Motorhome Woes

SteveR · 08-08-2008, 12:37 AM

We have been on a trip in our motorhome and our forward progress from St George, UT to Newport, OR has been full of unscheuled stops and delays due to one thing after another. Here is a short list of whay has been keeping me occupied over the past 2 weeks.

*Installed a SeeLevel tank monitoring system in my motorohome. This entailed connecting stips of sensor panels to the actual tanks (fresh water, grey tank, black tank and LP gas tank), running wire all over the place and cutting into perfectly good solid cheery panels in the hallway. All went well but took two days longer than it should due to wiring delays finding channels to run wires and finding tools that are still in boxes from our recent move.

*Cleaning the coach and loading it for the trip. This might seem an easy task but we live in an area where the daytme temps reach 100+ daily and the wind blows a very fine red dust into and onto everything.

* On our way to Salt Lake City, we heard to spine tingling and gut wrenching tones of the "Jacks Down" alarm while driving 65 mph on a crowded freeway in the middle of Utah. For the novice motorhomer jacks are hydrolic pistons with feet that are used to level the coach and provide stability when parked. Leaving them down and driving off would result in near total desctuction of the coach chassis so making sure they are up is a good thing.

After a few hours of diagnostic work in 100+ temps in a gravel Rest Area it was determined the system was hosed. This was both good and bad news. The good news was the jacks were up and would not come down....the bad news was the jacks were up and would not come done. It also meant we could not dump the air from our airbags that are part of the chassis roll control system. With no control we could not dump the air from the bags and could not level the coach which resulted in a trampoline-like effect when walking with a vehicle list to starbard of several degrees. Doors won't stay open or won't stay shut, drawrs slide out, people roll out of beds, etc.

Fortunately we fould a person who would and could look at it. Turns out it was a defective main system board. The bad news was the unit was out of warranty by a month. Further bad news was that they did not have one in stock. The argeed to make a board and overnight it to me for replacement. The good new is it was all done within a 3 day period....the bad news was were were supposed to be someplace else.

*We are getting ready to hook up the car to the motorhome to get it ready for us to leave in the morning when we notice a chunk of metal sitting in one of the tires....at 6pm. We luckily found a repair place who could fix it and did so.

* After 300 miles of hot desert driving on several stretches of freeway construction we were in good shape, motorhome was in one piece and the car was not beat up. Until we hit Boise, ID or rather a piece of Boise hit us. We recieved a large rock from some highway construction that created a quarter sized impact creater with radiating cracks. I knew I had to get if fixed fast of we would loose the windshield....which is a one piece design that weighs over 340 pounds. As luck would have it a moble repair van came out...but without the correct tools and had to go back and get them. By 10pm he finally showed up to fix the damage.

We start out tomorrow with high hopes that we will not have any further issues to deal with.

Despite all the rough sailing we are still having a great time.

You can't go into RVing with high expecations for equipment longevity. Stuff breaks all the time. If you expect perfections you will be gravely disappointed.

**bssc** · 08-08-2008, 01:29 AM

Good luck with your next stage. You have all the kinks worked out of the system, right.

ls99 · 08-08-2008, 06:01 AM

Hope the rest of your trip is fine. Try to outfox Murphy.

Rich_in_Tampa · 08-08-2008, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveR

You can't go into RVing with high expecations for equipment longevity. Stuff breaks all the time. If you expect perfections you will be gravely disappointed.

Sorry for your woes, Steve. You have a game attitude, but I must say that I haven't met anyone who has had the sheer number and show-stopper type of calamities that you've had to put up with. And if I recall, both of your rigs (this and its predecessor) were quality motorhomes.

Ironically, last trip we neighbored with a guy in a 12 year old gas Bounder (for the nonRVers, that's a very low end but full-sized motor home, not nearly as nice as Steve's). He told me he paid under $30K for it, slightly used, and has about 70K totally trouble-free miles on it.

Sometimes it seems like motorhomes have gotten too complex for their own good.

Here's hoping for a totally uneventful finish to your trip.

travelover · 08-08-2008, 09:22 AM

Sorry to hear of your troubles. Any vehicle that gets parked a lot tends to have numerous strange problems from corrosion and aging of rubber parts, etc.

Having worked in the auto industry and seen what level of engineering and durability/crash testing goes into high volume products, I have to shake my head when I see how recreational vehicles are designed and built. So, maybe you are really doing too badly - kind of a natural trade off between cost and dependability.

