Inspecting the ATS

One of the items that has been  a common problem in the FUSE is the Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) failing.  The ATS is the device that selects if the generator or the shore power plug is what is powering the FUSE 110v loads.   I wrote earlier about the ATS at: http://confusedrv.blogspot.com/2016/02/automatic-transfer-switch.html.  The one in our fuse is a 41300 and info can be found at:  https://rvpower.southwire.com/products/transfer-switches/30a-hardwire-model-41300-basic-automatic-transfer-switch/

Big problem is when the ATS fails you get 0 power from either.  Oh, and and an acrid smell comes out (and possibly a small amount of smoke). For me it happened just outside of Dallas, Texas and caused us to cut our trip a couple of days short.   BTW - your 12volt system will still work if this happens, just no recharging the batteries from the shore power or generator so the lights stilled work.

So how can you avoid this.  Well a good practice is to inspect the ATS once (or twice) a year.  What you are going to need is a flashlight, a small screwdriver and a 5/32" hex key/driver - Now let's go over the steps.  

The ATS is located in the electrical box with the shore power cord.  It is a pretty tight fit in there.

Important Note:  Make sure the shore power is unplugged and the generator is off.  This is electrical and you can get hurt if the power is on.

First step is to take the cover off of the ATS.  It unsnaps from the top of the cover.  There are some keys at the bottom of the unit.  Be gentle, but it comes off pretty easy.

Once open, you need to take a look at the wires.  If any of the wires looks burned, the wire insulation looks bubbled, there is any heat damage you have failed the inspection.  Get this fixed now.  If everything looks ok, then continue on.

The next thing you need to check is if the connections are tight.  On the ATS you will see several electrical relays with hex screws.  There are 8 of these connections.  Check to make sure these are tight.  Don't over tighten.  If they are already tight, you are good.  If they are loose tighten them down to 30 in-lbs.  This is listed on the cover so refer to what it says if there is a change between model revisions.  

 

How much is 30 in-lbs? What does that mean? Tighten, but do not crank it down.  Don't use any leverage from your wrist.  You will put that much force on the connector just by using your hand without any leverage.

I purchased a T-handle hex key just to do this with.  This was a tip that was pointed out at the last Fuse Rally.  It makes this job much easier than with traditional L shaped wrenches.

Also check the screws on the terminals on the top of the ATS.  On mine this required a small screwdriver.  If everything is tight then great, otherwise, tighten them down but again, do not over tighten.

At this point you are done.  Put the cover back on and you are good to go.  If you need repairs, take care of them.    

This is a good thing to inspect regularly. It only takes 5-10 min and can save you from trouble down the road.  At the Spring 2021 Fuse rally, Bob Garbe went around and inspected them for folks (13 if I recall correctly) and it was greatly appreciated by all. 

Fuse/Transit Cabin Air Filter

 Did you know that your you can install a cabin air filter in your Winnebago Fuse?  Though it did not come with one installed from the factory, the Ford Transit is equipped to have one.  Our vehicle is sold all over the world and in Europe they are required to have one.  In the US, not so much so Ford does not install it.   

So if you want cleaner cabin air, travel in a dusty area or just do not like so much exhaust smell from the interstate; it is a pretty easy thing to do.  There is not a Ford part number in the North America per my dealer, but thanks to the magic of Amazon they are readily available.  I purchased this one:

So once it arrived I needed to install it and it is a very easy project.  10 min or so.  If you have ever replaced the cabin air filter in your car you are already experienced since it is the same process.  Just like a car, the cabin air filter is located behind the glove box.

First step is to empty the glove box and swing it down out of the way.  To do this you push in the tabs at the top of the box and it will swing out of the way.  Remember to empty the box first or the contents will be all over the floor.

The cabin air filter is located in a closed compartment right behind the box.  To open it push in the tab at the left and it can be removed.

There is even room for your hands.  Very easy place to get into.

The next step is to install the filter.  It can go in only one way if you do not force it.   Note that the angled off portion of the filter is to the left.

Next step is to push it all the way in.  Remember, do not force it,  It should slide right in.

Next put the cover back on.  Once on make sure it is securely fashioned.  Sometimes it is easy to miss the latches.

It is now all back together.  

Put the glove compartment back in place and all the stuff back in and you are done.

This takes less than 5 min.   A very easy thing to install.   Now once it is installed you need to inspect and change it once a year.  Maybe more often if you are in a very dusty/dirty/smokey environment.  Just like your car.

And credit where credit is due.  This is another thing I was reminded about at the Spring 2021 Get Together.  I had been meaning to do it for several years, but I got reminded at the rally.

