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Bigfoot MH32ST

Yahoo Message Number: 1878
I purchased a new 2007 MH32ST in Reno NV. I drove it to Grand Junction
CO. ( Home ). What a pleasure to drive. I have the diesel engine.
Climbing the passes out of Utah were a non issue. The RV handles well.
I have been reading the manuals trying to figure out the features of
the exhaust brake and the Allison 5 speed Transmission. More questions
than answers. The manuals are not written for the user. I spent a
career flying a DC-10 all over the world. Believe me the manuals for
the motor home and Kodiak are lacking. Trial and reading the blog are
probably going to be more fruitfull.

Re: Bigfoot MH32ST

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1879

Captn...

More than a few of us are more than a little envious because you own a Bigfoot. I drove one in CO this summer, and the ride was great. The heavier chassis and the way Bigfoot mounts the body to the chassis makes it a pleasure to ride and drive. The one I drove did have some workmanship issues, and the $$$ were still pretty high.

Enjoy your new coach and please keep us informed about good/bad issues you have with it.

Denny

Re: Bigfoot MH32ST

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1880
Congrats on your of a new Kodiak.
2007 may have a 6 speed trans. Check the build label on headliner
behind driver side visor. Six speed code is MTR.
Here is link to the build sheet for a 2007 Kodiak.
http://eogld.ecomm.gm.com/NASApp/mediumduty/proddesc.jsp?year=2007&brandID=1&line=166&modelID=1249&package=1341&series=1§ion=0&page=1#cat5
Enjoy your RV.

Re: Bigfoot MH32ST

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1881
Ron Hall wrote:

Quote
2007 may have a 6 speed trans. Check the build label on headliner
behind driver side visor. Six speed code is MTR.

Absolutely check out what Ron mentioned. I had a build sheet run on my
2007 Kodiak and it does in fact have the 6-speed transmission and what a
dream it is.

The manuals for these things are terrible and being a retired pilot
myself, I agree with what captn928 said about them. The Allison
transmission in my 32SS is the 6-speed and yet by the manual and the
dash selector, it would appear to be the 5-speed. When you count the
shifts as it goes up thru the gears you know it's the 6 and the
performance going down hills proves it.

Take care,
Greg

Re: Bigfoot MH32ST

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1884
We have a 07 Seneca 35GS with the Duramax and Allison Transmission. Could not agree with you more about the information. After talking with several RV's who where extruckers, they told me to use the exhaust brake for down hill driving it works great, bye the way. You will find when you step on the gas the exhause brake will disconnect. I was told also to use the overdrive disconnect for up hill, again it works great. I was told I could drive all the time with the exhaust brake on BUT as soon as you take your foot off the gas it kicks in. Most annoying when it kicks in when you don't need it. I drive with it off until I go downhill. When driving in the mountains I do not have to use brakes very often. When I do it is very minimal.

Prior to the Seneca we had a 07 Greyhawk 30 GS and the handling of the Seneca if FAR superior.

John Meredith

From: captn928
To: KodiakChassisClassC@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 6:14:26 PM
Subject: [KodiakChassisClassC] Bigfoot MH32ST

I purchased a new 2007 MH32ST in Reno NV. I drove it to Grand Junction
CO. ( Home ). What a pleasure to drive. I have the diesel engine.
Climbing the passes out of Utah were a non issue. The RV handles well.
I have been reading the manuals trying to figure out the features of
the exhaust brake and the Allison 5 speed Transmission. More questions
than answers. The manuals are not written for the user. I spent a
career flying a DC-10 all over the world. Believe me the manuals for
the motor home and Kodiak are lacking. Trial and reading the blog are
probably going to be more fruitfull.



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Re: Bigfoot MH32ST

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1885

One other issue with the exhaust brake... when it is on, the brake lights are also on... so the driver behind you thinks you are riding your brake... so if you don't need it, don't use it. But I agree, when you need it, it's great. And thanks for the hint about the overdrive disconnect... I have never used it.