**Sarah in SC** · 08-08-2008, 09:27 AM

Gosh, Steve, that really sucks! I'm so sorry to hear of all the nightmares, but you have a great attitude.

I know with our vintage coach, we sorta expect things to go wrong with it, and fortunately it has 1970s technology, so no computer/complicated stuff. We never have a trip without water pump issues and cranking issues.

But I agree it would be dismaying to have such a high quality newer RV and have these problems. I hope you get some trouble free miles going forward!

**Martha** · 08-08-2008, 09:35 AM

Our motorhome has been in the repair shop since we returned from our stint as campground hosts. We pick it up today. This winter I had put a big gash in it and had a temporary repair done in Texas. Three thousand dollars (the estimate, it probably will be more) and a month to repair the damage.

OAG · 08-08-2008, 12:54 PM

I think for that kind of money (not to mention the time) I would have been tempted to go to sheet aluminum and pop rivets - and maybe to hide it some logo painting. Body repairs to large RV must rival airplane repairs in cost, but then they do just use the sheet aluminum and pop rivets and forget the painting.

**Martha** · 08-08-2008, 12:58 PM

The whole skin is aluminum. It is a LazyDaze. The big sheet of aluminum from the factory cost pretty big bucks.

Rich_in_Tampa · 08-08-2008, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martha

Our motorhome has been in the repair shop since we returned from our stint as campground hosts. We pick it up today. This winter I had put a big gash in it and had a temporary repair done in Texas. Three thousand dollars (the estimate, it probably will be more) and a month to repair the damage.

Ouch. Was that from an overhanging big tree branch?

**Martha** · 08-08-2008, 01:32 PM

An overhanging cement picnic shelter roof.

I was backing in my spot, with my sister guiding me as well as a back up camera. Watched my back. Watched my sides. Didn't look up.

Thankfully, full coverage insurance, but the deductible was $500.

cute fuzzy bunny · 08-08-2008, 01:36 PM

So my idea of a couple of cans of expanding spray foam and a roll of metal tape didnt cut the mustard, eh?

Dawg54 · 08-08-2008, 02:11 PM

Think I will stick with my electric golf cart.

Rich_in_Tampa · 08-08-2008, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martha

I was backing in my spot, with my sister guiding me as well as a back up camera. Watched my back. Watched my sides. Didn't look up.

I always have Lynn guide me into spots with the trailer - backing up trailers is always an adventure. However, I discovered that she tends to forget to stay in my mirror's line of sight ("Honey, if you can't see my face in the mirror, I probably can't see you.") Or she will randomly change her strategy and instead of pointing me in the direction we want the back of the trailer to go, she forgets and points in the direction she would turn the steering wheel if she were driving. Or, not realizing that it takes some time and rolling before the rear of the trailer responds to a steering input up front, she will become frantic in the first microsecond thinking I am not doing what she said. I can go on and on. It's pretty funny in hindsight.

I think we have it down pretty good now, but I still get out often while backing in just to be sure.

Hope your repair is fast and painless.

cute fuzzy bunny · 08-08-2008, 02:29 PM

Sounds like someone could make some big money coming up with a big old wireless remote control pad with a couple of joysticks on it hooked into the steering and gas/brake controls that people could use to stand behind the motor home and guide it into a spot...

I'm guessing a few of those high end MH's are already on a 'drive by wire' system...?

However, should this ever come to be, dont piss off the wife. She'll be able to drive you off down the road and into the lake while you're asleep.

Rich_in_Tampa · 08-08-2008, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cute fuzzy bunny

I'm guessing a few of those high end MH's are already on a 'drive by wire' system...

If Steve's does, I'm pretty sure it's broken.

TromboneAl · 08-08-2008, 02:56 PM

Think I will stick with my tent. Aren't you guys trying to get away from it all?

Martha, can't you must make a big aluminum bumper sticker that says something like "Spending our Kid's Inheritance" or "Retired: No Worries, No Meetings, No Money" and bolt it over that gash?

Quote:

Sounds like someone could make some big money coming up with a big old wireless remote control pad with a couple of joysticks on it hooked into the steering and gas/brake controls that people could use to stand behind the motor home and guide it into a spot...

