Love Hate relationship

[GrandmaLee]

Who else out there feels like me? I love my class A motorhome, but I hate the fact that it is so expensive to upkeep...tires, oil changes, gas, just to name a few. We had to put in a new starter and it cost us $1,400.00 !! Just for a starter !! It feels sinful to spend money like that. She is beautiful and comfy and I love her for all that, but I want to go back to a travel trailer. Can anyone empathize?

[vegasfoodguy]

Lantley wrote:

Fiesta wrote:
Never take anything to a service shop without telling them what to do. Never have a female take anything in. (Not sexist). Always get a firm estimate. Have them stick to it. Never give them all the keys.
And best of all fix what you can. I've saved over a $100,000 in my life time not getting ripped off.

Most of what you say is true.
The shop is only as good as the customers analysis. The more info a customer gives the easier it is the make the repair.
If the customer is vague and unsure the mechanic can have an unnecessary challenge.
To all the back yard mechanics it is much easier to fix your own vehicle because you have a history with it. Fixing an unknown vehicle based on 2nd hand info is much more of a challenge.
Diagnosing can be much harder than fixing the problem.

Any shop, that takes that much time and money to diagnose a starter, is ripping you off, or you are paying for their education.
How hard is it to run 12 volts to the starter solenoid, and test both, solenoid and starter? 5 minutes maybe. You start there, and work backward.

Terry

[ClassAGeek]

After 5 years and $75000, I think this will be our last year. Upkeep is an issue. Gas, insurance and depreciation make our MH a very expensive luxury. Some people say the memories are priceless. I say they are $60000.

The DW wants a cottage on a lake. I am inclined to agree. I know it will be cheaper.

[jhilley]

Don't bet on the truck not costing as much. Not uncommon to have transmission problems, still have the same brake issues and engine repairs can be very costly on a diesel truck. Do you tow a car now? you would have to drive it if you got a fifth wheel.

[bluebarry1964b]

We have a DP. For us it's not a vacation unit, but rather our home as my wife is a travel nurse. We had a home for only two years, but in that two years the only repair needed was a new A/C. Over the last 6 months with the motorhome, we've had to replace the water heater, back brakes, & now the front brakes just overheated. Granted the motorhome is 10 years old and so we can't expect never to have repairs, but this is killing me. We left home 6 months ago completely debt free & are now about $3,500 in debt. And the front brakes haven't even been repaired yet. We've been talking lately about getting a 5th wheel & truck instead because the truck won't cost nearly as much to repair & maintain as a DP motorhome, even if the truck is a diesel (at least I don't think it will; I will be researching more before we make our decision). I think that the fact that we sit in one location for about 6 months at a time isn't helping. I do take it for a run every few months if it looks like we won't be leaving soon, but I'm not sure how much that helps. With a 5th wheel, I suspect that having it sit that long won't be as much of a problem. I definitely can relate to the love/hate issue.

[sowego]

Everything costs something to own whether it is a home, a car, a truck, a trailer, a boat, or any type of RV. It is what it is. It even costs us to own our life...doctor and dentist...and then there is food, taxes, fuel...the list is never ending!

Go back to a trailer if you want but no matter at some point that too will need some sort of repair.

[Daveinet]

I can see that I am in the wrong business. Diagnosing a bad started is pretty simple with a volt meter and some intelligence. Should not take more than 15 minutes to touch the wires on the back of the starter and hit the key. Either you have voltage or you don't! That would be very easy to do, laying on my back in the middle of your driveway. Sometimes wiring is difficult to get to, but still, it surely can not be any worse than mine with front wheel drive. Replacing the starter its self can be a couple of hours, if there is a bunch of stuff in the way, but still not that difficult.

I find the biggest emotional battle I fight with mine is if I'm winning or losing. The combined total of keeping up with it, in addition to an ever evolving refurbishing is just a lot to stay on top of. Maintenance by its self, or refurbishing by its self is not all that bad.

[doc_brown]

As said; same as my house and my wife.

