mhepburn
Alberta, Canada
New Member
Joined: 08/02/2012
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
 Offline
|
This was a tough, expensive lesson to learn and fits the opportunity to learn in this post...........
Driveline (Engine, Transmission): Cummins ISX 525HP, Allison 6 speed
Miles: 65K
Year: 2003
Break Down Description: Road debris was deflected off the rear tires towards the radiator and was deflected into the radiator by the rotating cooling fans.
Symptoms: Coolant release (steam), as seen in the driver's side mirror
Effect: Overheated engine, shutdown on mountain summit.
Cause: Punctured radiator core.
New rad: $6K
Removal and Replacement: $2K
Breakdown rescue/tow: $1K
Additional travel costs & unplanned expenses: $2K
$11 thousand dollars later, because a piece of tire rubber from the road deflected up off the road and hit the cooling fan………and was unfortunately deflected into the rad.
Solution: Install expanded sheet metal covers over the fans. Engine cooling isn't compromised and the radiator is fully protected. IMHO this problem is particularly significant for those coaches with tag axels. Single axle coaches don’t have the same open chamber where the deflection and damage can occur.
Outcome: Serious, expensive Lesson Learned. I’m told by the rad and service shops......this is a common mode of failure for many coach owners...Malcolm
Malcolm & Wendy Hepburn
2003 Monaco Signature - 45' Commander TS
Cummins ISX 525HP - 6 Speed Allison
Chevy HHR-SS - Demco Towbar/BlueOx Patriot Brake
|
Mainship
Inverness, FL
Full Member
Joined: 09/06/2007
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
How did your insurance co treat you?
Good Sam would have picked up the tow, my insurance would have paid for the motel if it happened at a distance from home, road hazard insurance should have kicked in for damages to engine.
|
mhepburn
Alberta, Canada
New Member
Joined: 08/02/2012
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
Good question, my vehicle insurance did cover the costs, less my deductable; we negotiated the betterment coverage applied to the lost fluids…...Malcolm
|
DryCamper11
Hartford
Senior Member
Joined: 05/08/2012
View Profile
Offline
|
1973 Sportscoach w/ Chevy 454 and 55 gallon primary fuel tank (for gen and engine) and 45 gallon auxiliary fuel tank (engine only). The tanks are switched/selected with a 12V fuel selector valve (I carry a spare valve). The valve feeds the engine through an oil filter sized main fuel filter #1 which has a water drain. (I carry a spare #1 fuel filter.) The auxiliary tank feeds the fuel valve through a remote electric fuel pump (Yes, I carry a spare pump). That electric pump uses a required prefilter #2 ( I carry a spare prefilter #2).
Since I run lots of fuel from the aux tank and the required prefilter #2 that protects the pump is small, I have a medium sized filter #3 (yes, I carry a spare #3 filter) located between the aux tank and prefilter #2.
The engine began to miss as though it was being starved for fuel. It was starved when switched to either tank, which made me think it was in the main filter #1. I limped to my destination and replaced main filter #1. I found water in that filter as well as debris making me think the problem was solved.
The next trip out, it starved on only the aux tank. I replaced the medium filter #3. That seemed to fix it for 200 miles.
The next trip out the electric fuel valve failed. It wouldn't switch between tanks. I limped to a gas station to fill that tank and I replaced that valve at my destination. After 400 miles it began to hesitate again and died at a toll booth, but started up and I was able to limp home by repeatedly switching between tanks.
There was one last filter #4 - a tiny final one in the carburetor (yes, I also carry spare for #4 in my kit). It looked fine, but I couldn't blow through it, so I replaced filter #4. It's run fine for the next 500 miles, knock on wood.
It's hard to say which filter or valve was the problem. I know the valve was bad and that filter #4 was bad, but regardless of the problem, "Carry spares and build redundant systems" is my motto. None of the failures stopped any of the trips, but the DW does get a bit nervous when we see a series of issues like that.
In the Boonies!
|
dakdave
home
Senior Member
Joined: 06/17/2010
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
o4 sportscoach,5.p cummins 300 hp.Quit in campground in Deming,nm.Had towed to las cruces,after 2 days of troubleshooting am told head must come off.Either dropped valve or valve seat mashed injector loaded with fuel. After getting bad news this am went to have breakfast.On way we stopped at traffic .Lite turned green cars ahead pulled away,one stopped and so did we,lady behind us did not stop,pushed us into car ahead.Now have smashed car and Broken motorhome.Am hoping to hear tomorrow that cylinder in cummins is okay and not scored.
Can hardly beleive this happened with only 42000 miles. Oh well happy trails
|
|
|
Jaybird
Monterey,CA
Senior Member
Joined: 12/06/2004
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
deleted
* This post was
edited 03/24/13 11:55am by Jaybird *
32' Fleetwood Southwind,
Chevrolet HHR with Stowmaster
"Wrong side of the fence for the rest of the State of California"
.jpg)
|
billhrln
Home
New Member
Joined: 06/23/2013
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
We recently purchased a 92 Pace Arrow by Fleetwood. Overall the unit is in excellent condition, but being a newbie to motor coaches and this one has 70,000 miles. Starters don't last forever. We lucked out and it failed in a campground in Fossil,Oregon.Luckly there was a Chevy dealership there and even though this is on a Ford chasis, they were able to obtain and install new starter the next day.
|
gettinright
Waycross, GA ,Big Pine Key, FL
New Member
Joined: 02/21/2004
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
GOD was good to you.
I am happy you were able to get help.
|
robertbenita
Pacific Time Zone
Senior Member
Joined: 08/24/2009
View Profile
|
2001 American Coach Tradition 8.3 Cummins Spartan Chassis (52000 miles) towing 2013 Ford Fiesta:
Got back from trip to northern California. First trip with new to us RV and had a blast. Parked in driveway and will leave for next trip in two weeks. Couple days out from trip and start engine, air up and get everything ready. As I walk out of coach...man that puddle underneath the engine couldn't be diesel could it. Lift Fuel Pump gasket leaking even when shut down. Can't get old style gasket so a new lift fuel pump is installed and everything is right again. So the one story I have is how my new to me RV stranded us a little before the trip in my side yard driveway! Not a bad lick if you ask me!
|
jtessnm
Los Lunas NM
New Member
Joined: 03/19/2005
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
Newmar Mountainaire 8.3 Cummins Intermittent Electrical problems, Engine would stall, Voltage would fluctuate. Found that the exhaust manifold heat shield bracket broke allowing the heat shield to fall on to the starter solenoid causing an intermittent short I removed the bracket welded it and added reinforcement gussets. The original design was poor as all the flex stress was concentrated on a small strap.
|
|
|
