Unpleasantly Surprised

[SidecarFlip]

While I don't own a diesel pusher (I have a TC), I was down at the shop last week (the shop is an authorized Freightliner chassis repair facility and heavy truck dealership, I was in the back service bay and one of the tech was working on a large diesel pusher. Looked fantastic on the outside with 3 slides, full body paint sat dish and all the 'stuff.

Underneath, it was a mess. The coach looked like it was stored in a field during the off season. Everything underneath was corroded. It was in the shop for a Cummins EGR valve replacement and the tech was into a solid 24 hours to replace the valve (normally on an accessable engine), a 30 minute job.

The tech had to pull the entire exhaust manifold and turbo off the engine because all the bolts were so corroded, he could not get anything loose, just to replace the EGR valve. he told me because it was so cramped underneath, it took 3 guys to wiggle the assembly out.

I took a look underneath and I was amazed at the corrosion. even the radiator support was rusted to the point where failure was just a bump away.

He said there was less than 20K miles on the coach. He had the ATA plumbing laying on the bench. I was amazed to see how corroded the tubes were, both outside and INSDDE and I thought to myself, all that rust is going through the ATA unit and into the motor... just amazing.

I guess it's 'for sale'. Not for me. I'd not even want to pay the repair bill for the EGE valve replacement at $130 bucks an hour plus parts 24 x $130 is a chunk of change... $3 grand plus for what should be a 250 dollar job.

Looked so nice on the outside but what a bomb on the underside.

Moral of the story is, heated inside storage, or at least inside storage on concrete is much better than parking a unit in a dirt lot somewhere. Moisture ruins any unit and it son't take long either.

[SidecarFlip]

Mr.Mark wrote:
90%-95% of Prevosts are passenger buses. They are made for ease-of-maintenance as you can get on either side of the rear of the coach for radiator/engine access. The radiator grill on the side swings open for access to the CAD and everything attached to the radiator. The rear hatch opens all the way. We also have another hatch above the rear engine door to get access to everything above.

Prevost passenger buses/Entertainer coaches need to get back in service pronto, we have the advantage of that chassis.

MM.

Well thought out, very accessable chassis, but then, you get what you pay for.

Everyone else (chassis) has no logical (from a maintenance standpoint) layout. Why they cost so much to work on. Getting to components for repair/replacement can be a nightmare and service is always hourly.

[DownTheAvenue]

SidecarFlip wrote:

DownTheAvenue wrote:
You are making quit an assumption that it had been improperly parked which caused the corrosion. With your descriptions, I bet it had been exposed to sea water or salt treated roads.

Sea salt, no, plated Ohio and bought local so no sea. Not sure where it was parked but there was no evidence (that I saw) of salt or CaCl corrosion because there was no white residue thats associated with road salt anywhere I looked. Don't believe the owner washed the underside off, least it didn't appear to be ever washed.

The problem with your reasoning:
1. Where purchased and the license plate have nothing to do where the RV may have been driven.
2. You allege that the extreme moisture of the earth was captured under the RV and caused the rust. If that were the cause, I ask you to explain why RV's in Houston, Texas, just for example, don't exhibit the same rust. Humidity levels in Houston reach 90% for extended periods of time.
3. The sodium chloride and other chemicals used in treating roads reacts with the metal causing the rust. I think there is a chemical process that would consume the residue you didn't see. If the residue remained on the metal, how would it ever cause rust? There has to be a reaction.

[SidecarFlip]

Ductape wrote:
What shop is that? I'm sure some would like to know not to patronize a business that will allow other customers to wander in and out of their coach.

I'm not a customer. I work there and have for 30+ years.:R

[Ductape]

What shop is that? I'm sure some would like to know not to patronize a business that will allow other customers to wander in and out of their coach.

[Mr_Mark1]

90%-95% of Prevosts are passenger buses. They are made for ease-of-maintenance as you can get on either side of the rear of the coach for radiator/engine access. The radiator grill on the side swings open for access to the CAD and everything attached to the radiator. The rear hatch opens all the way. We also have another hatch above the rear engine door to get access to everything above.

Prevost passenger buses/Entertainer coaches need to get back in service pronto, we have the advantage of that chassis.

