Good morning, CJ,
I see you now have a link to some manuals. You'll probably see this when you look at them, but just about every appliance, add-on, etc. will have been sourced from a separate manufacturer (Attwood stoves, Mor-Ryde suspension, Fantastic Vent ceiling ven/fan, SurePower electrical component, etc. etc.). This means you can often find manuals online, and/or talk to the company (many are still in business). This goes for all RV's, not just Chinook. Of course there are some Chinook-specific items, but not that many. If you don't know by whom something is made, you can oftentimes find a part number, label, or name, and then search it on the web (or come here, of course!).
CJRisen wrote: It has a rough ride and I was told it would be better if I knew something about air suspension?
I'll have to go back and look at your photos, but presuming your Chinook is built on the E-450 chassis, they are known for not the smoothest ride, especially as pertains to the rear axle. Just part of the beast. A lot of ambulances are made on the same chassis, and of course they want a very smooth ride if possible. So there are a number of suspension upgrades that can be made, some pioneered by them. I don't have air bags, and don't know a lot about them, although I had thought they were more for height adjustment than ride adjustment. Some Chinooks came with "Mor Ryde" suspension add ons, which are (to simplify) basically rubber dohickeys that take the place of the solid attachment from the rear leaf springs to the spring hangers on the rig. Sulastic makes something that's similar in concept. You may have those, and if so, they may be broken or the rubber deteriorated. Those companies are still both in business (I don't think Chinook ever used the Sulastic, so if you have them it's probably Mor-Ryde. They sort of look like a solid rubber bellows, I think where the rear end of the leaf spring attaches (I don't have them though, as the original owner of my rig did not specify them). The rear end of my rig (E-350 chassis) is a bit harsh, and I may try the Sulastic shackles, but for now I went with a mild anti-sway bar and Koni adjustable shocks on lowest adjustment. The next step for me would be the Sulastic or Mor-Ryde shackles, and then perhaps parabolic springs (many ambulances use these).
If you have questions on suspension and want to talk to an expert, I can recommend either Henderson's Line-Up in Grant's Pass, Oregon, or Brazel's RV in Centralia, WA. Henderson has pioneered many RV suspension treatments, and Brazel's are one of their "people" (plus have developed some of their own things). I spoke with Brazel's at length before getting to the PNW, and ordered my shocks from them (very helpful on the phone!), although when I finally made it out there, I couldn't get an appointment with them and so went to Henderson's. Both good shops and both specialize in RV suspension. If it were me, I'd give one of them a call.
CJRisen wrote: The back window leaks and as its been raining since I pulled it into the driveway, that will need attention first thing tomorrow (Monday) when shops opens for business.
I'm just going to insert a bit of a "buyer beware" warning here. There are some fantastic RV shops, but don't go in assuming they all are. Some aren't. If they try to re-seal your window by glopping caulk on the outside (vs. removing the window to reseal the frame).... beware. Same goes for silicone caulk. I'd be driving away at that point, myself. It looks to me like Chinook originally used a black butyl type mastic sealant, and butyl is what I would use now if I were re-bedding a window. But the sealant can't go on top or around the edge (well, not and do its job). It needs to go under the flange, and the outside doesn't need any sealant at all (it's all underneath).
I will say that you can make a temporary seal with 3M 225 weather resistant tape (or equivalent). This will not turn to concrete after a week like blue tape or other masking tape, but can really last a month or more outside. You can make long "hoods," shingle style over the edges of the window. I have done this (not on my Chinook but on previous rigs) to buy time until I could do a proper repair. Unlike other tapes, the 225 will come back off without you cursing it inch by inch.
CJRisen wrote: And I can't figure out how to make the wall outlets work and it has a solar panel and I'm not sure if that has something to do with the outlets not working....ugh.
I can't see any way the two could be related. The solar panel is involved with the DC (nominal 12 volt) system, and the wall outlets are AC (110/120 volt). My first thing to check would be the GFI outlet. If that is tripped no outlets will work. In my rig, it's the outlet right by the back door, but you may have to look around. It's likely one of the first outlets closest to the "power center" (fuses/etc.). It will likely have a small reset button right by the holes you put plugs into.
You could also check the "outlets" breaker which is in the power center.
Also, if you are plugged in to shorepower, does anything else AC work? The microwave for example?
Lastly, if you are not plugged in (or generator running), your outlets may not work anyway if you don't have an inverter. Being that your rig is pretty fancy
, you may have an inverter though. What this does is make it so that your 110 items (including outlets) may run off your DC batteries (as long as they are charged up).
If you can check some of this stuff out and then come back with any info you glean, we can try to help further. Again, welcome!
BG
PS: Just so you don't necessarily feel you bought a lemon, it's not abnormal to need to sort some things out when you first buy an RV. Oh sure, some folks buy from that nice family that has EVERYTHING working and sends you off with a warm batch of cookies, but that's often not the case. Especially on a low-mileage-but-some-years-old rig, things might not have been exercised recently, so you are going to have a few things to figure out, maybe repair, etc. But on the upside usually upholstery and etc. are in great shape, and low mileage is nice.