Breakdown Information

[Badeye]

Moderators Note: This thread is intending to report a problem and its resolution. If you are seeking help or information to help you resolve a problem you would best be served by initiating a thread on the class A forum proper

After some conversation with Diesel-Lover and others on this forum I thought I would try to start a thread concerning breakdowns on the road. We try to prevent this by good maintenance and driving reasonably but it can still happen. As I observed in a previous post, on a roughly 350 mile northbound drive on I-75 I saw 4 class A MH broken down. All were southbound.

If we should have a breakdown and would post the following information on this thread it could be a resource and reminder for others.

RV particulars:
Driveline (Engine, Transmission):
Miles:
Year:
Break Down Description: (You can add any description of the problem here that you think would help others in understanding the situation and problem.)
Symptoms:
Effect:
Cause:
Outcome:

This is the type of information that is recorded in the aircraft industry and other maintenance activities to track failure trends. It will take a while before we see a lot of value in this. If it continues for a time and sufficient data is available, I will analyze the data and put it into a form that I can send by email to any interested parties. I would suspect that an initial report could be done in about three months or when we have about 100 to 150 cases.

What do you think?

[mustangman]

there was a recall 94b37 regarding your catalytic,for that year91-92
you could of had it replaced for free call 1800-4443311 ,maybe ford will reimburse you,,,not knowing what viscosity oil you have could be damaging your 460,don't be stupid and change it,,now you should worry about your fuel pump going bad,there was problems with them,also try to get some headers,problems with 460 exhaust bolts,,,,good luck,you have a good motor baby it,thanks for your post

[Janeshure]

Several problems. Bought 1992 newmar in San Fran. Has 460 ford motor with 67000 miles. 37.5' long, very nice motorhome as compared to my 1983 winnabago 27' brave. Took off for Ia with toyota in tow. 2 days earlier we drove to S.F. with car. Motorhome ran flawlessly all the way to Ia. Murphy struck at the 50 mile marker on I-80. Motor quit running no power. Coasted to an off ramp. Restarted motor would only barely run if gas held to floor. Since I was driving a ford a brite light came on in my mind, I thought why not get wife to use car and push motorhome to nearest farm house. She agreed, got in car the @#$$%^ battery is dead, because I had to leave key in ACC position so steering wheel would turn. DUH, realized should have unhook battery. I walk to motorhome and notice that each of the coach's batteries were 12 volt. Since I was driving a ford another lite bulb came on in my head. Why not pull one of the batteries and put it in the car. Car started fine, while engine was running hook up car battery to charge and reinstall coach battery. I gave her instructions as to what signals I would give her when I honk the horn. I got in motorhome and started motor which will barely run. I yank it into gear and honk horn and we start rolling. All was well untill I had to turn onto a dirt road to go into the farm house, the road was up hill, the motorhome stop, the wife gun the car spinning the right rear tire like crazy, tire was smoking, she let off the gas, I heard a bang, What the hell was that I ask, of course she didn't know. I open the hood and found she had thrown off the fan belt which took out the other 2 belts. By this time another lite bulb went on, I realize we needed help, did I mention it was july and almost 100 degrees, I walk to the farm house and lucky me there was someone home. The woman look in the phone book and found some numbers for me to call. I called the first number and lucky for me said they would send someone right out. I told them to bring a fan belt for the car which they didn't do. Anyway the guy hook up to my motorhome to lift it, except his front end went up instead. OOPS. Truck too small. We decided to get out a chain and he could finish pulling the motorhome in the yard. Afterward he took off to get us a fan belt so I could drive the car the 180 miles to home. Thank god I thought to take some tools with me. The wife was in near total meltdown in what was begining to look a panic attack, I finally had to grab her by the shoulders and tell her in the most calming and soothing voice I could muster under the conditions, I told her, dear, it was not going to help me one bit by being hysterical, it would be more help if she stays as quite as possible and hand me tools as I need them so we can get out of this problem. Another piecie of luck, she actually listen to me. We drove the car home, next day I called another place to get motorhome, he had the same problem with his truck rasing it's front end, this was after I told hold him what had happen the day earlier, I had told him he needed a big truck. Anyway he couldn't help, so I called a third shop and explain to them what had happened, this person knew just what was needed and got the motorhome. The next day he called me and told me what the problem was, I thought it was a bad ignition system, after all it was hot weather. Murphy isn't done with me yet, The cat converter had plugged up and would not let the motor run, it would cost $600 for a new cat, I tried to talk him into just putting a piecie of pipe in and leave the @#$%^ cat off, he said no can do because of the @#$%^ government enviromental wackos. Following Fri he called and said motorhome is fit to run again, after I give him $1200 of my hard earn money. I drove 180 miles back the next day, hook up the car, drove motorhome to it's new home.

