looking for an owners manual

[totalfreak]

I have just purchased a 1988 suncrest 26 foot class c rv on a ford econoline chassis with ford 460 engine. I am in desperate need of an owners manual. te rig as built by R & R custom coachworks who are now out of business.   if anyone can help please leave me a message      thanks

 

[Almost There]

Most all of the RV's didn't come with the type of manual you are probably thinking of.

The manual that does come with most RVs (to my knowledge) consists of the individual manuals for each of the components tucked in to plastic sleeves and put in a 3 ring binder - so  you'll have a manual for the fridge from that manufacturer, one for the water heater, one for the stove, one for the furnace, etc.

The engine you can use a regular Haynes for - there's no difference in the engine whether it's put in an RV or a truck.

You will need to crawl in and around the appliances and find the make and model number, then google it with 'owners manual' added. Most are available on line

 

[Doubleone]

That's pretty old. Most of the manuals are just operating instructions and don't include things like house wiring diagrams. If you need chassis manual for the mechanicals just look up the brand van or truck and you can find a Mitchell or Chilton. If you need something for appliances look up the brand and model number. All of the different brands used the same appliances and accessories inside.

 

[Weight]

I went on Ebay and found a OEM shop manual for the truck part of my rig. If you can find one, that is the best.

 

[totalfreak]

I went on Ebay and found a OEM shop manual for the truck part of my rig. If you can find one, that is the best.

tried EBAY and crawled the internet for three days     no luck    I am not looking for appliance manuals or info about the vehicle      I need info on the RV  systems   (holding tanks , water inlets , LP tank)     the identifying labels have faded over time    since this is my first RV it would be nice to know these things

 

[highdesertranger]

as Almost There said that info really never came with most RV's. highdesertranger

 

[Almost There]

What is it specifically that you want to know about the holding tanks and the propane tank?

Perhaps we can collectively help you with the answers or at least give you some help in where to find the information.

 

[Weight]

Most likely you will have to examine the RV stuff and figure out how it works all on your own. What pipe goes where? What goes through this pipe? What system is this valve a part of? Which drain goes to this tank? As most RV stuff is very much the same, someone,, experienced owner of any RV,, can help you ID stuff and demonstrate how to operate various valves. If you found someone with the same RV as yours, that would be gold, but any RV will be similar.

 

[B and C]

You might just bite the bullet and go to an RV park. There will be someone there willing to help you out if you ask around. You may want to get more than one opinion though.

 

[Doubleone]

Most if not all of the appliances and gadgets on that generation of RV will be universal parts. Even if the decals are gone, there should still be some indication of brand. Even if you simply identify by appearance, there just weren't that many brands to choose from... even the different brands tend to work on the same principles (i.e. Dometic or Norecold fridges, Atwood or Suburban water heaters, etc.). If you want to know tank sizes you can measure and do the math to covert cubic inches to gallons. If you post a problem and some pics of the appliance, I bet the collective knowledge will kick in and give you some answers.

 

[totalfreak]

just want to say thank you to all who have tried to help   good advice is a rare commodity    good to know there is a community of people out there who can band together to help those in need     thank you all

 

[wcurtin1962]

We have figured out a lot of things on the 1988 suncrest except it has airbags on the rear axle. They are deflated and most likely too dry rotted to be serviceable. We can not find a control panel nor an compressor for them. Also I could not find any inflation valves for them. Also we plugged in the refrigerator into 110V and heard the boiler heating and the ends of the heat sink in the refrigerator started to feel cool. How long do they take to get cold? It's a Norcold that looks like it was replaced around five years ago. Also how do we post pictures to this forum?

 

[Almost There]

My 85 RV probably had the same type of air bags. They weren't on a compressor nor was there a panel in the RV for them. They had to be aired up individually and were not user friendly. Mine also weren't working by the time I got the RV in the late 90s. Never did work!!

The Norcold fridges can take up to 24 hours to get to set temperature IIRC.

Here's the tutorial on how to post pics.:

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=13285

There's a whole bunch of tutorials available - go to 'Forum News and Annoucements', click on 'How To Tutorials' and take your pick.

 

[wcurtin1962]

Thanks!

 

[wcurtin1962]

[img=640x480]https://www.dropbox.com/s/3n8iwqqryz9hrwx/2018-11-10 17.04.24.jpg?dl=0[/img]

 

[Doubleone]

Airbags are pretty universal and I'm fairly certain the coach builder adapted an existing product versus creating a one-off design.  You can most likely match the bags to a replacement by the size and mounting type. If it has a metal end plate it may have stamped part numbers.   Otherwise, you can always shop for new bolt-on airbag kits.

 

[highdesertranger]

good point by doubleone and Firestone is real good about helping you track down the right air bag. just call them. highdesertranger