valve stem extenders and black tank wash

[NYBobbo]

Hi All,
I'm about to pull the plug and order a new Win. Veiw 24J.

the dealer wants $420 to install longer wheel stems on all 6 wheels. I am ordering the aluminum wheels, not even sure if it has "hub caps" that would be normally need to remove to access the valve stems.

also $312 for a black tank flush line.

$404 for a automatic transfer switch
and 467 for a hard wired surge protector....

looking for opinions on value of same and alternatives?

thanks, looking forward to getting on the road sometime in FEB. 2016

Bobbo

[nothermark]

I can get you a great deal on some ocean front property in Arizona. Valve stem extenders are around $20 a pair. 4 out of 6 you may not need but are an easy screw on. The last 2 you do need but they usually need the rear wheels dismounted from the vehicle because the front dual blocks the rear dual valve stem. You do need steel stems with a nut securing them to the rim. They should come that way.

It would seem to me that if you got into the habit of storing the power cord plugged into the generator socket you would not need an automatic transfer switch. I'm not sure about feed back to the generator from the inverter. If the inverter does not isolate the incoming AC line that could be a problem.

The tanks in that are small enough I would not be worrying about a power flush line. They will be emptied often. Just keep everything wet. A couple of gallons of water down the hole after dumping will do it.

[vsheetz]

You want a Progressive Industries power management and protection, not just a surge protector. If this is what you are getting the installed price is good. But from the high prices of the other items I am pretty sure it's not.

The valve stem extenders are crazy expensive. And you probably only need two, for the rear inside duals.

[UFO Pilot]

I paid about $130 for Dually valve stems installed. Solid valve stems facing the right direction, not extensions. Extensions may not leak right away but they will leak at some point.

[NYBobbo]

I would love to have some waterfront in Arizona... I'd love to be 30 again also

I appreciate all of your comments and they confirm that the salesman was clearly attempting to start his own retirement fund at my expense.

[nothermark]

FWIW I would not beat on the salesman too much. The shop rate is probably over $100/hr and those jobs do take time. The shop rates are real because it costs a lot of money to keep that building there with the taxes, staff and other overhead. The point is that his costs are probably real.

The issue becomes over selling and when to say no. I am getting to the point where sometimes I say yes because I do not want to do the work. The thing is to know what the real deal is and choose what you are willing to do vs what you are willing to pay for. Young and spry and I did most of my work. Old and gimpy and not so much. ;-)

[GG1]

Go to an independent tire company for the extensions,.get several prices, the dealer prices are way out of line. Buy an aftermarket device for the tank and have a prviate rv guy do the job if all else fails get a "Flush King" to clean your tanks they are around $35

[NYBobbo]

Originally Posted by nothermark

FWIW I would not beat on the salesman too much. The shop rate is probably over $100/hr and those jobs do take time. The shop rates are real because it costs a lot of money to keep that building there with the taxes, staff and other overhead. The point is that his costs are probably real.

The issue becomes over selling and when to say no. I am getting to the point where sometimes I say yes because I do not want to do the work. The thing is to know what the real deal is and choose what you are willing to do vs what you are willing to pay for. Young and spry and I did most of my work. Old and gimpy and not so much. ;-)

I agree that I don't "do" as much as I once did and that comes with a price. I am aware of overhead and how it relates to cost of goods.

From the responses and further checking prices for the parts I feel that the dealer prices were excessive, and can be installed elsewhere for less.

[NYBobbo]

Originally Posted by GG1

Go to an independent tire company for the extensions,.get several prices, the dealer prices are way out of line. Buy an aftermarket device for the tank and have a prviate rv guy do the job if all else fails get a "Flush King" to clean your tanks they are around $35

TY - I was planning on getting a clear elbow so I could see when the tanks were finished dumping. The "Flush King" seems like it fits both the clear view and the "rinse" if needed functions.

[mel s]

Originally Posted by NYBobbo

Hi All,
I'm about to pull the plug and order a new Win. Veiw 24J.
the dealer wants $420 to install longer wheel stems on all 6 wheels. I am ordering the aluminum wheels, not even sure if it has "hub caps" that would be normally need to remove to access the valve stems.
also $312 for a black tank flush line.
$404 for a automatic transfer switch
and 467 for a hard wired surge protector....
looking for opinions on value of same and alternatives?
thanks, looking forward to getting on the road sometime in FEB. 2016
Bobbo

NYBobbo
WOW, those are some high prices...(especially the $420 for longer wheel stems on 6 wheels and the $312 for a black tank flush line).

BTW me thinks, (but I don't know), that the View 24J might come with an automatic transfer switch as built by Winnabago?

I suggest you find a different dealer.

Mel
'96 Safari

[pcurt23]

I have a little different slant on the issue. You are probably going to want all those things at some point.

Airing the tires is a PIA. You have to have extenders of some kind.
Surge protection is a must. Make sure it is Progressive brand so you only have to buy it once.
Automatic transfer in my mind is a must. It is tough to pull over on the freeway if you want to use the genny.
Black tank and Grey tank flush is probably a requirement too since sooner or later you will become obsessive about the crud in your tanks. (like the rest of us).

