New Rialta Owner
Congrats on the purchase of your Rialta!
I have a 1999 HD (has the bigger kitchen and refrigerator/freezer combo). I bought the HD model because I like to cook and mine has the optional lower propane oven and the standard microwave above. I also live in AZ (Casa Grande). These HD's are the only Rialtas with a 3-burner stove. All Rialtas are awesome so it depends on what suits one's needs. I cannot say enough about this machine. I had many things to fix after I bought it used in 2010. Finally, after the bugs are out it is incredible. It always ran well and never failed me as far as the engine. Bear in mind that the Check Engine light is a common occurrence. After having everything fixed in line with that it has stayed off for the last two years. There are many little things to know and check to make sure you know how it all works and that all things are working properly. Many owners DO NOT know, or correctly operate many of the features. I could write pages of tips but it is up to you if you want me to? TOP TIPS ARE: Ensure that your tires up front are the smaller of the set and the rear are the larger size. I have seen this mistake many times and it will lead to problems - so there are TWO tire sizes. When climbing any hills: LEAVE THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED! I didn't know this until about 2 years ago. I always manually drove up the mountains, thinking the Cruise would floor itself. Truth is, it handles the transmission and all shifting better than I can myself. I usually maintain top speeds if I just leave it alone and there is much less strain on the engine. Before, I used to struggle (going over mountains from AZ to San Diego) and bog down in no time. In 2000, Rialta beefed up its horsepower but I don't think there is that much difference in the two engines. Since you have the more powerful engine it should be fine. As for the Alaskan Highway, just make sure the rig is in ship shape. Check all the coolant lines; even the ones under the wardrobe that lead to the Motoraid Water Heater and Automotive Heater (both one of my favorite features). If all things are good and tight and no leaks you should have 190 deg. F water at the shower and faucet after about 1 hour of travelling. i LOVE it! Incidentally, I use my shower every day of travel. Just try it! It is nice and rommier than you may think. Final tip for now: The Shower Power Drain has a filter that is under the wardrobe (or bed in some coaches). After about 8-12 showers THIS MUST BE EMPTIED AND CLEANED. You will notice the drainage slowing down and it is just a simple clean of the filter. The shower drains into the BLACK TANK btw. Most RV's drain into the Grey tank. You should be able to eek out 4-5 quick showers if you're fully self-contained. Make sure your rear Air Bags are inflated!!!!! I keep mine around 30-35 psi but you have to remove the air gauge extremely fast as one burst of air will drop them right down. Mine were empty when I bought the rig used and it still rode nicely but once filled....WOW! They must always stay inflated and never flat. Use HIGH octane gas only (the book says so)Winnebago has many parts for Rialtas if you need them. Don't despair but if it needs mechanical (engine) work done, Volkswagen will ONLY work on Volkswagen portions of this. For anything back of the driver's seat it will be either yourself or Winnebago (other than the chassis, brakes, and wheels). Run your Generator (under load) at least once every week or two and give it a 5 min. warm up and 5 min. cool down (unloaded). Hope this helps but it should handle the Alaskan Highway beautifully, especially with that Motoraid Automotive Heat. All the best!
Paul
|
Linear Mode
