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Letter 45


Isuzu Trek Members Infoletter #45
April 2022

Welcome to Isuzu Trek Infoletter #45.

The I-Trek infoletter mailing list is managed in a Google Group linked here. If you would like to be included in this exclusively Isuzu Trek group please request inclusion or e-mail the editor Bret Medbury for info at isuzutrek (at) gmail.com or islandduo (at) comcast.net.

Index:

Shower Faucet Replacement 
-Dick
Backup Camera Upgrade 
-Ken
The Rest of the Transmission Story
-Bret
An OOPS! While Replacing Coach Batteries 
-Linda
New Bed Motor for a 1992 Trek 
-Brad
Frozen Fuel Cutoff (stopper) Motor
-Bill
New Tank Treatment 
-Bruce
Thinking About Replacing Your Isuzu? 
-Bruce
An Assortment of Tidbits 
-Bruce
Loss of Windshield Wipers Due to Wood Rot 
-Lawrence
Spring Cleanup/Roof Inspection   
-Denney
What Do You Do During Storage? 
-Clark
Trailer Life Article 1991 Isuzu 
-Paul & M.C.
FYI Stuff 
-Bret


Shower Faucet Replacement 
Thanks to Dick Kreutzer rgkreutzer(at) mac.com

I think that most of us have looked at the shower valve and heard of several methods of replacing it.  The diverter valve began to leak several months ago and was getting worse.  With a long screwdriver extension I removed the access cover in the back corner of the kitchen cabinet.  With a flash light I studied the problem trying to envision what kind of long extension tools that would be required and how not to drop any of the hardware when removing and installing a new one.  When the diverter valve was leaking so badly that more water was going down the drain than through the shower head replacement was necessary.  Finally I noticed that the panel between the corner cabinet and the under sink area was just stapled on with no evidence of glue. After removing the doors to the corner cabinet and the sink cabinet I used a large hammer and a block of wood to carefully loosen the divider panel.  Some of the staples pulled through the wood but it isn’t noticeable.  After removing the sink drains I cut the drain pipe in the corner cabinet and removed the divider panel.  After that is was easy to reach the back of the shower valve from under the sink and replace the old one. Reassembly is just the reverse order with the only decision in the repair of the drain pipe that was cut.  1 1/4” abs fittings are probably available at RV stores but the quick way is the 1 1/4” short hoses used to couple plastic and metal pipes and they are available at HD & Lowe’s and hardware stores.  A few screws to secure the divider panel and installing the doors finished the job.  A selfie of me with my head and shoulders in the corner cabinet and the rest under the sink may have been appropriate but I didn’t.

Hope this helps


Backup Camera Upgrade   
-Thanks to Ken Stein kastein(at) w1kas.net

Our backup camera blister was crushed in a reversing accident by the previous owner and the camera never worked so I decided to upgrade to a more modern one.

Tools list:
– 5/16″ drill bit
– drill
– 13mm open end wrench
– Astro 9477 crimper (you can substitute your own favorite for RBY crimps if you want)
– Phillips screwdriver
– heatgun

Materials:

– Natika rearview camera, composite, multi angle mount: 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07H852D49

– two red 22-18ga heatshrink butt splices (I use these since I do a lot of automotive electrical work but you can buy them at the parts store in small quantities instead: 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07L29DLGN )

– two female F-type to male RCA adapter plugs (or plan on fishing the new cable through the RV, or crimping or soldering new ends on) –  
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01N80QQ1F

– one male-male RCA adapter (or use one female and one male RCA adapter to female F-type.  I had the male-male RCA adapter in my junk drawer so I used it.)

Pick a spot and drill the hole.  5/16″, angled slightly up at the outside of the RV.  I chose a few inches below the factory rear view camera “wart”, centered.  This was because it allowed me to access the inside of the fiberglass end cap from the old camera enclosure in the bathroom cabinet.  This is important as you need to tighten the mounting nut with a wrench.

Install the camera.  You will probably want to use the two thickest angle shims – that got me the best view, with the least of the RV in frame (but rear bumper still visible) and the most actual ground behind the RV in view.

