Axis/Vegas Mods...1,2,3 Go.

[gnach]

Originally Posted by Thor-Machine

...snip...
I preferred to have it handy where it'll actually get the required maintenance without having to take the dashboard apart every month or so.

I'm not much of a picture taker when actually working but I could take & upload some photos of completed mods if there was an interest I suppose.

Regards

I like the concept. When I had run the battery down and needed a jump, I thought about running a cable to a post in the front, plus a ground ala MBZ Sprinter. So yes, photos please.

[Thor-Machine]

It is unfortunate that these units come equipped with ordinary wet cells that require periodic maintenance.
It is also unfortunate that the dashboard has to come apart for adding motor oil as well.
This adds a whole new layer of potential grief to oil changes. Especially for those people who don't do their own engine maintenance. They'll have to put up with grease monkeys tearing into their rig's dashboard every oil change while dripping oil inside their rig. Good luck getting those oily finger prints out.

It'll also be interesting to see how the dashboard hardware holds up over time.
The screws aren't meant to come in and out.

One of my next mods will be relocating the oil fill with a flexible hose & cap.
Stay well.

[Thor-Machine]

Originally Posted by gnach

I like the concept. When I had run the battery down and needed a jump, I thought about running a cable to a post in the front, plus a ground ala MBZ Sprinter. So yes, photos please.

I was going to install jumping posts but when I later decided to relocate the battery, the jump posts became a moot idea.
Now I just store my Genius GB70 in with the battery & I believe I'm ready for any emergency Jump.
Some people may be thinking they won't ever need to jump start the chassis battery because of their "emergency button" that engages the coach batteries for a built-in jump. I used to think the same way......until I found myself with a dead chassis battery on my 37' Pace Arrow & the emergency jump switch idea didn't work. There was just too much voltage drop and the starter couldn't get enough power to kick over the engine. Looks good on paper though!



I'll take photos of the battery relocation the next time I open the dashboard....which will probably be when I relocate the engine oil fill.


Thanks for the feedback.

[vkb]

Originally Posted by Thor-Machine

Thanks for the response.
No, I haven't had any issues with the chassis battery....yet. The coach is only two weeks new.
It being a wet cell battery that requires periodic maintenance, I preferred to have it handy where it'll actually get the required maintenance without having to take the dashboard apart every month or so.


I'm not much of a picture taker when actually working but I could take & upload some photos of completed mods if there was an interest I suppose.


Regards

Thank you for your response.....
Ron took a look at the battery by going through the dash..when our Axis was new (2016)...and decided he did not want to do that again, unless replacing the OEM battery which is 3 yrs old. Regarding maintaining the battery water levels..he devised a funnel and tube method which seems to be working well....Even tho he has thought about doing something, I doubt he will...at his age, he is ok with the battery in present location. At one time in life, he would have jumped at doing this mod !

Regarding jumping the battery....it seems that each Spring, after having sat for 5 months in the cold...our Chassis battery needs a nudge to start the Axis..Ron has it figured out and it takes a couple minutes to hook up the cables. Does not seem to be a real problem.

We have done a number of mods to the Axis...the one we enjoy each time we walk around the rear is our custom graphic which sets her apart from all other Axis !

Happy camping...enjoy your new Axis...we love ours !

[Deacon Blues]

I installed my Hellwig front sway bar today. Unfortunately, Hellwig didn't include the torque setting for the end link bolts.
Does anyone know what the ft/lb setting would be for my 2015 Axis (E350 chassis).

[Long & Winding road]

Originally Posted by Thor-Machine

It is unfortunate that these units come equipped with ordinary wet cells that require periodic maintenance.
It is also unfortunate that the dashboard has to come apart for adding motor oil as well.
This adds a whole new layer of potential grief to oil changes. Especially for those people who don't do their own engine maintenance. They'll have to put up with grease monkeys tearing into their rig's dashboard every oil change while dripping oil inside their rig. Good luck getting those oily finger prints out.

It'll also be interesting to see how the dashboard hardware holds up over time.
The screws aren't meant to come in and out.

One of my next mods will be relocating the oil fill with a flexible hose & cap.
Stay well.

I never had a probem adding oil to my Axis. You just have to add a 3 or 4 foot rubber hose to the end of your funnel. I put my finger over it when I remove the hose so no oil leaks on the engine.

