Drew Callahan · January 9, 2026
Air Brake System Maintenance and Air Dryer Cartridge Replacement for NEWMAR DUTCH STAR Most Dutch Star owners don’t realize their air brake system is slowly filling with water until the brakes feel like they’re working through wet concrete on a mountain pass. A shop quoted me $1,200 in labor to swap the air dryer cartridge … Read more
Drew Callahan · January 8, 2026
Diesel Engine Oil and Filter Service for NEWMAR DUTCH STAR I’m underneath the Dutch Star, oil drain pan positioned, socket fitted to the plug, and I can already tell by the color of what’s about to drain that the previous owner ignored the service schedule entirely. The oil that starts flowing is nearly black—darker than … Read more
Drew Callahan · January 7, 2026
Diesel Engine Oil Service for TIFFIN ZEPHYR I was three weeks into a stretch through the high desert when the oil pressure gauge started creeping lower than it should on flat ground. Nothing dramatic—just enough that I knew something had shifted. Pulled into a dusty BLM lot outside Moab, popped the engine hatch, and realized … Read more
Drew Callahan · January 7, 2026
Air Brake System Maintenance for TIFFIN ZEPHYR You’ll get two completely different stories about Zephyr air brake maintenance depending on who you ask. Dealers will tell you that factory intervals are fine and that moisture in your lines is normal wear. The forums full of owners who’ve actually owned these rigs will tell you that’s … Read more
Drew Callahan · January 6, 2026
Air Brake System Maintenance for AMERICAN COACH AMERICAN EAGLE Your American Coach American Eagle’s owner manual and the dealer service department will both skip over something critical about air brake maintenance: the system you’re relying on to haul 40,000 pounds to a complete stop isn’t just a convenience—it’s engineered redundancy that demands respect, and a … Read more
Drew Callahan · January 5, 2026
Diesel Engine Oil Service for AMERICAN COACH AMERICAN EAGLE I had my American Coach parked in a dusty lot outside Moab last spring when the oil analysis came back flagged—not catastrophically, but enough to tell me I’d waited too long between changes. That’s when it hit me that most full-timers either nail the diesel service … Read more
Drew Callahan · January 4, 2026
Air Brake System Maintenance for NEWMAR KING AIRE Skip air brake maintenance on a King Aire and you’re gambling with the stopping power of a 40,000-pound diesel pusher you can’t afford to lose. I’ve watched guys ignore a slow compressor buildup or a cartridge that’s overdue for replacement, and every single one discovered the problem … Read more
Drew Callahan · January 4, 2026
Diesel Engine Oil Service for NEWMAR KING AIRE If I pull the dipstick on a King Aire that hasn’t seen an oil change in two years, what I find tells the whole story: oil the color of burnt coffee, thick enough to coat the stick like tar, and a smell that’s part diesel fuel, part … Read more
Drew Callahan · January 3, 2026
Diesel Engine Oil Service for FLEETWOOD DISCOVERY I’ve got my socket on the drain plug, and I can already feel the heat radiating off the oil pan—this Fleetwood Discovery’s diesel has been running hard, and the oil coming out is going to be thick and dark. I’m going to walk you through exactly what I’m … Read more
Drew Callahan · January 3, 2026
Air Brake System Maintenance for FLEETWOOD DISCOVERY A Fleetwood Discovery air dryer cartridge runs $180–$320 depending on which OEM supplier you call, plus another $400–$600 if a shop does the job. But that number isn’t really about the part—it’s about what happens when moisture and contamination eat through your brake system unchecked. I’ve watched owners … Read more
