Feedback on company called by Good Sam
Remember as you read this I am not posting opinions, just supplying information / feedback on the support I received from the company Good Sam Roadside Assistance called. Hoping Good Sam will use the feedback as input to the value supplied by the company.
The company called was Orlando Low Cost Truck Repair.
Good Sam stated they would be on site within 45 minutes which they were.
Two guys showed up, one guy never left the seat of the pickup truck he arrived in. The second guy did the first guys bidding.
The call was for a no start. When the key was turned the engine would not crank. Everything else seemed to work fine.
All the batteries, chassis and coach, had been replaced within the year. All connections were clean, dry, and tight. The generator would crank which was a good indication that the batteries were charged. The batteries were tested with a nice Snap-On battery tester. For more details see this.
The coach would crank if 12 volts was supplied to the starter relay, and run as it should.
I have all the manuals for this coach which included the starting circuit wiring diagram.
They zeroed in on the battery control box in the electronics compartment. There are three relays in that box and all tested good.
I was convinced that these relays were not the secondary starter relay on the wiring diagram. I was correct, read on.
After five hours of searching they were not able to locate the secondary starter relay. They repeatedly stated they hardly ever worked on RVs and that they generally only worked on trucks.
I instructed them to install a switched 12 volt power supply to the starter relay as a work around so that we could get down the road.
They left for supplies and returned an hour later (with lunch for themselves) and supplies (the city of Apopka was five minutes away, we were in the KOA Orange Blossom Apopka, Fl)
They supplied a inline fuse, a key switch, ten feet of 14 gauge wire, wire eyelets for connections, and some wire loom to protect the wire. The fuse was connected to the power supply at the fuse block, one hole was drilled to mount the switch, and wire was run from it to the starter relay.
The wire loom is a hideous blue. I will have to redo all of this.
So... to summarize.
After five hours they never found the secondary relay, they installed a remote key switch at my direction (which will need to be redo because of the color of the wire loom).
They wanted to charge for five hours but I talked them down to four ($400), they charge for 40 miles of travel ($40) and $75.00 for ten feet of wire, some wire eyelet connectors and a key switch for a total of $515.00
When we arrived home I did some searching and found the secondary starter relay under the bed on the forward engine bulkhead.
Had my wife turning and holding the key to start position and I used a test light to see if I had power from the key.
Off the nut holding the wires in place I did not, moved the probe to the eyelets of the wire connector and wiggled, the light came on and the engine surprised us and cranked.
Removed the nuts, cleaned all the wire eyelets with Emory paper and the engine now cranks for the dash again, no parts required.
The company called was Orlando Low Cost Truck Repair.
Good Sam stated they would be on site within 45 minutes which they were.
Two guys showed up, one guy never left the seat of the pickup truck he arrived in. The second guy did the first guys bidding.
The call was for a no start. When the key was turned the engine would not crank. Everything else seemed to work fine.
All the batteries, chassis and coach, had been replaced within the year. All connections were clean, dry, and tight. The generator would crank which was a good indication that the batteries were charged. The batteries were tested with a nice Snap-On battery tester. For more details see this.
The coach would crank if 12 volts was supplied to the starter relay, and run as it should.
I have all the manuals for this coach which included the starting circuit wiring diagram.
They zeroed in on the battery control box in the electronics compartment. There are three relays in that box and all tested good.
I was convinced that these relays were not the secondary starter relay on the wiring diagram. I was correct, read on.
After five hours of searching they were not able to locate the secondary starter relay. They repeatedly stated they hardly ever worked on RVs and that they generally only worked on trucks.
I instructed them to install a switched 12 volt power supply to the starter relay as a work around so that we could get down the road.
They left for supplies and returned an hour later (with lunch for themselves) and supplies (the city of Apopka was five minutes away, we were in the KOA Orange Blossom Apopka, Fl)
They supplied a inline fuse, a key switch, ten feet of 14 gauge wire, wire eyelets for connections, and some wire loom to protect the wire. The fuse was connected to the power supply at the fuse block, one hole was drilled to mount the switch, and wire was run from it to the starter relay.
The wire loom is a hideous blue. I will have to redo all of this.
So... to summarize.
After five hours they never found the secondary relay, they installed a remote key switch at my direction (which will need to be redo because of the color of the wire loom).
They wanted to charge for five hours but I talked them down to four ($400), they charge for 40 miles of travel ($40) and $75.00 for ten feet of wire, some wire eyelet connectors and a key switch for a total of $515.00
When we arrived home I did some searching and found the secondary starter relay under the bed on the forward engine bulkhead.
Had my wife turning and holding the key to start position and I used a test light to see if I had power from the key.
Off the nut holding the wires in place I did not, moved the probe to the eyelets of the wire connector and wiggled, the light came on and the engine surprised us and cranked.
Removed the nuts, cleaned all the wire eyelets with Emory paper and the engine now cranks for the dash again, no parts required.