The tiger is not very amused that I’ve put zip system tape over the crushed camera “wart” until the rainy season is over.  I’ll fiberglass it correctly once it’s dry outside.

The view from inside the bathroom cabinet.  You’ll want to remove the U bolt and factory camera mounting stud as they will be in your way and aren’t any use anymore.  They can be removed non destructively if desired.  There is a lot of extra cable here, since I chose not to fish new cable in.  I’ll likely shorten it a bit but I just wanted it working ASAP.

The best part?  This camera is so much smaller that even with the giant bundles of extra cable, it will fit inside the wall… Even once I remove the factory “wart”.

Which means reclaimed bathroom cabinet space!  Always a good thing.

There are 3 little wire loops you can clip to change the camera configuration.  The only one I have clipped so far is the one for the horizontal/vertical mounting options, it rotates the image 180°.  There is another to turn off the guideline overlay image which I’ll probably clip since the lines are intended for a much lower mounting position and smaller vehicle, but we want to try it this way before clipping the wire.  And another that flips the image left-right so it gives you the “over the shoulder” view instead of the rear view mirror view.  We haven’t clipped that one as we both feel it will be more intuitive.

The image quality degraded quite a bit when I put the 35ft of coax installed by the factory in the circuit, but we are living with that for now as we likely will be replacing it when rebuilding the roof structure.  It works “well enough” for now, so not worth tearing into the ceiling to fish the new cable in unless it’s truly easy to do.

Eventually I would like to replace the gateway (early 00s vintage, I think) LCD TV someone had swapped in with a more modern high def LCD TV that we can also play movies on from our tablets, laptops, cellphones etc, as well as using as a rear view, but that’ll happen later.

Another feature I expect to add is a switching diode to automatically feed 12V to the camera from the reverse light circuit, so the camera will come on without hitting the switch (but can be turned on manually if desired as well) but I haven’t done that yet, mostly because I haven’t decided where the best cable routing for it is.  Looking at the Isuzu NPR factory service manual it appears that the TCU is mounted under the dash, so I will likely only need a 1N4001 rectifier diode, a few feet of primary wire, some more heatshrink butt splices, an ATC fuse inline socket, and a 0.5A ATC fuse to add this.  (The fuse is to protect the diode in the event of a short circuit – it’s optional.  Every other component in the circuit should be fine protected by the 10A factory fuse in fuse panel slot 5 upstream of the PRNDL switch.)

Editor’s note: I have incorporated the above upgrade and am very impressed. We were upgrading from the original B&W camera so….. Ken’s description was spot on and all worked exactly as described. So far ours is switched manualy only and will most likely stay that way cuz it fits the KISS principle. Thank You for the help Ken.

OBTW I found the original plexiglass window completely loose and floating as all the original silicone sealant had failed. This was not leaking water so much as it was dirt, wow.

Bret


The Rest of the Transmission Story  
-Thanks To Bret Medbury islandduo(at) comcast.net

Our Isuzu Jatco 403E transmission developed an erratic and uncommanded shifting anomaly back in late February 2021. The problem was that the transmission would suddenly downshift dropping both overdrive (4th gear) and the torque converter lockup leaving the Trek in third gear. Top safe speed in third gear is about 50 Mph so when this occurred at 60 mph it was a dramatic event and risked overspeed damage to the engine. Back in Feb. the problem was intermittent and only lasted a few seconds at each occurrence. When it did occur it did produce a transmission trouble code as indicated by a flashing ECONO light, however the code was not retained by the Transmission Control Unit (TCU). It should be noted here that each time the problem occurred the roads were wet.

Using the procedures in the Isuzu NPR shop manual extensive troubleshooting of the electrics was done revealing zero irregularities. All related electrical connections were checked for evidence of water intrusion, cleaned, greased, etc. etc. the inhibitor switch was disassembled and checked finding no water evidence or other anomalies. The Trek was driven on multiple occasions accumulating 500-700 miles with no anomalies (we thought it was fixed) until sometime in July when the same thing happened again, this time the road was just misted/damp.

