Thanks Raist11 - it certainly is hard to argue when in our case we don't know what we don't know, but we have become more and more distrusting of mechanics which is not fair to tar all with the same brush but once, twice, thrice bitten it's hard not to be very sceptical.
A classic example is when our MH was brand new, every time we took her out (on short vacational trips limited time to get back to school and work), she would break down and die, especially in the heat. We were towed from Moscow to Spokane once to be told we had put dirty fuel in her and the filter was filthy, when asked to see the filter they said "you don't wanna go out there,and it's in one of the bins somewhere". They expected us to pay, until I insisted on speaking with the warranty folks, and told them "with less than 3000kms on her and most of it delivery mileage, if there's dirt in the fuel tank it's what they left in there at build time of they put dirty fuel in her". He said, "I tend to agree with you" and there was no charge, but the battle at that time as a brand new RV owner was a joke. We spent the next 18 months breaking down every hot day, limping at night when cooler until finally someone at a basic FORD garage in Milk River said "I think it's your fuel pump". We limped to Great Falls the next morning, broke down at the traffic lights had the fire service help us to park at a gas station during the day's heat, then over night limped to park outside a service area in South Dakota. Next morning guy said "no problem mam we'll change your fuel pump" = in the side of the bay there was a huge pile about 16ft high and 14ft wide of bad fuel pumps against the wall stacked. Surprise surprise, we've never had a problem since. Just frustrates us how much of our back then prized vacation time was spent waiting and being towed and held up at repair bays with no one diagnosing what it was properly.
Will be sure to advise you folks what they say at the second opinion place, hopefully should know today as dropped off yesterday lunch. Truly do value your kindness and any advisories.
FTW.
