Guess what, a 45 year old motorhome……..is not!
Yeah, I get drawn into stuff, I need to learn to just ignore some comments. Not reacting this time just realize bringing a 45 year old machine with as much involved as one of these things are there will be a running forever punch list, thing happen on old stuff because it can and anyone who thinks you can pin any problem your motorhome has on the last guy who checked the tire pressure………you need to step away from one of these. I’ve said enough.
Here’s one….electrical issues, age and corrosion:
So the turn signals are messed up on this coach, brake and backup lights are out.
and yes, this is the coach we did the extensive dash AC/heat system in last week
and BTW, check out the look putting an expanded steel grate behind an original grill …….. But anyway, yes we were deep into the harness but wait…we didn’t go into the light circuits……. Well first off looking at the angle of the turn signal arm there’s something there to start with.
The screw holding the arm on is a big ole oval head screw….the original 1 must have stripped out (we’ve seen this weak point before)….and of course the bigger screw split the plastic it was in and the white plastic switch assembly blew apart……..problem solved! We thought…….. Electrically puffing in the new turn signal assembly before the physical …..not easy install…..I plugged it into the system………
Hmmmmmm, still no turn signals OR brake lights! Crap, ok, lets consult my wall sized electrical schematic in the think tankOk.
OK, power to both circuits come from a single 20 amp fuse in the glove box…….it reads good voltage through the fuse…..the circuit still does not work……I read voltage on both sides of the crappy ole AGC glass fuse…….pulled the fuse, replaced it with a new one………everything worked! It was the 45 years of corrosion in this original fuse block the would not pass current, it would pass voltage!
So my advice to you is pull all of the fuses in this glass fuse block…..clean all the spring prongs holding each fuse and replace ALL the fuses with new ones. Guys, corrosion build up in connection after 45 years…..that’s where “ghosts in the machine” come from. Like that my 88 Volvo electrical system, switches and everything work much better in the rain!
Amyway we could toss out that ugly baby with its bathwater installing a plug in style ATC fuse block as we did in Ruby which BTW electrically woke back up yesterday
A little on the excessive side but Ruby will not go down from corroded fuses!
On the Ruby build, as I said I woke up all the electrical stuff I had done months ago as the build took shape
The steering wheel there upside down is the last semblance of Ole #41, I prototype coach from the first year production. The wheel is upside down because we need to clock the all new Steering shaft assemble we are prototyping here. 
W.org this weakest point of our steering linkage no longer being produced and rebuilding worn out ones we have proven as in the case of the old A6 dash ACcompressors it’s just prolonging the inevitable……the above assembly is custom from the hot rod industry. No backyard rigup here, I think Ruby is bringing yet another new part to keep the GMC vital. Stay tuned for more on this…..
As I said, waking up Ruby reminded me of that Tom Petty video when they pull up like Road Warriors on a side cat bike…..pull off the dusty covers on some electrical stuff and it all lights up……..I know you remember the song “You got lucky when I found You” I think……anyway a couple of tests and I fired that mother up…..and we have lights!
with the new washer fluid and overflow tanks and systems in its getting filled back up under the hoods which was expected…..at least its laid out nice and everything is all new!
Now THIS build might yield a mostly working he’ll restoration as some dude on Facebook though he should expect on anything someone does on his coach…..sorry, I wasn’t going there but yes, this project IS to turn back as many clocks as we could reach the hands of and the cost of Ruby will have to reflect all this stuff. Guys, nothing worth anything will be free…or cheap but if you want it you can have it. Hey, you could save it for your next life…..no wait, you won’t need money there! Run out of cash and breath at the same time….let the undertaker check bounce….enjoy your life and the he’ll you went through to get here! So tell me why not!. Heck we may not make it through the next election cycle!
Getting close to the 8am meeting time……..see ya tomorrow….
