Another happy Chinook owner

[Hittheroad]

Tried posting once maybe this time it will work anyhow my wife and I are new to the Chinook world we purchased a 1997 Concourse on a 1996 chassis 460 v8 last Monday 80,000 mile unit that looks like it was just used for a room while traveling, stove shows no sign of use nor does the frig. Almost every thing has been updated with the exception of solar panel and controller for it, outside is very nice with the exception of a little sun fading and clear coat peeling on the front cap.

An elderly couple in their late 70s owned it and the husband came down with an illness all of a sudden and could no longer use it so they had their daughter sell it for them, I saw it on craigslist less than a half hour of it being posted on a Saturday and they had several callers ahead of me but none were able to look at it that day so I ask that they please dont sell it until I had a chance to see it as I was 100 miles away from it, I pretty much new that I was going to buy it as I had made up my mind after looking at other styles of camper vans that I wanted a Chinook and preferred the 460 over the v10 and really could not afford a much newer one. They were agreeable to hold off others until I had a shot at it something that does not happen all the time. Since the daughter was selling it for them she did not know all the facts about it and the description on the add was very vague so when we looked at and found the rest of the story and looked through the records of service done to it, new brakes, uppper and lower ball joints, new board in frig, new tv, new dvd player, new 400 watt inverter, am fm cd player in living area and new antenna. I believe I was the first person to roll out the awning and it looked new as well.

We ended up giving them a deposit on it since it was Saturday and no banks open it was a very long weekend, Monday rolls around and it is off to the bank to get the rest of the money, we had been pre approved for a loan but just took the money out of savings and would deal with the loan part when we got it home. The trip home was good it drove pretty nice but it was rush hour traffic in Portland OR and was a little hectic being a new to me rig we also have Denali 26 foot bumper pull trailer so not new to wider than usual vehicles and keeping in your lane.

Now the fun begins, getting insurance, getting new plates going to bank to get loan. For those of you thinking you can just go out and pay for one and come back and get a loan for near the value you paid be prepared to get a shock the loan officer pulls up the Nada guide and starts going over it and said that the value was only $7,400 then we got to the additions on it and got the price up to $9,875 and that was because she fudged a little bit and said it was a 1998. I was half expecting this to happen so we just bit the bullet and excepted the price and signed the papers. After I got home I got on the Nada site and went through it myself and with all the actual options it had got the price up to $12,500. I am happy that we got it but wanted a little extra cash left over for the gotta have it things

[pdemarest]

Hi Hittheroad - this whole NADA guide issue is puzzling to me and problematic. No one can get a Chinook for $9K or $12K and yet the NADA guides are used not just by banks but also by insurance companies when they are obviously wrong. I'm still trying to figure out how to adequately insure my rig for what its actually worth without having to pay for one of those "agreed value" policies. As it is now I'm paying about $50 a month for full coverage but I would only recover about 1/3 of what I have invested if the rig was stolen or destroyed. Does anyone know of some other NADA-like guide that shows the real value of our Chinooks?


Paul

[Blue~Go]

Hi, welcome aboard, and congratulations!

My Chinook purchase was somewhat similar (grandson selling it for grampa). Only I didn't even try the awning (was buying it regardless). It was actually a year or two before I put the awning out and I was joking with some friends that, hey, maybe it's just an empty metal tube But nope, it was a crisp, like-new awning. (I still don't use it much because of wind - or wind potential - but it's nice to have it.)

There are a number of low-volume, but valued by buyers RV's and boats that have unrealistically low NADA values. It's a pain. But in my experience you can usually show some evidence that this is not real world and get a break. It's easier these days with online ads, eBay auctions and the like to point to. I still insured mine for agreed value (i.e. real world value) though.

[Hittheroad]

Hello Blue, I had mine insured for replacement value or buying price value as well it may cost a few more dollars but better to get something close to the value than get gouged if something were to happen. I have been reading this forum for about a week now and see your name pop up quite often and it appears you have quite a handle on these and have been following your lead on some things to make it better. It will get its maiden voyage on July 14 when we will head to Kentucky with it pulling a car trailer with one of my cars a 76 Maverick it is about a 5,000 mile trek and should be fun barring any problems

[Blue~Go]

July 14 sounds just right -- you'll have a few weeks to make some initial tweaks/tests/etc.

