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Old 09-20-2020, 03:50 PM   #1
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Default PleasureWay dump ports too low - fix ideas?

We just bought a 1999 PleasureWay Excel TW and find that the dump tube is so low it will scrape on our driveway. Are there any fix solutions?
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Old 09-20-2020, 04:02 PM   #2
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lay a 2x4 in the transition from road to driveway.


approach straight on- don't make the turn as you enter the drive way


there are rubber mats or ramps made to fill these transitions- some of my sportscar driving neighbors use these.


I have only a slight rise to my driveway and my PW lexor has no issues


Mike
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Old 09-20-2020, 04:17 PM   #3
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Some Excels came from the PW factory with air bag suspension add-ons. If your unit has that then maybe just adding a bit more air would lift the coach enough.

Air lift bags aren't too expensive to add and can be DIY if you have the skills and have tools etc.
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Old 09-20-2020, 07:43 PM   #4
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Default Thank you!

Those are great ideas! Thank you.
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Old 09-20-2020, 10:01 PM   #5
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This is a small book but if you are going to lift, here are some answers that only took me 150.minutes to type out one character at a time on my cell but my fingers needed the exercise which in that period there has probably been 20 different answers posted.

If it will scrape on your driveway, practice the art of gratitude because you have received an early warning that was FREE from the GODs of RVing.

Is this RV a new purchase as in the first RV you have parked in your driveway?

If so, double my first statement.

--------------

I know because this happened to a good friend who ended up trading his almost brand new, 2010 Roadtrek with only 8000 miles he bought new for $60k for an $800,000 Renegade Class A.

The facts are below.

Sooner or later, through little fault of your own (unless you have camera feeds of all your invisible touch points under the rig), you are going to at least damage if not break, crack & even shear off your lower plumbing.

And the GOD'S above will cause it to happen as you arrive at a Public Function with an unfavourable wind.

It begins like this as you pull into the parking; a large scraping noise and of course you stop, turn off the rig & open the door just as others from the function walk over to assist.

You climb out & the first thing your Senses notice is the foul odour of the BlackTank. The next sense involved is your vision of brown water draining in a direction of the food being offered.

You look up & see the onlookers have stopped advancing, in fact some of them have turned away while the rest seem to be glued to the surface - this is when the True Friends you have run to the driver's side window of the rig. Your best friends actually tell you through the open window "STOP. Do NOT get out of the car. They get on their knees & inform you that you have to either go back or forward.

If you have already gotten out of the car, you don't need to get on your knees & see what is happening, its obvious - you are atop a high point in the entrance/whatever & the only thing you can do is move forward or back up.

Hopefully you are not beached on top & cannot go forward or backwards.

Inevitably as you begin in either direction the scraping, cracking & breaking only increase & the dripping is now more of a flow.

And then it gets worse.

------------------

On three occasions it happened to me (the scraping & cracking), n the first year of the plumbing in my 2005 Roadtrek Versatile 190.

And for the next few years I successfully lifted the ground clearance higher & higher until I can now fit multiple units of the World's most common measuring unit, from Central African Republic to Canada, the ubiquitous Coca Cola Can.

Going to dump a lot of photos next, a much more effective tool for change.


#1. https://www.supersprings.com/

I went to SUPERSPRINGS in Santa Barbara who outfitted my rig with the Red Overleaf Spring you see called SUPERSPRINGS, (instant 3 inch lift at the rear), some of their Bump Stops call SUMO SPRINGS & a poly urethane 2 inch spacer unit up front they NO LONGER recommend as on our 9500lb rigs they fail.

The spacers were the only product that didn't work.

This company has been working with all the RV Manufacters the last few years since they began with me as a Guinea Pig & have some fantastic innovative products for all of us.

They know our challenges.They have tested extensivelyon all RV Classes. They have a product for you even of it's just the Supersprings, Front Bump Stops & Rear Sumo Springs.

Gerry is the owner but he is surrounded by many helpful, knowledgeable professionals who can help you.

In the last 5 years their company has expanded to where they are now, 4 times the size. And still expanding to meet demand.


#2 Bill Erb at Valley Spring Works

This rear lift left my rig with a Stinkbug Appearance so after meeting with all the 4x4 Gurus & having my rig pulled apart ar 8 different installers only to find they couldn't fix it.

Despite thinking they could.

Chevrolet Vans seem to be the issue at the time.

I was hem referred to the Guru of Coil Springs, Mr BILL ERB of VALLEY SPRING WORKS of Dixon halfway between the Sacramento/San Francisco area.

Bill is a Genius.

And without seeing my rig but from going over the Thread that became The Novel that was created amongst ourselves to solve the problem (namely Booster & Photog), I arrived in Dixon & he had fabricated two sets of coils that are still performing with excellence* on my rig 8 years later.

Moreover he said one set will raise your rig up front by 2.75 inches (just what I needed), and another set (which we didn't use).

He put them on & the result was instant success but it was a 2.74 increase not the 2.75.

He also added another pair of leaf springs to my rear sets. In fact, he may also have taken both sets of my rear leaf springs off & put them in his oven making them like brand new - it was a while ago.

Because of all the BS I went through with everyone but Supersprings & Erb, I had him powder coat blood red both the replacement coils & the Supersprings.

And did all this for a fraction of his time & labour. And not for Referrals, Bill's Factory wasn't able to keep with demand for his many different products outside of what he made for me.

All US Car manufacturers when they produce a Lemon suspension or handling wise, send vehicles to Bill who then fabricates a work around & then the manufacturer, builds the fix & distributes them to dealers.