The decision was made to replace the transmission which was done in our yard with the help of two other Trekkers. Test drive of the new transmission was about 500 miles up Mt. St. Helens so putting the tranny through it’s paces and it performed beautifully. In August Laura and I left for the family place in Maine. All went swimmingly, we had over 4,000 miles on the new tranny when we hit the remnants of hurricane Henry and of course rain. She immediately downshifted.

Damn, double damn, and Shazbotsky; we were about 200 miles from our destination and this time the downshift remained for a period of time long enough for me to read the trouble code while active. We could prevent erratic downshifts by manually turning off the overdrive and lockup however this limited our speed to 45-50, but so did leaving the OD active because you could not risk a sudden downshift at a higher speed. We decided to just press on at 45MPH and get there. This was a fortuitous decision because it allowed us to try a little accidental experimenting. The trouble code was 17 which indicated trouble with the inhibitor switch, which made no sense as that switch was brand new having come with the new transmission. At one point I turned off the parking lights and the warning from the ECONO light stopped, Hmmmm? Then I turned on the four way emergency flashers which caused the warning from the ECONO light to come and go with the exact frequency of the flashers, HMMMMMM? I then manually re-enabled the overdrive function and the tranny upshifted and downshifted with the same frequency as the flashers. We might be on to something here. As soon as I shut off all the lights the tranny operated normally. We drove the rest of the way in the rain, lights off, without an anomaly.

What this seemed to indicate was that when the Trek was wet something was either searching for an adequate ground or there was some form of electrical feedback related to the parking/warning lighting system creating interference. Many times when a poor/inadequate ground exists and the circuit is energized power in fed back through other wiring causing weird things to happen in possibly unrelated areas.

SO!!! After talking with the very helpful folks at FMI Truck in Portland Oregon we started looking for ground issues with focus on, but not limited to, the outside lighting. We also had input from two unrelated folks that had seen our posting to sell the old Tranny who both said “you know there is a ground point for the taillights that can cause that”. Suddenly that seemed more believable.

I found the mentioned ground point, it looked and tested fine, However I replaced the ring terminal and cleaned it up anyway (Photo) plus I added two hopefully redundant grounds one at each taillight. While I was fussin back there I found a bundle of wires all wrapped up in accordion loom and tape. I got suspicious and pulled it apart to find it was the point that Safari had extended the wiring harness when they extended the chassis. As usual all the crimped on butt connectors were badly corroded, one fell apart when I messed with it (photo). Now (again) maybe we have something here. All the butt connectors were cut out, wire connectors soldered, then covered with silicone filled shrink tube. (more photos).

I also found similarly suspicious connections related to the front parking/flasher lights, these were connections I had done ten years ago, however I had not done them per my normal rules making them now very questionable. All were redone using silicone filled butt connectors covered with silicone filled shrink tube.

Additionally I added a very heavy ground wire from the tranny to the battery negative ground stud on the frame rail and cleaned the factory one near the starter on the driver’s side. Lastly there are two ground wires on the TCU unit, both checked fine with a meter, but so did all the other stuff, we are chasing a ghost, right? So I joined both grounds together at the TCU then ran a #10 ground wire to a nearby grounding stud in the dash framework then continued the wire to the left where I found a spot to pass through the firewall then connected to a stud on the brake booster then continued further to the ground stud near the passenger’s side lower radiator corner where the engine ground strap was connected terminating it there. OBTW, yes I removed and cleaned both terminals on the engine ground strap.

I believe we have a well grounded Trek.

Before leaving Maine we had about 40 test miles, lights on, in the rain with zero issues. Since then we have added about 6,000 miles in all kinds of weather and all is well.

We now know the removed transmission is good so it will eventually go back on the market at a slightly higher price, however if there is an Isuzu owner needing a Tranny we need to talk.

Information on the transmission change can be found in Infoletter #44 or Isuzu Transmission Change (trektraxs.com)

We do not consider the transmission change to be a waste as having it reduces the chance that we will suffer a tranny failure somewhere very far from home plus we should have gained an another 175K of Trekking to enjoy.

See you on the road, Bret and Laura


An OOPS! While Replacing Coach Batteries   
-Thanks to Linda Dahle ldahle3(at) gmail.com

 I am delighted to report that this may be the end of the continuous struggle with my 94 trek,

Isuzu frame, electrical problem. 

