A New Member to the Family!

[Andy Coleman]

Hello Everyone,

Proud to say that I've just officially joined the Wanderlodge Family.
I'm now the owner of a 1983 FC-35 with a 225 HP turbo 3208. Bought
it Sunday. Drove it 500 miles from Malta, Ohio to my home in Central NJ.

I wonder what the neighbors think about the new, brown addition to my
backyard!

Bought the bus from a family that did not use it much. Only a few
thousand miles of driving over the past 3.5 years.

The power steering pump leaked fluid all the way home. Had to re-fill
several times.

The worst problem I had, however, was speed. I averaged under 50 MPH
through the 500 mile journey. Some of the Pennsylvania hills on Route
70 & 76 slowed my coach down to 25 MPH in the right lane with the
emergency flashers on. Any upward elevation change, even slight ones,
slowed my coach down into the low 50s. It was the long climbs that
choked it. And the only excess weight in the bus was my girlfriend,
tool box and 100 gallons of gas!

A good friend of mine is a diesel mechanic. He is going to take a
look at the bus for me shortly. I told him about this great forum,
and he recommended that I ask experienced folks like yourself if this
performance is normal, or an indication of a problem.

I realize that they are heavy buses, but are they really that slow?
Even with the turbo? Creeping along in the right lane is dangerous!

My friend and I are going to change the fuel and air filters, adjust
the valve lash, replace the belts. Anybody else have suggestions?
They will be greatly appreciated!

Andy Coleman
Wanderlodge Virgin No More!
83 FC - 35.
Spring Lake Heights, NJ

[erniecarpet@...]

Andy- welcome to the family. Many of our members with forward control
coaches have added an extra air intake in the air filter. it really helps.
Ernie-83pt40 in louisiana


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Mike Hohnstein]

I share your pain, FCs are turds. Mine is a well tuned 250hp with only 10k
miles on a reman engine. I have plenty of fuel flow and improved air cleaner,
however it still don't like grades. The Kitty Cat don't get it done with less
than the 300 hp arrangement. That means charge air cooler and fuel system
recalibrated. We are talking MAJOR changes here. Get used to the slow ride.
Sent the PS pump to Power Steering Specialists in OH, phone is 614 882 2422.
Vent the reservoir, that was overlooked by BB as produced. The pumps are some
what undersized and over driven, they operate on the edge of cavitation, it's a
good idea use larger diameter lines on the return side when you freshen the PS
system.
MH
----- Original Message -----
From: Andy Coleman
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, April 04, 2006 2:15 AM
Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] A New Member to the Family!


Hello Everyone,

Proud to say that I've just officially joined the Wanderlodge Family.
I'm now the owner of a 1983 FC-35 with a 225 HP turbo 3208. Bought
it Sunday. Drove it 500 miles from Malta, Ohio to my home in Central NJ.

I wonder what the neighbors think about the new, brown addition to my
backyard!

Bought the bus from a family that did not use it much. Only a few
thousand miles of driving over the past 3.5 years.

The power steering pump leaked fluid all the way home. Had to re-fill
several times.

The worst problem I had, however, was speed. I averaged under 50 MPH
through the 500 mile journey. Some of the Pennsylvania hills on Route
70 & 76 slowed my coach down to 25 MPH in the right lane with the
emergency flashers on. Any upward elevation change, even slight ones,
slowed my coach down into the low 50s. It was the long climbs that
choked it. And the only excess weight in the bus was my girlfriend,
tool box and 100 gallons of gas!

A good friend of mine is a diesel mechanic. He is going to take a
look at the bus for me shortly. I told him about this great forum,
and he recommended that I ask experienced folks like yourself if this
performance is normal, or an indication of a problem.

I realize that they are heavy buses, but are they really that slow?
Even with the turbo? Creeping along in the right lane is dangerous!

My friend and I are going to change the fuel and air filters, adjust
the valve lash, replace the belts. Anybody else have suggestions?
They will be greatly appreciated!