You can do all of these things yourself. If you can afford it without angst then go for the complete deal. The dealer should knock a few hundred off the package if you go for it and it will be done. 2 years from now you will still be enjoying the convenience and the grand spent will not matter. (Every decent shop costs about $125 or more an hour in labor.) And think about all the things you will not have screwed up doing it yourself.

I screwed with my inside wheels for a long time before having camping world install extenders. Just those two were $150 installed.

[LeeOts]

Originally Posted by NYBobbo

Hi All,
I'm about to pull the plug and order a new Win. Veiw 24J.

the dealer wants $420 to install longer wheel stems on all 6 wheels. I am ordering the aluminum wheels, not even sure if it has "hub caps" that would be normally need to remove to access the valve stems.

For what it's worth, we bought an 06 WGO View 24J on an 06 chassis in Oct 06, one of the first Views available. We drove it until last year when we moved to a 2010 WGO Vista 30W because our travel habits changed.

We had steel wheels with wheel covers but I don't think there's much difference re: valve stems. Only the inside duals are difficult to access. You can buy a set of Dually Valves for ~$130 and have a local tire shop install them for a few bucks more.

Originally Posted by NYBobbo

...also $312 for a black tank flush line...

Our travel habits were as "travelers," meaning we never stayed at a site for more than 1-3 days. Given that we were always moving, nothing really has time to dry and cake inside the black tank. I used the Flush King mentioned earlier and never had a problem in 8 years.

Originally Posted by NYBobbo

...$404 for a automatic transfer switch
and 467 for a hard wired surge protector....

Again, due to our travel habits, we only hooked up about 20%-25% of the time. We didn't feel an ATS was of value to us. We put $1K into a 160 watt solar system. Now, THAT was worth every penny.

I use a stand alone Progressive Industries surge protector but have heard it doesn't protect against voltage sag. When I replace it, I'll probably go for a hard-wired unit to avoid potential for theft but haven't yet researched it so I can't comment on prices.

Hope that helps.

[Camper Ken]

Originally Posted by pcurt23

Automatic transfer in my mind is a must. It is tough to pull over on the freeway if you want to use the genny.

Not necessarily a "must" by any means. When you store the shore cord, plug it into the electical recepticle in the compartment that sends generator power into the coach. Just get in the habit of doing this every time and it's never a problem of "pulling over on the freeway".

Plus ... the shore cord compartment is quite small. It would be a tight fit to put an automatic transfer switch in there and still have room to store the shore cord.

[nothermark]

Originally Posted by NYBobbo

I agree that I don't "do" as much as I once did and that comes with a price. I am aware of overhead and how it relates to cost of goods.

From the responses and further checking prices for the parts I feel that the dealer prices were excessive, and can be installed elsewhere for less.

My point was RV dealer costs are high, period. OTOH get a Diesel and go to a big truck shop!! ;-)

I guess some folks get obsessive. I have not had any reason to in 10 years of having a motor home so I would just keep the cord plugged into the outlet, water in the holding tank, and use an air chuck that looks like this:

Dual-Head Tire Chuck, Air Chuck, Tire Inflator

Still need extenders for the inside duals.

[mel s]

Originally Posted by nothermark

Still need extenders for the inside duals.

I've been using Link Cat Eyes on my rear duallys for 13 years, (104k miles).
Cat's Eye® - Link

BTW "Crossfires" are a similar product: Crossfire - Dual Dynamics

Mel
'96 Safari

[anneb]

Have the tire installer spend the extra money and get extenders from Air- Flex.
They cost more but my truck tire installer say since they are steel and no inter connections they are much better. Leaks from the inner tires are the worst.


To change one, you have to have a heavy duty jack a torque wench and an
air compessor that will go up to 100 lbs. No fun along the side of a freeway.

[NYBobbo]

Great forum here.... thanks for the different views & ideas, it's sure better to figure out what to do when there are options available that I wasn't even aware of!

[Wayne M]

You are going to find varying opinions on extenders. Here is mine. I had flexible extenders installed by "professionals" like RV dealer. It wasn't a short time later that the flex leaked where it fitted to the collar, not the valve stem or flex stem, but where the flex was crimped to the fitting. Something like that can happen at any time. There are many others that have had good experience with them and many others who have had bad experiences with flex extenders.

Others have posted the Dually Valve link. I went that way about a year ago and I have never regretted it. Yes, the cost for the Dually Valve Kit is about $130 and then you will have to find a tire place that will install them, and at what cost. I had mine installed when I changed all my tires out at the same time so there was no cost except the cost by the tire dealer for doing all the work.

Dually Valves are well worth the money. Especially if you are going to add a TPMS later on.

I purchased my Dually Valves from Borg Supply.

[bsamole]

My response is simple find another dealer. Do yourself a favor and call Lichtsinn 515 582 3213 or 800 343 6255 and get a cost comparison for the new coach and valve extensions.

[NYBobbo]

Originally Posted by bsamole

My response is simple find another dealer. Do yourself a favor and call Lichtsinn 515 582 3213 or 800 343 6255 and get a cost comparison for the new coach and valve extensions.

Hmmmm those quotes were from Lichtsinn....