Things are FOULED UP BEYOND ALL REPAIR

[D_E_Bishop]

Yesterday one of my toweds died, at least it seems dead, today I went to the storage yard to get the MoHo and our utility trailer and the key for the padlock on the trailer is in the towed in the hospital, left the trailer and drove the MoHo home. About five miles from the yard I noticed the right side mirror was flat against the side of the MoHo. Stopped and got out to adjust the mirror which required I get off the freeway and then get on an on ramp to adjust the mirror. Finally found a open end wrench and managed to tighten the mirror enough to get home.

Got back in MoHo and started up the on ramp, engine died when I floored it to get up to speed to merge onto the freeway. Engine was a problem all the way home and died going up the hill to the house. I had to stop on a very steep hill and restart the engine. Tried to floor the engine and it started sputtering. Backed off on throttle and got home. Went to move the other towed and when I returned to the MoHo, there was coolant dripping on the pavement.

Turned out to be the vacuum actuated control valve for allowing hot coolant into the heater coil. Thought it was the hose clamp. No such luck it is a $25 valve.

Not enough yet?, we were suppose to leave for the desert with the DGKs for a few days to fix up their Mom and Auntie's cabin. The five days of prepaid camping is non-refundable.

Called our mechanic and he said not to hurry bringing it in as he can't get to it until next week.

I'm going to check the spark plug wires tonight in the dark, mechanic said the fuel system is in great shape(after I spent about a thou to have two new fuel pumps and all new hoses installed.

At least my GP approved a refill for my allergy inhalant medication.

Wife called, she is at the DD's house and they are all going out for diner so I'm on my own for that.

Wish I still drank SMW but DW made me give that up.

Waiting for commiseration and woossa-wossas.

[pnichols]

Compared to a whole lot of the rest of the world, the problems us average Americans complain about in the media (that much of the rest of the world can view) must seem as spoiled rotten dribble on our part.

We are so blessed in America, and should be aware of it at all times as we enjoy it ... IMHO.

Given that ... RV forums like this one are where we get to complain and receive help or encouragment. 🙂

[spoon059]

Those are all great problems to have. They were aggravating, I am sure... but how many people in our country would love to have the problems we have? How many people in other countries have never even seen a RV, let alone heard someone complain about a leaky roof in a traveling vacation home, or a diesel engine in a $200K+ motorhome going bad.

Not to make the OP feel horrible, just to put ALL of us in perspective.

[D_E_Bishop]

Well the Suzi was repaired for a measly 670 dollars. Try finding parts for a Canadian made Japanese vehicle in Cali.

The trouble with the Bounder turned out to be the nice mechanic who did a terrific job of rebuilding the Quadra got some of the vacuum hoses mixed up and plugged one that had a temperature controlled valve in the emissions system, he did it to give me more power.

All the other things took care of themselves and yesterday my Pain DR gave me a spinal epidural so the backs is good again.

The seam tape down the side of the rig gave up the ghost and I am replacing it with an aluminum trim piece that looks a thousand time better than the vinyl tape did.

I finished my office(formally the eldest daughters bedroom and now the DGS's bedroom) floor and the DGD thinks it looks more like a study, so now we feel that Miss Scarlet did it the study with the poison.

I hope we all done with the problems and after the Spring Show in Pomona that we'll get off to the Grand Canyon for the Association's meeting and to see the North Rim for the first time.

Thanks for the woosa woosas and commiseration.

Gotta love RVers.

[boostedone]

Is it blowing smoke from the exhaust?
I don't know how a leaky heater control valve would affect the running. But if you don't need the heat, just bypass the heater core by tying the line to it to the line from it.

Only way I could see the leaking valve causing a running issue would be if the valve is designed such that the diaphragm in the valve is exposed to the coolant on the other side, and the engine is sucking in water through a ruptured diaphragm in the valve, which would be temporarily solved by disconnecting the valve and plugging the vacuum hose. Or if the dripping coolant was shorting out electrical items or your ignition wires(somewhat likely depending on the packaging of your engine).

Hopefully the reason for the loss of power isnt because you lost so much coolant while driving it, that the engine got hot and popped a headgasket.

A dead converter can cause a loss of power, but is typically a gradual failure and many times they rattle like crazy.

[CavemanCharlie]

Sorry for your bad luck. Maybe this is a way to get all of your bad luck for the season out of the way and it will be better from here.

[Geocritter]

If it's leaking coolant from the heater circuit, and if you don't need the heater at this time, simply disconnect the hose at the bad valve (engine side) and then find where the return hose attaches to the engine, disconnect the return hose and loop the first hose (that went to the valve) back into the return hose connection bypassing the bad valve completely. Have your mechanic replace the bad valve when you return (or do it yourself, it sounds easy enough to do).

Steve

[wing_zealot]

Gas or Diesel? How old is the gas that's in it?

[portscanner]

Dave H M wrote:
Surely we could make a country western song out of this one? :h

woossa-wossas It sounds like whatever it is it is sposed to be good for you.

For that we would need some trucks, trains, mama, prison and getting drunk.

Now, if he was drunk while going to pick up mama from prison and the RV got hit by a train transporting trucks, we might have something.

[Dave_H_M]

Surely we could make a country western song out of this one? :h

woossa-wossas It sounds like whatever it is it is sposed to be good for you.

[RoyB]

The old saying goes "If you don't use it, you lose it"

Need to get your toys out of storage more often haha...

Does seems like you are on the wrong end of things at times...

Roy Ken

[SARGUY]

If your ignition and fuel systems are good I would check the catalytic converter, they have been known to collapse internally especially after being stored for an extended period. Seen this happen more than once.

[consumeratlarge]

Back in the day, you could put a pair of vice grips over the hose, just before the heater valve, and pinch it shut. Should still work with newer vehicles, since the valve, when closed, just stops the fluid there, anyway. Not the correct fix, but stuff like that can help you get home. If you pinched one side of the valve and coolant comes out, it's the wrong side, of course. We used to put boiler cutoff valves on the heater line to make sure no hot water snuck past the cable operated heater cutoff to our air conditioning on those hot Georgia summers.

[pira114]

Always look on the bright side of life!

[nineoaks2004]

I guess my saying "expect the worst, hope for the best and settle for whatever falls in between" sort of fits your day...I also do not go by
Murphy's law, I go by Schwartz's law, he says Murphy is an optimist.
Hope all you troubles play themselves out soon...