Our "NEW" Home - 42' Overland Lorado Diesel Pusher


cougarkid

Senior Member
Sorry for the long post..............

We brought home our "new" home (RV) this weekend.

Friday 8-12-11:

We packed a bag and some tools and headed out for a 360 mile drive to go buy the RV at 11:00 am central time. Our small dog (Grace) went along for the ride. Emailed the seller and let him know we were on the way. We stopped a few times along the way for drinks and leaks.

Seller called when we were half way there. He is out of town on business until later on that night. RV is parked at a dealer lot with new alternator and battery installed. They will park it out front and leve the keys on the tire. We have to be there by 6:00 pm. before they lock the gates.

6-hour drive and a 1 hour time change at the Indiana border. We pressed on and hoped for the best. We get to Indy at 5:20 and go straight through on I-70. We stop at the dealership at 5:50. Get the keys and drive it off the lot. Go to the KOA cammpground and park in a spot I reserved.

We level it up with the hydraulic jacks (following owners manual) and get it all hooked up. left front jack has a leak. Slide out and ac running. Start checking it out and yep, the rear ac is bad (knew that). Seller calls and we meet him to get the rest of the keys. Grabbed food and took it back with us. Ate and did some more checking. All is looking good. Turned in for the night and the matress is HARD.

Saturday 8-13-11:

Up and more checking. Pressed/felt all walls inside and out. A few delams, but fixable. Nothing major found. All appliances work. All the awnigs come out and look good - no rips or tears. Generator fires right up and runs everything in the coach. Plumbing works and no leaks.

Seller is working and running late. We email about a tow dolly for sale near by. Ends up being the guy parked behind us at the campground. We go look and buy it. Roll it over and hook it to the RV.

Check all the lights and there are no low beam headlights. Pull the bulbs and both are blown.

Seller shows up and we do the deal. Had the campground manager whitness the transaction. Paid with certified checks - one for his C.U and balance for him.

Went back and broke down camp. Drove the RV and car across the highway to a truck stop and filled it up. Bought new headlight bulbs and put them in - all lights now work.

Down the road to Wally World for an adapter to plug the dolly lights in. Got one, drove the car on the dolly, strapped it in, plugged in the lights and we are off. Stopped at the end of the parking lot and checked the straps - tight.

Hit the road and got onto I-70 west. 360 miles home. Drives like a dream. Runs like a top. Can't tell the car is in tow. Back-up camera with 7" screen is really nice. Trip went really well. Dash ac was not blowing cold, so it was a bit warm. Had the front windows open most of the time. A few stops for drinks along the way.

In western Illinois we ran into a storm..................

Tooling along at 70mph. Looking dark ahead so I turned the lights on. We were just passing Pocahantas and topped a small rise. All of the sudden a large gust came from the north (right side) and pushed us over into the left lane. I fought it back into the right lane, got it under control and turned off the cruise control. Left mirror arm is now turned 90 degress to the left and useless. Rain starts pouring and I turned the wipers on. Slowed down to about 45 mph and kept going. Wind died down, but the rain kept coming.

Rain finally let up and the sun came back out. Now using back-up camera for left side mirror. Left side mirror shows a good view of the outer road on my right. Took an exit and pulled onto the shoulder. Grace got out and did her thing while we repositioned the mirror. Back in and on the road again.

Getting close to St Louis and it is getting dark. Dash lights are not working so I am using my phone to check gauges. Headlights are on and working, but the aim is WAY off. Turned the lights on high beam and drove on.

Pulled in at home and parked on the gravel across from our older rv.

Sunday 8-14-11:

Spent the day cleaning and washing. Vacuumed the basement. Washed the outside. Installed the screen door. Worked on the electric steps to no avail. It looks a lot better now - has a shine to it.

Had it leveled on the jacks. Went to let it down and back it up. Pushed the "store" button and the front end went down about a foot instantly with a "pow". Fluid all over the concrete. Blew out the left front hydraulic line at the jack. Woo-hoo! At least I found the leak.

Started it up and backed it up. Cleaned up my mess.

Replace the rubber roof and we will be ready to go. All-in-all, this will be a great RV for us. Size and features we wanted for our future plans. All for under $20,000.

Can't wait to get it ready and travel in it!

