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02-07-2011, 03:15 PM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Beesleys Point, NJ 08223
Posts: 38
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DEF (diesel exhaust fluid)
I am leaving for Flordia next week and I wanted to top off my DEF tank, indicator showed aout 3/4 fill (3 green lights). I had a great deal of trouble trying to pour the DEF from the 2 1/2 gallon bottle into the on board DEF tank, area was too small to get the container position to allow alll th fluid to empty into the tank. End up with about 1/4 gallon remaining and I put that in a smaller container and used a funnel to empty into tank.
Bad tank location and poor design. Anyone have any quicker/easier method????
Jim
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02-07-2011, 03:46 PM
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#2
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Florida
Posts: 76
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I removed the 2 gas pistons from the DEF cargo door. It allows the door to swing much higher and provides better access to the tank. I'm able to dump the 2.5 gallon containers directly in with the supplied nozzle.
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02-07-2011, 03:59 PM
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#3
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Beesleys Point, NJ 08223
Posts: 38
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Thanks for the help!
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02-07-2011, 09:44 PM
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#4
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Anacortesians
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Anacortes, WA
Posts: 1,166
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I guess the urea injection system that the Feds have made mandatory has killed any interest I may have had in diesel rigs. Can you pee in the tank or is urea nothing like urine?
__________________
Frank and Eileen
No longer RVers or FR owners
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02-07-2011, 10:14 PM
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#5
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Florida
Posts: 76
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It's really no big deal. I've put about 4000 miles on my rig and added DEF twice. Probably could have done it once since both times I had plenty DEF left. I was just topping off the tank.
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02-10-2011, 01:27 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: San Jose, California
Posts: 137
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I look at it like this..
- It helps make the air a little cleaner
- It helps the unit get a little better mileage
- it does need to be refilled, but only runs about $11 for 2 1/2 gallon jug
Not a big problem..
__________________
2011 Berkshire 390BH-60
Cummins ISB 360hp/800ft-lbs DEF
Allison 3000
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09-19-2011, 09:26 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Brigham QC, Canada
Posts: 193
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I just reached 7000 miles and the DEF warning light went on. Normal or not ?
The Mercedes dealer said I have to go there cause they have to reset something after they fill the DEF tank. True or not ?
If I refill before the light comes on again, I will probably save a lot of money ! Cost me $172 today. Learning is not cheap.
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09-19-2011, 10:09 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Lake Charles, La.
Posts: 1,536
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if there is something to reset and they won't show or tell u, i would consider buying a service manual for that vehicle. it may also be covered in the owners manual.
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09-19-2011, 01:09 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 192
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Wow. 14.3 gallons of DEF took me on a couple small trips here in Colorado and from here to Orlando and back. It was about 5k miles total. It was about $3.25/gal at the pump. I suspect as the rig gets older, it will require more DEF.
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09-19-2011, 01:12 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 192
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Oh, missed the part on the reset. I do know that if you run your DEF dry, the computer will put your vehicle into a 'limp home' reduced power mode which may have to be reset. No clue how to do that though.
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11-08-2011, 05:45 PM
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#12
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2011 Berkshire 390BH
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Lancaster, NY
Posts: 1,063
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After reading last post had been watching the DEF indicator on the fuel gauge. Was down to the last green square. Wanted to find a bulk DEF station, since I had issues trying to load a 2 1/2 gal container of DEF in the tank before. Finally found a DEF station off of I-80 & I-77 in Virginia. Just about 10 miles before arriving at the location, my green square became a orange square. I figured the next color would be red. I was so excited when I reach the station. My excitement soon turned to frustration, as I tried to figure out how to get DEF at the pump. Soon a line of truck was behind me waiting for me to leave. After some instruction from the station attendants, telling me to first pump diesel, then DEF. I preceded. Trouble was I couldn't get the "dead" pump head to fit in the small DEF hole ( lucky for me), as the dead pump is only diesel. I finally got help, and discovered that the DEF nozzle was in a little pocket door on the left side of the pump and that it was on the left side of rig while the fill for the DEF tank is on the right side of the rig. I now had to turn the motorhome around and face all of the truckers who had been waiting 30 minutes for me to finish. I finally got the DEF tank filled and quickly got out of the Station. Now I just hope when I have to fill the thing up on 4000 or 5000 miles, I remember how to do it and do it quickly.
