Switching motor homes.

[GHOST1750]

Getting ready to switch motor homes and am dreading it. My wife has as much STUFF in the motor home as I would have in a ten room house. I'm getting too old for this nonsense! We traded at the FMCA Rally in January but just got the Tradewinds out of the shop, was there since November. It started out in a shop in San Louis Obispo and after two weeks there they decided they couldn't repair it. I checked with a repair shop in Stockton and he said he could fix it. After I showed him pictures of the damage the next day he said " I can't fix it". I talked to service manager at Delta trucking in French Camp and showed him pictures and he said " That's simple, I can fix it". I had it towed from San Louis to French Camp and two days later he decided he couldn't fix it. I had some repairs done that caused the fire and drove it to Geweke Auto and RV Collision Center in Lodi. They are GOOD, they fixed it. Took them awhile to locate parts but they did it. The repairs alone was more than I paid for my first house. Thank goodness for Progressive Insurance, I had to pay for part of towing charges and repair of cause of fire. Exhaust system separated, had turbo replaced and I'd say they didn't get the clamp tight enough and it pulled apart on smooth California interstate 5. Gonna keep the next motor home off interstate 5 between French Camp and Bakersfield.

By the way, next motor home will be a Newmar Canyon Star 3953,going back to Ford, loved the CAT and am going to miss the diesel sound and the Spartan ride of the Tradewinds but I hope it will be less expensive to maintain. You gotta either be rich or a fool to own a motor home and I ain't rich.:W

[cbigham]

Interesting thread.
I recently bought and used a starflyte v10 for a couple years in addition to my cat powered 40 ft funmover. Found the v10 simple enough most people could fix. My funmover was a needy beast maintenance wise. I decided to downsize and upsize. Sold both, bought a 24ft Thor 23u. Like it a lot, more handy.

Sooo much **** came out of the 40 ft funmover we had almost 2 rooms worth ?? aquir d over 12,13years.

[mike_brez]

Ivylog wrote:
I'm about to switch MHs too and we both have way to much STUFF. Going to park them door to door and put a ramp between them so you don't have to go all the way down to the ground.

Ok I gotta ask....what are you getting?
That's one heck of a coach you have and I know on more than one ocassion you said this coach would out last you.
I'm sure it will still out last you but just not in your possession:)

[John_Joey]

GHOST1750 wrote:
...snip...You gotta either be rich or a fool to own a motor home and I ain't rich...

:B

Like I tell the DW, you can cover up a lot of bad deceisions with enough money.

RV's are a lifestyle choice at best. A college debate team with a spreadsheet would have a feild day on the topic if it was all about logic.

[hotjag1]

The pipe on the backside of the turbo came off on mine also. Didn't cause a fire but the heat melted my air lines. I lost all air pressure within a minute or two. Luckily I found a large area to pull off the road before my brakes locked up.

[Acampingwewillg]

Wow....I guess it was very fortunate I discovered this tear in that "boot"/Coupling! Thank You for the info...

[jplante4]

We had a coach in the shop last summer where the turbo tube separated and melted the house batteries. What a mess!

[Goldencrazy]

I did it in January. A lot of work. No easy way.

[Ivylog]

I'm about to switch MHs too and we both have way to much STUFF. Going to park them door to door and put a ramp between them so you don't have to go all the way down to the ground.

[Acampingwewillg]

Interesting regarding the issue causing your Fire? As I have been working on some electrical rewiring, I noticed a rather large rip/tear in one of the Turbo charger Boots....replacing it now(53.00 for a piece of rubber, but it is what it is). Is that the part of your exhaust/turbo your referring to? I guess if it is I just dodged a big bullet. Either way, it should be less loud and hopefully improve fuel usage.

Amazing what you find when looking under and over the engine...mine is a CAT too, 3176b. Good Luck with the new coach.

[Heisenberg]

ME TOO!