Headline: Man Runs Self Over with RV

calmloki · 08-08-2008, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich_in_Tampa

I always have Lynn guide me into spots with the trailer - backing up trailers is always an adventure. However, I discovered that she tends to forget to stay in my mirror's line of sight ("Honey, if you can't see my face in the mirror, I probably can't see you.") Or she will randomly change her strategy and instead of pointing me in the direction we want the back of the trailer to go, she forgets and points in the direction she would turn the steering wheel if she were driving. Or, not realizing that it takes some time and rolling before the rear of the trailer responds to a steering input up front, she will become frantic in the first microsecond thinking I am not doing what she said. I can go on and on. It's pretty funny in hindsight.

I think we have it down pretty good now, but I still get out often while backing in just to be sure.

Hope your repair is fast and painless.

Jack had a trailer ball mounted to the front bumper on his RV. made putting a trailer or boat right where he wanted it very easy and reduced the stress between the director and the driver. No need to get all carried away with light hookups as he didn't do much highway time pushing the trailer....

Steve - you will be within 6 miles of our place if you take highway 22 over to Newport - if you get a wild hair or could use a friendly curb to park near or the odd tools give me a shout.

SteveR · 08-09-2008, 12:29 AM

No, no drive by wire system on the beast. dear wife is disabled and is slow walking around so we avoid backing up unless it is the last resort. I have done it several times by myself but it is a stop...get out and look...get back in...back up a few feet...get out and look...repeat, repeat, repeat...

We are in Sisters, OR tonight. A very quaint small town filled with folks who came here...fell in love with the place...and then never left.

So far no more mechanical issues but sure could have had a mess of the windshield today on a 40 mile stretch of gravel coated two lane out in the middle of nowhere in eastern OR. We lucked out and

08-08-2008, 12:37 AM	#1
SteveR Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 2,674	Motorhome Woes We have been on a trip in our motorhome and our forward progress from St George, UT to Newport, OR has been full of unscheuled stops and delays due to one thing after another. Here is a short list of whay has been keeping me occupied over the past 2 weeks. Installed a SeeLevel tank monitoring system in my motorohome. This entailed connecting stips of sensor panels to the actual tanks (fresh water, grey tank, black tank and LP gas tank), running wire all over the place and cutting into perfectly good solid cheery panels in the hallway. All went well but took two days longer than it should due to wiring delays finding channels to run wires and finding tools that are still in boxes from our recent move. Cleaning the coach and loading it for the trip. This might seem an easy task but we live in an area where the daytme temps reach 100+ daily and the wind blows a very fine red dust into and onto everything. * On our way to Salt Lake City, we heard to spine tingling and gut wrenching tones of the "Jacks Down" alarm while driving 65 mph on a crowded freeway in the middle of Utah. For the novice motorhomer jacks are hydrolic pistons with feet that are used to level the coach and provide stability when parked. Leaving them down and driving off would result in near total desctuction of the coach chassis so making sure they are up is a good thing. After a few hours of diagnostic work in 100+ temps in a gravel Rest Area it was determined the system was hosed. This was both good and bad news. The good news was the jacks were up and would not come down....the bad news was the jacks were up and would not come done. It also meant we could not dump the air from our airbags that are part of the chassis roll control system. With no control we could not dump the air from the bags and could not level the coach which resulted in a trampoline-like effect when walking with a vehicle list to starbard of several degrees. Doors won't stay open or won't stay shut, drawrs slide out, people roll out of beds, etc. Fortunately we fould a person who would and could look at it. Turns out it was a defective main system board. The bad news was the unit was out of warranty by a month. Further bad news was that they did not have one in stock. The argeed to make a board and overnight it to me for replacement. The good new is it was all done within a 3 day period....the bad news was were were supposed to be someplace else. We are getting ready to hook up the car to the motorhome to get it ready for us to leave in the morning when we notice a chunk of metal sitting in one of the tires....at 6pm. We luckily found a repair place who could fix it and did so. After 300 miles of hot desert driving on several stretches of freeway construction we were in good shape, motorhome was in one piece and the car was not beat up. Until we hit Boise, ID or rather a piece of Boise hit us. We recieved a large rock from some highway construction that created a quarter sized impact creater with radiating cracks. I knew I had to get if fixed fast of we would loose the windshield....which is a one piece design that weighs over 340 pounds. As luck would have it a moble repair van came out...but without the correct tools and had to go back and get them. By 10pm he finally showed up to fix the damage. We start out tomorrow with high hopes that we will not have any further issues to deal with. Despite all the rough sailing we are still having a great time. You can't go into RVing with high expecations for equipment longevity. Stuff breaks all the time. If you expect perfections you will be gravely disappointed. __________________ Work? I don't have time to work....I'm retired.