It started when I decided to replace the coach batteries myself.   

During the hook up. I  erroneously put the ground line to the positive.   (It takes a humble person 😌to admit that).

There was an arc! 

I straightened out the placement and when I started the rig, the dash lights faded away and Ignition went quiet. 

I was towed to Best auto in Quartzsite and put on the list to look at it between appointments.   They are not an electrical shop.

At Richard’s advice I found the fusible links.

They tested it as fine.  I had them follow Richard’s suggestions and replaced link with 30 amp fuses to get me to electrical shop.   We had several attempts with those failing until I realized that plugging in the tow lights pushed them over the limit. I left them off to drive. 

Best auto recommended D C Auto Electric in Blythe.  

The owner, Walter,  is an expert.   He replaced the fuses with the wire from the photo.   Says link right on it and designed to fail at a certain level. 

Walter also checked everything on my list and was finished in hours not days and at a reasonable price. 

Thanks for everyone’s help and I hope this helps the next person. 

Linda Dahle


New Bed Motor For A 1992 Trek 
-Thanks to Brad Tuebner teubner(at) wiktel.com

Editor’s note:  The Electro Magic beds in the 91 and 92 model Treks were different in that they mounted further forward and the internal bed mechanism was quite different as well. Here is what it takes to replace one of those motors. OBTW Brad did this as a “community Service” for LYNNA SCHAUER

Here is information on the motor that I put into the 92.  It was shorter that the OEM, but fit into the tube perfectly after two keying features in the free-rotating collar were ground off.  New sheet metal anti-rotation screws were installed as the original were too far down the tube and the original were drilled/taped into a zinc base as opposed to the new motor plastic base. The new Motor is an Advanced Hurricane Technology.  DMS45S-50. Ordered from ShutterMotor.com IN Naples, FL.

New motor was red.  Photo with rule is the difference between the OEM motor anti-rotate (AR) screws and the new motor. On the OEM motor the AR feature was zinc/aluminum and the tube and AR were both drilled and tapped M5-0.8.  The new AR was plastic, so a #10 sheet metal screw was used.  I installed new holes 1.5” from the original.

There were keying features on the shoulder (free rotating portion) of the new motor that had to be ground/filed off before it would fit in the tube.  I should have had before/after pictures of that, but missed it.

The bracket between the square output of the motor and the bed frame was rotated 90 degrees and 6 mm holes redrilled because the original holes were oversized.  More missing pictures.

Some tweaking of the limit switches was required, but expected.


Frozen Fuel Cutoff (stopper) Motor 
-Thanks to Bill Imblum bimblum(at)yahoo.com

I will offer a little prelim here; Bill’s Trek would not start this spring. After a little troubleshooting it was determined the fuel cutoff motor (otherwise known as the stopper motor) was frozen in position. This motor is located along the right rear of the engine, sealed inside a weatherproof plastic bag, and drives a push pull cable that operates the engine fuel cutoff valve. He replaced the motor with a simple push/pull old fashioned choke cable. Below are his words. Bret

By the way, I would HIGHLY recommend to other Isuzu Trek owners to replace the Fuel Cut off Motor with a Very Simple Choke Cable.  If my cut off motor had failed on the road, it would be very difficult to move the Cut off leaver without removing the right front wheel.  Then if you can move it to the open position to start your engine, you can’t get it to shut off without moving the lever back.  As I said I was able to get the cut off motor to work OK after working the cable back and fourth by hand many many times while turning the key on and off and shooting WD-30 in the bag.  It may be working OK now but I would never trust it again.  My Choke cable works so slick and I know I can control the cut off from now on.  

I used the Dorman 55104 Choke Conversion Kit, price at Amazon is $11.19..  It has a 9 ft cable which is far more than I needed plus a bunch of small parts which you may or may not need.  It didn’t have the right size Cable Stop so I also bought a Dorman 03336 Cable Stop Assortment, 6 Pack, Price at Amazon is $4.99.  So for a little over $16.00  I can rest assured I can start and stop my engine.  I have no Idea what a new Cut Off Motor would cost because after numerous searches on the net I couldn’t find one but I’ll bet it’s at least 10 times that price.