Denny Myhre

Re: Bigfoot MH32ST

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1886
, Greg Gimlick
wrote:
Quote
Ron Hall wrote:

2007 may have a 6 speed trans. Check the build label on headliner
behind driver side visor. Six speed code is MTR.

Absolutely check out what Ron mentioned. I had a build sheet run on
my 2007 Kodiak and it does in fact have the 6-speed transmission and
what a

Quote
dream it is.

The manuals for these things are terrible and being a retired pilot
myself, I agree with what captn928 said about them. The Allison
transmission in my 32SS is the 6-speed and yet by the manual and
the dash selector, it would appear to be the 5-speed. When you count
the shifts as it goes up thru the gears you know it's the 6 and the
performance going down hills proves it.

Take care,
Greg

Thanks for the heads up on the MTR code. Mine is a 6 speed. It has
the MTR code.

Re: Bigfoot MH32ST

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1887
Let me congratulate you, great chassis selection. We have an Kodiak chassis Endura we love it.
Like you coming from Utah, no sweat going up and even less coming down. You have to practice with the exhaust break but other than slowing traffic eventually you don't even touch the break pedal, no heat no fade no failure.

On another hopefully you wont experienced the brake alarm. You get a chassis brake light that won't clear, simultaneously you have the alarm via the radio speakers. No luck with any Chevy dealer around Denver. Later found out there is a truck service company in Longmont that will at least look at it. I was able to clear mine but it still returns when you least need a distraction.

This is the only beef I have with the Kodiak. Other than that This vehicle was built for Colorado. We spend the summer around Colorado Springs, we call Woodland Park home but we have to live in Florida.

Congrats,

Mike

Re: Bigfoot MH32ST

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1888
, "Ron Hall"
wrote:
Quote
Congrats on your of a new Kodiak.
2007 may have a 6 speed trans. Check the build label on headliner
behind driver side visor. Six speed code is MTR.
Here is link to the build sheet for a 2007 Kodiak.
http://eogld.ecomm.gm.com/NASApp/mediumduty/proddesc.jsp?
year=2007&brandID=1&line=166&modelID=1249&package=1341&series=1§ion=
0&page=1#cat5

Quote
Enjoy your RV.

Thanks Ron. What a wealth of information. I appreciate the link. Thanks
again.
Ed

Re: Bigfoot MH32ST

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1889
I recently did a radio upgrade to my Kodiak. Best part of the upgrade
was to getting away from the stupid chime that comes through the radio
speakers. Still get lights though.
Another upgrade that other have done is move the exhaust brake switch
next to the overdrive switch. I have not done it yet, but it is on my
short list.
Like has already suggested use the overdrive switch to downshift going
up hills. For extra braking going down a hill that requires braking
turning off overdrive will give you a lot more exhaust braking.
To override exhaust brake just put a little pressure on throttle pedal.
One of the best upgrades is a ScanGaugeII. Gives you all the
information that the information center a pickup has.
http://www.scangauge.com/
Enjoy your Kodiak. Ask as many questions as you need to get familiar
with it. Someone will have a answer.

Re: Bigfoot MH32ST

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1890

Does the scangaugeII give the tranny temp??? I have a tranny temp gauge, but it rarely moves of the lower peg.

Re: Bigfoot MH32ST

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1893
When I was in for service the GM dealer tech told me that the temp gauge not moving is a good thing. It will only move when it hits a certain temperature and then if it does start to move it should be monitored closely.

John

From: "rsri1@..."
To: KodiakChassisClassC@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2008 11:36:03 AM
Subject: Re: [KodiakChassisClassC] Re: Bigfoot MH32ST

Does the scangaugeII give the tranny temp??? I have a tranny temp gauge, but it rarely moves of the lower peg.

In a message dated 10/30/2008 2:14:49 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, ronjhall@comcast. net writes:

Re: Bigfoot MH32ST

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1894
ScanGaugeII does not display Trans Temp on my 2004.5 LLY engine. It
also will not display Torque. It may work on newer models. I have a
aftermarket trans temp gauge. It does funny things. Sensor is mounted
just in front of GM sensor. Temp will be at 160 degrees. Then just
drop to 100 degrees.
Oil flow must be shut off to the cooler line when oil is not hot
enough in trans. I have never seen a temperature above 160 degrees yet.

