1997 winn tasca 350 engine ic420rg

[lostitallGtH]

HELLO ALL, HAVE A QUESTION. I JUST BOUGHT THIS RV SO WHEN MY WIFE PASSES ON IN A FEW MONTHS (CANCER) I'D HAVE SOMEWHERE TO HANG MY HAT. I'M SO NEW AT THIS, IT ISN'T FUNNY.
MY QUESTION IS;
CAN THE GAS GAUGE GO BAD OR WOULD IT BE THE FLOAT IN THE TANK. MINE READS FULL ALL THE TIME.
AND DOES ANY ONE KNOW HOW i CAN KEEP THE BATTERIES CHARGED WHILE THE RV SETS IN WAITING. i CAN PLUG THE CORD FROM THE RV INTO MY GARAGE, BUT DOES THAT HELP KEEP THE BATTERIES CHARGED? I NOTICED ANOTHER RECEPTICAL WHERE I FOUND THE AC CORD FOR THE GARAGE. WHAT WOULD THAT BE FOR?

THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH.
REGARDS, LOSTITALLGth
PS. HOW DO WE KNOW WHEN SOMEONE HELPS OR HAS ADVICE? THANKS AGAIN.

[GOLDWINGER2]

Originally Posted by lostitallGtH

HELLO ALL, HAVE A QUESTION. I JUST BOUGHT THIS RV SO WHEN MY WIFE PASSES ON IN A FEW MONTHS (CANCER) I'D HAVE SOMEWHERE TO HANG MY HAT. I'M SO NEW AT THIS, IT ISN'T FUNNY.
MY QUESTION IS;
CAN THE GAS GAUGE GO BAD OR WOULD IT BE THE FLOAT IN THE TANK. MINE READS FULL ALL THE TIME.
AND DOES ANY ONE KNOW HOW i CAN KEEP THE BATTERIES CHARGED WHILE THE RV SETS IN WAITING. i CAN PLUG THE CORD FROM THE RV INTO MY GARAGE, BUT DOES THAT HELP KEEP THE BATTERIES CHARGED? I NOTICED ANOTHER RECEPTICAL WHERE I FOUND THE AC CORD FOR THE GARAGE. WHAT WOULD THAT BE FOR?

THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH.
REGARDS, LOSTITALLGth
PS. HOW DO WE KNOW WHEN SOMEONE HELPS OR HAS ADVICE? THANKS AGAIN.

Sorry to hear the bad news about your wife, welcome to the forum, hope that you're OK in the future. On the fuel gauge, you probably lost the ground or have a corroded positive connection. Check for both before taking out the sender unit. Click on the CP option under the IRV2 logo page to see responses to your posts. The Winnabago website will have the answers to the electrical questions that you have. On every MH I have had
I only had to plug in the one cord coming from the coach.
J

[lostitallGtH]

Thank you Goldwinger2, I appreciate the advive more than you know. I was fixing to have the gas tank removed and replace the float/sending unit. I'll try your' idea first. I had taken the dash off and looked at the back of it, all nuts was secure on the gauges, and clean. Can I ask you another question? Is there a trap door over the gas tank any where to be able to remove the sending unit without taking off the tank or get to the pos./neg. wires you spoke about checking? Thanks again partner.
I also wanted to thank you for the kind words for my wfe. Right now, every day we have to have the radiation treatments done for her. So far, they've not help any. Our 30th annaversary was in June, two days before it, we were told she had cancer. Now, I feel so lost, empty. She wants me to live on and be happy, 'how can that be?' I' a 100% disabled vet, just had a 4-way bypass 3 months ago, a heart anorisum repaired 3-4 weeks ago which the VA said at 5.6cm was nothing to worry about. I ended up in a real hospital and they fixed it for me.
Didn't mean to lay this on you, but I guess I needed to let it off my shoulders. Thanks again partner. Maybe I'll make a good RVer, ha.
Regards, lostitallGth

[GOLDWINGER2]

Most MH's don't have an access hole, on my previous coach someone cut the floor for access. You can try that approach, but be careful you don't want to create more problems for yourself. On my first MH the fuel gauge didn't work and I never fixed it. I would fill up, take note of the mileage, drive 300 -350 miles and gas up again. By the time I hit 300 miles I was ready for a rest anyway. I had a fifty gallon tank and was getting 10 mpg so I was never near empty. I know how stressful it is to have a loved one ill, I lost my mom in April of 2010. I used to dread the ring of the phone, and then one night I got that call. All I can say is enjoy her while you have her, comfort her as much as you can. Peace be with you.
J

[Clay L]

Regarding the charging issue, Winnebago typicality wires so that the house batteries are charged from the converter when plugged into shore power, when the generator is running, and the alternator when the engine is running.
There is a battery disconect switch usually by the door that needs to be on so the batteries can charge and so you will have 12 vdc available for items that need 12 v such as the lights, furnace, water heater, refrigerator , etc.

The engine battery is charged by the alternator only. Because of parasitic loads such as the engine and transmission computers the engine battery will discharge in a few weeks (3 weeks for mine) when the engine hasn't been run - even when the coach is connected to shore power.

Sorry about your wife. I can't imagine what it would be like to lose mine.