Andy Coleman
Wanderlodge Virgin No More!
83 FC - 35.
Spring Lake Heights, NJ





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Recreational vehicle dealer Used recreational vehicles Automotive
radiators


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Gregory OConnor]

Andy, congrads on the new bus. I am from NJ also and remember that
Spring Lake is on the coast. Make sure the diesel mechanic is a Cat
diesel mechanic and realizes the diff in a Marine 3208 and a truck
3208. On my trip west to my new home in California I had the same
hill climb problem with identical weight paramaters. The reduction
of excessive weight was a tough decision but life changing. be careful
Gregory O'Connor
94 PT Romoland California
made it to California with a full set of Snapons and fuel to spare

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Andy Coleman"
wrote:
>
> Hello Everyone,
>
> Proud to say that I've just officially joined the Wanderlodge
Family.
> I'm now the owner of a 1983 FC-35 with a 225 HP turbo 3208. Bought
> it Sunday. Drove it 500 miles from Malta, Ohio to my home in
Central NJ.
>
> I wonder what the neighbors think about the new, brown addition to
my
> backyard!
>
> Bought the bus from a family that did not use it much. Only a few
> thousand miles of driving over the past 3.5 years.
>
> The power steering pump leaked fluid all the way home. Had to re-
fill
> several times.
>
> The worst problem I had, however, was speed. I averaged under 50
MPH
> through the 500 mile journey. Some of the Pennsylvania hills on
Route
> 70 & 76 slowed my coach down to 25 MPH in the right lane with the
> emergency flashers on. Any upward elevation change, even slight
ones,
> slowed my coach down into the low 50s. It was the long climbs that
> choked it. And the only excess weight in the bus was my girlfriend,
> tool box and 100 gallons of gas!
>
> A good friend of mine is a diesel mechanic. He is going to take a
> look at the bus for me shortly. I told him about this great forum,
> and he recommended that I ask experienced folks like yourself if
this
> performance is normal, or an indication of a problem.
>
> I realize that they are heavy buses, but are they really that slow?
> Even with the turbo? Creeping along in the right lane is dangerous!
>
> My friend and I are going to change the fuel and air filters, adjust
> the valve lash, replace the belts. Anybody else have suggestions?
> They will be greatly appreciated!
>
> Andy Coleman
> Wanderlodge Virgin No More!
> 83 FC - 35.
> Spring Lake Heights, NJ
>

[George Lowry]

The best power steering guy in the country is Bill, the owner of Bab
Steering in Fontana, CA. They have a couple of other plants scattered around
the country, one in Ohio so it may be the same outfit. However, Bill is a
marvel on power steering. They do mostly heavy stuff and have solved
problems on past coaches for me and, even corrected a problem that we had in
our Cadillac that the dealer could not find.

George Lowry
'06 Alpine Apex - Formerly '95 WBDA 4203
Spearfish, SD - Leaving Las Vegas for soggy Norcal


-----Original Message-----
From: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com]On Behalf Of Mike Hohnstein
Sent: Tuesday, April 04, 2006 5:35 AM
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] A New Member to the Family!


I share your pain, FCs are turds. Mine is a well tuned 250hp with only 10k
miles on a reman engine. I have plenty of fuel flow and improved air
cleaner, however it still don't like grades. The Kitty Cat don't get it
done with less than the 300 hp arrangement. That means charge air cooler
and fuel system recalibrated. We are talking MAJOR changes here. Get used
to the slow ride.
Sent the PS pump to Power Steering Specialists in OH, phone is 614 882 2422.
Vent the reservoir, that was overlooked by BB as produced. The pumps are
some what undersized and over driven, they operate on the edge of
cavitation, it's a good idea use larger diameter lines on the return side
when you freshen the PS system.
MH
----- Original Message -----
From: Andy Coleman
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, April 04, 2006 2:15 AM
Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] A New Member to the Family!


Hello Everyone,

Proud to say that I've just officially joined the Wanderlodge Family.
I'm now the owner of a 1983 FC-35 with a 225 HP turbo 3208. Bought
it Sunday. Drove it 500 miles from Malta, Ohio to my home in Central NJ.

I wonder what the neighbors think about the new, brown addition to my
backyard!

Bought the bus from a family that did not use it much. Only a few
thousand miles of driving over the past 3.5 years.

The power steering pump leaked fluid all the way home. Had to re-fill
several times.

The worst problem I had, however, was speed. I averaged under 50 MPH
through the 500 mile journey. Some of the Pennsylvania hills on Route
70 & 76 slowed my coach down to 25 MPH in the right lane with the
emergency flashers on. Any upward elevation change, even slight ones,
slowed my coach down into the low 50s. It was the long climbs that
choked it. And the only excess weight in the bus was my girlfriend,
tool box and 100 gallons of gas!

