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Readying an 08 Seneca

Yahoo Message Number: 10622
Hello Everybody,
Bought an 08 Jayco Seneca FS in December. Was thinking you all might enjoy hearing about getting ready to take family on two year adventure.
Family in includes wife, two girls, (8 & 11) and a cat. Kids giving up a lot to live in RV for two years, so cat gets to come along. Selling everything that doesn't fit in coach. Have been getting rid of stuff for a couple years getting ready for this, so not not to awful much left.
Bought Seneca in SanAntonio Tx. and drove it home to the Florida Keys. First 60% of trip back was a hand full. Stopped in Ocala Fl. and had Super Springs and Koni shocks installed. Rest of the drive was less spookey. Have driven pretty much every kinda truck a guy can drive. Grew up on farm and worked at the family machine shop. Don't wanna whine, but wow, this thing was like old shop truck with bin of parts weighing double what it shoulda.
More later, gotta go out and work on rig.
BK

Re: Readying an 08 Seneca

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10623
Welcome to Kodiak Chassis Class C Motor Home Forum. Looking forward to more reports.
Best
Ron Hall

Re: Readying an 08 Seneca

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10626
I'll try not to jump around to much with this saga, but my writing skills are kinda weak.
List of goals to be accomplished before blast off on March 15.

Complete suspension work that includes installing parts from Henderson. Slotted for next week if my back feels like it.
Front and rear trac bars
Safe-T-Plus Steering Stabilizer
Front and rear sway bars

Install Water separator for Onan QD 8000 (done)

Replace and reinforce hardware on ladder. Using stainless and through bolting where possible. (done)

Replacing HU in rinky dink external "entertainment center". Using Sony MEX-DV1700U DVD receiver. Single DIN without screen so fits in existing hole. Running signal to TC-L32C3 32" Panasonic TV that is going in spot Jayco provides. Using Model 550 ZVOX Z-Base sound bar for TV and external tunes. Did a bunch of reinforcing for TV. Made it easy to take on and off so it can be removed for travel if I wish. That part is done. HU and sound bar this weekend.

HU and speakers in cab.
Replaced stocker with Alpine CDE-235BT and Alpine KTP-445 Power Pack. Decent DD HU with blue tooth. Speakers are Hybrid Audio Imagine I61-2V2 used in coaxial configuration. Pretty extensive sound deadening of both doors using Second Skin Damplifier. (done)

New Michelin tires. (done and ouch, my wallet)

Replaced headlights with Sylvania SilverStar H4656 and H4651 (done)

Replaced bolts holding on front flaps and the two above those inside cab doors with stainless. (done)

Over head entertainment center.
Replacing TV with 37" UN37EH5000 Samsung. Figured stock DVD/surround would never do. In goes an HT-E5400 Samsung 5.1 with all over head wiring cleaned up. (half done)

Entire coach.
Replacing any hardware that's not up to snuff. Rewiring all kinds of really sad hidden Jayco embarrassments. Reinforce/fix all kinds of things. (work in progress)

Don't get me wrong, we love our Seneca. Been around many a Jayco. Dad's had three and know guys that work on RVs. For the most part that don't hate Jayco. These guys say RV stands for "Ruined Vacation" so they hate working on most. But this thing must have been built early AM after a three day weekend.
Bought it with 6,000 miles on it and after the drive home it's at 7,600. Tags still on some of the furniture and in freezer so it's almost like new. I'll get pics and more saga in the next couple days.