 Please pass this on to others who have problems with their cut off motor.


New Tank Treatment (seems California has outlawed many)
-Thanks to Bruce Matlack matlackwindsurfing(at)gmail.com

This is the stuff recommended by an aged RV specialty store mgr in Escondido.  Tank is 3/4 full and about a week old and The stuff is actually better than the prohibited formaldehyde usual stuff which can’t be sold in Ca. now. As usual it takes 4 x the amount quoted for 40 gal to work on our 30 gal tank… but…$ was about $17.00 per qt.


Thinking About Replacing Your Isuzu? 
-Thanks to Bruce Matlack matlackwindsurfing(at)gmail.com

Maybe not?

Anyone who wants to replace their Isuzu trek for something more modern will be shocked to find that nothing is out there that has the maneuverability they are used to. I bought the shortest, modern, class A available and I am very disappointed with its turning radius.  Even though it is only one foot longer (bumper to bumper) than my Trek, its wheel base is 38 inches greater than the trek which is 150 inches.  Then there is the angle of turn in the front wheel cut.  The Trek is (NPR chassis) about 49-50 degrees.  I am unable to find out what the Ford F-350 cut angle is, but it must be smaller by five degrees or more.  Bottom line is that I am selling the Thor Axis, Vegas 24.1, and going on another year with my 1994 Trek.  Only Freightliner and International Trucks advertise a 55 degree front wheel cut.  They only supply RV the big guys.  Also, these bottom-of-the line Thor RV’s do not have levelers.  Apparently, all of the small class A’s appeal to weekenders wanting the highest bed count in the smallest coach to justify the prices they are getting.  My plan now is to deal with the bumpy straight axle ride by lowering air pressures to 50-55 psi when I am in the worst of areas…. like wealthy Newport, R.I and then repressurise before leaving town.  And levelers are a must for me.  

Editor’s note:  Bruce is running 235/85R16 front tires which can be run a bit lower, but I do not advise going below the minimum number based on your load (measured weight) per the load inflation table. I have the same size tires, but run 75psi for our load.

OBTW as of this writing Bruce’s Thor Axis has been sold and he is gleefully on the road in his Trek.


An Assortment of Tidbits 
-Thanks to Bruce Matlack matlackwindsurfing(at)gmail.com

Small Vacuum hose replacement:  There are about four of these tiny hoses on the starboard side of the engine that were no good.  They are a bear to reach, but taking them to an auto parts place  I was able to get the right diameter.  What they do I do not know, but I replaced them, as they were rotten.

Screen replacement: The window screens and door screens have different spline sizes.  The door is triangle and the house ones are about .011 inches in round diameter.  In order to get that size, I would have had to order a 500’ spool, so I reused the old spline, using a silicone spray to lube them.  I could not find screening of the original size hole openings, that will keep most no seums out.  So that’s a pain!  It is about a half MM difference with ours vs the new openings.  So off with the lights at night when in no seum country.

Up hill/hot weather idea:  Opened the hood and bungeed the hood open to the side rear view mirrors.  It measurably cooled better.  I also have added two transmission coolers back to back when I had the tranny rebuilt two years ago in Ft Myers. (Lee County Transmission). Editor’s note: this can only be done on a 94 as the “wing” doors on a 93 or earlier would be torn off.

Rat Patrol:  I have tried about all the stupid ideas found on the Internet and only one has worked: moth balls.  I chuck bags of them everywhere.  They keep rats and allergic people away about the same.  Humidity will melt them quickly, so one must keep up with refreshing them.  But the rats don’t like them.

Main Motorized vent replacement.: I just did this yesterday- about a day’s job- mostly in removing the old one. The old one I had mistreated by smacking it several times with a half loose 12 foot windsurf board that came loose on the roof which I had anchored to the TV antenna.  The Antenna took off as well, but seeing that i don’t have a TV-makes the ship a bit lighter.  Amazon; RVLOVENT 12 v roof fan vent.  14 inch- fit perfectly.