Fall 2019 Get Together In Branson

Call it a Get Together, Call it the 2019 Fall Fuse Owners Rally, call it whatever you want but definitely call it fun.  And thanks to Rebecca and Mark Smith for organizing the event.   This was held at the Musicland Kampground in Branson Mo.

So how was it?  It was great!  We had 22 Fuses that were registered and 1 Fuse that just happened into the park and joined us.  They are now members of the group.

The first events were on Friday night and it started with a Pot-Luck dinner.  Lots of food, lots of fellowship and just a great time.   That was followed by Robert Garbe leading a Q&A session on the Fuse.   Then we had musical entertainment by one of our own members, Dan Mobley.

Saturday started out with a breakfast buffet.  We then had an RV Electrical Systems 101 class by Roger Philipsek. After that, Robert Garbe presented a discussion about batteries and why and where Lithium batteries make sense.

After lunch, there was the mod tour.  What is a mod tour you may ask.  That is where everyone shows off the things that have done to their coach to improve and make them their own.  Some people had little like us, some people had made massive changes.   I took note of those folks that had upgraded their coaches with the latest NDQ air conditioners.  Much quieter than my original Mach 10.

After diner on our own (with some friends in our case) we enjoyed additional fellowship and just talking about Fuses.

Sunday was the day the event closed.  It started out with doughnuts and coffee.  Then some closing remarks.    And then we checked out.   Some folks stayed on to explore Branson, others went home and others continued their travels.  Everyone had a great time and were sad to leave their friends behind.

When is the next Get Together you may ask.   Currently Rebecca is planning on having it in Nebraska City, NE the first weekend in May.  Subject to change but definitely worthy of being penciled into the calendar.

Fall 2018 Ford Tech Session

Ford sent Mike Blackner to the Fall 2018 rally to talk to us about the Transit portion of our Fuse.

He reminded us that the warrantee is 5year/100,000 miles on the diesel engine and  5 years/60,000 miles on the transmission and other parts of the powertrain.

The transmission on the Fuse is the same 6 speed transmission on a F-150 pickup truck and there are a huge number of these in service for many years.

He recommended to us that as we are driving that we use the Tow/Haul Mode.  He said that this is a better mode since it delays some of the shifting to create less heat.   It is easier on the transmission with fewer gear shifts.  Works better going up and down hills but no real difference on flat ground.  Reason that it is not on by default is that is is not quite as fuel efficient.

He talked about new things Ford is looking at for 2020 and asked what we thought was most important.  The things that Ford was looking at was Hybrid electric vehicles, Swivel Seats, 360 degree cameras, TPMS for all 6 wheels and high power inverter/alternator setups.    I think that the consensus from the group was TMPS and the swivel front seat would help us the most.

We also brought up my EZ-Fuel issue where some nozzles have gotten caught in the anti-siphon mechanism.  He took the question on if there was a tool or something that would make recoverable without having to break something.

There was a question on integrating the Ford sound system with the Winnebago Sound system so people could use their Sirrus/XM with the cabin speakers.

There was a question about using the Ford display for the GPS with the backup camera so we did not need the backup display Winnebago attaches to the windshield.

As they get answers back to us, we will post them to the facebook group.

There was a question on the wheel covers which is a Winnebago question since they supply the covers, not Ford.

We also asked about Ford doing more with the dealers to encourage them to work on RVs.  Mike pointed out the http://ford.com/commercialviehicles web site but we let him know it seems to be out of date and not as accurate as it could be.

There was a lot of other discussion so if I missed something in the notes it is me.

Fall 2018 Winnebago Tech Session

Had a great Technical session at the Fall 2018 Compact Coach Rally/Get together.

Lee, Mike, and Anthony from the Winnebago Team answered a bunch of questions for the group and Chris from the Travato line answered a bunch of questions on Lithium batteries.   I am not doing them justice but here is what I captured.

On Lithium batteries.  In the Travato line, the lithium battery setup is 8.7 kilowatt hours of storage.    It is a 48volt system that includes a 3.6Kilowat inverter (30 amps 110v), a DC-DC converter to convert from 48v to 12v and a second alternator on the Travato engine.  Winnebago is trying to determine the demand for a setup like this in the Fuse.  Question is how many people would buy this given the price in the Travato is $20,000.   They are thinking on drop in replacement replacements for the existing 12v batteries that would greatly increase the storage capacity of the batteries, but would only cost $2,000.   They did say that the second alternator on the Travato can charge that huge battery bank in 1 hour and 20min.

Air Conditioner - They have found a much quieter Air Conditioner for the Fuse.  A RVP 13.5 ductless unit.   It should be starting to be used in new units in the next couple of months.   It will come equipped with the chill grill functionality and with this unit it will be possible to put the thermostat on a wall plate though they have not decided it they are going to do this.    It is a new unit and should be able to be retrofitted to older Fuses.