If your car trailer is over 5,000# you may want to check into the hitch. At least on my era Concourse, the hitch itself is only rated to 5,000# (it's a welded hitch that is also part of the step framework). We've also had Chinookers with some rust issues causing the hitch to fail (gradually, it sagged down). Also you may want to weigh your rear axle with the trailer and all your stuff loaded up. That's the number that's most likely to be exceeded in my experience (tongue weight multiplies due to the overhang). My rear axle is rated to 7,500# but yours may be different (sticker on driver's door jamb, which if you haul cars you probably already know).

Let the tweaks and trips commence!

[Hittheroad]

I have studied the hitch and it is not how I would have made one but I suppose it is sufficient for the weight of the hitch, po pulled a car behind it but probably flat towed it so there would be no tongue weight. I have a 2012 f150 and just checked the gwr on it and it is only 7200 pounds and I have towed it back to that area 4 other times and the Chinook is like yours and is 7500. I plan on loading the car up and taking it to the scales and see what the tongue weight is as that worries me the most.

Goes in for new tires next week, lots of tread on these but from 2000 so thats just a little old and I dont need tire problems, also going into Ford garage for a check up and fluid change all around no none issues I just do that with any rig I buy especially transmissions . I wish that the battery box was tall enough to get a set of 6 volt batteries in it, they would fit with out the rack but love being able to rack the batteries out for maintenance. Now if I could just get the genny to going I would be a happy camper looked at it a little today and took out the control board so I could check other things

[Blue~Go]

Good to hear of your plans and details - that's part of the fun here

The Chinook may have a rear axle weight rating higher than your F-150, but on the other hand there is already a "house" sitting on that rear axle. Taking it to a scale is smart. Mine is at around 6,800# with just the Chinook itself before I start towing (depending on what I have aboard, whether the gas tank is full - it's behind the rear axle - etc.). Just to give you an idea of the overhang multiplication factor, the ~325# of tongue weight on my heaviest trailer translates to an additional 550# of weight on the rear axle (I have a formula to calculate exactly, but that gives an idea). That trailer is around 4,500#, but since it's a tandem I can run lighter tongue weight with good handling (5-7% vs. 10% for a single).

As you mentioned, a car towed four-down basically has no tongue weight.

I will say that my Chinook doesn't sag much if at all even with the largest trailer (325# tongue weight). I initially made the hitch ball a couple of inches higher than level (meaning level for the tandem trailer) expecting the Chinook to sag. Nope, had to re-adjust hitch ball height (not that I'm complaining).

Good move on the new tires. The recommendation for RV tires is usually around six years from date of manufacture of the tire. You sound like you know your way around vehicles, but just in case I'll mention to check the DOT code on the tires, which shows the date they were made (pardon me if this is too elementary). A friend just bought a set of "new" tires without asking about the DOT code first and they were already over a year old!

Some have gone to AGM batteries (no maintenance), but they cost more and have more precise charging desires, so I probably wouldn't choose them if using the stock charger, or even a replacement charger without temp comp and adjustable settings (I did go to AGMs, but I also re-worked my main electrical system and charging components). OTOH, if you want to make AGMs look cheap, just check into lithium (which do have lots of advantages). I got pretty excited about the coolness and what they can do, and even planned out a theoretical installation. But then I did a load test on my four-year-old AGM bank and it's still at like 90% capacity, and does everything I ask of it, so.... I decided that was money I could just go ahead and not spend at this point. And as a side bonus, now AGMs look cheap!

I think quite a few folks here have solved various problems with the generator, if you get to where you want to bounce ideas around.

Meanwhile.... new Chinook!!

[Hittheroad]

I have got to teach the wife that she cant pack up the rig like we do for camping, I did stop on the scales on the way home and with a mostly full tank of gas and propane it was up near the 6,500 mark and I may have to leave some tools out of the trailer and put in compartment in Scoobie (Chinooks new name) to keep tongue weight down I know the car weighs in at 3,400 pounds with full tank of gas and trailer is an aluminum decked 16' so I will be pushing the limits.

I believe that I have discovered that the voltage regulator for the gen is bad I dont have the correct meter with a diode checker to test it but with my fluke digital meter it shows bad, going to borrow a meter that has a diode checker and test with it. Heck I could have the generator sitting on the ground in less than an hour and make checking it out much easier and shed some weight for the trip and just let the truck and solar panel keep the house batteries charged. The one thing I have not found yet is the junction box for the output of the generator I know someone said it was in the closet under the carpet ?

