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?

[GoinPlaces]

We've just bought our new motor home (2006 Newmar Scottsdale) and drove it home (a 150 mile trip one way), parked it in the driveway, and began planning and packing for our first vacation. We were to leave tomorrow morning, but now we can't because our automatic leveling jacks won't come down. They're stuck. We had driven it only to gas up, then returned home with it, and now can't get the jacks to come down. We've called the manufacturer of the leveling jacks for help. They tried over the phone to walk us through some things to see if it would work, but NO luck. Now, we've got to postpone the vacation, and make the 300 mile roundtrip back to the dealership for them to work on it. I'm having major anxiety attacks about what we have gotten ourselves into. We're not even out of the driveway yet! At least it is fixable, we think, and it is drivable. When our friends heard we bought a new RV, they all have said, "Oh, you're going to have so much fun!". I am beginning to seriously wonder if the fun will ever happen!

[UNYboater]

RV particulars:'94 Coachman on a Spartan chassis
Driveline (Engine, Transmission): Cummins 230hp 5.9l with a 6-sp Allison
Miles:40,000
Year:1994
Break Down Description: Shut off engine with the key & it kept running.....and running! I called the shop that does my maintenance & they put my mechanic on the line. He had me check the solenoid to see if it was stuck; he also suggested that I pull the connector that powers the solenoid if it wasn't 'stuck'.
Cause: Spring return for fuel solenoid missing & solenoid wouldn't close.
Outcome: Found solenoid & moved it closed by hand.

[Roark_Family]

This is a wonderful thread. Badeye, I'd love to get the section dealing the Thor/Four Winds Hurricane. Pulsar brought up a good idea. The NHTSA, how did I search their database for rv specific recalls? I just tried and came up with the current month list and it covered all recalls. Other point, with all the repairs that I have read about, why aren't the manufactures making solutions/recalls for all of these common problems? I'm supposed to take delivery of my first MH and now I'm starting to have second thoughts.

I don't want to be a part-time mechanic while I'm trying to be on a relaxing family fun vacation. Can someone please help me understand?

[methomas]

Is it common for Class A Winnebago Sunrise to have problems with the hydraulic stabilization units... leveled OK but stabilization unit defective. [ended up we found a leak quickly]

Dealership replaced with a big apology and a few other very minor things on warranty, also, we convinced them to give us an extra 4 hours of brand new owners classes no charge. (brand new off lot as of 4/2006)...

[Mantanace man, Randy, said this was very uncommon especially on a Winnebago Sunrise.]

Very happy with the attitude of "we want to make your buying and maintanace needs no problem." E-mail me if you want a recommendation on who to buy from. DFW, TX area...

[texasreb]

Burned up coach wiring after having inverter/charger replaced with a Xantrex RS3000. After installation, I was driving from Lewisville to Richardson, Texas in mid December 2005. Generator was on. Smelled burning wiring. Shut off gen and all electrical power and limped into storage facility. Disconnected batteries and all electrical and called Xantrex the following Monday. This was my second RS3000 in three months. The first had continual faults that Xantrex finally admitted were due to bad software. Xantrex finally agreed to replace the first unit with another one which had even worse problems than the first unit. They would not pay anything significant for repair to my coach even though Buddy Gregg, their service rep, agreed that the inverter had caused the problem. Overall it cost me about $6000 dollars and seven months of lost coach use to get the problem resolved. What a nightmare!

1998 CC Magna
Xantrex RS3000 inverter (POS!)
Replaced with an Prosine 3.0 (has worked for two weeks??)
36K miles

[JohnMB]

The rig is a '99 Dutchstar/ Freightliner/ CAT 3126B

31,000 miles

Drove from Indio, CA to El Paso. Pulled into the Flying J at Anthony to overnight. As I parked, the dash panel went dead and the engine died. Would not restart although engine would turn over with the starter. Dash panel showed no sign of the ignition being on. It was late so I went to bed. Got up next morning and the dash came back to life. Stopped at Freightliner on the way out of town and bought spare relays for the ignition system.
Next day was pulling into a Louisiana rest area at mile marker 2 on I-20 when the dash panel went dead again and the engine died. Checked everything I could think of and went to bed, planning to get a wrecker the next day. Next morning it was alive again so I drove on. Got 230 miles further East and was passing a truck while going 70. Panel died, tach and speedometer dropped to zero and I got it to the shoulder. Crawled under and on it for four hours with a test set with no solution. Got a wrecker and a Loadall to carry to Empire Freightliner in Jackson, MS. They got on it 24 hours later and, again, it started up.