Generator -  Onan is working on a new generator.  Probably available in the next year or so.  Winnebago has added isolators and a new bracket to the later Fuses that helps with vibration noise some.   I got to see the installation on the factory line and it seems much better that the original installations.

Compressor refrigerator -  They have shifted to the Danby 110v units on the latest fuses.  They used Novacool and NorCold units in a few 2018.5 units but moved to the Danby since it was less expensive an gave similar performance.  Downside is that you need the inverter on for it to work.   Winnebago did test this configuration on the Fuse and the Danby ran almost 48 hours on just battery.

Stabalizers vs levelers.   There was a question about did anyone know of a source for levelers for the Fuse.  No one has found one that works on the Transit.  Some discussion about the rear levelers came into play.  The comment was that the stabilizers took play out of the springs when deployed which seemed to equal maybe an inch of movement.  

Bike rack on the hitch.  How much weight could the hitch safely hold given the cantilever forces when you put a bike rack on the hitch.  No real answer since some real engineering would be required.  One of the folks who was present has done something similar for a storage container but they added some braces from the bumper attachments to add strength/take part of the load.

There was a request for the bedroom TV bracket to be able to move so change the TV orientation.

There was some discussion about making the bathroom sink more usable.  Maybe with a larger sink or a different fixture.  A user has done a mod accomplishing this.  Says it made a huge difference with just a little help.

We asked about the improving the mattresses .

We brought to Winnebagos attention the continuing problems with the ATS, break lights with bad LEDs, water in the backup lights, water getting into the outside compartments.  We also brought up some of the window and roof leaks.

The last thing we brought up with Winnebago was the front table in the A not being usable when the slide is in.  Winnebago showed us a concept that seems would fix the problem.  A very unique idea. (Basically the table bracket would attach to the front of the sofa.)

We then got a tour of the new 23F View they had been brought over to the site to show us.  Next to it was a cut away transit straight from Ford.

2019 Fuse(Y2) changes

Winnebago supplied us with the list of changes for the 2019(Y2) Fuse lineup:

Model Line-up

• 423A - Carryover, 4/6/18
• 423T - Carryover, 7/9/18
• 423F - New, 8/13/18

New Standard Features for Y2

• New wrap around cab window privacy curtain.  Drop the Covercraft folding window blinds

                                         

• New lightweight thermoformed construction for all countertops and tables
• The 423T bed changed to a two piece mattress with a living hinge
• The standard front TV bracket will hinge on the left side for the 423A & 423F

                                         

• Changed to a water manifold system
• The optional 1000-watt inverter will be a standard item
• The DC refrigerators will change to a Danby 110V residential refrigerator

                                         

• New exterior deluxe graphics design, "Winter Blue"

                                        

New Optional Features

• Optional #41M, Roof Vent, Powered Ventilator Fan, will be a standard Feature
• Replaced Driftwood woodgrain with Honey Cherry woodgrain

Make sure you understand everything is subject to change without notice.

Get Together - Spring 2018

Wow!  What a time we had at the Spring 2018 Winnebago Fuse Get Together.  I had a blast!   Sonya being the brains of the operation set up a great event.

We left Wednesday evening after work and made it from Tallahassee to just South of Troy, Alabama. About a 2-2.5 hour ride.   Stoped at a campground on the South side of town and everything was grand.  The Walnut CreeK RV Park. Nice folks checked us in.  Nice power/cable and a level campsite.  On grass mind you, but a nice site for the night.  This is mostly a permanent trailer setup for student housing at Troy State University.  We ate dinner and turned in for the night.  

The bad part came in the morning.  The bathrooms were horrendous.  They had not been cleaned in a while.  I might have been able to work around this but there was no hot water.  I aborted the shower attempt and did a sponge bath in the Fuse.

We left there and headed up the road through Montgomery,  Huntsville,  Nashville and our final stop at the Grand Ole RV Park.   We got there mid-afternoon on Thursday and 4 or 5 Fuses were already waiting on us. 

I have to give two big thumbs up to the service at the Grand Ole RV Park first.  Not only did they guide us to our campsite, but they offered to help hook up as well.  How can you beat that.

Oh, and after our previous stop I can happily report that the bathrooms at the Grand Ole RV park were spotless and had plenty of hot water.

We quickly got setup.   I had to get with our Fuse Family members.  We spent the rest of the day on the porch talking and welcoming the group arriving.  I think by the end of Thursday we had 10 or more of our Fuse Family at the park.  And there were two other Beagles and they both read the word sucker on my forehead.

We got up Friday morning  and got ready for the festivities starting that night.  We talked and laughed and just had a great time as I ran from coach to coach welcoming everyone to the fun.   

