Breakdown Information
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Forum Discussion
1988 Suncrest 32.' (no longer made)
We bought the RV in a hurry as we had a family emergency back east and had just sold our house.
The previous owner was so darned nice and the RV has features that were ahead of their time. So we bought it.
He told us that there are 2 little switches 'right here on the dash' and this is how to use them: "When you are going up a steep hill, if you start bogging down, flip this one to switch over to the auxiliary fuel tank which has a shorter fuel line. If that doesn't work, here is another switch..flip it to turn on the electric fuel pump. That pump is located under the steps. Works every time." And sitting in his yard, he showed my husband how it would work.
Well we were in the Valley in California; had to bring the RV on a winding narrow road up a mountain to where we were staying.
So we hit the first hill, the engine bogged down, my husband hit the first switch, nothing...hit the second switch and the engine stalled totally and wouldn't start again.
It was 8 at night, 2 lane road and some California Forestry Dept. firefighters stopped near us and diverted traffic around us. Then the Highway Patrol came and called a tow truck. We asked if anyone could just push us over to the other side of the road to a big pull off so we could decide what to do. The CHP did that.
We called our son and he came to where we were (a few hours had passed) and he said maybe using those switches didn't work as the guy said, maybe doing the '2 switch thing' had caused a vapor lock in the 108* heat and it would now start. It did. We made it to our son's house safely.
What we learned when the guys checked out the motor home was that the engine uses a mechanical gas pump which is on the engine in front. The auxiliary gas tank is actually under the bed in the rear of the coach further away than the main tank, and there is no fuel pump under the steps. That is where the solenoid for the switch from one tank to the other is placed.
The electric pump is in the back as well and was dead and had been for awhile, and is hooked to the main tank anyway. The auxiliary tank is used only for the generator. So when he used the second switch nothing happened and the engine stalled.
After the electric fuel pump was replaced, we had no problem going up hills, as using it boosts the gas flow when needed. We keep an extra pump 'just in case.' The guys also replaced the original parts and fluids, belts and hoses etc.
There were so many inconsistencies in what that guy told us, we realized later he didn't know much about the RV at all. And we knew less at the time. We know much more now and it is all written down now as well.
To end the story on a good note, we have lived in the RV for nearly a year, we have put 12,000 miles on it. The coach is set up well and has the features we like so we are happy with it.
We bought the RV in a hurry as we had a family emergency back east and had just sold our house.
The previous owner was so darned nice and the RV has features that were ahead of their time. So we bought it.
He told us that there are 2 little switches 'right here on the dash' and this is how to use them: "When you are going up a steep hill, if you start bogging down, flip this one to switch over to the auxiliary fuel tank which has a shorter fuel line. If that doesn't work, here is another switch..flip it to turn on the electric fuel pump. That pump is located under the steps. Works every time." And sitting in his yard, he showed my husband how it would work.
Well we were in the Valley in California; had to bring the RV on a winding narrow road up a mountain to where we were staying.
So we hit the first hill, the engine bogged down, my husband hit the first switch, nothing...hit the second switch and the engine stalled totally and wouldn't start again.
It was 8 at night, 2 lane road and some California Forestry Dept. firefighters stopped near us and diverted traffic around us. Then the Highway Patrol came and called a tow truck. We asked if anyone could just push us over to the other side of the road to a big pull off so we could decide what to do. The CHP did that.
We called our son and he came to where we were (a few hours had passed) and he said maybe using those switches didn't work as the guy said, maybe doing the '2 switch thing' had caused a vapor lock in the 108* heat and it would now start. It did. We made it to our son's house safely.
What we learned when the guys checked out the motor home was that the engine uses a mechanical gas pump which is on the engine in front. The auxiliary gas tank is actually under the bed in the rear of the coach further away than the main tank, and there is no fuel pump under the steps. That is where the solenoid for the switch from one tank to the other is placed.
The electric pump is in the back as well and was dead and had been for awhile, and is hooked to the main tank anyway. The auxiliary tank is used only for the generator. So when he used the second switch nothing happened and the engine stalled.
After the electric fuel pump was replaced, we had no problem going up hills, as using it boosts the gas flow when needed. We keep an extra pump 'just in case.' The guys also replaced the original parts and fluids, belts and hoses etc.
There were so many inconsistencies in what that guy told us, we realized later he didn't know much about the RV at all. And we knew less at the time. We know much more now and it is all written down now as well.
To end the story on a good note, we have lived in the RV for nearly a year, we have put 12,000 miles on it. The coach is set up well and has the features we like so we are happy with it.