I have a 135 amp main breaker on order 'cause every "teck" at Gaffney says that is what it sounds like but I know they are wrong. I put a test set on that breaker while it was dead and, anyway, the starter would have been dead if it was open.

Plan to drive for eight hours next week never getting over 20 miles from Empire Freightliner. I have the shop foremans phone number on speed dial in my cell phone.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated,

John Brewer

[gearhead-ken]

RV particulars: 31 ft 1986 Crosscountry by sportscoach, P-30 chassis

Driveline (Engine, Transmission): Chevy 454, Turbo 400 transmission

Miles: 48,000 +/-

Year: 1986

Break Down Description: Transmission failure. My wife, grandson and myself left San Diego for our trip to Lake Tahoe, we took hwy 395. I was towing my jeep wrangler and the transmission temperature gauge (that I had installed several years earlier) started to climb a little but it was within operating limits. I noticed that when starting from a stop I had to manually place the transmission in 1st gear to get it to start in first if I did not, it would start in second gear. We decided to stop for the night in a little town called Lone Pine at a RV park. The next morning the transmission would not shift out of first gear at all. the transmission overheated and was disabled in a turnaround on hwy 395. I let it cool off and was able to limp it back to Lone Pine to a auto repair and towing facility. the transmission was toast and I had to order a remanufactured transmission from AC-Delco. 3 days and $2,500 later we were back on the road to Tahoe. We had an unplanned 3 day stay in Lone Pine.

More history about my rig: the transmission that failed had been rebuilt twice already, the first time by the original owner at around 25,000 miles right before I purchased the rig, the second time when I owned the rig at around 37,000 miles, 2 years prior to the failure at Lone Pine. The transmission shop that rebuilt it at 37,000 miles guarantied it for only 12,000 miles or one year, the breakdown in Lone Pine happened 2 years after, so it was already out of warranty. I was very careful taking every measure to keep the transmission running cool. When I first purchased the motorhome I installed an external transmission cooler (I could not believe that it didn't have one) with an electric puller fan mounted to it. Later I installed a second transmission cooler with another electric fan. I changed the transmission fluid and filter much more frequently than recommended.

My opinion is that my rig was just too heavy and pulling my jeep was just too much. Although the transmission failed before even before I started to tow my jeep.

[toetagger11]

Badeye...super Idea!!02 Holiday Rambler Endeavor 330 Cummins ISC 3000MH 6 speed Allison,15000 Miles. After fueling drove home and fortunately while in front of my house.The Check-trans light came on and the touch-plate shifter was not lighted. Unit would not shift into reverse,or anything!!! shut it off while in drive. Could not get it started afterwards. Spent 4 days trying to find someone that had a stinger long enough to reach the front axle,(another story). Had it towed to authorized Allison rep and learned that the ECU ( electronic control unit) the "brains" of the transmission was electrically burned up and had shorted out. Allison explains, sometimes "IT" happens. No charge,under warranty @ Allison and finally Good Sam decided to pick up the tow tab after 4 days of them trying to locate someone that knew how to tow a 38' diesel pusher. Hoping "IT" doesn't happen too often, cause we're leaving for Alaska this summer.

[ygohome]

Thank you for the information. This is so impressive that as a dealer you have taken the time to help us beware of possible troubles.
Only wish you were in this area. The best known dealer has been the most difficult to do business with after the sale. Fact known by many RV owners.

[milesmotorsinc]

I'm a small used RV dealer and drive many different RV's every month 450 miles back home. I plan for the worst and hope for the best but when your buying RV's with out the option to drive them first so times you get stung. I have most experence with gas powered 1989 - 1999 RV's It's great your doing this research and I hope my info can help.

Most to least common problems:

Tires - Used RV's tires are used and I have found over or under inflation as well as driving to fast to be the number 1 problem. Soulution buy new tires at least fronts/

Hanging brakes - Chevy bad brake hose or hoses. Ford sticking caliber

Ford fuel pumps on the fuel injected units mostly 1996 model RV's

Ford loss of power burnt up plugs or wires

1994 Fleetwood Flair sheered distributor pin ( I don't like Flairs)

No one likes to break down the stress level is off the chart and all at once. Just remember to stay calm relax and think. Most of the time what seems like a major problem is not and you can save time and money if you go at it alone.