Re: Bigfoot MH32ST

Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1896
John, our previous 2 MHs were a 2004 39W Journey with C7 Cat and a 2006 40PLQ Ambassador with Cummins ISC. I really miss the exhaust brake - but have to say that I drove with it ON all the time. DW always marvelled how I rarely used the service brakes. I think that is why the DPs will get 100,000 miles+ on brake pads.

Don


On 30-Oct-08, at 11:20 AM, Kathy Meredith wrote:

Re: Bigfoot MH32ST

Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1897
Denny, on my Journey and Ambassador the brake light didn't come on UNTIL the exhaust brake engaged when I'd take my foot off the gas.

The Journey had a good cruise control system. You could leave the exhaust brake on when the cruise was on and when you killed the cruise the exhaust brake kicked in immediately. The Ambassador required the EB to be turned off to used the cruise. That I did not like.

Don


On 30-Oct-08, at 11:29 AM,

Re: Bigfoot MH32ST

Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1900
I believe SGII was modified and the current ones do provide transmission temp. I can send mine back for a free upgrade - but I doubt it will provide a lot of info as my gauge never moves either.

We had the same problem with our Journey and Ambassador. Fluid level check was done via the transmission keypad (push button). You had to hold certain keys and it would check the transmission fluid level and indicate whether high, low or just right. The message code we almost always got was "fluid not hot enough to check" and that was after driving for 7 hours. The Ambassador had a transmission temp gauge as well and rarely moved more than a fraction above the bottom. TranSynd seems to keep it really cool.

Don


On 30-Oct-08, at 5:02 PM, Ron Hall wrote:

Re: Bigfoot MH32ST

Reply #17 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1903

That is good news, because the only time I've seen it come off the bottom peg is climbing a few grades in PA....the needle never made it out of the bottom white box. Matter of fact, it barely made it into the bottom white box. I was wondering about the accuracy of the gauge.

Re: Bigfoot MH32ST

Reply #18 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1906

I had the same problem with the alarm and it is the brake pedal pressure switch, took it to med truck center
and they fixed it under warranty for us. When it goes off gives you a thrill....and you wonder if you will stop
when you push down on the brake pedal.

Mike & Karen Swann wrote:

Re: Bigfoot MH32ST

Reply #19 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1907
Enjoy that it's just running cool.....I thought mine didn't work too, got into WVa mountains straight up road
and found out the gauge worked just fine !!!

Re: Bigfoot MH32ST

Reply #20 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1908
, rsri1@... wrote:
Quote
Does the scangaugeII give the tranny temp??? I have a tranny temp
gauge,

Quote
but it rarely moves of the lower peg.

I've installed the scanguageII in my 2007 Seneca ZX Toyhauler. The
transmission temperature guage does work with the scanguage and the
transmission temperature does actually vary quite a bit. The highest
I've seen it in climbs in the Sierra's has been about 170-180 degrees
indicated. The factory guage barely will move, even though the tranny
temperature is changing.

Re: Bigfoot MH32ST

Reply #21 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1909
One of the "stories" I've heard on gauges is that they are made to sit in the "normal" or "expected" position unless the actual measured value (say, temperature) is considerably different and off concern, and then they will show a change. The reasoning given was that there is no use getting people concerned unless there is a reason - and often value changes don't warrant getting owners excited.

I don't like this line of thinking but it seems to jive with my observations. My Tahoe's gauge cluster has all needles pointing straight up (except for fuel) all the time, and I wonder about the temperature gauge with it is extremely hot or cold and it sits in its usual place in the middle.