The next time we decided to go somewhere it was christmas 04. Wife and I and her relatives who came from russia, did I mention she is from russia, we decided to go to L.A. by way of las vegas. We get to the heritage museum in western Nebraska, I notice the motorhome was leaning on its left rear. I thought maybe it was parked in a hole where I park after all the parking lot was unlevel gravel. Next day we stop in colorado for gas, I thought damn this motorhome is leaning more, but dismiss it as the ground wasn't really level there either. Did I mention I was having electrical problems with AC outlets on the slide. We had an elcetric heater plug into the ac outlet on the slide. Wife plug in a hair dryer and blew out the electric ac. I thought no problem I will just reset the breakers, murphy again strikes, still does not work, tried reseting the GFCI breakers, still no luck. I still have this problem as I write this but there is too much cold and snow to bother with it now. Anyway back to the trip to L.A. We finally get to Las vegas and we decided to stop at circus circus campground. By this time the motorhome was really leaning on the left rear and when driving over bumps on the road I would hear scrapping noises. By this time another lite comes on, after all I was driving a ford chassis wasn't I, I HAVE A PROBLEM. I take it to an RV service shop to see what the problem was, they found that the mor ryde rear suspension was going out. There is 4 rubber pads which looks like big engine mounts which were tearing apart. Guess what, they couldn't handle this problem, so they sent me to another shop, which sent me to a truck shop, in the city of las vegas no less, and I don't know the city. I luck out this time and the truck shop knew exactly where I should go which was only 3 miles from where I was camped at. They gave me the phone # and had me to call this shop right there. I told him what the problem was, and he says "OH YES, YOU HAVE THE MOR RYDE SYSTEM", I say the what, and just what is that. By this time it is late afternoon, he says to bring it in 1st. thing in the morning and he would take a look. Next morning I, not so brite eyed and bushy tail, gets there, He says "yep" and walks to the phone and calls Indiana for the parts and has them to overnite the parts to him. A little history, this guy has done so many of these @#$%^ mor ryde systems he is on a first name basis with the guy in indiana. After he is done talking to the guy he gives me an estimate on the damage. The price was to be in the mid $900 range and it turn out to be $963. He said come back brite and early the next day and his crew would get right on it, and he promised it would be done before quitting time which it was. I was glad I pulled my car so we had a way to get around while it was being worked on. After we got the motorhome we continued on our trip, I notice another potential problem. The oil pressure is slow to come up when cold, by cold it is around freezing or lower. When the engine is warm, it seems to be ok. I don't know if the previous owner put too heavy oil in or if the sending unit is bad or an inpending oil pump failure. I will look at it when it gets warmer and the snow is gone. I hate these @#$%^ iowa winters.

So far I am batting a 100% rating, two big trips and two major problems and I have only had it since july. I learn more things about mor ryde than I care to know, I do not have a good opinion of mor ryde either. The only reason I haven't decided to sell it is because it is in good condition inside and we practically stole it for a song.

Will

janeshure@yahoo.com

[musicearlyadopt]

What a great story- I admire your ingenuity, and even more, the swank photos of "The Beast". It looks great.

[jimmyrain2000]

WOW! Your accounts of RV ownership sound a lot like the experiences we had with our first year of owning class A coach. Many major system failures and headaches. I must commend Tiffin Motorhomes though for their first rate customer service. had it not been for that, I too would have been a nervous wreck.

[jimmyrain2000]

Thanks to all who have posted their experiences on this topic. We have had an Allegro 31DA Gas Coach for the last 2 years and had our share of times (both good and not so good) with it. We have just upgraded to a new coach and hope we will not have too many items to post here for now. Happy RVing!

[Tobie105]

good topic hope we get lots of good information

[davel1942]

Coming thru Tucson I felt a fuel starvation problem. Dieing at 50 mph. Limpt it to a RV dealer who diden't have time, They referred me to Simmons 4x4 who replaced the in line fuel filter. Oddly the filter was supposed to have been replaced 2x in the last year. Seems like the other RV outfits did not know there is an in line as well as a filter at the carb. Ran great all way to Mn.