__________________
Craig
Finally completed all State visits in August 2011 with a trip to North Dakota.
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11-08-2011, 06:34 PM
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#13
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7 nights in 2013 so far
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Gretna, NE
Posts: 13
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I found that the truck stop had DEF in the 2.5 gallon container the jug had a screw on funnel with the smaller spout....no mess.
Will get me by until my next service.
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11-09-2011, 08:44 AM
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#14
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2011 Berkshire 390BH
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Lancaster, NY
Posts: 1,063
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On the 2011 Berkshire BH, the DEF tank fill is in a hard to reach configuration. Filling it from the 2 1/2 gal container is a messy task. I was surprised how " cheap" bulk DEF is at the pump. $1.69 per gallon at the location I was at.
__________________
Craig
Finally completed all State visits in August 2011 with a trip to North Dakota.
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11-09-2011, 09:18 AM
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#15
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: St. Clair Shores, MI
Posts: 81
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Not to get off topic, but I was curious for all you diesel motohome owners equipped with urea injection and DEF tanks, do your rigs also have the diesel particulate filter (DPF) systems too like many of the 3/4- and 1-ton towing vehicles have? If so, any complaints?
I only have the DPF on my 3/4-ton truck as my model year is prior to urea injection. I must say that I can't comprehend the idea of burning more fossil fuel (diesel) in an attempt to have cleaner emissions. This is like fighting obesity with candy! The urea injection at least seems to be a better idea in principle and probably costs less then what I pay in lost fuel economy every time the system regenerates (approx. once per tank).
__________________
E.S.P.
'07 Rockwood 8281SS 5th Wheel
'07 Silverado 2500HD LMM Duramax Diesel / Allison 1000 CC 2LT S/B
Reese 15K 5th Wheel Hitch w/ Kwik-Slide
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11-09-2011, 11:01 AM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 855
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Yes, they do. The only thing that the Urea junk does is that it allows the manufacturers to run the motor with less EGR.
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11-11-2011, 08:44 AM
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#17
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2011 Berkshire 390bh
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Western NY State
Posts: 688
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The DEF issue is one of the reasons we ordered ours as a 2011 built on a 2009 chassis. A few of the dealers had concerns that some people, like me, wouldn't want the DEF engines so when the '11's were first being built they had a few '09 chassis left over. I have no complaints about not having to deal with the DEF issues, particularly when my unit has to stay in storage for six months a year.
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2011 Berkshire 390bh
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11-11-2011, 11:12 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: NEPA
Posts: 1,477
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Is DEF similar to blinker fluid? I hope so, I just changed mine. . Seriously, this is why I hold on to my old diesels. And if someone was on I-80 in Virginia, please tell me how to get to the parallel universe you're in! I'm thinking you meant I-81...
__________________
2015 XLR Hyperlite 30HFS5 (mods being performed regularly)
2009 Salem LA 292fkds (gone)
Nights- ('12)23 ('13)23 ('14)15 ('15)31 ('16)27 ('17) 20 (‘18)21 (‘19)23
2019 Honda CRV (camping support vehicle)
2014 Harley Davidson FLHX (XLR cargo)
2011 Ram 2500 CC 4X4 CTD, B&W Companion (toy hauler hauler)
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11-11-2011, 07:58 PM
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#19
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2011 Berkshire 390BH
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Lancaster, NY
Posts: 1,063
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I-81 is correct. Thanks
__________________
Craig
Finally completed all State visits in August 2011 with a trip to North Dakota.
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01-22-2019, 01:05 PM
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#20
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2011 Berkshire 390BH
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 45
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Where is the DEF fill on the '11 390BH?
I've owned our 2011 390BH a little while, but really only put about 1,000 miles on it so far. So, where is the fill (tank) for DEF on this RV?
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