Hide-a-key holders:  I keep a magnetic holder on the frame inside each of the aft wheel wells.  So in the case where I can’t find my keys (which is getting more often), that is where the basement locker keys are kept saving lots of walk-about time.

Roof paint- Elastomeric: Reminder to paint the roof once a year.  They put the original roof on with staples which after a while break and poke through a tiny hole occasionally.  I use the Elastomeric which is sold by all paint sources. It varies greatly in price.  My last purchase was the Rustolium brand.  I always buy the cheapest grade as I have found no difference in the quality between the cheap and the expensive.  I paint everything up there except the solar panel as Elastomeric has excellent UV protection… except for the TV antenna…which is now gone anyway.

Stupid is as stupid does:  So I finally decided that I wanted to do something serious about eliminating heat/noise from the engine.  So under Bret’s suggestion, I bought the very best insulation (name here) for about $300 and took two days to install it over every surface.  Then I drove 11,000 mi around the country last summer and had to remove parts of it ’cause it was smelling like the fire proof stuff was burning and smoking.  It did dampen the noise and heat but it would have been way smarter to attach the loose header pipe flange to the exhaust manifold first!  I have always had this rattle and asked several mechanics to check things out to no avail.  I unnecessarily replaced the exhaust brake valve ($900) two or three years ago because it seemed to be getting less effective.  My fuel milage dropped to 11 from 15. I figure this pipe was loose for 3-4 years- some 20-35,000 mi.  So just doing my own ‘undercrawl’ and looking over things one afternoon, I put my hand on the exhaust pipe and it shook!  I saw that it was loose at the flange and rattled.  I could not budge the three flange bolts so I found an off the wall truck repair place in Ft Myers whom I had to really sweet talk to do the work.  For another $900 they put it right.  So, I figure the leaking exhaust was the cause of the fuel mileage drop as the turbo was not performing and the reason the exhaust brake was not working.  And the engine noise and rattle is gone……and it’s quiet as can be! 

So I’ll do another round about the US this summer beginning in May and no doubt find other things that I cooked along the way.  Surprise! Surprise!  

Bruce Matlack- ’94 2400- approx. 170,000mi. of which I have put on 100,000mi in going on 14 years.


Loss of Windshield Wipers Due to Wood Rot 
-Thanks To Lawrence Narlawnarjax(at) gmail.com

Well the wood had indeed rotted away about a foot on either side of the motor. I cleaned up all the rot to the point where the wood was still solid enough to sister in a piece of 3/4 inch oak wood plank left over from my house being built in 1989.(so now I can say there are parts in the trek from 89). I had to cut the existing mounting bolts from the bracket as they were rusted on and at that angle of approach essentially impossible to remove with wrenches. And let me tell you the bolts they used were WAY OVERKILL. I ended up using some self tapping screws about a third the size to hold the bracket/motor to the new wood. I did not have to remove the motor or any mechanicals. It was a dirty job. I could also see coming in from behind the TV box and fabricating some kind of mount so that it was attached to metal, but I needed this done by this week so we took the easy route. Depending of others folks have good wood on either side of the motor this is really not that bad a job. They were very stingy with wire in this area, that was the hardest part, not a lot of room to move around and laying across that sweet NPR dash.

I did not take pics as I was mostly working at night.

Editor’s note: this is the second report of this problem in the past couple of months. Bruce Matlack also has this problem, but has not fixed it yet.