[Long & Winding road]

Originally Posted by Deacon Blues

I installed my Hellwig front sway bar today. Unfortunately, Hellwig didn't include the torque setting for the end link bolts.
Does anyone know what the ft/lb setting would be for my 2015 Axis (E350 chassis).

Yeah I noticed that on my Axis when I installed my sway bars.

Not sure on the size of the bolts you tightening but you can look up torque specs for diff size bolts on line.

Im thinking it was around 50 or 55 ft lb for 14mm size. 12mm is around 35 ft lb.

I hope this helps. Perhaps Hellwig website had the exact values.

[Thor-Machine]

Originally Posted by Long & Winding road

I never had a probem adding oil to my Axis. You just have to add a 3 or 4 foot rubber hose to the end of your funnel. I put my finger over it when I remove the hose so no oil leaks on the engine.

The oil cap on the 2019 Vegas 24.1 is not accessible from under the front hood. It's not even visible from outside the vehicle.
It must be accessed through the dashboard from inside the vehicle.
Very poor design from a maintenance prospective.


Thanks for responding.

[vkb]

Originally Posted by Thor-Machine

The oil cap on the 2019 Vegas 24.1 is not accessible from under the front hood. It's not even visible from outside the vehicle.
It must be accessed through the dashboard from inside the vehicle.
Very poor design from a maintenance prospective.


Thanks for responding.

ARE YOU SERIOUS ???!!! I know Ron has said it is not a convenient location, but has been able to access it !

[Long & Winding road]

Originally Posted by Thor-Machine

The oil cap on the 2019 Vegas 24.1 is not accessible from under the front hood. It's not even visible from outside the vehicle.
It must be accessed through the dashboard from inside the vehicle.
Very poor design from a maintenance prospective.


Thanks for responding.

Mine is the same way. They didnt change much form 17 to 19 (only the front cap and some interior stuff). I cant see mine but if you get a flashlight and stick your head under the dash you can see it. You can reach in and remove by hand then feed long hose to the oil fill.

If you want to go though the dash thats fine. Just seems like a lot of extra work to me.

[Deacon Blues]

Originally Posted by Long & Winding road

Yeah I noticed that on my Axis when I installed my sway bars.

Not sure on the size of the bolts you tightening but you can look up torque specs for diff size bolts on line.

Im thinking it was around 50 or 55 ft lb for 14mm size. 12mm is around 35 ft lb.

I hope this helps. Perhaps Hellwig website had the exact values.

The instruction sheet, when torquing down the endlink bolts, said to use the manufacturer's specs.
I've spent some time searching on the internet and have yet to come across any Ford chassis suspension specs.


Anyone install a Roadmaster front sway bar? I was wondering if they included the torque specs in their instructions

[Thor-Machine]

Originally Posted by Long & Winding road

Mine is the same way. They didnt change much form 17 to 19 (only the front cap and some interior stuff). I cant see mine but if you get a flashlight and stick your head under the dash you can see it. You can reach in and remove by hand then feed long hose to the oil fill.

If you want to go though the dash thats fine. Just seems like a lot of extra work to me.

It is not possible to even see it, let alone access it from "under" the dash or from outside the vehicle "under" the hood. If that was the case it would be much easier to run a permanent fill hose to a more accessible location.


The fact is, with the 2019 VEGAS on the Ford E450 chassis with the V10 Triton engine, the oil fill must be accessed through the top of the dashboard by removing the flip down desk on the passenger side. Same goes for the battery.
It's a real bad design that only RV manufacturers could get away with because their customer base is largely not informed over these details. We're usually focused more on the comfort & amenities side of things. Automobile & truck manufacturers wouldn't try that with their customer base. They wouldn't stay in business long.


Thanks for responding.

[taylorbob1]

Originally Posted by Thor-Machine

It is not possible to even see it, let alone access it from "under" the dash or from outside the vehicle "under" the hood. If that was the case it would be much easier to run a permanent fill hose to a more accessible location.


The fact is, with the 2019 VEGAS on the Ford E450 chassis with the V10 Triton engine, the oil fill must be accessed through the top of the dashboard by removing the flip down desk on the passenger side. Same goes for the battery.
It's a real bad design that only RV manufacturers could get away with because their customer base is largely not informed over these details. We're usually focused more on the comfort & amenities side of things. Automobile & truck manufacturers wouldn't try that with their customer base. They wouldn't stay in business long.


