DocScottWesterlyRI
Westerly, RI, USA
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Joined: 10/29/2003
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1985 Heriitage 2000 P30 workhorse chasis with chevy 454 engine; Headed out on a trip and 26 miles later it looses power and sputters and bucks and stops running. It would turn over and over but not start.![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/mad.gif "mad") Gas pumps are ok. Got towed home. The next day it started right up, drove it up our long driveway and it died halfway...No more start!![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/scratchead.gif "scratchead") I previously replaced the inline electric fuel pump, drained the gas tank, replaced the fuel lines, cleaned out the tank.
However unlikely, the final diagnosis after about 3 years of this intermittant problem was;![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/doh.gif "doh") The coil, located in the distributor was intermitant. Replaced it and it's been Happy Motorcoaching since then. ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/smile.gif "smile")
Scott & Linda
Heritage 2000(L.Y. RELENTLESS)
Honda EU2000i
Matrix Solar Panels
Cobra inverter - 2000c/4000s
Co-Pilots; Patches(RV Cat), April(Top dog)& 2 Turtle Doves
Palm Beach Pontoon Boat
FMCA 348582
Good Sams
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DaveRsi
New Jersey
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Joined: 04/28/2009
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02' P32 8.1L: being the 3rd vehicle off a ferry, RV just shut down at traffic light as I was coming to a stop. Fellow ferry people not Happy. six cop cars later, we tried to push 18,000 with no luck. Jacked all 4 off the ground all tires spun. Tried a to give it a pull, no dice!!!
Had to drop drive shaft, get wrecker.
Turns out when I used the brake at the light, the GREEN socket
on the steering column melted. Bad timing. Apparently this is a common problem with p-w chassis. There are service notes. Any workhorse dealer can add the relay system that prevents the ignition socket from overheating. Seems to be the heaviest red wire, which engages a seleniod for batteries. When it fries, the trans will lock-up?
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sundancer268
Charlevoix
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Joined: 01/27/2006
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1995 Gulf Stream Scenic Cruiser, Spartan EC2242 Chassie, Cummins B5.9 Engine, Allison 3060 Transmission.
US-2 Between Ashland Wi. and Iron Wood Mi.
Smelled funny oder and the low coolant light came on. Looked back into the bed room and saw fog. Pulled over and stopped MH and Engine. Lifted the Rear Engine cover and found the serpentine belt had broken and allowed the Anti-freeze to boil out. Was on a fringe area for our cell phones and took several hours to arrange tow back to Ashland Next evening $1018.00 lighter for new belt and belt tensioner we were on our way. Most expensive belt change I ever had done.
I am changing the Anti-Freeze and all the radiator hoses this weekend to prevent any problems from that side of the cooling system. Will also change the defective temperature sender unit for the idiot light and gauge that did not work when I needed them.
U. S. Navy (RETIRED) 1993
1995 Gulf Stream Scenic Cruiser 34' Diesel Pusher Cummins B5.9 12 Valve Engine, Allison MD-3060 6 Speed Transmission.
TOAD: 2019 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk Elite
Road Master Sterling All-Terrain, Airforce One
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jtovosr
Naples Florida
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Joined: 11/30/2008
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I recentley posted this incedent on FMCA but it is well worth repeating.
Returning from Charlotte I was just north of Birminham on I-65 after hitting some terribly rough road the exhaust pipe coming out of the turbo broke off, this was because the hanger clamps rusted thru, I was lucky to be near a rest area so I pulled in & tied up the muffler & started back on I-65 looking for a repair shop. I didn't go 5-miles when I lost all the air & the suspension dropped.
I found several air lines & electrical wires all in a loom running across the frame about 5 feet from the turbo burnt thru. I un-hooked my car & was able to find a parts store for air lines & fittings, I was able to repair enough of them to get to the next exit & into a Cracker Barrell (by the way the management here where great!)once I was able to get the lines repaired I was able to find a repair place to replace the exhaust.
When I got home I purchased several yards of fire proof insulation & steel band clamps & wrapped the looms running across the rear beams & cut 1" wide stripes & wrapped all the main air lines that are near the exhaust.
I never thought about how hot the exhaust would be & I am actually luckey it didn't catch fire.
You can buy the insulation & clamps at Pegasusautoracing.com this preventive maintenance could save somebody a real serious problem.