[wny_pat1]

J-Rooster wrote:
Yea I feel for you! We just had to spend $2,500.00 to get squirrels out of our attic on our stick built house! They were storing cones and other food, pooping and urinating up there built tunnels thru all the insulation etc. We had everything sucked out including them then had it sanitized and new insulation blown back in! Then you get to the RV and have problems sometimes it can get overwhelming to say the least.

I do too!!! Just replaced the original 1970s fiberglass "stone panels" on the front on my stick house - looked like fiberglass and very yucky. Now I have real stone all the way across the front of the house to the garage, from the ground all the way to the bottom of the windows. Also put Deck Over on the back porch, along with new railings all the way around. You can imagine what all that cost. And then there was the 200 mile furniture trip to Ikea that the wife just had to make. Gotta keep peace in the family.

[jhilley]

I really don't see how they could legitimately charge that much labor to replace a starter. Fairly easy system to trouble shoot

[J-Rooster]

Yea I feel for you! We just had to spend $2,500.00 to get squirrels out of our attic on our stick built house! They were storing cones and other food, pooping and urinating up there built tunnels thru all the insulation etc. We had everything sucked out including them then had it sanitized and new insulation blown back in! Then you get to the RV and have problems sometimes it can get overwhelming to say the least.

[gone2dadesert]

eabc5454 wrote:

In Virginia, we pay property taxes every year on a MH. :E

In CA, our annual DMV registrations could be considered a property tax because the license \registration was based on the value of the vehicle at the time of purchase. The license \registration amount does decrease on an annual basis, but not by any significant amount. :R

[eabc5454]

Dutch_12078 wrote:
Owning a motorhome is like owning a second home and large second car/truck combined, without the yard maintenance and property taxes.

In Virginia, we pay property taxes every year on a MH. :E

[wny_pat1]

Roadglider09 wrote:
We moved from our Monaco DP to a Ford gasser, and that was a HUGE factor in our decision. To get the DP serviced - oil, all the filters, water separators, grease, etc - I couldn't get out of the repair shop for less than $800. We just had our Ford sericed yesterday and it came to a grand total of $71.

As far as repair shops go, I know it goes against the grain of alot of members here, but I always take my stuff back to the people who built it. I may pay a tiny bit more by always bringing my F53 gasser back to Ford, but I will never have to hear "We don't know whats wrong". It's their product, they have the factory and Ford Corporation behind them. I had to go this route years ago with a Ford dealer.

And just who did you take the Monaco DP to??? A Monaco dealer or a diesel shop. You could have gone to Speedco Truck Lube & Tires and got the very same service for $239.00

[Lantley]

WadenCeeJay wrote:
Those stealerships really see people coming. I guess they have to take advantage of who they can, when they can. Changing a starter on a motorhome is an hour task for a shadetree mechanic. There really isn't much easier to do short of an oil change. Very sad there are still places like this out there.

There is some truth to what you say. However, "It won't Start! I don't know what's wrong. Please come tow it away and fix it for me".Will always result in a large bill! The scenario was not as simple as my starter is broke swap it out.

As long as the OP is unfamiliar and unable to diagnose issues and problems with their RV. There will be large bills.
The OP should possibly seek out a mobile RV mechanic that can provide better rates than a full service dealership.

In the end I imagine the OP does not fully understand the type of machine they have and what it cost to maintain it if they are unable to do things themselves.
As mentioned earlier I think we all have a love hate relationship with our past time. Hopefully the good days are more plentiful than the costly bad days.

[Mr_Mark1]

Speaking of which, just two days ago I had our DP serviced at a Cummins Coach Care facility. At 62,000 miles, it was time for a 'big' service.

-Engine oil and oil filter change (8.9 liter engine)
-Fuel filter change (2)
-Complete Onan generator service (488 hrs.)
-Front wheel bearings packed (every 30K)
-Repair on 1 yr. old coolant box (needed epoxy on two top fittings to keep from leaking)
-Chassis lubed
-Purchased two new fuel filters to keep on hand

Total bill including tax $1,100. I found that to be reasonable as I can go at least 10,000 miles between oil changes. Chassis is lubed every 5,000 miles ($150 or so).

MM.