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?

[nydino]

Great idea, however, consider logging if they are covered by a maintenance plan and with who.

[Jim]

RV: 1994 Fleetwood Bounder
Engine: 190HP, 5.9L, 6BT5.9
Tranni: Allison 4 speed
135,000 miles

Description of symptoms: On a cool day and during a short drive, noticed engine temp was up near the red zone on the gage. Since it didn't appear to be heading for the red, drove a couple more miles and parked.

Problem: The belt had broken.

Solution: Called a mobile service company and they replaced belt.

[frankv]

We had the flywheel (flex plate) brake on our ford chassis in granite city missoui, went to local ford dealer there and it was repaired in about 6 hours. Very nice and helpful mechanic there. Was only charged for labor as fly wheel was under some kind of warrety.

[skhpa]

Hi - we're new to rvs and found this post. What a great idea! Have you compiled the results yet? If so, please let me know where I can review them.

thanks
sharon

[Jim]

RV: 1994 Fleetwood Bounder
Engine: 190HP, 5.9L, 6BT5.9
Tranni: Allison 4 speed
135,000 miles

Description of symptoms: Began hearing a strange noise from the rear of the coach that got louder then the radio. Pulled over at a rest stop and put my hand on each hubcap. Found a hot one on the drivers side rear of the coach. Also smelled something strange near that wheel. Allowed wheel to cool then slowly (under 45MPH) drove 20 miles to where I could deal with the problem, made a few calls and got into a shop near my home town.

Problem: The left rear bearing failed, probably caused by hitting a speed bump in Mexico the month before at 55MPH. The spindle had cracked and a leak of differential oil had ruined the brake pad.

Solution: The bad spindle had to be sawed off, a new one machined and then welded in place and further machined with a neat milling machine that hangs right on the axle & spindle assembly ($1300 just for that job). Replaced bearings on both sides (rear). Replaced brake pads both sides (rear).

Cost: $2500

[Algrayson]

Our tow vehicle, a 1987 Ford E150, blew its water pump. Standing at the parts house, another customer overheard me and offered to help me fix it in his old car restoration shop at his house. Put the wife and kids up at his house and we worked all night air-hammering the water pump off the timing cover - it was corroded about solid with the cover! He wouldn't take a cent for working all night on our rig!
The Ford is still going strong 7+ yrs. later.
[Sent him a $100 money order as a token of appreciation.]

[buckhorn]

!988 Gulfstream Class "C"
350 chev. auto trans
Trans puked 40 miles east of Butte MT
4 days in Butte, the longest month of my trip.
Never saw a town roll up the sidewalks before.

[dontdoit]

You bet!

[outsider1924]

RV particulars: Tiffin Allegro Bay
Driveline (Engine, Transmission): 190HP Cummins 5.9L, 4spd Allison AT542
Miles: 52,000
Year: 1992
Break Down Description: Driving 70mph up I-65 in south Alabama, notice the temp guage start rising, then raises real fast past the red. Then the coolant light came on. Shut the engine off, drifted to the shoulder. Waited 30 minutes for it to cool, drove it a 10th of a mile, turned off, waited another 30... and so forth. Eventually I made it to an exit and parked it in a Shell station parking lot.

Symptoms: Coolant light on, Engine overheated (instantly i might add), gallons of collant all over the roadway

Effect: Engine overheats hotter than the core of a nuclear reactor and quick.

Cause: broken pulley bearing on water pump. (bad water pump)

Outcome: put on a new water pump in a gas station parking lot and hit the road!




Always carry your tool box!!!

[dontdoit]

dontdoit wrote:
RV particulars: Tiffin Phaeton
Driveline (Engine, Transmission): 350 C7, Alison
Miles: 4,000
Year: 2007 (less than 5 months old)
Break Down Description:
Symptoms: bottom of pass slide grinding across tile floor
Effect: can barely open slide
Cause: came from factory like this
Outcome: still being worked on

Result: missing 3 bolts that secured cabinet to frame. Frame was not square.

Symptom: Engine check light and protect light came on
Effect: engine shut down
Cause: Caterpillar does not know
Outcome: Cat told me to shut off engine and restart and OK to drive

Result: Injection accuation error. Cat said there was nothing they could do about it.

Symptom: Extremely loud brake squeal on right front
Effect: pulls to right
Cause: out of round brake drum and.....
Outcome: Freightliner still does not have an answer

Freightliner denied any problem. Said it was Tiffin's transport driver, then they said it was because Tiffin didn't align coach, then they said it was in spec so they weren't going to do anything to fix it. Funny thing, there was another 2007 Phaeton at the Freightliner dealer at the time my coach was there with the same problem.

Symptom: Bunched up fabric covering over driver's slide out
Effect: slide will not retract fully
Cause: improper installation at tiffin factory
Outcome: still in shop

Result: Slide topper was not put on straight at the factory.

Symptom: Water leak behind connection panel
Effect: fills bay with water
Cause: improper installation of hoses at tiffin factory
Outcome: still in the shop

Result: missing clamp

I won't bore you with the smaller problems. Thanks for the forum.

[1_2_Canadian]

Ronnie-
Good luck tomorrow. Allison people know their stuff and should expedite a fix, but it likely will cost ya a bit. We'll look for your Outcome report. And thanks for following Badeye's reporting parameters in his Breakdowns thread; not everyone does.

[ronnie48]

RV particulars: American Eagle by Fleetwood on Spartan Chassis

Driveline (Engine, Transmission): 8.3 Cummins NON ELECTRONIC, MD 3060 Allison 6 speed

Miles: 104K

Year: 1994

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: Took for first quick trip before big trip this weekend and made a stop and now Transmission won't shift after start-up
Effect:currently broke down have Allison coming tomorrow. Have another post going on this but this post is a great idea and wanted to contribute.

Cause: appears to be ECU but will post update tomorrow

Outcome: wasn't the ECU but a loose wire in the plug in the back of ECU, added jump wires to force loop closed in future if it happens again. Saved a costly repair bill

UPDATE: WASN'T LOOSE WIRE BUT A BAD ZERO THOTTLE SENSOR SWITCH AND CABLE ON THE NON ELECTRIC CUMMINS ENGINE, THIS FED WRONG INFO TO THE VIM WHICH INTURN FED THE ECU. PULLED PLUG OFF SENSOR TO LIMP HOME AND WILL CHANGE SENSOR AND CABLE ASAP

[kennyc]

I had a problem similar to the problem Lil Tucker described. The coach was a new Winnebago Vectra with a 330HP Cat engine and Allison transmission. The coach would not start sometimes. Turn the key several times and it was as though the the batteries were disconnected. Finally, it would start and run fine. I took the coach to Frieghtliner and they worked under the dash for 2 hours looking at the ignition switch, relays, ect. and found nothing. They presented me with a bill for 2 hours of labor. When I protested stating that the coach was new and this should be a warrenty item, they removed one hour, but I still had to pay for one hour. They said it was because they could not find a problem. I left Frieghtliner and stopped at the Flying J to fuel up. Guess what, the engine would not start after fueling. I called Frieghtliner and they sent a mechanic right out. It took him 10 minutes to diagnose the problem and fix it. It was a loose cable connection on the starter. He tightened the connection and that solved the problem. Oh by the way Frieghtliner refunded the money for that hour of labor they charged me after I requested it since they did find a problem.

[1_2_Canadian]

We assume what you mean is that your spare had never been used, but in actuality it wasn't new. It is accepted within the industry and in RV circles that 7 years is the age you want to change your tires, whether they have 30,000 miles or 0. Some say 5 years. I have gone much longer than that by having the tires inspected annually and keeping them minimally exposed to the sun, but there is a limit, and it sounds like your spare reached it. It likely shouldn't have been used any farther than it took to find a tire store and a replacement.

[map40]

parkerwarrior wrote:
Another tire issue, but is was a brand new Michelin xps rib spare tire, always covered, no weather cracking, looked brand new so I put it into service and made it about 70 miles before I had a blow out-bad experience! Are new old spares known to do this?

How old was it? The 5 to 7 year rule applies to spare tires also.