The new Freightliner info center display is installed!

[John_Canfield]

Can't see your #%$#@#$ Freightliner info center display? Of course you can't! For $75 bucks and a few minutes of time, you can have the new and improved display. What a difference - this one is actually useable

On my RV page are pictures of the new display in action, and the phone number to order yours.

--John

 

[John_Canfield]

Can't see your #%$#@#$ Freightliner info center display? Of course you can't! For $75 bucks and a few minutes of time, you can have the new and improved display. What a difference - this one is actually useable

On my RV page are pictures of the new display in action, and the phone number to order yours.

--John

 

[grandriver125]

Pity they couldn't fix the average fuel consumption number - every one of them seems locked on 6.9. Mine was as well.

 

[gwedgewo-WO]

Installed the new display yesterday. The brightness and larger letters really make it easy to read.

 

[John_Canfield]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by dleslie125:
Pity they couldn't fix the average fuel consumption number - every one of them seems locked on 6.9. Mine was as well. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Mine did read 7.2, so it must have changed. I hope that VMSpc will be the "real tale of the tape" for data collection and presentation. Perhaps the most important indicator will be how many dollars leave the wallet in fuel costs every month

Gary - good going!

 

[Rick Buddrus]

John,

Now that you have had the VMSpc for a while, do you consider it worthwhile and if you had to choose only one data collection/diagnostic package would it be the VMSpc?

 

[John_Canfield]

Rick - Since I have done the majority of the driving post-install of the VMSpc, I haven't been able to play with it very much. (That's fixing to change next month when we take off on a long trip

)

However, I see two big advantages to VMSpc:

First is that I can get a real accurate picture of the fuel consumed and miles until empty. You can enter correction factors to accomodiate running the gen set, etc.

Second is that you can monitor the turbo inlet temperature which according to Martin Perlot (Silverleaf's "daddy") is an early warning of overheating. Apparently you can better modulate the engine temperature if you follow the turbo inlet temperature. This is probably not an issue driving on flat country, but could be on 7% grades in Colorado in the summer.

I don't know of any competing products to VMSpc - do you? I'd be interested more out of curiosity.

I'm happy with the 400 bucks I spent.

 

[Joe-K-WO]

John,

I've been following along on your improvements. Nice job doing them, and I'm glad you're sharing the information.

Since the question was asked about the diagnostic systems. I wanted to post a link to This thread on the Silverleaf VMS200 system I installed in our '02 Freightliner. Since our unit was older it didn't have the info center your unit has. I wanted the information but wanted to integrate it into the dash to look like an OEM installation.

The diagnostics and information are very useful that the system displays. If some of you want the information, but don't want the laptop display, you can consider the standalone system approach like I did. It is costly, but I would do it again in a minute as I'm thrilled with the unit. There are dozens of items that have the data displayed and since the system can scroll through them all, or display only the ones you wish to view, it is very flexible.

 

[John_Canfield]

Hey Joe - my pleasure to share! I think I have learned more from reading the forums than I could have learned in 10 years of RVing. It is fun to give a little back.

I was aware of Silverleaf's display panels and saw them at the FMCA rally in Perry this spring. They are slick and I love 'em! A retrofit of one of them was not really considered due to the cost and the lack of a suitable mounting spot. I liked the laptop solution because I was going to have a laptop anyway for nav use. It sounds like the VMS200 was a perfect fit for you, though.

As far as I know, the VMSpc is the only PC-based data collection system designed for RV use. I know their are OBD2 readers out there to pull codes and look at engine parameters & performance, but I don't think any of them are suitable for the RVer's needs.

 

[Rick Buddrus]

John and Joe,

Appreciate your inputs. I have been kicking the VMSpc around for a while now and really haven't heard much negative feedback on it. Everyone seems to be very pleased with it's operation and information it displays. Joe, I do agree that the VMS200 would be really nice but I cannot justify the cost at this time and I really don't have the room for it in the dash. The VMSpc will be accesible via the Nav because she is on her laptop most of the time while I am driving so having it run in the background will not be a problem. Me thinks i'll pull the trigger pretty soon, probably right after I get the window awnings installed that should be in tomorrow. Thanks again for your input.