At 5:00 we started the pot luck.  More good food than you can imagine.  I think everyone got plenty.  The campground had live music starting at 7:00 and we sat around and listened until it finished.

We were blessed that Ford sent goodie bags promoting the power stroke diesel an the Transit platform.  How great is that.  Hats all around plus some other fabulous stuff.  We also followed the tradition of something Fuse branded.  This time, coffee cups.  Come through Tallahassee and I will give you one so long as they last.

The next morning started at 8:00am with a great breakfast furnished by Winnebago.  The campground catered the meal and I know I ate more that I should have.  We had people sitting inside and outside and everyone was just having a wonderful time.

At 9:00 our headline speaker from Winnebago started his talk.   A huge amount of great information and lots of questions and answers.  It was a great two way discussion with the man who designs the Fuse.   I will be writing up the tech talk notes in a separate post.

After the tech talk there was lunch and the tour of coaches.  Everyone showed off mods and asked each other for tips and techniques for doing things with our Fuses.

One thing that did stand out that we had not done before was Deb Mowers doing two sessions on how to use your convection microwave.  During the first session she packed 10 people into her 23T.  During the second session (which I attended) there were 7 students.  She showed us about convection baking and the grilling feature.  She used a can of crescent rolls to demonstrate the oven in operation.   I got some tips (have got to try toast in the microwave) and a recipe for beef and yellow rice in the instant pot.

At 6:00 on Saturday Night we had out good bye dinner.  In the past we had done pizza but since the Grand Ole RV Park was cooking, we had sloppy joe sandwich plates.  We listened to some more great music, said our good byes and hit the sack.

Sunday Morning a good number of people had left before we got moving.  Lots of sightseeing or long distances to head home.  Some people stayed around.    We decided to head home.  Lily got sick while we were there (she actually pinched a nerve in her neck) and we decided to get her home to the Vet to make sure she was ok. 

So when it was all finished up we had the following:

22 Winnebago Fuses

1 Coachman Orion (an honorary Fuser)

1 Fuse couple from California who flew in

2 Gonna Be Fusers 

1 Guest speaker who broke their Fuse on the way to TN. (Gasoline and Diesel are not interchangeable)

How did the beagle bus do on this trip?   I mostly ran at 65mph on US-231 between the small towns and ran at 72mph on I-10 and I-65.  For that I got a combined mileage of 15.8mpg.   I got as high as 18 mpg for one tank on US-231 and as low as 15.2mpg on I-65.  Not bad and shows that speed matters.

Spring 2018 Get Together Tech Session

We were blessed by having a Winnebago Representative come to our Spring 2018 Get Together.  There were lots of questions and answers from both sides.  This was looked at as a dialog.  Lots of back and forth so the users could pass on things they were seeing and things they would like to see.  Winnebago took many questions and ideas back to Forrest City to see how to address the suggestions.concerns.   

There are no commitments on a couple of things but I am glad to see that Winnebago takes our input seriously.  Most companies don't.

Q: How many Fuses are on the road ?

A: 800 Winnebago Fuses are on the road out of roughly 1300 built.  The mix is roughly 55% 23As and 45% 23Ts.  Not selling as fast as they want but not too bad either.

Q: How about having the Transit stereo connect to the house audio?

A: Stereo not able to have 2 outputs 

Q:  How about a slide for the batteries?

A:  The lack of a slide for the batteries is all about weight.  Not Gross Vehicle Weight but something called "Curb Weight". This is a weight and balance requirement from Ford.  There is also a balance issue on how much weight is on the front vs rear Axel.

Q:  When is the next model year Fuse coming out?

A: Winnebago is looking at June for next model year.  Most of the things they are looking at doing are to save weight.

Q: Can something be done to overcome the noise and placement of the generator?

A: - Ross Fisher @ Onan is working with Winnebago on improvements to the generator.  A new generator circuit breaker that won’t trip on a new design generator is about a year to 18 months out.  There is a possibility of adding an energy management system to the Fuse like they do to the Class Bs.  This would prevent too much load at any time to happen.

Q: Issues with vibration of generator:

A: New Fuses have new rubber mounts .   The exhaust in some cases was hitting the mount.  Basically the hole for the exhaust through the mount was too small or not aligned perfectly. The rubber isolaters are available on new units coming in June and can be retrofitted to older units.

Q: Most common failure of the generator:

A: There is a cummins service bulletin that ground wire comes loose and burning out the ignition coil

Q: How about an exit window in the rear on the 23T?

A: Exit window is not on rear of the T because of the bike rack option would block it

Q: Wheel simulators coming off.  The caps coming loose.

A: Taking the question back to the factory

Q: How about steel extensions for the tires?

A: Took question back to the factory

Q: How about the special tires required by the Fuse?

A: Took question back to the factory

Q: Why no spare tire?

