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?

[Horst]

Hello Jack, while your coach is still under warranty (I assume) take it to Freightliner and have them analyze the engine and other systems to find the cause of that intermittent problem. Although, it the symptoms are intermittent, the cause might be a constant and could possibly be found. That would then probably prevent this thing from happening again. Did you sign up for the Tiffin Rally in Michigan in 2004? I cannot go, we plan to leave for AK on June 1.

Horst

[Badeye]

Checking on new posts. Should get started on putting data in a database sometime next week. Will keep all posted.

[kd7cxg]

This breakdown happened about one year later than the previous post.
Symptom: MH hard to start, starter solenoid would click but starter would not turn engine over. Sounded like a low battery. After 3 to 5 clicks engine would turn over and start. Decided to wait until it completely quit before I had it fixed. Lasted all the way from somewhere in Indiana to Oregon. I pulled into the driveway to unload, then backed out in the street, turned around to back into the drive so I could dump the holding tanks. Finished with that and started to move the MH again and nothing happened.
Effect: Called WorkHorse again. They sent a tow truck and had it towed to Valley RV, just outside McMinnville, Or.
Cause: Melted ign sw again. This time they also found that the neutral safety sw was bad, causing the ign sw to get hot.
Outcome: Ign sw and neutral safety sw replaced. Hope this is the end of this problem.

[bob_b1]

RV particulars:
Driveline (Engine, Transmission): Cummins 5.9, Allison 4 spd
Miles:58,000
Year:1993
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: Engine wouldn't start after overnight stay
Effect: No start condition
Cause: Mis-adjusted shift linkage
Outcome: started normally when shifter moved to neutral position. Readjusted linkage after reaching destination. Problem solved.


wile e

I have exact same setup('93)/Cummins 5.9/Allison 4-spd) and ran into the exact same problem. This had happened while I was tying up the island at busy gas station. I was losing popularity quick! Luckily, I had experienced this problem before with a beat up Oldsmobile in high school and knew what the problem was. It was still un-nerving.


I now push the stick into FIRMLY into Park so that the neutral saftey switch doesn't prevent the engine from starting.

[kd7cxg]

RV Particulars: Winnebago Brave 30W
Driveline: GM 8.1L W/4L80E Transmission
Miles: 16K+
Year: 2002

Breakdown description: Stopped at rest area on I90 near Bule Earth, Mn to eat lunch. When we were ready to leave the MH would not start.
Symptom: With key turned to start position nothing would happen.
Effect: Had MH towed to authorized WorkHorse service center in Truman, Mn.
Cause: Ignition switch had melted, no other problem found.
Outcome: Ignition switch replaced, continued on trip.

[wileecoyote985]

RV particulars:
Driveline (Engine, Transmission): Cummins 5.9, Allison 4 spd
Miles:58,000
Year:1993
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: Engine wouldn't start after overnight stay
Effect: No start condition
Cause: Mis-adjusted shift linkage
Outcome: started normally when shifter moved to neutral position. Readjusted linkage after reaching destination. Problem solved.


wile e

[Badeye]

Spalding12,

This is the second thing that I am hoping we can do with this thread if it goes well. If we can start to collect enough data that we can see trends, then my future plans are to contact the manufacturer(s) concerned and share the data with them. Hopefully, they can make sometimes small changes that will prevent further recurrance and maybe we will find some cheap fixes for those of us who have units now. I have already been successful in one instance with one manufacturer. All that was required was the changing of how some wiring was connected, no additional cost to the manufacturer other than changing some drawings and an assembly instruction.

This gives me something to do that is productive as I try to wind down my consulting business (not computers or related to the RV business) and have more time available. I have started setting up a database but that is not easy if I want to be able to search out specific problems later.

Please keep the information coming.