[Blue~Go]

I believe that I have discovered that the voltage regulator for the gen is bad I dont have the correct meter with a diode checker to test it but with my fluke digital meter it shows bad, going to borrow a meter that has a diode checker and test with it.

I don't know what your symptoms are, but speaking of voltage, Chinook used a starter wire that is WAAAY too long and thin -- especially in the versions like mine (and I bet yours) where the generator starts from the Ford start battery, which is a longer run. Mine had 6AWG wire and that thing was well over 30' long. Run that through a voltage drop calculator if you want to raise your eyebrows Might crank okay in hot weather, but not cold.

In later years, they moved the gen start wire to the house bank, which is actually what Onan recommends anyway (and is the typical RV way). Since I rarely use my generator, what I did was just use the original 6AWG wire but run it only as far as the house bank (mine is under my couch). That chopped off about 18' of wire that was necessary to run on along to the Ford start battery (which is on the passenger side in my rig, but maybe it's on the driver's side on the 460?). If the generator was a priority or I lived in a cold climate I'd have run larger wire even for the shorter run.

This may have nothing to do with your issue, but figured I'd mention it. Also, side note, the generator won't run if you are below approximately 1/4 tank of fuel in your main gas tank (so you don't accidentally run out of gas to drive away on).

Heck I could have the generator sitting on the ground in less than an hour and make checking it out much easier and shed some weight for the trip

A few here have removed the generator. Member Scott replaced his with a Honda EU2000 that he keeps in the compartment, IIRC. How handy this is or isn't depends on how and where you use the generator (for example, you can't fire it up at a lunch stop to pop something in the microwave as easily as the built in Onan). I have actually never used mine, and have only run it to exercise it. So I'm very tempted to remove it and have all that glorious storage space for outdoor stuff. I think others have removed it to service or rebuild it and then put it back (DougM maybe?).

...and just let the truck and solar panel keep the house batteries charged.

That may sort of work, but... probably not really for more than brief stops or occasional nights. Reason I say that is that the engine will only charge them up to around 85% full, and the stock solar panel is really only for keeping the batteries topped off in storage. (It's small, low voltage, and has really long skinny wires.) Very forward thinking for the late 90's though! I don't mean to sound like a downer, but just don't want you thinking you have a "solar system" like a modern-day setup would be. (OTOH, it's not that hard/expensive to set up a 200 watt portable system, which you can set out in the sun even if you are in the shade.) (Not great for something like a Walmart stop though.)

OTOH, if you have batteries you don't mind replacing a bit more often, you can just let them run down and keep them somewhat charged up with the engine. It's just not ideal.

The one thing I have not found yet is the junction box for the output of the generator I know someone said it was in the closet under the carpet ?

There were some variations in the mid-90's as it seemed like they sorted out the transition from earlier setups to the more standardized 1997+ setup. But, if yours is like mine, then the closet will have a two-level floor. The higher part is actually the top of the generator box. The lower part is a "false floor" of sorts (carpet over plywood) that sits up on a couple of wooden runner type blocks. There may be a strap you can grab. You just pull this section up and out and there is a regular household type metal junction box under it - that's the generator junction box for the AC wiring part of it (the DC starter wire comes across from the driver's side frame rail in black loom near the rear axle and goes into the aft/outboard side of the generator)

[Hittheroad]

When I said earlier that I was sort of following your lead for some upgrades the wiring to the generator was one of the items I was looking at, on the 460 set up the battery is on the driver side and 6 awg wiring from battery goes to an 80 amp breaker under the hood on the passenger side then down passenger frame rail to generator. Being an electrician I am very aware of voltage drop and I just happen to have some #2 welding type cable that plans are to take to house batteries and relocate the 80 amp breaker to house battery area. I have been working on getting sufficient grounds but have not been able to locate the main ground going to engine I have traced it to behind the alternator and believe that is where it terminates but have not confirmed that and have not found where it terminates to the frame other than the # 10 wire from battery terminal.

I know the solar panel is not really an effective method of charging the battery just to help keep a charge when fully charged what I was not aware of is the alternator only charging the batteries to 85%, the type of use this unit will get will probably require using the furnace more than the ac and we know the furnace will deplete the batteries faster than any item although I have not had any experience with a frig that runs on dc but thats what the propane is for.

I tried pulling the carpet in the closet but did not try hard as I did not want the wife to give me the evil eye when I came out of the closet with just a piece of carpet in my hand and saying oops I guess it wasnt there after all. If life was easy it would be boring