A: No spare tire. - spare went away when A could not have it.  There was not enough room underneath.  There is a space on the T underneath that could possible hold a spare.   Winnebago marketing did not want the two units to be different spare vs non spare.

Q:  Would the group like TPMS standard/ What TPMS would the group like to have.  

A: Various.  Several would like Ford factory TPMS

Q:  How about an accordion door for the bathroom on the 23T

A: NO.  Was done in several units before and feedback was super negative.

Q:  What about drawers and latches:

A:  Moving to 10lbs latches on everything in the Fuse.  Could go to a positive latching solution if problems are big

Q: Batteries and the lack of a sliding tray.

A:. Maybe Winnebago will move to using AGM batteries.  Problem is with the expense.  Winnebago is also looking a lithium option (straight replacement for the existing batteries, not a whole motorhome inverter setup like the Travato L models)

Q:  Do people use the Flex Bed in the 23A

A: Only about 20% of the people present use the Flexbed.  

Q: How about a smaller/lighter table

A: Size needed for the flexbed but latest table is much lighter in weight.

A: One of the most wide spread mods is people building smaller tables.

Q: On the 23A the hole for the front table can not be used with the slide in

A: Looking at fixing this with a second table socket.

Q:  How about changing the mount so the TV can be viewed from the right or left?

A: Swinging TV mount in 23A in June

Q: How about Fuse branded gear?

A: Taking suggestion back to marketing

Q: How about an over cab bed in the Fuse. (Winnebago asked question)

A: Not many people who were here would be interested.  Maybe others.

Q: What about 5000lbs hitch on oldest Fuses 

A: Winnebago had to to beef up frame to make a 5000lbs hitch work on later Fuses.  Winnebago does not weld things to the Frame and only blots on stuff.

Q: Could Winnebago move the engine exhaust 

A: This is a Ford thing.  Winnebago leaves the Ford stuff to Ford on the cutaway chassis

Q: What about a 3rd break light?

A: Not a requirement  but added to list

Q: Some people are getting water in their exterior lights:

A: Yes -  Winnebago is looking into the issues.

Q:  Something causing glow in tail lights when off

A: Taking this back to the factory with them

Q: How about cup holders on 23a sofa

A: Will take this back to the factory

Q: Seating improvements in A and T

Q: License plate light and holder are problematic.  Tag does not fit right.

A: License plate light fixes in production now

Q:  Lots of questions on quieting down and improving cooling on the Air Conditioner 

A: Possible change  to an Air Command air conditioner.  This is out of Australia.  Also possible upgrade to 15,000 BTU.  Both of these can retrofitted by the owner.  FitRV has video doing this on a Travato.

Q:  We don't need 3 burners on the T stove/cooktop

A: Looking into cooking improvements.  Possible a 1 lp/1 induction cooktop like on larger Winnebago motorhomes.   (Winnebago was very interested in how people were cooking/using the kitchen in their Fuses)

Q: How about a drop leaf on the 23T table

A: Taking back as suggestion

Q: How about an induction burner to avoid the heat of an LP burner

A: 1 LP and 1 Induction  maybe

Q: Heat issues - for folks in hot environments heat intrusion is an issue. Skylight in shower and heat coming in from the front cap seem to be biggest culprits.

A:  Looking into front cap heat issue.

Q: Can T table detach easily from the wall

A:  No

Q: Improving Clearance: and ride?

A: Sumosprings - Supersprings - 2 inches - Winnebago recommends - easy install - better ride- Some formal testing required before Winnebago will do it as an option.  Clearance has improved in general since the 2017  Fuses were released

Q: How about a Curtain for the front to block as opposed to hard covers one over the windows

A: Should be in future Fuses.  Can be retrofitted since it will be a hook and eye setup.

Q: Lithium battery option?

A: Probably will offer one from Lithionics.  Costly.

Q:  How about building on the longer wheelbase Transit

A: Winnebago has explored this.  Places lots of weight on front axel - Not interested - 60/40 balance today and needs to stay that way

Q: What about wind noise from around door ?

A: Developed a hinge screw cap assembly that fixes this for the Lippart door.   Complaints about them coming unpainted.  Some people are still having issues.  Winnebago thought the problems are only on A but members has issues on Ts as well.  

Q; Has Paseo been taken out of production

A: Yes.  Production suspended on Paseo.

Having a Get Together

Our next Winnebago Fuse Get Together is  April 27-29, 2018  in Nashville.  We are holding it at the Grand Ole RV Resort and Market.  Let us know if you are coming in the Facebook group.  (End of shameless plug even though it is free)

Ever since we announced the first Get Together  I have had people asking me about having Get Togethers in other places.   My response is pretty simple.  Go for it!