08-08-2008, 01:29 AM	#2
bssc Moderator Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 2,907	Good luck with your next stage. You have all the kinks worked out of the system, right. __________________ Angels danced on the day that you were born.

08-08-2008, 06:01 AM	#3
ls99 Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 483	Hope the rest of your trip is fine. Try to outfox Murphy. __________________ There must be moderation in everything, including moderation.

08-08-2008, 09:22 AM	#5
travelover Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1,079	Sorry to hear of your troubles. Any vehicle that gets parked a lot tends to have numerous strange problems from corrosion and aging of rubber parts, etc. Having worked in the auto industry and seen what level of engineering and durability/crash testing goes into high volume products, I have to shake my head when I see how recreational vehicles are designed and built. So, maybe you are really doing too badly - kind of a natural trade off between cost and dependability. __________________ Feral Engineer

08-08-2008, 09:27 AM	#6
Sarah in SC Moderator Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 2,920	Gosh, Steve, that really sucks! I'm so sorry to hear of all the nightmares, but you have a great attitude. I know with our vintage coach, we sorta expect things to go wrong with it, and fortunately it has 1970s technology, so no computer/complicated stuff. We never have a trip without water pump issues and cranking issues. But I agree it would be dismaying to have such a high quality newer RV and have these problems. I hope you get some trouble free miles going forward! __________________ "Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference." - Mark Twain DINKS, 38 and 46, plan for his ER at 50, mine few yrs later. Boy it sucks getting older and having to edit your sig line to reflect that!

08-08-2008, 12:54 PM	#8
OAG Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Dublin, Ohio Posts: 1,927	I think for that kind of money (not to mention the time) I would have been tempted to go to sheet aluminum and pop rivets - and maybe to hide it some logo painting. Body repairs to large RV must rival airplane repairs in cost, but then they do just use the sheet aluminum and pop rivets and forget the painting. __________________ Proud Vietnam Veteran: Cu Chi 66, 1 Bde, 25ID & Pleiku 66-67 41st Sig Bn 1st STRATCOM - Army Retired Jun 1979.

08-08-2008, 12:58 PM	#9
Martha Administrator Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: minnesota Posts: 10,065	The whole skin is aluminum. It is a LazyDaze. The big sheet of aluminum from the factory cost pretty big bucks. __________________ . Do not rely on the information provided--my posts are not to be taken as legal advice. Needless to say you must consult with your legal representative. I am not responsible for errors. If I offended you with cya I apologize. If I did not, I tried.

08-08-2008, 01:32 PM	#11
Martha Administrator Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: minnesota Posts: 10,065	An overhanging cement picnic shelter roof. I was backing in my spot, with my sister guiding me as well as a back up camera. Watched my back. Watched my sides. Didn't look up. Thankfully, full coverage insurance, but the deductible was $500. __________________ . Do not rely on the information provided--my posts are not to be taken as legal advice. Needless to say you must consult with your legal representative. I am not responsible for errors. If I offended you with cya I apologize. If I did not, I tried.

08-08-2008, 01:36 PM	#12
cute fuzzy bunny Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ... Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Losing my whump Posts: 22,527	So my idea of a couple of cans of expanding spray foam and a roll of metal tape didnt cut the mustard, eh? __________________ Many an optimist has become rich by buying out a pessimist

08-08-2008, 02:11 PM	#13
Dawg54 Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Mississippi Posts: 3,335	Think I will stick with my electric golf cart. __________________ Full time golf bum.......

08-08-2008, 02:29 PM	#15
cute fuzzy bunny Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ... Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Losing my whump Posts: 22,527	Sounds like someone could make some big money coming up with a big old wireless remote control pad with a couple of joysticks on it hooked into the steering and gas/brake controls that people could use to stand behind the motor home and guide it into a spot... I'm guessing a few of those high end MH's are already on a 'drive by wire' system...? However, should this ever come to be, dont piss off the wife. She'll be able to drive you off down the road and into the lake while you're asleep. __________________ Many an optimist has become rich by buying out a pessimist