MM.

[SidecarFlip]

rockhillmanor wrote:

Bird Freak wrote:

DownTheAvenue wrote:
You are making quit an assumption that it had been improperly parked which caused the corrosion. With your descriptions, I bet it had been exposed to sea water or salt treated roads.

I agree.

X2
I see you are from Michigan. You really should know all about what salted roads can do to any vehicle. That are either, not undercoated or washing the underside each and every time after driving on salted roads whether the roads are currently wet or dry outed when you drove on them. :W

Certainly has nothing to do with whether it was a DP or not. Under carriages of ANY vehicle will rust from salt. A $2,000 RV or a $300,000 RV will all rust from salt.

I am. The coach was in Toledo at the shop.

Like I said in a previous post, no salt residue (white deposits) anywhere I looked and I looked hard at the chassis.

Salt residue don't get inside the ATA tubing but moisture from parking outside on dirt or on dead grass in the wintertime and letting the unit sit for a long period can get inside...and did.

I've never seen ATA tubes rusted inside before, that was a first for me. Even the tech was taken back by that.

The Alcoa's were nice and shiny and the body was beautiful as well as the interior (I got inside, took my shoes off too because it wasn't mine and the interior was showroom but the undercarriage was a mess.

The tech explained to me that every fastener on the manifold that secured both the turbo and the EGR valve was rusted and not removeable so they pulled the entire manifold with the turbo intact and worked on it on the bench, I presume using large amounts of PBlaster and heat.

I know the guys at the shop really don't care to work on any diesel pusher because of the cramped and impossible spaces to work in. I've seen many in the shop for engine work where the back bedroom bed has to be removed to access the overhead.

Probably why there are 2 labor rates. One foe commercial trucks and another (higher) for coaches.

One exception is Prevost. They have a couple they maintain. They are easier to work on than a Freightliner chassis. More room under there.

[SidecarFlip]

DownTheAvenue wrote:
You are making quit an assumption that it had been improperly parked which caused the corrosion. With your descriptions, I bet it had been exposed to sea water or salt treated roads.

Sea salt, no, plated Ohio and bought local so no sea. Not sure where it was parked but there was no evidence (that I saw) of salt or CaCl corrosion because there was no white residue thats associated with road salt anywhere I looked. Don't believe the owner washed the underside off, least it didn't appear to be ever washed.

[1968mooney]

Great reason to avoid purchasing anything north of the Mason/Dixon line. Purchase a unit from Ga. or Al. and avoid all the salt and rust.

[rockhillmanor]

Bird Freak wrote:

DownTheAvenue wrote:
You are making quit an assumption that it had been improperly parked which caused the corrosion. With your descriptions, I bet it had been exposed to sea water or salt treated roads.

I agree.

X2
I see you are from Michigan. You really should know all about what salted roads can do to any vehicle. That are either, not undercoated or washing the underside each and every time after driving on salted roads whether the roads are currently wet or dry outed when you drove on them. :W

Certainly has nothing to do with whether it was a DP or not. Under carriages of ANY vehicle will rust from salt. A $2,000 RV or a $300,000 RV will all rust from salt.

[moisheh]

What has the fact that it is rusted got to do with it being a DP? Maybe it was driven in the winter. SALT! Could have been a Class c and had the same problem.

Problem

[midnightsadie]

see that rust here in ohio ,units that sit in moist grass will rust quickly.

[gbopp]

SidecarFlip wrote:
I took a look underneath and I was amazed at the corrosion. even the radiator support was rusted to the point where failure was just a bump away.

I don't own one but, I understand a radiator for a DP is very expensive.
This is an excellent example of why you should have a RV inspected before purchase. Pictures definitely don't show everything.

Maybe this was a flood victim?

[Bird_Freak]

DownTheAvenue wrote:
You are making quit an assumption that it had been improperly parked which caused the corrosion. With your descriptions, I bet it had been exposed to sea water or salt treated roads.

I agree.

[frankdamp]

A good case for undercoating before taking it anywhere. Also something else to inspect for when buying.

[DownTheAvenue]

You are making quit an assumption that it had been improperly parked which caused the corrosion. With your descriptions, I bet it had been exposed to sea water or salt treated roads.