Mike
 

michelb

New Member
Re: Our "NEW" Home - 42' Overland Lorado Diesel Pusher

Congrats on the purchase. Despite the few issues, still sounds like a great deal. As you already know, I was also looking at buying the same mh!

Seller didn't seem too forthcoming / honest with the information though. Did you know about the jacks? He had told me there was a leak in one and one 'leg' didn't come up. He also said that the electric steps *should* work (he could hear it run) but he had disconnected it mechanically because he didn't know which switch operated it (which sounds a bit suspicious; if he could hear it, obviously he had figured out which swithch would turn it on ...) He did tell me that the dash air was cold though (I asked that specifically). Also said said that were 2 or 3 small signs of leaks on the ceiling. At first he said one A/C was making noise but when I pushed him for more info, he said it didn't work or didn't cool (can't remember exactly how he said it).

Hearing about your 'adventures' kind of makes me happy you beat me to it (I think my wife would have killed me if we had these issues right after picking it up) although seeing the pictures is making me envious! If nothing else, the pictures you provided are so much better than the ones he sent !!!
 

Triple E

Senior Member
Re: Our "NEW" Home - 42' Overland Lorado Diesel Pusher

SWEET!

Is the radiator clean and has the slobber tube been extended?
 

H2H1

Senior Member
Re: Our "NEW" Home - 42' Overland Lorado Diesel Pusher

man that looks nice. I know you will have that under carriage cleaned and looking new like the rest of it. Congratulation
 

try2findus

Senior Member
Re: Our "NEW" Home - 42' Overland Lorado Diesel Pusher

Great post, great deal! You could be ready in time for the Meet & Greet in October!!!
 
Re: Our "NEW" Home - 42' Overland Lorado Diesel Pusher

Not that it is of great importance(being diesel) but what was the mileage?Still with the few problems it looks like a good deal.
 

cougarkid

Senior Member
Re: Our "NEW" Home - 42' Overland Lorado Diesel Pusher

There are 87,800 miles on the 8.3L Cummins Diesel and Allison 6-speed Tranny.

The Kwikee Steps are now functioning. They are "tweaked" a hair and were binding up. Adjusted the stops and they work fine now.

Dash lights were a combination of a poorly seated fuse and a dirty rheostat in the light switch. They all work now, but I need to take the switch out and clean the rheostat.

Ordered supplies to fix the delam spots. Roofing material (45 mil white EPDM and glue) will get ordered this week. Rear a/c will get fixed/replaced when the roof is replaced.

Hopefully will be able to get it into a shop bay this weekend and get it up on the lift (school bus maintanance). Get a really good look at the underside, tuck some wires/hoses up a little better and get the air suspension adjusted.

Still gotta get the interior cleaned up. Wife wants a stove/oven. not just a stove top and convection microwave.
 

brodavid

Senior Member
Re: Our "NEW" Home - 42' Overland Lorado Diesel Pusher

make your life easier, make your wife happy

MSJ
 

michelb

New Member
Re: Our "NEW" Home - 42' Overland Lorado Diesel Pusher

cougarkid - 8/17/2011 10:45 AM


... Wife wants a stove/oven. not just a stove top and convection microwave.

For the oven, check Craigslist and Ebay and you should be able find one for a decent price. My suggestion though, if you haven't already used one is to try out the convection for a while.

When I saw the mh, I was thinking I'd probably want to swap out the stove top too but really, we hardly ever use our oven (it seems we grill or use the stove top 90% of the time) and from having used a convection microwave in the past (our current mh doesn't have one), I thought they actually worked very well.
 

Triple E

Senior Member
Re: Our "NEW" Home - 42' Overland Lorado Diesel Pusher

My wife is just the opposite. She love her oven and never uses the convection microwave just the microwave. Mike keep sending the pictures. Really liked your pictures when you did your last rebuild. :approve: The old MH should be a good buy for someone. :cool:
 

cougarkid

Senior Member
Re: Our "NEW" Home - 42' Overland Lorado Diesel Pusher

The oven is a must. We do pizzas, cinamon and danish rolls and the occasional lasagna. Besides, the convection microwave in the new RV is broken.

This roof will be easier. Just a few pieces of Luan to replace and new EPDM. Might re-cover the enitire length with new Luan or protection board (approved substrate for EPDM roofing). Still have to remove all the vents and a/c's to do it.