Don


On 30-Oct-08, at 10:55 PM, gpgofast wrote:

Re: Bigfoot MH32ST

Reply #22 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1918
Don,
Your "stories" of the gauges sitting in the middle of the normal
range is pretty accurate, but not complete. - Gauges are designed
to read ACCURATELY in a specific range. When calibrated, the gauge
is usually calibrated in the center of that gauges reading range and
is most accurate at that point...

Now for the Allison transmission that we all have - our Allisons have
a pretty wide normal operating temperature: 100*F continuous minimum,
250*F continuous maximum (both at sump), and 300*F max intermittent
to cooler. With this wide a range, a gauge that read 0 - 400* would
be in very large increments and difficult to interpret accuratly...
and most accurate a 200*, the center of the range.

Now if GM and the RV industry was really concerned about giving us
information junkies our wishes, they'd install digital gauges that
read out 0 - 500* in 1* increments (250* being the center of the
range, and most accurate). But then that would cost money and they
are going to save every penny they can.
Bill

, "grandriver125@..."
wrote:
Quote
One of the "stories" I've heard on gauges is that they are made to
sit in the "normal" or "expected" position unless the actual measured
value (say, temperature) is considerably different and off
concern,

Quote
and then they will show a change. The reasoning given was that
there is no use getting people concerned unless there is a reason - and
often value changes don't warrant getting owners excited.

I don't like this line of thinking but it seems to jive with my
observations. My Tahoe's gauge cluster has all needles pointing
straight up (except for fuel) all the time, and I wonder about the
temperature gauge with it is extremely hot or cold and it sits in
its usual place in the middle.

Don

On 30-Oct-08, at 10:55 PM, gpgofast wrote:

, rsri1@ wrote:

Does the scangaugeII give the tranny temp??? I have a tranny
temp gauge,
but it rarely moves of the lower peg.

I've installed the scanguageII in my 2007 Seneca ZX Toyhauler. The
transmission temperature guage does work with the scanguage and
the transmission temperature does actually vary quite a bit. The
highest I've seen it in climbs in the Sierra's has been about 170-180
degrees indicated. The factory guage barely will move, even though the
tranny

Re: Bigfoot MH32ST

Reply #23 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1920
Not exactly. Gauges are also designed to read incorrectly.

I had the first Chyrsler LHS built for sale in 1993. We only got it by accident and it was the only car I ever paid list price for. During the first few weeks I was puzzled that everyone was flying by me when I was going 120 KPH (speed limit 100 KPH). I wrote up a chart of times and speed for measured miles (no GPS back then) and found that when it indicated 120 KPH I was doing 112.

This was March 1993. A couple of months later my No. 2 son (just finishing his MEng) was at the SAE Formula Event in Michigan. If you aren't familiar with this event, engineering students build open wheel race cars and the universities compete. The Big 3 (as they were then) hosted the annual event. In 1993 one of the events was at the Chrysler Center and they had all of their new cars on display. My son was standing near an LHS when an engineer from Chrysler asked him what he though of it. My son said he driven it a bit as his father has one. They guy was stunned as there had been a fire on the production line in Brampton and they were just coming off. Well I had a hand built unit that my dealer happened to get because he had a good contact at Chrysler. Actually, they didn't even know they were getting it and it arrived late on a Friday. The next morning we happened to be in the dealer looking at vans for my wife was being very difficult. I asked if they had any Eagle Tsi's and and our sales guy said he had something better. We bought it for list quickly (DW was prepared to pass on a new van) as at the auto show a month earlier they said I couldn't get one until summer.

Back to the Chrysler Center. The engineer asked my son what I thought of the car. He told him I liked it a lot except for the speedo error. When the guy realized my son was from Canada he explained that the Canadian units had the European metric speedos and the European governments wanted auto manufacturers to make their speedos optimistic - so what we got intentionally overstated the speed.

Don

PS. My point on the gauges all sitting in the middle is also that it is easy to spot something going haywire - as a needle not pointing straight stands out.

PPS. Our legal counsel wanted an LHS and also got the "wait until summer jazz." Was he ever PO'd when I drove into the parking lot with mine.


On 31-Oct-08, at 10:05 AM, nchorselover55 wrote: