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?

[Camprv]

gettinright wrote:
I had a lightning strike and the Hard Wired Surge protector kept the coach from damaging the coach.

Highly recommend getting a Surge Protector.

surge protector is a must

[Ourhomeonwheels]

RV particulars:Winnebago sightseer 35g
Driveline (Engine, Transmission):Ford V10
Miles:12000
Year:2013
Break Down Description: Lippert Levelers will not function. Display says we have a low voltage condition with the engine off there is 13+ volts at the Brain output with the engine running we have 13.6 volts on all outputs. I took it to a service provider on the road they were unable to find the problem. I was not confident in the techs competence. I will try replacing the brain when I am more stationary.
Symptoms:Levelers will not work was able to retract them manually but could not level manually.
Effect: unable to extend or retract
Cause: Connecting pin on white power lead corroded and pin broke off on the motor side of the 12 pin cable between the brain and the motor. This is a water tight connector but I suspect that water entered the connector causing a voltaic corrosion of the lead.
Outcome: I did not feel that replacing the entire cable was necessary so I snipped the wire on both sides of the connector and reconnected them in their own water proof connector. This may be a good solution since the hot wire is now isolated from ground.

[Jaybird]

Got one "after closing the barn door after cow done rund away" LOL

[gettinright]

I had a lightning strike and the Hard Wired Surge protector kept the coach from damaging the coach.

Highly recommend getting a Surge Protector.

[Jaybird]

Well, went out one weekend without a surge protector on the RV.
The site we went to had crossed polarity.
Burned up:
Power cord from the coach to the pedestal
Microwave
Generator Control Board
A/C Control Board
Refer Control Board
All wiring
and a whole lot more.

Cost to insurance company= $6,500.00

4 months to fix

[shaneperch]

first breakdown was my bus conversion. driving though Wyoming and couldn't build air past 60 psi. compressor was shot. this time working on an AVCO with a 440 Dodge. starts and stalls starts and stalls no power when running as it stalls when you try to accelerate and found that the carburetor is cracked and loaded with varnish. Bus engine was blown as the mechanic said it would be okay to drive it to a service station. Compressor blew up inside sending all the coach air into the engine and blew off the liner's O-rings.
I am replacing the carburetor with a new one from Rock Auto. Hopefully the AVCO will run. I had a Superior with a 413H engine in it and driving it one day it was overheating and running badly. Points were bad and had to have the radiator boiled to get scale removed and then ran great and cool. one other time I was at a light and it stalled couldn't get it started and then i wiggled a wire in the battery box. Started right up. removed all the grounds cleaned them up with emery cloth and problem was fixed.
In my second bus I was driving it home from Maine to Mo in Illinois bus shut down and coasted to a stop tried everything and couldn't get power to start it. found a circuit breaker and reset it and was on my way.. few months later same thing happened and couldn't reset the breaker. breaker was bad replaced and no more problem. that is some of my experience. To all you bus converters and diesel pushers check that compressor they will go and can cause tons of serious issues.

[Fleetwood_Coupl]

RV particulars:
Driveline (Engine, Transmission): Cat 300, Allison 6 spd
Miles: 36000
Year: 2006
Break Down Description: Prior to leaving the campground I was finishing up the final walk around and the engine was running as I was locking the basement doors I thought that something sounded just a little louder than normal from the engine, like a small rattle. (Still kicking myself for not looking) but we were behind and needed to get moving so off we went.
Symptoms: Shortly after fueling up about 5 miles from the campground I got an over heat alarm and light. Looked down and sure enough it was climbing fast. Got pulled over in a large parking lot. Found the Serpentine belt shredded.
Effect: Broke down in Moblie AL in a parking lot for 3 days waiting on parts.
Cause: Hub Bearing went out.
Outcome: Called Good Sam RSA and they sent someone out who scammed us out of $1700. Replaced Bearing and Serpentine Belt and we got back on the road.

[Theity1992]

Badeye, This happened to us when my family is going with me. We were heading to some where mountainy area.. The engine of AZ burped and warning light of yellow color just came out

[bevjwiel72]

Another Newbee post

Engine light coming on.
We have a new (6 month old) Diesel Pusher and are new to Diesel Fuel and DEF. It was evening, we were slowed on the road in traffic only a short drive to our campsite the first time we saw and engine light. Just the outline engine light, not a check engine or Stop engine. All systems were reading fine otherwise, and there was no place to pull off.
This is when books are handy.

We did contact Service to report this light. We were asked to call immediately while the unit was running if it occurred again, but that since we had been in stop and go traffic, that it was probably caused by that, and nothing problematic.

Several weeks later we experienced the problem again, only now we got a Check Enging light on and off as well. So I pulled out the books and found that if you let DEF go low, you should fill to ensure the cleaning system works properly and completely to burn off fuel deposits. We had only added a couple of gallons to a low DEF tank. Once we filled that tank the Check engine light disappeared and after driving less that 30 miles, the outline light also went off.

Fill you DEF and if it goes low, don't just add some fill it again. Or just don't let it ever go below 1/2.

[bevjwiel72]

This post if for all us stupid newbees!

Beeping when ready to roll.
All loaded and ready to go last fall, we had turned on the engine, unloaded the levelers, released the brake after making our final outside round to ensure everything was up and nothing was left behind. WE kept hearing this beeping sound. We check the air pressure, we reset the brake, we pumped the break petal. and we still had the beeping. Long story, short answer. Check your Drivers Chair to ensure it has locked in completely. Ours seemed locked, but when we released it and turned it back into place for driving, the beeping stopped.

[tommykelly]

watching and learning 😉

[EastTexasFoster]

RV: 1998 Fleetwood Southwind 35s on 1999 Ford F53 Chassis
Engine/transmission: Ford 6.8L EFI SOHC V-10 w/ 4 Speed Auto E40D trans
41,000 miles
Year: 1999
Breakdown: Alternator failure
Symptom: 1. Smell of burning wire/metal 2. Battery light on dash activated 3. Declining voltage reading on alternator gauge
Effect: Loss of electrical power, dead battery, and shutdown of engine while cruising
Cause: Meltdown of positive post and alternator-to-battery cable lug. (suspect a simple loose connection was initial cause)
Outcome: Replaced alternator, cable, and battery

Late yesterday afternoon, while cruising eastbound on I-70 towards Kansas City, MO from Golden, CO, my wife and I noticed a strange sudden odor in the cabin. She thought something was burning, and it smelled like popcorn to her. I thought we may have passed a pile of rotting manure LOL. We pulled over and checked the cabin, and found nothing of interest, as the smell quickly went away. I glanced under the hood and in the engine compartment, didn't see any problems, so I resumed driving, planning to inspect our rig thoroughly when we reached WaKeeney, KS, where we had reservations to park for the night.
As we crossed into Kansas, the battery warning light on the dash came on, and I noticed that the alternator output gauge seemed low, but I was still hoping to make it to WaKeeney. It didn't happen. While driving about 65 mph, the engine suddenly started losing power. I pulled off the road, and the engine died.
I looked in the engine compartment, didn't notice anything right off, so I tested the battery, and it checked very bad. Since it was 3+ years old, and only had a 3 year warranty, I believed it may have just croaked. I took the battery out of our Mitsubishi Toad, and everything seemed okay EXCEPT the battery light was still on. I hoped it just needed to be reset, and started driving towards WaKeeney again.
However, just after Colby, KS, I saw that the alternator gauge was dropping slightly again, and there was a slight odor of something hot again. We decided to stop at an RV park just before Oakley so I could go ahead and find out what was going on.
This time, when I opened the hatch inside, I immediately found the problem; the cable that goes to the hot lug on the alternator was fried and completely detached, and the threaded positive post and nuts on the back of the alternator were welded into an ugly blob of metal.
Apparently, there was a bad connection that began arcing, and it eventually caused a total meltdown.
This morning, I drove into Oakley and purchased a new alternator and cable. I did most of the work to change it out from inside the cabin, bending over the hatch. (The first parts store I went to may have "know-how", but they didn't have the 130 amp replacement alternator that I needed. Maybe a 90 amp would work, but I think the bigger one is optimal; think of how much current is pulled when you're driving with lights, dash air, radio, back-up camera, wipers, etc. pulling loads).
At Bumper to Bumper, they had the 130 amp alternator. It was $200+ dollars, and there was a $50 core charge deposit, which I got back later in the day.
I had to remove the rubber tubing of the air handler (by loosening two large worm clamps) and push it to the drivers' side of the compartment. I then turned my attention to the serpentine belt, and used a long 1/2" drive breaker bar to insert into the tension idler. (I had my wife hold the handle of the breaker bar from inside, while I crawled underneath the motorhome and inserted the drive into the square hole in the idler bracket).
Back inside, from the top, I turned the breaker bar handle towards the steering wheel, releasing pressure on the belt so I could remove it from the alternator pulley.
Now, there was one bolt on the back of the alternator, and two mounting bolts on the face. All have a metric #10 head. If you could see the alternator through the radiator, and imagine it as a clock, the bolts are located in front (there are mounting "ears" more or less) at about the 4:30 and 7:30 positions. I used a ratchet and number 10 socket with no extension for these front two bolts. The bolt on top (alos number 10) required a short extension. You'll probably have to cut a couple of cable ties and pull some cables out of the way to access it.
I used a screwdriver to pry the large and small wire connector plugs out of the back of the alternator, and then lifted it out through the hatch. It is heavy. I only mashed one finger one time, and only uttered a couple of choice curse words.
I put the new positive cable (with new "Loom" chafe tube around the entire length, other than the lugs) on the new alternator, before I installed with the 3 bolts. Now I attached the two wire harness plugs on the back.
I then pulled the serpentine belt tensioner the same direction again, and slid the belt onto the new alternator.
(NOTES: 1. When you buy a new alternator, make sure it has the IDENTICAL pulley as the one coming off. The parts store where I bought mine swapped them out, because the normal stock pulley is too narrow, and won't work.
2. If you're not experienced with installing a serpentine belt, study and, if necessary, draw the routing of the serpentine belt BEFORE you ever begin to remove the old alternator, because when you take it off of the alternator, it may slide off of other pulleys, and you'll be cussing mad when it won't go back on properly.
Lastly, you may be wondering what I did with the other end of that positive cable coming off of the hot post of the alternator.
If you scoot up under your motorhome on the front passenger side, there is a space just big enough to practically sit up and look around. You'll see that the wiring comes down from the alternator, around a piece of the frame, and back up to a mounting terminal with two posts sticking out. There will probably be two black plastic covers over the threaded posts. I removed the plastic cover, then took the nut off of the bottom post. That's where the cable mounts, and then the current goes to the battery through another cable.
I used several cable ties to attach the new cable to other cables on the way, so that it won't be rubbing or lying against any part of the engine.
Since my original battery was old and had been drawn down to dead, I bit the bullet and bought a new one, paying about $120 for it.
After installation was complete, I hooked a voltage tester to the battery posts. It read a bit over 12.4 volts DC. I cranked the engine, then looked again, the voltage was dead on 14 vDC. I turned on the lights and dash air, and it still read 14 volts.
So, tomorrow, we will head for Kansas City, a day late and $500 short. (That figure isn't just the alternator, cable, and battery, but includes the approximatelly $70 in forfeited deposits at WaKeeney KOA from last night, and from Longview Lake Campground for tonight in Kansas City, MO.)
Hey, I'm looking on the bright side, though. If I had to pay a mechanic to take care of this, we would probably be several days late and at least $1,000 dollars short!

NOTES TO SELF: 1. I'll try to check all connections more often in the future. 2. We'll probably go back to NOT making reservations that require a credit card, unless it is a holiday or other reason for peak demand.

[bigred1cav]

Nuts, my coach has both switches above the exit door. Is the switch
the problem or where the wires from the switch go?

Thanks

ImNuts wrote:
The chassis battery disconnect, also know as the salesman switch, failed without warning. Apparently, it is not an unusual event. After reading a few forum posts, I knew that was my problem ( after checking the battery). On my PA, it is located behind the plastic 12v fuse box in the engine compartment. On mine, the only thing I see of that disconnect are the two cable connections at the bottom. Had a really hard time identifying it. I had to use the lower fuse box wiring diagram to identify it by a wire connecting to it. I really didn't use the disconnect so, like some others, I may not replace it. I do not like the idea of that one failure shutting down the entire rv. Thank God I was not rolling down the interstate when it happened. Right now, both leads are on the switched side, effectively bypassing the switch. There is also a switch for the coach battery as well. You really need to take the time to find both of the disconnects. Trust me, you don't want be looking for them after either one has failed.

You should not have to worry a both the autopark brake. It was used on GM chassis.

bigred1cav wrote:
I have a 2000 PA Ford F 53, please enlighten me on what the failed parts are and where they are located?

Thanks

ImNuts wrote:
Driveline: Chevy 7.4L, Allison AT542 (P12 chassis)
Miles:48k
Year: 1998
Break Down Description #1: Loss of chassis electrical power leaving gas station
Symptoms: none
Effect: no power, autopark brake engaged
Cause: failed battery disconnect switch
Outcome: towed to repair facility, however, I bypassed the switch before the repair facility opened and regained power. Cancel northeast trip and started to return home b/c of the possibility of breakdown #2. Drove 300 miles before we experienced ...

Break down description #2: autopark brake engaged while in construction zone - not moving at the time
Symtoms: autopark light would stay on longer than normal, then would not go out
Effect: park brake engaged, rv would not move.
Cause: blown seal on autopark brake actuator
Outcome: Added transmission fluid to autopark brake to move to shoulder, had rv towed to MIL house 32 miles away. Disabled autopark brake system and drove almost 400 miles to get home.

[ImNuts]

The chassis battery disconnect, also know as the salesman switch, failed without warning. Apparently, it is not an unusual event. After reading a few forum posts, I knew that was my problem ( after checking the battery). On my PA, it is located behind the plastic 12v fuse box in the engine compartment. On mine, the only thing I see of that disconnect are the two cable connections at the bottom. Had a really hard time identifying it. I had to use the lower fuse box wiring diagram to identify it by a wire connecting to it. I really didn't use the disconnect so, like some others, I may not replace it. I do not like the idea of that one failure shutting down the entire rv. Thank God I was not rolling down the interstate when it happened. Right now, both leads are on the switched side, effectively bypassing the switch. There is also a switch for the coach battery as well. You really need to take the time to find both of the disconnects. Trust me, you don't want be looking for them after either one has failed.

You should not have to worry a both the autopark brake. It was used on GM chassis.

bigred1cav wrote:
I have a 2000 PA Ford F 53, please enlighten me on what the failed parts are and where they are located?

Thanks

ImNuts wrote:
Driveline: Chevy 7.4L, Allison AT542 (P12 chassis)
Miles:48k
Year: 1998
Break Down Description #1: Loss of chassis electrical power leaving gas station
Symptoms: none
Effect: no power, autopark brake engaged
Cause: failed battery disconnect switch
Outcome: towed to repair facility, however, I bypassed the switch before the repair facility opened and regained power. Cancel northeast trip and started to return home b/c of the possibility of breakdown #2. Drove 300 miles before we experienced ...

Break down description #2: autopark brake engaged while in construction zone - not moving at the time
Symtoms: autopark light would stay on longer than normal, then would not go out
Effect: park brake engaged, rv would not move.
Cause: blown seal on autopark brake actuator
Outcome: Added transmission fluid to autopark brake to move to shoulder, had rv towed to MIL house 32 miles away. Disabled autopark brake system and drove almost 400 miles to get home.

[bigred1cav]

I have a 2000 PA Ford F 53, please enlighten me on what the failed parts are and where they are located?

Thanks

ImNuts wrote:
Driveline: Chevy 7.4L, Allison AT542 (P12 chassis)
Miles:48k
Year: 1998
Break Down Description #1: Loss of chassis electrical power leaving gas station
Symptoms: none
Effect: no power, autopark brake engaged
Cause: failed battery disconnect switch
Outcome: towed to repair facility, however, I bypassed the switch before the repair facility opened and regained power. Cancel northeast trip and started to return home b/c of the possibility of breakdown #2. Drove 300 miles before we experienced ...

Break down description #2: autopark brake engaged while in construction zone - not moving at the time
Symtoms: autopark light would stay on longer than normal, then would not go out
Effect: park brake engaged, rv would not move.
Cause: blown seal on autopark brake actuator
Outcome: Added transmission fluid to autopark brake to move to shoulder, had rv towed to MIL house 32 miles away. Disabled autopark brake system and drove almost 400 miles to get home.