For the delamination on sides (2 spots on right rear and 1 spot left front) I am going to use CPES (clear pentrating epoxy sealer) to stop any rot and seal/bond damaged wood together. Then follow that with pourable L&L (layup and laminating) Epoxy to fill in any gaps and adhere siding to wood.

I read a lot on this stuff. Different brands, too.

You can read up on this stuff at www.rotdoctor.com

Our youngest son is talking about moving to Colorado in the near future. He plans on taking our '89 GBMC to live in. I am buying enough EPDM to cover BOTH rv's. The paint-on Rubber we used is good, but we have had some wicking issues with continuous rains. No holes or apparent bad spots, just the arrent wet spot in the middle of nowhere - and they move!

Yep, pictures as we go.
 

cougarkid

Senior Member
Re: Our "NEW" Home - 42' Overland Lorado Diesel Pusher

So, I went out to take the hose off of the leveling jack.

I started the RV up and got all 4 tires up on the concrete. Cranked the tires to the right so I can get at the left front levling jack. Shut it down and went to take a look. Can't get to it. Got back in, started it up and cranked them to the right. Back out and I can get to the hose fitting now. Went and got wrenches and reached in to find a fit. 5/8" for the fitting. Got the wrench on it and when I went to turn it, it just popped off. Ah, not a blown hose, a busted fitting.

Cheaper fix, but more work. I will have to take the cylinder out and get the broken piece out. Unlike our old one that I could slide under on a creeper, this one sits close to the grond to get under, even flat on my back. (btw, it's not I'm too big (belly), it sits really close to the ground)

Went to the old RV and got 4 of our 2x levleing blocks out and 2 of the 2x8 pieces. These are stackable leveling blocks that I built for our rv. Each one is a pair of 2x8's 16" long, laid side by side, and then a 3rd 2x8 16" long laid across one end and then screwed into place. One end is 1 1/2" thick and the other end is 3" thick. They stack and lock together. One can be put down like a ramp and when you get up on it, it will flatten out. There are also loose 2x8's 16" long to use to "step up" onto built up stacks.

Sat a double high (4 1/2") block and 1 2x8 by each front tire on the rv. Got in, started it and turned the tires back to straight ahead. Got out and positioned the 2x and double high blocks in front of the tires. Back in and pulled the rv up onto the blocks. It climbed up with little effort. Ryan (son) got me centered on the blocks. Set the brake and shut it down. Turned on the jacks and dumped the air out of the suspension.

Now that I have access space, I got the creeper and some more tools. Reached in above the tire and unplugged the sensor. Hmm, one wire is loose. Slid the oil changing pan under the suspect jack (pad is full of water/fluid/junk) and got to work removing the jack. Tipped the pad over and drained what liquid I could. Had to grab the bottom of the spring with a pair of Vice-Grips to get it loose. After that, I worked the pad over and off the bottom of the jack. The other spring came off easily.

Pretty simple jack connection. The main "box" for the jack has 2 half-circle seats that pins from the jack seat into. There are 2 small, flat plates with holes for the jack pins that bolt onto the sides of the "box" and lock the jack in place. Simple, efficient and easy to remove. Two 9/16" wrenches and 4 bolts later, I have a jack cylinder sitting on the ground. Kept it pointing up and carefully sat it out against the tire.

Used a 5/8" wrench and a 1/2" wrench to reach up and get the broken fitting off of the hydraulic line. Spent a few minutes wiping off the jack braket and surrounding area. Wipped off wires and plates. There are a few unplugged wires I will need to trace down. Red wire (Remco?) need to be moved and clipped up.

Climbed out from under and took the cylinder, plates, springs and pad into the garage. Washed the cylinder off, keeping any water out of the broken fitting. Sat it to the side and washed/scrubbed the rest of the pieces. I had to scrape crap off the pad. Sat everything outside to dry.

Unscrewed the sensor out of the cylinder and lightly clamped it into the vice. The wire is broken right at the top of the cap. Filed the top clean, stipped the end of the wire and tried to solder it on. Solder won't stick to the cap. Dug around a bit and got some of the original wires to stick up from the cap. Ended up soldering the wires together.