[JDelauter]

RV particulars:
Driveline Cummins 275 Allison 6-spd
Miles: 37000
Year:1999 Coachmen Sportscoach
Break Down Description: Driving west on I-10, 150 miles from Houston. Engine overheating. Coolant level fine. Slowed to 60 m.p.h. and stopped dash a/c. Made it to California to a Cummins dealer. Split exhaust manifold. Turbo shot. Hole in turbo exhaust pipe. Engine side of radiator blocked with gunk because Freightliiner does not install the road exhaust tube to prevent oil blow-by after moving the radiator to the rear of the engine. Total cost to me: $4300 out-of-pocket. Story gets better as I am headed home (Florida). Bottom line: $7300 from me, zero from extended warranty or Cummins.
Symptoms: Overheating
Effect:
Cause:
Outcome

[strudle]

Date of incident July 5, 2003
RV particulars: Sportscoach lll
Driveline Chevy 454 turbo 400
Miles:75,000
Year:1986
Break Down Description: Engine Fire
Symptoms: Engine Temp Gauge went to zero, about 15 miles from Menomee,MI about 10 miles from town heard "whoossing sound" then when we entered town and stopped at first traffic lite, front of coach was covered up with Smoke & Steam
Effect: Engine fire burned wires and vacuum lines on top of engine, carb damaged.Replaced hose section, added water to radiator and drove to a city owned CG.
Cause: Heater return hose at engine block ruptured and sprayed a fine mist of engine coolant onto top of engine. Fire started when we stopped at traffic lite. Until that point coolant had vaporized with airflow, but with no airflow when stopped exhaust manifold heat ignited anti-freeze.
Outcome: Replaced all hoses & lines on top of engine , replaced carburator, replaced several electrical comnnectors, replaced charcoal canister (fire travelled down hose and blew out bottom of canister) Replaced # 6 & 8 spark plug wires. Insurance job, but we spent 11 days in MI waiting fire inspector and Chevy Dealer to fix it.

[Badeye]

Please note the original post has been edited. At the suggestion of Big Dave I have added an area for a description of the problem that might aid those who read it. We will continue to improve it until it becomes really useful. Thanks for the help.

[waltbens]

2001 Winnebago Journey DL. 330 Cat, 3000 MH Allison.
Vehicle still very new, near Palmdale, CA.
Hit a DIP in the road, after which the front end bottomed.
An 8-inch arm had come loose from the anti-dive air valve.
Held on by a flimsy grommet; happened 3 more times over 2 years, but I recognized it each time immediately. East to put back on, inboard of the right front wheel.

Same trip, the fuel gauge went to "0" in the middle of that desert, 100+ degrees. Kept on truckin'. Started the genset, which ran longer than a minute, telling me the fuel tank/quantity was OK.
Next engine start fuel read OK, one air tank read low.
It was a CADC or something like that---other indications were low oil pressure. Always something different, till I got to Freightliner.
They overnighted one in, no charge. Happened again a year later.
Again, overnighted and replaced at no charge.

[AlanC]

RV particulars:92 Dynasty 36'
Driveline (Engine, Transmission): Cummins 8.3 TI 250HP, 6 spd Allison MD3060
Miles:58000
Year:2003
Break Down Description: Catastrophic failure of left front wheel bearing while doing 65 mph, 300 miles after I had paid a F. L. dealer to repack them both sides
Symptoms: Felt like a blow out and that I was riding on the rim
Effect: came very close to losing control
Cause: some ?@$&#*^!! idiot not doing the job correctly
Outcome: Had to have spindle, hub, bearings replaced. Keep both hands on the wheel now at all times, except when stopped. I will now provide service centers with manufacturer's service info (procedures, torques, etc) when having work this done. I will get service facility to write exactly what they did, so I will have documentation.

[Bartviii]

Had just bought used Monaco Windsor, DP and had left Mountain View AR, and had drive approximately 60 miles (in mountains) and got to St. Joe AR on two lane road (Hwy 65) and lost all power. Engine would idle, transmission would shift but throttle pedal had no effect on engine. Called Cummings, and they told me to check the KING CONTROL, which operates remotely from the throttle pedal. I checked it by manually moving the fuel input level and the engine functioned normnally. I called King Controls, who sent me a new one overnight at the cost of @500+. I installed it and it worked fine until I got back to Florida and then malfunctioned again. I again contacted King Control and they sent me another one. I installed that one and it has worked good for two plus years.

[njdirt]

add me to the same symptoms and fix as Nantra had except;
Ford 460(trans-unsure)
29000 +/-
96 Alegro Bus

[Badeye]

Thanks for the inputs. I will start tabulating the data and when we get several, I will put out a summary. Keep them coming. Any breakdowns that you had in the past couple of years will be helpful. Also any new ones, but we hope they are few.

If you find several days that I do not chime in, it is because I am on business travel and sometimes do not have internet access if I am traveling international.