Chinook Concourse 2003 Renovation

Post project writeups, ideas, DIY mods and off the shelf modifications and improvements. Also "Known Issues" and their resolutions.
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Blue~Go
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Location: 1999 Concourse

Re: Chinook Concourse 2003 Renovation

Post by Blue~Go »

HoosierB wrote: Yes. Replaced the sun faded Chinook cab carpeting with new Ford OEM "Flint (grey)" found on eBay. It was a removal from a van conversion company.
I love how at least someone here has always done everything :) I never thought about "take out" OEM carpet. Great option!
1999 Concourse
rjudice
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Location: Bend, OR

Re: Chinook Concourse 2003 Renovation

Post by rjudice »

HoosierB wrote:Yes. Replaced the sun faded Chinook cab carpeting with new Ford OEM "Flint (grey)" found on eBay.
After a search on eBay for my model year, I've had no luck. I wonder if there's crossover from other model years?
Ross
2003 Chinook Concourse
rjudice
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Re: Chinook Concourse 2003 Renovation

Post by rjudice »

Today I installed the passenger seat swivel base. I really like the use of space. The chair is much more comfortable (to me) than the dinette seating or the jack knife sofa.

The swivel base didn't swivel at first. I had to remove the locking pin and loosen the nut that at the center of the mechanism. This turned out to be a 30 minute diversion. Nonetheless, the rest of the installation was pretty easy. Rotating the chair is not all that difficult — just moving the seat back and forth to clear the pillar and the doghouse.

After sitting in the chair and staring at the furnace for a while, I've pretty much decided to yank the furnace and install a wall mounted catalytic heater on the wall utilizing the available propane and 12V access. And this will give me addition floor space for my livestock.

I've spent several hours reading and researching the pros and cons of various heating solutions in RVs. And while everyone has their own opinion on the pros and cons of each, I think I'm going to install the 5,200 BTU Platinum Cat vented heater on that wall utilizing the available venting options. Why?

- Venting moisture outside;
- Thermostat; and
- No need to leave a window open
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Ross
2003 Chinook Concourse
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Blue~Go
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Re: Chinook Concourse 2003 Renovation

Post by Blue~Go »

rjudice wrote: After a search on eBay for my model year, I've had no luck. I wonder if there's crossover from other model years?
I think you can be pretty certain that 1997-2008 will be the same. 2009-2014 probably the same (same doghouse). 1992-1996... maaaaybe, but may be different in the doghouse area.

I hear you on the furnace with your passenger seat swiveled. That was one thing I considered when I was thinking about installing a swivel there and making that part of the living room. Namely that then the "furniture area" just behind the passenger seat no longer lends itself so well to furniture (or big furnaces). I would like to have the door there, but that's going a bit far, even for me :mrgreen:

I'm not familiar with the plat cat, but I take your points on venting and (I presume?) silent heat. That could be quite nice. The only thing I could see being an issue is that if it is anything like other catalytic heaters, it's radiant heat. That means your feet will be wonderfully toasty when you are in the swivel chair, but the kitchen could be chilly and the bathroom an iceberg.

Here is another consideration for you:

Put something like a Propex in a location like under the stove (there is that deadish area just aft of the wheelwell), and propane there already). That can either just blow straight out (toward the kitchen sink) or you can put an "eyeball swivel" type grille on it to aim it a little toward the bathroom. Or you can actually run ducts from them (but they are much smaller in diameter than the ones on the original furnace). There is one Propex around 6,000 btu and one around 9,000 btu. They are both physically much smaller than the stock one (the 6,000 btu one is the size of a shoebox), and also more efficient and I believe quieter. The fan draws quite a bit less amperage (1.x amps IIRC). Then you can still have a plat cat for quiet radiant heat in the sitting area.

Yes, it's two heat sources to buy and install, so maybe not your cup of tea depending on how you travel and how warm you like things. I'm thinking of this plan because although I'm not at all sorry I removed the original beast, I miss having heat back by the bathroom, and also being able to just reach my arm out from under the covers and flip a thermostat, then get up once things are warm (had that in my camper van and would mount the thermostat for the Propex within reach of my Chinook pillow 8-) ). And yet I also like the silent radiant heat for other times, or concurrently -- or furnace in AM to warm the entire rig, then radiant heat taking over from that.

Anyway, just another idea
1999 Concourse
rjudice
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Re: Chinook Concourse 2003 Renovation

Post by rjudice »