Thats all for now tires and sticky brakes mostly. I'm just glad I drive them this far and deal with these common problems so my customers don't have to. There's a good tip when buying used ask the sales man, "How far did YOU drive it".

[lonestarfl]

Jackjagt wrote:
RV particulars: HR Imperial 94
Driveline: Cummins 8.3C, Allison World
Miles: 125k
Year: 1994
Break Down Description: Sudden power loss, no steering assist
Symptoms: Hot dash A/C wiring
Effect: hot wires heated the resetable ignition circuit breaker causing engine shut down unexpectedly.

This would happen on damp rainy days when I would run the winsheild demist setting on the dash heater/AC. Sudden power loss was traced to curcuit panel under heat vent under dash.

Avoided problem by relocated panel to cooler location and moved the "hot curcuit" from below the ignition curcuit.

Now refrain from using the winsheild demist setting until I figure out whats causing the dash AC to draw so much current that it heats the wiring so much. Dash AC no longer operative.

I would look to see if the AC compressor is on its last leg. My Beaver coach kept tripping the 30a breaker everytime I would turn on the dash AC. Everything look OK on inspection, so we replaced the circuit breaker. Then when the electric clutch on the compressor would engage the wires got warm..pulling in excess of 20a. Once the compressor was replaced the loads went back to normal and the dash air was cold again.
Lee

[mattpoland]

RV particulars: 03 Fleetwood Expedition 38N
Driveline (Engine, Transmission): ISB, 300hp
Miles: 31500
Year: 03
Break Down Description: This is a triple slide unit with the Fridge mounted to the inside of the slideout. The fridge is mounted in two places, the front top and the back bottom. The front top mount came undone, pulling the cabinet away from the wall.

Effect:
Cause: Poor design. Insufficient mounting hardware to handle the weight of the fridge.
Outcome: This is a common problem, however, as a second owner Fleetwood will not repair it. The bid to repair to orignial specs is $1000. I am going to take it to another shop or try to find someone to create a better mounting system because I do not want this to happen again.

[richardp3]

1997 Monaca Dynasty, Cummins 8.3 325hp, 59000 miles. Heading down the road last week to Glen Rose my tach started acting eratic. Pretty soon the tach stopped working altogether. Volt meter reading was just below 12v. I don't know much, but I do know the tach works off the alternator. I knew it wouldn't be too long before the engine used up the batteries. I had the wife crank up the genset and turn on the inverter. This kept us running to our destination and all the way back after the trip was over. Haven't had it fixed yet.

[millikeg]

RV particulars: 2005 Coachmen Cross Country DP

Driveline (Engine, Transmission): Freightliner XC chassis, Cummins 300HP ISB, Allison 2500 (5 speed)

Miles: 19,000

Year: 2005

Break Down Description: Last used MH in mid-January. No engine problems since we purchased it new. Early February, MH in driveway, preparing to leave that afternoon for FL. Engine would crank but would not start. No problems of any sort since acquiring new. Called ERS for assistance. They showed up within an hour. Field tech from authorized Freightliner repairer pulled code for "Low Fuel Pressure". He tried for two hours to determine problem. He advised fuel wasn't getting to top of engine and suspected fuel injection pump. Left MH and drove SUV to FL with 6 people in vehicle that night. Upon return from vacation, was towed to repairer's shop. Tech was correct. High Pressure fuel injection pump was replaced. All costs taken care of through warranty.

Symptoms: Engine would crank but would not turn over. Check engine light came on. Field tech advised code was for "Low Fuel Pressure".

Effect: Had to be towed.

Cause: Replaced high pressure fuel injection pump under warranty.

Outcome: Everything covered under warranty. Service and level of response from Tri-State Truck in Shrewsbury, MA (authorized warranty shop for Freightliner) was outstanding!

[JoeT]

RV particulars: 2006 Tiffin Phaeton 40 QDH
Driveline (Engine, Transmission): CAT C7 350hp, Allison 3000mh
Miles: 5426
Year: 2006
Break Down Description: started engine to leave campground. pressed button to retract jacks and heard a loud sound like air escaping. could not get front air pressure to come up with jacks retracted. lowered jacks and front air came up to 120 lbs. retracted jacks and lost air again.
Symptoms: low front air pressure with jacks retracted.
Effect: air bags would not inflate
Cause: quick connect air hose blew off of right front air bag.
Outcome: called Coachnet and they sent truck service who reconnected air hose.