I really don't mean to be flippant, but it really goes to what a Get Together is.  All a Get Together is is two or more Fuse enthusiasts getting together and talking motorhomes.   It is just that simple.   

I have had several un-announced Get Togethers.   I don't feel bad stalking other Fuse owners, so if you see me coming up to your camp site don't be surprised.  Ask Norbert.   I saw he was at Ft. Wilderness the same time I was in Orlando (without the Fuse).  I trekked over on a combination of Boats and Buses and then walked the campground until I found him.    This was the First Get Together.

I have done several other small things I consider Get Togethers including eating lunch with folks when I take the Fuse out for exercise.  If you are close to Tallahassee on a weekend I will try and get up with you for a mini Get Together (though I do have some matters that take precedence,  permission from Sonya is required).

But then there is the request to do something along the lines of the big Spring and Fall Get Togethers Sonya has arranged over the last year (and the one coming up).    Anyone can put one of these on as well.   

We live in Florida.  Doing things on the East Coast is pretty easy for us.  Doing the Colorado Get Together was more of a challenge, but was worth it to meet some of our Western members.  Doing one really out west is something I want to do, but is hard while I am still working.  So I hope someone out in the Pacific Time Zone takes up the challenge.

First, a couple of things about putting on a Get Together.

There are a couple of rules that define a Get Together.  In the spirit of everyone getting together, there should not be a charge to attend.   It should be open to anyone who wants to talk about Fuses.   We even invite those who have not bought yet, but are still looking and deciding.  I figure once you are part of our Fuse community you will buy the motorhome just to be part of the family. We have had them on the weekends so people who work can attend.   Those are the only ground rules.

If you want to do something different, call it a Rally or Caravan or something else.  But still feel free to go for it.

Now for the lessons Sonya and I have learned:

The hardest part is finding a time and a place.   No matter what you decide,  someone is going to be disappointed and not be able to come.  With over 1000 members scattered from the East coast to the West coast and up in Canada there will never be a perfect time and place.   

We have chosen a general time first. A two or 3 week window.  We try to avoid the busy seasons.   This is hard since many campgrounds close on the off seasons.  But once you have picked a date or two you can start finding campgrounds.   As a matter of fact a one or two week difference in when you hold the event might make a $10.00 a night difference in the camping charge.

The next step is the campground.  This is actually harder than you think.  Where is a central location that people can meet up at? There are Fuses all over and picking a convienent location is really a hard task. Pick a general location and then draw a 100-200 mile circle around it.   Then start with the campground guides.

If you are setting up something small like 4-5 rigs, finding a campground is not a problem.  Finding a campground where you can get 20-30 Fuses is much more difficult.  Finding a campground with a covered area or even better an indoor meeting area is even harder to hold 50-60 people is tough.  Its even harder to find one that won't charge (or charge much) for the shelter.

But here is where being part of our large community helps.  Once you have narrowed it down to 3-4 places ask for some help in the group.  We have members all around and you can get some local Fuse owner to scout the campground to see if is nice and has the amenities we need.  Even if they are not coming, or spending the night at a prospective location, a little bit of scouting goes a long way.   The photos on the web site don't always match current reality.

We also look for a place where everyone makes their own reservations.  I don't want to collect any money or sign a contract, and remember this is an informal gathering.  I don't want to be on the hook if people have to cancel or show up late.  I also want to reinforce that concept that this is informal so my liability is minimized.

Now that we have a time and a place then there is the question on what to do.  The best piece of advice we received is not to plan it too tight.  Just let it happen with a few milestones to get it down the path.  Everyone is there to have a good time and everyone seems to pitch in. 

So with the advice of those in the group who were more experienced Sonya and I  have done the following schedule:

• Friday Night we have a pot luck/get to know everyone -  As people rolling in Thursday and Friday everyone meets everyone anyhow, but this has been the first social event.
• Saturday AM at the first one we did breakfast (and will be doing breakfast again in April). 
• Saturday Morning we have a technical session -  We have had Winnebago and Ford talk.  We did Q&A at the second one (we have experienced folks in the group) when Winnebago had to cancel.
• Saturday at Lunch we ate leftovers
• Saturday Afternoon we toured everyone's coach and saw modifications and got tips
• Saturday Night we did a pizza party (and ate leftovers,  there is lots of food).
• We waved goodby on Sunday Morning though some stayed longer

Nothing says a Get Together has to follow this schedule.  It has worked well so far but it does not have to stay that way.   I have invited speakers from Winnebago.  If it went longer or I could not arrange that I would look for someone else to talk.  But just sitting around and doing a roundtable worked really well.  It just depends on what you want to do. 