Chinook Updates

- I installed the new Fantastic Fan 803350 12V Vent ($220) in the bathroom. I'll have to figure out lighting in the bathroom since the previous fan including a light fixture. I might just use a battery operated LED light in the near term.
- Using the old solar wiring conduit, I ran the wiring (feed line) for the UHF/VHF antenna from the roof into the above-cabin cabinet. I installed the antenna (Comet-NCG SBB-5) on the Diamond K540KM mount to the passenger side rail. It has a swivel mechanism allowing me to manually rotate the antenna flat to the roof.
- Regarding the solar system installation, I ran the wiring from the roof through the old TV antenna hole to the driver side cabinet and forward to the above-cabin cabinet, and down the driver side pillar toward the battery compartment. It looks like I'll have to drill a new hole through the floor and then another into the side of the battery compartment. More on reconfiguring and updating the battery compartment later...
- I removed the low voltage disconnect (Sure Power model 135000) and plan to rewire from the charger to the battery using the direct route along the driver side wall behind the couch and bypassing the now removed LVD. Any recommendations on wiring size? Should I wire the negative to the battery negative and forgo the existing wiring to the chassis ground?
- I replaced the non-functioning cabinet struts with new ones from Columbia Struts. Wow! What a difference.
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Ross
2003 Chinook Concourse
rjudice
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Re: Chinook Concourse 2003 Renovation

Post by rjudice »

Help!

While removing the Low Voltage Disconnect I was able to account for all of the wiring except one — a black wire coming off the V IN terminal and heading up the driver side pillar. It has an inline 7.5 Amp fuse.

After checking the Sure Power manual and the Chinook manual's "Electrical System Diagram", I'm stumped. Any ideas where the termination of this wire might be?
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Ross
2003 Chinook Concourse
A Rooney
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Re: Chinook Concourse 2003 Renovation

Post by A Rooney »

Between the 2001 Premier,I have,and 2003..the chinook construction changed....that said I will relate what occurred when I installed my Solar....specifically the drilling of the floor by the lvd to accommodate the large gauge wire I ran.Though I did not document this,my recollection is that the floor was several layers of particle board,easily a couple inches thick perhaps a tad more.I used a paddle bit,not a forstner and even though I placed the hole to avoid hitting the loom of wires I did snag a single red wire outside the loom.The reason I address this is,to alert you to the thickness of the floor,(which may be entirely different in your year)but also what I discovered after repairing the break in the red wire I snagged.it ran independently to the positive battery terminal where it terminated with an inline fuse (case empty)it was in fact a wire for the solar panel my premier never came with.When I checked the wiring diagram in the manual for my year this was confirmed.Though I have no idea as to your black wire,it does strike me as a fairly out of the way place to access a fuse,should it fail.If you have the manual that came with your rig you might check the 12 volt electrical diagram provided,for a wire with an inline fuse. Rooney.
Rokrover
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Re: Chinook Concourse 2003 Renovation

Post by Rokrover »

After checking the Sure Power manual and the Chinook manual's "Electrical System Diagram", I'm stumped. Any ideas where the termination of this wire might be?
On my 2002 Concourse that is the "hot" wire from the solar panel. If you upgrade to an additional panel be sure to also upgrade the fuse from 7.5A. I now use a 20A for safety after blowing the original fuse and running my house batteries down, assuming incorrectly they were being maintained by the solar panels.
rjudice
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Joined: October 26th, 2016, 8:01 pm
Location: Bend, OR

Re: Chinook Concourse 2003 Renovation

Post by rjudice »

Rokrover wrote:
On my 2002 Concourse that is the "hot" wire from the solar panel. If you upgrade to an additional panel be sure to also upgrade the fuse from 7.5A. I now use a 20A for safety after blowing the original fuse and running my house batteries down, assuming incorrectly they were being maintained by the solar panels.
Since I've already tracked the old solar wire which I'm repurposing to power my ham radio, I'm pretty sure the aforementioned black wire is not solar. It appears to go up the pillar and then towards the rear of the Chinook via the driver side cabinet bundle.

Here's what I've been up to:

- Ran two 6 AWG wires from the Progressive Dynamics 4645 charger toward the battery compartment.
- Pulled all the wiring from the battery compartment and cleaned up the silicone.
- Pulled all the wiring going through the floor of the Chinook (solar and LVD) which left a pinky-sized hole in the floor. My plan is to enlarge the hole to 1 ½ inch. I removed the 50A fuse under the chassis (in the white box).
- Installed the two solar panels and wired each with 10 AWG to the combiner box, and attached the duplex 6/2 wire that goes down to the controller.
- Routed the cellular booster antenna wiring through the combiner box.

The attached schematic was developed to help me organize my thinking a bit. It's certainly not all inclusive.
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Ross
2003 Chinook Concourse
A Rooney
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Re: Chinook Concourse 2003 Renovation

Post by A Rooney »

I see you eliminated the lvd,and installed a shunt and legitimate battery monitor,which makes sense to me. I find myself regularly checking my battery state,and with 200watts plus (50 watts more than I)I would not expect you would ever get near 50% battery.Unless you are tempted to actually expand your off shore power electrical interests,and install a serious inverter to explore and exploit your expanded capacities.The override battery connection aspect of the Lvd,is not some critical feature,power jumping packs are fairly small and convienient to use.With my limited electrical understanding,I confess I have never completely understood the protection designs of the 50 amp automatic resetting breaker I gather you removed? Between the vehicle and coach.Perhaps you or another member could explain the possible events this breaker was designed to provide insurance against.Trailwagons surely installed it for some purpose,if no more than meeting the requirements of rv electrical association approval.Rooney
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