My coach is a Monaco Windser with a 400 Cummins
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howdy35
Athens, Texas
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Joined: 07/10/2009
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Two things. 1st Loss of power going up hill and died eventully at the top. 11:00 pm Called affinity road service and local mechanic came and replaced outside fuel filter. Limped into Abilene and went to local Cat dealer. "Let me look at the coach", he said. Raised the bed and asked if that fuel filter had been replaced. Sold me a new one and I put it on. Problem solved. 2nd. Engine heating up on hills. Buddy of mine noticed the oil exhaust line (WHAT DO YOU CALL IT) was located right in front of the rear radiator and oil and dust had clogged the bottom third of the radiator. Re-routed the line out the back and washed the radiator out at the local car wash with water and engine degreaser bought at Walmart. Rear radiator Cat people check for this problem. Easy fix can save you a headache
1999 National Tradewinds 7370
2014 Honda CR-V--Toad
Fulltime
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gettinright
Waycross, GA ,Big Pine Key, FL
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Joined: 02/21/2004
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Reference to breakdown and repair in Albeq. NM. I had a problem there with a 330HP Cat. Wagner CAT fixed it finally after it had been repaired twice by Freightliner. If you have a CAT they are a really good shop.
I sold the Cat and now have a 400 Cummins. No problems with it.
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Boblou
Florida
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Joined: 10/05/2005
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I had not heard of this one before. A friend was traveling in a mountainous area and when he got into town his brakes gave way. Pedal went to the floor. RV specialist drained the brake fluid and put new fluid in system and everthing worked fine. RV spccialist said when the brakes got hot from riding them down hill, your4 brake fluid boils away. Have since reseach and called local RV repairs and they said this was true. So in order to prevent and occurance on my RV i took a turkery baster, sucked out a lot of brake fluid and put new in. I hope i took out any brake fluid contaminated with water vapor.
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kiloo9
Houston Texas
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Joined: 02/22/2006
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If your battery positive post has the additional fuse link connection that feeds power to the main fuse panel, it could come lose with vibration and you would loose all power just like if you did not have a battery, it would make connection again and everything would work again until it happens again. this loose connection would create heat which in turn corrosion eventually losing the connection. Ensure all battery connections are thigh and secure. You could apply a tide wrap on the positive cable and the fuse link wire thus preventing vibration. All this happen to me on a trip out of Houston TX. Hope it helps.
"Freedom is not Free"
Ask a Veteran
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Planocat
Plano, TX
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Joined: 02/23/2009
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Just picked up motorhome from local generator repair place. Another generator breakdown. Ever tried to find service for a generator while on the road? Good luck!
This year while on vacation, after day 1 the Generac Generator (3 years ago it was the generator fuel pump that went out) would run but wasn't putting out any electricity to the coach. Turns out the drive belt from the generator motor to whatever it is that makes the electricity had broken. The kind of repair you hate as the belt was $23.80 but the generator had to be removed to change it. 6 hours labor total so the bill was over $500 to replace a $23 belt! Ouch.
Also on day 2, the water pump quits working. Switches won't activate the pump. RV repair place in Minnesota manages to spend 5 hours discovering he couldn't figure out what was wrong. Runs jury rigged wiring under the bed to the pump and installs a switch on the bed frame. In spite of the exposed wires, at least we now have water.
Last year it was a chasis problem - '97 460 Ford just quit running while going down the interstate. Towed to Iowa small town repair facility who diagnosed the problem as a fuel pump. Had what I thought was plenty of fuel pressure, but not according to the mechanic. Being Saturday, no pump to be had. Sat in parking lot of repair facility until pump arrived on Monday. Didn't send adaptor needed for fuel pump retrofit. So, that arrives on Tuesday. Puts everything back together and unit still won't run - just cranks and cranks. Then figures out it is a bad coil. Replaced the coil and it starts right up. Most likely the problem all along.
Mechanic managed to turn what should have been a 2 hour / $200 repair into 4 vacation days and $1,000 plus! Oh yes, and all the cranking of the motor with a bad coil filled the cylinders with gas that drained into the crankcase thinning out the oil and triggering a check engine light when we did finally get on the way. Returned for diagnosis and he said I needed the oil and filter changed which he did for $65 (the Ford dealer had just done it for $29)!
Some vacation. Ah, the joys of motorhoming and being at someone's mercy when you break down on the road a thousand miles from home. Wife informed me today she has taken her last vacation in this motorhome. She says: "Sell it if you want to celebrate a 42nd anniversary with me and next year we are renting a cabin!"
4 major breakdowns on the last 6 vacations has put her at the end of her rope. Told her I'd put it up for sale as soon as I had the electric steps and hydraulic jacks that also quit working this trip repaired - though it may take a while before I can accumulate the money to have it done! You'd never know I am a "preventative maintenance" kind of guy would you?
Planocat
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Puddin12
Charlotte, NC
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Joined: 06/02/2005
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I'm so sorry to hear of all your problems. We have a 1992 Winnebago Class C, and had to put a new transmission in four years ago (but I know I did a number on it pulling my horses through the mountains, so don't count that). We had to put a fuel pump in the generator, a cooling coil in the refrigerator about 8 years ago, and have had the furnace worked on twice, and it still doesn't work, but other than these things, it has been a great RV. Considering its age, I think we have been lucky. We, too, do preventive maintenance. Good luck.
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