A good friend of mine is a diesel mechanic. He is going to take a
look at the bus for me shortly. I told him about this great forum,
and he recommended that I ask experienced folks like yourself if this
performance is normal, or an indication of a problem.

I realize that they are heavy buses, but are they really that slow?
Even with the turbo? Creeping along in the right lane is dangerous!

My friend and I are going to change the fuel and air filters, adjust
the valve lash, replace the belts. Anybody else have suggestions?
They will be greatly appreciated!

Andy Coleman
Wanderlodge Virgin No More!
83 FC - 35.
Spring Lake Heights, NJ





SPONSORED LINKS Recreational vehicles Wanderlodge Automotive maintenance
Recreational vehicle dealer Used recreational vehicles Automotive
radiators


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS

a.. Visit your group "WanderlodgeForum" on the web.

b.. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
WanderlodgeForum-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

c.. Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]




Yahoo! Groups Links








--
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.3.5/300 - Release Date: 4/3/2006

[erniecarpet@...]

mike- your Cat can't be as loud as my screaming detroit! ernie-83pt40 in
louisiana


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Scott Forman]

Andy,

I have an 82 FC with your same engine, and while it is certainly not
quick, it performs much better than what you have described. Mine
will cruise comfortably 60-65 mph. Grades will slow it down, no
doubt about it, but I've never had one drop me below 50. Now,
granted, I have never crossed mountains, but it doesn't sound like
you did, either. Sounds like there may be a power reduction problem
your mechanic will need to find. Does the engine smoke under load?
Check your air cleaner element, too, I changed a severely clogged one
out last year and there was a noticable change in performance.

Also, keep in mind that there is a bit of driving technique required
when driving these busses through hills, have to run hard downhill to
build up momentum to make it back up.

Scott Forman
82 FC35RB
Memphis



--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Andy Coleman"
wrote:
>
> Hello Everyone,
>
> Proud to say that I've just officially joined the Wanderlodge
Family.
> I'm now the owner of a 1983 FC-35 with a 225 HP turbo 3208. Bought
> it Sunday. Drove it 500 miles from Malta, Ohio to my home in
Central NJ.
>
> I wonder what the neighbors think about the new, brown addition to
my
> backyard!
>
> Bought the bus from a family that did not use it much. Only a few
> thousand miles of driving over the past 3.5 years.
>
> The power steering pump leaked fluid all the way home. Had to re-
fill
> several times.
>
> The worst problem I had, however, was speed. I averaged under 50
MPH
> through the 500 mile journey. Some of the Pennsylvania hills on
Route
> 70 & 76 slowed my coach down to 25 MPH in the right lane with the
> emergency flashers on. Any upward elevation change, even slight
ones,
> slowed my coach down into the low 50s. It was the long climbs that
> choked it. And the only excess weight in the bus was my girlfriend,
> tool box and 100 gallons of gas!
>
> A good friend of mine is a diesel mechanic. He is going to take a
> look at the bus for me shortly. I told him about this great forum,
> and he recommended that I ask experienced folks like yourself if
this
> performance is normal, or an indication of a problem.
>
> I realize that they are heavy buses, but are they really that slow?
> Even with the turbo? Creeping along in the right lane is dangerous!
>
> My friend and I are going to change the fuel and air filters, adjust
> the valve lash, replace the belts. Anybody else have suggestions?
> They will be greatly appreciated!
>
> Andy Coleman
> Wanderlodge Virgin No More!
> 83 FC - 35.
> Spring Lake Heights, NJ
>

[Mike Hohnstein]

PA has mountains, not hills. I was down to 35/40 on the route Andy took pulling
my Honda Civic. Improving the air inlet delivery is a good thing and I plan on
going up to 5" exhaust and losing the muffler, Dupree told me it wouldn't be too
loud. I believe every thing Randy tells me.
MH
----- Original Message -----
From: Scott Forman
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, April 04, 2006 1:27 PM
Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: A New Member to the Family!


Andy,

I have an 82 FC with your same engine, and while it is certainly not
quick, it performs much better than what you have described. Mine
will cruise comfortably 60-65 mph. Grades will slow it down, no
doubt about it, but I've never had one drop me below 50. Now,
granted, I have never crossed mountains, but it doesn't sound like
you did, either. Sounds like there may be a power reduction problem
your mechanic will need to find. Does the engine smoke under load?
Check your air cleaner element, too, I changed a severely clogged one
out last year and there was a noticable change in performance.