Spring Cleanup/Roof Inspection 
Thanks To Denney Jones denneyjones(at) gmail.com

It is that time of the year.  I wanted to start a spring cleaning/preparation check list for the early year Isuzu Treks. We will start on the roof and work our way down.
1. Get on roof.
2. Check for any extremely soft spots front to rear. (Some give and take is natural).
3. Get on your hands and knees and check seals around radio antenna, tv antenna, front cap seam tape, refrigerator vent, ceiling vents, skylight bubble, vent tubes, ladder mounting points, and finally the rear seam tape seal.  We are looking for cracked putty, tape pealing, anything that could possibly cause a leak.
4. Now look at the seam on both sides front to rear where the filon roof rolls over to the sides.  Is it sealed well!
5. If you have gotten this far now check the condition of the roof paint. If it is graying or very dirty it is time for a good cleaning.  A yearly cleaning should be done anyway. Do not use a high pressure washer.
6. Get a bucket a sponge mop or very gentle scrub brush and some Simple Green or cleaner of your choice.
7. Clean and rinse well and allow to dry.
8. If you found any discrepancies in your inspection it is time to address them now.
9. For seams of any type it is highly recommended to use Eterna Bond Tape and Dicor Self leveling Caulk.  These repairs will last for years.
10. If in bad condition some putty may have to be scraped off and redone.
11. Okay we have inspected the roof, made repairs where needed. Does the roof need recoating? If it does these are 2 highly recommended products.  Briteside Marine Paint or Henry’s Tropi Cool 100% Silicone Roof Coating.  Both are excellent products. Each will be over 100.00 but worth every penny.  If you are dealing with white streaks down the sides of your Trek these products will stop that.
12. Now your roof should be in excellent shape so start down the ladder but not very far.
13. Those 5 running lights in back and front need to be all checked. Any cracks, water in the lenses? Are they sealed well to the body.  If these are original I advise to replace them all. Why?  Because new ones come with new foam seals and will be brighter. They are very cheap. These lights have been a source for leaks. The screws need to be sealed also.
14. If you have a mounted ladder check the mounting points. Are they sealed?
15. Take the time to go around every window. Are they sealed well? Have you ever cleaned the window drains?
16. If you have a aluminum awning wrap does it need cleaning?
17. Look at your license plate bracket. Is it all rusty?  Very cheap to replace and new one will have LED lighting.
18. Up front check the wiper washer hoses for cracks or need of replacing. Careful they are plastic connections.
19  Check the hot water framing to see if sealed well to body. Does the door lock need replacing?
20. Check the refrigerator for the same.
21. Right and left mirrors sealed well to Trek. Seal screw heads. This is a good source for leaks.
22. On each side at floor level there is a seam that runs the length of the coach. Is it sealed?
23. Now you can wash your Trek.  If you painted your roof wait a day before washing.

SUCCESS. YOU HAVE MAINTAINED YOUR TREK VERY WELL. IF THIS LIST IS COMPLETED AND MONITORED YEARLY IT CAN BE COMPLETED WITH A SIMPLE ROOF WASHING.  MY INTENTION WAS TO KEEP YOUR TREK ON THE ROAD DRY AND FREE OF LEAKS.  ANY PART YOU SKIP WILL BE YOUR PROBLEM AREA.

Be careful and keep them shining!!!!!!


What Do You Do During Storage?   
-Thanks to Clark Van Galder clarkrvg(at) gmail.com

Editor’s note: Clark asked a question of the I-Trekkers. Below is his statement/question followed by the responses we received.

“This time of year in Wisconsin I regularly run the trek, weather permitting, to lubricant the engine including the turbo and to lubricant the transmission by shifting into forward and reverse.  I also charge the batteries both the chassis and the house batteries monthly.  Having a continuous battery maintainer to me is potentially harmful to the batteries and a fire hazard between a malfunction and rodents. We have mice, rabbits, short tailed weasels, and other critters wandering around our shed.  I’m curious about other off season monthly maintenance things Trekkers do?”

Clark

—-

A battery converter cannot be left on continuously without boiling batteries. your heart inverter/charger is smarter and will bring batteries up to float charge and stay there. my 92 2600 was not supplied new with an inverter (no electric bed) and I added the inverter. even with that I usually unplug shore power every month for a few days and check battery water. this works. I get 5 years out of house batteries. as far as rodents, kill em or move.

Good luck

Randy

92 2600 rear bed

126000 mi.

—-

We try to keep ours on shore power whenever possible.  When not on shore power we run the engine for a couple hours every month or so to charge the batteries, ideally take it for a drive.  I try to keep the blackberries from eating the undercarriage alive as well, though that’s a losing battle unless driven frequently.

At this point that’s about it, other than just giving things a look over and making sure we haven’t sprung any leaks, run low on propane, etc etc.