I would love to hear from the SumoSprings folks, Atwood, Zamp, Progressive Dynamics, Onan and all of the other component manufacturers.  You might want to get a local dealer to give instructions on winterizing/maintenance/some other general RV topic.  It is just a question on what the group wants to hear about. Going back to the initial advice we got before the first Get Together, don't plan too much.   Maybe sometime we should do a Fuse Tech conference,  but that would not be a Get Together.

I have been lucky to be able to get Winnebago to send technical folks. Winnebago has been super supportive and that has worked out great for both us and Winnebago. The conversation has been bi-directional. We got real lucky and had Ford come as well to the first one.  Again super supportive and wonderful to get first hand information from them.

Now that there is a time and a place and an agenda -  publish the event in the Facebook group.  Post a message, create an event and go for it.  Remember that we have new members joining all of the time so re-post every so often.

Now you should start getting some folks saying that they are going.  Keep a list.  This is important to know how many folks are coming.  You need to talk every few weeks to see who has made reservations.  You will have some folks who are in one list but not the other.  Don't get concerned some people will make their arrangements late.  Some people will have to cancel.  After a little bit you will get an idea of how many are coming.

You will also need to get on a first name basis with the camp ground manager.  Check with him every few weeks up to the event. He can tell you how many reservations he has gotten.   The manager can also help you with local logistics and tell you where the best pizza is (we try for local).  If you have a large group they have helped us with other local issues and questions.   20 camp sights off season is blessing for all.

For the first Get Together I was over prepared.  The second one I was under prepared.   The best advise is not to worry.  It won't be perfect and everyone won't be happy, but don't sweat it.  Everyone who is coming is family.

Now it is family reunion time.   Just sit back and enjoy.

Here are a couple of other things I will share from our checklist.   (Like we are experts after doing two of these):

• Bring copies of the agenda
• Bring copies of the attendee list
• Remember to take the group photo
• You do need to do a little coordinating of the pot luck.  Most people say what they are bringing but people will ask.  If you know you are short in some area let people know.
• When people ask what to bring - ask someone to bring water.  Beer seems to show up without prodding.
• Bring some extra serving spoons/forks/etc.   
• Someone needs to bring paper goods.

Our Fuse family is always helpful and friendly, everyone always pitches in with set-up and clean-up, so enjoy!

Fall 2017 Get Together in the Rockies

We held our Fall Get Together - the "Get Together in the Rockies" September 29 to October 1 in Fort Collins, Colorado.    It was great.

We had 14 Fuses and 1 wanna-be (the new term is "gonna-be") come to the event.   The Winnebago Engineer canceled at the last moment with an emergency, so we had to do the tech talk on our own.  There were enough experts in the group to answer most of the questions.

So what did we do.   On Friday night we had a pot luck.   And there was some mighty fine eating.  I am not sure it was the altitude or the cool mountain air, but everything was delicious.

The souvenir from the event was a little different this time.  We did not do wine glasses.  A comment last time was they were a little fragile for camping so this time we went with plastic cups.  They won't break and being lighter they might help with the gas milage.    If you want one and are traveling through Tallahassee, let me know.

Saturday morning we had the Tech discussion.  We will go into that a little further down the page.

We had leftovers for the group for lunch and then after lunch we toured the coaches.

Saturday evening we had our Pizza party.  That was some good pizza.

Then unfortunately it was over and we all went our separate ways.  It was great to get and meet everyone.

=======================
Ok, so now what you were waiting for.  How did the tech talk go?

Before the meeting I was able to talk to Winnebago about what they are thinking about future Fuses.  I think we all like to know what Winnebago is thinking about.   A lot of what they are doing is happening on all of their small motorhomes so the real question is when it will happen in the Fuse.   Keep on the lookout for this as the 2018.5 and 2019 models come out.

Remember these are futures and subject to all sorts of factors, so there are no guarantees.  These may turn out to be standard features or options or not make it outside the lab.

One of the new items Winnebago is looking at for all of their motorhomes is using compressor refrigerator.s  For those that don't know, a compressor refrigerator is like the one in your house.  Runs on electricity only (DC) but does not care  if the motorhome is level or not.  Cools much faster but uses electricity.  The first compressor refrigerators in small Winnebago motorhomes were released on the models announced earlier this month.    (Look at the Norcold compressor refrigerator in the new Navion)

To make the compressor refrigerator work out there is discussion about making the batteries bigger.  Group 31 as opposed to Group 24.  And if they can find the space they might be able to squeeze in a third battery to add capacity.

They also want to make solar standard.  Not just with 1 solar panel but with 2 100w panels.  This will help with the extra electrical needs of the compressor refrigerator.

A lot of the feedback they are getting from potential buyers revolves around people wanting an Inverter.  They are going to try and get one in the Fuse for us.