BK

Re: Readying an 08 Seneca

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10627
Did you do a headlight alignment after installing headlights. It will make a big difference in how headlights work. You may want to wait until all suspension upgrades are done before doing this. Also add a 10 gauge ground wire to each set of headlights.
Check out headlight alignment document in Files section of forum.
Best
Ron Hall

Re: Readying an 08 Seneca

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10628
Hi Ron,
Should have said I was doing wiring upgrades per Ron Hall. Have the info bookmarked and will be doing upgrade early on in trip. Running a bit short on time with yard sale prep and life eating into my project time. Will have be a project for when Daddy needs a little alone time.
We are also from Michigan. Farm was in Munith area and shop was in Jackson. Moved to the Keys a couple years ago. Weather is great but hate driving on US1 everyday. A couple with an RV blog voted it most dangerous stretch of road in US. We tend to agree.
Heading east on 10 to Phoenix with a few stops on the way. Then onto all the places you might imagine a family would have on their short list. Do a big loop up west coast then across to Upper Peninsula and Isle Royale National Park. Only thing that is written in stone is Cedar Point right after Labor day. Wife and kids could stay at Camper Village all summer. Not so much for me.
BK

Re: Readying an 08 Seneca

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10629
Bryan, sounds like an exciting time. One heads up based on my experiences. Have you taken the cat for a ride in the RV?

Our two are pretty calm around the house but they both freaked out when I brought them out to the RV, closed the door, fired up the Duramax, and the cat torture chamber (aka RV) began to move. It was not a pleasant experience.

Our vet gave us a sedative to try. It knocked them silly for 30 hours. Not a good solution.

After 3 attempts over 3 weekends, we hired a pet sitter to stay with them at the house.

Re: Readying an 08 Seneca

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10630
We are proud owners of the rare cat/dog. Likes traveling in RVs, cars, trucks. Really likes people and activity. Kinda wish she didn't travel so well. I'd might be able to leave her with someone while we traveled.
BK

Re: Readying an 08 Seneca

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10631
Good. I'm happy for you.

I recommend a Black & Decker Dust Buster as an extra. You don't realize how much hair cats shed until you get them in a closed space. Good luck!

Re: Readying an 08 Seneca

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10632
She is used to being brushed and rolled everyday. The girls use a Helmac style lint roller with the tape. Cat/Dog loves it and boy does it work. Bought a rechargeable Dirt Devil that got good reviews. Seems to work well. Girls know how much I didn't want cat in RV, so they are on it!
Replaced almost every pull on the cabinets inside the coach today. Found some we liked at Summerland Hardware and bought them out. Younger daughter helped me all sneaky like so we could surprise Mom. Lucky for us, Mom loves them. It definitely helped that Rosie picked them out.

BK

Re: Readying an 08 Seneca

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10633
Make sure you that you hook ground to some place other than the one I used near radiator mounts. They are not a good solid ground.
IN my rewire of the grounds I used one near the fuse blocks.
Best
Ron Hall

Re: Readying an 08 Seneca

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10635
Will do. Funny how picky GM can be with suppliers, and then have this be released to the public. Maybe they figured seeing at night wasn't that important.

BK

Re: Readying an 08 Seneca

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10636
Posted some pics of projects. I'll have to get one of Cat/Dog.

BK

Re: Readying an 08 Seneca

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10637
Are you adding a filter to the generator?
Best
Ron Hall

Re: Readying an 08 Seneca

Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10638
Bryan

Not sure what yours looks like. We adopted a Tuxedo Cat/Dog last summer. He is an excellent traveller and also loves to meet new people and other animals.

Bob

From: bryan
To: KodiakChassisClassC@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sat, February 9, 2013 12:39:17 PM
Subject: [KodiakChassisClassC] Re: Readying an 08 Seneca

We are proud owners of the rare cat/dog. Likes traveling in RVs, cars, trucks. Really likes people and activity. Kinda wish she didn't travel so well. I'd might be able to leave her with someone while we traveled.
BK

Re: Readying an 08 Seneca

Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10642
Yes, the Parker/Racor 500 series is a filter and water separator. Jayco didn't have any filter between fuel tank and generator.
BK

Re: Readying an 08 Seneca

Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10643
Doesn't your generator have a filter?
Best
Ron Hall

 

Re: Readying an 08 Seneca

Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10644
Wanted filter before fuel pump. I've always been the more is better kinda guy. Boating has also made me error on the cautious side. Don't know what quality of fuel I might run into.
BK