Also, keep in mind that there is a bit of driving technique required
when driving these busses through hills, have to run hard downhill to
build up momentum to make it back up.

Scott Forman
82 FC35RB
Memphis



--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Andy Coleman"
wrote:
>
> Hello Everyone,
>
> Proud to say that I've just officially joined the Wanderlodge
Family.
> I'm now the owner of a 1983 FC-35 with a 225 HP turbo 3208. Bought
> it Sunday. Drove it 500 miles from Malta, Ohio to my home in
Central NJ.
>
> I wonder what the neighbors think about the new, brown addition to
my
> backyard!
>
> Bought the bus from a family that did not use it much. Only a few
> thousand miles of driving over the past 3.5 years.
>
> The power steering pump leaked fluid all the way home. Had to re-
fill
> several times.
>
> The worst problem I had, however, was speed. I averaged under 50
MPH
> through the 500 mile journey. Some of the Pennsylvania hills on
Route
> 70 & 76 slowed my coach down to 25 MPH in the right lane with the
> emergency flashers on. Any upward elevation change, even slight
ones,
> slowed my coach down into the low 50s. It was the long climbs that
> choked it. And the only excess weight in the bus was my girlfriend,
> tool box and 100 gallons of gas!
>
> A good friend of mine is a diesel mechanic. He is going to take a
> look at the bus for me shortly. I told him about this great forum,
> and he recommended that I ask experienced folks like yourself if
this
> performance is normal, or an indication of a problem.
>
> I realize that they are heavy buses, but are they really that slow?
> Even with the turbo? Creeping along in the right lane is dangerous!
>
> My friend and I are going to change the fuel and air filters, adjust
> the valve lash, replace the belts. Anybody else have suggestions?
> They will be greatly appreciated!
>
> Andy Coleman
> Wanderlodge Virgin No More!
> 83 FC - 35.
> Spring Lake Heights, NJ
>






SPONSORED LINKS Recreational vehicles Wanderlodge Automotive maintenance
Recreational vehicle dealer Used recreational vehicles Automotive
radiators


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS

a.. Visit your group "WanderlodgeForum" on the web.

b.. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
WanderlodgeForum-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

c.. Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.


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



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[M.L. Perkinson]

I had same problem with my 80fc with 84 motor.I found it needed air. Have a
drier hose running from front that I fitted to the air filter. Made all the
difference. You might ask Ralph,
Randy and Jeff among others whart they think about the need for air. Maury 80dc
31'


----- Original Message -----
From: Andy Coleman
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: 4/4/2006 3:16:11 AM
Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] A New Member to the Family!


Hello Everyone,

Proud to say that I've just officially joined the Wanderlodge Family.
I'm now the owner of a 1983 FC-35 with a 225 HP turbo 3208. Bought
it Sunday. Drove it 500 miles from Malta, Ohio to my home in Central NJ.

I wonder what the neighbors think about the new, brown addition to my
backyard!

Bought the bus from a family that did not use it much. Only a few
thousand miles of driving over the past 3.5 years.

The power steering pump leaked fluid all the way home. Had to re-fill
several times.

The worst problem I had, however, was speed. I averaged under 50 MPH
through the 500 mile journey. Some of the Pennsylvania hills on Route
70 & 76 slowed my coach down to 25 MPH in the right lane with the
emergency flashers on. Any upward elevation change, even slight ones,
slowed my coach down into the low 50s. It was the long climbs that
choked it. And the only excess weight in the bus was my girlfriend,
tool box and 100 gallons of gas!

A good friend of mine is a diesel mechanic. He is going to take a
look at the bus for me shortly. I told him about this great forum,
and he recommended that I ask experienced folks like yourself if this
performance is normal, or an indication of a problem.

I realize that they are heavy buses, but are they really that slow?
Even with the turbo? Creeping along in the right lane is dangerous!

My friend and I are going to change the fuel and air filters, adjust
the valve lash, replace the belts. Anybody else have suggestions?
They will be greatly appreciated!