Thanks for responding.

Well, it is tricky to fill
But, it can be done with a funnel and a hose attachment thru the front
That’s how i’ve changed my Vegas oil

The oil filter is very accessable

[Thor-Machine]

Originally Posted by taylorbob1

Well, it is tricky to fill
But, it can be done with a funnel and a hose attachment thru the front
That’s how i’ve changed my Vegas oil

The oil filter is very accessable

Yes. On the 2017.

[taylorbob1]

Originally Posted by Thor-Machine

Yes. On the 2017.

Huh...
so you're sayin' that Ford E450 is different on the '19. But on a '19 Thor it's probably an '18 Ford E450

That is...my '17 Thor is a '16 Ford E450

Any-who...if the '19 Vegas/Axis oil fill location is different, then i guess you would know best.
that the oil fill cannot be accessed without removing dash.

that's way way to bad.

Keep us posted on what you decide to do.

[Muggs]

Mine is visible with mirror, A/C stuff is in way. I made a PVC pipe set up with 2 90 degree elbows for filling during oil change. No issues. I will be changing oil this week and will take/post picture.

To add a quart on the road, I have gear oil nozzle I can use to squirt oil into dipstick tube.

It is crowded behind hood, but still doable.

[Thor-Machine]

Originally Posted by taylorbob1

Huh...
so you're sayin' that Ford E450 is different on the '19. But on a '19 Thor it's probably an '18 Ford E450

That is...my '17 Thor is a '16 Ford E450

Any-who...if the '19 Vegas/Axis oil fill location is different, then i guess you would know best.
that the oil fill cannot be accessed without removing dash.

that's way way to bad.

Keep us posted on what you decide to do.

My plan is to bore a hole in the top of the oil fill cap & force a piece of high temp clear flexible tubing through that hole. The sort of tubing used on aftermarket diesel fuel tanks. I'll screw the cap back on & that should hold the hose on the engine side.

I'll then run that hose out to the upper front of the engine compartment and affix it to a convenient location where I'll install a vented cap on it.....maybe an auxiliary diesel fuel cap......which I'll clearly mark ENGINE OIL. I think this is something the manufacturer should have already done.
Thanks for the response.

[Deacon Blues]

Originally Posted by Deacon Blues

I installed my Hellwig front sway bar today. Unfortunately, Hellwig didn't include the torque setting for the end link bolts.
Does anyone know what the ft/lb setting would be for my 2015 Axis (E350 chassis).

I went to my local Ford dealership today and asked about the correct torque figures for the front sway bar.
The torque for the endlinks (or end bars) is 59 ft/lbs


The torque figures for the front brackets that hold on the sway bar are 111 ft/lbs for the big (18mm) bolt and 18 ft/lbs for the smaller (15mm) bolt. Note that the 18 ft/lbs number is not a mistake.

What an odd bracket bolt ft/lb combo.

[Long & Winding road]

Originally Posted by Thor-Machine

It is not possible to even see it, let alone access it from "under" the dash or from outside the vehicle "under" the hood. If that was the case it would be much easier to run a permanent fill hose to a more accessible location.


The fact is, with the 2019 VEGAS on the Ford E450 chassis with the V10 Triton engine, the oil fill must be accessed through the top of the dashboard by removing the flip down desk on the passenger side. Same goes for the battery.
It's a real bad design that only RV manufacturers could get away with because their customer base is largely not informed over these details. We're usually focused more on the comfort & amenities side of things. Automobile & truck manufacturers wouldn't try that with their customer base. They wouldn't stay in business long.


Thanks for responding.

Yeah all of the Axis / Vegas are the same regardless of year. Once you get use to filling under the hood its not so bad. To each his own.

[Long & Winding road]

Originally Posted by Thor-Machine

My plan is to bore a hole in the top of the oil fill cap & force a piece of high temp clear flexible tubing through that hole. The sort of tubing used on aftermarket diesel fuel tanks. I'll screw the cap back on & that should hold the hose on the engine side.

I'll then run that hose out to the upper front of the engine compartment and affix it to a convenient location where I'll install a vented cap on it.....maybe an auxiliary diesel fuel cap......which I'll clearly mark ENGINE OIL. I think this is something the manufacturer should have already done.
Thanks for the response.

I like this idea but I would NOT vent it..... The factory cap is NOT vented. But your idea would be helpful. Post some pictures if you go this route.