Got the screw extracter out and put the #3 into the broken fitting in the cylider. Took a small cresent wrench and it spun out easily. Got the fitting and pieced it back together. It is a simple brass "T" fitting with flared connection ends on top and a plain threaded "T" end. One flared end get a cap, the other the hose. It's 8:10. I can still get to the hardware and get one. Put all the tools on the creeper by the RV and slid it under. Put the dogs in, closed the garage door, got my wallet, threw a clean t-shirt on over my dirty "wife beater" and jumped in the Cougar.

Dark out now. Drove to town and to the hardware store. Went to the back corner and started looking for the right fitting. Took about 5 minutes to find it, but I have it in my hand. Paid and headed home.

Parked and got to work. Drug the drop light out to the RV. Put teflon tape on the threads and screwed the new fitting into the cyinder. Down tight and cap on one end. Screwed the sensor back into the cylinder. Collected the plates and pad and headed for the rv. Got the drop light in place and slid under.

Carefully slid the cylinder back into place, with the drain plug facing out, taking care not to break the wires on the sensor. Held it up in place and stuck one side plate on with it's bolts. Cylinder is hanging in place. Put the nuts on the bolts and put the other plate on. Tightened all 4 down. Wiggled my way up behind the tire and plugged the wires together. Took the hose and went to hook it up. Bummer, jack bracket is in the way of the fitting. Cylinder needs to be turned 180 degrees. Unplugged the wires and wiggled back down.

Pulled the 2 plates back off, dropped the cylinder down a bit and turned it around. Back up in place and both plates back on and tightened down. Wiggled back up and plugged the wires in again. Took the cap off of the fitting and put it on the other side. Put the hose in place and it screwed right on. Got the 5/8" wrench and tightend it down. Wiggled back down.

Hung both springs on the top brackets. Hooked the pad onto the front spring and then pulled the pad down and over the bottom of the jack. Got it hooked on the retainer pin. Grabbed the rear spring with the vice-grips, pushed the pad up into place and pulled the spring down and clipped in onto the pad. Back together. Slid all the tools out and crawled out.

Went in and scrubbed my hands and arms off - I am filthy. Dried off and got in the rv. I got the leveling jack instructions and scanned thru them. Fluid tank is with the motor and t-valves. The level sensor is a round plate, spring/screw mounted in the bay at the center of the coach. Adjust it there. (I have seen that)

Turned the jacks on and extended the left side, as indicated. The jacks whine down but I get no movement. Go out and look and it might be to far. Got back in and hit the store button. Back out and they wnet up. Slid a 2x8 under the jack and tried again. It contacted, but would not lift.

Slid the creeper around front and slid under. The hydraulic jack setup is right there. Wiggled to sitting position and I can see the T-valves for manual retraction. Chrome vent sticking up from the tank. Used a rag and wiped it off. Grabbed it and it unscrewed. Dipstick is dry. Slid out and looked for DEXTRON fluid in the garage - have none. (just Type F)

Carla texted, she is on her way home. had her pick up a quart of fluid. Slid back under and wiped the tank off - it is coated in crap. Label on top - use DEXTRON - fill to 1/2" from top. Slid out, put tools away, got a funnel to use for filling the tank and sat in the rv with Gracie (our dog) listening to the radio.

Carla came home and I slid under with the fluid and funnel. Ended up pouring the whole quart in and it is still not full. Will need more. Put the vent/cap on and slid out. Left the rv on the blocks, Shut the door and locked it up. Will get more fluid tomorrow and fill it up. Then test it.


I spent about 3 hours total, off and on, working on this. Could have been quicker, but I took my time and cleaned things up as I went.

Nothing really difficult, except getting to it.

The repair cost me $3.75 (tax included) for the fitting. $12 for DEXTRON tranny fluid.

Pics will be up soon (only a few).

Mike
 

brodavid

Senior Member
Re: Our "NEW" Home - 42' Overland Lorado Diesel Pusher

wow what a fun day, sounds like you had a blast :)
 

keithb

New Member
Re: Our "NEW" Home - 42' Overland Lorado Diesel Pusher

Quite a step up from the Cruise Master. Good for you and your family. :cool: :cool:
 

cougarkid

Senior Member
Re: Our "NEW" Home - 42' Overland Lorado Diesel Pusher

Yes, this is much nicer than the GBMC.

Added 2 quarts of fluid to the jacks - still not full. They now work fine and I got the sensor adjusted.
more fluid tonight.

Left rear air-ride adjuster lower arm was WAY out of place. A quick adjustment to match the right side and it sits and rides levlel now.
 
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