[mcracer]

I hope this doesn't get lost in all the good posts you are getting because this is a GREAT story for yucks. I road raced motorcycles for years & 1 of the things you had to take for the race bike was a battery charger for between races. On the way home 1 weekend the alternator failed on my '93 class c Tioga. Found out the hard way when we tried to re-start after fueling & nothing. We started the gen set, plugged the battery charger in inside the mh, sat it on the dash & ran the cables out the window, under the hood & to the battery. Set it on the 50 amp charge position, started it & headed for the house. Just made sure we never got low enough on gas to run the gen set out & did over 800 miles like that. After dark we would just run with park lights & tell a truck on the cb why we were so close behind him with no lights. They were very understanding & lots of help. Changed the alternator when we got home & went racing the next weekend. You got to do what you got to do. Hope someone enjoys this story & maybe help someone else someday.

Kert.

[griffith]

2001 Damon Challenger 335 Workhorse 8.1 15,000 miles
12-7-04 Left Texas T RV park on I-65 in Cornersville Tn. 35 miles south engine quits just like key turned off, coast to shoulder and know I have big problems. After 15 minutes try to start and bingo it starts running. Drive south to Decator Al to Race Track Gas station about 30 miles get 5 cans of dry gas and a tank of fuel thinking water in gas. Go to start at the gas pumps and will not start. Crank starter on and off for about 10 minutes and it starts. Jump back on I-65 drive 135 miles to about 30 miles south of Birmingham Al and bingo engine quits again. It is now 11am and I am really frustrated. But thinking I am lucky it did not quit while going thru Brimingham, Al with all that traffic. This time it quit for good and would not start. Called Prattville Al, RV, the closet Workhorse Service center to my location which is about 55 miles north of Prattville. RV service center said very busy but will get us in asap which might be a couple of days. They send 82 wrecker service in Parttville to get us. Wrecker arrives 1:30pm Big Peterbilt. Very professional Owner who is also the driver and has one assistant. Hook up motorhome in very heavy Semi traffic, motor home shakes everytime one goes buy. Assistant goes under motorhome to unhook drive shaft. Suddenly load bang of metal hitting concrete. I look under motorhome and assistant is in convulsions with blood coming from nose, mouth and ears and he is not saying a word. Owner runs over and is in a panic. Wife calls 911 on cell for ambulance as this does not look good. Pull assistant out with assistance of owner and he is unconsious and has a very obvious crushed skull at forehead above nose. 6 First responders arrive, followed by two ambulances, two state troopers and a county sheriffs dep. Amubulance medics say this is not good and call for Medivac Helicopter from University of Alabama Med Center in Birmingham. 3:30pm Troopers Block off all southbound lanes of I-65 chopper lands in middle of southbound lanes. Doctor on chopper also agrees this is not good and spends two hours working on victim. Traffic blocked all this time. 5:30pm Chopper leaves for Birmingham and traffic was backed up all the way to Birmingham. Wrecker tows us to Parttville, spend two days waiting. Third day mechanic has it fixed in an hour. Crank Position sensor failed. Cost $264 for towing(reimbursed by GMAC Ins) $178 for crank sensor and $600 for driveshaft repair (pinion yoke and universal) Assistant with crushed skull after two brain surgeries and three weeks in intensive care is going to live but will have to learn how to walk and talk all over again. He has a wife, 3 kids and no insurance nice guy too. Alabama put him on Medicade. 82 Wrecker great people, Prattville RV excellent service at a reasonable price.

[1_2_Canadian]

Rex10093-

Great rendering of your story! But why are you paying your ERS premiums if you don't think you need the service? We've used our AAA service numerous times over the years for various maladies and it on one occasion got us out of a pretty hairy situation on a high-speed highway where I couldn't get off to the side. Of course my rig weighs 7 tons and I don't tow a 4X4, so I might have been tempted I reckon. But for Dee's sake and sanity... I mean you pay for the ERS so why not use it. I can attest, except for tiny ego bruises, it really doesn't hurt a bit.

[Chuckf1]

Hi Badeye,
Great idea - as a computer consultant we/I can add this info to a database. I'd be glad to set one up.

you can find number and description of breakdowns by motorhome manufacturer, by year, by category (elect, water, mechanical, etc).
Also, cost of the repair and by whom.
Just a thought...
Let me know what you think ??

[SEEKER_II]

91BOUNDER
754GAS
68000MILES

COMPLETE ELECTRICAL SHUTDOWN ,COACH AND ENGINE, WHILE SLOWING FOR TRAFFIC.
DEALER FOUND NOTHING WRONG .STARTED UP FOR HIM. BEEN DRIVING EVER SINCE.

MY GUESS --BAD COMMON GROUND .