Ford is making the drivers side seat swivel in the 2019 Transit (remember that the Fuse is a transit underneath). It should be available around the August, 2018 timeframe.  Once they are available they they will use this chassis in the Fuse.  The key to this is Ford will be moving the parking break from between the drivers seat and passenger to somewhere else (possibly electronic).  Ford may also have a different solution on the passenger side.

And as far as being a low rider.  Winnebago continues to look for ways to raise the rear.    The engineering team has taken our feedback very seriously on this issue.   One thing they are exploring is angling off the last couple of feet in the back.  It is going to require them to move some things around in the rear and they think they can without decreasing any storage or having to make major design changes.  They think that there is a good possibility that they can rake the last couple of feet in the rear and add a few inches of clearance.

The group also had some questions for Winnebago.  Since they could not make it I took them down and Winnebago said they would answer them for us.    Here is the list and the answers are underlined:

1). How many Fuses are on the road:  Over 600 

2) Why does the rear tv sound not come through the bed speakers on the T:  The rear speakers are connected to the radio/DVD player. The radio can only play audio from one TV.

3)  The consensus is that we really need a better way to access the batteries.  Is Winnebago looking at putting them on a sliding tray or something.  The current setup is really bad for checking water levels. We will evaluate.

4). Has there been some thought to moving the generator breaker to somewhere easier to access on the A.   Crawling under the unit to reset the breaker is problematic:  At this time we do not have a solution. We cannot move the breaker.

5) Have you thought of making the rear window the emergency exit window on both units: We would need to reduce the width and height significantly to clear the ladder and customer bicycles installed on the bike rack.

6) The wheel simulators and nuts seem to be a problem.  The nuts have gotten lost on the road and they cause issues accessing the tire stems.  People are replacing the stems or having to take off the simulators to add/check air pressure:  We would like some clarification on this issue. Do you think the 2 nuts that hold the liners on are not tight to begin with or are the nuts not staying tight? We do provide extensions for the inside duals which should be accessible. The outside dual require a dual head angled air chuck to fill or check tire pressure.  (I sent them information from the group so they could understand the issues)

7) What about factory TPMS from Ford: Not available from Ford on the Transit cutaway chassis.

8) The springs are fully loaded on most of the Units.   We measured all of the units.  Clearances range from 11-14-16 inches depending on year and what suspension mods have been made. We had several (including an 18) with additional leaf springs added and one with Sumos added:  We have evaluated the Sumo Super Springs. The springs raised the rear of the coach about 2 1/2´” At this time the testing required by Ford for Winnebago to install these springs has not been done by Sumo. They are available for a customer to add.

9) The rear bumper is attached to the plywood rear wall.   Lots of damage is caused when bumped like a bumper:  We will look into this issue.

10) What about replacing the bathroom door in the T with an accordion door.  One person did this and now several others will as well:  We had an accordion door on a rear bath in a past floorplan. Many complaints, we won’t do this change.

11) Have you changed out the drawer latches with heaver duty ones.  There seems to be a mixture depending on what unit is looked at.  We all agree we need the HD latches. We spec out a 10lb latch for large drawers and forward facing drawers.

12). More questions about how to make the Front table on the A model useful with the slide in. We are evaluating this suggestion.

13) Can you change the latch on the Front TV on the A so you can angle it to the couch as opposed to the door. This suggestion is also being evaluated.

14). Richard K.  Has reoriented the seating on his T to open up the front area much more than the default layout.  He posted some pictures you all should look at.   This seemed to be the hit of the show. I couldn’t find the photos. Could you send?  (I sent Richards article in response to this)

15). Still issues with Quality control.   Rust spots in the sink are common:  This issue should go through warranty. I will ask our warranty dept. for the sink warranty claims.

16) The Bents are having problems getting a new bathroom sink (cracked)  and trim for the pop up counter extension from their dealer.  The dealer is saying it is backordered from Winnebago.  Are repair parts backordered? We had a shortage of parts for production. We no longer have a shortage.

17) You would sell a lot of Fuse branded gear if it was available. I will pass this request on to the Marketing dept.

Then we went around the room for Q&A.  We had lots of questions asked and luckily we had a large number of experienced Fuse owners to answer them.   Lots of talk about raising the fuse.  Lots of hints and advice on storage and places to shop.   Just like the facebook group but live and in person.   It really was great.  I stopped taking notes because I became too interested in the discussion.  

After this and lunch we went and looked at everyones Fuses and the mods they had done.

Smart Car Tow Setup

23T storage organization

Slide out decoration

Berg Stem Extenders

Wastemaster Premium Sewer hose

The big hit of the walk around was Richards mods to his 23T.  He has rearranged the bench seat to open up the front.  My photos did not do it justice so you can read his article here.

I also measured various Fuses.