 

[Joe-K-WO]

Sounds like you guys know the stuff very well. It's downright enjoyable bringimg high tech to our RV's.

I'm sure you guys have checked around pricewise, but our sponser still has the VMSpc discounted from list price. The more they sell, they more they advertise by sponsering the forum.

 

[Rick Buddrus]

Joe-K,

Be assured that I will buy from RV Upgrades. Have bought from them before and am very happy with product and their service. Did not know they were discounting the VMSpc. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[John_Canfield]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Joe-K:
I'm sure you guys have checked around pricewise, but our sponser still has the VMSpc discounted from list price. The more they sell, they more they advertise by sponsering the forum. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Well - kiss my grits

I had no idea they were offering it at a discount. I'll bookmark them! Thanks Joe.

 

[UPS 34]

I think the display is made by a company called Medallian. The MPG is fixed on there part.The computer on the cat engine is still a problem. The good news is that it will always be 1.1 MPG low. So if you are reading 6.8 you are getting 7.9 I have been told this by Freightliner and Medallian. Told 1.1 agan yesterday at the RV show in PA.

 

[Woody-WO]

John, I have the TRIP TECH feature on my MH and from what I can tell, it has most of the same features that the VMSpc has. Do you know of anything that is on the VMSpc that swayed your decision over the Trip Tech?

 

[John_Canfield]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Woody:
John, I have the TRIP TECH feature on my MH and from what I can tell, it has most of the same features that the VMSpc has. Do you know of anything that is on the VMSpc that swayed your decision over the Trip Tech? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Sure do Woody - about $1,000! We ordered our coach without TripTek because I thought it was way overpriced for the features offered. Every Vectra/Horizon we looked at in dealer stock had the TripTek option.

Why don't you download the VMSpc software and play with it? You can get an idea of the feature set and compare it to TripTek. I think you will find that it is way more roebust than TripTek.

John

 

[LK23]

John,

Was it difficult to change out the Freightliner Info Display? I hope it was as easy as unplugging the old unit and plugging in the new unit.

 

[Golfingene]

John, thanks for the pictures of the display. I've been complaining to the dealer and Freightliner ever since I found out it really had information in the thing if I could only see it. I did get about a 7-8 page guide to all of its screens from Freightliner...which should have also been included for the owner.
Anyway, my next $75 will go towards the fix. Too bad they aren't conscientious enough to supply the fix for free.

 

[John_Canfield]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by LK23:
John,

Was it difficult to change out the Freightliner Info Display? I hope it was as easy as unplugging the old unit and plugging in the new unit. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Rex - it wasn't as easy as it could have been since a metal support plate was blocking the right-hand mounting screws. I thought the path of least resistance was to drill two 3/8" access holes for the screwdriver. I misaligned the holes a little off center, but the phillips screwdriver still had enough "bite" to unscrew & screw in the new one. I suppose you could dissassemble part of the dash in lieu of drilling holes, but I believe that would have taken longer.

Golfingene - welcome to the forums

I absolutely believe that FTL should make these available for free. I'm stopping by Gaffney (FTL factory) shortly (since it is on our way to our destination) for a little work and I'm going to make a point about this.

 

[MrTransistor]

Hi John,
Add my name to your list of complaints on the ˜Unreadable Display' issue. From a safety standpoint alone, this display needs replacement at the least and removal and replacement with the old instrument panel at best. Complaints a year and a half ago to our local Freightliner dealer got us nowhere. Our 03 Journey had lights on the panel for every malfunction. (all those empty squares in the current panel) This display has only one to tell you to look at an unreadable LCD panel. If you go low fuel, the light comes on so another problem has no way to indicate itself. I know that there was a recall for this very issue shortly after we got our 04 Horizon. Had something to do with low air warnings as I recall. But the main problem still exists, one light for most all malfunctions. Not safe in my opinion! Kind of leaves Freightliner open for some serious liability problems.