Andy Coleman
Wanderlodge Virgin No More!
83 FC - 35.
Spring Lake Heights, NJ





SPONSORED LINKS Recreational vehicles Wanderlodge Automotive maintenance
Recreational vehicle dealer Used recreational vehicles Automotive radiators



YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS

Visit your group "WanderlodgeForum" on the web.

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
WanderlodgeForum-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[hsaddock]

Andy:
Congratulations on your new toy! I'm sure you will enjoy it despite
its tortoise like climbing qualities! I also have a 83FC35, mine
with a 250HP turbo. You are doing the right things, change out all
the filters (what pressure does your racor gage read at idle and at
full power), review the posts on driving techniques for hills,
ensure you are operating it in the correct rpm range and take it out
for another run as clogged filters and poor driving techniques can
really ruin performance. 25 MPH does seem a little slow for modest
hills and there are a multitude of items to check and review (rear
end ratio, injectors, injector pump, fuel pump, fuel pump in the
rear, valve lash, injector pump timing, transmission shift points or
slip, brake drag, tire pressure, u-joints, retarder bearings, wheel
bearings) before you are sure you have squeezed the most out of your
machine. However, these are heavy beasts with a fairly small power
plant by todays standards and one must keep expectations in check.
I personally have driven mine over 25K miles in the last few years
with trips from Connecticut to Alaska, Utah, Florida, (In Canada,
Alaska and Utah occasionally climbing some substantial 8-10% grades
that seem to go on forever) with hundreds of stops along the way and
found the speed/climbing ability to not hurt my enjoyment of the
trips in the slightest - However, in the hill country, my wife
fondly refers to it the slowest thing on the road While these
FC's may climb slowly, on a typical full day of travel, the guy with
the 500HP machine might get there 10-15 min ahead of me as hills
typically don't make up the bulk of a day's drive!

Good luck and keep inquiring info from the forums, the folks here
make owning one of these machines fun!
Harry Saddock
83FC35
South Windsor, CT

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "M.L. Perkinson"
<mp222116@...> wrote:
>
> I had same problem with my 80fc with 84 motor.I found it needed
air. Have a drier hose running from front that I fitted to the air
filter. Made all the difference. You might ask Ralph,
> Randy and Jeff among others whart they think about the need for
air. Maury 80dc 31'
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Andy Coleman
> To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: 4/4/2006 3:16:11 AM
> Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] A New Member to the Family!
>
>
> Hello Everyone,
>
> Proud to say that I've just officially joined the Wanderlodge
Family.
> I'm now the owner of a 1983 FC-35 with a 225 HP turbo 3208. Bought
> it Sunday. Drove it 500 miles from Malta, Ohio to my home in
Central NJ.
>
> I wonder what the neighbors think about the new, brown addition to
my
> backyard!
>
> Bought the bus from a family that did not use it much. Only a few
> thousand miles of driving over the past 3.5 years.
>
> The power steering pump leaked fluid all the way home. Had to re-
fill
> several times.
>
> The worst problem I had, however, was speed. I averaged under 50
MPH
> through the 500 mile journey. Some of the Pennsylvania hills on
Route
> 70 & 76 slowed my coach down to 25 MPH in the right lane with the
> emergency flashers on. Any upward elevation change, even slight
ones,
> slowed my coach down into the low 50s. It was the long climbs that
> choked it. And the only excess weight in the bus was my
girlfriend,
> tool box and 100 gallons of gas!
>
> A good friend of mine is a diesel mechanic. He is going to take a
> look at the bus for me shortly. I told him about this great forum,
> and he recommended that I ask experienced folks like yourself if
this
> performance is normal, or an indication of a problem.
>
> I realize that they are heavy buses, but are they really that
slow?
> Even with the turbo? Creeping along in the right lane is
dangerous!
>
> My friend and I are going to change the fuel and air filters,
adjust
> the valve lash, replace the belts. Anybody else have suggestions?
> They will be greatly appreciated!
>
> Andy Coleman
> Wanderlodge Virgin No More!
> 83 FC - 35.
> Spring Lake Heights, NJ
>
>
>
>
>
> SPONSORED LINKS Recreational vehicles Wanderlodge Automotive
maintenance
> Recreational vehicle dealer Used recreational vehicles Automotive
radiators
>
>
>
> YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
>
> Visit your group "WanderlodgeForum" on the web.
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> WanderlodgeForum-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
Service.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>