If it rains a lot or is humid frequently in your area I strongly recommend at least a 15 to 20 minute drive every few weeks to minimize tire flatspotting and brake surface rust.  We let ours sit from October through mid January while it rained near continuously and the brakes pulsed quite badly for the first half mile or so from built up rust where the pads hadn’t shielded them from rain spatter.  You can just live with this, but it’s really much better to just use them frequently enough to rub it off and even things out, as brake rotors for these are not exactly cheap or easily changed… And it helps keep the engine, transmission, rear diff, wheel bearings, etc coated in lubricants and knocks the blackberries and weeds down all at the same time.

– Ken Stein

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I put 1/4 in chicken wire over vent below blower fwd of pass seat to keep critters out. check fridge top roof vent screen. remove and inspect the hot water tank access panel below pots and pans corner storage. currently I am tossing moth balls everywhere- not sure they work though. charging batteries are warm and attractive as bedding/nest areas- inspect often. push foam/steel wool in every opening- especially under Bath sink. Throw a box of mothballs a above sewer tanks in the space between floor and tank tops run and cycle EVERYTHING that moves every 10 days or so. DO use trickle chargers. Electrical smart people say to use them. Keeps plates clean as well. Keep weight off tires (delamination prevention) Bruce —–

I run the engine and do the transmission shifting once a month plus run the generator.  This will top off the batteries normally.  I always top off the diesel before storage to prevent fuel tank condensation.  

I pick a warmer day if I can and toward the end of the run increase to a higher idle speed for a minute or two.  I do not leave the coach attached to shore power.

Sorry, no input for the newsletter but the good news is no problems to report.

Ken Harmon

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I do what Clark is doing plus run the genny with a load. I do however use a fancy maintainer/desulfator like this   BatteryMINDer Battery Charger/Trickle Charger/Desulfater — 12 Volt, 2 Amp, Model# 2012 | Northern Tool This unit is on an independent power feed, the Trek is not plugged in.  I am of the opinion this desulfator stuff is snake oil but I was given the unit so I use it on the Trek when it is home and on our 87 VW cabriolet “toy” car when we are away. The battery in the cabriolet was used when I acquired the car in 03 and it is still in there. Is that a credit to the maintainer? I dunno.

Before any storage period I fill the propane tank and fresh water tank as the Trek is prepared as a lifeboat in the event of some disaster (earthquake). If it is winter storage I drain the water system. Fresh tank, water heater, and run the water pump dry. Then I fill the fresh tank so the plumbing and pump are protected in the event of freezing. If it gets below freezing longer term he use an electric heater in the Trek as well. Both the bathroom and kitchen roof vents are open, with rain covers, to provide some air circulation.

Drive it when I can. We have some critters, mostly mice, but they do not seem to bother the Trek

Bret


Trailer Life Article 1991 Isuzu 
-Thanks to Paul & M.C. Paul.oberle(at) theswimschool.org 

(click/tap image above or here to read full PDF)


I really hope you all enjoy the Isuzu Infoletter, remember these pieces are written and submitted by Isuzu owners just like you. You too can submit ideas, repairs, modifications, etc. etc. to be included in the next Infoletter. These can be submitted ANYTIME to me at islandduo(at)comcast.net and I will save them until I have gathered enough, and a little rainy day time, to publish another.

FYI Stuff

FYI: The Next annual Trek Gathering in Quartzsite Arizona will be back at the original location In the Dome Rock Area off of Cholla Road. Circle the date robustly as we will gather “officially” (is there anything really official about Quartzsite?) on January 19th, 2023 thru the 22rd. As always you are welcome to, and many traditionally do, arrive early and stay late. No cost, no reservations, no fuss no bother, just great Trekkers and Treks.

FYI x 2: I am still hanging on, but with a limited selection of LEDs to inexpensively upgrade your Trek making it more energy efficient, cooler, and be more kind to your batteries. In addition I also have “glow when they blow” smart fuse assortments. These little buggers can save you much time in looking for that blown fuse. Please contact me about any of the above.

Thank You for reading, please remember to submit material to benefit other I-Trekkers.

Bret Medbury