakers who will continue to enjoy it and give it the care and attention it deserves. I hate to hear of people having to seel due to health issues though.

Unfortunately, the original owners of our coach just used the **** out of it, had no service records and it had definite signs of neglect. The only good thing was that it was only 4-years old with 55k miles when we purchased it so although it was not taken care of in the best way, we were able to rescue it early enough before irreversible damage could occur. I think one of the reasons I got such a good deal on ours is that I negotiated to buy it "as is" so the dealership that just got it in didn't have to deal with any of the repairs or work. It was a gamble for sure but I felt like the bones were still in good shape and the few bumps and bruises could be corrected easily enough. The two largest issues on ours when we bought it were the Aqua-Hot was leaking and the chassis charging system was inoperative. Those both turned out to be very low cost to repair but the Aqua-Hot required a lot of work to get it out of the coach and into the shop for repair. The repair was easy enough and only required some soldering but it required about 10-hours of work getting it out and then again back into the coach. The charging system was just a charge isolator and I also rebuilt the alternator as a precautionary measure.

We have now been the caretakers of our 2003 Monaco Dynasty for 17-years in a couple of months and feel it is in as good of condition or better than when it was new. I'm sure you will continue the care of your new coach and I hope you are able to enjoy many trouble free and fun miles on it.

 

[zmotorsports]

This first part is for Marc, (@OutlawDrifter ) as he sent me a message the other day showing me one of these extension tools and I mentioned that I had a MAC version.

This is a 1/2" drive version and they also make a 3/8" driver model. I purchased this particular one about 15+ years ago for a specific job and it has proven useful in several others over the years. Although it doesn't get used much, there are specific tasks that it is a real life saver. An impact gun (or ratchet) can be installed on either side and allows access into tight areas.


Here's the backside showing where an impact gun can also be connected.


MAC's part #.


I know there are other brands that make these as well but there are some that are real junk so if looking to buy one, do some research. This one is aluminum and has cast standoffs internally to keep the chain slack at a minimum.

I can't remember who did a comparison but I saw one on YouTube a year or so ago and several just didn't hold up well at all.

 

[larry4406]

This first part is for Marc, (@OutlawDrifter ) as he sent me a message the other day showing me one of these extension tools and I mentioned that I had a MAC version.

This is a 1/2" drive version and they also make a 3/8" driver model. I purchased this particular one about 15+ years ago for a specific job and it has proven useful in several others over the years. Although it doesn't get used much, there are specific tasks that it is a real life saver. An impact gun (or ratchet) can be installed on either side and allows access into tight areas.


Here's the backside showing where an impact gun can also be connected.


MAC's part #.


I know there are other brands that make these as well but there are some that are real junk so if looking to buy one, do some research. This one is aluminum and has cast standoffs internally to keep the chain slack at a minimum.

I can't remember who did a comparison but I saw one on YouTube a year or so ago and several just didn't hold up well at all.

That chain drive offset is slick! I’ve not seen that before. I’ve been in situations where that would have been just the ticket. Thanks for posting.

 

[zmotorsports]

Last night I was able to get the decks cleaned under the mowers and the oil changed for the year end or season end service.

After oil was changed I tilted the deck back to commence the blade removal and cleaning of the Snapper walk behind.


Blade was still balanced relatively well and only required a slight touch-up on the cutting edge.


The Toro ZTR's deck was heavily packed and required a bit more cleaning.


Deck all cleaned out and ready to accept the blades.


The blades were touched up on the cutting edge and ensured they were balanced before reinstalling. Deck on the hand-truck awaiting the next step of cleaning.


Saturday my son (and grandson later) came over to the shop to hang out with me. While I was working on the wife's car he took it upon himself to removed my old and torn hand grips from my two brooms and installed a couple of motorcycle grips that he had kicking around.


I think they turned out cool as hell and I'm sure they'll get used a lot.


Started off by using them last night to clean up this mess.


After the floors were swept and the mess was cleaned up the mowers were moved near the door so they can be cleaned outside on the next nice day.



Thanks for looking.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

This first part is for Marc, (@OutlawDrifter ) as he sent me a message the other day showing me one of these extension tools and I mentioned that I had a MAC version.

This is a 1/2" drive version and they also make a 3/8" driver model. I purchased this particular one about 15+ years ago for a specific job and it has proven useful in several others over the years. Although it doesn't get used much, there are specific tasks that it is a real life saver. An impact gun (or ratchet) can be installed on either side and allows access into tight areas.


Here's the backside showing where an impact gun can also be connected.


MAC's part #.


I know there are other brands that make these as well but there are some that are real junk so if looking to buy one, do some research. This one is aluminum and has cast standoffs internally to keep the chain slack at a minimum.

I can't remember who did a comparison but I saw one on YouTube a year or so ago and several just didn't hold up well at all.

Thanks for sharing Mike, I'm going to be on the lookout for the right set. Definitely something I want in my box.


Thanks for the reminder on the OPE, I need to get my X724 in the shop to clean up, service, and put away for the winter!

 

[zmotorsports]

That chain drive offset is slick! I’ve not seen that before. I’ve been in situations where that would have been just the ticket. Thanks for posting.

You're welcome. It definitely has a purpose for certain jobs.

Thanks for sharing Mike, I'm going to be on the lookout for the right set. Definitely something I want in my box.


Thanks for the reminder on the OPE, I need to get my X724 in the shop to clean up, service, and put away for the winter!

You're welcome Marc. It's good to have in the toolbox for those isolated tasks. When it's needed I'm grateful to have it.

As for the OPE, I'm a bit late this year as it's been sitting in the shop ready to have the work performed for nearly 2-weeks now. Just haven't had the time to tackle it until last night.

 

[zmotorsports]

I want to give another shout out to Benchmark Abrasives. Let me preface by saying I am not endorsed or have any affiliation with Benchmark, but I've been using their products for a few years now and have been very pleased with the products that I've used.

Last week I placed an order for some supply items that I was getting low on. Nothing major, just some Roloc style 3" grinding disks, some 60-grit PSA sanding discs, some 20k RPM 2.5" wire wheels and some scroll style blades in 32-tpi and 24-tpi for my small pneumatic saw.

Well the order arrived yesterday and after opening I noticed that the label was torn and mostly missing on the plastic bag for the 60-grit PSA discs. I opened the bag to double check the grit and that's when I noticed that they sent my 80-grit by mistake. I took a couple of pictures and sent them the pictures. I got a response within a half an hour stating they apologized and would get the 60-grit discs in the mail immediately. When I asked how to send the incorrect ones back to them, they simply said to enjoy the early Christmas present.

I have not had a single issue with their customer service on anything I have ordered over the past few years and just had to give a shout out for anyone needing grinding or cutting supplies. Not only are their products very good, but their customer service is impeccable.

 

[XJSuperman]

They've been good to me too, Mike. I'm a little sad the sanding belts I'm looking for aren't available from them.