[Rex10093]

Hello

This is one of my more challenging trips. Our route, Mt. Vernon MO. to Paducha KY for the National Quilt show. We wanted to travel only secondary highways and enjoy the country side.
I emptied my auxiliary 40 gallon tank, and transferred to the main 60 gallon tank, oops, motor home engine quit, electric fuel pumps chattering, but no fuel pressure. Now the fun begins, we are driving on U.S. 60 a 2 lane with no shoulder. My wife quietly asks are you sure you filled ALL the tanks. Of course I had, when I exited the vehicle I could smell fuel, I looked under our motor home and ahhhh @# a large puddle of fuel under the rear of our vehicle, I asked Dee (my wife) to turn on the ignition switch. When switched on, the fuel gushes out from the top of the fuel tank.
Not only do I have a motor home which will not run, but I also have U.S. 60 East bound traffic blocked. We belong to Good Sam and I have their towing service, but no way am I going too just sit here and wait. My other choice is drop my toad (1996 Cherokee jeep) move it to the front, and attaching a tow strap from the jeep to the motor home, now that’s the easy part, trying to convince my wife to drive the jeep with the monster behind her is another story. But off we go blazing down the highway at approximately 8 miles per hour. About 2 or three mile down the highway I spotted an area I thought would accommodate our motor home; I called Dee over the CB and asked her to gently start moving off the road, in a gentle and calm her reply “ARE YOU CRAZY “, no I state the motor home should fit.
We are now off the highway, and the traffic is again moving at a normal pace. WOW the angle on the shoulder is a bit more than I had anticipated, but no problem.
My dear wife a little pale asks NOW will you call for a tow truck, of course not (that would be like me asking for directions). I disconnect the jeep and start driving, looking for an auto parts store.

I purchased 30’ if 3/8” rubber fuel line, an electric fuel pump and 50’ of 12ga. Wire. When we returned to the motor home I transferred 40 gals. of fuel from the main tank to the auxiliary tank.

We are now ready to hit the road, well not just yet, I now have a problem the motor home is now leaning a bit more than I anticipated and the left rear duals are not getting any traction, not enough weight on the axle and we are on wet grass. The look I received from Dee was enough, no comments were needed.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I again hooked the jeep to the motor home placed the jeep in 4 wheel drive (pleaded for the wife to help, so help me she has this thing about tow trucks), and with a little coaxing we were back on the road.

After the trip, I dropped the main tank, the problem very simple to repair. The hose clamps are made of spring steel and over the years had rusted away, with an electric fuel pump in the tank, coupled with a rough road, the main fuel line simply slipped off. All fuel lines now have new SS clamps.

Rex and Dee

[texasreb]

RV particulars: 1998 Country Coach Magna Fanfare 40'
Driveline (Engine, Transmission): 330 hp Detroit Diesel 40
Allison 3060
Miles: 33800
Year: 1998
Break Down Description: Purchased coach from PPL in Houston as consignment vehicle. During initial trip to Dallas, experienced engine missing with blue smoke and loss of power after driving 200 miles.
Symptoms: Engine missing with loss of power and lots of blue smoke from exhaust.
Effect: Road service found fuel filter problem due to water in fuel (coach has no water/fuel separator).
Cause: Coach had not been used for some time and water condensed in fuel tank. My inexperience (my first RV) and PPL's lack of forethought caused the problem.
Outcome: Delayed four hours, cost $300 for service call, caused a lot of second thoughts about purchase. After having unit serviced and taking short trips, life is much better.

[Little_Jim]

Bluebird Wanderlodge 33 ft.
534 cid Ford, Allison MT640
101,000 Original owner used coach on weekend jaunts to CA State Parks
1977

Stranded in rest area in NW Georgia (near Calhoun) Drove in - shut off engine - ran genset to power microwave - restarted drove 110 yds -
stalled - restart - stalled - restart ad infinitum. Called GA Highway Patrol, got referral for Cherokee Auto Repair. Mechanic and helper made repeated service calls - got engine to run long enough to get to his shop (used pre-owned ignition module).

Start/Stall/Restart
Coach could not move more than 30 ft. for 3 days
Aftermarket Electronic Ignition Failure (Magnapulse)
Shop installed current Ford OEM electronic ignition, had to fabricate new A/C compressor bracket because new distributor 6" taller. New coil and ignition module (spares provided) Milage increased from 3.9 mpg to as much as 6.4 mpg towing a 2000 Jeep Cherokee! Coach will run 70-75 mph but we employ an Audivox cruise control to run a steady 60 mph.