[lostitallGtH]

Originally Posted by GOLDWINGER2

Most MH's don't have an access hole, on my previous coach someone cut the floor for access. You can try that approach, but be careful you don't want to create more problems for yourself. On my first MH the fuel gauge didn't work and I never fixed it. I would fill up, take note of the mileage, drive 300 -350 miles and gas up again. By the time I hit 300 miles I was ready for a rest anyway. I had a fifty gallon tank and was getting 10 mpg so I was never near empty. I know how stressful it is to have a loved one ill, I lost my mom in April of 2010. I used to dread the ring of the phone, and then one night I got that call. All I can say is enjoy her while you have her, comfort her as much as you can. Peace be with you.
J

hello Goldwinger2, wanted to thank you for the advice. You know, I am so new at this I had written in the wrong year for the RV I bought. It is a 1979. I just had a look at the title. 'Nothing slow about me, ha' It only has 52000 miles on it and runs pretty good. I was sure hoping there was a trap door over the tank, but, I will try your' first advice first. Then maybe see about making a trap door for the float over the tank. Is there any way you know of getting to the float besides taking the gas tank down? I've did that on cars, but never an RV. My tank is a 33 gallon, the guy said he got 12-14 miles per gallon, does that sound correct with a 350 engine? I noticed he had left the fan belts off the AC compressor, wonder if that was to help save on gas and he added dual muffler system.? He said they used the over head AC when traveling and the dual muffler system help on mileage and the engine's power. I hope he was truthful about the RV.
So sorry you lost your' mom, I know how that can hurt. I lost both my parents back in the early 1980s. Now, my soul mate will be leaving me after 30 years all because medicaid and medicare didn't want to pay the doctors what they wanted to treat her. So, 11 months later my wife's cancer had spread all over her before any doctor did a thing to stop it. Now all we get is appointments and radiation treatments that they say will do no good in the long run. I tell ya partner, I hate the thought of loosing my wife. The RV was kind of a way to maybe make me want to go on. But for real, I don't know how long I can after she's gone... We met and married within 8 days in 1980. Past June was 30 years.
On the broken gas hand, you have a bit more nerve than me, lol. I need to get that thing fixed, ha. Can I ask you another question? Does thriple AAA tow RVs? I've had it for years. I think by now I art to be a Dimond member or something for as long as we've had them, lol. I have to say partner, I am a bit scared to start this adventure in the RV. But, there will be nothing left for me here.
Thanks again mate, have a grate day/night. Regards, G, lostitallGth

[lostitallGtH]

Thank you Clay, your' advice is very welcome. The folks I bought the RV from said to plug the ac cord into the house outlet/shore I think what you meant. I didn't know about the button to be switched on/off. I have been starting the RV about once a week so far. They said they put a Marine battery in for the coach 12vdc system. I was hoping the ac cord would keep that one and the engin battery charged all the time they were plugged into ac. Where the ac cord is located, there is another in-let socket/receptacle that I have no idea what it is used for. What would plug into that one, any ideas? Is this may be the inlet for the genarator to run the ac for the coach? I wish I knew more about these Rvs. Thanks again. Regards, lostitallGth

[GOLDWINGER2]

Originally Posted by lostitallGtH

hello Goldwinger2, wanted to thank you for the advice. You know, I am so new at this I had written in the wrong year for the RV I bought. It is a 1979. I just had a look at the title. 'Nothing slow about me, ha' It only has 52000 miles on it and runs pretty good. I was sure hoping there was a trap door over the tank, but, I will try your' first advice first. Then maybe see about making a trap door for the float over the tank. Is there any way you know of getting to the float besides taking the gas tank down? I've did that on cars, but never an RV. My tank is a 33 gallon, the guy said he got 12-14 miles per gallon, does that sound correct with a 350 engine? I noticed he had left the fan belts off the AC compressor, wonder if that was to help save on gas and he added dual muffler system.? He said they used the over head AC when traveling and the dual muffler system help on mileage and the engine's power. I hope he was truthful about the RV.
So sorry you lost your' mom, I know how that can hurt. I lost both my parents back in the early 1980s. Now, my soul mate will be leaving me after 30 years all because medicaid and medicare didn't want to pay the doctors what they wanted to treat her. So, 11 months later my wife's cancer had spread all over her before any doctor did a thing to stop it. Now all we get is appointments and radiation treatments that they say will do no good in the long run. I tell ya partner, I hate the thought of loosing my wife. The RV was kind of a way to maybe make me want to go on. But for real, I don't know how long I can after she's gone... We met and married within 8 days in 1980. Past June was 30 years.
On the broken gas hand, you have a bit more nerve than me, lol. I need to get that thing fixed, ha. Can I ask you another question? Does thriple AAA tow RVs? I've had it for years. I think by now I art to be a Dimond member or something for as long as we've had them, lol. I have to say partner, I am a bit scared to start this adventure in the RV. But, there will be nothing left for me here.
Thanks again mate, have a grate day/night. Regards, G, lostitallGth

A '79, that's different animal, no pump in the tank to deal with. You might be able to drop the tank just enough to get the sender out, if you have to drop it at all. 33 gals is a small tank and that is a Class C, correct? They barely got 12 -14 as a regular van, add a house to it and... 8-10mpg.
You have no fuel injection and no overdrive to help mpg. Is that a twenty footer? I had a 20' Class C on the Dodge chassis with a 360 engine, only problem it ever had was a clogged secondary fuel filter. I always carry a
"get out trouble" kit, so i was back running at full power in about twenty minutes. AAA does service RV's, just add the RV service plan to your membership. I have AAA and Good Sam, if one can't get me going I have a backup. Some people have Coach Net, I have never tried them. I have never had to tow any of my MH's, I go over them top to bottom before I leave home, that's the best way to avoid problems. (the secondary filter was hidden, never knew it existed) The old no fuel gauge trick was used when I was younger, I wouldn't try that now, DW would kill me! Hit the road soon and have some fun.
J

[Clay L]

I believe the outlet in the service bay you asked about is for the shore power plug (ac plug) to be plugged into when you want to run the generator. That way the motor home gets it's power from the gennie.

A 1979 engine probably doesn't have the parisitic drains that newer engines do so your engine battery should stay charged much longer without being started even though it doesn't get charged from shore power.