Same with all heavy equipment for the Gas & Power companies except he finds the issues, fabricates the repair or improvement & then manufactures the parts in some instances.

He added some KYB Monomax Shocks that failed many years later - a poor choice which were replaced below.

I know some people here, a fraction had a difficult time with Bill & that was during the time when he was undergoing treatment for a Brain Tumour (now you know), but the majority of us & I, always found Bill to be super positive, committed to the answers & strangely, the cost was nothing compared to what others quoted.

A Real Gentleman.

And from the moment I drove out of there my Rig no longer felt like a Dinghy in choppy waves but a high performance Race Car.



#3. https://weldtecdesigns.com/

Then in 2018 I found out, from revisting the thread above that became a novel (Thank You Matt Mobile), about a company called WELDTEC DESIGN & JEREMY in El Cajon by our Southern Border.

I went there to get some 2 inch spacers & ended up with a 3 inch Spinde Lift, a 2 inch rear block lift, 4 brand new 18 inch Wrangler tires* and Bilstein Shocks all around.

I do know now that I couod have gone with some softer springs that come out of the newer factory models as the ride is a little firm but I prefer the rig the way it is is.

The next step I do not need, is their 5 inch lift where they use either a Leaf Spring Change & or, four adjustable Fox Racing Shocks.

As I am already tall enough, no need but next time I would probably have the one stop shopping experience at Weldtec Design & Supersprings which is two stops but Supersprings know our needs & will send you over the phone everything that they have already extensively field tested & nothing thst you don't need.

Plus I got to keep my Erb Coils & my Supersprings Supersprings & tje Rear Bump Stops/Sumo Springs.

By the way, after 7 years I popped in to see Gerry at Supersprings & he checked out my front bump stops which he just changed for me as one wasn't in as good a condition as the other.
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Old 09-20-2020, 10:12 PM   #6
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In the fourth photo you will see my rig on the right.

And the difference in ground clearance between my unit & a rig of the same year.

If, like I, twice damaged the Roadtek Ground Effects, it was a $13,500 insurance bill in 2015. That front bumper is a new model 2015 unit.

Now Roadtrek is no longer making the older parts available & I have hit by Hit & Run drivers 3 times in this vehicle alone - Roadtrek will not help but its okay, I like it to look rough on the outside as even recently U have had 5 separate break in attempts in Los Angeles & 1 recent Catalytic Converter theft attempt.

Its what is inside that counts anyway & my truck is a Castle!
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Full Timer in a 2005 Roadtrek Versatile 190/Super Modified & Lifted, Two 220ah Lifeline 6 Volt AGMs in Series, 250 watts Solar, Victron BMV712 Meter & Victron MTTP 100V/30A Solar Controller, Magnum MMS1012 Inverter Charger, Onan 2.8 Generator, Novakool R3800 Fridge & more ...
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Old 09-20-2020, 10:15 PM   #7
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Some more ...
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Full Timer in a 2005 Roadtrek Versatile 190/Super Modified & Lifted, Two 220ah Lifeline 6 Volt AGMs in Series, 250 watts Solar, Victron BMV712 Meter & Victron MTTP 100V/30A Solar Controller, Magnum MMS1012 Inverter Charger, Onan 2.8 Generator, Novakool R3800 Fridge & more ...
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Old 09-20-2020, 10:17 PM   #8
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Pictures ...
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Full Timer in a 2005 Roadtrek Versatile 190/Super Modified & Lifted, Two 220ah Lifeline 6 Volt AGMs in Series, 250 watts Solar, Victron BMV712 Meter & Victron MTTP 100V/30A Solar Controller, Magnum MMS1012 Inverter Charger, Onan 2.8 Generator, Novakool R3800 Fridge & more ...
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Old 09-20-2020, 10:20 PM   #9
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Almost finished
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Full Timer in a 2005 Roadtrek Versatile 190/Super Modified & Lifted, Two 220ah Lifeline 6 Volt AGMs in Series, 250 watts Solar, Victron BMV712 Meter & Victron MTTP 100V/30A Solar Controller, Magnum MMS1012 Inverter Charger, Onan 2.8 Generator, Novakool R3800 Fridge & more ...
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Old 09-20-2020, 10:24 PM   #10
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A lot of photos.

You now have all the visual representation you need.

IF YOU WANT TO LIFT.

I hope this helps not just you but other people like I who ar the beginning, clock on your thread looking for answers.
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Full Timer in a 2005 Roadtrek Versatile 190/Super Modified & Lifted, Two 220ah Lifeline 6 Volt AGMs in Series, 250 watts Solar, Victron BMV712 Meter & Victron MTTP 100V/30A Solar Controller, Magnum MMS1012 Inverter Charger, Onan 2.8 Generator, Novakool R3800 Fridge & more ...
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Old 09-20-2020, 11:42 PM   #11
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Default Wow! Thank you!

You are a saint for typing in that long and beautifully illustrated story! You have given us great things to check out. I am in California and can easily get to the specialists you mention. We really appreciate the time you took and hope it will help some other first time RVers as well.

All the best,
Dianne
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Old 09-21-2020, 12:04 AM   #12
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Thank you Diane but its the other members here & every bump in the road that happens when you leave your driveway who got me started.

And I could use a Computer however for training out a medical challenge I have, the chicken peck method is valuable right now.

I am in LA but know many people in California who can help you RV wise as well as this issue. But especially LA for RV issues.

And I can steer you away from those that cannot but take your money anyway.

And unfortunately there are far more of the latter than the former.
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Old 09-21-2020, 01:21 AM   #13
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Well I appreciate all the advice and may be back in touch as we figure this rig out!
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